Ephesians 5:13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. <\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know about you, but manifest<\/strong> isn\u2019t a word I use much, so to help me understand this verse, I like to substitute in the word \u201cvisible.\u201d<\/p>\n

But all things that are exposed are made [visible] by the light\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you want to expose some sort of sinful behavior? All you have to do is shine. If the room is dark, talking about the darkness and trying to explain the darkness won\u2019t help anyone see in the darkness. It does no good to talk about the darkness and walk around in the darkness.<\/p>\n

Jesus says the obvious in John 12:35, but sometimes we need to be reminded of it. He says that \u201che who walks around in darkness does not know where he is going.\u201d When was the last time you walked around in a dark room?<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s a room that you have never seen before in the light, you stumble into things, you walk into walls, you trip over furniture. And that\u2019s the way it is for Christians who try to expose the darkness of this world by living in the darkness.<\/p>\n

I think I\u2019ve mentioned him before, but I had a friend in college when I was at Montana State who wanted to reach his friends for Christ, but they went out and got drunk every weekend. So he thought that in order to understand them better and get them to trust him more, he too had to go out and get drunk with them.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t work\u2026because that was walking in darkness, not revealing the light. You don\u2019t have to become drunk in order to expose drunkenness. You don\u2019t have to watch that certain kind of movies in order to have something to talk about with your co-workers.<\/p>\n

These kinds of arguments are like saying that you have to become a homosexual or a prostitute in order to minister to them. Or that you have to become addicted to drugs to work with drug abusers!<\/p>\n

No\u2014you do not reveal the darkness by becoming darkness yourself. Darkness if revealed only when the lights come on. If the room is dark, turn the lights on!<\/p>\n

How? How do you turn the lights on in this world? Through speaking the truth and living the truth. Paul says here in Ephesians 5:13 that whatever makes manifest <\/strong>or visible is light.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some people get all caught up in the philosophical question of \u201cWhat is truth?\u201d They understand that in regard to some morals what is true in one part of the world may not be true in another, or how something is done in one place may be done completely different somewhere else.<\/p>\n

And so they begin to think that truth is relative and that there are no absolute truths, which, by the way, is a contradictory statement.<\/p>\n

But asking \u201cWhat is truth?\u201d is like asking \u201cWhat is light?\u201d Scientists can get all technical about the qualities, characteristics and behavior of light\u2014you know how it behaves like particles and a wave, and how if you approach the speed of light, time slows down and on and on.<\/p>\n

But do you notice what Paul says here at the end of Ephesians 5:13? He defines light in a way everybody can understand. He says, \u201cHey, light is what makes things visible.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you are a living light in this world, it will be super obvious to everybody around you because when you are around, they can see things more clearly. And you understand that I don\u2019t mean that they can physically see things more clearly.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I mean that when you are around, it becomes obvious to others what is right and wrong. They start watching the words that come out of their mouths. They start controlling sinful behaviors. In other words, their deeds of darkness are exposed by the light of the truth that shines forth from your life.<\/p>\n

You allow the Word of God to light your path. You allow the truth to fill your life. You walk in the light as He is in the light. You let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father, who is in heaven.<\/p>\n

Maybe some of you don\u2019t really understand what I am talking about here. Maybe you have never personally seen the light of the truth shine forth from your life to expose the darkness in this world.<\/p>\n

If that is true of you, then Ephesians 5:14 is for you.<\/p>\n

Ephesians 5:14. Therefore He says: \u201cAwake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m glad none of you are sleeping through the sermon this morning, or I would have had to personalize this verse for you\u2026Awake! You who sleep!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paul seems to be quoting Scripture here, but no verse in Scripture says exactly this. There are a few verses which say something similar (Isa 26:19; 60:1), but it is not an exact quotation from anything we know of.<\/p>\n

So, it seems most likely that what Paul is quoting from here is an early hymn sung by the first Christians\u2014very likely at their baptism. Or, maybe it was something said to new Christians when they were baptized.<\/p>\n

You know, today, we say before they go into the water something along the lines of, \u201cBased on your testimony of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some scholars and historians though, seem to think that Paul is quoting here from something that was said to the believer as soon as they come up out of the water.<\/p>\n

Baptism by immersion is a picture of death, burial and resurrection to new life in Christ. So when the believer came up out of the water, they would be told, Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now that does not mean that automatically, just because someone is baptized, they will all of a sudden be a light to the world. No, baptism is just the first step in becoming a serious disciple of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

And when Paul quotes this saying here, it would take every Christian back to the day when they were baptized. They would remember the resolutions they had made. They would remember the decision to change their lives and to live for Christ. They would remember that they had determined to walk the path of discipleship.<\/p>\n

But some of them had gone back to sleep. Some of them became relationally dead again. Those who continued to sleep as Christians were carnal in the sense that they did not have a growing fellowship with God.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not the way it should be. Baptism is the first step of an exciting adventure\u2014not an opportunity to press the \u201csnooze\u201d button. Some people seem to get baptized and then say \u201cWell, good. I got that out of the way. Now I\u2019ll go back to living the way I lived before.\u201d<\/p>\n

No! Baptism is stepping out, and saying \u201cI want to be different. I want to show the world what God can do through me. I want to be used by Christ. I want to be light!\u201d<\/p>\n

Baptism is just that first step on the exciting life of being a disciple of Christ.<\/p>\n

So Ephesians 5:7-14 is about how to be disciples of Jesus Christ. It is only when we grow as disciples that we become light in this world. If you want to be light rather than darkness, you need to be a disciple.<\/p>\n

So let me briefly cover the basics of discipleship. I don\u2019t want to overwhelm any of you, so let me just give you the top five\u2014or maybe the first five\u2014steps we should take as disciples.<\/p>\n

Think of them if you want, as the five fingers of a hand. You need all five if you are going to get a good grip on anything.<\/p>\n

As I go through them, write them down, see what is missing, then do it.<\/p>\n

Most of you are probably doing a few or nearly all of these, but generally, if we sense that our Christian life is lacking something, it is because one of these items is missing. If your light is not shining in this world, here are some things you can do for the light of Christ to burn brightly.<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s take the thumb. The opposable thumb is what allows us to pick things up and handle things. It is probably the most important member of the hand. Therefore, I am equating it with the most important discipleship exercise, the reading and studying Scripture.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, as disciples, we want to follow Jesus, but how can we do this if we do not know what Jesus taught or how He lived? So we read and study Scripture to learn more about Jesus.<\/p>\n

Therefore, it is important to read your Bible daily.<\/p>\n

Second, the index finger, praying. If the Bible is how God speaks to you, prayer is how you speak to God. For an intimate relationship with the Heavenly Father, and with Jesus Christ, there needs to be communication. This is accomplished through Bible study and prayer.<\/p>\n

Third, fellowship with other Christians. Attending church is good, but there really isn\u2019t any true fellowship that occurs in an hour on Sunday when you sit in a seat, sing a few songs, and listen to a sermon. True Christian fellowship occurs when we gather together the rest of the week for mutual encouragement. So hang out with each other. Eat meals together. Become friends with each other. Bible studies and prayer groups can be helpful, but so also can playing games and sports, or working out together, or whatever help you develop true friendship with other Christians. You cannot be a disciple and be on your own. There are no Lone Ranger disciples.<\/p>\n