Ephesians 5:1-15

Introduction

Welcome and excitement to see them

Go ahead and open your Bibles to Ephesians 5:1

Recap: Last week we went through Ephesians 4:17-32 as we talked about what the Apostle Paul had to say about the old life that we Christians have left behind and the new life we cling to now, as we’ve been made a new creation in Christ.

This week, we will get to continue on in our “Walk” series as we look together at walking out our faith in love and in light in Ephesians 5:1-9.

I’ve got some more notes for you guys today, let me know if you all prefer to have more things on the screen to help you follow along. If you like this, let me know and I’ll stick with it.

Pray and Read

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.

Walk in Love. (v.1-2)

If you don’t remember where we left off last week, in the final verses of chapter 4, Paul encourages the Ephesians to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven them of their sins against Him, so Paul is already in this mind space of reflecting on the fact that our character should reflect God’s character.

So he says, “therefore be imitators of God, as beloved Children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.” This is my first point for you guys, “Walk in Love.”

How do we walk in love?

I just want to make sure that everyone understands that walking in love is not a reference to romantic love like we have to walk around acting like Pepe Le Pew being Mr. Rizz all the time. That’s what a lot of unbelievers think that means.

No, walking in love is, as we see in this text, to be modeled after God’s love for us, and that very love was put on display for us on the cross.

Jesus laying down His life for us on the cross is a physical representation of God’s love poured out for us, so if you ever wonder if God still loves you or if you are worthy to be loved by Him, He went to the cross and bore your sin even though He never sinned so that you might join Him in Heaven for all eternity. That’s how much He loves you.

Imitate God’s Love.

We must Imitate God’s love in that way.

So look at Christ’s death on the cross. What kind of love do you see in that? I see sacrificial love, love that over looks our imperfections, love that is shown to those who hate Him and oppose Him.

So If God’s love is sacrificial, what should our love look like? Sacrificial.

If God’s love overlooks your imperfections, what should your love do? Overlook others’ imperfections.

If God’s love was shown to those who hated Him, what should we do to those who hate us? Love them!

Our love for others must reflect God’s love.

And this idea of imitating God is not new. We actually see it in the OT, more specifically in Leviticus 19:2 where God orders His people, or as we know them to be the Israelites, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

Leviticus 19:2 ESV

“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

Why should we be holy? Because God is holy, and we belong to Him.

Paul calls us His children in this text, and those who are God’s children are going to look like Him. Let me explain this a little bit.

Illustration: It’s just like how you were born with features that your parents have. Like anyone with brown hair is more than likely going to have a child with brown hair. You carry these key traits over from your parents.

Steve is a perfect example because we have your dad in the room with us right now, everybody look at Steve and Nick. They look the same, right?

Do you think they act the same? I’m sure there are things that Nick does that Steve also does, sorry to pick on you Steve, you’re the only student here with his dad here, so I had to do it.

Steve not only looks like Nick, but he probably also does things very similar to how Nick does it.

Just as Steve and Nick look the same and Steve imitates his dad, we too need to look look like and imitate our Heavenly Father.

transition: And we do this by loving others. By walking in love towards your neighbor.

Walk in Love Towards Your Neighbor.

You are meant to love your neighbor, but who’s your neighbor? The person sitting next to you or the people in the house next to yours?

Christ explains it this in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

we read this story a couple weeks ago in our groups in Luke 10, Jesus tells the story of a Jewish man who was hurt in a ditch. No one would help him, not even the religious leaders of that time until a Samaritan man came along. The Samaritans and the Jews were not friendly with one another, but the Samaritan man didn’t care. He just saw someone who needed help, so he bandaged his wounds and paid with his own money to have him put up in a room like a hotel room so he could heal.

Based on this story, who do you think your neighbor is?

Your neighbor is anyone who needs help. Your neighbor regardless of whether or not they hate you is anyone you can show the love of Christ towards.

So walk in love towards others. Imitate God’s love by serving others and even going to the extent that it may even be hard for you. It may cost you something to love someone else, but for Jesus it cost everything to show His love for us.

Transition: For our next point for tonight, let’s look back at the text, picking up in verse 6. In the verses in between 2 and 6, Paul lists out certain sins that people often use to corrupt others like using foul language, materialism or the love of physical possessions, and some other things he says must not even be named among them. Then in verse 6, he says:

Ephesians 5:6–9 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; 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),

Walk in Light. (V.3-9)

Paul warns the Ephesians not to get carried away into sin by those who practice these corrupt things because these people who practice things like the use of crude jokes and foul language will have to stand before God one day in judgment for their sins.

He says, don’t get involved in what they do, because they are going to face judgment for it. Rather walk in light.

You once walked in darkness like these people do, now in your new life, walk in light. Walk in holiness, watching yourself, making sure that people in your life that are not followers of Christ don’t lead you to sin.

Light > Darkness - Darkness only exists in the absence of light.

I love how Paul uses light to explain how we should walk because it kind of makes for itself an illustration.

Illustration: How many of us get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night? How many of us when we get up to use the bathroom, we’re too lazy to turn a light on and just try to night vision your way to the bathroom?

Have you ever kicked something heavy on the floor while trying this? Or kicked the bedpost as you came back to bed?

See, if you had turned on the light you would have been able to see the cold, hard truth of the bed post in front of you that you kicked.

And this is actually why Paul says in verse 9, “For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.”

Because when you have that light, you see what is truly in front of you. The light allows you to see what is true, and what is true is as you walked in the dark there’s a bed post in front of you.

You needed light to penetrate the night and allow you to see. Becase Darkness is just the absence of light, meaning light will ALWAYS triumph over darkness. And when it does, you will be able to see clearly.

But there are those who do not have the light. They do not see the Truth that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of the world. They do not see that what they need most in this life is salvation in the One who laid Himself on the cross for their sins.

How will they see the Truth unless someone who has the light comes along and shares it and allows them to see in the dark?

As you all walk in light with Christ, you are responsible to share that light with others.

Don’t be on a Dimmer.

There will be those around you who hate that light and may try to shut that light out. They may try to influence you to put yourself on a dimmer. Don’t be on a dimmer

You guys know what a dimmer is? A lot of houses have them now but instead of a switch where the light is either on or off, it’s a slide that allows you to slowly turn that light down.

There will be friends that you have who don’t want your light to be turned all the way on so they’ll make fun of you or put you down about having that light on. They’ll try to turn you down like a dimmer.

Guard your heart with the people you surround yourself with. If there are people trying to put you on a dimmer, Paul says to not be partners with them. That doesn’t mean you can’t share the Gospel with them and love them, but as soon as you find yourself turning down that light, you step away.

Make sure that you are walking in that light.

Tie Together/GP/ Conclusion

To summarize for us today: Walk in love, more specifically self-sacrificial love that isn’t always easy towards your neighbor or anyone you see in need, and walk in light. That light is a precious thing that can shine in the darkest of places, but you need to do your best to protect this light. Don’t let others taint that light.

But maybe you don’t feel like you have this light. Maybe you have never accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us that you are therefore in darkness, and you are going to find yourself bumping around through the dark, never able to figure your way out.

But right now, I’m using my light to show you the Truth that Christ died for your sins, that you would not have to die and be judged for your sins against God. Through belief and faith that Jesus is the Son of God and through the declaration that He is your Lord and you live for Him, He will wipe every terrible thing you’ve ever done in the dark, and He will give you the same light we talked about tonight.

You will receive a love like no other that you won’t be able to help but share and a light that can’t help but shine.

If you feel that you’ve walked in the dark and no matter what you try, it’s not working, come find me after service or talk to your group leader. You can talk with them one on one if you need to.

I’m going to pray and then you all will be dismissed to group.