Watch Your Step

Introduction

Whenever I was a child at FBC Ozark, our children’s ministry would always go to a place by Lake of the Ozarks called Windermere in the summer for our Children’s Camp. Windermere seemingly had everything that a 10 year old boy could want: yummy food, a lake full of inflatables, mini golf, air conditioning, basketball courts, and most interestingly of all, a huge cave. Even though it had lights throughout the cave, for years and years my friends and I enjoyed exploring and looking for new animals. Every year, though, we’d get to the back of the cave and there would be a gate blocking us from exploring deeper underground. One year we had several hours of free time in the afternoon and we asked one of the workers about taking a cave tour to explore the back of the cave. We had a group of about 12 people and they had a guide take us behind the gate. After a few minutes of crawling on our stomaches through tight spaces in the cold mud in the pitch black, I was done… I went backwards while the rest of the group continued going deeper into the cave. Several hours later they emerged with clothes and shoes that were completely ruined but man oh man did they have some crazy stories to tell. From tight squeezes to massive rooms underground to channels of running water to cliffs that dropped dozens of feet below, this cave had much to offer in terms of danger and in terms of excitement.

Spelunking, or exploring caves, is something that some people find much enjoyment in and others find to be something to avoid altogether. Regardless of if you’re a fan of caves or not, one thing that is essential in this process is to make sure that you have light to combat the danger lurking in the darkness. Whenever you’re underground your eyes adjust a little bit to the darkness around you but even then, you can literally be one step away from finding yourself in some trouble. As a result of this, bringing a flashlight is so important! Even a small flashlight offers so much to a group in a cave. The light provides you with safety from your surroundings. The light provides you with a way to get out of the cave. The light also helps you make sure that your group is doing ok. In a situation where the darkness can represent danger, light provides much needed protection. As we kick off our VBS week this morning, the theme of Cave Quest is how Jesus serves as the light of the world. As we remind ourselves of what Jesus has done and of who Jesus is, we also are reminded of the truth that Jesus, as the light of the world, changes things to this day. Just like a flashlight shines for other cave explorers to see in the darkness, Jesus shines today for us to see and stay safe from danger.

While Jesus is the light of the world, we look around our world and we see a lot of darkness. What is the solution that our dark world needs? The ultimate solution is that our world needs the light - our world needs Jesus! What does that mean for us as Christians this morning? We need to walk as children of the light. Last Sunday we looked at how we as Christians are to shine like stars in our world in Philippians 2:12-17. Today we’re going to be in a different letter from the apostle Paul to further look at how important this is. The book of Ephesians is a loaded book as it shares with us how great our God is and how undeserving we are of salvation… In the end of Ephesians, Paul talks about some practical things and one of those things for these Christians is the importance of following after Jesus. One of the things that happens whenever we follow Jesus, is that we look more like Jesus. Just as Jesus is the light of the world, as you follow Jesus, you become light in the world! Today, let’s look in Ephesians 5 and watch our step to make sure that we’re walking the right direction.

Ephesians 5:6–16 CSB

6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible, 14 for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. 15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

Watch Your Back (6-8)

In a polarizing and divided world, some people just like to argue. In high school and college I had a friend who always loved playing devil’s advocate and he’d always try to poke holes in your statement or argument. Perhaps you know someone like this or maybe you’re this person who is naturally talented at arguing. Some people have such a way with words that they can get you to believe just about anything! I was listening to a message a couple of months ago and the speaker made the claim that Jesus failed to achieve His potential and that if we as humans just have more faith and work really hard then we’ll be able to achieve our potential and have a life of victory, happiness, and prosperity. This speaker made the claim that Jesus suffered in this life so that you and I wouldn’t have to ever suffer in this life. The purpose of Jesus dying on the cross wasn’t to mainly accomplish our salvation, this man said, rather it was to cause us to prosper in this life and to walk in victory. Let’s be perfectly clear this morning - the reason that Jesus died on the cross as our substitute was because of God’s perfect plan and because of our sinfulness. The reason that Jesus died on the cross was to reconcile us to God and to save us from the punishment of our sins. Don’t let anyone deceive you about the cross or the reason that Jesus Christ came - they might sound really smart and they might make you feel really good inside, but the argument is empty because it isn’t backed with the Bible.

Think of some other arguments that people make about the Bible: The Bible isn’t true. Truth changes. Sexuality is fluid. Morality is subjective. Really, really smart people make some really wrong arguments. Paul’s caution for this church is that they wouldn’t fall victim to empty arguments. What is our hope in this fight? How can we stand our ground and not give in? By knowing where we are and understanding why we believe what we believe. Part of knowing where you are at today includes knowing where you came from. Think about your past for a moment - for some of you you don’t have much of a past because you’re young… But for others in this room your past is painful to reflect upon. You’re reminded of mistakes that you’ve made and you’re reminded of deep regret that you have over previous situations. John Newton had such a past as this. Newton was an investor in the slave trade in the 18th century. He made a living transporting slaves and being a part of one of the greatest evils in the history of our world. One day, though, he was convicted of this behavior and felt as though he was too far gone that God couldn’t forgive him of his failures. The same Newton who would describe himself as a wretch in the most famous song in the world: Amazing Grace. Whenever Newton would remember his past he would see his sin, yes, but he would also see the “amazing grace” of God in saving him from his sin and failures.

Whenever you look back at your life, I pray that you do see your failures and sin, but more than that that you and I would be reminded of the amazing grace of our God in leading us out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. Watching your back isn’t about getting depressed - it’s about seeing how God has led you out of the darkness that you were previously walking in. We look around our world today and we see people walking in darkness but they don’t realize that they are. We see people who think that they have it all figured out and by the worlds standards they have it made. They have the latest iPhone, they have the playstation 5, they have the nicest car and the biggest house… But if that’s it, then what good does it really do you? For so many they’re living for this world and they think that they have it all but in reality they don’t have anything that will last - Paul’s encouragement is to not partner with these people. Don’t partner with those walking in darkness. He doesn’t say to be a jerk to these people, but he reminds Christians that we are not saved to continue walking in darkness… We’re saved to walk in the light. Jesus said this in John 8

John 8:12 CSB

12 Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

As a follower of Jesus, you don’t walk in the darkness, you have His light in you and you walk in this light! Sometimes, following Jesus presents some difficulties, though. It can be difficult to know what to do and where to go. Whenever people explore caves whether underwater or simply underground, they often use a string to help guide them as they explore. This string will follow them as they walk and will help them find their way around the cave so that they don’t get lost. In the life of a Christian, the Bible is our string as it guides us as we walk in this world. The Bible keeps us safe from harm - see God’s wrath will be poured out on those who oppose God… But if you’re walking in the light, if you’ve been changed by God’s amazing grace, if you’re following after Jesus, then you’re different. Watch your back not out of fear, but watch your back to see all that God has done for you. We used to be walking in darkness, but God has saved us and He has given us the task to follow Him in the light.

Watch Your Fruit (8-14)

As we follow God, some things should happen around us. Now that we have been saved and transferred from the dominion of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s light, we have some responsibilities! Whenever you walk outside on a sunny day, preferably not a 100 degree day, if you look to your side you probably see something that follows you around. What is that thing? It’s called a shadow! Shadows are interesting things, especially to 2 year old boys. Gabriel loves staring at his shadow outside and sometimes he’ll even wave at his shadow. Whenever Gabriel waves outside in the sunshine, what does his shadow do? Waves back! Think about your life in the light producing a shadow wherever you go. Do you think that your shadow would reflect good things or bad things? If you could visibly see the fruit that your life is producing, would you want to see the result or would you be afraid to know what you’re producing?

As a follower of Jesus, you are commanded to walk in the light and as you walk in the light, you produce the fruit of the light. What does this fruit look like? Have you ever heard of the fruit of the Spirit? Look in Galatians 5 as we find this list

Galatians 5:22–23 CSB

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.

As you and I follow Jesus, our lives should be marked by these attributes and literally, fruit. In our world a tree produces a single fruit more often than not. An apple tree produces apples, a banana tree produces bananas, an orange tree produces oranges. Yet, a Christian connected to Christ produces lots of different fruits. Look at these fruits too - you and I cannot work extra hard to produce these things. Hard work is a wonderful and Biblical thing - but we can’t work harder and produce these things by ourselves. We require help! This is what God does in us. He helps us love those who are unlovable. He gives us joy in difficult times. He provides peace in persecution. He helps us be kind to people who are jerks. He gives us faith to trust in His promises. He helps us be gentle whenever others grumble. What should we do with these things? How should we use our light? Paul says that we should stand out.

This goes back to Philippians 2:12-18 from last week - we are supposed to shine like stars. Light is completely opposed to darkness. You can’t be 50/50, you’re either light or you’re darkness. You’re either in Christ or you’re not in Christ. There can be no neutrality about an empty tomb. If you’re in Christ, if you are walking in the light, if you’re producing the fruit of the light, then you do 2 key things:

Don’t participate in fruitless works of darkness

Expose the fruitless works of darkness

As Christians, many of us do a good job of trying to follow Jesus and live a life that glorifies Him. We know that there are actions that are right and there are those that are wrong and we genuinely try to do what is right. We try to not participate in the fruitless works of darkness. Isn’t it interesting that Paul contrasts light and dark and fruitful and fruitless. Think about that for a moment. Anything that displeases God is fruitless. Working hard to make a name for yourself and not glorify God is a fruitless endeavor that will lead to disappointment. We look around our world and we see so many people frustrated, depressed, and searching for satisfaction… The reason that they don’t have those things is because their works are fruitless. Augustine once said that our hearts are restless until they find rest in God - we will continue to be frustrated until we find satisfaction in God alone. So, first, we have to walk in the light and not participate in the fruitless works of this world. As Christians we usually get this idea, but the second part is much harder. We are also called to expose the fruitless works of darkness.

To expose something means to reveal it to others. In our world we have people who call wrong right and who call right wrong - what are we supposed to do as Christians in such a world? We simply expose the darkness and call it what it is. If God is light and if God gives us His light to walk after Him, we have to think about the implications for a minute. Light reveals what’s in the darkness. Darkness cannot hide from the light. Light exposes it. We must expose the truth that the darkness is attempting to hide. This does not mean that Christians are perfect and have it all figured out and can act holier than thou to non-Christians, that’s not the point… The point Paul is making is this: Light is by nature good. Light that does its job is a good thing. Light shining into the darkness and revealing truth is good. Say that someone tells you that marriage doesn’t have to be between 1 man and 1 woman for life. That it can be between 2 men or 2 women or that it can just be a temporary contract and it’s not a big deal. Part of being a follower of Jesus Christ means that you have a responsibility to not only care for this person but to tell this person the truth. Paul says this in Ephesians 4:15

Ephesians 4:15 CSB

15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.

How can you and I speak the truth in love to those around us? You can only speak the truth if you know the truth - this requires you to know what the Bible says. After you know what the Bible says, you have to care enough for the person to tell them the truth. Our world says that if you really love someone then you have to let them live out their truth… The Bible tells us that the most loving thing that you can do for someone is to tell them the truth of the Gospel. The most unloving thing that you can do for a friend is to let them continue thinking that they’re right whenever the Bible says that they’re not. Our world says that you either hate someone or you affirm what they do… Alistair Begg shares that in these situations we have to be careful to not overstep and hate the person who is in darkness but we also cannot go along with the darkness. We do not hate people because of God’s Word but we also cannot affirm sin because of God’s Word. Part of producing fruit is standing on God’s Word. We cannot rewrite the Bible to accommodate a society living in darkness that needs the Jesus found in the Bible.

Christian, how are you walking today? Are you producing fruit? Is your light shining into the darkness and exposing the fruitlessness of our world in a loving way? The world may say that it’s not loving - but God’s Word demands for us to not only walk after Jesus with our light but to also expose the darkness by standing unashamedly upon God’s Word.

Watch Your Walk (15-16)

As we seek to follow Jesus and stand upon His Word rather than the opinions of those around us, we have to be careful about where and how we walk. In a cave there is danger all around you. There are slippery spots that can cause you to fall. There are tight spaces that restrict your movement. There are low hanging stalactites that hang from the ceiling and they can bump your head. Whenever there is danger all around you, you have to be careful about what you’re doing. In our lives today there is danger all around us. In our country most of our danger is not life and death from a physical standpoint like in other countries but we still face danger. We face lies that are disguised as truth. We face enemy wolves that try to convince us that they are innocent sheep. We face challenges in our careers and in our schools. In a world of danger and uncertainty, how should we walk? The Bible instructs us to walk carefully and with wisdom as opposed to walking recklessly and foolishly.

How can you and I walk with wisdom? Think about your time in your life as though it were this rope on the screen. This rope is your life and the tiny red part is your life on this side of eternity. Which side is significantly bigger? The non-red part! The red part is a blip, it’s tiny, it looks insignificant compared to the other part. Yet, we know how important the red part is! We know that in this life we are saved to serve Christ and make Him known to others. We are saved to let His light shine in and through us! We have to be careful about how we walk during this red section in our life because how we act and what we do today will impact our eternity tomorrow.

Paul says that we are to make the most of our time because the days are evil. How many of you have ever been asked what you’re doing by a parent? There were times whenever I was asked this question by my mom and I’d tell her that I wasn’t doing anything… That’s always the wrong answer! If I ever said this chances are I’d be met with a request to help out by doing something around the house or to run to the store and pick something up. There was always something to be done, especially around the holidays whenever company was coming over. God always has things for you and I to do - this doesn’t mean that there’s never time to relax and go floating or to go to Busch Stadium and watch the Cardinals play… But we have to have a proper view of our time in this life. The Bible says that the days are evil… This life is like a vapor. It’s here one minute and then it’s gone. As a new father it seems like I’ve blinked and Lindsey and I are about to have a 2 year old! This life passes by but eternity will never pass away. Eternity is so long that we can’t even comprehend it! This life is so uncertain but eternity is certain. How can you and I live today while making the most of our time? By keeping our eyes on Jesus and watching our walk.

By remembering that our focus in this life isn’t to please ourselves - our purpose is to glorify our God and shine in this life so that others would see Him and give Him glory. The only way that we will live in this red section of the rope with that intentionality is to understand that we are created for eternity. That our light is a borrowed light and that we will spend eternity in the presence of the light of the world. That even though we find ourselves walking in a dark place, we have the hope that only Jesus provides as He alone guides us in this life.

Conclusion

Several years ago a woman shared a story about how she and her husband had just moved into a new house that was quite old. The house had been renovated but it had several surprises… One of which was a staircase leading up to a room that didn’t have the same size steps. You’d think that you knew what to expect when walking up the stairs but the last few steps were shorter and could easily lead one to trip and hurt themselves. The husband and wife tried to figure out how to create some extra lighting in the stairwell to help prevent such a thing from happening. Light is important in this life - we read in John 3 that God loved the world so much that He sent His Son… But did you know that John 3:16 goes on to talk about more than God simply sending His Son. Look at verse 19

John 3:19 CSB

19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

See, before Jesus Christ saved us, you and I walked in darkness. You and I loved the darkness. If you’re a Christian you no longer love the darkness but now you love the light! But you still know people who are not only walking in darkness but they love the darkness because it’s all they’ve ever known. What can you and I to those people? How can we help them see the light? 2 things

Live a life that honors God and love others

As you honor God you will stand out because you’ll refuse to participate in the darkness

Expose the darkness

As you live for Jesus and let your light shine, you will naturally expose the lies hiding in the darkness