Real Church V - A Light in a Dark World
Real Church IV – A Light in a Dark World; NV 8/22/04 a.m.
A Intro remarks begin with text… B C D Ephesians 5:1-5:14
OS: E The world we live in grows darker by the hour
- Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry in our country, destroying homes, families, marriages, children, everywhere you look.
- Homosexuals are advancing their agenda in every corner of our country, attempting (successfully in some places) to have elementary schools teach materials that tell young children that this lifestyle is OK. “I Have 2 Mommies” “My Daddy’s Roommate” We were enraged when Ellen came out, but now there are homosexual characters on several network shows. Now we have the scandal with Governor McGreevey who has as they say, ‘came out of the closet’.
- Even churches are impacted by all sorts of sexual misconduct with preachers and members having affairs, members committing adultery and fornication, children being sexually abused by adults that they thought they could trust. Roman Catholic church has had all sorts problems. Then there was a 1,200 member church in Ohio whose preacher “came out of closet”, disclosed to his church that he was gay, divorced his wife of some 25 years by whom he had fathered 3 children. Church’s response – standing ovation! “We were relieved! Thought he had cancer or some other life-threatening disease.”
· It is sickening to think about how “R-rated” our society is! It is even more sickening to see how many people are falling into the traps that Satan is planting all around us. It is tough to live a “G-rated” life, a “God”-rated life. But that is exactly what a real church is called to do.
I. Jerry Bridges – The Pursuit of Holiness – “In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson declared that one of the inherent and unalienable rights of men is the ‘pursuit of happiness.’ Professing Christians must be brought to realize that the preeminent desire and demand of G for us is that of the continual pursuit of holiness of life, and the reflection of [God’s] own holiness.”
A. Where are those who desire to live lives that are different, that are godly, that are set apart and holy? Scriptures tell us:
1. F “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” (1 Pet. 1:15) – What are we doing w/ that verse?
2. “For sin shall not be your master, b/c you are not under law but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14) – What are we doing w/ that verse?
3. “Make every effort to live at peace with all men and to be holy; w/out holiness, no one will see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14) – What are we doing ?
4. “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” (Ro. 6:6) – What are we doing w/ that verse?
5. “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…” (Col. 3:5) – What are we doing w/ that verse?
6. “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather train yourself to be godly.” (1 Tim. 4:7) – What are we doing w/ that verse?
II. G A real church brings light to a dark world.
A. The day has passed that we can stand idly by in silence as far as the political scene in our country.
1. When my grandson, Billy, and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."
2. We are going to have to become proactive to stop this downward spiral that has taken over our culture.
3. Politics concern matters that are very spiritual these days – homosexuality, abortion, stem cell research, etc.
4. It is time that the silent Christian majority of our country is silent no more.
B. There are things we can do.
1. Pray for our country and our leaders to do the right thing!
2. Vote – just go down the list, do your homework, and vote for the person who shares those same values with us.
3. Write to your congressman, and stay up on what’s taking place in our world.
C. In our text this morning we are exhorted by God to put flesh and bones on the truths of God by the way we live.
I. H To be the real church we must not turn a blind eye to the ways of the world – v. 3-4
A. Paul enumerates some specific R-rated things that are definitely ways of the world: most has sexual connotations – anything outside the bonds of marriage is wrong! Period. There are no grey areas!
1. “Sexual immorality” refers to all sexual sin. opposite of self-control.
2. “Impurity” referring to anything that is unclean and filthy. Jesus used this word in Mt. 23:27 to describe the rottenness of decaying bodies in a tomb. The other 10 times used in NT it is associated w/ sexual sin. Refers to immoral thoughts, passions, ideas, fantasies, and any other type of sexual corruption.
3. “Greed” – inseparable from impurity. Usually associate greed w/ money. But we must realize that every form of sexual immorality is an expression of the self-will, self-gratification, and self-centeredness of greed. Greed tells us that we must have more than we have right now and that we must do anything it takes to get more, including sacrificing marriages, kids, careers, friends.
4. “Obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse jesting” – still tied to Paul’s discussion of sexual immorality. One of the Greek words used here is the word from which we get the English word “moron.” What does that tell you about those folks who tell the crude, dirty jokes, or have sexual innuendo-filled conversations?
B. What does Paul say should be our reaction to these ways of the world?
1. To pick up verse 1, if we are to be “imitators of God” and “Live a life of love”, then there must not even be a “hint” of these things in our lives.
2. They are “improper for G’s holy people.” Why? B/c when you made a commitment to Jesus Christ, you made a commitment to live a holy life, a separated life, a life that is completely unlike the ways of the world.
3. Rom. 10:9 – To “confess Jesus as Lord” means to agree with Him that He is going to be the boss of your life. Not your passions Not your desires Not your greed. They are “out of place” – v.4 The reason that they are out of place in our lives is that He is supposed to be “in place” in our lives.
C. To be a real church we must have real members who live holy lives no matter how the world lives, and no matter what Homer Simpson has to say about it!
1. We are to be the light of the world – salt of the earth!!!
D. God is dead serious about this stuff!
II. I To be the real church we must realize the seriousness of the ways of the world. – v. 5-7
A. Illu - Growing up in Cleveland, MS, we had tornados. Had live radar on cable TV system. Warning siren just a couple of blocks from my home. Spent many an hour in the hallway.
1. Remember the feeling of immediate fear that gripped me when that siren would come on. Knew that there was the potential that something terrible could happen to me, my family, my friends.
2. But the siren also gave us the opportunity to prepare.
B. These verses here act as that tornado-warning siren did – they warn us that something terrible could happen to those who continue to practice these deeds of immorality and impurity.
1. Those who continually and habitually practice a sinful lifestyle will not be a part of God’s kingdom. They will suffer His wrath.
2. Obedience is necessary! The lives of God’s people cannot be characterized by immorality, impurity, and greed.
C. “But wait a minute, Preacher I was baptized a long time ago. Doesn’t that count?”
1. It does, IF you did more than just get wet.
2. It does, IF you surrendered your life completely to Him.
3. It does, IF you truly yielded your life to Him as your Lord.
4. It does, IF He is your only God.
D. The Christian life is so much more than just being dunked in water and getting your "fire insurance paid up."
1. What about grace? - Titus 2:11-14 – The grace that saves us is also the grace that teaches us to deny our selfish sinful natures and live self-controlled lives.
2. This is why Paul says in 2 Cor. 13:5 to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”
3. We must question ourselves – Is there evidence that I belong to Christ by the way I live? Am I continuing to fight sin on a daily basis? Do I spend time, money, thought, and effort on the things of God?
III. J To be the real church we must grasp how we can make a difference and that there is still hope for this world. THE WAY TO LIVE – v. 8-14
A. We were once darkness.
1. Not just “in the darkness”, but actually darkness personified.
B. When you come to know Christ, you take on the very nature of Christ, which is the nature of light.
1. John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
2. So the way for us to live is to “live as children of light.” Forsaking our old nature, and living the way our new nature says for us to live. 2 Cor. 5:17 – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
C. What does it mean to live as children of light?
1. Living a life characterized by goodness, righteousness, and truth – v. 9
2. Find out what pleases the Lord – v. 10
3. Have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness anymore – v. 11
IV. I Remember the tornado warning siren? Sometimes that warning would come in the middle of the night. B/c they loved us so much, my parents would wake up my brothers and me, moving us to a safer place.
Look at v. 14b. B/c God loves you so much, He issues His warning once again. Isn’t it time to wake up and recognize the danger of living in the darkness? Sure, it’s tough to live a G-rated life in an R-rated world. Much easier to simply give in to the selfish passions that the world says is OK. But we pay a high price.