Ephesians Part 10

The making our way through the book of Ephesians.

We got chapter 5 and chapter 6 to go.

So I'll give you a little bit of context that I haven't gotten

into much yet, but it's getting really, really relevant now.

So in the city of Ephesus if you live there you were called, and

you're calling Ephesian. So that the letter was written

to the Ephesians, but in the city of Ephesus, there was,

there was a lot of a lot of wicked worship happening

throughout the Pagan World much like Like there is today, but

not necessarily in the same format, not the temples looked

different. Now, the gods and goddesses look

different, but every Pagan religion, every pagan people,

every Godless people have their gods that they're worshiping,

whether or not, they claim to be atheists or anything else.

Everyone is worshiping a God and their life is devoted to an

ideology in a perspective. But here at Ephesus, their

goddess was the Goddess, Diana and Diana.

They had a magnificent temple built for the Diana.

But Diana, and the worship that took place in Diana's Temple, it

was particularly a sexual kind of perversion.

There was there were prostitutes that were used as a form of the

worship in the temple of Diana. And the whole city of Ephesus

was, I mean, this was like their mascot.

So I mean, imagine, you know, living in Boston and being a

Patriots fan back when Brady was their winning the Super Bowl

season after season after season.

You know, it's like everybody is a patriot It's fan, it's like

the thing to do the thing to be. Well, if you're in Ephesus, like

Diana was was the thing. She was our culture, she was who

we worshipped, she was, who we were passionate about, she was,

who we pursued. So, this sinful sexual culture

was really, really deeply embedded into who they were

like. This was just a fission

cultures, it's just normal life for the Ephesian people.

But now we've got Believers people who have come to Christ.

So the gospel is come to Ephesus and people are preach the gospel

and said, hey, there's a king, who rules over all his name is

Jesus. Tell me more.

Well, he died on the cross for your sins.

Well, what our sins? Well, anything that opposes the

will of God and he will make you new.

He'll forgive you. He will restore you and set you

on a new life in A New Path. So poles been walking them

through that, of course, hey, I want you to keep seeing what God

has done for you and now he's know that he's watched, you take

off the old man and put on the new man and he said, well what

do you have in mind with that? And now Paul is getting very

specific, he's going. So for example, people of

Ephesus, this would be something that was not normal.

These are old clothes that you're used to putting on.

You've got to take these old clothes off and you've got to

put on these new clothes. So these verses deal a lot with

sexual immorality in these coming versus.

So they were written to a particular people in a

particular time in a particular place, but that makes them still

very, very relevant for you. And I and this particular moment

because all scripture is profitable for us.

So we also know that every command given here is still

applicable, which is Interestingly enough, the

argument that gets made for the later part of this chapter as

well. We'll get into that in the

coming weeks, but everything in the scriptures sometimes were

tempted to say, well, that was because of this.

That was because of that. Wilshire, of course the Holy

Spirit would write and minister in a particular way to a

particular people to particular time, but we need this as well.

We live, we live in a very Wicked culture sexually.

We live in a place where we live in a time where things have been

normalized that shouldn't have been normalized.

Things are being pushed, they should have never been pushed.

Like, was he thinking about the extreme?

Huh? Yeah, and the Not So extreme

stuff. Anything that's outside of God's

Perfect Design. So we're going to look at what

the word has to say about that today.

And we're going to start right here in verse 1, we're going to

go verses 1 through 14. Of chapter 5.

Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in

love as Christ, loved us and gave himself up for us.

A fragrant offering and sacrifice to God, but sexual

immorality and impurity or covetousness must not even be

named among you as is. Proper among Saints.

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk, nor crew joking,

which are out of place. But instead, let there be

Thanksgiving for you. May be sure of this that

everyone who is sexually immoral or impure or who has Covetous or

that is an idolater. That person has no inheritance

in the Kingdom of Christ and God and let no one deceive you with

empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes

upon the sons of Disobedience. Therefore do not become partners

with them for one time you were Darkness, but now you are light

in the the Lord walk as children of light for the fruit of light

is found in all that is good and right and true and try and

discern what is pleasing to the Lord?

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness but instead

expose them for it's 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 Dead in Christ will shine on you.

So let's go back up to verse one right here in the beginning.

Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly beloved children.

Be an imitator of God as it dearly beloved child.

We've all seen it. We did it.

You copy daddy. And mommy For Better or Worse.

Your kids, copy You For Better or For Worse parents.

You've seen it, it's horrifying to see your sins walking around

in somebody else's body. You're going, whoa, I know where

they learned that. It's from their mama, you know

that It's the what you like to say, but sometimes I recognize

just the opposite, go boy that's wrong and I know exactly who

trains you and taught you that. So, this is the Temptation that

we have in, in our flesh. But we're commanded to be

imitators of our father as dearly beloved children.

Again, we're brought back to that revelation of who we are.

Who are you? You're a beloved child of the

Father. God, this is the framework for

everything else that follows for everything else that precedes it

and everything else that follows.

This is the revelation. We have to have your dearly

beloved by God, he loves you. Our Earthly fathers were

supposed to be the perfect picture of that.

Some of you had absolutely Wicked, father's, some of you

had incredible fathers Most people had somewhere in between.

These were supposed to be the perfect image of the heavenly

father but they weren't but the heavenly father is the perfect

image of the heavenly father and he's saying I love you you're a

dearly beloved child. Now I want you to copy your

daddy. Be like me and do what I do.

I've made you knew this is who you are act accordingly.

We talked about that in the previous week's royalty.

If you're raised up his royalty, you should behave as royalty.

There's a way, there's a dignity to that lifestyle, not a

snobbery. But a dignity to that lifestyle.

There's an honor. That should be carried out and a

do Duty that comes along with it.

So how can we be like God? Well, it takes us back to

chapter 1. How can we really be like God,

we need to have revelation of who we are.

So in chapter 12 verse 17, Paul was praying for the church.

I pray, that the god of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of

Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and Revelation

in the knowledge of him. That's what I'm praying for you.

That's what he's saying, you need and I would have, what am I

supposed to do? What am I supposed to not do?

What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to not do?

That's not how fission starts. That's where today's sermon is.

But you don't judge all of the scripture off of one sermon.

We're taking verse by verse or walking through.

But remember how we got here saying, I pray that you would

see what the Lord Has Done who he's made you what he's done in

Christ and he walks them through that.

God loves you. Here's what he's done, you've

been saved by his grace. You've been saved by his grace

through faith. It's not of your work so that

nobody can boast or brag. So since he's washed you put on

these new clothes. Now here's what these new

clothes look like, like I said before, we're tempted to jump to

the chapter 5 and go, let's go. Get practical, let's get

practical. Let's get practical but we have

no ability to walk out. The chapter five and six until

we understand the chapter 1 and 2 to see that God's done all the

work. Now, I'm just living in

accordance with it with what he's already done.

So how can we truly be like God in that a high calling?

Of course it is, but he's made us fit for that service.

So we pray to see who we are and what we have and then he

continues. What does it look like to be an

imitator of God to walk like your father Walk In Love?

In verse 2, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a

fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.

So at this time, in the ancient world, everybody understood what

sacrifice? Look like you would give burnt

offerings to your God. And of course, this came from

the true and living God, he gave this client, this command to the

Jews. So they would burn sacrifices

and it was considered a fragrant offering that was pleasing to

the Lord. They burn this animal and it's

an act of sacrifice to say. God this is a way that we

worship. You, it was a good and right and

temporary thing all these animals that were that were

killed is a temporary representation, there's a lamb

that needs to be killed a perfect lamb.

He's going to come, but he hasn't come yet.

His name was Jesus. Of course, he did now come.

So the animal sacrifices were temporary but they're no longer

needed. And finally, this one fragrant

offering this Lamb of God was laid on the altar.

This is how we are to love one. Another, what am I supposed to

do? I'm supposed to walk in love, I

thought were going to be talking about sexual and morality while

walking and love protects me from all sexual immorality, just

like walking in love. Make sure that I keep all 10

commandments if I'm walking in love, I won't break any of The

Commandments. Thou shalt not steal.

Well, if I'm walking in love towards you.

Why would I won't steal anything?

You won't have to tell me. Don't don't don't, or do do.

Do you just you can just say, hey jamychal.

If you'll just love your neighbor, then you're not going

to cover his wife. If you'll just love your

neighbor, then you won't lie to him and to see them love covers

everything. Can we can we draw it out?

Get more specific. We can, we should and the most,

then the New Testament, most certainly does people ignorantly

claim all the new the Old Testament commands with the New

Testaments Grace. The New Testament has thousands

of commands in it. Thousands of very precise

specific commands. Always to just say, hey, this is

the new man. This is the, this is what you

wear. Now, this is how you dress down

because you've already been made new so Walking In Love though.

Is the command, that that surpasses, all others, love the

Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength,

and love your neighbor as yourself.

That's it. All the law, hangs on that.

Everything else is satisfied and fulfilled in that if I love God.

And if I love you, then I'll never send ever again.

But when I take a step out of love, I have taken a step into

SIM. So what does this look like?

Jesus gives us the example. He gave himself up for us.

How do I love somebody? I give myself up for them.

I want to do something wrong or sinful against you, but I'm

giving myself up, I'm crucifying my own flesh, Jesus laid down

his life, he was crucified in the same way.

This is what it looks like to walk in.

Love, I want to say this right now but that would be wrong and

sinful. So who's going to take the hit?

My flesh is going to take the head.

I Crucify My Flesh and I say, you get down, you be a Living

Sacrifice John, Michael crucify, the flesh.

Because I'm going to walk in love towards my neighbor.

That's what it looks like. You want to be like Jesus.

Yeah, I want to be loving towards everybody.

Well that doesn't just mean nice.

It means being harsh with my own flesh so that I can be loving

towards them. My love will have strength at

times. I'll still tell them the truth.

It doesn't mean they'll love every single thing that comes

out of my mouth, but I won't, but I won't my heart won't be

wrong towards them. I won't be taking anything from

you. That's the distinction you can

make. Whenever am I sinning against

this person? Ask yourself.

Am I taking something from them? Am I taking dignity?

Am I taking honor? Am I extracting something from

them? Because I could confuse myself

except I need to say something strong to my brother that he

might not want to hear. But I'm saying this to be a

Lessing to add Holiness to him to add Health to him.

That's one thing he still might night.

Like, might not like what comes out of my mouth so he doesn't

get to be the ultimate judge of whether or not I've sinned

against him necessarily but I do need to judge and the ultimate

judge will certainly sort it out.

Am I trying to hurt him? Am I trying to take something

from him or am I trying to get something to him?

I still may need to say strong things.

I still may need to have an uncomfortable conversation but

the difference is not my own flesh, being satisfied and

saying yeah, the difference is A protection, a love a provision,

a safety. So it may not always be Comfort,

though. This is where we have to not

confuse love with niceness. And this is a mistake that I've

often made, like that's going to be an uncomfortable

conversation. Yeah, John Michael, you don't

want to do it. Do you know?

I don't so crucify. Your flesh.

Well, I thought, I thought I should have been nice and not

said anything at all. No, that would have been

cowardice on your part John, Michael, because it's your

flesh, that would have been uncomfortable in that

confrontation, because your heart is right towards your

brother, you Hearts, right? Towards your brother, or if your

hearts right towards your sister, you do need to go with a

spirit of gentleness with a spirit of humility so that she

could be restored so that she could be strengthened so that

she could be encouraged. And so that she could be helped

not with a haha, gotcha caught you.

And that's never the Lord's intention with us.

No, that's not how the Lord deals with us.

Think I have the Holy Spirit, corrects you such a gentleness,

such a kindness and where you go, who I could have been

exposed way worse and he says, my motive wasn't to rub our rub,

your nose in anything. My motive is restoration, that's

always the Lord's plan is restoration.

Am I walking in love? Am I living in love?

Well, am I treating people the way God treats people with a

kindness giving myself up for them verse 3 now, very specific,

what does Look like he's tall. He's still talking about walking

in love. But now he's talking again to

people who live in Ephesus or we could say he's talking to a

people who live in the United States of America, in 2023, a

very relevant, message, but sexual immorality and all

impurity, or covetousness must not even be named among you as

is proper for Saints. So, sexual immorality, here,

this is a generic term that he's using that encompasses any kind

of sexual sin, like what did include this Yes, yes, yes, it

includes that it any kind of sexual sin, but it does raise

the question. Okay.

But what is sexual sin? So what we're going to do, first

of all, is we're going to Define what isn't?

We're going to just simply and step because there's a long list

that's even. It's as he says later, even

talking about, it's shameful to even speak of the things they do

in secret. I'm not going to defile your

ears with a long list of all the possibilities of sexual sin will

use some general terms today, especially keeping in mind, the

ears and the audience. So, I'm going to do my best with

all of that. But we are going to do is Define

what is not sexual sin, what sexual goodness.

What is health look like in this area.

So, this is a gift from God. Sex is a gift from God, that has

been given by God to husbands and wives to enjoy in marriage.

There is our place for Freedom. There's our place for Joy, this

is the rich Feast that the Lord calls, good calls it.

Good in his design calls, it good in Genesis and he says,

it's good. He's not ashamed of it.

He's not embarrassed by it, and All the details that go along

with it that we won't get into here and now because it wouldn't

be appropriate, but everything that goes along with that, God

says it's good. Husband and wife, it's good,

it's beautiful, it's wonderful, it's Rich, it's pleasing, it's

healthy, its wholesome. We don't have to have church,

lady syndrome about it. You know, that's, that's a net.

That's a necessary evil. That's a naughty thing.

Not at all, not at all now. Satan of course, is a pervert.

So, Satan will always take God has done is good and true, and

beautiful, and then begin to create perversions and

distortions of it. And there are many, but how do

we know what's good and true and beautiful a man?

And a woman, being married coming together in the marriage

bed, loving one, another comforting one another.

So all that the Lord intended for us is to be enjoyed their,

there's trust. There's passion, there's

comfort. And there's pleasure sexual

expression, outside of that Feast that the Lord has given is

sexual sin. He gives us a table to eat at

and tells us to enjoy his proof his provision and he says

absolutely not two variations thereof, that means he's

prepared. This amazing Feast magic going

to Grandma's and she made that amazing spread.

The amazing incredible feast and you say can I have a TV dinner?

She says, absolutely not. I've been working on this.

This is good. This is everything you need and

nothing. You don't Can I go to the

drive-through? No.

Can we order a pizza? No.

Can I go get a gas station? Burrito?

No. The marriage bed has everything

that you need and nothing that you don't as it pertains to

sexual Holiness and sexual fulfillment.

This is good news, nothing is lacking there.

And well, I feel like I would well, the marriage bed has

everything. It's good, it's true, it's

beautiful. It's a healthy thing.

He goes on to describe he says sexual immorality and impurity.

So what's impurity impurity is a state of moral filthiness.

So just the overall filth and then he uses the word

covetousness, what's covetousness.

Well Thou shalt not covet is one of The Commandments, not your

neighbor's house, not his wife, not his male servant, or his

female servant, or his donkey or any other Critter that he's got

But what is this covetousness? It's a greediness, it's the

Desiring. It's an overreaching to what

someone else has. When God gave us the Ten

Commandments, he commanded us not to covet.

And wife is mentioned there and hear the context we know is

still in the same realm, we still know.

He's talking about sexuality here, that's the context of all

these verses. This is still the context so hey

no no MM, no, no immorality in that area.

No, impurity in that area, don't covet something, that's not

yours or someone who's not yours.

And there were times in the ancient world where everything

was acceptable and this area of your life as long as you didn't

mess with another man's marriage.

So the door was wide open from for prostitution, servants

slaves. Nothing's off-limits is don't

mess with another man's wife. That's the only, it's the only

standard. We have so people felt like,

well, we've got a standard, you know, where, you know, we've got

standards. We got something that we live

by, but the lord has laid out something very different for us

throughout his word. He's saying no, I've given you a

feast, everything else is a perversion of distortion and

ultimately its destructive. This is what a good father does.

He's saying I love you. I've designed and prepared.

What's best for you? Please don't go elsewhere,

there's bad consequences, and bad results, that come from

this. So, if I walk in love as a

married man, then I'm going to lovingly, then I'm going to

lovingly, be faithful to my wife, in my mind, and in my

body, and I'm going to and I'm going to be loving towards

women. Who aren't my wife by not

lusting after them and not leading them in any way towards

sin. If I walk in love as an

unmarried man, I'm loving to women by not lusting after them

and objectifying them or trying to lead them to sin as well.

These all still connect back to Walking In Love.

Everything can always connect back to walking love or you just

don't lust. Well, that's true.

But walking, you love, protects you from lust.

Whenever my motive is an offensive one.

Go on offense and walk in love instead of like hold back.

The forces of lust phone back on.

Well, pursue love act like your father, this gives you something

to do something to sink your teeth into instead of something

to just shoulder the door and hope to keep the door.

Shut, that's a failing fight. Anybody ever been there?

I have. That's a failing fight.

Instead of how can I pursue something with something I can

do, how can I be aggressive with the word of God?

How can I be aggressive with my pursuit of my father?

Not only do I, don't look at a woman this way, don't look at a

woman this way, do look at a woman this way.

See her and as an image bearer of the Lord, now you have a

compassion. Have you prayed for her?

Have you prayed for him? Have you now?

Now I'm allowing the Holy Spirit to cultivate and work in.

They were getting real practical.

We're getting a little uncomfortable.

Probably. Because it's real talk and it's

real life. I'm a real person.

I don't know if anybody else in here is but I suspect you are.

So I suspect that you have had you've been touched in some way

by sexual immorality, somewhere in your life, at some point,

some how it has impacted you or affected you and you have maybe

even send in that way. So this is helpful for us.

This is good for us to understand what the Lord's

standard is and what his ideals are.

Verse 4, let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk, no

crude joking, which are out of place.

But instead let there be Thanksgiving, I was deeply

convicted as I Was preparing this message and I repented to

the Lord and I'm repenting and I'm doing that publicly as well

to confess my own sin of crew. Joking, foolish talk filthiness

so I don't want to justify or defend anything, but I do want

to acknowledge that. I do have a desire to hold up

the good. Ruin the beautiful.

When it comes to a husband and wife enjoying God's best, but

there have been times where in my desire to do.

So I have gone too far in my desire to combat the church lady

syndrome that I teased about a moment ago that would say this

is uncomfortable. You know, that that's an

Untouchable subject. I have gone to the place of

crassness in the past, all in the name of, it's good.

God made it, it's good. Well, it is good.

It is wonderful. It is a rich feast and there's

much much to enjoy, go read The Song of Solomon and blush and at

the same time, at the same time, I have sinned in this way and

been crass and taking something that again.

It's, is it good? And can we have fun with this?

Yes, plenty plenty of joy and pleasure there and yet there's a

time and a place for everything. There's a time and a place for

everything. So in particular I was really

convicted on this foolish, talk and crude joking.

Actually in the Greek here. This is where we get our word

moron from. I didn't tell you this a minute

ago. It's sexual immorality.

That used in the Greek is poor Nia.

Imagine where we got what words we derive from there are word.

Pornography comes from this. So all of these understandings

broad sexual sin, but it even includes my talk, even whenever

I'm not doing wrong with my body or even deliberately going into

inappropriate places with my mind, I'm just joking.

It's just a joke. I'm just joking, I'm just

goofing off relax, that's my defense.

That's it's an easy thing. Hey hey Hey you need to lighten

up. Well maybe or maybe I need to

not have talked. That's out of place.

But instead what am I supposed to do?

Instead? Go on offense, let there be

Thanksgiving. What should Christian conduct

look like? What's your Christian

conversation? Be like it should be wholesome.

It should be up building. Can we talk about the goodness

of the marriage bed? Absolutely but there's a way

there's an appropriate way to do that.

And there's an inappropriate way to do that.

Should we rejoice in God's good design?

And all that goes along with it? Definitely.

Yes, eat drink and be filled with the marriage bed and yet

there's there's a time and a place in a way.

So we don't want to do things that are out of place.

We want to do it the right way so that it's pleasing the Lord.

So maybe I'm not going to taste of this kind of sin in

particular by getting my hands dirty but I still do through my

conversation and speech but that's out of place for the new

man. Why back to verse 1?

Be imitators of God as dearly beloved children.

Just be like your father, the right thing at the right time.

Time appropriate wholesome, honorable, mature calling, what

is good, good without apology. I think a church are is greatly

on this subject. Greatly it is it is, it is held

down. It's gone.

You that don't talk about it, it's really kind of a necessary

evil that is false, that's wrong, that's a perversion in

itself. But we also don't want to go to

a place that becomes crass or filthy Who can who's fit for

such things? Well, this is why we need the

direction and the wisdom of God is why we need the sharpening of

one another. That's why I need you to go

ahead. Jay, um, that's, that's a bit

much. I go.

You're right. I'm sorry.

Thank you. I confess that sin and I put it

aside, I've missed the mark and I'm back on track because you're

looking out for me because I'm looking out for you. so we're

putting on the new clothes so that our conversation is what

full of gratitude, full of rejoicing, full of things that

build up full of things that are wholesome, like our father verse

5, for you, may be sure of this that anyone who is sexually

immoral or impure or his Covetous has no inheritance in

the Kingdom of Christ and God Wow, what is it does that mean

what? I think it means?

Yes, it does. Does the bible mean what it

says? Yes, the person who practices

this lifestyle and I'll explain more of this in a moment, the

kind of person who practices this lifestyle will not go to

heaven. I'm not shoehorning that in

there. That's right there for you to

read for yourself, be able rien and study it out.

You may be sure of this Paul wants them to know everyone who

is sexually immoral or impure, or is Covetous has no

inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God, let no one

deceive you with empty words because he knows what's coming

next, right? I don't think it's saying, I let

nobody deceive you with the follow up that they're going to

try and deceive you with. Now, I don't know if we really

got it. The Holy Spirit knew that was

coming. Let no one deceive you with

empty words for because of these things, what things sexual

immorality? Because of these things, the

wrath of God comes upon the sons of Disobedience.

Therefore do not become partners with them for a 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.

So let no one deceive you with empty words.

Don't let a backslider tell you. What?

The father looks like and what the father is okay with him, but

he's not okay with backsliders are not safe and they cannot be

trusted. People who don't walk with the

Lord at all are certainly not safe and cannot be trusted when

it comes to his standards. Let no one deceive you with

empty words, no, one who lives, this way will go to heaven.

Well, I've sinned that way, so there's a difference between

living this lifestyle, which is what Paul is laying out here.

Paul is writing to the Christians but he's writing in

this moment. He's not talking about the

Christians, he's talking about a non-Christian anyone who lives?

This lifestyle, are you living? A lifestyle of sexual morality?

Well, yeah, I'm Dang it. I'm in like I'm embracing it.

Yes this is my lifestyle like it's who I am.

Well then that person. The scripture is saying isn't

born again. They haven't been washed in the

shower of the Lord yet, so they can't even put on the new man.

Yet, they have to be made new you at.

This is who you and I were, he didn't even just say you used to

live in darkness jamychal. He says you were Darkness.

You were Darkness. But the Lord turned on the

light, he installed a new light and now you can put on the new

man appropriately. So he is still correct.

And Christians though. So as a Christian, I still have

the capacity and the ability to send but because I sin I have

not lost fellowship with the father Natalie and I are married

and we love each other. If we have an argument we have

not become divorced. Our fellowship may be hindered

in that moment but our relationship is not severed.

So in the same way, if I sinned against the Lord, my fellowship

has been hindered in some way. I've grieved the Lord, my

fellowship is hindered, but he and he wants me to repent and

restore it immediately. He offers Grace, but my

relationship hasn't been severed.

I've been made new and I put on dirty clothes.

He's going wrong clothes. Take them off and go.

Thank you, Lord. He puts it back home and we move

on with Grace. Not with and not with an immense

season of shame. But by his grace because he's

good, because he's kind because he's gentle because he's

faithful. So for the Christian whose

tender-hearted will praise God, the very fact that your tender

heart and you going, that's conviction of the Lord that you

feel. But what, he's describing here,

those who practice this lifestyle, you can be sure of

this anyone who lives this life. Has no inheritance in the

Kingdom of Christ and of God, let no one deceive you with

empty words. So what are empty words?

I give you some examples of empty words when it comes to

sexual morality. That's a bit old-fashioned.

Don't you think empty words? You got a test drive, a car

before you buy it. Empty words.

Marriage is just a piece of paper.

Empty words. Or the emptiest of all Love Is

Love. That that's not even a sentence

that doesn't make any sense at all.

Empty words. He's the things that we're

hearing in the in our modern emphasis, what's happening?

Well, God's Wrath is coming on the sons of Disobedience.

Do not Unite with them there in the dark and you're in the

light. If you're a child of the light

and your fruit should look entirely different from theirs,

do not be deceived by these empty words.

Why? Well, because he puts such a

weight on it, he's not saying, hey guys, let's just do our best

and as long as you've done your best, he's saying, hey guys, you

can be sure of this, this lifestyle Sexual immorality, you

can't inherit the kingdom of God, and Christ, you will go to

hell. There's other ways to say this.

Let nobody deceive you and try and follow in and go.

Hey, well actually, if you think about it like this know, the

wrath of God comes upon those sons of Disobedience.

Therefore don't become partners with them there in the dark,

you're in the light. What do we want to do then?

We want to bring the light to them and that's that's the hard

part. That's the Challenge.

That's where we can enter into discomfort and that's where if

we're not confident in the scripture where almost feel like

we're telling God's good news, but we're giving it with an

apology. I've got some bad news is the

way we approach people and sexual morality.

I've got bad news, I'm really sorry to be the one to break

this to you. I'm really sorry to tell you

this, but You can't do that. They have a gas station burrito.

We have an incredible Feast. The Lord has an incredible Feast

to offer them and we're going. I'm so sorry to do this to you,

but the Lord would like to invite you to his amazing

banquet But you're going to have to throw away your burrito.

Why are we apologizing? I know you got the drive

through. I know you picked up some

Hardy's drive-through. It's been sitting.

In the back seat, I tried to make it worse.

It's been sitting in the backseat for a couple days and I

know you've been nibbling on that.

I'm really sorry to do this. I hate to be the bearer of bad

news. But YouTube, you two shouldn't

be doing this. Who do you think you are?

I'm a child of the father who loves you.

Insert your preferred sexual morality here.

That's the one, that's the one that the Lord is after he just

trying to take my stuff. No, you don't understand.

There's a feast, the marriage bed is there's a feast, it's

Rich. It's wonderful.

So, what does this include will include everything

homosexuality? It's not good.

It's not okay, it's not ideal. Sex outside of marriage, in any

form. It's not acceptable, it's not

okay, it's not ideal. The Lord says, I've given you a

feast, your choosing something else.

Well it's convenient, we got this going on, we got that going

on. It's just something that used to

just happen, more with younger people.

It's been a phenomenon is happening more and more with

older people as well. Someone's lost a spouse and my

house is also spouse. We're just going to kind of like

blend together. It's even happening in older

Generations now because they don't want to lose their

benefits. So obedience to the Lord has a

cost and the cost is my retirement.

I won't, I'm not willing to give up my retirement because then

like, you know, my 401k thing or my retirement package, or the

disability is going to be different, okay?

So so you have a limit to how you'll follow the lord Just be

honest about it that it that is where you are, and that's not a

safe place to be any sexual immorality.

The Lord says, I have something better, I have something ideal

and it's like with all Sim when we, when we take up the Lord,

what he's really handing to us. We realize we were always giving

up trash. Anyway, we didn't have something

special or something good. We were just serving ourselves.

Don't be deceived by empty words.

Verse 10, what are we supposed to do?

Instead, try to discern, what is pleasing to the Lord, try to

discern. So in areas if there's an area

of your life that you're saying I don't know I guess I'm a

little unsure like the scripture is not really explicitly plane

on this particular thing although it is on plenty.

If it's not explicitly playing on this particular thing.

Well then try to discern. Put effort into it.

Don't be lazy about it, love them enough to please him more

even in areas where you may not have a precise command obey,

examine and test. That's what I was doing when it

came to. Like I was talking about

misconduct in my speech or Miss speech crew joking.

That's an area where it might feel like this gray is Agri okay

brother or sister Brothers? I think would be I think we are

on this probably more frequently.

Are you unsure on that thing? Okay, well then test it test it.

Lord Lord. I don't know if I want to ask,

then you got your answer. I got my answer to, we know, but

let's be like Our Father Who Loved Us and tells us to love,

just like him, discern put effort into it, love him enough

to please, him more, examine it and tested a loving spouse does

this for their spouse. We examine things, we test

things, and what would be? What would be pleasing to my

wife? What would serve my wife?

Well, I want to know. Do you like this?

Do you like that? Is this a blessing to you?

I know you want your feet, massage.

I know when her little feet find their way to my lap, they wiggle

and they'll wiggle a few times and if I don't massage them

eventually, she'll ask for them to be massaged.

But now I'm trained to just when those feet get in my lap I just

I don't even think about it. I'm just saying I'm a robot at

this point. I just massage the feet

automatically so you should love to please your spouse.

But you should live and love to, please God.

So, if there's anybody, you've ever sought to cater to anybody

you've ever thought, I've got this preference, but they've got

that one. So I'm going to go with.

There's you done that for somebody that you love, right?

I prefer this, but they prefer that.

So I want to, I want to give to them how much more for the Lord.

Oh my I really would like this, the Lord's going.

I want this. I want the what the Lord wants,

because I love him and also it's actually what's best He knows

what's best. He's not keeping anything from

us. Verse 11, through 13.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness.

Still he's all in the same context here but instead expose

them for it's shameful even to speak of the things that they do

in secret, maybe he's referencing the temple, the

temple worship that was happening there.

Maybe is worshipping this talking about the stuff that was

happening publicly in the streets in Ephesus.

He's going it's we don't even need to go there.

Verse 13, he says, 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. In Christ will shine on you.

So, we live in a world where it's considered worse to judge

evil. Than it is to do evil.

That's the greatest sin according to our culture, and

every culture has sins. By the way, every people group,

every every country in the world has blasphemy laws, the question

just depends on which God they worship.

So, there's things in America that you quote, I know legally,

we have the freedom of speech, but there's things that Society

will push against you if you fight against their Pagan.

God, these are called blasphemy laws, no one acknowledges them.

But there's things that you can't say, there's things that.

If you say they will, they will draw Some some backlash from

certain people groups, as Society has become more and more

depraved and perverted. So you will be called evil

because you're judging rather than anyone caring about the

evil that's actually taking place.

We live in a country. We live in a moment where it's

considered worse to judge evil than it is to actually do the

evil and yet we're commanded to do just that we're commanded to

judge evil in a spirit of gentleness.

We are commanded to be truth-tellers.

So the word expose here does not refer necessarily to exposure to

the point of Shame. It's Not exposure for the

purpose of humiliation expose, has to do with refuting and

revealing to refute the lie. So kids for the all the little

ones. If you haven't read this, you

got to get this storybook for your kids because it is a

perfect Parable for the day we live in as well, but it's The

Emperor's New Clothes. I loved it as a little kid

because it's got a naked guy in it, so it's just funny.

So, you know, little boy, little boys think that's funny.

But um, so the emperor, you know the story, right?

He's got These is seems these Taylor's come to town.

They say we've got this magical Fabric, and it's the most

handsome and most amazing and only smart people can see it

only really wonderful smart. People can see this Fabric and

he goes, I'll take it and he pays them a ton of gold, and

they get to work, making the Kings robe and they keep working

on the Kings Road, and they keep working on the Kings robe.

And his, he sends one of eight one of his aides.

He's not go check on the road. I want to hear how is how it's

how's it coming along? And they go, and they look, and

they see nothing at all. All.

And the guys are furiously working with their invisible

thing. That only really smart and

honorable and wise people can see.

So what is the a do when he goes back to the king?

He says my king. It's magnificent, it's

incredible. Wait till you see it King he

didn't see anything, but he can't be the idiot.

Who's who doesn't see it, right? So he says, it's amazing.

So the Kings come home and I'm so excited to put on these new

robes and the king of few days later.

Sends another Aid in the same story continued King because

like I didn't see anything. I can't let anybody know that

I'm an idiot. So what does he do?

He becomes an idiot by saying it's magnificent and he sends

another guy. And finally the robe is brought

to the king And they and all of his Royal, all he's surrounded

by his counsel. All the men that have come to

see the king be put on his new robe and they bring it before

the king and the two men bring it out in the King goes.

Wow, I love it. It's amazing!

Put it on me. And now by this point, the whole

Kingdom knows about his new robes.

So, of course, he wants a parade to go show his new robes and he

walks through the city and all the people in the city are doing

an dying over the Kings robe. His only smart people can see

him. You got to be real smart and

finally, someone who's actually wise speaks up a little child.

The story says, finally speaks up and says, but he has on

nothing at all and everybody finally goes.

Okay, you don't see it either. Oh, you don't see it either, so

the child is not intending to shame the king.

But whenever you assessed, by the way, we're always making

judgments. All people are always making

judgments whenever you assess anything, you are making a

judgment or mode. Is not to humiliate anyone.

Our motive is the motor motive of the father, to get them into

the father's house. You are already exposed in your

sin. I want you to be covered the

marriage bed, is a place of safety.

The marriage bed is a place of security.

Any other expression outside of the marriage bed is insecurity

is wickedness. It's perversion, its Distortion,

it destroys your soul. And The Souls of any other

participants whether or not their pixels on a screen or

whether or not their flesh and blood or your own mental wife,

So our motive is to refute and tell the truth to continue to

speak the truth. Why?

Because we know about the feast, we know about God's best and I'm

not sorry for it. Oh, well, can I still have this?

No, you cannot have your Frozen burrito from 7-Eleven you may

not we prepared prime rib and we prepared everything else that

goes along with it. Yeah.

Well I really want this. Well, you should be made new.

You should come to the father's table.

First of all, and pursue him and love him and want him.

And then you understand that these are the clothes that fit

you. Anyway, these fit you.

Well, there's something itchy about those clothes.

There's something toxic about those clothes.

There's lots of problems with them.

Well, I Seen all that. Give it time.

There's pleasure in sin for a season.

It is a season. Maybe your season will be short.

Maybe it will be long when it runs out it's empty it's

damaging. What am I to do?

Awake o sleeper and rise from the dead and Christ will shine

upon you. The light of God has been given.

He has given us. Hope he's given us help.

But if we run from the light he'll allow us to do.

So John 3:16 Jesus is talking for God.

John 3:16

So loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever

believes in him, shall not perish but have eternal life.

Verse 17 for God did not send his son into the world to

condemn, the world, not at all. Jesus was not sent to condemn

us, praise God. But in order, that the world

might be saved through him. Verse 18, whoever believes in

him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe, is

condemned already. Condemnation was my natural

state already. Jesus didn't come to condemn me.

I was already Condemned because of who I was born as I was born

as a sinner sexual immorality. Was a part of who I was outside

of Christ. I didn't learn it.

It was in me, it didn't come from the outside.

It came from the inside. So, I need to be rescued, I

needed to be saved. Whoever does not believe in him

is condemned already. Why?

Because he has not believed in the name of the only son of God,

and this is the Judgment. Oh, there's a judgment there.

Is this is the Judgment. The light is 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 Works, should be exposed but whoever does what

his true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen.

And that his Works have been carried out in God.

You can't do anything in God unless he first turns on that

light and Jesus is the light of the world who comes into the

world to make us his church. And at that place it's from that

point where we can say I have a new desire I want, what's right?

I still have flesh, I still have Temptation, I still have the

capacity for sin, but my wanter. Wa NT.

ER, my Wonder has been changed. I used to want the wrong things.

Now I have a new desire. The flesh is still there.

He's got to be crucified. And when I don't crucify him,

I'll repent for that sin away. Co-Sleeper who does he saying

that to well theologians argue whether or not that's that verse

was intended. And Paul meant that the Holy

Spirit meant that for the Lost World in that moment others say

he was directing it toward the church.

I say, why not both. If your ass ain't wake up, wake

up. If you've, if you've grown

accustom and you go normal to sexual morality in your life,

wake up. Arise from the dead.

You're not totally spiritually dead but this is not a safe

wiser healthy Place. Wake up repent and eradicate it

enjoy. The feast that the Lord has said

at his table. If you don't know the Lord, if

you don't walk with the Lord you're gone, I do live in sexual

morality wake up, Christ loves you and he does not condemn you,

you're already condemned. So be rescued by the love.

And by the grace of God, he loves you.

He's not holding you a bag on clean up, clean up your act and

then you can come into my house. He's saying I'll rescue you,

I'll clean you. I'll make you new, that's it.

I am the doer. I Am The Miracle Worker.

It's not about stop, the sexual immorality, and now, You're

allowed in my house. It's, you've got to be made new.

You can't stop anything. You can't do anything, choose to

bend the knee to the Lord, Jesus Christ, and full and true

submission, and humility. And say my life is yours.

Rescue me from my condemnation. I love you.

I worship you. And he says, you're made new and

now we walk out. What does it look like to walk

it out? I can't do that anymore.

I won't look at that anymore. I'm avoiding that website.

Now, I'm avoiding that relationship.

I'm moving out of this house. I'm I'm asking her to marry me

all these things start to step into place and I go, there's a

right way. Now to live like my father to be

an imitator of God as a dearly beloved Child live.

Like your father, carry his light.

Leave every kind of sexual sin and don't be deceived, avoid the

wrath of God don't Unite with the sons of Disobedience and

Christ will shine on you and even a greater measure and

you'll be fit for all of his kingdom work.

That's what we want. That's what we signed up for.

A soldier in battle, he doesn't have time for nonsense, he

doesn't have time for civilian Affairs.

We've got a greater work that goes beyond my preference.

And the momentary thing that I may feel like I'm giving up, the

Lord has a rich Feast prepared to the marriage table at the end

them in the marriage bed for his people.

All other things. All other Temptations are

distractions their lives, their unhealthy, and their own

helpful. And on top of this, this is one

of the many ways that we carry our light into the world.

Say there's a wholeness, there's a truth, there's a goodness in,

there's a beauty. God Is A Healer, God is a

forgiver and God loves us. This is good news.

You haven't heard any bad news today.

Not one piece of what you've heard today, was bad news, no

matter where you are, when you don't know what kind of sin, I

got. No, no, I'm assuming the worst,

I'm assuming the worst about all of you.

I'm assuming all of you are lost in deep deep deep sexual sin and

I've given you nothing but good news today no matter how its so

depraved. It's so dark.

Jesus is blood is not intimidated by your sin.

He is not afraid and his forgiveness and kindness

extends, so bring it to the Cross.

Let's do that together. Heavenly Father, we love you, we

thank you for the kindness that you've offered through the cross

for the Forgiveness that you've given to us through the blood of

Jesus. Sins in the past.

Our sins in the present. Our sins in the future.

We're all taking care of that day, on the cross, but still we,

repent of our sins. Lord, we turn from it.

God protect us from that Temptation.

Deliver Us from all of the evil we want to live for your

kingdom. Your will and your glory.

God reveal, whatever is lacking in us.

Wherever our love has been cold. It's our temptation to look at

the specifics. I got to stop this.

I got to stop that. I gotta stop this but you

started it all off on the right foot.

Be an imitator of your father because you are a dearly beloved

child. So for those of you who are not

yet a dearly beloved child, if you don't yet know and walk with

the father know that he really does love you.

You said, I am a sexual idolator I've lived sexually immoral

lifestyle. I'm living in one now.

Perhaps, God's not intimidated, the invitation is not just stop

your sin. The invitation is come to the

cross. And yes, also turn from all

kinds of sin. This is just one of a million.

This isn't the only thing that can keep me out of heaven.

Ultimately, what keeps me out of Heaven is not bending my knee

and submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ.

God has a way of dealing with your sin and his name is Jesus.

It's not punishing you. I thought we had to burn for all

eternity. That's only for those who reject

the Lord Jesus Christ, and don't respond to the grace of God.

So you can call upon the name of the Lord and be saved in true,

humility and faithfulness. I encourage you to do that.

If you've got questions about that, if you want help with

that, if you're saying man, I feel like I'm at the door, but I

don't know how to get inside. You can talk to me or any other

believer that, you know, here in the church, we would love to

walk with you to pray with you to encourage you.

You won't say a thing that will surprises are shocked us.

And we will be able to walk with you together towards his kingdom

best. Lord.

We love you, we thank you for your word.

We thank you for this day and we thank you for the promise of

love and faithfulness that you've shown us through Christ.

The pleasing Aroma who gave himself for us all.

Now, the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord, make his face

shine down upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you great.

Peace in Jesus name. Amen.

Lord. We love you, we thank you for

your word. We thank you for this day and we

thank you for the promise of love and faithfulness that

you've shown us through Christ. The pleasing Aroma who gave

himself for us all. Now, the Lord bless you and keep

you the Lord, make his face shine down upon you and be

gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance

upon you and give you great. Peace in Jesus name.

Amen.