Living Wisely

Don’t Read - New Years Resolutions

Please open your Bibles to

Read Ephesians 5:15-21.

It’s officially 2020.

A new year brings with it a desire to make changes.

I’m sure you have some new goals for this next year.

You want to be more productive.

You buy a new calendar.

You say you will be more organized.

Maybe you decide that 2020 will be the year you lose some weight.

And that will start tomorrow.

It’s always tomorrow.

You look at your Christian life and you decide that you are now going to make some changes.

You commit to doing things differently.

You’re going to start reading your Bible every day.

You’re going to pray every day.

You’re going to get up early.

You’ve grabbed a Bible plan from the back of the church and you’re going to do it.

If you aren’t reading your Bible, look at the 5x5x5 plan that’s included in your bulletin.

These are good places to start.

It’s good to do these things.

It’s good to set goals for your life.

It’s good to remove the fluff.

It’s good to get rid of things that slow you down.

We’ve already read from Ephesians.

Ephesians is a great little book.

Half of it is deeply theological.

Explaining great doctrinal truths.

The second half is extremely practical.

You’ve learned doctrine, now how do we apply that to our lives.

As we begin a new year and as you reevaluate different things in your life, this seems to be the perfect passage.

Verse 15, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.”

There is a wise way to walk, and there is an unwise way to walk.

As you look to streamline your life, know that there is great value in wisdom.

There is great value in doing things wisely.

And there is great danger in foolishness.

The Bible describes foolishness, not necessarily as stupidity.

Foolishness is not related to your IQ.

It’s the opposite of wisdom.

It’s rejecting common sense.

It’s rejecting what should be natural.

It’s rejecting what you should know.

It’s going to the restaurant, and being handed a plate that is clearly hot.

The waitress has an oven mitt on.

You can hear the food sizzling.

You can see it sizzling.

She says, “Careful it’s hot.”

And you reach out and grab the plate with your bare hand.

That’s foolishness.

You know better.

But you do the opposite.

3 quick dangers of foolishness.

First, it rejects God.

, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ ...”

It rejects what is known.

God has revealed Himself to all of creation.

says, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

No one has any reason to reject God.

God has revealed Himself.

But foolishness is rejecting what you already know.

Foolishness is grabbing that sizzling plate, even though you know it’s hot.

Paul points out the foolishness in rejecting God.

continues, beginning in verse 21, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Foolishness is rejecting what you should know.

The plate looks hot and you grab it anyway.

God has made Himself known, and you say there is no God.

The second danger of foolishness is that it disobeys God.

says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

Foolishness rejects the authority of God.

It rejects God’s authority over your life, and instead says that you are the standard.

The fool props himself up and says, “My will be done.”

Foolishness ignores advice, ignores wisdom, and does the opposite.

Foolishness is when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit because it was pleasing to the eyes.

They let their own desire become the standard.

Foolishness is Jonah hopping in the boat to go to Tarshish instead of Nineveh.

His desire became the standard.

says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Foolishness is despising God’s instruction and doing the opposite.

God says, “Don’t lie” and you justify your life.

You say, “But I had to.”

Or, “I had a good reason to lie.”

God says, “Remember the Sabbath ...” and you justify your lack of worship.

“I went to bed too late.”

Basically, you played too hard on Saturday, and put the worship of God secondary to your pleasure.

Or, “I had something to do on Sunday.”

Basically, “I’ll worship God when I have nothing better to do.”

And the third danger of foolishness is really the consequence of foolishness, it’s death.

, “ … fools die for lack of sense.”

Foolishness is the lack of wisdom.

There is a practical element to this.

You don’t work … you don’t eat.

Wisdom is working.

Wisdom is working for a living.

Failure to work, means you don’t get paid.

You don’t get paid, you either depend on someone else to feed you or you are hungry and die.

Foolishness is walking in front a bus in the middle of Winchester, because you read somewhere that pedestrians always have the right of way.

That may be true, but that doesn’t mean the bus is guaranteed to stop.

You walk in front of a moving vehicle, you die.

Foolishnes means death.

There is a spiritual element to this.

If foolishness is disobedience to God, then foolishness is sin.

The consequence of sin is death

Paul says don’t walk as unwise, don’t walk as a fool..

There is value in rejecting foolishness and there is value in embracing wisdom.

Foolishness

Consequence of foolishness

So Paul says to look carefully how you live.

This is to take the attitude of a sniper.

His scope must be accurate.

His target is 1000 meters away.

He adjusts his sight.

As you look at your life, be accurate.

Look carefully how you live.

Take the scope to your own life.

Make the necessary adjustments so you are right on target.

Pursue wisdom.

Surround yourself with wisdom.

describes wisdom like a precious metal.

How is gold found?

It’s mined.

It’s searched for.

Therefore watch how you live

Miners dig tunnels into the earth, and putting their life at risk looking for the treasure.

When copper is taken out of the ground, its smelted.

It’s removed of its impurities.

And wisdom, as opposed to foolishness must be sought after.

And where does it come from?

The Lord.

says, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.”

Therefore wisdom comes from the Lord.

And when you find it, you obey.

Therefore watch how you live

Pursue wisdom

That’s why Paul says, to look carefully how you walk.

Accumulate wisdom.

Mine wisdom

Then put it into action.

Walk wisely.

Live it out.

Surround yourself with wisdom

Walk in wisdom

This is your life

As we begin this new year, let’s make this commitment together, let’s walk wisely.

Accumulate wisdom, then walk wisely.

Here in , Paul gives us 3 resolutions for living a wise life.

Live it out.

The first resolution is to live a life with Time Well Used.

In verse 16, Paul says, “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

First, what’s the problem?

The days are evil.

There is plenty of opportunity to sin.

Notice that Paul relates making the best use of time to the current state of the world.

This isn’t that the world is attacking you.

It’s you live in evil days, and you need to protect yourself, you must use your time wisely, during evil days.

Let me say it another way, you live in evil days, and make sure you don’t use your time to participate in evil.

You’ve got 2 hours to kill.

Do you use those 2 hours for evil, or do you use them wisely.

I often think that we don’t need Satan to attack us, we just need an hour of free time, and we sin on our own.

What do you view on the computer?

What do you watch on Netflix?

How much do you drink at night?

The days are evil

Opportunity to sin

We are told to use our time well.

To walk wisely with our time.

Evil is in control

How do we do that, how do we walk wisely?

First, we must remember that time is not unlimited.

Time is a resource.

Time is a created thing.

Hobbit

Time started when God made it.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

He separated light from darkness.

There was night.

There was morning.

The first day.

Time started when God created time.

And your time is limited.

says, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

God knows every day of your life.

It’s planned beginning to end.

Your life is described as pages in a book, and there’s only so many pages in that book.

Your life is limited.

That’s why in we are taught to pray for wisdom.

And notice what we are praying for, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

How does wisdom come?

By numbering our days.

This is knowing that your time is limited.

You don’t have forever.

Foolishness is thinking that you are guaranteed tomorrow.

Fixed

God started time

So sin today, and ask for forgiveness tomorrow.

There is a plan

Jesus came at the fullness of time

Your life has time

So live for yourself today, and worship God tomorrow.

Psalm 90:12

You don’t have forever

Pursue sanctification tomorrow.

That’s foolishness!

Wisdom is knowing that life is short.

Knowing that your life is but a blade of grass, a flower in the field.

is a prayer, “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”

The prayer is I won’t be here for ever.

Let me know that I am fragile.

When you know that today might be your last then you live wisely.

Miners dig tunnels into the earth, and putting their life at risk look for the treasure.

You do things differently.

Every word is careful.

Every relationship is precious.

That’s why, back to , Paul says, “making the best use of the time ...”

Literally, that means to redeem the time.

Foolishness with time says you will have time later.

Today is the day of salvation

Buy the time back.

Wisdom is knowing the finiteness of time

Treasure the time.

Psalm 39:4-5

Now why this kind of language?

Redeem time

Because we think we have to do stuff.

Don’t let the world around you, or the pleasure of this life rob you of your limited life, and living it wisely.

We feel as if there is no choice.

We become a slave to our own desires, or to entertainment and leisure.

Your kids have some kind of event 5 nights a week, and you’re just reacting.

You come home from work only to go somewhere else.

You have some kind of event 5 nights a week, and you’re just reacting.

He says

Both you and your kids have some kind of event 5 nights a week.

And you’re just trying to stay awake.

Meanwhile the days on the calendar zoom by.

You’re always moving.

You’re always going.

You’re always doing.

And you have no time for the Lord.

No time to pray.

No time to open your Bible.

No time for fellowship.

No time for church.

No time for relationships.

You have become a slave to what is urgent.

Your personal goals have become your god.

Your children's happiness has become your god.

How do I know that?

Because that’s where you are investing all your time.

Your time shows what is most important.

Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

For others, maybe the sin is a little more obvious.

Paul says to make the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Maybe it’s not business that eats your time, maybe it’s just sin.

You sit down to do a chore and it takes 4 times longer, because you are distracted by sin.

And what does Paul say?

He says, “make the best use of the time”, “redeem the time”.

Get it back.

You only have so much time.

It’s limited.

Don’t be a slave to urgency

A second has just passed that you will never get back.

Use what little time you have in life wisely.

Start today.

You got that new calendar for 2020, write your schedule in it.

Have you overbooked yourself?

Evaluate your time.

Do you have time for God’s Word?

That should be first.

You have been gifted by God to serve Him and to equip the church.

That’s your purpose.

Are you fulfill that purpose?

Are you using your spiritual gift?

Time is limited.

The second resolution for living wisely is to Pursue the Will of God.

Verse 17, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

On some level people want to live rightly, they want to live wisely.

You see that with New Year’s Resolutions.

The problem is that people don’t know where to turn, they don’t know where to start.

This is why horoscopes are still a thing, and people still consult psychics and mediums.

They want to know, “What am I supposed to do with my life?”

That’s what Saul did in the end of I Samuel.

He lived a life of disobedience to God, rejecting God’s commandments.

Even though he never listened to God, he still wanted to know what God wanted.

And at the very end, he went to a town called En-dor, and consulted a witch, a medium, a psychic.

Normally, she just made up answers.

But on this occasion, someone from the dead actually came up, it was the prophet Samuel.

And the message was, “You’ve lived as an enemy of God and tomorrow you will die as an enemy of God.”

A life well lived is one where you pursue the will of God.

And you can know this.

It’s possible to know what God’s will for you life is.

Think of that.

It’s possible to know what the creator of the universe wants from you.

How exciting to know what God’s will for you is.

And how exciting it is to know what God’s will for you're life is.

And you don’t have to see a psychic or read a horoscope.

And how do you know God’s will, where do you find it?

In His Word.

It’s found in God’s Word, it’s found in the Bible.

It’s not found outside of the Bible.

It’s not found inside of you.

It’s not sitting in silence and listening for some still small voice in your head, while you recite some mantra over and over again.

It’s found outside of you, and it’s found in the Bible.

is the longest of the Psalms, and the theme of is the Word of God.

It expresses the joy of studying God’s Word, because when you study God’s Word, you learn God’s will for your life.

- “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”

That means you must know the word.

- “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things out of your law.

- “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.”

How do you receive counsel from God?

By being in His word.

- “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!”

What are the commandments?

They are God’s will.

He says that we are to cling to the testimony of God.

We cling to what He has revealed, and then we walk in them.

- “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.”

What is wisdom?

It’s found in God’s commandments.

Walking in God’s will is keeping God’s will.

God’s will for your life is known, it’s found within the pages of the Bible.

So read it.

Paul is teaching us that the only way to live wisely, is if you understand the will of God.

That’s what he says, “but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Not only must you understand it, but you must agree with it.

Verse 17 says, “but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

The word to understand is more than a head knowledge.

It’s more than getting the facts straight.

Lots of people go on Jeopardy and get the Bible questions right, but don’t know the Lord.

The word for understanding is used to describe 2 rivers that come together and make 1 river.

They merge, so that there are no longer competing bodies of water.

There’s a single river.

To do this, you must unite your will with God’s will.

Your will, must be what God’s will is.

It’s surrendering your will to his.

The Lord’s Prayer says, “Thy will be done ...”

So this means to lay down your will to what God’s will is.

It’s seeking His will first.

God’s Word

Under teaching

And then agreeing with His will.

Know what God’s will is and pursue it.

Allowing His will to swallow up your will.

It’s not that hard to know what God’s will is for you.

It’s not that hard to know what God’s will is for you.

As you read through the Bible, and as you learn His commandments, then you obey them.

Think of your position or your role in life.

Think of your position and your role in life.

Husbands and Fathers

God’s will for you is to:

Lead your family.

Shepherd your wife.

To love her like Christ loved the church.

Wives and Mothers, God’s will for you is:

To submit to your husband.

To work in the home.

To care for children.

Parents, God’s will for you is:

To train your children.

Disciple your children.

Older Men and Older Women, God’s will for you is:

To teach the younger generation.

Young men and young women, God’s will for you is:

To set an example.

To live a life that no one can look down upon.

Elders, God’s will for you is:

To teach truth.

Shepherd the flock.

To refute error.

Employees

It’s to work hard.

To work as if you are serving Christ Himself.

Servants in the church

Think of your gifts, how have you been gifted?

That will help you see God’s will for your life.

God’s will for me is to shepherd the flock.

To preach, in season and out of season.

It’s to use the gifts that God has given me, for the works that He has prepared beforehand.

And the same for you.

This is why discovering your spiritual gift is so important.

You discover gift, that’s a part of knowing God’s will, and then using it.

It’s to live for the glory of God.

So be resolved to pursue God’s will and to surrender to it.

The 3rd Resolution is to live A Spirit Filled Life

The command is to walk wisely.

To use your time well.

To not live a life in vain.

This can all be summed up by Paul’s final command, be filled with the Spirit.

This is commanded.

This does not mean to be indwelt by the Spirit.

This does not mean to be indwelt by the Spirit.

Note the difference between those words, indwelt and filled.

When you are converted, you are indwelt by the Spirit.

You are indwelt with the Spirit at conversion.

The Holy Spirit is given to every believer.

You are sealed by the Spirit at conversion.

You are sealed by the Holy Spirit.

But you are commanded to be filled with the Spirit.

This means that you are marked and confirmed and guaranteed as belonging to Christ.

Being filled with the Spirit is different.

We aren’t commanded to be indwelt by the Spirit, that’s something that God does.

But we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit.

To be filled with the Spirit means to be led by the Holy Spirit.

It means to walk by the Spirit.

The language of being filled with the Spirit is like filling a cup with something.

Early in the morning, you make yourself a cup of coffee.

You brew the coffee.

Then you pour the coffee into the mug.

You sit down, bring the mug to your face, and the smell of coffee in the morning hits you just right.

The presence of the coffee in the cup makes itself known by that warm bitter smell, that you crave so much.

The result of being filled with the Holy Spirit is that you overflow with Him.

In ancient times people tried to manufacture a religious experience.

Just as the coffee in the cup has a smell that makes you know that there is coffee in it.

Being filled with the Spirit produces actions that show He is in you.

But how do we do this?

Paul says, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery ...”

Pagan religions would try and manufacture religious experiences.

People would get drunk, intoxicated, and use drugs, to produce a feeling of euphoria.

They would lose themselves in the moment.

They would get drunk and have sex with temple prostitutes.

Both men and women.

Even today, this happens.

There is an attempt to feel spiritual.

To feel religious.

New Age and mystical movements tell you to lose your consciousness.

To have slow breathing.

To empty your mind.

To think of nothing.

To say little mantras to yourself to clear your head.

That even happens with some worship music.

The song has a hypnotic beat, that almost hypnotizes you.

Paul says that’s not what this is.

You are never told to stop thinking.

You are never told to bring your mind to some other place.

Being filled with the Spirit is the opposite of losing your mind or emptying your head.

Being filled with the Spirit is so much better.

It’s rational.

You engage your mind.

Remember, we are to pursue wisdom, and to understand the will of God.

It’s hard to be wise and understanding when you are not thinking.

It’s hard to be wise and understand

True spirituality is not losing yourself.

Pagan worship

Pagan religions

Mystics try to lose their consciousness

Alcohol or drugs

Drunkenness is never encouraged.

It’s sinful

Proverbs 20

Spirit filled is much better.

It’s not about losing your control.

It’s continous.

It’s moment by moment

It’s day by day.

It’s always being presently and constantly filled with the Spirit of God.

Christianity is:

Conscious

Intellectual

Based on truth.

We think about true things.

We think about Christ.

Paul says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

And what’s above?

Christ.

Dwell on Christ.

Learn the Gospel.

Learn of the glories of God.

Submit to Him.

And the more you are Spirit filled, the more it overflows into every area of your life.

Just like the scent of the coffee, coming out of the mug, as you are filled with the Spirit, it overflows into your life.

It rubs off into your relationships.

It shows in your actions.

You are being led by the Spirit.

It’s yielding every action and step to the Holy Spirit.

In verses 19-21, Paul lists three ways that we demonstrate being filled with the Spirit.

When we are spirit filled we become a Singing Church

We are spirit filled by being

A Singing Church

“addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,”

Note place of music within the church.

For most of the modern day church, we’ve flipped the purpose of music around.

People look for a church based on the music.

When the music isn’t good, they leave a church.

As if to say the music is for us.

We are to be filled with the Spirit and the result of that is we address one another in psalms, hymns, and songs.

Music is the result of the Spirit, not something that produces the Spirit..

Quickly, let’s address the place of music within the church.

Hre are 4 things that worship music should not do.

Worship Music should not produce worship.

We worship because of the Spirit.

And we sing because we worship.

There is music because we worship.

Music doesn’t come first.

Music is how we express our worship.

Worship Music should not whip up emotions.

Music is emotional.

I’ve listened to music and gotten chills up my spine.

The problem is when you expect a worship song to cause you to become emotional.

Let’s get this right.

Don’t put the cart before the horse.

We are to have emotions in our worship.

We worship because we have emotions about God.

We love God, so we sing about Him.

We are joyful towards God, so we sing to Him.

We are thankful to God, so we sing in thankfulness to Him.

It’s okay to have tears In our worship.

But the emotions should come from our praise of God, not because we like the song so much.

Worship Music should not bring you closer to God.

You are bringing the music to God.

The singing is your offering to God.

The problem is that we have become lazy in our worship.

We don’t prepare our hearts before singing and so we expect someone else to do that for us.

We expect the emotions of the singers, the tension of the notes, and the beat of the drums to whip us up to some higher plane.

And when we don’t like a song, we say, “I didn’t feel anything singing that song.”

And lastly Worship Music should not be for the non-believer.

Sometimes the thinking is that if we can get good enough music, then non-Christians will think the music is cool and start coming.

So the music is catered to the non-Christian.

You’d be surprised some of the terrible songs that churches sing on Sunday.

Many times it’s secular songs, that were never about God, or intended to be about God, and some trendy church sings it, because nonChristians think its fun.

Our singing should be the result of being spirit filled.

But the music isn’t for them.

Again, our singing is the result of having hearts that are changed.

Music is the means that we use for worship.

Singing is how we express our worship for God.

So what should worship music do within the church?

Worship Music should accompany worship.

We worship first, then we sing to God.

Worship Music should be the result of our emotions.

We love so we sing.

We have praise so we sing.

We are thankful so we sing.

Worship Music should be what we bring to God.

When we sing, we are approaching Him.

This is our attempt to sing to Him.

We are communicating to the Lord.

And Worship Music should be for the believer.

You believe and now you sing to God.

And notice that singing is something that we do together.

Paul says “Addressing one another”.

Corporate worship is a group activity.

You don’t get to hop in your car, turn on Air1 and say you did church.

Singing is something that we do together.

This also means, that the music should be singable

Singing is for all of us.

It’s not just for those with good voices.

It’s something that we do together.

Directed to the Lord

The second way that we demonstrate that we are a spirit filled church is that we are A Thankful Church.

Verse 20 says, “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice the attitude of being spirit filled - giving thanks.

What do we give things for?

Everything.

We give thanks for everything.

What is that?

Well good things.

Daily bread.

Health.

Providence.

But he says everything, that includes bad things.

Why and how is that?

Because we know the sovereignty of God.

We know that God is doing all things for the good of those who are called according to His purpose - Romans 8:28.

And how often do we give thanks?

Always.

This is at all times.

The reality of living under the sovereignty of God, and the reality of knowing that all things are happening for our good, is that we don’t complain.

Because complaining is arguing against the plan of God.

says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing ...”

The ability to give thanks is a result of being spirit filled.

We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit.

That means here taking control of your thoughts.

We are to be people who rejoice, who sing, and who do not complain.

Not grumbling or complaining.

Always

For all things

To God

And the third way to demonstrate that we are spirit-filled is that we are A Serving Church.

Verse 21 - “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

First there is an attitude of submission to one another.

Considering others as better than yourself.

This is putting on the mind of Christ.

says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourself. Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interest of others.”

Submission has a practical element to it, it results in us serving one another.

Think of Jesus on the night that He was betrayed.

- Foot washing

- Consider others better

He met with His disciples in the upper room.

He took off his outer garment, and washed each of His disciples feet.

He said, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”

The biggest example of Christ serving is that He ultimately died for us.

He who knew no sin, became sin.

Being spirit filled means that just as Christ served, we serve one another.

Perhaps you need some motivation in submitting to one another.

The motivation is given at the tail end of verse 21, we do it out of reverence for Christ.

Literally the text says we do it out of fear of Christ.

Because He is Lord, because He has commanded it, we submit to one another.

Notice that our submission to one another is not because anyone is owed it, but it’s because of Jesus.

Our relationships to one another are always through the lense of Christ.

He is our motivation.

Because we believe something about Him we do something.

It’s a new year.

As you make your goals and plans for the year, make sure that they include walking wisely.

And that means:

Using your time well.

Pursuing the will of God.

And serving one another.