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[0:00] I'm reading from Ephesians 5, verses 3-21. Ephesians 5, verses 3-21 But among you there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.

[0:25] Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure, no immoral, impure, or greedy person, such a person as an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

[0:48] Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

[0:59] For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

[1:12] And find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

[1:25] But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said, Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

[1:40] Be very careful, then, how you live. Not as unwise, but as wise. Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

[1:56] Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.

[2:07] Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

[2:21] Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word. Thank you that it reminds us how we can walk as light in wisdom. Would you help us now to hear now from your word, as we consider that together.

[2:34] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Here's a question. Do you need to turn away from sin in order to come to Christ?

[2:46] Let me say that again. Do you need to turn away from sin in order to come to Christ? Be careful. It's not a simple question. Have a think about it.

[2:58] Let's think about it logically. If God saves his people by grace, through Jesus, and if God's people are those who turn away from sin, can we logically say then, to become a Christian, you need to turn away from your sins?

[3:17] In other words, are we saved by our holiness? This simple question was asked in the 18th century in Scotland, in the Scottish church, and it kicked off a huge debate called the Marrow Controversy.

[3:32] And now Christians have debated all kinds of important issues throughout history. In the early church it was all about whether Jesus was God, or how are we saved?

[3:46] Is it fully God's work, or do we contribute to it? These are important issues that Christians have worked through. I think this question, though, is still one we're working through today.

[3:58] Are we saved by our holiness? I mean, on one end, you might think, no way! I am saved by grace, right? And if I am saved by grace, through faith in Christ, and not my good works, then how dare anyone tell me what to do in my life?

[4:15] If I am free in Christ, why shouldn't I be able to get drunk, or to sleep with whoever I like? Or if Jesus has forgiven me, then I am free. I am free to watch what I want, aren't I?

[4:28] But then I wonder on the flip side, maybe some of you feel the opposite. How could God possibly save me, if I am not good enough? If I am not holy enough?

[4:40] How could He possibly welcome me otherwise? Surely I need to fix up my bad temper before I could call myself a Christian. Or if I can't keep my lust under control, how could I even say I am part of God's family?

[4:52] Do you see the two extremes? On one side is the teaching that in Christ you don't have to be holy. And on the other extreme, there is a teaching that you have to be holy to be in Christ.

[5:08] I wonder which logic appeals to you more. I think what we see in our passage today, as the Apostle Paul describes what God's holy people, his building project, his new community, the church should look like.

[5:25] I think we see neither the extreme of antinomianism or legalism. Paul neither says in Christ you don't have to be holy. He doesn't say that, right?

[5:37] Nor does he say you have to be holy to be in Christ. He gives a third way. He says this, in Christ you will become holy.

[5:49] He says, as children of light, who you already are, you're going to live, you will live as God's holy people. Here Paul is walking the tightrope between law and grace, between who we are and how we are to live.

[6:04] So, look, don't get distracted by the fruity stuff about sex and alcohol just yet. To live out the fruits of a holy people, we've got to understand the roots of a holy life.

[6:17] We are children of light, yes. Called to walk in wisdom. I want to suggest that we look at our passage in three parts today. Three parts today. I think from verses three to six, we see Paul talk about the bad life.

[6:32] And then from verse seven to 14, we hear him talk in one sense about the bright life, right? Walking as children of light. And then finally from verses 15 to 21, he gives some great practical examples and lessons on how to live the balanced life.

[6:47] Carefully with wisdom, knowing that we're God's children. And so that's what we're going to cover today. The bad life, right? From verse three to six. The bright life from seven to 14.

[6:58] And then finally, we'll hear about the balanced life from verses 15 to 21. Let me read from verse three to five. 1. 2.

[7:09] 2. 3. 4. 4. 5. 6. 6. holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For you can be sure of this, no immoral, impure, or greedy person, such a man as an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

[7:35] Let's talk about sex. Said no Asian parent ever, right? Yet though, the Bible has plenty to say about sexuality, right? Right from the first chapter of Genesis, right? You can't hide it from our kids. Let's talk about it. This is the book that says how God made us male and female in his image, right? How Adam and Eve were given to each other to enjoy a one flesh union that brings the blessing of children and closeness, right? There's even a whole book of the Bible, right? Believe it or not, Song of Solomon, that celebrates, right, the mystery and beauty of sexual love. So the Bible doesn't say sex is gross. The Bible says sex is God's gift to his people, and it points to his promise-keeping love and intimacy with his people. Sex is a pointer to the love that God has for us, like a husband has for his wife. And like fire in a fireplace, right, sex between a man and a woman, in the lifelong commitment of marriage brings warmth, it brings delight, joy, and life. That's what the Bible teaches.

[8:41] And yet with all of God's gifts, right, not just sex, but sex especially, I think, can be distorted and misused. And in our secular, enlightened world, sex isn't gross, but it's been elevated, hasn't it, to become a God in itself. We use nakedness and debauchery, wild living to sell things. We use sex to draw eyes towards what we want them to see, and to trap, to abuse, take advantage of people.

[9:12] In our world, sex is like a fire that's escaped the fireplace, right? And it's just teared buildings and houses and people apart. It brings hurt and heartbreak because of the way people use it.

[9:26] And I don't know, some of us, we've grown up in between two cultures, right? On one side, no one talks about it. And then on another part of my life, everyone talks about it. It's hard, okay? There's the pull, right, to swing from, oh, it's sex, let's never talk about it, to, wow, can we stop talking about it? But God's word is clear, all right? Sex that serves yourself, all right, that is selfish, it is part of the bad life, not the good life. Verse three is clear, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality and impurity. The word here that we get translated sexual immorality, the original, the word is pornea. Pornea sounds like where we get the word pornography from. Pornea is much broader than that, okay? It's a broad catch-all term for all kinds of sexual immorality. So it's not just sex before marriage, it's not just going too far while you're dating, it's not just sending explicit images, it's phone conversations, whatever. It's all of that and more. It's any word, picture, thought, or deed that dishonors God's good design for our bodies, okay? That's sexual immorality. And I know the games we play, right? Okay, we try the how far can we go question, right? Or where is the line question, all right? That's like asking the question, can I light this fire here? How about here? Can I light the fire here, right here? It's the wrong question.

[10:51] Can I submit to you? It's the wrong question. The Bible says instead, right, verse three says, not even a hint. Don't let it even be named among you. And I suspect, right, I'm not 100% sure, that in verse four, when it talks about obscenity, foolish talk, coarse joking, I think Paul's warning about the kind of talk that happens when you are just saturated, okay, with sexual images and innuendo, okay? All right? You just start talking and dropping all kinds of hints in your conversations or just entertaining them in your conversations. And I was reading something and I was like, people are trying to sell stuff and that, what is a sexy burrito anyways? I don't get it.

[11:32] But people do that. They are out of place for God's people. Rather, let there be thanksgiving. Because verse five warns us, there is a huge warning about the bad life. And it is this.

[11:48] For of this you can be sure, no immoral, impure or greedy person, this person as an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. If you hunt for pictures to satisfy you and you have no shame, maybe you're not a Christian, right? If you are sleeping with your boyfriend or girlfriend without a hint of regret, maybe you're serving a different Lord, okay? If you just have no desire to control your appetite for food, for clothes, for stuff, whatever that you're greedy for, maybe your God is your belly or your credit card, whatever, and it's not Jesus.

[12:28] Remember though, all right? This is a hard warning, I know. But remember Paul is writing to the Ephesian church. He's writing about those who have turned into God's holy people, who have been declared them. We have to read, remember, and have in view, right? They've been saved by grace through faith. And Paul says to them, don't be like those people who don't know Christ, okay? I think the wrong thing to do with these verse is to take them and make them entry requirements into God's kingdom, because that's not what Paul does, okay? Paul says, he says to God's church, you're part of a new kingdom, a new people. And when the world looks at you, I want them to see citizens who worship Jesus, not their bodies. I want them to trust me, not their bank account, all right? And that's why Paul says, let no one deceive you, verse 6, with empty words. For because of such things, God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Don't listen to people who say that you can have sex with who you want and still follow Jesus. They may even have a Bible college degree, but they are empty, deceitful words.

[13:41] You cannot love God and money. You cannot worship sex and your savior, okay? Sexual immorality, greed, okay? That kind of crude joking. They're marks of those who chase the disobedient life, that aren't covered by the blood of Christ, who deserve God's wrath. That's the warning, isn't it?

[14:02] That's the warning about the bad life. And then from verse 7 to 14, Paul shifts. He shifts to talking about kind of the bright life. He starts throwing a lot of imagery about light, right? And I think the main command in this section from 7 to 14, we see it in verse 8. So if you look in your Bibles, verse 8, it kind of like partway through verse 8. I wonder if you can see that command.

[14:28] Live as children of light. I think that's the main command. So, I mean, let me read 7 and 8. Therefore, do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Side note, in verse 7, when it says, don't become partners with them, we've actually seen that kind of language before. Remember, in the early, the first half of Ephesians, we were talking about how we were joined together in Christ.

[14:56] We were raised together. We were knit together. There was all these together words. Here is another together word. He's saying, don't go join together with them, okay? Because you already joined together with the church. More important, though, is the motivation. Why do we walk in light?

[15:10] In verse 8, it says, for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, right? Notice Paul didn't say, once you walked in darkness. He said, once you were darkness. And notice Paul didn't say, but now you are walking in the light of the Lord. He says, now you are light in the Lord. He's appealing to who we are, our identity, right? Remember, Ephesians 2 taught us this. We were by nature children of wrath, destined for destruction, but now we are light, okay? In Christ, that is your new nature, your new self. And so Paul is saying, live like that. Live as children of light.

[15:48] And that is only possible if you are sharing in that light, that light that comes from Jesus Christ. And thankfully, right, Jesus said himself, I am the light of the world. Whoever walks in me will never walk in darkness. Isn't that good news? Isn't that good news? Jesus, who lived a pure, chaste, holy, sinless life, who was never greedy, who never spoke a coarse joke, who was sexually pure, for every one of his 33 years. His light he offers to us when we are in him, right? In a world full of corruption, we can be in Christ and walk as his light. That's what Paul is trying to argue, right?

[16:30] The Christian life is the bright life, and this brightness is ours in Jesus, okay? When you are joined to him by faith, his light becomes what leads the way for us. And notice too, right, verse 10, that part of living the bright life as God's people is to find out what pleases the Lord.

[16:49] And you're not going to know what pleases the Lord by guessing, friends. You're going to have to go looking, right? Sifting. The word here, right, actually is to test what pleases the Lord, right? Like you are trying to examine something, trying to suss out whether a restaurant is worth checking out, trying to suss out what the life is that you should live. Listen to the stories, then, of men and women who chase after God's heart, okay? Think of who you can respect, right? Some of the older aunties and uncles in the church who have walked with Jesus faithfully. Follow them. Ask them what they've done, how they live. Or you can learn the attributes and character of God by reading his word, seeing what he's like to his people over and over again, okay? And I wonder if two weeks ago, you had a go at looking through Jesus' life, you know, as part of your groups. What did you see?

[17:41] Did you experience or did you see something fresh about how he walked and talked and loved? That's walking in the light. That's following Jesus and seeing, I think, what we see in verse 9. I think if we followed Jesus and we observed his life, we would see goodness, righteousness, and truth that we can imitate. That's the fruit, I think, when we actually commit ourselves to living in the light, his light. Living the bright life also means we will expose evil for what it is, okay? We see that in verse 11 to 14, right? Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

[18:19] There is this tendency in the church, and it is so sad, to cover up failures, especially sexual failures, okay? When a pastor commits adultery, okay? The leaders around them kind of close rank, okay? If they are abusing someone in the church, they try and cover it up. That is not walking as light.

[18:42] Have nothing to do with that kind of darkness. Bring them to light as Jesus would. When there is clear, unrepentant sin from a Christian leader, it does not matter how many followers they have, how many books they've sold. The light of Christ demands that we expose them. We bring it to light, as Jesus did.

[19:04] How powerful is light, isn't it? Right? Jesus' light brings us from darkness to light. It exposes us for who we truly are. And I love the kind of the language of what he quotes here in verse 14. For it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said, wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Perhaps Paul has in mind, you know, Isaiah 60, where it talks about arise and shine for the light has come on you. Maybe it's even, you know, referencing Jonah, you know. Jonah, the captain says, arise, you know, wake up, O sleeper. That's what holiness looks like. It looks like being raised from the dead by Jesus, letting his light shine on us, his goodness become ours, his purity become ours, his righteousness become ours that we live out. Okay? When Christ shines on us, then women and men are not objects for sexual pleasure. They're brothers and sisters we serve. When Christ's light covers us, food is not something to obsess over or get addicted to.

[20:11] They become good gifts that we share with those in need. You see? This is the way of Jesus. It is not be holy so you'll be saved. And it's not don't worry about how you live. Rather, there's a middle way.

[20:25] In Christ, you are his light. So live as children of light. Walk and live according to who you are. And I don't know, maybe you're here and you've never cared for rules. And you want to live life your own way.

[20:42] Or maybe you're here and you've been trying all your life to keep rules without the power of the gospel. Either way, I wonder, when you read verse 12, for it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

[20:56] Is that you? Are you thinking that, oh man, I hope no one ever finds out what I do in secret. Maybe you're in darkness. And if that's you, if you don't see light, can I plead with you, come into the light.

[21:09] The light of Christ. See Jesus on the cross. The land went dark. And he was bearing the Father's wrath for all of our sins.

[21:23] Our uncontrolled lust. Our attention-seeking jokes. Our idolatry. Our greed. Our addictions. Jesus paid for it all. So come to him.

[21:35] The Bible never says, be holy and I'll save you. It says, you're saved by grace. Now come and be holy with me. Remember, the order matters so much.

[21:47] It says, you're dead in your sins, but in Jesus' name, wake up. Arise. Let Christ shine on you. Now walk in light and sin no more.

[21:58] So don't join the bad life, right? It leads to destruction. Come and live out the bright life in Christ's light. In light of all this, then Paul then moves on and he shares and starts to share really practical ways, okay, to get this balance right.

[22:14] To live out the light of Christ, okay, but secure in our assurance that we are in him. Okay, so we now talk about the balance life, don't we?

[22:25] So let me read a few of these and I'll just share some comments along the way. Okay, verse 15. Be very careful then how you live. Not as unwise, but as wise.

[22:37] You know, when I read a statement like that, that is not something, you know, you would say if you didn't love your children already, right? Okay, I'm trying to imagine, right? If my kids are here and, you know, before we cross the road, I'm going to say, walk carefully, be wise, you know.

[22:52] It's not like I'm going to say, walk carefully, be wise. And if you don't do that, I'm not your dad anymore. No way, right? So this is, everything from here down is from a father who loves his children, okay?

[23:04] So remember that, okay? Don't get put off if it sounds too hard. This is a father who loves his children. This is our heavenly father who says, let me help you live wisely, okay? And there's a balance, right, in Paul's words.

[23:16] I think as we heard Venus read them, I think you just see some wonderful practical advice, okay? And this is advice for people who are in the light. Because think about it, everything you read here is going to be very unattractive to a non-Christian, okay?

[23:32] No non-Christian will ask, okay, verse 16, make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil, okay? How can I make the most of my time here on earth? Said no atheist ever, okay?

[23:43] Usually, right, my neighbor who doesn't believe Jesus, they might be keen to make the most of their time. But that's not because they think the days are evil or Jesus is coming. It's because they want to enjoy their life now to the max, you see?

[23:56] So this is advice for Christians. But friends, remember this. Time is ticking. Jesus is returning. The days are evil. And so how we use our time matters, okay?

[24:09] This is the motivation for us to stop being lazy. The command here actually literally says in the Greek, buy back the time. Imagine that, okay? Can you redeem the time? Could you redeem your time this week?

[24:21] Okay? No atheist is going to think that way. But the wise Christian will ask, am I making the most of my time at high school? While I'm at uni, how am I making the most of this time?

[24:31] How am I redeeming these years to equip myself in the faith, to encourage one another, to plug into a campus ministry, to serve here at church? Or maybe I'm in the workforce, right?

[24:43] And I'm earning in the dollars. I'm not going to ask, am I comfortable? Am I bored? Am I redeeming my time? Okay? While I have this earning power, am I using it the best? Am I making the most of every opportunity?

[24:56] You see, that's a great question for a Christian walking in the light to ask. Here's another great question for a Christian walking in the light to ask. Verse 17, don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

[25:08] All right? Non-Christian would never ask that, right? Lord, what's your will here? But if you don't want to be foolish, Paul says that's exactly what a balanced Christian will do. All right? What is your will here?

[25:20] Lots of people talk about God's will as if it was a mysterious thing. Okay? There are two parts of God's will. Okay? There's his revealed will. Okay? And then there's his kind of secret will or decreed will, which we don't see until we kind of live the end of our life.

[25:34] Right? So don't go chasing all the time. God, what is your kind of secret will for my life? Who am I going to marry? You know? Who am I going to live? Okay? What job am I going to get? Okay?

[25:45] Sometimes we chase that all the time. But God has revealed lost in his normal revealed will. Okay? There are plenty of issues. God's going to just say, make a wise, informed choice.

[25:56] Ask someone out. Go for it. You know? Switch your job. That's fine. I haven't written something about it. Honor your parents, though. All right? Because he said that. Okay? And he said this. Yeah? Do good.

[26:06] All right? This is the will of God. 1 Peter 2.15. That by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Okay? So you're going to do good. That's God's will. If you're about to click play on something that you shouldn't watch, remember God's will.

[26:21] 1 Thessalonians 4.3. This is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality. If you're starting to pile up treasures on earth, right?

[26:33] Micah 6.8. He has told you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Magic, right?

[26:44] Just open your Bibles. You'll see so much of God's will. All right? Just start here. Another thing, right? Right? So what's your will here, Lord? Okay? How do I make the most of my time?

[26:55] Here's another thing, okay? How can I live a spirit-filled life? Something atheists don't ask. But we, as balanced Christians, should ask. All right? What does it say here? Don't get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, which means wild living.

[27:10] Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Okay? So Christians have different views on alcohol. We won't dive into that. I don't think that's his main point here.

[27:21] He does say, though, I'll just point out, he doesn't say, don't drink any alcohol. That's not what he says here. All right? He is saying, don't get drunk, because it leads to wild living. He's probably got in mind the kinds of parties, right, in first century Ephesus, among those who aren't Christians.

[27:37] Okay? Parties that would last for days and days and lots of drink and prostitutes and slaves and all kinds of things. But Paul is also very wise. I think he's saying here, you're going to find it extremely difficult to walk as children of light if you just did 10 shots.

[27:54] Okay? It's going to be really hard to control yourself. He's saying you will struggle to treat your sister or brother with purity if your brain is swimming with, like, soju or whatever that you guys drink.

[28:05] Look, God doesn't want us to say, you know, be filled with vodka, be filled with this or that. He wants us to be filled, right, what does it say? With His Holy Spirit.

[28:17] Okay? That's the contrast. That's the direct contrast, okay? This is not just about alcohol. It's about being filled with the Spirit. His Spirit. His assurance. Okay? His comfort.

[28:28] And the Spirit always points us to live for Jesus. But how exactly? Again, lots of people want to say, this is how you get filled with the Spirit. This is how we get filled with the Spirit.

[28:38] I think Paul is much more straightforward because actually, it's hard to see in the NIV, but some of our translations will show that everything from verse 19 to 21 is kind of following on from the command, be filled with the Spirit.

[28:53] So it's kind of like Paul is saying, be filled with the Spirit and here's how. Okay? So if holiness matters to you as a believer, if you want to walk as light, if you want to be Spirit-filled in your Christian life, here are some practical ways.

[29:08] One of them, verse 19, is to be speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Singing and making music in your heart to the Lord, right? That's a great verse to memorize.

[29:20] Not just the worship team, though. I think all of us. God's truths, as we've just done, mixed with great music. It's not just good lung exercise. Okay? It's a great way. It's such an important way for us to support our holiness.

[29:35] Think about it that way. When I'm singing and when I'm worshiping God in song, I'm trying to support my holiness. Okay? When I'm singing, praise God from whom all blessings flow, I'm saying, don't praise everything else that I'm trying to chase this week.

[29:50] You get it? Okay? Paul doesn't tell us, I mean, what instrument he played or how well he could set up a mic or change slides, but look, he knows, like every believer, when you're filled with the Spirit, okay?

[30:04] You're going to be keen to sing from your heart to the Lord. That's what it looks like. I love some of the practical advice too in verse 19, right? Speaking to one another. Have you ever thought of worship as a conversation?

[30:17] All right? Are you just going to let the worship team up here have all the fun? You're going to sing back, right? Okay? If you've noticed me turning like kind of slightly sideways and like looking at some of you when we sing, that's no accident, all right?

[30:29] It says speaking to one another. Okay? Don't, yeah, so if you, yeah, keep your eyes open, you have a treat, okay? We're singing to one another. That is what God says, right?

[30:39] Do you not see? And that encourages one another, okay? We sing to one another and it says as well, right, at the end, making music in your heart to the Lord. It's a two-way conversation and we need it.

[30:52] Another thing I love, right, okay, verse 19, it says, with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, okay? We don't know exactly what Paul's referring to in his day. It's probably not Hillsong. They didn't have it yet.

[31:04] It's probably not whatever else we sing, but it looks like it's different, okay? So just like breakfast, lunch, and dinner are different, we need a variety of songs when we sing, don't we? Okay, we're going to sing songs of praise.

[31:17] We're going to sing songs that are sad. We're going to sing songs to God and songs where we talk to each other about God. That's okay. Songs that comfort us, songs to confess our sin, all kinds of songs.

[31:28] There can be older ones, there can be newer ones. Most importantly, we want songs to help us walk that fine line, right? Between what God has done in Christ and how we're to live it out, right?

[31:39] We don't want to get the balance wrong, we just talked about that, right? If we only sing about what we'll do, we might think that what we do matters most. If we're only going to sing what God's done, then we won't know what we'll do, okay?

[31:51] We need both. If living brightly is like fighting a worship war, a battle, then singing is our bows and arrows. Singing is our ammunition, right?

[32:03] To fight against the God of pleasure, God of comfort, the God of wealth. We shoot them back when we sing to each other. That's how much it matters, okay? So worship. A second way to spot a spirit-filled Christian, Paul says this, okay, I'm going to skip down to 21.

[32:18] Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Notice the in reverence of Christ, so in fear of the Lord, okay, submitting to one another. We'll chat more about this next week because he basically expands this, okay, this into a whole section.

[32:33] But the spirit-filled Christian is someone who is going to willingly lay down their preferences in their relationships around them, okay? They're going to gladly listen to their parents, okay?

[32:45] They're going to gladly work hard for their boss. They're going to do all these things, not to just win favor, not to just get ahead because they serve the Lord Jesus. And there's balance, right, and beauty in how we serve and submit to one another.

[32:59] So that's what it looks like, submitting to one another. We'll talk more about that next week. But finally, I think my favorite advice here, living the balanced Christian life, verse 20, always give thanks to God the Father for everything.

[33:13] In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It's good, isn't it? If there's ever a situation you're faced with and you don't know how to approach it as a Christian, go to this one. Go to this one.

[33:25] Okay? If you're not sure if you can or can't do something, ask yourself, can I give thanks to my Father in Jesus' name for what I'm about to do or see or watch or pursue?

[33:38] Okay? Alright? Before you pick a hit TV show or whatever else that is looking really attractive right now. Okay? Could you honestly say, thank you, Father, for what I'm about to watch?

[33:51] Okay? Honestly. Or when you eat this meal, am I thankful for it to the Father? Or am I just thinking about how to make it look good as possible for my phone? Okay? The spiritual Christian does this, okay?

[34:03] Thankfulness. Thankfulness. Okay? The spiritual Christian is someone who'd rather share what they're thankful for rather than join in and talk about the latest crude joke.

[34:15] Did you notice, actually, verse 4, right? No crude joking but rather thanksgiving. You see that? You see that? And the Christian who is thankful even after disappointment or pain, okay, who maybe they've just experienced something tragic and yet they can still say, thank God that this happened.

[34:37] That is the mark of a spirit-filled Christian. That's what we want to look like. So friends, be thankful. Practice it. Okay? Maybe get up next morning, tomorrow morning and write down five things you're thankful for.

[34:51] That's a good practice. Not because it earns you Jesus but because you are so blown away by what He's done for you. That thankfulness just flows from our hearts, right? Friends, we come into the light of Christ by faith.

[35:04] We talked about this, right? We're already messed up people. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us and as His light shines in us, we will become more and more holy, more like Jesus.

[35:18] We'll live differently, wisely, I think with a brightness hopefully that others will notice and be interested in. Brightness that is different to the immorality, the greed and the foolishness that sits outside God's kingdom.

[35:33] And as God's Spirit fills us, we'll be a singing church. We'll be a submitting to one another kind of church and we will be a thankful church.

[35:45] Let's ask God to help us to be that kind of church. Oh God, we thank You. We thank You, we thank You, we thank You.

[35:57] Not because of anything that we've done but because of what Your Son Jesus did when He hung on the cross and took on the worst darkness, the worst pain, the Father's anger so that we would be saved, so that we would be reconciled to You.

[36:16] Father, we thank You for Him. And we thank You that His Spirit lives in us, shows us what it looks like to walk as children of light. Father, You've loved our soul.

[36:29]  Help us now to live for You. You've loved our soul. Help us now. We want to live for You. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.