Sermon Cloud

Eph 5:15-21. A Paradigm is a prevailing view of reality; a set of assumptions, beliefs, values that give shape to our life and practice. When a paradigm shift occurs when the current paradigm is proven false or inadequate and that set of assumptions, beliefs and values dramatically change. Illus: Copernicus paradigm shift in the way we view the solar system. Copernicus was the first to put forward a comprehensive astronomy that put the sun in the center and the earth orbiting around it - 1m earths could fit in the space of the sun. When that shift in thinking occurred it set in motion the scientific revolution. It brought radical change to assumptions, beliefs, and practices.

Each of us have a paradigm we operate with, a set of assumptions, beliefs, core values that dictate our life direction and our daily decisions. Paul has been saying that these Christians in Ephesus (and us if we know Jesus) used to live with the paradigm of this world. Eph 2:1-3 They were dead to God; walked in the course of this world (in keeping with its prevailing view of reality), deceived by Satan, and carrying out any passions or desires that arose in your mind and body.  But, God did a decisive work in their hearts and minds and brought about a radical paradigm shift. They have a new prevailing view of reality and new set of assumptions, beliefs and core values that dictate their life direction and daily decisions. They have had a spiritual revolution like Copernicus – they are no longer at the center. And those of us who have come to believe in Jesus as the Son of God crucified, risen, reigning and soon returning have had this paradigm shift as well; a spiritual revolution. We are no longer at the center; life is not about us now; but now Jesus is at the center giving shape and meaning and purpose to our lives now. A new prevailing view of reality that changes everything has settled in us. And here becomes the struggle of the Christian life: not walking in step with the old paradigm that once marked our lives like it does this God-indifferent culture, but instead walking in step with this new paradigm we have been given in the Gospel, living out, as a community, this new vision of reality, these new beliefs, and values and practices that have come to us in the Gospel. We are New Paradigm People and are called to live as such.

People Instructed by God’s Wisdom 5:15-17
There is a contrast of the way of foolishness and the way of wisdom; the way of foolishness and the will of the Lord. In the old paradigm we used to live as foolish and the new paradigm we live in as wise. Foolish – The wisdom literature of our Scriptures says a lot about what it means to live foolishly.  One: Psalm 14:1 – to exclude God from our lives. To disregard him and not see our lives as accountable to him. The foolish person pushes God to the margins at best and removes him from his mind altogether at worst. The fool excludes God from consideration when determining our life’s direction and when making daily decisions. Two: Proverbs 12:15-16 The fool’s life direction and daily decisions are governed by his/her own instincts, desires and impulses. Whatever the foolish person personally perceives as best, or wants, or craves, or desires they go after without consulting God and considering his perspective or wishes. Whatever their instincts tell them or however their impulses prompt them, or whatever feels good or desirable, that is what they do. Their impulses, desires and instincts are their authority. They are glandular. Three: Proverbs 1:7 – fools hate knowledge. Prideful; won’t listen to advice or counsel and especially the counsel of God, and so they do not know the way of peace. They hurt others and themselves by their decisions. They learn the hard way. Their lives are full of “if only”s.  The Fool lives and learns instead of learns and lives.  So, Psalm 14:1 says that the fool pushes God to the margins and Pr 12:15-16 says the fool puts himself at the center, and this leads him down a painful path that is not the way of life and peace. Paul says, this is the way you used to live, but not now. You are different now; there has been a radical paradigm shift. A Spiritual Copernican Revolution has taken place in your life. You were once at the center and God was pushed to the margins, but now we have seen Jesus in his beauty and power and supremacy. Something greater than us has displaced us from the center. He has taken the center and now life is about his will, his desires, and his purposes for our life’s direction and daily decisions. Walk as wise: Wisdom includes Principles that God gives us for living, but it is primarily about a Person. 1Co 1:24, 30 says that Christ is the wisdom of God. The wise life is one that seeks to understand and live for Jesus’ purpose (the thrust of ch 1-3) and to seeks to be conformed to his image (thrusts of chs 4-6). To live in wisdom means I see Jesus as crucified and risen and reigning so I believe 1) He is Lord over all and therefore the most informed; 2) He is Loving and therefore the most invested. So I trust him and therefore listen to him and seek to be like him by walking in his way.

**Some wise decisions we make as those who have experienced this paradigm shift seem foolish to those who have not had this paradigm shift. Wisdom does always mean easiest, but fullest and most significant. So you get a raise and increase your standard of giving instead of your standard of living. You stay in NYC; limit career advance for ministry or family; embrace sexual purity, simplicity and sacrificial living out of great trust in Jesus.

Inspired by his Spirit (v18-21). Don’t get drunk. This is a problem in our city. NY Mag lists over 1400 bars/nightclubs in Manhattan alone. Every night in our city countless people are too much to drunk. Last Sunday night I came across a girl stumbling out of Bro. Jimmy’s in the UES. You are not to live this way. The reason people get drunk is to get boldness, joy, to find warmth and open up, to get rid of self-consciousness and insecurity. But the text says it does not ultimately lead to these things, but to Debauchery, reckless living, loss of control. Word also translated, wastefulness, throwing away your resources, to dissipate or deplete by recklessly use. So, drunkenness depletes you, wastes away your life, and exhausts you. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his commentary on Ephesians notes that any pharmacology book tells you alcohol is a depressant. Alcohol gives you boldness, joy, warmth, loss of insecurity by depressing your senses, dulling your mind’s ability to see reality and maintain control. So the momentary boldness and happiness and freedom is because your reality is being dulled. But reality comes back, so you have to find a way to escape it again with even more and the cycle will deplete you, ruin you, exhaust you. Not just alcohol. Everything that masters you does the same thing. It promises joy, boldness, freedom, meaning by helping you escape reality. People get drunk on money, good looks, promotion, status, porn, sex, all these things that master us, control us, that we pursue simply to help us find life. But they lose their ability so we have to have more and more. When you are mastered by anything other than the Spirit it will deplete you, exhaust you, leave you empty and impoverished. But, you are to be filled with the Spirit; constantly have him be the greatest influence and inspiration in your life affecting you thoughts, attitudes and actions. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones goes on to point out that the Spirit is not a depressant, but a stimulant. He gives you joy, boldness, warmth, freedom by heightening reality, taking you deeper into reality, not escaping reality. The Spirit shows you the truth about yourself and about God. He reveals to you this Great God who loves you in spite of all your failures and sins, and has come to you in Jesus Christ and has paid for all the wrongs you have done. And by putting your faith and trust in this One you can be forgiven, having your conscience cleansed, and can be adopted by God who will never leave you nor forsake you or withdraw his love from you, and is working out his purposes for you even in the midst of your sufferings and disappointments. Be filled, inspired, controlled by him. Let him continually exert the greatest influence and inspiration in your life affecting your thoughts, attitudes and actions. Results: It brings us into a new dimension of life with Jesus and other people. Personal/Vertical dimension: Singing to the Lord; giving thanks – increased Joy and confidence in Jesus. You experience him, enjoy him and trust him in greater measures, which brings about a radical obedience and satisfaction in him. Corporate/Horizontal Dimension – personally invested in the joy and spiritual formation of others. Speaking to one another in songs…This does not mean that the Christian life is a cheesy musical.  But we are inspired by the Spirit of God to remind each other of the truths of God that we might all have joy in God. The context Paul has in mind is corporate worship.

How can we be filled with wisdom and the Spirit. It is the same thing (Eph 1:17; Col 1:9). It must be intentional (be careful) Paradigms are often undetected. Repent of our foolishness. It grieves the Spirit when we push Jesus to the margins. Resolve to experience this. It is a command. Request it. Call out to God for this wisdom and fullness in prayer. Read the Word of God. Meditate on it. Psalm 1; Jesus on wise and foolish (Mt 7).