Welcome:

Starting Point- 9 0r 10:45. You can go and learn more about BC and take your next step. 

 

Hook: I love watching kids… they Imitate alot of what we do or say… 

 

Ephesians chapter 5. Let's just read a few of these first verses, just the talk about clean living. I'm sure you can't hardly wait…This is a message that Paul uses strong, direct, language to communicate. 

 

Book:

Ephesians 5: 1-14 NLT  Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.  Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.  You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.  Don’t participate in the things these people do.  For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!  For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.  Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.  It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.  But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,  for the light makes everything visible……

 

Look: 

 

I love verse 1, "Therefore be an imitator of God, copy Him and follow His example, as well-beloved children imitate their father." And the next thing He says is, "And walk in love." 

  • Well, you know, love just really covers everything. I  can just tell you the absolute truth, you could forget everything that I said today and do nothing but focus on walking in love and you'd have all the rest of it covered. 
  • Because love never does any harm to anyone. Love is always patient, it's always kind, it's always good, it's always humble, it's never jealous, it's never envious, it always believes the best, it never gives up on people, it's not haughty, it's not high-minded, it is not touchy, it's not easily offended, amen?
  • And that's 1 Corinthians 13, about 1 through 8, something like that. And so honestly and truly, if you don't wanna think about all these other behaviors, I've learned in my life, I just study love a lot and I focus on trying to love God and love people and it just takes care of so many things and then I don't have to try to not say things that hurt people's feelings and I don't have to try to get over being mad at people. 
  • There are so many things we don't have to try to do if we focus on love. And you know what? As christians, we're great about talking about love and theorizing about love. 

 

The Bible says the only way that you know that you've passed over out of death into life is by the fact that you love people.

 

Why does how we love matter? Because its at the core of who Jesus is. For God so loved the world that He gave… 

2 of the biggest struggles for humans Jesus modelded… Love and Generosity…

 

This is why we are to imitate God. We are not naturally prone to love other and live generously. 

 

The scriptures teach us 3 ways to imitate God:  

 

  1.  Walking in Love

 

  1. Love like the Father- He Adopeted us… Gal 4:5-6 

We are adopted as His very own children….. And  because we are His children.. God has sent the spirit of His son into our hearts,prompting us to call our Abba Father….

  1. Love like the Son
  • The Power of Love  -Love your neighbor as yourself.  This sounds good but we need the grace of God and the power of the HS to love those around us. 

Engage: think about it for a moment… each of us have a person we love because we want to get to Heaven.. If Heaven wasnt apart of the picture we wouldnt love them.. This is why we need Grace and the HS. 

  • The Pattern of Love- Do what Jesus did… Love one another ,care for the poor, the orphan, the widow, those around us in need, Financially, spiritually, physically.. Sharing the gospel is one of  the greatest acts of love you can show towards someone.. .Their eternity matters…

 

1 John 3:18-19 NLT  Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 

  • The Perfume of Love- when we love its a beautiful aroma of Christ. 

 

  1. Walking in Light 

 

Eph 5:8-9 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!  For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 

 

  1. Exalt God and reject idols in our lives. We have to embrace the light and reject darkness. 
  1. Sexual Immorality and impurity   Eph. 5:3 
  2. Greed Eph. 5:3

Engage: How do I know if i‘m a greedy person? 

  • Do I possess an insatiable desire for more? More of things that bring me pleasure. 
  • It is spoken of all throughout scripture… Exodus 20:7 The ten commandments. #10- Don’t covet. 
  • Greed is about the heart. It’s about desiring something more than God. It then becomes an Idol in our llfe. 

1 Timothy 6:6- But Godliness with contentment is a great gain… 

 

  • What does this mean? It means we are focused on what is Eternal. 
  • Do i make financial decisions with Eternity in mind? 
  • Do i give more towards my self serving desires than God’s kingdom?
  • Do i fundamentally belive that all i have belongs to God or do i belive it’s mine?
  • You are a steward of What God has ENTRUSTED TO YOU. 
  • The earth is the lords..

Psalm 24:1-2  The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.

    The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas

    and built it on the ocean depths

 

  1. Corrupt speech Eph 5:4

Verse 4, "Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting," like, don't be telling dirty jokes. Okay, let's take it to another level. Don't even tell suggestively, off-color jokes. 

 

  1. Warning Eph 5:5-6

Paul gives us a warning….

Engage: Paul tells us in verse 5 why we must get rid of these filthy behaviors and words. 

  • The reason why we must not be impure or greedy or sexually immoral or speak evil words is because everyone who does these things “has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” 
  • Notice the beginning of verse 5. “For you may be sure of this.” This is a certainty. If we are engaged in these kinds of behavior we do not belong to the kingdom. 
  • We are not part of the final kingdom of God nor the current kingdom of Christ. We must not do these things because there is another certainty in life. 

Example: We have a saying that there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. 

  • Here is a third certainty: no one who practices sexual immorality or impurity or greediness will have any part of Christ now or in the future. 
  • We do not belong to him when we choose to do these things. 
  • Back in Ephesians 1:14 Paul told us that one of the great identities we have in Christ is that we are heirs with him. Paul says that we are not heirs if we do not put off the old self and do not begin walking worthy of the calling. Heirs of Christ walk in love. 

 One particular word in verse 5: “idolaters.” 

Idolatry: ​​extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone.

Images of Idols: 

https://www.pexels.com/photo/golden-buddha-statue-at-wat-phra-yai-thailand-28544981/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/statue-of-saraswati-goddess-20621263/

He says when we do these things that we are idolaters. When something else becomes the center of your life other than God you are an idolater. This is what idolatry is all about. You place a higher value and priority on something in life and make it your god. We like to think that idolatry does not exist any more. 

What about these idols?

Please show these images:

https://www.boatingmag.com/boats/2022-mastercraft-xt24-bbg/

https://robbreport.com/lifestyle/sports-leisure/best-golf-courses-united-states-2858487/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/bourbon-bar-with-blantins-stave-display--222365300343258461/

Engage: We like to think that we are not idolaters. But anything that we hold in high value that is not Jesus is idolatry. 

  • Whatever we desire more and more of that is not Jesus is covetousness which is idolatry. 
  • We are to want more and more Jesus. We do not need anything else. 
  • More and more Jesus is all we need otherwise we are an idolater. 

Big Idea: These are hard words but Paul said it to us because we deceive ourselves into thinking that we can desire the world and still be worshipers of God. Paul clears this up for us. 

Quote: Whatever is the center of your life is your god. 

Jesus must be your everything and be the center otherwise it is idolatry. - Brent Kercheville

 

Transition: We are not to be given over to greed, but to Walk in the Light. 

 

  1. Exhibit the fruit of light Eph. 5:7-10
  • Display light by not joining those in darkness Eph 5:7
  • Display light by living out your identity Eph 5:8

 

 2 Cor 5:17 NLT 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

  • Display light by doing all that is good, right, and true Eph 5:9
  • Display light by pleasing the Lord Eph 5:10

 

  1. Expose the darkness  
  2. Light exposes the sin of unbelievers
  3. Light transforms unbelievers into the realm of light Eph 5:14

 

  1. Walking in Wisdom 

 

  1. Not as unwise people, but as wise  Eph 5: 15  To become wise you must walk with the wise. Prov13:20

 

  1. Making the most of the time Eph 5:16
  • Passionaltey live out our faith. We must live as people of the light, realizing the end will come and what we have done for eternity is all that will matter in the end.

 

  1. Understand what the Lord’s will is Eph 5:17
    For the Christ Follower we are to pattern our lives after Jesus. Live like Jesus. - Rom 8:29

Here are the steps…

  • Walk in Love 
  • Walk in Light
  • Walk in Wisdom

If you do this you will walk in God’s will. 

 

Took:

Today we must ask ourselves where are we? b Are we living as people of the light? 

Have we received the forgiveness of God that gives us new life? New Identity? Are we walking as the wise? 

 

Close:

HS What are you saying to me?

 

Prayer: 

 

Offering: 

 

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