How to Deal with the Big Bad Wolf

How to deal with Big Bad Wolf!

Introduction

<Ephesians 5:1-14 (NIV)>

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs. And each one built a house to live in.

The first little pig built his house out of straw. "A straw house is easy to build," he said. The second little pig built her house out of sticks. "A stick house is easy to build," she said. The third little pig built his house out of bricks. "A brick house is hard to build, but it is very strong," he said. <story 1>

Then one day, a big bad wolf knocked on the door of the straw house. "Little pig, little pig, let me come in," said the wolf in his deep voice. <wolf 2>

The first little pig called out from behind the door, "No, no, you can't come in, not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!" Well, the wolf did not like this answer one bit, so he said, "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" So the big bad wolf huffed, and he puffed, and he blew the house in! <story 3>

The first little pig ran all the way to the second little pig's house. As you remember, this house was made of sticks. But as soon as the door was shut, they heard a deep voice. "Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in," said the big bad wolf. <story 4>

This time two little pigs called out from behind the door, "No, no, you can't come in, not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!" Well, the wolf still did not like this answer, so he said, "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" So the big bad wolf huffed, and he puffed, and he blew the house in! <story 5>

This time, two little pigs ran all the way to the third little pig's house. And THIS house was made of bricks. <story 6>

But as soon as the door was shut, they heard a familiar deep voice. "Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in," said the big bad wolf. This time three little pigs called out from behind the door, "No, no, you can't come in, not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!" Well, the wolf was getting tired of this answer, so he said, "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" So the big bad wolf huffed, and he puffed... but he did NOT blow the house in! The brick house was too strong! The three little pigs were very happy, but the wolf was very angry. "If I can't blow your house in," the big bad wolf said in his deep voice, "then I'm coming down your chimney to eat you!" The wolf started down the chimney.

But there was something he did not know: there was a big pot of boiling water in the fireplace. The wolf came down further, and further, and further. He was almost in the house when he landed in the water! "Yeeeeow!" yelled the big bad wolf. And he went straight back up the chimney! So, the big bad wolf - who was tired of huffing and puffing - ran away. And the three little pigs lived happily ever after. But they all learned a lesson: don't build a house out of straw or sticks. It may be easier, but a brick house is more wolf-proof!

A. Sometimes we all feel part of this story. In our version of the story we’re the three little pigs and the big bad wolf and the big bad world…only difference is that in our version of the story the world never goes away…he keeps on coming, keep son blowing…keep son scaring…keep son tempting us…

B. The world and it’s influence has always been a problem for Christians. How do we live “new lives” while our new values clash with the society around us?

C. What’s a Christian to do?

· Sit on our ash heap weeping and whaling how big and how bad the world is?

· Try to bring the church and the world together?

· Withdraw entirely from the world?

D. In this passage Paul gives us some very good advise on how we should deal with the big bad world.

I. <Imitate God.> <v. 1-2 (NIV)>

A. Our problem is not that we are imitators but that we tend to imitate the wrong thing.

1. It’s hard to be a self-made man or woman it seems.

The problem with the self-made man is that he tends to worship his creator.

2. Popular culture is great at applying intense pressure on us to conform and become worldly.

3. Worse is the fact that some people are not even aware of the world’s seduction.

B. What we need to do is make a proactive decision to imitate God instead of the world.

1. Instead of quaking in fear at the big, bad word we need to act!

2. We need to look at God and make it our aim to be like Him.

C. Imitating God comes down to one simple rule: “Live in love, as Christ loved us.”

1. Look at Jesus and notice how he loved.

2. Look at Jesus and notice his compassion.

3. Look at Jesus and notice his way of giving himself.

4. Decide to love that way!

D. The first step in dealing with the big, bad world is to imitate God in his love.

II. <Reject the worldly lifestyle> <vv. 3-5 (NIV)>

A. Lifestyle issues can and will be debated amongst Christians till Christ returns.

B. But some worldly practices are so bad that there is no need to debate them.

C. These unmentionables are not many; Paul lists them in two lists of three.

1. The first list consists of every improper expression of sexuality.

· Ephesus was the home of a famous temple for the worship of Diana. Sexual orgies were part of the worship there.

· But why is greed mentioned? Because greed is a form of idolatry. Constantly seeking for what one does not have.

· These things do not belong in the life of the believer because they are a perversion of God’s love which they are trying to imitate.

2. The second group of three can be seen as the devil’s perversion of our speech gifts.

· Obscenity, foolish talking, coarse joking are out of order for the Christian.

· Giving thanks is the alternative for fowl-mouthed obscenity because when we give thanks our attention is towards God instead of ourselves.

D. Paul gives a bleak warning for the person who imitates the world in any of these six ways – there is no place in the kingdom of God for those who persist in practicing them.

1. The term “kingdom of God” is most often used in the NT to describe God’s work in the here and now.

3. So it’s unlikely that Paul is speaking of the eventual entrance into heaven. He is speaking of the entrance into the community of God’s people on earth.

4. Those who live in immorality, enjoy impurity, specialize in ugly language, or are greedily obsessed with things are so out of character with God’s ways that they cannot fit into God’s community.

E. Verse 3 refers to believers as “God’s holy people”. Christians are identified as those who will reject worldly lifestyle that surround them.

III. <Renounce the world while living in it.> (vv. 6-14)

A. Some people are skillful at twisting words to transfer guilt into glory <vv. 6-7 (NIV>

B. Believing the truth forces us to understand just how incompatible our old life “in the world” is with our new life “with Christ.” <v. 8a (NIV)>

1. As unbelievers we are darkness – walking manifestation of ignorance, falsehood and sin.

2. Now, in Christ, we are light.

C. We need to understand that the big, bad world is darkness and where we fit in – we are light in a world of darkness. <v. 8b – 10 (NIV)>

1. This means “bearing fruit” of the light: goodness, righteousness, truth.

2. The church will practice the good instead of the wrong that is common.

D. Christians have a responsibility towards the world – not to imitate the world but to show it up! <v. 11 (NIV)>

1. Do we do this like John the Baptist by shouting against sin until they removed his head?

2. Instead of railing against that which is even too shameful to mention we are to expose it by the light – not by our words!

E. We are called to renounce the big, bad, world, but not by compromising and participation, not by escaping to some safe haven, not by ranting until we lose our heads, but by showing up the darkness by being the light of God.

Conclusion