Walking in Love

Intro:

AG: In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin tells of the time he wanted to convince the citizens of Philadelphia to light the streets at night as a protection against crime and as a convenience for evening activities. Failing to convince them by his words, he decided to show his neighbors how compelling a single light could be. He bought an attractive lantern, polished the glass, and placed it on a long bracket that extended from the front of his house. Each evening as darkness descended, he lit the wick.

His neighbors soon noticed the warm glow in front of his house. Passersby found that the light helped them to avoid tripping over protruding stones in the roadway. Soon others placed lanterns in front of their homes, and eventually the city recognized the need for having well-lighted streets.

That is the power of example. Samuel Johnson once wrote, “Example is always more effective than teaching.”

Children become like parents; churches become like pastors; students become like teachers—all because of the power of example. There may be no greater power on earth to change the behavior of others. [1]

TS: Our text today is Eph 5. Here we are told to follow Christ’s example and walk in love. As we follow His example of loving others sacrificially, we will be an example to them.

RS: This morning gather in a context that confronts us with a culture that is increasingly fragmented, increasingly alienated from one another, increasingly broken up and brokenhearted.

Ephesians 5:1–2 NKJV

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Loved by God

Christ loves us!

Ephesians 5:2 NKJV

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

He sacrificed Himself for us: That is love

1 John 3:16 NKJV

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

He laid down His life: That is love

Nothing took it

He willing went to the cross out of love

Romans 5:6–8 NKJV

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

He died for the ungodly! THAT is SUPREME LOVE

We were enemies, not friends

Sin had separated us, yet He died for us

He used the illustration:

Rarely will one die for a righteous man

There are heroes among us that might be willing to put themselves in harms way for others

Think military, fire, police, etc.

But the point of those roles is NOT to die

I teach my EMTs what I was taught:

Watch out for yourself

Watch out for your partner

Watch out for your patient

But we stage down the road until the police have secured a violent scene

Jesus went beyond and died, He knowingly came to Earth to die!

Some are willing to die in the line of duty for others, often their friends, the innocent or weak.

Jesus died for HIS enemy!

Ro 5:8 brings us to the next point:

The Father Loves Us

1 John 3:1 NKJV

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

GOD loves us!

Loving God

Greatest commandment

Matthew 22:34–38 NKJV

But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.

With all being

He must be our top priority

By Worshiping

Psalms is full of examples of worshipping GOD

Psalm 117 NKJV

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

He deserves all of our worship and praise

Because of Who He IS

Because of What He has DONE

By yearning for righteousness

Psalm 42:1 NKJV

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

We should always grow in our desire to be with God and to be LIKE God

By obeying

John 14:15 NKJV

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

However, this is not a matter of merely following rules and registering good deeds. It is about having God’s love written indelibly on our hearts. We naturally wish to please those we love. When we love God, we will want to please Him and obey His commands eagerly. “I delight to do your will” Ps 40:8

Psalm 40:8 NKJV

I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

Loving Others

2nd greatest Command:

Matthew 22:39 NKJV)

And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Love GOD and Love OTHERS

Ephesians 5:1 NKJV

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Loving others is imitating God!

The love that moved Christ to die for us is the love that is to move us in our relations with one another

We should be able to love others because God loves us first. He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins and pay our price.

We should be able to love others because we belong to God and the Holy Spirit of God is us.

We should be able to love others because we can have victory over Satan through Jesus. There are no excuses.

Put others first

1 John 3:16 NKJV

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

How do we apply all this to ourselves? Even if we bear sacrificial love for our enemies, we cannot by that love make atonement for the sins of others

But what we can do by our love is to point others to Christ who has made that atonement.

That is the purpose for which our behavior is to be distinctive, why it must go beyond the moral code of the world.

Sharing the love of God with others through word and actions is LOVE

Love in practical terms.

Ephesians 4:32 NKJV

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

1 John 3:17–18 NKJV

But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Meet their needs!

We are live out love

I think that is why he tells us here to “walk”

Walking is active!

We must open our eyes to those in need:

Start at home with your family

How can you serve them?

How can you encourage them?

We must look to our community:

church, neighbors, friends

There are always going to be needs!

We must look to our world

Reach out and help all you can

Love is required

1 John 2:9–11 NKJV

He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Conc

Our walk of love is summarized:

God loves us

We walk in love by loving God

We walk in love by loving Others