Ch.5 Ephesians

Ephesians 5:1–6:9 ESV

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 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. 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 become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

Eph 5:1-6

Subject: How does a believer effectively live the day-to-day Christian life in the world?

Complement: By fearlessly examining their day-to-day choices to ensure that they reflect their ID in Christ.

Idea: Believers effectively live out their faith by ensuring that their daily choices are consistent with their ID in Christ.

Theological Proposition: Believers should make daily choices to become the best reflection of God possible by habitually 1) loving like Christ, 2) behaving in accordance with their ID in Christ & 3) fearlessly examining their actual use of time in their actual relationships to ensure it actually reflects their ID in Christ.

Theological Proposition: Believers should make daily choices to become the best reflection of God possible by habitually 1) loving like Christ, 2) behaving in accordance with their ID in Christ & 3) examining their time as a precious resource to ensure that their life choices

Sermon Purpose: That my audience would fearless examine & share how they use their time with their ID in Christ.

Homiletical Proposition: Fearlessly examine your time! By each key relationship

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Image: Life is like a grand Lego castle

My kids love legos, some creation take 100s of thousands of bricks millions of individual bricks

Together it is a wonderful creation...... but it consisting of little blocks… [lego mines]

[Like a Lego creation, our life is constructed of 100s of thousands of bricks, called choices.]

Need: We often neglect to reflect on our day-to-day choices.

We don’t think about that very often though.

for sure we can tell the difference between this and this

MTR: When people at the end of life have regrets, it is often the little things… more time w kids, more dates w wife, etc.

Weekend mentality… I use saturday to fix 6 days of stupid

Lego Box shows you what the end product it

The vacation mentality… but you cant use a 1 week vacation to make up 51 weeks of bad choices.

WHY do we do that??? because we asume we have tomorrow.

Subject: How does a believer effectively live the day-to-day Christian life in the world? the step by step process fror getting from pile of legos to the creation

Jesus is our box… but we get ther one step at a time.

Text:

Review:

Chapters 1-3: Understand our Identity in Christ.

by Grace our past Redeemed, present Revitalize, future Revolutionize in short our lives have been Transformed

Chapter 4: Our life in the Church should outwardly reflect the unity & holiness of our Identity.

Preview: look at on of the most practical verses in the bible, how it should impact our lives then apply

[Today I want to jump right to my main point]

BODY

Your time always reflects your values.

Ephesians 5:15–17 ESV

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Explain: “Walk” means to live & life consists of choices.

Explain: “Walk” means to live & life consists of choices.

It is the key commandment in (4:1 united 4:17 holy 5:2 in love 5:8 in light 5:15 wisely).

It means the way you live or your day to day choices.

Your life, consists of your day-in-day-out choices

real choices with real consequences

MTR: The student life consists of a day-in-day-out choices.

Choosing to study results in living the good life as a student.

MTR: Business life consists of day-in-day-out choices.

You choose to be on time or prepared for meetings results in the a good life.

Here is why this concept is important. The Christian life consists of day-in-day-out choices.

The christian life does have a “theoretical” side (1-3) but it also have as “practical” doing type stuff.

Means the way you live .

Life consists of choices.

Ephesians 5:15–17 ESV

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Explain: Paul links your walk with your time because

Eph 5:15-

Your time always reflects your values

You can talk all day about what you value but where you spend your time reveals your actual values.

MTR: I can say I value my children, but that is hogwash unless I am spending time

I don’t have time, actually means I have something I value more.

Ephesians 5:15–17 ESV

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Explain: wisdom & fool have to do with God oriented life strategy.

Eph 5:

Validate: We often confuse our desired values with our actual values.

Explain: wisdom & fool have to do with God oriented life strategy.

Explain: wisdom & fool have to do with God oriented life strategy.

Look at how you spend your time if you want to know if you are valuing what God.

Examining your time is a fool proof test to ensure that your desired & actual values align.

Your time always reflects your values

Paul’s way of saying your day-to-day behavior should align with your ID in Christ.

[With this in mind I want us to look at two specific day-to-day choices Eph Ch 5 tells us to make]

[So

Question 1: Am I spending my time walking towards Jesus?

Application: Fearlessly examine your time!

Ephesians 5:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Eph 5

Explain Be ; imitator ; beloved children

Explain Be ; imitator ; beloved children

Explain God want’s you to be like him by acting like him.

Daily choosing to place others ahead of yourself

This is costly & and sacrificial ..... and also worship

Question 2: Am I spending my time “reflecting” my Identity in Christ?

Ephesians 5:8 ESV

8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Ephesians 5:8–10 ESV

8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

Eph

: 8-

Explain light

Explain light

Explain Discern

Validate: this is not theoretical… it is very practical it effects every arrea of your life.

Your time always reflects your values

[with this in mind I want to recommend one application]

Application: Fearlessly examine your time!

Application: Fearlessly examine your time!

Because your time doesn't lie; It always tells what you ACTUALLY value.

Because your time doesn't lie; It always tells what you ACTUALLY value.

YOLO (You Only Live Once) so make sure you are actually living the life you want to live.

Spouse Parent / Child Work / Volunteer Does my time reflect what I say I value?

YOLO (You Only Live Once) so make sure you are actually living the life you want to live.

You have to STOP and look at your choices to ensure this.

Because your time doesn't lie; It always tells what you ACTUALLY value.

2 Specific areas you should look at:

Fearlessly examine your time! By looking at your key relationships:

By looking at your key relationships:

If you say it is valuable, your time should reflect it.

Spouse

Parent / Child

Work / Volunteer

Does my time reflect what I say I value?

Fearlessly examine your time! By conducting a moral inventory:

Spouse

Spouse

Parent / Child

Parent / Child

Work / Volunteer

Work / Volunteer

Does my time reflect what I say I value?

Does my time reflect what I say I value?

Fearlessly examine your time! By conducting a behavior inventory:

Only you can answer this, things like too much internet/phone time; drinking eating Exercise Date nights

Am I doing thing/s I want to stop?

YOLO… so make sure you

Am I doing thing/s I want to start?

Share your findings, or you won’t change!

CLOSING

lego box

If you say it is valuable, your time should reflect it.

Picture of the cross.

Spouse

Fearlessly examine your time! By looking at your key relationships:

Parent / Child

Work / Volunteer

Does my time reflect what I say I value?

Fearlessly examine your time! By conducting a behavior inventory:

Only you can answer this, things like too much internet/phone time; drinking eating Exercise Date nights

Am I doing thing/s I want to stop?

Am I doing thing/s I want to start?

Fearlessly examine your time! By comparing your daily behavior with Your ID in Christ:

PREPARATION

Founded on their identity in Christ Paul, through the means of the empowerment of the Holy Sprit commands the Ephesians

PASSAGE

Theological Proposition

PASSAGE

God manifested his graciously love for the Ephesians by uniting them in Christ HE graciously in Christ gracious calling as blessed people on their new ID in Christ (Ch1-3)

Summary

Because of their blessed ID, Paul commands the E’s to choose to walk (live) in unity, holiness (Ch. 4) love and light while constantly examining all important relationships to ensure that they, by means of the filling with the Spirit, are imitating God before each other and the world as evidenced by an attitude of willingness to submit their own wishes, wants & desires for others (which is precisely what Christ did on the Cross).

Structure

5:1-6 Having been blessed by GOD the the E’s are commanded to become mimickers of God not the world.

5:1-2 By choosing to walk in sacrificial love just like Christ, the E’s reflect God.

5:3-6 [by choosing to] avoid the sinful conduct or conversation typical of evildooers, the E’s avoid reflecting the world.

Choosing instead

5:7-14 The E’s are commanded to walk in light (people defined/Id by the Jesus, the light of the world).

5:7-8a [by choosing to] not become involved with evildoers. (bad deff)

5:8b-10 By choosing to walk in a manner reflective of their calling as children of light.

5:11-14 By [choosing to] not join evil works choosing instead to expose them to the (transformative) light.

5:15-6:9 The E’s are commanded to closely examine their walk (the results of their choices as a means of testing carefully ensure that their lives (choices) result in Spirit influence, to ensure that they are “spending” their time wisely

5:15-17 The E’s are commanded to examine their walk (life/choices) to ensure they are wisely spending their time.

5:18-21 Paul illustrates than an examined (ie wise) life is one that understands the connections between choices, states and results.

5:18a The choice to over consume alcohol creates a state of drunkeness which result in foolish actions.

consume alcohol thereby inviting it to control their life with the result of foolish actions

5:18b-20 The choice to walk according to ones ID in Christ creates a state of filling with the Spirit which results in four present participles that should be characteristic within the Church setting .

5:21 As a result of being filled with the Spirit, the individuals E’s live in submission (cf love 5:1-2) to each other w/in the church and in every significant relationship in their world.

5:22-33 In marriages

6:1-4 Children and Parents

6:5-9 Servants and Masters

PRINCIPLES

It is false to assume that you have all the time in the world.

You are free to chose an action, but not it’s consequences weather +/-. —> Chose to live out your ID to experience ....???

The christian life requires child like dependence on God.

You reflect what you are close to —> so get close to God.

Christian living a long series of christian choices.

Where you spend your time, reflects what you really value —> so examine your time.

Examine your life to ensure it reflects your ID in X.

YOLO, you only live once, maximize your life by loving other

APPLICATIONS

You reflect what you are close to —> so get close to God.

Christian living a long series of christian choices.

Take a fearless moral inventory of your life to see if there is anything you are doing that you ought to stop. (Anders, Galatians-Colossians, 176)

If you are unsuccessful in stopping something you ought to stop, contact someone whom you respect spiritually, and ask him to help you. (Anders, Galatians-Colossians, 176)

Holman New Testament Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians Applications

If you are unsuccessful in stopping something you ought to stop, contact someone whom you respect spiritually, and ask him to help you.

Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 176.

Holman New Testament Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians Applications

Take a fearless moral inventory of your life to see if there is anything you are doing that you ought to stop.

Holman New Testament Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians Applications

• Take a fearless moral inventory of your life to see if there is anything you are doing that you ought to stop.

• If you are unsuccessful in stopping something you ought to stop, contact someone whom you respect spiritually, and ask him to help you.

5:18-21 By [choosing]

God’s love compelled HIM to bless the Ephesians by graciously placing them in Christ, thus, as a logical act of thanksgiving, Paul commands the Ephesians to habitually inmate GOD by adopting attitudes & behaviors that reflect love

Proposition

Theological Proposition: Believers should make daily choices to become the best reflection of God possible by habitually 1) loving like Christ, 2) behaving in accordance with their ID in Christ & 3) examining their time as a precious resource to ensure that their life choices

Sermon Purpose

Sermon Purpose: The habitual choices of believers to or not to act in accordance with their blessed ID have created their present state

Homiletical Proposition:

Homiletical Propositionl

INTRODUCTION

Image

Need

Subject

Text

Preview

BODY

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CLOSING