UNITY – Week – 12 – Walking Intentionally

Passage:
“Look carefully how then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 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.” (Eph. 5:15-21)
  • Paul gives us five examples in the text of walking intentionally or walking wisely so that we can carry out the mission of the church:
  • Live with Eternal Lenses
  • Be filled with the spirit
  • Fellowship with believers
  • Practice gratitude
  • Submit to eachother
We are going to walk through each of these this morning – look back down at your text with me.
Live with Eternal Lenses:
“Look carefully how then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (16-17)
The first thing that Paul talks about is how we view our day to day life. He says “make the best use of your time because the days are evil”
  • This phrase literally translates to “redeem the time.”
  • If you are a believer – God has placed a calling on your life to know him and be the beacon of hope and truth and life to the people around you –
Paul says we have to live with eternal lenses. We must live with eternity at the forefront of our mind
Be Filled with the Spirit:
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” (18)
Paul challenges us let God be the force that is motivating and controlling our actions
Fellowship with believers
“addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,” (19)
  • Paul turns now to our words toward one another. how we talk to eachother – in hymns and psalms and spiritual songs –
Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
  • Paul is saying that the gospel of Jesus should so imprinted on our heart and on our mind that when we speak to eachother we can’t help but encourage each other – we can’t help but point eachother back to Jesus – we cannot help but lovingly call eachother out when we fall into sin.
True biblical community finds its foundation in people who are enraptured by the gospel.
Practice Gratitude:
“giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (20)
  • Fourth – Paul says – to live intentionally and wisely – practice gratitude.
Paul is calling us to rest in God’s providence – or God’s sovereign control over all things – even in those circumstances when it doesn’t feel like God is in control.
  • Providence: the full assurance that God is completely in control and is bringing about a purpose through everything that happens.
Submit to One-Another:
submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (21)
  • Jesus gave the ultimate expression of submission – even though he was God – and is God – and made everything and deserves ALL things – he submitted to the will of his father and he came down to earth to live as a humble person. As a baby – and grew to a man and stretched out his arms on the cross and died for you and me so that we could walk free – He submitted to the point of death even death on a cross
That is how we live intentionally –
  • we live with eternal lenses that are focused not just on our lives here and now but on the future of where God is calling us
  • we are filled with spirit – that we let the spirit of God who indwells us be the motivating factor of our actions
  • we fellowship with one another – around God’s word encouraging and lifting eachother up
  • we practice gratitude by resting in God’s definition of Good
  • and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ

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