A convicting instruction. Are you wise enough to heed it?

Wow, You Mean God Commands Me Not to be a Fool?

Ephesians 5:15-17

Pastor Kerry Kinchen, Bridgeway Bible Church

Please turn to Ephesians 5:15-17. I am going to start back in verse 1, so please go to 5:1. As you turn there, I want to ask you a question:

What do you think of when you think of the Christian walk?

Do you think of yourself? Do you think of a Bible character? Do you think of someone you know of? I'm not talking about being saved, and so you are a Christian, and because you are a Christian, when you walk, you are necessarily walking the Christian walk. I'm talking about what Paul is talking about in Ephesians. Paul talks about how we are supposed to walk as Christians. In other words, there is a way to walk. In chapter 2, verse 2, Paul talked about how we used to walk when we were not Christians. This is important. Think about how we used to walk. We used to walk according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. It is the walk of the lost. So, when we think of the way we used to walk, we need to think of the origin of that old walk. It was sin, and the futility of the Gentile mind, as Paul calls it. It was the walk of foolishness. In 2:10, we see that we were recreated in Christ, as God's handiwork. We were created for good works that God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Now, we are to walk according to a different origin. In wisdom, we recognize that all good works have their origin from God in His preparation for us to walk in. It is the Christian walk, and you and I are to do it. In 4:1, Paul implores us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called. The world relentlessly calls us back to itself, and it is tempting, but we are called to go forward. We are called to the mountain top of the higher calling in our walk. In 4:17, we are urged to walk no longer as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind. This is a huge point. The world walks in a pit. The origin of so much that we find in the culture of the world, is stuff that is according to the foolish futility of the Gentile mind. It is stuff that we find all around us, and sometimes we don't recognize it for what it is. So, God has given us His word, His Spirit, and His wisdom, so we can discern what it is. In 5:2, we are to walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us in sacrifice. The Jesus shoes are hard shoes to walk in, but that is how we are supposed to walk in our Christian walk. Then in 5:8, we are reminded that we used to be darkness, but now we are light in the Lord, so we are to walk as children of Light. The point is that when we think of the Christian walk, we should be thinking of the biblical definition. Otherwise we are just walking according to our own opinions of what the Christian walk is supposed to be. And if we are walking according to our own opinions of what the Christian walk is supposed to be, then we are in danger of walking according to the futility of the Gentile mind. This is why we always need to consider the source of why, and how, we make our decisions. Paul goes on with more of the definition of how to walk. It comes strictly from God's revelation. Paul is going to urge us, once again, to be walking the true definition of the Christian walk. This morning, we are going to look at what God is urging us to learn concerning how to walk in our Christian walk, as we continue in Ephesians 5. Please read along with me, starting in verse 1,

"Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. 3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among set apart ones; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or greedy man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says, 'Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'"

[and now our primary verses under study]

15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

The theme for the sermon this morning is,

Wow, You Mean God Commands Me Not to be a Fool?

We have seen all the passages now, where Paul has been describing our Christian walk. Right here is the last one in Ephesians where Paul uses the same language. It is the final time he uses it in this epistle, when He says,

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,"

Before we proceed, I think the first thing we need to do, is ask ourselves an important question. We need to ask;

What is wisdom?

If we don't have a right definition of wisdom, then how are we going to know how to walk in wisdom. We are commanded by God to walk as wise people, so we better know what wisdom is; right? Unfortunately, in our contemporary culture of a, so called, new emerging Christianity, many of the new emerging Christians, do not walk in wisdom; apparently in complete ignorance of what wisdom is, or even that we are commanded to walk in it.

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So, the first thing we are going to look at is wisdom:

Wisdom is the application of knowledge to achieve results of the highest quality that are the most sensible, prudent, and beneficial.

The quick definition of wisdom from the online dictionary I use, gave me three results that give us more comprehensive details:

 

Wisdom:

 

1) The trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight. 2) The quality of being prudent and sensible. 3) Ability to apply knowledge or experience or understanding or common sense and insight. In a nutshell--Wisdom is the application of knowledge to achieve results of the highest quality that are the most sensible, prudent, and beneficial.

There are perhaps endless ways to walk in wisdom as a demonstration of prudence and sensibility. We find these ways practiced by both Christians and non-Christians alike. There are sales principles that are wise, and so wise techniques are studied, perfected and applied in sales. Someone who demonstrates this practice is considered to be walking as a wise person. Just as there are wise sales practices, there are purchasing principles that have to do with applying knowledge, understanding, and discernment to make correct purchasing decisions. Do this, and you are called a wise consumer. There are business practices that reflect this kind of mental process. It is deemed to be wise business. There are principles of how to properly treat, and relate to, one's spouse. They are wise principles that stem from a scrutinizing and serious mind. The same goes for how parents treat their children. There are wise parenting practices that require analyzation, reflection, discernment, and deep thought for the best course of action to achieve the best result. To apply study, reflection, and analyzation, to make correct decisions is to walk as a wise man. It is to walk as a wise woman. These are all examples that can be found of walking as wise people in this world we live in, whether among the saved, or the unsaved. This leads us to the next question concerning what Paul is commanding, and that is:

What is a wise man?

The magi of the Gospels have been called the "wise men." They have been called wise men, because they sought to attain knowledge, and then apply that knowledge to achieve results of the highest quality that are the most sensible, prudent and beneficial--particularly in respect to recognizing, anticipating, and seeking the coming of the Messiah in Bethlehem. Magi, of that period, were the scientists, and philosophers that typically worked for royalty. They were considered to be knowledgeable, and they were considered to be wise. But, these are not the kind of wise men that God wants us to walk as, in our passage under study. The magi of the Bible walked, in one sense, according to wisdom, because they walked according to special revelation from God. But the wise men of the lost world culture, predominantly walk according to lostness, and so, in lostness, they walk according to the futility of the Gentile mind. The futility of the Gentile mind is their reasoning source of their wisdom. In fact, it is a different kind of wisdom than what God wants us to walk in. Gods wants us to walk in the kind of wisdom that finds its source in the mind of Christ, where we are trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. In saying all of that, it is important for us to recognize that there is an earthly wisdom, that, though it may seem to be commendable to some people; it is not the kind of wisdom that is always commended by God. For example, people in the world may make determinations concerning the application of knowledge to achieve the result that they think is the highest quality. They think that what they are doing is the most sensible, prudent, and beneficial, and yet they can do this according to their source. Remember the source of the lost? The source is the futility of the Gentile mind, where they walk in deception according to Ephesians 4:17-18; so their wisdom can be based completely upon falsehood, and deception, Ephesians 4:22, where they are darkened in their understanding 4:18. Christians are in danger of doing this too when they start reasoning according to that old source, which is part of what Paul is warning against. The point that I am trying to make, though, is that there is a kind of wisdom that finds its source in the lost darkness of the world, so it is the wisdom that comes from lostness. In fact, there is worldly wisdom that does not recognize godly wisdom, and it doesn't recognize God's wisdom. It does not recognize Christ according to the wisdom of Christ. It is vital that we understand this distinction. To recognize the distinction, is, after all, to walk as wise men. Paul explains it,

"22... Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but [Paul says] we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has elected the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has elected the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has elected, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in (Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption," 1 Corinthians 1:22-29

The lost culture of the world is deceived, so they turn the tables on the truth. According to the world's wisdom, those whom God has elected are considered foolish. Lost people think Christians are fools. And yet according to God, His foolishness is wiser than the so-called wisdom of the lost. Two chapters later, Paul continues with this explanation,

"If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, 'He is the One who catches the wise in their craftiness'; 20 and again, 'The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.'" 1 Corinthians 3:18-20

Did you catch where God is saying that the futile mind of the lost, is really the mind of a fool? They think we are foolish, so Paul's urging is that we must become the foolishness of God, which is really pure wisdom. I remember that years ago there was a bumper sticker that had the message;

I'm a fool for Christ. Who's fool are you?

The point is that a fool for Christ is really a wise man. We are called to walk as wise men, but our calling is to walk, in carefulness, as wise men of God, in Christ, according to God's wisdom, which is a wisdom that the foolishness of the world does not recognize. So, our definitions of our wisdom that we are commanded to walk by, are specific. They are important, because God really commands us not to be walking like fools. What we Christians are supposed to walk by is what wisdom means for us in particular--not what it means for the lost. So pay attention, because what wisdom means for us in Paul's contextual flow of thought is;

A) Wisdom, for us who are saved, is the application of supernatural knowledge revealed to us by God through His word, to achieve results of the highest quality that are the most sensible, prudent and beneficial to glorify Christ and for building up the body of Christ.

Let me repeat that, because God's glory, and the contextual flow of edification are there, and we need to really get a grasp on what the godly wisdom is that Paul is talking about: Wisdom, for us who are saved, is the application of supernatural knowledge revealed to us by God through His word, to achieve results of the highest quality that are the most sensible, prudent and beneficial to glorify Christ and for building up the body of Christ. This is godly wisdom. With that definition, we can identify what a wise Christian is;

B) A wise Christian is anyone who is walking in this biblical way of wisdom.

Looking at our text under study, then, we recognize that we are to walk as wise men, and what Paul means at the highest level, which is the most fundamental level, is to walk as Christians who are imitating God, Ephesians 5:1, which is the result of learning to attain to the full stature of the measure of Christ in all our thoughts and actions, Ephesians 4:13.

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This leads us to the next thing we must recognize, and that is the underlying point that Paul is making. Basically, God is commanding us not to be fools. Really, isn't that the underlying point? When any Christian is a fool, they hurt themselves; they hurt the body of Christ, and they grieve the Holy Spirit, which means they hurt God. And in the context, we recognize that God's definition of a fool is anyone who walks according to the futility of the Gentile mind, which means to walk, think, and act, like people, who are unsaved, think and act. The unsaved do not imitate God, and they are not trying to attain to the full stature of the measure of Christ as the epitome of virtue and spiritual maturity. So, to imitate them is to be foolish. From 4:25, all the way to this point, Paul has been explaining the natural foolish affinities of the lost. You and I are not walking as wise people, if we are in impurity, immorality, greed, lying, stealing, slandering, clamoring, talking with vulgar filthy language, and all these kinds of things. Paul has been explaining that all of these things of the old man, are things that hurt the body of Christ, and grieve the Holy Spirit. Okay, it seems like we have it all figured out, right? But, we need to understand something that is at the core of what Paul is concerned with. Before you think you've got it all tightly wrapped up, and so now you think you need to move on to the next thing, you and I need to recognize something else first in a pronounced way. What I mean, is that Paul's concern in this true wisdom walk, is that;

we are to be thinking about other members of the body in respect to whatever we do, which means we are not to be selfishly thinking about ourselves, and our felt needs, in respect to what we do, at the sake of edifying others.

To do so, is the walk of a fool. This is why we are taught in Philippians, to think of others as better than ourselves. When we do this, we are thinking with godly wisdom concerning the body of Christ. When we actually walk this way, then we put this godly wisdom to practice by seeking to dress, talk, work, and play, by seeking to do those things according to what is the most beneficial in building up the body of Christ. Remember, the body of Christ is Paul's big theme in the first 5 chapters of Ephesians. The church is God's pet project. The church is God's big focus for bringing Himself glory, and the more we act like wise men, both in and to the church, then the more we bring glory to God and His wisdom. So, in recognizing that God is commanding us not to be fools, we need to be recognizing that we have a responsibility that has been given to us by God to consider the source of why, and how, we make our decisions. We need to walk as a wise man in the application of knowledge to achieve results of the highest quality that are the most sensible, prudent and beneficial--not just for ourselves, but for the body of Christ. There is worldly wisdom that does not recognize godly wisdom, and it doesn't recognize God's wisdom, and so we need to be shunning that type of wisdom. The concern of God, in commanding us to the true wisdom walk, is that we should be thinking about other people, in respect to what we do.

At this point, I want to focus upon an area where we can fail to accomplish the wisdom of the wise-walk. This happens when we start to assert our rights to do certain things as Christians because we have been saved by grace, and are kept by grace. Stay with me, because certainly, we are saved by grace, and we are kept by grace in eternal spiritual salvation. But, we know that in heavenly glory, we will no longer sin, will we? Not only will we no longer sin in heavenly glory in the future, but we are exhorted to no longer continue in sin right now. I want you to understand the point I am getting at: Likewise, in heavenly glory, we will no longer act, or walk foolishly. Further, God commands us to walk a certain way on this earth now. We are exhorted to no longer continue to walk foolishly, but rather to walk as wise men. But, someone may say,

I have a right to do this particular thing because I am under grace. It is my preference. What is wise to you, may not be wise to me. If you don't like it, then it is your problem, and not mine.

Have you ever heard anyone say that? I have. I was attempting to encourage someone to walk in wisdom, and that was the answer they gave me. The unfortunate thing about this statement, that many foolish walking Christians make to justify their foolish behavior, is that what I am about to say next, takes the very same wisdom that they reject to: a) recognize, b) understand, c) agree with, and d) put in practice for the wisdom walk. The reason is because when someone says,

I have a right to do this particular thing that associates me with the culture of the futility of the Gentile mind. I have a right to do this thing that causes strife, uneasiness, judgments, scrutiny, questions concerning my character, and repels other members of the body Christ away from me. I have a right, so it is everyone else's problem, and not mine,

then what is being said is something that we need to translate according to wisdom. In humanistic pride, and foolishness, (listen carefully) what is really being said is,

I do not have a responsibility that has been given to me by God to consider the source of why, and how I make my decisions. I do not need to walk as a wise man in the application of knowledge to achieve results of the highest quality that are the most sensible, prudent, and beneficial. It doesn't matter if there is worldly wisdom that does not recognize godly wisdom, and it doesn't recognize God's wisdom. It doesn't matter if the concern of God, in commanding me to the true wisdom walk, is that I should be thinking about other members of the body in respect to whatever I do, which means I am not to be selfishly thinking about myself, and my felt needs, in respect to what I do, at the sake of edifying others,

which is everything we have covered up to this point. So, what is really being said is that

I have the grace to walk like a fool, so therefor I will.

This sad statement is being walked out way too often, by way too many children of God.

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This leads us to consider the third important thing this morning, as we contemplate the theme of this sermon, which is Wow, You Mean God really Commands Me Not to be a Fool? One of the most foundational ways that we can avoid being foolish in our Christian walk, is that we need to do something that is really very easy to do. What we need to do is simply be careful. That's it. We just need to be careful how we walk. Notice that Paul says,

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,"

We need to take heed, or as one translation renders it, we need to be circumvent. Being careful, is from the Greek word blepo, meaning that we need to be seeing to it, that we, with conscientious scrutiny, walk as wise people, always keeping in mind how we can glorify God, and edify the body, with our actions. If you have a pen or pencil, please underline the word, "careful" in your Bible. The reason why I want you to underline this word, is because this is one of the biggest distinctions between what identifies the foolish Christian from the wise Christian. Wise people see to it, take heed, and are careful, how they walk. Have you ever noticed a wise person, as they consider things, and they do things? They are analyzing everything from God's word, and they are seeking to do the edifying thing, rather than the personal, selfish thing. They look at others in the body as being better than themselves, and they look at Christ's honor as being better than their own, which means they are carefully seeking to build up others, and to glorify God at all costs to their own personal opinions, or desires. And so in seeking to edify and glorify, they adjust their actions based upon carefully thought through, wise considerations. I am not exaggerating when I say that one of the most foundational ways that we can avoid being foolish in our Christian walk, is to simply be obedient to God, and be careful! When a Christian is not being careful, they can allow bitter jealousy to spring up out of their heart. Then what happens? The bitter jealousy drives their actions to be foolish concerning their own happiness, and concerning authentic love for other members of the body of Christ. Further, when we are not being careful, we are in great danger of making decisions based upon selfishness, which is according to the source of the old man that we are to put off, Ephesians 4:22. What happens when we are not careful to be wise ministers that we are being equipped to be, Ephesians 4:12-13, we are opting for the route that produces strife in walking in such a manner that is offensive to the body by our actions of selfish ambition. So, we often find that there is bitter jealousy, and selfish ambition, in the foolish walk. This is a very interesting biblical law that we need to learn. Most foolish actions of Christians can be traced to selfish ambitions. Again, most foolish actions of Christians can be traced to self serving ambitions. Listen to what James says on this line, which identifies the root problem of the foolish acting Christian, which is selfish ambition;

"13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior, his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:13-18

Good behavior, and good fruits--this is wisdom that is contrary to our own narrow selfish ambitions, which are ambitions that are just wanting to do whatever we want to do. Selfish ambition, which is foolish thinking that leads to foolish actions, is the opposite of being careful, and intensely analyzing and discerning our behavior to seek what is best for the body in glorifying Christ, by humbling ourselves and looking at everyone else in the body of Christ as actually being better than our selves. To be arrogant, and reject all of these things, is the mark of a fool. Selfish ambition is the foolishness of saying that since we are under grace, we can do whatever we want to do, and it doesn't matter to God what we do, and it really shouldn't matter to others what we do either. But because this mindset comes from foolishness, it fails to recognize that it does matter to God, because in this kind of thinking, according to James, there is disorder. It is not reasonable, and the fruits are fruits, but they are not the pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, unwavering, non-hypocritical, good fruited wisdom of above.

I know Christians who smugly try to dress and act as much like the unsaved world as they can, and they think that to do so is wisdom. They particularly like to dress according to various subcultures of rebellion, angst, or carelessness, which is reflected in the so called style of that particular sub culture. Really, they actually think they are being wise when the are doing this. What they are doing is trying to be as much like a lost world culture that they can, so that they can be accepted by the lost world culture. It is not a wisdom walk of godliness. It is based upon a wisdom that comes from the source of the futility of the Gentile mind. The wisdom tables have been turned, and so now they are no longer walking as wise men, but doing the exact opposite, but thinking that they are really walking as wise men. Now, here is the irony:

The true wisdom walk is to walk like we are not really as much like the unsaved world culture as they want to try to influence us to be. Our true wisdom walk is to walk in such a manner that we will show the world culture that we are from an intense Christian culture of godly wisdom. Our true wisdom walk is not to act and look like them so that we will win them over. Rather, our true wisdom walk is to act so much like the foreign culture of Christianity, absent of rebellion, angst, and carelessness, that we will repel those who don't care about Christ, and we will draw those who God is drawing to Himself through us in our Christian wisdom.

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This leads us to a fourth thing that is important to consider in our passage where God commands us not to be fools, and that is that the walk of godly wisdom, is one in which we should be making the most of our time;

"16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil."

The days were evil back then with the pagan idolatry, wickedness, and sin of the Gentile world in a culture immersed in selfish ambition. The days were evil with the apostate Israelites, who turned against Messiah, and attacked Christianity in that first generation. The days are evil today with Christianity coming under attack by liberals who want to redefine Christianity, and distort the Bible to resemble something that can be used to glorify man, and man's selfish ambitions, rather than receive it for what it is. The Bible is God's word to glorify Himself, and His perfect will. The days are evil now. But here is the important point that we really need to wake up to in a sobering and serious way: In just the same way that not being careful is a taproot for being a fool, not making the most of our time, is the fertilizing nutrient for being a fool. And folks, we must admit that many Christians waste their time away doing meaningless, temporal things, rather than meaningful, wise, eternally virtuous things. Selfish ambitions, and empty pursuits of the futile Gentile mind, will get more Christians thinking foolish thoughts, and doing foolish things, than just about anything else. What I am talking about is that one of the full body tattoos that marks out a fool among the body of Christ, is that they waste their precious lives away doing second rate things that have no eternal value to God. They are things that don't build up others, but in selfish ambition, they vainly build up our empty fading wishes, our temporary self-pride, and our empty pursuits. They are things that the world thinks are great, but they are things that are making the least of your time that could be things that make up the most of your time. Making most of our time is to look at others as more important than ourselves. Making most of our time, is to have the ambition to seek to do the most for God's kingdom during our short stay on this earth. Making the most of our time is to be fighting the seductive cultural trends of our age, by being so different that we don't fit into the crowd. It is amazing how many Christians make the least of their time be trying to fit into the contemporary crowd by doing everything they can to look like the world culture in respect to every faddish trend that comes along. They actually believe it is their ministry. One problem is that foolishness tempts us each day to act as if what we are doing is so important that it is worthy of our time, as if it has some eternal importance. But, wisdom tells us that there really are very few things that are worth our time, and have eternal importance. But listen, what wisdom tells us, will only matter to us if we will listen to it. Now, the question is, How do we listen? Who do we listen to? There are so many voices. Also, How do we get there? It is easy to walk as a fool, so how is it that we so easily do this? Well it has to do with the next point, which is that we do not make the most of our time because we are not applying wisdom toward the most important place, in the first place. What I mean is that we are not applying wisdom to recognize that the days that we live in, and the culture that we live in, and the trends that we live in, really, truthfully, actually, are--what? Look at our text. Look at the last word in verse, 16:

The days are evil.

They are evil--stemming from the evil futility of the Gentile mind. And folks, this is something that the foolish Christian barely recognizes as being true to the highest degree. Paul says,

"16 making the most of your time, [why?] because the days are evil."

You see, my precious brothers and sisters, if we really, truthfully, in wisdom, recognize that the days that we live in are evil, and that God wants us to walk as if the days are evil, then we would put away most, if not all of the rest of the foolishness of the way the rest of the world is walking, and instead of trying to make world-trends our standard of how close to walk to the culture without Christ, and still be Christian, we would make Christ our standard of how we should walk as closely to the way He walks as is humanly possible, at the sake of being trendy. You see, many Christians abide in foolishness because they abide in the day, which is evil. What I mean is that God's children will listen to people who are lost preach one sermon after another, over and over again, and not even think twice about it. God's children, in foolishness, will listen to lost people sing praise and worship music to lost humanity, over and over again, and not even think twice about it. I'm talking about secular music artists who sing about things like love, but it is according to the futile Gentile mind; lost people, in darkness, who sing about sex, and what they think is the truth, and feelings, and desire, and problems from a lost person's perspective. It is foolishness from the source of foolishness. It is the preaching of the world, and yet huge multitudes of Christians listen to it because they simply refuse to recognize that the days are evil. Most movies are in the same category. Most movies are written, directed, acted, and marketed, according to the futility of the Gentile mind, and so they reflect how evil the days we live in really are, but in foolishness, many Christians ignore the evil in the movie, to try and find the good in the movie. But, God wants us to be walking as wise men. And the way you do this, is that you identify the evil, and then ignore the movie all together as that which falls short of the glory of God and His radically different wisdom.

Finally, this leads us to the remedy for all of this. The remedy is verse 17. Paul, who operates in the wisdom of a great spiritual physician, gives us a prescription that clears up the disease of foolishness in the most effective manner possible. It is God's way, which is good, because it is not our way. It is verse 17, where Paul says,

"17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."

This is really very important because Christians walk as unwise foolish people because they do not understand what the will of the Lord is. And it happens in two ways. The first is to know what God's will is, but ignore it anyway, which in ignoring it, they demonstrate that they do not understand God's will, which is to not ignore what they already know to be God's will. It is foolish to ignore what they already know to be God's will. The second is to just simply be ignorant of the word of God, which equates to being ignorant of the will of God. You see folks, this is a command. It is not an option. When we get the command, it becomes personal revelation to us from God that we were meant to be exposed to, like you are being exposed to it in this sermon right now. The command is don't be foolish, and the command is to understand what the will of the Lord is. Since it is a command, and it has been revealed to us, there is no excuse for us to not be making it our ambition to obey this command. To ignore it is sin. OK, as I end the sermon this morning, we must keep in mind that Paul just said in verse 6 to let no one deceive you in respect to how much God hates immorality, impurity, covetousness, and idolatry. So, one of my wrap up questions to us this morning is:

How are you going to keep from being deceived if you do not know what the will of God is?

Paul says,

"... walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord."

So, we see that to not walk in foolishness, but to understand what the will of the Lord is, means that we must first be trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord, so that we do not be deceived. This is so important because there are many ways to be deceived. One way is to foolishly walk alongside bad company. Paul makes the searing rebuke about Christians being deceived, where he says,

"33 Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'

[In other words, fools make fools out of people who once had wisdom in their morals. Continuing,]

34 Become sober-minded as you ought,

[To do so is wisdom]

and stop sinning;

[To do so is wisdom]

for some have no knowledge of God.

[because they are fools]

I speak this to your shame." 1 Corinthians 15:33-34

[because foolishness is shameful]

We get our knowledge of God and His will from the Bible and from godly men and woman who live out the precepts of wisdom that our Lord has provided for us to edify us to glorify Him. If our social sphere is the world, and our entertainment is the world, and our look (or I should say our style) is of the dark, rebellious, subcultures of the world, then we are learning that the foolishness of the world is supposed to be wisdom. It is a lie, but nevertheless, we are learning it. We become desensitized to the influence, and so instead of diligently seeking to influence the world, the world in the foolish wisdom of the world, has diligently sought to influence us, and it has accomplished its evil goal. Yes, the days are evil. But, God does not want us to be deceived in these evil days. He wants us to know His will, and live it by the faith that the world calls, "foolish."

"6 without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

The wise Christian diligently seeks God to learn from Him, and to learn His ways of wisdom. What happens is that the wise Christian is sowing his wisdom, and so, he reaps the wisdom from God in what he learns. It is his reward.

I strongly urge you to seek wisdom. It is so easy to walk foolishly. We desperately need to not be foolish, but know what the will of the Lord is in each and every thing that we do. In this way we will walk as wise men in these evil days.