Walk in Wisdom Part 3

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. If we want to walk in wisdom, we have to keep our purpose in sharp focus. Through Christ's work, God grants us a stewardship, a beautiful opportunity to glorify God for His great redemptive work. We can't lose sight of that purpose or of the one we serve. Keeping our eyes on our Lord Jesus and His purposes enables us to live out this life fully for His glory. Let's listen in on this message titled, Walk in Wisdom.

This is the third and final part of the message, first preached on November 19th, 2017. You know, it's interesting, two times Isaiah speaks of those who are drunk but not with wine. What are the kind of drunkenness is there?

Well, for example, there's the drunkenness of pride or the drunkenness of anger or the drunkenness of vengeance. Those things can control you, can't they? And they can lead you to debauchery. They can lead you to recklessness and to act thoughtlessly with arrogance.

They control a person. But he says here in verse 18, he says, do not get drunk with wine because that is debauchery. It's understanding that the best things in life are not things. And the answer to the issues of life does not lie in substance. It does not lie in any material thing, whether it's a substance or some other thing that you feel you need to have. Because if you feel you need to have something and that could even mean a relationship with another person, that controls you and it's become an idol to you and it's replacing God in your life.

Don't let that control you, he says. Do I look for my satisfaction in substance or in soul prosperity? What does satisfaction really look like to you?

Substance will leave you wanting for more. Soul prosperity will satisfy you with fullness, completeness, contentment. And this is why he says, don't get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, dissipation, excess. He says, but be filled with the Spirit. But be filled with the Spirit.

You know, it's so important for us to understand what this is talking about. And I like to compare Ephesians 5 18 with Colossians 3 16 and 17, because they say essentially the same thing, except Colossians 3 16 begins with, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Ephesians 5 18 says, be filled with the Spirit.

But then after that, they're almost identical in what they say. But be filled with the Spirit. This is a present active.

This is a present active. Keep on being filled with the Spirit. Stay captivated by his Spirit. Filled every bit of you, every bit of you.

There's not certain closets or rooms that are closed off, but every bit of you. Here's how I like to put it. Keep his wind in your sails. Keep his wind in your sails, because that's what moves a ship, isn't it? Do you have contrary winds in your sails? You know, that's what happens when we react to the brokenness of life. We encounter a person, and they're coming at me with words of brokenness, and I let that wind get in my sails, and that controls me.

Don't get drunk with that. Don't let that control you. Let his wind be in your sails. Stay captivated by the Holy Spirit whom he has given you. He is God's grace to you.

So let his wind stay in your sails. What does that look like? Three things I want to point that to now. What is being filled with the Spirit look like? According to the text this morning, three things that I want to point to, and they all have to do with my disposition. My disposition comes from my attitudes, the newness that is within me, the transformation that God is accomplishing in my heart and mind. Three things, a disposition of number one, praise. Praise. Addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. Do you understand that's a command?

This is not an option, folks. The church sings. Let me repeat, the church sings. And there's, yeah, there's the vertical element to it, because God is our audience, but also we sing for each other's benefit too.

Did you know that? That's what it says right here. Addressing one another, addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. A disposition of praise. What is praise? It is championing God's truth and goodness. As Peter says, we are his own people to proclaim his praises.

What is that? His excellencies, the perfections of God. My attitudes proclaim the perfections of God.

I can't do that unless my attitudes are informed with the perfections of God. And one of the best ways to do that is through music. And we are to address each other through music. So we do it corporately, corporately, in unity, addressing one another. It says, what is that? It's affirmation.

It's celebration. It informs our fellowship. In other words, there is a didactic element to the music that we sing, because we're addressing one another, the excellencies of God, the perfections of God in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

Because it is truth. And music is memorable, but it is also meditative. What do I mean by that? Meditation is going over something, over and over and over again. And music, if it's anything, it's those two things. It's memorable. That's why we like beautiful melodies and harmonies. And it's meditative.

We keep singing the same songs, because they present wonderful truths of God. And that informs our hearts and minds. It molds and shapes our attitudes.

And when I say attitudes, what I mean is a habit of thought. It's letting the wind of the Holy Spirit fill your sails, so that you're not reacting to the brokenness of the world. But instead, as His wind fills your sails, you live and you walk in wisdom with a disposition of praise.

But we also do it, not only corporately, but we do it personally. Singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. Some of them say, in your heart or from your heart. But it all comes down to this. It's inward truth. That's the power of music. It's the power of the Holy Spirit. It's the power of music. It's inward truth.

Memorably, meditatively. Inward truth. Informing your heart and mind. It means you are being developed at the core of your being, through the beautiful truths of God, through the music that He has provided us. God created music and He expects us to use it to His glory. And the first place that that begins is by informing myself at the core of my being, about the perfections of God. And music is a very powerful instrument in that task.

That's a part of living life well. It's a part of wisdom. Trained athletes, accomplished athletes, always focus on developing their core.

Because it helps them in their stamina, and their stability, and their agility. They're constantly developing the core. As you and I, Christian, ought to be, constantly developing the core. Informing the heart and mind with the perfections of God.

And primarily here, as He says in verses 18 and 19, through music. So His wind, staying captivated by the Holy Spirit, first of all is disposition of praise. Secondly, of gratitude. A disposition of gratitude. You say, Rich, aren't praise and gratitude the same thing?

No. Praise is me affirming and informing myself with the excellencies of God. And that is, that becomes my habit of thought, my attitude. Gratitude, look what it says here.

This is hard, okay? Verse 20, giving thanks, sometimes for the good things. Is that what it says? Read it, read please. Verse 20, what does it say?

Always for everything. Well, the Bible doesn't really mean that. What do you mean? Listen, I read the Greek. Do you know what it means?

It means always for everything. Listen, God says, God's not trying to tell you something here. God has spoken. What are you doing with it? What are you doing with it? Is His wind in your sails? A good manifestation of that is the level of gratitude in your life. And here we are coming up on Thanksgiving.

How appropriate, isn't it? I've said this before, but I want you to know this again. A complaining Christian is a contradiction in terms. A complaining Christian is a contradiction in terms. Romans 15, 13, now may the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. Are these just religious platitudes or can this actually be a reality for the child of God? Again, go back to the riches of His grace, all the wealth of His grace that God has lavished upon us. Take that bookmark, order that mug that I had up here last week.

I should have it here getting dry. But take those truths, those 16 truths of Ephesians 1 through 3. Know them.

Let them inform your heart and mind. And it says, we give thanks to God. You know that's so important. You're not just giving thanks arbitrarily. Your thanks is directed to a person.

That is so key. We have someone to whom we give thanks because we recognize that all the goodness of life comes directly from Him. And it says, in the name of Jesus Christ, meaning your attitudes are in line with His character and purpose. And when that is true, when my attitudes are in line with His character and purpose, and I develop the habit of gratitude because His wind is in my sails, then that rescues me from a disposition of entitlement. And when I am entitled, you know how I can tell if I'm entitled? I'm constantly comparing myself with other people. And I make demands. And I criticize a lot.

If you do those things, you are struggling with an entitlement and you are lacking in gratitude. May God work in our hearts this morning. We're so glad you've joined us for Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can hear this message and others anytime by visiting our website, www.delightingrace.com. You can also check out Pastor Rich's book, Seven Words That Can Change Your Life, where he unpacks from God's Word the very purpose for which you were designed. Seven Words That Can Change Your Life is available wherever books are sold. As always, tune in to Delight in Grace weekdays at 10 a.m.