Sermon Tone Analysis

Ephesians 5:8-14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 1999

Don't Argue with a Lighthouse

 

The captain of the ship looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance.

Immediately he told his signal man to send a message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south."

Promptly a return message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north."

The captain was angered; his command had been ignored.

So he sent a second message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am the captain!

" Soon another message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am a seaman third class Jones."

Immediately the captain sent a third message, knowing the fear it would evoke: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am a battleship."

Then the reply came: "Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am a lighthouse."

In the midst of our dark and foggy times, all sorts of voices are shouting orders into the night, telling us what to do, how to adjust our lives.

Out of the darkness, one voice signals something quite opposite to the rest--something almost absurd.

But the voice happens to be the Light of the World, and we ignore it at our peril.

Introduction

 

Last Sunday morning we continued the theme of walking in purity.

*/Firstly/* Paul */commanded/* them /to become imitators of God as beloved children/.

God is love and we His children are to love one another.

So Paul's */Second/* */commanded/* was /to walk in love/.

Jesus Christ showed us how to walk in love.

Paul also commanded believers not to walk in lust.

Immorality should not be named once among God's people because they are saints.

They have been set apart for holiness.

Last Sunday the emphasis was on*/ our works/*.

Today the emphasis is*/ /*on*/ our witness/*.

*/In verse 8 Paul commands believers to: /*

 

I.

Walk In Light - /In The Lord/

* *

*Ephesians 5:8 * /For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light/

/ /

/a.

A Pure Life/

 

Paul commands believers to walk in the light.

Since God is also light, this command is understandable.

We are to be imitators of God.

Light describes righteousness, purity and life.

It is the opposite of darkness.

Darkness speaks of sin and death.

We were once darkness, but through Jesus Christ we have become light.

*John 8:12* /Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world.

He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

/To walk in the light means that we follow Jesus.

We walk the same way that He walked.

Because we are only light as we remain in the Lord.

/But how can we know how Jesus lived?/

By reading God's word.

The Scriptures tell us how Jesus lived.

They tell us how we can live to please God.

*Psalm 119:105* /Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path./

Christians must study God's word and obey it.

Christ said that those who follow Him will not walk in darkness.

You cannot walk in light and darkness at the same time.

We either follow Christ and walk in the light, or we walk in the darkness and fall into sin.

Shine on Me

 

Debbie Boone wrote this about God's word.

Every morning for two years I battled with my son Jordan to get him up for school.

Everything changed when he left his window shades up at night.

In the morning, the light filtered in and quickly awakened on him.

The presence of light solved our problem completely.

As I read the Bible one morning, my struggle with Jordan came to mind.

I asked the Lord to show me how to let his light awaken the places in my heart I was content to leave sleeping in the darkness.

To expose myself to God's light, I must leave the window shades of my heart open and willingly allow him to change me.

*Brother Lawrence wrote this in the book titled*," The Practice of the Presence of God." /When we are in doubt, God will never fail to give light when we have no other plan than to please him and to act in love for him.

*Walking in the light will produce purity in our life!*/

/b.

A Productive Life/

/ /

*Ephesians 5:9* /(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),/

/ /

The result of Christians walking in the light is fruit.

That is why Paul starts with the word */for/*.

Goodness, righteousness and truth can only be seen when demonstrated in the lives of God's people.

When Christians walk in the light they give a */witness/* to the light of the world, Jesus Christ.*

Matthew 5:16*/ “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven./

Christians who live in obedience to God's word will be noticed by the world.

Light is always noticed in the darkness.

That is why Christ told believers not to hide their lights under a bushel.

*Philippians 2:14-15* /Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault [or pure] in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, *among whom you shine as lights in the world,*/

*/ /*

Flashlights for the World

 

Bob was caught in an elevator during a power failure.

At first, there was momentary panic as all seven strangers talked at once.

Then Bob remembered the tiny flashlight he had in his pocket.

When he turned it on, the fear dissipated.

During the 45 minutes they were stuck together they told jokes, laughed, and even sang.

Ephesians 5:8 says we are that flashlight.

Just as the flashlight draws power from its batteries, we draw power from Jesus.

As light, we dissipate fear, bring relief, and lift spirits.

/We don't even have to be big to be effective.

We just have to be "on."/

However for this to happen Christians must live in dependence upon the Holy Spirit.

Christians struggling independently of the Spirit can only accomplish fleshly works.

Only the Holy Spirit can produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Therefore we must continually rely on Him.

A fruitful/ /life empowered by the Spirit and motivated by love is a blessing to all.

However this takes time and perseverance.

Fruit doesn't grow overnight.

It comes in season.

*Galatians 5:22-23* /But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such there is no law.

/

Fruit of the Spirit

 

Love is the key.

Joy is love singing.