Topic: Let the Son Shine in !!
Scripture: Ephesians 5:8
Even if the temperatures don’t always reflect it, the position of the sun proves it. Spring is on its way! Yes, there may be lots of snow on the ground and the sidewalks covered with ice, but the sun keeps climbing higher and staying longer in the sky – a sure sign of spring’s approach. I’m thankful for the sunlight because it puts a spring in my dreary winter steps. Truth is, the longer I spend in the sunshine, the more cheery my outlook on life.
Even if the sun should disappear behind thick clouds so that we don’t see it for a while, the Apostle Paul tells us about another kind of Son light that shines on us and through us. That light is from God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Let’s see what difference that light makes in our lives and in the lives of others.
Exposition
Ephesus was a major, metropolitan area and trade center. As we have been studying the book of Acts in Bible Study, we learned that Paul spent a long time there. Because of his length of the stay there, many people had changed from their ways of darkness to follow in the way and light of the Lord. Because of the length of time that Paul stayed in Ephesus, we are told that a whole region heard about the message of the Savior. In the first chapters of Ephesians Paul discusses the fact that they were once children of darkness. But not all those dark things have changed.
Today’s text began by saying: 8For you were once darkness. They had lived in a city that was very dark with sin. Ephesus was a big sprawling metropolitan trade center where the people indulged themselves in every kind of sin imaginable. They gave themselves over to fulfill their fleshly desires and sexual immorality, because that was the way person lived. Now because the light of the glory of God had come to these people, their lives were changed. He says: 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. In other words, they had now seen the light. These believers knew the difference between what was wrong and dark and what was light and good.
Exegesis
Winter is long enough in northern climes the way it is that I can’t imagine living above the Arctic Circle and enjoying it – at least not during winter when the sun doesn’t shine at all. I suppose what makes winter-life bearable above the Arctic Circle is artificial light. Without streetlamps or indoor lighting, people in Arctic communities would have a hard time getting anything done during winter months.
It’s not a lot of fun being in the dark is it? That’s why when you come home late at night you first switch on the lights. If you don’t, you’ll run into the coffee table, or you’ll trip over toys that never got put away. That’s what the sin we inherited from our parents does to us. Sin makes us stumble through life. It blinds us so that we trip over God’s commandments. Inherited sin causes us to blindly lash out at one another, to be jealous and suspicious instead of loving and honouring. To make matters worse, we excuse our sin. We say that the person we yelled at had it coming. Such excuses only plunge us further into darkness as it causes cataracts of denial to film over our conscience.
But Paul tells us in our text this morning that we weren’t just in the dark; he says that we were darkness. In other words, we brought darkness to others through our sinful ignorance. Like the surgeon or dentist operating in the dark who botched the job because he can’t see, our sinful ignorance of God’s Word harmed family members and friends through the bad spiritual advice we gave them. For example we may have told them at one time that it was O.K. to be angry at someone who hurt them, or that overdrinking was an acceptable way to blow off steam. Such advice, however, didn't bring them closer to God, it sent them farther away from him.
No, it’s no good being in the dark for those who stay in the dark in this life will have to live in the darkness of hell forever in the next. But the Apostle Paul gives us hope. He says in our text that we are no longer in the dark because the Son, God’s Son, shines on us. How does Jesus shine on us? He does so through God’s Word. God’s Word shows us what is acceptable and unacceptable in God’s eyes. More importantly it shows us what Jesus has done to secure forgiveness for us. Like the innocent bystander who gets arrested and charged for the bank robbery, Jesus was charged by his heavenly Father for our sins. He paid for those sins willingly and completely through his death on the cross. Jesus’ blood does more than forgive us; it washes away the blindness sin causes so that now we can properly see what God’s will is for our lives.
ILL: The church helps believers realize that they are heavenly travelers, on a journey to a new world.
What’s valuable and important to us in this world will have no value in the new world to come.
Our Porsches and other imported vehicles are extremely valuable in this world, but in the new eternal world, they won't be worth a heavenly dime.
Our Rolex watches are worth thousands in this world, but in the new eternal world, watches will have no value because time will be no more.
Our tailor made suits and designer clothing may fill our closets in this world, but in the new eternal world, the angels won't be wearing Tommy Hilfiger, Liz Claiborne and FUBU. Song: I'm going to put on my robe and tell the story!
Our designer shoes won't have any value up there, because we're going to put on golden slippers and walk all over God's heaven!
Our diamond rings and pearl necklaces will have no value when we get to heaven, for the very foundations of the city will be made of precious stones and the 12 gates of the city will be made of giant pearls!
Our 401K and our IRA, Stock Portfolios and investment plans are good in this world, but it won't mean anything in glory, because there my father is rich in houses and land and he holds the wealth of the world in his hand!
So how well do we do living as children of the light? If we’re honest, we’ll admit that we live more like children of twilight. We think it’s perfectly O.K. to keep one foot in darkness as long as the other foot is still in the light. So we go ahead and cheat on our homework, and make fun of the new kid in class thinking it’s excusable as long as we still read our Bible and go to church. After all that’s more than what most of the other kids do at school so we can’t be all that bad can we? The thing is, there is no such thing as children of the twilight. God says we are either children of light or children of dark. I’m not saying as children of light we’ll never cross the line into darkness but it should never be something we don’t regret doing. Children of light will want to stay away from the deeds of darkness because they know that they are fruitless. Sinful living only leads to broken homes, broken bodies, and broken minds. That’s why Jesus saved us from our sins so that we wouldn’t have to suffer its eternal consequences.
Children of light don’t just let the Son’s light shine through them by avoiding sin; they let the light shine through them to expose sin (Eph. 5:11) like the flashlight of a doctor exposes what is causing your sore throat. Paul tells us that children of light will call sin a sin and not sugarcoat it. Therefore, homosexuality is not an alternate life-style; it’s a sinful life-style. Worrying about finances is not part of being a good steward; it’s a unrighteous distrust of God’s promises. An impatient outburst is not understandable for those under strain; it’s an inexcusable way for God’s children to respond to the challenges of life.
God wants us to expose sin for what it is, so that others may be warned of its dangers and find a cure. Just as good doctors don’t sugarcoat the lab results but tell the patients straight out what sickness they have so that they will take their situation seriously and do everything the doctor prescribes, so we are to let the Son shine through us to expose sin so that those around us will see its dangers and find salvation in Jesus.
Letting the Son’s light shine through us is exciting work. Paul explains that we are doing nothing less than waking the dead, for that is what all those who don’t know and believe in Jesus are (Eph. 5:14):
Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
Just as Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead by speaking the word, so God raises spiritually dead people through us when we speak God’s Word. But we need to be in the Word to be able to share the Word. Just as a glow-in-the-dark toy will shine more brightly the longer it’s left in the light, so the more we put ourselves in the light of God’s Word the easier it will be to reflect that light on those who are still spiritually dead.
When spring approaches the sun keeps climbing higher in the sky, however, the day is coming when the sun will no longer rise and shine. On that day, Judgment Day, it will be too late to benefit from God's Son’s light. Yes, all will see Christ’s brilliance on Judgment Day but not all will enjoy it. Therefore the time to bask in the Son’s light is now. Learn what Jesus has done for you and put your faith in him for salvation. If you have already done that, then let his light shine through you to wake the dead among your family and friends. There is nothing more important for us to do in this life than to shine.
Close
Finally brothers and sisters, while you are watching your vampire movies this week, pay close attention to one important comparison. The creatures of the night are afraid of the sun.
No matter how powerful the night walker happens to be, he shrivels and crawls when he comes face to face with the sun.
They may have lived for hundreds of years in the darkness, living on the blood of their victims, but I find it interesting that even the most tenacious creature of the night runs when the sun starts to rise.
They may be the masters of the underground, but when the sun rises, all of their power is destroyed.
They may be the most feared creatures at midnight but when the sun shines on them, they lose all of their power.
Therein lies the secret that every young person should learn; to be free of the creatures of the night we must walk in the light of God's word.
When we walk in the light the SON rises in our soul and devil can't do you no harm.
James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
When the sun rises in your life, the devil will get away from you.
When the sun rises in your life, the demons that try to possess you will depart.
Don't worry about the powers of darkness, just keep your hands in God's hand and the devil will leave you alone!
Bloodsuckers may try to sap your life blood and leave you without hope, but I’m so glad that "there is a fountain filled with blood that flows from Immanuel’s veins and sinners plunged beneath the flood, lose all their guilt and stain!
There is power, power wonder working power in the precious blood of the lamb!
Lift Jesus Up and stomp the devil down!
Jesus, my light in a world darkness!
Jesus, my defender against all enemies!
Jesus, my shield in the midst of battle!
Jesus, who died out on Calvary!
But Early Sunday morning rose up from the grave!
Tell them about Jesus..and watch the devils leave you alone!
