May the Lord now help us as we
come to this study. For those of you who are notetakers,
the title of this study is Children of Light. The text we'll find
in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 8. For ye were sometimes darkness,
but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For ye were sometimes darkness,
but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk in, children of light. Well, we've been learning a lot
recently about the armour of God. Our pastor has been going
through the armour, and with armour you use to prepare for
battle. And battle and war is seen as
a dark place when you see over in Ukraine and Russia those conflicts
going on, it lurks a dark, miserable place. But Paul, in this letter
to the Ephesians, he tells us to be a light. And the picture
is we're in a battle in our lives, but we should also be a light.
Well, Ephesus, who he is writing this to, it was a very bustling,
vibrant city. It was occupied by the powerful
Roman Empire. It was on the main trade route
from Europe to the Middle East, based there in Turkey. So many
trade would have gone obviously from Rome through down to Israel
and Europe. Ephesus was almost there in the
centre. It was almost a hub. It was a very live and let attitude. Be whatever you want to be. Do
whatever you want to do. Worship whatever you want. There
were many gods in that area. We know the twelve main Roman
gods were worshipped there, but many other gods they would make
up to worship. It was a very multicultural society. People would come from all around
the world to do business there. There was one main god there
called Artemis who was housed in the temple of Diana. which
was at the time one of the seven wonders of the world. It's a
magnificent Roman building which you can still even visit the
ruins today. Many tourists would come and there they would collect
these little souvenirs of the gods. We can read about this
briefly in Acts chapter 19. Acts chapter 19 verse 24, for
a certain man named Demetrius, he was a silversmith which made
silver shrines for Diana, bought no small gain unto the craftsmen,
whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation
and said, sirs, you know that by this craft we have our wealth.
Moreover, you see and hear that not alone at Ephesus, but almost
throughout all Asia, this Paul have persuaded and turned away
much people, saying that they be no gods, which we have made
with our hands, so that not only this is our craft is in danger
to be set at naught, but also that the temple of our great
goddess Diana should be despised and her magnificent should be
destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshipeth. And when
they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath and cried
out saying, great is Diana of the Ephesians. We could see that
Paul, he was bringing the gospel to these people. He was teaching
them that the things they were doing were wrong. And their trade
of selling these little statues and models was slowly being destroyed. The gospel was destroying their
business. Ephesus, it was a place of sexual immorality, rife with
prostitution, and any Christians living in that sort of environment
have a battle, and they needed to be an armor. They needed the
armor of Christ, but they also needed to shine. The more you
study the land of Ephesus, you more realize that's the land
we live here in England. The more sexual and moral people
live and let live, worship whatever you want, be whatever you want
to be is coming forth and the more we need to shine. Well in
this dark place there is this little candle light of Christians
flickering in this little church of the Ephesians. They were not
willing to worship the gods which everybody else worshipped. They
weren't willing to participate in the sin which was going. They
weren't willing to join in the sinful conversations. They were
going the opposite way. They weren't going with the flow
of the world. And they were a disliked community. They were seen as
ignorant, uneducated and backward people. History tells us that
they were severely persecuted and they had a battle, but Paul,
he was a great man of passion and there he would try to encourage
them. We know whatever Paul did, he
was a passionate man, even his pre-conversion state, he was
passionate to get the Christians to round them up and kill them
and whatever he wanted to do, nothing would stop in his way
but God. But when he became that Christian, he was that new man
and he was on fire for Christ. And he was there and he had much
prayer and respect for these people. And in our text, Ephesians
5.8, he writes these powerful words. He reminds them of where
they have come from. For you were sometimes darkness,
but now are you light in the word. He reminds them of where
they have come from, we read in the previous verses from Ephesians
5, 3. But fornication and all cleanliness
or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as become
as saints. Neither filthiness, nor foolish
talking, nor jesting, which basically means joking about spiritual
things which are not convenient, but rather giving thanks. For
this ye know that no whoremonger, or sexual immoral person, nor
unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater, have
any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no
man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh
the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not therefore
partakers with them, for ye were sometimes darkness. Before, even
in our own lives before we were born again, we were living in
a dark place. Sin was our pride and sin was
our goal. We enjoyed the dark things of
this world. And the Bible is very clear on this as we go through
the Old Testament. we even see from the day of our
birth, we can read about it in Psalm 51.5, where it says, Behold,
I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive
me. It's not saying that the mother
is a sinner conceiving you, but you as you were born. From the
day you were born, you were born evil. From that time, I was conceived. I've been sinful. And we know
this is all comes from the curse of Adam and Eve and the fall
of man. We are each born in darkness. We are born lost. The prophecy
of Isaiah chapter nine and verse two talks about the darkness
they are living in. These are a mixture of Gentile
people. They were seen as outcasts. The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light. They that dwell in the land of
the shadow of death, upon them the light hath shined. So these
people, they were living in a very dark place. They were without
the Holy Spirit amongst them. But they were given this hope
that this great light would come and shine. And after dwelling
in this land of the shadow of death, and that picture is a
very awful place of loneliness, blackness. And that's what the
lost world are walking in today. They are by themselves, just
walking through the shadow, through the valley of the shadow of death. they are by themselves, they
are empty. But in verse 6 we are given that gospel picture,
that hope, that prophecy of Jesus Christ. Verse six, for unto us
a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government
shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful
Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. Well, we know that hope of light,
it was fulfilled many, many years later, and that hope is the Lord
Jesus Christ. He is the only light. In Matthew
chapter 4 in the gospels when we read about Jesus and this
prophecy being fulfilled. Matthew chapter 4 verses 14 to
17. that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zebulun,
the land of Neptulun, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which sat in darkness
sought the great light, and to them which sat in the region
and the shadow of death, light is sprung up. So we need to think
in our own lives, do we see that light or are we just sitting
in darkness? James was speaking about, I believe it was Wednesday,
washing his children's hair with shampoo. The easy thing for them
to not get in their eyes is to look up, but it's often the hardest
thing for them to do. They put their heads down and
slowly it drips into their eyes, causing them misery. But we need
to look up and we can see that glorious light even though we
are surrounded by all this darkness of sin and filth going on in
this world. Christ is above and we need to
see his glorious light and come unto him. Verse 17, from that
time Jesus began to preach and to say, repent for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand. Without repentance in our lives
we remain in darkness. Repentance is coming to that
point where we realise we are a sinner, coming to Jesus and
asking for that forgiveness. We need that 180 degree turn
around in life. Otherwise, we are like that dead
fish just floating down the river. We need to turn around and fight
and swim. It gives us a new meaning for
life. It gives us a new goal. In Luke chapter one and verse
78, It shows about the love of God
and his tenderness. Many, many meters behind him,
he would go off and we would have to keep an eye on him because
once he's gone over the top of the next hill, we've lost him.
You'd have to keep an eye on him. And that is life. Jesus
Christ is our guide. He is the light for all to see.
John 3, 19. And this is the condemnation
or the disapproval that light is coming to the world and men
love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.
Well, darkness is a place which we can get up to no good. We
know criminals would rather work under the cover of darkness.
They can get up to no good. They can hide. And naturally
we love sin, we love the pleasures of this world, but in God's eyes
these things are seen as darkness. We need to prioritise what we
enjoy and how we spend our free time. We don't want to just be
doing what the world is doing and living their lives how they
want to live it. To aim for wealth and fame and
prosperity here in this world. Because the God of this world
is Satan and we know that he has shut the eyes of this world.
2 corinthians 4 4 we read in whom the god of this world satan
have blinded them the the minds of them which believe not lest
the light of the glorious gospel of christ who is the image of
god should shine unto them So this world is almost designed
to make everybody not even think of God. The more we move into
a modern world, the more entertainment we have. You see everybody walking
around like zombies, just looking at mobile phones. If they've
not got their mobile phones, they're looking out there, they've
just got music in their ears. And they're blinded to the beauty
of Christ. And we know that the world being
created, the glorious mountains and the sunsets and the sunshine
is all there to edify him and to show that this world is not
some science experiment, it's creation. And we all know that
good news of the gospel, the glorious gospel of Christ, the
good news of hope and salvation, and that joy we should have in
us. And we should be willing to share that good news of joy
to others. The gospel literally means good
news, and in ancient Roman times, the herald would come into the
different villages as he traveled with the news from Rome. There may be shouting in the
town, hear ye, hear ye, a child has been born, a new king has
been born, maybe another empire has been defeated. It was a good
news for them, and we know that good news, and we should be willing
to share the gospel of Christ above us, because only light
can come from Christ. There is many, many good people
in this world. We may read of people like Mother Teresa and
people like that who have been put on a high place, but if they
are not a believer in Christ, they are in darkness. Only Christians
are light. So our text in Ephesians 5, 8,
we have that turning point. But now are ye light in the world. Walk as children of light. the great preacher of Westminster
Chapel, London, who myself and Edwin, David and James, we went
to visit his church last year. Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, he used
to say often in his sermons, thank God for the butts in the
Bible. Just a three-letter word, but
it's a turning point. And here we see that turning
point, but now are ye light in the world. Walk as children of
light. It is a new beginning. Christ
has now entered our life. We have repented of our sins
and he's forgiven us. His tender mercy has come to
us and he has had compassion upon us and his light now shines
in us. He tells us to walk as children
of life. Christian life, it is a walk. It's not just sitting there at
home, wasting ourselves away. It's a walk. And we know a walk,
it requires a starting point, which is when we are born again.
A walk, it requires effort. We have to put one foot in front
of the other. Maybe you're walking up a hill,
it's hard. And the power of Satan is constantly there to battle
against us and to push us back, but we need to keep walking forward.
It requires movement, progression, progression in the knowledge
of God, progression in the word of God. God doesn't want a stagnant
Christian. He wants someone to keep flowing.
We should be willing to walk away from bad influence, maybe
bad friends who we see are going to drag us in the wrong way.
Walking away from temptation, whatever that may be, maybe we've
seen something we want to go to or visit somewhere, we want
to visit, maybe it's something we want to look at on our phones,
we know is wrong, we should be willing to walk away from it.
Jesus tells us in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 17, he tells
us, wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, said
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you. He's not telling us we should
be isolated from people in this world and live in some commune,
which we know of many Christians do. They completely isolate themselves
and communize themselves. But we should be insulated with
the presence of the Holy Spirit. We should be willing to mix with
the world, but to shine as lights amongst them. Because following
Christ, following Christ, he will receive you. It says it's
there written in the Bible. and what could be greater joy
than to have him as our guide. In Matthew, which we read, Matthew
chapter five, which we know is the Sermon on the Mount, and
there Jesus, he's speaking to his disciples. We see that in
verse one, the great multitudes of people had come, they were
following him. Many just wanted to witness miracles or to see
who this man was, but Jesus, he then takes his disciples up
into the mountain and there he sits with them. And he says to
them in verse 14, and we need to remember when it says the
word disciples, we can just translate it to Christian, anyone who is
a believer. He says, you are the light of
the world. A city that is set on a hill
cannot be head. It says you are, it doesn't say
you should be, it doesn't say maybe, but it says you are. All
believers pointing at you, those of you who have been born again,
you are the only light in this world. Set on a hill so all can
see. When we were down in Spain and
south of France you get many mountains. And up on these mountains
in the day you can see very faintly these buildings. Up on the hills
you get the little medieval walled cities high up which were built
obviously many years ago. This is what Paul is talking
about here. They used to build them up there
so they were like a fort, they could see all round. But in the
daytime when you look up you can barely see them. But as the
night comes, the darkness comes, you see the lights come on and
you look at the mountain, it's like stars, all these twinkling
lights. So the darker it becomes, the
more they shine. And that's how we should be in
this world. The darker it's becoming, the more we see even in our own
land, the deterioration over the last few years, the more
we should shine. And we know the more little lights
together, the brighter they become. because people soon judge us,
especially when they know you're a Christian, or maybe you have
family members who are unbelievers, or friends, they soon point us
out, especially if they think we're doing something wrong or
not quite right. They soon say, I thought you
were a Christian. The world is always watching
us if we call ourselves a Christian. They see us going to chapel maybe
week by week, our friends and neighbours, and they're soon
there to judge us when we do wrong. Verse 15. Neither do men
light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick,
and give it light unto all the house. A bushel is meaning basket. So obviously in these days they
would have these little oil lamps, they would light it there. In
the middle of the room they'd put it in the highest place for
all to see. You would be seen as mad to light
it and to put it down in the corner and put a basket over
the top. And that's how we should be in our lives. We should be
there, able to shine unto others for all to see. We may be the
only light our friends may come in contact with. Maybe our neighbours
and our colleagues may come in contact with no other Christian.
We may be that only help, that only hope for them. So we don't
want to hide the gospel within us. We don't want to hide Christ
in us. We know that light, it brings
joy and comfort. We see even yesterday was a gloomy
and miserable day but as soon as the sun is shining it has
that comfort. But we know light it also exposes
things in dark places. If we are looking for something
maybe we're going behind a sofa and there we may shine a light
and there we may see maybe dirty things, things which have been
there for a while. And that's what it is with Christ. He lights
up those places in our own lives that sin. The more he shines
in us, the more the sin we see within ourselves. But our light
can also be used to shine and expose other people's sin. It
can also be used to convict others. In Ephesians chapter five and
verse 11, it speaks about this. and have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Maybe
you work with people and I've had it even in my own business
where I've had an employee who some of them have never ever
been to church or know much about Christians at all, but they see
you being honest, they hear you not swearing, not blaspheming,
they hear you not joining in with their simple conversations.
They see that you don't listen to the things that they listen
to or watch the things that they watch. They see that our life's
ambition may be different. They see that we may be happy
in times of difficulty. And these things can trouble
people, it can make them think. One lad used to work with me,
he was blaspheming all the time and I used to tell him not to
and even now when I still see him years later in a conversation,
if he blasphemes or swears he will say sorry. And it makes
them, it exposes the sin which are inside of them. Because we
must remember as Christians we are ambassadors for God and we
are representing God here on earth, we are representing Christ.
Chapter five and verse 16 in Matthew, let your light so shine
before men that they may see your good works and glorify your
father which is in heaven. Well, we know that good works
can't save us. We can work as much as we want
and it will not get us to heaven. We know that pretty much every
other religion in this world is works based and ours is just
based on Christ. But the works which come from
us are evidence that Christ is in us. We want people to see
Christ in us by being joyful, being loving, being compassionate,
being considerate and caring. And we need to think in all situations,
what would Jesus do? How would he handle this? Jesus
says in Matthew 7 verse 16, You shall know them by their
fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns and figs of thistles? So I'm sure, how do we know an
apple tree is an apple tree? You don't need to be a tree surgeon
to identify an apple tree. You can see it because you can
see the fruit. You can see a plum tree is a plum tree. And that's
how it should be with us. People should look at us and
see the fruits of the spirit. They should see that love, that
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control. They should see that within us.
And they should be able to look at us and see the light of Christ. And the Bible doesn't leave us
empty of examples to follow. One of my favourite characters
in the Bible is Joseph. Joseph, as we know, was the favoured
son. He was very well spoilt and probably
wasn't really liked by his brothers. They were very jealous of him.
He was very much loved by his father. But his brothers set
that plan to basically kill him. But then God convicted their
hearts, so they sold him into slavery. And in Genesis chapter
39, We read a bit about Joseph and if any of us had gone through
that situation we'd be very much sad and very downcast. But Joseph
is obviously a bright person because Christ was in him. Genesis
chapter 13, 9 and verses 1 to 4. And Joseph, he was brought
down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh,
the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, brought him off the
hands of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither.
And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man,
and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. And his
master saw that the Lord was with him. and that the Lord made
all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph, he found
grace in his sight, and he served him, and he made him overseer
of his house and all that he had put in his hand. We then
know that he was then tried to be seduced by his master's wife,
but we see him walking away from that temptation. And through
that, she sets him up and he is then sent to prison. And in
verse 21 to 23 we see again he's now gone from a slave to a prisoner. But the Lord was with Joseph,
and showed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the
keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison
committed Joseph's hand to all the prisoners that were in the
prison. And whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
And the keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was
under his hand, because the Lord was with him. and that which
he did, the Lord made to prosper. Well, we know then Joseph, he
went on to become probably the second most powerful man in the
world. But whatever Joseph was doing, whether he was a slave,
which would have been a hard job, to a prisoner, he did it
to the best of his ability. He was there shining unto all.
We need to think, are we like that in our own places? Do we
put that effort in? Are we, as men, we are made to
work? and we are there to shine unto
others? And are we putting that effort
in? Do we get into positions where people trust us? Do they
see that honesty with us? Do they see that we are patient
people? And you don't, as I said, you don't see Joseph dwelling
that he's a slave or a prisoner. He could have just been in doom
and gloom, but he, whatever he is given, he is a full tilt for
the glory of God. As Jesus says, you are the light,
don't hide away. Obviously the greatest example
is the Lord Jesus Christ, that perfect spotless lamb in our
chapter in Ephesians and the very first verse. Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children. Our Christ is our example. We
can read all about Jesus Christ through the New Testament. We should live how he lived.
We should follow his standards. We will never be perfect, but
we can We are told to imitate him. We are called children because
when we are born again, we will never become adults in the faith
here on this land. We will only ever be children.
We have to listen to what the word of God says. We have to
listen to us, listen to him when he corrects us. He is constantly
disciplining us and guiding us. We are dependent upon him like
any child is upon their father. We are learning from him. He
is that great example. The same way we should then set
that example unto others. We also know from the great I
Am statements in John chapter 8 verse 12. John chapter 8 and verse 12.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the
world. He that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. We know this
is one of the seven wonderful I Am statements of Christ and
that encouragement he gives us to follow him. We should always
put him at forefront of our lives and his light will shine upon
us. We live in very immoral, sinful days. even in this town
today in Hastings. I believe it's Hastings Pride
Festival. Many people are down there, more
than in any of the churches here in this town, celebrating sexual
immorality. We see the rapid growth in that
sinful ideology. They're all worshipping the God
of this world. Satan has blinded them. Yet we are considered the
ignorant ones, the uneducated ones, the backward ones. They
would think, why are we all sitting in here? So we are no different
here in Ebenezer as those of that little candlelight in Ephesus.
And as this country gets darker, the more we should shine, the
more we should study the word, the more we should listen to
our pastor, and the more we should pray that the Lord will turn
us around and that we would live with Christ in view. and to follow
him as the Bible commands us to do because the Lord Jesus
Christ is our only hope. We can soon get down maybe watching
the news and all the rubbish which is going on but if we live
with Christ in view he is our hope and walk as children of
light. Amen. Let's sing our final hymn together. Hymn number 726. 726. Christ, whose glory fills
the skies, Christ, the true, the only light, son of righteousness,
arise, triumph o'er the shades of night. Dayspring from on high
be near, day star in my heart appear. Hymn number 726, tune
887. ? Christ whose glory fills the
skies ? ? Christ the truth, the only light ? ? Son of righteousness,
arise ? ? Triumph over the shades of night ? ? Dayspring from on
high ? I'll be near. Days dark in my heart appear. Dark and jealous is the Lord. I'll have company by thee. Joyless is the day's return,
Till thy mercy's beams I see, Till the inward light impart,
That my eyes can warm thy heart. Is the gloom of sin and grief. Felt the radiant sea divide. Set her home now, young Mary. Go and hold thyself dear. The Lord bless thee and keep
thee. The Lord make his face shine
upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance
upon thee and give thee peace. Amen.