Illuminated

All right. Good morning again.

Welcome-homes Baptist and if you're visiting with us today, we're so glad that you're here with us today. I would love to get to know you more and I hope that you've been greeted warmly. I know that we have some some other visitors here is. Well, it's not normal for us to point out visitors, but I think I'm going to do that this Sunday. Is that okay with you visitors? Today. I'm just not all of it. We've got we got to his grandparents here with Ron and Sharon Thompson. And so they're from Ankeny. And then with them sitting next to them is Pastor miles and then also Mary grismore. So, Pastor Chris Moore was my childhood, Pastor growing up Alton Mason City at Faith, Baptist. And how long were you there again? Was, it it over with a 32 years? 2500 I'm sorry, 25 years. I still a long time to be in one place and now they are they are retired. But you're still feeling Pulpit across the state, correct? So still going at it and I I loved growing up. Going to church and listening to Pastor Goose more preach. Just so many formidable years there and in Mason City and listening to you preach. And and even All of the lessons that I've learned just so grateful for your ministry and for the impact that you've had upon my life and I even even though is, I think about the different times even different messages. Are they preach? One of the ones that stuck out the most was when you explain the wisdom, you might not even remember this. What is this bill stration that I always go back to, in speaking about wisdom. It's like driving a car. You can learn all about a car. You can have all the had knowledge about a car. You can, you can learn all the rules of the road, but it's not until you get behind the wheel that you have to apply that knowledge. And that's how you apply wisdom. You can do everything. But if you don't know how to apply it, it's like steering. The wheel of a car, is a different hazards, come up and different things like that. I always go back to that whenever I see was done. So it stuck with me all of these years and I just thank you so much for your ministry there. And then, Mary, I, I have to do this, is this okay? I was actually sharing and asked that I share this. I was afraid of Mary growing up. And I, is she, she let our kids a faith, which we would seeing. And we did I think a good job not to brag on ourselves. But a lot of that was to marry and she would turn her thumbs like this after so long and I don't know how she would do it. But all 30, or however many of us were up on stage wooden sink turn on her command, because it was just so ingrained that when, when she did this, and then we turned, whichever way that she had his turn. In fact, see, I still got it down. All of those ears still got me limber, but I know just so thankful to have them here, and I grew up to learn that Mary's extremely funny. So I found that out. So I'm going to go and Sharon are very, very similar. I think so, but without further Ado, let's, let's get into the word this morning and Before I say anything else here, so we've been going through things and we are getting towards the end of it. In fact, as if you're here last week, you know, that we have about till mid July, that will be wrapping up, Ephesians in, and Paul starts kind of slow. He starts with all of this doctrinal deep doctrinal. Truth of of who crisis and what what the gospel has provided for us. Even in Chapter 2. We're going to hear a little bit more in that today. It's going to sound almost like a repeat at at a point when we're in Ephesians 5 today, and he's done that. But now he's switched after chapter 4 into application. How do you live this out? How do you live within the Christian Life? In fact, last week, we looked at the fact that that there are these imperative commands in which Paul gives to the Believers in Ephesus that God gives to them. And I, and that there's things that we need to commit to as Disciples of Christ. We looked at 5 different ones last week of how we commit to Christ and how we actually have Rules to live by within our Christian Life. Not that they have pain or salvation or anything like that with their guidelines in which we should be living by in fact as we become Disciples of Christ, as we become children of God, it changes our reality. It changes who we are it changes how we live. And again, we're going to be looking at in Ephesians chapter 5 today. Growing up. We would, we would have play. We play hide and seek in the dark outside, which is always a blast. And I was in, I was in my teenage years and we were hiding out on someone's farm and I didn't really know the territory, all that. Well, and, and I going out and I'd hid among these corncribs, and I was in the middle of all these corn crib. So that way, if someone were to come, I would have an easy exit out to run away from them. And so I was hiding and as someone came, I took off into the dark of night and now probably not the best idea. If you don't know your area that great and I started running through trees, there's all these trees and I started running through them as fast as I could pushing down the branches cuz I didn't want to get caught and right out on the other side of those trees. Was a basketball poll. And as I came out of all of those trees, I smacked right into that basketball pole and fell to the ground. It hurts really bad. And As a teenager and you're sitting there trying to gasp for breath. You're hoping I hope no one sees this right now cuz I got tears coming to my eyes and trying to wipe them away cuz of how bad it hurt. That's how did I break? Something? Is my hair? Okay, well, Others can tell you about that, anyways. It just stopped me in my tracks. Stopped me in my tracks. In fact, there's times in the Christian Life, where we, where we run into different things like that. In fact, it may be a question that we run into and if, if we're not walking in the light, and if we're not walking and what God has given to us, as his word, these questions can Stop us. And maybe a question that someone asked you on the outside. Maybe it's a question. Like, how should a Christian respond to pride month in which we're going through right now. Wouldn't that be a fun question to take to be a store or how should how should I respond when bad things come into my life? Usually that's that's the poster. The pull that we hit the most of something bad happens and then we start questioning everything that we believe or maybe it's different. Like how about tomorrow? The on Monday? The Supreme Court is going to rule on Roe v Wade, which we've heard a lot of uproar and commotion about that. How, how should a Christian respond to these different things within the culture? How should we be walking? As we go through that? Because we, we can make that question a change over time. In fact, as we looked at where the churches in Ephesus. Where is the fact that that, they were within a culture were sexual immorality, was rampant, there within a culture where where things were opposing to God, and they were walking. And they were a part of that culture, just like we are today. We were part of a culture that goes against the grain of God. So, how do we respond when we come against those? Different things that are opposing to God? Should we as a church, go out and buy a bunch of Farmland somewhere and start up a Canon? Doesn't that sound like fun? You guys want to go? We got a bunch of farmers in here, right? I mean, we could go out and we can start going and growing your own crops, raising your own cattle, everything like that, and just become completely separated out of the world. Do you think that would fix the solution is to these different questions coming up and then we just silence them, but you think that the answer Sea water. Good. I think. Now, that's not the answer. In fact because we ourselves are sinful and we will bring her sinful Tendencies with us even within the body of Christ. As we looked at last week. We still have sinful Tendencies and they need to be dealt with. We're going to see that again this week as well.

So the answer is to walk correctly. It's to walk is light and that's what we're going to be looking at today. Are big idea for today is Disciples of Christ, should reflect the Light of Christ Disciples of Christ, should reflect the Light of Christ. You have your Bibles with you. Please open up to chapter 5, we're going to be in verses 6 through 14, this morning, 6, through 14, but I'm going to start in verse 3 just to bring in the full context of what we're looking at today. But sexual immorality and all and Purity or covetousness must not even be named among you as is. Proper among Saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk and her crew joking which are out of place. But instead let there be Thanksgiving. For you, may be sure of this that everyone who is sexually immoral or computer or who is covetousness. That is an idolater has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ. And God let no one to see if you with empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of Disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them for at one time. You were Darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk is Children of light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right? And true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord? Take no part in the fruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them for it is shameful even to speak of these things that they do in secret. But when anyting, when anything is exposed By the Light, it becomes visible for anything that becomes visible is light there for. It says awake, o sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Let's pray. God, I thank you for today. I thank you for allowing us to be able to gather together to worship you and both song and word and also an action as we remember your death and Resurrection. As we as we participate in communion with one another God, I pray that as we go through out this scripture today that you would allow us to be able to take your word and apply it to our lives. That we would be able to walk in a world of Darkness, as children of light and your blessed name. Amen.

So, three ways in which we need to walk that we see here within the text this morning. And the first one that we see is that we are to walk on guard. We are to walk on garden and we see this in verse 60. This is Flowing out of what Paul has just written. Remember that? This is a letter that that is written to two people, were the ones who have put the chapters in the versus here, but they would have read this continuously all together. And it's, it's hard for us because we're taking it in chunks week after week. So I think it's important for us to remember the immediate context of what this is just flowed out of what, what Paul is writing here in verse 6 in in, in the following versus, but this is coming out of talking about to walk in love and to be different from the world to tonight to not be.

Sexual do not allow sexual immorality to take place within our lives to not be covetrus. 22b. Acting like children of God to be imitators of him as we saw in versus 5:1 and 2 to imitate him in this flows out of that again, where it says 1/6, let no one to receive you with empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of Disobedience. Will that that's a reference back to chapter two right away. And in chapter, he he talks about how we were formally sons of Disobedience. We were formally children of Wrath. Meaning that God's Wrath was was going to come upon us until we understood the gospel. Of our Lord, Jesus Christ of the fact that he the good news of our Lord, Jesus Christ of the fact that he went to the cross for us, taking the payment of our sins upon himself and that if we believe in him, we may share in his inheritance.

That we become one of God's children.

47. Therefore, do not become partners with them so that no one deceive you and do not become partners with them. You think of how you think of how Satan worked in the garden, with, with the first created beings with Adam and Eve. And how did he work with them? He asked a question to Eve. Did God really say? You see and that's usually some of the downfall to when we walk backwards in our Christian faith is we start to question the very words of God. Are we here? Put in a different context for we hear it's fun in a different way.

And then we can be deceived just as Eve was just as Adam was in the garden. Do we need to be careful as to what we listen to in regards to that into test it by truth to test it by truth. And fact that comes further on when it says that we are trying to discern the will of God that we are trying to discern. What is pleasing to God. We're testing. What is pleasing to God is another way to look at that. So in everything we have gray areas within our when we have gray areas with in life. We are trying to discern. Is this pleasing to God or how can I please God with X Y or Z. So some of those questions that we asked in the beginning would be answered here. Would be some of those things that that may come to us and it made make a start to spin and we have to test. Okay. What am I supposed to do here as a Christian? How am I supposed to walk and it's easy as to listen to false arguments that have no grounding on the word of God. If we're not in the word of God, we will be able to have a Sandy and a loose Foundation that will crumble. Support of this is we need to be on guard. We need to understand that that that's how Satan works, but not only that, that's her flash works. Sometimes we give too much credit to Satan with our sin. And the fact is that, that our flesh, as it is warring against the spirit that resides within us. And not that our own heart will deceive us as it says in Jeremiah. So we need God's word to help us discern. What is pleasing to the Lord? To help us to understand what is pleasing to the Lord. And that's not just one or two passages. That's the whole Council of God that were to be that were to be looking at that. We're to be studying that were to be taking an appliance, Our Lives even on Wednesday nights right now. We're going through his study of of why do you believe that and looking at Main different parts of theology? So this last week, we went through the study of God. This next week. We're going to be looking at the study of of, man and an even what the world would believe on different topics and situations with that. And I think it's important for us to to look critically at that. So that way we we can be prepared and guarded for the arguments that will come our way. Now, what I'm not advocating for his to steep yourself in a bunch of secular or even Progressive, Christianity material and to be looking at that and studying that out. No, I think that we need to be studying the truth far. More than what we need to be studying secular theology or different things like that. But I I think that we should have a grasp or handle to know when we do when we step into those different discussions. We know what's coming at us.

We need to understand how how Satan Works in that that he he works in small degrees of change as well. In our flesh Works in small degrees of change. It's not going to be just an over the night switch. Sometimes it maybe, but very seldom, it is, it's the little steps away from righteousness, that take us away from walking, as children of light. Do not be deceived be on guard, be on guard against the devices of this world, be be on guard against the devices of your own heart. Remember what God Said to Cain before he killed his brother Abel Cain? Sin is crouching at your door.

Send is ready to pounce. Our our heart is ready to go towards sin. When we do not follow Christ. When we do not follow the word of God, when we, when we neglect it, when we walk away from it, when we allow ourselves to be deceived. We need to be on guard for the devices of this world. One day I growing up. I was interning at the at Mason City. It was, it was an unofficial internship because I hadn't gotten everything prepared beforehand, but it was a partial internship at Faith Baptist in Mason City with Pastor good morning and others there. And it was fun to be a part of and I got to sit in on staff meetings and different things like that. And it was eye-opening to be able to see how the church operated even within the deacons meeting, and I learned greatly from all of that. And at the end of the summer, as I was getting ready to go back to Faith for my sophomore year. Pastor Goose, more called me into his office. After an evening church service. And I didn't know what to think of what this meeting was. Are you nervous at all? You know, what I'm talkin about? He called me and I said, what, what's a meeting about this at all? I just want to chat with you before you go back to school in the snow. That's really nice. And we talked for a while. I was probably a half hour to an hour, and we just we talked about everything over the summer and it was a great chat and he said will let me walk you out to the back door and I walked out to the back door with Pastor. Good morning as we stood at the back door. I looked out across the parking lot. And Pastor Scott and Pastor Derek had Saran Wrap to my car. And smeared it with peanut butter.

Impastor Grismer was in on it. The only person that I would think wouldn't be a part of it, and you,

I have been deceived.

I let my guard down it and part of that. The rest of the story is, ITP them so many times throughout the summer and throughout my time at being at at at Faith Baptist there in Mason City that I deserved it. Fully what came to me, but But sometimes we let our guard down even with those that that we trust as well. And everything needs to be Tried by the word of God. Everything needs to be Tried by the word of God for Faith and practice in for instructions in, in righteousness, to be a child of God. This is our marching orders. This is where we get how to live in and not only that, but we should be praying to discern. God. What would you have me to do in this house? Should I apply your word in this matter?

The second way that we should be walking is that we should walk as light? We should walk as light.

Verse 84 at one time you were Darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. To hear Paul calls. The Believers in Ephesus to walk as light in and Christ himself referred to himself as what the light of the world. I am the light of the world and he does this. After the Festival of Lights. He does this it in the temple. As as they had just seen these huge giant candelabras burning on fire and as they remembered, what how God had provided oil in times past. And and then Christ calls out that he is the light of the world. Even before that. He says in John Chapter 3 of of the fact that that they will love the darkness, those who do symbol of the darkness. They will choose to stay there. We once were children of Darkness. And I think it's important that Paul keeps reminding of that because reminding us of that because it is so easy for us to judge the world and the Deeds that they do that are wrong and have a disdain and a hatred for them and that's wrong. We need to remind ourselves that we once were children of Wrath that we once walked in darkness, just as they do. And that we had no knowledge of the good news of Jesus Christ. And in fact that you're turning towards compassion, for those who are in darkness and it should all morning, Bolden us to walk as light. What does it mean to walk? As I think of the culmination of everything here that Paul has been writing to the to the Believers in Ephesus? I think it's this culmination of of of one the doctrine that he's giving us about Christ in The Inheritance that we have in Christ and the riches that we have in Christ and the fact that we are one in body in Christ that sounded a little repetitive because that's how Paul keeps referring to it as the fact that we are in Christ. Or another words that we are a new creation and he's giving us those different principles of what it looks like to be a new creation in Christ. And then last week we, we saw the different ways in which we are to change. What we aren't to be Liars. We aren't to be spreading falsehood. We aren't to be giving false flattery to others. We aren't to be gossiping about one another. These these are all things that we're not to be doing that. We are to, to be angry. And yet do not send. Don't allow yourself to become bitter and irate and raged against others, but take care of those things that, that, that that anger you. But not only that to have a righteous anger as well. We looked at that last week, but also anger is another way in which the devil can gain a foothold within your heart. We looked at that we also talked about let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth. So this is how we walk as like, that's that's what I'm trying to to get across here. This morning is is this is kind of that Capstone of a Paul has been saying already that we are also to walk in love towards others. Notice that that that Walking In Love, precedes walking in light. And it's to be a genuine love just as Christ had for us as he gave himself up for us and love towards us for us.

So we walk is light. We walking goodness. We walk in righteousness, the righteousness of God that he has provided for us. And we also walk in truth. I think another reference hear of of walking it, in truth of of. Now the ESV says says good, right? And true, the csb not to switch between different translations. Like what we talked about and the new members class with the CSV would would say that it's goodness that it is righteousness and that it is truth that we are to be walking. What is truth removal of Truth? Out of our society is part of the cause of where we are today within our greater culture. As you remove that foundation in basis of Truth, who's the determiner of Truth? Who's the determiner of what is true? Everyone is anyone is in fact, it switches from each person. In fact, within the culture, we suppress the truth of the word of God. That we, but when we were children of Darkness, that's what we did. That's what it says in Romans chapter 1.

The truth of the word of God is his word and it's what he's given to us to study out today. And that's why we are trying to discern. In verse 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. So we take God's truth, we walk in it and then we use it to discern. What is pleasing to the Lord? That's that wisdom aspect that we talked about earlier today. It's applying what we have learned. We can study the manual, we can become a big head Christians. We can know everything that that we should know, but if we don't live it out we're stopping short of what God has commanded us to do. We can do all the answers, but if we don't put it into practice, it's absolutely worthless.

CS children of God, as children of light. We have a new understanding. We have the light of God's word to exposed to us. What is right? And what is wrong? Warren wiersbe. Always puts it this way. As as you pull back the shades with in a dark attic and as the light comes through and pierces into the darkness. What are you going to see? A lot of dust particles? Probably? In fact, as I climbed up into the attic here up at church, to see if I could see a bird nest in the eaves. I turned on my flashlight and I could see all the the dust from the from the insulation. That was laying there. See, that's what God's word does to our lives. It helps us to understand. What is sin, and what is, right? What is good and pleasing to the Lord? And what is not? The truth helps expose, what is darkness? And that's what we're going to next. And that's why we need to walk boldly. That's our third point for today is that we must walk boldly.

First 11 take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them for this shameful to Eve to even speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed By the Light, it becomes visible. So should we walk around pointing at other people going scanner, that sin sin, sin, sin, sin, right. Is that how we should be doing that? When that be fun.

Some of us in our minds. That's how we operate. We look at everybody else's lives and yet we haven't even allowed the Light of Christ to, to break into the darkness of her own soul, but we can easily point out the sin of others around us. We can easily point out the scent of ourselves, the scent of our children, the center of our fellow churchgoer.

But yet, we don't allow the Light of Christ to do work on us first. So, to do this next step before, allowing the Light of Christ to to permeate you and to allow you to see you for who you are, would be wrong. But as Believers of one, another as a family of God, we are to expose sin for sin. In fact, that's the most loving thing that we can do as a family of God together. Why? Because we expose it as we walk in love with one another speaking. The truth in love to one another just as Paul has already said For our brother or sister's betterment.

Just like a father or a mother disciplines their child for doing something that is dangerous or wrong. It is out of love that they do that. They correct their children because they want to help them. They want they want their life to be better. God gives us the same instructions in his word and then allows us to help each other to see the white and decease in for what it is. That's why within a church that that we would even practice church. Discipline, scary word, right there, right? But that's why God has given us those different commands and ways and Matthew 18 of to go to someone in private. And then and then if they don't, listen bring a brother or sister with you did Monica and why to gain a brother or sister back in Christ. To help them out of love.

Too many times. We forget that love part and we just like, to point out send because it makes us feel better about ourselves.

Light exposes mistakes. Light gives us understanding to be able to see you what's wrong, like an x-ray machine and a broken arm. We're not able to look in sometimes and see your fracture or whatever is wrong with it. When clay was younger. He slipped on no joke. A paper towel thing that he had been carrying around and playing with and he dropped it on the ground. He gets slipped and Fallen weird and started screaming, and then wouldn't put any pressure on his leg. And we thought this is so weird. We had to take him into the doctor and sure enough and trade show that he had fractured his leg. And he had to wear a cast now. Thank you. We were to say, well, okay. Well, thanks for that x-ray, but we don't really believe it because you can't see it with their own eyes dock. You know what? I want you to. I want you to cut open his legs so that way we can see it.

Will that be foolish of us? Yeah, I would have been extremely foolish of us. That's how God's word works. It it pierces into the inner recesses of our soul of our heart and allows us to distinguish. What is thin and what is not.

Allow the Light of Christ, allow. The light of God's word to work with in your life. And then also exposed to others through the word of God. Not there your own preferences or standards. But through God's word. That's the standard in which light is.

It's not just a hunch or feeling, its truth objective truth. That we have in our hands today. Don't be afraid to call Sin Sin. It's if it's done in love. It is to save your brother or sister in Christ to being entrapped in sin. Not only that, but don't be afraid as it talks about here. Paul. Paul holds no punches here, but he says awake, o, sleeper and arise from the dead in Christ will shine on you. What is he talking about? Willis to reference back to Isaiah. And what he saying here is that there are those who don't know Christ that are probably within the audience listening to this letter.

And when someone is in darkness, we need to tell them. You do not know Christ. Sometimes those conversations can be kind of awkward like well, do you know price do you not have you? You know said these magic words not the best witness in my mind is to ask someone. If God were to ask you, why should I let you into my heaven? What would you say? The answer becomes very clear at that point?

But even that our lives should backup what we're saying as well as having faith in Christ. So we walked boldly as light, we walked boldly exposing sin using God's word as like to do that as a help to others.

Don't be afraid to call Sin Sin. Don't be afraid to go to your brother and sister in Christ to help them to serve them to love them. Don't be afraid to walk in this world as children of light. What the world deems as shameful what the world deems as true is counterintuitive countercultural to what God calls as true as to what God calls shameful and wrong.

Flight important for us to be able to walk boldly and understand. If we know that this is the foundation of life, God's word is truth and it is the foundation for life. We have a sure footing within his word.

Don't be afraid of those who, who talked against God's word, who go against God's word. It can be fearful at times, but understand that, in the end, God wins. God is the one who will judge every 11-day and that judgment in which the person and darkness will face is much greater than the Judgment of calling since and in front of them at that moment the Judgment that they're headed to is far worse, far more more scary than than the fact of calling. What is sin today. Send.

But yet, sometimes it makes us uncomfortable to call sin sin because I don't want them to not like me anymore.

One day, they're going to wish that you would have told them.

So think about that as you attract those in darkness. Think about that as you pray for those who are in darkness. Think about the fact that that has called us to walk his light and to walk both in this world. Don't be afraid to call Sin Sin, final questions, for today, as we reflect questions for reflection is in what areas of life are you? Most easily deceived, what areas of life are you? Most easily deceive? Some of us are easily deceived in some areas of life. More than others. What areas do you know that your heart would run towards our kind of go towards more than other areas. How can you put practices within your life to guard against that? If you know that, if you know that there's different sins in which you you fall short in often. How can you battle against them? Secondly, when was the last time you shared the gospel with another person? When was the last time that you shared the truth with another person, the truth of the word of God? As you go throughout the week, we should be praying for those times in which we are within darkness. When when we are with those who are walking in darkness of being able, looking for opportunities to share Christ with them to share the truth of the Light of Christ.

You pray with me this morning? God, I thank you for allowing us to be able to gather I think you for allowing us to be able to Worship You freely in this nation. Got it. Thank you for the many blessings and what you've given to us. I pray that as we go throughout the week that we would walk as children of light reflecting your truth and a dark world and a world that is callus against you.

God, I pray that as we expose sin in love that it would change others lives that you would use us as instruments of righteousness and others.

God, we thank you for