As said, we're going to do one,
just one study on this one verse and then on Wednesday night the
next verse because so much is written about the believers'
walk and talk. But look at verse 5 of Colossians
4, verse 5. Walk in wisdom toward them that
are without, redeeming the time. Redeeming the time. Walk before
the world. Them without, those without,
meaning those without God, without Christ, without hope. Now that should tell you something.
Our hope, our desire that something we might do or say might influence
those without What we do often says what or who we believe. Now this is a clue, okay? When the Lord sent this plague
upon our world and nation, it gave me many a sleepless night
to begin with because I am the leader here. What do I do? And that continued for a long
time. Got a lot of people, not a lot of people, but some people
following me, listening to me. What do I do? What should we
do? What does God's Word say? I don't
think I've ever studied the various scriptures that men bring into
question more than ever. And when this happened, it caused
me to carefully study the scriptures that speak of God's laws, and
man's loss, what to do, who to heed, who to follow, what to
do. And that was tough enough. You
ask many, many a sleepless night. And some quit following me, quit
coming here. That's serious, isn't it? I was
accused by a believer of not walking in wisdom, according
to God's word. That hurt. Bad. Bad. What does it mean to walk
in wisdom? What does it mean? Toward them
without. That's a key word there. Toward
them. To walk in wisdom is certainly
not to walk with them. but to walk toward them, that
is, with a goal, with an aim, with a purpose in mind. And it said, look at verse 5
again, because this is not, there's not a period after without, there's
a comma. Walking wisdom toward them that
are without, redeeming the time, meaning. Have a short window
of opportunity to say something to somebody. Now, what are you
going to do? How are you going to act? How
are you going to walk in such a way that they might hear what
you have to say? That's what this is saying. And our walk is to that end that
we might speak. There's an old saying, actions
speak louder than words, right? Now, that's not in the Bible.
That's not true concerning God's Word. God's Word is His power. Our Lord one time said, if you
don't believe my words, you know, they should have believed what
He said. He said, then believe the works that I do. But concerning
us, it is true. And those without might not hear
what we say because of what we're doing. Okay? Scripture says, walk in such
a way that others might listen. Walk circumspectly. That means
you're being observed. You're being observed. Now, saying
that. We don't walk in such a way so
that people will think well of us. That's not what we're trying
to do. So that people will think we're
good, decent, moral, law-abiding citizens. That's what people
think about the German Baptist, right? Have you ever heard a
German Baptist tell you about Christ crucified? You will not. You will not. They won't say
a word about it. Our goal, our aim, is to conduct
ourselves in such a way that people believe that we believe
God. That we walk by faith, not fear. That we walk by faith, not sight. That we walk according to God's
Word, not man's. so that they'll believe us when
we say we believe God. We believe God. To walk wisely
is certainly not walk as a fool. As a fool, not speak as a fool.
The next verse talks about our speech. Oh, how much is written
in God's Word about the speech. But so much about our walk. Alright, let's look at this.
When is the first time walk is mentioned in Scripture. And that's
important. And my pastor taught us this,
that the law of first mention in the Scriptures is important.
Whenever you hear a word, when is that first mentioned in God's
Word? All right? Genesis 17. All right? Genesis 17. This is not actual
first mention, but it is concerning God's people, how they have to
walk. Genesis 17, this is when the Lord spoke to Abraham and
made his covenant with him. Look at Genesis 17, verse 1.
When Abram was 90 years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abraham.
Not the first time, but this is another time. He appeared
to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God. Walk before
me and be thou perfect. The Word is upright, sincere. So, to walk in wisdom is to walk
before God, to wisely understand that it is God before whom we
walk first, not man. I'm more concerned with what
God thinks about man than man. The Pharisees, you know, they
were careful and fastidious about their appearance, about everything
they did, and cleansed the outside of the court and washed it so
that everybody would think they're keeping the law. Why? So everybody would
think, well, then, I'm concerned about really what God do looks
on the heart. To walk wisely is to walk before
God, be more concerned with what God sees, what God thinks, than
the world. Look at 1 Thessalonians 4, just
a couple of pages old. This is the walk. 1 Thessalonians
4, verse 1. Furthermore then, I
beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ,
that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and
to please God so he would abound more and more. What pleases God?
Without faith, it's impossible to please God. So, and he goes on to say, this
is the commandment we gave you by the Lord Jesus Christ. This
is the will of God, your sanctification. Set apart, what's that now? From
the world. Listen to this, Psalm 56, David
prayed this. This is David's prayer about
his walk. He said, You have delivered my soul from death. Thou hast
delivered my soul from death. Wilt thou not deliver my feet
from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the
living? To walk as a true believer of
God. See, it's different than this
one. To walk wisely, to walk before God, is to walk in the
fear of the Lord, not man. Here's wisdom. Don't fear their
fear. Fear God. Let Him be your dread. It's to walk in the fear of the
Lord, not man, not things. That's not walking by faith,
but you fear everything. You fear people. Fear of man
brings a snare to it. What's that? It means you'll
do an act and say anything to keep from offending anybody. Our Lord walked perfectly before
men, didn't He? He didn't walk like the world,
didn't He? To walk in fear of the Lord is
to walk in faith. What is the beginning of wisdom?
We're talking about wisdom, to walk wisely. What's the beginning
of wisdom? Fear. The media, the news media,
as you know, social media, TV, Internet, and so forth, controls
this work. It runs this work. The world
follows, the world acts, the world reacts, the world does
what it is told according to the fears that man puts upon
it. Whatever whim, whatever fan,
whatever fear, whatever man imagined, the whole world follows and acts
and reacts. The Spirit of God, the Word of
God controls God's people. Not the medium. The Spirit of God. controls God's
people, so that we walk according to God's Word in faith, without
fear of man, in the fear of the Lord. Psalm 119, this I'll tell you
ahead of time, this is tomorrow morning's memory verse. I memorized
it as a young man, I just made an impression on him. Psalm 119, 165. Great peace have
they who love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. Nothing. Nothing and no one shall make
them afraid and trouble them. And the margin says about offend. Nothing shall offend them. There'll
be no stumbling block. It means they won't stumble. Nothing will cause them to stumble
in their walk of faith. They're just going to keep resolute.
Like all the people in Hebrews 11, looking unto Jesus, not to
the right. Oh, look at here, look at, no,
looking at him. Look indeligent, lest any man
fall from the grace of God. To walk in wisdom is to walk before God. To walk in fear is
to walk with God. Look at Psalm 19, Psalm 19. and
scripture after scripture after scripture about the wall. I'm sorry, Psalm 1. Psalm 1. Look at that, Psalm
1. Here's the blessed man. Here's
the blessed woman. Here's the believer. Psalm 1,
verse 1. And it's significant that the
scriptures talk about this at first sight. Blessed is the man
or the woman that walketh not in the counsel, that is, according
to the wisdom and knowledge of the ungodly, nor standeth in
the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
His delight is in the law of the Lord. In his law doth he
meditate day and night. He walks according to God's word. Not me. Look, look, Psalm 26.
Now turn over there real quick. Psalm 26. Here's what David says, and man,
you know, this is messianic. You know that? Someone said every
scripture is messianic. Yes, it is. However, Spurgeon once said that
it's hard sometimes to tell if he's talking about our Lord or
talking about the believer. Well, both. This is what our
Lord says and this is what the believer desires and does by
his grace. Judge me, O Lord, I have walked
in mine integrity, I have trusted in the Lord. Therefore I shall
not slide, I am not going to slip and slide. Examine me, O
Lord, prove me. Try my reins in my heart. Thy
loving kindness is before mine eyes. I have walked in thy truth. I have not sat with vain persons,
neither will I go in with a dissembler. Here's what it is to walk in
wisdom, it's to see people. for people to see you walk into
the house of the Lord on the Lord's day. Where are you going? I'm going to worship the Lord.
I'm not doing it to be seen, but I'd rather be seen coming
in here than going fishing with you. Can't help what people think
about you. You can't. Verse 5, I've hated
the congregation of evildoers. I will not sit with the wicked.
Every year I have what's called a Lord's Acre Sale at the high
school. It's a big religious flea market
where people are selling their wares for the Lord. It's such
idolatry, it's just like the money changers in the temple.
And I've told you time and time again, don't go there, whatever
you do, don't be seen there. Don't let anybody see you being
a part of that. Because they'll confuse this
place with the rest of those houses of idolatry. Verse six, I wash mine hands
in innocence, so will I compass thine altar. I publish the voice
of thanksgiving. Our walk has to do with our speech
while the world is murmuring, complaining, and finding fault,
and bitter. Oh, God's people are most thankful,
should never complain about anything. Verse 8, I've loved the habitation
of thy house, the place where thine honor dwelleth. Gather
not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men, in whose
hands is mischief. Their right hand is full of bribes.
But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity. Redeem me, be
merciful unto me. My foot, here's where you're
going to find my feet. in an even place, in a congregation. That's where I'm going to walk. That's where I'm going to be
seen. We don't walk according to the course of this world,
the spirit of disobedience that work within the children of disobedience
today, like Ephesians 2. We've been quickened from that.
We don't walk with the world. Look at this, 1 Peter 4. We don't
walk with the the world. Can two walk together except
to be a group? You can't. You can't walk with
the world and walk with God. And here's the thing, that when
he talked about redeeming the time, if we don't say something
and time goes on, we'll be like Lot. That Lot, I guess, didn't want
to, you know, maybe at first he was jealous, but after a while
he thought, what's the use of saying anything? So he appeared
to be just like everybody in Sodom. He looked like, talked
like, acted like. He was just right in the middle
of them. And finally, in the end, he began to warn. It's never too late. It's never
too late. But he did. He began. And it
says he seemed as one that mocked. Why are you just now telling
us that? We don't believe you. 1 Peter 4, look at verse 3 and
4. The time passed of our life suffice
to rock the will of the Gentiles. When we walked in lasciviousness,
lust, excess of wine, reveling, banqueting, abominable, idolatry,
wherein they think it strange. Now, when the Lord saves someone,
He brings you out. He calls you out. Come out from
among them. Be separate. You can't walk with
Him. We're not heading the same direction.
They're going as far from God as they can. We're trying to
walk with God. You can't walk. And they'll pull
you away, that old man. And so when the Lord turns us,
and this is the second message, when the Lord turns us, He turns
us from walking with the world and like the world to walk with
Him, walk like Christ. And so then they, And they're
going to accuse you. You think you're better than
that? No. Just, I don't want to go that way anymore. That's
not where I want to go. Come down with us. We'll do you
good. I want to walk with the Lord.
Not better than you. I see someone better than I want
to be like. I'll walk with Him. And then
they'll think it's strange that you don't run with them to the
same excessive riot doing what? evil of you. No one walked with more integrity,
more honestly, with more love and consideration of others and
mercy and grace and charity and kindness and pity and love than
the Lord Jesus Christ. What happened? They hated Him. Why? He told them the truth. One time he said, for what good
work you stone me? We're not stoning you for good
work. You keep up all the good works you want to, but now you're
just a man. You say you're God. We don't
have that. So that's the end. That's the
goal in our walk. My dad used to say, you know,
religion says let others see Jesus in you. He said they didn't
see Jesus in Jesus. To walk in wisdom is to walk
with God. Here's the believer's walk, Ephesians
5. Here it is in depth. Scripture
after scripture in Ephesians 5 tells us how to walk. And it
doesn't begin there. We could go way back to Ephesians. But look at verse... All right, look
at chapter 4, verse 30. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God. What does that mean? How can we grieve the Holy Spirit
of God? Only God's people can grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
Only God's people can quench the Spirit of God. Only God's
people can grieve because they're led by the Spirit of God. Okay? When Paul said, if you live in
the Spirit, walk in the Spirit. Heed the Spirit, led by. And you and I, we all know there
are times when God's Word speaks to us and we don't listen and
we do something we know is contrary. Anybody? And that grieves him. It's like your father tells you
to do something and you don't do it. It grieves him. And we'll pay for it. We'll be chasing for it. Punished
in that sense, but we will. Unbelief and then the trouble
that comes is our own fault and it's its own punishment. And
it was, why didn't I listen? Why didn't I do what he said?
So, grieve not the Holy Spirit. Verse 31, here it is. Let all
bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking. That describes
the world, doesn't it? But put it away. With all malice,
be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore
followers of God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also
hath loved us, giving himself for an offering, a sacrifice
to God for sweet-smelling savoring. And I don't have time to read
all this, but look down at verse Well, verse 5 says, You know
no poor monger, unclean persons, and covetous man, and idolater,
hath any inheritance in the kingdom of God. Let no man deceive you
with vain word. Because of these things cometh
the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. So be not therefore
partakers with them. You were sometimes darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. We have light. The world walks
in darkness. We don't. We walk with glory.
What is the light? The Word. The entrance of thy
Word giveth light. Proving what is acceptable. And
verse, let's see, down in verse 15. Wake thou that sleepest. Arise from the dead. Christ shall
give thee life. See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time. There it is again.
Very little time. The days are evil. Wherefore
be ye not unwise to understanding what the will of the Lord is. And walk in the Spirit. In love, we just read that, to
walk wisely is to walk in love. Love to mend souls. Someone said
we should be very considerate of others. Yes, we should. What
should we consider more than anything else? What should be
our primary consideration? Their souls are in danger. Their souls are in danger. That's being considered. Consider
that I might be able to tell them the truth and they may never
hear it again. Lost and dying. Lost and dying. Back in our text,
it says in verse 5, walk in wisdom. toward them that are without.
Redeeming the time. Time is short. Redeeming the
time. Spend the time wisely. And we're going to look at our
words on Wednesday, Lord willing. And we're going to talk about
how the Lord said, let every man be swift to hear, slow to
speak, slow to wrath, slow to speak, God is in heaven, let
your words be few. If you've got something to say,
a short time, say it to somebody. Let it be profitable, not idle
work, right? That's what this is saying. Walk
in in wisdom toward them, know that out. Being wise toward God, wise in His Word. wise to, you know, we're looking
for, we can't open a door, but the Lord can and must. So here it is. We're going to
be faced with people all the time. And so the Lord says, pray
without ceasing. And this should be our prayer.
Lord, as I walk before the people of this world, and face certain
people. Give me wisdom to say a word
in Caesar. Give me thy word. Give me wisdom
from above that I might answer them. Ask me a reason. Why are you doing that? Ask me a reason. Give me wisdom.
I need it. I need it. Otherwise, we're just, it's just
idle words. It's just, we're just going on
and everybody's, you know, looking alike and everybody's fine. I
don't want to offend anybody. Everything's hunky-dory. No,
it's not. People are dying. The souls are dying. And I didn't
say anything. Walk in wisdom, redeeming the
time. Okay. All right. Just a minute.