INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• It is amazing how much life changes when one gives their life to Jesus.
• Today we are going to continue with our series, TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF.
• In this series we have been examining some of the contrasts of the old life we used to live with the new life we are called to live in Christ.
• When one gives their life to Christ, our life should be always in the process of transformation.
• This is thought is in line with Galatians 2:20
• SLIDE #2
• Galatians 2:20 (HCSB) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
• This is a tall order for one to follow, and it is impossible to do without the help of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirt.
• Today we are going to examine what is a call for a new focus for those in Christ.
• Part of the daily transformation process you undergo in Christ has implications for both yourself as we as those who are in your sphere of influence.
• When you look at the title to the message this morning, the title can make this new focus seem REALLY negative and judgmental; however, as we delve into the message, you will see that our new focus is anything but negative and judgmental.
• So, let’s begin exploring our new focus together. We will be in Ephesians 5:11-14, we will open up with verse 11, we will focus on the first part of the verse.
• SLIDE #3
• Ephesians 5:11 (HCSB) Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.
• SLIDE #4
SERMON
I. An implication of your faith. V11a
• One of the implications of our faith is that we refrain from participating in the fruitless works of darkness.
• The phrase DON’T PARTICIPATE is a call for one to stop sharing together with those who do such stuff.
• It is a call to choose which type of path one is going to follow as Jerry articulated last week in his message on A New WAY TO WALK.
• One of the implications of one’s faith is the choice between walking in the light or participating in the fruitless works of darkness.
• In the previous verses we have covered some of the fruitless works of darkness.
• By works of darkness are meant such things as immorality, impurity, greed, filthiness, silly talk, etc. (5:3, 4), and also those mentioned in 4:25–32; briefly, any and all works belonging to the realm of depravity and inspired by its prince. (Baker NTC)
• They are referred as such because those works do nothing to enhance your life, they offer momentary pleasure and will never fulfill you. The fruitless deeds are incapable of functioning usefully in one’s life.
• They are called deeds of darkness because darkness represents the evil realm, the sphere dominated by evil, sinfulness and ignorance of the ways of the Lord.
• THIS IS ONE THING I WANT YOU TO HOLD ON TO, DARKNESS IS ALSO ABSENCE OF LIGHT.
• That seems like a simple statement, but in a few minutes, you will see why it is an important thought to hold on to!
• You notice the more shady things of life are done in the dark. A thief does not come a night and light up the neighborhood, he is trying to do what he does under the cover of darkness.
• A person who is cheating on their spouse is not open about it, they try to hide the activity.
• FRUITLESS WORKS could be rendered as DEEDS THAT HAVE NO VALUE, deeds that do not help anyone.
• They are fruitless in the sense that they do not glorify God, do not win the neighbor for Christ, and do not bring inner peace or satisfaction.
• They are fruitless because the deeds of darkness end in death and decay.
• SLIDE #5
• Romans 6:20–21 (HCSB) For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from allegiance to righteousness. So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.
• One who is in Christ must strive to live a life that is characterized the God to whom we belong.
• There are some important reasons for one to not participate in the fruitless deeds of darkness.
• It is hard to stay away from the fruitless deeds of darkness because we are flooded with them in our society
• One who is in Christ must take no part in the sinful actions of the world. It is important to avoid activities that that result in sin; however, we must even go further!
• Let’s look at verses 11-13
• SLIDE #6
• Ephesians 5:11–13 (HCSB) — 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made clear,
• SLIDE #7
II. A new focus because of your faith. V11b-13
• Now this point goes with the somewhat ominous title of the message this morning.
• Our focus is to be exposing the fruitless works of darkness!
• OH FUN, we get to sit back and point out the faults of everyone else! What a dream job for some!
• Let’s not go there, that is not the call of our focus.
• We are called to expose the fruitless works of darkness, because not to do so is akin to approving of those types of works.
• Let tackle this point first be gaining an understanding of what it means to expose.
• In many places in the New Testament the word we have translated EXPOSE in these passages mean to; ADMONISH SOMEONE STRONGLY; LIKELY BY USING ARGUMENTATION TO CONVINCE AND REFUTE.
• It has a flavor of confronting the evildoer to show them the wrongness of their actions. The aim is not to do so publically, but rather to the one who is perpetrating that fruitless works.
• The word EXPOSE does not just mean to blame or reveal, but to help set right, and to point one away from sin and toward repentance.
• Usually many who are in the midst of sin do not want to have it exposed to them.
• SLIDE #8
• John 3:20 (HCSB) For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.
• Jesus uses the word EXPOSED as we would, to bring something to light.
• Now here is where we need to be careful. Admonishing, confronting are a part of what the word we translate EXPOSE calls one to do; however, I believe the context has more to do with having the light shine on the areas of darkness, thereby exposing the fruitless works of darkness.
• Now, how do we do that? How do we do that without coming across like some judgmental jerk that no one will listen to?
• DO we go around looking for evil and then publically point out the evil one is committing? Unfortunately, in some cases yes!
• I believe when you examine the context I see Paul encouraging us to allow our light to shine on a dark world by the way we live in contrast to the way the world lives.
• We are called to the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
• For that to happen, we must be different than what we are trying to season.
• If you pour salt on salt, what you will do is make something more salty and inedible.
• However, if you have the awesome pot of pasta sauce cooking and you need a little flavor, you add a little salt to season it.
• When you walk into darkness, and you are living in darkness, what will you have? More darkness.
• In part, this is why Paul tells us to make sure we stay away from the fruitless works of darkness.
• To be a light to the world, our life must reflect the light of Jesus to the dark world around us.
• Paul tells us the fruitless works are so bad, we are not to even mention the works, we are called to expose them, and that does not means to always verbally call them out, but rather our life being lived for Jesus should shine enough light on those who are performing the fruitless deeds, that it will be clear to them that something needs to change.
• By means of a life of goodness and righteousness and truth (verse 9) they must reveal what a vast contrast there is between the works of those who walk in the light and the works of those who walk in darkness.
• When folks see the fruit of the Spirit shine in your life, they will want it for theirs also.
• When I worked at Square D, when folks started to see the fruit of the Spirit grow in my life, people would come to me for counsel and help with their life.
• If your life is tangled up in the fruitless works of darkness, how will you be a light to shine to the world?
• The question that must be resolved is whether the “revealing” is merely negative (exposing people’s sins) or whether a positive element exists as well, so that people are both exposed and transformed.
• The context seems to require both, and since the word translated “expose” also means “convince,” this is understandable. The person who is exposed and convinced by the light is transformed.
• You see, you will not be able to convince someone their life is being lived in the dark if you too are living in the dark.
• We want to help transform folks as they view our transformed life!
• This ties into what we see in verse 14.
• SLIDE #9
• Ephesians 5:14 (HCSB) for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you.
• SLIDE #10
III. A positive consequence caused by your faith. V14
• Verse 14 is not a direct quote of the Old Testament of from Jesus. What we have in verse 14 is a compilation of Isaiah 60:1, 52:1-2; and 26:19.
• This verse is thought to be a quote from an early hymn of the church known to the Ephesians.
• This verse shows a positive consequence of your faith. As you live for Jesus and refrain from the fruitless works of darkness, your life becomes a light in a dark world that will help wake up those who are sleeping in the darkness.
• What is one way to wake up someone who is sleeping? Shine the light on them.
• Your life can shine the light on another person to help wake them up from being dead in their sins so that the Light of Jesus can shine.
• These words are a statement calling for people to wake up from their darkness and experience the transformation that the risen Christ brings.
• You can help people do that. God has provided a way for those who are lost to be saved, the light of your life can help them get there!
• Think of the one who led you to Jesus, wasn’t their life an inspiration for you to wake up?
• A life lived for Jesus in this dark world can inspire others to do the same.
CONCLUSION
• We are called to be a light to the world, but if we are not living in the light, we cannot be that light.
• We must choose how we are going to live, in the light or in the dark. Jesus saved us and brought us to the light, we need to do all we can with the help of the Holy Spirit to live in the light.
