Cultivating light
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
I’m a terrible gardener. I’ve killed many plants. I’ve killed plants that I was told were indestructible. I’ve killed succulents. I’ve killed mint. I’ve even killed rosemary. But there is one thing I’m very good at growing. If you look at the backyards I’ve had over the years, you’ll see I’ve been very successful at growing weeds.
The thing about weeds is they need absolutely no encouragement. They grow in the most unlikely and inhospitable places - cracks in concrete, the side of the road that’s just off the driving line, wind swept salty rocks. Even skilled and careful gardeners - those unlike me - constantly fight against weeds.
The bible often describes our life in God as a kind of garden or field. Jesus spoke of sowers, of good and bad seeds, of workers in a vineyard, of olive trees. Paul likewise speaks of our life in the Spirit as either fruitful or barren.
We spent some time last week considering how there is a way of life that seems wise - if we are all alone. We considered that there is a way of living that promises fruit - promises to deliver something for us, but all it produces is weeds. We pondered that a life spent grabbing hold of whatever you can, a life spent chasing desires, whatever takes your fancy - you do you - it seems wise, until we discover that we’re not orphans. We heard last week again how God has not left us alone, he’s brought us into his family and that we are dearly loved children. And we heard how, if that’s true, then the way of life that seems wise - living for today - as if we are all alone, it’s no longer wise at all.
But what would a truly wise, fruitful life actually look like? If we are God’s children, if through Jesus death and resurrection for us, we’ve become part of the new creation he is unfolding, what would it look like to be productive? Jesus promises us that he has come to give us life, and life to the full. Abundant, productive, fruitful life.
And here in Ephesians 5, Paul is meditating on how to live in this promise - how to live in a way that fits with the grain of Jesus’ new creation.
And the first thing we need to make sure we aren’t bringing in any pests.
Dump the pests
Dump the pests
State
There are certain things that have absolutely no place in the life of a Christian. These are things that will contaminate our lives, destroy any fruit and take over, choking everything. And Paul lists them here,
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But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints.
deal with the defeater belief: why the obsession with sex? Is this just proving all the stereotypes about Christians?
For the last 60 years, plenty of people have accused Christians of being obsessed with sex. What is with Christians always trying to restrict people’s freedom? Why are Christians so paranoid, why is the bible so oppressive when it comes to sex. Our culture has often wanted to point to the sexual revolution of the 1960s as the moment when people finally grew up and found liberation. No more shaming people, no more controlling people.
Well it’s true that the church has had a terrible record when it comes to sex. The Royal Commission uncovered the hypocrisy of many church leaders who were obsessed with maintaining an image of sexual purity, all the while engaging in the most selfish and abusive sexual conduct. Our culture is right to point that out, and we as a church - all churches need to do everything we can to ensure this kind of systemic abuse can’t happen again.
But at the same time, we’ve seen with the #Metoo movement that for all the talk of freedom and liberation, for all the talk of escaping the “oppressive” teaching of the bible when it comes to sex, so often the freedom people have talked about really boiled down to freedom for those with power and abuse for those without.
And Paul says here in Ephesians 5, if we want to be truly wise, if we want to stop acting like orphans and live in tune with reality - that we are dearly loved children of God, then we need a new heart when it comes to sex.
Notice how this verse talks about greed in the context of sex. It’s that attitude to sex that is self-centred. That’s what Paul identifies as a pest, that will destroy the fruit of our lives.
Which makes sense doesn’t it? If at the start of this chapter Paul calls us to imitate the self-sacrificial and self-giving love of God, then any sexual behaviour which is self-centred doesn’t fit. No matter if your married or if you aren’t. The issue is not sex, as if the bible treats it as icky. The issue is selfishness.
Paul is calling us to a truly wise way of living. He’s telling us this because God loves us, and wants to see us flourish.
Illustration - fruit flies [slide]
At the QLD or VIC or SA boarder there are big signs telling you to dump any fruit you’re carrying. Why? Because of fruit flies that may be living in the fruit. See NSW has fruit flies and the other states don’t and they’re worried that the innocent looking apple you were planning to snack on when you reach Wangaratta is actually home to an invasive pest.
Whenever I’ve made the journeys it’s always tempting to ignore the signs. I’ve always thought, I’m trying to be healthy here I don’t want to snack on servo junk food. I’ll just keep it. But it’s exactly that kind of thinking that results in fruit flies crossing the boarder and destroying thousands of tons of crop. The problem is not the apple. The problem is that the apple is being used in the wrong way. It’s not a healthy snack. It’s home to a damaging pest.
There is an approach to sex and sexuality that is destructive. There’s an approach to sex that says, I am entitled to it, I’m owed it, I should be able to have it with anyone I like, even if it reduces them to an object.
It’s this attitude of entitlement, of greed that Paul says is completely out of place in the life of the Christian. That is why Paul can describe sexual greed as a kind of idolatry - the worship of something other than God. Idolatry doesn’t have to involve statues. It’s about what you live for. What has ultimate pride of place in your life. What you will sacrifice for. What you will sacrifice others for.
This way of life wasn’t out of place in the world Paul lived in. Male Roman citizens were free to sleep with anyone they liked, especially those of lower status than them. The only people off limits were women who were already married. Of course, female roman citizens were not free to sleep with anyone they liked. And slaves, were fair game to all. Paul knew that every day, many in his world were sacrificed the god of some Roman man’s sexual pleasure.
But he says, the kingdom of Jesus is not like the kingdom of Caesar.
In verses 5 and 6 he says that no one who adopts a take-all-you-can-get attitude to sex has a part of the kingdom of God and Christ because this approach to sex is the antithesis of the self-sacrifical love of Christ.
Do you see the way the gospel raises the dignity and status of the powerless? Do you see the way the gospel calls all of us to view others as equally made in God’s image.
Like all invasive pests, sexual immorality has such a terrible potential to invade our lives and devastate us and others. That’s why in verse 4, he says it shouldn’t be joked about because causally objectifying talk about sex tills the ground for casually objectifying people in sex.
Apply
Now I realise, the way Paul talks here might make us wonder, is Paul saying that if you struggle with sexual sin, you’re out of the kingdom of God? Well, we only need to read his first letter to the Corinthian church to see that he absolutely affirms God’s grace and mercy to everyone if they repent - including people who are caught up in sexual sin.
But what he is saying here is, if you and are created for good works which God has prepared for us, back in chapter 2, if you and I are dearly loved children, called to imitate God, if you and I are not orphans but delighted-in-heirs, then a take all you can get approach to sex is just out of touch with reality, of who you are, it makes no sense of what has happened to you. So don’t make peace with this kind of approach to sex. Don’t let it colonise you. If you suspect you have a problem, get help.
All of us though are called to make sure we don’t contaminate our lives. To question what we allow into our lives, to ask what is this nurturing? To ask the question, is this healthy? Is this something that will help me imitate Christ? Or will this shape me into a more self-centred, entitled and objectifying person? And if it’s the second option, dump it!
Transition
We cannot cultivate our souls if they are infested with pests.
But the point is not just to have a pest-free patch of dirt, God’s plan for us is to have a productive and attractive garden.
Which is why Paul continues by telling us to pull the weeds and plant some seeds.
Pull the weeds, plant the seeds
Pull the weeds, plant the seeds
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For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.
It’s interesting isn’t it that we got quite a lot of detail in verses 3-7 about the pests to we need to eradicate (self-centred sexuality). But there’s so much freedom in what Paul says we can plant. Whatever is good and right and true. There are echoes here of Micah 6.8 where the prophet summarises God’s call on our lives as to do justice, to love mercy and walk humbly with God.
That’s pretty broad.
There is room for creativity, flexibility, personality and context. There’s space for discerning how God has made me, what I am interested in, where I am, what is in front of me, what are my opportunities? How might all of that point to something unique to me that can please God?
Illustration
Melinda Tankard Reist is the director of the group Collective Shout. A few years ago, as she was pondering how God had wired her, what was God calling her to do, how could she use her gifts to serve others she realised that she loved communicating. She loved talking with young people, hearing their stories and helping them see themselves as creatures made in the image of God. Because she realised that so often, they were being told a different story. Often, girls were being told that the weren’t made to reflect God’s glory, they were made for the pleasure of men and boys - their value just came from their sexual attractiveness. And likewise, the boys were hearing that their value came from how macho they were. She realised that this story was damaging the lives of so many young people in Australia and so she started the group Collective Shout. Collective Shout have lead numerous successful campaigns against companies that objectify people - especially women and children in their advertising or products. They have developed education programmes for school children that protect them against exploitation and abuse. Melinda saw an opportunity to bear the fruit of light, seeking justice for those who have been hurt by a culture that encourages sexual exploitation. Speaking the truth to unmask the propaganda of advertising.
Telling a better story than you are an ophan, grab what you can. She is pulling out weeds, exposing the darkness like Paul says we should in verse 11, and in its place planting good fruit.
Apply
Now you might not be wired like Melinda. You might find teenagers a bit scary! We’re not all called to lead the fight against Big Porn! But God has work for each of us, weeds to pull and seeds to plant. We might not be able to plant an education programme for school kids, but we might be able to plant a couple of seeds. Maybe support Collective Shout. Or maybe something like them. Maybe we can plant some seeds by switching to fair trade for our coffee and tea and chocolate. In doing so we help create jobs in developing nations meaning fewer women and girls will be forced into prostitution.
Whatever it is, there is something for us. Something that suits the way God has made us. Weeds of darkness that we can uproot, and seeds of light that we can plant. Seeds that will lead to abundant life for others and for us. Everything Paul says here flows from what Jesus says, that whoever loses their life for his sake will find it. Whoever sacrifices themselves, and lives in love, whoever treats others as more important than themselves, will discover a truly abundant fruitful life. That’s true wisdom, living as a dearly beloved child.
Transition
But finally, no garden can flourish without a good soak.
Which is where Paul goes in these final verses.
Give everything a good soak
Give everything a good soak
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Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,
He says be careful, be wise. Don’t get drunk and encourage the pests.
Again, is this Christians wanting to rain on everyone’s parade? Is this the fun police showing up again?
No, look it’s not just a no, it’s a no and a yes. It’s a this not this.
There’s that old joke, what’s the definition of a puritan? It’s person who fears that somewhere, someone is having fun!
Paul is not down on fun, on joy. On the contrary, he wants us to find a life that will truly satisfy. He’s steering us away from simply numbing ourselves to the pain of an absurd existence in this cold lonely world. Getting drunk is fine, if we’re alone and getting what you can is all you can hope for. Sure.
But not if we’re dearly loved children. Then it’s not wise. It’s foolish. It’s out of touch with reality.
What’s wise is to fill up on the Spirit so you can work out what God wants you to do. Because when you are doing what you were made for, you positively radiate light.
Some of us know that experience, when you are doing what you were made to do.
Paul says, as we sing this new story, this better gospel story, as we thank God as our Father - not as some distant vending machine but as our loving Father, we fill up on the Spirit and we will find true joy.
The antitdote to the pests and weeds like greed, like selfishness, like entitlement is the gratitude.
In Alcoholics Anonymous they don’t just talk about staying away from the drink, they talk about pursuing sobriety. It’s not just avoiding the thing that has been so destructive, it’s about actively chasing things that bring life.
And what the garden of our lives needs most is the life giving water of the Spirit. We need a good soak. Often. We need to drench ourselves in his story. To take in what God has done and reflect it in thanks.