Riches of our Life of Love
Sufficiency of Christ - A Walk through Book of Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 16 viewsWalk in the imitation of Christ
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Big Shoes to Fill
Big Shoes to Fill
When you were a child did you ever put on your mom’s shoes or your dad’s shoes and they were too big, but still you tried to walk around in them? Or have you had someone tell you “those are big shoes to fill” when you step into a position that someone who was beloved was in before?
Imitating Christ, walking in Christ is some big shoes to fill, but we are not left unequipped for it. God has given us His Spirit and His instructions on how to walk in Christ’s shoes.
(insert a slide saying “Walk in Love” )
This passage as well as the next are all about walking as children of Light! Learning and walking in imitation of Christ. Children oftentimes will mimic, follow what their parents, grandparents are doing, sometimes to the good, sometimes to the embarrassment. I’m pretty sure you would like to walk in love, walk in the imitation of Christ and not embarrass Him or the Father in heaven that is why you are here this morning.
Since we are children of God and God is love
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
we should walk in love.
Since God is Light
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
We should walk as light
Love
(Slide) Children of God displaying God’s love
This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
Light
(Slide) Children of Light shining God’s light into the darkness
WE should walk in Truth and in wisdom
Truth
I. Walk in love
I. Walk in love
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Eph5:1
We know God’s love, we have heard it time and time again, we all know Jn3:16
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
But walking in God’s love is different that knowing about God’s love. As Christians we are to imitate God’s love, so lets look at a few reasons we ought to walk in love.
(Slide) We are beloved Children
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
As we are children of God, transferred out of the darkness into the kingdom.
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
As beloved children, as God’s child we are invited to be partakers in His nature.
4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Consider this.
23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
Jesus praying for the apostles, now can you hear Him interceeding for us now too? And the Father in reply saying like what was said to Christ.
17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
If we are imitating Christ, if we are love, walking in love, walking in the imitation of love then the Father will be well pleased with us. It maybe a stretch to apply it like that but I think you get the point. God loves us as we display love because we understand His love for us and the costly sacrifice Christ made for us.
(Slide) We were purchased at a great price
As Jesus became a sacrifice for our sins, a fragrant aroma, pleasing to God we too are to become one too
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Christ told of no greater love.
13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
Jn15:13
And then Paul even elaborated on it.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
God loved us even when we were dead in our transgressions
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
17 ‘Then he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.
16 ‘The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering by fire for a soothing aroma; all fat is the Lord’s.
10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
Our love for Him is in our response to His love for us.
19 We love, because He first loved us.
Christ is all the sacrifices, the sweet savor offering, the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering all in one.
Burnt offering- Christ displays His complete devotion to God being willing to be our sacrifice, our offering.
Paul challenges the Ephesians and us through the writing of the Apostle to “walk in love” for it is a foundational factor in our Christian life.
When we walk in love we embrace the love of God, display the love of God
8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
We will fulfill the law as the Lord has given us His Spirit and His spirit put love in our hearts
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
II. Walk as Children of Light
II. Walk as Children of Light
3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Eph5:3-
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
Eph5:5-
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
Eph5:8-
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
Eph5:10-11
12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
Eph5:12-13
We have some
Paul paints a picture of some contrasts in this section of children of light and darkness.
(Slide) Look at that list of things that are not to be a part of the children of Light.
(Slide) immorality, impurity, greed
(Slide), Filthiness, silly talk, course jesting
(Slide) Why, Paul tells us and we should not take it lightly.
(Slide) no immoral, impure person
(Slide) No covetous man who is idolater will have inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
These things should not even be named among the children of light for it is not fitting. Not fitting of our new character, our new nature, our new identity in Christ and our new destination the kingdom of Heaven.
This is not who we are, this is who we are
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
with knowing who we are comes responsibilities; we are to walk in love, walk as children of light
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
As children of God, children of light we are to be above reproach and we are to be lights in the world.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Eph5:
Don’t be deceived, there are lot’s of deceivers who give you empty words, empty promises that are not in line with God’s words and God’s justice.
We became CHristians when we trusted and obeyed Christ, we entered into the kingdom of God
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
We were born again of water and Spirit
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
We are kings, priests, we are not to have thee things listed in (vv.3-5) and not easy deceived (v.6) for those who do will inherit the kingdom of God
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
We are not to have these things, these characteristics as Children of God, Children of Light. We cannot dwell, live in sin, nor accept sin in the life of another believer who claims Christ.
Sin in the life of a believer and sin in the life of the unbeliever are different, it’s worse.
(Slide) A Christian is not sinless, but he is to sin-less
Look at Mt7:21-23 - I know you maybe familiar with it, but don’t be so familiar with it that it does not impact your heart and your actions.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
For We are light, and that is what the next section is about!
III. Walk as Light
III. Walk as Light
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
As children of light we should not be partakers with those things I have already mentioned.
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
Eph5:8-
(Slide) We were DARKNESS, but now are LIGHT, so walk as children of light
Eph5:8-
(Slide) We were DARKNESS, but now are LIGHT, so walk as children of light
re LIGHT, so walk as children of light
(expand on darkness, not “in” darkness, but “were” darkness)
(Slide) As children of Light it will look like
(Slide - leave it as one slide) Goodness
Righteousness
and Truth
We want to know and do the things that are pleasing to the Lord (v.10)
As Children of Light we do not participate in the deeds of darkness but expose them.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
Eph5:11
13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
Darkness is the absence of light, so as light we expose the darkness, and it becomes visible.
Light not only exposes darkness but it turns darkness into light. When we realize our sin, our sinful nature, our seperation from God, the darkness that is in us we want to dispel the darkness by allowing the Light in!
Keeping in mind, Paul is writing to believers, and even believers who are not careful and let the darkness of the world push out the light of His love for us. Hence why we need to be sober, alert, diligent in our walk as children of love, children of light, knowing how to walk as children of light.
14 For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”
To the non-Christian who is dead in their trespasses, their sins Awake, arise from the dead today. To the Christian who asleep in the pew, or is comfortable in their place in the kingdom, awake and walk, don’t just sit there, walk in His love, walk in His light, walk as His children and be light to others!
(Lead to invitation)
(Insert slide - walk in the light - already saved to computer by that name)