I was thinking last time I was up here on a Sunday evening, I think it was back this past June or July, and we were in Ephesians chapter 5, and so I figured tonight, We're just going to act like that was last week and we're just going to go right back to Ephesians chapter 5 and just pick up where we left off. Because I'm sure that everybody remembers. But for those of you, maybe the couple of you who don't remember last week's message, we'll do a little bit of review. How's that? So Ephesians chapter 5 tonight, we have a lot of ground that I would like to cover. So we're going to go ahead and jump right into it. The passage that we're going to be in which we'll read in just a moment is Ephesians chapter 5 verses 15 through 21. But in the opportunities that I've had to preach recently over the last year to year and a half or so, we've been working through this chapter starting long ago in chapter 5 verse 1 that says, therefore be imitators of God as beloved children. Now that verse right there sets the tone for the entire rest of the chapter. Everything that Paul has to say through the rest of the chapter, whether things to avoid or commands to follow, goes back to this whole idea of this is how you as a Christian act as an imitator of God. So our passage tonight can be traced directly back to that. We then worked our way through chapter 5 verses 3-14 that shows how Christians are to relate to the sinful practices of the world around them. We won't take the time to read all of those verses tonight, but really, the attitude of the Christian towards the really sinful, wicked, detestable practices that Paul talks about in verses 3-14 can be summed up in two words really. Avoid and expose. The Christian is to avoid these certain sinful practices, and avoidance is not, we shouldn't be happy with just mere avoidance, but our lives should be such, or lived in such a way, that we expose these sins for what they are, as light exposes darkness. So after we get through verse 14, we've come then to our passage tonight, chapter 5, verse 15-21, these verses follows up the first part of the chapter by demonstrating that in order to be an imitator of God, it's not enough to just avoid engaging in sinful behaviors, but rather there are also positive behaviors to put in their place. The Christian ethic, the Christian life, is not one of mere avoidance. I'm a follower of Christ because I don't do certain things. Now that is true in a certain sense. The Christian obviously is to avoid certain practices, but we're not known as followers of Christ by the things that we just avoid doing. We are known as followers of Christ by the things that we do, by the things that we put on in contrast to what we used to be, or the Ephesians used to be, as Paul wrote to his original audience. So let's go ahead and read these six verses here and then we'll get into pulling them apart a little bit tonight and seeing what the Lord would have us to learn. Chapter 5 verse 15, Paul writes, 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. And 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 songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everyone to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." Now, Generally, I am a very simple guy. I don't like to think of myself as too complicated. Generally, easy to please. Generally, I like things like many of us do, just very straightforward. As I was going back over this passage this week and doing my studying, that's one of the things that jumped out to me about this passage. is that it's very simple and straightforward. And as we get into these six verses of chapter 5 verses 15 through 21, this passage gives us five commands to follow in order to live a life that is pleasing to God as an imitator of Him. It's very straightforward. Now, depending on how you want to break down the text tonight, you could come up with three commands to follow, and then kind of subset commands, or five commands like I have this week, and you know, a couple of the commands underneath that, or like nine commands. Whatever, it doesn't change the meaning of the passage. So if you're not happy with my outline tonight, go ahead and make your own. I'm sure it'll be great, okay? The way that we're going to look at this tonight is five commands to follow in order to live a life that is pleasing to God. And we'll see what the Holy Spirit would have us to learn tonight. The first of these commands is found in verse 15, and that is walk wisely. For the Christian, the one who professes to know Christ, who wants to be an imitator of God, what is the first way that you should do that? Walk wisely. We see in verse 15, look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise. The word here, and your Bible, depending on what version you're reading, it might have a different word for carefully in there. But that word that is translated in the English Standard Version, as I'm reading from, that word that is translated carefully, carries the idea of something that is done accurately, or precisely, or with very, very close attention. And this is the idea, when we say walk wisely, this is the idea that as Christians, we do not do things carelessly or without thought. Our lives, our actions, down to the very moment that we are in, are supposed to be intentional. A successful Christian life is one that is lived intentionally and with attention to detail. What do we mean by that? Or why is that important? Because as believers, as we walk through this world, I don't think I need to stand up here and tell you as if it is news tonight, that this world is a very perilous place for a Christian to live. Is it not? And it's only getting worse. As believers, as we walk through this world, and walk, again, just an expression of how you live, as we live in this world, we have to be alert to the spiritual dangers that Satan will inevitably put in our way. Temptation comes from without, and temptation also comes from within, from our own fleshly desires. The Christian who is walking wisely is attentive to these dangers. They're not walking through this world, so to speak, with their eyes closed or with a blindfold on, but rather with their head on a swivel, so to speak. I was reminded of the very well-known verse, 1 Peter 5, verse 8. But this is the sentiment that Paul is expressing here. Be sober-minded, be watchful. That idea of sober-minded, that's still the same idea as be wise. Be sober minded and be watchful. Be attentive. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. We have an enemy who is active. We have an enemy who is actively seeking our destruction. We have an enemy who is actively working against everything that our Lord Jesus Christ stands for. We must be attentive to him and on guard against temptation at all times. This is a contrast to living unwisely. As the verse says, look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise. Well then, what does it mean to live unwisely? Okay, in this context, with this contrast, it would be just going through life assuming that everything is going to be okay. It would not be paying attention to detail. It would be living carelessly, which we will see examples of later in the chapter. You see, wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. Proverbs chapter 1 verse 7, it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom. It's a basic foundational building block of the Christian life. Wisdom begins here and continues by acknowledging God's truth and His ways. The only power that can overcome man's foolishness and turn him to wisdom is the gospel of Jesus Christ. which is not centered biblical wisdom, not centered on philosophy, but rather conviction, and then the behavior that comes out of that conviction. So when Paul is calling us as believers, as imitators of God, to walk wisely, this is a basic foundation of the fear of the Lord, a conviction that God sees all, knows all, and that we are responsible to Him. And then that conviction is then lived out day by day, moment by moment in our lives. The idea of wise and careful living is really demonstrated wonderfully in Proverbs 2, verses 1-15. And I do want to take the time to go there and read this passage tonight because it fits in so nicely with the idea of what Paul is talking about here as far as walking wisely. Proverbs 2, verse 1, The secret is the heart to understanding. Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord. Remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and find the knowledge of God. For it is the Lord who gives wisdom. From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and watching over the way of His saints. Even as we are called to be attentive to our walk, as we honor the Lord and live in wisdom, the promise is that the Lord will watch over our walk and watch over us and our hearts. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path. For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil. For men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil. Men whose ways are crooked and who are devious in their ways. Even in Proverbs chapter 2, we see the contrast of the one who lives attentively versus the one who lives carelessly. He talks about men of perverseness, people of perverseness who are committed to evil and who seek it out. This is not to characterize our lives as Christians. So we see first, that first overarching command, to be an imitator of God. If that is what we want to pursue, first of all, live wisely. No sin is given quarter. No sin is too small. Well, that's okay. I can indulge this and get away with it. No sin. We understand that our enemy, the devil, as we saw in 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 8, is always looking for the opportunity. And the one who lives wisely or who walks wisely as an imitator of God does not give sin or the devil those opportunities in their life. So we see first, to be imitators of God, we are called on to walk wisely. Number two, the second command, is to make the best use of the time that God has given to you. We see this in verse 16. We pick it up in the middle of the sentence, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. The Greek word that is translated here make the best use, or making the most of, literally means to buy back or to purchase. It's the language of financial transaction, of going to the marketplace, seeing an item, and putting up money in exchange for that item. It's an exchange. A good translation of this, or a fair translation, could also be buy up every opportunity that has afforded you with this time. See, the word here used for time points not to time on a clock, necessarily, or minutes, or moments. It points to a period of time that God has ordained for each one of us, rather than just a chronological sequence. Again, we could say, if we wanted to really understand, make the best use of the lifetime. that God has given you. Or make the best use of the time here on earth that God has given to you. This is the same urgency that we are called to here that Jesus expresses in John 9 verse 4, where He says, we must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. You see, for the Christian, for the one who is an imitator of God, there is an urgency in the recognition that this life is temporary, yes, but it is also very significant and it is a gift from God. And it's given by Him not to waste, but to be used for His honor and glory. I thought this week again of the words of Jonathan Edwards. We're very familiar with his resolutions. And one of the more well-known ones that I was reminded of this week is when he wrote, I am resolved never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way that I can. This is the sentiment. This is the idea that Paul is calling us to in verse 16. It is the idea that for the Christian, we understand with an eternal perspective that this life is a gift from God. And it's given to us by Him to use for His honor and for His glory. And to squander it or to waste it is sinful and wicked. And a characteristic of those who do not know Christ. So the Christian ethic, again, is to look at the time that we have, the lifetime that we have here on earth. However many days it is that God has ordained for us, and to seek as we walk wisely, circumspectly, to seek every day, to use that time, to use that day, to use the moment that we are in for God's honor and for His glory. Now, we want to be careful here. Well, this is not a command to avoid all leisure activities. That's a form of asceticism that the Bible actually warns us against. Okay? So this is not, well, you know, I can't have hobbies, I can't ever do anything enjoyable. I always have to be doing whatever it is, activity that you feel is most spiritual. That's not at all what the Scriptures say. This is not a command to avoid things, but rather that everything that we do, that we enjoy as a gift from God, whether that is spiritual ministry, church ministry, Bible study, prayer, or a hobby that you enjoy. All of these things should be done with an eye on eternity. The Bible advocates not for asceticism or withdrawal, but rather for an eternal perspective. One of balance rather than avoidance. This is very nicely summed up in the book of Ecclesiastes. It's one of the major themes, actually, of the book of Ecclesiastes. For example, Ecclesiastes chapter 2, verses 24 and 25. The Word of God says, there is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. Eating and drinking, a gift from God. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment. Solomon, as the author of Ecclesiastes, said, enjoy the good gifts that God has given you in this life, but note what he says. This is from the hand of God for apart from him who can have enjoyment. Enjoy the life that God has given you, but do it with the eternal perspective in the fear of the Lord. That is making the best use of the time. All the way, fast forward, to the last chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 12, and the final two verses of the book, 13 and 14. The end of the matter, all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments. That's our idea of walk wisely, by the way. Fear God, keep His commandments, the beginning of wisdom. This is the whole duty of man. And then we have our eternal perspective in the final sentence of the book of Ecclesiastes. For God will bring every deed into judgment with every secret thing, whether good or evil. So when we talk about making the best use of our time, as Paul does and commands us to in Ephesians chapter 5, This is live your life, enjoy the good gifts that God has given with an eye to eternity. Understanding that while this world is full of good things, many good things, because our God is gracious, none of it will last. We were not meant for this world or to find satisfaction in it, but rather for eternity. Finally, that is our goal. Now what is interesting if we step back from here, and we think for a second, was the necessity of this command and the utmost importance of this command for the church in Ephesus. And it also ends up as a cautionary tale for us. You see, Paul, as he wrote this to a real church at a real point in time, or group of churches there, in Asia Minor, He was writing to a church that did not know this, but persecution from the Roman government was about to explode. Only a few years after Paul wrote this letter, the church and these very people that Paul was writing to, come under heavy persecution from the Roman government. And if we fast forward to the book of Revelation, if you remember in the first couple of chapters, as Jesus addresses different churches, the church of Ephesus is mentioned in the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 2 verses 2-4. For the sake of time, we won't read this tonight. But if you make a note and you go back and you read that, you will see that Jesus warns the church in Ephesus that you have left your first love, and He commands them to repent and return to the deeds that they used to do, or He would have to remove their lampstand, i.e., their church. You see, the Ephesian church actually had a very limited time frame left, but they failed to recognize it. How do we know this? Because in the second century AD, the Ephesian church ceased to exist. And it does not mean that there were absolutely no believers in the city of Ephesus anymore, but rather that the church as a recognizable entity in the city of Ephesus ceased to exist. And to this day, there's not a stable of church of Jesus Christ in that city. Again, you will find pockets of believers. But the city of Ephesus at this point is a spiritual wasteland. This church serves as a warning to us. Because instead of making the most of their time, and standing against the evil of their culture, of buying back, of purchasing, of improving the time that they had, the Ephesians fell prey to it. And the same will happen to us if we fail to live wisely and intentionally, making the most of our time. So we've seen walk wisely, make the best use of the time, number two, that God has given to us. Number three, third command, is understand what God's will for you is. And then do it. Verse 17, Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Now if we talk about straightforward commands, this is pretty much the king of straightforward commands. Okay? Don't be foolish. Understand God's will and live it out. Well, where is God's will found? It is found in the Scriptures, in the Word of God. It's a very straightforward command. In order to understand what God's will is, we as Christians have to be studying His Word and praying. Psalm 119 verse 9, how can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. Now, Paul uses the word understand what the will of the Lord is. But he's not concerned here primarily with just knowledge. You understand that? Because knowledge that is not lived out, that is not put into practice, is not really true knowledge, is it? He's not calling us to some sort of ethereal idea or ethereal ethic or something like that. No. Read the Word of God, study it, understand it, and then go live it out. This is another call to careful living. In this context, as we talk about wisdom, this is what is the best way to use our moments. It flows out of the previous command. Redeem the time because the days are evil. Then understand what the will of the Lord is. How do we redeem the time? By living out the wisdom that is contained in the Word of God. A call to careful living. Now, again, this is not a call to understand some sort of hidden will of God. I've often heard people say, and it still confuses me to this day, When there is, you know, we talk about maybe decisions or things that we have to make. And we pray and we ask, Lord show us your will. Sometimes I think God is sitting there hearing our prayers going, I have shown you my will. It's written right here. There is not some sort of hidden will of God that the Christian is called on that we have to figure out in order to live a life that is pleasing to God. As if we pray enough and you seek it enough and all of a sudden God will like, okay, well this is what I want you to do. No. Everything that God has told us that He wants us to do is contained in this book right here. Now sometimes there are questions as how do we live that out? And that's where God helps us out with that and goes, well, when you struggle or if you have questions about how to live that out, I've given you things to do. I tell you to seek wisdom from other believers, for example. I tell you to think and meditate on my word and on its commands. And in doing so, I will guide you. And I tell you to love Jesus, to make him first priority in your life, and then go do what you want to do. Because if you love Me, your desires are going to be holy and righteous, and they will lead you to right living. That is the understanding of God's will, and the living out of it. This is a command to study and obey the Word of God. And it sounds very simple and straightforward, but it does amaze me at times, how often we as Christians, and I can include myself in that, How often we can neglect this very simple, very basic Christian practice. A Bible study, regular time in the Word, regular time in prayer. There is nothing that can replace it, but often We get so used to hearing it, or it seems so simple that it can be neglected. And I would encourage us tonight, as those who would be imitators of God, don't neglect your understanding of the Word of God that comes through simple time with the Lord in His Word as He speaks to you, and prayer daily as you speak to Him. There is nothing that can replace those basic spiritual disciplines in the life of a Christian. And we can't sit here tonight and go, well, oh, that is too simple. It wasn't too simple for Jesus. If you read through the Gospels, you will often see Jesus withdrew a lot of times early in the morning to spend time with His Heavenly Father, to read His Word and just to spend time in prayer. Is it good enough for Jesus but too good for us? I don't think so. Understand what God's will for you is and do it. The fourth command. Verse 18, or the first part of verse 18. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery. The fourth command that we see here is always retain control of your faculties. Now Paul expresses this idea as do not get drunk with wine. He's been contrasting the unacceptable behavior of the unbelieving world around the Ephesian believers with that of God's people. We saw that all the way back in chapter 4. And so to write against drunkenness was a good and convenient way for him to call to mind the destructive and unacceptable lifestyle of the culture around them. It's a contrast to what we'll see next to being filled with the Spirit. So he writes here against drunkenness. He describes it as debauchery. The word there translated debauchery is a word that literally points to wasted living. Does that sound familiar? It's a direct violation of the command to buy back or redeem the time. One who lives their life in this pattern, in this habit of drunkenness, is wasting their life. It's symbolic of the height of folly, the loss of direction, and the waste of a life without God. Now the specific sin that he focuses on here is that of drunkenness. One that the Ephesians would be very familiar with, and one that we are familiar with in this day. And so tonight as we sit here, The first and direct command to Christians or to those who name the name of Christ is to avoid any practice, any usage of alcohol or any other mind-altering substance to the point that it affects your faculties. A person is drunk to the extent that alcohol has modified or is controlling any part of their thinking or acting. And the contrast here, which we'll see in just a moment, is that it is to be the Spirit of God who is controlling all of our thinking, all of our thoughts, all of our actions. The Scriptures contain many warnings and commands against drunkenness. We go all the way back to the book of Proverbs. We won't take the time to read those tonight. Again, for the sake of time. But the Bible actively speaks over and over and over again against the perils of drinking too much. Here tonight as we sit here We wouldn't limit it to just that to just the usage of alcohol But rather the abuse of any substance or the use of any substance for the purpose of altering our thinking or our state of mind Any sort of drug use We have As we sit here, it's no secret that we have a drug epidemic, a prescription drug epidemic in our nation or in the world at large, in our culture. And again, it's something that is only getting worse. It would be naive for me to sit here and believe that there is no one within the reach of my voice tonight that does not struggle with the abuse of alcohol or other controlled substances. That is not something that is to characterize our life as Christians. Why? Not because just of the substance itself, but because of what it does. If we are to live wisely and walk circumspectly, making the best use of our time, losing control or giving over of our minds, to these substances, to live in an altered state, is the exact opposite of what Paul calls us to as Christians. Now again, there are many who do struggle with that, and I would plead with you. I don't stand up here to condemn those who struggle tonight, but rather to plead with you to seek forgiveness in the blood of Jesus Christ. If you're a Christian that struggles with alcohol or other substances, it doesn't have to define you as a believer. There is forgiveness in Jesus Christ and you can turn again from your sin and repent and turn from this sinful practice and find forgiveness and wholeness again in Christ. You see, that's the key. Paul is not making just a moral contrast here. The interest is primarily theological. Christians are not to seek fulfillment in the artificial, counterfeit, degrading, destructive, idolatrous ways that the world does. A non-Christian might turn to these substances to cope with life. But the Christian doesn't need that. We're not called to a coping ethic. We're called to a life that is submitted to the control of the Holy Spirit. We're called not to cope, but to hope. To look for eternity. We want to avoid the wasted living that drunkenness causes. But this could apply to anything that causes us to waste our lives on the trivial or sinful, on anything that is trivial or sinful. Whether that be substances, whether that be hobbies, whether that be pursuits, whether that be possessions. The broader application here, I think, is exactly that. The Christian is not called to waste their life on frivolities or to seek fulfillment in anything on this earth. There are many things here on earth that God has given us that He gives us to enjoy, but not to find our fulfillment in. And we get into trouble as Christians. when our hobbies become too important, when our pursuits, when our careers, when our possessions, so on and so forth, become too important and we seek fulfillment in them. Because even as Christians, we can fall back into the same trap that the world does. And in doing that, we're no different. We're no different than the one who gives their lives over to drunkenness. We're both or we're all trying to find fulfillment in that case, in things outside of God. So always retain control of your faculties. Number five, our final command tonight. The second part of verse 18, but be filled with the Spirit. This is the contrast to the previous command. Don't give yourself over to worthless pursuits like drunkenness, but rather give yourself over to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, rather than alcohol or any other substance, is to be the controlling influence that is motivating and directing the lives of God's people. Paul says, to be filled with the Spirit. Well, what does that mean? First of all, what does it not mean? To be filled with the Spirit is not a dramatic experience or some sort of energy that hypes us into super spirituality. It's not a temporary surge of spiritual power that results in the speaking in tongues, in miracles or visions or anything like that. It's not simply stoically doing what God wants us to do. It's not working in our own power with the Holy Spirit's blessing, which would be an act of the flesh that has God's approval. It's not that. It's not even being indwelt by the Spirit. Be filled with the Spirit and be indwelt by the Spirit. Those are two different things. Being indwelt by the Spirit is never a command in Scripture because that's not something that is under our control. That is what happens to every believer at the moment of salvation. We see that in Romans chapter 8, 1 Corinthians 12. The Bible also calls this baptism into the Holy Spirit. That happens to every believer. Be filled with the Spirit is not a process of receiving more and more of the Holy Spirit over time as we grow in our spirituality. If we are baptized into the Spirit as we are at salvation, we can't have more of the Holy Spirit than we have already. We have Him. He's in us. We are indwelt by Him. There's no escaping it. But rather, Being filled with the Spirit is not any of these things. What it rather is, is to be submitted to the Holy Spirit's control moment by moment. It is the logical outcome of walking wisely, of reading and understanding God's Word, of being intentional in our living, of wanting to make the best use of the time that God has given us. If we do that, we are going to be controlled by the Spirit, if that is our focus. It is a contrast to living according to the flesh. If you go back, we won't again for the sake of time tonight, but if you go back, take the time to read the first 11 verses of Romans chapter 8, maybe sometime this week. Hey, where Paul sets up the contrast between the flesh and the Spirit, where he says, the mindset on the Spirit is life, the mindset on the flesh is death, is the basic contrast. And this is what a life set on the Spirit is like, and this is what a life that is set on the flesh looks like. And the two very different lives and the two very different outcomes. The contrast there. I love the way that John MacArthur put it in his commentary on Ephesians. He said, to be filled with the Spirit is to live in the consciousness of the personal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ as if we were standing next to Him, and to let His mind dominate our life. Oh, that would be the prayer of all of us, right? It is to fill ourselves with God's Word so that His thoughts will be our thoughts, His standards our standards, His work our work, and His will our will. As we yield to the truth of Christ, the Holy Spirit will lead us to say, do, and be what God wants us to say, do, and be. Could wrap it up right there, right? Well said. to so fill ourselves, to recognize that Jesus Christ is with us in His Holy Spirit, to recognize that yes, we do live with Him right there next to us and with us, and letting that inform our thoughts, our attitudes and actions, so that everything that we do is pleasing to Him and is aligned with God's will for us as He has given it to us in His Word. Now again, none of us do that, do we? The best Christian that you know cannot even go a day doing that all of the time. But by God's grace, that is to be our pursuit, that is to be our intent, and where we fail, we are to ask for forgiveness and get up, and in His Spirit and by His leading and by His power, try again as best we can. So the rest of the passage here, as we come to a conclusion tonight, really answers the question then, what does someone's life who is filled by the Holy Spirit look like? Again, this is not just a, go be filled with the Spirit, but it's lived out in a life of action. And again, this is where you could come up with a bunch more commands. To me, it seems like the rest of the commands that fill out this passage are kind of subsets of, okay, now if you're filled with the Spirit, here's what's going to characterize your life. So let's look at a couple of these. What does this life look like? First of all, we see in verse 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. The person who is filled with the Spirit addresses other believers in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Note that the first mark of a Spirit-filled life is not miracle-working faith, ecstatic expression like tongues or anything like that. It is simply a heart that sings. Singing you see is the natural expression of joy that God brings into a person's life. Christians ought to be those who are characterized by joy and that joy ought to be shared with others is the idea. We sing to each other about God's character and work in Christ Just like we see in the book of Colossians 3, verse 16, where it says, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. So the Christian is known by their outpouring of joy that results in singing. They sing to the Lord with their heart. Not in their heart, but rather with their heart. The purpose of singing is both instruction and encouragement of believers and praise to God. The Lord says, with all of your heart. This is not a command that we first sing with feeling or emotion, but rather that we sing with our whole being. You see, the issue here is singing with integrity, not just happiness or feeling. But the idea here is that the words that we sing, even as we gathered earlier tonight in the first part of the service, and we sang those wonderful songs together, those words should not just be merely sung, but they should be expressing a reality of our lives. They should mean something when we sing. So he says, addressing one another in Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, with integrity, expressing an inward reality outwardly, giving thanks, verse 20, always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Well, what else does a spirit-filled life look like? Simply gratitude. The spirit-filled person is thankful. the believing acknowledgement of God and His purposes for good in us in Christ. Over and over and over again in the New Testament, believers are repeatedly commanded to an attitude of thanksgiving. If we go back to the book of Romans chapter 1, where Paul talks about those who have rejected, The Lord and His authority over them and have turned to their own rebellion. We're very familiar with that passage. One of the things that is overlooked as the second sin that is listed there. Before we get to the rest of that horrific list in Romans chapter 1, you can go read it on your own time. The second sin is a lack of gratitude. Before they were plunged into the deep, dark depravity of their own sin, they did not acknowledge God and they did not give Him thanks. The Christian is to be the opposite. We are to be people, Spirit-filled people, who are marked by gratitude to God. And this is a lifestyle, not just spoken words through gritted teeth. Although sometimes it's hard, isn't it, to be grateful? The fact that this is to be done in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ points to what Jesus has done and what He stands for. You see, our greatest need has already been met in Jesus Christ. When He died for us and our sins were forgiven and He brought us to the Father and made us right with Him on the basis of His death, burial, and resurrection, on His sacrifice on our behalf, what else do we have to complain about when it comes down to it? And if that is a reality in our lives, then everything else takes a backseat to that. As Christians, our thanksgiving is rooted in the person and work of Christ. And the final thing that characterizes a life lived under the control of the Holy Spirit is that one who is Spirit-filled is humble. We see in verse 21, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Humility is shown through submission to others. The word in the original language that is used here means literally to arrange underneath. The Spirit-filled person willfully, for the sake of Jesus Christ, places themselves beneath others. Submission is important because it requires self-giving, it requires love, it requires humility, and a willingness even to die for another. All Christians are called to live in mutual submission to each other. Romans 12.10 says, love one another with brotherly affection. Philippians chapter two, verses three through four, do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others. And so the type of submission that is reflected in the life of the one who is filled with the Spirit considers the needs of others to be more important than our own needs or desires. It follows the example of Christ, who counted His position, the glory that was due Him, as nothing, and set that aside to come to earth to die for sinners just like you and I. And that's where our passage concludes tonight. all the way back to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I would plead with those tonight within again reach of my voice who may not know Christ, who are yet in your sins, that as Jesus came to earth as a man and submitted Himself to die a sinner's death even though He was innocent, He did that on behalf of sinners so that anyone who trusts in Him for forgiveness of sins would have it and would find mercy. All He asks is that we turn to Him and trust in Him for salvation. If you have not done that tonight, for forgiveness of your sins, I plead with you. Because again, as we talked about the idea of time earlier, you do not know how much time you have left. And it is of utmost urgency that you are right with God, and it can only happen through the blood of Jesus Christ. So if you do not know Him, I plead with you tonight to repent of your sin and turn to Him for salvation and believe that His sacrifice was for you on your behalf. To the Christians who are listening tonight, to live a life again, a reminder that is pleasing to God as an imitator of Him. First of all, live wisely. Second of all, make the most use or purpose intentionally to make the most use of the time that God has given you here. Study and understand God's Word. Spend time daily with Him in His Word and in praying to Him. Be in control of yourself. Don't give yourself over to drunkenness, substances, or any other worthless temporary pursuit in the place of God. But rather, number five, be under the control of the Holy Spirit. And let that be the goal, the aim, the intention of your life. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for the time that you have given us today to gather multiple times as family in you, in Christ. to worship together and to study your word. I pray, Lord, that you would take the truths of your word that have been expressed from this pulpit in songs and hymns and spiritual songs, Father, from the teaching of your word this morning and tonight, and that you would lovingly and in your wisdom, as you know each one of us need to apply it to our hearts. I pray, Lord, that those who don't know you who heard the message tonight, that by your spirit they would be convicted of their sin and their need for a Savior, and that you would bring them to faith in Christ. And Father, that as believers, we would be encouraged to live lives that are imitators of You and that are pleasing to You. Pray, Father, that You would give us all a good week, that You would help us to walk wisely, that You would give us all safety, Father, in our pursuits, and that You would bring us back safely together to worship again next Sunday. We trust these things to You. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.