Walking Circumspectly

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Scripture

Ephesians 5:15–17 KJV 1900
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Introduction

One day an out of work mime is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer.
Unfortunately, as soon as he starts to draw a crowd, a zoo keeper grabs him and drags him into his office. The zoo keeper explains to the mime that the zoos most popular attraction, a gorilla has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla until they can get another one. The mime accepts.
So the next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before crowd comes. He discovers that its a great job. He can sleep all he wants, play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime.
However, eventually the crowds tire of him and he tires of just swinging on tires. He begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience, he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition, and dangles from the top to the lions cage.
Of course, this makes the lion furious, but the crowd loves it.
At the end of the day the zoo keeper comes and gives the mime a raise for being such a good attraction. Well, this goes on for some time, the mime keeps taunting the lion, the crowds grow larger, and his salary keeps going up.
Then one terrible day when he is dangling over the furious lion he slips and falls. The mime is terrified. The lion gathers itself and prepares to pounce. The mime is so scared that he begins to run round and round the cage with the lion close behind. Finally, the mime starts screaming and yelling, 'Help, Help me!', but the lion is quick and pounces.
The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says, 'Shut up you idiot! Do you want to get us both fired?'
Now we listen to this story and we laugh but the truth is - even in the church we have people wearing on masks
They are pretending to be someone who they are not
It is a sad and serious situation in churches today
The last time I spoke I was speaking on going deeper in the Word and I ended it by saying all that is spinning top in mud if there is no life change as a result of reading and spending time in the Word.....
So I want to continue where I left out last time
Last time it was going deeper in the Word - today I want to speak to us about going deeper in our Walk

Man has learned to fly through the air in his airplanes like a bird. He’s learned to swim through the sea in his submarines like a fish. But he has yet learned how to walk on earth like a man, like God wanted him to walk. And so we’re going to be talking about the Christian’s walk, because the Christian life, being saved, is described in the Bible and characterized and illustrated as a walk. The Bible says that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us and He gave us an example that we should “walk … as he walked.” (1 John 2:6) And the Bible also says, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” (Colossians 2:6)

You see our walk with the Lord is very important and may this year we be a people who will go deeper in our Walk
how I used to walk in Sando Tech
pause - people are watching how you walk
They are not only watching but they are talking
Too much people are like this mime who has on a costume
Different faces for different places
We may fool man but we are not fooling God
You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” - abe lincoln
You see if its one thing I have realised - from the moment people hear you does go to church or you a christian they does watch you differently
If you from another religion - they wont take it on to much but from the moment you say you a Chrisitan is different
I not sure why but that is how it is
People are looking at your walk and they are gonna talk
They would not talk in front your face but behind your back they talk
so for the year 2022 let us go deeper in our walk with God
Talk about RAvi Zacharias and how you wanted to be like him
Church people might be impressed by the way you speak or how well you can sing or how well you can play that guitar
But let me tell you something - the world is not impressed because here is why
The world have their speakers and they can speak even better than you - the world has their singers who can sing better that you - look in tv - the world has their musicians who can play even better than you - just look at MTV etc
The world is not impressed by your gifts and your talents when you are a chrisitan
The world is looking for someone who is real - the world is looking for someone who will walk the walk and talk the talk because the truth is - the world doesnt have that
There are few real people out here
Few people you can actually trust
There are few real people who are who they say they are
There are few real people who live with proper biblical values
When our lives begin to match the values that are in the bible - The world takes notices
Matthew 5:16 NIV
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
When people see your good deeds and your walk with God that is what will make the difference in them
People should be looking at you and saying i want to be like this person
Sanjay was sharing some time ago how some of the younger men I think it was Michael and somebody else was telling him how they want to be like him
People need to see a difference in your lifestyle
People need to see a difference in your walk with God
I remember listening to Pastor Greg Laurie some years ago and he was speaking about those men - who not very gifted or talented but yet they are faithful to their only wife and live such God fearing lives and we don’t really celebrate such people again
WE looking for celebrity Christians to celebrate
There is a lifestyle when you become a person of this Kingdom
There is a Kingdom lifestyle that we ought to show
Matthew 7:22–23 NIV
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
It’s not about your gifting - it’s about your character - your walk with God that is the difference maker

Background

Beginning in Ephesians 4:1 and continuing through 5:14, the Apostle Paul has challenged the church concerning her walk before the Lord. We have been commanded:
Eph. 4:1-2 - To walk in Humility
Eph. 4:4-13 - To walk in Unity
Eph. 4:17-32 - To walk in Separation
Eph. 4:14-16; 5:1-2 - To walk in Love
Eph. 5:3-14 - To walk in Light
As part of a challenging teaching on holy living, the apostle Paul writes, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15–17, NKJV).
Now I must admit that word circumspect is a very strange word.
I don’t think I ever heard anyone ever using that word when talking.
What did Paul mean when he said to walk Circumspectly?
To be circumspect is to be wary; the word comes from a Latin word literally meaning “look around.” “Walk circumspectly” is Paul’s way of urging Christians to look very carefully at how they live and behave.
In the original Greek, the phrase translated as “walk circumspectly” means “to watch or look carefully at how you live, to be vigilant and mindful of your behavior, to be on the lookout.”
Paul uses the Hebrew concept “to walk” as a metaphor for behavior. Th“Christian walk” refers to how we behave as believers
Now if we look back at the beginning of Ephesians 5 Paul lists some of the things and behaviours that should not characterise a Christian such as fornication, foolish talking, filthiness etc.

We should walk Diligently

Ephesians 5:15 KJV 1900
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Ephesians chapter 5 is all about change. It is designed to teach us that we are different from the world around us, and since we are different, we should live lives that are different. The simple truth is that believers should be different from those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is something we need to hear and heed. After all, we are living in this world. We are “strangers and pilgrims” here, 1 Pet. 2:11. While we are “strangers and pilgrims,” in this world, there was a time when we were citizens of this world. We lived like they live. We thought like they think. We did what they do. We were part of them. But, when we were saved by the grace of God, we were delivered from our old life of sin, and we were given a new life of righteousness.
So in this scripture it says that we need to be diligent in our walk but the first thing we should do is observe ourselves
Here is the problem I see in the church today
We don’t like to observe ourselves
We like to observe others
Paul in this scripture is saying observe yourself
Observe your walk
Too much times we only see the errors in others people’s lives that we dont take the time to look at the errors in our lives
If we we would only observe ourselves and our lives it will change the way we react to other people in the church when they behave in a way that they ought not not
We have got to learn to observe ourselves and our walk
The command is for us to “give attention to the way we walk in this world”, so that we “walk accurately and precisely.
If you’ve ever seen anyone walk a tightrope, then you know what Paul is referring to here. The person on the tightrope watches where they place each step. The least deviation or inaccuracy in their footing would result in a certain fall.
As believers, we must give due diligence to every step we take in this world. To do less is to guarantee that we will fall into the trap of the enemy. I would remind you that we have an enemy that is set on our destruction, 1 Pet. 5:8. He sets traps for us and lies in wait to attack us and to destroy our walk with the Lord
We need to remember that when we become a Christian. We have now joined forces with the Army of God.
We are a soldier in his army.
Once we join God’s side - we tell the Devil that we are against him
We now have an adversary who will do anything he can to bring us down
Look at Russia and Ukraine. Russia has decided to go against Ukraine and I believe they have sent a strong message to USA that if they should get involved then Russia will go after them as well.
In fact any country that decides to side with Ukraine will have to face the wrath of Russia.
The safest way to avoid feeling the wrath of Russia is to do like Trinidad and not get involved
The Devil wants to make you a laughing stock in God’s eyes
He wants to make you look like a hypocrite
It said in this scripture make sure that our walk is not like one of a foolish person but a wise person
Illustration on compromise with the 2 shoes - silly and foolish
Sad to say but many people in church - walk in a way that brings the church and brings Christ into disrepute
We walk as though we are still in darkness
To walk wisely or to walk diligently we walk according to his Word
That was why I stated the first step is to go deeper in the Word
After we can go deeper in Our Walk
It is dangerous for us to follow our experience instead of following scripture.
Some people say - follow your heart
I don’t know about you but my heart is not always where it ought to be and many times I can be tempted to desire something I ought not to desire, many times I am tempted to do something that my heart says is good to do.....
Many times I fall and have to ask God for forgiveness because I followed my heart and not scripture
We griever the Holy Spirit when we walk unwisely
As believers the way we walk affects the Holy Spirit and brings either joy or grief to him
It’s been said that to grive the Holy Spirit is like letting corrosion build up on a battery so that the power of the batttery cannot be accessed. In the life of a Christian when the Holy Spirit is grieved, the charge and power availbale declines......
May we be a people who walks diligently

We should walk Discerningly

Ephesians 5:16 KJV 1900
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
When it comes to our walk we should walk with Discernment
We need to know the times we are living in
It’s important for us as believers to know that the times we are living in is no longer the beginning times
We are no longer in the days of Genesis and Exodus
We are living in the last days or some would say we are living in the last day
We need to redeem the time
Paul is speaking of us knowing that we have an alloted time on this earth
We are not here forever
I want to guarantee you that if you know that next week friday is going to be the last day you have on this earth - the way you walk with God is going to change on that week
Man you going and go up to everyone who you may have hurt in the past and ask for forgiveness
If there are any bad attidtues and vices in your life they will be removed
People going and wonder what happened to you - how did you change so much
When we redeem the time - it will show in our walk
This phrase challenges us “to make good use of every opportunity for serving the Lord.
You are not going to get 1 more minute or 1 more second left than has been allotted to you
It doesnt matter how much years you live on this earth
It’s not about duration - its about donation
What did you do with the time allotted here
It’s about the DASH
How did you walk during your time from birth to death
When we walk with Discernment it will affect our priorities
The reason why we see so much Christians lacking proper priorities is because they havent discern the times they are living in.
Look around at how much people is in church or on Zoom
It is not much
Last week Danny was saying the entire community should be here
Even if the entire community what if your entire family could make it
For some - you have your entire family which is very rare
For most - it’s just you alone from your family is here
We need to discern the times
It will cause us to pray, spend time with God, live a holy lifestyle, worship God together, Serve God together
The days are evil
We are living among evil people
However even though we are living among evil people dont let it be said of you that you are evil
God has called us to walk worhty of the calling he has placed in our lives
We need to learn to be a Daniel among a world of Nebuchadnezzar’s
We need to be a different type of person
When the world sees us they must see us as an alien because our values and behavior does not look anything like them
Too much people in the church today are trying to act just like the world
You could barely tell the difference in them
They look the same, talk the same, dresss the same , does everything the same
We cannot walk in darkness and in light at the same time.

We Should Walk Definielty

Ephesians 5:17 KJV 1900
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
The word “unwise” means “to be stupid, or ignorant.” It refers to a person who “thinks himself wise when actually he knows nothing.
Too much people today even in the church feel that they are the wisest person in the church
They think that God alone has blessed them with wisdom
a Few months ago we were on this series of the Prophet and many people who may have a prophetic may think that they alone have the wisdom of God
They need to tell people how to run things
They need to show the leaders how to do things and many times these people may want to control the entire church and how it operates
A lot of these people who think of themselves as wise actually know nothing
If you take this verse in connection with the two that precede it, you have Paul saying, “Don’t run through this world like an idiot.
Sorry to put it so blunt but it have lots of idiots sitting in the church today.
Thinking that they alone know everything and have all the answers
This walk is a definite walk
Some of us we not walking we running
We running down every new doctrine or or new Popular Preacher we heard everyone raving about
This is why for many people they always hopping from one church to the next
Instead of running through life like a maniac, we are counseled to be “understanding” of “what the will of the Lord is
Do you know what is the Lord’s Will for your life?
A lot of people have no idea the Lord’s Will because they waiting for a Prophet to come from Nigeria to lay hands on them to reveal God’s Will......
So they go walking and running here there and everywhere
If you want to know God’s will for your life - look to God’s Word
It will help you to walk definitely
The Word of God reveals the will of God
That is why the last time I spoke I said we need to go deeper in the Word
That will stop you from having so much heartache in life
If we would slow down and stop running after all these shiny objects and places and spend time hearing the heart of God....
Your Bible will keep you from being spiritually stupid. It will make you wise in the ways of the Lord
It will help you to walk definitely in the ways of God

Conclusion

I will close with a couple of questions:
How is your walk with the Lord? Are you walking in wisdom, or are your walking in ignorance?
How is your relationship with the Word of God? Do you read it? Do you live it?
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