The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 15DEC

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Other testimony? (Minda?)…do it on the 22nd?

Scriptures for today on whiteboard

Eph 5:15-16

Eph 5:17

Eph 5:18-19

Eph 5:20-21

Last week -

do not be partakers with the sons of disobedience

mimic God, not them.

Be a gospel witness, a Christ witness, by lovingly demonstrating holy living

Doing so will

Sanctify your soul

Expose deception and fallacy and sin in the world

Bring the light of Christ to your life and the lives of those around you in your sphere of influence in which God has divinely placed you.

…this week…

Summarizing Exhortation to the Whole Church (5:15-21)

Summarizing Exhortation to the Whole Church (5:15-21)

Summarizing Exhortation to the Whole Church (5:15–21)

Walk in wisdom, not folly (5:15–17)

Not in drunken excess and license (5:18a)

The church in God’s presence in the Spirit as the new temple and priesthood (5:18b)

Service in song (5:19)

Service in thanksgiving (5:20)

Service in submission (5:21)

PRAY (ask someone)

*** 4 x READERS ***

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.

Brief recap…

We’ve just come off a majestic explanation of how Jesus is the Messiah is the new sun that has shined his redemptive rays upon men and women from every walk of life

AND, we are to bear witness to him as “light reflectors”, as men and women being conformed into His image, in the here and now.

So, let’s see what specific instruction God has for us on HOW to do this…

A) Walk in wisdom, not folly (v15-17)

Ephesians 5:15–17 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.

Textual comments…

“look carefully then how you walk”

EXAMINE yourself!

This is an ACTIVE work.

Be WISE!

All of eph 1-3 theology, but look specifically at …

Ephesians 1:17–19 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might”

REDEEM THE TIME! b/c the days are evil

Kind of a sub-bullet of BE WISE

The wise man or woman applies the wisdom of God (life and think like Christ lives and thinks), and that looks like and ACTIVE, DELIBERATE, INTENTIONAL exchange of wasted use of time for FRUITFUL use of time.

We all have externally controlled portions of our day, right?

What about internally controlled portions of our day? How do you spend it?

***xref for “days are evil” ***

We get not only the positive command to be wise, but also the negative corollary :: EMPHATIC command.

Application comments…

B) Not in drunken excess and license (v18a)

Ephesians 5:18–19 ESV

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,

Textual comments…

Application comments…

C) The church in God’s presence in the Spirit as the new temple and priesthood (v18b)

Ephesians 5:18–19 ESV

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,

Textual comments…

Application comments…

D) Service in Song (v19)

Ephesians 5:18–19 ESV

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,

Textual comments…

Application comments…

E) Service in Thanksgiving (v20)

Ephesians 5:20–21 ESV

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.

Textual comments…

Application comments…

F) Service in Submission (v21)

Ephesians 5:20–21 ESV

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.

Textual comments…

Application comments…

Closing

PRAY

See you next week (22DEC) for some fun fellowship time!

No ABF 29DEC

PIck back up on 5JAN with a curriculum PA generated on holiness

We’ll resume Ephesians on 2FEB

We’ll complete Ephesians on 2MAR

9MAR through 8JUN (minus Easter and Memorial Day weekends [no ABF]) leaves us 12 Sundays…

I haven’t decided what to tackle next…

I’ve got some ideas…

maybe reveal these ideas…2 and 3 John, Titus, Philemon, minor prophet?, a survey of systematic theology?, apologetics?

…but any desires?? I will take them under advisement ;)