1. The first trait of God that we are to mimic or imitate is His love. 2. Next week we are going to study His instructions to imitate Him by

Transcription

1 Ephesians Series Week #31 From Darkness into Light Ephesians 5:7-14 July 7, 2013 I. Introduction and review A. At the start of Chapter five of Ephesians we are instructed to be imitators of God 1. The first trait of God that we are to mimic or imitate is His love 2. Next week we are going to study His instructions to imitate Him by practicing His wisdom 3. After that He shares with us one of the most important secrets of the Christian life 4. He explains how we can love like He does, illuminate like He does and be wise like He is B. But before we get there, our Lord wants to speak to us about illumination 1. Many of us, in our life time, have made a visit to Carlsbad Cavern a. Lights up in cave b. You follow manmade walkways c. But at one point you are all seated in a gallery d. And the guide begins a talk about the caverns e. And then they turn out the lights f. It is so dark that you can t see your hand in front of your face g. You can feel its heat, you can smell its smell, but you can t see it Page 1 of 8

2 h. Your eyes strains to see something, but there is no light i. Then you hear a familiar noise coming from the direction of the leader j. For the leader has struck a match (1) You look at it and her immediately (2) In fact its hard to look away (3) You can now see most everything (4) Your eyes were so used to the dark, that even this small light illumines everything C. In this passage we are going to consider today, God is telling you to be that match D. God has always told us that He is light, but we don t really understand what He is saying 1. In the beginning He created light a. Some might say, well He created the light sources, like the sun and the stars b. To which we should respond, no He created light before He ever created those sources c. And Genesis makes it clear that light emanated from God and without Him there would be no light and our world would be enshrouded in darkness 2. Not only did light originate from Him, He was the original light source a. In the same way that the moon reflects the light of the sun b. When Moses came down from Mount Horeb in Ex. 34 his face shown from being in the presence of the glory of God (1) Exodus 34:33-35 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil Page 2 of 8

3 over his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, 35 the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him. c. Or consider Jesus in Rev. 1, His eyes were like a flame of fire 3. God has also given to us a light source to give us direction a. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. b. The Scripture is there to direct us as a light E. But then Jesus told us to be a light to our world 1. In the Sermon on the Mount 2. Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. II. In this passage God instructs us to be light and to shun darkness [5:7-14] A. We finished with verse 7 last week and we start with it now 1. It instructs us not to be participants in love killing activities or with those who practice them, 2. But we should be partakers in the illumination of our world B. God gives us a new description [5:8a] 1. Note the contrast in the words: light and darkness and were and are 2. We were once darkness a. Not in darkness but we were darkness b. Darkness is a person (1) darkness is indicative of the Devil and his angels [6:12] (2) his kingdom is a kingdom of darkness Page 3 of 8

4 (3) he was the one who plunged our world into the darkness described in Genesis 1:2 c. Darkness is a power (1) see Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the power [domain] of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, (2) darkness is an actual power over those who live under its dominion d. Darkness is a preference (1) see John 3:19-21 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. (2) darkness is the preferred location of the world, and they want to eliminate the light e. Darkness is a place, a final destination (1) see Matthew 8:12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 3. We are now light and not darkness a. See 1 Peter 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD'S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; b. We are now light in the Lord c. Notice that from God s perspective there is no gray, only light or Page 4 of 8

5 darkness C. God has given us a new direction [5:8b-9] walking as children of light 1. Who is Paul speaking of: a. Children te,knon teknon {tek'-non} Meaning: offspring, b. In what areas do we have this new direction? 2. Our relationship with others [goodness] a. Although simple at first consideration, goodness can be complex b. Goodness avgaqwsu,nh agathosune {ag-ath-o-soo'-nay} Meaning: uprightness of heart and life, c. It has to do with relationships with other d. See I Thess. 5:15 3. Our relationship with God [righteousness] a. Righteousness has to do with our dealings with others b. In the sense of how we represent God c. Are we being trustworthy and dealing with people in integrity d. More when we get to the Breast Plate of Righteousness 4. Our relationship with ourselves [truth] a. If your words are true, you are of the light b. If your word is your bond, you are of the light c. More when we get to the Belt of Truth D. God has given us a new desire [5:10] 1. The desire of those who are in the light, is to find out what is pleasing to the Lord 2. It is not what will the Lord allow me to get by with 3. But instead, what is it that satisfies Him or brings Him pleasure Page 5 of 8

6 4. The Phrase: trying to learn is the translation of one word a. dokima,zw dokimazo Meaning: to test, by impl. to approve b. It implies a thorough determined study of the question c. That s how we should approach how we should please the Lord E. God has given us a new distinction [5:11a] 1. Participate sugkoinwne,w sugkoinoneo {soong-koy-no-neh'-o} Meaning: to become a partaker together with others, or to have fellowship with a thing a. We no long can participate in them b. Or take part in them on occasion c. Or even be around them 2. We are to be different from the person we were before we became a believer a. Those who became a believer as a adult, have an easier time understanding the distinction b. But what about those who became a believer at a very young age c. We are to create a distinction from what we would have been if we had not become a believer d. Think about the kind of person you would be if you had never become a believer e. Consider those unbelievers similarly situated to you F. God has given us a new duty [5:11b-13] 1. What is that duty to expose the unfruitful works of darkness 2. Our lives should become a source of condemnation to the darkness all around us 3. The differences in your life may make others uncomfortable at first Page 6 of 8

7 4. But that discomfort is at least an indication of awareness 5. Given the opportunity they come to recognize the source and become a believer III. A final consideration A. The importance of light B. The story 1. There was the captain of a U.S. battleship steaming through the dark of night, leading its battle group 2. He was on the bridge so that he could personally oversee the direction of his ship and the actions of his crew, and the flotilla he commanded 3. He noticed, off in the distance, some dim lights 4. Recognizing them as one or more oncoming ships, he instructed his signalman to send this message: Alter your course 10 South 5. The response from those lights was prompt: Alter your course 10 North 6. The captain was not impressed with this response and in fact took offense at it and so he signaled back: Alter your course 10 South I am the Captain of this ship 7. In response he received this message: Alter your course 10 North I am seaman third class Jones 8. Finally, the captain being quite frustrated with this oncoming vessel and its insulant signalman signaled back: Alter your course 10 South I am a battleship 9. To which seaman third class Jones replied: Alter your course 10 North I am a lighthouse C. Do you think that the Captain changed his course? Page 7 of 8

8 1. He quickly realized that the light he first perceived to be a threat to him and his vessel, was actually its salvation 2. The world responds to us in much of the same way, seeing our light as a threat 3. It is our responsibility to demonstrate to them that instead our light is their salvation Page 8 of 8