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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Rev. Steven Swets > Walking as Beloved Children | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) *Song of Adoration: Hymnal #22D “The Ends of All the Earth Shall Hear” Song of Confession: Hymnal #43B “Judge Me, God of My Salvation” *Song of Preparation: Hymnal #410 “Christian Hearts in Love United” Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-21 Text: Ephesians 5:15-21 Message: Walking as Beloved Children *Song of Response: Hymnal #255 “Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment” *Doxology: Hymnal #488: 1-3 “May the Mind of Christ, My Savior” |
Beloved Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,
When it comes to taking a trip, things tend to go better when proper plans have been made. In some trips, preparation is key. This became clear to me in planning a backpacking trip through Michigan with a couple of friends of mine. When you plan such a trip, you have to think about how far you can hike each day. This wasn’t a day trip, so we had full and heavy packs. What is the ideal weight of a pack? How much water should be brought each day. Water is heavy. Are there places to refill water along the way? Where will you set up camp each night? Do you need a tent or will there be a shelter to stay in? Who will be in charge of the pace of hiking, what happens if someone twists and ankle or gets hurt? What kind of first aid kit is needed? Is it worthwhile to bring a chair to sit on? I chose yes, my friends chose no and they regretted that decision come evening. But, those are considerations for a few days of hiking.
Christians are on a journey as well. There is a reason why John Bunyan described the Christian life in Pilgrim’s Progress as a journey. There is a reason why our text this morning, continues to use the Hebrew word picture of life before God as a walk. In this chapter already we have been called to walk in love, walk in the light, and walk in the Lord. In the application of the of the work of Christian to the Christian life, we see two main commands in our text this morning. They will make up the points of this sermon. Our theme is Our Lord commands us to live as his beloved children.
- Walk in Wisdom
- Be Filled with the Holy Spirit
I. Walk in Wisdom
Our text begins with an important description of how the Chistian should walk. The phrase used is “look carefully.” What this means to keep our eyes open to all that is around you. Some older translations translate the word carefully as “circumspectly.” You can hear in that word a connection to the word circle. That is to have your head on a swivel. Be ready. You don’t have to tell a marine that when he is in hostile territory that he should consider all sides. You could have enemies all around, a sniper on top of a building, etc. The analogy of warfare is not a bad description of the Christian life. There is danger all around. Pay attention, look carefully, at how you walk.
Our text continues and it brings out a contrast or comparison. It is a assumed that Christians are wise. Prov. 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” They are contrasted with the unwise or fools. The wise and the fool are contrasted often in the book of Proverbs. Look at Prov. 10:8; 10:23; 13:19; 14:16; 19:29. Fool are governed by their emotions instead of the scriptures. They expose themselves to temptation. They do not heed God’s commands. The wise walks carefully.
The example given in verse 16 regards time. Time is something everyone seemingly has, but they cannot keep it. Once a day is passed, there is no getting it back. The poor use of time is the act of the fool and the scriptures describe the result as poverty. But, making the best use of time isn’t simply to use it to make money, but rather to be wise, productive, stewardly, and balanced.
Making the best use of your time might involve turning off the TV, putting down the phone and opening your Bible or bowing your head in prayer. It might involve saying no the guys trip to Vegas and instead take your family camping or spend some special time with them. Once they grow up, there is no replacing those years and conversations of their youth. When is the last time you sat down, maybe with a pen and paper, and thought about your use of time and spiritual discipline. John MacArthur said, “Outside of purposeful disobedience of God’s word, the most spiritually foolish thing a Christian can do is to waste time and opportunity, to fritter away his life in trivial and in half-hearted service to the Lord.”
This isn’t an age specific command. You might be thinking that this is a command for parents and grandparents. As young people, you are setting the patterns for your life. Also in this vain, there is nothing wrong with recreation, relaxation, vacation, etc. Our Lord even needed times of refreshment. But if you live your life for the weekend, you are missing a whole bunch of life. It is also true if you are older. It isn’t too late to begin. You cannot bring back the days of your children sitting around your table each evening with the Bible open, but you likely have more time for Bible study, prayer, and service to the church. There is no retirement from the spiritual life.
The days are evil our text says. What that means is that in part, the call of our text will not be easy. There is a war taking place. It is a war for the hearts and souls of your children. It is for your mind and soul as an adult. Look carefully. Seek to understand, as verse 17 what the will of the Lord is.
II. Be Filled with the Holy Spirit
In verse 18 and important comparison is going to take place. Both refer to being filled. Read verse 18. Someone who is drunk is filled with alcohol. They then lose their inhibitions. There was a popular English pastor name Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones. He was a medical doctor before he was a pastor and so he has a unique take on things. He said in his commentary on this verse, “Wine—alcohol…pharmacologically speaking is not a stimulant—it is a depressant. Take up any book on pharmacology and look up ‘alcohol’ and you will find, always, tat it is classified among the depressants. It is not a stimulant. Further, it depresses first and foremost the highest centers of all in the brain….they control everything that gives a man self-control, wisdom, understanding, discrimination, judgment, balance, the power to assess everything; in other words everything that makes a man behave at his very best and highest. What the Holy Spirit does is the exact opposite.” He then explains that if the Holy Spirit could be put in a medical book, he would put him under stimulants, for as he says, “…that is where he belongs. He really does stimulate…He stimulates our every faculty…the mind and the intellect….the heart…and the will.”
Drunkenness is debauchery. Someone intoxicated is out of control. At the Waste Management Open golf tournament in Phoenix two weeks ago they stopped serving alcohol in the early afternoon by police order. Drunks were wreaking havoc on the golf course. A streaker runs in front of a camera, a man jumps into a sand bunker with his shirt off, another carries his friend, passed out, on his back, etc. People were out of control. It can turn men into animals...it is dehumanizing. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit turns them into the highest form of humans. It makes us more like Christ.
I should note that there is a proper use of alcohol for Christians. It is given to gladden the heart of man, it can be celebratory, it can promote fellowship, and our Lord Jesus Christ drank wine. But what our text is getting at is isn’t a proper use of alcohol or any other drug for that matter, but its abuse and misuse.
When one is filled with the Holy Spirit, it has 4 results in our text in verses 19-21. The first is fellowship. We have seen throughout Ephesians the unity of God’s people. God saves us into a community. The church is the bride of Christ and he only has one bride. The term used in our text is “addressing.” Some translate that as “speaking.” There is a covenantal and corporate aspect to our fellowship especially as it concerns worship. We might think that singing is to be done only to God, but what we see in many Psalms is a horizontal type of address that connects God’s people together. For instance, Psalm 95:6, a common call to worship says, “Oh, come let US, worship and bow down, let US kneel before the Lord our maker.” Or Psalm 122, I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord.
The fact is, is that the words Christians speak to each other are powerful. The can tremendously build up or they can have the devastating effect to tear down. When people gather together, they long for the right hand of fellowship and the well-intentioned greeting. They need to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. It might seem like just an ordinary practice that much thought doesn’t get put into, but the fellowship of God’s people is simply an outflowing of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
The second thing is worship. Read verse 19. These are three different types of songs and it is difficult to differentiate. Great debates have been held regarding the meaning of these songs. The Psalms are a reference to the Old Testament Psalter. The hymns are likely New Testament songs, maybe like the one that was just quoted back in verse 14, and spiritual songs likely refer to personal compositions. What we should take away from this is that there is a diversity of music and song that is both horitzontal and edifying to fellow believers, and vertical, which is what worship will primarily focus upon. This same list is repeated in Colossians 3:16.
The terms singing and making melody to the Lord refers to the voice with singing and instruments for melody. It seems like there is a contrast between the singing of the drunk man and the singing of the spirit-filled man. These two passages (Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16) are probably the clearest NT directive on instruments in worship.
Notice that this is to be “to the Lord”. Even the fellowship and horizontal focus is unto the Lord. Loving those whom God loves as your brothers and sisters is pleasing to him.
Notice also the next phrase, “with your heart.” If that wasn’t there, the verse would mean the same thing. But the fact that it is included shows what has been clear, this is never simply about external actions. True worship must arise from the heart of faith. Let that inform your singing. Sing congregation. Sing from your heart. Sing with joy and jubilation. God gave you your voice for a reason. Doesn’t matter it if is raspy, squeaky, or whatever sound. Sing as one who has just been liberated from prison, sing as one who has just received the best news they could ever receive, sing as one who has the greatest possible inheritance. Because all of those things are true. Parents, ensure your children are singing. And children, ensure that your parents are singing. If they aren’t, ask them why. I’ll never forget the first Sunday back after the strict worship restrictions in Canada were finally lifted during covid. The congregation could sing once again and it didn’t seem like there was a dry eye in the room.
The third result of being filled with the Holy Spirit is thankfulness. Read verse 20. Count our many blessings. There is a always a reason to be grateful. In Jesus Christ, we have everything. The exact phrase used is “always and for everything.” We should understand this to mean that Christians are to be grateful people. We shouldn’t be dour, crabby, undesirable to be around. Like some grumpy old Calvinist, stick in the mud. Our text makes clear that the glorious work of Jesus Christ is shown as well on the outside.
This doesn’t mean either that we must be thankful for every thing that happens. We should not be thankful for sin. Even though God might use all things for good, that doesn’t mean that all things are good.
The last characteristic of the Spirit-filled believer is submission. This is a fourth participle in our text. To be submissive to others will involve the humility of seeking their good and comfort. Whether they are a weaker brother or sisters, it will show deference to them. This submission shows the meekness and gentleness of Jesus. For those of us who have a tendency to be assertive, competitive, and brash need to tone it back in light of the call to submission.
I’ve had to learn this in the ministry. I come from a competitive family who loves sports. We viewed second place as the first loser. So then when I became a minister and played softball or volleyball with the youth group, some were taken aback at the intensity of their pastor. What I have had to learn is that there is a time for that intensity, but playing against 14 year old girls probably isn’t the time. Submission to others might involve what we eat and drink around certain company, how we dress, and even how we speak. For in so doing, we are showing reverence to Christ.
All people are image bearers of God. Those who are redeemed are a work in progress by the Holy Spirit.
The call to be filled with the Spirit is a continual process of growing in faith. It isn’t a special call for a select group of Christians. We are all found in this directive. The Holy Spirit is shaping and forming us, giving us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithful, meekness, and self-control. So, look carefully how you walk as those filled with the Spirit. Amen.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Steven Swets, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2024, Rev. Steven Swets
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