NBBC Kids' CLUB - Ephesians 5:15-21

Introduction:

Ephesians 5:15 “15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,”

Friends, when we read the word “Therefore” Paul is using this word to remind us that it’s important to remember what he said before.

Believers must live like God’s children in love, holiness, and truth and confront sin in other believers because of God’s love for His children.

You see, friends, the sinful choices of other can influence us.

Therefore, Paul gives us this next piece of instruction.

What does it mean to be careful?

It means to look much harder at what it is that you’re doing.

Why? Because, if you don’t, you could get hurt.

Is Paul just trying to get us to watch very closely where we walk so that we don’t get hurt?

No!

Paul is encouraging us to watch our lives, what we do, very carefully.

Why? So that we would not fall into sin, the deeds of darkness that we looked at last week.

In walking carefully, Paul calls attention to unwise and wise people.

Wise people are our example.

Whereas unwise people should not be our example.

How do we know the difference between the unwise and wise? (Let’s look at the next verse.)

Ephesians 5:16 “16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”

What do you think it means to make the most of your time?

You’re being productive.

You’re not being wasteful or lazy.

You’re making the most out of every moment (Louw-Nida).

Why does Paul tell us to make the most of our time?

Because the days are evil.

What is it about the days that can be evil?

People sin, all the time.

Therefore, there’s always an opportunity to sin, or do evil

So, let’s think about this.

Paul is encouraging us to walk carefully, like wise people.

This comes on the heels of his encouragement to lovingly address the sin of other believers.

Paul is encouraging us that, since there is every opportunity to sin, we need to take every opportunity to watch our lives carefully so that we are pleasing the Lord and avoiding sin.

Friends, what Paul is pointing out to us is just how easy it is to sin.

Instead, we need to pay careful attention to our lives that we do not fall into sin.

Also, friends, this is how important it is to live in a way that pleases the Lord.

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

The only way to do this is to make sure that we are prayerfully reading God’s Word, asking the Spirit to help us understand

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

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

Ephesians 5:20 “20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;”

Ephesians 5:21 “21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”

Conclusion: