A Good Way to Live
12-29-02
Text: Ephesians 5:15-21 “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” NIV
In those verses we have some good advice for living our lives in the coming year. It was good advice 2000 years ago when Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, shared it with the believers at Ephesus. And it continues to be good advice today.
Those first two words of our text, “Be careful…”-- How many times have you heard those words? I have no idea how many times my mother said those two words to me as I was growing up. I can tell you it was a lot of times. And I know she said those words simply because she loved me. That’s why Paul is saying it here. He loves these people. He wants the very best for them. He cares about their well being.
I don’t remember so much the times when I heeded Mom’s advice as when I didn’t.
When I was about nine or ten years old our family took a trip into Northern New Mexico.
We stopped beside a large hill. As a kid it looked like a mountain. I looked at that hill and thought, “I want to climb that mountain.” So my brothers, and my cousins who were also with us, and I began to beg for permission to climb the mountain. We finally wore Mom down and she said, “Ok but—be careful!” With great excitement we ran toward the hill and climbed and climbed and climbed until we got to the top. Proud of that accomplishment we waved at Mom in the distance. I could not hear her but I think she said something like “Be careful.” Well, we all began running down the hill. That worked pretty good going up the hill. But gravity was working the other way coming down. It didn’t take long to get so much momentum that we all took a nosedive. I hit the side of that mountain rolling on rocks and ridges, bouncing up and down. By the time I got to the bottom my knees, my elbows, my nose, and I think even my bottom were all skinned up. That experience helped me understand a little better what those two words mean—“be careful”.
Paul is saying to these believers, “Pay attention to how you live.” There is a right way to proceed in life and there is a wrong way to proceed in life. How many of you have discovered that you don’t accidentally do it right? You can accidentally do it wrong. You can drift with the current of society and mess up your life without much planning. But if our lives are going to be meaningful and wholesome and rewarding we will have to exercise some thought and diligence.
“Be very careful, then, how you live…” So, how should we live our lives in the year 2003?
Paul gives us three important Directives for Living in 2003:
1st he tells us to Make the most of the opportunities coming your way!
I wonder what good things God has planned for us in the year 2003? I look back over 2002 and realize a lot of good things happened. My wife got a better job. My middle daughter got married and I gained a good son in law. My oldest daughter got pregnant and is going to give me my first granddaughter. My youngest daughter got to lead a girl to the Lord in her Sunday school class and is now ministering to Moslems in the Los Angeles area. I think about the opportunities we had as a church. Through the outreach of this church over 200 people came to the Lord this year. What a joy it is to think about the opportunities God gave us during 2002.
But isn’t it also exciting to think about what God has planned for us in 2003?
In Ephesians 2:10 the Bible says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” NIV Did you catch the significance of those last few words concerning the good works God has for us to do? It says, “…which God has prepared in advance for us to do.” God already knows the opportunities He is going to give us in 2003. He’s made all the preparations for it to happen. He is preparing us as well. We are His workmanship. He has prepared the opportunities. And what is our part?
Ephesians 5:16 “…making the most of every opportunity…”
There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to refer to time.1 Hora is usually translated “hour.” Chrono from which we get our English Chronological refers to time in general, a period or measured time. The word used here is not hora or chrono but kairos, which refers to an appointed time, a fixed or special occasion—those moments or seasons when opportunity knocks!2 When opportunity knocks, don’t let those occasions pass you by. Seize the opportunities that God has planned for you in the days ahead.
Will we recognize the opportunity when it comes? I spoke week before last from Matthew 2 concerning the birth of Jesus. The wise men from the east experienced a “kairos” in their lives. The star appeared and they recognized it as an opportunity to see the One born King of the Jews. They made the most of that opportunity. In contrast, priests and teachers in Jerusalem also experienced a “kairos” when asked where this messiah would be born. In their preoccupation with other things, in their deep-seated indifference to the will of God, they missed their opportunity. It went straight by them without any significant impact.
Israel missed an opportunity of a lifetime when they spied out the Promised Land and decided it was too risky to go in.
God provides the opportunity. It is our responsibility to be alert, watchful, to see it for what it is and step out into it. I don’t want to miss any God-given opportunities in 2003. I want to be awake spiritually. I want to pay attention to what’s happening. I want to grab the opportunity while it is still an opportunity!
It is interesting that the Bible tells us to do this “…because the days are evil.” There are evil influences at work in the world we live. If we’re not careful we can be turned aside, derailed, from our true purpose. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…”(Heb.2:3 NKJV)? Spiritual apathy is dangerous in the world we live. Paul is telling you and me, without some due care and diligence you can miss the will of God for your life. You can miss out on important opportunities to do good.
Some people never see opportunities. Everything is a calamity; everything is an obstacle. For them the days are evil—and that’s why there are no opportunities. In the circumstances of life they find excuses not opportunities. “I can’t serve God where I work. Nobody’s a Christian. It’s a horrible environment. I wish God would let me quit.” A different person in the same set of circumstances says, “Wow, what an opportunity. None of them know the Lord. Just think, I might get to lead everyone of them to the Lord.” One person says, “Isn’t it awful how so many people are calling psychics and studying the occult. Nobody wants to hear the truth anymore.” Another says, “Yes the days are evil but what an opportunity. Those people just may be very, very hungry for spiritual reality. They may be fed up with the inadequacy of humanism and rationalism. They may be ripe for a real encounter with the risen Christ. Lord, use me; let me have a part in reaching those people.”
In your circumstances do you see an excuse or an opportunity?
Every season of life is an opportunity or an excuse depending upon what a person is looking for. You will find what you’re looking for. The teen says, “I’m too young, there’s too much peer pressure. I can’t serve God.” Another teens says, “All my friends are wondering what life is really about. They want a cause. They want something worth living for. What an opportunity to tell them about God’s plan for their lives.”
A single person says, “I’m so lonely. I want to serve God. I would really serve Him if He would just give me a husband. I just can’t wait until God answers my prayer.” Another single says, “How can I help at the church. I’ve got some time available and I would love to serve the Lord with you.”
The young married couple says, “Our kids are too demanding. I’m lucky if I can just get to church, let alone serve.” Another family says, “Can our family put on a skit in children’s church? It would be something we could do together and our kids would learn ministry in the process.”
The middle aged person says, “You have no idea how much responsibility is on me—family expectations, work expectations—I have nothing left to give.” Another person the same age says, “I am at the peak of my strength. If I order my priorities right I can make a real difference!”
The retired couple says, “I’m tired. Let the younger generation do it. I’ve served my time.”
Another couple in the same life season says, “We have our retirement income. We don’t need money. We have time. What can we do for the kingdom of God in our golden years?”
Esther found herself in an evil day. Haman had gotten a decree from the king, which authorized genocide of all the Jews. That included Esther. It looked like a disaster. In reality it was the opportunity of a lifetime. God had prepared her for such a time as this.
What has God been preparing you for? How will you respond in the moment of truth? Make the most of your opportunities in 2003.
2nd Understand what the Lord’s will is.
The word translated “understand” in Ephesians 5:17 carries the idea of assembling facts into an organized whole--taking all the bits and pieces of information and making sense of it all.3 Can you and I look at the circumstances of our lives and see the hand of God at work? Can we see the big picture of God’s purposes and put our immediate circumstances in that context?
You’ve heard of the saying, “I can’t see the forest for the trees”? That’s the way some people live their lives. Every event is a stupid tree. It has no context, no point of reference. It is not associated with a bigger purpose. So, a difficulty arises. What do I see? I see trouble. I’m offended that it is there. I’m discouraged. No! Look beyond the stupid tree. See the forest. See the big picture. See God working all things together for my good—orchestrating events and circumstances to build my character and faith in Him. See God conforming me to the image of Christ—something of infinite eternal value.
“…understand what the Lord’s will is.” What is God’s will for my life?
Romans 8:29 “…to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.”
I Thes. 4:3 “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified…”
I Thes. 5:18 “…give thanks in all things for this is God’s will for you…”
God’s will is primarily focused on the transformation He wants to do in us. Understand that and a lot of things begin to make sense. When we understand what God is ultimately seeking to accomplish the trials and difficulties of life are easier to deal with. When we understand the Lord’s will we can rest in His love and all sufficiency.
The New Living Bible translates Ephesians 5:17 this way: “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what God wants you to do.” What do you think God wants you to do in 2003? Notice the focus in our text—not what I want to do but what He wants me to do. Those are two very different orientations to life. Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” (NIV) Let your focus in 2003 be what the Lord wants.
How can we know what He wants? Sometimes that understanding comes by simply knowing and embracing principles taught in the word of God. Sometimes that understanding comes as we weigh events and circumstances knowing that our steps are ordered of the Lord (the providential element of God’s leading). Sometimes we know God’s will because He tells us in a most personal way. That happened to Paul in Acts 27 in the middle of a hurricane. Dire circumstances but God comforted Paul and told him what to do every step of the way.
A key to understanding the will of God is a commitment to do the will of God once we understand it. I want to go into 2003 with that commitment in my heart—a commitment to discern what God wants and then simply do it.
We’re talking about how to live our lives in 2003. Paul admonishes us to be very careful about how we live—don’t be casual, indifferent, sloppy. Be intentional about three things: 1. Make the most of every opportunity God gives you. 2. Understand what God’s will is—with the kind of understanding that produces a willingness to obey.
3rd Be filled with the Spirit.
He contrasts that command with these words: “Do not get drunk on wine…” Why do people drink to get drunk? They are not coping well with the realities of life. They are perhaps soothing feelings of loneliness or rejection. They may just want to feel an exhilaration. They are using alcohol to bring stimulation from the outside into their lives.
The problem is artificial stimulants lead to addiction, excess, reckless living. They are ultimately destructive to the person whether the stimulant is alcohol or another drug or sexual promiscuity or gambling or something else like that. They bring temporary relief or temporary pleasure but in the end they damage rather than cure.4 Paul is saying, “Don’t stimulate your life with things like wine. There is a much better alternative. Be filled with the Spirit.”
Do you know why we are tempted toward these artificial stimulants? We are not filled with the Spirit. We are not getting our basic, internal needs met in our relationship with God—so we seek out other things to fill the need. We need to be filled with the Spirit. We need God. We need God to saturate our beings with His love, with His peace, with Himself. When that’s not happening there is a spiritual and emotional vacuum in us—and we are vulnerable to temptation.
In the first half of this chapter Paul has already warned us against behaviors that are destructive to our spiritual well being. But notice he does not just tell us what not to do. He tells us what we can and must do to be fully satisfied and fulfilled. “Be filled with the Spirit.” Without that happening our lives cannot be everything God wants them to be in 2003.
There is a beautiful connection between the three directives Paul gives us in our text. How can we live wisely in 2003? Paul tells us to pay particular attention to three things. Be alert to the opportunities God will give you and make the most of them. We will do that best if we understand the Lord’s will for our lives. We will best understand God’s will if we are filled with the Spirit. “Be filled with the Spirit.”
The word translated “be filled” is plaroo. It is in the present, passive, imperative form.
Let me share with you the practical significance of that.
1st the imperative mode means it is a command. God is not just making a suggestion here. He is commanding us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We must have this enablement to live lives honoring to God. It is the power of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit that distinguishes us as God’s people. The command is not “try harder.” Trying harder is no substitute for being filled with the Spirit. It is His influence working in us and through us that brings victory.
2nd this verb is plural. Every believer is commanded to be filled with the Spirit. It is not just for an elite few. It is for each and every one of us. I can tell you on the authority of this scripture that God does not want you to leave this service today without being filled, empowered, refreshed in His Spirit.
3rd the tense of this verb is present. Its not a one-time thing and then you’re done. Too many of our Pentecostal believers think they’re Spirit filled because twelve years ago they prayed and spoke in tongues. Twelve years ago they were filled with the Spirit. But God’s question for every one of us is not have you been filled with the Spirit but are you full of the Spirit right now. In Acts 2 Peter was filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. In Acts 4:31 he prayed and was filled again. Why, because yesterday’s experience is not adequate for today’s challenges. Peter needed a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit in his life for the challenges he was about to face. To make the most of the opportunity before him he needed to be filled with the Spirit. We are to stay filled! We are to be continually filled. That’s one reason we come together in a service like this on a regular basis. We should always come with the intention of being filled with the Spirit. That’s not something that just happens in the corporate worship setting. But that’s a great place for it to be happening in our lives. With this imperative we should never be content to leave church empty. Amen?
4th the verb is in the passive voice.5 Its something God has to do in us. We can’t make it happen. But He is ready and willing. If we will; He will. God wants us full of the Spirit now. The good news is if that’s what He wants and even commands, then if we will yield ourselves to Him He will fill us. Amen?
How can we know that we are filled with the Spirit?6 There are some things we will find ourselves doing as a church.
(verse 19) “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.”
That sounds like a great worship service to me. There is a variety offered in the style of worship. We cannot know exactly the distinctions between these three expressions. But the Psalms was the songbook of Israel. Singing God’s word would be a valid expression of worship. Hymns are Christian compositions. Spiritual songs are probably spontaneous outbursts of inspired singing. You may wonder why we sometimes just allow the joy of God to overflow with spontaneous, unscripted songs of praise.7 This is why. Worship can and should include this kind of variety of expression. Colossians 3:15-17 is a parallel passage.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” NIV
How does this free flow of worship happen? When there’s peace in our hearts, in our house, in our church. And when we let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. The spiritual songs do not come in a vacuum. They flow from hearts filled with the word of God and filled with the Spirit.
“Sing and make melody in your hearts to the Lord.” Spirit filled worship comes from the heart. It is not just good singing. It is not just good instrumentation although that facilitates true worship. Our worship is not designed to entertain. It is designed as an expression of joy, adoration, and love to our Lord.
Notice that the expression goes two directions: toward one another and toward the Lord. Sometimes a song is a direct adoration to the Lord and the words speak to Him. Sometimes the words are declarations of truth and encouragement to one another. Each has its proper place in the economy of God.
(Verse 20) “always (not just when we feel like it) giving thanks to God the Father for everything…” What has God done for you in 2002? May thanksgiving and gratitude fill our hearts for His goodness and mercy toward us.
(Verse 21) “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This is something else that happens when we are filled with the Spirit—there is wholesome community. There is submission not because we are afraid of people or what they might do, but because we want to honor the Lord in all our behavior and attitudes. A rebel is not full of the Spirit of God. An isolationist is not full of God’s Spirit no matter how spiritual that person may purport to be.
Lots of things get right when we get full of the Holy Spirit.
May 2002 be filled with opportunities that you seize and enjoy. May you understand the will of God for your life in 2003 and live accordingly. May you be filled with His Spirit!
Prayer and Invitation
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1 W.E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Volume IV, “Time” (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1966), 137.
2 Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament,(Iowa Falls, Iowa: World Bible Publishers, Inc.1992), 805,1487. Kairos does not always mean an opportune occasion, but that is what would be indicated in this context as is also borne out by the New International Version.
3 Ibid, 1343-1344
4 The word Paul uses to define their effect is astoia which is the opposite of the Greek word sozo. Sozo means to save or to heal or to make whole. Astoia is the negative particle attached to a deriviative of sozo. See Zodhiates’ Word Study Dictionary.
5 Kenneth Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies From the Greek New Testament, “Golden Nuggets From the Greek New Testament”(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979), 33.
6 Wycliffe Bible Commentary, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962)
7 R.G. Bratcher and E.A. Nida, UBS New Testament Handbook Series, A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians (New York: United Bible Societies, 1982).
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO
www.gracechapelchurch.org
