God’s Design Week 7

Introduction

We have been looking at God’s design for the church over that past few weeks. The Bible also talks about God’s design for how to live.

Prayer

Completing a goal take dedication (Horsetooth Half Marathon)

The Christian life takes dedication to finish well. Paul told the churches around Ephesus about ways to live in a manner God desires.

Read Ephesians 5:1-17

Paul continues the correction of the past bahavior. The situation of sin within the body is not a new issue in the church. Paul address the same problem with the church in Corinth in his first letter. Last week, we learned how we need to be different from the world. Paul gives a practical approach to become imitators of God.

Walk with love

He tells them they should love each other because of the love Jesus loved. We should love each other like we love ourselves

Matthew 22:39 “The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Walk in light

2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1 “Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. And I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

Light separates dark. If we are to imitate God, we will live a life that stands out.

Walk in Wisdom

NKJV uses the word circumspectly, which means take care of how you walk, so you can walk correctly.

Redeeming the time-the church in Ephesus were living in dangerous times.

Life is short. James 4:13–15 “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.””

Paul wanted these people to understand how to seek God’s will in their lives. The culture of the time required the body of Christ to live in a way that knew to pursue the will of God.

The manners of walking in Paul’s letter forces the believers to have intentionality in their lives. In order to walk in love, light, and wisdom, followers of Jesus must walk with the proper intentions.

THE BODY OF CHRIST MUST LIVE INTENTIONALLY

A body of believers must live intentionally to seek God’s will. It takes thoughtful planning to live this life. So, the question we need to ask is: how do we walk in love, light, and wisdom with intentionality?

Show love to others

The greek word for love that is in the passage is “agapao”. This form of love is sacrificial. Another translation of this word can be charity.

Showing love that God wants us to show should cost us something.

As the body of Christ, we need to love others and the body of Christ. However, love is a choice we make. It does not come easy. Remembers, Christ loved us so much he died for us. We need to show love to others

Illustrate-Dogs choose to love no matter what happened

Practical applications

Pray for each other…even when you don’t agree with each other.

Celebrate personal victories with others.

Show empathy

Be Light in a dark world

Paul warned the body of believers to take care of how to live their lives.

Similar to last week, Christians should avoid any lifestyle that reflects the world. We are held to a higher standard.

We must live lives that reflect Christ’s change in our lives.

Thermostat, not a thermometer (Dual climate control)

Practical ways to walk in light

Seek to please God in all you do

Understand your identity in Christ

Live authentic lives…people will notice if you are not genuine

Make the most of our time

We need to understand the shortness of our time here on earth.

Time is a resource we have to tell it what to do. If not, we will wonder where the time went.

“Time is slipping away” “Wasting time” “time management” All of these phrases are used to describe our view of time.

40 year reflection short time left until kids graduate

Practical ways to walk in wisdom

Be careful with your time…beware of innocent time wasters

Be careful with your choices…follow God’s will at all times.