So please open up our Bibles to Ephesians chapter 5. And again, our text is rather long today. It's a lengthy text. We're going to do our best to get through it. So on any point, we're not going to spend that much time on it. Have you ever read a race to riches story? Kind of interesting, you know, you read about somebody that grew up in poverty, but then became a very wealthy person. There's a man by the name of Roman Abramovich, right? That might be a familiar name to you, not as much to me. He's a Russian business tycoon, and he's also the owner of Chelsea Football Club, okay? He's worth, I guess, 8.2 billion, and a billion is a thousand million. Am I right about that? All right, so he's, He's worth $8,200 million is what he's worth. It's worth a lot of money. Abramovich was born in southern Russia into poverty. After being orphaned at age 2, he was raised by an uncle and his family in a sub-arctic region of northern Russia. While a student at the Moscow Auto Transport Institute in 1987, he started a small company producing classic toys which helped him eventually found an oil business and make a name for himself within the oil industry. Later, as sole leader of the Simneth company, he completed a merger that made it the fourth biggest oil company in the world. The company was sold to state-run gas titan Gazprom in 2005 for $13 billion. He acquired the Chelsea Football Club in 2003 and owns the world's largest yacht. which cost him almost 400 million in 2010. He's a pretty wealthy guy. 8.2 billion. I mean, that's a lot of money. The next guy is not nearly as rich. He only has 1 billion. His name is Mohed Al-Trab and he's the Montpelier Rugby Club President and Entrepreneur of the Year. He was born into a nomadic tribe in the Syrian desert to a poor mother and he died when he was young. Al-Trab was raised by his grandmother. who banned him from attending school in Raqqa, the city that's now the capital of ISIS. Altred attended school anyway, and when he moved to France to attend university, he knew no French and lived off of one meal a day. Still, he earned a PhD in computer science, worked for some leading French companies, and eventually bought a failing scaffolding company, which he transformed into one of the world's leading manufacturers of scaffolding and cement mixers, Altred Group. He's previously been named French Entrepreneur of the Year and World Entrepreneur of the Year. It's great to read these stories, isn't it? Somebody that is just an average person and getting great wealth, but when you read this story, you never expect them to live at the end of the story as they did when they started it. He's living, this one billionaire, was living on one meal a day. Do you think he still eats one meal a day? I think he eats quite well, right? Why? Because he's been empowered by his wealth. He has power by his wealth to dramatically change his lifestyle. That's rags to riches. You know, this morning, if you're saved, there's a spiritual rags to riches that has likewise transformed you. Before you're a spiritual pauper, and living as everybody does, that doesn't have anything spiritually When we got saved, God has taken us from rags to spiritual riches. And our Father, the Bible calls Him the Father of Lights. And His title there is found in James 1, verse 17. It says, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither a shadow of turning. That's an interesting name, isn't it, Caelan? Father of Lights? What's that mean when the Bible speaks about God being light, us, or sin being darkness? What's that about? Well, before man gets saved, he walks in darkness. John 3.19 says, and this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. See, when Jesus came, it's still the same today. As Jesus comes, and the light comes, why are men so content to stay in the darkness. You know why? Because the darkness has every vice, and every wickedness, and every depravity that's known to men. And they want it. They think that that's satisfying. They don't understand that Christ satisfies. They don't understand that eternal life satisfies. They don't understand that forgiveness satisfies. And they want that. But the Bible says, before you got saved, that's where we're at. Walking in darkness. But you know God is light. He's pure light. 1 John 1 5. says, this then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. So man's over here, darkness, no light. God's over here, he's perfectly light. God is, in fact, in Revelation the Bible says there's no light in heaven because God is the light there, because He is radiantly light, He is gloriously light, He has no darkness. Okay, here's the problem, Zoe. If I'm over here and I'm in sin, I'm in darkness, and God's over here in peace, light, can we agree? We can. So something has to change in my life over here to bring me to the light. And the light is what actually draws me to that side, to salvation. John 8, 12 says, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. And so God is the light. And so if I'm going to follow Him, the Bible says, I'm not going to stay over there. I can't stay over there. I'm going to come over here and I'm going to walk in the light. Because why? That is where God is and that's where God wants me to be. Now about us, when I get saved and I've gone from darkness to light, you know what God wants me to be? God wants me to be the light. And so we are to be the light of God for the dark world. Matthew 5.14 says we are the light of the world. Matthew 5.16 says let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. OK, so God says, be the light, right? Race to riches. I was in poverty in darkness. Now, by the grace of God, I am in full light, beautiful light, wonderful light, glorious light. I have the ability, by the grace of God, to be light. OK? And I can follow my father and walk, as his text says, as children of light. You know, it would be very odd to see somebody get rich and act like they're poor. In the same way, it's a very odd thing for somebody to say, I'm saved, I'm born again, I've got Christ, I have been adopted into the father of life's family to live in darkness. It doesn't go, does it? And so in the same way, God desires us to walk as a child of that light. Let's pray and ask God's blessing. on our text this morning. Father, will you help me now as I speak. I can't speak except by the grace of God and the enablement of the Holy Spirit. And it's upon him that I cast my dependency. And Father, it's through him that we can understand. And Father, there's distractions this morning, but that's the way it is. And Lord, we love the fact that kids are here. We're very thankful that they're here. But we ask in Jesus' name that you help them to sit, be good, listen, and get what they can get, where they can get this message. And Father, give us grace to apply it to our lives. I pray in Jesus' name, Lord, don't let us be like that person that has great wealth and acts as if they're a pauper. I pray, God, help us to get the simple truths of this text as Paul gave them to the church at Ephesus. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Right, then we're going to move quick. We've got 21 verses that we're going to go through. So we're not going to spend a lot of time on any one verse. Walk as children of light. That's the idea this morning. Walk as children of light. So the first thing is follow God. Follow God as a dear child. Isn't that what the word of God says in verse 1? It says, be therefore followers of God as what? Dear children. Let me ask you this morning, are you a child of God or are you a dear child of God? See, a dear child of God is an obedient child of God. A dear child of God is what Peter says in 1 Peter 1.14, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. It just means this. As He which hath called you is light, He's gloriously light, there's no darkness in Him at all. Peter looks at us and says, now that you're saved, don't be over here, be over here as a good kid. Listen, do kids represent their family? You ever have mom and dad, you're going out to a place and they say, be good. Why? Because it reflects on our family. Because it affects our testimony and how people look at us the right time. I don't know what we got going on, but if she can just stay where she's at, it's fine. She's trying to find it. Oh, she's trying to find it. You know, we've got to be in obedience to God. Why? Because it reflects on God. God's going to be represented to those that are without us how? Based upon how we act. And so what does the Bible say? Walk as children of light, as good children. Follow God as a good child. Similarly, after the example of the only begotten Son of God, verse 2, it says, And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, and offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet son and Savior. Okay, firstly, follow God's help as an obedient child. Secondly, follow God's help as Jesus Christ did. Kids, let me ask you, did Jesus Christ follow God? Yeah. He said, my need is to do the will of Him that sent me. Nobody fulfilled the Father's will like Jesus did. Jesus did it absolutely perfectly and He did it sacrificially. Jesus Christ did it in such a way that he sacrificed everything for us. And so the Bible says in verse two, in walking love, as Christ also hath loved us, hath given himself for us in offering in his sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. Romans 5a says, but God committed his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Do you know that this morning? The people over here, are they like God, Zoe? Remember we talked about them in darkness? But you know, God's over here, and they're over there. Does God love them? Yeah, in fact, so much so that even though they're in complete rebellion against God and wickedness, all sorts of wickedness, they might lie, they might disobey their parents, they might look at things they ought not look at, they might go places they ought not go, they might put things in their body they ought not put in their body, they might steal things, they might murder somebody, they might do something awful in this place right here. But the Bible says, why were you yet sinners? Christ died for us. And so then God says to us, look, be like Jesus. How was Jesus? Jesus gave his life for people like this. Jesus sacrificed everything. How? To obey the Father, to do the Father's will. Can we do the same while others have? Epaphroditus followed the example of Jesus, Philippians 2.30. Because for the work of Christ, he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life to supply your lack of service for me. Okay, Paul's saying, if Hephaestus was so burdened about God's work, so like Jesus, that he risked his life just to minister to Paul and to do the Father's will as an obedient child. Paul and Barnabas, the Bible says about them in Acts 15.6, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. These guys risked something to follow God. It wasn't cheap lip service. It wasn't, yeah, I'm a Christian, but I'll do nothing for God. It was giving God everything, just like who? Just like Jesus. And so follow God how? Like Jesus. Follow God how? As dear children, good children. And so walk as children of light this morning. First of all, follow God. Secondly, walk as children of light. Guard your testimony. Guard your testimony. Verse 3 says, but fornication in all uncleanness or covetousness Let it not be once named among you as becometh saints. Now let's just stop and think about that last phrase for a second, as becometh saints. Have you kids ever heard saint so-and-so, saint so-and-so, saint so-and-so, right? The Catholic Church has given those names and works religion, good works religion have given that name saint to mean something other than what the Bible says it means. They say a saint is somebody that does miracles. A saint is somebody that does all these things, right? A saint, very simply, is somebody that is set apart by God, who is born again, who is saved. When he got saved, he became a saint. If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, God set you apart from this unto something else. He has sanctified you. It's kind of like the temple in Jesus' day. The temple in Jesus' day, that was the place of the presence of God. Remember, Jesus got upset one time in the Word of God. Do you remember what it was? It was that time he came to the temple, and they were selling all these things in the temple, and he said, you've made my father's house a house of merchandise. You've defiled the temple. He cast them out, the Bible says he formed them. He got a whip, he overthrew the tables, and he drove them out of the temple. Why? Because he was upset that anybody would defile the temple. Do you know the Bible says that as a saint, I'm set apart, that my body, the Bible says, is a temple? Do you know why? Do you know, Caitlin, when somebody gets saved, that God comes and He lives inside of them? That He indwells them, that He comes into their heart. And so it's a hallowed place. And so the Bible says, in 1 Corinthians 3, 16, know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. God says this, young people get this, it is not okay to take a temple of God and to defile it. It is not okay for a Christian to be like they were before they got saved. It's not okay, why? Because God is there and they're trying to put in God's life things that are defiling His place, right? And so what? Guard your testimony. How? By what it says. Guard what we do, what we want, what we say. Guard our testimony. How? By not doing wrong things, by not wanting wrong things, by not saying wrong things. And so let's look at it in the Word of God. First thing, walk in the tone of light and be pure. That's what we do. It says, but fornication and all uncleanness, let it not be once named among you. Fornication is sex outside of marriage. It is incest. It is adultery. That's what the word means there. When it says all uncleanness, it's just adding to that. It's saying not just physical fornication or sexual sin, but sin of the mind, sin of the desire, sin of the heart. It's beyond that. All uncleanness is a very broad statement. Ephesus was an idolatrous nation. Do you know in those idolatrous cultures that fornication was part of their worship? And so it was ingrained in their culture. It was something that was a part of them. So the gospel went into these areas that were very sexually impure areas. And as the gospel went into those places, as those people got saved, the word of God says to them very clearly that fornication is in the past. It's in the past. And so the Word of God, even in Acts, when the Jerusalem church hears about the Gentile converts and what God has done, and Paul and Barnabas are back saying what God has done, and they're talking about the issue of circumcision, and whether or not a Gentile believer needs to be circumcised. And they talk about it as the Jerusalem council, and they say, no, they don't need to be circumcised, but this is what we do want you to tell them. And James says the pastor, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, the pastor of the church in Jerusalem. said this, wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God, but that we write unto them that they abstain from delusions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. And it's interesting because we think obviously fornication is wrong. We understand that. But that the Church felt it incumbent upon themselves to say to new believers, hey, look, fornication is not OK. To say to the Church, get away from that. In fact, the Word of God, you'll find this throughout the Word of God in the New Testament, commands against sexual sin. And so Paul's letter to Corinth in 1 Corinthians 6.15 says, Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ to make them the members of a harlot? He says, God forbid. Paul's letter to Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 4.3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication. I mean, think about it. Paul is saying, look, God says, keep your body pure. Why? Guard your testimony, what you do. Secondly, not just be pure, but be content. It says, speaking about what we want, it says, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints. The theme of the sin of covetousness, by the way, one of the Ten Commandments, not to covet. Don't covet your neighbor's house, his wife, his things, right? Interesting. Why? Because covetousness, wrong desire, leads to wrong action. Think about the sins that could be committed by covetousness. Fornication, I want her, I want him. Stealing, I want money. Materialism, I want things. Jealousy, I want what you've got. Adultery, I want your spouse. Bitterness, I don't have what I want, therefore I hate you because I don't have it. Murder, I want what you have, so I'll kill you to get it. Right? We see that in the Bible, in the story of King Ahab, right? One in the vineyard. And so covetousness, what we desire, God says, hey, be content. Hebrews 13, 5 says, let your conversation, your lifestyle, be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have, for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. God says, hey, you've got me. What else, what else do you need? Be content with such things as you have. Hey, who meets your needs? Who provides for you? Who's giving you what you have? Who is the one that understands that that is exactly what you need for where you're at in your life right now, and that He is enough, and He gives enough grace that that is okay? God. So the Bible says, hey, be content. 1 Timothy 6 says, but godliness with contentment is great gain. You don't have to be happy with what God's given to you. Is there in your heart a contentment that just says to God, God, thank you, an attitude of gratitude? Yeah, that's gonna come up later in your text as well, but that idea of thankfulness to God, or is your heart fighting against God? If I had that, I'd be happy. I wish. You know, to be careful. I have no sense in my life that I can easily say, I wish. I wish. Listen, we don't have to, I wish. We can just say God thank you. God I'm thankful. Be content. I heard your testimony. Be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure, be pure He says about filthiness, that's obscene or indecent conversation. It's literally shameful or deformed. OK. We understand that, right? I mean, we're going to start right there at the beginning. Neither filthiness or foolish talking or jesting, which are not convenient, but rather negative things. We understand that. We get the filthiness. I mean, surely today, nobody in here would say it's OK to speak about things that are perverse. The Bible says later on in this text, it's a shame to even speak of those things which are done within the secret. OK? That there has to be an integrity about our tongue, that we're very careful about what we speak about. OK, we get that. But the next two points stand out to me as areas that we need to stop and look at and say, you know what? That is a lot easier to creep into our conversation as Christians than obscenities. Like, I wouldn't suspect this morning to have obscenities coming out of her mouth. And yet, the Word of God gets more specific. Second thing is foolish talking. OK? It's insipid, senseless, stupid, foolish, not suited to instruct, to edify, to profit. It's the idle chit-chat, which is so common in the world. It's just empty, right? It's just like we get together as a church, we get together as believers. You know, there ought to be things that we build each other up in. There ought to be a conversation of depth, that we understand where each other are at, and that we're encouraging each other, building each other up in the faith, right? But then it's easy for that conversation to degenerate into just what? Just banning. Just emptiness. What's that word? Nicky Smalltalk? Smalltalk has its place with strangers. And a little bit with us, too. You know what I'm saying? But that is the depth. You see, I've really been struck by this. I've been reading Thomas Chalmers' biography. And he regrets, or his memoirs, he regrets the times where he'd sit down with people in their house and there's nothing about God. No spiritual conversation, no building up of each other, it was just wasted time, right? When it could have instead, encouraging each other, strengthening each other, being a blessing to one another. And so who was talking? And then third, jesting, alright? And again, Barnes notes says, this word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It probably means that which is well-termed. It has several definitions now. Then that which is sportive, refined, courteous, and then urbanity, humor, wit, and then jesting, or levity, which is evidently the meaning here. The apostle would not forbid courteousness or refinement of manners in the reference, therefore, but be to that which is light and trifling in conversation, to that which is known among us as jesting. Humor has its place. I mean, we enjoy laughing. God's given us a sense of humor, right? Sometimes we look in the mirror and we think, God has a sense of humor. There might be times where there is something that strikes us as funny. Funny is given to us by God. God's given us that ability to laugh. But you know there's a time to be serious. There's a time that a real flippant, shallow heart is not going to take in the deep things of the word of God. So we come together to meet at God's house. Is it best for us to just be slapstick, happy, laughing, goofing off, and then try to sit down and be serious about God? And see, Paul's saying there has to be a death. Listen, about a minister, the Bible says this in 1 Timothy 3, 2, a bishop then is to be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober of good behavior. Why does the Word of God say a minister has to be sober? Because if I can't be serious about something, I can never have a deep conversation with anybody. If everything's a joke and I turn everything into lightness, I can't properly minister. Because I'm connecting at a very shallow level instead of letting God build me a strong relationship with whoever God would have me minister to. Now I've said this before about 1 Timothy 3, what God has given us with a bishop must be, okay? Does that mean today that a bishop must be these things but God doesn't expect it of others? No. See, it's qualifications for a minister. A minister can't be in ministry if he's not those things. But it's God's expectations for all, right? That God desires us. And so Barnes and Oates says again, think not a smile sinful, but think not levity ingesting harmless, but rather giving a thanks. Thanks to God, or praises, are more becoming Christians than jesting. The idea here seems to be that such employment would be far more appropriate to the character of Christians than idle trifling and indelicate conversation. Instead, therefore, meeting together for low wit and jesting, for singing songs, and for the common discourse, which often attends such gathering of friends, Paul would have them come together for the purpose of praising God and engaging in His service. Human beings are social in their nature, and if they do not assemble for good purposes, they will for bad ones. It's much more appropriate to the character of Christians to come together to sing praises to God than to sing songs, to pray them to jest, to converse of the things of redemption than to tell anecdotes and to devote the time to the contemplation of the world to come than to trifles and nonsense." He's speaking about back in the day, when they'd gather together in their homes and they'd have those conversations more so than we do today. He's saying when believers get together, you know, it's good not to just have this empty, worthless chit-chat. but by the grace of God to have that depth of conversation that benefits one another and evolve with God. Here's some verses for you with regard to that. Proverbs 10 19, in the multitude of words that wanteth not sin, but he that refraineth his lips is wise. That there is an ability to control our tongue that is honoring to God. Proverbs 10.32, the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked speak in coordinates. And so, I'm to guard my testimony, how? By purity, by what I do. I'm to guard my testimony, how? By my desires, what I want. I'm to guard my testimony, how? By my speech. Not a falseness, not a false piety. I don't understand. It's that there's to be a depth to us that gives glory to God and says praise God. Right? And so, walk as children of light. How? Third, walk as children of light, be separated from the world. God will not allow the ungodly into his kingdom. For this ye know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ. Young people, if a person is that way, they are ungodly. It's basically a summary of what he just said. More specifically, he spoke about specific sins that were already in the context of what we just have seen. Their lifestyle is fornication. Do you know God says they can't be saved? They can be saved. But they can't be saved in that condition. Does that make sense? Do you get what I'm saying? For them to say, I'm saved, but my life stays this way, and I'm in wickedness, and it doesn't matter. God says, hey, that's not so. They have no inheritance in the kingdom of God at all. Right? They're not there. It doesn't matter how much a church today stands up. We've got it in our modern society saying, hey, doesn't matter if you do that sexual sin, it's okay. God now says it's okay. Does God say it's okay? No. So what do we know? They're not saved. Right? They're not saved. Now, you heard the saying, avoid it like the plague. Stop and think about it. Back in the day the plague was going on. Avoid it like a plague. What's that mean? It means don't even get close to it as if your very life depends on it. Okay, can I say about being godly, avoid them like a plague? Why? Here's why. If this person has no inheritance to the Kingdom of God, they are disassociated from God, God's wrath is against them as we'll see in the next verse. Why would I socially engage with them when they are so against God and God's against them? See what I'm saying? And so separation, what is separation? Separation is me coming from darkness to light and stopping fellowshipping with those that are still in darkness. Alright? And that's what the Word of God is saying here. This person has no inheritance in the Kingdom of God. In fact, they're not safe from God's wrath. Verse 6 says, let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things comeeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." And so, again, somebody might say, hey, it doesn't matter. You're saved. Fornication doesn't matter. You're saved. Adultery doesn't matter. You're saved. Lying doesn't matter. Deceit doesn't matter. Witness doesn't matter. Right? And they might be a preacher. And the Word of God says, let no man deceive you with vain words. Why? Because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. You know, Israel, as they came in and they took out these nations, you might look at the Old Testament and say, what is this all about? Israel coming and killing all these people. Why are they killing them? Because God said to. Why does the Bible say God said to? Because of the wicked abominations of the heathen nations that they were destroying. You know what God warned them about? God said, be careful that you don't become like them. Right? And so God would say to us, today, don't be deceived, don't start thinking, hey, I'm light about sin. Don't start thinking that, hey, you can have close relationships with those that the wrath of God is against. Think about it. that God desires to be separate from those that despise God and hate God. And so, if reasoning isn't enough, as He has reasoned with us, God commands separation. Here's what the Word of God says, verse 7. He says, Be ye, be not ye, therefore partakers with them. Okay, here they are, they're against God, they're in ungodliness, and they're doing ungodly things, and God says don't go with them. Don't be with them. Don't spend time with them. Don't fellowship with them. Why? Because I am against them and they're going to be damned for all eternity because of my wrath. Now, get this. Here's a believer, okay? that goes back over here and decides, I'm going to do those things. Well, they're a brother in Christ, what about them? You know what the Word of God says? 1 Corinthians 5 and 9, I wrote unto you an epistle, not to company with fornicators, yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters. For then must ye needs go out of the world. And the Bible is saying this, of course, we're going to come into contact with people like this, in darkness, and they need the Gospel. And just like Jesus, if there's a gospel purpose in my being there, and you'll see it brought out in the text further, that's acceptable. But if it's just to spend time with them, just to be with them, just to fellowship, God says come out. God says to separate. God says don't be there. And if it's a believer that's gone back into them, then the Bible says in verse 11 of 1 Corinthians 5, But now I have written unto you not to keep company if any that is called a brother, be it a fornicator, or a covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such a one know not to eat. The Bible is saying very clearly, if somebody names the name of Christ, and yet they're involved in that sin, they won't deal with that sin, they won't get right about that sin. God says, I'm not even supposed to have them over to my house to have a meeting. Because I'm just separated from them. And so verse 12 says, for what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? The whole thing. And I mean, that's what these ungodly churches say. Don't judge me, you're judging me. Listen, God says to judge. God says judge those that are in. Use this sermon. Understand they're not separated as God desires them to be. So walk as children of light. How? Be separated. Be separated. And so take that stand for the Lord. And then walk as children of light. Bring forth good fruit. Children, you guys know this, right? Fruit trees bring forth one kind of fruit. So help me out. Apple trees bring forth... Orange trees bring forth... Okay. And so if you see the fruit on the tree, what do you know about the tree? It is, if you see an orange, it is a... Orange tree. If you see an apple, it is a... Apple tree. Why? Because by the fruits, you know them. That's what Matthew 7, 16 says. Matthew 7, 16 tells us that you can examine somebody's life, God examines our life, and can see what is really in our heart or in our life just by that which is being produced by our life. And so if we're believers, bring forth good fruit. Matthew 7, 20 again, for by their fruits ye shall know them. So what kind of fruit does God desire us to have? He wants us to have a fruit of light, verse 8. Amy, have a seat. Verse 8 says, for you were sometimes darkness, but now are you light and more. Walk as children of light. OK? And so before I got saved, I'm over here in darkness. I got saved. I'm over here now. And God says, hey, walk like you're over here. Walk as children of light. And so what? Have the fruit of that light in your life. In other words, don't say I'm a believer. Don't say, I trust in Christ, show it. Right? Don't say, I've accepted Jesus. Say it by your life. Your walk talks and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks. Let your feet do the speaking. That's what James says in James 2.18. Yea, man, they say thou hast faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works and I will show thee my faith by my works. See, a profession of fruit is empty. I'm an apple tree, and I have apples. Well, where are they? You know, if I say I'm a Christian, then it ought to be evident for my life that I am a Christian. If there is no evidence, guess what? I'm not the right kind of tree. So God says, hey, bring forth fruit. Fruit of what? Fruit of light. Fruit of the Spirit, verse 9, says, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. That's a lovely verse, and we're not going to spend a lot of time on this verse. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. That is, praise God, that is pure, right? That is good fruit. Have you ever been to a Yupik place? You guys ever go to a Yupik place? There used to be a Yupik strawberry place over by Chair Paul Roundabout before we got an ice storm or something and crushed the place. Maybe it's still there, I don't know. You go into that place, and they give you a bucket or a place like that. It's always kind of fun, right? Go pick tomatoes or whatever. It's a bit of fun. Kids get their bucket, and they're going along, and they're throwing that fruit in their bucket, right? And they're all excited about it. They come, and they brag about it, you know? And look at the size of this tomato, you know? Look at the size of this. You know, you're just so proud. Why? Because you got that fruit in your bucket. And you're bragging about it. You know, what's in your basket today? What's in your bucket? See, what is there that you lift up and say, goodness, righteousness, truth, these things are in my life and here's how I can show you and I just open up my life and I say, here it is, look what I watch, I only watch wholesome things, look what I say, I only say kind things. Look what I look at, it's only wholesome things. Look how I share the gospel, it's purely done and regularly done, right? By the fruits ye shall know them. Is there a fruit of righteousness that is there in our life? And it's fruit that passes the test, okay? It's a test of what does God approve. Verse 10, it says, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. See, you go to a youthhood place, and some of you guys might have a younger sibling, and they get something they're all proud of, and you turn it over, and the back of it's rotten. Or it's got this wormhole in it. What did mom and dad do? Honey, that's not good. I'll help you find something good. Right? Mom and dad know what is acceptable. Proving what is acceptable means bringing it to them. They look at it and go, oh, that's good. That's not. You know, as you lift up your life before God today, the test is not, hey, I feel like it's okay, I think it's okay, and I've examined it, and it's good for me, and I'm gonna keep it. It's, God, what do you approve of? God, what do you think about the Fremont line? Is this pleasing to you? Is this music pleasing to you? God, listen to this, and I defend it, and I say that's good proof. Hey, does it sound like the world? Does the jacket look like the world? Are they really godly people that are producing that, or are they all fierce, and think it's fine, and they got all their worldliness? Does God approve of that? Whatever it be, that proof that's in my mind. So bring forth good proof. Walk as children of light. Walk as children of light. Stand up against ungodliness. Being a light is not just doing what is right, it's telling others what is right. It's standing up against ungodliness. And so, Jesus said to his brothers in John 7, verse 7, The world cannot hate you, but be it hated, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Let's take a walk with Jesus. Let's go down into Princess Street Gardens and have Jesus stand with us as he speaks to people and as he speaks to somebody that's a drunkard. Do you think he's going to speak to them about their sin of drunkenness? Yes. Is he going to speak to the adulterer about their adultery? Yes. Is he going to speak to the curser about their cursing, about the blasphemer, about the blasphemy, about the man that takes God's name in vain? Is he going to stand up and is he going to say something and say, look sir, that is not right? Yes. That's Jesus. See, the idea that Jesus just kind of blends in and loves people is a false idea. The Word of God is very clear. Jesus Christ was hated. He was crucified. Why? Because of what He said that condemned those that killed Him. So what? We're not to hide the light, we're to shine the light. And so don't try to mingle light with darkness. Verse 11 says that have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. See, if I got saved, I am what? Light. So how can I fellowship with darkness? There's only two ways light can fellowship with darkness. Do you know what they are? That's good. But that's not what I'm speaking about. I'm just talking about light and darkness. I'm not talking about spiritual. I'm just saying light and dark. The only two ways that light and darkness can fellowship is how the light goes out, right? Then darkness can fellowship. Or the light goes on. and light and fellowship, right? It's impossible for it to be otherwise. And so it's this, if you can somehow get on with the ungodly, if you can somehow fellowship with the ungodly, there's one of two things taking place. Either you're confronting their ungodliness and letting them know that what they're doing is against God, or you turn off your light and you just go, I'll just get along with you. That's the only way. And so what does God say? God says, hey, don't do that. Don't fellowship with darkness. So what? Are you supposed to do this? It's a command of God. Turn the light on to expose their darkness. But rather, reprove them. Reprove them. For it's a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. God says, reprove it. Hey, it's shameful. They're in sin. And God says, hey, expose it. Right? That's what God says. God says, let it be known. But if you do that, what's going to happen? Well, it's not going to be easy, is it? But you know, here's what the Word of God says. Get verse 13. It's a very important verse. But all things that are recruited are made manifest by the light. For whatsoever doth make manifest is light. So what is light? Here it is. Light is the manifestation of truth. It's the gospel. It's the, this is sinful, this is wicked, this is against God. The more I expose my grace to God, listen, am I to be mean-mouthed when I do it? No. God says, what I do, if I don't do it in love, 1 Corinthians chapter 13 says it's like a clashing cymbal. It's empty. But in love for them, and in love for God, I'm to expose what they're doing, and that is being the light. It's manifesting the truth. If I do that, what's going to happen? Well, it might be like John the Baptist. Mark 6.17 says, for King Herod himself was sent forth and laid hold upon John, bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her. For John had said to Herod, it's not lawful for thee to have that brother's wife. John the Baptist stood up to the king of the land and he said, look, you are committing adultery with your sister-in-law. They got him in prison and they got him beheaded. What was John? John was the forerunner of Jesus Christ. John was the light in the wilderness. John was the one declaring the truth. See, listen, if your life doesn't declare the truth, your life's not right with God. See, I'm not a Christian because I am saved, and I've accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, and that's enough, and God accepts me, and therefore I can just be like the world. Right? God says I'm to be the light. God says I'm to stand up for what is right. Why was John inoxicated by bloody Mary? Why was John bundled in prison? Why was Jesus crucified? Right? And you can say, but it'll cost me. If I stand up against him, God, it'll still cost me. If you've done it, you know it does cost. But that's what God expects. And so we do that. Turn on the light and expose the darkness. Why? God commands it. Reprove them. And then, walk as children of light. Stand up against ungodliness, but then walk as children of light. Be wise. Be wise. So how do we do that? Wake up. Verse 14 says, Wherefore he said, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee life. Have you ever heard Ian Paisley preach? Northern Irish parliamentarian that stood up in Parliament and said the Pope is the Antichrist. He's a fireman, right? He's passed away. But I've heard a message that Ian Paisley preached on this passage. And he, the Church of Jesus Christ is largely sleeping. And she says, please don't wake me. Then he says, awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead. And Christ shall give thee life. The church can be that way, right? We can have an apathetic, dead, cold, carnal, dark Christianity. Or we can awake to righteousness. And we can open our eyes to what God is trying to tell us about, hey, be the light, be the light. Awake not of sleep, as you rise from the dead. And Christ shall give you light. God wants to equip us. So be wise, wake up. Be wise, guard your steps in the light, verse 15. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Walk circumspectly. You know, do you think the world is really not that bad? Is your idea of being a Christian, hey, it's okay, the world's really not that bad, I can be like them, it's okay, or are you aware that there are pinfalls and dangers all around, that by the grace of God, it takes discernment to be somebody that's godly in an ungodly day? Proverbs 27, verse 12, says, Include it, man, foresee it, the evil will stay. One person, all right. A prudent man forseeeth evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass on and are punished. A wise person is going to chart their course as a believer. They're going to get up and say, by the grace of God, I've got to be holy today, I've got to be set apart today, I'm going to be light today, so I've got to guard my life. That's a wise person. But the simple pass on and are punished. You know, when we lived in Aspen, that was when we had the Olympics, remember? And how many of you saw the Olympic torch when it came by? Did you guys see it? We saw it. It actually came right down this road, and it came down the road where our second house was, and it came down the road by our first house. But we went out and we saw it come by. But you know, the Olympic torch supposedly is a continual flame, alright? Supposedly. I was wondering if somebody blew it out at some point. But, if you watch, if you saw the videos, there were people that would try to put out the flame, right? But they kept, I guess, in the vehicle, they had another flame that they could relight it with. But they also had all these bodyguards, right? They got fleas running alongside the person that's jogging with the light, protecting it. If the light went out, they'd relight it. Listen, as we carry the light through the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan is going to continually try to blow our light out. And listen, your light might be out this morning. It could be. But what do I have to do? Relight it. Why? Because we have a continual light from the apostles. Do you know that? That the light shined into them through Jesus Christ and that light shined into others, that light shined into others, that light shined into others. And it's continually re-lit itself down through history. But we need to keep the light lit. And so how do we do that? Guard it. Guard your steps in the light. Protect it. Be wise. Be wise, turn back the clock. Verse 16, we're getting there, aren't we? Just a few more verses left. Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Have you wasted some time by not needing the light? Satan says, hey, you've wasted so much time, what's the point? Why stand up now? Why get back up? Why not just stay the way you are? Hey, God says he can redeem the time. Buy it back. Get it back. Get, get, get, being the light again for God. Restore those wasted years. Joel 2.25 says, And I will restore to you the years that the locusts hath eaten, the canker worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer worm, my great army which I sent among you. And you say to Joel, Joel, to the people, I judged you, but I can restore you and I can give you back the benefit of those wasted years. You might look at it and say, man, I wish I'd done more. Well, listen, it's not too late to do something. In high school, I really became discouraged that I wasted some time serving God. I mean, I was really burdened about it. But then I thought to myself, you know what, I haven't lived for God to this point, but I got tomorrow, I got the next day, I got the next week, I got the next year. If I can grace with God every year after that until God takes me home, then I can live for God. I might have nothing right now if I stood before God, and everything was burned up that I've had, but that from today on I can lay a treasure in heaven. You know, that could be you this morning. Turn back the clock and be the light. And be wise, find God's will. Verse 17 says, wherefore, be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Being not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Can I just, again, we're not going to spend a ton of time, because of how many verses we're going through, but can I say this? If you're walking in the darkness, you cannot know God's will for your life. See, I could be saved, but if I'm a carnal Christian, if there's a lot of sin in my life, and my life is messed up like that, I can't know God's will for my life. It's not possible. Because that is in life. To the righteous person, the light shines more and more until the Lord takes us into eternity. There's a greater understanding of God's will if we walk in obedience to God. So be wise, find God's will. And so walk as children of light. How? Be wise. And lastly, walk as children of light. Be spirit filled. Be spirit filled. Verse 18. And I should say, be filled with God's Spirit, to be clear, this is the Holy Ghost we're talking about. Verse 18 says, be not drunk with wine where it is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. And somebody can take that verse out of context and say, ah, you know, a little bit of drinking is okay, God just said don't get drunk, that's not what it means. Paul is just making an analogy. We know the Bible says in Proverbs 20 verse 1, wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Proverbs 23, 31, look not thou upon the wine when it's red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth itself awry. I recently spoke with a young believer that thought, you really can't look at it. That that means don't look at it. It doesn't mean don't look at it, it means this, don't Look with desire. Don't think you can just gaze upon it. If that's a stumbling block for you, then you can just be around it and it's okay. God says get away from it. Why? Because wine destroys. We know there's much scripture about that. So what's it mean when it says be not drunk with wine where it is excess, but be filled with the Spirit? Well, you know what it means? It means just like alcohol intoxicates somebody, God says, be intoxicated by my spirit. See, I saw last night some young girls out in front of my house at 11.45 at night. The dog was barking, so I went outside. They were fully in control of something. Controlled by something. Their life was totally... Possessed by that. I mean, she was in a stupor, this one girl, and the other girl was yelling at her, come on, get up, get up. And I feel bad. They're young people that need Jesus Christ as their Savior. But they're totally controlled by it. How much of your life is under the control of the Holy Spirit of God? What do you know about the Spirit of God's enablement? He dwells inside of you for a reason, right? And so what does the Bible here speak about? What does somebody that's spirit-filled, what are they like when they have a spiritual song in their heart? Verse 19 says, speaking to yourselves in songs, in hymns, in spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts of the Lord. When's the last time you find yourself driving a car or somewhere walking and you're just singing? You know, it's a spiritual song. It's like, it's just coming from somewhere. And it has to do with something you're thinking about. That's incredible sometimes, you know. I know back when we were praying about buying a house and looking at getting a house that often I find myself singing I know this, I know this. I read of Jesus, and so were all. I read what he did, saying, I'm righteous and I'm told. And so many times the Spirit of God with a song comes into our heart and just refreshes us and encourages us. Do you have that spiritual song in your heart? John 4, 23, 24. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipper shall worship the Father in spirit and truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him, and God is the Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." There has to be in our hearts that desire to sing praise to God. That's part of being spirit-filled. That is from our heart unto God. Secondly, a spirit-filled person is filled with gratitude. Verse 20. So it's giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know a Spirit-filled person is really fun to be around? Because what comes out of their mouth is not critical, it's not criticism, and it's not wrong. It's something that's very right. It's an expression of gratitude to God. Sue Olmsted comes to my mind. She was at the wedding. Some of you may have met her. She's from Australia. They minister up in Hatton, Scotland. She and her husband, Danny. And Sue came to the wedding. She hardly knew Rebecca. Met Rebecca one time on Thursday night, but she came to the wedding. She came to be a blessing. Danny couldn't come, and so she drove herself down by Aberdeen, a couple hours. She spent the day in the kitchen serving. with a great attitude, a great spirit, just thankful to be able to be of help. Do you know why I look at Sue all the time? I say, that's a spirit-filled woman. She's got a sweet testimony. Why? She's got an attitude of gratitude. You don't listen to her, though she's had cancer in the last few years, you don't listen to her complaining. She's got a grateful spirit. That's being spirit-filled. Spirit-filled unity, verse 21, will end here. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. There's a wonderful unity of the spirit the Bible speaks about. The divine spirit feel that it's not the things that tear apart, it's the things that build us up together. And it goes on in the passage about husband and wife and that relationship. that God's given where there is unity through the Spirit of God. That's what we need. We need that in our lives. And so, this morning, it'd be very odd, but it's common. Sadly, it's common. It's very odd for a Christian to get saved But they walk as if they're in spiritual poverty. When it's a race to riches story, God has given us everything. God has a desire for us to walk as children of light. But we're still over here. So maybe there's something this morning the Spirit of God spoke in your heart about. Are you following God as a good child? Are you a good kid for Jesus? You know what I mean? A good son of God that is obedient, that is sacrificing your life as Jesus did? Are you guarding your testimony? Are you careful that you're pure? Are you careful about what you want? Are you careful about what you say? The people look at that and say, you know, that person, a believer, their life is different than what they do. What they want, their content, what they say, what they speak about, it honors God. Are you separate from the world? God says, hey, don't have fellowship with them. Don't be in that place with them. Are you bringing forth good fruit? You know, if God were to examine your life this morning, open up that bucket and see what's in it. Does God approve? Does He approve of your entertainment? Does He approve of your use of time? Does He approve of your habits, your attitude, your actions? Does He approve of that fruit that's in your life? Are you standing up against ungodliness? It's not enough just to say, well I'm the light, I don't do those things. God says, hey, shine the light, tell them it's wrong that they're doing those things against God. The Spirit of God desires us to do that today. Are you wise? Are you guarding the light? Redeeming the wasted years? Are you spirit-filled? You know, in your heart, is there a song, is there a sweetness of the presence of God in your life? And here's the thing, you look at that and go, man, I wish that was in my life. Maybe. Alright, maybe it's in your life. But if it's not in your life, you know what can be? Caitlin, you know if you're not saved today and you die and you spend eternity in hell? But that Jesus loved you so much he died for you, even though you disobeyed many times. Do you know that? And that if you'd accept him as your Savior, Caelan, that you could pass from here, darkness to light, and that you could be a true child of God. Maybe you have, alright? Maybe you have. But anybody in here could do that today. If you're not saved, you can get saved. If we are saved, look, we've got the wealth, we've got the light, let's be the light. Let's rejoice in what God's given to us. Let's stand for what I understand and walk as children of light. May God help us to do that. Let's pray. Father, thank you for the Word of God this morning. Thank you for the time we've been able to spend in it. It's a lengthy passage. But Father, it's a very important passage. And I don't think that the children were too much of a distraction today. I think that the Spirit of God has spoken to our hearts. But Father, they have been disobedient. And Father, I pray that you speak in their hearts that they're going to come to church, that they would desire to be the light in church, that they would show how to obey God, how to honor God, how to please God. But maybe some of them aren't saved. And Father, some others might not be saved. I pray, Spirit of God, that there's somebody here that's unsaved, that they get saved, that they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, that they be the light. And Father, I pray, help us not to act like we're spiritual paupers when we have spiritual wealth. And so may the Spirit of God apply these truths to our lives today. Thank you for them. It's in Christ that we pray. Amen.