Pray and ask the Lord to bless the preaching
of His Word. Our God and our Father, we thank
you for sending the Spirit to give us life and
to empower us for the call you have given us
to carry your words of life to the ends of the
earth. Please allow the words of my mouth and
the meditations of all our hearts to be acceptable
in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and nearest kinsman,
Redeemer, Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.
Our text this morning is found in Ephesians chapter
5 beginning in verse 8. Ephesians chapter 5 beginning
in verse 8. For you were once darkness, but now
you are light in the Lord. Walk as the children
of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness, righteousness, and truth. Finding out
what is acceptable to the Lord. and have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
expose them. For it is shameful even to speak
of those things which are done by them in secret.
But all things that are exposed are made manifest
by the light, for whatever makes manifest is
light. Therefore, He says, awake you who sleep,
arise from the dead, and Christ will give you
life. See then that you walk circumspectly, not
as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because
the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise,
but understand what the will of the Lord is,
and do not be drunk with wine, which is dissipation.
But be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one
another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord. Giving thanks always for the things of
God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, submitting to one another in the fear
of God. These are the words of Almighty God.
Receive them in your hearts. As Christians, there
are three things that I want us to get out of
today's passage. I want you to kind of hear it
as we go through it through these lenses. As
Christians, we are to reflect the light of Jesus.
We are to reflect the light of Jesus. We are
to redeem opportunities. We are to redeem opportunities.
And we are to sing, give thanks, and submit to
one another. We are to sing, give thanks, and
submit to one another. You may have noticed,
particularly in recent years, That what seems
obvious to you is not obvious to others It doesn't
matter what the subject is we think that if people
just had the facts That they would see the world
like you see it If they would just listen and
hear the right facts It would be plain to them
also We implore people to consider what is evident
of different political positions, conspiracies
by bankers and politicians, people groups, and
religious leaders. If they just had the right
information or arguments, they would see the
light and turn. Many of you have experienced
this same thing, making gospel pleas with family
members, friends. co -workers, and even occasional
strangers. Our approach often is that if we could
just make the right argument to them that they
would turn to Christ and be changed forever.
The problem is that if we treat the transformative
work in people as just an intellectual problem,
we have missed how God does things. Good study,
preparation, and rhetoric can be good. But in
our call to take dominion for Christ, to be fruitful,
and transform the world for the glory of God,
it is actually found in trusting God and doing
good. As we've been studying in the scriptures
in Psalm 37 and Galatians 5 and now in Ephesians
chapter 5, doing good is standing your post and
cultivating fruitfulness in the fruit of the
Spirit and ourselves and all others who are in
our realm of responsibility. We should plan,
cultivate, and experience the giving of ourselves.
the sacrificial life of ourselves for the glory
of God and the benefit of others in our care.
The Epistle to the Ephesians Church is really
divided into two sections. The first section
runs from chapter 1 all the way to chapter 4,
verse 16. In this section, the Apostle Paul declares
who God is. Jesus work of salvation for our behalf
and What our salvation practically means for
all of us our status before God in the very beginning
Paul calls the church in Ephesus saints Why because
they're in Christ Jesus not because they themselves
are righteous and holy But you know salvation
is not only a status for our eternal standing,
but it is actionable. In chapter 2 verse 10 it
says, for we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them. Paul
continues to clarify God's work is not just for
the Jews but for Gentiles as well. and that there
is no longer a wall of separation between Jew
and Gentile, right? We can all enter the sanctuary
of God as long as we are in Christ Jesus. Just
prior to the end of the first section of Ephesians,
Paul points to the inescapable reality of the
unity and fellowship of the church. In chapter
four he says this, there is one body and one
Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of
your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, who is above all and
through all and in you all. You know how I like
to point out all y 'all when you see you many
times, most of the time in the epistles, right?
It is a plural you. It's all y 'all who are in
the church. Chapter 5 begins with this. Therefore
be imitators of God as dear children and walk
in love as Christ also has loved us and given
himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to
God for a sweet smelling aroma. This is followed
of course by a list of sins summed up in verse
5 as these three categories sexual sins covetousness,
and idolatry. And he says that those who practice
such things do not inherit the kingdom of Christ
and God. Our passage this morning picks up in
verse 8, which says this, for you were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children
of the light. God does not tell us that before
we came to Christ that we were once in the dark
But actually that we were dark we were darkness
But now in Christ we are in we are light not
just in light we are light We are created in
the image of God who is light as you know in
Genesis chapter 1 right God created the heaven
and the earth and then what does it say? It says
that the earth was void of form and darkness
was over the deep. And God said, let there be
light. And he was the light that drove out the
darkness. And with the light that he had created
that was emanating from him, God gave form to
that which had no form. And he filled the void.
of the earth. God is teaching us that the light
is essential for dominion and fruitfulness. The
theme of the light is all over the scripture.
I'm going to just give you two examples, one
in Isaiah chapter 60, beginning in verse 1. Arise,
shine, for your light has come, and the glory
of Yahweh is risen upon you. For behold, the
darkness shall cover the earth. and deep darkness
the people but Yahweh will arise over you and
his glory will be seen upon you the Gentile shall
come to your light and the kings to the brightness
of your rising and speaking of Jesus in John
chapter 1 again this is speaking of Jesus when
it says him and is speaking of Jesus all things
that were made through him and without him nothing
was made that was made in him was life, and the
life was the light of men. And that light shines
in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend
or overcome it. We are called to be imitators
of God and Christ Jesus and so reflect the light
of God. We are reminded that we ourselves have
no light. It is actually the light of God in
Christ Jesus that reflects out of us and Reflecting
God's light we will see the world transformed
by the light shining from us Jesus said in Matthew
chapter 5 beginning of verse 14 You are the light
of the world a city that is set on a hill cannot
be hidden Nor do they light a lamp and put it
under a basket, but on a lampstand And it gives
light to all who are in the house. Let your light
so shine before men that they may see your good
works and glorify your Father in heaven. When
we reflect the light of God as the children of
light, darkness is either transformed, and so
men praise God because their hearts are changed,
they give thanks to God, or it flees. from it
One of the problems that we have is we have difficulty
believing God in this So what is the light that
we are shining in our realm of responsibility?
Paul continues saying that all y 'all in the
church should walk as children of the light For
the fruit of the Spirit, or in some translations
light of the Spirit, is in all goodness, righteousness,
and truth. Consider this. The fruit of the Spirit
flows in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
So let us hear once again the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
long -suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self -control. That's the light that
transforms the world. As one commentator puts
it, in the scriptures, goodness implies going
to right or wrong in a powerful way. Righteousness
is following the laws of God, and truth is doing
everything in life according to the Bible. That
is ethical obedience to God in all of life Or
as we sometimes say all of Christ for all of
life That is what transforms the world Light
allows us to see and to have the wisdom to make
good and fruitful decisions when you were when
you're not Reflecting light a person not reflecting
light who is darkness They can't make wise decisions
that transform the world. All the schemes of
men, all the things that they've tried to do,
even those who have done good, it accomplishes
just a little, and then it fades away. You see,
light allows us to see and have the wisdom to
make good and fruitful decisions for the glory
of God and the benefit of others. The light of
God reflecting from us helps us by exposing the
sin first in our own lives, that we may repent
and turn and do righteously, trusting God, standing
at our post and taking dominion to cultivate
the fruit of the Spirit in greater abundance.
ourselves and all those whom God has given us
responsibility of. This causes the world to be
transformed from darkness into light. With the
light we form the world and the will of God in
heaven here on earth. We then fill it with more
light and fruit. Men and the whole of creation
is changed more and more. In this way, we expose
all darkness, sin, and all those who conspire
against God and His people. If the people of
God don't follow God and don't trust God and
don't do good, guess what? You don't reflect
light, and we don't expose those who are doing
evil. Paul continues in verse 12 saying this,
for it is shameful even to speak of those things
which are done by them in secret. Paul is teaching
the church in Ephesus that if they think that
the world is transformed by their speaking and
exposing of the evil deeds and conspiracies,
that's not gonna work. You see, conspiracies
have happened both currently and in the past.
It doesn't change the world. In fact, Paul says
that it is shameful, meaning without grace. This
passage confronts the false idea that if people
just have the right argument, if the right conspiracies
are exposed, it's all gonna fall like a house
of cards. You see, we'll think. They'll just
change their views and stop believing the lies
and turn to the truth and joy. It is not wrong
to study history or even the present to ascertain
the truth in what men have conspired to do and
share it. But intellectual facts do not transform
men. Now I'm going to pause here just for a second.
If you have, by God, been given a responsibility
in a certain area, That's your area to live righteously,
to reflect the light of Jesus, to live with the
fruit of the Spirit flourishing within you and
flourishing in your area of responsibility. And
yes, you may have to speak to what's going on
in your job, in your post, in your responsibility.
But it is not going to be transformed simply
because you point it out. It's going to be transformed
by the light. that you are reflecting of Christ
standing your post and flourishing in the fruit
of the Spirit. The grace of God comes to men.
Well, just a second, I missed something that's
very important here because we try to do so much
in our own strength, right? Who are we called
to follow? Follow Christ. Did Christ go around
Talking about all the conspiracies of the chief
priests in Sanhedrin, I can't think of a single
place where he did that. What did he do? He trusted
God, and he did good. He knew what he was there
for. He knew what he was called to do, and he
simply trusted God and did good, making others
flourish. and the gifts of God. And in that,
the world was saved. The grace of God comes to
men by the work of Christ, by the power of the
Spirit, through the light that His people shine
into the world, by trusting God and doing good,
by standing our post and cultivating the fruit
of the Spirit. Now all this is made evident Excuse
me in verse 13 Which says this? But in all things
that are exposed are made manifest by the light
that is they are revealed by the light For whatever
makes manifest or revealed is light The transformation
of men are made seen by the light goodness righteousness
and truth lived before all men Verse 14 says
therefore he says awake you who sleep arise from
the dead and Christ will give you light Dearly
beloved Waking up to trusting God wake up trusting
God to transform the world by the light coming
from him and being reflected By you I'm gonna
pause right there. That's pretty unnerving, isn't
it? Is that unnerving? I know it is for your
pastor. I know my shortcomings. I know the times
I was irritated this week. I know the times that
I sinned this week. Has my light been reflecting
Christ? What must I do? I must trust God and
do good. Stand my post. Sacrificially die for
others that others may flourish in the fruit
of the Spirit But it begins with trusting God
Right now He says this verse 15 see then that
you walk circumspectly not as fools, but as wise
Redeeming the time because the days are evil
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what
the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk
with wine, which is dissipation, but be filled
with the Spirit. Please hear this next section
very clearly. Paul says to all y 'all, all y
'all now walk carefully, not deviating from your
duty as fools do, but be wise. There is a call
not to be a childlike fool But rather to be as
a steadfast man in your post redeeming the time
for the days of evil now The Greek word translated
here as time Can also be translated as opportunities,
and I think this fits even better so we are called
to redeem the opportunities that are put before
us. Are there opportunities to reflect light,
to make fruitful and multiply in your life before
you? For your mothers, those little children.
For dads, your wives and children. Wives, what
about your husbands? What about all those that
you have responsibility for? Are there opportunities?
Redeem your time for them. What about your brothers
and sisters in this church? And yes, even in
fact, show the light in the places that you work
and the responsibilities that you have there.
God has given every one of you a realm that you
have authority over. Children, Yeah, look up
here. You have a realm of responsibility to one
another, to your parents, to your siblings, to
all the things that God has given you. So as
the light of God reflects out of you and you
see things, redeem it. Make it better. Make it
fruitful. If you're unsure of what that looks
like, talk to your parents. Ask them about that.
And parents. Be gentle and kind and enthusiastic
in inquiries like this Your duty is to reflect
the light of God and with that light You have
sight just remember just like God in the very
beginning He was teaching us this principle the
light emanated from him and then he could go
and transform the world from an empty blob, from
an emptiness, without form. With the light that
God reflects in you, you have sight for all that
you're doing. And now you can form it. Now you
can see it. Redeem the opportunities that you
see and take all the people and all the things
in your realm and make it reflect the will of
God. This steadfastness to our providential and
sovereignly given post is clarified further in
verse 18. Do not be drunk with wine, which is
dissipation, but be filled with the spirit. Now
here's this funny word. Who this week outside
of reading the text may have used the word dissipation?
Anyone? Right, that's a really foreign concept
for us So we know what drunkenness is with wine
But here it's described as dissipation You see
dissipation is defined as a scattered attention
wandering from idea to idea and pursuit of pleasure
Which is usually attended by careless exorbitant
expenditures in time and money and effort. I'm
going to say this one more time. Dissipation
is defined as scattered attention wandering from
idea to idea in pursuit of pleasure, which usually
is attended by careless and exorbitant expenditures
in time, money, and effort. Why does a person
get drunk? Now we can put a lot of reasons to
that. But drunkenness is an artificial emotional
stimulation. This artificial emotional stimulation
can be brought on by all kinds of things, not
just drugs and alcohol. The dopamine of porn
or the dopamine of constant scrolling through
your phone or computer. This kind of drunkenness,
which is dissipation, gives us an artificial
emotional stimulation that does not lead to improved
concentration and effort. I imagine, in some
fashion, this is hitting all of us. We sometimes
justify our constant scrolling or the things
that we're doing because we get artificially
emotionally stimulated because of our pursuits
for the newest enlightened conspiracy or problem
in the greater church and the world Satan uses
these things to stir us up to dissipation scattering
our attention away from our post. Dearly beloved,
put off all things that get you drunk with dissipation,
distracting you all. I'm in that you all. So
that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Paul instructs the church as to how being filled
with the Spirit is lived out and he does it in
three ways. And this is how we remain productive.
and not needlessly distracted. Begin picking
up in verse 19, speaking to one another in Psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody in your heart to the Lord. So that's the
first thing. So let's just reflect. What about
just yesterday? Were you singing Psalms to one
another? Were you making melody in your heart
to the Lord? How'd that work out? I know you
probably had your family worship and you did
some singing there. Just as an illustration,
just to show a little bit of my family here.
We used to have, when all our kids were at home,
we had this 12 passenger van. And so it was me
and my wife and my dad. And one of my younger
brothers who lived with us for a while, we'd
all pile into that van, all eight kids. So that's
a mass of people. And can you imagine some Sunday
mornings on the way out the door, we would get
flustered and angry and impatient with one another?
Can you imagine that? Now, one of the problems
we had Because we had a four minute ride to church.
What I found, we certainly prayed when we got
in the car, but what I found to bring unity,
to bring strength to one another, we would sing
a hymn together. We would sing a psalm. Singing
brings unity and strength and blessing. And when
we're doing it centered on the Lord, What a magnificent
transformation that is. It focuses us to be joyful
and full of gratitude, which brings us to our
next thing. We are to give thanks for all things
to God the Father and the Lord Jesus. We are
to be living a life of gratitude. If you're singing,
lest you're singing a dirge or thrash, man, I'm
all angry. What does all that anger do for you?
It exhausts you. It exhausts you. Give thanks.
Be full of gratitude. Sing psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs to one another and making melody
in your heart before God. Finally, we are told,
submitting to one another in the fear of God.
This is mutual submission. For service for God's
glory and the benefit of others. That's back
to that sacrifice Romans 12 tells us this does
it not where to be living sacrifices And what
we like to do with that is turn it into some
sort of ethereal far away spiritual thing. I'm
a spiritual person I have the fruit of the Spirit
in me Right, but it's not for anybody else. We're
gonna button it up and cover it up. No light
reflecting out of me Once again, we are to bless
one another by speaking the Psalms of each other
singing and making melody to God Joyous music
overflowing from the heart and serving one another
pointing them to Jesus in song and attitude and
Sacrificial love planning and flourishing others
and what God has given us We are to always and
actively give thanks in all things. You see this
is the very this is the big thing we always think
my circumstances are so extraordinary They're
so hard man. No no other mother has ever had
a week like I have had Or No other man has ever
experienced the difficulties that I have for
those of you that serve in government service
What about Daniel? All the different things there
are other Christians that God has placed in similar
circumstances and He has transformed their lives
and they have been a light I argue that Nebuchadnezzar
repented of his sin. King Darius was a blessing
to God's people, although they all stumbled.
And finally, we actually see that Cyrus, a converted
king, pays for the rebuilding of the temple and
sends important people that belong to him to
go oversee it. Remember in Isaiah 60, kings will
be drawn to your light. You know, the final way
we are to be living is to be filled with the
Spirit. Here is submitting to one another in
the fear of the Lord. Remember chapter five began
with, therefore be imitators of God as dear children
and walk in love as Christ has also loved us
and given himself for us as an offering, a sacrifice
to God, a sweet smelling aroma. How do you smell?
By that I mean by your activities Are you a sweet
-smelling aroma to God? What about the others
in your household? What about the people you
work with or live with? We are to submit to one
another loving one another as Christ has demonstrated
To us by giving himself for us as an offering
to God for a sweet -smelling aroma We're to submit
to one another serving one another as a sacrifice
and an offering to God Saints of God, we are
to submit sacrificially of ourselves for the
glory of God that others may be lifted up and
drawn to God, illuminated by the light that we
reflect of Jesus. So there's all this. It's a
bit overwhelming. Trust that God do good. How
do we do this? As you know, Jesus has not left
us without hope. We talked about this last week.
He hasn't left us without hope to fulfill these
things. He isn't telling us to make bricks without
straw. No, He has sent the Holy Spirit. And He
did this after He died for us and rose again
for the forgiveness of all our sins. And He sent
the Spirit to you, and He has called all of you.
All light comes from Jesus. Dearly beloved, lean
more upon Jesus and the grace and the life that
he has given you all. Reflect the light of Jesus,
redeeming your opportunities, singing and giving
thanks, and submitting to one another. Let us
pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for who you
are, holy, righteous, and good. We give thanks
for the life you have given us in Christ Jesus,
being saved unto a life of good works that you
have prepared for us beforehand. Let us not become
distracted from our post. Help us, we pray, to
walk in the light, trusting that obedience to
you, that you will bless and transform the world
to your glory and our benefit. We ask all this
for the sake of Jesus, your Son, our Lord, who
reigns with you in the Holy Spirit. world without
end. Amen. Let us continue our worship by the
giving of our tithes and offerings. Blessed are
you, O Lord God, for through your goodness we
have these gifts to share. Accept and use your
tithes and offerings for your glory, for service
in your kingdom. Blessed be God forever and ever.
Amen.