“Walk as Children of Light” 8:00am

“Everyone had always said that John would be a preacher when he grew up, just like his father. It had been said so often that John, without ever thinking about it, had come to believe it himself. Not until the morning of his 14th birthday did he really begin to think about it, and by then it was already too late.”
James Baldwin (“Go Tell It on the Mountain”)

Point 1 - Darkness begins with deception.

“Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, …” (NLT)

Examples of empty words
You’re under grace.

“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
Romans 6:14

“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!“
Roman 6:15

Examples of empty words
Jesus won’t condemn you.

“And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; … ’ ”
John 8:11

“ … ‘go, and from now on sin no more. ‘ ”
John 8:11

Examples of empty words
You just do you.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!“
Isaiah 5:20-23

Point 2 - Deception descends into partaking.

Gospel-centered presence:
Incarnation
Substitution
Resurrection

Point 3 - Partaking can be transformed by Jesus Christ.

Good - “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Micah 6:8

Right - “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.“ Ephesians 6:1

True - “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, … “
Ephesians 1:13

“He struggled with himself, too. I saw it -- I heard it. I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself.”
Joseph Conrad (“Heart of Darkness”)