How To Make a Difference

Background to passage: In this text we are reminded that we used to be darkness and now we are light. Jesus calls us to let our light shine; here, Paul calls us to walk in the light. I think he tells us some ways to do that, and I want to bring it down a little closer to where we live today. So, really I am just going to focus on some practical ways that we can walk in the light and show the world the beauty of our Treasure, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Ephesians 5:7–14 ESV

7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Opening illustration: My first paper in college, Cliff being a “child of God”

Main thought: Four ways to walk in the light

1) Good Works and Service (v. 9)

Ephesians 5:9 ESV

9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

1) Good Works and Service (v. 9)

Explanation: these are general but deeply significant words usually used in concepts and character descriptions. Goodness can also be translated kindness or generosity. “Right” in this verse is related to the word for righteousness, right standing, holiness. True is the word used to talk about the truth of Christ and reality of the truth of the faith.

Romans 15:14 ESV

14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Micah 6:8 ESV

8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Illustration: Max Lucado tells a story about some candles who refuse to be taken from a storage closet to provide light during an electrical storm. They all have excuses why they should not give off light. When the husband tells his wife that the candles won’t work, she explains, “Oh, they’re church candles.”

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Application: It is important to note that goodness carries with it the idea of works that benefit others. All of these words are descriptive adjectives, but the cannot be divorced from action, verbs. So, are you involved in doing things for the benefit of others. Inside the church, outside the church, but something that is not consumer based. Do you support a local non-profit who ministers to people in our community? TIN, First Choice Women’s Center, Circles, Gideons, Operation Christmas Child, Feed the Valley, Food Ministry, Soup Kitchen, Mission Serve? Maybe it’s a neighbor you take care of? Maybe it’s a family member that you help? Maybe it’s a Christian (or non-Christian) that needs a hand? Do you give? Do you volunteer? Does someone else benefit from your service? Serve on a board? Public office? Does your light shine past your own personal wellbeing. Do you look out for the sick, impoverished, needy, imprisoned, and broken? Good works are prepared for us before hand.

Does your life look like the world, or does it shine brightly?

2) Moral and Ethical Standards (v. 10)

Ephesians 5:10 ESV

10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

2) Moral and Ethical Standards (v. 10)

Explanation: Walking as children of light means that we try to please the Lord. In this text it mentions the discerning what is pleasing to the Lord.

Argumentation:

Illustration: I had a boss one time who changed the pay for commissions regularly and without warning.

Application: We are all faced with decisions regularly that have moral and ethical dimensions. Some of them are big and encompass many areas of life, and some are “small” and seem to have little impact on your life. Not to put an enormous amount of pressure for every tiny detail of life, but God has things that please him.

Last week we discussed sexual immorality, but we can also talk about other obvious things that don’t please the Lord like lying, cheating, or stealing. However, what about fairness? Do you treat others fairly? If you have employees, do you pay them on time and in accordance with their duties? If you are an employee do you work hard and abide by company policy? Do you pay your bills?

Do you consider the management of your money? What about the way that you treat your spouse? What about the things that you consume or companies and industries you support? Is your public speech and behavior consistent with your private speech and behavior?

God wants us to be a light unto a society upon which a shroud of darkness has fallen. This means our lives must be different.

3) Exposing Evil, Refusing Participation (v. 11)

Ephesians 5:11 ESV

11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

3) Exposing Evil, Refusing Participation (v. 11)

Explanation: There are certain forms of evil that are detrimental to society. Epidemics of drug and alcohol abuse, human trafficking and child predation. Some forms of greed manifest themselves openly. Power and control and corruption infiltrate systems of government, business, politics, even churches. Other evils lie in professional associations, political ideologies, programs for this and that, and most are cloaked with window dressing to display how helpful they are.

Argumentation:

Illustration: Just last week, he name-checked the Sinaloa cartel in one speech and referred to José Adolfo Macías, a Chonero leader known as "Fito," who he said had been attempting to intimidate him into silence.

Separately, Villavicencio told a campaign rally that he would rather wear a "sweaty shirt" than a "bulletproof vest." He added: "I don't need it. I'm not afraid. I am brave, like you. Let them come. Here I am."

Application: There are times when we are faced with decisions to actively participate. Sometimes passive compliance is one thing, active affirmation is another for believers, christian institutions, and churches. Sometimes the world pushes and pushes the line to the point that the faithful must stand and say “enough!”

There are times when we must publically call evil and sin out and identify them as such. The results might not be favorable for you. Society may persecute, you may lose a job, you may lose friends, you may alienate family. Calling out, or holding a position that you vocalize on the exclusivity of Christianity, will not be popular. Standing against abortion is being in the minority. Staying true to your convictions of an exclusive view of biblical marriage and gender goes against the grain. A church met in our gym this morning in part because such convictions. Calling out certain politicians for their positions will get you in trouble. Someone told me the other day that I could not count on saying anything significant with the expectation that all would be receptive.

Now, let me offer a caveat. We live in a hyper sensitive culture. Everyone is looking for someone or something to be offended at. So, as I do on Sundays or any day in my role as pastor, I attempt not to offend unnecessarily. I am not always successful in that endeavor and I appreciate your grace. I say that to remind you that it is necessary that you be willing to have intelligent, informed, factual conversations in a gentile fashion even in the face of anger. You must practice self-control, even within your passion. If we can’t do that our light goes out.

4) Suffering Well (v. 12-14)

Ephesians 5:12–14 ESV

12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

4) Suffering Well (v. 12-14)

Explanation: This may be a stretch to the text, but I don’t think it’s illegitimate. I also think this is probably the top way that you let your light shine before men, so they look at you and see the way that you handle adversity, Christ is magnified.

Argumentation:

Illustration: My uncle Chuck and I were talking on Friday about the missionaries killed in Ecuador in 1956. They were willing to go and suffer and die for Christ. The specific thing that he had a question on was about Jim Elliot’s wife, Elizabeth. She and Rachel Saint (Nate’s sister) returned to the Auca tribe and ministered to them leading many to Christ. I do recommend you read Through the Gates of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot, and three movie/documentaries were made in the early 2000s, Beyond the Gates of Splendor, The End of the Spear, and Jungle Pilot.

Application: Suffering and pain that is due to our light being bright in a dark world that is endured well is a testimony of the beauty and value of Christ. If Christ is more valuable than our pride or our position or our possessions, or our comforts, or especially our necessities, the world will notice in our suffering.

So how do we suffer well? When you get a bad health test result, you rejoice for you see it as a way for Christ make himself know to you and others more. When we lose loved ones we rejoice that we will see them again and our relationship will be even better. When you don’t get invites to parties because you don’t drink or get rowdy, our feelings hurt, but we know that Christ is better than acceptance from our peers.

Is Christ your treasure, so you can receive pain and suffering while clinging to him for your peace and satisfaction, strength, and endurance?

Closing illustration: Tim Keller

Recap