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Walking in the Light · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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In this chapter, there's much mention of walk and our walk with God.
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And in verse 8 it mentions this idea of walking in the light.
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And it says, for one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the world.
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Walk as children of light.
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We all know, I'm sure, it's not an easy thing to live as a Christian in the world in which we are today.
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If it was easy, I think we should be asking ourselves questions.
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Why? Where are we going wrong?
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Because the Bible makes it quite clear to us that it's not going to be easy.
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Whether we're looking at it in the Old Testament or the New Testament,
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we find right throughout all the generations of God's people,
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that in Christian life, walking with God is not an easy thing.
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But we also see too, as you think of our walk with God,
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that there are so many blessings and privileges in it as well.
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Seeing that, even in hearing the men praying,
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we come with all that's sort of going wrong around us in our own lives as well.
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But we also come giving thanks to God for all that we have through the creation,
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the wonder of creation,
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and the wonder of the fact that we have his word that still speaks to us.
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So there's so much variety in our lives.
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There's the challenges and there's the joys,
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there's the highs and there's the lows.
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And we see that even as we read in this chapter in Ephesians.
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You see the similarities of the world in which we live today,
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the challenges that they were facing are the same challenges that we face today as well.
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So how do we cope with the challenges that we face on a daily basis?
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How do we cope with people who spurn God,
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reject God,
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go so blatantly against the law of God?
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How do we deal with people who make God just a joke,
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make a laugh of God?
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We look around as we see all that,
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but as well as that,
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how do we deal with ourselves?
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How do we cope with ourselves?
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And we think of our own hearts,
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how they can be hard,
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how they can be cold,
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how we can be distant from God.
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How do we cope with that?
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How do we tell a generation coming after us how to live as Christians?
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How do we tell our young people,
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this is how you deal with the pressures to conform in this world?
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When society says the norm is one thing,
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but the Bible says something very different.
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When we hear our young people saying that they're the ones who are odd
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because they don't do these things,
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how do we help them stand up and say,
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no,
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you are the ones who are in the wrong.
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We have the word of God as the light to our feet,
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and it helps us along the way.
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So there's all of these challenges going on.
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How do we encourage people to seek the Lord?
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How do we show them the light of the gospel in a world that says the gospel is strange
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or at odds with the world,
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the day that we live in,
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the age that we live in?
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How do we show the reality of the gospel
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and the power of the gospel
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and the beauty of the gospel to our people who are blind?
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We have all of these challenges to face.
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To live as a Christian today isn't easy,
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but we shouldn't be surprised.
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And we can take heart because of the word of God
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and that word that is even before us this evening,
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the light of the gospel that we have.
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And that's really the theme that Paul has in this section
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as we think of the light and being imitators of God
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as he starts at verse 1 in chapter 5.
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Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love.
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You have that theme of walking with God there from the outset of the chapter.
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You have the theme of darkness and light throughout these verses as well.
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And it is all about our walk with God.
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How do we walk as Christians in this world?
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Well, there's two things I just want us to take,
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especially our two points are really from verse 8,
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but it surrounds these verses as well.
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And they are the change of life that we see here
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and the call to live.
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The change and the call.
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Because Paul makes it very clear where the change comes in.
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We see that with these words,
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one time you were darkness,
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but now you are light.
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So there's the change that has come in.
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But it doesn't end there.
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Because then he goes on to say in the same verse
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that you are to walk as children of light.
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So it's to go on.
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How are we to live?
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We are to live walking as children of light.
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So I just want to take these two things from this verse this evening.
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The change and the call to live.
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So the first thing we see here is the change.
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Paul in these verses tells us that there is to be a difference in us
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to those around us who are not believers.
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But he does this in showing what we once were.
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And notice what it says.
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He shows us the difference by saying,
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you were once darkness,
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but now you are light.
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The change is there for us.
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And Paul in the letter to the Ephesians,
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he quite often uses,
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he uses this phrase often,
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you were.
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You see it a few times throughout the chapters here.
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You were.
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It says in chapter one,
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you were sealed.
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So it kind of begins with this idea of the Christian,
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you are sealed in Christ.
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You are brought in to Christ.
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But he also makes it clear that you were dead.
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You were dead in your sin.
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So he's clear that what we were as well.
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You were dead in your sins.
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You were separated from Christ,
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he says as well.
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You were separated from Christ.
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So once we were not with Christ,
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we were separated from him.
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He says you were far off.
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Again,
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it's that kind of distance.
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It's this,
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you were far off.
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But then he says,
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you were called.
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So as you read through the letters of the Ephesians,
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all these words,
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you were,
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it shows the whole change that comes into the Christian life.
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How we are sealed,
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is that we are brought from death to life in Christ.
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We were separated and far off,
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but we were called.
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And so Paul is using all of these descriptions to remind us of the change that came about in our lives.
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But the two of them,
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the two that stand out for me in terms of these where,
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is when you look at the fact of dead in your sins and the darkness that we see here.
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Because what does he say?
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Well, first,
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what doesn't he say?
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When you go back to that text in chapter 3,
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when you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
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he doesn't say you were dying in your sins.
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He doesn't say you were falling away in your sins.
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He says you were dead.
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You were,
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there was nothing.
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You were dead in your sins.
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There was no life at all.
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You were dead.
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But you were made alive in Christ.
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So it's dramatic.
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You were dead.
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And it just shows us that's what we were.
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And it changes,
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the remarkable changes that we are brought to life through faith in Christ.
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And you see,
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it's quite similar here in verse 8 and chapter 5 as well.
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It's a missing word,
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if you like,
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that changes.
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At one time,
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you were darkness.
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You would expect in.
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You were in darkness.
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But it's not there.
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It says you were darkness.
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And that's the reality as well.
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It's not just that we could say,
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well,
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I didn't know where I was.
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I was.
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I was lost.
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It was not me.
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He says,
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no,
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you were darkness.
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Not just you were in darkness,
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but you were darkness.
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And that just adds to what he's saying here.
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It's not just the reality of you were dying in sin or you were in darkness.
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It's more than that.
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You were dead in your sin.
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And you were darkness.
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You were the darkness in this world.
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And then he changes that by saying,
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you are light.
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So again,
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you might expect to say,
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and maybe even more so expect to say,
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you are now in light.
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But he says,
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you are light.
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And then we see the burden of responsibility in this change.
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You were darkness.
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Everything that you showed to the world was darkness.
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But now,
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you are light.
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Not just in the light,
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but you are light.
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You are what the world sees now.
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A change has taken place.
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And so,
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it's dramatic.
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And that's what being brought to life in Christ is.
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It's dramatic.
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For everyone who is brought,
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not just from darkness,
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but in the sense of being in it,
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but being the darkness,
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to being made light.
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And being brought from death to life.
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It's dramatic.
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So you are light.
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Light.
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And when you think of Jesus himself,
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and when you think here of verse 1,
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be imitators of God as beloved children.
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When you think of being light,
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we have to think of Jesus.
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And we have to go back to the Gospel of John,
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especially chapter 8.
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And there in the Gospel of John,
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chapter 8,
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towards the beginning of the chapter,
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Jesus is talking to a crowd then.
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And it's at the end of a festival.
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The festival of booths,
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or the festival of tabernacles,
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it was called.
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And as this festival came to a close,
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on the last night of the festival,
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four great pillars of light were lit.
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Enormous pillars.
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It was said there was about 65 litres of oil
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in each pillar burning.
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And this light shone over Jerusalem as a whole,
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and shone almost outwith Jerusalem.
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There was so much light.
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But then as the festival closed,
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and there was much dancing and celebrating
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at this festival,
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as the festival closed,
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the light would go out.
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And it was at that point
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that Jesus said to them in verse 11,
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and Jesus spoke again to them saying,
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I am the light of the world.
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So he is the light of the world.
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That's what he was making so clear there.
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And he says,
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whoever follows me
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will not walk in darkness,
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but will have the light of life.
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The Christian will have the light of life.
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And that's what we see Paul making so clear here.
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Being imitators of God
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as dearly beloved children.
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Walk in love.
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That's where he begins in this chapter.
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And then in verse 8 he says,
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you were darkness,
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but now you are light.
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When you become a Christian,
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when you're born again,
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it's not just the surroundings that change.
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It's you.
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You are changed.
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Not just taken out of darkness
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and put somewhere new.
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You were part of darkness,
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and now you're light.
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A change takes place.
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The Spirit of God awakens us
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to see the sin in our heart
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and to seek the Lord.
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But we're not just in light.
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We are light.
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And so there needs
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to be a difference.
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There needs to be a difference in us.
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If we are to be light in this world,
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we have to reflect
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the glory of Christ
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in our lives.
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And many people have approached this
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in different ways.
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How then are we to live
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in this world?
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What are we to be?
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How is the change
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to be seen by others?
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We kind of find
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we go from extremes,
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one extreme to another,
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where some people say,
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well, we can be in this world.
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We can become all things
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to all men.
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And they go on in this life
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just seeking to live
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almost just like they were
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in some ways.
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Doing the things they once did.
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But saying,
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maybe I'm a Christian now.
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I'm trying to compartmentalise life
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as a Christian
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and saying,
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oh, I can still do these things.
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I'm not that different.
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And to go to that extreme
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is dangerous
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because we often err
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on falling back
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into our old ways.
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And it happens.
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Or we downplay truth.
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We don't hold on to the truth
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as we should
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because we don't offend people.
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So we can be like those
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who are blowing in the wind.
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You think of the decision
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of the Supreme Court just now
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and how you see people
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all of a sudden
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speaking very differently.
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When that wasn't the case,
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when it hadn't been made
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that clear in law,
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so many were just going along
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with what they thought
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people wanted to hear.
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Now it's made law,
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they've got a different opinion.
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So it's like blowing in the wind.
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It's our truth,
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whatever we want to believe.
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And that's the danger
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with a Christian as well.
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We can be blown around
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by the wind of change as well
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if we're erring
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in that side of things.
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But the other danger is
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that we go to the other extreme
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where we separate ourselves
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completely.
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And Paul again
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makes clear that
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we are to be
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in the world
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but not of the world.
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So it's finding that place
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where we don't just
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bring ourselves
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out of the world
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and completely
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a bit like the Amish people
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who
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not wanting to be influenced
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by a godless culture
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just take themselves
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right out of things
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and live just by themselves
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in their own ways
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and over time
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they've just become
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so odd
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to the world.
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Same as being a monk.
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You can think
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we should just take ourselves
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right out of things.
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Sometimes we feel
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like we just want to get away
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from the world
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but we still have to be
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in the world
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because that's what
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this is saying to us.
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You were darkness
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but now
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you are light.
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And if we are to be light
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well that light
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has to shine.
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It has to shine
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into this world.
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We are to be light.
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We know we can't be
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the perfect light
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but we are still
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to be the light
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that shows the glory
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of God.
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Someone once
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put it like this.
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He said
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when the sun sets
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and the moon rises
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we see the moon
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because the sun
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reflects
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its light
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off it.
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We sometimes
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see the moon
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full
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and on a bright
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full moon night
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it can be
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so bright at times.
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Other times
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it might be a half moon
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or a quarter moon
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and it's dimmer.
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And he said
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likewise
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it is with the church.
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When Christ
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has
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departed
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this world
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the church
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is to be his witness
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but it's reflecting
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that light
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and there's times
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he said
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when the church
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reflects
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like a full moon
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brightly shining
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into this world.
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There's been glorious
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times for the church
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reformation times
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revival times
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times of great blessing
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other times
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when the light
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has not been
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so bright.
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We could think
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of our own day
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is the light
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shining as bright
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it's been dark
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but maybe we are
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seeing glimpses
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of more light
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coming
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but it's all
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about reflecting
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the glory
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of God.
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And our prayer
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is that we would
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be this light
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in this world
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that people would
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see the change
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and that people
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would desire
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that change
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in their own lives
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and their own hearts.
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You were darkness
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but now
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you are
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the light.
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So
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we see
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this
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change
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but we also see
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there's this call
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to live.
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It's not just
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about coming
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to Christ
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in faith
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and that's it.
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You were darkness
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but now
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you are light
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in the world.
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Walk
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as children
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of the light
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for the fruit
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of light
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is found
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in all that is
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good
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and right
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and true.
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And so
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he's going on here
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there's this call
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to live
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to walk
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as children
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of light
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you must be
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children of light.
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must be
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the children
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of God.
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We were blind.
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It wasn't just
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that we didn't
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see God's glory
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we were incapable
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of seeing it.
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We couldn't
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see it.
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We had no ability
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or desire
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to see such a thing.
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We didn't even sense
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a need of the saviour.
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We didn't understand
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the justice
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and holiness
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of God.
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They meant
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nothing to us.
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Issues of life
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death
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and eternity
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these were just
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words.
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But the call
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to live
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is when God
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comes
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and opens our eyes
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to the understanding
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and seeing things
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anew.
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I think it was
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Morda that quoted
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the text from
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2 Corinthians
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the light
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of the knowledge
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of the glory
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of God
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in the face
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of Jesus Christ.
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We have seen that
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and we are called
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by God.
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And we begin
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then to see
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our condition
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as guilty sinners
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but we also see
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the wonder
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of the grace
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of our Lord
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Jesus Christ.
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We see his death
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on the cross.
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We see all
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that it meant
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and entailed
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all it showed
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us of our sin.
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But then we see
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the glory
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of his resurrection.
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We see the fact
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that he is risen
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and that he is
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coming again
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and all of these
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things
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they begin
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to open our eyes
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and to give us
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understanding
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and we begin
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to live
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in the light
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of this truth
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in the light
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of the gospel
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in the knowledge
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of the glory
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of God
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in the face
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of Jesus Christ.
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So we come
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to faith
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and we go on
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in faith
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and we seek
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to live
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as children
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of light
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but how do we
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do this?
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Well
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the fruit
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of light
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as it says
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here is found
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in all
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that is good
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and right
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and true.
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So you have
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these three words
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all that is
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is good
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the fruit
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of light
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consists
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of these things.
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Goodness
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is one of the
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attributes
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of God
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wisdom
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power
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holiness
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justice
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goodness
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and truth
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that is how
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God
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is described
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and verse 1
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says
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be imitators
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of God.
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So this goodness
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should be
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in us.
19:53
Behind the word
19:54
goodness
19:54
here is
19:56
generosity
19:57
generosity
19:59
serving
20:00
the Lord
20:01
and that can
20:02
go back
20:03
to verse 2
20:04
walk in love
20:06
as Christ
20:06
loved us
20:07
and gave
20:09
himself up
20:10
for us
20:11
a fragrant
20:11
offering
20:12
and sacrifice
20:13
to God.
20:15
The goodness
20:16
of our Lord
20:17
the generosity
20:18
of our Lord
20:19
and that he
20:20
gave all
20:21
for us
20:22
and so in
20:24
walking in the
20:24
light
20:25
we should be
20:25
marked
20:26
in that way
20:27
as well
20:27
with the
20:27
goodness
20:28
of Christ
20:29
in us.
20:30
You are
20:30
light
20:31
therefore
20:32
this goodness
20:33
should be
20:34
part of our
20:35
lives
20:35
to walk
20:36
in dependence
20:37
of him.
20:39
Again
20:40
goodness
20:40
is seen
20:40
as one of
20:41
the fruits
20:41
of the spirit
20:42
in Galatians 5
20:43
and since
20:45
it's a fruit
20:46
it can take
20:46
time to
20:47
develop in
20:48
us as we
20:48
probably know
20:49
too well
20:50
change in
20:51
our hearts
20:52
is ongoing
20:53
that sanctification
20:55
so goodness
20:56
should always
20:57
be growing
20:58
in us
20:58
that generosity
20:59
of spirit
21:00
of God
21:01
then we see
21:03
too we are
21:04
to walk as
21:04
children of
21:05
light with
21:06
this righteousness
21:07
all that is
21:09
right
21:10
we should
21:12
walk as
21:13
children of
21:13
light
21:13
for the
21:14
fruit of
21:14
the light
21:15
is found
21:15
in all
21:15
that is
21:16
good
21:16
and right
21:17
so righteousness
21:18
is part
21:20
of it
21:20
seeking to
21:22
conform to
21:23
the righteous
21:23
standards
21:24
of God's
21:25
word
21:25
and in
21:26
every way
21:26
that we
21:27
live
21:27
upright
21:29
before God
21:30
and before
21:30
others
21:31
that's what's
21:32
behind
21:33
this word
21:34
how do we
21:35
treat all
21:36
people around
21:37
us
21:38
how do we
21:39
show the
21:40
justice of
21:41
God to
21:42
all around
21:43
us
21:43
so the
21:44
righteousness
21:44
of this
21:46
light should
21:46
be growing
21:47
in us
21:47
as well
21:48
and then the
21:49
third one
21:50
there we see
21:50
we are to
21:50
be a people
21:51
of truth
21:53
honesty
21:54
and again
21:55
integrity
21:55
comes into
21:57
this as well
21:58
the life of
21:59
the unbelievers
22:00
is those who
22:01
are deceived
22:02
those who have
22:03
believed a lie
22:05
who are being
22:05
led astray
22:06
but we are to
22:08
be marked out
22:08
by truth
22:10
let no one
22:10
it says
22:11
in verse 6
22:12
deceive you
22:12
with empty
22:13
words
22:14
so we have
22:16
the word
22:17
of God
22:17
we have
22:19
truth
22:20
in the word
22:20
of God
22:21
and all of
22:22
these things
22:23
should be
22:23
working together
22:24
in us
22:25
so that as
22:26
we see
22:26
these three
22:27
then it
22:28
leads us
22:28
then into
22:29
verse 10
22:30
trying to
22:30
discern
22:31
what is
22:31
pleasing
22:32
to the
22:33
Lord
22:33
and where
22:34
do we
22:35
find
22:35
where do
22:36
we discern
22:37
what is
22:37
pleasing
22:38
to our
22:39
Lord
22:39
what we
22:40
find it
22:40
in his
22:41
word
22:42
we don't
22:43
make up
22:44
our own
22:46
truth
22:46
we have
22:47
the truth
22:48
of God
22:50
and so
22:51
for this
22:52
to walk
22:53
as children
22:54
of the light
22:55
we need
22:56
to be
22:56
with
22:57
God
22:58
corporately
23:00
together
23:01
informally
23:02
together
23:03
and personally
23:04
in all
23:06
of these
23:06
ways
23:07
making
23:07
Jesus
23:08
our
23:08
priority
23:09
every day
23:10
walking
23:12
in the
23:13
light
23:14
and when
23:16
you look
23:16
at the
23:16
light
23:17
that there
23:17
is in
23:18
Christ
23:18
and coming
23:19
to him
23:19
there's
23:21
this
23:21
progression
23:22
in our
23:23
lives
23:24
as well
23:24
there's a
23:25
few
23:26
texts
23:26
just
23:26
four
23:27
texts
23:27
I want
23:27
to
23:27
highlight
23:28
as we
23:28
conclude
23:29
one is
23:30
Exodus
23:30
34
23:31
and you
23:32
go back
23:33
to the
23:33
time
23:33
when
23:34
Moses
23:34
was up
23:35
Mount
23:35
Sinai
23:36
when he
23:38
came down
23:38
from Mount
23:39
Sinai
23:40
it says
23:40
he didn't
23:40
realize
23:41
that the
23:42
skin of
23:43
his face
23:43
shone
23:44
because he
23:45
had been
23:45
talking
23:46
with God
23:47
so you
23:49
have there
23:49
the light
23:50
of the
23:50
glory
23:51
of God
23:51
shining
23:53
in the
23:54
face
23:54
of Moses
23:54
because he
23:55
had been
23:55
talking
23:56
with God
23:57
so there's
23:59
the reality
24:00
for us
24:00
to be
24:01
talking
24:01
with God
24:02
to be
24:02
in the
24:03
presence
24:03
of God
24:05
and then
24:07
you come
24:08
into the
24:08
New Testament
24:09
and you have
24:10
Matthew
24:10
chapter 5
24:12
verse 14
24:13
so if we
24:14
have the
24:15
light in us
24:15
we are to
24:16
let that
24:16
light shine
24:17
you are the
24:18
light of the
24:19
world
24:19
a city
24:20
set in a
24:21
hill
24:21
cannot be
24:22
hidden
24:22
nor do
24:23
people light
24:24
a lamp
24:24
and put it
24:25
under a
24:25
basket
24:26
but on a
24:26
stand
24:27
and it
24:27
gives light
24:28
to all
24:29
in the
24:29
house
24:29
in the
24:30
same way
24:31
let your
24:31
light shine
24:32
before others
24:33
so they may
24:34
see your
24:35
good works
24:35
and give
24:35
glory to
24:36
your
24:37
father
24:37
who is
24:38
in heaven
24:38
let this
24:40
light
24:40
shine
24:41
before
24:43
others
24:43
we have
24:44
this light
24:45
you were
24:45
darkness
24:46
and now
24:48
you are
24:49
light
24:49
then we
24:51
have the
24:52
text here
24:52
in Ephesians
24:53
that comes
24:54
in verse
24:55
14
24:55
it says
24:58
there
24:59
therefore
24:59
it says
25:00
awake
25:00
o sleeper
25:01
and arise
25:02
from the
25:03
dead
25:03
and Christ
25:04
will shine
25:05
in you
25:06
it's almost
25:08
like there's a
25:08
summary there
25:09
of Paul's
25:10
letter to the
25:10
Ephesians
25:11
you were
25:12
dead in your
25:13
sins
25:13
awake
25:14
it is time
25:15
to awake
25:17
and to
25:19
rise
25:20
and Christ
25:22
will shine
25:23
in you
25:24
so here
25:25
is the
25:26
hope
25:26
that we
25:26
have
25:27
as the
25:28
Christian
25:28
the Christian
25:29
life
25:29
is full
25:30
of
25:30
challenges
25:31
but we
25:31
must live
25:32
in the
25:32
darkness
25:33
of this
25:33
world
25:34
by being
25:34
lights
25:35
in this
25:35
world
25:36
by allowing
25:36
Christ
25:37
to shine
25:38
in us
25:39
and so
25:41
as we
25:41
go on
25:42
in this
25:42
world
25:42
we also
25:43
have the
25:43
hope
25:44
of
25:44
eternity
25:45
as well
25:46
the darkness
25:47
that we are
25:48
taken out
25:48
of here
25:49
the light
25:50
that we
25:50
are
25:51
is with
25:51
the hope
25:52
of the
25:52
fullness
25:53
of this
25:54
glory
25:54
and we
25:56
see that
25:56
in the
25:56
gospel of
25:57
Matthew
25:57
chapter 13
25:59
verse 43
26:00
where it
26:01
says then
26:01
the righteous
26:02
will shine
26:03
like the
26:04
sun in
26:05
the kingdom
26:06
of their
26:07
father
26:08
so you
26:09
have this
26:10
it's a
26:12
conclusion in
26:13
some ways
26:13
but it's just
26:13
a beginning
26:14
in another
26:14
where you
26:16
will shine
26:16
like the
26:16
sun in
26:17
the kingdom
26:17
of their
26:18
father
26:19
with a
26:20
Christian
26:21
will shine
26:22
for all
26:23
eternity
26:24
that's the
26:25
wonder
26:26
that we
26:27
have
26:27
we're brought
26:28
from being
26:29
darkness
26:30
in this
26:30
world
26:31
to being
26:31
light
26:32
letting our
26:33
light shine
26:34
before us
26:34
the light
26:35
of Christ
26:35
to being
26:37
eternally
26:37
shining
26:38
in the
26:39
kingdom
26:39
of the
26:40
father
26:40
so that
26:42
we have
26:42
the wonder
26:43
of the
26:44
salvation
26:44
that is
26:45
ours
26:45
in
26:45
Christ
26:46
the
26:47
light
26:47
that we
26:48
have
26:48
in
26:48
Christ
26:49
in
26:49
us
26:49
and the
26:51
light
26:51
that we
26:51
have
26:51
for
26:52
eternity
26:53
with
26:53
him
26:54
so let
26:55
us
26:55
seek
26:56
to be
26:57
those
26:58
who
26:58
discern
26:59
this
26:59
light
27:00
we
27:01
were
27:01
darkness
27:01
but now
27:02
your
27:02
light
27:03
walk
27:03
as
27:04
children
27:05
of
27:06
light
27:06
let us
27:07
pray
27:07
our
27:11
father
27:12
in
27:12
heaven
27:12
we do
27:13
thank you
27:13
for the
27:13
light
27:14
of the
27:14
gospel
27:14
we thank
27:15
you that
27:15
it shines
27:16
in the
27:17
hearts
27:17
of
27:17
unbelievers
27:18
not just
27:19
to bring
27:19
us from
27:19
darkness
27:20
to light
27:21
but to
27:21
bring us
27:22
from being
27:22
darkness
27:23
to being
27:23
light
27:24
and we
27:25
pray that
27:25
each one
27:26
of us
27:26
will seek
27:27
to walk
27:27
ever
27:28
closely
27:28
with you
27:29
being in
27:29
your
27:30
presence
27:30
that we
27:30
might
27:31
shine
27:31
the
27:31
glory
27:32
of
27:32
God
27:33
even
27:33
in
27:33
our
27:33
faces
27:34
as we
27:34
think
27:34
of
27:35
Moses
27:35
how he
27:36
did
27:36
Lord
27:37
draw us
27:37
ever
27:38
closer
27:38
to
27:39
yourself
27:39
and keep
27:40
us
27:40
as the
27:41
apple
27:41
of your
27:42
eye
27:42
we ask
27:43
all these
27:44
things
27:44
for the
27:44
forgiveness
27:45
of our
27:45
sins
27:45
in
27:46
Jesus
27:46
name
27:46
Amen
27:47
we're
27:50
going to
27:51
conclude