Rev. David Holwick THANKSGIVING SUNDAY
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
November 24, 1991
Ephesians 5:15-20
MAKING THE MOST OF THE MOMENT
I. The preciousness of time.
Swindoll: Let's play "Let's Pretend."
Let's pretend that your banker phoned you late Friday night and
said he had some very good news.
He told you that an anonymous donor who loves you very much has
decided to deposit 86,400 pennies into your account each morning,
starting Monday morning.
That's $864 a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.
He adds, "But there's one stipulation... you must spend all that
money that same day.
No balance will be carried over to the next day.
Each evening the bank must cancel whatever sum you failed to use."
With a big smile, you thank your banker and hang up.
Over that weekend you have time to plan.
You grab a pencil and start figuring;
$864 times 7 equals over $6,000 a week... times 52.
That's almost $315,000 a year that you have available to you if
you work hard to spend it all each day.
Remember, whatever you don't spend is forfeited.
So much for "Let's Pretend".
Now let's play "Let's Get Serious."
Every morning Someone who loves you very much deposits into your
bank of time 86,400 seconds of time --
---which represent 1,440 minutes
---which, of course, equal 24 hours each day.
Now you've got to remember the same stipulation applies, because God
gives you this amount of time for you to use each day.
Nothing is ever carried over on credit to the next day.
There is no such thing as a twenty-six hour day.
(Though some of us wish there were).
From today's dawn until tomorrow's dawn, you have a precisely
determined amount of time.
As someone has put it, "Life is like a coin. You can spend it any
way you want to, but you can spend it only once."
[1572]
A. Christians must be wise about their use of time. 5:16
1) "Time" = kairos, the critical moment.
2) Redeeming time means to make the most of each moment. 5:16
3) How we use time.
a) Job. ("Day Timers")
b) Family needs.
c) Amusements.
1> Big factor for Americans.
2> Do your amusements build you up or just entertain?
A> Sports, TV.
B. We live in difficult times, so time can't be taken for granted.
The last words written in Sir Walter Scott's diary were,
"Tomorrow we shall...."
But there was no tomorrow for him.
He died with good intentions to accomplish a certain goal-
-a goal that he never attained.
Every thinking person has goals and dreams he longs for,
plans for, and even begins to reach for.
Yet there are many people who fall short of their goals
simply because of limited time or opportunity.
And that is why it is always important to get busy and do
the right thing immediately.
Never delay that which needs to be done today.
#1670
II. Christians must seek God's will. 5:17
A. With time being so short, don't put off seeking for God.
Emperor Constantine put off baptism - thought he wouldn't
be able to sin after doing it.
He thought only one sin was allowed after baptism, and
being a politician he knew that would be tough.
So he waited till he was on his death bed, hoping he
would die immediately after. #1694
B. True wisdom is the ability to discern what is the will of God,
the belief that in it lies our best welfare, and the
willingness, with God's help, to do that will.
C. Be concerned about what God wants you to do today.
III. Christians must get high on God, not chemicals. 5:18
A. The Spirit instead of "spirits."
1) There is a superficial similarity. (Pentecost, Acts 2:13)
2) People use alcohol to escape from boredom and loneliness.
a) In our hearts we know that life is meant to be joyous.
b) When circumstances or our own attitudes make that
impossible, we try to cover it up.
3) The relief alcohol brings is short-lived.
a) It covers, rather than solves.
b) It diminishes our sense of responsibility.
1> Debauchery results.
James Schaefer of the University of Minn did a ten year study
of a bar in Missoula, Montana.
(He followed it up with a three year study of 65 bars around
Minneapolis.)
His startling conclusion: country-western tunes and booze go
together.
He found that the lyrics tend to be sad laments about love gone
sour, personal freedom, and solace found in the bottle.
"Particularly powerful drinking inducements" are songs that
"celebrate heavy drinking by making heroes out of drunkards."
Dr. Schaefer heads the University of Minn drug and alcohol abuse
program.
His studies found "slower music went with faster drinking,"
adding,
"Hard drinkers prefer listening to slower-paced, wailing,
lonesome, self-pitying music."
His conclusion:
"No doubt about it, country and western can be a prescription
for trouble among people with little self-control."
#576
4) Christians don't lose control of themselves.
B. Alcohol depresses, the Spirit stimulates.
1) Alcohol brings out the worst, the Spirit brings out
the best.
2) Alcohol leads to debauchery, making us animal-like,
while the Spirit makes us more human.
C. Being filled with the Spirit. 5:18
1) A command, not a proposal.
2) It's addressed to the whole Christian community. (plural)
a) The fullness of the Spirit is not limited to an elite few.
3) Passive voice - "Let the Spirit fill you."
a) No technique or formula.
b) Parallel in Colossians - let Christ's word dwell in you
richly.
4) Describes a continuous action, rather than a single one.
a) Cana wedding: fill jars once. Here: fill continuously.
b) Sealing with Spirit is once for all, filling is every day.
IV. Seek the Spirit's joy in fellowship and worship. 5:19
A. Fellowship: "To one another."
1) Christians should encourage one another.
2) (Maureen Grabosky and encouraging cards.)
B. Worship: "To the Lord."
1) A worship setting is implied.
2) It seems to have been an informal setting, spontaneous.
3) Much participation.
C. The importance of singing.
1) Jesus is honored by it.
2) If you aren't gifted, the singing can be "in your heart."
3) Great revivals have always resulted in a renewal of singing.
V. Be grateful to God. 5:20
A. Give thanks always.
1) Difficult in practice, but stressed in the NT. Eph 1:16
2) The grumbling spirit is not compatible with the Holy Spirit.
B. "Always for everything" - not to be pressed literally. 5:20
1) Some have the strange idea that the secret of Christian
victory is found in unconditional praise.
a) "Praise Jesus - my mother just got run over by a car!"
1> Praise God for spouse's adultery?
b) Dangerous half-truth or even blasphemy.
2) We praise God for being God, but do not praise him for evil.
a) We can be thankful because of our confident hope that in
some wonderful way God will make even disaster and
suffering an occasion for later blessing.
b) "Everything" is qualified by "in the name of Lord Jesus."
VI. Being careful how we live...
A. How are you using the time God has given you?
1) If you knew your time was limited, what would you do
differently?
2) Your time is limited!
B. What is the source of joy in your life?
1) Something artificial?
2) Your relationship with God? Other Christians?
C. What do you have to be thankful for?
*************** Study Notes ***********************************
John Stott
I. The nature of wisdom. 5:15-17
A. Christians are wise people, and not fools.
1) Wise people make the most of their time.
a) Ransom time from its evil bondage.
1> Better - buy up time, and the make the most of each
passing moment.
b) Disciplined use of time:
Jonathan Edwards, 70th of his resolutions made when
twenty years old:
"Resolved: Never to lose one moment of time, but to
improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can."
2) Wise people discern the will of God. 5:17
a) Distinguish between God's general and particular will.
B. Christian wisdom is practical wisdom, teaches how to behave.
1) The Spirit instead of "spirits."
a) There is a superficial similarity. (Pentecost, Acts 2:13)
1> Christians don't lose control of themselves.
b) Alcohol depresses, the Spirit stimulates.
1> Alcohol brings out the worst, the Spirit brings out
the best.
2> Alcohol leads to debauchery, making us animal-like,
while the Spirit makes us more human.
II. Four benefits of being filled with the Spirit.
A. Fellowship: addressing one another in psalms. 5:19
B. Worship: singing to the Lord in our heart. 5:19
1) Directed to the Lord rather than other Christians.
2) Joyous, inward worship.
C. Gratitude: always and for everything giving thanks. 5:20
1) The grumbling spirit is not compatible with the Holy
Spirit.
2) "Always for everything" - not to be pressed literally.
a) It's a strange notion that the secret of Christian
victory is unconditional praise.
1> Praise God for spouse's adultery?
2> Dangerous half-truth or even blasphemy.
b) We praise God for being God, but do not praise
him for evil.
1> Evil must be hated, not encouraged or condoned.
3) "Everything" is qualified by "in the name of Lord Jesus."
D. Submission: be subject to one another out of reverence
for Christ. 5:22
1) The Holy Spirit is a humble Spirit, and those who are
truly filled with him always display the meekness and
gentleness of Christ.
2) Christ is the key. (In OT it would say "submit to the
Lord")
a) We are to please Christ and seek his will.
III. Being filled with the Spirit.
A. Imperative mood.
1) Not a tentative proposal, but an authoritative command.
B. Plural form.
1) It's addressed to the whole Christian community.
2) The fullness of the Spirit is not limited to an elite few.
C. Passive voice.
1) "Let the Spirit fill you." No technique or formula.
2) Parallel in Colossians is "Let the word of Christ dwell in
you richly."
3) To obey the Word and to surrender to the Spirit are identical.
D. Present tense.
1) Describes a continuous action, rather than a single one
(aorist).
2) Cana: fill once. Here: fill continuously.
3) Sealing with Spirit is once for all, filling is every day.
IV. Each of the four benefits concern our relationships.
A. We should be harmoniously related to God.
1) Worshipping and singing, thanking.
B. We should be harmoniously related to each other.
1) Speaking and submitting.
********* original sermon, November 21, 1982 (WL,Ohio) **************
I. The danger of complacency.
A. Wonderful thing to become a Christian.
1) Sit back and soak up blessings?
a) John's rebuke of lukewarmness in Rev 3:15-16.
2) Christians should not become complacent.
B. Watch out how you live. Eph 5:15
1) Wise people anticipate the likely consequences of an action,
and avoid what brings trouble.
2) True wisdom comes to those who seek to follow the Spirit.
3) They not only want to avoid trouble, but delight in doing
God's will.
II. Redeeming the time. 5:16
A. "Time" = kairos, the critical moment.
1) Redeeming time means to make the most of each moment.
2) Don't be indifferent to the needs of others.
B. The evil times we live in.
1) Things on earth are getting worse.
a) Bible: we are heading to a Great Tribulation. Matt 24:6-8
2) The time is short. 1 Cor 7:29
a) Things won't get any easier.
III. Living according to God's will. 5:17
A. Be concerned about what God wants you to do.
1) True wisdom is the ability to discern what is the will of God,
the belief that in it lies our best welfare, and the
willingness, with God's help, to do that will.
B. Don't get drunk.
1) Drunkenness as a great problem in America.
2) People use alcohol to escape from boredom and drabness. (loneliness?)
a) In our hearts we know that life is meant to be joyous.
b) Circumstances may make that difficult or impossible.
c) Our own attitudes or heart may make it impossible.
3) The relief alcohol brings is short-lived.
a) It covers, rather than solves.
b) It diminishes our sense of responsibility.
1> Debauchery results.
IV. The joy of the Holy Spirit.
A. Christ's alternative to escapism and chemicals.
1) The Christian life can bring joy and happiness.
B. Churches should also be exciting and joyful.
1) A worship setting is implied in 5:19.
2) It seems to have been an informal setting, spontaneous.
a) Info on early worship from Pliny's letter to Trajan.
b) Much participation.
3) The importance of singing.
a) Jesus is honored by it.
V. The importance of giving thanks.
A. Give thanks always.
1) Difficult in practice.
2) But stressed in NT. Eph 1:16
B. Give thanks for all things.
1) Even harder.
2) Easy to thank God for good things, harder for bad things.
a) No one has only good happen to them.
3) Be thankful even when you suffer. 1 Peter 4:12-13
a) To be thankful for all things requires a deep underlying
faith that God can produce good out of even the most
unpromising situation.
b) We can be thankful because of our confident hope that in
some wonderful way God will make even disaster and
suffering an occasion for later blessing.
VI. Application.
A. Are you wise?
B. Making the most of opportunities?
C. Filled with the Spirit instead of chemicals?
D. Worshipful and thankful?
**********************************************
Resources:
I. Music: "The God Who Sings" by Richard Dinwiddie. CT, 7/15/83, p 18f.
