Happy New Year! As we enter a new year, let us focus on what the Apostle Paul said to the Ephesians that I believe we should do too. Let’s read Ephesians 5:15-20. There are six things that Paul wants us to do this year and always:
I. To Be Careful (V. 15 "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise").
First of all, we must be very careful how we live because our time on this earth is limited. Moses wrote, "Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away." (Psalm 90:10). Therefore, Moses asked God to "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12). I was surprised to know that 20 of my middle school friends already died before they reached 60. Yesterday, Kane Tanaka, the oldest person in the world, celebrated her 118'th birthday. She has lived long, but she will not live forever; not even will reach 200 years. Our lives on earth are not only temporary but short too. That is why we need to be careful about spending our lives.
The second reason why we should be careful is that we cannot take back what we have said and done. We all have regrets. Only people who think they are perfect in everything don't have any regret! When we looked back at our lives, we may say, "I wish I could have been more patient with him/her," or "I wish I didn't say that to her," or "If I knew their situation, I could have done more," etc. Sadly, we cannot take back what we have said and done. We can turn a clock back but not the time!
The third reason we have to be careful in spending our lives is that we must account for our lives to God on judgment day. In 2 Corinthians 5:10, apostle Paul said, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." As believers, we will be saved (see Ephesians 2:8-10). But how we live in this world will determine how many rewards we will receive from God.
Therefore, let us be careful in spending our time on earth. We should think first before we say and do something. We need to ask God every day for His guidance and strength to do His will so that we can live carefully!
II. To Be Productive and Fruitful (V. 16 "making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.").
We don't always have the opportunity to do something good. If we have it, many opportunities don't come twice. As I prepared this message, I remembered an opportunity that God gave me to minister to someone. When I went to my home country six years ago, I served at my previous church there for a few days. One day, around 8 p.m. I was informed that Mrs. X was just admitted to the hospital at the ICU. I was exhausted after preaching several times and met many people that day, so I thought to visit her the next day. But I sensed the Holy Spirit moved me to see her that night. She was in her fifty's. She used to be a worship leader at church, but she stopped going to church for years because of a marital problem. When I came, she was still conscious and surprised to see me. That night I read a couple of verses and reminded her that God loved her and wanted her to keep trusting in Jesus and her need for forgiveness. Praise the Lord, with tears in her eyes and oxygen tubes inserted in her nose, she said with a weak voice that she wanted to ask God’s forgiveness and expressed her faith in Jesus. She also was willing to forgive her husband, who had betrayed her. The next day, I got the news that she had gone. Early in the morning, God took her home. I was sad but grateful to know that she went to be with the Lord.
Let's do God's will. Jesus said in John 9:4, "we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." Also, in John 15:16, Jesus said that He chose us so that we can bear fruit. God willing, we still have 362 days this year. Let's make our lives more productive and fruitful this year. Jesus warned us that Satan is a robber and a thief, and one of the things he tries to rob from us is our time because time is a very precious possession. Just think of the time wasted in sinning. Think of the time wasted in bars or gambling casinos or playing games or social media or gossiping or spreading rumors. Or think about all the time wasted worrying about our family, job, health, and future. Satan is a thief and a robber!
But it is not just those things that make demands on our time. Sometimes even good things can make demands. Remember the message on Christmas about Martha and Mary? What Martha did was not wrong, but it was not wise. To have Jesus at her home and to be with Him privately, without being bothered by the crowd, was a very rare opportunity. Therefore, Jesus told her: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42). Martha was so preoccupied with what she was doing that she didn't realize that God was in her living room. That is why we need to pray to ask God how to make the most of every opportunity.
This morning I watched a Christmas program on YouTube. The host invited a guest name Ferra Menajang, the leader of "Yayasan Gerasa" in Bekasi. She and her husband received a special call to minister homeless women who also suffered from mental problems since 2011. Those women lived on the street for months and years, so dirty, smelly, and became the target of violence. Some of them were pregnant when Mrs. Menajang brought them to Gerasa because of being raped. With Christ's love and a willingness to obey God's call Mrs. Menajang takes care of them, shows them God's love, introduces them to Jesus, and trains them some skills so that they can do something to earn money. She adopted six children who were the victims of rape to be her children. I admire Mrs. Menajang and her husband's commitment to answer God's call to serve those women. Today there are 71 women under their care. This is a beautiful example of how to make our lives productive/fruitful. So, once again, I encourage you to pray, asking God to show you what ministry God wants you to do this year. Like Mrs. Menajang, God probably wants you to help someone or certain people too.
III. To Be Wise (V. 17 "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.").
Foolish is different from stupid. People can be smart but foolish. In Greek, the word foolish is "aphrón," which also means without reason, senseless, and inconsiderate. That is a contrast with the word "sophos" in verse 15, which means: skilled, wise, learned, cultivated, skilled. To be wise, we should understand the will of God. And to understand the will of God, we need to study His word seriously and experience the transformation of our minds. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will."
IV. To Be Filled With The Spirit (V. 18 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.").
People who are drunk and filled with the Spirit have a similarity: both are under the influence of something (alcohol or the Spirit). We have a choice whether we let Satan or the Spirit control or influence our lives. The result will be very different; Satan will lead us to destruction, while the Spirit will make our lives great and produce the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). Do not let anything, whether drugs, alcohol, pornography, your hobbies, cell phone, or your job, control you. Instead, give yourselves to be filled with the Spirit and let Him lead and control your life.
V. To Praise the Lord (V. 19 "speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord").
In his new book, The World in Six Songs, cognitive psychologist and former record producer Daniel Levitin argues that all music, from orchestral classics to thrash metal and tribal dance, can be grouped into just six categories: friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, ritual, and love. But singing in verse 19 is different from those categories. It is more than a song that someone sings, but a song that comes from a heart filled with the Holy Spirit. It is a song of praise to God. The person's situation may be difficult, but because the Spirit is filling his heart, he can still praise God. This happened to Paul and Silas when they were beaten many times and then thrown into prison; at midnight, they prayed and praised God (Acts 16:23-25). The hymn, as referred to in verse 19 here, is not natural but supernatural. In that sense, it is the work of the Holy Spirit; He filled his people and enabled them to do something extraordinary. When we get to know our God deeper, trust Him more, and His Spirit leads our lives, He will enable us to sing praises to God even in a difficult situation or circumstance.
VI. To Be Thankful (V. 20 "always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.").
God wants us always to be thankful. We surely cannot be thankful if our focus is on ourselves. Illustration: There is an article titled "How To Be Miserable." It says, "Think about yourself. Talk about yourself. Use "I" as often as possible. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others. Listen greedily to what people say about you. Expect to be appreciated. Be suspicious. Be jealous and envious. Be sensitive to slights. Never forgive criticism. Trust nobody but yourself. Insist on consideration and respect. Demand agreement with your own views on everything. Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them. Never forget a service you have rendered. Shirk your duties if you can. Do as little as possible for others."
But when we focus on God and believe in Him, we can be thankful in all circumstances because we know that God loves us; He is in control of everything, and His plans are good for us.
Let us enter the new year by remembering and doing these six commands so that our journey in 2021 may be successful and please God! Amen!
