Ephesians Series: For His Glory and Fame—Life As Church

 

Shedding Some Light on the Subject

Ephesians 5:3-14

April 27, 2003

 

Several Approaches

 

There are several approaches I could’ve taken when preaching this passage of Scripture.  After all, this is a loaded text with some hot-button topics.  Sexual immorality, greed and judgment won’t put anyone to sleep.  I could’ve taken the “let’s hammer on what we should, or shouldn’t be watching on TV, or which movies are acceptable to rent or go to, and lament the sex-crazed state of our society” angle. 

 

I could’ve bemoaned the greed of this world and how so few have so much, and how so many go without the most basic needs because of the greed in the world. 

 

I could easily have pointed out ten ways to reduce our consumption, or which stores to boycott because they sell their goods using sex and appealing to our base lust for more. 

 

I could’ve said that if we promote or give over to the sexually immoral way of the world and participate in it, then we’d be at risk of harsh punishment from God. 

 

Each of these angles would’ve been worthy and likely revealed some real truth about the text, and maybe some day I will feel compelled to preach more specifically about sexual immorality and greed.  I came, however, to the conclusion that today we don’t need to be hammered about the sex-crazed state of our world, nor need we be reminded that we’re greedy people and the world around us likes us that way.  We know it, and we’ve probably all heard sermons about this stuff already.  I also don’t think that sexual immorality and greed is the big idea in this text today.  Sure, they are big clues as to the big idea, and we’ll refer to them throughout, but if I were to preach on them alone, I think we’d miss the big idea and leave here with a list of do’s and don’ts. 

 

 

 

Today, I want you to leave here with a thought.  You are, if you believe in the life and purpose of Jesus, a child of the Most High God.  You are, therefore a child of the light, as it says in our text today.  So here’s the big idea, the thought you need to latch on to and walk out of here with today, which, by the way is found in verse 8:

 

We used to be in darkness, but now we’re children of light, so live like it!        

 

Knocking Christianity

 

One of the knocks on Christianity has long been that it is all about rules, about do’s and don’t-s.  God is seen as a cosmic traffic cop writing tickets to all those who do wrong.  If we believe that, and many have, then we miss what God is like, and what he wants for us.  Go all the way back to Ephesians 1 for a moment.  Ephesians 1 describes the context in which God created us.  It says that we were created as blessed people, granted every spiritual blessing.  It says that we were chosen by him out of love, and that it was his good pleasure to create us.  Ephesians 1 says that he made us to be holy and blameless in his sight, and that we’ve been redeemed, and heaped with his lavish, extravagant gift of grace.  Now does this sound like a God who wants us to live burdened by trying to follow a set of rules?  No!  God is loving, generous, gracious, holy, beautiful, brilliant in all his glories.  And, because we were created to point the world to him, he wants us to be transformed so we live lovingly, generously, purely, truthfully and grace-fully!  God wants the best for us, because he is the best, and desires that the world know him as the best.

 

Therefore, God doesn’t want us to be enslaved by things like sexual immorality and impurity, greed, coarse joking and false speech.  Remember, the way we live describes God.  And God is not impure, greedy, and false.  God is pure, holy, generous and lavish; he’s truthful and his words build. 

 

 

 

The Holy Spirit gives us strength to live as the Bible describes.  Now, if we believe that God is a good and merciful God with our best interests and his great name at heart, then it can be agreed that the Bible would show us how to live well for God’s sake, and for ours.  Right? 

 

Dwelling in the Light

 

In the Bible, this great and gracious God calls his people, among other wonderful things, “Children of Light”.  It’s a double meaning suggesting that our God is the Light, and that we no longer live in darkness but, because of Jesus’ resurrection, we dwell in light.

 

Did you know that your primary place of residence, if you are a Christian, is not your house, or your neighborhood?  You don’t even dwell primarily in Edmonton , St. Albert , or even Canada .  If you’re a Christian, you dwell in God, in His light.  Our homes, jobs, neighborhoods and cities are important places where our identity as Children of God’s light is worked out practically, physically.

 

Sometimes we separate out the different aspects of our life: this is my work life, my family life, my personal life, and our church life.  And we make choices, sometimes, depending on what seems to fit each of these different “lives”.  But you know that’s not a biblical way to see things. 

 

All the way through Ephesians, Paul has been reminding us that we are God’s.  And all of life is from Him and is to be lived with His purpose in mind.  That’s why the way we speak to one another is important to Him, and the way we relate to our spouses and children, our employers and employees, and yes, our attitudes about sex, and greed.  There is no area of life, as the Psalmist declares, where God’s truth is suspended.     

 

In the last three chapters of Ephesians there are very detailed descriptions of what we need to do and what we need to stay away from.  A few weeks ago, before Easter, we talked about right speech—gossip and slander, and all those forms of speech that put others down, or spread mistruth.

 

 

 

Self-Centered Existence

 

Sexual immorality and greed are rampant in our culture because our culture has largely walked away from God.  There is no absolute truth, and no boundaries.  What suits the individual is the deciding factor.  Greed and lust are symptoms of this problem.  Greed, in all of its forms, is the idea that stuff or physical pleasure orders one’s life.  But when we become Christians, though the transformation can be slow, we move from having our selfish desires order our lives and toward a God-centered existence—God orders our lives.

 

The transformation that occurs over the life of a believer has nothing to do with the effort the believer puts in.  Apart from willingly surrendering one’s thoughts and deeds daily to the Holy Spirit, we can’t do anything to bring about transformation.  It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us.  There are millions of people who would consider themselves Christian yet still choose to participate in deeds of the darkness.  Someone truly being transformed by God is having their life transformed by the Holy Spirit of Jesus.  Someone whose heart and mind is being transformed by the Holy Spirit will experience less desire to participate in sinful behavior, and will gradually live more and more as children of God’s light.

 

Application: Expose Them!   

 

What does it mean to “live” as children of light?  Well the first thing that is clear is that “live” is a verb, implying that being a child of the light requires action; it isn’t a passive existence. 

 

Author Max Lucado tells a story about a group of candles stored in a basement pantry.  During a storm, during which the power is knocked out to the neighborhood, the owner of the house goes down to the pantry to gather the candles to light the house.  But, to the owner’s great surprise, the candles refuse to go with him.  They argue back and forth for a while and then the owner of the house gives up and goes back through the dark to find his family.  When he returns his wife asks him if he found the candles. 

 

“I did”, he replied.  “But they didn’t want to come out of the pantry.”

 

“Oh”, the wife said, “they’re church candles, are they?”

 

The moral of the story, as painful as it is, is candles are meant to be lit and drive out darkness.  The reference to church candles, as Max Lucado sees it, points to the fact that many Christians don’t like to go out where it’s dark, but would rather stay together where it’s safe with others like them.

 

Our text this morning tells us that’s not an option, staying separated from the world.  Verse 11 says, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”  Jesus’ taught us to go into the world and make disciples, as you live your life in the world, make disciples.  And later, Paul says, be in the world be don’t be a product of it.  In other words, don’t do deeds of darkness—sexually immoral, greedy, lewd behavior—but expose them. 

 

Jesus saved his most stinging rebuke for the Pharisees.  Why? 

Because the Pharisees understood God’s law, but didn’t understand His grace.  They were really good at pointing out all the wrong things that people were doing and casting a judgmental eye on them.  They were really good at promoting all the good things they were doing, but didn’t love their neighbor.  The Pharisees even participated in some of the lewd behavior they were decrying! 

 

Exposing the darkness is not permission to be like the Pharisees. 

 

Seems a tricky balance, doesn’t it?  How can we show distinction without displaying a holier-than-thou attitude?  How can we avoid participation in sin without being reactionary, prudish and judgmental?  How can we avoid being destructive when we confront?

 

The answer to these questions is implied in the questions themselves.  Being prudish, holier-than-thou and judgmental or destructive are failures which the church has been guilty, but they are neither necessary nor acceptable.  Not secluded or separate (remember, be in the world, go into the world and in your going make disciples).  If we are surrendered to the Holy Spirit, it will never lead us to behavior that contradicts scripture.  That means it will never lead us to view or read material that is sinful, or participate in behavior that brings dishonor to God.  The Holy Spirit will also never lead us to take a position of hostility or become judgmental.  The Holy Spirit of God will always lead us in grace and mercy. 

 

 

Paul’s first ethical instruction is his call for humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerant love (4:2).  If we exercise these qualities, negative results can be avoided.  We can refuse to be involved in wrong practices and still care deeply for the people doing them.  We can speak truth in love even when confronting and rejecting disobedience to God.

 

Chris and his friend—swearing*

 

The main concern of this text is neither fear of being dirtied by sinners, or avoiding non-Christians.  Rather it is that the light of Christ will be truly light and do its job.  Certain actions do not fit with the light, and people of the light should not allow the darkness to define them. 

 

By our acts and speech we must call people from darkness to the light that Christ gives.  People might hate the light and choose darkness, but when they do, it should be because their works are evil, not because the light is offensive (John 3:19 -21).  The light cannot be offensive for it produces goodness, righteousness and truth.  The light is the place where people find the grace to face the truth and be transformed by the light.

 

Constant Awareness of God’s Direction

 

We can’t truly live as children of light without being in a continual process of discernment.  The whole of life is directed by what fits with Christ and is pleasing to him.  Paul says, “find out what pleases the Lord and do that” (v 10, paraphrase mine).  There is no legalism here.  Life and relations with both Christians and non-Christians are not determined from some chart, but from living with Christ and deciding what should be done. 

 

There are countless practical examples:

-Video store

-Libraries

-TV shows

-Alcohol consumption

-dirty joke

-Stores to shop in

-making purchases

 

The Holy Spirit is big enough and powerful enough to lead you in these very practical decisions.  If we are willing to be led by the Spirit, we will always be led into light.  Remember, the Holy Spirit will never lead us into sin.  Try to imagine the neighborhood if there were more people living in tune with God’s Spirit.  Imagine the transformation of the neighborhood over time if more and more godly men, women and children were living as light there. 

 

Living as children of light is real and true when it comes from the center of our being.  We live day-to-day out of the integrity of our own souls.  We can only be light when we live the truth of our own relationship with Christ Jesus.  Only then are we able to shed light on the darkness as we’re called to do.

 

Let’s pray. 

     

*In the auditory version of this message I told a story specifically related to the congregation.  

 

 Copyright © Shaun Dyer, 2003, Zion Baptist Church of Kensington