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[0:00] Good evening, church. Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 5.

[0:14] We're going to read verses 15 to 21. It is found on page 978 in your pew Bible. Page 978, Ephesians chapter 5, verses 15.

[0:30] To 21. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of time because the days are evil.

[0:51] 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 and for everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

[1:30] Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you for your blessing upon us, and Lord, thank you for gathering us here this evening to worship you, to worship you, to praise you, and to bring ourselves as we are.

[1:52] And Lord, as we read your words and study it tonight, Lord, open our hearts, prepare our hearts like the good soil, and Lord, let your words come into our hearts and transform us to be more and more like you, Lord Jesus.

[2:22] In your holy name we pray. Amen. Amen. The world has a lot to say about how to live wisely.

[2:34] I found some interesting books on Amazon.com under the subject of living wisely.

[2:47] And most of these books, you know, they focus on finance, health, and relationships. But I couldn't resist sharing some of the funny ones with you tonight.

[3:01] The first one, it said, Grapes in my shower, living wisely, simply, and happily. I'm not making this up. Go to Amazon.com and punch in Living Wisely under the book section, and there is this book called Grapes in my shower.

[3:18] So I hope my family doesn't think that I'm crazy when they see me carrying a bundle of grapes with me into the shower. Interesting title, Grapes in my shower, living wisely, simply, and happily.

[3:30] The next one is shoes wisely, as in your shoes. Shoes wisely, choosing the right shoe for every occasion.

[3:41] I know some of the ladies sitting here and thinking, hey, I love that book. Or maybe they're writing down the name of that book. The next one, how to choose the right mate, a guy to choose wisely.

[3:57] Now this book, on the cover of this book, there is a picture of an eight-year-old Asian girl dreaming of a future husband in her sleep.

[4:10] So there's a picture of this girl sleeping, and there's like a picture of her future husband. And I'm sure my wife, Jane, started to read this book when she was about eight years old.

[4:22] Now, what does the scripture say about living wisely or walking in wisdom?

[4:35] I would like us to see the contrast between the life of wise versus unwise or foolish. What does it mean for us to live wisely, walking in wisdom?

[4:50] And lastly, how do we apply this in our daily living? First, let's look at the wise. Verse 16 says, making the best use of the time because the days are evil.

[5:10] Is Apostle Paul talking about time management skill here like the old saying, time is money?

[5:22] I mean, what does he mean by the days are evil? Are we in danger of being invaded by the walking dead? So what is he talking about?

[5:32] The time and the days are evil. The answer is found in Colossians chapter four, verse five, here it says, live wisely among those who are not believers and make the most of every opportunity.

[5:54] And I don't think he's talking about financial gain among the non-believers. I'm sure this verse is telling us to seize every opportunity in our daily living to share Christ with non-believers.

[6:13] To share the love of Christ and the good news of salvation which comes through our Lord Jesus Christ with our friends, with our coworkers, relatives, and so on.

[6:26] The wise also knows how to number his or her days. We do not know what tomorrow may bring.

[6:39] And yet we live like we own our future. But the days are evil because we may not have another day or another chance to share the good news with that someone.

[6:56] Neither our future nor that person's future whom we are trying to share the good news with is guaranteed. In James chapter four, it says, yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

[7:13] what is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. With this in mind, we need to be wise, making best of our time, sharing the good news with non-believers.

[7:35] Verse 17. Therefore, do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.

[7:48] But understand what the will of the Lord is. This topic alone can be another sermon in itself. So I will briefly point out just a couple of things.

[8:03] The Lord's will is revealed to us through his holy word which are contained in this book. the Bible.

[8:16] By reading it, meditating upon it, and studying the scripture earnestly, we can start to understand what the will of the Lord is.

[8:30] One example is from Matthew chapter 22 verses 37 to 40. the great commandment. Here it says, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

[8:50] And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. It is God's will for us to love him with everything we got and also to love our neighbor as ourselves.

[9:06] And there are many more we can find in the Bible what his will for us is.

[9:17] So we need to constantly read and study his word seeking his will. King David said in Psalm 143 verse 8, let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love for in you I trust.

[9:39] Make me know the way I should go for to you I lift up my soul. Make me know the way I should go for to you I lift up my soul.

[9:55] How wise was King David seeking the will of God each morning. crying out to him make me know the way I should go.

[10:08] Verse 18 says the wise is also filled with Holy Spirit. Let's look at verse 18 to 21 again. 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 and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

[10:50] Christ. When we say being filled with the Holy Spirit people may have different images or ideas but in this passage when you are filled with Holy Spirit there are four things that you can see.

[11:11] The first one is you are full of encouragement and love towards one another. You have a loving heart. You are addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs so you are encouraging one another.

[11:31] You have this loving heart and second it is full of joy singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart so when you are filled with the Holy Spirit you have this joyful heart and third you are full of thanksgiving giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ because what Jesus has done for us on the cross and lastly you are full of humility submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ a humble heart and this submitting to one another will be addressed in the upcoming sermons submitting to one another between husbands and wives between parents and children and so on so the life of wise uses time wisely seizes every opportunity to share the love of Christ and the good news with non believers believers and also the wise is constantly seeking what the will of the Lord is and the wise is filled with Holy

[12:58] Spirit full of joy full of thanksgiving full of love and compassion and humility now let's look at the life of unwise foolish and here is the big contrast now when we talk about the unwise or the foolish we expect to hear how the unwise just waste away time doing nothing but there's also another side of time that the foolish does in Luke chapter 12 Jesus tells us a parable of the rich fool so there was this man and one year I guess the harvest was so great he didn't know what to do with himself so in his bed he thought to himself wow I have such a great harvest this season

[14:00] I have so plenty I have to tear down my my old barn and build a much much bigger storage and I am pretty much all set I guess now I'm going to tell my soul to eat drink and be married for many years and this is when God tells him fool this night your soul is required of you and the things you have prepared whose will they be remember apostle Paul's warning in verse 16 because the days are evil the rich fool thinks his life is guaranteed to enjoy his gain for many years and on top of this he is just greedy and just self-centered again in

[15:05] James chapter 4 it says as it is you boast in your arrogance all such boasting is evil the unwise foolish boast about tomorrow in his arrogance verse 17 it says therefore do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is fools do not seek to understand what the will of the Lord is Psalm 14 1 says the fool says in his heart there is no God never mind seeking the will of God the fool rejects God altogether there are numerous descriptions of what fool does or is like in book of Proverbs by the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back a fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion doing wrong is like a joke to a fool like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly so fools not only reject

[16:29] God in their hearts but they do not heed any practical wisdom either they repeat their follies thinking they are wise in their own eyes they are too busy uttering their own ignorance fools in Romans chapter 1 verses 21 to 22 apostle Paul tells us how they became spiritual fools for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened claiming to be wise they became fools instead of worshiping and honoring the creator oh my god they created images and idols made out of stones metals and woods they clearly see

[17:29] God's creations but instead of worshiping the creator they became foolish and started to worship the creation verse 18 it says do not get drunk with wine for this is debauchery now when you are drunk you lose your ability to think clearly therefore your actions are controlled by a substance called alcohol like the old saying don't let someone else do the thinking for you you are letting the alcohol control your mind and your action unlike the wise whose mind is renewed by Holy Spirit the fool lets something control his mind and action hear what the proverb says about the condition of a drunkard in

[18:32] Proverbs chapter 23 verses 29 to 35 who has woe who has sorrow who has strife who has complaining who has wounds without cause who has redness of eyes those who tarry long over wine those who go try mixed wine do not look at wine when it is red when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly in the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder your eyes will see strange things and your heart utter perverse things you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea like one who lies on the top of a mast they struck me you will say but I was not hurt they beat me but I did not feel it when shall

[19:34] I awake I must have another drink doesn't this describes accurately the condition of a drunkard alcohol is just one example of which can control your mind and action greed lust gambling drugs and other things can control our minds and actions if we are not careful so now we saw the contrast between the unwise and the wise by examining the way they walk so how do we walk in wisdom in our daily living walking in wisdom is to use our time wisely seizing every opportunity to share the love of Christ and the good news of salvation through

[20:39] Jesus with the people in our community and people to all nations so in other words do not push this off till tomorrow when you have that chance when you know somebody at your work at your school your family when there is that voice I want to share Jesus with this person I want to pray for this person don't push it till tomorrow don't say oh maybe I'll maybe I'll talk to him tomorrow or maybe I'll pray with her tomorrow seize the moment walking in wisdom is to seek God's will through reading meditating and studying his word we have Sunday Bible studies at nine in the morning and we also have many small group meetings throughout the week you can choose and join and get together to read and learn from the scripture there is also wonderful devotional book called morning and evening by Spurgeon we have that in our bookstall downstairs remember remember how

[21:55] King David was seeking God's will each morning morning and evening it's a wonderful devotional book walking in wisdom is also a life filled with Holy Spirit as we read verses 18 to 21 now what would this look like for us it says address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs now normally we would greet someone you know like this hi Pastor Greg how you doing how are the kids but instead now we say hi Pastor Greg the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want what a friend we have in Jesus all our sins and griefs to bear imagine that if we do it if we start do this and our Presbyterian friends will think that hey that's why they're

[22:59] Baptist and our fellow Baptist friends may think that we are Pentecostals the Pentecostals may think well Pentecostals don't really care about what others think so but all jokes aside what Apostle Paul is telling us here is that we need to encourage one another using God's words there are so many verses of God's unchanging love and his faithfulness towards us the Lord is our ever present help pray for one another we ought to spread the joy of our salvation amongst us by doing this we constantly remind one another of God's love for us in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 16 to 18 it says for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of

[24:02] God and the dead in Christ will rise first then we who are alive who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so will always be with the Lord therefore encourage one another with these words we are to encourage one another rejoice together comfort and strengthen one another by constantly reminding each other of our Lord's goodness faithfulness and his everlasting love towards us and we also need to keep point each other to our final destination which is our father's kingdom in heaven singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart rejoice in the Lord for what Jesus did for us it is all about what he did for us I came across a song last week and I've been listening to it over and over again the song is called you are more it's by 10th avenue north so just like the verse 19 said now I'm going to address you all of you in this beautiful song and he says you are more than the choices you've made you are more than the sum of your past mistakes you are more than the problems you create you've been remade because this is not about what you've done but what's been done for you this is not about where you've been but where your brokenness brings you to this is not about what you feel but what he felt to forgive you and what he felt to make you loved isn't this true when we think about what Jesus did on the cross for us don't we want to give thanks always and for everything to God in the name of our

[26:19] Lord Jesus Christ we are living in an age where information knowledge is so readily available without touching our fingertips information knowledge knowledge is just out there but where can we find the true wisdom in 1st Corinthians chapter 1 apostle Paul tells us Jesus Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God once apostle Paul discovered this wisdom for himself he regarded all his other earthly accomplishments as nothing but rubbish he said I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord so what are you chasing after what are you struggling with are you seeking wisdom all what you've gained thinking it was wisdom would that give you forgiveness of all your sins would it give you everlasting life do you say to your soul like the rich fool let's eat drink and be merry for many years are you running from your past mistakes or do you think you'll never be good enough for Jesus to love you listen to these words again and know that Jesus the wisdom of God did everything for you already you are more than the choices you've made you are more than the sum of your past mistakes you are more than the problems you create you've been remade because this is not about what you've done but what's been done for you this is not about where you've been but where your brokenness brings you to this is not about what you feel but what

[28:30] Jesus felt to forgive you and what Jesus felt to make you loved receive Jesus in your heart he will love and bless you with his infinite wisdom he will give you a new heart joyful grateful loving and a humble heart let Jesus remake you let him renew your mind so you can leave the dark path of the fools and start walk in wisdom let us pray Lord Jesus we rejoice in you in you because what you have done for us Lord we are grateful to you because of what you have done for us

[29:31]  Lord now we can encourage one another comfort one another strengthen one another point each other to our final destination our father's kingdom because of what you have done for us on the cross so Lord we praise you and we thank you and Lord help us to receive you in our heart as our Lord and savior the power of God and the wisdom of God so we can begin and continue to walk in wisdom in Jesus name we pray amen