Before we pray, last week, if you were here, I asked you to pray for me because next Sunday,
I get to speak on one of the favorite topics of Canadians, which is wives be subject to your
husbands. And so I was asking that you would pray for me. I realized this week that I should have
asked you to pray for me every, I mean, hopefully you pray for me every week. But this week, I get
to talk about homosexuality. Next week, wives be subject to your husbands. The next week, slaves,
slavery and Christianity. And then I get to talk about demons. So I have four really easy sermons
in a row. And so please pray for me every week. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Father, we ask,
we give you thanks and praise that you see us as we really are, with perfect clarity,
and yet you love us. And we give you thanks and praise that every word that you speak that seems
hard is a word that you speak to us for our good and comes out of your desire that we would connect
with you and that we would repent and turn to Jesus and receive those far vastly better things
that you have in mind for each of us. We ask that the Holy Spirit would fall with might and power and
deep conviction as we think upon your word. Lead us to Jesus. And this we ask in the name of Jesus,
your Son and our Savior. Amen. So the Bible text is Ephesians chapter 5, verses 1, the following. It
would be probably helpful to you if you have a Bible. The text will be up on the screen, but it's really
good to have your own Bible. And I just want to begin, before we start reading, I've sort of already
let you know a little bit about what's in the text, and we're going to go there very quickly.
But one of the first things we need to understand is that God does not love you unconditionally.
For many Christians in Canada today, that sounds like blasphemy. But the fact of the matter is,
is that God does not love you unconditionally. God loves you with a love that is incomparably better
than unconditional love. And the more we are gripped by the idea of unconditional love,
the harder it will be for us to understand the Bible, and the harder it will be for us to understand
God and Jesus and the gospel. So I'm going to come back to that, why I would say such an odd statement.
We're not going to begin with verse 1. I'm going to look and just try to bring your attention to
the actual text in question. So some of you might be wondering, why do I talk about texts like this
today? Let me tell you this. My hope and prayer is that you'll come to accept the gospel,
and that you will know Jesus as your Savior and Lord. The Christian walk, to be known by God,
to know the perfect forgiveness that comes through Jesus, to know the security that when Christ takes
you as his child, he will never abandon you, he will never abuse you, he will never let you go,
that you can begin to know the incomparable, inexhaustible love of Jesus is vastly worth it.
And my hope and prayer is that everyone here and your friends and co-workers and families and
neighbors will come to know the incomparable, vast, deep, pure love of the triune God. That's my hope.
And one of the things we do in this church is we preach through books of the Bible.
And that should be really good news to you if you're here as a seeker, or you're here as a skeptic,
or you're here just as somebody who's just a bit curious. Because we're never going to hide things
from you. It's not as if we're going to talk about all these, I can jump around a different text,
and then you become a Christian, and then you find out there's all these nasty bits you didn't know
about. You know, this is like taking you through the fine print. But when you go through the fine print
of the New Testament, you understand even more deeply the boundless, deep, pure love of Jesus.
So that's why we're looking at this text, not because I have some hang-ups about
sex or homosexuality or anything like that. It's just because I want you to know Jesus.
And I don't want to hide anything in the way of you becoming a follower of Christ. And for those of us
who are Christians, that your walk with Christ will be deeper and freer. So I want to begin with the hard
part, and then I'm going to look, we're going to jump back up to verse 1 and 2, and so we see how it is
that the Bible introduces this topic. But I want you to understand some things. Look at verse 3.
But sexual immorality and all impurity were covetousness,
covetousness, must not even be named among you as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness,
nor foolish talk, nor crude joking, which are out of place. But instead, let there be thanksgiving.
Now, just to make sure that you understand this sexual immorality and impurity and covetousness,
Paul mentions it a second time. Look at verse 5 and 6.
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 God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words.
For because of these things, the wrath of God comes
upon the sons and daughters of disobedience.
Now, it's a very, very hard text in some ways.
And one of the things, you know, I sometimes joke,
in fact, I often joke, I look it up on the internet, so it must be true.
The three words that you see here, sexually immoral, impure, and covetous,
if I was to be doing a sermon point, and actually,
if you go on the webpage later and you see my points,
I have three different points,
and I use the Greek word porneia,
which is the word that's being translated here as sexual immorality.
And if you Google porneia, what does the Greek word porneia mean?
The very first entry you see to define porneia,
if you Google it, is a lie.
It's completely, utterly, thoroughly wrong,
in case you don't know what my view is on the matter.
It's completely invented,
a completely and utterly invented explanation of what porneia is.
You have to go down to several of the other ones,
and you get the true answer.
And what porneia is,
is this,
that God created human beings
so that we would have an interest in sex.
He made us as male and female,
and he designed sexual relations,
and he designed human beings
that sexual knowledge and sexual stimulation
is reserved for the holiest state of matrimony
between one man and one woman.
That's how God designed male and female,
man and woman.
It's how he designed,
from the very beginning of creation,
us to know sexual pleasure
for those of us who are called into it.
So God designed sexual knowledge
and sexual stimulation
to be reserved for those
who are in a marriage of one man to one woman.
And anything which is not that
is porneia.
Anything which is not that
is porneia.
So that would include everything
from going to a strip club
to looking at pornography
to same-sex sexual knowing
to cheating on your husband or your wife
or engaging in sexual knowing
outside of marriage.
All of those things
would be described as porneia.
And that's the Greek word there
for sexual immorality.
And the next word,
which is translated there as impurity,
that's a bit of an odd word.
And there's no really good word in English
to try to describe what the sin is.
But as I talked about it
a little bit last week,
and I don't expect you to remember that.
I have a hard time remembering
what I said last week.
Impurity is referring
not to sexual matters directly,
but a relationship with God.
And at the heart of it,
what impurity is,
is the attitude
and the habit of saying to God,
God, you're not my boss.
You're not my boss.
Now, most of the time,
we just live in the way
that God maybe designed us.
We don't do bad things.
But at a very, very deep
and fundamental level,
in every single human being,
there is a part of us
that wants to say to God,
you're not my boss.
You're not my boss.
You can't tell me to do that.
If I do it,
it's because I want to do it,
not because you say I should do it.
Because I'm the boss of me.
You're not my boss.
And the third sin,
which is mentioned here,
is covetousness.
And if you look at some translations,
it's translated as avarice.
And the Greek word
can be translated either way.
Covetousness is the sin of,
well, actually,
what avarice is,
is just basically greed.
Just want more, more, more, more, more,
more, more, more, more, more,
all the time.
More possessions,
more money.
It's disorder,
desire for possessions and money.
And the other word,
covetous,
is a similar type of idea.
It can mean that thing,
but it also is more competitive.
So,
covetousness would mean
that you not just look at George
and say, you know,
George is just a very ordinary guy.
And if he can be a pastor,
I think I can be a pastor.
That's not covetousness.
Covetousness says,
I want George's job.
You know,
that George will lose his job
so I can take his job.
That's the sin of covetousness.
Although it also includes the idea
of just wanting more and more
and more and more.
And the Bible describes
both,
all three of these things
as sort of categories of sin.
And the thing you need
to understand about it,
there's several things
you need to understand
about this,
which will become very clear
when we go back
and read verses one
and then we see how it is
that the Bible
comes to this place.
The first thing
you have to understand
is that this is not
us versus them language.
This is not us
versus them language.
This is describing
the persistent
perennial problems
of every single
human being.
In other words,
I stand before you
today as a man
whose sexuality
is disordered.
And I don't mean
to offend you,
but I am speaking
to a room full of people
whose sexuality
is disordered.
I am a man
whose relationship
with God
is disordered.
There is part of me
that whether I'm
conscious of it or not
wants to at times
say to God,
you're not my boss.
And I speak to a room
who have the exact
same problem.
And I stand before you
as a man
who has a disordered
relationship
to money and possessions.
possessions.
And I stand talking
to a room full of people
who have disordered
relationships
with money and possessions.
The Bible text
is describing
the human problem
and the human condition.
It's not describing
us versus them,
the pure versus
the impure,
the elite
versus the rabble.
It's bringing to light
the fundamental
human condition.
And in every case,
what the Bible
is describing
is that there's
something in us,
in our sexuality,
which is disordered.
There's something
about us
in our relationship
with God
that is disordered.
There is something
about us
that our relationship
with money and possessions
and positions
of authority
that is disordered.
And that's,
on one hand,
very bad news,
but it's also
very good news.
Because it means
that what God
desires for each of us
is something better.
That's what he desires
for me.
So let's look
at this covetousness,
for instance,
and possessions.
Here's one of the things.
Every single one of us,
it's normally easier
for us to recognize
a disordered relationship
with money and possessions
in other people
than in ourselves.
I'm just trying to think
of how many funerals
I've done.
Next year,
I'll have been ordained
35 years.
In the first 10 years
of my ordination,
maybe even the first 15 years
of my ordination,
I did probably
between 10 to 20 funerals
a year.
I was Barry and George.
And so I don't know.
I've maybe done
200 funerals.
I haven't done very many funerals
the last 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 years.
Let me tell you this.
Let's say I've done
200 funerals.
There has been only
one funeral
that I have ever done
where when I'm talking
to the family before
and the family and friends
before and the family
and friends afterwards,
there's only been one
funeral that I've ever done
where anybody has ever said
the problem with,
and I'm going to mention
his name because it's not
an embarrassing thing,
the problem with John
is he was too generous.
200 funerals,
only one person
has ever said
about another person
that the problem they had
was that they were
too generous.
They gave away
too much money.
Isn't that interesting?
Like, I can tell you this.
They're not going to say
about me at my funeral,
at least if I die
like in the next 10 minutes.
The problem with George
is he gave away
too much money.
And I don't want
to offend you.
I don't know how many
of you they're going
to say that about either.
Now, the funny, funny,
funny, funny thing
about John,
John Pierce, by the way,
a couple of us know him,
is that the person
who said it to me
that the problem with John
was he gave away
too much money.
When he died,
he had lots of money
still in the bank.
In fact, I said
to the person who said it,
I guess you were wrong.
He gave away
too much money.
He didn't have lots of money,
but he had enough money
to live every week,
even though the complaint
about him was that
he was way too generous.
He gave away
way too much money.
See, the fact of the matter
is that we notice
other people
that they're cheap,
that they seem to be
obsessed with possessions.
And it doesn't,
you know,
a friend of mine said,
this is in class talk,
by the way.
A friend of mine
once said,
the poor man
has three rust buckets
in his driveway,
none of which work.
The rich man
has a jaguar.
So it's not the matter
that the poor man
is consumed with possessions
because he has three cars.
Right?
It's not a class thing.
It's something which affects
every single human being.
We have a hard time
giving stuff away.
We have a hard time
being generous
to missions,
to the poor,
to the needs of the church.
We have a hard time
giving it away.
We have fixations
that we can have
about sunglasses
or watches
or shoes
or purses
or jackets
or clothing,
about a better car,
a better house.
And you see,
what's there
isn't that we shouldn't desire.
This isn't saying
that, you know,
if you're a young man
or a young woman here,
this isn't saying,
covetousness isn't saying
you shouldn't have
any desire
to try to make more money
so you can provide
for your needs
and the needs of your family
and the needs of your friends.
We didn't look at it last week.
But if you go back
and read the last bit
of chapter four,
you'll see that
Paul says that
when the gospel
hits a thief
and a thief receives
the gospel,
what a thief,
what the gospel will do
in a thief's life
will be eventually
to make them have
the desire
to work very,
very hard
so they can provide
for their own needs
and be generous.
That's how Paul says
the gospel will impact
somebody who's a thief.
And so,
what the Bible is saying
isn't just that
if you receive the gospel,
it's going to take away
any desire for ambition.
It's going to take away
any desire to earn.
No, it's not that.
It's just that
we somehow have
a way of making
certain possessions
and having more
and having these things,
they become a key part
of our identity
and they never satisfy.
They never satisfy.
And then the same thing
with this thing about God,
you're not my boss.
The thing which is
disordered there,
it's several.
It's as if
unless I,
at times when it comes up,
you know,
shake my fist at God
and say,
you're not telling me
what to do.
I'm going to tell me
what to do.
I'm the boss of my life.
I'm the one
who's going to pursue that.
I mean,
most of the time
we don't say that,
but when all of a sudden
the demands of God,
well,
let's just say with money,
that maybe you should consider
giving 10% of your money away
for the furtherance
of the gospel.
Whoa,
you're not my boss, God.
But at the heart of that
is this
disordered understanding
that God will care for you
and that you have
a type of integrity
and a type of value
and a type of worth
that God himself guarantees.
You see,
because we have this
disordered relationship
with God
and we think we have
to assert our place
that we won't be forgotten,
that I have autonomy,
that I have integrity,
that people can't walk over me,
and there's not anything wrong
with some of those desires
that people can't walk over you,
they can't just treat you
with disrespect,
they can't belittle you,
they can't do all of those things,
but it's disordered
because we feel
that it's all up to us
so that it even comes
in terms of God
without understanding
that the very,
very heart of the gospel
is that God saw you
and he loved you so much
that Jesus comes,
God,
the Son of God,
leaves heaven,
strips himself
of his divine prerogatives,
his authority,
his glory,
his majesty,
but still remaining God,
takes into himself
our human nature,
lives a fully human life,
dies bearing in himself
all your sin,
all your rebellion,
all your shame,
all this stuff about you
that's just not right,
every accusation
that could ever be against you,
he does that
and he takes it for you
and dies for you
because he loves you,
because he wants
to restore you
to the integrity
and the value
and the dignity
that you should have
in this life
and that you will have
into all eternity
and so our disordered
relationship with God
means that we have
to grasp these things
and we have to usually
end up saying them
at the expense of others
because if God wants me
to let's say be more,
you know,
to be sexually faithful
to my wife
and I end up saying
I don't want God,
you're not my boss,
I'm going to do,
I'm the boss of my life
and I end up doing something
that not only offends
against God
but ends up damaging
my wife and my family
and my kids
and the church
and everybody, right?
Because that's what happens.
We're disordered with God
and it means we end up
being disordered
with the creation.
We're disordered
around possessions
and so it fuels
raping the environment,
it fuels rage
against other nations
and wars,
it fuels class warfare,
it fuels all these
terrible things
because our relationship
with money and possessions
is disordered
and our relationship
with God is disordered
and it fuels this injustice
that I have to prove
that you are not my boss, God
and when I end up
acting that out,
people are hurt
and I am hurt as well.
The same thing with sexuality.
The biblical truth is
that we aren't just
some random collection
of atoms
and we now have to define
and identify ourselves
by our own terms
but God has designed us
for a purpose
that fits,
that has integrity
and that while the initial words
of the gospel
and the Bible
seem to be very hard,
if we just always remember
that everything that is said
is said because Jesus loves you so much
he died for you on the cross.
He tasted death for you.
He tasted judgment for you.
He tasted God's wrath,
just wrath for you.
That you would be reordered
as God designed you to be
in a way that will bring him glory.
So let's go back.
I've spent almost the whole sermon
just trying to get
those three terms
into you.
Let's go back
and see how
what I've just been saying
actually flows out
of what the Bible says.
Look at how it's structured.
Actually,
excuse me,
we don't have it up on the text.
This is the advantage
of having your own Bible.
If you look at verse 32,
the last verse
of chapter 4 of Ephesians,
I'll read it to you
if you don't have your Bibles.
It says this,
Be kind to one another,
tender-hearted,
forgiving one another,
as God in Christ
forgave you.
And then you look at chapter 5,
the very next word after it says,
As God in Christ forgave you,
therefore,
be imitators of God.
Right?
To be gripped with the idea
that God in Christ forgave you.
Remember,
God in Christ forgave you,
therefore,
be imitators of God
as beloved children
and walk in love.
And walk in love.
As Christ loved us
and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering
and sacrifice to God.
on one level,
you want to know
the entire understanding
of Christian moral teaching?
Walk in love.
That's what Jesus says,
the two great commandments,
love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
mind, soul,
and love your neighbor
as yourself.
Walk in love.
It's said quite a few places
in the New Testament,
walk in love.
But notice here
how what the Bible
is talking about
is not unconditional love.
I don't know
if he invented the term,
but the one
who made the term
of unconditional love
very, very popular
is a man
by the name of Carl Rogers
who invented
a type of therapy
called Rogerian therapy.
Now,
I'm not saying
this next thing
because anything
an atheist says
is dumb
and it's not that.
Obviously,
that would be
a stupid thing
for anybody to say.
But it's very interesting
that Carl Rogers
who invented this term
of unconditional love
as well as other aspects
of his therapy
is also the fellow
who won the award
by the American Humanist Association
for the top atheist
in 1964.
And at the very,
very heart
of Rogers' endeavor
was that he wanted
to separate love
from a sense of morals.
That's what
unconditional means.
He wants to separate out
the idea of right and wrong,
the idea of just and unjust.
He wants to separate
all of that
so that all you have
is unconditional love
and unconditional positive regard.
But that is not a wise idea.
It's very interesting.
One of my favorite authors
is a man,
Reed,
I've had a temporal,
Reed Farrell Coleman.
And you might not remember it,
but several times
over the years
I've quoted parts
of his writings to you.
He's an atheist
and he's very,
very, very articulate
in his stories.
He often articulates
aspects of atheism
just so beautifully.
Occasionally,
I've quoted him to you.
I just finished reading
a novel of his.
And it's an interesting thing
because at the heart
of the novel
is that there's the opioid,
I can't pronounce
that word very well,
the opioid,
is that right?
Vaguely right?
Opioid addiction problem
in this community
where this fellow
is a police chief.
And somebody dies
as a result
of taking this chemical
laced with something
that kills them.
And he tries to figure it out
and he ends up discovering
that many of the,
both some of the poor people,
but many of the rich people,
that their daughters
or their sons,
have become addicted
to the opioid crisis.
And it's very interesting.
Remember,
the writer's an atheist, right?
And the way he,
what he does
is that he does it
very powerfully
in the context
of the narrative
to show that many
of the parents,
what they did is,
in a sense,
they showed unconditional love
to their daughter and son
and ignored their addiction
to the kids' great harm.
In fact,
the young woman
that launches the whole story,
her parents gave her
unconditional love
and turned their eye
and enabled her addiction,
which led to her death
by a drug overdose.
Remember,
the author's an atheist.
And as he's going
to try to figure this out,
he discovers
the different parents
who love their daughter
or their son,
but when they find out
about the addiction,
they take action.
If you have a loved one
and they're addicted
to an opioid
and you turn your eyes
and just unconditionally
love them
and don't confront them
so they will deal
with their addiction,
you are not loving your kid.
You are not loving your kid
or your husband
or your wife
or your grandparents
or your aunt
and your uncle.
You are not loving them.
And it's very powerfully
put in this novel
by an atheist.
You see,
the fact of the matter is
it's not loving
to ignore
all sorts of things
that are going on
in somebody's life
that are just bad.
You know,
if a wife discovers
that her husband
is going to strip shows,
she shouldn't
unconditionally love him.
She should kick him
in the butt
and say
it's unacceptable.
Occasionally,
I've had marriage counseling
with somebody
and at some point in time
it starts to dawn on me
that there's probably
physical abuse
going on
in the marriage.
And so I ask
the direct question
to the woman.
Is this guy hitting you?
Long, silent pause.
Husband sinks lower
in the seat.
Finally,
she says yes.
I don't show the man
unconditional love.
I say,
you gotta stop
hitting your wife.
Beginning of the story,
middle of the story,
end of the story.
Unacceptable.
And I say to her,
I will give you
every help I can
to make sure
he doesn't do it
and if you need to,
you leave him
because it's completely wrong.
And so what do we see here?
You see,
the thing is,
is God's love to you
is not unconditional.
It is unfailing.
And God's unfailing love,
he is also unfailingly good.
He is also unfailingly just.
He is unfailing.
He is unfailingly merciful.
He is unfailingly true.
And none of these things
are in conflict
with each other.
And so it is.
God doesn't look at us
in our condition
and say,
I'm just gonna
unconditionally love George
while he goes to hell.
I'm not gonna
unconditionally love George
while he gives me
the finger
and shakes his fist at me
and does wrong things
and is all massively
screwed up
about possessions
and money
and he's gonna get
more screwed up.
I'm just gonna
unconditionally love him.
No!
Look at it again.
Verse 32 of chapter 4,
As God and Christ
forgave you.
5.1
Therefore be imitators
of God
as beloved children
walk in love
as Christ loved us
and gave himself
up for us
a fragrant offering
and sacrifice
to God.
Unfailing love
pays a price
for the good
of the other person.
Clear eyed
about what is right
and wrong.
Clear eyed
about what is
destroying their lives.
God's love
is not unconditional.
It is unfailing.
It is pure.
And it is completely
and utterly
at one with justice
and mercy
and the good
and the true
and the right.
And that's what
we should aspire to.
That's what we should aspire to.
So in light of that,
let's look at the rest
of the text.
We'll go through it
very quickly.
Right?
Verse 2
And walk in love
as Christ loved us
and gave himself
up for us
a fragrant offering
and sacrifice
to God.
But sexual immorality
pornea
and all
telling
living your life
with this deep attitude
that God
is not your boss
and you have to grasp
your own position
and your own power
not trusting God
or not trusting
other human beings
to love you
or covetousness
a completely
and utterly
screwed up
relationship
with possessions
with positions
of authority
and with money
must not even
be named among you
as is proper
among saints
and saints here
just means
the ordinary
average Christian.
if you've given your life
to Jesus
you're a saint.
Let there be no
filthiness
nor foolish talk
nor crude joking
which are out of place
but instead
let there be thanksgiving.
I don't have time
to go into it
don't understand this
in class terms
as if it's talking
about refined people
in Rockcliffe
versus how
the guy
working the jackhammer
talks
this language
refers to both.
Okay?
This isn't
Rockcliffe people
I hope
I'm not insulting
if you live in Rockcliffe
I don't mean that way
but it's not
class-based
stuff.
Okay?
It's not class-based
but I don't have time
to go into it.
Verse 5
For you may be sure
of this
that everyone
who is porneia
or saying
God you're not my boss
or who is
covetous
that is
disordered around
possessions
money
and positions
of authority
that last problem
that's the problem
of idolatry.
They have no
inheritance
in the kingdom
of Christ
and God.
Let no one
deceive you
with empty words
for because
of these things
the wrath of God
comes upon the
sons of disobedience.
And by the way
you might not know this
but we used to be
part of the
Anglican Church of Canada
our congregation
is older than
the Diocese of Ottawa
and in 2008
this text is
perfectly expressing
why we believed
we had to separate
from the Diocese of Ottawa
because the Diocese of Ottawa
declared as a doctrine
that there is a way
of being sexually disordered
that is in fact
not sexually disordered
but is blessed
and is something
that people
should emulate
and the Bible
says it's the
complete opposite.
It's the complete opposite.
Verse 7
Therefore do not
become partners
with them
and partner
here means
it doesn't mean
that you shouldn't
work with people
like that
it doesn't mean
you shouldn't
have neighbors
like that
it means a deep
intimate sharing
of purpose
and direction
with them.
For at one time
verse 8
you were darkness
but 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 right
and true.
In verse 10
and this is actually
not as good a translation
as it is
it actually says
not try to discern
the Bible
literally says
and discern
it implies
that you can grow
it implies
that God
is saying
I'm giving you
your Holy Spirit
this is going to happen
to you
you are going to
increase in discernment
and discern
what is pleasing
to the Lord
take no part
did I
oh
the next part
verse 11
sorry yeah
verse 11
take no part
in the unfruitful
works of darkness
but instead expose them
for it is shameful
even to speak
of the things
that they do
in secret
verse 13
but when anything
is exposed
by the light
it becomes visible
anything that becomes
visible is light
therefore it says
arise oh sleeper
and rise from the dead
and Christ
will shine on you
just a
couple of things
about this
it's a very very
compact language
here
one of the things
that we understand
is that light
and darkness
can't coexist
and once again
when the Bible
is describing
darkness
it's describing
the human condition
and what happens
is in a sense
what the Bible
is saying
is that you have
to understand
that every human
being is characterized
by a type of darkness
and all the darkness
in the world
will never create light
this is another
image of what
salvation is
that all the darkness
in the world
will never
create light
light
has to enter
darkness
from somewhere
other than darkness
light
is light itself
and light
enters darkness
darkness
will never
create light
and so
he's giving here
this
this simple
picture image
of what happens
and what it means
to be a Christian
George
there is no
there's nothing
in me
that is light
that comes
from me
and the only light
is that
uncreated light
of God
and God
the Son of God
and of the Holy Spirit
and that uncreated light
enters the darkness
and the darkness
has not understood it
it hasn't been able
to comprehend it
it hasn't been able
to defeat it
it hasn't been able
to overcome it
and all
who
allow
the light
to come
in them
are no longer
darkness
but are light
and the light
that I have
as a Christian
this isn't something
I can boast in
because the light
doesn't come
from me
it comes from
God
as a gift
of grace
and the light
that comes
to me
that's a gift
of grace
is something
that I reflect
but does not
emerge from me
and this language
of exposing
it's all very
technical language
if I had time
you could try
to unpack
all of the
different technical
language
but it's basically
just saying this
that what you do
is you share
with people
their darkness
not to depress
them
but the light
bringing the light
to them
is telling them
the gospel
and the purpose
of telling them
the gospel
is so they receive
the gospel
and become light
that's what he's saying
it's not a matter
of us versus them
it's not about
the fact that
I'm so good
and I've accomplished
all these things
and you just suck
not like that at all
you share the gospel
in the hope
that they receive it
and they become
light themselves
and the really
interesting thing
it's just like
a couple of chapters
ago
if you look
what Paul does
with these scripture
texts here
awake oh sleep
and arise from the dead
and Christ will shine
on you
it's a bit of a mash
of part of Isaiah
I can't remember
if it's 29 or 26
and Isaiah 60
but the interesting
thing is
what Paul has done
here is he's saying
I'm summarizing
most of Isaiah
with these two quotes
and the way the grammar
works
and it's because
God knew
what he was going
to do with Jesus
600 years
after Isaiah
was written
that he had
Isaiah written
that's what I'm saying
God knew
he was going to send
Jesus in 600 years
so he had Isaiah
written
and these two
bits of quotes
of Isaiah
summarizing a big part
of the whole message
of Isaiah
that's why he wrote
that 600 years ago
so people
would start to
understand and be
prepared
what it is
that Jesus
was going to do
for you
friends
there is nothing
special
about me
I am just
one beggar
born in darkness
who received
the light
who wants to
share with you
that there is
light
that can enter
your darkness
and make you
light in such
a way
that you begin
to become
more light
in your life
right now
but it is
but a small
and tiny
beginning
but the light
will never
leave you
and will prepare
you
for an eternal
weight
of glory
an eternal
weight
of glory
where we are
perfectly
ordered
by our loving
creator
and filled
with him
in light
for all
eternity
with no end
invite you to stand
if you're here
as a guest
or you've been
here for many
many many many
years
and things
just haven't
clicked
very very
simple
just say
father
there is a
darkness
in me
that cannot
be defeated
my attempts
to defeat
it are
darkness
itself
you have
sent
the true
light
into the
world
send
Jesus
the true
light
into my
life
that I
might be
yours
that I
might be
light
beginning
today
for all
eternity
and in
your own
words
say that
to God
and he
will say
yes
and for
the rest
of us
there's other
prayers we have
to pray
because we
all know
there's things
within us
which are
disordered
let's pray
father we
thank you
that you
saw our
disorder
you saw
how we
grasped at
possessions
and grasped
at money
and grasped
at positions
of authority
how we
grasp
in the
areas of
sexuality
how we
grasp
in terms
of maintaining
our integrity
and our
autonomy
and our
terms
at the
expense
of others
while waving
our fist
at you
father you
saw all
those things
and still
you loved
us
and sent
jesus
to die
upon the
cross
for us
the light
uncreated
light
uncreated
love
eternal
light
eternal
love
entered
our
dark
world
and died
in our
place
as an
act of
love
that we
when we
receive the
light
might be
yours
forever
might become
light
might become
a child
of light
father grip
us with
the
gospel
and father
as you
help us
to be
more
gripped
by the
gospel
continue
to help
us to
be filled
by the
holy
spirit
to walk
in love
and to
walk in
thankfulness
for all
that you
have done
father
you know
our
deepest
need
this
morning
the
deepest
disorder
of our
lives
right
this
morning
you know
the
unique
deepest
disorder
of each
one
who is
here
and we
ask
that
you
would
come
and bring
your
healing
authoritative
light
to bear
at each
of our
points
of deepest
disorder
that you
sovereignly
know
we invite
you to
do that
we give
you permission
to do
that
we long
for you
to do
that
that we
might be
more like
Jesus
and all
God's
people said
Amen