Living Carefully

In 1958, America’s first commercial jet air service began with the flight of the Boeing 707. A month after that first flight, a traveler on a … propeller-driven DC-6 airliner struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger.

The passenger happened to be a Boeing engineer. The traveler asked the engineer about the new jet aircraft, whereupon the engineer began speaking at length about the extensive testing Boeing had done on the jet engine before bringing it into commercial service. He recounted Boeing’s experience with engines, from the B-17 to the B-52.

When his traveling companion asked him if he himself had yet flown on the new 707 jet airliner, the engineer replied, “I think I’ll wait until it’s been in service awhile.”

Even enthusiastic talking about our faith doesn’t mean much if we aren’t also willing to put our lives where our mouth is.

Does your worship of God only consist of what you say ABOUT Him, or does your worship of God impact the way you choose to live?

Practical Illustrations: 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon (10-158: Are You Walking the Walk? (Faith))

This piece was heard on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition on November 2, 1988:

Today we conclude our series on worship and find ourselves in the book of Ephesians…Ephesians 5:15-21.

Authentic worship is about the value we place on God and how we choose to honor Him...

When we began this study we examined Psalm 100 which challenged us to worship God the way He expects to be worshipped…Passionately and Gratefully....

Then Pastor Matthew walked us through Deuteronomy 6 challenging us with the responsibility of worship within the family…everyone of us is accountable to keep passing our faith to each generation…perpetuating worship.

Last week we examined John 4 and hopefully understood the essential elements of authentic worship come down to maintaining the balance of worship of God in spirit and truth...

All of those bring us to this very important text this morning as we conclude this journey...

If we are going to live a life of praise, we have to come to grips with the truth that it is not going to happen on its own.

Because our hearts are prone to drifting, to wandering, our worship of God is prone to that same drift…life, with all its nuances and difficulties often gets in the way and we are not as focused on our worship of God as we ought to be...

We cannot take a passive approach to how we live and think God is going to be pleased with us.

How we choose to live is an element of worship we cannot ignore because how we live communicates the value we place upon being obedient to our God!

If you haven’t done so already, please turn to Ephesians 5:15-21.

The overall context of Ephesians is that every believer receives a new identity...“in Christ” … that new identity is accompanied by many blessings (chapters 1-3) and believers everywhere, and from every generation and ethnic group, all stand unified into one body…in light of all those blessings and corporate unity, there is an expectation of godly living placed upon all of God’s people…(chapters 4-6)...

In Ephesians, we see Paul use a very simple four letter word in one form or another eight times…five of those occurring in chapters 4 and 5…it is the word WALK…it conveys the idea of behaving in a specific way.

We see the thrust of this word in Ephesians 4:1 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,”

Therefore…in light of everything he just said...

Doctrine — 1 to 3

Practical Application of that Doctrine — 4 to 6

Believers being held accountable to live in a godly way…this is an expectation that God has for His children...

Let me ask us again…does our view of God only consist of what we say and do on Sunday or does it carry over into the daily operations of life?

Which leads us to our main point...

Main Point: Living A Life of Praise Requires Careful Intentionality.

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

Building on what he said previously, Paul exhorts the Ephesians to be careful how they walk...

The word used here means to move around carefully, paying close attention, being alert, taking notice…being aware of all the circumstances and consequences as though you are passing through a dangerous place…

It carries with it the idea of living in strict conformity to a standard...guarding against anything that would be improper or unbecoming for the Christian.

In this text we will see 4 commands to obey…obedience is not a passive endeavor…it is an active choice of the will...

We want to answer the question, what must we do to show careful intention to how we live?

Don’t Be Foolish, Be Wise — 15

Our culture is filled with dangers and deceptions…it is not easy to live a life of praise when everything around screams darkness and evil...

It is easy to fall prey and be ambushed by events and people without ever being aware of the dangers.

The biblical term for those who are unwise is the fool…just read through Proverbs and you discover much about how the fool lives.

He is reckless, flaunts his folly, hangs around other fools, despises wisdom…In Matthew 7, Jesus says the fool builds his house on sand...

The fool says in his heart there is no God…and although we would never deny the existence of God, there are times when we act as though that is true.

The wise however pursue wisdom diligently…according to James, if we ask God for it, He gives it to us in abundance…according to Jesus, the wise build their house on the rock…Him…the wise are careful to surround themselves with other wise people...

Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

God expects his children to use sound, spiritual judgment and discernment in this life…wisdom that comes from Him is gained from a knowledge of His Word.

John 17:17 …we are set apart by the truth...

Listen to how James describes wisdom…James 3:17–18 “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

We cannot be naive or indifferent. We must understand the issues that confront us in living for Christ, discerning the dangers and exercising the wisdom of spiritual understanding of the meaning of things.

Don’t Waste the Opportunities Afforded You to Make a Difference — 16

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

Paul reminds them (and us) of the importance of making our lives count for eternity…none of us are guaranteed tomorrow…only you can impact your sphere of influence…that is why it is your sphere, God entrusted that to you.

This is a call for us to identify the things that fritter our time away and to prioritize everything relentlessly.

The reason we need to be so attentive to how we live is because the days are evil.

This world is dark and needs the light of Jesus…Scripture tells us we are the instrument of light God chooses to use…we can’t be the light we are supposed to be if we hide it under a bushel…hiding our light is wasteful.

We don’t know how much time we have left…when the King returns for us or calls us home, will we regret having spent our life foolishly or rejoice in knowing we sought to diligently impact those around us?

Seek to Understand God’s Will — 17

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

Usually, when we think of the Lord’s will, we are drawn to thoughts regarding major decisions. Although that is part of it, I don’t think that is what Paul is referring to here.

See most people want to know God’s will for those big life choices, but rarely show concern for God’s will in the daily operations of life…God has already revealed his will to us…it is found in this marvelous book we call the Bible.

In the Scriptures, God has revealed what He wants us to do and what He doesn’t want us to do…what he wants us to think, what he doesn’t want us to think...

He has even given us a model to follow.

1 Peter 2:21 (NASB95)

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

The will of the Lord is that in the daily operations of life we live carefully, cautiously, always striving to pattern our lives with the teaching of Scripture.

Because the Spirit indwells us, we are now enabled to imitate Christ in that way.

Remember, this is a command, and what that means is our lack of effort to know what God says about life and godliness communicates God’s will doesn’t matter to us the way it should.

Be Filled With the Spirit — 18-21

Ephesians 5:18–21 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”

All NT believers are indwelt by the Spirit of God.

That is one of the blessings of Christ’s completed work on the cross.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon people for special tasks and purposes...but Jesus made it clear that after His death, burial, and resurrection...the Holy Spirit would be given to all followers of Christ...John 14:16–17.

We know that this is true for all believers because Paul said - Romans 8:9 “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

Believers are commanded to avoid drunkeness and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

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

There is much that can be said about this verse…many sermons can come from this verse alone…so please bear with me as we walk through this…don’t tune me out...

I want to deal first with the command to not get drunk with wine…why would Paul feel the need to say this? How does this statement fit the context?

Avoid Drunkenness

Paul wrote to people converted from a pagan culture steeped in evil…Ephesus was the epicenter of Greek culture and they worshipped many gods…they worshipped Baccus, the god of wine and drunken orgies...and in their worship of him, they believed that to commune with him and be led by him, they had to be drunk…in this drunken state, they believed they could determine the will of their god and how best to serve him.

These believers were saved out of that life, but that did not mean that lifestyle ceased to exist…it was predominate in their culture…

Worship was not the only reason people turned to drunkeness…we don’t have to think very hard to answer why.

People get drunk for various reasons. Some do so to interrupt the monotony of life, others to escape themselves, some to numb the pain of life’s circumstances and difficulties...

The Bible is very clear about what God thinks about drunkeness and instead of turning to intoxicating substances, He wants you to turn to Him.

The reason Paul mentions this in this context is to set up a contrast of careful living between the pagans and the believer…the believer doesn’t need the intoxicating beverages to commune with His God…we don’t need to be drunk to serve Him…we don’t need to loose control of our minds to know what God’s will is…all of that can happen in a marvelous way...

Be Filled with the Spirit

It is a command we are expected to obey…it is plural applying to all believers, not just a select few…it is present tense meaning “keep on being filled” so it is not relegated to special occasions, it is to be enjoyed constantly…it is a passive verb meaning we do not fill ourselves, we don’t pursue external means to get it; it means we open ourselves up and permit the Spirit to fill us..

the Greek word means– to fill something up

it’s not a traditional drink illustration---the issue here is not, try to get more of the Holy Spirit...your cup is half full—try to fill it up.

the word was also used in Bible times in these ways...

Wind filling a sail and carrying a ship along.

Salt permeating meat in order to preserve and give it flavor.

Control – as in a person being filled (controlled) with grief or joy.

To be filled with the Spirit means to be constantly controlled by the Spirit in our mind, emotions, and will.

Don’t confuse this with the baptism of the Spirit…that happens one time at the moment of salvation.

1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

No where are we commanded to be baptized in the Spirit…when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, the believers were baptized by the Spirit and the body of Christ was formed and at the same time they were filled with the Spirit empowering them to witness for Christ.

The baptism of the Spirit happens one time at the point of salvation providing you with your identity into the body of Christ…the filling of the Spirit is commanded, happens continually, and empowers you to live out that identity.

Some of you might be saying well, how does that happen? How do I know when I am being filled with the Spirit?

I’m glad you asked those questions…please turn over to Col 3:16-17. here is almost an exact parallel to what we’re reading here in the book of Ephesians, but there Paul added another idea…

Colossians 3:16–17 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

see, when followers of Christ choose to empty themselves of their own desires, and passions, and ways of evaluating life...and choose to believe and act on the Word of God...they are asking the Holy Spirit of God to control them...

So to the degree you walk in obedience to the Scripture, it is to that same degree you are being filled by the Spirit!

So as we examine the rest of this text what we see are the results of being controlled by the Spirit...

Last week we examined John 4 and hopefully you remember what Jesus said was necessary for authentic worship…spirit and truth.

But here is a very important principle...

It is only by God’s Spirit that we can truly worship “in spirit”.

God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

in other words, you need the objective revealed truth of the Scriptures resident in your mind...and you need to embrace those ideas in every facet of your inner man...it must grip your heart, it must capture your emotions, it must captivate your will...and friends, that kind of passionate worship can only be accomplished in and through the Holy Spirit of God.

So what are the results…how can I tell if I am being filled by the Spirit...

Your heart overflows in musical worship with a desire to minister to others.

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

There is both a vertical and horizontal dimension to worship…Paul first deals with the horizontal...

Both here and in Colossians, Paul states that being filled with the Spirit, and when the Word of Christ is dwelling in you richly, the natural result will be you and me singing to each other....

It means that you are passionately joyful and inevitably your heart-music becomes verbal.

The public result of what happens internally is that we have an impact on the spiritual life of others.

We minister to one another through a variety of music: Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual songs

Psalms – The Old Testament Psalms themselves, or songs patterned after them.

Hymns – Songs of praise, perhaps especially those that exalted the Lord Jesus Christ.

The OT Psalms would not have done that as directly as those who had access to NT revelation would...many writers think that some sections of the NT are actually hymns the early church sung together...

Spiritual Songs – Songs of testimony that expressed a broad array of spiritual truth…as opposed to unspiritual music...

God created music to be a window and sometimes an open door to our soul…as often is the case, our sinfulness corrupted something with a divine design...

by putting sound theology to music, it helps us think and remember God in marvelous ways.

What this communicates about our music, is the highest priority of our music is it must be theologically accurate because it is to provide an avenue for us to express to one another our view of God…it is also, in this context evidence of the Spirit producing the fruit of joy in us!

in the church, we have the privilege and the responsibility to sing to the men and women standing around us...

now, I realize that some might say...PK, my voice is so bad that the best way I can minister to people around me is to be really quiet...friend, that excuse is not consistent with this text

This also impacts the person who says...I’ll do that if I like the song... Spirit filled people care about ministering to others...

and think about why that is so important...

do you realize that you are here worshipping with other people (yeah, duh)...

but did you stop to think that the person sitting next to you, behind you, in front of you could be here today living with great pain and discomfort and uncertainty...it was all they could do to get themselves to church this morning...

…someone who is struggling with significant spiritual battles all week...and some of them, praise God, won...and some of them, sadly, lost...but they came to church worn out this morning from the struggle...

someone whose job and bosses are terrible and the pressure is unbearable...

someone who just had a friend gossip behind their back

Someone who just had life in a fallen world deal them a severe blow...

Everyone here desperately needs to connect to the God of heaven and earth...and everyone here deserves to hear their brothers and sisters in Christ sing in a spirit filled way...

not some trite, jingle jangle tune devoid of any meaningful theology...but also not in some worn out half hearted way similar to the way the average American sings the star spangled banner prior to the start of the ballgame...

So what this means is that we can never be content to stay at home and watch the corporate worship take place…if you are going to be filled with the Spirit, it will overflow in your desire to minister to others and you can’t do that sitting on your couch, in your PJ’s…there is no connection established that way!

and by the way…ministry to others is just ministering to those who are hurting...you can make the argument equally well for people who come into our services where everything is going well [develop – they too need to be connected to the living God in a worshipful way so that they put their successes in proper perspective]

now, what else does the verse say?

From the heart

God doesn’t care if your voice is polished and professional…the Spirit filled heart sings praises no matter how good the voice sounds and who is there to hear it.

with a love for your Lord.

This is the vertical dimension of worship... ultimately, when we come together, we’re singing to the Lord.

Our level of involvement, and enthusiasm, and passion, and joy communicate a direct message to Him and that message overflows into the life of others!

Spirit filled people overflow in song!

2. You are grateful in all things in all ways.

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

These words have sometimes been misappropriated through a literalness which has done great harm to many sincere believers.

The words “for everything” have been interpreted without reference to God’s character or to the absurdity of thanking God for something he loathes.

The wrongly conclude that “for everything” means literally for everything regardless of how evil it is.

We are never to be thankful for sinfulness and the consequences that come with it.

However, we still can praise God for being God in the midst of these miseries and for being able to bring good out of evil.

Being filled with Spirit calls us to a radical spirit of gratitude.

We are to thank God in the midst of difficulties for everything which is consistent with his Fatherhood and his loving Son.

Being filled with the Spirit leaves no room for a grumbling, complaining, negative, sour spirit. No one can be Spirit-filled and traffic in these things.

In America we, as a people, have so much. Yet we characteristically mourn what we do not have: another’s house, car, job, vacation, even family!

Such thanklessness indicates a life missing the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

On the other hand, a positive, thankful attitude announces the presence of the Spirit.

3. You are submissive to one another.

In the Greek text, verses 18 to 21 form one long sentence, with mutual submission being the final result of the Spirit’s filling.

The supreme model for our submission is Jesus Christ.

The Scriptures are clear…Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;”

Sometimes we meet Christians who claim to be Spirit-filled but are brash, assertive, and self-promoting…that is completely opposite what the Spirit does…He brings glory to Christ, not us.

The key to submission is profound, reverent submission to Christ.

Key reminders regarding the filling of the Spirit...

It is a command, not a suggestion.

We are not free to ignore it.

It is a plural command to the whole Church.

We don’t need to be intoxicated to experience it.

All of us are to be filled with the Spirit.

It is not for the few or for some elite.

It is a passive command.

It means, “Let the Holy Spirit fill you” (NEB).

There is no ritual, no formula.

We must turn from any known sin.

We must open ourselves to God’s Word so it dwells richly in us (Colossians 3:16).

We must yield to the Spirit.

It is a present tense command.

It is not once for all but continuous.

We are to go on being filled.

Lesson for Life — Don’t Put Your Worship of God on Cruise Control!

God has given us everything we need for life and godliness…God has done everything He can to make us able to worship Him in authentic ways.

Everything we’ve examined in this series takes intentional effort…none of it will just happen automatically....

Maybe the first step for you is to become an authentic worshipper!

Believer, examine your life carefully…what needs to happen in your life right now, today, to redirect the course of your life towards Him? Where do you need greater levels of intentionality?

How can God’s people come alongside you and help you live a life of praise?