WALKING ABOVE THE ORDINARY (PT III)
Wake Up and See the Light
EPH 5:8-20 Dr. M Pope
INTRO: True, heartfelt, life changing revival is simply this: an understanding that all I know of God and all I can know of myself, I fully grasp that w/o God I can do nothing. MP
1. 5:8-14 WALK IN THE LIGHT
A. v 8-10 Prove what is Good
When you walk with God in fellowship (His LIGHT) SEVERAL THINGS BECOME OBVIOUS
1) You can SEE where God is going and you find SAFETY – Goodness
Making decisions in the dark can lead to some regrettable consequences. Back before electricity, a tightfisted old farmer was taking his hired man to task for carrying a lighted lantern when he went to call on his best girl. "Why," he exclaimed, "when I went a-courtin' I never carried one of them things. I always went in the dark." "Yes," the hired man said wryly," and look what you got!"
2) You Understand where God is Leading and you find Peace - Righteousness
3) You Know what is good for you and you make Right Choices - Truth
B. v 11-14 Reprove what is Evil
1) v 11-12 An Alarm is Sounded
a) Don’t continue to walk in darkness 1 Jn 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie (to ourselves) and do not the truth”.
b) Don’t let darkness blind you in your relationship to others
1 Jn 1:9-11 “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and here is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”
G.C. MORGAN: God seeks and values the gifts we bring Him--gifts of praise, thanksgiving, service, and material offerings. In all such giving at the altar we enter into the highest experiences of fellowship. But the gift is acceptable to God only when we are in fellowship with Him in character and conduct; and the test of this is in our relationships with our fellow men. We are thus charged to postpone giving to God until right relationships are established with others. Could the neglect of this be the explanation of the barrenness of our worship? (Matt 5:24)
2) v 13-14 A Call to the Church to Awaken Resounds for all to Hear
(Two Reasons Why We Don’t Experience Revival)
a) Some Church Members are Sound Asleep
b) Some Church Members are Spiritually Stubborn
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