1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 Ephesians chapter five beginning in verse 15 reads, 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,640 pay careful attention then to how you walk, 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,840 not as unwise people but as wise, 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:16,300 making the most of the time because the days are evil. 5 00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:21,560 So don't be foolish but understand what the Lord's will is 6 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:25,760 and don't get drunk with wine which leads to reckless living 7 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,240 but be filled by the Spirit speaking to one another 8 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,620 in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, 9 00:00:33,620 --> 00:00:37,040 singing and making music in your heart to the Lord, 10 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,800 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father 11 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,360 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 12 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:48,360 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. 13 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:50,020 This is God's word. 14 00:00:52,380 --> 00:00:53,800 Now most of us know something 15 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,440 about making a New Year's resolution. 16 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,760 Anyone make a New Year's resolution of any sorts? 17 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:01,260 Maybe it's a business plan, 18 00:01:01,260 --> 00:01:02,920 maybe it's a personal resolution, 19 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,000 maybe it's something related to, 20 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,120 I'm going to do this this year. 21 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,580 I wanna hit the gym more, I want to save more money, 22 00:01:11,580 --> 00:01:13,200 I wanna eat less cake. 23 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:16,520 Or more cake. 24 00:01:17,420 --> 00:01:19,000 Yeah, it doesn't always have to be less, right? 25 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,560 Or more cake or lose 20 pounds 26 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,360 or do more with the kids, whatever it is, 27 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,260 we seem to use the New Year as this perfect 28 00:01:29,260 --> 00:01:32,600 and most obvious place to evaluate our lives, 29 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,040 to wipe the slate clean and to make a fresh start. 30 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,360 For many of us it's like, hallelujah, 31 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:43,540 I get to do a do-over here again. 32 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:48,000 Did you know there's a history to New Year's resolutions? 33 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,960 One of the oldest stories dates back all the way 34 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,640 to the Babylonian Empire. 35 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,000 They had a 12 day festival to a god 36 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,520 and to mark the New Year they held this festival 37 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,880 which was somewhere around March in our calendar. 38 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,520 And during this feast people would make promises 39 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,900 and commitments for the coming year to their gods 40 00:02:09,900 --> 00:02:11,440 in order to appease them. 41 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,400 And so fast forward when Julius Caesar 42 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,600 establishes January 1st as the beginning of the New Year, 43 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,360 he did so in honor of the Roman god Janus. 44 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,380 And Janus is a two-faced god. 45 00:02:26,380 --> 00:02:30,200 One face is looking forward and one face is looking backward. 46 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,280 And Romans would make promises of good conduct 47 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,760 for the coming year to the god Janus. 48 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:40,640 And so there we have this precursor 49 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:43,780 to our modern New Year's resolutions. 50 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,240 But there's another day we should all know about 51 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,340 and it's coming up, you can put it on your calendar, 52 00:02:50,340 --> 00:02:52,340 it's this Friday. 53 00:02:52,340 --> 00:02:54,400 This Friday is Quitters Day. 54 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,840 Quitters Day, the second Friday of January is Quitters Day 55 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,480 because by this time over 25% of people 56 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,800 who've made resolutions have abandoned them. 57 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,960 By the end of January almost 50% have quit 58 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,120 and by the end of the year 92% of people 59 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,440 have abandoned their resolutions. 60 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,920 Go 8%, wow, elite, right? 61 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,200 Well whether you've made a resolution or not, 62 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,200 that's not why we're here and what we're talking about. 63 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:34,320 But as believers we are called to live every day 64 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,020 of our life with special care and intentionality. 65 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,920 Too much of our time is lost, 66 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:44,840 wasted on what is haphazard, 67 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,840 wasted on reckless living. 68 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,800 And today we're going to let the word of God 69 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:54,600 impress upon us the importance of how we live each day, 70 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:56,000 redeeming the time. 71 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,660 That's the series we're in for this week and next week, 72 00:03:58,660 --> 00:04:00,320 redeeming the time. 73 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,960 And we're gonna walk through Ephesians 5 74 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:04,340 under four main points. 75 00:04:04,340 --> 00:04:06,640 The first one being if you're taking notes, 76 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:11,640 write down look to live, look to live. 77 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:16,640 Verse 15 says pay careful attention then how you walk, 78 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:21,640 not as unwise people but as wise people. 79 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:22,480 Look to live. 80 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,600 This passage starts out with what is called 81 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,040 a present imperative. 82 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:31,880 Pay careful attention or more literally keep on looking. 83 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,400 Present imperative meaning always present, keep on looking. 84 00:04:38,300 --> 00:04:41,040 The Christian life that we are called to live 85 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,960 is a thoughtful, attentive life. 86 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,760 Christians don't drift about. 87 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,560 Christians don't coast through life 88 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,840 and aren't passive or reactionary. 89 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:59,720 We are called to a life of keep on looking, 90 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:01,240 keep on looking. 91 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,600 But looking at what? 92 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,700 Well verse 15 goes on to say how you walk, 93 00:05:07,700 --> 00:05:11,880 not as unwise people but as wise. 94 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:13,640 Now Paul uses the metaphor of walking 95 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:15,840 a few times in the book of Ephesians. 96 00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:19,480 In chapter four verse one he tells us to walk 97 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,720 worthy of the calling we have received. 98 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:27,240 In 417 to no longer walk as the Gentiles do 99 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,240 and the futility of their minds. 100 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:34,480 In chapter five verse one we are to walk in love 101 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,960 and in chapter five verse eight to walk as children of light 102 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,120 through a dark world. 103 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,480 And finally in this passage to pay careful attention 104 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:47,940 then how we walk. 105 00:05:47,940 --> 00:05:51,820 So we're called to walk worthy of the calling, 106 00:05:51,820 --> 00:05:54,200 not as Gentiles and the futility of their mind, 107 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,440 in love to walk as children in the light. 108 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,360 And then the final reference to walking in Ephesians 109 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,720 he says be careful then how you walk. 110 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:07,600 Look, keep on looking. 111 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,240 And to walk is a metaphor for life. 112 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,800 But not just life, it's a life in action. 113 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,320 Life in action. 114 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,100 Not simply the inner life or the contemplative life 115 00:06:21,100 --> 00:06:23,580 but life lived outwardly. 116 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:25,900 Keep on looking. 117 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,680 Christians are called to look carefully 118 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,680 in order to live life in all wisdom. 119 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:35,520 It doesn't just come to us, 120 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,940 it isn't a life of mere intuition. 121 00:06:38,940 --> 00:06:40,840 We're just gonna know when it's time. 122 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:46,000 There is an intense thoughtfulness required 123 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:47,500 for the Christian life. 124 00:06:51,220 --> 00:06:52,940 Have you ever engaged in an activity 125 00:06:52,940 --> 00:06:55,360 that required extraordinary concentration? 126 00:06:55,360 --> 00:07:00,360 Whether it's a small, miniature activity 127 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,720 where you have to be very careful. 128 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:07,000 I'm thinking of guys who make fly fishing lures, right? 129 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,400 And you have to be very careful how you do it and wrap it. 130 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,840 And some guys use magnifying glasses to do it. 131 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,240 Well, I remember one time I went, 132 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,520 I took a group of youth on a hiking trip. 133 00:07:18,500 --> 00:07:21,560 And we went up a path that was fairly steep. 134 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:23,960 It was on a pathway but the pathway was riddled 135 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,480 with rocks and stones sticking out. 136 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,840 And going up was fairly easy. 137 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:31,080 You're climbing, ascending. 138 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,360 The problem was after we were done with our time 139 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:34,320 up at the top of the hill, 140 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:35,680 we had to turn around and come back. 141 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,240 And down was also downward. 142 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,660 It wasn't as steep so it wasn't as hard on the legs 143 00:07:40,660 --> 00:07:42,320 in that regard. 144 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:43,880 But because of the rocks sticking up, 145 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,280 you had to pay careful attention 146 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:49,960 to every single step you took. 147 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:52,520 Otherwise something was going to happen. 148 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,040 Well, it just so happened that on the way up 149 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:56,040 I was leading the charge. 150 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:57,300 On the way back I wanted to make sure 151 00:07:57,300 --> 00:07:59,160 no youth were left behind. 152 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,720 And so I was at the tail end of it. 153 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,240 And at one point in time the kids rounded a corner. 154 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:07,160 I got distracted. 155 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:10,280 And as soon as I got distracted my foot hit a rock 156 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:12,880 and I was tumbling down the path. 157 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,480 And by the time I hit the bottom of this section 158 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:16,460 and I looked at my legs, 159 00:08:16,460 --> 00:08:18,840 they were completely covered in blood. 160 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:21,440 And they hurt like nothing else. 161 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:23,320 But I knew I had to get up and get down the hill 162 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:24,960 so I got down the hill. 163 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,240 And as soon as I got down, 164 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,520 I kept my composure until I got with my wife. 165 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:32,360 And then it's like, I think I'm dying. 166 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,440 Amputee my legs, I don't want them anymore. 167 00:08:39,020 --> 00:08:44,020 That path required intense attention to navigate. 168 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,000 And all it took was getting distracted for a moment, 169 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:51,420 missing a rock and finding that I was on the ground. 170 00:08:51,420 --> 00:08:53,280 And then I was in pain. 171 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:55,560 The Christian life requires us to give 172 00:08:55,560 --> 00:08:59,640 extraordinary attention in order to live it out wisely. 173 00:09:00,980 --> 00:09:03,180 We'll talk a little bit more about wisdom in a minute, 174 00:09:03,180 --> 00:09:06,040 but verse 16 then adds to this, 175 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:10,100 making the most of the time because the days are evil. 176 00:09:11,140 --> 00:09:12,620 Again, if you're taking notes, 177 00:09:12,620 --> 00:09:16,900 the second point I'll have you write down is snatch it up. 178 00:09:16,900 --> 00:09:18,400 Snatch it up. 179 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:22,360 Look to live, snatch it up. 180 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,920 Another activity that requires attention 181 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:28,800 and great concentration is the catcher position 182 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:30,640 in Major League Baseball. 183 00:09:31,500 --> 00:09:33,980 You guys seen the catcher who's behind the plates 184 00:09:33,980 --> 00:09:35,980 when the pitcher is pitching the ball? 185 00:09:37,140 --> 00:09:41,240 Well, calling plays via the signs that catchers throw 186 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,320 can definitely help them know the general area 187 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:47,520 the ball is going to be thrown to or supposed to arrive at. 188 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,760 It doesn't always work out that way in true reality. 189 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:54,140 And a major part of a catcher's job in baseball 190 00:09:54,140 --> 00:09:57,200 is to track with the pitch, to snatch the ball, 191 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:01,240 sometimes traveling at 90 plus miles per hour, 192 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:02,400 out of the air. 193 00:10:03,780 --> 00:10:07,740 The focus, the timing and skill all come together 194 00:10:07,740 --> 00:10:10,740 at the moment the ball is within the catcher's reach, 195 00:10:10,740 --> 00:10:14,240 allowing him to make the most of that moment 196 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,000 by snatching the ball from the air. 197 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,520 The one moment too soon and he'll miss it. 198 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:21,760 One moment too late and he'll miss it. 199 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:27,160 When Paul says making the most of the time, 200 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:29,920 it comes from this Greek word that was used mostly 201 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:33,460 in commerce and business exchange. 202 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:38,400 And it literally means redeeming or purchasing back. 203 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,720 Redeeming or purchasing back. 204 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,560 And it was used to describe purchasing 205 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:45,520 or buying up something. 206 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:49,460 And in its form here in the scripture, 207 00:10:49,460 --> 00:10:53,260 it means to buy up for yourself the time. 208 00:10:54,300 --> 00:10:56,280 To redeem the time. 209 00:10:57,940 --> 00:11:00,780 The other part of that phrase is the word time. 210 00:11:00,780 --> 00:11:04,260 And in Greek there are two words for time. 211 00:11:04,260 --> 00:11:09,260 One is chronos, from which we get the word chronological. 212 00:11:10,020 --> 00:11:11,340 Chronological time. 213 00:11:11,340 --> 00:11:13,860 And that's the idea that time as a flow, 214 00:11:13,860 --> 00:11:16,140 one minute to the next minute to the next minute. 215 00:11:16,140 --> 00:11:20,620 We live our life in chronos or chronological time, right? 216 00:11:20,620 --> 00:11:23,380 But the other word that the Greeks would use for time 217 00:11:23,380 --> 00:11:25,220 is kairos. 218 00:11:25,220 --> 00:11:29,460 And kairos means an opportune moment. 219 00:11:29,460 --> 00:11:32,100 A special time. 220 00:11:32,100 --> 00:11:34,740 A special moment. 221 00:11:34,740 --> 00:11:37,220 Separated from all other moments. 222 00:11:38,260 --> 00:11:41,660 A moment in chronos that stands out 223 00:11:41,660 --> 00:11:43,980 or is ripe with opportunity. 224 00:11:43,980 --> 00:11:47,980 And so Paul is saying, look with careful attention 225 00:11:47,980 --> 00:11:52,980 at your life, your life in action. 226 00:11:53,540 --> 00:11:57,480 Snatching up, buying up, redeeming the special moments 227 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:01,220 or the opportune moments that come your way. 228 00:12:02,540 --> 00:12:05,300 If you're not paying attention, you will miss them. 229 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:08,100 You don't know when they will appear, 230 00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:11,500 but when they do, you must be watching to see them 231 00:12:11,500 --> 00:12:14,240 or they will pass you by. 232 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,740 They are like moments of becoming 233 00:12:19,180 --> 00:12:21,580 that you cannot prepare for, 234 00:12:21,580 --> 00:12:23,020 or you don't know when they will be there, 235 00:12:23,020 --> 00:12:24,980 but you can prepare for them in advance 236 00:12:24,980 --> 00:12:28,100 to be watching in the area where they might be 237 00:12:28,100 --> 00:12:29,180 or to be looking. 238 00:12:29,180 --> 00:12:31,260 They don't show up with neon signs, 239 00:12:31,260 --> 00:12:32,980 broadcasting them ahead of time. 240 00:12:32,980 --> 00:12:35,740 I'll be there in a week, but they're there 241 00:12:35,740 --> 00:12:38,060 ripe for the opportunity to snatch them. 242 00:12:38,060 --> 00:12:43,060 But is he talking about any and every opportunity 243 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:50,280 when he says, make the most of the time or snatch them up? 244 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:54,720 Well, let's read a little bit before in Ephesians 245 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:58,760 to get a little context for Ephesians 5, 15 through 21. 246 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:02,020 If you'll go back in chapter five to verse six, 247 00:13:02,020 --> 00:13:06,360 we read, let no one deceive you with empty arguments. 248 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:09,120 For God's wrath is coming on the disobedient 249 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:10,400 because of these things. 250 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:13,720 Therefore do not become their partners. 251 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:16,000 For you were once darkness, 252 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,640 but now you are light in the Lord. 253 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,320 Walk as children of light. 254 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:24,840 For the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, 255 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,260 righteousness, and truth. 256 00:13:27,260 --> 00:13:29,560 Testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 257 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:32,800 Don't participate in the fruitless works of darkness, 258 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,620 but instead expose them, 259 00:13:34,620 --> 00:13:36,640 for it is shameful even to mention 260 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,000 what is done by them in secret. 261 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:42,060 Everything exposed by the light is made visible, 262 00:13:42,060 --> 00:13:44,920 for what makes everything visible is light. 263 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:48,280 Therefore it is said, get up, sleeper, 264 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:52,240 and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. 265 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,580 The context that Paul is writing to us in 266 00:13:58,580 --> 00:14:01,360 is instruction to believers on how to shine 267 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:05,520 as children of light, how to bear the fruit of light, 268 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,520 how to test what pleases God, 269 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,840 and not participate in what is the fruitless works 270 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:13,600 of darkness. 271 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,500 And so the opportunities that Paul is talking about, 272 00:14:16,500 --> 00:14:21,380 that we need to be open-minded and looking intently 273 00:14:21,380 --> 00:14:26,380 to redeem our opportunities to live as children of light. 274 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,000 Opportunities to live as children of light, 275 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,800 moments, kairos moments are going to come along this year 276 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:36,960 for you to live as a child of light. 277 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:39,920 And if you're not paying careful attention, 278 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:40,880 you'll miss them. 279 00:14:43,740 --> 00:14:46,200 Opportunities to expose the darkness 280 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,160 by shining the light of Christ on it. 281 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:50,760 Opportunities for you to resist evil 282 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,000 and let Christ shine through you 283 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:54,640 are going to come this year. 284 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,480 You need to pay careful attention, 285 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:01,160 you need to look to live and you need to snatch them up. 286 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:07,520 Are you ready to snatch up the time in 2025? 287 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:14,040 Number three, put it together. 288 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:16,880 Put it together. 289 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,280 So don't be foolish, 290 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,080 but understand what the Lord's will is. 291 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:28,080 Don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 292 00:15:28,740 --> 00:15:32,420 One of the definitions for the word foolish here 293 00:15:32,420 --> 00:15:37,420 is a reckless and inconsiderate habit of the mind. 294 00:15:37,700 --> 00:15:42,700 A reckless and inconsiderate habit of the mind. 295 00:15:45,100 --> 00:15:49,140 Reckless is defined as without thinking or care 296 00:15:49,140 --> 00:15:51,620 about the consequences of an action. 297 00:15:51,620 --> 00:15:55,180 Without thinking or care about the consequence of an action. 298 00:15:55,180 --> 00:15:57,420 Rest assured that every one of us 299 00:15:57,420 --> 00:16:00,700 regularly engages in an action or a habit 300 00:16:00,700 --> 00:16:03,300 that is done without thinking or caring about the outcome. 301 00:16:03,300 --> 00:16:04,140 Amen. 302 00:16:06,940 --> 00:16:09,340 A reckless action is an action 303 00:16:09,340 --> 00:16:13,540 that hasn't been scrutinized or evaluated, 304 00:16:13,540 --> 00:16:16,300 held up to the commands, teaching, 305 00:16:16,300 --> 00:16:20,300 and wisdom of God's word to see if it's good and right. 306 00:16:20,300 --> 00:16:23,740 To say that again, a reckless action is any action 307 00:16:23,740 --> 00:16:26,460 that hasn't been scrutinized and evaluated, 308 00:16:26,460 --> 00:16:29,260 held up to the commands, teachings, 309 00:16:29,260 --> 00:16:33,220 and wisdom of God's word to see if it is good and right. 310 00:16:34,900 --> 00:16:36,820 And to understand what the Lord's will is 311 00:16:36,820 --> 00:16:40,180 is literally to put it together. 312 00:16:40,180 --> 00:16:42,900 That's what the word means, put it together. 313 00:16:42,900 --> 00:16:45,580 To understand, to put it together. 314 00:16:45,580 --> 00:16:47,500 Or piece it together. 315 00:16:47,500 --> 00:16:50,580 Like a puzzle. Any people do a puzzle? 316 00:16:50,580 --> 00:16:51,420 Right? 317 00:16:52,420 --> 00:16:55,380 The pieces all spread out, you're bringing them together 318 00:16:55,380 --> 00:16:57,100 and then pretty soon, ah! 319 00:16:58,060 --> 00:17:00,580 Have you ever tried to do a puzzle without the box? 320 00:17:00,580 --> 00:17:02,820 Like, you're guessing, right? 321 00:17:02,820 --> 00:17:05,220 And there's a surprise at the end, at least, right? 322 00:17:08,900 --> 00:17:10,580 To understand what the Lord's will is 323 00:17:10,580 --> 00:17:13,460 is literally to piece it together or put it together. 324 00:17:13,460 --> 00:17:17,100 God's will for every action of the believer's life 325 00:17:17,100 --> 00:17:18,500 isn't a mystery. 326 00:17:20,140 --> 00:17:22,060 It isn't hidden from us. 327 00:17:23,140 --> 00:17:27,100 It isn't some special knowledge for special people. 328 00:17:28,180 --> 00:17:33,180 It is present for every single believer 329 00:17:33,180 --> 00:17:35,620 in the form of wisdom. 330 00:17:38,260 --> 00:17:41,020 God's will is to be present. 331 00:17:41,020 --> 00:17:46,020 God's will for every single believer is present 332 00:17:47,020 --> 00:17:49,820 not hidden in the form of wisdom. 333 00:17:51,340 --> 00:17:54,180 And wisdom is like a puzzle. 334 00:17:54,180 --> 00:17:56,420 All the pieces are there. 335 00:17:56,420 --> 00:17:58,780 Nothing is hidden from you. 336 00:17:58,780 --> 00:18:01,100 But you must pay careful attention 337 00:18:01,100 --> 00:18:04,020 to bring them all together in the right fashion. 338 00:18:06,340 --> 00:18:10,820 Wisdom is seeing the opportunity or action before you 339 00:18:10,820 --> 00:18:14,460 and working through it choice by choice. 340 00:18:16,260 --> 00:18:19,300 And let me tell you, there are a lot of bad choices. 341 00:18:20,660 --> 00:18:24,060 My foot made a bad choice on the way down that hill 342 00:18:24,060 --> 00:18:26,100 and I paid the consequences of it. 343 00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:28,740 So knowing that there are a lot of bad choices 344 00:18:28,740 --> 00:18:32,700 should heighten the level of sensitivity that you have 345 00:18:32,700 --> 00:18:36,020 to scrutinizing and evaluating choice by choice 346 00:18:36,020 --> 00:18:41,020 because there are a lot of bad choices you can make. 347 00:18:42,220 --> 00:18:47,220 You must test each choice against the insight of God's word. 348 00:18:50,260 --> 00:18:52,980 You must piece together the choices, 349 00:18:52,980 --> 00:18:55,660 each tested against the insight of God's word 350 00:18:55,660 --> 00:18:57,380 to bring out the wisdom of God 351 00:18:57,380 --> 00:18:59,980 for every decision and moment. 352 00:18:59,980 --> 00:19:04,980 And divine wisdom is separate from wise instinct. 353 00:19:06,220 --> 00:19:10,380 Some of us are just naturally more wise than other people. 354 00:19:13,180 --> 00:19:15,460 It's not about our gut intuition. 355 00:19:15,460 --> 00:19:20,460 Divine wisdom is learned through a spirit renewed mind 356 00:19:20,820 --> 00:19:24,260 that takes the first step of no longer conforming 357 00:19:24,260 --> 00:19:27,220 to the pattern of the world, the choices of the world, 358 00:19:27,220 --> 00:19:28,700 the behaviors of the world, 359 00:19:28,700 --> 00:19:30,780 but positions themselves in a place 360 00:19:30,780 --> 00:19:33,140 to begin to scrutinize the choices they're going to make 361 00:19:33,140 --> 00:19:34,860 according to the word of God. 362 00:19:34,860 --> 00:19:37,980 The renewed mind first draws itself away from the world 363 00:19:37,980 --> 00:19:40,460 and that puts it in a place where it can then 364 00:19:40,460 --> 00:19:43,540 begin to evaluate according to God's wisdom. 365 00:19:48,100 --> 00:19:53,100 A bunch of sticks, we oftentimes have to clear cut 366 00:19:53,340 --> 00:19:56,660 our property and gather sticks for firewood. 367 00:19:56,660 --> 00:19:59,740 And if you ever try to carry a bunch of sticks together, 368 00:19:59,740 --> 00:20:01,420 especially different kind of shaped ones 369 00:20:01,420 --> 00:20:04,020 that are going different ways, it's not always easy, 370 00:20:04,020 --> 00:20:07,100 especially the larger the bundle is. 371 00:20:07,100 --> 00:20:10,340 And so if you set that bundle down on its side, 372 00:20:10,340 --> 00:20:14,060 on the ground, it's just going to fall everywhere. 373 00:20:14,060 --> 00:20:17,660 But imagine if you take that bundle and you begin to 374 00:20:17,660 --> 00:20:21,780 lash it around with a tie of some sort, a rope of some sort, 375 00:20:21,780 --> 00:20:24,140 some way to pull those sticks, 376 00:20:24,140 --> 00:20:27,100 all those different sticks going different directions 377 00:20:27,100 --> 00:20:32,100 together into a unit, into harmony. 378 00:20:33,340 --> 00:20:38,340 Wisdom is like binding that brings together our lives 379 00:20:38,860 --> 00:20:43,860 and holds them together, shapes them and fastens them. 380 00:20:45,420 --> 00:20:47,220 Reckless living, on the other hand, 381 00:20:47,220 --> 00:20:51,180 is a loss of moral binding, a loss of wisdom 382 00:20:51,180 --> 00:20:52,540 that binds us together. 383 00:20:52,540 --> 00:20:55,300 It falls apart, it becomes disconnected, 384 00:20:55,300 --> 00:20:58,020 it doesn't have a togetherness to it. 385 00:20:58,900 --> 00:21:03,900 It seems to go every which way, nothing to hold onto. 386 00:21:04,820 --> 00:21:08,740 And we are called to piece wisdom together 387 00:21:08,740 --> 00:21:13,180 as God has laid it out for us so that we can know 388 00:21:13,180 --> 00:21:17,220 what God's will is, not hidden from us, 389 00:21:17,220 --> 00:21:19,060 accessible to all of us. 390 00:21:19,060 --> 00:21:23,060 We look to live, we snatch it up, the opportune moments, 391 00:21:23,060 --> 00:21:26,460 we put the wisdom of God together so that we can know 392 00:21:26,460 --> 00:21:28,540 what to do in our decisions and choices. 393 00:21:28,540 --> 00:21:32,660 And finally, number four, we choose our place, 394 00:21:32,660 --> 00:21:34,580 or you choose your place. 395 00:21:37,660 --> 00:21:40,980 Choose your place and don't get drunk with wine, 396 00:21:40,980 --> 00:21:45,980 which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit. 397 00:21:45,980 --> 00:21:50,980 Just as you can consciously take a drink of wine, 398 00:21:51,300 --> 00:21:54,220 so you can allow the Spirit to fill you. 399 00:21:56,220 --> 00:21:59,460 Just as you can consciously take a drink of wine, 400 00:21:59,460 --> 00:22:01,780 you can go home and pour a glass of wine 401 00:22:01,780 --> 00:22:03,580 and bring it to your lips and drink it, 402 00:22:03,580 --> 00:22:07,900 so we are told, instructed here, 403 00:22:07,900 --> 00:22:11,460 that we can allow the Spirit to fill us. 404 00:22:11,460 --> 00:22:15,100 That's extraordinary. That's extraordinary. 405 00:22:15,100 --> 00:22:16,540 In the same way that I can pour a glass, 406 00:22:16,540 --> 00:22:19,540 I can say, Spirit, fill me, I can allow Him to do that. 407 00:22:20,820 --> 00:22:24,300 To be filled by the Spirit is when a believer 408 00:22:24,300 --> 00:22:27,500 allows the indwelling Spirit that is with every believer 409 00:22:27,500 --> 00:22:29,060 to direct and control their life, 410 00:22:29,060 --> 00:22:30,980 to fill every part of their life, 411 00:22:30,980 --> 00:22:35,140 and to draw life from the Spirit's presence in their life, 412 00:22:35,140 --> 00:22:37,300 to fill every part of their life, 413 00:22:37,300 --> 00:22:39,020 to fill every part of their life, 414 00:22:39,020 --> 00:22:42,100 to draw life from the Spirit's presence in their life, 415 00:22:42,100 --> 00:22:46,460 to find their sustenance and life in the Spirit, 416 00:22:46,460 --> 00:22:49,700 to allow it to direct and guide. 417 00:22:49,700 --> 00:22:53,460 But where you choose to live your life, 418 00:22:53,460 --> 00:22:55,940 where you choose, the place you choose 419 00:22:55,940 --> 00:22:58,860 affects what you let control your life. 420 00:23:00,460 --> 00:23:02,260 Where you choose to live your life 421 00:23:02,260 --> 00:23:05,620 affects what you let control your life. 422 00:23:05,620 --> 00:23:10,460 Drunk life is one, and certainly literally, 423 00:23:10,460 --> 00:23:12,660 one that consumes alcohol to the point 424 00:23:12,660 --> 00:23:15,140 of loss of rational thinking, 425 00:23:15,140 --> 00:23:18,180 loss of the ability to pay careful attention 426 00:23:18,180 --> 00:23:19,980 to one's life's choices, 427 00:23:20,860 --> 00:23:23,500 a wastefulness of what is supposed to be 428 00:23:23,500 --> 00:23:26,740 a light displaying, God-glorifying being 429 00:23:26,740 --> 00:23:28,100 here on this earth. 430 00:23:30,220 --> 00:23:34,420 The environment that is conducive to reckless living, 431 00:23:34,420 --> 00:23:37,340 reckless and wasteful living, is drunkenness. 432 00:23:38,740 --> 00:23:41,460 If you want to live reckless or wasteful, 433 00:23:42,340 --> 00:23:44,380 choose the life of drunkenness. 434 00:23:44,380 --> 00:23:47,940 But the environment that is conducive to Spirit-filling, 435 00:23:47,940 --> 00:23:51,620 to Spirit-controlled living, what is that environment? 436 00:23:52,940 --> 00:23:55,980 Why should a person who is tempted to drunkenness 437 00:23:55,980 --> 00:23:57,580 never go to a bar? 438 00:24:00,060 --> 00:24:02,940 Because the environment of a bar is conducive to drinking. 439 00:24:02,940 --> 00:24:06,540 And why should a man never go to a strip club? 440 00:24:08,220 --> 00:24:10,740 Because the environment is conducive 441 00:24:10,740 --> 00:24:12,820 to sexual lustful sin. 442 00:24:14,980 --> 00:24:18,140 Why should a gossip avoid other gossips? 443 00:24:19,180 --> 00:24:22,020 What happens when you get a couple gossips together? 444 00:24:22,020 --> 00:24:23,340 They gossip. 445 00:24:23,340 --> 00:24:26,540 The environment is conducive to promoting 446 00:24:26,540 --> 00:24:28,460 the sin of gossip. 447 00:24:28,460 --> 00:24:31,340 So what environment is conducive 448 00:24:31,340 --> 00:24:36,340 to a Spirit-filled, Spirit-directed, Spirit-controlled life? 449 00:24:37,780 --> 00:24:39,340 Well, Paul says it's this one. 450 00:24:40,860 --> 00:24:45,380 Speaking to one another in Psalms, hymns, 451 00:24:45,380 --> 00:24:49,540 and spiritual songs, singing and making music 452 00:24:49,540 --> 00:24:51,300 with your heart to the Lord. 453 00:24:52,220 --> 00:24:55,780 Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father 454 00:24:55,780 --> 00:24:58,460 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 455 00:24:58,460 --> 00:25:02,460 and submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. 456 00:25:03,740 --> 00:25:08,740 That's the environment conducive to a Spirit-filled life. 457 00:25:11,580 --> 00:25:12,420 That's the environment. 458 00:25:12,420 --> 00:25:15,020 In this environment, you hear truth. 459 00:25:16,380 --> 00:25:20,260 In this environment, you give thanks to God for everything. 460 00:25:20,260 --> 00:25:22,860 You acknowledge Him, prosperity or want, 461 00:25:22,860 --> 00:25:25,900 pain or joy, suffering and peace. 462 00:25:25,900 --> 00:25:27,980 God is the object of your affection. 463 00:25:27,980 --> 00:25:30,380 God is the object of glory. 464 00:25:30,380 --> 00:25:31,380 And He receives all. 465 00:25:31,380 --> 00:25:34,660 And here in this environment, you submit to others, 466 00:25:34,660 --> 00:25:38,300 or literally, you let others outrank you. 467 00:25:39,900 --> 00:25:41,500 You let others outrank you. 468 00:25:41,500 --> 00:25:42,340 Why? 469 00:25:42,340 --> 00:25:44,540 Because you have reverential awe of Christ 470 00:25:44,540 --> 00:25:47,500 who made Himself nothing for you and me. 471 00:25:47,500 --> 00:25:52,500 He let us outrank Him so that He might save us. 472 00:25:52,500 --> 00:25:54,420 And so we submit to one another. 473 00:25:54,420 --> 00:25:59,140 And so we submit to one another and let others outrank us 474 00:25:59,140 --> 00:26:01,100 because we fear Christ. 475 00:26:01,100 --> 00:26:05,340 We're in reverential awe of what He has done for us. 476 00:26:06,580 --> 00:26:09,100 The filling of the Spirit isn't mechanical. 477 00:26:10,300 --> 00:26:12,340 It's not do this and get this. 478 00:26:13,260 --> 00:26:15,860 You know, like going over to a soda fountain 479 00:26:15,860 --> 00:26:17,260 or something, right? 480 00:26:17,260 --> 00:26:19,300 You push the lever, you expect to get the soda, 481 00:26:19,300 --> 00:26:20,660 you queued up. 482 00:26:20,660 --> 00:26:23,660 It's not mechanical, but activities, 483 00:26:23,660 --> 00:26:27,700 certain activities are more tuned to receive it than others. 484 00:26:29,780 --> 00:26:33,260 And today we're invited to look to live, 485 00:26:33,260 --> 00:26:37,260 to pay careful attention to how we walk, 486 00:26:37,260 --> 00:26:40,660 to snatch up and redeem the opportunities 487 00:26:40,660 --> 00:26:45,180 to shine and live as children of light in 2025. 488 00:26:46,420 --> 00:26:48,660 We're to put together and understand 489 00:26:48,660 --> 00:26:52,100 the will of God in every situation and choice 490 00:26:52,100 --> 00:26:54,780 and to choose the place where we will stand. 491 00:26:56,340 --> 00:26:59,580 The environment of reckless wastefulness 492 00:27:00,900 --> 00:27:05,180 or the place of a Spirit-filled and directed life. 493 00:27:05,180 --> 00:27:09,700 And you may have noticed that description Paul gives 494 00:27:09,700 --> 00:27:11,900 sounds very much so like church. 495 00:27:13,580 --> 00:27:16,220 Sounds like being with other believers. 496 00:27:16,220 --> 00:27:18,900 It sounds like being here with one another. 497 00:27:20,540 --> 00:27:23,420 This is kind of like where, you know, 498 00:27:23,420 --> 00:27:25,740 you go to the bar to get a drink, 499 00:27:25,740 --> 00:27:29,620 you go to church to be filled by the Spirit, 500 00:27:29,620 --> 00:27:32,820 to be surrounded by the songs of praise, 501 00:27:32,820 --> 00:27:35,300 to hear the word of God, to give thanks to Him, 502 00:27:35,300 --> 00:27:37,460 to have your perspective reshaped. 503 00:27:37,460 --> 00:27:42,460 You may have gone six days down in the dumps. 504 00:27:42,460 --> 00:27:44,820 Woe is me filling six days. 505 00:27:44,820 --> 00:27:47,820 Woe is me filling self-pity. 506 00:27:47,820 --> 00:27:49,820 And it can take a moment talking to a brother 507 00:27:49,820 --> 00:27:53,340 or sister here at church to get a whole new perspective, 508 00:27:53,340 --> 00:27:55,860 light shined on darkness, flip the switch, 509 00:27:55,860 --> 00:27:59,100 and pretty soon you're walking out of here going, wow. 510 00:28:01,700 --> 00:28:04,700 It's not a place of condemnation. 511 00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:08,260 This idea of light, it's just exposing. 512 00:28:08,260 --> 00:28:09,100 That's all it is. 513 00:28:09,100 --> 00:28:12,420 We have to expose what is there in order to begin 514 00:28:12,420 --> 00:28:14,620 to see what the Lord will do. 515 00:28:14,620 --> 00:28:17,660 To begin to piece together the actions 516 00:28:17,660 --> 00:28:19,580 that need to be taken in wisdom 517 00:28:20,500 --> 00:28:23,140 so that we can know what God's will is for our lives. 518 00:28:23,140 --> 00:28:24,660 It's just let the light shine. 519 00:28:24,660 --> 00:28:27,660 It's hard to put together a puzzle in the dark. 520 00:28:29,340 --> 00:28:30,460 Turn the light on. 521 00:28:32,820 --> 00:28:35,660 Where you stand, the place you choose matters. 522 00:28:37,300 --> 00:28:40,740 Do you run to media? 523 00:28:40,740 --> 00:28:45,740 Do you run to the things that this world glorifies? 524 00:28:45,860 --> 00:28:48,620 Do you run to the places that this world assures 525 00:28:48,620 --> 00:28:50,820 will bring relief that don't bring relief? 526 00:28:51,740 --> 00:28:53,780 The place that this world says will give you 527 00:28:53,780 --> 00:28:57,300 a kind of wisdom, but it's not this kind of wisdom. 528 00:28:59,380 --> 00:29:03,220 Or do you run to the place where the spirit of God 529 00:29:03,220 --> 00:29:06,980 is present and moving and active 530 00:29:06,980 --> 00:29:11,340 and can shape and change your life and help you 531 00:29:11,340 --> 00:29:14,340 to leave behind the reckless, wasteful life 532 00:29:14,340 --> 00:29:19,420 that we all have lived and begin to lean into 533 00:29:19,420 --> 00:29:22,820 and allow yourself to be filled by the spirit, 534 00:29:22,820 --> 00:29:25,940 directed, controlled, renewed mind 535 00:29:26,860 --> 00:29:28,900 so that you can know the will of God 536 00:29:28,900 --> 00:29:31,460 and you can bring glory and honor to our King. 537 00:29:31,460 --> 00:29:36,460 A.W. Tozer says that it may be said without qualification 538 00:29:38,940 --> 00:29:43,940 that every man and woman is as holy 539 00:29:44,180 --> 00:29:47,100 and as full of the spirit as he wants to be. 540 00:29:49,380 --> 00:29:52,780 He may not be as full as he wishes he were, 541 00:29:52,780 --> 00:29:55,900 but he is most certainly as full as he wants to be. 542 00:29:55,900 --> 00:30:00,900 I don't have a view of God that he's hiding things from us, 543 00:30:01,460 --> 00:30:04,660 he's trying to make it as difficult as possible, 544 00:30:05,540 --> 00:30:08,740 he's making us guess and second guess and doubt ourselves. 545 00:30:08,740 --> 00:30:12,940 I have a view of God who has laid out his truth before us 546 00:30:13,820 --> 00:30:17,100 and says feast if you will, 547 00:30:17,980 --> 00:30:21,700 eat as much as you want or as little. 548 00:30:21,700 --> 00:30:23,780 I pray that 20 years later, 549 00:30:23,780 --> 00:30:26,940 that we can all be as full as we want to be 550 00:30:26,940 --> 00:30:30,020 and that we can all be as full as we want to be. 551 00:30:30,020 --> 00:30:33,820 I pray that 20, 25 is a year for us to feast 552 00:30:33,820 --> 00:30:36,300 at the table of God and his wisdom 553 00:30:36,300 --> 00:30:37,740 so we can know what his will is, 554 00:30:37,740 --> 00:30:39,900 we can make the most of ever to opportunity