Spirit Filled and Controlled!

Acts 20:24 - ²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

We talked to the kids tonight about being filled with the Holy Spirit and Spirit controlled so that we could finish the race and complete the task Acts 20:24 speaks of.

Pastor Billy gave us four ways to ensure that we we can live this way wholeheartedly.

1. Immerse ourselves in the Word of God.
2. Believe the Word of God.
3. Pray.
4. Obey what is written in God's Word and obey His promptings.

We wrote these four instructions on butcher paper and, as we discussed them in detail, let the kids decorate each one with a picture of their own that best represented to them what they believed that would look like in their life. We hung it on our wall when we were done to remind us of what we are to practice to remain Spirit filled and controlled.

To show the kids what being spirit filled and controlled looked like, we had two eggs with us, each decorated like a typical Christian they may see at church every week. I affectionately named them Rod and Todd Eggbert. Didn't know I was an "eggspert" artist, did ya? What the kids didn't know, was that one egg was raw and the other hard-boiled.

We pointed out to the kids that both of our "Christians" looked the same on the outside. They both carried their Bible to church. They dressed similarly. From all outward appearances, we might make the assumption that they were both mature, spiritual believers.

We held up the raw egg (Rod). As we did, we continued our comments about how the outward appearance of this person gives us the impression that he is spirit-controlled. Then we broke the egg into a clear bowl. We told the kids that the yoke of the egg represented the individual, and the white of the egg represented the Holy Spirit. We asked them which part of Rod they noticed the most now that we could see inside of him. Because the white of the egg was uncooked and clear, the yolk (self) was most noticeable.

We talked about how, since we knew Rod to be a Christian, the Holy Spirit is obviously inside of him. We know he is a believer, but the Holy Spirit has not been given any visible presence in his life. Now that the broken outside shell has revealed the heart of Rod, we see that he is definitely self-controlled, not Spirit-controlled.

Next, we cracked and peeled the boiled egg (Todd). Once again, by removing the outward appearance of the shell, we were able to see into the heart of this person. We asked the kids which part of Todd they noticed the most, the yolk (self) or the white (Holy Spirit). Because it was hard-boiled, only the white of the egg was visible. It completely surrounded and hid the yolk. Todd, we explained to them represents a believer who is controlled by the Holy Spirit. Self has been crucified and has taken a back seat to the Holy Spirit.

We asked the kids how many of them recognized the difference between the two eggs when they first saw them. We told them that, just like the Rod, believers can quite often fool other Christians into thinking they are more spiritual than they really are. They carry the right Bible translation, they dress appropriately, they go to church and maybe even Bible study every week, they volunteer for church activities, and some even teach Sunday school. In essence, they know how to “talk the talk.” They deceive everyone around them, and quite often, they even deceive their pastor and themselves.

The problem is that these people believe, just because they appear Christian on the outside, they must be Spirit filled and controlled on the inside too. But when you take away the outer spiritual camouflage, their innermost heart is exposed, and it reveals that they are not “walking the walk.”

Though the Holy Spirit is present, He has not been allowed any control. Remember how difficult it was to see the uncooked white of Rod in the glass? One has to look close to see any evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

But in Todd, the Holy Spirit is totally in control. In truth, the exterior shell represents the person he is inside. His relationship with the Lord is number one in his life, and it is revealed by the way he lives. In this case, his outward appearance is a mirror reflection of what is going on inside his heart. He’s not trying to appear spiritual; he is spiritual. He’s authentic.

We ended by asking the kids which type of Christian they were. Are they faking their Christianity, or is it real? Is it authentic? If their outward shell was peeled away and their heart was exposed, what would be revealed about them?