Ephesians 5B. Which we understood means to live self-sacrificially, loving others more than ourselves. Putting the needs of others over our needs

Transcription

1 We re returning t Paul s fifth chapter f Ephesians, where we pick up again in Paul s list f persnal vices that stand in the way f ur missin as Christians Last we studied, Paul was calling upn the church in Ephesus t walk in lve as Christ did Which we understd means t live self-sacrificially, lving thers mre than urselves Putting the needs f thers ver ur needs We d all this t Christ t the wrld, as ambassadrs drawing men and wmen t Christ We re talking abut having a missinal mindset, which is a mark f spiritual maturity But when ur ld nature drives ur thinking and ur behavir, we cease walking in lve, chsing instead t lve urselves In thse mments r seasns f ur life, we re setting aside ur missin We re taking a vacatin frm ur service t Christ and frm ur witness t the wrld Paul says we ught nt d that Then Paul embarked n a laundry list f persnal vices that interfere with walking in lve Paul began with immrality and impurity Then he mved t vulgarity and unhelpful speech Thse tw categries alne were enugh t cnvict all f us, I m sure But knwing what we shuld d is ne thing, yet finding reasn t actually d it is anther And Paul understd the challenge he was placing befre the church 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

2 2! f! 14 S he interrupts his list f vices fr an exhrtatin t give cause fr us t bey these cmmands His exhrtatin begins in v.5 and runs until v.17 Eph. 5:5 Fr this yu knw with certainty, that n immral r impure persn r cvetus man, wh is an idlater, has an inheritance in the kingdm f Christ and Gd. Eph. 5:6 Let n ne deceive yu with empty wrds, fr because f these things the wrath f Gd cmes upn the sns f disbedience. Eph. 5:7 Therefre d nt be partakers with them; Eph. 5:8 fr yu were frmerly darkness, but nw yu are Light in the Lrd; walk as children f Light Eph. 5:9 (fr the fruit f the Light cnsists in all gdness and righteusness and truth), Eph. 5:10 trying t learn what is pleasing t the Lrd. In v.5 Paul says that peple wh d the very things he just cunseled against will nt see an inheritance in the kingdm In Greek, there is n article befre the wrd inheritance S the better translatin wuld be that nne f these peple has inheritance in the kingdm The lack f an article befre the wrd inheritance suggests this is a reference t unbelievers That is, thse wh have n part f the kingdm whatsever Frm there Paul ges n t cntrast believers with unbelievers thrugh ut the rest f this passage HIs pint is we can t let the wrld s behavirs becme ur testimny since we have a missin t stand apart frm the wrld That is t say, if we adpt the same behavirs as an unbeliever Paul says if we becme partakers with with them Then we have n hpe t influence the wrld fr Christ Then ntice hw Paul develps his argument First, he tells the church dn t be deceived by empty wrds False teachers were apparently teaching that a Christian s behavirs were nt imprtant t Gd 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

3 3! f! 14 Once we cme t faith, we re saved regardless f hw we behave Therefre, we shuldn t cncern urselves with being hly r pursuing sanctificatin, etc. Paul disputes this false teaching with three arguments First, Paul says these behavirs bring abut Gd s wrath Fr believers, Gd pured His wrath ut n Christ While unbelievers receive Gd s wrath themselves Either way, Paul s pint is Gd detests these behavirs Knwing these things lead Gd t pur HIs wrath ut n the wrld, hw can we think Gd apprves f us fllwing in their ftsteps? D we suppse Gd desn t mind? D we expect Him t turn a blind eye? We may nt receive His wrath, since He already pured that wrath ut n His Sn fr ur sake Nevertheless, we wuld be flish t think we can sin with impunity in the meantime The Lrd will nt be mcked, nt even by His children S Paul s first pint is that we knw these things are nt acceptable t Gd, because He says they are deserving f His wrath Secndly, Paul says we are nt called t be partakers with the wrld The Greek wrd fr partaker can be translated partner r ne wh shares smething with anther We aren t suppsed t share the same testimny r lifestyle as that f unbelievers We are live missinally, which requires we walk a different path It s as if believers and unbelievers are bth salespeple, each pitching a different prduct Unbelievers are declaring that what they ffer Tastes Great 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

4 4! f! 14 And the Church is declaring that what we ffer is Less Filling But what if we adpted their slgan? They said tastes greats and ur respnse was tastes great That s what happens when we act like them and lk like them, Their slgan becmes ur slgan, because their prduct becmes ur prduct Missinal thinking understands that we can t lk like the wrld r else we have nthing t ffer them In v.8 Paul says remember yu were taken ut f their wrld and brught int a new life by His grace Yu were nce a salesman fr the prduct f darkness Nw yu are selling the prduct f Light S walk as children f the Light Which means displaying gdness and representing truth S Paul s secnd argument is we must lk different than the wrld if we are t influence the wrld Which leads us t Paul s third argument in v.10 We are t live fr the gal f pleasing the Lrd, nt urselves The Christian wh thinks he r she can d whatever they want because we ve already been frgiven by the bld f Christ is seeking nly t please him r herself That s nt the gal f a Christian life Ntice Paul says in v.10 that we are trying t learn what pleases Christ The phrase trying t learn is a single Greek wrd that means t prve smething It s the same Greek wrd used in Rmans 12:2 when Paul says Rm. 12:2 And d nt be cnfrmed t this wrld, but be transfrmed by the renewing f yur mind, s that yu may prve what the will f Gd is, that which is gd and acceptable and perfect Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

5 5! f! 14 S Paul isn t suggesting that we are all searching t knw what Christ wants as if it s a big mystery We already knw what pleases Christ, because it s in His wrd Paul means we prve t the wrld what pleases Gd We are walking billbards displaying gdliness and hliness When peple witness us living differently, they get prf f what pleases Christ They learn that Gd is pleased when we keep His cmmands That He is pleased when we walk in lve And He is pleased when we serve Him in ur missin We prve these truths by ur lifestyle But take a secnd lk at hw Paul began this passage Paul pened in v.5 saying yu knw with certainty Paul strings tgether tw different Greek wrds fr t knw In effect, Paul says yu knw that yu knw He s emphasizing this truth is smething believers can t deny We can t pretend we haven t heard it r we hpe it isn t true We knw that unbelievers have n inheritance in the kingdm This is an dd way fr Paul t describe unbelievers, that is as thse withut inheritance in the kingdm It s ddly specific, because f curse unbelievers have n inheritance in the kingdm They wn t even be in the kingdm S why make a reference t an unbelievers lack f inheritance? I think Paul chse that dd reference t remind believers that we need t think abut hw ur behavir impacts ur inheritance Living like the wrld means ptentially sacrificing smething in the kingdm 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

6 6! f! 14 In effect, this becmes Paul s furth argument against sharing in the wrld s behavirs Nt nly are we testing Gd, nt nly are we failing t stand apart frm the wrld, and nt nly are we nt pleasing Christ But we are als taking risks with ur reward S rather than jining in the wrld s behavirs, Paul says we must g in an ppsite directin Eph. 5:11 D nt participate in the unfruitful deeds f darkness, but instead even expse them; Eph. 5:12 fr it is disgraceful even t speak f the things which are dne by them in secret. Eph. 5:13 But all things becme visible when they are expsed by the light, fr everything that becmes visible is light. Eph. 5:14 Fr this reasn it says, Awake, sleeper, And arise frm the dead, And Christ will shine n yu. Dn t participate in the unfruitful deeds f darkness, Paul says Here again, his mentin f bearing fruit (r lack theref) alludes t ur inheritance We ll gain nthing by fllwing after the wrld s example On the ther hand, we bear fruit fr Gd when we bey Him When we live a called-ut life, Paul says we expse the deeds f darkness This is an imprtant principle f Christian witnessing But it can be misunderstd in practice The principle is this: when we live a life fllwing Christ, we expse the sin f the wrld, which is the purpse f the Church n earth It s the Principle f Cntrast Differences in frm suggest differences in meaning When tw things differ in appearance, they represent differences in meaning r message 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

7 7! f! 14 Fr example, the clr red in a traffic light cntrasts starkly with the clr green The cntrast between the clrs indicates t us a difference in meaning (i.e., stp vs. g) And even if yu re clr blind, yu can still perceive a cntrast Because the lcatin f each clred light is cntrasted (i.e., red n tp vs. green n bttm) t reinfrce there is a difference in meaning And s it must be fr the Church if we re ging t fulfill ur missin Our chices are suppsed t cntrast with the wrld s chices s we may cnvey a different meaning, a different message That s what Paul means when he says we expse the deeds f darkness Our life f gdliness sheds light n the wrld s evil But it ges beynd merely expsing evil In fact, the Greek wrd translated expse actually means t refute S by ur life we are refuting the wrld s perspective Fr example, they say humans evlved frm animals By hw we live, we testify we were created in Gd s image The wrld says fleshly desires are natural and cannt be judged n matter hw depraved and selfish We testify that we are desperately wicked by nature and deserving f judgment, yet by grace we may be rescued The wrld hlds we are living meaningless and temprary lives f quiet desperatin, therefre get all yu can while yu can We testify that everyne has an eternal future, therefre cnsider carefully what cmes after death As bvius as the Principle f Cntrast may be, sme Christians misunderstand hw the Bible expects us t put this principle int practice 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

8 8! f! 14 Sme Christians think it s abut what we say rather than what we d S they chse t expse the wrld s sin using nly their muths, rather than thrugh living a hly lifestyle They call ut thers sin while failing t deal with it in their wn lives We ve all seen examples f such misdirected witnessing fr Christ Like Christians wh pst cndemning messages nline against hmsexuality, yet at the same time they praise mvies depicting sex and vilence r music laced with bscenities They prtest legalized abrtin but they turn a blind eye t unmarried Christian cuples living tgether They cmplain abut the ungdliness inside public schls while raising kids that use prfanity and prngraphy S when Paul says we are t expse the deeds f darkness, we need t understand he s talking abut ur behavir, nt ur wrds We are t preach the Gspel everyday and everywhere, but nly use wrds when necessary Our missin is t live a called-ut life befre ur neighbrs, nt call ut ur neighbrs fr their sinful lives T d therwise is t risk becming knwn fr what we re against rather than t be knwn fr Wh we serve That s why Paul remarks in v.12 that it s disgraceful t even speak f the things the wrld des in secret He means when it cmes t dealing with the grss immralities that characterize the wrld, believers need less talk and mre walk It s unwhlesme t even discuss the evil that runs rampant arund us, because the Bible tells us separate urselves frm the things f the wrld, That means mving s far away frm it that we re nt even drawn int cnversatins abut such things 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

9 9! f! 14 S when yur clleagues at the water cler r yur friends between classes are entertaining discussin f evil things, step away Because in the end, aplgetics isn t abut bringing pwerful arguments in t thse mments It s abut having a cnvicting testimny S that thrugh living a called-ut life, yu expse the evil f the wrld That expsure may then lead t an pprtunity fr yu t give yur testimny Sme may be cnvicted by yur lifestyle, and s they will ask yu t give a defense fr the hpe in yu At that pint, yu will have skipped past the need t discuss disgraceful things Yu ll be speaking abut the Lrd and His lve and grace That s why Paul means when he says the evil things f the wrld becme visible when they are expsed by light, because light expses everything Living a life that puts away sin and beys the Lrd is light in an evil wrld As Jesus taught us Matt. 5:14 Yu are the light f the wrld. A city set n a hill cannt be hidden; Matt. 5:15 nr des anyne light a lamp and put it under a basket, but n the lampstand, and it gives light t all wh are in the huse. Matt. 5:16 Let yur light shine befre men in such a way that they may see yur gd wrks, and glrify yur Father wh is in heaven. Cllectively, the Church is t be a light in the wrld The Lrd placed us in the wrld t make the truth visible When we live differently than the wrld, we shine a light that expses their darkness Ntice in v.16 Jesus ur light is ur gd wrks, nt ur gd wrds 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

10 10! f! 14 Isn t interesting hw ften as we plan ways t reach the wrld fr Christ, ur thughts run first t better ways we can cmmunicate better abut Christ We make flyers, billbards, websites, prgrams, vides, etc. We begin t think that ur missin is t talk abut Christ But the Bible says that s putting the cart befre the hrse Our missin begins with hw we live, s that thrugh gd deeds, we bring light t darkness and then we fllw that with ur wrds Irnically, if we were t talk t the wrld abut Christ and abut ur church Yet at the same time we mimic wrld s behavirs and habits and speech and values Then we wuld shed n spiritual light despite ur wrds, because we blend int the wrld and share in their darkness But turn that arund when we live a called-ut life befre the wrld Shwing kindness and charity t everyne, while restraining ur speech In purity and self-restraint, steering clear f the bad behavir f thew wrld And even ging s far as t excuse urselves when cnversatins turns t srdid r vulgar tpics Then Paul says we will be serving the missin f bringing light int darkness even if we shuld say nthing abut Christ And in the end, yur lifestyle will lead t pprtunity t testify, because sner r later smene is ging t ask yu imprtant questins Smene in a crisis will cme t yu fr spiritual supprt because they remember yu lived in a peace thers lacked Or smene cnvicted in their sin by yur called-ut life will ask hw they can rise abve their sin t In thse mments, yu ll share yur testimny, and it will have pwer t wrk far beynd yur expectatins 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

11 11! f 14! Because yur life testimny prceeded yur testimny f wrds, and in that way yu brught light int that persn s dark wrld Paul sums up his arguments in v.14 by quting what might have been an early Christian hymn r pem He says t the believer awake and rise frm the dead, s Christ may shine n yu This is prbably a hymn paraphrasing f Isaiah 60:1 It s an elegant, cncise summary f all that Paul has been teaching Having been saved and made alive in Christ spiritually, nw we must awaken frm the dead life we lived befre faith This is anther way f saying we must take ff that ld nature and put n the new self in behaviral terms Our spiritual nature has already changed that is, we re awake but nw the time has cme t rise up ut f bed and get t wrk But many Christians are still lying in bed, s t speak Like a persn wh has been awken by their alarm clck They reached ver t silence the alarm, but they think t themselves, By this bed sure feels cmfrtable. It wuld be s easy t just stay in that bed, t fall back t sleep But they knw they must arise, because they have t get t wrk r schl n time Getting ut f bed requires a degree f effrt and cmmitment and sacrifice It desn t feel gd Nevertheless, we will urselves t d what s right even thugh it runs against the desires f ur flesh We d s because we want the blessings that cme frm ur paycheck r frm the degree we re pursing We knw if we stay in bed, the gd feel passes quickly 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

12 12! f! 14 And befre lng, we ll regret putting smething far greater at risk That s what the hymn means when it says Christ will shine n yu As Paul cncludes It s a reference t the blessing that Christ will bring t thse wh make the effrt t leave their dead life behind If we rise t fllw Christ we will knw His pleasure which is reflected in ur reward That s ur mtivatin t turn ff the snze and crawl ut f that cmfrtable bed It s a decisin t frg temprary pleasure t gain eternal blessings Eph. 5:15 Therefre be careful hw yu walk, nt as unwise men but as wise, Eph. 5:16 making the mst f yur time, because the days are evil. Eph. 5:17 S then d nt be flish, but understand what the will f the Lrd is. Therefre, let s be careful hw we live ur Christian life, ur walk with Christ Dn t be unwise, which is t say dn t make flish tradeffs Electing t stay in bed an extra hur r tw at the risk f being fired r failing a class is an bviusly unwise chice Similarly, electing t live in immrality, impurity, greed, vulgarity r in any way that pleases the flesh and displeases the Lrd is als unwise It s trading smething eternal and weighty fr smething temprary and meaningless Instead, Paul tells us t make the mst f yur time Yur time refers t the number f days each f us have been appinted t live n earth Peple dn t usually like t talk much abut mrtality But everyne knws it n ne lives frever 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

13 13! f! 14 We have a limited time t serve Christ, t prve urselves faithful servants As I reflect n my wn situatin, I can sense the time slipping away My walk began when I came t Christ in my late twenties s let s rund up t age 30 Let s als assume I ll be blessed t live until age 80 That s gives me 50 years f pprtunity If that sunds like a lt f time, then yu must be under the age f 25, because t anyne past middle age, it desn t sund like much And it isn t that s nly 18,250 days Then cnsider I ve already reached the age f 51, s that means I nly have a little ver 10,000 days left give r take That s assuming I live t 80 it might be far less And n matter what age we are nw, wh s t say hw many years we have remaining? S Paul says cunt each day and maximize it s ptential Dn t wrry abut the days already past, since what can we d abut thse anyway? Let s think nly abut what s left and ask yurself hw are yu ging t use each f thse days t bring light t the wrld? What behavirs still stand in the way? Paul asks us t make the mst f thse days why let even ne be wasted? Paul says we shuld d this because the days are evil He means if we dn t make a plan and cmmitment t use the days well, the evil f the wrld arund us and f ur flesh will prbably get the better f us We may g t bed with the best f intentins t get up early and make it t wrk n time 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

14 14! f! 14 But if all we have is gd intentins, then hpe is nt a plan S when the mment f decisin cmes, the evil in ur flesh will likely pull us ff ur gal One my brthers was ntrius fr sleeping sundly His alarm clck wuld sund but he wuld silence it withut even waking up He was cnstantly late fr schl r wrk He was sleeping at my huse the night my wife went int labr with ur first child Despite the cmmtin, he never wke up We even tried t wake him as we were leaving the huse fr the hspital, but n matter hw hard I shk him, he wuldn t wake up S eventually he had t make a plan t be sure he wke up in the mrning He bught the ludest alarm he culd find and placed n the ther side f his bedrm S when the alarm sunded, he was frced t arise and get ut f bed t silence it That s Paul s charge t us tday We must make plans in ur life that will guard us frm urselves and lead us t make the mst f each day that remains And then we can live ut the testimny we ve been given Fr the purpse f glrifying ur Father in Heaven Leading t the ptential fr greater blessing in the Kingdm t cme 2017 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.