In his sermon on Ephesians 5:1-7, Jason Dohm emphasizes the importance of living a life that reflects the teachings and love of Christ, warning against the 'false comfort' of professing faith without demonstrating it through actions. He highlights Paul's message that being a follower of Christ requires more than mere profession; it involves a commitment to a lifestyle that aligns with God's will. The sermon stresses the need to avoid behaviors such as fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talking, and coarse jesting, which are unfitting for those set apart by God. Instead, believers are encouraged to cultivate a pattern of thanksgiving, which reflects a heart attuned to God's goodness. The sermon also discusses the 'siren song' of sin, which deceptively lures believers into complacency, emphasizing the need for continual repentance and the cultivation of a godly life to ensure an inheritance in the kingdom of God.

Our sermon text this week is from Ephesians 5 verses 1 through 7. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us in 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 coarse jesting which are not fitting but rather giving of thanks. For this you know that no fornicator unclean person nor covet nor a 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.

Title of the sermon this morning is, False Comfort about pattern of life. Paul is coming to us actually in kindness to warn us about a view that says, just profess Christ, It doesn't really matter what the patterns of your life are. It's enough to have a profession without having any evidence that you really have a new heart. Paul comes with full force to contradict that in our text today. In last week's text, Paul exhorted the Ephesian believers to build a culture together where none of them could ever be credibly accused of sexual immorality or any kind of sexual impurity.

This was in the context of imitating God as dear children. In other words, we don't do these things to slavishly cower before a taskmaster, but we are ones who love our dad. We love our father. We want to walk in his ways. We want to love and cultivate the things that he loves.

So it was in the context of imitating God as dear children and walking in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us. The truth is that sexual immorality and impurity is unloving. And so it's not even to be named among us. In today's text, Paul continues down that same track, Naming more things which are not fitting for Saints not fitting for people who have been set apart by God for God and He's warning against the deception that says, it doesn't matter what my patterns of life are. Paul actually says it matters the patterns of life that we're cultivating.

As we come to our text today, let's ask the Lord to help us. God, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the comforts that are wrapped up in the good news that Jesus has come to save sinners and reconcile them with His perfectly righteous Father. But God, I do pray that You would save us from false comforts. We wouldn't take any comfort where the Scriptures offer us none. We wouldn't be deceived or self-deceived about these things.

We would be able to see our condition rightly. To either rejoice that we are really in the Lord, or to know that we are still in our sins. I Pray that you would make these things plain through your word. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, we just divide up the text into three parts.

The first part being verse four, but in order to get a running start since we're in the middle of the sentence, I'm going to back up and read 3 and 4 together, and then we'll talk about 4. So, Ephesians chapter 5, starting in 3, reading through 4. Paul writes, 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 coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. Here in verse 4, Paul speaks of things which are not fitting for people who are set apart to and for God.

So if you're taking notes on the handout, filling in blanks, fitting fills in the blank. Things which are not fitting for the people of God, people who are set apart to God. Holy people. Saints. I'm just pulling forward language from verse 3.

Not fitting for saints. Paul gives us three more things which are not fitting for people who are set apart by God, set apart for God. And then one thing that is perfectly fitting, one thing that couldn't be more fitting for the saints of God. So here are the three things which are not fitting for saints according to the Apostle Paul. First, neither filthiness.

Filthiness is not fitting for the people of God. It can be translated obscenity or filthiness, something which is obscene or filthy or shameful. This can be either conduct, something that you do, or it can be speech, something that you say. So it is actually the perfect bridge between the sexual immorality and uncleanness of verse 3 and the unfitting uses of the tongue which come next. Filthiness is actually a bridge between them because it can either be conduct like sexual immorality or uncleanness, or it can be speech like the things that will come after it.

This can be either. Filth in conduct or speech is unfitting for saints. Here's the question that I'll put to you. Are there things that you do, either openly or in secret, that leave you feeling dirty? Are you doing anything?

It might be openly, but it's more likely probably to be in secret that makes you feel dirty. Are there things that you say, either say openly or whisper just to a very few people that leave you feeling dirty? This is really what Paul is getting at with filthiness or obscenity. Here's another question. Here's the follow-up question to that.

If you answered yes, Are you content to leave it that way? If you answered yes, the real answer is up until now you have been content to leave it that way. But if this is confronting you with it, and if you say, I must not be content to leave it that way, then what are you willing to do? Or what are you unwilling to do? To actually see change.

This is just the nature of repentance. But Paul is preaching that Christians keep on repenting. Yes there is repentance to life. Praise God for that. You go out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of marvelous light.

But that's not the end of repentance. That's the start of repentance for the believer. If you find that there are things that you do or that you say, either openly or in secret, that leave you feeling dirty, are you content to leave it that way? Will you say, I will not repent? It's a dangerous, dangerous place to be.

If that's not your position, what are you willing to do? See change. To actually turn from it. And to turn towards things that are good. Are there things that you're unwilling to do?

That is a danger sign. Paul is bringing us face to face with danger signs here. So that's first, neither filthiness. Second, nor foolish talking. Foolish talking is not fitting for a people who have been set apart by God for God.

This is a compound Greek word literally meaning foolish words. Strongs offers this, buffoonery. Not baboonery, offers this. Buffoonery. Not baboonery, but buffoonery.

A buffoon. An idiot. Idiotic talk. Buffoonery. Is it openly evil?

No, it isn't openly evil. But are they words that build up at all, or words that contribute anything of value at all? No. Friends, I've seen this text coming, and I've been cringing. Why?

Because I'm the chief buffoon at the dome house. And I cringe at seeing and hearing the buffoonery in my own home, and I have the hardest time confronting it, because I know where they got it. I know where the foolish talk that comes into my ears came from. I gave it to them. I taught it to them.

I approve of it by doing it over and over again. Friends, I'll say this. Let's shift. Let's move. Let's move together.

I have a very distinct sense that I can't scale this mountain peak in a day. This looks like Everest to me, because I know what my speech patterns are. What does that mean? That means the sooner I get started, the better. If it's Mount Everest, the sooner you take your first step, the better you are.

That it's Mount Everest isn't an encouragement to just say that's unconquerable. It's an encouragement to go now, to start now. Because it isn't fitting. It isn't appropriate. It isn't right for someone who has been set apart by God, for God, to spend their life on words that never build up at all and that never contribute anything of value at all.

That's second, nor foolish talking. Third, nor coarse jesting. Nor coarse jesting. Coarse jesting is not fitting for the people of God. NASB renders it vulgar joking.

ESV renders it crude joking. Who doesn't like to be thought of as funny? Everyone loves to get a laugh. So here's my question for you. I'm putting questions to you today.

It's question day. What are you willing to do to get that laugh? Are you willing to make fun of the most vulnerable, quirky person in the group right in front of him or her? That's the quickest way to get a laugh. Who's the quirky person?

The one with the idiosyncrasies? The most vulnerable person? Are you willing to make fun of that vulnerable, quirky person in the group right in front of him or her? Or how about behind his or her back? Easier still?

Are you willing to go for the surest, easiest laugh and just say something crude. Here's a question. Our bodily function jokes the order of the day in your house. They're the order of the day in my house. Guess where they got that from?

Their dad. And we excuse it by saying things like, it's Sunday night, I get up early on Sunday. So, the exhortations of Paul are out the window and don't matter because I got up early. It's not right. It's not right.

Should followers of Jesus be known for bodily function jokes? What about innuendo? Suggestive references that don't out and out say it, but certainly imply it. And all the while we're eroding a sense of purity and normalizing shameful things one phrase at a time. We're eroding a sense of purity.

When we use innuendo, we wouldn't say it, we'll just hint at it and leave it hanging in the air and phrase by phrase we're eroding a sense of purity and normalizing shameful things. When you just hint at it and leaving it hanging in the air, you're normalizing it. You're communicating that it's really not that bad. Nor course jesting. Listen to Paul in Ephesians 4, 8.

Ephesians 4, excuse me, listen to Paul in Philippians 4, 8. That matters. Philippians 4, 8. Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, Whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. I would shift that just a bit to say, speak about these things.

Same list, all that is good, right, pure, praise worthy. Yes, meditate on them and speak of them. Let this be our speech instead of foolish talking and coarse jesting. After all, Jesus says, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When our mouths are full of foolish talk and coarse jesting, it's saying something about the condition of our hearts.

And what it's saying is not flattering. Then Paul gives us a counterpoint. He tells us what is fitting. He tells us something we can and should do with our words. But rather giving of thanks.

Giving of thanks in many ways is the antidote to the poison of foolish talking and coarse jesting. Give thanks instead, but rather giving of thanks. This is the fitting use of words for the believer. Thanksgiving is the fitting use of words for the believer, not foolish talking or coarse jesting. Giving of thanks reflects a heart which is committed to praising God for His goodness and His wisdom in all things and building up others.

Look back at chapter 4 verse 29, right at the end of the chapter, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29. Paul already started talking about this. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearer. Certainly the giving of thanks falls right squarely in there. Something that imparts grace, something that builds up the hearers.

Friends, think of how a concerted effort to give thanks guards against other unfitting things. Think of how a concerted effort to give thanks in our speech guards us against foolish talking and coarse jesting. On the other hand, of these unfitting things, of the coarse jesting and the foolish talking, Matthew Henry says this, there is even a great deal of mischief. He's saying, not only is it not fitting, there's a great deal of mischief in it. They are so far from being profitable that they pollute and poison the hearers.

Do you buy what Matthew Henry is selling here? What Matthew Henry is selling here is that foolish talking and coarse jesting are unfitting, but they're more than that, that they actually pollute and poison the hearers. If you buy what he's selling, then you have the contrast between the giving of thanks, which praises God and builds up the hearer, versus foolish talking and coarse jesting, which pollute and poison the hearer. Such a stark contrast that we have in this verse. Pressing on to verse 5, Ephesians 5 verse 5.

Paul says, 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. Now if you take verse 4 out of the way, so you're just left with verse 3 which talks about fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness And then if you put it right against verse 5, it talks about fornication and uncleanness and covetousness, exactly the same things in both. And he says, people who are known for that have no inheritance in the kingdom. In verse 5, Paul speaks of the life of those who have no inheritance in the kingdom. I say life instead of lives because I don't want to blunt the force that Paul is pressing on each and every individual person.

No fornicator, not one single one. Paul wants to separate us out, each of us out from the safety of the group and thinking, oh this is our problem to consider you, not one fornicator. If you're a fornicator known for fornication with a pattern of life of fornication, you will not be special. You will not be spared. No fornicator, no unclean person, no covetous man.

Paul begins by saying this is already well established truth among them. For this you know, that's how he says it in the text, for this you know. And then he declares that not one fornicator or unclean person or covetous man, this person who is clamoring for something that God won't give to him or her, but they'll have it anyway at any cost, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of God. For clarity, Paul declared in Ephesians 1 verses 13 and 14 that all who have truly trusted in Jesus have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of their inheritance. In other words, what he's saying here is they're not in Christ.

They haven't really trusted in Jesus. Had they really trusted in Jesus, they would have been sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their inheritance. Now he's saying, the people who have lives that look like this have no inheritance. Therefore, they cannot be believers in Jesus. They cannot be.

By definition, by the way, Paul has already defined things. Now let's look at a text that will help us, that uses exactly the same language. And it's 6. Please turn to 1 Corinthians 6. 1 Corinthians 6, I'll be reading verses 9 through 11.

1 Corinthians 6, verses 9 through 11. Paul writes, Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? See exactly the same words. We're talking about inheriting the kingdom of God. Only it's a little narrower in Ephesians 5.

He's just talking about fornicators and unclean persons and covetous people. Here he says, they broaden it out to the unrighteous. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Same words as our text.

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." Now look what he says in verse 11. In verse 11, and such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. There's two important things to understand, I think, from 1 Corinthians 6. First, this is about a person's walk.

In Ephesians 4 and 5, we're seeing again, walk, walk, walk, Ephesians 4 and 1, Walk worthy of the calling with which you're called. Walk, pattern of life, not snapshot, Not a moment in time, but the pattern of life that you're cultivating. So this is about clinging to sin, loving sin, being characterized by sin, cultivating a life of sin, refusing to part from sin, repent from sin. In Ephesians 5.5, our text today, the verse that's before us, Paul says, who is an idolater? Paul is saying this condition where you will have your sin at any cost is idolatry.

It's actually worshiping another God. You've given that thing the place of God and you are not a God worshiper. You are a sex worshiper or a money worshiper or a relationship worshiper, and you have no part in the kingdom. The second thing we ought to learn, So the first thing is, it's about a walk, the pattern of life that you're cultivating. The second thing is, that this does not need to be the end of your story.

This does not need to be the end of anyone's story. It wasn't for the Corinthians and such were some of you. You used to be idolaters and adulterers and fornicators and covetous and revilers and thieves. But you were washed. You can be washed of every stain of these things, every smudge of sin.

You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. So There is hope for the fornicator, for the unclean person, for the covetous person. Jesus is the hope. You have to be washed. One last thing in Ephesians 5.5 that we should note.

It's that Paul says, the kingdom of Christ and God. This is one of so many places in the New Testament where it is clear, Jesus is God. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is the kingdom of the Father. The kingdom of the Father is the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Is there more to say on that topic?

Yes, but that's sufficient for now. Jesus is God. The Father and the Son are kings in the kingdom. Moving to verses 6 and 7. The last two verses of our scope today.

You think that means we're near the end of the sermon? I pity you. Ephesians 5 verses 6 and 7, 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.

In verses 6 and 7, Paul says before us, the siren call, S-I-R-E-N, the siren call, God's wrath is directed at me, no not me, others. God's wrath is directed at others. If you're filling in blanks on the handout, siren. What's a siren? In Greek mythology, sirens were creatures of great beauty.

Not only physically, they were physically beautiful, but their singing was irresistibly beautiful and enchanting. It would cause the sailors to sail towards them and and dash their boats to pieces on the rocks that were just beneath the waves to their destruction. The beauty of the creatures and the beauty of their enchanted singing would overcome them, and they would run their ships onto the rocks to their own destruction. I was thinking about this this morning and I thought, that's like a bug zapper. You have a bug zapper in your backyard, the Santels have a bug zapper.

It's fascinating to sit in an evening and watch. It's not in their flight path. They don't just happen to run into the bug zapper. They're drawn to it. It's like the enchanting light.

As soon as it is to their own destruction, they have no idea what awaits them. There is an enchanting siren song luring people to their unwitting destruction. And the lyrics go something like this. God isn't so angry at your idolatry. He's not so angry at your idolatry.

You don't really have to part with your darling sin. You believe in Jesus, your sins are forgiven, you can keep indulging that one sin, just one. Friends, if your walk, if the patterns that you've cultivated in your life, if your walk is characterized by clinging to sin, and you haven't continued to repent, Or there is a sin that you just can't bring yourself to turn from. Then the evidence says that you never had a new heart. That you're a son of disobedience.

That you're still in your sins. Friends, whether that siren song comes from a friend or family or a neighbor or a co-worker, a book or a blog post, a song or a movie, it is the voice of the devil. The siren song calling you irresistibly it seems like to your own destruction is the voice of the devil. Friends, it is an old song. Listen to Genesis chapter 3.

Just listen. This time just listen. Genesis chapter 3 verses 1-4, Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.

Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. The siren is the devil. He's beautiful. He doesn't come with horns and a pitchfork. He transforms himself into an angel of light.

And the song is just what we're eager to hear. It's just what we want to hear. I knew I wouldn't die. I knew I wouldn't die. I knew it wouldn't be so angry at my idolatry.

Our best friend is the one who tells us the most truth. Thank you, J.C. Ryle, for saying that over and over and over in your books. Your best friend is the one who tells you the most truth. So Paul thunders, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

You are no exception. God will not favor you. You are not special. If you are a son of disobedience, the wrath of God will come upon you. There will be nothing to save you.

Let No one deceive you, says Paul. Not a neighbor, not a family member, not a co-worker, not a book, not a blog post, not a song, not a movie. They're just They are just taking up the song of your deadliest enemy. You will not surely die. Paul ends, Therefore do not be partakers with them because if you partake of the deception and so partake of the of the idolatry then you will certainly partake of the verdict and certainly partake of the punishment.

That's the logic. If you partake of the deception, it's in order to partake of the idolatry, and then Nothing is left but the verdict and the punishment. Applications. Give you two. It is impossible not to believe that there are people listening now, and the siren song is their favorite song.

I refuse to believe it. I refuse to believe that there's no one listening now whose favorite song isn't the siren song. I beg you to listen to Jesus from Matthew 7. Listen to Jesus from Matthew 7 verses 21 through 23. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven." Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, done many wonders in your name, their list is better than your list.

And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice Lawlessness. I never knew you. Depart from me. You who practice walk, cultivated patterns of life, you who practice lawlessness.

Paul is just teaching what Jesus teaches in Matthew 7. You can be free. You can be washed and cleansed and sanctified and justified. Paul says it in 1 Corinthians 6. We read it, we talked about it, but not until you renounce that song.

You have to come to terms with that song. You will not surely die. You will die! You will die! Number two.

How are you doing with your words? Are you known for giving thanks or for foolish talking and coarse jesting? God we thank you that you're merciful. Thank you for the goodness of sequential exposition, which keeps us from drawing back from texts that come head on to our own sins. Eventually, it's our turn.

No matter who is listening and what their sins are, eventually it's my turn. Thank you for not just leaving us with texts of truth that we're comfortable with and that fit the lives that we've cultivated. Thank you for showing us who we really are and what we need to do to become more like your son. If there's anyone here who has flattered themselves that the Siren Song is a true song. Pray that it would be clear to them in technicolor today.

Perfect clarity. Who they are, what they are, where they stand. You would do this in order to act mercifully and graciously in their lives, to bring them to yourself, to set them apart for your own good pleasure. God, for those of us who have seen our sins in Technicolor in this text, thank you for your patience and your mercy. Help us to repent.

Keep repenting day by day, little by little, turning away from things that aren't fitting for saints. Pray this in Jesus' name, amen.