Saints, Sinners, and Sleepers
Ephesians 5:8-14 Victory Fellowship
November 7, 2021 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
All Saints Sunday
I. Introduction:
a. When I say Jesus was resurrected, how does that effect your daily life?
b. For the saint, sinner, and what Paul refers to as the “sleeper” – any time is a good opportunity to reflect upon the Resurrection of Christ. His sacrifice on the cross.
II. RELATING THE TEXT:
a. WHAT is Reflection all about for the saints?(me & you)
i. Prayer, Devotion, Repentance
ii. A saint has accepted Jesus and are in a growing relationship with Him. They are a Child of God.
iii. Paul calls them fos en kurious (a source or dispenser of the spiritual light of Christ)
iv. Believers are the light of Christ who expose darkness and share to love of Christ
v. True believers are recognized even if they don’t tell you who they are.
vi. But reflecting on the resurrection of Jesus can be significant for sinners too.
b. WHY should sinners reflect on the Resurrection?
i. Jesus came to save sinners. As we approach Christmas it is a great time to invite unsaved friends to church.
ii. The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus illustrates God’s power in love, forgiveness and redemption.
iii. For the sinner, serious inquiry about the resurrection event can be life changing!
c. For the sleeper NOW is the time to act on the opportunity Christ’s Resurrection provides:
i. The bible speaks of a spiritual sleep
SLEEP - Ro 13:11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.
ii. Paul says they walk in skotos
1. a moral/spiritual darkness
iii. They may come to church, but see no significance in having God in their daily lives.
iv. Like drifting off to sleep while driving or texting ….they don’t realize the danger- and opportunity may be slipping away from them.
v. For the sleeper, reflection on the meaning of Jesus’ Resurrection can be a wakeup call
vi. In fact, that is Paul’s instruction in vs 14. He is paraphrasing Isaiah 60:1 kumi ori key va orec. Uk vod Adonai a lie sha-rock
III. APPLICATION: Hope and Promise for All
a. The Lamb of God is the light of the world
b. The Resurrection of Christ is for everyone.
i. For the saint – reflection and thanksgiving for the price that He paid and the Gift that He gave.
ii. For the sinner – message of Grace and Forgiveness and an invitation into the Kingdom of God
iii. For the sleeper – a wakeup call
IV. CONCLUSION:
a. Where do you see yourself this morning? Saint, Sinner, or Sleeper?
b. Receive the light of Christ and be transformed. Expose the evil deeds of darkness and walk as children of the light.
PRAYER
SONG: City on a Hill
Ephesians 5:8-14 HCSB
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made clear,
14 for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you.