STRONGER-Part 13-AFTER THE SERMON

May 16

We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or to be used for a sermon group discussion. CLICK HERE to find a discussion group. Enjoy!

Sermon Title: Light In The Darkness

Main Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-14

If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read the provided scripture to catch everyone up!

Check out this overview of the entire book, especially the first chapters of Ephesians to better understand the depth of Ephesians 1 Ephesians Overview

Summary:

In our previous verses, Paul draws this line of demarcation, a noticeable change, and difference from our old nature and our new nature. The focus was on living your new nature and how we ought to treat and live amongst others in the family of God.

Now, Paul turns his focus on how we, the Church of Christ, live noticeably different than the ways of our world. To express this difference Paul uses the analogy of light and darkness. Light and dark is a common contrast used in the Bible. Light represents God, His kingdom, goodness, and truth. Darkness represents the worldly kingdom under the influence of Satan and evil deeds.

Paul is clearly making the point that there is a difference between us and the ways of the evil world. You are a light, you are full of Christ, in this world. There will be and should be a contrast, a difference in how we think, believe, and live.

Pastor Ryan’s teaching notes:

What’s the difference?

5 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Imitate your heavenly Father. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Col 1) so live like Jesus in everything we do. Godly, Christlike, righteous and holy character according to the Word, imitate that!
Live a life filled with love… the example is Christ whose life was filled with love. His example was sacrificial love.
Jesus offered himself as a peace offering for our sins so that we could be reconciled. Sacrifices offered unto God in the levitical period of the Bible, in the Old Testament, produced a pleasing aroma to God.
This is agape love which is not based on merit. Agape love is to give oneself for the well-being of those who are being loved. To love without being loved back. God’s love is sacrificial, it’s selfless in its motive and desires. Paul is calling us to love others, even if we aren’t being loved back, even if one doesn’t deserve it, just as Jesus graciously did for us on the cross.
(Later, Paul will encourage us to carefully determine what pleases the Lord, here’s a great example of what life that would be.)

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

The contrast is clear: Paul goes from self-sacrifice to self-indulgence: sexual immorality and greed.
Sexual immorality covers every kind of heterosexual or homosexual sin. Premarital, extramarital. The word greed in the greek can also be used in coveting another person’s spouse or to use someone else's body for selfish gratification.
The NIV says, no hint of them!
This was a high standard in the province of Asia (Ephesus-where this church was located), where sexual orgies were regularly practiced in connection with the worship of the Greek goddess Artemis of the Ephesians (Acts 19:23).
Verse 5 is a serious warning. A life patterned with these sins is not a life redeemed and the judgment will be a sad end, no inheritance with God or heaven.
Idolater: a greedy person is an idolater because his or her affection is set on earthly things rather than on things above. An earthly object of desire has “the central place which God alone should have in a human heart.” -Full Life Commentary
The Ten commandments begin with having no other gods before God. If we get the 1st one wrong then we get off with the rest! If we don't love God and get to know God’s love for us, we won’t properly love others or love ourselves. Love is distorted and we become self-indulgent. Loving God and God’s love should define our love for everyone else. Love in scripture has a lot to do with faithfulness, obedience and loyalty to God and then one another. It’s less about feelings or selfish desires.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do.

The world will try to justify, rationalize and excuse sin. Don’t be fooled or convinced by the playing down of sin and its severity.
The previous sins mentioned (and all sins) usher in the wrath and judgment of God.
Have nothing to do with those sins. Don’t focus or dwell on people who indulge in the evil deeds of this world, their actions and false joy can fool us too. The consequences of sin are often delayed, hidden and the superficial happiness of sin is temporary, meanwhile the future judgement of God is eternal.

8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

NIV and other translations have translated the greek sentence here to say, “You were once darkness.” It’s who we were before Christ.
But now we are light because Christ is THE light and He dwells in us through our spiritual union with Him. (Communion is a strong reminder of who’s in us.)
So live as people of light! Let our conduct conform to our new identity in Christ.
Christ, the light, produces in us His goodness, righteousness and truth. The contrast is obvious again because the darkness in this world produces hate, evil, deception, and dishonesty.

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.

What’s the contrast? Those who have Christ, live to carefully determine what pleases the Lord, living to do God’s will versus our own selfish desires. God’s will and desire for our lives come first. This paradigm shift only happens because of salvation.
The greek word for carefully determine or find out is dokimazo and it means to test and discern. As mentioned above, when we Imitate Jesus we discover how good and pleasing is the will of God. His life is not worthless deeds, it’s life-giving!
Coach Lou Holtz has a similar rule for his football players. He always says, “I only have one rule. Do right.” He insists that everyone really knows what the right thing to do is, we just need to do what we know to do.
Those who are dark and living in the darkness of this world do not care what God thinks...they are gods themselves in their own eyes.
Notice it says to shun the deeds, not the doers. Paul is not advocating pharisaical separatism.
**Paul is advocating that we shine in this world, not participate with the worthless deeds.
We conceal the light of Christ when we live like darkness again.
“Light invariably exposes the true character of the deeds of darkness.” -Full Life Commentary
“This exposure is not affected by what is actually said by way of rebuke, but simply by letting the light of Christ shine through.” -Expositors Commentary
Whenever Christ appears, it exposes sin but He also highlights true goodness.

13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

Light in the natural world exposes the true state of a room, the level of cleanliness or a poor paint job. I’ve painted at night, it’s not a good idea. Every painter knows if you are going to paint at night you better bring flood lights for the room and look out for the shadow of your head or hand. If you’re not careful, the next morning the light will reveal how many times you hit the ceiling or the trim.
[The difference in carpet picture.]
The goodness, righteousness and truth of Jesus exposes us! The Word of God is a light and lamp for us, but it also acts like a Cat Scan or MRI on the condition of our hearts and minds. When we come to the Word of God, it’s full of so many stories, lessons and messages that expose the condition of our own hearts and minds. It’s healthy for us to let it shine on the darkness that still needs to go.
As those who live in the dark see us live like Christ we help expose with our living how good it is to live in the light and how worthless it is to live in darkness. We want to live in the light and shine the light of Christ because He will reveal and expose the darkness, the worthlessness and emptiness of sinful deeds to the lost and those living in darkness.
I long to be pure and holy for God and for those around me so they can observe the difference, the contrast, of being full of Jesus versus full of darkness.

How do we light up the darkness?

Follow Jesus on how to love and live in this dark world.

Be true to who you are in Christ and do not be fooled by those living in the dark.

Grow in the light of Christ: His goodness, righteousness and truth.

Don’t conceal Christ in you, let your lamp (your life) burn bright!

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Takeaways:

The Ten commandments begin with having no other gods before God. If we get the 1st one wrong then we get off with the rest! If we don't love God and get to know God’s love for us, we won’t properly love others or love ourselves.
Don’t focus or dwell on people who indulge in the evil deeds of this world, their actions and false joy can fool us too.
We conceal the light of Christ when we live like darkness again.
As those who live in the dark see us live like Christ we help expose with our living how good it is to live in the light and how worthless it is to live in darkness.
Follow Jesus on how to love and live in this dark world.
Be true to who you are in Christ and do not be fooled by those living in the dark.
Grow in the light of Christ: His goodness, righteousness and truth.
Don’t conceal Christ in you, let your lamp (your life) burn bright!

Discussion:

What was one big takeaway for you from today’s message?
What something new you learned, today?
What scripture verse stuck out to you and why?
What did you sense the Holy Spirit was saying to you during this message?
According to our scripture, how do we expose the worthless deeds of evil in our dark world?
Why is it important that we remain different…that we stay in the light and live like Christ?
How can you shine Christ in your world this week?

The most important decision you will ever make!

Are you ready to experience salvation and be transformed we encourage you to say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I see my sin and how wrong it is. I see how without Jesus I’m lost. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me from my sin, my past, this world, and your judgment. I repent, I turn away from that life and I put my faith and life in Jesus! Amen!

We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know!

Pray Together

We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!

Calvary Church