Live Carefully

Introduction

Ephesians 5:15–21 ESV

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

I want to tell you one of my dream places to hike. Angel’s Landing.

Angel’s Landing is in Zion National Park.

While it is breathtakingly beautiful, it is also incredibly dangerous.

Zion National Park actually has a permit system, since Angel’s Landing actually becomes more dangerous when too many people are on the hike.

While it is dangerous, it is beautiful.

Let me set up a hypothetical for you. Let’s say we are leaving the church today, and we walk out into the parking lot. I tell you to be careful walking into the parking lot. You might get offended.

Why? Because you know how to walk.

What about if we were on Angel’s Landing? If I told you to be careful, would you be offended.

Paul doesn’t tell us to walk carefully because we can’t walk. He tells us to walk carefully because the way is perilous.

To walk carefully in a dangerous place, Paul gives four qualities:

Wise

Sober Minded

Worshipful

Yielding

CIT: Careful Christian living includes wisdom, sobermindedness, worshipfulness, and yielding.

Explanation

WISDOM

Ephesians 5:15-16 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

Be careful how you walk - wise not unwise.

Some people think, “If God’s grace will catch me, then I can live carelessly!”

The Christian thinks, “God’s grace is to precious to be squandered. He has saved us to walk in a better way.”

God is the giver of all wisdom. (We should seek wisdom, and we will find wisdom in the Lord)

Proverbs 2:3–8 ESV

yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.

Ephesians 5:17 “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

How do you know God’s will?

The word of God

God’s people inspired by the Holy Spirit.

The preaching and proclamation of God’s word.

The Bible is much less a car manual that you consult when you don’t know how to do something. The will of God is much more a consistent steeping in the Bible so that you can walk in God’s will daily.

SOBERMINDED

Ephesians 5:18-19 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Instead of allowing something to overcome your senses, be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Debauchery is a sensual access of something.

When you allow drunkenness to overrun your life, you cannot have room for the Holy Spirit.

Your sin is crowding your capacity for knowing and loving God.

Being filled with the Spirit

The Holy Spirit

Illuminates our minds to understand the things of God.

Convicts our hearts of sin.

Empowers us to follow God and share the gospel.

When we allow our sin to rule our lives, we push away our capacity to be ruled by the Holy Spirit.

Max Anders made the note that the consequences of being filled with the Spirit are the same as Colossians 1:16 when Paul tells the people of God to “let the word of God dwell richly in you.”

Ephesians 5:19 “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,”

Addressing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs and give thanks.

Sing and make melody to the Lord with your heart.

Paul gives multiple types of music to God.

You may say, “I don’t like this way of singing or type of singing as much as the other.”

Sometimes, God leads us by teaching us to worship him through something that we don’t prefer as much as what we do prefer.

In the end of a song you don’t like, God is still there.

Singing is a violent act of battle against the domain of darkness in our hearts.

In my own life, singing is a recentering upon the Lord. If my heart is out of sync, nothing gets it back like belting our praise music in my car.

Ephesians 5:20-21 “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

How do we submit to one another?

Reverence for Christ who submitted to the father.

How can we understand that we know the most fascinating things

We prefer others preferences. We care firstly about them.

Invitation

Christ is central to our lives. It is only by holding His hand that we can walk carefully.

Are you wise, sober, worshipful, and yielding? We are never perfectly any of those things. May Christ increase our increase.