Taking Inventory

Turn your Bibles if you like to Ephesians chapter five. We will, it is up on the screen there for you as well this morning though. Ephesians chapter five. Kate, can you turn that down one more degree? Are y'all at all warm?

Okay, good. So, I'm going to turn this down another degree then. Alright. Ephesians chapter five verses 14 through 16 this morning. Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light.

Light. See then that you walk circumspectly. Not as fools but as wise. Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more.

Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for this day, for this new year. Lord, I pray that we would do our very best by your grace and help. To be a light in a dark world this year. To be the testimony that we ought to be before others and a witness for our Lord and savior Jesus Christ that we that others might see our good works and glorify our father who is in heaven. Lord, we pray that you would be with the needs that were mentioned earlier for Dan and for Abby, for Kevin, and Cherry Kay, and their needs this morning.

We pray that you would do a mighty work in each situation in their in their behalf, Lord. And we pray Lord that you might meet meet with us here today in a special way that your holy spirit would move in our hearts that we might be made more like our savior Jesus Christ today. In Jesus precious name, we do pray. Amen. Sometimes, it is necessary for us to step back for a moment and take inventory of our life.

Where we are, what we have accomplished, how we're doing, where to go from here. In first Corinthians chapter 10, we're told in context of the Lord's supper that we should be examining who? Ourselves. It's awful easy to examine others. It's much more difficult for us to take the time to examine ourselves.

Times like this give us pause to do so. Although one need not wait for the New Year. Nonetheless, there is no better time than the present and so we'll take just a few minutes this morning to look at this passage particularly verses fifteen and sixteen this morning, Ephesians five. Where Paul is going to encourage us to do that that very thing today. Speaking to Christians, those that have received the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ who have arisen from spiritual death to spiritual what?

Life in Jesus Christ. He says then, see then that you walk circumspectly. Now, that's a word you probably haven't used in the last week. You might have but it's not a real common word. The word circumspectly means with your head on a swivel, okay?

It means to keep your eyes open and to be watching, looking circumspectly around, to be careful, to be thoughtful. The word circumspectly from our text implies taking such an inventory of our lives and our actions on a regular basis. Paul is encouraging us not to simply coast through life. With our eyes half closed. But to live carefully.

And thoughtfully each day. As we serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Carefully and thoughtfully. Not just coasting through life with our eyes half closed. Christ expresses the same sentiment as recorded in Luke here.

He says, and he said it to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, daily, and follow me. That requires self examination. That requires requires walking, living circumspectly. Thoughtfully, about how my actions daily. Do they come in line with God's will, with the things that that please him?

And I chose the verse from Luke rather than from Matthew because Luke has the word daily in here that Matthew does not. Emphasizing that this is a daily, a regular, an ongoing process that we need to be thinking as we go through life. Are the things that I'm doing bringing glory to who? Bringing glory to God. How am I doing in my relationship, in my my personal relationship and walk with Jesus Christ.

Am I living carefully and thoughtfully or am I just kind of, you know, speeding down the road of life, not thinking so much about what's going on around me or even where maybe I'm headed sometimes. Both class, both passages imply an ongoing introspective process whereby we are constantly evaluating how we are doing. Not in a worrisome manner but an honest evaluation of how we are doing particularly in our walk and service for Christ. So, we can set goals so we can fix mistakes, so that our lives will bring good to those around us and glory to our our father in heaven. God doesn't want us to be walking on pins and needles and eggshells.

But he does want us to be living thoughtfully. He does want us to ask ourselves regularly. Am I walking with the Lord today? Am I doing his will? Am I am I headed in the right direction?

Do I need to course correct before I get way off course? We all get a little off course. We just need to correct and allow the Lord to correct us before we get way off course. That of course is a should be a regular process. Not just when the preacher preaches a sermon on New Year's Day.

But again, no better time than the present. So, be circumspect. Number two, don't be a fool. Don't be a fool. Why do I say that?

Well, that's what Paul said. See that you walk in circumspectly not as what? Not as fools but as wise. So, Paul is kind of bringing this home here. This is being a bit blunt, okay?

You know, be circumspect, watch where you're walking, watch where you're going. I remember when I was when I was a kid, there was Animal Kingdom Show. It came on right? It came on Sundays right after we got home for church and the guy that that hosted it, I think his name was Merlin Perkins. Does anybody, does that ring a bell with anybody?

Okay. You, they're still on but I doubt, well, okay. They must be reruns because Merlin Perkins was older than me when I was 10. Anyway, but but anyway, we used to watch those and it was sponsored by Mutual of Omaha Insurance. And one of the commercials had to do this.

This guy was walking down the sidewalk and he wasn't watching where he was going. He almost fell in a manhole. A ladder almost hit him in head and he almost walked out in front of a car. And every time I preach on this subject, that thing pops back into my head again about this guy needing insurance because he wasn't walking what? Circumspectly, okay?

And so, a wise person walks and lives with their eyes open, not closed, looking around carefully as to where they're going. The fool closes his eyes and rushes headlong into the wall, okay? You don't want to be a fool. You want to be wise. Paul contrast the foolish with the wise whereas a fool is just living life by the seat of his pants, just following his heart, being led by his or her emotions in the moment, the wise person plans ahead.

The wise person course corrects from time to time. The wise person learns from their mistakes, and we do make them. We just need to learn from them. And the wise person lives with a purpose, a godly one in particular. Lives with a purpose.

Are you living with a purpose? A godly purpose, an eternal purpose? Or just to get to next week or to get to the weekend or to get to vacation or to get to retirement or get to whatever vacation you're taking or so much money in the bank. What is your purpose in life? Sad to say some people don't even have those purposes.

They just don't have purpose. They're just, again, living by the seat of their pants. Don't be a fool. Be wise. The fool lives for whatever gives them the most pleasure.

Well, the wise person lives with God's will and eternal values in view. The fool has said in his heart, there is no god. Maybe they're atheists and they they don't believe in God. But most people are not truly atheist but there are a lot of people that live like atheists. Though they may technically say they believe in God, they do not live like they believe in God.

They do not live like there is a god who's watching. They do not live like there is a god who will sometimes judge, will someday judge them. He is real. He is watching and he is our judge And being a wise person living circumspectly means recognizing that there is a god to whom I am accountable. The fool has said in his heart, there is no god.

The fool or deceived person claims he has no sin and therefore chooses not to deal with it before God. While the wise and forgiven recognize their sin, confess their sin, and with God's help, correct them. First John one eight nine, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Don't be the foolish person who says you don't have sin, that you don't have any faults.

Be the wise person who recognizes when the Lord shows us and says and confesses that. And gets the Lord's help to correct it. That we might again bring him glory but that we might also bring blessing into our own lives. God wants to bless us. We need to be willing to take inventory of ourselves and see where we need to change.

The wise see the evil coming and they avoid it. They hide themselves but the fool or the simple one doesn't see it coming and they run right smack into what? Into trouble. They do not see it coming because either they don't want to. They don't want to hear.

They don't want to see that their actions are leading to bad consequences because they're they just want to keep doing what they're doing. So, don't tell me what's coming because I don't want to be troubled with the future. I just want to live in the what? In the present. So, either they don't want to or they're so distracted by other concerns that it just doesn't cross, just doesn't seem to cross their mind.

I don't know about you but I've talked to several people in the past few years that they're just don't care about eternity. It's not that they don't believe there's non eternity. They're just too what? Too busy, too distracted. Oh, I'll deal with that what?

Later. They may not have that opportunity later. The wise person looks not only at the things of today but plans for the what? But plans for the future. The wise person sees the the punishment and the consequences coming and so they they correct course.

So that they don't run into the trouble. Proverbs 2,712 says, a prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on, they just keep what? They just go flying past that sign that says, bridge out and off the bridge, they go. The wise person sees the sign and goes, oh, maybe I need to slow down. There might be a bridge out ahead.

The wise person is circumspect. The wise man builds or lives builds his house or lives his life on a sure foundation of truth and faith but the fool builds his house on the sand of human reasoning and feelings and lust and in the end, the fool's life ends in ruin. While the righteous, the wise, ends in reward. What are you building your house on? What kind of condition is your house in?

First, it has to be built on Jesus Christ but second of all, how are you building on that foundation? How is your fellowship and your service? What condition is your relationship with God in? You say, I have one. That's all that matters.

No, that's not all that matters. If the only reason God saved you was to take you to heaven, where would you be? Heaven and you have been coming for a while getting tired of hearing that. You gotta memorize. When I start that, you go, oh no, here we go again.

But that's the truth. If the only reason Jesus died was to take you to heaven, you would already be in heaven but you're not. You're here. We're here for a reason. Are we living with that purpose in mind?

Bringing glory to God and making a difference in lives of others. Are we just kind of coasting, doing what feels best, right? Pleasant? Don't be a fool even in the short term. Live honestly with your eyes open.

Your heart soft toward God. Confessing your faults before the Lord so he can help you correct so he can help you correct them before you must deal with the consequences. Don't be a fool as Paul says here. Be wise. Live circumspectly and then, Paul continues this passage on the subject of circumspect, careful, and thoughtful living, and regular evaluation with a reference to what?

A reference to time. Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Redeeming the time, buying up, purchasing, using your time what? Wisely, okay? What does time have to do with it?

Why mention time? We find it hard sometimes to evaluate how we are doing with our priorities. One simple indicator is how we spend our time. We are creatures of time. Our time is limited.

How we use that limited amount of time we have tells a lot about our priorities in life. Even more so than our statements or our good intentions. We sometimes tell others our our our convictions. Oh yes, this is important. Yes, I know and that is important and this priority should come before that priority and well, that's great that you know that and you can communicate that and sometimes we say, well, yeah, but I had good intentions.

You know, I intend to do this and I intend to do that. We do that. A lot of people do that at on New Year's. They they make what are they called New Year's resolutions. What are those?

Those are good intentions. How many New Year's resolutions have you kept? Is it the good intentions that matter? Is it the declarations you make that matter? Or is it how you spend your time?

That's right. That matters. We like to measure ourselves by our declarations and our good intentions. Instead of honestly looking, okay, how did I spend this past year? How did I spend this last week?

And that's going to tell me an awful lot about my true convictions of heart and what is really important to me and maybe what needs to what? What needs to change? This coming day and week. And year. Time is a gift from God which unfortunately, we too often take for granted.

A while ago, I calculated the amount of time in days, hours, minutes, so forth, and so on for somebody that lives say to seventy years. Fortunately, I think the life expectancy is a little greater than that at the moment. That's nice but typically throughout history. I know for a few of you in here that have beat that number by quite a bit but let's take 70 for instance because that's what I did a while back and I don't want to have to recalculate, okay? Seventy years.

In seventy years, there are twenty five thousand five hundred and sixty seven days. In seventy years, there are six hundred and thirteen thousand six hundred and eight hours. Now, you say, well, that's an awful lot. Six hundred thousand? Yeah, but it is a number.

It is limited. Thirty eight million eight hundred and sixteen four eighty minutes. Two billion two hundred and eight nine hundred and eighty eight eight hundred seconds. Now, let's go the other direction. Three thousand six hundred and fifty two weeks.

Eight forty months. Eight forty. Now, that one's not hard to calculate. You just take, you know, 70 times 12. But months go by pretty quick, don't they?

And we only have eight forty of em in seventy years. Say, well, I'm going live to be a 100, okay? Well, 100 times. You know, that's still what's that? 1,200?

Months. Our days are truly numbered and what is scarier is that for a few of us, a lot of those days have already passed. In James four fourteen, we're told, whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a time, for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

The point is this morning, I'm not, I don't want to depress you. That's not the point. The point is this, all our days are numbered. It's like inheritance we were given. A bunch of money to spend.

And at the beginning of life, you're allotted this or or when you get the inheritance and you spend your time here on Earth as as this time comes, you spend it on this and you spend it on that and eventually, it's all going to be what? It's all going to be spent. It's all going to be spent and the thing is, we, none of us know how much we have to spend. We don't know if we have seventy years or eighty years or a hundred. For some, we might have fifty or sixty or some less than that.

We don't know how much time we have to spend. Therefore, redeem the time today. Use it wisely. Don't be a fool. Be wise.

Live life circumspectly. Live it for things that matter. Matthew six nineteen and twenty one, Christ says, lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Jesus says, don't just be living for the things of here and now and earth because those things are not going to last.

But when you live for eternal things, when you live to make a difference in the lives of others, when you live to bring glory to God, you lay up treasure where? In heaven. That will be there when you get there and it'll be there forever. Don't live for the thing that is fleeting. Keep eternity in view.

Be wise. Are you spending your time on eternal things or on things that are soon forgotten? When we come to the end of our life and we stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ, what will we have to show? Or will we see everything just go up in what? And smoke and vanish away.

We see our lives are a bit like this jar. So, we'll let this jar represent your life and my life this morning. The items, there's some items here on the on the pulpit and they represent different things in regards to our life or to this jar. I have a bunch of rocks up here that I picked up from outside and the rocks here, boy, they make a lot of noise, don't they? Sorry about that.

The rocks represent things that are of eternal value. They're lasting. They're they're solid. There are things that are of eternal value. Things that please who?

Things that please the Lord. Things that make a difference in the lives of others. Two greatest commandments, love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your what? Your neighbor is yourself. Those things are of what kind of value?

Eternal value. Okay, the rocks represent things that are of eternal value. Things that please the Lord. Things that rep that demonstrate our love for God. Things that make a different difference in the lives of others.

Proclaiming the gospel, okay? These things are of eternal value and there are many of them, not just one or two. Many things in our lives that are worth of eternal value. They're the rocks and then, right here, I have some sand, okay? Or actually it looks more like dirt but we'll call it sand, okay?

Alright, so here we have some sand there, we'll put some of that in there. The sand represents constructive activities which we enjoy, hobbies and other pursuits. These are things that enhance our lives in some productive sense. Like learning a new skill, like growing in knowledge, like spending time with others, like bodily exercise. Okay?

These things have, you know, they're helpful. They're they're constructive things but there are things that are maybe not of as of eternal value to the extent that the the rocks are, okay? So, that's the sand and then and then right here, we have what? We have water, okay? In our illustration, water represents time spent on things which are of no considerable value.

Entertainment, amusements. Things we do to relax things which can become obsessions or have a negative impact on our lives at worse than at best particularly in great quantity are just a waste, okay? And so, they're represented by by the water here. So, now, I don't have enough water up here to fill up the jar this morning but if I had enough water up here to fill up the jar, could I put any of these rocks in after the jar was full with water? No.

When I tried to put the rock in after the jar was full of water, the water would come what? Come out. Okay. In our illustration, there is no out. Okay?

So, if you fill up the jar with water, there's no place for the what? For the rocks. Okay? If you fill up the jar with the dirt, okay? Is there any room for the rocks?

No. No. So, do you want to fill up your jar with the water? With the amusements and the entertainment and the things that are just sort of a waste. Is that what you want to fill up your jar with?

Your life with? No. You want to fill it up with the rocks and then the sand and then maybe you'll have some time to add a little bit of what? Water. And I didn't have enough, so my jar still isn't quite full.

What's the point? The point is this. What you spend your time on matters and what you put into your life, what your priorities are matters. If you fill up your life with water, with entertainment, and amusements, you'll never get to the things that are what? Never get to the things that are truly important.

And have not nothing to show the Lord one day. Instead, start out your day, your week, your month by putting in the what? By putting in the rocks. And then you can fill in with some of the what? Sand.

Sand. And then you'll still have time to put in some what? Let's start out with the what? Start out with the rocks. What do you spend your time on?

What goes in your your your glass first? What is most important? Where do you spend that time? That's going to tell you where you are. In your relationship, in your service for God In conclusion.

How do you measure up. How are you doing. Have you stopped to evaluate what is going in your jar? How you spend your time? Are you welcome circumspectly?

Are you living life wisely? For the things that are of eternal value? Are you allowing God to show you what needs to be changed and then to be willing to what? To change it. You say I'm doing alright.

Well, maybe you are doing alright. But you know you can probably do what? Better. Probably do better. And so many of times, the response I'm doing alright is really an indication that we're not.

Because there is something in our life that needs to change. There is some area of our life that God wants to improve. We just need to be willing to examine ourselves to accept his judgment, to see our need and change. Just consider consider a few important things. I ask as we close this morning.

Your personal time with God in prayer and meditation. How much time did you spend on that in 2022? That's one of the why. That's one of the rocks. You say, well, my relationship with God is important.

How much time did you spend talking with him? How much time did you spend in his word? In meditating on it in this past year. Can you do better? Does it need to change?

How about working with your hands and mind to provide not only for yourself but others also. In Ephesians four twenty eight, it says, let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth. When God created Adam and put him in the garden, he gave him a what? A job to do. Work is not evil.

Work is good. Work gives us a way to be productive in our society, to be a help to others, and to provide for who? For ourselves, and our families, and have something left over to give to the Lord and to give to others. That's one of these rocks too. Spending constructive time with family as parents and spouses and even children.

How much time did we spend? Constructive time with our family, with our spouse, or did other things kind of push that aside? How much time? That's that's one of these rocks. How much time ministering to others?

Particularly in sharing the good news of the gospel. How much time did we put in? To reaching others with the gospel of Jesus Christ last year. I say for some Christians, that's very little. I think even I can do more.

And then worshiping and serving the Lord together with other Christians, a church, and various ministries. Hebrews ten twenty five says, for sake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is. But in exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day. Do we spend worshiping, serving, ministering to one another in church. Now, here I'm talking, I'm preaching to the choir this morning, aren't I?

Because you're you're here. But could you be here more? How much time do you spend? What that area of your life? Is it the priority that it that it should be?

There are some, these are some of the big rocks. How are you doing? What needs more attention? What needs to change? What may you need to confess and correct?

What are your goals this coming week, this coming month, this coming year? We need to sometimes take what? Inventory on how we're doing. No better time than the present. And it's really something we ought to be doing a lot more often.

Now I'm out of water, I don't have anything to drink. Now would be a good time to evaluate where you are. And and and I know what's going to happen because it's what happens so often with me. You hear something, you say, you know, I really need to deal with that. Yes, God is right.

Yes, there's this area. Yes, I know it's right and then the service is over and I go home and I sit down, I watch a ball game, I get the meal ready, and everything just what? Just, you know, in one ear and out the other and I don't think about it again. So, I plead with you this morning. Give it some thought.

Don't let it just fly away. The moment you leave. And now would also be a good time to make sure of your relationship with God. First, second Corinthians thirteen five, examine yourselves whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves.

Know you not that your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates. Examine yourselves whether you be in what? Faith. Make sure that you know Christ as savior. I'm afraid there's too many people sitting in too many pews and too many churches that they prayed a prayer that somebody told them to pray.

But they didn't mean it from the what? Heart. Or they just think because they sit in a pew and go to church that that makes them a Christian or because mom and dad were Christians that that makes them a Christian or because some pastor dunked them in water that that makes them a Christian. I can't see your heart today. God can.

And we need to look into our own heart and make sure because eternity is coming. Our time is what? Limited. And we don't how how much time we have. Take advantage of the opportunity that God has given.

Take advantage of the offer that he has given. If you will accept Jesus Christ by faith as your Lord and savior, you shall be saved. That if thou God confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be what? Saved. For whosoever shall call in the name of the Lord shall be what?

Saved. But without faith, it is impossible to please him. You must believe and you must receive. When did you do that? What day?

When? I don't know what calendar day was the day I got saved. Nobody wrote it down for me on a Bible or something that I would remember it but I remember that day. Right. Like it was yesterday.

When Christ became my savior. Do you know that day? That's only something you can determine with God's help and if you're not sure, I plead with you, I beg with you as we give this hymn of invitation this morning. Meet me down here and I'll I'll I'll show you God's word and we'll make sure of that today. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord. For all that you've done for us for this New Year that you've given. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to fill our lives with things that matter. Lord, I pray as we look into this New Year and we think about the past and Lord, we wouldn't be hung up on the past. We put those things behind us and move forward in Christ Jesus but to do that, we need to confess our faults before you.

Lord, we need to let you change our lives and make us more like our savior Jesus Christ and I pray Lord that we would take an honest inventory today and every day of Lord where we are in our walk with you that we might grow to be more like our savior. We might grow to bring greater glory to our God and that others might see our good works and glorify you that we might have opportunity and boldness to to tell others about Jesus Christ and that souls might be saved and Lord, we thank you for that opportunity. We thank you Lord for this new day. We thank you for this new year. May we live it for Jesus Christ.

May we live it circumspectly, not as fools but wise, redeeming the time for our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. For our lives are no longer ours alone. But they're yours. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.