Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Drunk Uncle or Cousin at the BBQ

Always-The HS is trying to do a work in you, let him!!!

I. From Foolish to Wise

(v.17) “So then” You will remember that in (v.15-16) Paul says be careful how you walk.

He then says walk as a wise man not as a fool.

Make the most of your time, because the days are evil and short.

Clearly Paul is comparing and contrasting two types of people.

The Fool and the Wise.

Paul says there is too much stake to waste time in superficial endeavors.

You will notice that this verse begins with a conjunction “So

(v.17) “So then do not be foolish” The conjunction at the beginning of the sentence signals a closing argument or statement that fully encapsulates a previous teaching.

Paul then goes right in.

‘Stop being foolish” I bet you can guess what kind of verb foolish is.

It is an imperative.

Where is your clue?

“do not” It is also a “present” verb meaning “you are to daily not be foolish” Also this is not a warning to not do it in the future, but it is a warning to stop doing something that you are already involved in.

I can see Paul just shaking his head like my Dad used too and saying “Boy what were you thinking about!!!” “Grow UP” Paul is saying “Put and end to foolishness.

-Now let’s take a look at this word “foolish” and how it is used.

-Fool---is translated by two greek words:

Moron-means naive(unintentional foolishness)

a. aphron- lacking foresight—this is the inability to separate personal life experiences in order of importance.

These are people that take small issues and make them big, or they take weighty important issues and make them small/blow them off.

Let me take you to a text where this word is used.

This more intentional foolishness

-lets take a look at its word usage in scripture:

HELP

(v.16)

This man was not lucky.

It was his skill that help make the land productive.

So we are not talking about a dumb man.

(v.17-18)

In this verse he did the smart thing he diversified his funds.

He took his overflowing resources and he built bigger barns to fill them larger, so that he would not miss any morsel of his money

(v.19)

Then he began to mediate on his success and came to the conclusion that “he could finally rest, relax, and sin” The implication is here is that since there is no afterlife to which I will be accountable I am about to enjoy myself until I die.

I am going out with a bang.

(v.20)

Notice what happen next.

In verse 17-18 that man did all of the talking and planning then in the final verse “God Spoke” I like Proverbs 16:1 on this:

Interpretation: Plan all you want, but it is God who settles accounts!!!

(v.20) Can you imagine hearing these words in heaven spoken by God!!!! “You apron!

This very night your soul is required of you, and now who will own what you have prepared?”

(v.21)

Notice that God is not rebuking that man for storing up treasure(saving his money) He is rebuking him for taking no thought in his eternal home and spending all of his money given to him by God on himself.

He had plenty of earthly wealth but he never put anything in the heavenly bank account.

Then he figured out real quick who was really in control.

-I went to this parable to give you a real-time view of this word.

This man was bright, successful, and cutting edge.

But as far as eternity was concern “He was a Fool”

(v.17) “but understand what the will of the Lord is” in opposition to living as a fool live with an understanding mind.

Particularly when it comes to the will of God.

Let’s define the word understanding:

a. Understanding---To employ one’s capacity for comprehension, to perceive.

This word entails the assembling of individual facts into an organized whole.....In our modern vernacular we say “that person finally connected the dots”

Where should we be exercising our understanding?

(v.17) “The will of the Lord” The most common prayer for most Christian is Lord what is your will.

We must do a theological work on this.

Is Paul talking God’s specific will for each person life or his universal will for all believers?

-When we pray we are seeking God’s specific will; Lord what school should I go to?

Lord should I marry this person?

Lord should I take this Job?

Lord am I called to preach?

Nothing wrong with these prayers, but before we ask God for his specific will we need to evaluate are we following his universal will spelled out in scripture.

HELP

-Are you saved?

We got unsaved people in the church asking God “Who should they marry”

Help

-Are you being sanctified?

Are you yielding your bodies to the Lord

HELP

-Are you being submissive to the human institutions God has put in place to maintain order.

Are you being submissive at work or are you always in the break room gossiping and stirring up trouble.

Finally our text today:

Are you Spirit-filled there is difference between being indwell by the spirit and spirit-filled?

-Saved, Sanctified, Submissive, Spirit-Filled are all spelled out in scripture God is not hiding them from you.

You see before God begins to speak to you and spell out his hidden or specific will to you, you ought to be making these four things the direction of your life.

Summary: Paul says “stop being hard headed and sit down long enough to gain understanding and connect the dots on what the Spirit is trying to do in your life.

What’s the HS trying to do Paul?

-Paul says “I am glad you ask” lets keep talking

II.

From DUI to LUI

(v.18) “And” this is a connecting conjunction letting us know that Paul is still in the same thought.

He has not changed subjects.

(v.18) “And do not get drunk” Paul has just given us a clue as to how some of the believers at Ephesus are wasting their time.

Let’s do a little historical work.

Ephesus is the location of one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world and that is the Temple of Diana or Dionysus.

In the ancient world the people felt that when they got drunk that took them to a deeper union with Gods.

So alcohol became a part of their way of worshipping their Gods.

They imported that right over to their new relationship with “The Christ” the probably figured that since we are drinking this real wine during communion it must get us closer to the one God.

Paul had to straighten out their ignorance.

(v.18) “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation”

What kind of verb is drunk??

-It is a negative imperative.

Meaning it is a command not to do something.

This tell us that the behavior is already going on, and Paul is putting a stop to it.

“for that is dissipation” We don’t use that word

“Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living” ISV translation that word dissipation could also refers to “wasteful living”

-God is not pleased with any type of activity when a person goes into another state of drunkenness or meditation....In Eastern Religions of worship during meditation turning off the mind is encouraged so that you go into a different state of consciousness.

It’s like what “weed smoker say; man when I am high my thinking is so deep” Well in Christianity we don’t turn off the brain during meditation, We do the exact opposite we focus, and we heighten the activity of the brain so that we can inhale whatever God has for us.