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welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God you can turn to Psalm 97 for our call to worship this evening psalm 97. and I'll begin reading in verse 1. the Lord Reigns let the Earth Rejoice let the multitude of Isles be glad clouds and darkness surround him righteousness and Justice are the foundation of his throne a fire goes before him and burns up his enemies round about his Lightnings light the world the Earth sees and trembles the mountains melt like Wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole Earth the heavens declare his righteousness and all the people see his glory let all be put to shame who serve carved images who boast of Idols worship him all you Gods Zion hears and is glad and the daughters of Judah Rejoice because of your judgments O Lord for you Lord are most high above all the Earth you are exalted far above all gods you who love the Lord hate evil he preserves The Souls of his Saints he delivers them out of the hand of the wicked light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright and heart rejoice in the Lord you righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name amen we can turn in your hymn book to Psalm 93 Psalm 93 will use a familiar tune and will stand as we sing together psalm 93. is foreign foreign [Music] foreign [Music] let us pray our blessed God and Holy Father we come again into your presence on this Lord's Day evening to acknowledge that you are indeed most high that you are from Everlasting to Everlasting that you are Father Son and Holy Spirit worthy to be praised worthy to be glorified and honored we thank you for the created order it certainly displays as the psalmist said your righteousness the heavens declare it as well we thank you for your Sovereign Providence that you govern all your creatures and all their actions and we praise you for Redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ we bless you for the gospel of our Salvation we know we're not heaven bound because of our goodness or our Merit or our law keeping we're going because of what Christ has accomplished on our behalf we give praise to you for his life of obedience to the law of God we give praise to you for his atoning work on that cross and for his resurrection again the third day and that through him we have forgiveness and the righteousness that that avails with God almighty fighting we give praise to you for the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit we pray that he would be with us tonight guiding us as we worship and may we indeed worship you in spirit and in truth may we approach you with that reverence and with that awe that is that is so typical of what we find in scripture when you demonstrate your glory to your creatures and does well God may it be mingled with great joy and gratitude and Thanksgiving for all that you have done for us in and through our Lord Jesus Christ and as we gather together tonight we are thankful for the church we thank you for the brothers and the sisters that are that are called out of Darkness into Marvelous Light we thank you that you bring us together and cause us to worship you and cause us to Fellowship one with another and to seek to encourage each other and to build each other up in our Most Holy Faith so God may you bless this time together and may you be glorified through it and do forgive us now for our sins the Apostle calls us to let our conduct be worthy of the Gospel we know we're not saved by that conduct we are saved by the the grace of God Almighty through faith in Jesus Christ but in light of that we're called to live in a particular Manner and yet we find that proneness to wander and proneness to leave the god that we love so we confess that remaining corruption and we ask for cleansing in the Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as well God we pray for any and all who are still dead in their trespasses and sins that you would awaken them by the power of the spirit that they would hear the gospel and by Grace would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation we ask God that you would bless other churches here in our community we thank you that we're not alone we pray for those that are Faithfully holding forth the word of truth that you would bless and prosper them we pray father that the men of God that that preach the word of God would be faithful in all things that they would indeed be able to say with the Apostle Paul that they have not shrunk back from declaring the whole counsel of God Almighty as well we pray for our our sister churches the one in Armstrong and in Surrey we pray for the Brethren and Dryden and we thank you for the the churches in sigua to peke Honduras we just pray God for each of the pastors and these local bodies that they would be Faithfully serving the lord God most high as well we pray for pastor Andreas and the church and Medicine Hat we just commend our brother to you and to the word of your grace we pray for that church that they would know growth and they would know the presence of God they would know blessing upon their services and upon their witness to that Community as well father we pray for the persecuted church this morning we read several prayer letters concerning the people of God and suffering under oppressive government suffering as a result of false religion and God we pray that the people of God would be faithful in the midst of suffering that they would indeed shine his lights and a crooked and perverse generation and they would have that courage and boldness to hold forth the word of truth then Lord please bless the missionary Enterprise we know there are multitudes that that do not yet know the the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ so send forth Men acquited by the Holy Spirit identified by the church to go therefore and to make disciples of all the nations to baptize in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and to teach observance to the commands of Christ and with that Blessed assurance that Christ is always with us even to the End of the Age may you be merciful and may you cause your face to shine upon the Nations and call out men and women boys and girls from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and God finally we pray for the civil government the Apostle tells us to pray for kings and all who are in Authority that we may lead Peaceable and quiet lives and God we we thank you for the Liberty that we presently enjoy we are concerned about the the encroachments of a government upon the religious expression of a people we've seen it in the last couple of years we just pray God in heaven that you would turn their hearts in a path of of righteousness and in a way that is consistent with the revealed law of God and we pray that whatever may come in terms of the government your church would be found faithful worshiping and praising and glorifying and preaching Christ in him crucified and resurrected and we pray these things in his Most Blessed name amen well you can turn with me again in your hymn books to 538 hymn number 538 will stand as we sing together [Music] discoveries [Music] foreign [Music] between myself [Music] well you can turn with me in your Bibles to the Book of Numbers for our consecutive scripture reading through the Old Testament we're a Numbers Chapter 30. Numbers Chapter 30. I'll begin reading in verse 1. then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel saying this is the thing which the Lord has commanded if a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement he shall not break his word he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth or if a woman makes a vow to the Lord and binds herself by some agreement while in her father's house and her Youth and her father hears her vow and the agreement by which she has bound herself and her father holds his peace then all her vows shall stand and every agreement with which she has bound herself shall stand but if her father overrules her on the day that he hears then none of her vows nor her agreements by which she has bound herself shall stand and the Lord will release her because her father overruled her if indeed she takes a husband while Bound by her vows or by a rash utterance from her lips by which she bound herself and her husband hears it and makes no response to her on the day that he hears then her vows shall stand under agreements by which she bound herself shall stand but for us husband overrules her on the day that he hears it he shall make void her vow which she took and what she uttered with her lips by which she bound herself and the Lord will release her also any vow of a widow or a divorced Woman by which she has bound herself shall stand against her if she vowed in her husband's house or bound herself by an agreement with an oath and her husband heard it and made no response to her and did not overrule her then all her vows shall stand and every agreement by which she bound herself shall stand but if her husband truly made them void on the day he heard them then whatever proceeded from her lips concerning her vows or concerning the agreement binding her it shall not stand her husband has made them void and the Lord will release her every vow and every binding oath to afflict her soul her husband May confirm it or her husband may make it void now if her husband makes no response whatever to her from day to day then he confirms all her vows or all the agreements that bind her he confirms them because he made no response to her on the day that he heard them but if he does if he does make them void after he has heard them then he shall bear her guilt these are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses between a man and his wife and between a father and his daughter in her youth in her father's house amen well let us pray Our God and our father we know from the scripture from The Ten Commandments that you put a premium on truth and we see here the necessity to pay one's vow and Solomon will later say it's better not to vow than to make one and and to break that that promise so God help us to be careful help us to see the the beauty of the Savior who swore to his own hurt according to Psalm 15 and may we follow in his train give us Grace to love your word to speak according to your word and may it be the case that we hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against you and God bless again this world we know there is a a lack a dearth with reference to the truth of God most high we pray that you'd raise up more men and qualify them and fit them for gospel Ministry and send them forth and planting churches and evangelizing those in in various places that need to hear the truth as it is in Jesus Christ and we ask this in his Most Blessed name amen well you can turn again with me to hymn number 172. 172 will stand as we sing together you can turn in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians 5 as we continue to work our way through Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus our Focus this evening will be on verses three to seven but I do want to read the entirety of chapter 5 beginning in verse 1. therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not even be named among you as is fitting for Saints neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor course jesting which are not fitting but rather giving of thanks for this you know that no fornicator unclean person nor Covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of Disobedience therefore do not be partakers with them for you were once Darkness but now you are light in the Lord walk as children of light for the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness righteousness and Truth finding out what is acceptable to the Lord and to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them for it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret but all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light for whatever makes manifest is light therefore he says awake you who sleep arise from the dead and Christ will give you light see then that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil therefore do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is and do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation but be filled with the spirit speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord giving thanks always for all things to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ submitting to one another in the fear of God wives submit your own husbands as to the Lord for the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is out of the church and he is the savior of the body therefore just as the church is subject to Christ so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of Water by the word that he might present her to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that she should be holy and without blemish so husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies he who loves his wife loves himself for no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it just as the Lord does the church for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church nevertheless Let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband amen well let us pray Our Father we thank you for your word again we pray for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit now to guide our thoughts and see this transition from Darkness to light to the Saints the Believers the new men and women in Christ Jesus grant us help God not only to receive that word but to put it into practice to avoid the things that Paul condemns to pursue those things that Paul commends and help us as individuals as families as a church to certainly display the glory of the Gospel or to Adorn it rather by our by our good works forgive us cleanse us and wash us and guide us now by the spirit we pray through Christ Our Lord amen well in this particular section the Apostle continues to encourage the people of God to live consistently with their calling in Christ Jesus Remember That in Chapter 2 verses 1 to 3 he describes what we look like before we came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and he uses the language of walk in chapter 2 verse 1 he says in you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world so now that we've been justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ according to chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 he comes to the Practical section in chapters four to six and look at chapter 4 verse 1. he says I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called verse 17 this I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk verse 1 of chapter verse 2 of chapter five and walk in love chapter 5 verse 8 walk in wisdom I'm sorry light and then in chapter 5 verse 15 he says to walk in wisdom so there's this emphasis on our conduct it must be appropriate in light of the saving grace of God operative in our lives and here he takes up that theme of movement from Darkness to light he's been dealing in the categories of new man if you look back at chapter 4 specifically in verse 20 he says you have not so learned Christ if indeed you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus you put off concerning your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and Holiness so as new men and women in Christ Jesus were to live in a particular way so he's still operating in that context still giving us sort of instruction on how to live as Christians but it's not new man emphasized it's rather darkness no longer be in the darkness like you were as the old man but pursue that light in which the new man traffics in which the new man has his orientation so he deals specifically in verses three to seven with sins of the flesh these are unsavory things these are not happy thoughts to be sure but they're things that the people of God need to get their minds wrapped around I'm mindful that there are children so I will try to be delicate in terms of explanation and Exposition but he describes the Deeds of the darkness in verses three to seven he's done this a bit in Chapter 4 verses 25 to 30. but the reference there is more corporate it's our conduct toward one another it's our conduct within the life or context of the church when we come to these Deeds of the darkness they're more private they're sins committed by individuals before a holy God obviously fornication involves two people but the other sins I think are all sexual in nature both the actions in verse 3 and then the speech in verse 4. I think what Paul is dealing with is seventh commandment transgression he is dealing with the violation of sexual ethics as God's ordained relative to his people in this present evil age so I want to look first at the prohibition of the sins of the Flesh in verses three and four secondly the consequences associated with the sins of the Flesh in verse 5 and then finally the exhortation to resist the sins of the Flesh in verses 6 to 7. so notice the prohibition of the sins of the Flesh in verses three and four so I said verse 3 deals with the specific actions and verse 4 deals with speech the speech obviously reflects the condition of our heart Jesus taught that in Matthew chapter 15 18 to 20. the things that come out of our mouth are symptomatic of the condition of our heart so it makes sense for Paul to couple not only the actions but the speech together because the believer not only has to resist these particular actions but the believer is not supposed to talk about these particular actions we're supposed to refrain we're supposed to show or demonstrate the changed heart of the new man by the manner in which we speak so with reference to the sins of the flesh notice the action of fornication he says that in verse 3 but fornication and that simply means sexual relations outside of marriage the Old Testament condemn this in Exodus 22 16-17 Deuteronomy 22 and then again I'm sorry Deuteronomy 22 specifically at verses 28 to 29. so fornication is unlawful sexual relations outside of marriage God has not got a problem with relations inside of marriage God ordained it thus when he made Eve and brought her to Adam he knew precisely what was going to happen so God is the Lord and gives that gift but it's supposed to be utilized in the context of Covenant marriage you're not supposed to engage in that particular activity unless you're married in other words there's no privilege without the responsibility there's no privilege of that activity without the Covenant sign involved that you will be faithful and that you will be committed and that you will indeed serve that other person so the Apostle condemns the act of fornication and with reference to this brief Vice list that he gives us in verses three and four it's not comprehensive as I said it focuses primarily on sexual sin and there's reasons for or that because sexual sin is rampant in the Godless culture we think that Canada and America in the 21st century is sort of the Pinnacle or Apex of godlessness well the Roman Empire was certainly no friend to Christian virtue the Roman Empire was not a consistent place in terms of sexual asset the Roman Empire was debauched and certainly when there's a debauched culture the people of God are tempted the people of God don't always easily relinquish those past activities so the Apostle deals with some symptomatic sins that do describe the condition of a darkened heart and so with reference to this he deals with sin that is rampant in a Godless Court culture as well personal versus Corporate these are sins that are intimate that I don't mean that you know literally but they're intimate in terms of persons versus churches now it certainly happens unfortunately within the church but these are there's a personal Dimension here versus the corporate Dimension verses 25 to 32. and then as well look at verse two walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us so what's Paul's command there what's Paul's exhortation we're to engage in self-sacrificial Love Now sexual sin is the opposite of that that is self-indulgent that's not self-sacrifice that is self-indulgent and so the very height of or epitome of or the stark contrast to walking in love the way that Christ does is to walk in darkness and to engage in this sort of activity that is contrary to the law and the will of God so fornication is denounced by the Apostle Paul not just here as I said it's an Old Testament uh there's a condemnation in the Old Testament but this appears in several Vice lists in the New Testament a vice list is just that it's a list of Isis it's a list of sins it's a list of things the people of God are supposed to avoid people of God are prohibited from partaking in he does this in Romans chapter 1 at verse 29 he deals with First Corinthians chapter 5 verse 1 First Corinthians chapter 6 verses 12 to 20. First Corinthians 7 verse 2 First Corinthians 10 verse 8 Second Corinthians 12 verse 21 why because the Corinthians came out of a culture that was very debotched I think I've told you before there was a verb coined in the early uh first century called to corinthianize it meant to engage in sexual immorality so those people who had been called out of darkness and Delight had still that remaining corruption and so Paul has to exhort them on several occasions to refrain from that activity it's in the vice list in Galatians chapter five but uh Galatians chapter 5 but turn specifically to first Thessalonians chapter 4. first Thessalonians chapter 4. while you're turning there it's also in Revelation 21 verse 8 and revelation 22 15 where it is symptomatic of those excluded from the presence of God that's going to be the argument that the Apostle uses in this particular context to caution the people of God know that people who practice these things will not inherit the kingdom of God but notice in first Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3. for this is the will of God if you ever struggled with the will of God people do from time to time I I want to know what the will of God is and typically it's in the context of should I go to college should I work in HVAC should I marry this particular boy or this particular girl well man or woman let's not marry at boy and girl age but what should I do what I want to know the will of God and there's this desire to kind of peer behind the curtains as it were and know God's particular plan and Providence for your life well Brethren you don't get that in the pages of scripture I think the the teaching of script scripture is clear if what you pursue is not a sin against God you're free to pursue it you could buy the yellow house or the brown house the Bible doesn't tell you to buy one or the other insofar as you're not sinning against God God gives you Liberty God gives you blessed Choice God doesn't say thou must buy yellow houses at every single step of the way but with reference to the will of God it is sufficiently defined for us in Holy Scripture it is to do what God commands it is to do those things that are pleasing in the sight of God it is to resist doing those things that he condemns and here specifically we have a statement about the will of God for this is the will of God your sanctification that you should abstain from sexual immorality so if you ever come to my office and say Pastor Butler I want to know what the will of God is for my life I'm probably going to point you to first Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 3 at a minimum and then we can deal with college and we can deal with HVAC and we can deal with men and women and that sort of thing but this is the will of God your sanctification that you should abstain from sexual immorality so back in Ephesians 5 as the Apostle comes to describe the Deeds of Darkness it ought not to alarm us or to cause any sort of surprise well I can't believe that God has an accident right against unlawful sexual relations outside the Covenant Bond of marriage of course he does this is consistent from the beginning to the very end of God's revelation now notice he goes on to say all uncleanness and again I think each of the sins that he mentions are sexual in terms of their orientation with reference to uncleanness a popular dictionary and a famous dictionary says it's a state of moral corruption immorality vileness and especially of sexual sins so avoid fornication and avoid uncleanness so even if you don't actually engage in the particular Act if you get close to the particular act you are sinning against God Almighty you need to resist fornication obviously but you need to resist all uncleanness as well in other words as he's going to say later on in his admonition here he says which are I'm sorry he says uh in verse 5 for this reason or for this no that no fornicate or unclean person nor Covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God and then he says in verse 7 therefore do not be partakers with that and then specifically in verse 3 let it not even be named among you a good injunction would be don't do it but let it not even be named among you don't even let it get close to you don't even get near it yes that's precisely why why do you think that is I think Solomon answers the question can a man take fire into his bosom and not be burned Can we dance around this particular sin and not trip Can we dance around this particular Sid and not stumble or fall this is a powerful sin why because the actual sort of drive is not necessarily sinful but it's to be utilized again in the context of Covenant marriage once you're in Covenant marriage according to Hebrews 13 the marriage bet is undefiled it's a blessed day it's a gift given by God to his people but prior to that time prior to that Covenant prior to the I do don't avoid it stay far away from it so fornication uncleanness and guilt I think Nails it all uncleanness takes in adultery incest sodomy and every unnatural lust so there's a lot of things going on in terms of the seventh commandment and then notice he says the act of covetousness so verse 3 but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness now I think the covetousness again is regular or conditioned here by the seventh commandment it's not a tenth commandment infringement that he's dealing with he's not saying it's okay to be Covetous and the sort of General sense of tenth commandment but I think it's a a sexual orientation a sexual sin there a greediness relative to this if you look around at our society you have to conclude that this particular sin the rampant nature of this particular sin and the lengths that people will go to pursue this particular sin indicates a Covetous heart relative to the pursuit of godlessness in terms of the flesh again bedag says the state of Desiring to have more than ones do greediness insatiableness avarice covetousness Gill again I think is right he says in covetousness seems not so much to design that sin which is commonly so-called namely in a moderate desire after worldly things he says but as a greedy and insatiable appetite after the above lusts college is not as relative to fornication covetousness relative to uncleanness Gilda an older commentator there's a newer one called A.T Lincoln and he goes the same way he says because of the context covetousness should be should also be taken as the sort of unrestrained sexual greed whereby a person assumes that others exist for his or her own gratification and that's ultimately what it's about Brethren but I love her but I love him then marry them that's the biblical response not fornicate with them not express your sexual desires on them not use them as a source of gratification so notice what he says after giving this brief Vice list he gives an exhortation after forbidding fornication uncleanness and covetousness he says let it not even be named among you let it not even be named among you again the simple prohibition would be don't do it he says not only don't do it but don't let it be named among you this brings a reproach upon the people of God when the people of God look like the children of the world of the sons of Disobedience we've got a big problem when those lines are blurred and where there is no clear demarcation when the church is rampant in terms of divorce and in terms of abortion and in terms of all other mean manner of godliness when we ape the world Brethren we're not living to our high calling as conquered Sinners by Jesus Christ Our Lord so he says let it not even be named among you remember Joseph and Potiphar's house when Potiphar's wife kept coming on to him what does Joseph do does he dance around does he say well I'm going to get as close as I possibly can no he runs from her house why because he didn't want it even named among him Proverbs Chapter 5 5 when Solomon comes to deal with his sons in terms of sexual sin he says specifically in verse 8 remove your way far from her he's talking about the woman that would entice you to sin in that particular manner I've always appreciated that text and it's absolute Clarity on this issue remove your way far from her and don't go near the door of her house he doesn't say Don't Go Near her bed he says Don't Go Near her door what does Solomon know Solomon knows that if you go near her door it's not going to be long before you're in her bed so avoid it let it not even be named among you this is wrong this is Wicked This is identifiable with the old man and with those who traffic in darkness fornication uncleanness and covetousness let it not be named among you and then notice it gives the the identification of the sins it gives the exhortation concerning the sin and then notice the motivation there in verse 3. but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not even be named among you notice as is fitting for Saints now Saint in protestantism is not a special class a Believer it's not a special class the sort of graduated extra holy person a Roman Catholicism that's the way they treat sainthood you become a saint when you do extra specially good things that's not how the apostles use the word Saint simply means one set apart it means one Sanctified by God's grace and you see that constant reference to the people of God in Ephesians by Paul in chapter 1 verse 1 chapter 1 verse 15 chapter 1 verse 18 chapter 2 9 3 8 3 18 4 12 5 3 6 18. he's talking to Believers and notice the particular context as is fitting for Saints what has he just got done exhorting the Saints in chapter 5 verse 1. therefore be imitators of God as dear children we're to Bear the family resemblance as the blood-bought children of God if we've been saved by grace through faith and we have then we are to imitate God we're to be Godly and we're to walk in a manner that is appropriate to that so it is fitting for Saints to resist and reject prohibition uh fornication it is uh appropriate for them to resist uncleanness and covetousness so that's the actions notice the speech in verse 4. he says neither filthiness which simply means behavior that flouts social and moral standards shamefulness and obscenity yeah I think it's sexually conditioned I think the seventh commandment looms large behind the apostles and Junctions here he is dealing he's expounding he's not making up sanctification he's not saying well your new man and new women in Christ Jesus now just go with the flow get the feeling get the vibe get led by the spirit on how to serve God no it is concrete and defined for us when Jesus prays the high Priestly prayer in John 17 17. he says sanctify them by thy truth Thy word is truth he doesn't leave it up to us to try to figure out what is pleasing to God we have the law of God the law of God leads us or rather drives us to Christ the law of God comes to us as sinful men and women and shows us how far short we have fallen to the glory of God the law of God sends us to the gospel of God once we by Grace come to that gospel believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we ask Jesus how then shall we live guess what he does he sends us back to the law and empowers us with the Holy Spirit he internalizes it in our hearts he gives us the desire he causes us to say with David oh how I love your law it is my meditation all all day and night and so with reference to this particular speech age he is condemning that of a sexual nature so he moves from filthiness which again obscenity is probably the thing there foolish talking which literally means foolish or silly talk these Greek dictionaries are you know not for the the the the academics always it's pretty simple foolish or silly talk and then notice the third he says course jesting course jesting or risque wit risque wit not how I Define it but I get the point course gesting so you see what the apostles tactic is okay well you aren't engaged in fornication you're not engaged in uncleanness you're not engaged in this it's sexual covetousness but you talk about it you sound just like the world again Matthew chapter 15 turn there Brethren to see Jesus connection between the mouth and the heart the mouth and the Heart what we say what we speak what we reveal or what we uh uh say reveals what's in our hearts Matthew 15 the context the Pharisees things are upset that Jesus disciples didn't didn't eat or didn't wash their hands before they ate so Jesus gets into a Tit for Tat with them and he goes head to head and notice let's get dropped down to about verse 16. well verse 13. but he answered and said every plant which my heavenly father has not planted will be uprooted let them alone interesting instruction there let them alone now we've got to evangelize we've got to be missionaries yeah but there's a point in time where you leave them alone I I that's what he says later or earlier rather in The Sermon on the Mount he says don't cast your Pearls Before Swine he's not talking about actual what are they called porcine porcine pigs he's not talking about pigs he's not saying you know take your pearl necklace lay down don't throw it in the pig pack it's talking about people don't give what is Holy to dogs again he's not saying you know don't throw this to your canine instead of a treat he is talking about human beings there the Lord Jesus Christ says don't do that with reference to dogs and Swine so so there is a point there is a place there is a time where you wipe the dust off the feet and you move on to the next city and this is one of those particular seeds this is one of those particular situations I'm not saying I know everyone I know these things are just saying that it exists there is a point in time where you don't keep going to your neighbor's house every time he slaps you in the face as far as it depends on you Paul says in Romans 12 be at peace with all men well again if I'm going over to my neighbors every day and he punches me in the mouth I don't have a Biblical mandate to continue that path so notice here every plant which my heavenly father has not planted will be uprooted look at the the sovereignty of God there let them alone they are blind leaders of the Blind and if the blind leads the blind both will fall into a ditch don't miss that you're responsible as a follower to find leaders that lead you in the proper path if you follow a blind man and you fall into a ditch that's on you that doesn't sound very nice Pastor Butler sorry that's what Jesus says there if the blind leads the blind both will fall into the ditch if you travel to Arizona and you hire a blind man to take a burrow and take you down to the base of the Grand Canyon and you fall off the ledge again sad event but you shouldn't have hired a blind man on a burrow to take you down this cat uh this this Canyon you see there's responsibility for the hearer there's responsibility for the follower you can't say well the church this then leave the church talk to the pastor use the means do everything you can and your ability but if it comes to the point where the guy's a heretic and you keep putting yourself under the heretic and you fall into a ditch that's on you that's what Jesus says let I mean he says it a little bit more nicer than I have of course let them alone they're blind leaders of the Blind and if the blind leads the blind both will fall into a ditch and Peter answered and said to him explain this Parable to us so Jesus said are you still without understanding do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated but those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man Jesus says it's not the dirt that you ingest while you eat your food if anything that Dirt has a positive effect on you it trains your immune system to combat further dirt it's a good thing dirt in the mouth is not our problem it's the dirt in our hearts that's the problem and that's what Jesus is saying he says in verse 19 for out of the heart proceedable thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness blasphemies these are the things which defile a man but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man so going back to our particular text he condemns these things very forthrightly so verse 4 neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor course note the specific condemnation that he gives he says which are not fitting which are not fitting they're obviously not fitting and this is a play on or a contrast with what he what he just said in terms of saints in verse 3 as is fitting for Saints so it's fitting for Saints to reject and refuse these particular sins it is unfitting for Saints to embrace and engage in these particular senses it's not fitting you're a new man in Christ Jesus don't do old man stop you're a new man in Christ Jesus living in the light of God don't do Darkness stuff it's not fitting it's not appropriate it's like handing a carrot to a dog he doesn't ingest it he doesn't process it he doesn't say thank you master I love carrots it just bounces out of his mouth but hand a mistake and that's a different story there are things that are appropriate there are things that are fitting there are things that are consistent with the orientation of the being and for the new man and new woman in Christ Jesus guess what Pro uh fornication uncleanness covetousness this foolishness and filthy talk and course just a ought not to be named among us and that's what he says notice that ought I'm sorry he moves on now to say that this is uh he gives a contrast in terms of how we're supposed to deal so at the end of verse 4 neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor course jesting which are not fitting but he says but rather giving a thanks so instead of using your tongue to engage in lawlessness and wickedness what should you do instead you you should give thanks see the dynamic in sanctification is to put off and to put on uh Romans 13 14 captures this well put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its laws you don't need to be born again to stop smoking crap you don't need to be born again to stop visiting prostitutes you don't need to be born again to stop engaging in fornication you see when you're born again though it's not only put off those sins but it's put on The Virtue I mentioned Vice lists there's also virtue lists and guess what the new man is supposed to gravitate toward he's supposed to gravitate toward the virtue list he's supposed to avoid the vice list so what's a good practice instead of using our tongues to engage in Godless speech we are to give thanks this is a recurring emphasis in Paul's letters we don't have the time to go through them all because there's so much but consider the soteriological pattern in Salvation there's the guilt Grace gratitude too we're not supposed to engage in guilt Grace and more guilt guilt Grace and now fornication guilt Grace and now uncleanness guilt Grace and now covet just no gratitude thanks praise be to God most high for what he has done in our lives put off the wicked speech and put on the good speech listen to the characteristic of the Godless according to Romans 1 21 because although they knew God they did not glorify him as God nor were thankful you see that they weren't thankful they didn't glorify God as God nor were they thankful that is characteristic that is indicative of the old man the guy who loves the darkness not supposed to be the case with the people of God now notice secondly the consequences associated with the sins of the flesh verse 5. this is common knowledge for this uh verse 5 he says for this you know well how do they know this they know it through General Revelation right Romans chapter 1 tells us that the Godless know at least three things about God they know his eternal power they know his godhead and they know that it's righteous with him to punish offenders of his law Romans 1 32. in fact I'll read that for you just so you can hear it who knowing the righteous Judgment of God that those who practice such things are deserving of death not only do the same but also approve of those who practice that so the people of God in Ephesus knew this they knew that exclusion from the kingdom of God was what was consistent for those engaged in fornication uncleanness covetousness and the kind of speech that is indicated here in verse 4. we read it at the outset of worship Psalm 97 6 the heavens declare what his righteousness the revelation of God in the created order comes to Man Made In His Image and we know certain truths about him it's a beautiful thing Belgian confession says God reveals himself in two books the book of create nation in Providence and then the book of the Bible so there's General Revelation and then there's special Revelation so the Ephesians would have known this because of other letters that were extant in the New Testament Church we have this same emphasis in First Corinthians 6. you can go there first Corinthians 6 specifically at verses 9 and 10. First Corinthians chapter 6 at verse 9. he says do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God do not be deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor homosexuals nor sodomites nor thieves nor Covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God so they would have known that from that Galatians 5. we think of the fruits of the spirit the fruits of the spirit come after the works of the Flesh and in Galatians 5 at verse 19 he says now the works of the flesh are evident which are adultery fornication uncleanness lewdness idolatry sorcery hatred contentions jealousies outbursts of Wrath selfish Ambitions dissensions heresies Envy murders drunkenness revelries and the like of which I tell you beforehand just as I told you in time past that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God so they knew this based on General Revelation God's revelation of himself in the created order that Heavens declare the righteousness of God they knew it because of Paul's emphasis in other letters so it was common knowledge so back to Ephesians 5 he says you know this it's a good motivation here isn't it if you understand what is the end of the old man if you understand what is the end of the man who trafficks in darkness if you understand the dangers and the consequences involved in that life of sin and Rebellion hopefully that'll work upon your mind and heart in such a way as to caution you from a like Pursuit it's a pretty simple argument look at and understand the consequences associated with a particular uh action so verse 5 for this you know that no fornicator unclean person nor Covetous man again that nods back to what we've already seen in verses three and four but notice this is called an appositional phrase so you've got Covetous man and then it's Modified by a phrase that says who is an idolater huh a Covetous man a sexually Covetous man is an idolater yeah that's exactly what the Apostle says one commentator says notice that he because covetousness idolatry for idolatry happens when the honor do God Alone is given to creatures do you get that if if you are devoted to something above and beyond God if you pursue something it's not just sex that's this context but if it's money if even it's a good thing right well of my family well your family is supposed to play second fiddle to God most high now if you think that's kind of insulting or harsh your family should want to be second fiddle to God most high you husbands ought to want your wives to love Jesus more than you you husbands uh you got it we should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness that's the priority structure in the Christian Life what happens when we pursue a creature over and above God that's idolatry Brethren when we seek our comfort we seek our Ben uh benefit we seek our our stability and our security and that which is not God in this context sexual greed that's idolatry it is putting other Pursuits above God and that's why Paul can in an oppositional way describe the Covetous man as an idolater notice the condemnation notice the specific warning has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God in other words what God has done in terms of Salvation is to save people by grace through faith in Jesus they will live in a manner that is consistent with that and as a result not as a result of their manner of living but the fact that they've been justified by God's grace freely through Christ Jesus they have a right to heaven but those who engage in these sorts of Deeds these sorts of activities evidence that they don't have the saving grace of God and that brings me to a qualification that I think Paul would agree with not everything can be said in every particular context but he's obviously dealing here with people that aren't believers now Brethren I don't want to you know undo everything I've just spent a half hour saying you're probably thinking it's not been a half hour it was more like 37 minutes keep better track of time hopefully you're not saying that but I don't want to undo everything but Believers struggle with remaining corruption okay I'm not trying to preach you out of the Kingdom of Heaven but I want to make this qualification unrepentant unrepentant Sinners are unbelieving sinners right it's justification by faith alone what brings peace to the sinner's conscience why does Paul say therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ justification by faith alone there will be conduct that adorns that Doctrine but Brethren unfortunately that conduct is not a hundred percent that conduct is not even probably 90 percent on most days the good that we wish to do we don't do the evil we don't want to do we find ourselves doing Romans chapter 7 14-25 Paul tells us that Galatians 5 the flesh lusts against the spirit the spirit lost against the flesh these two are contrary to one another so that you don't do the things that you what the spirit in US gives check to the flesh but nevertheless there is that challenge presented by the flesh so I'm not suggesting that if you've struggled or you've had a a bit of a difficulty with these things then off to hell with you not what I'm saying I am suggesting that what Paul says elsewhere would indicate that it's an unrepentant sinner an unrepentant sinner is able unbelieving sinner justification by faith carries with it that Blessed assurance that for the most part when we see sin we will lament it we will bemoan it we will confess it and we will seek to forsake it but again that doesn't always happen immediately remember David David committed Grievous sins Brethren he committed adultery and then conspiracy to murder to get rid of Uriah the hentai there was a nine month period in there Brethren nine months right I'm not a you know biologist but it takes that long to have a baby and it was toward that time that the prophet comes to rebuke David and so David sat on that sin again I'm not endorsing this I am not condoning this I am calling upon you that if you have this set in your heart confess it to God forsake it and find Mercy from God he is benevolent he is gracious the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin we have that promise but with reference to that period David writes in the psalter when I kept silent about my sin my my bones grew weary there were psychosomatic effects upon that godly man because he kept quiet about his sin so when we come to a passage like this when we look at Galatians 5 when we look at First Corinthians chapter 6 when we look at the apostasy passages passages in Hebrews 6 and 10. these are genuine warnings for the people of God but the people of God are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and that blood of Jesus Christ his son does cleanse us from all sin notice that he refers to these offenders as the sons of or children of Disobedience that's not characteristic of the new man or the new woman of Christ in Christ Jesus do we have remaining corruption yeah unfortunately do we struggle with sin yeah unfortunately do you know what fortunately we do struggle with sin do you think those people out there that are advocating for child mutilation those people out there that are advocating for abortion those people that are out there sort of widening the parameters to kill people via medical assistance and dying do you think they're struggling against sin when people come to me and as a pastor I'm struggling I typically will say that that's a pretty good sign I mean you can't put all your eggs in that basket but pagans don't do you really think that these abortionists have any pangs of conscience about what they're doing they boast about it they they make money from it they benefit and profit from the actual Act of murder there is a good a huge difference than the suffering Saint or the struggling saint that here's a sermon like this and then goes home and cries because they think they're going to go to hell Brethren these are the sons of Disobedience these unrepentant Sinners are unbelieving sinners so if you have remaining corruption if you have struggles if you have issues and challenges that's probably going to be your lot in life from now until the Lord Jesus Christ returns but remember you have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous so don't invoke that and say well all my sins all my wickedness all my depravity well I'm just going to keep looking unto Jesus no we're not supposed to continue in sin that Grace May abound but when we do sin we have a an advocate with the father so I think that's a necessary qualification John Gill says now the meaning of these words is no not that all who have been guilty of these sins shall be excluded from the kingdom of God but all such who live and die in them without the grace of God and righteousness of Christ Matthew Poole says hath any inheritance without repentance for he speaks of those that persevere in such sins whom he calls children of disobedience in verse 6. and that brings us finally to the exhortation to resist the sins of the Flesh in verses 6 and 7. notice he gives a warning against deception and a warning against participation verse 6 let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of Disobedience that's interesting let no one deceive you with empty words what's that mean it means that there are people out there that will try to talk you into these sorts of sins and those people might actually be in your church they might say you know you're being overly scrupulous you're a legalist you know this is a debauch stage we've got to be all things to all man so you know go ahead go do your thing go go be unclean no let no one deceive you the lie that these are not sins I mean we used to say adultery and sodomy and things like that now it's gay and and playing around well euphemistic changes do not help people at all euphemisms reduce meaning euphemisms put things into a different context now these are sins against a holy God so if somebody says oh these aren't sins or the lie that God does not notice you can look later at Psalm 94. the Godless there say yet the Lord does not see nor does the god of Jacob understand it's not paying attention to you you go right ahead and do what you want and then the lie that God just wants you to be yourself no he doesn't not even a little bit I mean he does he doesn't want Mark to be Jim and Jim to be marked but he wants us to be like Christ you see that's the whole purpose of Romans 8 Those whom he foreknew he what predestined to be conformed unto the image of his son he wants us to be like Christ not like us us is the problem Christ is the answer so this idea that he just wants you to be you and he wants you to be happy no he doesn't well he does but be happy in him be happy in that communion with God most High instead of the Godless behavior of the sons of Disobedience and I would imply or infer from this let no one deceive you with empty words the value and the utility of full words namely the Bible in other words what is a sure help to us to avoid these particular sins Psalm 119 11. I uh your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you it's a beautiful thing scripture Memory is not like it used to be people used to really memorize scripture now with the phone you just pull it out and you can see whatever scripture it was it used to be where you didn't have phones I know kids that's kind of hard to understand we didn't used to all have phones in our pockets that was just a thought that you know was way far out of the league but but now we don't memorize scripture memorizing scripture isn't so we can be you know looked at by others in the church as well that guy knows a lot of Bible no your word I've hit in my heart that I might not sin against you if deceivers operate through empty words what do you think is the Schwarz uh uh safe place for the believer it's the the word of God most high so notice the reality let no one deceive you with the end with empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience ends basically repetition of verse 5 they have no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God and then the final admonition is simply a warning against participation therefore do not be partakers with that do not be partakers with them two texts and then we're done look at first uh uh Second Corinthians chapter six second Corinthians chapter six another admonition to not participate in these things to not partake of these things notice in second Corinthians 6 14 do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what Fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness and what communion has light with Darkness same thing there's light people you don't traffic with Darkness people and then he goes on to say and what Accord has Christ with Belial remember the sons of Belial in the Old Testament sons of Darkness sons of wickedness or what part has a Believer with an unbeliever and what agreement has the temple of God with Idols for you are the Temple of the Living God as God has said I will dwell in them and will and walk among them I will be their God and they shall be my people therefore come out from among them and be separate says the Lord do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty therefore having these promises beloved let us cleanse ourselves from the all the filthiness of the Flesh and spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God so in other words he says don't participate with don't partake in don't engage in these acts of wickedness and lawlessness but one final text that I think we need to you know qualification just like the qualification of The unrepentant unbelieving Sinner look at First Corinthians chapter five at verse 9. First Corinthians chapter 5 at verse 9 because I think people take this doctrine of Separation in a way that we really shouldn't and it brings a bit of sort of uh tension with what we find here in First Corinthians 5 9. so whatever Paul writes in First Corinthians 5 9-11 can't upgrade what he writes in second Corinthians chapter six right they're in second Corinthians chapter six don't participate with them don't be partakers with them I think the language is suggestive it means to enter into their lives of sin but in First Corinthians chapter 5 he tells us very clearly I wrote you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually sexually immoral people yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world he's saying you can have your ungodly neighbor over for dinner you can be their friend you can set up a context wherein you can evangelize them look at what he goes on to say or with the Covetous or extortioners or idolaters since then you would need to go out of the world you see what he's saying sin is so pervasive it is so prevalent it's such a comprehensive thing if you think the doctrine of Separation means you can't go near a sinner then you better go to Elon Musk and see if you can sign up for space act and get shot up to Mars because you know this world is filled with said and sinners it's just the way it is what's Paul's Point First Corinthians 5 don't hang out with a person that says he's a brother that engages in that kind of activity it's very clear now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother who is sexually immoral or Covetous or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortion or not even to eat with such a where's that for what have I to do with judging those who also who are outside do you not judge those who are inside but those who are outside God judges therefore put away from yourselves the evil person so this principle of separation is absolutely positively correct in terms of participating or partaking of their sins I think BB Warfield gets at this tension well when he says we see that the apostles urgency here is against not association with the world but compromise with the worldly that's the issue that Paul condemned so in verse 7 therefore do not be partakers with that do not participate in this you are a child of light these are sons of Disobedience their orientation is Darkness they traffic in fornication in uncleanness and in covetousness they speak vile things from their mouths which reflect the vile condition of their hearts don't participate in those particular sins it is not consistent with your calling as new men and new women in Christ Jesus and the power behind the compliance is the cross never forget that Christian ethics isn't Slug It Out pull up your bootstraps knuckle under and just try harder and more this whole section is governed by the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ because he gave himself for us because he has Justified us freely by his grace because we are forgiven and have received an imputed righteousness it is based on that indicative that we then by grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit pursue compliance with the imperatives so it's not just a do it or else but it's a rather do it because God has saved you and enabled you to comply so embrace it pursue it and Delight in it and maintain vital communion with God because that will displace love for the sons of disobedience in your heart and if you're not a Believer here tonight the issue is not stop fornicating and you'll be saved the issue is look unto the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved and guess what the consequence of that will be that you stop fornicating because that's how it works now if you stumble and you fall go to The Advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous and confess it and forsake it and according to Solomon you will find Mercy but not that Grace May abound but because God is gracious and merciful well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for its Clarity at this point of Christian ethics and that conduct that is consistent of a new man in Christ Jesus help us to pursue those deeds of the light help us to pursue those things which are pleasing in your sight and to resist and reject and to put off these things associated with the old man we thank you for this Lord's day we thank you for this coming week we pray that you would be active in our hearts and lives and cause us to to glorify and to honor you and we pray through Jesus Christ the lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation