12th Sunday after Pentecost 8/19/12

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost 8/19/12 Title: Ephesians 5:6-21 Title: Children of Light This past week I was listening to Doctor Laura on XM radio. For those of you who might not know who she is, she has a show where people with relationship problems call in and she will give them advice. This particular day a woman was telling Doctor Laura that a friend of hers had asked her to lie for her to cover up something the woman had done. The woman calling in identified herself as a practicing Christian said she did not know what to do. She said she knew it would be wrong to lie for the woman but did not want to lose her friendship either. She just did not know what to do. Doctor Laura told her that she was sick and tired of Christians not living their faith because they were afraid of hurting someone’s feelings when sin was involved. She then told her that she needed to give some thought, as to whether or not she was truly living her Christian faith, for her friend to even have approached her to lie for her. The woman was silent for a time, for that last remark struck home. Why had her friend even thought that she would lie for her? As I listened to her and Doctor Laura’s conversation I began to think, are we living lives that would give someone the impression that we would commit a purposeful sin if asked. Would we lie or do whatever sin they asked us to do to save a friendship? Those are questions that each one of us has to answer for ourselves. I am afraid though that way too many Christians today would probably have done what a friend asks them to do, even if it is a sin. They would do it because they have successfully compartmentalized their spiritual life from the daily life. Sunday morning is God’s time. The rest of the week is their time. Saint Paul in writing his letter to the Christians of Ephesus which we have been studying for six weeks or so was dealing with the same thing. They were afraid of hurting someone’s feelings or taking a stand for what God’s Word clearly said was a sin. They, just like so many of us today were trying to be Christians while trying to blend into the corrupt society they were living in. Paul had a special interest in the Christians of Ephesus for he was the one that had brought them the wonderful message of Jesus. He knew what he had taught them was correct. He knew that what they had been taught would not only allow them to stand on judgment day declared innocent in front of the Father, but that what he had taught them also applied to their daily lives. You see, Saint Paul knew that how a person lives their life shows who they really are. Paul in writing this letter was doing the same thing that so many parents have written to their children when they have left for college. Study, get plenty of rest, don’t drink too much, or party too hardy, and most important of all don’t forget who you are. In other words don’t bring shame to the family name that you bear. Paul was a great letter writer. He should be since he was well educated and wrote under the spiritual guidance of the Holy Spirit. Thirteen out of the 27 books of the New Testament are his letters to Christian congregations. Let us continue to study what he wrote. You might want to follow along in your service folder. The text is Ephesians 5:6-21. Here are a few of the things Paul told the church at Ephesus that we would do well to follow: Be careful how you live. Don’t hang around with wicked people. Don’t even talk about shameful things that are done by shameful people. Don't be foolish but wise in the ways of God. In other words read and meditate on God’s Word. Don’t get drunk for that leads to a wicked life. Every time you have the opportunity to do good, do good. “Don’t let anyone deceive you with empty words”, he writes. He is saying that anything that disagrees with God’s Word are worthless words as far as your relationship with God goes. Stay away from them, don’t read their stuff, or listen to them for God’s perfect wrath is going to fall on them at some point or other. Paul goes on to remind them that at one time they were just like those who teach things that are against God’s Word; darkness. Notice that he does not say they were living in darkness, but were darkness. Darkness in the Bible stands for death and eternal separation from God. Salvation which gives eternal life with God, on the other hand is light, for God is light. He then proceeds to give examples of what that life is to look like. Actively seek what is pleasing to the Lord. Don’t take part in the things of the world that are, well they use to be done in darkness, but are done in broad daylight now. Don’t even discuss those shameful things. Keep your thoughts clean. All good stuff right. I doubt that anyone sitting here this morning would disagree with what Paul has told us this morning. Walking with God is good, but, it is hard to live. I don’t know about you, but I would say that most, if not all of you have a tough time living godly lives. We get up in the morning and say to ourself, “Self, today is the day that I am going to be different. I am going to love God above all things and I am going to love my neighbor as myself.” But by breakfast time we have forgotten about spending time in God’s Word and more than likely have said or at least thought of or said something hurtful toward our neighbor which includes not only our family members, but those who we have been watching on television that have different political opinions than ours. To live according to God’s commands, is at times downright discouraging. It can be so discouraging at times that instead of repenting and resting in the grace of God we might even be inclined to think, “Why even try? I can’t do it!” and we rush off to wherever we are going. That is us alright. And it will never get any better until you realize that the problem is that you are one trying to change yourself instead of letting God change you. That is why Paul wrote, “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.” The first part makes sense, for anything that is in the dark is exposed when a light shines on it. We get that, but the next part of that sentence, “For anything that becomes visible is light.” is harder to understand, just because something has a light shown on it does not make it a light. You need to go down to the next verse where Paul is quoting a verse from Isaiah that was being used in the early Christian church as a baptismal hymn. Listen to the words and you will see what I mean. “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” There! Did you get it? Those in darkness, that is those who are spiritually dead, are brought to spiritual life when Christ’s light changes them into light. God does the raising and the changing. God gives life to those who are dead in sin. God gives the power to overcome and make new. My brothers and sister in Christ you are children of light, not because you did something, but because God did something when Jesus as he hung on that cross suspended between heaven and earth cried out, “It is finished.” The earth shook, the sky became dark, and the temple curtain was torn from the top down. And it was finished. The price had been paid. God himself died for all of mankind. Every one of us here were at one time “darkness” but are now “light”. Because of and in God’s power, Paul tells them and thus us “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Eph 5:15-21 ESV) Let us join our voices together as we sing our sermon hymn. Oh For a Thousand Tongues to Sing. Amen.