LIGHT. LIFE. VICTORY. FREEDOM.

---

Ephesians 5:7-14

Good Morning. My name is Daniel Duce. If I haven't met you, I'm one of the pastors here. How was your first week of advent? Did you even know that it was the first week of advent? If you didn't welcome. It was the first week of advent. It's been a good week, right? It was a good week. We had a good week.

We got this cool new like family devotional, and it's walking through like some of the stories in the Old Testament and how they all point to to Christ and Christmas. And it's been cool, but it's been quite an eventful week for me. First off, we have our building permit. We have our building permits. That's Pastor Joseph in the City Hall building at Castle Hills in very amazing lighting.

So it feels like we've been trying to get these things for so long, you know? I, we met with our architect the first time on May 16th. We took possession of the new space and began paying for it in July.

It's just been a season of waiting. Waiting and praying and crying and trusting. If you told me back in May that we wouldn't have our permits until the first week of December, I would have told you that you're crazy. There's no way that it's going to take that long. Yet here we are. God has taught me quite a lot in this season, throughout this process of waiting.

He's taught me about choosing to rejoice while waiting. Choosing joy while waiting. The second, significant event that occurred for me this week happened today. Noah just blew the spot. Today is my birthday.

I don't normally. Yes. Thank you. Andrew. I don't normally, talk. I wouldn't acknowledge my birthday usually, but today is my 43rd birthday, and I recognize that 43. That's kind of a random number. It doesn't doesn't strike most people as being significant, but it's a birthday that I've been looking forward to for a long time. Shortly after my 18th birthday, my dad died, and my dad died when he was 42 years old.

It's been 25 birthdays. Without my dad. So for me, today is a is a special day, and it's a good day. You know, as much as I miss my dad, sometimes, as much as I wish that he could have met my wife or met my kids, or spoiled the heck out of my kids, which he would have done just to just to mess with me.

As much as I, you know, would have liked to have him be able to see my brother and I become pastors. God had a better plan. God knew better. And so I will choose to rejoice. I will choose joy. Joy is not found in our circumstances. Joy is found in the one who is the source of all joy.

And he's the one who promises to work everything out for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. He's the one who keeps every one of his promises. And that's what Christmas is all about. This is what advent is about. It is acknowledging the waiting of the coming of the King. And God does keep his promises.

And God has kept his promise. And Jesus came. So this week I'm going to focus on joy. I would like to invite you. Choose joy. Rejoice with me even in waiting. Even in suffering. Even in brokenness. Rejoice. So the advent reading for today comes from Philippians and first Thessalonians. Let me light the hope candle and the joy candle.

Hear the word of the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice. Let your patient gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

First Thessalonians five rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray.

Lord, thank you for this season of advent. Thank you for.

This Christmas season. Thank you for coming. Thank you for keeping your promise. Thank you that all of your promises are now yes and amen in Christ Jesus. We can see the fulfillment of all of your plan, Lord, all of the waiting. All of the longing. All of the straining, all of the wandering.

Lord, you came. You did what you promised to do, and you made a way for us to be with you forever. Thank you. Come now. Speak to us through your word. Make us more like your son. In his name we pray. Amen. If you are able, please stand with me for the reading of God's Word. Today's reading comes from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians, chapter five.

I'll read seven through 14. Hear the word of the Lord. Therefore do not become partners with them. For at one time 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. And tried to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

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. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible. For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

This is the word of the Lord. You may be seated. Y'all go ahead and open your Bibles or mobile devices and find the book of Ephesians. While you're finding Ephesians, let me review. A few weeks ago, we began chapter four one through three was God's story, the gospel story. We began chapter four. Our response to God's story one through 16.

Paul told us to walk in unity, walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called, striving to maintain unity that we've been given in Christ. 17 to 32 in chapter four, we are to walk in holiness because we are new people in Christ. How we live should reflect who we are as holy people.

We should walk in holiness and this lifestyle of the new person, the new man, expresses itself as we walk in love. That was chapter five one through six. As God's beloved children, right, we can now love out of our new identity as children of God. We can love sacrificially like Jesus did, as he did for us. Walking in love includes abstaining from living life like unbelievers, like the sons of disobedience.

Verse six let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience, these things, that is, sexual immorality and impurity, and covetousness and all kinds of evil. For these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. So because the wrath of God has come, and the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, we should not participate with them in their disobedience.

Rather, we should walk in light. Verse seven therefore do not become partners with them. For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. The word therefore starts a new section and points us back to chapter six that we just heard verse six that we just read because we are beloved children, we are beloved sons and daughters of God.

We should not participate with sons and daughters of disobedience to become partners with them means to participate with them in their lifestyle. This does not mean that we are not to associate with unbelievers. Y'all. This does not mean that we shouldn't associate with unbelievers. It means that we cannot participate in the sin in the sinful lifestyle, in those things, those deeds of darkness that we used to do.

If we never associated with unbelievers, we would never have the chance to be light in the world.

Thank you.

But friends, we cannot do the dark things that they are participating in. We must be light. We must associate. We must reach out. We must be lights in the dark world. But we can't participate. And I have struggled over the years to learn the nuance of this, but quite often we might not even be able to hang around in certain areas when people are doing certain things, because it may appear that we are approving of such things, for at one time you were darkness, you were darkness.

We were darkness. Notice not we were in darkness. We were darkness. Darkness signifies sin, the power of sin, the domain of sin, the bondage of sin, the lifestyle of sin. To be darkness means to be without light, to be without God's light. And God's revelation. We were held in bondage as slaves to sin, and we approved of others who practice sin as well.

But now you are light in the Lord. We were darkness, now we are light in the Lord. Genesis one And God said, let there be light, and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. Please notice God did not create the darkness.

God separated darkness from light, the light that he created with His Word and the light that he determined was good. God decides what's good and what's bad. God decides what is light and what is darkness. God determines what is right and evil and what is wrong. God is the standard, not us.

God is clothed with light. God is the source of all light. It says that God dwells in unapproachable light. God can turn darkness into light. The antithesis of light is darkness. But God uncovers or reveals. He exposes the darkness with his light. Notice that he creates light, and then there's darkness. He has to separate the two. We were darkness, but now we are light.

In the Lord. We are made light. Now, because of Jesus, that preposition in the Lord Jesus is the source of the light. Jesus said in John 12, I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. In chapter one of John, he says, In Jesus was life, and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. God's light winds. God's light defeats the darkness. God's light pushes out darkness. Darkness cannot exist where there is light.

We were darkness. Now we are light in the Lord. Verse eight walk as children of light. Now that Christ has made us light, we have the responsibility. It is our responsibility to walk as children of light. This is an imperative. It is a command. Verse five of first John one. This is the message we have heard from him, and proclaim to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.

Friends, if you are a Christian, you are loved, and you are God's children. Yes. This verse says God is light. Therefore we are children of light. Say it again. We are God's children. God is light. Therefore we are children of light. So we should walk as children of light. The verb walk indicates habitual conduct, how we walk, how we live.

This is our lifestyle. Being children of light means that our lives are characterized by light. Our habits and our behaviors and our lifestyles. Verse one of chapter five told us to become imitators of God, and God is light. So we are becoming imitators of God as his children, as children of light. Before I became a Christian, I hated the light.

I was darkness, I avoided the light so as not to be exposed.

I did not want to be made to be uncomfortable. I did not want to be made to be convicted. I did not want to be confronted with my sin.

But God's light exposed me.

And we became children of light. Second Corinthians four For God who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. God's light reveals to us who Jesus is and what he has accomplished for us, and who we are now.

Because of his grace. Now that we are light, we must walk as children of light, hating darkness. The purpose of the light is to do away with darkness. So what does this look like? Verse nine for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. The purpose of light is to do away with darkness.

That's what light does. Darkness is removed when there is light present. Light exposes darkness. Light removes darkness. Darkness runs. Darkness flees, and the fruit of light, that which light produces is goodness and righteousness and truth. So then.

Light, by definition, will expose anything that is the opposite of these goodness and righteousness and true. Whatever is not good, whatever is not right, whatever is not true, light will expose. Light, will not tolerate evil or wickedness or falsehood or lies. Light will not cohabitate with such things. John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him, whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, friends, the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his work should be exposed.

Verse nine for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. How do we discern what is pleasing to the Lord? Let's look at another passage where Paul uses this word discern. Let's see if it gives us a clue. Romans 12 two do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Friends, we are to walk as children of light, producing the fruit of light with our lives. Goodness. Righteousness. Truth. Always trying to discern what God's will is and doing what pleases him. Light exposes that which does not please the Lord.

Does that make sense? But this reaches beyond just his moral will. Okay. God's moral will is pretty easy to discern. These are specific commands found in the Bible. The obvious commands found in the Bible don't need to be tested. Does that make sense? I don't need to test if it's okay to be drunk and to commit adultery and to commit murder like that's not a that's not in question, right?

That does not please God. It's clear in the Bible, but we use the Word of God as our guide to test God's will for other facets and nuances of life that we need to be able to discern whether what we do or don't do is pleasing to him. Does that make sense? We need godly principles and wisdom. Not every situation in life is specifically addressed in Scripture.

We need godly community. We need godly, wise counsel that we trust. And then we run these these principles, this wisdom through the lens of Scripture. The Holy Spirit enlightens us as we search the scriptures. If we're really after pleasing the heart of God, I believe the Holy Spirit will empower us. He will enable us. He will equip us.

He will enlighten our, our, our hearts to discern what is pleasing to God. God is not hiding himself. He's not trying to trick us. He's not keeping from us the good things he wants to reveal to us what is necessary for us to please him.

Verse 11 take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. To walk as children of light means we cannot go back to the sins that once kept us in darkness. This is what he is doing. He is encouraging these. Ephesians. Do not go back to the dark works that you were doing before as Gentiles.

We can't go back to the way that we once lived. Those sins held us in bondage. We were captive to our sin. We were miserable. We can't take part. We can't become partners or participate in those works of darkness. We must abstain from the works of darkness. But not only that, this says we are called to expose the darkness.

This is the purpose of light. This is what light did in the beginning. Darkness was exposed. We are to expose the darkness in ourselves, and we are to expose the darkness for one another. This is confession. This is repentance. Sometimes this is a loving rebuke. This is the process of reconciliation and restoration and healing. This is walking as children of light together in community.

Verse 12, for it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. Okay, hang on a second. So if these deeds of darkness are so bad that we shouldn't even mention them, why should why should we expose them? Why do they need to be brought to light?

This accomplishes two things. Friends, when we expose sin, it reveals the shame fulness of the sin. It reveals the ugliness of the sin. It reveals the consequences of sin. There are consequences when we sin and when it's exposed, it reveals it to all of us.

Exposing sin impresses upon us the incredible importance of walking in light. We realize, oh man, I really need to do that. Look at what happens when I sin. When others sin. It's bad. It's not good. It spurs us on to pursue goodness and righteousness and truth. The fruit of light, deeds of darkness cannot be allowed to spread in and amongst us as a community of believers.

When one part of the body is sick or is hurting, it affects the the, the health and the the productivity of the entire rest of the body.

Verse 13. But when any thing is exposed by the light, it becomes visible. For anything that becomes visible is light. Paul is saying that everything done by us as Christians should be exposed to the light. Everything. Nothing is secret. Nothing in the dark. Every deed done in secret. Every word spoken behind closed doors. All of our thoughts. All of our motives and intentions.

All of our attitudes. Friends. God sees everything anyway. We are not hiding anything from God. He knows we should desire to allow his light to expose the things inside of us that don't please him. This is what it is to walk in the light. This is repentance. This is sanctification. It's the process by which his light just continues to invade and and affect and expose all of the parts of our heart and our life that have yet to be submitted to him under his will, that we're not yet pleasing him fully.

We'll never be there in this life. But this process is is wonderful and life giving. When we begin to experience him, transform us into his image, into children of light. Verse 14, therefore it says, awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. We must be alert. We must stay awake. We cannot allow darkness and death to remain.

We must allow the light of Christ to expose in us what does not please him. And we must put to death that which does not please him. When we repent and we walk in the light, it pleases God. He is light. How would he not be pleased by us walking in the light?

The light of Christ's approval shines on us when we walk in the light. Some of us don't even know what that might mean. We've lived our lives hiding and pretending and playing face. We don't know what it's like to be able to walk in the light.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all our sin.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I don't know about you, but I want to be forgiven. I want to be clean. I want my conscience to be clean before God and men. Friends, our response to this is repentance, confession and repentance. Every one of us, myself included, there are areas in our lives, in our hearts and our minds that are still shrouded in darkness.

There are still places in which we hide and pretend we need the light of Christ to expose and reveal and heal and transform.

Friends, repentance. I heard it said like this recently. Repentance is reorientation. I've often heard that it means like changing your mind or turning. But it is a reorientation. It's a reorienting of our will, our affections, our desires, our thoughts and our deeds, all of who we are. We get every part of who we are in alignment with the will of God, with what he says is good and right and true.

His purpose for us, his design. Jesus said, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. God wants us to have joy. God wants us to have freedom.

He's not a killjoy. He's the source of all joy. Real joy. He wants us to live lives full free from darkness and shame and guilt. No pretending to live in freedom. To walk with power.

Darkness is about hiding. Darkness is cold and lonely.

Too much darkness. Even the plants die. You go up to Alaska in the winter especially. There's no sun for like, 20 hours of the day. There's no plants. It's just cold and death.

Death happens in the dark. Light is warm. Light brings life. Light reveals we're not alone. And that we don't need to hide.

Let the light of Christ shine on you. And in you and through you. Is there anything in your life right now that needs light? That God is speaking to you and shining his light on right now? Even now. James four. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it for him, it is sin. What is God revealing to you today?

Is there sin in your life that you know doesn't please God? There's none of us that should say no. Myself included.

There are things we are doing, thinking, saying ways we're responding that do not line up with who God is and who he's called us to be. Is there bitterness or resentment in your heart? Who do you need to forgive?

Is there a bad habit you need to start? Or a good habit that you've been waiting to start, that you've been putting off for a long time? You don't have to put it off anymore. Just today. Today is your day. God is telling you today. Wow, that's got a little arrogant through me. Today is the day for real.

You're here. You're listening to this. If you've been wanting to do it, today is the day. I feel like Doctor Seuss. Do you notice anger or impatience or jealousy in your heart?

Do you need to change the way that you're using your time? Are you are you wasting time? Are we spending time on things that just. They're either just not necessary or they're we know they're not good.

Am I spending my money on things that I shouldn't be spending my money on?

Am I putting things into my body? Am I eating things I know that I shouldn't? Am I drinking too much of things that I know that I shouldn't? These are obvious friends, but all of us have areas of life that.

We would rather not have put up on this screen for everybody else to see. You know what I'm saying? Repentance isn't just this 180 degree turn for those that are like running from God, okay? Repentance can be just even a couple of degree turn can make all the difference. Repentance is a lifestyle, a constant redirection and reorientation toward God for his glory and our good.

John one. In him Jesus was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. I want us to have life. I want us to have abundant life. I want us to be free. I want us to experience joy. I want us to know Christ and His peace and walk in power and forgiveness, unashamed.

I want us to find rest for our souls. I want us to be whole. The word integrity comes from the Latin word integer, meaning whole or complete. An integer is a mathematical term. It means a whole number as opposed to a fraction. Right? God wants us to live lives of wholeness. He wants us to live lives of integrity, of completeness, of fullness, undivided, unbroken.

Being the same person. No matter where you are, no matter who you're with. This is walking with the fear of God before your eyes. I am the same. You find me any time of day, in any room, in any context, and I can be the same person. This is what it means when we walk in the fear of God.

I'm not after man's approval. I want to please God. This is allowing the light of Christ to shine on us always.

Even when there are dark things exposed. I don't need to hide those I can share those. I can give light to those things. And God's light removes them and uses them and heals them.

As Jesus shines his light on us. His will shine through us. This is what it means to walk in the light. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful. He will surely do it.