Calvary Chapel Wenatchee
Sunday Service - Ephesians 5pt2
  • Because Of Your Love
  • The Solid Rock
  • Everlasting God
  • Carried to the Table
  • The Heart Of Worship
  • All to You
  • Thank You Jesus
  • Last week:
    We are called to imitate God, just as young children do with their parents.
    That means we would walk in love, put off things of the darkness, and walk as children of light
    Today, we get to look more closely at what it means to imitate God and walk as children of light
    Illustration:
    A man grabs a dry sponge to wipe up a spill. It’s stiff, hard, kind of crunchy — and totally useless. It just shoves the mess around the counter. “This thing’s broken!” His wife takes it, holds it under the faucet, and hands it back soaking. Now it glides across the counter and soaks everything up. Same sponge. What changed?
    Here’s the thing about a sponge: it works because it’s mostly empty. Look at one up close and it’s full of thousands of tiny holes — little pockets of nothing. That’s not a defect; that’s the design. Those empty spaces are exactly what lets it draw water in and hold it. A sponge that was solid all the way through couldn’t absorb a thing. It’s the emptiness that makes it useful.
    But here’s the catch — a sponge will fill up with whatever you dip it in. Clean water, dirty dishwater, motor oil… it doesn’t discriminate. And whatever’s inside is exactly what comes back out the moment something presses on it. Squeeze a sponge and you don’t get apologies — you get whatever it soaked up.
    That is what we will see today. Whatever we are filled with will be reflected with what comes out. And as those who imitate God, what that looks like will be vastly different then the deeds of darkness that we saw last week.
    Spirit Filled Life
    V.15
    New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 5

    15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,

    16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

    Therefore
    Because we are called to imitate God
    Walking in love
    Putting off immoraltiy and impurity and greed, speaking inappropriatley
    Do not partake with darkness
    walk as children of light
    Because we are of the light and not of darkness
    Be careful how you walk:
    We would be mindful of how you live your life
    How should that be?

    1) Don’t go through life foolishly, but with wisdom

    Look at some Proverbs
    Proverbs 1:7 NASB95
    7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
    Proverbs 10:8 NASB95
    8 The wise of heart will receive commands, But a babbling fool will be ruined.
    Proverbs 12:15–16 NASB95
    15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel. 16 A fool’s anger is known at once, But a prudent man conceals dishonor.
    Proverbs 15:5 NASB95
    5 A fool rejects his father’s discipline, But he who regards reproof is sensible.
    Proverbs 28:26 NASB95
    26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.
    Proverbs 18:2 NASB95
    2 A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind.
    Proverbs 18:6–7 NASB95
    6 A fool’s lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows. 7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul.
    Proverbs 15:2 NASB95
    2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly.
    Proverbs 14:3 NASB95
    3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back, But the lips of the wise will protect them.
    Proverbs 14:6 NASB95
    6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.
    Proverbs 18:13 NASB95
    13 He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.
    Proverbs 20:3 NASB95
    3 Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, But any fool will quarrel.
    Proverbs 29:11 NASB95
    11 A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back.
    Don’t forget what James tells us in James 1:5
    James 1:5 NASB95
    5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

    2) Make most of the time… redeem the time

    What is our motivation? The days are evil
    Because of the days we live in, because they are evil, this should be a motivation for us to redeem the time, not cower in fear or retreat to nothing, but to redeem the time.
    Greg Laurie once exhorted pastors not to shy away from social media and new technology, but to use it and leverage it for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
    The days are evil, and lots of scary things out there. But we can make the most of our time by walking as children of light and being wise how we handle new things and technology
    V.17
    New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 5

    17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

    So then:
    Almost like a “therefore”, so since the days are evil, since we are redeeming the time, since we are careful how we walk
    Don’t be foolish:
    Don’t act or think like a fool
    Understand what the will of the Lord is:
    Make sure you have a good grasp on what the Lord’s desire fro you is.
    Romans 12:2- To be transformed by the renewing of your mind
    Romans 12:2 NASB95
    2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
    Colossians 1:9- filled with knowledge
    Colossians 1:9 NASB95
    9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
    1 Thessalonians 4:3- sanctification
    1 Thessalonians 4:3 NASB95
    3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;
    And ultimatley, His will is found in the next verse…
    V.18
    New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 5

    And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

    Do not get drunk with wine:
    Don’t get drunk
    Does this verse prohibit alcohol? No, but it certainly prohibits getting drunk.
    The idea, is not just wine, but anything that will become an influence on you and your thoughts
    But be filled with the Spirit:
    Be filled with the Spirit
    This would be more accuratley written be being filled, or in otherwords, continue to be filled with the Spirit.
    The same word used here in Acts 13:52
    Acts 13:52 NASB95
    52 And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
    This is the Lord’s will for you, that you would be continued to be filled with His Spirit.
    Jesus describes this in John 4:14,
    John 4:14 NASB95
    14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
    and then again in John 7:38
    John 7:38 NASB95
    38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
    This is separate from the Spirit indwelling, as we saw in Ephesians 1:13-14
    Ephesians 1:13–14 NASB95
    13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
    The Holy Spirit who is the Seal of our salvation
    The baptism of the Spirit that empowers believers (Acts 2, Acts 19:1-7) (This was in Ephesus)
    The Holy Spirit as the means to sanctify (being filled)
    This is the change that is happening in us, everyday, being filled with Him
    Is this a coincidence that Paul uses getting drunk while talking about being filled with the Spirit?
    Why would Paul use this analogy?
    When we are drunk, then we are under the influence of alcohol. We think differently, we act diffrently, we behave differently. We are at the complete control and mercy of alcohol. It impairs our senses and thoughts
    Instead of being directed by alcohol, the Lord wants His Spirit to be our influence, what guides us, directs us, impacts our decisions, the One who is not impairing, but helping us see things as God does.
    So the natural question is:
    What does the Spirit filled life look like?
    Paul describes what this looks like in the remainder of this letter.
    V.19
    Ephesians 5:19 NASB95
    19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
    First thing a Spirit filled life looks like:
    Speaking to one another:
    Singing to one another, worshipping our God
    Paul gives more detail in Colossians 3:16
    Colossians 3:16 NASB95
    16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
    This is how we counsel one another, how we teach, how we help, how we should be speaking.
    Have you ever been going through a difficult situation, and someone comes and shares a psalm with you, and it changes the whole outlook? Or a hymn, or spiritual song?
    Some people don’t like all this modern worship and what it sounds like, but these are spiritual songs.
    Would you rather have your kids or grandkids getting motivated by these modern worship songs, or would you rather have them getting motivated by ACDC or Pink Floyd?
    Making melody with your heart to the Lord:
    This is what it is about… worship to the One who deserves it
    V.20
    Ephesians 5:20 NASB95
    20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
    Always giving thanks:
    A Spirit filled life always leads to thankfulness
    Some Christians are always complaining and crying about “woe is me.”
    That isn’t Spirit filled, so what you need is to be reminded to be continuously filled with the Spirit.
    Remember what Paul says in Philippians 4:6-7
    Philippians 4:6–7 NASB95
    6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
    V.21
    Ephesians 5:21 NASB95
    21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
    Be Subject to one another:
    Or other versions say submit one to another
    A Spirit filled life will lead us to submit to one another in the fear of the Lord.
    Paul is going to address 3 relationships to apply this to. Marriage, in the home, and in the workplace.
    What we will notice is that there will always be one in the relationship called to submit, or come underneath the others authority.
    But the Lord doesn’t just leave it there, He also establishes responsibility and accountability with the other party.
    Wives will be called to submit to their husbands. But Husbands will then be placed with the responsibility of then loving their wives as Christ loves His church
    Children will be called to obey their parents. But parents will be given the responsibility to not provoke their children to anger.
    And then slaves, or employees, will be called to be obedient to their masters, or employers. And employers will be given the responsibility to not threaten their employees and give back good things for their good work.
    This is what the Spirit filled life will look like. Submission and responsibility.
    And remember, this is what we see in the Godhead. Christ submitting to the Father, The Holy Spirit testifying of Jesus, but the Holy Spirit also leading Jesus into the wilderness. This idea of submission is found in the very nature of the triune God, and so is the responsibility.
    Conclusion:
    But we will go through this all starting next week, to see the Spirit filled life and how it looks in our marriages, homes, and work

      • Proverbs 1:7NASB95

      • Proverbs 10:8NASB95

      • Proverbs 12:15–16NASB95

      • Proverbs 15:5NASB95

      • Proverbs 28:26NASB95

      • Proverbs 18:2NASB95

      • Proverbs 18:6–7NASB95

      • Proverbs 15:2NASB95

      • Proverbs 14:3NASB95

      • Proverbs 14:6NASB95

      • Proverbs 18:13NASB95

      • Proverbs 20:3NASB95

      • Proverbs 29:11NASB95

      • James 1:5NASB95

      • Romans 12:2NASB95

      • Colossians 1:9NASB95

      • 1 Thessalonians 4:3NASB95

      • Acts 13:52NASB95

      • John 4:14NASB95

      • John 7:38NASB95

      • Ephesians 1:13–14NASB95

      • Colossians 3:16NASB95

      • Philippians 4:6–7NASB95

Calvary Chapel Wenatchee
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