Walk this Way pt. 2: Walk in Wisdom

Good morning, my name is John Lee and I serve Mission Church as the lead pastor. I am thrilled to be with you this morning, especially in this context, as we continue our current sermon series through the book of Ephesians entitled Gods Plan for God’s People.

Please grab your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Ephesians 5:15-20. When you’re there…and if you are able…please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Ephesians 5:15–21 (CSB)

15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—

16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:

19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord,

20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

This is the Word of the Lord. You may be seated. Would you pray with me? PRAY

I have always dreamed about one day hiking the famous John Muir trail in California and fly fishing the various alpine lakes along the way. Now, if you’re not familiar with the trail….the trail begins at the summit of Mt. Whitney…which just so happens to be the highest point of elevation in the U.S. The John Muir trail is 221 miles long through the beautiful but strenuous Sierra Mountains …and the trail ends in the beautiful valley of Yosemite National Park.

I have books at home filled with photos from the trail taken by the famous photographer Ansel Adams. I also have books that contain stories of others who have braved the difficult journey....and it honestly looks and sounds like the adventure of a lifetime!

Now…I don’t want you to get a false idea about me....Hiking the John Muir trail would be far greater than anything I have ever done....I’ll be honest..... I struggle with the easy hikes at Mt. Charleston. So this dream is more like a romantic fantasy than an actual plan.

So…with that in mind.......If I were to actually take the trip it would require an extensive season of preparation. It would take me months of intentional training in order to develop the endurance such a trail demands. It would take weeks of research and planning….I would need to know what permits, gear, and food I would need…I would have to plan out each days hike. I would have to figure out how to deal with the bears and the bugs and how to purify the water. I would have to know what to do in the case of an emergency. You see....The hike itself is dangerous…there are dangerous animals, steep rocky cliffs you can fall off of, and the uncertainty and severity of the elements.

The planning…the preparation.....and the training for such an adventure would be significant and absolutely necessary! In fact it would be absolute foolishness to attempt to hike the John Muir trail without first diligently planning and preparing! It would not be wise! Think about it.....What If Stacy said to me, “Let’s go for a hike” and I replied “cool. How about a 221 mile hike through the strenuous sierra mountains?” “Sounds good, I’ll pack a couple of sandwiches.” .... We would be doomed for failure!

And yet it would be just as foolish and pathetic if I were to spend the months planning, training, preparing for the hike...taking wilderness classes and buying all the gear… planning out every step …but yet....I never go …I simply stay at home and talk about the trail.....even flip through my books and stare at pictures of the trail but never actually going and hiking the trail.

You see…a dangerous journey.... like hiking the John Muir trail....requires the wisdom of careful and diligent planning and yet the diligent training and planning calls for and demands the journey itself.

Now..I share this illustration because it helps us to see and understand what Paul is doing in the book of Ephesians. Paul has been equipping and preparing and training us for the significant, dangerous, and epic journey that is the Christian life. And he prepares us and trains us with a solid foundation of doctrine.... we have seen and have been taught throughout our series in Ephesians… the doctrine of God, the doctrine of salvation in Christ, the doctrine of the Church, the doctrine of the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. …you see....the entire first three chapters of this book has been an intensive in which we have been trained and equipped to live as a follower of Jesus.

You see.....the Christian journey....it requires diligent preparation and careful planning....we can’t just set out haphazardly on such an expedition for it would not be wise! Yet…it’s also clear that you and I have been equipped ..not only to sit around and talk about doctrine and the things of God but so that we can walk in love…walk in light....and walk in wisdom.

Consider how “walking” is Paul’s main metaphor for the living the Christian life in Ephesians chapters 4 and 5. Paul has equipped us with the rich doctrines of God in chapters 1-3 and then he begins Ephesians chapter 4 by saying 1 …I urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received

Then again in Ephesians 4:17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do...

And then Paul ....He provides us with an alternative way to walk…he provides us with an alternate way to live. Then in Ephesians 5 .....He instructs us to be imitators of God and to walk in Love....to walk in the light…and now in v15 we are instructed to pay careful attention to how we walk. You see…you and I …as Christians…it is not enough for us to only think, or to know, or to affirm truth…but rather we are equipped with the truth so that we can we can go out and walk the walk…we are to walk the journey of a faithful Christian life that is distinct from the world. But…let’s be real…we live in an evil world full of deception, duplicity, and moral pitfalls.

Tell me.....

How can can we walk wisely in a world that is filled with danger and deception?

Well......from our text this morning....... we’ll see that....

Because we are God’s dearly loved children, we can walk in wisdom by making the most of our time, understanding what the Lord’s will is, and by being filled by the Holy Spirit.

Look back at v15…and let’s first consider Paul’s instruction to walk in Wisdom.

Ephesians 5:15 (CSB)

15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—

If you are a Christian…understand that you were saved through the sacrifice of Jesus ...and you were adopted by God as His dearly loved child and you were filled by the Holy Spirit.... now... in the same way that you are called to walk in love…to walk in light..you are also called to no longer be defined by the foolishness of the world but by the wisdom of God. In other words…we are to live like the people we are.....we are to live out the identity we received when Christ saved us...... We are to grow in what we have already been given…we are to grow practically in what we already possess positionally.

You see.....at salvation every believer has been made wise in Christ. Consider 1 Corinthians 1:30

1 Corinthians 1:30 (CSB)

30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption

In Christ…God miraculously makes us righteous, sanctified, redeemed, and wise. Because you are in Christ .....the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are hidden in Christ are also hidden in you. (Col. 2:3) The moment that you were saved you became a storehouse of wisdom. In fact…just as it’s impossible to have salvation apart from the righteousness of Christ it is impossible to have salvation apart from the wisdom of Christ. You see…a new believer begins his new life in Christ with all the wisdom necessary to follow Jesus. However.... you are to be intentional to be continually growing in wisdom so that you can be even more mature.....even more faithful and productive in your service to His kingdom.

Now…the question is begging to be asked, How? How do we grow in wisdom? Well the first way is we pray for wisdom…we ask God to make us wise.... Consider how James....who was speaking to believers …said in James 1:5

James 1:5 (CSB)

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.

The author of Proverbs gives us another way we can grow in wisdom.

Proverbs 13:20 (CSB)

20 The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.

In other words....walking and growing in wisdom takes intention …which is why Paul says....look …you need to be careful how you live.

Look back at our text…v15

Ephesians 5:15 (CSB)

15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk...

One of the greatest dangers to Christian living is the pitfall of complacency. And complacency usually comes as a package deal when you experience a period of success or pleasant circumstances…in fact..this may be why the American Church is so weak…and churches in places like Iran and China are flourishing today. It’s really difficult to become complacent when you are being persecuted.

A.W. Tozer once said that.....

Complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress. - A. W. Tozer

This is why Jesus urged His disciples to......

Matthew 26:41 (CSB)

41 Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Paying attention…staying awake and being watchful involves being alert to your own weaknesses and to the ensnaring schemes of the devil. You see....as Christians we have been awakened to the danger of the darkness and we are to live accordingly.....we are to live with intention and purposefulness…we are to give rigorous, wise examination to our mind…our heart...and our behavior.....because we know that the darkness has a way of sneaking up on us..therefore…we are to live carefully not as the unwise people we once were but as the wise people we have become in Christ!

Now....Paul.... He proceeds to give us a recipe for Wisdom which includes three ingredients.

1. Walking in wisdom includes Seizing the Day. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

Ephesians 5:16 (CSB)

16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

Underline or circle the word time. It’s helpful to know that there are a couple of words for “time” in the Greek…and the word used here implies and speaks to a specific moment of time rather than an extended period of time. In other words…Paul is telling us to, “Seize the day!” ....Don’t let this opportunity pass.....take advantage of every moment that God provides.”

I don’t have to tell you that …much like the Ephesians…we too live in evil days. Therefore… it matters how we live…in fact as Christians…we should be intentionally making the most of our lives.....and Paul here …he is essentially calling you and He is calling me to identify the things in our life that wastes time and we are to reprioritize everything in such a way that we redeem the time…both....for our good and for the glory of God.

Now…it doesn’t require much effort to waste time living in the culture and society in which we live in. I hope I am not the only one who cringes when my i-phone provides me with my weekly screen time report. From scrolling through social media, watching guitar videos on youtube, or binge watching the office …I can waste time like a boss! But.....what about you? What is it for you?

What’s crazy is…when I meet with people…they share with me how they are extremely busy....they don’t have time to attend Sunday service.. they say there's no time to read their Bible or for family devotions....there’s no time to attend a small group...or to serve the Church..or even to pray! But when we break down our days and how we spend our time we usually see that its not a business issue but a priority issue...it’s a lack of diligence issue. So with this in mind... I want to challenge you to take an inventory of how you spend your time…and then be intentional to redeem the time you once wasted on your phone or on the TV and replace that time with something of eternal significance.

Now…why is this so important? Well....because we are living in evil days and the unholy trinity of the world, our flesh, and the devil are united in seeking the downfall and demise of every believer. Consider the fact that it was when King David was not where he was supposed to be.....it was when he was idly walking around the roof of his palace....when he saw Bathsheba, and well......the rest is history (2 Sam. 11:1–2). Brothers and Sisters you need to be aware that we have an adversary........ the devil …and he is like a prowling lion and he is determined to devour you (1 Peter 5:8).

You see...... as Christians…it’s imperative that we make the most of our time …not only because we don’t want to waste our lives but so that we would avoid foolishness…so that we might avoid sin....so that we would continue to grow in wisdom and godliness. Friends.....we must passionately shine our light in this dark world while we still have breath....for one day we will stand before our King…and if we are intent to make the most of our days and to live wisely we will be able to stand before him having no regret!

You see....Walking with wisdom means taking full advantage of every opportunity that comes our way. It’s not enough for you to simply seclude yourself and do your best to avoid evil ....but you have to be intentional to use the gifts of grace that God has given you to further His Kingdom. This speaks to the truth that we are to live for God and His Church rather than living for ourselves. Brothers and sisters....we have been redeemed by his blood…and now .....we are to redeem our time for him…we are to make the most of every opportunity....we are to seize the day... so that his name will be glorified as lost people hear and receive the gospel!

So…walking in wisdom includes seizing the day and ......

2. Walking in wisdom includes Living Like Jesus (Ephesians 5:17-18a)

Ephesians 5:17–18a (CSB)

17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living...

Instead of living foolishly.... unthinkingly.... and perhaps selfishly.....we are to called to live with understanding. You see....the life of faith is a thoughtful life…it’s a life that seeks to make sense of who God has called you to be and how He has called you to live.

Usually when people talk about “God’s will”.... they are referring to God’s will regarding a major life decisions such as…should I buy this house…or should I change careers....or should I have kids.....and although we should seek the Lord’s guidance in all areas of our lives....this is not what Paul has in mind here. Rather......Paul is pointing us to God’s revealed will as seen in Scripture …he is pointing us to what God has called each one of us to pursue and to avoid. In short......understanding what God’s will is.....means that we are to belong to Him through Jesus Christ. His first and primary will for our lives is that we would be saved and brought into the family and kingdom of God (1 Tim 2:3-4)…and then....we are to pattern our lives after Jesus. (cf. Rom 8:29).

You see.....The will of the Lord for your life is that you would live carefully and cautiously....the will of the lord for your life is that you would match your lifestyle with the teachings of Scripture......Brothers and Sisters......God’s ultimate will for your life is that you would be conformed to the image of His Son....for....God desires a holy people that will reflect his holy light....and the only way to grow in our Christlikeness is to follow God’s instructions regarding how we are to think and how we are to live.

Now…there are many who get stuck into believing that the Christian life is essentially about..... either right behavior …or....about right thinking. They say it’s one or the other..... In fact …entire denominations exist in each of these categories........But God’s will for your life ...as revealed in Scripture.... is much more than right behavior or even right thinking.

You see....God’s Word is the means by which God makes himself known to us…Scripture reveals to our hearts the reality of who God is..... so that we might live in relationship with him. And Paul’s aim in this verse is to encourage us to study the Scriptures so that we might know God .... so that we might be saved…so that we might pursue a life that lives like Jesus…because…when we do.... God is ultimately glorified!

Now..... Is it not surprising..... that as Paul instructs us to understand what the Lord’s will is...... he finds it absolutely necessary to tell us that it’s never God’s will for a Christian to be drunk. Now......understand....Scripture is not condemning the drinking of alcohol...but Scripture does condemn the drinking of alcohol in excess....for it is a sin to be drunk and it’s a sin to be high.

Consider how both the Ephesian Church and the Church today exists in a world that’s dominated by self-indulgence. Many of the Ephesian Christians had probably at one time indulged the passions of their flesh (1 Cor. 6:9–11). Before Christ saved them they lived for themselves. Their first thought was not, “ I wonder how I can please the Lord today?” Rather… “what can I do to indulge my passions today?” But Paul.....he instructs us to die to to our sinful passions and he instructed us to put away lying (4:25) and stealing (4:28), and now he tells us not to drink to excess.

Why? Well……because drunkenness leads to other sins because it makes a person lose control....and the will of the Lord for us is to avoid anything that would lead to a loss of self-control.

I am reminded of Galatians 5 and how one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control. The Holy Spirit makes us self-controlled and filled with a deep sense of joy. The Spirit makes you like Jesus…who is our ultimate model for self-control! You see..... the life that is pleasing to God is not self-indulged but self-controlled....it’s a life that’s lived under the controlling....gracious boundaries of God’s Spirit.

Which leads us to #3

3. Walking in wisdom includes being Filled by the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18b-20)

Look back at v18

Ephesians 5:18 (CSB)

18 .....but be filled by the Spirit

What in the world does it mean to be filled by the Spirit? And.....how is one filled by the Spirit? And how do I know if I am being filled by the Spirit? Let’s be real....this is an extremely confusing verse…and its a verse that has been misused and abused.....in fact....the significance of this verse is often misunderstood, misapplied, or missed altogether.

So…in order for us to understand what it means to be filled by the Spirit…we first have to understand what it doesn’t mean.

You see…from the moment you repented and believed you received the Holy Spirit.

Consider Romans 8:9-10

Romans 8:9–10 (CSB)

9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

You see…being baptized by the Holy Spirit is not an extra experience you need to seek..... but rather you were baptized by the Holy Spirit the moment Christ saved you. (cf. 1 Cor. 12:13 ; cf. John 7:37 -39).

An accurate understanding of this texts destroys the widespread Charismatic notion that being filled by the Spirit is a one-time emotional experience you initiate....which instantly places you into some inner circle of spiritual maturity with special gifts. You see....this phrase is not suggesting that there are empty Christians who need to acquire something that they don’t already have.

When we use the word fill we normally think of something being placed into a container such as milk being poured into a glass.... water being run into a bath tub..... or gasoline being pumped into a gas tank.....however this is an inaccurate interpretation of the verb translated as “be filled.” Rather this word carries with it the ideas of pressure, permeation, and domination.

Consider first....pressure....and how the sails on a boat require the wind for the boat to move across the water. In the same way.....the Holy Spirit provides the thrust to move the believer down the pathway of obedience. In other words....you will not be motivated to live like Jesus by your own will and desires…you just wont.... you need the Holy Spirit to carry you in the proper direction.

Consider also....permeation.....and think about how.... When you drop one or two tablets of Alka Seltzer into a glass of water.... the tablets instantly begin to fizzle and dissolve. Once dissolved.... the water is permeated with the distinct flavor of the Alka Seltzer. In a similar sense, God wants the Holy Spirit to permeate and flavor our lives so when we're around others they will know for certain we possess the pervasive savor of the Spirit.

Finally....consider also the word domination or the idea of total control. You see…in our spiritual lives we are commanded to yield to the total control of the Holy Spirit.....which means that every emotion…every thought, and every action is under His direction.

So......if being filled with the Spirit means being pressured, permeated, and dominated by the Spirit.....then what can you expect to happen in your life as a direct result? Well....Paul gives us three evidences....two of which we will work through this morning and the third we will discuss next week. Look back at v19 …and take note....of two evidences of being filled by the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:19–20 (CSB)

19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

What are the two evidences of being filled by the Spirit?

The first evidence is.....

a. How we Speak and Sing.

We are to speak to one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs......which points to the horizontal nature and implications of worship...... meaning that when we gather to worship God....as we sing....we are not only singing to God…but there is also a horizontal dimension in which we are ministering, encouraging, and strengthening the faith of one another. This is why…here at Mission…we have the chairs at a slight curve....so we can see people…this is why we sing the songs we do…we want to be as Biblically saturated as we can....because as we sing we are singing the truths of the gospel over one another....and as we do ....we are encouraging each other and we are strengthening one another’s others faith.

So worship is horizontal .....and.....it is vertical as we are to also make music with our heart to the Lord. Friends…a Spirit filled person sings..... we just do…and we are a singing people because God is too great to merely be talked about. We are not just to think of His grace and speak of it; we are to feel it and rejoice in it. You see... Our worship is not to be a time of emotional manipulation… it’s not an experience or a concert time and it’s also not merely formulaic and ritualistic.....,but it’s to be a true expression from the heart of our love for God. When we sing we are singing to the Lord. We are honoring him in our worship. He is the audience…and He is the object of our praise........and as a result we are filled with his Spirit in our worship.

The second evidence of a life filled by the Spirit is seen in ......

b. How weGive Thanks.

Look back at v20

Ephesians 5:20 (CSB)

20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

The Spirit-filled life is evidenced…not by cynicism or complaining but it’s evidenced by thankfulness. But....let’s be honest....life…well....life is hard…it’s difficult to say the least! Many of us have experienced troubles, difficulties, and tragedies.... How can Paul say to us, “Be thankful always and for everything?” Sounds a bit unrealistic…doesn’t it?!? Are we to give thanks to God even when the wheels of our lives are falling off?

Yes. We are.

Remember.....Paul…he wrote this letter to the Ephesians as he was chained up in a Roman prison....yet he was still able to write v20....and to instruct us to join him in giving thanks always for everything. This is the conviction of a man who is persuaded that God is absolutely good…and this goodness of God is seen in the giving of His Son to be the Savior of the world and in His blessing us in Christ with every spiritual blessing.

Friend....You will never rise to giving thanks always and for everything until you are similarly persuaded that God is absolutely good. We might be thanking God through tears or discouragement but it will be all the more real as a result…And....this is one of the remarkable evidence of being filled by the Spirit!

Brothers and sisters.....The Christian life requires us to walk in the wisdom of God. Have no doubt that the world will be constantly working to draw you away from your devotion to Christ and from walking the way of wisdom. Therefore…you must be diligent…you must be careful to walk on the straight and narrow path that leads to life.

The good news is....that Jesus himself is the very wisdom of God personified and in Christ we have the wisdom of God and as we listen and obey the words of Christ…as we love Jesus and live like Jesus we will grow in wisdom…a wisdom the will result in worship to God and thankfulness to God in all things and for everything.

Let’s pray.