Rooted In Your Wealth 20

Put Your Love Shoes On

Text: Ephesians 5:1-17

Introduction

Followers = Imitator (theme of this section)

Paul is making his case that children should look like their parents. Physically, that could be embarrassing as much as encouraging.

Illustration: Our boys already try to mimic us.

Illustration: I would mimic my grandpa in his big chair, smoking and reading the news paper.

1) Love Like Your Father

This ties right back into the last verse of chapter 4.

It’s going to make for than a life event to bring about a real love in the heart.

Funerals, weddings, births are not strong enough to enable them to forget past wrongs and forgive each other.

1 Peter 4:8 “8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

A. You are God’s child

You are ADOPTED!

He made you sons and daughters.

He sent His Spirit to reveal your sin and His grace.

Galatians 4:6 “6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

He has given you both a heavenly family and a church family.

He has given you privileges within this family.

Notice “dear children”

“dear” = beloved

Ref: 1:6

The same way the Father spoke of Jesus, He speaks of you.

When born-again, you are born into a LOVING RELATIONSHIP.

Luke 6:36 “36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

God’s people should be known for their acts of mercy and care.

James 1:27 “27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

Romans 12:13 “13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.”

Ephesians 4:28 “28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”

Here is a good indicator whether or not you are walking in God’s love.

Are you building walls or building bridges?

Are you declaring war or proclaiming peace?

Your old nature was basically selfish.

You have been given a nature that desires to express itself in love.

2 Peter 1:4 “4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

With that in mind, is it too much for you to live your life in such a way to please Him?

“walk in love” is the fundamental factor in your christian life!

Where do you think your act of mercy, grace, patience, obedience comes from.

Romans 13:8 “8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

Romans 5:5 “5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

2) Love Like The Son

Paul takes us back to the cross to learn from the ultimate imitator of the Father’s love; JESUS CHRIST.

John 14:9 “9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

A. Jesus has given you the power to love

Question — how many times do we fail to “love like Jesus?”

Those who are non-Christians struggle with this concept of sacrificial love. Christians struggle loving their neighbor perfectly.

To consistently fail at this is to blind everyone our life touches from the love the Father sent down.

PERSPECTIVE — Do you understand that you would be crushed under the weight of guilt if it were not for the cross?

John 15:13 “13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Romans 5:10 “10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

STORY — “A Christian brother was ministering at a local university and began speaking to a Jewish student about the gospel. He began, “Now, I’m sure you’ve been told that one of the main beliefs of Christians is that Christ died for us, right?” His Jewish friend, who grew up in the heart of the U.S. Bible Belt, looked stunned and said, “No. I didn’t know that.” After a good conversation, the Jewish student started attending this Christian’s Bible study. One of the guys made a passing comment during the study, “I just wish Jesus would come back.” The Jewish friend said, “What? Jesus is coming back? OK, put that aside; I’ve got to figure out the first coming first.” Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 120.

B. Jesus has left us a pattern to follow

Question — What does genuine love involve? ANS — Giving yourself away for the good of others.

Notice verse 2!

Jesus’ pattern of love is essential in the keeping of your marriage vowels.

What love IS NOT

Sentimentalism — not the mere notion of feeling sorry for someone.

1 John 3:18 “18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

What should look like in your life?

Love one another — John 13:34–35 “34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Forgiving others — Ephesians 4:32 “32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Giving financially — 2 Corinthians 8:9 “9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

Spreading the gospel — 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 “17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Be patient — 1 Corinthians 13:4 “4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,”

Aiding those in need — Ephesians 4:29 “29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

C. Jesus gave us an acceptable pattern

“sweetsmelling savour” = the sacrifice is well pleasing to God.

You had a holy law to keep that you could not!

The death of Christ satisfied God’s holy law.

Now, you and I can’t love like Jesus in the sense of ATONEMENT.

You can love like Jesus was you care for others practically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.

Doing it for God’s glory.

Philippians 4:18 “18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.”

True Story — Amy Carmichael exemplified this type of love. She was a great missionary to India who spent much of her ministry caring for ill-treated children, and she saved many from forced prostitution (which took place in the temples). She founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, which became a refuge for more than a thousand children. She died in India in 1951 at the age of 83. Before dying, she asked that no stone be put over her grave. But the children she cared deeply for decided to put a birdbath over her grave, with the single inscription “Amma,” which means “mother.” Carmichael lived out her saying: “One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving.” Sherwood Eddy said of her, “Her life was the most fragrant, the most joyfully sacrificial, that I ever knew” (Pathfinders, 125). Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 121.

My friends, if you are too busy to love others, then you are living with unthankfulness in your heart for how Jesus loved and remains loving to you!

Let us finish out our year by putting our love shoes on and never taking them off!