Walking in Wisdom, Revealing Ignorance

Whoosh! That Car That Just Soared by Might Be Heading for the Coast

U. S. A. MAP IMAGE

A new record for the Cannonball Run was set recently - less than 27 hours from Manhatten, NY to Novato, CA

The key is to evade the biggest complications — police and traffic. And never has there been less traffic.There are less cars on the road and people with a heavy foot are tempted to push their foot down and take advantage of the open road.

The Problem: The police are still expecting that citizens obey the laws of the land and not to speed. “The route between those traditional end points is up to drivers. The choice is between a northern route, following much of I-80 and I-70, or a southern one, of almost identical distance, along parts of I-70, I-44 and I-40. In today’s low-traffic world, Google Maps estimates that either drive should take 41 hours or so, without stops.

With far less traffic thanks to coronavirus-induced quarantines, drivers are pushing down hard on their accelerators. Tickets, and records, are the result.

INTRO: So, we are following the Lord in a path of Goodness, Righteouness and TRUTH - moral TRUTH that moves us into action.

It is not enough for the disciple of God to know what is right and sit there! OR to know the truth and leave it sitting on the pew on Sunday.

Disciples are expected to know the truth, and to apply it - putting it into action. For those who KNOW CHRIST and are KNOWN BY HIM, we know His truth and have the truth has set us free, therefore, we must act on it.

Let me put it in terms of Ephesians 5, We know it is LIGHT, because we have some knowledge of the darkness - BUT WE CHOOSE LIGHT.

We know it is warm right now, because we have some knowledge of the cold, but we choose to be warm and comfortable. We know the warmth of God and His love - we choose to the truth of His presence.

** Wise Disciples Live With Careful Determination.

Evaluate the time we have left - and it is not much time left. Christ is returning and we must be ready. Christ is returning and there is work to be done!

John 4:35 “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. The fields are white for harvest...

Matthew 9:37–38 (NASB95)

37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Living with Kingdom purpose requires wise determination.

To live WISELY - means knowing the times.

1 Chronicles 12:32 (NASB95)

32 Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.

Even the pagan king in Esther 1:13 (NASB95) had advisors who understood the times...

13 Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times—for it was the custom of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice

Jesus himself said in Matthew 10:16, that we must SHREWD as serpents and innocent as doves....

Walk wisely in the times. Know that some things happen, but refuse to allow our innocence to be damaged by involvement.

INNOCENCE is a novel consideration now…As a culture, we are pushing our children to lose their innocence at earlier and earlier ages.

Let Christians teach WISDOM not indulgence.

** Wise Disciples Carefully Evaluate Time & Decisions.

Wise and yet unafraid to speak the truth. Our world desperately needs wisdom and truth.

wise, not unwise!

This phrase literally means REDEEMING THE TIME! To buy it back from the devil’s possession.

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 5

Ephesians 5:16

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

We live in an evil day, a dark time. Redeem it by integrating the Lord into whatever you do. For example, when you jog, don’t just think about your aches and pains. Instead, start praying for people who are worse off than you. Thank the Lord for things you see. Pray about things that come to mind. Redeem the time by bringing the Lord into all you do. Anything we do that doesn’t have a spiritual texture to it is a waste of time.

With wisdom, with love, with grace, with truth!

** Wise Disciples Focus on the Lord and Holy Living

Live wisely BECAUSE the days are evil. Evil in two ways.

First, evil in a moral sense. We live in a period of time characterized by the passions of the flesh. (Eph 2:3) and are filled with wine (Eph 5:18).

Second, because of the powers of evil though defeated, the powers of the enemy are wreaking havoc on the world that Christ died for.

Lexham Research Commentary: Ephesians Evil Days

First, the days are evil in a moral sense. That is, the present period is characterized by people who live according to the passions of the flesh (Eph 2:3) and are filled with wine (Eph 5:18).

Lexham Research Commentary: Ephesians Evil Days

Second, the days are evil because the powers of evil—though defeated by the death and resurrection of Christ (Eph 1:20–23; compare Col 2:15)—are still at work.

totally different than the truly ignorant. There are some people that just don’t know.

All too often the Willful Ignorant KNOW and DO THE OPPOSITE. Thumb their nose at the Standard of God and speed on through the God-fearing zone.