Reading: Ephesians chapter 5 verses 1-21.
Ill:
• Rory Bremner & Aliastair McGowan are famouse impersonators.
• As you look at then you see the person they are imitating.
• It may be a famous politician or sports star or a well known celebrity.
• Both Rory Bremner & Aliastair McGowan will look and sound like that person.
Now the word imitator:
• Is what Paul uses in verse 1;
• “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children”
• It is literally the word ‘Mimic,’
• And a mimic impersonates, copies, is a replica of someone else.
Verse 1: Goes on to explain who we are to mimic; we should be imitating God:
• This verse sets the theme for this section.
• Paul is simply teaching us that children are like their parents,
• Now I realise that this fact can be both encouraging and embarrassing,
• For both children and parents.
Ill:
• It can be a pleasant or a scary experience,
• When you realise you are turning into your parents.
And there is always a family remembrance:
• Ill: Looks, a stranger could match family members together
• Ill: Mannerisms, we start acting like our parents!
Listen:
• If we are the children of God,
• Then we ought to imitate our heavenly Father.
• This is the basis for Paul’s teaching in this chapter,
• And there are three admonitions in this section.
(1).
• God is love (1 John chapter 4 verse 8);
• Therefore, mimic him by, “walking in love” (verses 1-2).
(2).
• God is light (1 John chapter 1 verse 5);
• Therefore, mimic him by “Walking as children of light” (verses 3-14).
(3).
• God is truth (1 John chapter 5 verse 6);
• Therefore, mimic him by, “Walking in wisdom” (verses 15-17).
Pause to say:
• You cannot be a successful imitator of God,
• Unless you are connected to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ill:
• A counsellor was given an opportunity to open a counselling office in a university.
• On the opening day, he sat at his desk for several hours before anyone came.
• Hearing someone enter the small waiting room,
• He picked up the phone and pretended he was talking to someone about their problems.
• The man who had entered stood there silently,
• Until the counsellor put down the phone and asked him how he could help.
• “I’m the telephone engineer,” the man replied.
• “I’ve come to connect your phone.”
Question:
• How many here tonight are playing at Christianity?
• Looking the part but not actually being connected?
Now if you claim to be connected to God then be an imitator!
• Ill: Jesus “I do always those things that please the Father!”
• Ill: God testified of him “I am well pleased”
• Tough question: Are you doing the things that please the father?
• Tough question: “Is he pleased with you tonight?”
(a). Walk in Love (Verses 1-2)
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Paul gave several reasons why the Christian ought to walk in love.
(1). Christians are Gods children.
When Paul encouraged his readers to “walk in love,”
• He was not asking them to do something that was foreign to the Christian life;
• The Bible teaches that at conversion every Christian.
• No exceptions, every Christian received a new nature,
• And that nature has to express itself in love.
The Bible clearly teaches:
• The old nature is basically selfish (sinful).
• And for this reason builds walls and declares war on others.
• But the new nature, which is from God, must reflect God and be loving,
• And therefore it builds bridges (not walls) and proclaims peace.
Ill:
Jesus himself said in John chapter 13 verse 34:
• “This is how all men will know you are my disciples……
• That you go to Church each week!
• That you know your Bible inside out!
• That you don’t do this and you don’t do that!
• This is how all men will know you are my disciples……
• That you have LOVE for one another!”
(2). Christians are dearly loved.
• Are you aware that God actually speaks of us (you and me)
• In the same way He spoke of his son Jesus Christ?
Ill:
• Matthew chapter 3 verse 17:
• “This is My beloved Son”, “My son who I dearly love!”
Because God has both expressed and demonstrated his love for us;
• The Question the apostle Paul is posing is this:
• Is it asking too much for us to “walk in love” to please Him?
(3). Christians are purchased with a great price (vs 2).
Paul compares Christ’s sacrifice on the cross:
• To the Old Testament “fragrant offerings”,
• That were presented at the altar of the temple (Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17; 2:9).
Ill:
A sacrifice always involved a cost.
• The person had to purchase an animal with hard earned money.
• So there was a material cost.
• An innocent animal gave up its life on behalf of the person.
• So there was a physical cost involved.
In verse 2 we are reminded of the great cost Jesus Christ paid for us:
Ill:
• Jesus himself said in John chapter 15 verse 13:
• “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”
• But we know that Jesus Christ went even beyond that;
• “He laid down His life for His enemies” (Romans chapter 5 verse 10).
• Now here’s the point:
• Our love for Him is our response to His love for us.
Ill:
• You don’t become a Christian to please me (though I would be pleased).
• You don’t get baptised to please me or your family (you do it to please him!)
• You don’t become a member of this Church to please the other members.
• You don’t live a holy life to please the Church leaders (you do it to please him!)
• Whatever you do as a Christian,
• First and foremost you do it to please him!
• That’s the whole point of verse 2:
• Our love for Him is our response to His love for us.
Challenge is this:
• If we love him,
• Then let us show it by the way we obey him in our living!
(b). Walk As Children of Light (3-14)
Because “God is light”:
• As his children we are to be like him, imitating him,
• That means we should walk in the light and have nothing to do with the darkness of sin.
Paul gives three descriptions of believers that prove his point.
(1). We are saints (verses 3-4).
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving
• We might not have been canonized by Rome,
• And we might not refer to each other as Saint Colin or Saint Ruth or Saint Billy!
• But according to the Bible, every Christian is a saint,
• That word means “set-apart ones” we are called to be “holy”, set apart for God’s glory.
Quote 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9.
We have been “called out of darkness into His marvelous light”
Paul’s teaching here is very simple:
• If you are a saint, then live like one.
• You should be different from the society in which you live!
• Paul names certain sins that are common in our society,
• But should be uncommon in the Church.
(a). Verse 3: Sins of Lust:
• Lust is simply an over emphasises.
• Ill: Food is good, but an over emphasises turns my good desire for food into lust.
Paul’s warns us against:
• Sexual sins: immorality & impurity are mentioned.
• But notice he also warns us against “Greed” or “Covetousness”,
• The person who misuses the gift of sex and the covetous person,
• Are trying to satisfy their natural God-given appetites in a wrong sinful way.
Ill:
• John in his letter (1 John chapter 2 verse 16) describes it as:
• “The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes”
(b). Verse 4: Sins of the tongue.
• Sins of the tongue , are really sins of the heart.
• The tongue merely express the condition of the heart.
Ill:
• Like a bucket that draws water from a well,
• So the tongue draws out what is in our hearts.
Paul mentions three areas in which we can use our tongues:
• Obscene, foul language, swearing,
• “Foolish talk” that is conversation that cheapens and puts a person down.
• Dirty jokes, we’ve probably all heard them or told them!
Ill:
• A Christian woman attended an anniversary works dinner.
• As part of the evenings formalities, various people made speeches.
• One person who had to give a speech used coarse humour,
• That degraded everything that the Christian lady held to be sacred and honorable.
• At one point in the persons speech, the speaker’s throat became dry.
• “Please bring me a glass of water,” he called to a waiter.
• At that point the Christian woman added,
• “And bring a toothbrush and a bar of soap with it!”
• Obviously soap would not clean up his speech,
• But the lady made her point.
(C). We are kings (verses 5-6).
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater -has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
• When we trusted Christ for salvation,
• We entered into the kingdom of Christ and of God,
• Our heavenly father is the King of Kings,
• We are going to share in his inheritance, we are part of a royal family!
In these verses Paul is saying:
• The outward evidence that someone has that inward hope,
• Is to look at their lives.
Ill:
• Not expect to see Prince Charles selling copies of The Big Issue magazine.
• Not expect Princes Anne selling dodgy (not doggy) goods at a car boot sale.
• That is not the behaviour of a royal person.
• Their behaviour ought to reflect their position.
Paul makes it clear that people who claim to be Christians:
• Should not deliberately and persistently and wantonly live sinful lives,
• That attitude and lifestyle actually shows that they are not saved,
• They are not part of the kingdom!
• Because they will not let Christ the King reign in their hearts!
In verses 5-6: Paul once again mentions the sins he referred to in verses 3-4.
• And he says that those who deliberately and persistently and wantonly,
• Practice these things are actually idolaters.
Ill:
• These people have a greater desire to practice these sins,
• Than they do for the things of God.
• In the Bible an idol is always much more than a statue or image.
• It is something or someone that replaces God in a persons life.
Note:
• These warnings deal with the deliberate, habitual practice of sin,
• And not the occasional act of sin, every Christian at times will fail
Quote:
“A Christian is not sinless,
but he or she does sin less - and less - and less! “
• The Christian is part of the royal family, and it is beneath their dignity,
• To indulge in the practices of the lost world, that is outside the kingdom of God.
(d). We are light (vv. 7-14).
7Therefore do not be partners with them.
8For 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) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for 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.”
(1). Notice: we are light (verse 8):
• Paul did not say in verse 8 that we were “in the darkness,”
• But that we “were darkness.”
• That was our condition before we were converted,
• We only had a sinful nature, one that was corrupt.
• But when we became Christians:
• God gave to us a new nature, one that is like him (light).
Ill: Every Christian is a spiritual schizophrenic:
• They have two natures, two personalities that want to control the body.
• We choose who has the reins and is the most dominant!
• Ill: New Christian, two horses story.
• Quote: It is impossible to be in darkness and light at the same time!
Ill:
• I as far as I know you cannot grow fruit in the dark.
• Fruit trees and fruit bushes need light to produce fruit.
(2). We are to produce the fruit of light (Verse 9):
• If we are walking in the light then we will be producing fruit.
• Two fruits are mentioned.
(a). Goodness.
• Goodness is“Love in action.”
• Goodness is seen in 2 ways:
• Character. (that is being good).
• Conduct. (that is doing good).
• And of course the two overlap and are really inseparable,
• Out of a good heart flow good deeds,
Ill:
• Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7 verse 17:
• "Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit"
(2). Righteousness.
• Righteousness again is twofold;
• Rightness of character before God & rightness of actions before men.
Ill:
• Every time I go on a journey by plane,
• I must surrender myself and my luggage to a special inspection,
• Because this inspection helps to detect bombs and dangerous weapons.
• I am happy to do so,
• I have never been afraid to walk through the “detection tunnel”
• Or have my luggage pass through the X-ray equipment, because I have nothing to hide.
Paul teaches us here:
• That we should try to live so that when God and other people look into our lives,
• There is nothing there that we need to be ashamed of.
(3). The effects of light (verses 11-14):
• By our character and conduct,
• We are brining God’s light into a dark world.
We do that in two ways:
(1). We help others find their way to Christ.
• The mind of the unsaved person is in darkness;
• Blinded by Satan (2 Cor. 4:3-4) and blinded by sin (Eph. 4:17-19).
Only as we witness and share Christ can the light enter into their hearts and minds:
• Just as a healthy person can assist someone who is sick to regain their health,
• So a child of God can lead the lost out of darkness into God’s wonderful light.
(b). Light also exposes what is wrong.
Ill:
• No surgeon would willingly operate in darkness,
• In case they made a false move and killed their patient.
Ill:
• How could an artist paint a true picture in darkness?
• Van Gogh painted many night-time paintings but he always used lamps so he could see.
As we Christians we walk in light,
• We refuse to embrace attitudes and behaviour of darkness,
• In fact by our presence we expose the dark things of sin for what they really are.
Ill:
• Just as a healthy person unconsciously exposes the handicaps and sicknesses,
• Of people he or she visits in a hospital,
• So the Christian exposes the darkness and sin around them,
• Just by living like a Christian.
Notice: Paul tells us to live balanced lives:
• Positively, to walk in the light;
• Negatively, to denounce and expose the wickedness of those in the darkness.
Quote Warren Wiersbe:
“It is not enough simply to expose the wickedness of those in the darkness.
It is not enough simply to expose sin.
We must also bear fruit.”
Verse 14: Paul uses a magnificent illustration to conclude this passage:
• In the ancient world before artifical lights were invented,
• All you had was oil lamps.
• So when you spoke of light,
• You would naturally think of waking up to a new day,
Paul goes beyond just another 24 hour period of time:
• He goes back to the most important day in world history,
• The first Easter morning, when Christ arose from the dead,
• This was the dawning of a new day for the world.
• The world as we know it, would never ever be the same again!
Notice: how those events are relevant for you and me:
• Christians are not sleeping in sin and death.
• We have been raised from the dead through faith in Him.
• The darkness of the graveyard is past,
• And we are now walking in the light of salvation.
• Salvation is the beginning of a new day,
• And so we ought to live as those who belong to the light, not to the darkness.
(e). Walk in Wisdom (verses 15-21):
Verses 14-15 are related.
• Paul appears to be saying,
• “Don’t walk in your sleep! Wake up! Open your eyes! Make the most of the day!”
• It is sad to see some Christians “drift” through life, like sleepwalkers,
• They never really make the most of opportunities to live for Christ and serve Him.
Paul gives to us several reasons why we should be wise in our walk with Christ.
(1). It is a mark of wisdom (verse. 15).
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,
Ill:
• Only a foolish sailor drifts on the open sea;
• Guided only by the wind and tide:
• A wise sialor marks out their course,
• Sets their sail, and guides the rudder until they reaches their destination.
Ill:
• When a person wants to build a house,
• they first draw up the plans so they know what they are doing.
Question: How many Christians plan their days so that they use their opportunities
wisely?
• It is true, that we do not know what a day may bring forth.
• But it is also true that a planned life can better deal with unexpected events.
• Someone said,
• “When the pilot does not know what port he is heading for, no wind is the right wind.”
• We cannot leave the Christian life to chance.
• We must make wise decisions and seek to do the will of God.
(B). Life is short (verse 16a).
6making the most of every opportunity,
• “Making the most of every opportunity”.
• “Buying up the opportunity—taking advantage of it.”
Ill:
• Our English word opportunity comes from the Latin and means “toward the port.”
• It suggests a ship taking advantage of the wind and tide to arrive safely in the harbor.
• The brevity of life is a strong argument,
• For making the best use of the opportunities God gives us.
Quote:
“Only one life, will soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
(C). The days are evil (verse 16b).
“because the days are evil.”
• In Paul’s time,
• This expression meant that Roman persecution was on the way (1 Peter 4:12-19).
• How foolish to waste opportunities to win the lost,
• When soon those opportunities might be taken away!
Ill:
• If we new our Church would be closed down in 6 weeks time,
• What a difference that would make to what we did in this place during the next 6 weeks.
• Yet we are never promised 6 weeks, or even tomorrow - only today,
• So lets make a difference!
(d). God has given us a mind (verse 17a).
“Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is”.
“Understanding” suggests using our minds to discover and do the will of God.
• Too many Christians have the wrong idea;
• That discovering God’s will is a mystical experience that rules out clear thinking.
• We discover the will of God:
• As we use our resources; the Word of God, prayer, meditation, and worship.
God gave you a mind, then He expects you to use it:
• This means that learning His will involves gathering facts, examining them,
• Weighing them, and praying for His wisdom.
• God does not want us simply to know His will;
• He wants us to understand His will.
(e). God has a plan for our lives (vs 17b).
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Paul has already refered to this in chapter 2 verse 10
• “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
• Which God prepared in advance for us to do”.
If God has saved you (e..g. you are a Christian):
• And if God has a purpose for your life,
• Don’t you want to discover what purpose is and then guide your life accordingly.
The Christian can walk carefully & accurately because they know what God wants them to do.
Ill:
• Like the builder following the blueprint,
• He or she accomplishes what the architect planned.
There are at least three ways God reveals that plan:
• He reveals His plan through His Word (Colossians chapter 1 verses 9-10),
• His Spirit in our hearts (Colossians chapter 3 verse 15),
• And the working of circumstances (Romans chapter 8 verse 28).
(f). Be filled with the Spirit (verse 18).
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit”
• “Be filled with the Spirit” is a command from God:
• Notice a few things about it:
(a).
• The command is plural,
• So it applies to all Christians and not just to a select few.
(b).
• The verb is in the present tense—“keep on being filled”
• So it is an experience we should enjoy constantly and not just on special occasions.
(c).
• The verb is passive.
• We do not fill ourselves but permit the Spirit to fill us.
Note:
• The verb “fill” has nothing to do with contents or quantity,
• We are not empty vessels that need a required amount of spiritual fuel to keep going.
• In the Bible, filled means “controlled by.”
• Ill: Luke 4:28,Acts 13:45,
• To be “filled with the Spirit”
• Means to be constantly controlled by the Spirit in our mind, emotions, and will.
Question: But how can a person tell whether or not he is filled with the Spirit?
Answer: There are three evidences of the fullness of the Spirit:
• The Christian is joyful (verse 19),
• The Christian is thankful (verse 20),
• The Christian is submissive (verses 21-33).
