Always For All Things-4 Series

ALWAYS For ALL THINGS--IV—Ephesians 5:15-21

OR--A Distinctive Walk

Attention:

Fire ants—Solenopsis invicta(spp.)—They build Huge High Mounds particularly in clay soils(to 3ft. in South Georgia!)—

Stings—Ant workers(females only!) generally deliver around 0.66 nl of venom per sting, amounting to 3.1% of the average individual venom supply. Each ant can sting multiple times!

Their Venom contains an alkaloid(high pH) enzyme of piperidine--Solenopsin A. It kills the skin cells & causes the burning sensation. It also contains a minimal amount of proteins(.01%— allergens, phospholipase, hyaluronidase, & neurotoxins), which in certain people, can cause a deadly allergic reaction(anaphylaxis).

By their Distinctive Walk, fire ants command respect.

Christians all have a life-“walk” that distinguishes them from the walk of the world. And their Distinctive Walk commands respect for God & all that is God’s.

Paul exhorted the Ephesian church toward a telling/distinctive/indicative walk.

God’s people have a(n) telling/distinctive/indicative walk.

What is telling/distinctive/indicative about the walk of God’s people?

*When is the walk of God’s people indicative?

7 indicators of a Christian walk.

We have seen that A thankful/telling walk is...

1. An ACCURATE WALK(:15)

2. A REDEMPTIVE WALK(:16)

3. An INSIGHTFUL WALK(:17)

4. An UNCOMPROMISING WALK(:18)

5—A thankful/telling walk is also...

A SHARING WALK(:19)

Explanation:(:19)

:19—“speaking to one another in psalms & hymns & spiritual songs, singing & making melody in your heart to the Lord,”

When I am filled with the Spirit of God(:18) in public worship or in relation to my Christian brothers & sisters, I do not sing or babble incoherently. I am not to indulge myself inwardly & outwardly. I am rather to surrender all my being to God so that my speech comes to myself & others in the form of singing. “Singing” cannot occur either inwardly or outwardly until my inward “heart” is made “melodious.” Only “the Lord” can make your “heart” be given to such joy that it must be shared or ‘spoken.’

“Many who can’t sing well have the most beautiful melodies in their heart.”—David Guzik

There are various manifestations of joyful Holy Spirit filling, which revolve around the sharing of our individual joy in the Spirit, with the other members of our Christian family. By the Holy Spirit our attitudes become His, & sharing that overcoming attitude is vital to all exposed...particularly among our Christian family.

The believer’s song-speaking incorporates every area of music adopted & appropriate to such communication/employment. All singing in the Lord must flow from a “melody” within the “heart” of the believer. That “melody” which moves us is directed God-ward. It is not so much the music but the message that is important. The music is a variable hook upon which the message hangs.

“Psalms”-singing—Speaks God’s written & living word into & for others.

“Hymns”-singing—Speaks in praise of all that is good in God. It is a term which was used in secular Greek to ascribe praise to their gods, heroes, & conquerers.

“Spiritual songs”—Take into account every other remaining manner of spiritual ‘joy-speaking’ which God affords the believer. It considers the “song” that spiritual truth supplies the believer’s heart.

Why does my commitment to my Lord Jesus flow so well thru song? Songs express the overflow of love from the depth of a heart touched by God. Such an all-encompassing love cannot be shared thru words alone. The words must be set to music in order to declare the fullness of the human spirit’s reliance upon God.

“Speaking”—lalew—Verb—1) To utter a voice or emit a sound; 2) To speak. Strong—a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; To talk, i.e. Utter words.

Lalew means an extended or random harangue, while legw means to relate, in words[usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while rew is properly, to break silence merely, &].

“One another/Each other”—eautou—Pronoun—1) Himself, herself, itself, themselves. Strong—Him-(her-, it-, them-, also [in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons] my-, thy-, our-, your-)self(selves), etc..

“Psalms”—qalmov—Noun Masc.—1) A striking, twanging—1a) Of a striking the chords of a musical instrument, 1b) Of a pious song, a psalm. Qalmov designates a song which took its general character from the OT Psalms, although not restricted to them. The leading idea of qalmov is a musical accompaniment. It is quite possible for the same song to be at once described by all three of these words[umnov, qalmov,wdh]. Strong—A set piece of music, i.e. A sacred ode(accompanied with the voice, harp or other instrument; a "psalm"); collectively--The book of the Psalms. Used 7X.

“Hymns”—umnov—Noun Masc.—1) A song in tithe praise of gods, heroes, conquerors; 2) A sacred song, hymn. Umnov designates a song of praise, especially of praise to God. Strong—apparently from a simpler(obsolete) form of udew(to celebrate; probably akin to adw[to sing]; A “hymn” or religious ode(one of the Psalms). Used 2X.