The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 8DEC

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Scriptures for today on whiteboard

Eph 5:1-2

Eph 5:3-5

Eph 5:6-8

Eph 5:9-12

Eph 5:13-14

Luke 9:24

James 1:17

Matthew 25:32–33

John 8:12

Acts 1:8

Last week -

Thanks again, Dustin!

In word, in thought, in deed, we need to live as Christ lived.

A lot of “horizontal plane” stuff, after a lot of “vertical plane” early in the book

Today, we’ll get a bit of both!

…this week…

The Saints and the Sinful World (5:3-14)

The Saints and the Sinful World (5:3-14)

The Saints and the Sinful World (5:3–14)

The sinful world’s practices (5:3–5)

Direct exhortation (5:6-7)

Walk wisely in the light and bear its fruit (5:8–14)

PRAY (ask someone)

*** 5 x READERS ***

Ephesians 5:1–14 ESV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 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. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Notes on v1-2…

Ephesians 5:1–2 ESV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

“Therefore” oun (oon) and “imitators” mimetai’s, familiar words for us at this point!

riff on those two items

“as beloved children” : the Father <—> children relationship again

“Do as I do, son/daughter”

For the moms and dads in the room, teachers, siblings, coaches: example of teaching through imitating?

Learning to: ride a bike // shave // play an instrument

“walk in love” peripateo : another word we’ve studied >> concept- love is an action

What kind of action are we to mimetai?

LOVE = being, and actually behaving, self-less, self-sacrificing

Love = giving yourself up, the two are WOVEN TOGETHER

Can I get an amen from the mothers in this room?! (raising a baby)

Can I get an amen from Dad’s, responsible for putting food in your kid’s bellies, no matter what the personal cost is to you?

*** READER

Luke 9:24 “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

“offering…sacrifice = fragrant aroma”

<pick someone> ____, what’s something you’ve got, that you own? It can be anything, material or immaterial.

Where did you get it?

Who made it?

Where did they get it from?

The POINT: No matter what it is, material or immaterial, it didn’t come from you. You didn’t create it. Whoever made it didn’t create it.

EVERYTHING we’ve got is a gift from God.

*** READER

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

When we realize this…and freely offer up what we have, these gifts (material or immaterial)…

God is PLEASED.

After the priest laid his hand on the goat, the sin offering, and then killed it, placed its blood on the horns of the altar, removed the fat, and burned the fat on the altar…WHAT DID GOD think of that smell?

pleasing aroma, and the sin would be forgiven

God is PLEASED when we imitate him by living a sacrificial lifestyle.

Finances. Time. Sleep. Labor. Instruction. Desires. Expertise. Schedules.

Summary of command in v1-2:

Put God First and Put Others Before Yourself

…what does that sound like?…

A) The sinful world’s practices (5:3-5)

Ephesians 5:3–5 ESV

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 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.

Textual comments…

We’ll handle these 3 verses as a chunk.

Paul rolling up several examples of sinful practices:

sexually immorality, ALL impurity (we’ve talked about this word before, “useless filth”), covetousness (greed), filthiness (different word from impurity, means “obscenity, indecent behavior, filthy talk”), foolish talk, crude joking.

We could examine each individual example…

but @ the heart, these all stem from a wholesale disregard for God.

IMPORTANT CONCEPT: sin happens, or is the fruit, when => God is supplanted for self.

flesh that out a bit for folks: what is filling the place of worship in your heart?

Gross negligence of God’s Law and His character reflected in His Law, results in these sinful practices.

“must not even be named among you” : Not only is Paul combating the above, but speaking to PROPRIETY.

Internally, these sins…

are keeping one in spiritual death

are Callousing the heart! Hardening = blinded to truth = remaining in darkness

Externally, these sins…

grossly damage God’s name to the world, who have their eyes on the body of Christ (us!)

“beloved children” (v1) should not bring reproach upon the name of Christ their savior!

Looking at this list <look to the TV and read them out>…are any of these capable of being hidden?

Sexual sin, greed, impurity : certainly capable of being hidden (not always though)

Are any of them hidden and visible? Are any of them solely visible?

Filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking : publically seen.

once observed in a Christian, by an unbeliever, it immediately brings reproach upon God, upon His righteous Law, His character. >>>> it shames the Body of Christ, distorts Jesus, and becomes a stumbling block to the unbeliever.

Think about the character traits required of a pastor

1 Timothy 3:1–3 “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”

Look how Paul concludes this commentary : “idolatry”

No one who does all that bad stuff, “that is, an idolator”, has an inheritance in heaven. Phew. Bold statement.

Is “idolatry” a new sinful practice in this list of sinful practices we’ve been looking at?

Yes and No. Yes, in the sense that it’s explicitly labeled for the first time.

I’d argue, NO, not new, because this whole list of sins can be boiled down to the same behavior:...

Supplanting the Truth of God for the “truth” of self.

Worshiping the creature vice the Creator.

Sexual sin: denying the God-architected, perfect, beautiful design of marriage covenant; replacing it with self-satisfying, self-focused pleasure.

Greed: denying God’s provision and the rock-solid HOPE therein; replacing it with self-sourced “wealth” and HOPING in what material things you’ve got.

impurity and filthiness: denying “be holy for I am holy” (the new temple, our very souls, where the Spirit Himself dwells); replacing it with “in vogue” practices and behavior that brings fleeting pleasure but never everlasting joy.

foolish talk and crude joking: denying the dignity of the Imago Dei; replacing it with prideful, self-aggrandizing speech that may fleetingly puff up one’s own ego, but tears down others.

And what’s more…”For you may be SURE of this…” “For this you know with CERTAINTY”

The Christian KNOWS this teaching to be true!

We are SEALED with the Spirit, who bears witness with our spirit, to the Truths of God Paul has laid out in this passage.

So, who doesn’t have an inheritance in the kingdom?

People with these sinful practices and are unrepentant

*** READER

Matthew 25:32–33 “Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.”

**** Yogi reads

Acts 20:28–31 “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.”

NOT speaking about members of the body in these sinful practices that are REPENTANT

prayerfully seeking help from the Spirit, accountability from the elders and the church body, desiring to follow Christ.

All of us, this side of heaven, wrestle with sin. “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” I do, you do, we all do.

Like Paul told the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, as an elder here at LBC, and AS A FELLOW BROTHER IN CHRIST who is also a fellow sinner…I want you all to know that I stand ready to walk alongside you in these sin-challenges, to prayerfully seek God’s wisdom with you, and call upon the power of the Holy Spirit in your life!

Let me conclude this section with some encouragement…

Romans 8:26–28 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

THE POWER OF GOD ALMIGHTY IS IN YOU AND ON YOUR SIDE AND IS WORKING FOR YOUR GOOD, EVEN IN THE PROCESS OF YOUR WAR AGAINST SIN!

As an aside, Romans 8 is such a closely connected parallel text for this entire book. Highly recommend its close study.

SO…let us walk in love (v2) living a life of sacrificial love, giving thanks to God (v4) for all He has done!

B) Direct exhortation (5:6-7)

Ephesians 5:6–7 ESV

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them;

Textual comments…

Paul continues here, with the entire passage’s central exhortation: don’t “partner with” “partaker with” the sons of disobedience, for the wrath of God is upon them.

In context of v1-5 :: If you mimetai the “sons of disobedience”, you’ll be deceived, and the wrath of God will come upon you.

Instead, v1, mimic God!

How does one fall into this trap? Deception

“empty words”

Ephesians 4:17–18 “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”

What did we say the literal definition/translation of the word “futile” was? EMPTY.

Out of futile, darkened minds (empty minds), come empty words.

BTW…empty minds, empty words :: fruitless for understanding God, understanding salvation ≠ stupidity

When pursuit of self, supplants the pursuit of God ==> the mind is literally emptied of Truth

But, speaking to Christians, who have the HS…why does Paul give this command, to not be deceived?

B/C he knows we’re highly susceptible to deception!

Why?

B/C man, in his natural state, loves to sin!

It’s attractive. It’s pleasurable. It feels good to: have money, have fame, be respected by others…and, without getting too graphic for a Sunday school class…quite frankly, WRT physical things, it feels good to feel good.

All of this…SELF-FOCUSED. We’re bent towards it. We’re magneted towards it. Why?

In the flesh we are children of Adam.

The first sin, of Adam and Eve, was to supplant God’s wisdom for their own. And ever since then, every single human suffers a myriad of different flavors of sin, all to “be like God” (Gen 3:5)

Therefore…

The promises (“empty words”) of the “empty minds” of the sons of disobedience are attractive, and are like gasoline being thrown on the fireplace of pride.

Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

SO…we get the simple command = “do not become partners with them” “do not be partakers with them”

C) Walk wisely in the light and bear its fruit (5:8-14)

Ephesians 5:8–14 ESV

for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Textual comments…

v8-10 <what I put up on the first slide in this series>

Does v8 sound familiar to anyone?

Ephesians 2:1–5 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”

*** READER

John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

Let’s not let what’s happening here escape us:

Paul is taking the magnificent theology he’s outlaid in ch1 and 2, and employing it in practical application in ch 5!

Let this be a lesson for us

A right understanding of who God is (theology), defined by the Word (=Jesus, Truth, Life), equips us to know how to live.

Which gives us v10. In Christ, in the Spirit, in His word, you’re in the very light of God, yearning to please Him and uncovering His will day by day.

On a personal level, His will is your sanctification 1 Thessalonians 4:3“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;”

On a macro level, His will is His glorification. John 12:27–28 ““Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

Last item I’ll mention in this section is v9

“light fruit” :: goodness + righteousness + truthfulness

If you were to personify those 3 character traits, who do you get? JESUS!

OK, to wrap up our passage for today, v11-14

advance the slide, read the text>

v11a : yes, obey the v7 command…but if we read on, we need to do more than just that!

11b, what is Paul getting at?

*** READER

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

We are to be WITNESSES. A witness of whom and to whom? JESUS and the world, the very “sons of disobedience” amongst which we live!

A Christian is not meant to be apathetic to sin. GOD ISN’T!

internal: We are meant to eradicate patterns of sin in our own lives.

External: We are meant to combat it in world at large.

Romans 8:20–23 “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

So, you ask, what are the tools of combat in this external war against sin and corruption??

A VISIBLE, TANGIBLE, VERBAL life lived in Christ.

It is good, healthy, kind, loving, fruitful to live, act, speak, lead in a manner that exposes the deception and lies of Satan to the world.

Creation itself is “groaning in the pains of childbirth” in this battle against futility, deception, sin, along with us in our inward groanings. Yet the Christian has the firstfruits of the Spirit by which the battle can, and will, be won!

Of course, our well-lived life and testimony against corruption must not be done in a verbally un-loving way!

“in the world, not of the world” concept

**another example of how important theology is.**

There’s a reason Eph 2:1-2 is before chapter 5.

Being a loving witness agains corruption and deception can only we well and genuinly accomplished if the Christian remembers the love and grace showed THEM while they were dead!

But let us not be dismayed.

The mind that is set on Christ, enthralled by God’s grace…

The mind that reverently behold’s God, and the beautiful, sacrificial love with which He loves his creatures…

That mind: will have no trouble seasoning its exposing light witness with love and compassion.

The beatitudes…

Matthew 5:13–16 ““You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

v14

The final verse of this passage is really fascinating. Paul :: Gordon Ramsay

We get to see Paul, the apostle, under the supernatural inspiration of the Holy Spirit, divinely exegeting OT Scripture…

<advance the slide, read the verse>

Remy in Rataouille getting his brother to each individual ingredients and then combining them

Comes from:

Isaiah 51:17 “Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.”

Isaiah 52:1 “Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.”

Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”

Isaiah 26:19 “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.”

Malachi 4:2 “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.”

The promised light, the new sun, that exposes sin, conquers it, brings death to life, is the light of Christ!

Christ awakes those who are asleep in their sin

Christ brings those who are dead, to life

Christ is the LIGHT! He IS the gospel incarnate!

He is the agent that equips the progression of ch2 to happen, death to life.

Closing

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

PRAY

See you next week!

For those who haven’t met my parents, they’ll be here with us next weekend, Lord willing.

Ephesians 5:15-21

Summarizing Exhortation to the Whole Church (5:15–21)

Walk in wisdom, not folly (5:15–17)

Not in drunken excess and license (5:18a)

The church in God’s presence in the Spirit as the new temple and priesthood (5:18b)

Service in song (5:19)

Service in thanksgiving (5:20)

Service in submission (5:21)