INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• As we have been examining the concept of being a Masterpiece in Progress, last week, we examined the importance of having the correct attitude concerning life.
• What we think eventually becomes what we do.
• Listen, we live in a world that is full of bad things.
• We live in a world that is not too keen on following the ways of God.
• When you look at our country, morality seems to be becoming a thing of the past.
• When you turn on the news, it usually is not full of good news.
• Let me ask you a question, do you long for the world, for our society to become a better place while we are on this earth, or do you want to continue to see it get worse and worse.
• If history teaches us anything, it is that society will fall when it has no moral underpinning.
• That leads us to the question, whose job is it to help shine a light into the dark world?
• The Church has lost a great deal of her influence on our society.
• Our Founding Fathers understood that for our society to work, Christianity needed to be the glue that kept this nation together.
• We are fed and believe the false narrative of separation of Church and state to the point that Christians are being actively discouraged from participating in the public arena.
• Something needs to change.
• Then you look at organizations like Chick-Fil-A, who because their founder has biblical views on life, (which by the way have not led the organization to discriminate in any way, become).
• They have been the victims of scorn and discrimination, despite the fact they are usually one of the first organizations to be first on the scene when disasters strike to offer food to help the relief efforts.
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• So why is the Church as well as biblical standards losing impact on our society?
• It is because of politics? That is a part of the problem.
• There is a much deeper issue that is plaguing the Church that needs to be called out and corrected if we ever hope to be able to influence society as well as to reach the dying world in which we live.
• Today we will be in Ephesians 5:3-20. Let’s turn there together as we will begin with verses 3-7.
• SLIDE #2
• Ephesians 5:3–7 (CSB) — 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. 4 Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5 For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Bringing darkness in the darkness.
• Last week we looked at how we are called to be imitators of God.
• Today’s passage ties back into that thought.
• Since we are called to be imitators of God, what we find in verses 3-7 are things we are called to avoid.
• Before we dig into this, we need to consider something significant.
• When you go into a dark place, a place so dark that you cannot see your hand in from of your face, what do you do to be able to see?
• You bring some sort of light.
• You do not bring more darkness into a dark room.
• I believe one of the biggest reasons the Church has lost a great deal of influence in our society is that too many of us are bringing more darkness into the darkness.
• Instead of being a city on a hill, or a light shining in the darkness, we live as if we are just as lost as the lost world.
• I am not trying to beat anyone up over this, I am also looking in the mirror.
• But think about it. How many things as Christians do we KNOW God does not want us doing, yet we do it and excuse it.
• Some things we do people do not see, now that is still not an excuse to do them, but many other things we do, we sin in a very public way.
• So, when we bring more darkness into darkness, how can we lead anyone?
• If I am cheating on my wife and others know it, how can I possibly lead them to Jesus?
• If I am living with my wife while not married to her, others see it, and then if I tried to share Jesus, would they listen, or just laugh me off?
• Or because I would not want to be called on the carpet by anyone, would I dare even talk to them about Jesus?
• PLEASE HEAR ME. I will not apologize for the gospel, nor will I go around and condemn people for how they live.
• As we will see later if you will stick with me, my job is not to condemn people, but rather it is to do something else. Hold that thought until our final point.
• I also want you to know that no matter how you are living, we love you at FCC.
• However, we love you too much just to keep letting you live in darkness.
• In verses 3-7, Paul offers some characteristics that mark one who is living in darkness.
• But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints
• Sexual immorality is relations outside the confines of marriage.
• The Greek word used is the word from which we get pornography.
• When we engage in relations outside of the boundaries of marriage, we are violating our love for the other person.
• We are using them and are not committed to them.
• Impurity is unnatural and perverted indulgences such as the lusts of Sodom. It includes sexual sins in a broader range of defilement, anything that makes a person unfit to come before the presence of God.
• Greed is marked by the pursuit of gold or sexual pleasures that causes one to neglect his soul, intellect, and heart. It also denotes one who will use others to get what they want.
• We are told that sexual immorality and impurity should not even be heard among God’s family. For those who are in God’s family, these things are not proper.
• Verse 4 goes back to our language again.
• Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable,
• Crude jokes, things with double meaning should not be a part of who we are.
• Then in verses, 4-7 listen to what we are told.
• For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners.
• In verse 6, it speaks of not being deceived with empty arguments.
• What this verse speaks of is not allowing ourselves to be deceived about what he just wrote concerning how living in darkness will hurt us in the end.
• Empty arguments are arguments with no substance, based with not truth.
• Let’s look at verses 8-14 for some better news!
• SLIDE #4
• Ephesians 5:8–14 (CSB) — 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light—9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth—10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 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 visible, 14 for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
• SLIDE #5
II. A light in the darkness.
• When you need to find your way around in a dark place, you bring some light with you.
• What this world needs the light of Jesus Christ shined into the darkness so that folks can come in from the dark!
• This passage speaks of the FRUIT OF THE LIGHT.
• Jesus tells us something in Luke 6:44
• SLIDE #6
• Luke 6:44 (CSB) — 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush.
• By your fruits you will be known is another way to put it.
• 9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth
• IF we are children of the light, these are the things we are to be known for, not the stuff from the darkness!
• Goodness is generosity, benevolence toward others.
• Righteousness means in this context that we separated ourselves from the sins mentioned above.
• Truth means we understand the truth, and we live the truth, and we model the truth for others.
• Another thing we do when we are a light is, we test what is pleasing to the Lord.
• This means we examine all we say, think, and do. We are willing to test what we do to see if what we do reflects the person we are in Christ.
• The Greek word for TEST was used of testing metals to see if they were genuine or of coins to see whether they were genuine and of the proper weight.
• Children of light do not use their light to look for flaws in others, we use it to make sure we are all right!
• One way we test to see if we are indeed children of light is to make sure we are not practicing what those in darkness do.
• In the beginning of the message, I asked you to hold on to a thought concerning condemning others.
• If we are children of light, our focus will be on our own issues. What we do for others is that light is meant to EXPOSE the deeds of darkness.
• Our light exposes the deeds, we are not looking to condemn the individual.
• Now you may wonder what the difference between the two.
• The Pharisees used their light to condemn others and not look at themselves.
• When we only look to others, we seek to condemn them, when we focus on the deeds, we are looking to help them.
• We are called to expose the issue and help the person come to Jesus so that they can be victorious.
• We are to help them see what needs attention. We are not their judge. We help them to see if they do not come to Jesus, they will be in trouble, they will have to stand before God, not before me!
• We are called to bear one another’s burdens, not condemn one another! Galatians 6:2
• Let’s finish with verse 15-20
• SLIDE #7
• Ephesians 5:15–20 (CSB) — 15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you live—not as unwise people but as wise—16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
• SLIDE #8
III. Keeping the light bright.
• We will keep this simple, short, and sweet.
• To keep our light, bright takes effort on our part.
• Verse 15 tells us to pay attention to how we live. This implies forethought, planning, and observation.
• We are called to make the most of our time because the days are evil. What this means is that because there is so much evil in the world, we have to make the most of our time so that we can have the most impact possible on the world around us!
• The evil in the world is trying to drag as many down with it as possible!
• From verse 17, we need to understand the will of God. We need to put the time and effort into God’s Word so we can know God’s will!
• Verse 18 says to be filled by the Spirit versus being filled with wine.
• Verse 19 tells us to have a joyful heart and to have God in that heart.
• And finally, verse 20 tells us to give thanks to God for all we have been blessed with.
• A thankful attitude will help us to be grateful instead of grumbling!
CONCLUSION
• God calls us to shine as a light in the darkness.
• To be successful in this endeavor, we need to live wisely, rejecting what displeases the Lord and embracing what pleases him.
• We need to let the world see that we are different, that we have a light to shine on the darkness.
• We cannot live in darkness and expect to impact people by bringing more darkness into the already dark world.
