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*This interrupts our scheduled sermon series as we will pick up the teachings to the families in our upcoming Fireproof series.

Today I want to talk a bit about holiness and righteousness, the kind that Paul mentions in Ephesians 4:24 and explains in Ephesians 4:25 – 5:20.  Why is it so important?  Why does it matter to God what kind of lives we live? Does holiness, righteousness, purity matter?  Because God has set a line, a standard of purity and we’ve gotten so far from it.  We don’t even remember where it was, we were back there when we started as children in the faith.

This is so important because in our spiritual lives we are interconnected with each other and just a little bit of sin or strife works through disrupting the peace of the body.

Ephesians 4:25 states, “We are members of one another,” therefore let us guard against…

Errant Words (Read Ephesians 4:25 – 5:6)

1. What’s the problem with errant words?  They destroy others!
2. We see Ephesians 5:6 that lies and deception wound and lead astray.
3. It’s not just lies, evil talk that tears people down (Ephesians 4:29).  We are so good as destroying each other with our words!  Particularly our angry words are sinful and destructive (Ephesians 4:26).
   1. So often we’re willing to blow up and let the shrapnel of our angry words spray all over anyone within radius of us.
   2. Psalm 4:4 exhorts us to deal with it quietly and Hosea 7:6 reminds us to not allow it to smolder all night
4. Another way our words destroy each other is through obscentity (Ephesians 5:4).
   1. Crude speech and sexual humor were as common in ancient pagan society as they are today. They just lacked the technology by which to spread it!
   2. The word for “filthy” here means to bring embarrassment.  It’s exposing those things which ought to be private and covered.  It objectifies people instead of allowing their own decency and dignity to remain intact through decency.
5. Several places in this passage God is referred to as Father and we are referred to as children.  Children don’t have this problem really.  They say hurtful things, but it’s only as we grow that we truly learn how to hurt each other through words and prey on each others’ insecurities.  We’ve grown up, but in all the wrong ways.
6. The only way to defeat this is through prayer, the Psalmist prayers in Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”  Maybe you need to set this as a screensaver on your computer or your phone.

Sinful Associations (Read Ephesians 5:7-14)

1. What’s the problem with sinful associations?  It destroys us and when we allow sinful associations to get in the way of speaking truth to our brothers and sisters in Christ – it destroys them.
2. The impure will not inherit the kingdom of Christ (Ephesians 5:5).  Paul tells to not be associated with the impure, but to live as children of the light.  (Ephesians 5:7-9)
   1. The word “associated” is translated more literally in the NASB as “partakers.”
   2. Paul tells us to be in the world but not of it and we see this truth here.  We are not to disassociate totally from evil doers as we’d have to live alone!  Rather we are not to share in evil with them.
3. Why can’t we have sinful associations?  Or associations of influence with darkness?  Because their influence influences the entire body.
   1. This does not mean that the body doesn’t love them, it means that we don’t allow them to influence us.  Galatians 6:1 tells us to bear with the unrighteous, but take care that we are not tempted.
   2. Realize a person’s influence can come in many shapes, through books or TV.
4. Part of our job is to expose the evil among us (Ephesians 5:11).  This is church discipline.
5. I’ve been a part of church discipline that is so restorative and glorifying.  I’ve also seen attempts at church discipline that have come off as self-righteous assassinations.
   1. The difference comes in Ephesians 4:29 when we start to ask, “Will this build up?”
   2. This is related to our first point.  How do you tell the truth but not tear someone down?  In love.  What if you just want to tell the truth but not build someone up?  Then just be quiet.
   3. Too often we’re willing to pass judgment on groups of people without speaking to them first.  This is gossip!
   4. We are to love the sinners in the world into the church and those that persist in the church we love them out – so that they would be loved back in!  The focus is on their restoration.

Careless Ignorance (Read Ephesians 5:15-16)

1. Too often we take this approach with God, “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”  But this is not an excuse!
2. Ephesians 5:15 – We must use care, the word is often literally translated, “Look Out!”
   1. The problem with careless ignorance is that it that it leads to a life that is less than best!  We often go into situations blind, with no heavenly perspective to guide us.
   2. Our days are short and dark – we must make the most of them!
3. Ephesians 5:10 tells us how to do that, we need to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.
   1. We are told to imitate God Ephesians 5:1-2 – We must know God to imitate him!
   2. We know as much about God as we want to and we have as much of God as we want.
4. If you come into a situation and you don’t know if it’s right or wrong – then wait and find out!

Foolish Behavior (Read Ephesians 5:17-20)

1. This is summary of everything above, but it summarizes a life that is lived in ignorance towards God.  The problem with this is that it destroys us and our community.
2. Ephesians 5:18 – Many people in the ancient world believed that drunkenness could produce a sort of possession by Dionysus, god of wine. Today we know that’s true and now many people who surrender control of themselves to their god of wine.
3. Ephesians 5:17-19 – We are commanded to not be foolish, but understand what God’s will is.
   1. I think that we to turn to many places looking for guidance and maybe even control of our lives.  We drink, we listen to talk radio, we watch talks shows, but we don’t ask our Father.
   2. Children don’t have this problem, they come to dad and they ask their mom.  It’s only as they get older do they start to realize, “Mom and dad don’t say everything I want to hear.”

by conducting transparent lives illuminated by the light of Christ.

The transforming power and event takes places in Ephesians 5:12-14.  Here we see that God takes all of our sinful behavior, exposes it to the light and it is there that even our sinful behavior becomes light.  How is that?  It is transformed as we allow the light of Christ to expose our lives – we change.  I’m a better husband at church, I’m a better parent in public, and I’m more faithful when I’m with you, why?  Because I’m exposed.  We must allow ourselves to live lives transparency for it’s only then that we will truly become members of one another.  Through this transparent light we are transformed if we will truly allow ourselves to inherit the kingdom as little children.

There are three character traits in Joshua’s life that made him such an excellent leader…

1. Committed – Joshua knew what was right and led others to do it. (Joshua 5:2-7)

• Joshua was the only one recorded in scripture, other than Moses, who did not fall prey to the Golden Calf sin (Exodus 32). Committed to Moses and God, staying on the mountain when others’ hope had failed.
• Here as he leads the entire nation in a re-dedication to God’s commands and directs that all the men be circumcised. Joshua lived this way throughout his life. Joshua 24:15 is his final charge.
• Don’t think this was easy! Joshua grew up with a generation that was judged severely. Only he and Caleb were allowed into the Promised Land from his generation. The opportunity for sin was everywhere (Genesis 4:7).

2. Adventurous – Joshua moved beyond righteousness and into service. (Joshua 5:11-12)

• For over forty years the Israelites had manna, now it was gone. No longer would they wake up every morning, go to the edge of the tent, fall down and eat. They moved beyond the boring into the great! (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
• We no longer hunger to read God’s word, believing we know it all already. We no longer pray expecting God to answer. We no longer come to church expecting to hear something new. We have lost our desire to explore the infinite majesty of God!
• Parable of race runners is in Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo, Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel (Zondervan/Youth Specialties, 2006).

3. Grounded – Joshua was constantly humbled in the sight of God and respected by the people.

• “Trees that grow tall have deep roots. Great height without great depth is dangerous. The great leaders of this world, like St. Francis, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., were all people who could live with public notoriety, influence and power in a humble way because of their deep spiritual rootedness. Without deep roots we easily let others determine who we are. But as we cling to our popularity, we may lose our true sense of self. Our clinging to the opinion of others reveals how superficial we are. We have little to stand on. We have to be kept alive by adulation and praise. Those who are deeply rooted in the love of God can enjoy human praise without being attached to it.” -Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey (Harper Collins, 1997)
• Joshua had deep roots, grounded in God. (Exodus 33:11, Joshua 5:13-15)
• It was Joshua’s commitment to God and humility in his presence was what gave him credibility with God’s people (Joshua 1:17).

Today more than ever we need Christian leaders who will be like Joshua. Who will be leaders in the church! Who will be leaders in the workplace! Who will be leaders in the home! We need people that are committed to righteousness, adventurous in following him and grounded in humility before God.

(Sermon audio available here on Bowling Green Christian Church’s website.)