A Serious Walk

Read Eph 5:1-20

PRAY

Introduction

The last couple of sermons that we’ve heard have been heavily focused on how the Christian should walk. That’s been Paul’s focus as we’ve moved into the more practical half of this letter. Tonight, as you may have heard from the text, is more of the same.

These verses are very important and I don’t want you to miss them. I say that because it would be very easy for you to hear whats being preached tonight and tune it out, thinking “I’ve just heard all of this”.

I believe this quote from Kevin DeYoung in a sermon of his speaks directly to that mindset: “When the church father John Chrysostom was threatened with banishment or death from the Empress Eudoxia, the famous preacher and bishop is said to have replied, ‘Go tell Eudoxia that I fear nothing but sin.’ I fear nothing but sin. I daresay that for many people today it is just the opposite. We fear almost everything except for sin. The Bible would have us flip that.”

We take sin way too lightly. That’s why we need a whole of section of Scripture on the dangers of sin and how we should stay away from it. We NEED these reminders constantly.

The title of my sermon tonight is “A Serious Walk”. That’s what Paul is calling Christians to in these verses. A life dedicated to fleeing from sin and pursuing holiness, all empowered by the grace and power of God.

We’ll look at these verses in two sections: Be Aware and Be Careful.

Be Aware

After calling us to kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness as Christ forgives us, Paul then calls us to be imitators of God. To be an imitator means to copy, mimic, or do the same thing as someone else. We are to base our lives after the character and nature of our God!

Kaitlyn and I’s daughter Shiloh just turned 4 and she absolutely LOVES to imitate us. Especially if I’m doing something wild, she’s always down and jumps right in. A funny phrase, an excited shout, whatever it is Shiloh is usually right behind us copying us.

And she gets a kick out it, its one of her favorite things to do! This should be how we feel about imitating our Heavenly Father! The child of God takes great joy in following after the Lord, there’s no better place to be or thing to do…for God is our example of holiness, joy, and goodness.

Don’t miss what else Paul says with this command: “as beloved children of God”. This is not a cold copying, but a response to the love of the Father.

For the person in here feeling forgotten, outcast, unloved maybe at home or school, bullied, anxious, if you have placed faith in Christ you are a beloved child of God…see how much He loves you by sending His Son to die for you…now go and imitate Him!

For the person in here that has never experienced the love of the Father, repent and believe in the Gospel of Christ tonight. If you don’t believe in and trust Christ for salvation, you are not a beloved child of God…but you CAN be! If you’re not a believer or are not sure, please talk with me or a leader before leaving here tonight.

As imitators of God that means we walk in the love of God…which is shown for us perfectly in Jesus’ giving up of Himself for us. Looking at this call to walk in love, what this MUST mean is that it’s IMPOSSIBLE to have experienced the love of God and NOT walk in it to those around you.

God in His love embraces and sends out.

Walking in love is NOT walking in cliques, disrespect, anger, jealousy, harshness, or impatience. Rather, its introducing yourself to someone new and inviting them to sit next to you at youth group. It’s rejoicing in the truth and person of Christ constantly. It’s picking up and celebrating others. It’s preaching the Gospel to your neighbor.

Walk in love as Christ has loved you.

After that call to imitate, the apostle Paul now really begins to warn us of some of the traps of sin in this world that we live. Sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking. He says that sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness must not even be NAMED among the believers in Ephesus.

Meaning: these sins are not to be seen as reasonable, acceptable, or tolerated among believers in anyway.

Are y’all cool if I just be super real with you tonight? I don’t want anyone here to be confused on what’s being talked about in this section. Sexual immorality is sexual sin, more specifically, doing what belongs only in the marriage covenant between one man and one woman OUTSIDE of marriage.

Impurity includes essentially all other types of sins. And covetousness is greed or wanting what another person has for yourself.

These sins are all very common, especially for middle and high schoolers…Christians: put these things to death in your life!

Verse 4 deals with speech…no filth, foolishness, or crude joking in what you say. If we’re all just honest with each other, we hear this all the time. Even at my age, these are all very common.

Jokes regarding sexual immorality or sexual things, thought common, are not to be common among believers! Yet, we take this so lightly.

When in reality, this is what Jesus has to say about this: Luke 6:43–45 ““For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

What you speak gives a good look into your heart condition. If all you speak is filthiness, repent!

We aren’t just left with something NOT to do, but something to replace it with: thanksgiving. If you’re thanking God for all He is and all He’s done, you’ll be too caught up to be dabbling in crude joking.

A heart completely consumed with the Lord has little room for the foolishness of the world!

Look at how clearly Paul states this in verse 5: Ephesians 5:5 “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.” If sin is what defines you, you have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. It’s that simple. So, are you marked by these sins continuously or are you covered in the blood of Jesus by faith?

Christians are not to be deceived with empty words or partner with the sons of disobedience. The wrath of God is coming upon all those who are disobedient, don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Things like homosexuality and transgenderism. Cussing, harming an unborn child, sexual immorality. All these things are sins but in our culture today are celebrated.

We are to, being aware, show grace and love to people who commit these sins…and the best possible way to do that is to gently and truthfully tell them the gospel and call them to repentance.

Affirming someones sin and partnering with them is one of the most unloving things you can do.

Paul focuses on our transformation that the Holy Spirit has caused in us as to why we shouldn’t partner with sin. We USED to be in darkness but have NOW been made light in Christ. And we are to walk according to that truth.

Have NOTHING to do with the unfruitful works of darkness. Light and dark don’t mix. Light exposes the darkness for what its hiding. We are called in Christ to walk in the light, living boldly for Christ, so that the darkness has no place to hide.

For some of you tonight, this is a call to make new friends. You know certain people celebrate and love the dark and its time to lovingly move on.

There may also be some in here that have been dabbling in the dark for far too long. You think the Lord doesn’t see you and you think your sin doesn’t matter, but the way Paul describes it says the opposite. Repent, turn away from your sin and run to Christ in His glorious light.

The works of darkness are shameful says Paul! Why are we so quick to shuffle our way back to darkness? So, Christian, wake up! LIVE in the light as Christ shines on you.

Be Careful

Paul ends this section with a call to be careful how we walk in the light. We are to be wise. We are to redeem the time. This life is short, don’t waste it on the world. Spend it in the light of Christ…for these last days are evil.

Video games aren’t making the best use of the time you have. Niether is mindlessly scrolling on TikTok. I’m not saying you can’t enjoy these things sometimes, but if they consume most of your time, you’re not making the best use…

Did you know, young people, that verse 17 is for you as well, not just your parents or adults? Ephesians 5:17 “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” I’m not saying stop having fun and enjoying life…what I AM saying is that the only true enjoyment is Christ!

STOP playing foolish games with the Lord. STOP playing church/student group. The foolish simply mess around in the mud, but Paul is calling us to understand what the will of the Lord is.

We end with a command from Paul to not get drunk with wine but to be filled with the Spirit and to address one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord with our hearts.

Truly worshipping the Lord in song comes by being filled with the Spirit continuously, not drunk off of alcohol or any other mind altering substance.

Super practical point here: at your age and with the laws in this country, you shouldn’t even be worried about alcohol or any other substances. It’s not cool, its foolishness and sin at your age.

Pay attention to how Paul ends this section: give thanks always and for everything to God in the name of the Lord Jesus, for He’s responsible for it all. Be aware and be careful of your walk, thanking the Lord for everything.

Conclusion

For the disciple of Jesus, this is a serious call to a serious walk. We are called to take holiness seriously. So, be disciplined in your walk. Living confident that you are a beloved child of God who is rich in love, grace, and power to keep you until the end of this life.

PRAY