WEBVTT 00:00:03.370 --> 00:00:07.370 This last week, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 00:00:07.589 --> 00:00:12.109 I had the opportunity to be with some very dear 00:00:12.109 --> 00:00:15.289 people in Wisconsin at a family camp for the 00:00:15.289 --> 00:00:20.530 conservative Baptists in that state. Among those 00:00:20.530 --> 00:00:22.949 attending were a couple of families related to 00:00:22.949 --> 00:00:26.789 the farm economy. Now, having come from a farm, 00:00:26.929 --> 00:00:30.230 I always feel just a little close to those folks. 00:00:31.929 --> 00:00:34.329 As they say, you can take the boy out of the 00:00:34.329 --> 00:00:36.049 country, but you can't take the country out of 00:00:36.049 --> 00:00:39.070 the boy. And so I enjoy talking with him, and 00:00:39.070 --> 00:00:41.810 I was reminded that even though farm folks may 00:00:41.810 --> 00:00:45.070 not say a whole lot, it's hard to get the last 00:00:45.070 --> 00:00:48.270 word on them. I heard a story about that one 00:00:48.270 --> 00:00:49.869 time. There was a fellow from the city who went 00:00:49.869 --> 00:00:53.549 down to the farm, and he was talking to the farmer, 00:00:53.590 --> 00:00:55.490 and he looked at the corn crop, and he said, 00:00:55.549 --> 00:00:58.590 you know, this corn's kind of brown. The farmer 00:00:58.590 --> 00:01:02.619 said, well, we like it that way here. He said, 00:01:02.659 --> 00:01:04.799 it doesn't look like you've got too big a crop. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:08.299 The farmer said, well, we're a little short -handed. 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:12.939 He says, we grew all we could handle. He says, 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:14.379 well, it looks to me like the corn's kind of 00:01:14.379 --> 00:01:18.000 short. The farmer said, well, we've got a midget 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:19.799 in our family. If it was too high, he couldn't 00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:23.500 reach up and pick it. And the city fellow looked 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:25.579 at him and said, you know, you're close to an 00:01:25.579 --> 00:01:27.980 idiot. The farmer said, yep, there's just a fence 00:01:27.980 --> 00:01:34.900 between us. It's hard to get the last word on 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:37.560 a farmer. And it's hard to get the last word 00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:40.140 on the Apostle Paul, too. As we come to our text 00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:44.420 today in Ephesians chapter 5, beginning in verse 00:01:44.420 --> 00:01:49.819 3, he has said to us, walk in love, but he goes 00:01:49.819 --> 00:01:52.140 on to say something more that rather balances 00:01:52.140 --> 00:01:56.920 what he has just said. Walk in love, he says, 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.879 but do not let immorality or any impurity or 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:05.799 greed even be named among you, as is proper among 00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:10.340 saints. And there must be no filthiness and silly 00:02:10.340 --> 00:02:13.939 talk or coarse jesting which are not fitting, 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:17.919 but rather giving of thanks. For this you know 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:22.219 with certainty, that no immoral or impure person 00:02:22.219 --> 00:02:27.099 or covetous man who is an idolater has an inheritance 00:02:27.099 --> 00:02:31.150 in the kingdom of Christ and God. But no one 00:02:31.150 --> 00:02:33.810 deceive you with empty words, for because of 00:02:33.810 --> 00:02:37.449 these things the wrath of God comes upon the 00:02:37.449 --> 00:02:42.210 sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers 00:02:42.210 --> 00:02:47.270 with them. For you were formerly darkness, but 00:02:47.270 --> 00:02:51.409 now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children 00:02:51.409 --> 00:02:56.030 of light, for the fruit of the light consists 00:02:56.030 --> 00:02:58.669 in all goodness and righteousness and truth. 00:02:59.659 --> 00:03:02.460 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 00:03:03.020 --> 00:03:06.139 And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds 00:03:06.139 --> 00:03:10.819 of darkness, but instead even expose them, for 00:03:10.819 --> 00:03:13.319 it is disgraceful even to speak of the things 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:17.039 which are done by them in secret. But all things 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:19.960 become visible when they are exposed by the light, 00:03:20.099 --> 00:03:23.719 for everything that becomes visible is light. 00:03:24.139 --> 00:03:28.479 For this reason it says, awake sleeper, and arise 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:32.060 from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:37.400 To walk in Christian love does not mean to compromise 00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:43.259 with sin. One can be a lover of people for Christ's 00:03:43.259 --> 00:03:48.099 sake and still live a holy life which is above 00:03:48.099 --> 00:03:52.159 reproach. While walking in love, the true believer 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:56.099 must also walk in the light, which is the exhortation. 00:03:56.590 --> 00:04:00.210 in our text this morning. There are two moral 00:04:00.210 --> 00:04:04.370 systems that are present in our world today. 00:04:05.509 --> 00:04:11.930 There is darkness and there is light. Darkness 00:04:11.930 --> 00:04:17.089 is that system of thought, values, and worship 00:04:17.089 --> 00:04:21.769 which rejects the light of God in Jesus Christ. 00:04:23.139 --> 00:04:26.939 Darkness is that which dominates the unregenerate. 00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:33.759 It is anti -God, and it loves to sin. Turn with 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:37.199 me for a moment to the Gospel of John, for John 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:41.420 in his writings often talks about darkness and 00:04:41.420 --> 00:04:49.420 light. Look at chapter 1 and verse 5. Speaking 00:04:49.420 --> 00:04:53.370 about the coming of the Word, in whom was life, 00:04:53.569 --> 00:04:56.610 and the life was the light of men. It says in 00:04:56.610 --> 00:05:00.430 verse 5, And the light shines in the darkness, 00:05:00.810 --> 00:05:06.189 and the darkness did not comprehend it. It says 00:05:06.189 --> 00:05:08.829 here that when the Lord Jesus Christ came, he 00:05:08.829 --> 00:05:14.970 came as light into a darkened world. This is 00:05:14.970 --> 00:05:19.050 further explained to us in chapter 3 and verse 00:05:19.050 --> 00:05:25.279 19. And this is the judgment, that the light 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:29.920 is come into the world. And men loved the darkness 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:34.139 rather than the light, for their deeds were evil. 00:05:34.860 --> 00:05:38.120 For everyone who does evil hates the light and 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:41.860 does not come to the light, lest his deeds should 00:05:41.860 --> 00:05:46.339 be exposed. A sinner will not naturally come 00:05:46.339 --> 00:05:49.980 to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the light. for 00:05:49.980 --> 00:05:52.540 the same reason that a thief does not seek out 00:05:52.540 --> 00:05:57.339 a policeman. A sinner sins. He does not want 00:05:57.339 --> 00:06:00.040 that sin to be exposed, and the light exposes 00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:04.600 sin. And so there is the moral system of darkness. 00:06:05.699 --> 00:06:08.339 But in contrast to that, there is the system 00:06:08.339 --> 00:06:10.959 of light. It is a system of morality, values, 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:14.500 understanding, and worship, which is based upon 00:06:14.500 --> 00:06:18.620 God's revelation in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:06:20.680 --> 00:06:23.500 Just as there are two moral systems in the world, 00:06:23.540 --> 00:06:27.480 so there are two families in the world. According 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:30.000 to our text, there are those who are the sons 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:34.279 of disobedience. Or we can say, based upon our 00:06:34.279 --> 00:06:38.560 text, they are the sons of darkness. On the other 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:41.139 hand, there is the family of God, which is called 00:06:41.139 --> 00:06:46.420 here the children of light, in verse 8. The child 00:06:46.420 --> 00:06:49.740 of God has been brought into the kingdom of light. 00:06:50.459 --> 00:06:53.000 He has been transferred out of the kingdom of 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:56.339 darkness and made a part of the kingdom of God's 00:06:56.339 --> 00:07:00.480 dear Son, so that now the child of God is said 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:04.420 to be a child of light, and he conducts himself 00:07:04.420 --> 00:07:10.199 in the light. God has designed that light in 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:14.060 the dark world should make a difference. You 00:07:14.060 --> 00:07:18.019 think about that physically. Darkness cannot 00:07:18.019 --> 00:07:21.339 overcome light. Have you ever thought about that? 00:07:21.980 --> 00:07:29.040 But light can overcome darkness. The same is 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:33.100 true spiritually. The darkness will never overcome 00:07:33.100 --> 00:07:38.060 the light of Jesus Christ, though it struggles 00:07:38.060 --> 00:07:42.459 to do so. But one day the light of God in Jesus 00:07:42.459 --> 00:07:46.139 Christ and in his people will overcome the darkness. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:51.620 The importance of light in a dark world is illustrated 00:07:51.620 --> 00:07:55.560 in what happened a few days ago when the crewman 00:07:55.560 --> 00:07:59.139 of a shrimp trawler in the Gulf of Mexico was 00:07:59.139 --> 00:08:02.959 rescued. He, along with several other men, were 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:07.480 thrown overboard when a large wave hit their 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:12.439 boat. And they were rescued because of a small 00:08:12.439 --> 00:08:16.819 light that was on the life jacket of one of the 00:08:16.819 --> 00:08:20.399 men. The seawater activated that small little 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:24.420 bulb, and from a distance away, another ship 00:08:24.420 --> 00:08:27.019 caught a glimpse of the light in the darkness 00:08:27.019 --> 00:08:29.779 there in the Gulf of Mexico, and they were rescued. 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:35.799 My friend, even a small light makes a big difference 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:40.860 in a dark world. And so our Lord commands us 00:08:40.860 --> 00:08:44.080 that we should walk in the light. And as he says 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:47.500 in verse 8, we should walk as children of light. 00:08:49.059 --> 00:08:51.759 In our text today, there are three reasons given 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:56.179 to us as to why we should do this. Three reasons 00:08:56.179 --> 00:08:59.659 which should motivate us as the children of God 00:08:59.659 --> 00:09:04.320 to walk in the light. The first is because of 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:07.000 the characteristics of darkness, verses 3 and 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:13.179 4. Now the list here is only suggestive. But 00:09:13.179 --> 00:09:18.379 it is meaningful. What does darkness, moral darkness, 00:09:18.580 --> 00:09:23.399 look like in everyday life? Paul tells us. He 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:27.460 uses the term immorality to describe it. It is 00:09:27.460 --> 00:09:31.240 the Greek word porneia, and from that, obviously, 00:09:31.240 --> 00:09:35.700 you can see the English word pornography. Paul 00:09:35.700 --> 00:09:40.610 says that moral darkness... is evidenced by immorality, 00:09:40.710 --> 00:09:46.090 which is any kind of sexual conduct apart from 00:09:46.090 --> 00:09:50.769 God's plan and design for a monogamous man -woman 00:09:50.769 --> 00:09:56.549 marriage. Any sexual relationship outside of 00:09:56.549 --> 00:09:59.769 that design and plan of God falls into the category 00:09:59.769 --> 00:10:06.840 of immorality. It is acceptable in a permissive 00:10:06.840 --> 00:10:10.159 society, a pagan society like Paul's day, to 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:14.340 practice immorality. And indeed it was done openly 00:10:14.340 --> 00:10:17.559 and was done as a part of their pagan worship. 00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:23.179 Is it not a commentary on our times that this 00:10:23.179 --> 00:10:26.120 similar kind of conduct, this kind of lewdness, 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:30.179 is approved and accepted by so many in our society? 00:10:32.590 --> 00:10:34.830 I may not agree with it, but if that's the way 00:10:34.830 --> 00:10:39.649 they want to live, then that's fine. That is 00:10:39.649 --> 00:10:44.970 immorality, and God condemns it. He further mentions 00:10:44.970 --> 00:10:49.590 any impurity. I want you to notice that phrase 00:10:49.590 --> 00:10:52.009 because it's the same phrase as is found back 00:10:52.009 --> 00:10:54.730 in verse 19. And by the way, there's quite a 00:10:54.730 --> 00:10:57.009 parallel between what he says in verse 19 and 00:10:57.009 --> 00:11:02.000 what he says in verse 3. Impurity is... the characteristic 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:05.940 of a secularized society which has left behind 00:11:05.940 --> 00:11:11.580 any standards of purity. We are familiar with 00:11:11.580 --> 00:11:15.320 the word catharsis. A catharsis is a cleansing. 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:21.419 This word here in the Greek is a catharsis. It 00:11:21.419 --> 00:11:23.919 is the opposite of a cleansing. It is that which 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:28.039 is impure and unclean. The apostle says that 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:34.840 in everyday life, Darkness is made clear through 00:11:34.840 --> 00:11:38.759 impurity. That's how it's recognized. And then 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:42.580 he talks about greed, which he says is the same 00:11:42.580 --> 00:11:47.019 as idolatry. He says, don't even let this be 00:11:47.019 --> 00:11:51.279 named among you. What is greed? Greed is lust. 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:57.419 It is a lust for more. It is idolatry because 00:11:57.419 --> 00:12:00.600 it places something before God in one's life. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:06.080 Greed worships that which it seeks to possess. 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:10.799 Therefore, it is called idolatry. And the greed 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:16.460 here takes on a definite moral connotation. But 00:12:16.460 --> 00:12:19.340 tied together with these sexual ideas are the 00:12:19.340 --> 00:12:22.759 words of the next verse, where he talks about 00:12:22.759 --> 00:12:28.409 filthiness. Here he literally means shameless 00:12:28.409 --> 00:12:33.909 talk. But conduct is associated with it. We would 00:12:33.909 --> 00:12:38.330 use the word today obscenity. The apostle here 00:12:38.330 --> 00:12:42.769 is talking about language which exposes an underdeveloped 00:12:42.769 --> 00:12:47.710 vocabulary and an overdeveloped lust. It is the 00:12:47.710 --> 00:12:50.730 kind of language that seems to be popular in 00:12:50.730 --> 00:12:56.200 our world today to emphasize points. I am convinced 00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:59.080 that there are some people who are so used to 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:01.360 hearing it and who so believe that it's necessary 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:05.019 to talk this way that when they use some filthy 00:13:05.019 --> 00:13:07.320 words, they're not even really aware that they're 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:09.399 using them or in whose presence they're using 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:15.440 them. It's very sad. Often this kind of talk 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:19.860 involves bragging about sexual experiences, sexual 00:13:19.860 --> 00:13:26.240 prowess, sexual desire. And the Word of God tells 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:28.679 us that it's a part of the system of darkness 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:34.480 which God cannot approve. Furthermore, he mentions 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:38.539 silly talk. Literally, he says, hear stupid words, 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:42.799 foolish talk, which cheapens both the speaker 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:46.860 and the listener, the kind of talk out of which 00:13:46.860 --> 00:13:51.980 no good comes. And then he mentions coarse jesting. 00:13:52.750 --> 00:13:57.129 That is vulgar and frivolous talk. It really 00:13:57.129 --> 00:14:00.549 involves the idea of the twisting of words and 00:14:00.549 --> 00:14:06.889 phrases toward unclean and sexual themes. There 00:14:06.889 --> 00:14:08.889 are some people who are very clever at that, 00:14:08.929 --> 00:14:11.330 and that is exactly what Paul is saying here. 00:14:12.490 --> 00:14:15.610 There are some people who can take a phrase and 00:14:15.610 --> 00:14:19.549 twist it, perhaps halfway, and make it something 00:14:19.549 --> 00:14:23.379 dirty. And then there are those who redefine 00:14:23.379 --> 00:14:26.679 the ordinary words that we use in life and give 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:31.460 them some kind of a sexual connotation. Now please 00:14:31.460 --> 00:14:37.100 understand that wit is a gift of humor. There's 00:14:37.100 --> 00:14:39.320 nothing wrong with a witty person. Indeed, a 00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:41.820 witty person is a rather enjoyable kind of person 00:14:41.820 --> 00:14:44.519 to be around. But what he's talking about here 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:49.080 is the gift of wit that is abused. It is the 00:14:49.080 --> 00:14:51.860 gift of wit that is attached to a filthy mind 00:14:51.860 --> 00:14:58.720 and to base motives. There are two tests of character, 00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:03.220 someone has said. One is, what makes a person 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:07.659 weep? And the other is, what makes a person laugh? 00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:15.500 Because of what darkness is like, because of 00:15:15.500 --> 00:15:19.690 its characteristics, which God cannot approve, 00:15:20.149 --> 00:15:23.350 you and I who are children of light are told, 00:15:23.529 --> 00:15:29.529 walk in the light. We are to have nothing to 00:15:29.529 --> 00:15:35.029 do with immorality or any uncleanness. We are 00:15:35.029 --> 00:15:42.190 to avoid greed, selfishness. We are to stay away 00:15:42.190 --> 00:15:46.779 from shameless talk, from stupid words. and from 00:15:46.779 --> 00:15:50.879 suggestive phrases and the twisting of words 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:55.460 toward that which is unclean. Again, I want to 00:15:55.460 --> 00:15:58.480 say that he is not here condemning humor, but 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:01.179 he is condemning the kind of humor which attacks 00:16:01.179 --> 00:16:04.600 and destroys the morality and the pure thoughts 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:09.240 of other people. Warren Worsby tells about a 00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:11.659 Christian woman who attended an anniversary dinner 00:16:11.659 --> 00:16:15.990 in honor of a friend. She did not know that there 00:16:15.990 --> 00:16:20.710 was going to be a program of what he called low 00:16:20.710 --> 00:16:25.029 comedy before the meal. The so -called comedian 00:16:25.029 --> 00:16:27.789 tried to entertain the crowd with coarse humor 00:16:27.789 --> 00:16:30.750 that degraded everything that the Christian guest 00:16:30.750 --> 00:16:34.490 held to be sacred and honorable. At one point 00:16:34.490 --> 00:16:36.470 in the program, the comedian's throat became 00:16:36.470 --> 00:16:39.389 dry, and so he asked the waiter, please bring 00:16:39.389 --> 00:16:42.850 me a glass of water. The Christian woman at that 00:16:42.850 --> 00:16:45.090 point spoke up and said, and bring a toothbrush 00:16:45.090 --> 00:16:52.169 and a bar of soap with it. I'm sure he must have 00:16:52.169 --> 00:16:58.330 gotten the point. I read recently a story about 00:16:58.330 --> 00:17:01.690 a man who some years ago waited until the women 00:17:01.690 --> 00:17:05.490 exited the room. He was with other men and then 00:17:05.490 --> 00:17:10.150 was going to start telling a dirty story. He 00:17:10.150 --> 00:17:12.349 said, since the women are gone, let me share 00:17:12.349 --> 00:17:14.549 this with you. And a Christian man was in the 00:17:14.549 --> 00:17:16.950 room. He said, sir, it is true that the women 00:17:16.950 --> 00:17:21.430 are gone, but the Holy Ghost is not. And I ask 00:17:21.430 --> 00:17:24.269 you to refrain from telling that story. The man 00:17:24.269 --> 00:17:27.470 said, sir, I thank you for that reminder, and 00:17:27.470 --> 00:17:32.210 I accept your rebuke. That took a lot of courage 00:17:32.210 --> 00:17:38.269 for him to do that. What he names here in these 00:17:38.269 --> 00:17:42.059 verses, are called later in verse 11, the unfruitful 00:17:42.059 --> 00:17:46.059 deeds of darkness. What he means is that there 00:17:46.059 --> 00:17:50.640 is no lasting benefit in these things. There 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:54.619 is no satisfying result from them. They only 00:17:54.619 --> 00:17:59.359 lead to more sin. Have you ever talked to anyone 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:02.480 who has been an immoral person who said, I am 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:06.819 satisfied? I've had enough immorality to last 00:18:06.819 --> 00:18:11.900 me now for the rest of my life? Not at all. It's 00:18:11.900 --> 00:18:15.420 unfruitful. What about the person who is noted 00:18:15.420 --> 00:18:19.859 for his uncleanness? Or the one who uses obscene 00:18:19.859 --> 00:18:23.339 language and filthy talk? Does he ever get to 00:18:23.339 --> 00:18:25.359 a point of saying, well, I've said that enough 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:29.740 now, let me stop using it? No, not at all. It 00:18:29.740 --> 00:18:32.299 becomes a deeply ingrained habit in his life. 00:18:33.559 --> 00:18:37.119 That's why it is called unfruitful deeds of darkness. 00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:41.019 And because these things are what they are, because 00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:44.359 they do not satisfy and they do not lead to benefit, 00:18:44.579 --> 00:18:48.960 those of us who are children of God are to walk 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:51.299 in the light and stay away from this kind of 00:18:51.299 --> 00:18:55.759 darkness. These kinds of activities are not fitting 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:00.079 for us, he says. He says they are not proper 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:03.880 for saints, that is, for those who have been 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:07.259 set apart for God. Indeed, he says, don't even 00:19:07.259 --> 00:19:11.980 let these things be named among you. But rather, 00:19:12.099 --> 00:19:16.240 he says, give thanks. There is something that 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:19.559 is fitting for saints, gratitude and appreciation 00:19:19.559 --> 00:19:23.400 for others and treating others with respect, 00:19:23.700 --> 00:19:27.720 being content with what one has, what God has 00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:31.200 provided, with God's ways in our lives and with 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:36.009 God's times, being content and grateful. That 00:19:36.009 --> 00:19:38.849 indeed is good employment for the one who is 00:19:38.849 --> 00:19:43.490 to walk in light. We ought to walk in the light 00:19:43.490 --> 00:19:45.950 in the first place because of the character of 00:19:45.950 --> 00:19:48.650 darkness, but secondly because of the condemnation 00:19:48.650 --> 00:19:53.309 of darkness. While moral darkness may predominate 00:19:53.309 --> 00:19:56.410 in our present order, it will not always be so. 00:19:57.569 --> 00:20:01.650 God is one day going to bring an end to the reign 00:20:01.650 --> 00:20:06.329 of darkness. He will do so with judgment and 00:20:06.329 --> 00:20:11.589 will establish His kingdom, a kingdom of righteousness 00:20:11.589 --> 00:20:17.190 and truth. And in that kingdom there will be 00:20:17.190 --> 00:20:20.529 no place found for things like we have named 00:20:20.529 --> 00:20:24.829 as a part of darkness. To see that that is true, 00:20:24.930 --> 00:20:27.690 go back with me to the end of the New Testament, 00:20:27.869 --> 00:20:33.180 to the book of the Revelation. Let's look in 00:20:33.180 --> 00:20:40.619 chapter 21. Describing here the capital city 00:20:40.619 --> 00:20:45.519 of God's new heaven and new earth. He says in 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:47.579 part, and we break into the middle here of his 00:20:47.579 --> 00:20:49.559 sentence, but we must do so for time's sake. 00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:54.599 In verse 27 of Revelation 21, And nothing unclean, 00:20:54.680 --> 00:21:00.660 and no one who practices abomination and lying. 00:21:01.609 --> 00:21:07.009 shall ever come into it, into that new Jerusalem, 00:21:07.210 --> 00:21:09.910 but only those whose names are written in the 00:21:09.910 --> 00:21:13.750 Lamb's book of life. Then in chapter 22, verse 00:21:13.750 --> 00:21:17.269 14, Blessed are those who wash their robes, that 00:21:17.269 --> 00:21:19.890 they may have the right to the tree of life and 00:21:19.890 --> 00:21:23.269 may enter by the gates into the city. Outside, 00:21:23.869 --> 00:21:28.750 he says, are the dogs. Now, that doesn't mean 00:21:28.750 --> 00:21:34.670 canine animals. but it is an expression common 00:21:34.670 --> 00:21:38.390 in that day to refer to people of immoral character, 00:21:38.730 --> 00:21:43.049 people who live like animals, sexually particularly. 00:21:43.690 --> 00:21:48.369 He says, Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers 00:21:48.369 --> 00:21:52.269 and the immoral persons and the murderers and 00:21:52.269 --> 00:21:55.869 the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices 00:21:55.869 --> 00:22:01.460 lying. Outside. Where outside? Well, he tells 00:22:01.460 --> 00:22:05.000 us in chapter 20 that they are confined forever 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:08.400 to a place of suffering called the lake of fire. 00:22:09.740 --> 00:22:12.279 Why should you and I walk in the light? Because 00:22:12.279 --> 00:22:14.940 of the condemnation that is coming upon darkness. 00:22:16.059 --> 00:22:20.579 As he says in Ephesians chapter 5, those who 00:22:20.579 --> 00:22:26.099 practice these things have no inheritance in 00:22:26.099 --> 00:22:31.099 the kingdom of Christ and God. Please understand 00:22:31.099 --> 00:22:34.480 that when he says those who do these things or 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:40.440 who practice these things, refers to those who 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:44.160 do these things as a habit of life. That is, 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:47.180 those whose character leads them to do these 00:22:47.180 --> 00:22:51.200 things without interruption. It is sadly possible 00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:55.119 for a Christian to step into the darkness and 00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:57.740 to commit even the sins that are mentioned here. 00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:02.099 That's why he warns us in Galatians chapter 5 00:23:02.099 --> 00:23:07.759 about the deeds of the flesh. And he instructs 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:10.299 us there, walk in the spirit and you, Christians, 00:23:10.420 --> 00:23:13.819 will not do the deeds of the flesh. But I'll 00:23:13.819 --> 00:23:16.779 tell you this, it's impossible for a Christian 00:23:16.779 --> 00:23:21.240 to live this way as a habit of life. For God's 00:23:21.240 --> 00:23:25.079 word tells us if anyone lives this way, unendingly, 00:23:26.599 --> 00:23:29.400 As a habit of life, he is proving that he is 00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:33.380 none of God's. A friend of mine here in the church 00:23:33.380 --> 00:23:36.180 shared with me a story about a friend of his 00:23:36.180 --> 00:23:40.279 that he was counseling. This friend of his claimed 00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:43.960 to be a born -again Christian, but he fell into 00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:46.720 a life of living with a woman without marrying 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:50.079 her, had no intention of marrying her. And when 00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:53.059 my friend here in the church confronted his friend 00:23:53.059 --> 00:23:56.319 about it, His friend not only felt that it was 00:23:56.319 --> 00:23:59.140 right that he should live that way, but felt 00:23:59.140 --> 00:24:00.799 that a Christian should be able to live that 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:04.539 way. I want you to know that there is a sadly 00:24:04.539 --> 00:24:08.200 deceived individual. There is a man who has gone 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:12.400 through some kind of motion claiming Jesus Christ 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:16.140 as Savior, but who by his walk and his perpetual 00:24:16.140 --> 00:24:19.920 habitual conduct of life seems to be saying that 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:24.970 he is deceived. and is no child of God in truth. 00:24:26.569 --> 00:24:29.250 These are strong words, especially to people 00:24:29.250 --> 00:24:33.490 who live in our generation. When we are being 00:24:33.490 --> 00:24:40.289 told that to live this way is a right, is simply 00:24:40.289 --> 00:24:44.829 a lifestyle, it's what one chooses to do, and 00:24:44.829 --> 00:24:46.529 there are some who are saying that one can even 00:24:46.529 --> 00:24:49.269 be a Christian and live this way. That is not 00:24:49.269 --> 00:24:54.069 so. A child of God may stumble into these sins, 00:24:54.190 --> 00:24:59.609 but God will get him out. A child of God will 00:24:59.609 --> 00:25:02.609 no longer walk in darkness habitually, though 00:25:02.609 --> 00:25:05.789 he may step into it. But he will come back to 00:25:05.789 --> 00:25:08.650 the light, and by that prove that he is a genuine 00:25:08.650 --> 00:25:14.509 child of God. Now the fact that many deny what 00:25:14.509 --> 00:25:18.500 I'm talking about does not change anything. The 00:25:18.500 --> 00:25:20.619 darkness of this world could not be expected 00:25:20.619 --> 00:25:23.900 to acknowledge its own doom and judgment. That's 00:25:23.900 --> 00:25:27.039 why the apostle says to us here, let no one deceive 00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:32.579 you with empty words. Verse 6. He says, because 00:25:32.579 --> 00:25:35.779 of these things the wrath of God is coming upon 00:25:35.779 --> 00:25:39.480 the sons of disobedience. He doesn't just say 00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:42.019 that it will come someday. He says even at this 00:25:42.019 --> 00:25:45.180 moment it is in the process of falling out upon 00:25:45.180 --> 00:25:50.309 the sons of disobedience. If you are listening 00:25:50.309 --> 00:25:53.230 to some person or some teacher that is telling 00:25:53.230 --> 00:25:56.950 you that you can live in darkness and still be 00:25:56.950 --> 00:25:59.730 a child of God, I warn you, do not be deceived 00:25:59.730 --> 00:26:05.490 by hollow arguments without substance. Though 00:26:05.490 --> 00:26:08.269 someone may call it freedom of choice or right 00:26:08.269 --> 00:26:10.589 to your own lifestyle or personal preference, 00:26:11.029 --> 00:26:14.190 don't you believe it. If you're a child of God, 00:26:14.250 --> 00:26:18.819 it's a matter of light and walking in it. There 00:26:18.819 --> 00:26:20.660 are those who say that Christian standards are 00:26:20.660 --> 00:26:23.579 too restrictive, too oppressive for the day in 00:26:23.579 --> 00:26:26.200 which we live. The day in which you and I live 00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:28.940 is not at all unlike the pagan society of Rome. 00:26:30.019 --> 00:26:32.400 The same commands that are given through Paul 00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:35.559 to the church in that day apply to us in 1987. 00:26:38.180 --> 00:26:41.500 You and I are to walk as children of light because 00:26:41.500 --> 00:26:44.099 of the condemnation of darkness. No Christian 00:26:44.099 --> 00:26:47.769 should live in that which God... is going to 00:26:47.769 --> 00:26:52.769 judge and condemn. There's a third reason to 00:26:52.769 --> 00:26:54.970 motivate us to walk as children of light, and 00:26:54.970 --> 00:26:58.309 that is because of the commands given to us as 00:26:58.309 --> 00:27:04.130 children of light. Verses 7 through 14 encompass 00:27:04.130 --> 00:27:08.430 basically three commands. He says in the first 00:27:08.430 --> 00:27:13.410 place, do not be partakers with them. Verse 7. 00:27:14.700 --> 00:27:18.500 Do not be fellow sharers with those whose lives 00:27:18.500 --> 00:27:23.660 are characterized by darkness. Do not be fellow 00:27:23.660 --> 00:27:27.660 companions with the sons of disobedience. It 00:27:27.660 --> 00:27:30.079 does not mean that we cannot befriend them for 00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:34.160 the sake of Christ. It surely does not mean that 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:36.160 we should not build bridges into their lives 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:38.339 to try to win them to the Savior. We must do 00:27:38.339 --> 00:27:42.420 those things. But we are not to share with them 00:27:42.420 --> 00:27:46.380 in their sin. For there is no longer any basis, 00:27:46.420 --> 00:27:51.000 you see, for us to share in those things. For 00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:55.079 we are now light. They are sadly still darkness. 00:27:56.259 --> 00:27:59.039 What fellowship, writes Paul in Corinthians, 00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:03.920 has light with darkness? So he says, do not go 00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:07.640 on being partakers with them. But, he says, secondly, 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:12.519 walk as children of light, proving... or trying 00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:16.339 to learn or discerning what is pleasing to the 00:28:16.339 --> 00:28:20.400 Lord. How does one determine as a child of light 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:26.660 what pleases God? By examining the fruit of the 00:28:26.660 --> 00:28:31.000 conduct. That's the answer. Does what we are 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:34.220 doing or what we are contemplating doing, does 00:28:34.220 --> 00:28:39.720 that exemplify God's character? In verse 9, he 00:28:39.720 --> 00:28:43.400 explains to us, in broad strokes, what that means. 00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:49.480 He says, the fruit of the light consists in all 00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:54.880 goodness, first of all. Is the conduct that I'm 00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:59.960 considering beneficial? Is it something that 00:28:59.960 --> 00:29:04.079 is helpful? Not harmful, but constructive for 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:10.210 another person? Will it edify? Is there generosity 00:29:10.210 --> 00:29:15.670 and benevolence? Is there kindness here? Am I 00:29:15.670 --> 00:29:19.369 being considerate of another person? Those are 00:29:19.369 --> 00:29:24.329 all questions that fall under goodness. We are 00:29:24.329 --> 00:29:26.210 to walk as children of the light, and that means 00:29:26.210 --> 00:29:28.329 walking in goodness, and secondly, walking in 00:29:28.329 --> 00:29:33.410 righteousness. Righteousness is that which is 00:29:33.410 --> 00:29:38.730 morally correct in the eyes of God. To do this, 00:29:38.730 --> 00:29:41.490 we must abstain from the works of darkness and 00:29:41.490 --> 00:29:45.630 do what passes God's test. It means living according 00:29:45.630 --> 00:29:49.529 to the standards of God's word. It means being 00:29:49.529 --> 00:29:53.269 fair as opposed to being unjust. It means being 00:29:53.269 --> 00:29:59.069 righteous as God counts what is righteous. And 00:29:59.069 --> 00:30:00.930 then thirdly, he tells us if we're to walk as 00:30:00.930 --> 00:30:04.089 children of light, it means discerning our actions 00:30:04.089 --> 00:30:08.329 by truth. That is sincerity in the hidden man. 00:30:10.210 --> 00:30:13.849 Am I involved in some compromise or some secret 00:30:13.849 --> 00:30:19.269 alliance that I'm truly ashamed of? He is saying 00:30:19.269 --> 00:30:21.789 here that for the child of God there is no twilight 00:30:21.789 --> 00:30:27.630 zone of ambiguity, but rather we are to be always 00:30:27.630 --> 00:30:34.309 up front, honest, filled with integrity. He's 00:30:34.309 --> 00:30:36.650 saying here that our lives should desire reality 00:30:36.650 --> 00:30:44.690 and even welcome scrutiny. Walk as children of 00:30:44.690 --> 00:30:49.509 light in goodness and righteousness and truth. 00:30:51.950 --> 00:30:54.670 As you take those standards, put them up against 00:30:54.670 --> 00:31:00.569 your life, how do you measure up today? There's 00:31:00.569 --> 00:31:02.589 a third command given to us as the children of 00:31:02.589 --> 00:31:05.680 light. It kind of recaps what he said, but it 00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:07.640 goes on to another step, and it's found in verse 00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:12.319 11, where he says, Do not participate in the 00:31:12.319 --> 00:31:15.319 unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even 00:31:15.319 --> 00:31:20.759 expose them. So not only are we not to fellowship 00:31:20.759 --> 00:31:23.119 with the sons of disobedience, we are not to 00:31:23.119 --> 00:31:26.799 participate in those kinds of things. Indeed, 00:31:26.900 --> 00:31:30.380 we are to expose the deeds of darkness. Now, 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:34.509 why? Well, because he says in verse 12, these 00:31:34.509 --> 00:31:42.329 things are shameful. They're disgraceful. How 00:31:42.329 --> 00:31:47.390 are we to expose them? Well, rather than by doing 00:31:47.390 --> 00:31:50.170 it by our words, although that may on occasion 00:31:50.170 --> 00:31:54.329 be the best way to do it, he seems to indicate 00:31:54.329 --> 00:31:57.569 that we are to expose the shameful deeds of darkness 00:31:57.569 --> 00:32:04.240 by the light of our pure, and holy conduct. In 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:08.660 other words, our lifestyle, our conduct as the 00:32:08.660 --> 00:32:13.240 children of God should so be filled with light 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:17.720 that wherever we go, those who are walking in 00:32:17.720 --> 00:32:22.200 darkness are caught up short. There are some 00:32:22.200 --> 00:32:24.539 believers who've gone to sleep with regard to 00:32:24.539 --> 00:32:27.420 these commands that he gives to us here, and 00:32:27.420 --> 00:32:32.960 that's why he says, wake up, get up. What's happened? 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:36.759 Well, it seems as though he is suggesting that 00:32:36.759 --> 00:32:39.859 there are some believers who have gone back to 00:32:39.859 --> 00:32:44.779 sleep in the cemetery, who've gone back to where 00:32:44.779 --> 00:32:48.619 the corpses are in the world. He is saying here, 00:32:48.700 --> 00:32:51.299 don't make the cemetery of this dark world your 00:32:51.299 --> 00:32:54.960 headquarters, Christian. Wake up to who you are. 00:32:55.960 --> 00:32:59.059 God has put you into this world as a child of 00:32:59.059 --> 00:33:02.460 light to make a difference. And even if you feel 00:33:02.460 --> 00:33:06.259 your light is but small, a small light makes 00:33:06.259 --> 00:33:11.200 a great difference. Wake up to what God has called 00:33:11.200 --> 00:33:14.700 you to be and get up. Be about the job God has 00:33:14.700 --> 00:33:18.799 given you to do. Don't go into spiritual sleep. 00:33:20.200 --> 00:33:24.059 The issues confronting you, Christian, are important. 00:33:24.920 --> 00:33:27.660 It means heaven and hell for some of those people 00:33:27.660 --> 00:33:32.759 out there who are still in darkness. The issues 00:33:32.759 --> 00:33:35.039 confronting you are eternal. These are the things 00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:39.559 that are going to last forever. And so he says, 00:33:39.619 --> 00:33:44.140 walk as a child of light. Because of these commands, 00:33:44.440 --> 00:33:49.279 they're eternally important. Because of the condemnation 00:33:49.279 --> 00:33:52.200 that's coming upon the darkness, and because 00:33:52.200 --> 00:33:55.440 of the characteristics of it, do not condone 00:33:55.440 --> 00:34:02.109 what God condemns. I began by saying that light 00:34:02.109 --> 00:34:07.609 cannot be overcome by darkness. Perhaps like 00:34:07.609 --> 00:34:10.389 me, you have been at some point in a deep cave 00:34:10.389 --> 00:34:13.570 or cavern in the earth, and they've shut out 00:34:13.570 --> 00:34:17.130 the lights. Several years ago, our family went 00:34:17.130 --> 00:34:21.449 through a mammoth cave in Kentucky. And once 00:34:21.449 --> 00:34:23.469 we got down to the bowels of the earth there 00:34:23.469 --> 00:34:26.789 in southern Kentucky, Our guide shut off the 00:34:26.789 --> 00:34:29.130 lights so that we could be exposed to total darkness. 00:34:29.190 --> 00:34:32.110 Some of you have had that experience. I mean, 00:34:32.130 --> 00:34:37.769 it is dark. And then the guard lights a match. 00:34:39.309 --> 00:34:44.409 And it's amazing the amount of illumination from 00:34:44.409 --> 00:34:49.269 that match. And however dark the cave may be, 00:34:49.449 --> 00:34:53.869 it cannot overcome that light. It still shines. 00:34:57.309 --> 00:35:03.809 Jesus said, you are the light of the world. But 00:35:03.809 --> 00:35:08.369 then he said, don't put a bushel over your light. 00:35:09.769 --> 00:35:13.570 You see, darkness cannot overcome light, but 00:35:13.570 --> 00:35:18.210 you can hide the light inside of a bushel so 00:35:18.210 --> 00:35:23.010 that it has no effect. How sad it is to be a 00:35:23.010 --> 00:35:26.530 child of light. How tragic it is to be a child 00:35:26.530 --> 00:35:29.989 of God, called into lightness from the darkness 00:35:29.989 --> 00:35:34.230 out there, and then to live with a bushel over 00:35:34.230 --> 00:35:38.989 your light. Like the little child's chorus sings, 00:35:39.170 --> 00:35:44.469 hide it under a bushel. No! I'm going to let 00:35:44.469 --> 00:35:48.610 it shine. I call upon you as a child of God, 00:35:48.630 --> 00:35:50.789 if your light is hidden today under a bushel 00:35:50.789 --> 00:35:55.280 of compromise, of disobedience, of carelessness, 00:35:55.639 --> 00:35:59.599 of lethargy and sleepiness. Awaken from the dead. 00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:04.500 Rise up. Christ will shine upon you afresh and 00:36:04.500 --> 00:36:06.960 use you to reflect his glory to the darkened 00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:11.039 world. Hide your light under a bushel no more. 00:36:12.019 --> 00:36:19.079 Let's pray. Father, I pray that we who know the 00:36:19.079 --> 00:36:24.789 Lord Jesus Christ truly will be done with darkness, 00:36:25.050 --> 00:36:30.510 wherein some of us have compromised with it, 00:36:30.769 --> 00:36:36.909 wherein some of us have taken steps backward 00:36:36.909 --> 00:36:42.690 into the darkness, wherein some of us are closet 00:36:42.690 --> 00:36:46.610 Christians who are hiding the light for Guinness. 00:36:49.360 --> 00:36:52.800 Lord, today, because you have made us light in 00:36:52.800 --> 00:36:58.500 Jesus Christ, we want to be all that you've called 00:36:58.500 --> 00:37:03.280 us to be in this dark world. Oh, God, make us 00:37:03.280 --> 00:37:08.300 a difference in that society where you have placed 00:37:08.300 --> 00:37:15.099 us. I run you with our heads bowed, our eyes 00:37:15.099 --> 00:37:19.969 closed. And as the Spirit of God brings home 00:37:19.969 --> 00:37:25.710 pointed applications to each of us, if right 00:37:25.710 --> 00:37:28.889 where you're seated, you would respond to what 00:37:28.889 --> 00:37:31.909 the Spirit of God is saying in a very simple 00:37:31.909 --> 00:37:39.269 way. First, talk to Him. Talk to the Lord. And 00:37:39.269 --> 00:37:43.610 own up to where you may be. If there's darkness 00:37:43.610 --> 00:37:46.829 in your life, confess it. For if we confess our 00:37:46.829 --> 00:37:50.329 sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our 00:37:50.329 --> 00:37:53.550 sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 00:37:56.349 --> 00:37:59.630 And then ask him to give you fresh, glowing light, 00:37:59.710 --> 00:38:03.630 to reflect upon you in a new way, a new beginning, 00:38:03.809 --> 00:38:07.130 and determined by his grace to be a child of 00:38:07.130 --> 00:38:11.210 light where he's called you to be. Tell him about 00:38:11.210 --> 00:38:13.969 that, will you? And then by the uplifted hand, 00:38:14.070 --> 00:38:17.340 will you say, Pastor Cole, that is my decision. 00:38:18.760 --> 00:38:21.000 And before we go, I want you to pray for me. 00:38:22.860 --> 00:38:28.860 I want to walk in the light freshly. I want to 00:38:28.860 --> 00:38:31.139 be a child of light who's obedient to God. Would 00:38:31.139 --> 00:38:38.000 you lift your hand? Praise God. So many of us. 00:38:38.510 --> 00:38:40.789 being very honest about it, very transparent, 00:38:41.030 --> 00:38:43.210 and that's the way God wants us to be. That's 00:38:43.210 --> 00:38:51.070 how God blesses us. Anyone else? God bless you. 00:38:52.349 --> 00:38:54.710 Yes, it is a shame that we walk in darkness, 00:38:54.769 --> 00:38:57.630 but the greater shame is that we might continue 00:38:57.630 --> 00:39:01.730 to do so. And indeed, that is even a danger, 00:39:01.809 --> 00:39:03.869 my friend, for if you're walking in darkness 00:39:03.869 --> 00:39:07.090 habitually, without a sense of guilt and shame, 00:39:08.670 --> 00:39:10.710 You need to be sure you're a child of God in 00:39:10.710 --> 00:39:14.809 all. Examine yourself, whether you be in faith. 00:39:16.829 --> 00:39:18.690 Indeed, there may be someone here today who does 00:39:18.690 --> 00:39:22.110 not know the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are dominated 00:39:22.110 --> 00:39:24.530 by darkness. There is no light in you, and you 00:39:24.530 --> 00:39:30.250 know it, and you're empty and unfulfilled. Would 00:39:30.250 --> 00:39:32.329 you trust the Savior in the closing moments of 00:39:32.329 --> 00:39:36.329 this service? Would you say to him, Lord Jesus, 00:39:36.590 --> 00:39:38.829 you are the light of the world. Come into my 00:39:38.829 --> 00:39:44.389 darkened heart and save me and make me a child 00:39:44.389 --> 00:39:47.590 of light. God will hear that prayer of faith, 00:39:47.690 --> 00:39:50.590 my friend, that invitation that's sincere and 00:39:50.590 --> 00:39:57.429 will answer it. Now, Father, I pray that however 00:39:57.429 --> 00:40:00.269 you have spoken to us this morning, you will 00:40:00.269 --> 00:40:02.329 give us grace to follow through, that we might 00:40:02.329 --> 00:40:06.190 be like our Lord Jesus, who is the light of the 00:40:06.190 --> 00:40:09.889 world, and who has called us to be illuminaries 00:40:09.889 --> 00:40:16.150 to this crooked and perverse generation. In his 00:40:16.150 --> 00:40:17.530 name we pray. Amen.