ALWAYS For ALL THINGS--II—Ephesians 5:15-21
OR--A Distinctive Walk
For Thanksgiving Sunday
Attention:
Christians all have a life-“walk” that distinguishes them from the walk of the world.
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 thankful/Christian walk.
This morning we found that A thankful/telling walk is...
1. An ACCURATE WALK(:15)
This evening we will find that...
2—A thankful/telling walk is also...
A REDEMPTIVE WALK(:16)
Explanation:(:16)
:16—“redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
One’s accurate/precise walk in God’s wisdom(:15) is seen in the practical prioritization of God’s desire over & above their own fleshly(self-serving) desire.
Believers who are commended of God will be those who “redeem the time” that they have remaining on earth. They will gladly & effectively ‘trade in’ their own time in exchange for new purposes...for living & giving their time to & thus for God.
Those who prioritize the redemption of their time for God, do so because they recognize the reality that the “days” in which they live “are evil.”
That is, in recognizing that “evil” is a reality & is both temporally & eternally deadly, they simultaneously recognize that God’s desire is the only effective counter to “evil.”
The Holy Spirit thru Paul is telling us to make the most of every moment by seizing each moment for the glory of God! Believers readily trade ‘their’ time for God’s time!
“Redeeming”—exagorazw—Present Middle Participle Nominative Plural Masc.—1) To redeem—1a) By payment of a price to recover from the power of another, to ransom, buy off, 1b) metaph.--Of Christ freeing the elect from the dominion of the Mosaic Law at the price of his vicarious death; 2) To buy up, to buy up for one's self, for one's use—2a) To make wise & sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal & well doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the time our own. Strong—To buy up, i.e. Ransom; figuratively--To rescue from loss(improve opportunity). Used 4X.
From—ek/ex—1) Out of, from, by, away from. Strong—a primary preposition denoting origin(the point whence action or motion proceeds), From, out(of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote).—&—agorazw—properly--To go to market, i.e. by implication--To purchase; specially--To redeem.
“Time”—kairov—Noun Masc.—1) Due measure; 2) A measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time, hence:—2a) A fixed & definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for, 2b) Opportune or seasonable time, 2c) The right time, 2d) A limited period of time, 2e) To what time brings, the state of the times, the things & events of time. Kairov denotes a definitely limited portion of time with the added notion of suitableness. Strong—of uncertain affinity; An occasion, i.e. Set or proper time.
“Days”—hmera—Noun Fem.—1) The day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise & sunset, as distinguished from & contrasted with the night—1a) In the daytime, 1b) metaph.,--“The day” is regarded as the time for abstaining from indulgence, vice, crime, because acts of the sort are perpetrated at night & in darkness; 2) Of the civil day, or the space of twenty four hours(thus including the night)—2a) Eastern usage of this term differs from our western usage. Any part of a day is counted as a whole day, hence the expression "three days & three nights" does not mean literally three whole days, but at least one whole day plus part of two other days. Strong—feminine (with wra[hour] implied) of a derivative of hmai(to sit; akin to the base of edraiov[sedentary, immovable]) meaning--Tame, i.e. Gentle; Day, i.e. literally--The time space between dawn & dark, or the whole 24 hours(but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively--A period(always defined more or less clearly by the context).; 3) of the last day of this present age, the day Christ will return from heaven, raise the dead, hold the final judgment, & perfect his kingdom; 4) Used of time in general, i.e. The days of his life.
“Evil”—ponhrov—Adj.—1) Full of labors, annoyances, hardships—1a) Pressed & harassed by labors, 1b) Bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith & steadfastness; causing pain & trouble; 2) Bad, of a bad nature or condition—2a) in a physical sense: Diseased or blind, 2b) in an ethical sense: Evil wicked, bad. Ponhrov is a word at once stronger & more active than kakov, it means mischief-making, delighting in injury, doing evil to others, dangerous, destructive. Kakov describes the quality according to its nature, ponhrov, according to its effects. Strong—Hurtful, i.e. Evil(properly, in effect or influence) figuratively--Calamitous; also passively--Ill, i.e. Diseased; but especially(morally)--Culpable, i.e. Derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular)--Mischief, malice, or (plural)--Guilt; masculine (singular)--The devil, or (plural)--Sinners.
Argumentation:
Eccl. 9:9-10—“Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, & in the labor which you perform under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”
**Eccl. 11:1-2—“Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, & also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.”
Don’t be miserly or tight-fisted with such as you have. Your purpose is to live godly, & by it, to effectively undo evil on the earth.
Mat. 27:1-5—“When morning came, all the chief priests & elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away & delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful & brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests & elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple & departed, & went & hanged himself.”
Judas did not & could not walk a redemptive walk!
**Col. 4:5-6—“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
**Lk. 6:35-38—“But love your enemies, do good, & lend, hoping for nothing in return; & your reward will be great, & you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful & evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, & you shall not be judged. Condemn not, & you shall not be condemned. Forgive, & you will be forgiven. Give, & it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, & running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
**Rom. 13:10-14—“Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, & let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry & drunkenness, not in lewdness & lust, not in strife & envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, & make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
Amos 5:1, 12-13—“Hear this word which I take up against you, a lamentation, O house of Israel:”.....“They hate the one who rebukes in the gate, And they abhor the one who speaks uprightly. Therefore, because you tread down the poor And take grain taxes from him, Though you have built houses of hewn stone, Yet you shall not dwell in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, But you shall not drink wine from them. For I know your manifold transgressions And your mighty sins: Afflicting the just & taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice at the gate. Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time.”
Gal. 6:6-10—“Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Eph. 6:10-13—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand.”
Jn. 12:35-37—“Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, & departed, & was hidden from them. But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him,”
**1Cor. 7:29-31—“But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, & those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.”
**Isa. 43:1-4—“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia & Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life.”
**1Cor. 6:19-20—“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, & you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body & in your spirit, which are God’s.”
**Gal. 3:13, 14—“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
**1Pet. 1:17-19—“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish & without spot.”
1Pet. 2:7-10—“Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” & “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
And what should be our response?...“Redeeming the time!”
Illustration:
We redeem things every day—Exchange of coinage or paper money(which cannot be eaten) for daily food(which can be eaten)/The food is rescued from loss(from loss of benefit to people) so that the person is rescued from loss(physical hunger is relieved)/A REDEMPTIVE WALK
Prisoners are placed in prisons for two reasons—1)Remove them from polite society & 2)Reform their behavior/Both are built around the protection of polite society/In order for society to function properly, it needs those who threaten its peace & success, to live A REDEMPTIVE WALK
Your changed life focus—or the focus of your life in Christ/There was a time when Jesus was not your Lord, but now He is!/You give your energies to God’s service employing the particular giftedness Which God has granted you/You recognize His hand at work in you/You are thankful for His work in you/Your life is given to God’s will rather than your own!/A REDEMPTIVE WALK
Application:
?Does your REDEMPTIVE WALK speak of trust in Christ?...or of trust in someone/thing else?
?What is your walk Telling others?
3—A thankful/telling walk is...
An INSIGHTFUL WALK(:17)
Explanation:(:17)
:17—“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Due to the Christian’s encouragement to walk as children of light(:8-10) exemplified thru an accurate(“circumspectly”) walk in God’s wisdom(:15-16), the Christian is again encouraged to continue in their discernment of God’s “will.”(cf.-:10--“acceptable to the Lord”)
Being “unwise” is equivalent to not “understanding” “the will of the Lord.”
Everyone, including the Christian, has a choice to make. One must choose to “understand” God’s “will.” To refuse that “understanding” is a willful choice which is characterized as “unwise.”
Without a proper, living, & dynamic “understanding” of God’s will, the Christian has no ability to approach these “evil” “days”(:16) effectively. Thus he/she cannot give God glory.
“Therefore/Wherefore/So Then/On This Account/Through this”—dia touto—Literally=‘Through This’
“Not”[See :15, 18]—mh—Particle—1) No, not lest. Strong—a primary particle of qualified negation(whereas ou, ouk, ouc expresses an absolute denial); adverbially--Not, conjunctionally--Lest; also(as an interrogative implying a negative answer[whereas ou expects an affirmative one])--Whether.
“Be”—ginomai—Verb—1)To become, i.e. To come into existence, begin to be, receive being; 2) To become, i.e. To come to pass, happen—2a) Of events; 3) To arise, appear in history, come upon the stage—3a) Of men appearing in public; 4) To be made, finished—4a) of miracles--To be performed, wrought; 5) To become, be made. Strong—a prolongation & middle voice form of a primary verb; To cause to be(“gen”-erate), i.e. reflexively--To become(come into being), used with great latitude(literal, figurative, intensive, etc.).
“Unwise”—afrwn—Adj.—1) Without reason; 2) Senseless, foolish, stupid; 3) Without reflection or intelligence, acting rashly. Used 11X.
From—A(as a negative particle)—&—frhn—probably from an obsolete fraw(to rein in or curb; compare frassw[to fence, enclose, block up]); the midrif(as a partition of the body), i.e. figuratively & by implication, of sympathy--The feelings(or sensitive nature; by extension[also in the plural]--The mind or cognitive faculties).
“Understand/Understanding”—sunihmi—Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masc.—1) To set or bring together—1a) in a hostile sense--Of combatants; 2) To put(as it were) the perception with the thing perceived—2a) To set or join together in the mind—2a1) i.e. To understand: the man of understanding, 2a2) idiom for--A good & upright man(having the knowledge of those things which pertain to salvation). Sunihmi implies a native insight, knowledge gained through the five senses. Strong—To put together, i.e. mentally--To comprehend; by implication--To act piously.
From—sun— With or together(but much closer than meta[with, after, behind, amid] or para[from, of at, by, besides, near]), i.e. By association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.—&—ihmi—To send.
“Will”—yelhma—Noun Neuter—1) What one wishes or has determined shall be done—1a) Of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ, 1b) Of what God wishes to be done by us—1b1) Commands, precepts; 2) Will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure. Strong—from the prolonged form of yelw; A determination(properly, the thing), i.e. actively--Choice(specially--Purpose, decree; abstractly, volition) or passively--Inclination.
Argumentation:
**Deut. 4:5-9—“Surely I have taught you statutes & judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom & your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, & say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise & understanding people.’ “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes & righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? Only take heed to yourself, & diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, & lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children & your grandchildren,”
**Acts 4:8-13—“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people & elders of Israel: “If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, & to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Now when they saw the boldness of Peter & John, & perceived that they were uneducated & untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
**Ps. 111:1-10—“Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright & in the congregation. The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable & glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious & full of compassion. He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. He has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of His hands are verity & justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever & ever, And are done in truth & uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy & awesome is His name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”
Ps. 19:7-8—“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;”
**Ps. 119:97-100—“MEM. Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts.”
**Prov. 2:1-9—“My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge & understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness & justice, Equity & every good path.”
Prov. 23:23—“Buy the truth, & do not sell it, Also wisdom & instruction & understanding.”
Jer. 4:22—“For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.”
**Rom. 10:1-4—“Brethren, my heart’s desire & prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, & seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
**Jn. 4:34—“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, & to finish His work.”
**Rom. 12:1-2—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.”
1Cor. 3:18-20—“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; & again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
**Col. 1:9-10—“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, & to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom & spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work & increasing in the knowledge of God;”
1Thes. 4:1—“Finally then, brethren, we urge & exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more & more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk & to please God;”
**1Pet. 4:1, 2—“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
Illustration:
Boss-Employee relationship—Both must ‘be on the same page’ or ‘using the same blueprint’/There must be an understanding of 'the big picture of the business’ intention & manner/Describe some of the daily mundane checks & balances which employees are responsible for/An INSIGHTFUL WALK
Sharing the reality of the Scriptures with your family/You will no doubt, reveal truth which they have not understood before, but assumed they did!/An INSIGHTFUL WALK
Application:
?Does your INSIGHTFUL WALK speak of trust in Christ?...or of trust in someone/thing else?
?What is your walk Telling others?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
A Telling Walk
Action:
A thankful/telling walk is...
2. A REDEMPTIVE WALK(:16)
3. An INSIGHTFUL WALK(:17)
1. An ACCURATE WALK(:15)
Pts. 2-3 presented 11/20/2016pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
