Grace, wisdom, and peace are yours through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, who has made you wise unto salvation. Amen.

Ephesians 5:15-20 Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

During the summer between my freshman and sophomore years in college, I spent a few months living with my friend, Joe, out in the state of Washington. One weekend we drove up to Mt. Rainier and the surrounding mountains to do some hiking. Now there's nothing like a brisk walk to lift up the spirits and get the blood flowing. Especially when you are walking through God's beautiful landscape of nature.

Joe was an outdoor, nature-loving type of guy. I'm really not that way at all. He loved tramping through the wooded mountain range. I really didn't care to have tree branches slapping me in the face or thorns scratching my arms and legs. I wasn't took excited to be tripping over brush and avoiding twisting my ankles. I don't think I really appreciated the scenery too much since I was so busy keeping an eye out for snakes and bears.

I guess I prefer a leisurely stroll hand-in-hand with my wife down a sidewalk or with my kids through a park. Nature hikes through the woods on deer trails may be scenic, but they are more work than relaxation for me.

Just as I prefer the easy road on my daily walks, many folks choose the easy road on their journey through life. But the easy road doesn’t always lead to the right place. Jesus said "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

Are you traveling with those "few" on the narrow road to heaven or sailing smoothly down the expressway in the wrong direction? To those plodding along on the "deer trail," folks on the four-lane going nowhere appear to enjoy their trip more. It’s quick, easy, and seemingly without pitfalls and potholes. That crowded highway seems easy and more carefree than the nature trail; but looks can be deceiving.

People on the broad, easy road aren’t knocked down by the "tree branches" of life and they aren’t on constant vigil watching for the "bears and snakes" of temptation that catch one unaware, but they are in grave danger of reaching the wrong destination.

Though the narrow path leading to life can seem difficult, the heavenly destination is definitely worth the effort. If heaven is our goal, we must find and stay on that narrow path. To do this requires acceptance of God’s Word and obeying the commands of Jesus. As the writer of the proverb reminded us this morning: "Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding." (Proverbs 9:6)

Some of us are making great time in the fast lane; but what good is that if we are breezing along on the wrong road, oblivious to the fact that we are headed for hell?

Paul says in our text, "Be very careful, then, how you live." The Greek literally says, "Watch closely how you walk about." Because if you don’t watch closely the path of life that God has set before you, you might get off onto a wrong, but simple path that the devil has set before you for your destruction. This morning we want to consider this thought: choose your path wisely! Watch for pitfalls. Also, walk with a purpose.

Why do we have to be so careful? Because Paul says simply, "The days are evil." "We walk in danger all the way." Christians living in Paul’s day faced many of the same temptations that we face today. There was sexual immorality. There were intellectual elite who pushed their philosophies and laughed at the idea of a resurrection from the dead. There were weekend orgies in the temples. There was the stress of every day business and life, which burdened the Christian with worries about things that weren’t important. If all those temptations were around in Paul’s day, the Christian walk is even more dangerous today.

Just read your newspaper or watch the evening news. All around us we see violence, terrorism, bloodshed, apathy, lust, and greed. Even many church bodies and Christians have seemingly gone over to the "dark side" by promoting homosexuality, evolution, abortion, and other worldly evils, while at the same time avoiding worthwhile Bible teaching and instruction. It is a fact: the days are evil!

Jesus and his apostles have warned us time and again that the world would become more and more evil in the last days. We are witnessing the fulfillment of their prophecies. "Walk carefully," Paul says, "because the days are evil."

Paul writes, "Not as unwise, but as wise." With these words Paul is telling us to look down the road before we make our choices, to consider the consequences of our actions before we act. Let me give an example. It might be something as simple as buying a new vehicle. I look over at my 16-year-old neighbor and see that he has a newer car than I do. He has a sporty new vehicle, while my 10-year-old mini van is dented and faded, and the interior is decorated with juice and cheerios.

Part of me (the sinful flesh part) wants me to think that I should be the one driving around in a new vehicle. I'm an adult. I have a full-time job. I work hard. If my teenage neighbor kid can have a new vehicle, why can't I have a new $30,000 truck? So I go out and buy it. Six months later, the burden of truck payments may become more than my budget can handle. So I have to make adjustments. Now, as a pastor, I can't go out and get another job, but Shelley can. That would mean putting an end to nursing Gabrielle, staying home with the two little girls and volunteering in the WLS classrooms. It would mean day care and an end to the precious family time we treasure so highly. I could also cut my church contributions in half, to help make ends meet, which in itself is saying something about the path I've chosen to walk. That's just one little decision.

You choose an occupation. You choose your friends. You choose a spouse. You choose where to live. Paul says, "Don't be unthinking when you make those choices. Think! Be wise! Look out for pitfalls that can take you away from God!"

Paul says, "Making the most of every opportunity." Literally, the phrase means to "redeem the time." If you've ever done any kind of hiking or walking, you know how easy it is to become tripped up over a branch or root or slosh through puddles of mud and standing water. Those are all pitfalls to hiking and walking.

Do you have any pitfalls in your life? It's easy to become so involved in a hobby, spend countless hours surfing the Internet, or chasing all over for your children's athletic events and practices, that we just lose track of time. And maybe the devil’s only purpose is to keep us from spending time growing in our faith and doing the Lord’s work! Stay away from those pitfalls that keep you from making the most of every opportunity you have to seek the good of God’s kingdom!

Next, Paul gives a good example of foolish living, of falling into a pit: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." It is never "the Lord's will" for a believer to be "drunk" with alcohol, drugs, power, riches, lusts. Why? Because to be "drunk" or high or chasing after power, lusts, or riches is to be controlled by an outside substance.

When something else besides God becomes our master, then debauchery, or disorderly living, can result. Our lives are looking for the gutter and headed for the sewer. And all because we are looking for a "high!"

There is a good "high" to be had. "Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit." The Spirit is our Counselor and Comforter. He gives joy in the midst of sorrow and suffering. He heals wounds and gives peace. He brings us a spiritual "high" that has no regrets and lasts forever!

Friends, how well have you watched the road the Lord has set before you? How carefully have you been walking the Christian’s walk? How many pits did you fall into? Most of us are better at watching the sights in this world than watching our feet on the path. And then we fall in.

Isn’t it amazing that we are still God’s children? It is not by our own thinking and choosing. It is only by the grace of God. We have a God who cares about his people. We have a Savior who died to forgive our sins and who now sits on his throne in heaven as our Good Shepherd to carefully watch over us. When we strayed from our course, the Good Shepherd looked for us and found us and restored us to our walk with God. Don’t ever think that Jesus is going to make you walk this walk alone! He will always be with us! Having such a God and Savior, though, is no reason not to carefully watch the path before us. How do we do that? It’s when we walk with a purpose.

When you walk somewhere, you need to have a purpose. Otherwise, you are just wasting time. For example, I've noticed that some women go shopping just for the experience – shopping is an event for them. They don't really have to be shopping for anything – they just want to get out of the house. That is a difference I have found between men and women. When I go shopping, I want to get in and get out, as quickly as possible. If your purpose is to wander, then wander. But if your purpose is to purchase, then purchase and move on. And I think there are conflicts between men and women when we don't understand what the will or purpose of the other person is.

In the same way, we need to understand the Lord's will and our purpose in this life. Paul says, "Do not be foolish but understand what the Lord’s will is." It’s interesting that Paul puts "foolish" in direct opposition to "understanding the Lord’s will." You can be the most intelligent person on planet earth, but if you do not know what God’s will is, you are a fool. You know nothing. You don't have a purpose and you are wasting your time.

There is an old story about the theologian, Karl Barth who was on a speaking tour of the United States. On college campuses all across this country, he was drawing huge crowds to hear his very complex answers to the questions of life. When he was speaking at Princeton University, the great hall was packed with faculty, students, and visitors. During the question and answer period, one student asked, "Dr. Barth, you are a very educated man. What is the greatest truth you have ever learned?" Dr. Barth bowed his head, thinking for a moment about how he would respond. Then, he raised his head and looked out at the student and said, "The greatest truth I ever learned was at my mother’s knee: ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’"

The secret of living with a purpose is to discover the truth about Jesus Christ. When we focus on him, we have discovered that truth is a caring love, truth is the Word becoming flesh. Truth is experiencing his life-giving power. Truth is discovering his love with arms outstretched to embrace us. Truth is understanding that Jesus is the Bread of Life we need for strength for our spiritual walk. We eat of this Life-giving Bread in our worship services, Bible classes, and Sunday School. When we grasp this truth, we have discovered the secret to effective living.

When we have discovered this truth, then we "sing and make music in our hearts to the Lord." Whether that is singing a hymn in church with fellow Christians or humming a tune while washing the dishes. We are expressing our joy at having such a good God!

When we have discovered the truth that Jesus loves us and the Bible tells us so, then we are "always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Not only thanking God in times of success and at happy events, but for everything! "Everything" includes everything from a car accident to job loss to cancer, and the list goes on and on! His "everything" also includes forgiveness, peace, joy, love, and hope that are everyday realities because of Jesus.

Fellow believers who are walking the journey of life, choose your path wisely. Watch out for pitfalls and walk with a purpose. God has spelled out what he expects of us in our Bibles. Our road map is there. Are you following it where he wants to take you? Amen.

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Amen. (Hebrews 12:1)