Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. In a dark world, believers in Jesus have within them the light of God. Their challenge is to illuminate the darkness around them so that others may come to the same light which transformed their lives. Today, making Christmas a year-round experience.
Stay with us. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, today we look to the book of Ephesians for teaching on how the light defines us.
What will this mean? First of all, Dave, I want to say since it is Christmas Eve that my mind goes back to the farm in Canada when we used to sit around, read the scriptures on Christmas Eve, and then share gifts. Now, I have to say that in those days we had very few gifts to share.
But I came from a family, we loved each other, we were going through trials together. How grateful I am, and I always have those wonderful memories of Christmas Eve. I hope that you have some wonderful memories of Christmas Eve. This is the last week we're making available for you a 365-page devotional, colored photographs, we've never offered this book before, color photographs of God's creation with an explanation. Can you imagine having something to learn every day about the uniqueness of God? Here's what you can do for a gift of any amount we're making it available, and remember this is the last week we are making it available.
Go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Never let us lose sight of the fact that Jesus is indeed the light of the world. Let me say that this happens to be the last and the fourth in a series of messages titled, The Light Has Come. Back in 1993, there was a man by the name of Jennings Osborn, who was asked by the Arkansas Supreme Court to cut down on the number of lights that he had on his property, and that he would have to cut down the number of days that the lights shone.
You might think to yourself that that's another invasion of privacy that the courts today take, but you need context. Jennings Osborn had a great estate and he decided to make a huge Christmas event by all of the lights that he had on his property. He had Santa Claus 18 feet high and some deer that were there that were proportionate. When the neighbors began to complain because of all of the traffic, he decided to up the ante and he ended up with three million two hundred thousand lights on his property, so the neighbors filed a lawsuit.
They said that they couldn't go downtown, no ambulance could possibly get through the traffic, as tens of thousands of people came to look at this spectacular display. It is interesting that Christmas has always been associated with light, and in this series we have talked about the motif of scripture between light and darkness. Colossians chapter 1 verse 13, you've been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his blessed son. This transformation, often referred to as conversion, is instantaneous. It's not something that just happens to you because you're born in a Christian home, or you attend church, or you sing Christmas carols.
It is instantaneous and it is also permanent. Once you're in the kingdom of light, you're in the kingdom of light, and after that it is our responsibility to share light, and that actually is the essence of my sermon today. Let me give you the bottom line. What I want to accomplish is this, to motivate you, to motivate you to leave the darkness, come into the light, and then let your light shine in the darkest of places. That's where we're at. I'm going to ask you today to turn to the fourth chapter of Ephesians, actually the fourth and the fifth chapters, and I need to let you know ahead of time that I'm going to be going back to chapter four and then to chapter five, and the reason is because the theme of light and darkness occurs in both chapters, and if you have your Bibles, and if you want to use the one that is in the seat in front of you, it's page 978. We're going to begin with chapter five, then we're going to look briefly at chapter four, and then we'll come back to chapter five. Very important to look back at very important that you look at the text, because what we're going to be doing is unpacking some of the verses here, not only that we might understand their relevance, but their huge implications for us as followers. You'll notice that the apostle Paul says, and I'm just beginning here really, a whole series of messages could be preached on these texts in chapter five, verse five, for you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure or who is covetous, that is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Now let's remember that this was being written to the people at Ephesus. Some of us were in Ephesus this past fall, and what we saw was not only the ruins of this huge huge city, commercial city, but we went to the ancient temple of Diana, which is a couple of kilometers outside of Ephesus. This ancient temple was a place where there were sexual orgies, where there was immorality and all of those things that are associated with pagan religion, but also it was like a bank.
People came there to do commerce. So what we find here in the text is that there were plenty of people there in Ephesus who had fit into the category of immorality, covetousness, which we normally don't think is that great a sin. Paul puts it in the very same list as other sexual sins, and they thought to themselves that it would not influence whether or not they would inherit the kingdom of God. No wonder Paul says in verse 6, let no one deceive you with empty words. What are empty words? Words are that are used by people to justify their immoral lifestyle and think that they've actually even convinced God that it's okay. Our nation is awash today with empty words.
You find them all over. And then the apostle Paul says that we should walk. He says, and I'm skipping here to verse 7, therefore do not associate with them for at one time you were darkness, but now you're light in the Lord. Isn't it interesting that Isaiah the prophet, he said that the people who sat in darkness saw a great light. Jesus talks about those who follow and walk in darkness. Paul goes even further now and says that those people who have not been translated into the kingdom of light, they are, they are darkness. But he also says we are light. So what I'd like to do in the next few moments, and thank you for your permission, though I'd do it without your permission as well, I would like you to think with me what it means to walk in the light in such a way that we impact our culture.
Because our culture is much like that of Ephesus. So stay with me on this because we are living at a critical time in history. And God knows this nation, our families, our communities need light. First of all, we walk in the light because of what we know, because of what we know. Now for this I'm going to go back to chapter 4.
I warned you we're going to go back and forth a little bit. Chapter 4 and I'm in verse 17. Now I say and testify of the Lord that you no longer walk as the Gentiles do in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. Due to the hardness of heart, they become callous.
They've given themselves up to sensuality, greedy, greedy practices of every kind of impurity. But that's not the way you've learned Christ. What Paul is saying here is that when you come to the light, you then are no longer needing to be darkened in your understanding. What he's saying is that we now recognize darkness when we see it. You know there is a story, it's a true story that I read many years ago about some campers who were walking in complete darkness and they decided to set up their tent. They had some flashlights and they put up the tent for the night. In the morning they realized that they had stopped about 50 feet or whatever it was from a huge cliff. If they had kept walking in the darkness, they'd have gone over. And you see because the light now came, they could know where all of the cliffs were. They could see the danger zones. And when the light comes, people begin to see things differently.
Let me give you an example which I want to put into this to illustrate it. Let's take even the issue of pro-life versus pro-choice. There have been people who have given their testimonies and I've heard it over and over again, who at one time were very strongly pro-choice. What they did is they took the fetus and they called it a product of conception so that they could justify it. And then after they came to the light, after they came to Christ, they became pro-life. And the reason is not because of some new arguments. It's not as if, you know, they looked at the thing and now suddenly some new scientific data came. No, they began to see things differently. Light does that. You think, for example, of other instances in our society. And of course, I say to those of you who are women who've had an abortion, you know that we offer to you through Jesus the forgiveness and the cleansing of God.
I only use that illustration to help you to understand how light causes us suddenly to see the danger zones. And we know where we are in our lives and in our culture. You think, for example, of people who say today, and Rebecca told me just this past week about a distant relative, perhaps 35 years old, who said, I'm an atheist. Now, he was brought up in a Christian home, a Christian church, but he's an atheist today. Why? Because some new information has come that has convinced him.
I don't think so. Now, there are those who have intellectual problems with the existence of God, but those can be easily overcome in moments of honesty. The real issue is not the matter of evidence.
Look at what the text says. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. Here we have it now, because of the hardness of their hearts.
That's really the issue. And how do we get a hard heart? We get a hard heart when we are cynical. We believe that life is unfair. We believe that God hasn't helped us. We've been in situations where we thought to ourselves, surely a good God should deliver us, and he's not done that. And so you develop this cynicism. And then the other thing that causes atheism is unresolved guilt.
The only way you can really live with yourself is to say that God doesn't exist and to do away with this nagging conscience. Of course, it doesn't work well. But the first thing that we must realize is that when we walk in the light, we are walking with a sense of knowledge and understanding. You say, well, what about the Aufklaraunk? How do you like that for a word that just came to mind? It's the German word enlightenment.
It's the clearing up. You know, the enlightenment in France and Germany, it was of some benefit. Definitely, it had its positive impact because now people had freedom of religion. But what the enlightenment could not do, it gave Europe freedom of religion. It gave Europe freedom of religion, but it could not give Europe wisdom. It could not enable people now to see into at least a glimpse into eternity because they had the scriptures. You say, oh, Pastor Luther, this really sounds as if you Christians think that you are just so superior because you are looking at things from a standpoint of light and everybody else is in darkness.
I hope I haven't given that impression for this reason. Anyone who speaks from a standpoint of superiority because they are a Christian don't understand, they don't understand the implications or the depth of Christianity. We have no more reason to thank ourselves because we are in the light than those campers had to take credit for the sunrise. It is all because it is a gift of God that is available also to you. The way is narrow, but the gift is available, translation from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. So one of the ways that we are in the light is because of what we know. A second way is because of the way we live, the way we live.
Now our finger has to be in the text here. You need to be able to see this for yourself. It says in verse seven, now I'm back in chapter five and we're going to stay in chapter five so you can look at that. Chapter five verse seven, therefore do not associate with them. He's talking about going back to the darkness and Christians can do that. They can leave the light and go back into darkness, at least for a time.
Let no one deceive you for empty words. Therefore, verse seven, do not associate with them for at one time you were darkness. Now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord and take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Well, I'll read the next two verses for it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret, but when anything is exposed to the light, it becomes visible for anything that becomes visible is light.
Hang on to these verses for just a moment as we look at to them much more deeply. First of all, notice the contrast that if you are in the light, you have fruit, goodness, truth. Fruit does not grow in the dark. It does not grow in the dark. He says the the works of darkness are unfruitful. You know that apart from photosynthesis, apart from the light of the sun, there can be no fruit at all.
You only have darkness. Now people who walk in darkness oftentimes do good things. We recognize that because of the commonality of our human natures, but these good deeds, because they are not offered up to God through Christ, these good deeds are something like hanging ornaments onto a tree.
You hang this ornament and you hang that ornament and it makes the tree look better, but there's nothing organic. There's there's nothing that arises from a new nature that can only happen to believers. And I say to you today, as a believer, if you are tempted to go back into darkness, please remember that in darkness there is no fruit.
There's no fruit there. There's nothing but more darkness if you go back into darkness. That's why Paul warns about that. So what we must do is to realize that oftentimes in the world, in the darkness, people are motivated to do good. First of all, to avoid shame, which Paul talks about here, and to receive honor.
And as a result of that, they oftentimes do what they do very publicly because honor is important. Now notice that the Christian says, Paul says, discern what is pleasing to the Lord. That's the best single statement of Christian ethics that I know. What you are interested in doing is pleasing the Lord. So you please the Lord by the television programs that you watch, by the movies that you watch, by the associations that you have, by the connections that you make. And the back of your mind, if you're walking in the light, always is this question.
Is the Lord pleased? You're to walk that way. Now in addition to how we live, let me say also that we are to expose the darkness. You'll notice here, take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Now why should we expose darkness? He says it's a shame what they do in secret. Why would we expose them? Is it just to wag our finger and say, look at this, you're doing this, we want to bring some shame into your life?
No. Sometimes the church of Jesus Christ has acted that way and has turned many people away from the church. The purpose of exposing the darkness is always to replace it with light.
That's what Paul says here. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret, but when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible. For anything that becomes visible is light. That's why our exposure of the darkness must always be done, not with a view of condemnation, but rather helping people to see that there is a better way, and the better way is the light, the light that Jesus Christ brings to us. So how do we become lights in the midst of our darkness, dark society? First of all, it is as a result of our own understanding.
It's by what we know. We see darkness, we recognize it, because for us the sun, S-O-N, has arisen. The second thing we do is, by the way in which we live, and also third, and related to living, is by what we say. And here I guess I will go back to chapter 4, when the Apostle Paul says in verse 29 of chapter 4, let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only what is good for building up as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Now don't grieve the Holy Spirit by what you say and by what you do.
That's the next verse. So what we need to do is to make sure that in our testimony we're not laughing at the same degrading jokes that may be told, or stories that may be told. We're not participating in all of the criticism and the undercutting that oftentimes exists in darkness.
Unfortunately, it sometimes also exists among people of light. But we don't do that. We watch it, and it's not as if we're there to condemn people and drive them away, but to spend time with them individually, helping them understand where we are coming from, and why we think that Jesus is the most wonderful gift that God could ever give this world. And we do it, we do it with a sense of humility. And we ask people the question, where are you on your spiritual journey? My friend, can you imagine what would happen if everyone listening to my voice were to share the light of the world, the message of Jesus, with a neighbor, with a friend, to help them to understand the real meaning of Christmas, Christ's redemption?
What an impact that would have, and yet that is exactly our privilege. Now I want to emphasize that this is the last week that we are making available for you a 365-page devotional filled with color photos of birds, plants, mice, bears, animals, and of course it discusses the stars, geology, botany. Why?
It emphasizes God's creation. We've never offered this book before. For a gift of any amount, it can be yours, and I hope that you take advantage of this right now because January the 1st is just around the corner. Here is what you do. Go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now because this is so critical, I'm going to be giving you this contact info again, but at the same time, from my heart to yours, thank you so much for helping us financially. Thank you for your prayers because of people just like you, we're making a difference around the world.
Go to rtwoffer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635, North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. Running to Win comes to you from the Moody Church in Chicago to help you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Next time, we conclude our series on The Light Has Come with a final look into the book of Ephesians. Here, we'll find out how to make the light in our lives visible to others. Plan to listen. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
