Ephesians 5:1-21

Activity: Circle every time the word walk is mentioned in these next 20 verses

3 times

We move on now to this passage of scripture. I will read to you the next 20 verses and I want you to write down one thing that stood out to you.

If it’s accurate, you also get a snack shack ticket.

What I want you to remember this lesson is this: Walk in the Lord

Recap: The Beauty of what Christ has Done

What the author of this book is conveying to this Church, is that through everything that we’ve learned, how:

We were once dead in our sins but Christ has made us alive

We were once alone and hopeless but Christ has restored union with God and hope.

This used to be for the jews but now is for everyone

How those called by Christ, those following Jesus, should look different from the world.

The old self indulges in sensuality, greed, and deceit, while the new self reflects God's image in righteousness and holiness.

Believers are called to emulate Christ's forgiveness and avoid behaviors that grieve the Holy Spirit.

We must walk in love (WHAT IS LOVE)

Ephesians 5:1–2a (ESV)

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us.

Reminder: Who is Jesus

A reminder I must say again, but who is Jesus to you?

Is he just some random guy who has some good morals and you should try to live like him from time to time?

Is he your safety net for when life is going hard, you can at least go to Jesus but then only talk to him once a year?

It’s good for you to learn this but we must be reminded of who Jesus is. Without Jesus, we cannot walk in love. We can walk next to it, but not in it. The only way to walk in love is through Jesus Christ.

Who is Jesus?

1. Jesus is fully God. He is the son of God.

2. Jesus is fully man. He came to this world through Mary, a woman that God chose to bear the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the son of God, but He was also fully man.

3. He lived a perfect life and told those around Him that HE IS GOD. Not a teacher, a person that you should strive to live by, but GOD. Jews would say that He was blasphemous because He claimed such an idea.

4. He proved it through miracles and healings.

5. He would then die a brutal death on the cross, bearing your sin and wrong doings and dying with that.

6. He would then resurrect three days later, conquering death and sin and proving to us one last time that He is God.

7. In order to be saved, you must now only believe that these things happened but believe that He is Lord. In other words, you must follow Jesus.

Romans 10:9 (ESV)

9if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Something that every teacher and preacher at Trinity Church Believes is that the gospel should be in every message and for good reason. We are not teaching a self help book, we are teaching the word of God. As you read this, it should point you to Jesus, not just a few good ways to live by.

Resolution: Walk in Love through Jesus Christ

Read through:

Ephesians 5:1–21 ESV

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

As you see, walking in love is a position of the heart, not just a checklist of wrongs and rights. But this is a great picture of someone who believes that Jesus Christ is their Lord should look like.

We are meant to be imitators of God! (MEMORY VERSE)

Walking in Love is sacrifice. Less of you and more of Jesus. He sacrificed His life for you, now it is our time to do the same. Maybe not with our lives but with how we live our lives. Your whole goal is to be more like Jesus.

Imitation of God (v. 1)

Walking in love involves imitating God, just as beloved children imitate their father.

Ephesians 5:1 ESV

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

Self-Sacrifice (v. 2)

It requires sacrificial love, following the example of Christ who gave himself up for us.

Ephesians 5:2 ESV

2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Replace Immorality with Gratitude (v. 3-5)

Love walks away from immorality, impurity, and greed, which are inappropriate for God's holy people, and replaces it with gratitude of what Christ has done.

Ephesians 5:3–5 ESV

3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Expose and Flee from Darkness and Go to Jesus (v. 6-14)

It involves living as children of light, exposing and avoiding deeds of darkness. Don’t be deceived by darkness, don’t become a partner with the darkness, expose it!

Verse 11 applies in two ways for me.

First, expose the sin in your life. Maybe you are struggling with being mean to other girls or guys. Maybe you find yourself desiring wrong things and acting in them. Maybe it’s looking at inappropriate things. Expose it. Let one of your leaders know so that we can help you through the power of Jesus Christ.

Second, expose the darkness around you. Don’t be afraid to speak out against what you see is wrong. Someone is gossiping and talking behind someone’s back, expose it. When someone is bullying another kid, expose it to your teachers. You might be called a snitch, but expose the darkness.

You can’t expose darkness if you are not lit up by Christ. Know who Jesus is and love Him. You’ll see, your life looks different and will change. Change and expose darkness in your life and others.

Ephesians 5:6–14 ESV

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Wise Living (v. 15-17)

Walking in love means making the most of time and understanding God's will.

Ephesians 5:15–17 ESV

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

A wise man does not just know a bunch of things, but uses his knowledge. For instance, you are learning when you come here and to church, when you read scripture the bible, and pray. When God is revealing to you truth and stuff you know you need to do, be wise and do it. Don’t just keep it locked inside. The bible calls that foolishness.

Gratitude and Submission (v. 20-21)

It entails expressing gratitude and submitting to one another in reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5:20–21 ESV

20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

A life filled with gratitude is a life filled with joy. A huge reason for why Christians are truly joyful is because they always have a reason to be grateful.