Key Truth: We are called to walk wisely and carefully seeking to understand the will of the Lord and to be filled with the Spirit to encourage others in joy and thanksgiving for God’s goodness.  

Introduction:

What most governs how you spend your time and energy?

The Call to Walk Wisely and Carefully in the Will of the Lord:

Ephesians 5:15-17

“(Paul’s) words imply that in living the Christian life we need to think about what we are doing, and to look to make sure we are on the right path….This requires wisdom—wisdom to see the dangers (temptation to sin, the weakness of the flesh, opposition from Satan); and wisdom to know how to respond in a godly and biblically instructed way…. (Wisdom is the ability to process knowledge into the practical ability to apply it to life situations and circumstances. It involves knowing how to achieve the best ends in the best way.”

Sinclair Ferguson, Let’s Study Ephesians

Are you more proactive or reactive in how you live?
What is helping you to grow in practical wisdom for life and understanding what the will of the Lord is for your life?

The Call to be Filled with the Holy Spirit Overflowing with Joy and Thanksgiving:

Ephesians 5:18-21

“Ephesians began with a powerful expression of praise, which reminded believers that the ultimate purpose of God’s redemption of the world is so that the world can fulfill its proper vocation of praising God. Here toward the end of the epistle, Paul again turns his attention to the praise of God. In this case, the praise of God is tied up with the role of the Spirit in the lives of believers. Working in and through believers, the Spirit both reforms and redirects their praise and worship of God. In the light of the overall concern of this passage with “walking wisely,” it becomes clear that the worship of the Christian community in Ephesus is the context where the Ephesian believers will best learn how to “walk wisely.””

Stephen E. Fowl, Ephesians: A Commentary

What most dictates your mood and affect (or expression of emotions)?
What are you doing to encourage others in the joy of the Lord?
What could you give thanks to God for in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Application: 

Ephesians 5:15-21 teaches us that we are called to:
-walk wisely and carefully seeking to understand the will of the Lord
-be filled with Spirit and encourage others in joy and thanksgiving for God’s goodness  

Communion

Benediction:

Ephesians 6:23-24