ࡱ> Z\YM &bjbj== ">WWO"l>>>R , ,RM     ===FFFF/FIL$+N KPL>="===L   L   =LR > F =F  2A">OF `Rb #C.OF4L0MQCPPOF RRA WAKE-UP CALL Ephesians 5:1-14 Objective: @ to examine their motives and deeds to comply with genuine Christian conversion. Reading: Ephesians 5:1-14 Memory: Ephesians 5:1-14, B_ i_ o_ G_, t_, a_ d_ l_ c_ Introduction: Close your eyes and picture the son of Porky Pig; Tall, slender? I get short pudgy child running out of kindergarten a closing bell saying, abeddee, ...thats all folks! Try kids of Curly of 3 stooges; full head of hair, calm, reserved, competent? I get 15 short round bald kids saying nyuck, nyuck. Kids are supposed to resemble their parents! They imitate the father. Its the same in the spiritual realm. If we are really beloved children of God, then; We need to imitate God! (HOW?) In Ephesians 5:1-14, the divinely inspired Apostle Paul, urges Christians to do just that; imitate their heavenly Father. Listen while I read this section of Scripture, and lets notice some of the ways in which as Gods children, you and I ought to imitate God. The primary way Christians should resemble God is a matter of heart and attitude. In verse 2, we are urged to; I. Live A Life Of Love: Ephesians 5:2-2 A. God wants the heart! Behavior originates in the heart. For our actions to be Godlike, our hearts must first be godly. This is the same message the OT prophets have been trying to get across; Micah 6:8. He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Zechariah 7:9-10, This is what the LORD Almighty says: Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other. Zechariah 8:16-17. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this, declares the LORD. The NT conveys the same concept in Galatians 5:16, So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. So, how can we learn to act godly? Give yourself to God. Learn to love as Christ loved. B. Christ gave Himself up as an offering on our behalf. (Verse 2) Walking in love means that we are to do the same thing! Give ourselves up for the sake of others as an offering to God. This is what the Apostle is saying in Philippians 2:3-8, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! C. Have you really given yourself up? As a sacrificial offering to God? In service to God. As Christ did, to serve the interests and needs of others rather than self? Do you actually think about other people more than about yourself? Maybe it means family members, church members, neighbors? Even strangers like we were when Christ died for us! The next way in which we Christians are to imitate God comes in verse 8. As children of God, we are to: II. Live As Children Of Light: Ephesians 5:8 A. You are no longer in darkness if you are in the Lord. You were in darkness before you came to the Lord, so it shouldnt surprise you, too much, that you still have some dark habits. Those old habits may be hard to break. But if you realize they are darkness and you work at it, you can train yourself out of them. Bring your words, your thoughts, your actions out into the light. See them for what they are. If they are not imitative of God, repent of them. Remember that those dark things no longer belong. It is disgraceful to even speak of the things folks do in secret. Anything you need to do in secret; hide from the law, hide from your parents or your children, or whisper about probably has a darkness to it. Get rid of it! Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. WWJD. If you wouldnt find Christ doing it, dont do it. If you wouldnt do it in front of God, dont do it! B. Fruit of light consists in: (Ephesians 5:9) Goodness. Thats reaching out to do positive, holy things. Not sneaky, hurtful or selfish things. Righteousness. Why be at work on time?: Its the right thing to do. Why refuse to tease an unfortunate person? Its the right thing to do! Truth. May involve confessing, like, Yes, officer, I was doing 63 mph. Bring it out in the open. The Bible is very clear on the fact that we are saved by faith, not by works or deeds, yet at the same time is also emphatic in the position that we will be judged by our deeds. Romans 2:6, God will give to each person according to what he has done. This is because although the heart is what really matters, the heart never stands alone. It is always reflected and revealed in behavior. Therefore, Paul tells us in verse 11, (in imitation of our heavenly Father) to: II. Have Nothing To Do With Deeds Of Darkness: Ephesians 5:11 A. Allow nothing into your life that is improper for saints: He lists some such things in verse 3-4; 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 Gods holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking Sexual immorality - Is there a hint of that in the TV you watch? On your date relationships? Impurity - anything opposed to highest moral standards. Like participating in a lie or deception. Greed, which = covetousness, which = idolatry. What things are you attached to? Obscenity - any impure, corrupt thoughts or actions Foolish talk - May not intend to hurt, but it often really cuts and offends; it benefits no one. Coarse joking talking about vulgarities, dirty jokes, not quite so dirty jokes. If Jesus would not tell it to a three year old girl, you ought not tell it to your friend! In verse 5, he tells us that folks B. Those who practice such have no inheritance in heaven. You know this with certainty. Therefore allow no one to deceive you with empty words. Do not be share with them - if you share of their attitudes and deeds, you will also share in their eternal destiny. Someone asks you to stop and pick up a Playboy magazine for them, refuse, Dont become an accomplice in deeds of darkness. You know that such things are not fitting or proper for saints. Such is not fitting for those who are children of God. So What: Who are you actually imitating more; God or Satan? Who are you showing to be your Father? All things will be brought to the light. All things will be seen and made known. There will be no secrets. Wake up and realize what you are doing with your life. Imitate Christ if you want to claim God as your Father. Invitation: Are you thinking you can sneak by with something? That friends and people wont know if you sin when youre not around them. You are probably right - for a short time: but a time will be here soon when all things will be known, and God sees all that is done in secret. Stop sleeping. Get real! The only way to life is through Jesus. By giving yourself wholly and completely to Him -heart -attitude-deed. I pray that each of us will resolve right now, if we have not already done so, to give ourselves absolutely, wholeheartedly to Jesus and devote ourselves with all of our heart and determination to imitating God in all ways. A Wake-Up Call Ephesians 5:1-14 Reading: Ephesians 5:1-14 Memory: Ephesians 5:1 B_ i_ o_ G_, t_, a_ d_ l_ c_ We need to imitate God! Some of the ways in which we ought to imitate God. I. Live A Life Of Love: Ephesians 5:2-2 A. God wants the heart! Micah 6:8 Zechariah 7:9-10 Zechariah 8:16-17 Galatians 5:16 B. Christ gave Himself up as an offering on our behalf. Ephesians 5:2 Philippians 2:3-8 C. Have you really given yourself up? II. Live As Children Of Light: Ephesians 5:8 A. You are no longer in darkness if you are in the Lord. B. Fruit of light consists in: Ephesians 5:9 II. Have Nothing To Do With Deeds Of Darkness: Ephesians 5:11 A. Allow nothing into your life that is improper for saints: Ephesians 5:3-4 B. Those who practice such have no inheritance in heaven. So What: Wake up and realize what you are doing with your life. Imitate Christ if you want to claim God as your Father.  Date: (When you will check to verify that you have done it.) 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