HS Youth—Ephesians 5:1-20

Ephesians 5:1–20 NIV

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alright my friends, this is the part of Ephesians that sounds like a long list of dos and don’ts. This what a lot of non-Christians think the Bible and Christianity are all about. Don’t say bad words, don’t have sex, don’t get drunk. Christianity is, the world thinks, about rules and being a downer.

But that’s not everything that’s in this passage, look at verse 14: Paul says that as we walk in the way of God, as we walk in obedience, it says that Christ will shine on us! “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.” This isn’t about rules and dos and don’ts, this is about life, life in Christ Jesus!

Here are some truths that we’ve already learned in the book of Ephesians (before we get to this list):

We were chosen from the foundation of the world by God.

We’ve been adopted into God’s family

We’ve been redeemed by the blood of Christ

Our sins have been forgiven.

We’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

We have been made alive in Christ

We’ve been raised up with Christ.

We have direct access to God through Jesus in the Spirit.

We have Christ dwelling in our hearts.

And many more truths than this. But you see how Paul has organized his letter. It’s three chapters of the triumph of Jesus Christ and the victory and salvation that we share in. THEN, or as Paul says, THEREFORE, because all that Jesus has done for us, because of the great lengths of his work for us and the depths of his love for us, THEREFORE:

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…

Here’s where we’re headed, I’m going to three reasons why we should walk in this way, the way described here in Ephesians 5, as children of God. Then I’m going to talk about how we can do this. OK, this is the why and the how, and it’s an overview, we could spend three or four weeks on these verses.

Three reasons why we should walk in this way (as children):

I. to be imitators of Christ

The first reason is this, we’re called to live in this way—all the things described in this passage—because we are meant to imitate God. Now, at first glance, that might feel strange; how are we supposed to be like God? We can’t be like God? No, we can’t be like God, we are not infinite beings that have the power to create the universe. We cannot be like God with his power to save people and forgive sin.

But God says this in Leviticus 19:2 “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am Holy.” And Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:48 “48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

That’s a pretty high bar, but what are we talking about? Jesus summarizes the call to obedience in…well we heard it this morning at church…Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. John 13:34

John 13:34 ESV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Or I think of the Ten Commandments, God had saved his people Israel, brought them out of slavery in Egypt and gave them a set of laws. Not to make their lives hard, but because he was shaping them into His people, His family. He was in effect saying this: you’re my people, you’re my children, and this is what it looks like to live in my household and be a part of this family.

Do you all have rules spoken or unspoken in your family? A weekly game night? A certain meal a certain night of the week? shoes off in the house? What are those habits, rules, characteristics of your family that someone would have to adjust to if they moved in with your family.

This is what God is doing here, he saying: live like this, because my children in my family, live like this, they live like me, they imitate Christ.

Because this is who we are. We’ve been adopted into the family of God as sons and daughters, not because of any work we did or anything we earned, but because of his grace for us. And now we’re in the family so we get to start living like it.

Some of you know, our kids are adopted and we adopted Enoch from the country of Ghana in West Africa. My wife actually lived there with him for three years while we were trying to finalize his immigration visa. During that time we had legally adopted him, he was our son, Megan had full custody of him, I’d fly back and forth visiting. That was life for Enoch from age 3 to when we brought him to Sacramento at 6. And even when he was living in Ghana still, we were making him a part of our family, indoctrinating him into all the good things of American culture—Dr Suess books, Disney movies on my laptop, snacks from Costco and American peanut butter. And he learned English from Megan—it’s the national language in Ghana, but most people learn it a little older in elementary school. And I distinctly remember this one day, he must have been around 5 years old, we were driving around in an Uber in the capital city, Enoch was leaned forward talking to driver, talking his ear off, no seatbelt. And the driver said, how are you enjoying your visit to Ghana? Enoch was so offended? My visit? I’m from here! I’m Ghanaian.

The driver looked at us—clearly not from Ghana—we said, yes, he’s Ghanaian. He said, oh but I don’t hear an accent at all! He sounds very American to me. Now you and I, we still would have recognized a distinctly African accent, but the locals only heard American! Something had changed in Enoch. He learned English from Megan so he sounded like a white lady from California.

But do you see the point? Consciously or not, Enoch was imitating us. That’s what it means to be a part of a family. You adopt the habits, practices, mannerisms of your parents and siblings. I’m watching it now with the way our three year old picks up everything Enoch says!

Paul is saying this in Ephesians 5: Our obedience DOES NOT earn our place as children in God’s family. NO. That’s a settled fact. Rather, our obedience is an expression of and a demonstration of our identity as adopted children in God’s family.

AND, I want you to hear me say this now and probably not for the first time. We don’t do this perfectly, we’ll spend our lives growing to better imitate Christ. What I don’t want you to hear me say tonight is this: if you’re beating yourself up over some sin in your life, that doesn’t not mean you’re disqualified from God’s family. TRULY. It does not.

II. Because God knows what is good for a thriving life

This is the second reason why we should walk in this way. This list—sexual immorality, coveting, no filthiness, no foolish talk nor crude joking…Paul says these things have no part in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the way to flourishing, to abundant life that Jesus talks about, and Paul is saying these things, they are not of God’s kingdom, they do not lead to a flourishing life.

When we talk about the flourishing life, we’re not talking about success in a worldly definition. I’m NOT saying that if you keep this list perfectly your life will be great and easy all the time. NO. But they will lead to flourishing in your relationship with God and with one another.

On the surface it may not seem that way. You may be tempted to joke around just like you’re friends. Or, look at v. 18, do not get drunk with wine—again, there will be temptation to do these things to be like those around us. But that is not a flourishing life, and though people may reject you, the way of Jesus, the way of God is a better way.

One of the ways I like to think about the laws of God—either the ten commandments or even parts of scripture like this—is this: “The Living and Holy God speaks the law in order to protect and enhance our life of freedom. In order to protect that which he has won for this people and to enhance the life they have in this newfound freedom.” We are free in Christ Jesus, and the way we walk now is about enhancing that life and freedom for ourselves and for one another.

Do any of your parents have rules you disagree with? Look, as a parent myself, for the most part the rules they give are not about punishing you or taking away your fun, but about protecting and enhancing your life.

We have rules in our house about screen usage for our 11 year old; not because we don’t want him to have fun, but because we want to protect him from all kinds of evil that these little devices bring to our eyes and minds.

Look what our passage says: Take no part in unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them…” And when we walk in the way of Christ it says, awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Christ will shine on and through us when we walk in this way and that leads to my the third reason we should do this!

III. That Christ’s light would shine on us and through us to the watching world.

When we reject the way of the world; when we reject crude joking, filthy talk, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and instead practice what the passage tells us to do: be thankful, gracious and gentle with one another, the world around us takes note. Our friends at school, our neighbors, our teammates. People take notice. As we imitate Christ the world will be pointed to Christ.

How do we do this?

We don’t do this on our own. We can’t. It is impossible.

But the answer is right here in the passage: Be filled with the Spirit.

Ephesians 3:16–19 ESV

16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Our ability to walk this way is not about willpower, but about surrender to the Spirit of God.

Guys, go easy on yourselves. That’s not permission to do whatever you want,

Connect this to verses 18-20 about being filled with the Spirit, singing, and giving thanks

Emphasize that this is not about willpower but about surrender to the Spirit

Maybe add a practical application about daily dependence