WEBVTT 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:04.080 What's gonna happen now? 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:09.519 We're gonna be addressed by God in Holy Scripture. 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:12.320 Holy Scripture is God speaking. 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:17.920 So as you turn with me to the book of Ephesians, chapter five. 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:26.160 And when you get it, would you please stand as I read the Word of God. 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:39.039 Verse fifteen through verse twenty-one. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:54.479 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 00:00:54.479 --> 00:01:29.439 Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is, and do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:37.280 Father, please address us from this portion of Scripture and apply it to our hearts. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:40.000 Lord, we want to be changed by your word. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:45.599 We want your word to have the full effect that you intended it to have. 00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:57.680 So grant us, Lord God, by your spirit to hear the word of God this morning, not with words of human wisdom, but a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:01.359 And we ask these things in the name of the Lord Jesus. 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:03.599 And everyone said, Amen. 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:04.799 You may be seated. 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:05.760 Thank you. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:12.719 We are walking through a preaching series through Paul's letter to the Ephesians. 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:15.120 Hasn't it been rich going through Ephesians? 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:19.280 This is I can never go through Ephesians enough. 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:24.479 And we've seen that this letter can be neatly divided into two parts. 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:30.960 First of all, the first three chapters where the apostle describes who the Christian is in reality. 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:36.719 You know, I mentioned this before, but Paul never uses the word Christian to describe believers. 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:42.560 In fact, he coined a phrase which is the title of this series, in Christ. 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:51.039 Paul used that phrase to describe the gospel and Christians, they're people who are in Christ. 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:57.840 The second part of this letter, which we've been parked at for a few weeks, has often been called the ethical part. 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:06.080 Now the apostle in this section describes how these in Christ people should live. 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:14.639 To use theological terms, chapters 1 through 3 of Ephesians describe what it means to be justified. 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:17.759 Justification is a legal term. 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:24.000 It's used in judicial courts of law for a judge's legal declaration of innocence. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:29.360 How does the apostle use it in the first three chapters of this letter? 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:34.159 I could quote from a lot of sections, but let me quote a familiar portion. 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:37.759 It doesn't use the word justify, but the idea is there. 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:40.479 It's chapter 2, verses 8 through 10. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:42.080 Don't turn there, I'll read it to you. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:48.719 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:54.560 It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 00:03:54.560 --> 00:04:01.520 For we are his workmanship, which is literally, we are his poem, is one translation. 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:11.360 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:20.399 You know, over the years, I've often been asked to pray for people who are responding to an altar call. 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:27.360 And in one such church, I was asked to pray with people who were responding to an altar call. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:32.079 I I would ask the I asked the people who were coming up, what do you want God to do? 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:33.199 What are you here for? 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:42.079 And almost without exception, everybody said, I want to be, uh I want to stop feeling condemned. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:43.839 I feel condemned all the time. 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:50.800 And I responded and said, Well, do you know the doctrine of the justification by faith alone? 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:54.560 And most responded negatively, which is so sad. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:57.680 More than that, it's tragic. 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:15.680 Because here's the deal, folks: you can't live the Christian life unless you're grounded in the truth that your standing with God is not based on how well you perform at the Christian life, but on the fact that He declared you free from the penalty of sin by the work of Jesus Christ. 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:22.879 We could learn a lot from Martin Luther. 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:30.160 Luther had a breakthrough while he was teaching the professor of the Bible at the University of Edinburgh. 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:36.879 Before that, Luther was uh in a uh monastery and he tried to find peace with God. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:41.759 He did everything the monastery said you need to do to have peace with God, but he never found it. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:48.240 And he would go to the priest, and he got it got so bad he was confessing sins he didn't even commit. 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:53.360 In fact, one of the priests said, Come back when you have some real sins you need to deal with. 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:55.439 They didn't know what to do with Luther. 00:05:55.439 --> 00:06:02.079 So they sent him uh to Wittenberg, where he became professor of the Bible. 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:08.319 And while he was preparing to teach Romans, he was reading Romans 1:17. 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:13.279 Let me read it, let me read the verse before, because it's so familiar, but it's all one unit. 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:25.360 He read this I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:37.439 For in it, this is the verse that got Luther, for in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:41.920 You know, Luther before this struggled with that phrase, the righteousness of God. 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:43.199 You know why he struggled? 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:48.399 Because he interpreted the righteousness of God as God's judgment against sinners. 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:52.959 And he's right, it was, it is, God's judgment against sinners. 00:06:52.959 --> 00:07:03.360 Luther confessed at one point that he actually hated God because he knew that God was righteous and therefore he deserved to be punished. 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:18.160 But suddenly his eyes were open, folks, and he saw in verse 17 that the righteousness of God, which is spoken of in this text, is not something Luther achieved on his own, but a gift that God gives to sinners. 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:22.079 It's a gift, the righteousness of God. 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:31.199 And Luther said when he saw this, an entirely new world opened up because the gospel changed his heart. 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:39.360 So now we come to the second section of this epistle, the ethical portion. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:46.319 And it's described not by the theological term justification, but by the theological term sanctification. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:49.279 And that's where we've been parked for the last few weeks. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:54.319 We've been listening to the apostles' description of how we should now live. 00:07:54.319 --> 00:08:01.360 Now that we've been freed from the penalty of sin, we should now be progressively freed from the power of sin. 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:08.160 And each elder that's spoken has brought forth a different aspect of the sanctified life. 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:16.800 This morning, I want to go deeper in understanding the sanctified life in a message entitled Living Wisely in a Foolish Age. 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:20.160 Living Wisely in a Foolish Age. 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:25.360 Not only has God called us to walk righteously, He's called us to walk wisely. 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:26.720 Do you know that? 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:32.080 And this call to walk wisely reminds us of a certain book in the Old Testament. 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:34.559 What book teaches us wisdom? 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:36.320 The book of Proverbs. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:38.799 Solomon lays it out at the beginning of this book. 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:42.720 Remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:48.080 Fools despise wisdom and understanding. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:53.360 This is the beginning of the book of Proverbs. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:09:01.120 It starts by reminding us that if we want to live godly lives, we must start by cultivating the fear of God. 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:04.480 The book of Proverbs is a book of contrasts. 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:08.960 The wise walk this way, while the fools walk a certain way. 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:12.720 This is how the section of Ephesians 5 begins. 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:19.840 Paul says, look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise. 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:24.399 And this is the first contrast the apostle makes in our walk. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:26.720 Not as unwise, but wise. 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:31.279 Today's big question is how can I live wisely in a foolish age? 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:32.720 This is a foolish age. 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:35.360 You look at the way people live, it's foolish. 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:43.440 Nobody wants to live unwisely, but the problem is not many people know how to walk wisely. 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:52.080 Paul tells us in these verses three things we must be concerned with if we're going to walk wisely. 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:54.000 I want us to look at these three things. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:58.879 Number one, first we must be concerned with how we manage our time. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:03.360 Secondly, we must understand what the will of the Lord is. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:09.759 And finally, we must live lives that are continually filled with the Spirit. 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:14.000 These three things are necessary to live wisely. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.759 Let's take the first one. 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:21.759 Paul starts by reminding us to observe how we walk, not as unwise, but wise. 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:29.519 And this is uh learning to steward properly our time. 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:33.919 The ESV translates making the best use of your time. 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:39.279 This is one of those cases where I find the King James to be the better translation. 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:45.759 It says, uh redeem the time because the days are evil. 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:55.679 And Paul, the word redeem there is a good translation because it was used of buying back slaves and setting them free. 00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:59.919 And Paul says, buy back the time, literally. 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:02.399 Buy back the time. 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:06.720 Redeem is the Greek word exa garazo. 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:11.039 It was used, as I said, of the purchasing of slaves in order to set them free. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:17.679 We must learn, folks, how to buy back our time from unproductive and sinful pursuits. 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:22.320 This is critical when it comes to wise living. 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:32.559 You know, in the book entitled Margin, my Mark actually teaches TMAP and uses the book of Mar of uh by the book entitled Margin. 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:37.840 And in it, there's a chapter dealing with time and how to manage time. 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:39.120 And the author, Dr. 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:41.039 Richard Svensson, writes this. 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:41.919 Get this. 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:53.759 30 years ago, futurists peering into their crystal balls predicted that one of the biggest problems for coming generations would be what to do with their abundant spare time. 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:55.519 Isn't that your biggest dilemma? 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:58.960 You have so much spare time you don't know what to do with it. 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:00.960 Right? 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:05.759 I remember hearing this prediction often. 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:22.080 In 1967, testimony before a Senate subcommittee claimed that by 1985, people could be working just 22 hours a week, or 27 weeks a year, or could retire at age 38. 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:25.360 That really proved to be true, didn't it? 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:37.679 Now it's helpful in properly knowing how to properly manage our time that we understand there are two Greek words for the single word in English of time. 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:45.759 There's the word chronos, which is quantitative time, and karos, which is qualitative time. 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:49.279 Chronological time is standard clock time. 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:52.960 How many know you get a lot of that through the span of a lifetime? 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:56.000 We all have the same amount of chronological time. 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:05.120 But we don't all have the same amount of karos time, which is not chronological time, it's opportune time. 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:09.279 And we have to learn how to redeem the time. 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:19.679 It means to make the most of every opportunity, treating time as a precious resource by living wisely rather than wasting it. 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:31.840 It involves buying back time from unproductive, sinful pursuits, prioritizing actions aligned with God's will, treating that time as a limited gift. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:36.399 A number of years ago, I remember having a conversation with a friend of mine. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:40.080 He's an apostolic leader who lives in upstate New York. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:54.159 And he was relating to me a conversation he had with a friend of his who was a student at Asbury Seminary, the Methodist Seminary, that had a powerful revival in the 1970s. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:14:01.600 There was classes were stopped, students were on their faces weeping and praying and repenting of sin. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:05.120 For two weeks, the campus was invaded by God. 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:15.279 And this man was relating something strange about that revival when he was there to participate in it. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:19.840 And it was the way that the revival was affecting the students. 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:24.480 Some students seemed totally unaware of anything happening. 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:30.159 On the other hand, other students were being deeply impacted by the presence of God. 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:35.039 And the student who was relaying this to my friend said he asked the Lord why. 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:54.000 God responded and said to him, Those who were faithful in the Kranos are now being visited in the Karos. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:59.440 But those who are not faithful in the Kranos were not being visited in the Karos. 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:01.759 Wow. 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:06.639 Now we must be careful when we hear talk about faithfulness and revival. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:14.480 Because if you know anything about revival, you know that the Spirit of God is often poured out on people indiscriminate of their spiritual condition. 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:18.000 Because he's sovereign and he does what he pleases. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:27.279 On the other hand, though, it's not unscriptural to say God withholds his blessings at times because his people are not faithful in stewing their time. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:46.799 One person we can learn much about when it comes to time management is the New England pastor Jonathan Edwards, who many people believe had the most well-taught mind in all of America. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:54.080 He was a New England pastor in the 18th century, best known for his sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. 00:15:54.080 --> 00:16:01.440 I actually have a book in my library that is a take on a modern take on that called God in the Hands of Angry Sinners. 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:05.759 It's true, I have that book. 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:13.279 Edwards managed time as a precious, non-renewable gift for God's glory. 00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:14.320 Let me read that again. 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:15.360 He said this. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:27.919 He managed time as a precious, non-renewable gift for God's glory rather than personal leisure, focusing on intense productivity and eternity. 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:43.440 His approach, detailed in his 1734 sermon, The Preciousness of Time, demanded redeeming time from idleness for spiritual, intellectual, and practical pursuits driven by the urgency of a short life. 00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:53.440 As a young man, Edwards wrote 70 resolutions, committing to never lose one moment of time and to improve every moment for the highest good. 00:16:53.440 --> 00:17:05.200 He argued that because eternal destiny depends on earthly actions, time must be spent preparing for the future state, not on frivolous activities. 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:06.880 Hear that. 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:22.720 Edwards believed the scarcity of time limited enhance its value, viewing it as limited commodity that cannot be recovered once lost. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:30.160 David, who wrote most of the Psalms, had a great awareness of time. 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:36.559 This came out in the 89th Psalm when he said, How long, O Lord, will you hide yourself forever? 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:40.000 How long will you burn, your wrath burn like fire? 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:42.720 Remember how short my time is. 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:46.960 For what vanity you have created the children of men. 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:55.759 On another occasion, David prayed, O Lord, make me know my end, and what is the measure of my days? 00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:58.319 Let me know how fleeting I am. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:05.920 Behold, you have made my days a few hand breaths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:11.359 So it's only by having an accurate discernment of the times that we can manage our time. 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:13.279 Paul says, Redeem the time. 00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:14.000 Why? 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:16.559 Because the days are evil. 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:19.440 Could anything be more relevant? 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:21.759 Would you say our days are evil? 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:23.680 Absolutely. 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:27.839 And it's doubtful it'll get better. 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:38.720 The second thing we must do if we want to walk in wisdom in this life is what Paul says in verse 17. 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:44.240 Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:49.759 The first thing that comes to mind when we hear the phrase, will of the Lord, is what? 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:53.599 It's usually the individual will of God for each believer. 00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:54.720 Who should I marry? 00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:56.400 What college should I go to? 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:58.079 What car should I buy? 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:02.960 And it's important that we seek God regarding those decisions. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:11.039 But I don't believe that's the primary purpose Paul has in telling believers they should understand the will of God, what the will of God is. 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:14.880 It's what is commonly known as the moral will of God. 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:19.359 Learning to discern the things that please the Lord. 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:28.480 Because most of the time, by apprehending the moral will of God, we can discern the individual will of God for our lives. 00:19:28.480 --> 00:19:30.640 For example, which car to buy? 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:38.640 If I have $3,000 to buy a car, but I really want this $25,000 car, which one's the will of God? 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:53.200 Well, if you believe dead, debt is demonic, which I do, but uh, you know, you'd understand that the moral will of God informs me there to buy the car within my means. 00:19:53.200 --> 00:20:06.160 You know, when it comes to deciding who I'm gonna marry, it has to be a believer to be the moral will of God, because scripture is clear that do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:12.160 So the moral will of God informs us in a lot of the practical things we do to please God. 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:15.599 Paul prayed that believers would grow in the knowledge of the will of God. 00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:18.000 Listen to what he said in the Colossian letter. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:37.440 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him. 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:38.799 Wow. 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:47.920 This knowledge of his will is a spiritual reality, comes when the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit, which we'll talk about in a moment. 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:55.039 This spiritual knowledge is not mere head knowledge, folks, but knowledge of what behavior pleased God. 00:20:55.039 --> 00:21:02.400 We grow as believers as we become progressively more aware of the will of God from our lives. 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:07.440 Many of us are not aware of what God's will is and therefore live like fools. 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:14.240 The only way we can grow in this knowledge is by praying for growth in the knowledge of his will. 00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:19.200 And that's an ongoing reality. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:21.440 We need to pray consistently. 00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:32.240 Finally, Paul tells us in these verses of this section that if we are going to walk wisely, we must continually be filled with the Spirit. 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:50.960 Here's what he wrote: Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with our hearts to the Lord. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:54.000 With giving thanks always. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:56.480 I heard something about that this morning. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.759 Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father. 00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:06.160 Other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:12.640 Paul begins this section with a clear command not to be drunk with wine. 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:17.759 You know why Paul is so direct to the Ephesians not to be drunk with wine? 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:29.920 Because one of the gods of the Ephesians in that day, 2,000 years ago, that the Ephesians worship was named Bacchus, the god of wine and drunken orgies. 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:36.880 Literally, they worshiped a God who was the god of wine and drunken orgies. 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:41.759 And they believed that to commune with this God and to be led by him, they had to be drunk. 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:49.119 And in the drunken state, they could determine the will of God and determine their how best to serve and obey him. 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:55.599 This is why Paul told them not to be drunk, because it is debauchery. 00:22:55.599 --> 00:23:10.240 In the Bible, debauchery refers to extreme indulgence in bodily pleasures, sensuality and wild, uncontrolled living, often linked to sexual immorality, drunkenness, and recklessness. 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:17.759 It is associated with a total lack of restraint and a lifestyle that rejects moral standards. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:20.799 I'm so glad that doesn't describe our culture. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:27.759 Now, what does scripture have to say about drinking? 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:31.839 Many people believe it condemns drinking completely. 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:38.720 And we shall point we should point out that Paul is not in these verses condemning drinking of any kind, but drunkenness. 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:46.640 You know, years ago we were pastoring a church in Alabama, and a friend of mine in the church was having a conversation with a woman. 00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:51.519 The woman didn't believe that Christians could, under any circumstance, can ever drink. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:54.720 And my friend was trying to make arguments. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:58.960 And finally, out of exasperation, my friend said, Well, you know, Jesus drank. 00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:01.759 She said, I know, and I think the less of him for it. 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:07.359 That really happened. 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:26.559 Now, having said that, Paul isn't condemning drunkenness outright or drinking outright, having said that the Bible repeatedly warns about drinking and its effect on people. 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:28.319 And we should know that. 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:34.000 Every picture of drunkenness in the Bible is a picture of sin and disaster. 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:40.319 Shortly after the flood, remember, Noah became drunk and acted shamelessly. 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:43.680 And how about Lot's daughters? 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:50.960 They caused him to become drunk and to commit incest with them as a foolish and perverted means of having children. 00:24:50.960 --> 00:25:03.839 And then in the book of Daniel, we have the story of King Belshazzar, who held a drunken feast in which he he and his guests praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:09.759 And during the very midst of the drunken brawl, the kingdom was taken from him. 00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:14.160 But it wasn't just a New Testament, Old Testament problem, it was the New Testament problem. 00:25:14.160 --> 00:25:18.400 Some of the Corinthians were getting drunk at the Lord's table. 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:21.359 And some were made sick and even died. 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:24.640 By the way, they were getting drunk at the Lord's table. 00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:27.920 They were not drinking, getting drunk on grape juice. 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:33.359 Just a little fact of knowledge. 00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:37.839 Someone said Jesus turned the water into wine. 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:38.720 It was grape juice. 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:41.599 I said, You ever serve grape juice at a Jewish wedding? 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:47.599 You will not live to tell about it. 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:56.000 The book of Proverbs has many warnings about drinking. 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:58.400 Hear my son and be wise. 00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:00.559 Direct your heart in the way. 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:05.359 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat. 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:11.680 That that may be yesterday what we did in the men's meeting, I'm not sure. 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:24.400 Be not drunk among among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:39.200 Having sounded out the warnings, let me read 1 Timothy 5 23, where Paul instructs his young son Timothy, no longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:42.319 Now don't use that as an excuse and go drink. 00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:46.400 So we need to put drinking in context. 00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:52.799 We can make the case that drinking isn't strictly forbidden in Scripture, but having said that, let me consider this. 00:26:52.799 --> 00:27:03.759 Approximately 28.9 million people in the United States, age 20 or older, roughly 10% of the population, has an alcohol use disorder. 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:14.400 So you can argue that I I I'm allowed scripture to drink, but keep in mind the price you might pay. 00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:21.359 But Paul says, don't be drunk with wine, be filled with the spirit. 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:29.440 And here Paul makes a deliberate contrast to illustrate the transformative nature of the Holy Spirit's influence in the life of a believer. 00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:41.920 Just as X alcohol exerts control of a person's behavior, speech, and thoughts, also believers are totally totally submitted to the control and influence of the Holy Spirit. 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:55.440 Both intoxication and spiritual fullness involve being under the influence of an outside agent that alters one's regular functioning. 00:27:55.440 --> 00:28:01.680 The place where we see the similarities between drunkenness and being filled with the Holy Spirit, of course, is where? 00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:04.480 The day of Pentecost. 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:12.960 Remember in the day of Pentecost when some of them heard them extolling God in their own tongues, others mocked, saying they're filled with new wine? 00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:20.000 So there must be a similarity between drunkenness and being controlled by the Spirit. 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:46.880 There's something very important we must know about the type of verb that is used here, translated by the phrase, be filled with the Spirit. 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:53.599 It's a command that implies a continuous habitual state, not a one-time event. 00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:55.680 That's so important. 00:28:55.680 --> 00:29:00.720 It implies a continuous habitual state, not a one-time event. 00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:09.119 It means to be constantly under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to control our thoughts and emotions. 00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:14.720 You know, in the book of Acts, believers were filled with the Spirit after coming to Jesus. 00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:16.720 And show we should be too. 00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:19.599 But that was not their final experience with the Spirit. 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:27.359 This command that believers be filled with the Spirit was a habitual state, not a one-time event. 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:33.039 And many in the church today emphasize receiving the Spirit at Spirit baptism, and that's good. 00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:37.920 But they fail to emphasize the continuous work of the Spirit in the believer's life. 00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:41.279 How do we know we're continually being filled with the Spirit? 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:50.079 Paul lists three things that characterize the spirit-filled life: singing, giving thanks, and submitting. 00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:54.079 Singing, giving thanks, and submitting. 00:29:54.079 --> 00:29:56.079 Let's start with singing. 00:29:56.079 --> 00:30:06.160 Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. 00:30:06.160 --> 00:30:11.839 You know, wherever the Spirit is poured out, new songs appear. 00:30:11.839 --> 00:30:19.359 And this is one of the most powerful things of the charismatic movement back in the 70s. 00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:23.839 The Spirit gave new songs, and a lot of them were scripture songs. 00:30:23.839 --> 00:30:25.680 Remember the scripture songs? 00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:30.720 I missed them because we were learning the word of God while we were worshiping. 00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:34.559 And scripture songs were powerful. 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:47.440 He says also Psalms, Scripture songs and Psalms, which of course is a reference to the Psalter in our life, Life on Life group. 00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:52.240 Scott's leading us right now in the study of the Psalms of the Old Testament. 00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:59.680 And God gave us a book of 150 Psalms so we could pray and know how to pray. 00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:02.799 Psalms, hymns. 00:31:02.799 --> 00:31:08.319 Spiritual songs are songs given by the Spirit. 00:31:08.319 --> 00:31:11.680 God gives to believers a singing heart. 00:31:11.680 --> 00:31:16.960 By the way, who do believers sing to? 00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:27.680 To one another, addressing one another in Psalms, hymns, and so certainly you're addressing the Lord, but you're addressing one another. 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:42.559 And then the second evidence that we're walking in wisdom and we're filled with the Spirit is what Tyler mentioned this morning, giving thanks. 00:31:42.559 --> 00:31:50.000 Paul says, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:54.240 There's a similar exhortation in Paul's letter to the Colossians. 00:31:54.240 --> 00:32:08.000 He says, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:16.559 And whatever you do, do in the word, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:21.599 Always in Paul's letters, he ends with a strong exhortation. 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:24.559 Be thankful, people, be thankful. 00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:28.480 Christians are to be the most thankful people on earth. 00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:31.599 Tyler reminded us of that this morning. 00:32:31.599 --> 00:32:34.799 He says, giving thanks always. 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:38.640 We can always find something to be thankful for. 00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:44.240 A few weeks ago, I woke up with this worship song in my heart. 00:32:44.240 --> 00:32:47.599 We're gonna end my message by singing it this morning. 00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:53.039 Give thanks with a grateful heart. 00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:57.119 Give thanks unto the Holy One. 00:32:57.119 --> 00:33:04.799 Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son. 00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:07.920 So I was gonna lead you in at the end, but you started already. 00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:08.799 Thank you. 00:33:08.799 --> 00:33:18.799 That's the main reason Paul gives we can be thankful, is God has given us his Son for our salvation. 00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:24.720 He says, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:27.920 We should be thankful for everything because of this promise. 00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:35.599 We know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 00:33:35.599 --> 00:33:38.480 Can you really be thankful for everything, Neil? 00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:39.680 Yes, we can. 00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:46.079 For example, when I was diagnosed with Parkinson's, you might say, What can you be thankful for when it comes to that? 00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:47.359 I said, That's easy. 00:33:47.359 --> 00:33:50.880 I don't have to hide the fact anymore that I'm Pentecostal. 00:33:50.880 --> 00:34:03.119 Look on the bright side, folks. 00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:12.719 And then Paul says, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:14.639 This is a pivotal verse. 00:34:14.639 --> 00:34:19.599 It serves as a transition to the practical part of the letter, which will start next week. 00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:30.239 Paul takes the three principle of verse 21 and applies it to three relationships: husbands and wives, children and parents, slaves and masters. 00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:38.800 You know, we often hear how wives are to submit to their husbands, but Paul tells us that all believers should be submitting to one another. 00:34:38.800 --> 00:34:45.519 Certainly, that includes wives to their husbands, but it's not limited to that. 00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:47.599 Men love that verse, don't they? 00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:53.119 But Paul says believers should be submitting to one. 00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:58.960 The Greek word is hypotoso, and it means to arrange in order under. 00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:01.039 It's actually a military term. 00:35:01.039 --> 00:35:07.199 And in the military, there's a strong sense of submitting to everyone, to someone of higher rank. 00:35:07.199 --> 00:35:11.760 A soldier must arrange himself in order under his sergeant. 00:35:11.760 --> 00:35:15.679 A sergeant arranges himself under the master sergeants. 00:35:15.679 --> 00:35:19.760 So who does Paul tell us we should arrange ourselves under? 00:35:19.760 --> 00:35:20.400 Leaders? 00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:24.559 Well, certainly, of course, leaders, which is taught in Scripture. 00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:35.199 But not only leaders, the Christian is to subject himself to every other believer out of reverence for Christ, because Christ indwells every Christian. 00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:39.039 Believers are to whoop tasso to one another. 00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:52.719 And again, Paul's about to apply these in very practical ways to husbands and wives, to uh slaves and masters, and to uh forget the other, children and parents. 00:35:52.719 --> 00:36:02.719 So this attitude of submission is to permeate every relationship we have. 00:36:02.719 --> 00:36:14.719 So let's end by being thankful that Master Jack's gonna come and lead us with me and sing this song. 00:36:14.719 --> 00:36:56.880 Give thanks with a grateful give thanks to the holy give thanks because he's given Jesus. 00:36:56.880 --> 00:38:49.199 Because of us. 00:38:49.199 --> 00:39:04.559 For you've given us everything we need for life and godliness. 00:39:04.559 --> 00:39:08.079 Thank you, Lord, as we sing this song to you. 00:39:08.079 --> 00:39:19.119 We're very grateful for all that you've given to us, but most of all, grateful for you giving us your son, so we can, those who are weak can say, I'm strong. 00:39:19.119 --> 00:39:22.480 Those who are poor can say they're rich. 00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:24.719 Thank you for your salvation. 00:39:24.719 --> 00:39:29.920 Father, help us this day to be filled with the Spirit. 00:39:29.920 --> 00:39:33.760 Give us a fullness of the Spirit that we've not known. 00:39:33.760 --> 00:39:39.199 So we can give thanks, we can sing, and we can submit one to another. 00:39:39.199 --> 00:39:41.840 In Jesus' name we ask. 00:39:41.840 --> 00:39:44.800 Amen and amen.