Hollowend - Ephesians 5:6-17

^{Sermon of the Week}

^{Ephesians 5:6-17}

^"Hollowend"

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷ Therefore do not be partners with them. ⁸ for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, ¹⁴ for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

MESSAGE INTRODUCTION

The definition of hollow is a cavity, natural or artificial; an unfilled space within anything; a hole, a cavern; or an excavation.  In other words, hollow is an empty shell. Something that looks complete on the outside, but completely empty on the inside . . . naturally or artificially!  So we can have a hollow tree, we can have a hollow shell, we can have a hollow person!  Some of the same people, who are in an uproar every year over Halloween, are living hollow lives as hollow people!  Being completely empty! Now, I am not condoning the whole concept of Halloween, but I do understand that it is only a man-made holiday that takes place every year on 31 October.  So if I see a little child eating candy on that day . . . I don’t slap it out of their hand and call them little devil worshipers!  Because on that same day there is a man-made holiday that is called All Hallow’s Eve.  This is considered a Christian festival that leads into the All Saints Day which is 1 November of every year.  See it is important that we be educated, so that we can educate our next generation.  We teach them to hate 31 Oct instead of the events!  Just as we teach them to hate the person instead of the sin!

Now I don’t want us to be naive about the man-made holiday called Halloween . . . because it can lead people to a hollowend!  Samhain (pronounced sha-ween), the time many believe is the night when the veil between this world and the next is the thinnest.  It is a time to honor those who’ve died and ancestral spirits.  This is the small window when the living and the spirits of the dead and celebrate together.  This is considered their sabbat, and the colors associated with this event are black and orange!  Symbols of the sabbat include the cauldron, mask, bonfire, and jack-o-lantern.  See when we allow ourselves as Christians to partake in these type of events for these reasons . . . we are celebrating in a hollowend!

So we have the All Saints day that was started by the Roman Catholic Church, which honored every Christian saint, especially those who did not have a special day devoted to them already.  The celebration of the Druids of the Celtic Western Europe called Samhain (sha-ween), which marked the end of the lighter half of the year and began the darker half of the year.  In part, they would also honor the dead and ancestors.  And just like many things . . . once man start messing with it . . . we now have Halloween!  Two religious celebrations that are now considered a holiday.  Like I always say, it is more important for you to know why you do things, than actually doing them!  Many times, by knowing why can help you stop doing something or maybe even keep you from starting!  Don’t let anything lead you to a hollowend simply because it has been called a holiday!

HOLLOW WORDS

Verse 6 says, ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

Hollow words can lead us to a hollowend! Not knowing what we believe will leave us as hollow Christians.  Not knowing and accepting JESUS will leave us as hollow people.  Without JESUS, you cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit! Prayerfully we all know that the Holy Spirit lives!  We do not worship the spirits of the dead!  This is why we do not celebrate the dying CHRIST, but we celebrate the living CHRIST.  But hollow people have itching ears to hear hollow words.  Like it says in 2 Timothy 4:4, they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  Don’t let hollow words lead you to a hollowend!  Hear the true, unadulterated word of GOD.  Unadulterated means pure or undiluted with extraneous matter.  GOD’s Word is full of life, even when it speaks about death! 

HOLLOW DARKNESS

Verses 8-9 reads, ⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

I don’t find it a coincidence that all the trick or treating is done in darkness!  I’m not talking about the doorbell ring and the baskets of candy!  I am talking about the tricks of satan!  When he gets you all alone at night . . . in that dark place where you start to think how awful thing are! Why is this happening to me . . . again!   There is no way it can get better for me! I am worth more to my family dead! Then he begins to dangle the treats in front of you!  Things like, you should start a gangster rap group to get out of the hood!  But many times the dream of becoming a famous rapper keeps you in the reality of never leaving the hood  . . . even when you become a superstar!  Satan wants you to think that if you make one dope run, you will be set for life! Then that one dope run gets you 25 to life! He will have you try to convince that working the street corner will help pay your way through college!  But you find yourself on the corner more than you find yourself in the classroom! Satan will convince you that he is only hitting you because he loves you too much! And anyone who loves you too much to beat you will literally love you to death . . . by their own hands!  We all have been in hollow darkness at some point in our lives, but I need you to know that GOD’s Word tells us to come out of the darkness and walk in the light of the LORD!  Live as children of light!  The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth!  Move away from the hollow darkness of lies and live in the light of truth! Darkness cannot live in light!  If you stand in the middle of a football stadium with complete darkness and turn on a pen-light . . . it will illuminate the stadium and be seen!  How much more then should CHRIST be seen in the center of our lives!  Hollow darkness will lead to a hollowend, but the light of the LORD will always lead us to truth!

HOLLOW WILL

Verse 17 says, ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

The dictionary defines fool as a silly or stupid person; a person who lacks judgment or sense!  Only a fool would believe in a hollow will!  But we are called to live in the LORD’s will.  You see . . . in a hollow will we celebrate some hollow things!  And sometimes we will claim to do hollow things to do good or try to validate our hollow will as something with meaning! In the book of 1^st Samuel, chapter 10, Samuel tells Saul to go down to Gilgal and wait for him.  Samuel told him that he would be in Gilgal later and Saul was to wait seven days for him to get there so that he could give instructions on what to do.  GOD’s Will was for Samuel to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings when he got to Gilgal!  In chapter 13 of 1 Samuel, we see that while Saul was waiting for Samuel . . . some bad things started happening!  He found himself in the middle of a fight between Jonathan and the Philistine!  Saul’s men began to quake with fear and scatter.  Even though Samuel had not yet arrived, Saul called for his men to bring burnt and fellowship offerings.  Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived and Saul stopped what he was doing to go greet him.  Starting with verse 11, it says, ¹¹ “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, ¹² I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” ¹³ “You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”  Saul was doing his own will and not waiting for GOD’s will.  He was suppose to be waiting on Samuel to come and tell him what to do, but instead, Saul took matters into his own hands . . . without any instructions!  Saul acted on his own hollow will out of panic because Samuel had not got there yet.  Now we can’t judge Saul because some of us do the same thing!  Some folks think that if the leader isn’t around then there is no leadership, so they must take matters into their own hands!  You would think Saul learned his lesson in chapter 13, but when you go on to chapter 15, you will see that Saul continues to make the same foolish choices. A hollow will can leave you walking in a circle for a lifetime without any purpose or direction!  Can you imagine walking in a circle (walk in a circle) and still not know where you are going! How long are we going to walk around in our own hollow will?

But in HIS holy will, we can live in victory!  GOD’s Will is not to destroy us or lead us astray!  GOD’s Will is that none should perish and that we all return to HIM!   See, even if we cannot physically see GOD with our physical eyes . . . it doesn’t mean we are without leadership!  HE still sits on the throne! A hollow will leads to a hollowend!  But GOD’s Will leads us to the Promised Land!  We can make up all the holidays, ceremonies and traditions we want, but if it is not according to GOD’s Holy Will . . . it is a hollow will that leads to a hollowend!

MESSAGE CONCLUSION

It can be called All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, Sha-ween, or Halloween, it can leave us with a lot of emptiness!  We can debate for the next hundred years about these holidays and never rejoice in HIS Holy days!  Hollow Words, Hollow Darkness and Hollow Wills are all pathways to a hollowend!

We have a Holy Word, a Holy Light and GOD’s Holy Will that leads us in the path of HIS Holy ways!  We shouldn’t spend 31 Oct grieved because of the little costumes and candy!  Be educated on the seriousness of those who celebrate this as a highlight of their false religion! Know what you mean when you say “Happy Halloween” Ensure your kids know about the goodness of GOD’s light in the darkest places!  We must trust in HIS Holy Word and not our hollow ways!

PRAYER

LORD, give us a heart to celebrate YOUR day that YOU have made and not be concerned or frustrated about the holiday that man has made!  Help us to love one another as YOU have commanded us to do!  For anyone who has come to the realization that they have not been honoring YOU on the 31st of October, we ask in the name of JESUS that they repent and trust in YOU!  Let them rejoice in the Holy Day of YOU and not the holiday of man!  We thank YOU for YOUR grace, mercy and understanding!