Walking Carefully

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Youth Group

*CHURCH UPDATES:

Story:

The new front door to the church is ONLINE!!!

Let’s get CONNECTED on Realm (how we communicate church wide and how groups within our church can communicate.)

Realm SERVING

DECLARATION:

Ephesians 2:20–22 (ESV)

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

SVCC is built by God, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.

We are joined together by union with Christ, we are growing, and we are a dwelling place of God by his Spirit.

INTRODUCTION:

Review: Walking in unity, Walking in Maturity through diversity, Walking as a new person, Walking in Love, Walking as Children of Light

Story on paying careful attention:

Test with instructions that say to read all questions first and last question says to just write name on paper and turn in.

WHY?… In this second half of Ephesians Paul is telling them how to WALK, which is to say how to live as Christians…

TODAY: Walking Carefully

v. 15 “Carefully” is a strict conformity to a standard norm (i.e. careful attention)

Ephesians 5:15–21 NLT

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5:15–21 ESV

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

LET’S PRAY...

How are we to walk carefully (v. 15a)...

Walk with wisdom (vv. 15–16)

Ephesians 5:15–16 ESV

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

wisdom is the practical wisdom gained from insight into God’s will and workings

At present Paul is saying the days are evil, which still holds true today (i.e. the “present age”)…the present evil is the reason we need wisdom

Walk with understanding (v. 17)

Ephesians 5:17 ESV

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

understanding is the comprehension of God’s will (i.e. use your mind)

Walk with Spirit-filled lives (vv. 18–21)

Ephesians 5:18–21 ESV

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Admonition against being drunk

This drunkeness is by the means of wine, which is to say that wine during this time had alcohol in it and was not simply “grape juice”

John 2:9 ESV

9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom

“wine” = Strong’s #G3631 is same in John 2:9 as Eph 5:18

CULTURE: Dionysius was the god of wine (Source: EGGNT)

Other Instructions to not get continually drunk...

Romans 13:13 (ESV)

13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.

1 Corinthians 5:11 (ESV)

11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

1 Corinthians 6:10 (ESV)

10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:7–8 (ESV)

7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

1 Timothy 3:8 (ESV)

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.

Titus 2:3 (ESV)

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,

INSTEAD OF ALLOWING YOURSELF TO continually BE DRUNK ALLOW YOURSELF TO continually BE FILLED by THE SPIRIT...

Means to filling is by the Spirit

Content of the filling is the fullness of God

Ephesians 1:23 ESV

23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 3:19 ESV

19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 4:10 ESV

10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Ephesians 4:13 ESV

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

When you are filled with the Spirit you will...

Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

a. Speaking to one another in songs (v. 19a)

"Spiritual” probably modifies psalms, hymns, and songs

b. Singing and making melody to the Lord (v. 19b)

Allowing yourself to continually be filled by the Spirit with the fullness of God impacts horizontal relationships and vertical relationship with God!

“with heart” is really from our heart to God

c. Being thankful (v. 20):

When? Always (i.e. regularly or constantly)

For What? For all things (i.e. people)

How? In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (i.e. the authority for our prayer)

To Whom? God the Father

Submitting to one another (v. 21 - a “hinge verse” connect to next section)

CONCLUSION/REFLECTION:

Personal experience of continually allow the Spirit to fill me with the fullness of God: Pastoring in Mahomet now for over a decade

***Altar Call***

REFLECTION QUESTION:

Ephesians: 11 Studies for Individuals or Groups (Study 9: Walking in the Light (Ephesians 5:3–20)):

How is singing and making melody to the Lord similar to or different from how songs are used today in church?

How has worship through music been important to you?