Walking As Children Of The Light

WALKING AS CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT

EPHESIANS 5:8-14

There is a company in England which makes beds with a price tag Of $7.000.00. It includes bedspreads of mink, heated mattress, build in TV and sound system.

I can’t imagine paying that much for a bed but I guess if one were weary enough, he would pay any price for a good night’s rest.

There are many this morning who do not know a night of rest and peace; even some Christians. The reason being, they are not walking with God, they are out of fellowship with Him.

Someone once said, if we as Christians would act like Christians and walk with God, nothing could halt the army of God.

I-WE SEE THE FACT OF OUR WALK IN THE LIGHT: 8

A-Paul Says Notice Our Past: 8A

For ye were sometimes darkness

Before we met Christ Jesus we lived in darkness. We were spiritually blind. We were hopelessly and helplessly lost, void of any light whatsoever. We were content in the darkness.

While I was in the darkness, my aunt kept asking me to trust Jesus, to get involved in the Church. But I refused for I was blind to the goodness and grace of God.

I thank God I didn’t die in the darkness, but God allowed me to see the Light of His Salvation.

ILLUSTRATION-I heard about a pig who got out of his pen and ended up wondering in the woods. While in the woods, he found a liquor still. He ate up some old corn mash and got drunk. Several of his pig acquaintances found out and reported his to the Swine Council. They had a meeting and were about to throw him out, but he pleaded with them and promised, "If you will give me second chance I’ll never act like a human again." -Tom Dooley

When we were in darkness, before we experienced salvation, our nature wasn’t too pleasing.

B-Paul Says Notice Our Present:8B

but now are ye light in the Lord

Now, we live in the light of our Lord Jesus Christ. by God’s grace we have been made light in the Lord

Because the Lord has brought us from the darkness into the light, we ought to have Him on our mind heart continually.

ILLUSTRATION: During a long and losing baseball game, the restless 12-year-old players were questioning Ritchie, their assistant coach, about his attractive younger sister. Annoyed at the idle chatter, the head coach hollered, "When you’re in the dugout, talk baseball!" After a moment’s silence, a young voice began, "So, Ritchie, does your sister play baseball?" -- Christian Reader

C-Paul Says Notice Our Performance: 8C

walk as children of light

That being the situation, we should conduct our lives as children of light. We are to be noticeably different from those who dwell in darkness. Jesus should make a difference in our lives!

"I love Thee, I love Thee

and that Thou doest know;

But how much I love Thee,

my actions will show."

But sometime our actions fail to show our Love for our Love. Someone has mentioned it in the songs we sing.

We sing Onward Christian Soldiers and wait to be drafted into His service.

We sing O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing and don’t use the one we have.

We sing There Shall be Showers of Blessing but do not come when it rains.

We sing Blest Be the Tie That Binds and let the least little offense sever it.

We sing Serve the Lord With Gladness and gripe about all we have to do.

We sing I Love To Tell the Story and never mention it at all.

We sing We’re Marching to Zion but fail to march to worship or school.

We sing Cast Thy Burden on the Lord and worry ourselves into a nervous breakdown.

We sing The Whole Wide World for Jesus and never invite our next-door neighbor.

II-WE SEE THE FRUIT OF OUR WALK IN THE LIGHT: 9

Put a plant in a dark room long enough and it will die. By the same token, put that plant in a room and shine light on it and it will flourish. The same is true of our spiritual lives.

You may go to church, carry a Bible, give money, be baptized but the real test of being a true Christian is "fruit." -Coy Wylie

A-The Fruit Of Goodness:9A

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness

A term that can best be described as "love in action."

ILLUSTRATION: There is a story told about Sam Rayburn who was Speaker for the House of Representatives longer than any other man. One of his friends lost a teenage daughter and early the next morning Rayburn knocked on his door. "I just came by to see what I could do to help." The father replied that there was nothing to do. "Well," Rayburn said, "have you had your coffee this morning?" The man replied that they had not taken time for breakfast. While Rayburn was working in the kitchen, the man came in and said, "Mr. Speaker, I thought you were supposed to be having breakfast at the White House this morning." "Well, I was, but I called the President and told him I had a friend who was in trouble and I could not come."