Episode 296 - Watch Where You Walk

The Christian walk is deliberate, so watch where you walk is the topic today. Ephesians 5: 15-20

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:28

And welcome back to another episode of Two Brothers One Bible Podcast. Thanks so much for listening because you are listening. Well, somebody else. Who? Well, you want names. You want you you want names? I want names. Okay. Well, uh Peter Searson listens. I'm not listening right now. You you've been listening to every single episode we've ever done. I have. Yeah. Which is amazing.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

I've listened to some that haven't aired. Really? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

So look at you. I know. That's really that's really uh going above and beyond. Do you listen to the podcast at all?

SPEAKER_01 1:02

No. I think I've heard two. Yeah. Cheryl was listening to them in the car. Okay. Yeah. No, I no, I haven't.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

I don't listen to every one of them, but I do listen to a lot because I want to hear, you know, I want to just listen to as I'm going down my car in the car. How is that coming across? Sure. You have to find a title for it. Yeah, you know, I kind of want to do that kind of thing. Yeah, so I I do listen occasionally. And I have to say I'm very impressed. Are you? You like the Robert Guy one of the things? Robert Guy is really something. He's so fucking witty. Yeah, well, he's something. I don't know what. Yeah, I don't know what. I couldn't do the show without each other. Well, that's just the same here. We could not do the show without each other. Well, enough of the uh the the intro here, the cold open. Let's get right back to Ephesians chapter 4. We haven't even told them who we are. Have we not? No. Okay, well, let me do that first. I'm Robert Twakefield. I'm Peter Sears. Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. Okay. We're gonna be in Ephesians chapter 5 today. We're gonna be doing uh verses 15 through 21. So this is a really good uh another walk, if you will. He's changing from walking in light, and now we're gonna be walking in something else. Okay. All right. Well, we'll find out. We will go right ahead.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

Okay, verse 15. Be very careful then how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Okay, so that is the word of the Lord. And so starting right there in verse 15, he he's talking about being very careful on how you live, not as unwise as wise. And he's shifting from walking in the light to walking with precision. You know, watch where you're walking. Intentionality. Intentionality, that's a good word. Yeah. Be very careful, look closely, pay attention. Because he doesn't want us to be in anxiety over all this stuff. He wants us to know that where we're going has a purpose. Yeah. So what do you think about there in verse 15?

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Well, I I can hear the words of the great theologian Shania Twain. She said, Don't be stupid.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

So she's a great theologian? I did not know that. Well, with those words. Oh, how could you go wrong? Yeah. Yeah. Don't be stupid. You know I love you. Yeah. That's the next phrase. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

You know, it is. It's it's showing this. Be be careful where your step, watch your walk, where watch where you're going. You know, and so it's you know, where where do we take ourselves we should not be? Right. Where do we cross lines that we shouldn't cross? You know, and so stop making excuses for it, stop justifying it, stop, you know, just be careful what you do. Don't do stupid things, be smart.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Right. And and another thing, it goes back to that drift. Don't drift through life, aim your steps.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

You know, uh have some intentionality, like you mentioned. So, you know, that's that's just an important part of verse 15. Then we get to verse 16 and it says, make the most of every opportunity because the days are are are evil. Yeah. Talk about opportunities. You know, they're they're everywhere. They're everywhere you turn, aren't they? Yeah. Yeah. But do we seize them?

SPEAKER_01 4:44

No. No, a lot of times we miss them. You know, I had this bad habit of of rear-view mirror opportunities. You know, it's like, oh, I you know, I'm really bad when there's these awkward situations. You know, what what do you say? What do you do? Right. And then, you know, sometimes four days later, it's like, oh, I should have said that. Yes. That would have that would have really been good. I am so bright after the moment. You know, but in that awkwardness, it's like, I I don't know, I I know I need to do something. You know, and and but I just don't I just don't know how to turn it around. I don't know what to do.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

You know, a lot I face that a lot when I was a postmaster.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:27

You know, I I had employees that were underneath me, uh, that that uh that I was, you know, I was their their quote unquote boss. Yeah. And you would think that you were trying to correct the behavior of someone, and it didn't happen often, but you'd have to do it occasionally and try to correct their behavior, and you get back in the office and three days later, well, why didn't I use that at all? Yeah, that would have been perfect. That would that would have resonated with them and they would have understood where I was coming from without being offensive.

SPEAKER_01 5:54

Yeah, but you know, on the flip side, Robert, I think if you consistently walk this way, it becomes natural.

SPEAKER_00 6:01

Oh, that's a good point.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

And that's the point that Paul's making. If it's awkward, it's because we're not doing it consistently. Right. And so he says, you know, I like what he says, make most of every time uh every opportunity. For us, we'd say make hay why the sun shining. You know, redeem the time now for the days are short. And and then when he talks about the days are evil, if there's anyone listening and says, I don't think the days are evil, turn on the news. Exactly. You know, right. We we are filled with just people that are self-centered, which always leads down a path of evilness.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Right. Uh this guy used the illustration of showing that you got to make the most of every opportunity. He says, a person walking on a moving walkway going the wrong direction must walk with purpose to make progress. Yeah. I mean, you really do. It's like going up the wrong way on an escalator. You've got to you've got to have purpose. And and that's what he's talking about. He's saying have purpose in every opportunity that you have because the days are evil. Verse 17 goes on and says, Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. So, you know, he's contrasting foolishness with discernment. You know, and that's an area that I can always improve on. Foolishness and discernment. Yeah. When to say something, when not. Yeah. You know, when when to take action, when to let God take action. You know, it's it's it's just real easy to to not do anything. Right. And and but that's not what Paul's saying here. He's he's saying just be sure you understand and and and be sure you connect it to God is how that works. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

You know, understanding and knowing the will of God, we try to make it this mystical thing, but honestly, throughout Ephesians, Paul is being very clear. These are the things that the Lord wants you to do. Right. He He wants you to be a person of light. You know, He wants you to walk properly, He wants you to not associate with evil things. He, you know, if you're wondering, I don't know what the will of the Lord is, start back at Ephesians chapter one and just reread it, thinking, looking for those things. Oh, yeah. It's just right there.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Yeah, that's a great point, Peter, because uh this guy wrote there are three markers that we've seen so far for God's will in Ephesians. Okay. Here they are uh unity in the body, yes, uh, holiness and lifestyle. Right. And the third one was Christ-like love and sacrifice. There you go. Perfect. So so those are the three markers that will help us uh decide whether it's foolish foolishness or discernment. Yes. Yeah. So verse 18 says, Do not get drunk on wine, instead be filled with the spirit.

SPEAKER_01 8:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:46

All right. So this is kind of the hinge of the whole this whole passage here in some ways. Yeah, I think you're right. Um he's not making a say about alcohol. He's construct he's contracting two controlling influences.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

Yeah, well, I mean, he you gotta go back to Ephesus, Seaport City, uh in in a Gentile environment, uh, and had this the the temple to Athena. I mean, so there's a lot of people coming there, and a part of their worship experience was prostitution and and drinking, and and so I mean, people would come out after three days of this debauchery and and this stupor haze of of what they claimed was worship. Right. So he is addressing that. Okay. And this is the time where the the the Roman god Bacchus, you know, had this whole part. So this is a mindset, but it's not a mindset just that Paul's day had. This is a mindset today. I mean, absolutely. We can we we see it a Friday night anywhere, you know? Exactly. You know, and so you know, this is part of who we are. We want to celebrate, we want to party, we want to go wild, we want to have all these experiences and venture, and and the caution that Paul is, you know, he says, you know, for me, I've never ventured into alcohol, I just didn't want to go there. Right. But he's not condemning drinking, he's condemning being drunk. Right. And what he's condemning is what what leads to access, leads to someone being worthless. We I mean, I've seen people that have have done alcohol or drugs to the point where they they don't know which ends up. Exactly right. Yeah, what value is that person? None. And so what value would a Christian be if if they're worthless? Right.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

So he's you know, he says instead, be filled with the spirit. Yeah, and that's uh Greek insight.

SPEAKER_01 10:49

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Be filled. Yeah. You ready? That is plural. Wow. But here's yeah, it just rolls off the tongue. But here's the thing about it. Uh it's in the present tense, passive voice plural. Wow. So it's present in the fact that you keep being filled. Right. It's passive in letting the spirit fill in you. Yes. And then it's plural that it's throughout the entire community of believers. Yeah. So that one word has a has a lot of meaning.

SPEAKER_01 11:24

Yeah. So when when I read this, instead be filled with the spirit, I was thinking, you know, if we look at our lives as a two-liter bottle, so how much of the spirit can I get into a two-liter bottle?

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Two liters.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

Okay. But what if I've got other things in that two-liter bottle? I've got pride, I've got self, I've got bad habits, I've got uh poor disciplines and reading my Bible and praying, and all this stuff is in the two-liter bottle. How much of the spirit am I getting in there now? Not as much as you were. What if my two-liter bottle's just clogged full of self? Right. I'm not getting any. No. And so I think that what Paul is is asking us is purge ourselves of much of this impurity stuff that there's not even a hint of it. Right. So that we can be completely filled with the spirit, all two liters.

SPEAKER_00 12:19

I love that. I I love that. That that's so right along the what this guy said, he said the spirit is the agent and we are the vessels. Yeah. And that that's so true. Yeah. Uh, and I love the example that you gave because it is so easy to fill that two-liter bottle with us and get none of the spirit. Right. None. How I mean, and and that is scary.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

Well, and we could honestly say I've got as much of the spirit in me as I can put in. Well, that's true. But what could I get rid of to get more of the Holy Spirit? Right. Good point. And and so it's not a lack of the Holy Spirit wanting to infill me. He's got nowhere to go. Right. Because I got all this stuff clogging his way.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

That's so good. Wow, that that's intense. That that's a that's a very impressive verse right there. Yes, it is. Because being filled with the spirit is not something to be taken lightly for sure. No. Uh verse 19, uh speaking to one another in Psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. So uh spirit-filled uh people become worship-shaped people. Wow, I like that. That's great. Yeah, isn't that good?

SPEAKER_01 13:23

You know, it's interesting, you know, I like the way he writes and he does these triplet things, and then he's great with these adjectives. And you think, well, what's the difference between a psalm and a hymn? What's the difference between a hymn and a song?

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:36

But he's just saying, you know, some that he's talking about were like psalms have instruments, hymns may not.

SPEAKER_00 13:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

Uh psalms were the the pulled from the Old Testament hymns are probably more modern.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

You know, uh, songs from the Spirit may just be, you know, the Lord puts a song in our heart, and so we've got this little ditty of, you know, I just love God so much. Just spontaneous. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But it's like it's it's this whole because we're filled with the spirit, we've just got this joy and it's bubbling out of us, and it's expressed best in song.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

Right. And one of the things about song that he talks about, not only is it vertical going towards God, yeah, he's showing it it's horizontal. Absolutely. And it it can we can all influence each other by these psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Wow. Yeah. That's great. Uh so uh and again, it's not about this musical style. No. There there's all kinds of musical styles out there. Some some I like, some I don't. Yeah. Uh, but you know, there it's it's just but I think what it's more about is worship saturation, is what I'd I like to think of. If you're in a vertical praising God and teaching one another in these Psalms and hymns, boy, what a community that is when we put it all together.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

Right.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

And I like the way that works.

SPEAKER_01 14:58

Yeah, I heard Rick Warren say that all music is from God. Okay, God's the one that created music. Right. You know, uh, because there's there's music in nature. I mean, you just stop and listen to nature, there's this this rhythm, this this tune, you know. That's true.

SPEAKER_00 15:13

So true.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

And so he created this music and he put this desire for music in us. He said the only difference between this song and that song is the lyrics, if they point towards God or not. Okay. That's what makes a a song godly. Right. And so music is is part of our DNA, it's part of who we are. And we need to make sure our uh the songs singing inside of us are giving praise and thanksgiving.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

Yeah, I love I love that, Peter, because I I love the the praise and thanksgiving, and I also love the fact that we're encouraging one another. Yeah. I I think when we're in a worship service and and we are praising God and we're doing that to praise God, obviously. Yeah. But you look around and you see, well, there's brother so-and-so. Look at that, he is just singing his heart out. I I think of David when uh he uh David Boyd when he came up there in lead. I I loved watching him sing because he was so passionate about singing to God. And because he was so passionate about it, it it translated into the whole service as we're all praising uh him together.

SPEAKER_01 16:22

Yeah, on Sundays, sometimes someone will come by and and you know, other people may feel this way, but a few express, I didn't want to come today. And and so some will confess that as they enter, I really had a hard time getting here. You know, just just didn't want to do it. That door was sure heavy today. And then you would get people, the same people coming out and they go, I am so glad I came. And I would guarantee if I asked them, where was that turning point for you? It's gonna be in the worship, it's gonna be in the music.

SPEAKER_00 16:51

Something, yeah, something's going to hit them in an emotional way.

SPEAKER_01 16:54

It it wasn't all that text pastor that you did was just the way you read the scripture today was so moving. When you said therefore, I just got goosebumps. No, I don't I don't think so. I think and it may not have been them praising, but watching others praise invoke the praise in them.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Right. And and you know, and I think and if we're kind of straying off the subject here, but uh I think that when you see others praising God, I think that excites the spirit inside of you. Yes. And you want to do the same thing. Look, look how they're praising. Yep. I look, I'm praising the God too. And it just it just opens up a floodgate. Yep. It really does.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

All right. Well, let's go to verse 20 here. Uh it's always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord uh Jesus Christ. You know, this spirit filling right here that we've been talking about, uh, it produces gratitude, thankfulness. Yeah. It produces that. It does not produce uh, you know, griping and grumbling if you're doing it right.

SPEAKER_01 17:58

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

I didn't like the way they led that last song. You know, no, please get to the what the song is about, you know, get to the meaning of it. So I just always think that you know, always giving thanks to God, the Father, for everything.

unknown 18:12

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 18:13

Yeah, that's powerful.

SPEAKER_01 18:14

Yeah, and again, we've got to pay attention to the adjectives that Paul uses. So he says always and for everything. So there's no and and and when I when I read the word always giving thanks, it's just this consistent, constant, always being thankful for what he's doing. And and I went to the word testimony, because if I say, give me your testimony about God, we start with it was a rainy and stormy night, and you know, and and that's a great testimony, but when we put it in light of verse 20, let me tell you what God did for me today. Yeah. I woke up and let me tell you about the goodness of God. Amen. Let me tell you what. I I didn't ask for this, but he he did this. He opened up this this miraculous thing. Right. He he took something that was broken and fractured and he put it back together. Right. And we just want I want to just praise his goodness now.

SPEAKER_00 19:16

That's it. You know, I love hearing children pray. Oh, yeah. Don't you just love that? Because they they thank God for everything. They thank God for the grass. I know. They thank God for the trees, the birds. You know, and as we as we grow older, we forget those things. Yes. We forget the simple things that that God has blessed us with, and we don't praise him and thank him for those. Yeah. And so I think this is a reminder that we give thanks always for everything together. There you go. All right. Well, that's gonna wrap it up for this episode of Two Brothers One Bible Podcast. I'm Robert Wait. I'm Peter Searson. And join us as we will probably finish chapter five in our next podcast.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Well, we can do it. Well, it's it's it's it's a goal.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

Thanks so much for listening and God bless.