Sex, Idols, and Darkness, Part 2

JD Greer I'm talking you think belong to God, but refused to give up something you know that he is.

You will not walk away from a relationship that is wrong.

You want to walk away from adultery or port habit you think you come to God but you never taken repentance seriously only give you a crystal clear warning. I want to be here. It is clear as I can say it. You have not repented you are not saying another day like Greer.

I'm your host Molly, but events so we've all heard it before, imitation is the highest form of flattery we should aspire to in our relationship with God. After all, being like Jesus shows a watching world just how much he means to S. Let's be honest whole lot easier said than done today. Pastor Jenny describes the key to being more like Jesus as he continues our study of Ephesians, mystery and clarity. If you missed any of our previous messages, you can listen now. JD Greer.com.

Now grab your Bible as we join Pastor JD for a challenging message today in chapter 5 foolish talk accrued joking which are out of place, but instead, there ought to be Thanksgiving will struggle to scroll all the switch to really what I like this we have what you would call you as a Victorian sense of humor. You know amount of accrued things are really funny pastors this week were all pastors of churches are size or larger, and one of the guys and is like late 40s.

What were those little callers multiply word flagellation simulation machines house that day.

We will control bank so he is putting around the room and you make this thing go all what high school others want to know what you think that's is that what you thought about a mind violation of this verse know okay you brought us to the snow started to maybe import taste. Maybe import taste but it's not what he's talking about here when he says, accrued, joking is not talking about making jokes about flagellation he saying that we should not joke about sexual immorality. 40 say. In other words, guys, we should not ever make jokes that objectify women, we should not talk about sex with women who were not our wives or for you girls means we shouldn't read and discuss trashy romance novels or TV shows or movies like he's just not that into you.

That's what makes our language and our behavior should not be like that of people who are enslaved to sensual lots and saturated by self-serving desire.

This should not even be ahead of that and eyes, but instead we should sound like people who rejoice in and love him and delight in God.

Verse three given to this covetous me to get a finger should not be named among you is covetousness.

Covetousness means desiring intensely something that you don't have the points could imagine. Be happy without it, covetousness means desiring intensely something but you don't have the point you could imagine me happy without it. Why is that not proper for the same reason, it would be improper for me to talk with my wife about how awesome. Another woman was measured every night upon my wife about how awesome somebody else's wife was right to be married to her life with her is awesome.

You won't have to grow in the mall and I might like to come home every night. That's not proper for a guy who was married and sold to my wife, it's even more improper bus around and talk that way about her to you, man is not much of a woman. JD is always wishing for another it dishonors her in the same way for you to sit around all the time and covet things that you think you need to be happy is an insult to God first five minutes verse, Paul calls covetousness, idolatry minutes we let something play the role of God in our lives. God in his presence should be the one thing the only thing that we absolutely must have to be happy and content in life when your attitude is. I just got to make this much money right I can be happy, but it's got to get into this school right got to have that job. I gotta get this promotion for life is no good.

About to have a relationship with him if I can't lose 20 pounds that is improper because it is insulting to God. You have given God's place to something else in your life when you are not joyful in some circumstance that you read you insult God in the eyes of the world because you're telling them he's not enough. I'm not saying you never sad or disappointed about certain things, of course not. I'm saying that underneath. Even your sadness and your disappointment is with joy that you belong to God and God belongs to you and I can never be taken away. So Paul says, see verse four.

Instead, our speech should overflow with thanksgiving and joy in God. See other opposites really worship in value God in whatever circumstance you will always be giving Thanksgiving will be coveting another situation giving Thanksgiving because wherever you are and whatever you're going through the presence and the love of the Almighty God. Verse five is your fourth reason Christians do righteousness, you may be sure of is 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. Number four. If we haven't given up rivals for God. We are not saved just for that McKenna plainly. We haven't given up rivals for God will not say to Paul is talking here to a church that in mind evidently a lot of people in the Ephesian church thought that they had an inheritance in the kingdom of God but they not give another sexual sin. Yeah, we know we want God to be a part of our lives. We want to be saved, you will go to hell, but will just keep doing the stuff over here on the side, because after all, everybody's doing it here in Ephesus is not all that bad, impulsive, verse five, but nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. There is an age old deception that our enemy has put in every generation of the church and that is that you can be a Christian and still do all those things and other inserts churches today. You hear it said like this except Jesus right distal prayer babysitter Christianity admit believe call one day you might learn to obey him, but that's later. Right now you trust Jesus. Paul says it plainly, you cannot become a Christian and continue to practice idolatry and pursue said that there's a story it's pretty disturbing for the life of Jesus were a guy comes a Jesus who looks like he is a prime candidate to be a Christian. They call him the rich young ruler. He is young he is successful he is rich.

He is moral. He knows religion he could spout Bible verse is off to you if that kind guy came in the most of our churches today put him on a leadership track you would make him a small group where the pipeline become an elder got everything Jesus looked into his heart and sees that even though everything is right on the outside.

This guy loves money more than he loves God is a Jesus says if I give up everything you haven't, follow me and the guy can do it is what Jesus realizes is that there is a condition on his obedience, and even though he's going to live like a model Christian.

Deep down in his heart there is something that conditions his obedience that he will obey Jesus if Jesus says that if I can't be Lord of all of your life. I will reward many of its so he says renounce all you have followed me understand.

He's not saying every follower of Jesus as a rite of passage signs away all their possessions to the poor. Some of them I think everybody does that, but he is saying the following Jesus means that nothing nothing could ever get in the way of your obedience and if God commands you to give all the way to the poor you do so without question.

If he commands you to tie you do so if he tells you to go to Africa then you go if he tells you you should not be dating this boy. You should not be sleeping together. You obey the only way to come to God only way is with absolute and unconditional surrender of religious teachers.

If you do more good than bad. Your fine gospel says the only way you can come to God is complete surrender and process what nobody deceive you with empty words speak candidly to you for a minute.

Unfortunately, a lot of churches have grown huge audiences with the preaching empty words we have told you except Jesus. But even that word except Jesus is like it if your toes are set as if Jesus is sitting around with his hat in his hand needing to be accepted by us. He doesn't need to be accepted by us and I wondered if you got good self-esteem needs us to accept him. We need to be forgiven and accepted by him. He's the Lord we need his forgiveness. Either one will say one time when you have accepted Jesus as my Savior.

I just got accepted him as my Lord. Yet not a salad bar right you will take parts of Emily parts of them. He is the Lord, and he only when you come to him as an absolute surrender. When Jesus calls followers called followers he told them, take up your cross here for us. That's become a sentimental symbol, and rightfully so, for the people to first heard that that was an instrument of torture and execution will be something like saying pickup your electric chair, strap it to yourself on the things that would show electricity your body and follow me.

He said renounce all that you have which means nothing could ever come in the way of your obedience. Not even precious relationships. Do you like family got admit take up your cross renounce all that you have is pretty different than admit believe call pray this prayer.

Everything should be fine and it maybe we pastors have preached empty words to fill up our churches but we are filling it up with people who have no inheritance in the kingdom of God knows I'm not talking about those you genuinely struggle with sin you got something in your life. Just keep struggle with him talking to those of you who think you belong to God, but refused to give up something you know that he is forbidden.

You will not walk away from a relationship that is wrong. You want to walk away from adultery or porn habit you think you come to God but you've never taken repentance seriously. To give you a crystal clear warning.

I want you to hear it as clear as I can say it. If you have not repented you are not saved you have no inheritance. And yes, this applies to a lot of us that are in these rooms that I'm talking to right now you're playing games with God and my prayer is that you better wake up before that illusion gets shattered before the throne of God. He says it's night. Do not be deceived by empty words.

You practice these things. You are unrepentant about the things with no inheritance, the kingdom of God.

Verse seven. Reason number five.

This therefore do not become partners with them one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord walk as children of light for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true techno party unfruitful works of darkness but instead expose them to things are going on here in these verses, verse number five. We do righteousness because we realize the simple idolatrous world is doomed.

We do righteousness because we realize the sinful idolatrous world is doomed to verse 11 unfruitful works of darkness, unfruitful literally means you useless or having no point what's going on here is we realize that there's no point in investing our lives in the sinful passions of this world because they have no future. When I first came to Christ are 16 years old. This is exactly what I saw. I did notice verse but this is what I will see I saw that the works of darkness were unfruitful.

I realize that first of all I a couple things I thought if there is a God, but he rules for all eternity.

And if there is a God and those who live for themselves ultimately have no future beyond the grave and ultimately only those who live for God will have a future in eternity. The second thing I realized was if there is a God and he is the creator that ultimately his way is best 16-year-old I didn't know that in my heart I didn't sense that yes, I just desire God. It wake up one day, but minutes when I might want on the date, God is not doing said I didn't think all that I just knew it to be true. I saw that it was unfruitful and the reason I say this is some of you are wondering what's wrong with you feeling yet you always talk to me more joy God but we don't out of the fog of war joins them. I wish I felt like you.

But don't what starts. This is a come understanding a belief that the works of darkness are unfruitful and sometimes it is a faith commitment. You realize that something is leading nowhere. Even when you don't feel it now, 20 years later, I can tell you more joy.

God and the reasons that but I did know that starting out. I do recognize was unfruitful and take a calculation she faith is living today in a way that you know there comes a day when you be glad that you did so faith is for things like this picture seen with me that you got a great job on the top floors of New York City's nicest buildings yeah cuppa coffee in your hand.

You make a huge salary lean back in your chair. You put your $600 Italian Pirelli shoes up on your desk. You look out your window from atop a Manhattan there and you think about how you got it all.

Money and power. What else is there one more detail the scene is taking place in tower one of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 at 8 AM it changes everything done all those things that are going to last a few more minutes coming to God mean saying God. I believe that you are God and I believe that ultimately all the works of darkness are leading nowhere and I don't feel that right now, since that I choose to believe it's true. And I arrange my life are on that for example I gave you that reasoning on such maybe don't track with her if you like to make any sense to me like sex outside of marriage that's really good.

I think it's okay fine, place your bet against God's you what you need to realize is, even if it makes sense to you. Ultimately, God's ways are the right ways and if you believe that you bring your heart into conformity with that even when you don't feel it again. Faith is living today in a way that you know one day you'll be glad you did.

One more thing in this passage to show you this is number six want to honor God before community of people who dishonor him as a final reason Paul gives you to abase either a personal level we want to honor God before community of people who dishonor verse 11 techno part of the unfruitful works of darkness but instead expose them. Verse 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

See, we know we live in a doomed world and most people live in darkness. And so we want to live. Paul says, in a way that others see the light of God in the midst of their darkness for the moon and the moon comes out at night when it's dark it's dark all around you look up and you can see the moon and reflected off of the moon is the light of the sun and the light of the sun even though you can't see the sign. The light of the sun coming off the moon is reminder that the sun is coming back on in a few hours. Believers ought to be like that in a world of darkness where they have the light of Jesus reflecting off of them so that others are reminded that God is coming back and that it is God's world and the only way that you can do that is by being close to unbelievers and having the kind of life that puts the light of God on display be up close to unbelievers and having the kind of life that demonstrates and puts God on display. To some people use this passage ever this past report as an excuse for believers to sequester themselves all from unbelievers back to where it says you know I have no partnership with the works of darkness artsy. We should mirror around unbelievers.

We need to be away so that we don't have any fellowship and we need to rebuke the works of darkness ever that you subvert for Christmas to stand in their pulpits in churches and rebuke the world close to it, rebuke it dirty. That is definitely not what that word means that word literally is expose expose the works of darkness. You live in a way that exposes the darkness therein. You live in a way that demands an explanation.

And then you're able to get that! You gotta be close enough to them for them to be able to see that expose does not mean you're walking to the mall, you know, rebuking, like you think God is always with that. Now we talking about expose means you live in a way that begs the question in everything you do you put them on display in your generosity and your love and your holy living in our worship. The old phrase that you some of you Virgos are the only Jesus I will ever see your the only Bible.

Some will ever read to church. That's the final question for us.

What kind of reflection are you giving about the nature of the beauty of God. This passage would warn us that when you and I joke about sin when we are stingy with our money when we do sloppy work with short tempered worship apathetically and lackadaisical a week we obscure others. Vision of God. Churches are often told you we are the ultimate apologetic for the gospel in a skeptical world we had to show people the difference, but the glorious Jesus makes in our lives as we do these are the six reasons he gives you to obey. We imitate God because we love them responding to the love of God. We realize that if we are pursuing idols that were not really believers. We realize that if that that that that we are putting God on display was a simple idolatrous world is doomed. We put God on display in the midst of a dark world target an assignment for you this week. I want you to make a list what you just to think through these areas in the gospel in these areas in your life. I want you to ask whether or not you imitating God whether or not you putting on display in these areas. If I don't.

You write them down right now. Right now, and then rate yourself later 1 to 10 then be the best one be the worst about how well you display God in these areas and then once you get your spouse to write you okay generosity patients which talk about what you watch your work ethic. What you do in your free time and asked to demonstrate the glory of Jesus to the world in those areas where God has put his finger in your life. Whatever area he has placed it on right now to gotta want to put you on display in this area want to demonstrate you back one step farther.

While some of you are doing that question is have you ever receive the gospel. As I explained in the beginning.

This is a free gift God's acceptance of you. His forgiveness is righteousness, the right to be his child is given to you as a gift you ever receive that gift is not you can do that right now.

Right now is not something you are usually Jesus.

I receive the gift to offer receiving an ideal full control of my life. Jesus said this in your own words, Jesus. I receive the gift to offer an annual full control of my life. You all I have is yours now change that.

It is my prayer that we would be people that are gospel saturated gospel. Loving it will be changed by credit, she would do that for the glory of Jesus for the sake of the dark will definitely see who is in Christ gospel to those areas in your life. We need his power to most accurately to a watching world. You're listening to Senate life Bible teaching ministry of pastor and theologian JD Greer if you join us late today.

You can listen again right now. JD Greer.com recently sat down with Pastor JD and asked him about an underlying question so many of us have about our lives in my more than what I do in my more than my occupation in my more than being a mom or dad, who am I got all that we think about these questions all the time but there always just underneath the surface like like you said Molly. Our culture defines who we are by what we do write anything about the second question you asked somebody wrap US in the name what do you do weekly assess somebody based on their occupation, going tell you that's a terrible answer because it means when you're doing well.

You feel good about yourself when you're doing poorly. Then you feel poorly about yourself. The Bible gives you a better answer. God tells us who we are and he says it who is making us in Christ to who we are already in Christ is the defining reality of our lives. It becomes the rock foundation anchor which you can go to any trial you can overcome any temptation and you can withstand any any assault so that's a good question I ask it to you. Do you listeners, who are you, that's the question the book of Ephesians answers and over nine sessions in a new study guide that goes along with the series will look at how Paul couple answers these questions are brand-new study will expose the transformational truth of the gospel and all its resplendent glory. Verse by verse. Don't you reserve your copy right now today I'm scrimmage anywhere.com you get a better understanding of God's not also a better understanding of you are in light of that like to send you a copy of our exclusive Senate life mystery and clearly Bible comes with our thanks and you donate to support this ministry level at $25 or more for your copy of this new nine sessions study the book of Ephesians we call 866-335-5220 866-335-5220 online JD Greer.com or mail your donation request. The study addresses your ministry backswing 2290 Durham, North Carolina nine Molly benefits. I'm so glad you doing today join us Wednesday on Senate life JD clear revealed the Christian life. Far from boring, like some people think more whole lot of action hear more from our study of Ephesians Wednesday on Senate life Greer ministry