A New Pattern For Life Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• The efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution: "You do not want to try these techniques at home!"

• "Why not?" asked a man from the audience.

• "After years of not paying attention, I suddenly noticed my wife's routine at breakfast," the expert explained. "She made lots of trips to the refrigerator, stove, table and cabinets; often she carried just a single item at a time. So I asked her, 'Hon, why don't you try carrying several things at once? It'd be much more efficient.'"

• "Well, did your suggestions save much time?" the attendee asked.

• "Actually, yes," the efficiency expert responded. "It used to take her twenty minutes to get breakfast ready. Now I do it in seven." (MIKES FUNNIES)

• Today as we continue in our Turning Over a New Leaf series, we are going to examine a New Pattern for Life to consider.

• When we build things, we usually follow some pattern, plan or blueprint.

• How would we feel if we were going to have someone come in and install new counter tops in our home and they did it all on the phone?

• They never came by your home to look at your existing cabinets, they never took one measurement, and they never made a pattern to follow so they could cut your new tops to fit.

• Would that make you feel confident in what you would get from them?

• We follow patterns life, many of us build our life on a pattern that was instilled within us when we were children, some decided they did not like the pattern for life they were offered and decided to construct their own pattern.

• For some their pattern is no pattern, they just make it up as they aimlessly wander through life. They can never seem to figure out why they never get anywhere.

• Today we are going to examine two different patterns for life.

• The pattern of life we chose to mold our life from will determine what type of person will become.

• Let’s turn to Ephesians 5, we will be in verses 1-5 and we will open with verses 1-2.

• SLIDE #2

• Ephesians 5:1–2 (HCSB) — 1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. 2 And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. A flawless pattern for life.

• One of the challenges of living our new life in Christ, is getting away from our old way of life.

• In order to do that, we need to follow a new pattern of life, a pattern that is not flawed, but one that is flawless.

• Paul starts this chapter with the word, THEREFORE! Since Christians are a new creation in Christ, since God has forgiven us when we are immersed into Christ, our new self should begin to bear a resemblance to the family of God.

• Then we are told to be imitators of God as dearly loved children.

• In our society, when we think of an imitation, we think of something that is fake or counterfeit.

• Do you want a diamond ring or a DIAMELLE ring? Do you want a pair of Oakley sunglasses or a fake pair?

• DO you want an original Van Gough or one Joe down the street painted?

• Do you want the ORIGINAL DOGS PLAYING POKER Velvet painting or a knock-off of the fine piece of art.

• We see a lot of what we call knock-off products and we tend to look down on them.

• During the time of the writing of this letter, in the ethical sphere of the Greek language and in the fine arts the word has a positive connotation.

• In the New Testament, the word is always used in a positive sense. Paul uses the word most frequently of all the New Testament writers.

• Imitating in the original language was more than trying to look like someone, it also meant to be like someone, to act as they would act, to think as they would think.

• Another way to put it is to follow His example.

• Notice that Paul adds the phrase AS DEARLY BELOVED CHILDREN.

• A child who is loved by their family will often want to be like their parent, and many times will grow up to be like them.

• As they spend time with their father or mother, their respect for them grows as they see the consistency of their life.

• The Life Application Commentary shares this interesting tidbit.

• Behavioral scientists have discovered an interesting phenomenon called “imprinting” in the early development of some animals.