Be Imitators of God

Be Imitators of God

Introduction

The first 3 chapters – Doctrine, The last 3 chapters – Duty.   

Antinomianism – those who preach sex, drugs, and rock and roll—what you find in the book of Corinthians – Christ came, God forgive all sin, The spirit has sealed us. We are secure in Jesus.  So now we can live as a prodigal.

We should never forget that God’s ultimate goal for us is holiness. (1:4 – chose us before the foundation of the world – TO BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS)

Walk worthy of the calling

Take off the old self, put on the new (Pastor Rick)

Be Imitators of God

Ephesians 5:1-21

Context/Story

• The So What – Doctrine can never be divorced from Duty
  • Martyn Lloyd Jones – “We are always in danger of not applying the Christian faith to ourselves.  Of being content to enjoy it in a purely theoretical manner”
• 4 Practical Categories

Love One Another

• The text begins with a call to imitate God. and walk in Love.  How do we walk in love? By following His example (sacrifice and offering) 
  • Love as Christ loved us! What a standard!
    • Compare that with the shallow type of love we so often display.
      • “I don’t want to love that person, they get on my nerves” 
      • “I don’t love that person because they offended me”
      • “I only love those who agree with my positions”
      • “I love those who can offer me something in return”
      • Your love is materialistic, physical, superficial. And Ultimately, It is all about you…
    • But Paul says, Jesus is our example.  I am so glad God is not like me.  He loved you to the point of Death, not for the worthiness of the prize, not for the riches you could offer. You have no offering worthy of the death of God.  Yet His love for you, placed upon you, your worth, and now, we are called to love like He loves.

Purity of Mind and Body

• • There are certain things which we as the children of God must never do.  We must realize that there are certain things which are utterly incompatible with our life with Christ.

• We have so many excuses! – They crop up like weeds, threatening to choke out your faith.  Do not make excuses for sin.  

• Purity of Mind

1. Do Not Engage in Sexual immorality/Impurity

• What is this?  This is sex outside of marriage.  This is looking lustfully, This is Pornography.  This is serious stuff.
  •  “Well we’re getting married, “well we are not going all the way”,  “Well we found a loophole…”,  “Well the Bible is ambiguous on sexual boundaries.”  “It doesn’t tell us where the line is.” It says Run!  If you’re asking where the line is, you are asking the enemy’s questions!
• 1 Corinthians 6:18–20 – Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
• JESUS IS LORD, NOT YOU
  • I can’t redefine my view of marriage. I can’t redefine my view of sexuality. I can’t redefine the parameters of morality. Why? Because Jesus is Lord.

• Do Not Engage in Covetousness

• You want what they have.  – Advertising – Marketing – God calls it Idolatry
  • An unhealthy desire to obtain
    • 1st Timothy 6:6 – Godliness with contentment is great gain.
      • Contentment. – Ever elusive.  Libraries of books have been written on how to obtain contentment.  But the only book you need is THIS ONE.  You look in the world for it, you will always be searching, because you can find nothing in the darkness.

• Taming the Body

• Coarse joking, filthy/foolish talk

• This one can be so subtle!  Someone says something at work. 
• But we are imitating God here. Would Jesus find humor in foul language, demeaning jabs, and sexual innuendo?  
  • James 3:10-11 – From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?
  • Excuses: Not a big deal, we’re just having a little fun. 
    • What are you showing the world about Christ?  What light are you giving off? A light of truth or perversion?

• Drunkenness 

• The Bible never says drinking is a sin.  Jesus turns water into wine, Paul tells Timothy to have some wine for his stomach.  
• But the Bible repeatedly says that drunkenness is sinful.  Yes, this includes all substances.  
  • Excuses: “But it only says don’t be drunk on wine, It doesn’t say anything about whiskey” It means alcohol!  Weed, Heroin, Prescription Medication,  If it is altering you, don’t do it. If you are controlled by something, you aren’t controlled by Christ.
  • 18 – Don’t be filled with wine, be filled with the spirit

1. Let no one deceive you with empty words – “Well, Brandon you aren’t the only one who can read their Bible.  You are just one interpretation.  You are just one man.  I have found others who read this passage differently.  They have a better way of seeing things.”  

• You are being deceived with empty words.  

• What are you hiding in darkness? 

Darkness vs Light

• • My daughters are afraid of the dark…  Do you remember when you were a child, and you woke up to some bump or hoot in the night, and your mind starts to race.  The blanket of darkness could be hiding any number of evil things in the corners of your room.  Every shadow is another thing to fear.  But then your mother/father walks in, and turns on the light, and the darkness disappears, and everything becomes clear.  Whatever evil, whatever fear there once was, has fled from the presence of the Light.
    • live as children of light in a dark world, we are light bringers who shine God’s truth and love to those around us, and in so doing, the darkness flees. 
  • D.L. Moody – “Character is what you are in the dark.”
    • When the light of the church, the light of other Christians around you is extinguished, are you still shining? Illuminating the darkness around you?  
  • Some notes on darkness
    • Darkness keeps us from seeing (Our Sin, Other’s Sin, Potential Dangers, Potential opportunities)
    • Darkness keeps us from trusting (Cut off from God, All we know is our feelings, emotions drive us)
    • Darkness keeps us from walking (We cannot see the path, 4:2 – Walk worthy, 4:17 – no longer walk as the gentiles,5:2 – Walk in love, 5:8 – walk in Light, 5:15 – Walk in wisdom) 
  • Far too often I see people who hide in the darkness until their lives fall apart, then they run to the church, and to the Lord out of desperation.  As a last resort.  What I am telling you now, is to not do that.  Walking in light means that you confess your sins, to God AND TO OTHERS.  
    • Allow others to know you.  If you hide your sin, it only gets worse.  
      • Be in community. Join a celebration group, This is a perfect time to do it! (this is where we walk in the light – Relationship, Prayer, Accountability – Confession, Love, Grace – You don’t have to hide!)
    • Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness
      • Unfruitful works – A whole sermon could be given on how the works of the world are unfruitful. But suffice to say, that they have no real signficance.

• They will not get you to your destination.  They will not deliver on their promises. 

• • but instead EXPOSE them
    • Bring them into the light!
• Prove
  • 1st Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
• Apply
  • What practical steps need to be taken if I’m going to be a useful light for Christ?
  • Who in my life needs to see the light I have?

Redeem the Time

• Rather than waste our days on frivolous pursuits that leave no lasting imprint, Make every day matter.  
• Why? Because the days are evil…
  • Distractions were as prevalent then as they are now, and Satan would like nothing more than to fill your life with meaningless pursuits to pull you away from true significance. 
    • Sitting in your pocket right now is a small brick.  A screen that has the potential to waste away your entire life.   
      • Time wasted surfing the internet! Gaming, Social media
        • The typical user spends about 2.5 hours per day on social media. That’s 864 hours a year of scrolling through apps, equivalent to 36 days or a little over a month per year.
    • Delayed adolescence 
      • The average first time groom is 30 years old, the average bride is 28.  Older than ever in history. And I believe it is because people are failing to redeem the time, and wasting it away on frivolous things!
  • The difference between wisdom and foolishness is wasting time by not knowing what God’s will is.
    • How do you redeem the time? – Seek the Lord and do what He says!
• Be filled with the Spirit.
  • Worship – psalms, hymns, spiritual songs
    • We should be a singing church! (its not a concert, take part, SING!)
  • Be grateful – giving thanks always and for everything (the attitude of gratitude)
    • Remember that thing about covetousness?  Never having enough?
      • The reality is that if you have Christ, you have way more than you deserve.
  • Submit – out of reverence for Christ 
• James 4:14 – Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
  • Our money and possessions will be given to someone else. Our jobs will be filled by others. Our families may remember us with fondness but will move on with lives that don’t include us. All that remains of our lives on earth is that which was invested in eternity. In the end, all that matters is what we did or did not do to redeem the time

Conclusion

• John 9:4 – We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
  • The day is short, and the task is great, and the workmen are sluggish, and the reward is much, and the Master of the house is urgent.