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Book: Ephesians
 Print ( PC Only )
Ephesians 5:16
Intro: Paul has encouraged them to walk circumspectly, now he defines what
he means by circumspectly.
I. Redeeming the time.
A. There should always be a sense of urgency in getting the gospel
out.
1. Time is short even if you live to be 130 years old.
When the Pharaoh asked Jacob how old he was, Jacob
responded my pilgrimage has been 130 years, few and
evil have been the days of the years of my life.
2. We have only one life, twill soon be past, and only
what's done for Christ will last.
3. Jesus seemed to have that sense of urgency.
JOH 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is
day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
JOH 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with
you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you:
4. Paul had that sense of urgency.
ROM 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake
out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we
believed.
5. To the Corinthians Paul said:
1CO 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time [is] short: it remaineth,
that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
1CO 7:30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that
rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as
though they possessed not;
1CO 7:31 And they that use this world, as not abusing [it]: for the
fashion of this world passeth away.
B. Moses asked the Lord to teach him to number his days that he
might apply his heart to wisdom.
C. It is interesting how that wisdom is related to redeeming the
time.
1. In the very context of the exhortation Paul said, not
as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the
days are evil, wherefore be ye not unwise.
2. In Colossians 4:5 he said, "Walk in wisdom toward
those that are without, redeeming the time."
D. How can we redeem the time.
1. So much of what we do, especially today, is just a
waste of time.
a. I think of how much time is wasted in front
of a T.V. I think that T.V. causes your brain
and your body to vegetate. That same time
could be used to learn a foreign language, to
study the word, to draw close to God.
b. Think how the church could be impacting the
world for God if we were giving the time in
prayer that we spend in front of the T.V.
c. There are certain things that must be done
that in and of themselves often seem to be a
waste of time but they need not be.
2. I believe that radio and tapes are one of the greatest
ways to help keep driving from being a waste of time.
Many times I have truckers who write or tell me that
as they are driving across the country they are
listening to the Bible study tapes.
a. Some of you who have to drive the freeways
every day could learn all about the Bible
through tapes, your car could be your own
little seminary classroom.
b. You housewives who have the care of the
children and the upkeep of the home, that time
could be well spent by listening to tapes as
you do the dishes, or the work around the
house.
c. It is interesting to see the janitors and
yardmen around the grounds here at the church,
most of them have earphones on, I assume that
they are listening to the Bible study tapes.
E. Paul said that they should redeem the time because the days
were evil.
1. Our old nature is attracted to evil.
a. People who would never think of committing
adultery will enjoy the story of one who does.
b. A person who would never think of using a gun
to kill someone will watch with fascination
as on T.V. the actors portray mass killings.
c. Paul speaks of taking pleasure in those who
are doing evil things. He was perhaps thinking
of the theater of his day, but it is true in
the movies today.
2. Paul warned the Galatians concerning sowing and
reaping.
II. "Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord
is."
A. One of the most oft questions is, "How can I know the will of
God for my life?"
1. It is God's will that you walk worthy of the vocation
wherein you were called.
2. It is God's will that you not walk as the world.
3. It is God's will that you walk in love.
4. It is God's will that you walk as children of light.
5. It is God's will that you walk circumspectly.
B. You say, "No, I want to know what God wants me to be."
1. He wants you to be holy, for He is holy.
2. He wants you to be kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another even as He for Christ sake
forgave you.
C. How can you discover the specifics of God's will?
1. Paul wrote to the Romans, "I beg you brethren, by the
mercies of God that you present your bodies as living
sacrifices unto God which is your reasonable service,
and be not conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you
might prove what is the good and perfect and
acceptable will of God for your life."
2. God often reveals His will just one step at a time.
a. This is where we often have difficulty,
because we want Him to spell out the whole
picture.
b. I am not content just to know where God wants
me to go, but I want to know why He wants me
to go there.
c. God often does not reveal step two until you
have taken step one.
3. The example of Philip.
D. Do you know the will of God for your life?
III. "Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the
Spirit."
A. On the surface this seems to be a strange pairing. What does
being drunk with wine have to do with being filled with the
Spirit?
1. What is a person seeking when he turns to the bottle?
a. Sometimes the boldness and confidence to face
a difficult situation.
b. Sometimes he is seeking to escape from his
problems.
2. What do you receive when you are filled with the
Spirit?
a. Boldness and confidence to face any situation.
b. The answer to your problems.
B. There are several warnings in the scripture concerning being
drunk.
PRO 20:1 Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is
deceived thereby is not wise.
PRO 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
PRO 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and
drowsiness shall clothe [a man] with rags.
PRO 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who
hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness
of eyes?
PRO 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed
wine.
PRO 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his
colour in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
PRO 23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an
adder.
PRO 23:33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall
utter perverse things.
PRO 23:34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the
sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
PRO 23:35 They have stricken me, [shalt thou say, and] I was not sick;
they have beaten me, [and] I felt [it] not: when shall I
awake? I will seek it yet again.
ISA 5:11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, [that] they may
follow strong drink; that continue until night, [till] wine
inflame them!
ISA 5:22 Woe unto [them that are] mighty to drink wine, and men of
strength to mingle strong drink:
LUK 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be
overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this
life, and [so] that day come upon you unawares.
1. Drunkards are on the list of those who will not inherit
the kingdom of God.
1CO 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom
of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind,
1CO 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
GAL 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these];
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
GAL 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies,
GAL 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of
the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time
past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God.
2. Peter relates it to our old life in the world.
1PE 4:3 For the time past of [our] life may suffice us to have wrought
the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness,
lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable
idolatries:
1PE 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with [them] to
the same excess of riot, speaking evil of [you]:
C. The book of Acts tells us the marvelous things that happened to
those who were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the great
things that God did through them.
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