Are you walking in sync with the Savior? Part 1

Introduction / How is Your Walk?

How is your walk? As we are walking out of 2024 and walking into 2025, how is your walk? As most of you know I really enjoy walking and running from time to time. I enjoy seeing God’s creation and taking photos of the world around me. I often will listen to the Word of God on these walks and runs and have wonderful times of worship. The culture of the Bible and the world in which the Bible was written most of the transportation was on your own two feet. So the metaphor of your walk being your life is a worthy one. Most didn’t have the luxury of a horse, donkey, camel to get from place to place. In the Old Testament we see this metaphor often used.

Exodus 16:4 “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.”

Deuteronomy 5:33 “You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.”

1 Kings 3:14 “So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.””

Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;”

Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Proverbs 1:15 “My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path;” (the evil people)

This metaphor continued into the New Testament and the Apostle Paul would use it often in his epistles.

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Romans 13:13 “Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Galatians 5:16 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

It is no exception in his letter to the church in Ephesus. Eight times across seven verses the Greek word we translate “Walk” is used. He is talking about the walk we were on before Christ and the walk we are on now as a follower of Him. Over the next two weeks we will be asking the question: Are you walking in sync with the Savior?

Ephesians 5:1-7

Ephesians 5:1–7 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. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any 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 be partakers with them.

Are you being an imitator of God? (v. 1)

The first question I ask you from the text, are you being an imitator of God?

This verse begins with a “Therefore” so it is looking back to the previous chapter specifically to the final verse of chapter 4.

Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

By doing so you are being an imitator of God. Be an imitator of God as dear children.

Ephesians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Plea

Mimētēs (imitator) is the term from which we get mimic, someone who copies specific characteristics of another person. As imitators of God, Christians are to imitate God’s characteristics, and above all His love

Romans 8:14–17 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

We are His dear children. We have been adopted into His family. Are we resembling our Heavenly Father?

When I look through the church I see parents and children. I see certain physical characteristics or mannerisms, speech patterns. I know I have had people know that I am an Adams because they knew my mom or my grandparents. You look just like your mom or you look just like your dad. Or maybe it is a sibling. You look just like your brother or like your sister.

The question is are you and am I looking and sounding like our Heavenly Father? Can others see Jesus in me? Can others see Jesus in you? Do we have a family resemble?

John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

Are we being imitators of God? Are we walking in sync with our Savior?

Are you walking in love? (v. 2)

Walk in Love. To be an imitator of God, we must walk in love. In this letter, Paul has been writing about the Christian walk. He challenges them early on in Ephesians 2:1–2 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,” We once walked that path. We were slaves of sin and Satan.

Then he transitions a few verses later in a very familiar passage in Ephesians 2:8–10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” We often forget verse 10 when we are quoting this Scripture. WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.

Then Paul in Ephesians 4:1–2 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,” WALK WORTHY OF THE CALLING…bearing with one another in LOVE.”

Now here we have Paul in chapter 5 saying to WALK IN LOVE. We are imitators of God as dear children and we show that by walking in Love.

The perfect standard of love is God’s love in Christ Jesus. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Romans 5:8 NKJV

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:7–19 NKJV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

Paul echoes the love that Christ has for us in love later on in chapter 5. Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,”

Christ loved us by giving His life! This verse echoes the sacrifice of Christ. It was a sweet-smelling aroma.

Genesis 8:20–21 “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.”

Exodus 29:18 “And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord; it is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.”

God’s love demonstrated and proved through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. He laid down His life.

John 10:15 “As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

1 John 3:16 “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.”

Are we walking in sync with our Savior as we walk in love?

Does your walk and talk match? (vv. 3-7)

Does what we say and think match our Christian walk? Are we being imitators of God as His dear children? Are we walking in love? The Apostle Paul likes put off / put on lists in his letters. Sometimes he does multiple lists in the same letter. At the end of chapter 4 he has a put off/put on list.

Ephesians 4:25–32 NKJV

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Put away lying —> Speak truth

Be Angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath or give place to the devil.

Parorgismos (anger) is not momentary outward, boiling-over rage or inward, seething resentment, but rather a deep-seated, determined and settled conviction. As seen in this passage, its New Testament use can represent an emotion good or bad, depending on motive and purpose. (MAC)

Ephesians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary From Unrighteous Anger to Righteous Anger

Anger that is sin, on the other hand, is anger that is self-defensive and self-serving, that is resentful of what is done against oneself. It is the anger that leads to murder and to God’s judgment (Matt. 5:21–22).

Putting off the wrong motives for anger.

Stealing person —> Stop stealing and rather work and give

Corrupt speech —> Replace with edification (building up)

Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit whom we have been sealed. Ephesians 1:13–14 “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Put off also bitterness, wrath, anger (different from above), clamor, evil speaking, malice

Put on: kindness, tenderhearted, forgiveness.

So Paul is continuing this thought from earlier as he looks at verses 3-7.

Sexual Sins (vv. 3, 5)

Ephesians 5:3–7 “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any 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 be partakers with them.”

He starts off by listing three areas which are related to sexuality, which he will expand on in verse 5: fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness

Fornication - Sexual Immorality. The Greek word — porneia (where we get words like pornography from).

Uncleanness - Impurity

Romans 1:24 “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,”

Covetousness- Greed

Colossians 3:5 “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Must not even be named among you.

1 Corinthians 5:1 “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife!”

Ephesians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Perversion

Because of the strong sexual nature of human beings, sexual sins are powerful and can become perverted in unimaginable ways. If given free rein, sexual sins lead to complete insensitivity to the feelings and welfare of others, to horrible brutality, and frequently to murder—as news stories testify daily.

That is why the sins of immorality or any impurity or greed should not even be named among Christians, as is proper among saints. Those sins cannot in any way be justified, and they should not in any way be tolerated. The meaning of saints is “holy ones,” and those who are holy have nothing to do with that which is unholy.

Covetousness, defined as a strong desire for possessions that one cannot lawfully have, is considered a form of idolatry in religious teachings. This connection is explicitly stated in Colossians 3:5, where covetousness is equated with idolatry. The link between covetousness and idolatry stems from the idea that it places one's heart and affections on material things (the "creature") rather than on God (the "Creator").

We live in a sex saturated culture, just like that of Roman Empire (or maybe even more so). Sexual images flood our phones, computers, tablets, and TV screens. It is on billboards when we drive. It is on the covers of magazines at the checkout stands. In our study of Romans 12 on Wednesday evenings, Chip wrote about “No Other Lovers!” Covetousness is not only idolatry, but idolatry is spiritual adultery. You have a lover other than the One true God. 1 John 2:15–17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

Sins of the Tongue (v. 4)

Ephesians 5:4 “neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”

The other area that Paul addresses in this section are sins of the tongue. Back in chapter 4 verse 29 he had addressed this same area of sin. Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” James addresses the tongue in full detail in the third chapter of his epistle.

James 3:8–12 NKJV

But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

Filthiness (Obscene Stories)

Ephesians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Perversion

Filthiness has to do with general obscenity, any talk that is degrading and disgraceful

Colossians 3:8 “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.”

James 1:21 “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Do you degrade people in word and deed? How about on social media? What about co-workers, bosses, family, and friends? Is your mouth both singing the praises of God on Sunday morning and bashing someone on Monday?

Foolish Talking (Foolish/Silly Talk)

The English word Moron comes from the Greek root of this word. Having a gutter mouth. Dirty jokes.

Coarse Jesting (Crude Joking)

Turning items into obscene or suggestive. Being risque with what you say or do.

One of the best compliments I heard at one of my old secular jobs was a co-worker saying “I have never heard you swear before.”

What is coming out of your lips?

Egg in mouth illustration

If over the next week you ask God to reveal what is coming out of your mouth.

In Rotary (Four Way Test)

Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”

Put on thankfulness

Have a mouth of thankfulness.

1 Timothy 2:1 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,”

If we are praying, making intercessions, and giving thanks for our fellow made in the image of God humans, we don’t have time to degrade them with our tongue.

Be Warned (v. 6-7)

Ephesians 5:6–7 “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 be partakers with them.”

Sin is serious.

Chart from Chip Ingram’s book on Christian’s acceptance of sin.

“What sin do you love so much that you are willing to go to hell for it?”

Don’t go down that road.

Adrian Rogers writing about the Woman at Well in John 4 talks about sin.

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive B. She Was a Slave to Her Sorrow

Not only was she a slave to her sin, but she was a slave to her sorrow. Here was a woman—a troubled woman. You can just read a little between the lines and find out that she had, indeed, a broken heart. She’d been discarded by these men who had used her body. She’d been cast aside like a worn-out garment. Sin has its thrills, but it has no lasting joy. Sin fascinates, and then assassinates. Sin thrills, and then it kills. And here she is, a woman with her sadness, with her emptiness, with her disillusionment. The cup of sin is sweet, but the dregs are very bitter.

What road of the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, or the pride of life is Satan and your flesh taking you down?

Make sure your walk and your talk match. Make sure you are walking in sync with the Savior!

Are you walking in the light? / What does it mean to walk in light? (vv. 8-13)

Ephesians 5:8–13 NKJV

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.

Are you walking in the light? If we as children of God are called to be imitators of Him, to walk in love, and make sure our actions and words are matching, we need to be walking in light.

The Psalmist echoed that God and His Word are light.

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

We were walking in darkness, but now we are in the light. The Apostle John would emphasis this in his Gospel often,

John 1:1–5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:9 “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”

Jesus is the light of the world! John 8:12 “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.””

We are the light of the world, because shines through us: Matthew 5:14 ““You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

So are we walking as children of light? All of us were children of darkness. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standard. We have been moved from the kingdom of darkness into His glorious light…so how is your walk?

Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,” 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

Are you walking in sync with the Savior?

English Standard Version Chapter 5

Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

Are we doing what is good? Are we doing what is right? Are we doing what is true?

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Don’t participate or have fellowship with the works of darkness. It is so easy to get carried away by the things of the world. Remember: Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.

Light exposes. Listen to Jesus in John 3.

John 3:16–21 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.””

Rat under sink at parents house with flashlight.

Light freaks out darkness. Genesis 1:3–4 “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.”

Revelation 21:23 “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”

English Standard Version Chapter 5

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

Solomon warns of the sin in secret. The Adulterous Woman tempts the naive man passing her on the road. Proverbs 9:17 ““Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.””

God sees the secret places. He knows the thoughts and intents of our heart. Numbers 32:23 “But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.”

Maybe use in sermon

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Study Edition (Translations) Col. I (= 4Q255 1; 4Q256 I, II)

9 revealed things concerning the regulated times of their stipulations; in order to love all the sons of light, each one

10 according to his lot in God’s plan, and to detest all the sons of darkness, each one in accordance with his guilt

11 in God’s vindication. All those who submit freely to his truth will convey all their knowledge, their energies,

12 and their riches to the Community of God in order to refine their knowledge in the truth of God’s decrees and marshal their energies

We have been called to be children of light. 1 John 1:5–7 “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

1 John 2:8–9 “Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.”

Next years theme verse

We are called to be walking in light as children of God. Our verse for 2025 is:

Philippians 2:14–16 (NKJV)

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

So are you walking in sync with the Savior?

Be Awake / Not Woke (v. 14)

Ephesians 5:14 “Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.””

The Apostle Paul concludes this section by quoting from a hymn.

Come back from the dead! Turn from the things of this world! Be Awake! This world is changing around us and we need to adapt to this world, while staying firm on the Gospel. A term we hear often in our world is the “WOKE” culture. While the roots of the term go back to the 1930s to combat racial prejudice, the term in our culture is one of acceptance of sin and continuing to go further from the truth of God’s Word. We are living in a world where the Judeo-Christian values are all but gone including from most churches in America. We need to be wake-up to the world and shine the light of Jesus Christ. Awake, you who are asleep. Arise from the dead those who dead in your sins! Christ is the light of the world and He has called us to be His agents of light.

Make sure you are walking in sync with the Savior.

Conclusion/ Challenge with Sunflower Seeds

Since we are people who have been called from darkness into His light. We are to be imitators of God! We are to walk in love, and our walk and talk should match. We are to be children of light.

Sunflower challenge

Write name or two names on seed package

Faithfully pray for the one or two people on that package in 2025 and share the Gospel with them. Pray that God will allow the seeds of the Gospel to be planted in their hearts and that they would come to Jesus Christ and come from the kingdom of darkness into His light.