We are drawn to people who seemingly make wise decisions in their life. We are more apt to ask them for advice than people whose track record has more wrinkles than last weeks aluminum foil.
Wisdom is a matter of choosing well in life.
Apostle Paul defines wisdom in Ephesians 5 like this:
- Ephesians 5:15 So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise,
- Ephesians 5:16 making the best use of time because the days are evil.
- Ephesians 5:17 Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is
- Ephesians 5:18 Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit.
- Ephesians 5:19 Then you will recite to one another psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. You will sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts.
- Ephesians 5:20 You will always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians 5:21 And you will submit yourselves to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Be careful How you live - Don’t be unwise but wise.
Consider how you use your time.
- Do you make the most of it?
- Time = "Kairos" or the critical moment. Redeeming time means to make the most of each moment.
- From today’s dawn until tomorrow’s dawn, you have a precisely determined amount of time. As someone has put it, "Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you want to, but you can spend it only once."
Every thinking person has goals and dreams he longs for, plans for, and even begins to reach for.
- Sir Walter Scott’s last words written in his diary were, "Tomorrow we shall...." But there was no tomorrow for him. He died with good intentions to accomplish a certain goal -a goal that he never attained. Most people never make it.
Yet there are many people who fall short of their goals simply because of limited time or opportunity. And that is why it is always important to get busy and do the right thing immediately.
Let me give you Two rules for wise living.
- Never delay that which needs to be done today.
- Do the heavy lifting first.
Stop getting drunk with wine.
- Without a doubt alcohol is a depressant.
- The Spirit of God is a stimulant!
- Alcohol brings out the worst, the Spirit brings out the best.
- Alcohol leads to debauchery, making us animal-like,while the Spirit makes us more human, which is to say, more like God!
- That’s Why we are told to "Be filled with the Spirit."
Let me share with you four simple facts about being filled with the spirit of God.
- It is a command, not a proposal.
- It’s addressed to everyone.
- You don’t have to be a preacher or super spiritual.
- It is in the passive voice.
- This isn’t something you control.
- It is something you allow to happen.
- You give control to God.
- Maybe that’s why it’s so tough.
- You "Let the Spirit fill you."
- There is no technique or formula.
- When you let Christ’s word dwell in you richly that’s how you let the spirit fill you.
- Stay in the word of God.
- Stay connected to him.
- We need church.
- It Describes a continuous action, rather than a single one.
- Filling is ongoing and it needs to be.
- Why? Because we are leaky. We’re cracked containers.
- The spirit leaks out.
- We leave church full but given a couple of days and we’re empty again.
- We need to be filled on a regular schedule.Now understand this. We are sealed with Spirit of God for eternity by the blood of Jesus.
- You can’t add to it or subtract from it.
- It’s over.
- It’s complete.
- It has to do with the cross of Jesus Christ.
- That’s being sealed.
- Filling is different - its every day!
Result #1
- There is a different kind of singing!
- And it’s not songs about having friends in low places!
- We sing to one another - that’s hymns.
- We sing to God. That’s Psalms, spiritual songs.
- There is a different kind of attitude.
- There is an attitude of giving thanks and of joy.
- We give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
- I heard a story about a little boy in grocery store with his mother. He asked her repeatedly and loudly through the store for cookies. Everyone in the store was aware of this little boy and his poor weary mother Finally they arrived at the checkout counter to the relief of all present, when the little boy said in his loud outside voice “In the name of Jesus Christ, please buy me some cookies”. The others in the store bought him cookies – in all he got 28 boxes!
- We give thanks for what we’ve already received - not to get! We already have the blessings of abundant life!
- There is a different kind of relationship with others.
- It is a relationship of submission.
- It’s not about who’s first.
- It’s not about your rights.
- It’s captured in a simple phrase that you need to say to your self very often. "I’m third". God is first. Others are second. I’m Third.
It all comes from choosing wisdom.
- And you do that by - are you ready for it? - Choose Jesus.
- Choose him today and every day and you have chosen well.
