Live Wise in 2025, Part Two | Ephesians 5:15-21 | Pastor Andrew Coleman | 1/19/2025

if you don't have a sermon outline maybe

you're new to us didn't get one you need

one we study the Bible in the life of

our church and I I am one of those

people that's kind of ADD and ADHD I

have to have something to help me pay

attention and I know that many of you

find yourself in the similar boat so we

do the notes so that you can take them

if you're joining us online we want you

to know that all of these notes are

available on our website and you can

download them and follow along with us

here and that you will retain so much

more if you do that um I wanted to

mention something before we jump into

our our message today I just want to say

I am so excited about the starting point

class that we just started this morning

listen to this we have over 60 people in

that starting point class and I am

excited about

that I'm going to ask if those are in

starting point would you guys just mind

popping up for a second just pop up

right where you are just stand up stand

up right there would you guys look at

this look all around the room all around

the room look at that you guys can have

a seat um I'm getting to know them and

this morning starting point always

begins in the same way we always talk

about the most important thing that a

human could ever hear um we talk about

first things first and today we talked

about the meaning of that cross the the

meaning of every cross the fact that

Jesus is our only hope and I want you to

know that several people after that

session came to me and said pastor I

prayed that prayer this morning and so I

am rejoicing in that I thank the Lord

for that and um I just want to say to

the starting point folks that have come

and and heard that message today and and

some with even tears this morning said

um something new has happened I want to

say to you

just pursue the Lord this week pursue

him be in his word even allow this

message to flow over you as as I was as

we were singing together these last

three songs I was thinking about you I

was thinking about some of you saying

maybe these songs finally they really

make sense that I can rest in God

because Jesus Paid It All and um so

wherever you're coming from this morning

we rejoice in that I'm so thankful for

um our starting point folks well we turn

again um to this looking at this year um

you know if we don't kind of look in

evaluate things a little bit we just

keep doing what we've been doing and my

dad who is a very wise man said this

over and over to me as I was growing up

son if you keep doing what you're doing

you will what keep getting what you're

getting can we say that together if you

keep doing what you're doing you'll keep

getting what you're getting now for the

things that are good in your life that

you're doing the right thing and you are

progressing in that that's that's very

good um but I just also think that we

need to evaluate our life and especially

evaluate whether or not we are honoring

the Lord on a day in and day out basis

um some Christians are living in a

pretty strong victory in their life life

they are learning to be in the word of

God they're learning to apply it to

their mind and their heart they're

thinking through that and they're

seeking to be obedient to him they're

drawing on the power of the cross in

their life the fact that Jesus said

without me you can do nothing but with

me you can do everything that I've

called you to do and there's others that

are saying I'm not living in that

Victory I'm kind of living in a

Perpetual defeat and I'm frustrated

about that this morning I want us to

Circle back back and look at this issue

of how to adjust what we're doing how to

look to the Lord and every single one of

us in this room whether doing super

Victorious or whether uh having quite a

bit of struggle we can always improve uh

two weeks ago before Dr chipwood was

here last week but two weeks ago we

opened this time and uh do you remember

we looked at this little picture right

here do you remember this

picture that little house is built on

what it's built on a rock and that's

exactly right we looked at Matthew 7:

24- 27 where it talks of the wise man

who built his house upon the rock and

what happens with his W his life and his

house when the storms come but there's

also the foolish man who built his house

upon the sand I think about these images

of uh of a house built on the solid rock

um that is going to last through the

storms and through the waves through the

winds we also see the one that is built

upon the sand down where the disaster is

and how great that house Falls Jesus

said how great is the fall of a life

that is not built upon the rock and

Jesus of course is talking about himself

if you build your life on the rock that

I am for you your life will be secure if

you build your life on the S shifting

Sands of the world that are subject to

flood and disaster the house House of

your life is going to come crashing down

well this morning we come to another

passage in this and I want us to look a

little bit more deeply at this and I

want to take you uh with come with me to

um France um I went to Language School

in France and while we were in language

school we were we were in language

School in this little town called

Albertville Albertville did you ever

heard of Albertville before think Winter

Olympics in the

1990s so Albertville was this little

town up in the Alps and praise God they

put a language school there for

everybody trying to learn French so they

could go to Africa so a lot of Africa

speaks French so um while we were there

I would be lying to you if I didn't say

I skipped school I did skip school and I

went snowking once or twice only once or

twice but I did go snow SC we went to an

area called laa valy the TWA Valley are

three massive ski areas in fact it's the

largest ski area in the world um this

ski area listen to this and here's just

a map of it there's three valleys that

are there there's 185 ski

lifts there are

387 miles of path of of uh ski what do

you call it runs ski runs and so when I

got up on the top of that mountain I was

just amazed and I took my camera and I

took this picture I took a panoramic

picture of it and uh off in the distance

there you can see M Blanc which is the

highest mountain in France it's just a

beautiful place this morning there's a

reason I'm sharing with these pictures

with you because we can come to the

beauty of the opportunity in front of us

all the thrill and the joy of life we

can be amazed at the opportunity and the

the

tremendous joy that can be ahead of us

in a

year but we have to realize that there

are also some dangers I also took this

picture a couple of minutes

later and I I remember seeing that thing

cuz you come off the top of the mountain

and you start down one of those one of

those ski runs and what they're trying

to say to you is behind this sign

there's

nothing and if you go behind this sign

you're going to

die and so there are warnings that are

there and I I mean just kind of look in

on this warning it it's kind of

descriptive right do you see his little

hat you know flying in the as he's

headed for the

Bottom now that was in France you know

no words that are on it just just in

America we're a little bit more

explicit danger you are leaving the ski

resort what does it say after

that that was very

[Music]

weak with a skull right Americans are a

little bit more stupid sometimes you

know you you have to make it very very

clear how about this one I mean very

very

similarly um you're leaving the ski

resort you can

die I want to say to you 2025 can either

offer all of the fun and all of the

beauty and all of the

opportunity of the beautiful world that

God has given us or it can represent a

tremendous amount of foolishness and

trouble even even death even death not

just physically but death

spiritually and I want to say to you

that God is calling us to live in a

manner that is

wise and the decisions that you make

this year on a daily basis sometimes an

hourly

basis are going to determine whether you

live in

joy in obedience to the Lord or whether

you live in defeat and bringing upon

yourself

destruction Ephesians chapter 5 helps us

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

with this Ephesians chapter is written

to Christians and we would assume in the

life of our church we preach to

Christians and for those who are not

Christians it is our prayer that as you

hear the preaching of God's word that

you would realize your need for Christ

and that you would come to faith in him

but this message is preached to

Christians and this passage was written

to Christians so that they can see how

to live their lives the first three

there's only six chapters in the book of

Ephesians the first three chapters are

about what Jesus did to save you and how

it impacts you spiritually the last half

of the book chapters 4 five and six are

about how to live out your Christianity

how to live out your salvation in Christ

so let's look at the tie at the Box on

your page there um the main passage we

have from Ephesians chapter 5 and we're

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

going to be looking at Living

wise in 2025 look what it says in

Ephesians CH 5 and verse

15 look carefully then how you

walk not as what unwise but as wise so

that's the that's the the main phrase

that opens this sentence and by the way

this is one big long Pauling sentence or

sentence from Paul's writing in the

Greek so there's there's an indication

that this whole thing is structured as a

single sentence so notice this even

though in English we break it up look

what it says look carefully then how you

walk not as unwise but as wise making

the best use of the what the time we're

talking about 2025 we're talking about

your life we are creatures of

time making the best use of the time

because the days are evil verse 17

therefore do not be be foolish but

understand what the will of the Lord is

and do not get drunk with wine for that

is debauchery but be filled with the

Holy Spirit or filled with the spirit

verse 19 addressing one another in

Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs

singing and making Melody to the Lord

with your heart giving thanks always and

for everything to God the father in the

name of the Lord Jesus Jesus Christ and

submitting to one another out of

reverence for

Christ this passage is talking about the

way we live our lives this passage is

talking about the way we will walk while

we have this present time and what we

see in this passage is that there is an

option there is the unwise

and there is the wise so notice in verse

15 and I actually left some of these

blanks in for you I probably shouldn't

have done that but notice in verse 15

notice the caution can you circle the

word caution notice the caution

regarding how you will live in 2025

there is the admonition now an

admonition is a very strong warning it's

a very strong call there is the

admonition to be fill it in full of care

how do we say that how does it say it up

there in verse 15 he says look what

carefully have you ever thought about

the word carefully think about it what's

the other way we can say it be full of

care it is full of care so that means

that means think carefully think

thoroughly about

this now if you're on a ski Trail up at

Tua Val and there's a tht drop next to

the trail what they're saying is be what

careful be careful there is danger

nearby and so what we can see in this

verse is he's saying look carefully how

you walk there's this admonition that we

would be full of care and then we see

after that notice the end of verse 15

look at the end of verse 15 he says not

as un wise but as wise so there is the

contrast fill that in there is the

contrast between the unwise and the

wise every day that you live in 2025

middle schoolers Elementary schoolers

high schoolers adults all of us listen

every day that you live you will either

be embracing wisdom or you will be

embracing

foolishness I want us to see that God's

word calls us to be careful how we walk

not as unwise and as wise but look at

verse 16 notice that there's good reason

Circle that one I left that one there

for you good reason Circle good reason

there is good reason to be careful in

2025 look what it says that we can do

making the best use of the

time because the days are evil what does

this mean making the best use of the

time

exoro is the Greek word for making the

best the idea is this that it is

Redeeming the time don't let the time be

lost rescue the time redeem the

time and so I want you to see here that

as a Christian your time in this fallen

and evil world has been

redeemed and repurposed by Christ he has

given you officially a redeemed

opportunity he is he's the god of the

second chance and so in Christ he's

redeemed you you're not living for the

reasons that you were living now he's

given you another reason to live and so

he has repurposed you before you were

living for yourself now when you come to

the Cross of Christ because this message

is to Christians and for Christians

because you have trusted in Christ he's

given you a different framework he's

given you a different purpose to live

each day he's giving you a much higher a

much better a much more um uh

purpose-filled

framework to live for and so notice this

we see in this passage look at verse 16

making the best use of the time because

the days are evil here's what it means

you have a little bit of time and a lot

of

opportunity that's an amazing thing that

we need to think about we have just a

little bit of time but we have a lot of

opportunity and notice this your time

and our and opportunity are limited and

valuable and so over and over again we

see in the scripture that our lives are

but a breath they're here I spoke with

Larry Aon yesterday and he was just like

hey our lives are a breath they're

they're here today it's gone tomorrow

the scripture says that over and over

again what is the span of a person's

life when you consider it in all of

human history when you consider it in in

this gamp it's it's very very

short the older I get the more I realize

that I look back and I go what happened

I saw a picture of one of my daughters

yesterday and I thought it was just

yesterday she looked like that she was

this perfect little

seven-year-old now she has a kid

now she's grown up she's living her life

2,000 miles

away and I I just think what happened to

those 20 years all the time when I see

people walking um walking their kid do

we say that no with the stroller walking

the dog but also with the stroller and

and I see them they're all happy and

everything in the neighborhood or

whatever I just say and my standard line

to them is don't blink and they go huh

and I go don't blink and they go oh yeah

I said I had two little ones too and

they they grow up

fast we have a little bit of

time but think about the size of the

opportunity it is valuable what we do

what you do in each day for a middle

schooler for a high school I know you

think the whole world Middle School is

taking forever to get out of middle

school no listen it's actually going

faster than you

think and the opportunity is more than

you realize

unlike eternity to come this present

moment is

limited now what that means is is that

God has called us to live for him and we

have an opportunity to do now what we

will not be able to do when we get to

heaven when we get to heaven faith is

finished but right now we have the

opportunity to please him and to glorify

him by trusting in Him the Bible tells

us in Hebrews that faith is what pleases

God and faith is what moves the hand of

God and so we have this opportunity that

right now is limited to live and to walk

by faith so we have good reason to be

careful in 2025 I want you to notice

this we're our main text is Ephesians

Ephesians 5:15

5:15 but do you know what Ephesians 5

and verse1 says so just a few verses

before our main text it says and you see

this on your outline it says be

imitators of God so be like God act like

God think like God love like God in

Ephesians 5'8 it says for at one time

you were Darkness but now you are light

in the Lord so there's a change a change

has happened for those who are in Christ

so now we're called to live a different

way and then the passage that we're

looking at now chapter 5: 15 and 16

we're seeing be

careful and Redeeming the time is how

you can be like God and so we need to

think in terms of the opportunity before

us I am reminded of

one of the great um missionaries to um

the Far East about 150 years ago a man

named CT stud and he was a very very

tenacious Englishman who became a

missionary and he worked very hard in

fact many people who would go and work

with him there would be worn out um they

would say the guy gets up at 4:30 in the

morning he calls us all to prayer and

worship and then we go out and we do

Mission work and then we come back for

more prayer and worship and then we go

back out for Mission work and then when

the Sun goes down we do more Mission

work and somewhere along the way we go

to bed for a few hours and then we wake

up and do it

again CT stud wrote these words here's

here's what burned in his soul only one

life will soon be passed and only What's

Done For Christ will last there was an

urgency to make make the most of the

time what is your urgency

for do you have any urgency some I I've

talked to some parents and they go I

wish my kid had some urgency for

something Pastor Billingsley said that

when he was a teenager his mother used

to have to dust him so when she was

cleaning the house cuz he didn't seem to

do

anything we kind of go through these

little phases

right but we are called to make

the most of the time because the days

are short they're going to end soon look

at Psalm 90 and verse 12 and I'd like to

ask you to read this out loud with me

Psalm 90 and verse 12 let's read it

together so teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom look

at that verse think about what it means

look at it right now look at it so teach

us to know number our days that means

for that we would be aware of the time

that we would be aware of the time that

is

passing and that when we become aware

that each day is passing each week each

month each year Each decade is passing

that we would start to live with a heart

of wisdom about this

time so that when we get to the end of

our life whenever that may

be we don't have have a bunch of

regrets you know it's

interesting that when we look back on

our

lives we usually do not

regret the things that we didn't do

unfortunately sometimes we just regret

the things that we did but what we what

we usually need to think about is what

could I have

done and so I I think that this verse is

saying think now about the time of your

life and to live it um in verse 17 it

goes on look what it says in verse 17 up

there in the Box on the top of the page

therefore do not be what foolish but

understand what the will of the Lord is

in verse 17 we see notice the bad option

there's a bad option for how you can

live in 2025 you can be foolish in this

year you can be foolish in this decade

you can be foolish in the rest of your

life not heeding the word of

God instead of being foolish look what

it says in verse 7 17 therefore do not

be foolish but understand what the will

of the Lord is so we need to realize

that the world runs in utter

foolishness the world because it is sin

darkened and and all you have to do is

watch the news all you have to do is

watch the news to see that we run in

foolishness the things that people do

the things that people

pursue uh if you were to just go look at

all of the crime statistics about

everything that happens in the city of

Hollywood everything that happens in

Broward County everything that happens

in the State of Florida all around the

world we

have testimony

of the fact that our hearts are darkened

and that our hearts continually run

toward that which is foolish I mean you

know it's not I mean do you guys ever

watch any of those uh body cam cop

videos have you guys ever watched any of

those don't get into it because it's

kind of addictive and I don't

necessarily recommend that but we have a

bunch of police officers in our church

and some times I have watched some of

those in order to know what these guys

go for go through through these guys and

gals go through and it's just amazing

the stupid things that humans will

do it's amazing the stupid things that

humans will say it's amazing the

mentalities but I don't have to watch

body cam footage from police to know

that I can turn on stuff coming out of

Hollywood now Hollywood's on fire right

now there may be some interesting

reasons for that but um Hollywood has

really really lived in

foolishness Hollywood has rejected God

in every possible way mocked God in fact

a day before the fire mocked

God and we've exported that to around

the world thanks America around the

world we have exported the human mind in

video and in music and so many things

that are utter foolishness and then you

see all of the shows that come come out

of that and all of the infighting and

all of the boastful pride of life and

all of the things that the masses look

at and entertained by and very often

desire the world runs on foolishness

this is the bad option but notice that

there's a good option we see that in

verse 17 as well therefore do not be

foolish but here's the good option but

understand what the will of the Lord is

understand the Lord's plan

that's the good option and this is

regarding how you live and when we when

we seek to do that but but we have a

question here how do we understand what

the will of the Lord is how do I know

what God's will is well that question is

answered in Deuteronomy 29 and verse 29

this is very interesting God is speaking

to his people and look what he says in

Deuteronomy 29:29 the secret thing

Deuteronomy 29:29

belong to the Lord Our God but the

things that are revealed belong to us so

this is saying is that there's some

things that we don't know that God keeps

and they are hidden and their Mysteries

and that's because his ways are higher

than our ways his thoughts are higher

than our thoughts he is infinite in his

in his uh mind and in his intellect we

are very finite we are not infinite in

that notice this with me the secret

things belong to the Lord our God it is

acknowledging there's things that we do

not know and that we will never know

that only God knows the secret things

belong to the Lord but the things that

are revealed belong to us and to our

children forever and then look at what

they are that we may do all the words of

this law what this is saying is is that

God has revealed to us what to do God is

revealing to us who he is Who We Are and

how we are to live and so we see that

the law is revealing that he is Holy and

we are not that we need a savior and

that we are starting to see that he

calls us to live a certain way but what

we discover is there's no way for us to

do that without his grace in our life

that's why Jesus went to the cross of

Calvary so that we could be bought from

our sin guiltiness and that his power

can come into our lives to begin to do

what he said you cannot keep the Ten

Commandments no one ever has

but we can be cleansed from our sin and

then given the power to obey all based

upon the great and glorious work of

Christ look at Deuteronomy chapter 30 so

Deuteronomy 30 · chapter mention

this is just a few verses later after

this talking about this notice in

Chapter 30 and: 11 for this Commandment

that I command you today is

what not too hard for you neither is it

far off it is not in Heaven that you

should say who will Ascend to heaven for

us and bring it to us that we may hear

it and do it neither is it beyond the

sea that you would say who will go over

the sea for us and bring it to us that

we may hear it and do it look at verse

14 read it out loud together with me

verse 14 but the word is very near you

it is in your mouth and in your heart so

that you can do it you see God has given

us his word

this is why we need his word in our

lives he gives us his word so we can do

his will look at verse 15 see I have set

before you today life and good and death

and evil if you obey the Commandments of

the Lord your God that I command you

today by loving the Lord your God by

walking in his ways and by keeping his

Commandments and his statutes and his

rules then you shall live in multiply

and the Lord will bless you in the land

that you're going over to Pro to take

possession of it but if your heart look

what it says verse 17 but if your heart

turns

away and you will not hear but are drawn

away to worship other gods and serve

them I declare to you today that you

shall

surely perish

God is saying I love you enough to give

you my mind and my

heart I'm giving you

instructions I'm showing you who I am

and I'm showing you what I will do for

you so that you can be mine so that you

can obey

me do not turn away from

this receive it into your life come

learn what he has said come know him by

his word because if you do there is

going to be

Joy now look at this

picture your ski day can be

great your year can go well it can be

all that it's been intended for but if

you do

not there is

danger if not you will die is that not

what this passage say says look at verse

17 but if your heart turns away and you

will not hear but are drawn away to

worship other gods and serve them Verse

18 I declare to you today that you shall

surely

what

perish you see life is full of warnings

and life is full of options and the Holy

Spirit Works in our life in our hearts

he brings his word to bear in us and he

says you can understand

my will so how do we understand the will

of the Lord here's how we understand it

fill it in with me know and believe his

word when you know and you believe his

word this is how you walk in

wisdom when you come to believe that he

is the power for your life that's how

you actually

obey Psalm 119: 9-11 was taught to me by

my third grade teacher my third grade

teacher here at Sheran Hills Christian

school was a name was a lady named Mrs

Slappy Mrs

Slappy Mrs Slappy a few years after I uh

was I guess graduated from high school

eventually she passed away due to cancer

but she the most important thing that

she ever did was she taught us a lot of

scripture and she had us memorize Psalm

119: 9 through 11 I want you to see what

it says look what it says how can a

young man keep his way

pure by guarding it according to what

your word can you underline that your

word with my whole heart I seek you let

me not Wander from your what Your

Commandments underline that you see we

are we just sang at the beginning of the

service with that 350 year old hymn

prone to wander Lord I feel it prone to

leave the God I love here's my heart oh

take and seal it seal it for thy courts

above you see this is all around us all

the time that God is calling us to

remember his word not Wander from his

Commandments look at verse 11 I am

stored up your

word in my

heart why that I might not sin against

you in 2025 will you store up God's word

in your heart or are you going to keep

listening to the stuff out of

Hollywood are you going to keep looking

at the stuff out of wherever can I just

say hell

God did not make our brains so that we

can know what all of our friends had for

dinner last night and the night before

and the night before and the night

before or everything is there and God

did not make our brains where we can

compare the best of the best of all of

our lives and go unscathed that that

creates great anxiety it creates

great

unhappiness

discontentment we we need to be careful

about how much we're looking at the

things of the world how much we're

listening to the things of the world the

programming of the world and embracing

the foolish messages of the world and

ignoring the word of God how can we

possibly stay in the narrow way of

Christ if we are em bibing everything

from the

world maybe 2025 is going to be the year

that you finally get bit by the

book maybe it's going to be the year

that you finally discover the joy of

reading scripture and and learning about

it and studying it and and going after

the heart of God my friends each Sunday

as we're going to see in just a moment

we are seeking to encourage that in US

John 1:14 says this the word of the Lord

John 1:14

became flesh and dwelt Among Us this

word and we have seen his glory glory as

the only son from the father and it's

full of GRA Grace and Truth God has

Grace for you he has Truth For You in

Jesus

Christ so how do we know what God's will

is in our lives we come to know his word

and as we come to know and believe his

word and Obey it we come to know his

will and that's where he that's where he

reveals it look at Verse 18 with me look

at Verse 18 up at the top of the box up

there it says in 18 he gives an example

and do not get drunk with wine for that

is Deery but be be filled with the

spirit Verse 18 notice the foolishness

of the world this is what I've just been

preaching this verse in our main text is

saying don't go after the foolishness of

the world versus the wisdom of

God don't get drunk with wine for that's

debauchery but be filled with the spirit

you see getting drunk fill this in

getting drunk is just one example of

many ways to waste and dest destroy your

life this verse isn't the big

anti-alcohol verse that some people just

make it all out to be no this is talking

about all of the foolishness of the

world that is leading to death alcohol

is a great one to use as an example it's

a problem for Humanity there's many of

you in this room that you keep falling

off the wagon you keep kind of circling

around you keep or maybe in the

quietness of your home this thing's got

a grip on you okay so so let it be the

one that speaks to you some of you just

need to leave

it it's not worth destroying your life

it's not worth embarrassing your

family it's not worth destroying the

rest of your

family but notice here it's just one

area pornography could have been

used anger could have been used all

kinds of other things workaholism could

have been used obsession with Leisure

could have been

used it says don't be drunk with wine

for that is debauchery or dissipation

that's just going nowhere it's leading

to disaster instead what does he say be

filled with the spirit and being filled

with the spirit is the only way to obey

God with your with your life so getting

drunk is just one example of many ways

to waste and destroy your life being

filled with the spirit is the only way

to obey god with your

life one of the greatest things a young

person could begin to pray an elementary

grade person could begin to pray is Lord

would you fill me with your

spirit you know what I've discovered as

I read scripture and as I think about

even church history Christian history I

discover that those who have a passion

to be filled with the Holy Spirit you

know what they're filled with the Holy

Spirit when you start asking do you

think God's going to go nope not going

to give you my

spirit no it's his heart that you would

be filled and controlled by his holy

spirit he's given you his Spirit it is

good for us to say oh Lord God I don't

want to be filled with the spirit of

foolishness the spirit of rebellion the

spirit of My Flesh I want to be filled

with your holy

spirit so that I can do what you've

called me to do and be who you've called

me to be notice this at the bottom in

2025 you have the choice of building

your life on the passing garbage of

worldliness or you or on the Eternal

Riches of God's commands in his

kingdom that is what Ephesians 5 is

telling you to watch out for to be

careful of don't build your life on the

garbage build your life on the things

that are Eternal can you flip the page

let's go to our last two points or three

points that are here

here notice verse

19 so Verse 18 is don't be drunk with

wine be filled with the spirit and then

verse 19 this is this is how we are

filled with the spirit and how we are

walking carefully how do we do that

addressing one another in Psalms and

hymns and spiritual songs singing and

making Melody to the Lord with your

heart now very often these verses are

seen as okay we we preach on singing and

church worship and all of that kind of

thing no listen this is our whole life

our whole life is to be lived and fill

this in notice the wisdom because this

whole section is on wisdom notice the

wisdom of true

worship that your whole life is called

to be lived in true

worship and that's what we see in the

middle of this passage is don't be a

fool instead worship

god look what it says here on your

outline your highest priority fill that

in your highest priority in

2025 should be the true worship of God

every day of your life if you're

wondering what to do with 2025 worship

God worship God in everything you

do worship God in every moment that's

what he's called us to that's what he

made us

for now for sure true worship begins

with corporate worship that's what we're

doing right now corporate worship we are

all together in one Corpus that that's

where it comes from that we're in one

body and we're worshiping as a body

together so this is called corporate

worship true worship I believe begins

with God's family now I I believe that

if you're not worshiping with God's

family you're going to have a really

hard time worshiping as you should

privately and here's what I want you to

see if you will read your Old Testament

and if you will read your new testament

you will see that that is true

that corporate worship is where God's

people always gather I mean God was all

about bringing his people together in

the family of Faith to worship and we're

strengthened in this and part of the

here's part of the reason people say oh

you know I don't really need the church

I have my bass boat I go out to the

Everglades and I worship God out there

by myself where you know I I I go walk

on the beach or this or I have my

backyard spot and I I just really don't

need that you know what

that is not at all what the Bible shows

us the Bible always shows God's people

together worshiping and listen here's

part of the Great reason for that is

that in times of difficulty and in

moments of weakness your personal habits

can fall away from God but if you are in

the body of Christ if you are

accountable to the body of Christ as

we're going to see in just a minute if

you are connected to the body of Christ

when you start to slip and you start to

wander away there's somebody there to

get a hold of you and pull you back

that's the reason you need a church

family part of the reason that Andrew

Coleman so desperately needs a church

family is that I am prone to wander and

I'm prone to leave the God I

love I need a church family to help me

be accountable I need a church family to

encourage me and to keep me with the

Lord

The Lone Ranger Christians just don't

make it the scripture shows us that so

notice this when it comes to this

corporate

worship I want to encourage you this

year to be early when you come here for

worship be early to be fully

present and to be ready for worship when

the church gathers so when the church

gathers come early you say why come

early aren't I doing good just to get

here

I I know that feeling I know what you

mean but if you come right when we start

or after we start you're going to have a

hard time getting to know other people

you're going to have a hard time serving

in the life of the church just man up

and come early it's not that but you go

to work for a paycheck I mean we're

talking about God is is paying out big

for eternity I mean why don't you just

come he died for you you Jesus rose from

the dead come on get out of

bed you can do it if he can rise from

the dead you can get out of bed this is

the Lord's day this isn't your day this

is the Lord's

Day always has been and so I just want

to encourage you just make that

commitment I've challenged several young

couples in the life of our church stop

coming to church late you've been around

here long enough you should know at this

point be here on time and actually if

you're on time you may be late because

you need to be here

early to get to know one another say man

these people are intense

don't I'm proud of you for coming I just

want you to see the vision of what it

can be I really mean that I really mean

that be bring fill this in bring a ready

and expectant Heart To Worship

um my dad has always said to me Andrew

worship on Sunday begins on

Saturday worship on Sunday begins on

Saturday and so what you can do is you

can you can get your clothes ready you

can get your kids ready you can get your

stuff ready and if your family fights on

Sunday morning trying to get out of the

house I I get that I try to head off a

bun wisdom would head some of that off

we have one family in our church that

when their children were younger they

said what here's what we learned on the

way to church nobody

talks nobody talks we put on praise

music and we drive to church because if

we talk we are we we could have conflict

so we just you know I don't know what

you need to do and you know what by

saying that openly that's not that's not

being hypocritical that's not that's not

being fake that's just being

wise especially when we're Shar we

confess our sins to one another we

confess our struggles to one another and

we're seeking to to genuinely honor the

lord well that's a beautiful thing for a

church family to do together you know

what Psalm 51 says Psalm 51:10 you know

Psalms 51:10

what it says create in me a clean heart

oh God and renew a steadfast spirit in

me if you're struggling with having a

heart that's ready for worship ask God

to help

you David had to pray it that's what

that's what Psalm 51:10 is Lord created

Psalms 51:10

me a clean heart I have a I have a dirty

heart created me a Clean

Heart Lord help me to be ready for

worship if you'll begin to pray like

that on Saturday night if you'll begin

to pray like that on Sunday morning if

you'll begin to pray like that through

the week I will guarantee you Sundays

will become a joy that you never saw

coming instead of an obligation they

become a

privilege if you're not there yet hang

in there and ask the Lord for help

realize this fill this in realize that

true Christian wor worship involves

loving God's

people true Christian worship involves

loving God's people this is another

reason that if you're not connected with

a church family and I know I'm preaching

to the choir here somebody said in our

church that's literally true we are the

choir so um but when you use that term

you're preaching to people who always

get it or already get it I know you're

here and I praise the Lord for that um

but here's the picture that if you're

staying at home or if you have this

mentality that sometimes you've heard

well I I love God but I don't love his

people the Bible says you don't know

God because people who love God love

their brothers and sisters in Christ and

if you don't love your brothers and

sisters in Christ if you don't serve

your brothers and sisters in Christ the

scripture makes very clear and multiple

places you don't know God because this

is the heart of God in fact Jesus said

when he was asked what do the the first

and greatest commandment Jesus said to

love the Lord your God with all your

heart soul mind and strength and the

second one is like it to love your

neighbor as

yourself you see it's very big on the

heart of God that we love one another

that is true

worship and so notice this next one that

is here I want you to see this um true

worship not only comes through corporate

worship but true worship continues every

day not just Sunday but true worship

continu use every day in personal

worship fill that in and public witness

public witness both of those are true

worship honoring God and you can read

Romans 12 about that that our lives our

bodies would be a Living

Sacrifice that's every day all day that

we are living for God that's what he

intends for us what do I mean by

personal worship fill these in this is

your reading scripture this is coming to

know his word how do you know his will

you come to know his word this is in

prayer you're learning to commune with

God In Prayer this is your discipleship

this is being involved in other people's

lives that is part of personal worship

because we are made to be connected to

others this is your generosity our God

is a generous God he is a giving God he

gives us Christ he gives us everything

that we need to walk with him our God is

a generous God he gives the best

and he calls you to be like him to be a

generous people and that involves your

life that involves your time that

involves your resources that involves

your money in fact the money Jesus said

is one of the greatest tests of whether

or not you know God whether you are

generous like

God and so it's a it's a joyful thing

that's per that's your personal worship

what about your public witness your

public witness is way you have true

worship this is your family family life

people look at your family they see your

family and do they see Christ or do they

just see the

world this is your work life some people

kind of separate their work life from

their from their relationship with with

God and that is a gross error God calls

your work to before the Lord what about

your Leisure

Life what you do when you're in your

downtime is this still honoring to the

Lord and your public witness it is a

witness for you to serve one another

Jesus said in John 13:34-35 by this all

John 13:34–35

men will know that you're my disciples

if you love one another well what what

is the greatest way that you can show

love for one another to serve one

another and so this is our

witness God calls us to live like

this well in verse 20 notice this the

this is also part of living a wise life

in verse 20 he says giving thanks always

and for everything to God the father in

the name of our Lord Jesus Christ so

filin verse 20 is showing us this notice

the wisdom of gratitude notice the

wisdom of gratitude to God through Jesus

Christ we give thanks and we always and

for everything you say isn't that kind

of hard H sometimes it

is it's kind of hard to be thankful for

the chinch bugs in your yard that are

eating all your St Augustine

grass that's a very small thing

literally and figuratively but what

about the

cancer have we come to the place that we

can say

Lord I know that you're

Sovereign I know that you love

me I know that you have my best interest

in

mind and I'm learning to trust you and

so Lord by faith I give thanks for even

this it's kind of amazing when we start

to give thanks for even the trials in

our life which James 1 and Peter tells

us to do our faith is growing in fact

notice this with me fill it in gratitude

is a statement of faith to God

it is a statement of faith you can go

study Colossians 2:6 and 7 you're saying

Colossians 2:6

to God lord I trust you with the good

and the bad I'm grateful for the good

and the bad because you're at work how

about this gratitude pleases God and

well how do we know that because Faith

pleases God and gratitude is very often

an Act of Faith Hebrews 11:6 tells us

Hebrews 11:6

without faith it's impossible to please

God how about this gratitude is blessed

by God when God hears your grateful

heart he works and moves in ways that

are both internal and external you can

study Hebrews 1331

15-16 God will bless gratitude in your

life and how about this one gratitude is

a blessing to others gratitude is a

blessing to others how do we know

that um who are the people that you

enjoy being with the most do you like

being with people that um are never

grateful and always complaining about

everything do you like being with

them only if you're like them do you

probably like being with

them so if you're a Sour Puss you

probably would rather be with a bunch of

Sour Puss In fact being around people

that are grateful could be annoying to

you but let me just guarantee you that

people in general love to be be with

people that are

grateful so if you struggle with that if

you say well I I I would have to say I

struggle with being grateful I tend to

be Eeyore you guys know Eeyore winning

the Pooh go look it up watch

Eeyore if you struggle with that maybe

what you need to be saying is Lord would

you help me to have a grateful heart

because having a grateful heart is wise

that's what Ephesians 5 is telling us

look at our list look up there look in

the box look carefully then how you walk

not as unwise but as

wise these are all listed as part of

that true worship gratitude and then

notice finally at the end here in verse

21 this is so

beautiful in verse 21 it ends with this

submitting to one another out of

reverence for Christ so you want to live

a wise life submit to one another this

means wisdom notice that wisdom is about

being under submission to one another

now this is really

hard because fill it in our fallen

flesh

resists submission to God it resists

doing what is right and it resists

submitting to

others our flesh wants to be independent

our flesh wants to exalt self our flesh

wants to do its own thing but wisdom

says

no we submit to God we submit to what he

says as we've studied we submit to

others to one

another this is the mind of Christ

listen to this the Lord Jesus submitted

to the will of the father to go to the

cross for us he submitted his own body

so that you and I could be redeemed and

so we see that the life of submission is

the life of wisdom fill this in this

applies to Mutual submission that's

where we submit to one another and in a

general sense but it also applies to

hierarchal submission this means we are

called to submit where it's appropriate

to the government when they're not

violating scripture and calling making

you violate scripture you're called to

submit to the government you don't just

go down Sheran Street however fast you

want to go down Sheridan Street when the

police officer says stop come here you

don't go nope see you and run the other

day that's on those webcam videos you

see a lot of

that

so we submit to the authority if you're

in a classroom you submit to the

teacher if you're in a home home you

submit to your

parents we learn submission in the life

of the church we submit to the

congregation in some cases there are

some areas where the the scripture calls

you to submit to your pastor if your

pastor is saying hey man what are you

doing let's sit down and talk about this

why are you doing this there is a call a

responsibility of a pastor an elder in

your life to to call you to honor God in

if if you will do that if I will do that

with the Pastors in my life because I

have Pastors in my life

too if I do that I will be wise and I

will be

safe if I do do don't do that I will be

foolish and I will

perish I will pay the

price so mutual submission hierarchal

submission notice this wisdom realizes

that God and His structure of authority

are a source of

blessing God has given authority over

your life to bless you and this is the

most amazing thing this verse is talking

about submitting to one another out of

reverence for Christ you know when you

submit to one another and you serve one

another in that way listen to this who

gets the

blessing you do

God has such a plan for wisdom for your

life this year can we read this passage

would you please stand with me I want us

to read this passage very clearly um I

want to ask you to stand I want to read

this passage again and I want to ask the

Lord to help you just let it sink in as

we read it in front of

you Ephesians 5 says this think about

your 2024

look carefully then how you walk not as

unwise but as

wise making the best use of the time

because the days are evil therefore do

not be foolish but understand what the

will of the Lord is how do you do that

his

word understand what the will of the

Lord is Verse 18 don't get drunk with

wine for that is

debauchery but be filled with the spirit

addressing one another in Psalms and

hymns and spiritual song singing and

making Melody to the Lord with your

heart true

worship giving thanks always and for

what everything to God the father in the

name of our Lord Jesus Christ verse 21

submitting to one another out of

reverence for

Christ may we live wise