“Turn on the Light!”
Eph. 5:8-14 August 30, 2009
OPEN: Now as you know, we are studying the book of Ephesians. The first three chapters - who the Christian is. The last three how he lives, how he acts, how he functions. And Paul here in chapters 4, 5 and 6 gives us a clear, concise and careful outline of how we are to behave as new creatures. How Christians are to live in the world. We're the citizens of the Kingdom and we must act consistent with our identity.
And if we were to sum the thing up we could probably sum it up in two great statements that are made. Chapter 4 verse 1 is the first one where he says: “Walk worthy.” In other words, that we told you the word worthy means to balance it off, let your living balance off with your identity. If you're a new creature in Christ then walk that way. Then in chapter 5 verse 1 he says: “Be followers of God, or imitators of God.” Now there you have the two key things in Christian living. Walk worthy - and imitate God. Those are kind of the heart of what he is saying. If you're going to walk worthy of your calling, you're going to have to walk in the way that Jesus would walk. We are called to imitate our Heavenly Father – to trace your life following the pattern Jesus has set for us. No such thing as freehand Christianity. Acting consistent with our identity means we are going to stand out like bright lights in a dark world. That’s how Paul starts off this passage:
Does Your Life Stand In Contrast to the World Around You? For you were once darkness, but now
you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (Eph. 5:8) How many have heard the statement, “They are as different as day and night?” Paul is using this same kind of contrast between darkness and light when he is speaking of the old life without Christ as compared to the new life in Christ. In this scripture Paul is speaking to believers when he says, “You were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord.”
If you really want to get the proper context you have to journey all the way back to creation with the first four verses in the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:1-4 There very first thing we are told about God in the Bible is that he brings light into dark places. Our world began with the physical separation of light and darkness. God has been separating darkness and light throughout all eternity.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Jesus stood up and said, “I am the light of the world.” Interestingly, Jesus spoke those words during the Feast of Tabernacles. During the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jewish people constructed three gigantic candelabra right on the Temple Mount. They were so big, they had to build ladders just to climb to the top of them. At the top was a platform or a bowl that held about 20 gallons of oil. Priests would climb up and fill all of these bowls with oil and then at sunset, set fire to them and it was the brightest light Jerusalem saw all year long. This was to commemorate the time when the children of Israel were in the wilderness and God had sent a pillar of fire to direct them and lead them to the Promised Land. It was a great time of celebration. We are told the priests would dance and sing in front of these great giant candelabra all night long. It not only illuminated the Temple Mount, but lit the entire city of Jerusalem. It was in this setting the next morning, when Jesus stood in front of these smoldering candelabra with the smell of burned oil still in the air, in front of the light that had been extinguished and that was so temporary. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” meaning not an artificial light that is extinguished or burns out. “I am the eternal light of the world.” No more darkness – if you know me you have the light of life.
But now check this out: in his Sermon on the Mount “You are the light of the world …Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” You might scratch your head and say, “Wait a minute. Jesus is perfect purity, perfect holiness. I can understand him saying, ‘I am the light of the world.’ but what does he mean when he says that we are the light of the world?” This by the way is at the very beginning of his earthly ministry. He didn’t say this after he had educated them for three years – at at almost the outset of his ministry. They really had no knowledge as yet of what the Christian life involved – but because of their association with Jesus – they were now different. wherever there is faith in Christ there is light. The believer is called to be a lighthouse to others. He didn’t say it to the religious scholars – to the teachers – to the Rabbis – to the celebrities – but to you. Tell the person next to you, “I’m a light to the world.” You can say back to them – “I can tell because you are so brilliant!”
Now did you catch how the Bible described you and me in this passage? “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” Notice it doesn’t say, “you once were in darkness” or “of darkness” – it says “you were darkness.” Darkness is emptiness – darkness is not knowing. Darkness is blindness. You were not just a victim of a dark way of life – you were a contributor to it. A person who lives in darkness doesn’t know where he came from (origins) – why he is on earth (purpose) or where he is going (eternity). But he’ll try to influence others with the vain ideas he has anyway. (whatever kindgom you belong to is the kingdom you will try to build) Notice the past tense – You were once darkness. – past tense. He says this several times in Eph. He says, “You were dead in trespasses and sin” “You were without Christ” So many times in Ephesians you've got a - you were but now you are. He's just saying -be who you are
Light and darkness are absolute opposites. The ultimate contrast - light and darkness. And we live in a world that's so dark, and so desperately in need of the light that we give, and so Paul says - Walk as children of light.
Now here is the question – What kind of light are you? “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5) What is darkness? darkness = absence of light darkness is not the presence of anything. It is inert, sterile, and barren. On the other hand, light is active, powerful and dynamic. When the Bible speaks of darkness it is speaking of something that is missing. - the same is true of those who follow him: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.” (1 John 1:6) When a person walks in darkness he is walking without understanding – without morals. Darkness is not knowing God or His truth which results in a moral darkness – doing the deeds of darkness. When a person is walking in the light, it refers to the fact that he knows the truth and it results in him living it out – living with moral behavior. But light brings change: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Avoid Being: A Dim Light: “I just want to blend in” “I don’t want anyone to stand out.” Let me ask
you a question: how does light blend in with darkness? In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “You are the light of the world …Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” He said no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel – the very reason he leaves you on earth is to shine. He doesn’t want dim lights – he doesn’t want you to blend in. The whole purpose of you being where you are is so that you will stand out.
An Overpowering Light: “I want everyone to focus on my light” “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them.” Jesus pointed to the Pharisees who would have trumpets blown drawing attention to them as they came to give at the temple. They would pray standing on the street corners and in the synagogues to be seen by men. Or it could a person who is like a guy with a bullhorn, shouting bible verses in your ear. Ill of working with JW’s every single day, they were waiting for me in the parking lot, flyers under my windshield wipers, tracts at lunch time – never left me alone. It wasn’t only their false teaching that turned me off, it was their approach. It was a search light being shined directly into my face every time they approached me. I just wanted to say, “Please turn it off!” - You don’t have to explain the entire Bible every time you witness to someone. Relax a little bit – Give the Spirit of God some room to operate in their heart.
A Blinking Light: “on again, off again faith” This is the person who is shining bright on Sunday morning but has a problem keeping the light lit the rest of the week. Consistency, stability - I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Phil 4:11-13) No matter what the situation – I’m steady – because my God is steady. I’m not a blinking light. I’m not thanking God when things are going well – accusing God when things are going bad.
A Colored Light: Calling good evil and evil good. This is a person who tries to pass darkness off as being light. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isa. 5:20) Here’s a verse that’s relevant for today. Ill of reading a review of the movie Woodstock – the final scene of the movie is Michael Land, producer of the concert looking over the fields after the people have left. Nothing but mud and garbage and human waste. After the concert is over and the people are gone, the scene looks like a land fill that exploded. As he looks over the scene he says, “beautiful – just beautiful” What? What was beautiful about it? After three days of drunkenness and drug abuse and perversion it was beautiful? To him it was beautiful because of the money it put into his pocket!
If you are the kind of light Jesus wants you to be, three qualities will radiate from your life:
(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
Goodness = how we act Righteousness = what we are Truthfulness = how we speak
Goodness - How we act – how we get along with others. Agosthosune = a rare word in the NT. Refers to moral excellence, being good in both nature and effectiveness. It is love that finds its expression in willing and sacrificial help to others. Ill. of a watch dealer who had a customer who came in to purchase a new watch. He already owned an expensive pocket watch that wasn’t working. The guy examined it and made a minor adjustment in the watch instead of selling him a high priced model. It was the goodness of his heart that allowed it.
Righteousness – What we are. This has to do with our relationship to God. If you are born-again, He has given you the righteousness of Christ. There is no such thing as a “self-righteous” person. God provides righteousness to human beings only through the cross of Christ – there is no other way. As he has declared us to be right through Christ, as we relate to others we will treat them rightly.
Truth – How we speak. That not only means we speak honesty, it means we speak the truth. In other words, we are not afraid to tell people the truth about God, heaven and hell. You may be saying, “I have a hard time being good and being righteous and being truthful.” The key is that we are only to reflect that. Jesus is goodness; Jesus is righteousness; Jesus is the truth. All we have to do is reflect that light. If you want to be goodness, if you want to be righteousness, if you want to be truth, just get close to the light. Ill of little glow necklaces you get at the amusement park. Problem is they loose their glow. But you can make them glow again by placing them close to the light and let them absorb the light. Then when it is dark, they shine.
If you want to have the fruit of goodness, righteousness and truth in your life, the way to do it is get close to the light! Spend time next to the Light, because he is goodness he is righteousness he is truth. That’s why it’s important to have a quiet time. That’s why it’s very important every day for you to spend personal quality time with God in prayer and Bible study. That’s why you need to come to church and have a Bible study group to be a part of be involved in discipleship because you are exposing yourself to the light and the only way that you and I can shine out there in the darkness is if we stay close to the light who is Jesus.
Do You Live Your Life To Please the Lord? and find out what pleases the Lord. (Eph. 5:10) NASB says “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” KJV says “proving what is acceptable to the Lord.” If we really want to live with the light on – here’s the question that we need to be asking ourselves constantly, - in every decision, in every behavior, in every attitude ask yourself this question: “Does this behavior please God?” Does this attitude that I presently have please God. Does this experience that I am considering please God? Isn’t that just an excellent question? Not, “Will this please me” – we all know how much trouble that can bring into our lives – Not, “Will this action please others? But will this please God? Not, “Will this make me feel good?” Not, “Will this make me look good in the eyes of someone else?” The ultimate standard of judging whether anything is right or wrong – worthy or unworthy is whether it would be pleasing to God. This makes a great deal of sense doesn’t it? Just imagine how many bad situations you and I could have avoided in our lives if we would have had the sense to just push pause and ask this simple question. “Will this action, attitude or behavior be pleasing to God?” Put every thought – every action- every word to the test – What will the Lord think about this? What would it be like to filter our conversations through the light of God’s standards before we moved our lips? How would it affect the books we read, the pleasures we indulge in, the way we handle our resources and time. How much of our lives would be different if we asked this one simple question – “Will this please the Lord?”
David had this attitude in Psalm 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” David is saying “I don’t want to speak a word from my mouth if it doesn’t please you O Lord.” He goes even further than that – he says “I don’t even want my thoughts – the meditations of my heart not to be pleasing to you.” “It’s not just the stuff that others see – but the unobservable – the stuff no one sees - I want it all to be pleasing to you.” David wanted to prove with his life that he was living to please the Lord.
What system (philosophy) do you employ to self-regulate your behavior? The fact of your presence here today indicates that you are concerned about regulating your behavior to some degree. You wouldn’t have come to worship otherwise, right? Most systems people employ don’t really work.
The problem of legalism –. Spirituality is determined by external measurements that don’t necessarily have a scriptural basis. separation can become so extreme that there is no contact with the world – misses the mark because a person faith becomes all about following the letter of the law but how many people know you can follow the letter of the law precisely but not have your heart impacted at all?
The problem of license – This is all the way on the other side of the spectrum - The opposite of legalism is license, that is, living as though freedom in Christ means there are no measurable standards of spirituality. License leads a person to presume he can be faithful to the Lord's word and still hang on to some of the dark habits that are particularly enticing. The person who wants to emphasize license can be completely right and completely wrong at the same time.
Both are wrong because they can accomplish their goals – but not change experience change in their heart. The primary principle that should guide every Christian is a heart of total love and surrender to the heart of God. Living to please the Lord is a fundamental difference between the believer and the unbeliever. For Christians, the cardinal issue shouldn’t be whether or not the activity in question is particularly prohibited in the Scriptures! That is the half-hearted Christian’s response. For the child of God who truly wants his light to shine the primary concern will be weather or not a thought behavior or action is pleasing to God. Will I grow closer or further away from Jesus if I engage in this activity or thought process? That, my friends, is the question. TO BE LIKE JESUS! Is this the all-consuming vision that directs your life? If so, the question of legalism or license will be settled for you as you seek to love and serve Him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength!
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. The first part of this verse is rather passive - just separate from something. The second part of this verse is active – expose something. So here’s what Paul is saying – put your life under a searchlight. Expose everything to the light of God’s counsel in His Word. Put yourself to the test. Every though, every word, every action – expose it all to his light. Ill. -When I go through an airport – I’m not worried when it comes time to place my baggage on the x-ray machine or when I have to walk through the metal detector. I just lay it right up there and I don’t sweat at all. Know why? I don't have any guns in there, I don't have any bombs, no hand-grenades, not smuggling diamonds, nothing. I don't worry about it. I don't mind having my suitcase X-rayed. And you know, that's the way it ought to be with Christians. We don't mind having the light reveal what we are because we find it will only verify the truthfulness of our identity Right? (sugkoinoneo from sun = with, reflecting intimate association + koinoneo = to partake, have intimate fellowship, By the way this is an imperative – it’s a command not a suggestion. = stop fellowshipping with fruitless deeds of darkness. Distance yourself as far as you can get from the deeds of darkness.
Ill - some of us tend to want to see how close we can walk to the line and not step over it. I.E. – “How much of the old life can I still hang on to and still be in the light?” Based on the contrast, you see, you're so different, you're so far removed, you're over here trying to verify the life of God in you, you're over here involved with goodness, righteousness and truth, you used to be involved in darkness. Don't get involved in the ignorance of the world toward God. Don't get involved in the immorality of the world.
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. (Eph 5:13-14) OK, so if you want a clear and concise picture of Paul is saying, here it is: “Live without secret sin” Stop trying to convince yourself that secret sin in your life and in the church will not hinder the mission of God. Instead, live a gospel-centered, repentance-filled life. The Gospel isn’t something we confess once – it si something we live in. Repentance is not a once in a lifetime event- it si something we need to do every day. Every single person here has got to come to an awareness of how secret sin strips the child of God of spiritual power. As a pastor I’ve herd it over and over, “My sin does not hurt anyone else.” They’re trying to paddle a boat on a river called “De-Nile” We need to realize that there are no “small" sins.” God refers to all sin as an affront to His righteousness. All sin brings separation. All sin is evidence of the darkness still remaining. All sin keeps you out of right fellowship with God.
1. Secret sins are only that way for a short time. Sin might be kept secret for a season but in its time will give rise to death. “and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23) I can guarantee you this – God is interested in you changing. God is interested in your character. He loves you too much to allow the secrets in your life to stay in the dark – he knows the price tag associated with that. You might be a peasant or a king – once God decides to confront you with your deeds, you will not be able to hide it. You might be very comfortable living with your secret – but God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
2. Secret sin will cause you to live a defeated life. Sin taps spiritual power. Classic illustration of this is Joshua 7 – the Israelites were told not to take anything when they plundered Jericho – They didn’t have to do anything but march around the city and shout and God brought the walls down and the enemy into their hands. Yet Achan acted unfaithfully and took a robe and some gold and silver and hid it in his tent. The next town the came to they not only couldn’t take it, they got defeated and ended up running away in fear. Achan’s sin not only caused his own weakness but it infiltrated outward into the spiritual community.
3. Secret sin will lead you into a habitual life of darkness. James 1:15 “Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.” SIN GROWS.
Sin always takes you further than you wanted to go. Cost you more than you want to pay, And keep you longer than you want to stay. Secret sin is not only bad because of the constant worry over getting caught – it is bad because the God that we serve is holy and it is leading you further and further away from Him. What a silly idea to think you can manage it. It is not a pet to be tamed but a beast to be destroyed. Let the light of the Gospel expose whatever remains dark and hidden. Decide to live a gospel-centered, repentance filled life.
Have You Awakened to the Urgency of Our Times? This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Eph. 5:14) The idea on Sunday mornings is to have the babies sleep and the adults awake, but the unfortunate reality is the opposite is often what happens. This passage was written to believers – not unbelievers. He’s talking to the Church, not the unchurced. Too many believers asleep living like unbelievers! Most Bible commentators believe that this is a line from an Easter hymn sung by the early church. A line from an Easter hymn. Easter morning, when Christ arose from the dead, was the dawning of a new day for the world. Christians are not sleeping in sin and death. We have been raised from the dead through faith in Him. The darkness of the graveyard is past, and we are now walking in the light of salvation. Salvation is the beginning of a new day, and we ought to live as those who belong to the light, not to the darkness.
It's an invitation. I wish I had an alarm clock in this pulpit that could jangle right now. We need to wake up! I tell you the need and the urgency out there has never been greater. You say, “What’s the rush? Why the urgency?” I’ll tell you why. Jesus Christ is coming back and I believe He is coming back soon. I believe that with all my heart. Why the urgency? Lost people are out there dying. Why the urgency? Jesus Christ could come back at any moment. I say this as your pastor and I say it with love, but I say it with a broken heart. We baptized 10 people a couple of weeks ago – we ought to be baptizing 10 every month. We ought to be taking the light of Christ outside the walls of this building into the dark neighborhoods, dark families and say to them,
“This is the light of Jesus. Let it shine! Let it shine!” There are too many sleepy Christians who are content to allow others to perish as long “as we’re taken care of.” Too many sleepy Christians,
CLOSE: Isn’t it time to turn on the light? There is a story from one of Max Lucado’s books of a lady who had a small house on the seashore of Ireland at the turn of the century was quite wealthy but also quite frugal. The people were surprised, then, when she decided to be among the first to have electricity in her home. Several weeks after the installation, a meter reader appeared at her door. He asked if her electricity was working well, and she assured him it was. “I’m wondering if you can explain something to me,” he said. “Your meter shows scarcely any usage. Are you using your power?” “Certainly,” she answered. “Each evening when the sun sets, I turn on my lights just long enough to light my candles; then I turn them off.” She tapped into the power but did not use it. Her house was connected but not altered. Don’t we make the same mistake? We, too-with our souls saved but our hearts unchanged - are connected but not altered. Trusting Christ for salvation but resisting transformation. We occasionally flip the switch, but most of the time we settle for shadows. It’s time to come out of the shadows and turn on the light.
* PowerPoint slides may be available for this message. Some slides I use have copy write restrictions on them - others are slides, which I’ve created. If this sermon has slides I’ve created, I’d be glad to pass them on to you for your use. Please feel free to email me at: timvamosi@charter.net
