Sermon Tone Analysis
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Imitate God as Dear Children
Have you ever seen a toddler trying to imitate its parent?
It is natural for children to imitate their parents
As Christians, We are children of God.
what would it look like to imitate God?
God is Holy
God is Righteous
God is truth
God is Love
God is merciful
God is giving
God is a defender
God is gracious
God is faithful
By saying that we should imitate God, he is in no way suggesting we are to earn our salvation
He has already made the point that by grace we are saved through faith, as a free gift
So this imitating God is not something we do to become saved
It is what people who are already saved do because they are saved
The easiest way to understand this is in the example given “as dear children”
children aren’t trying to earn their parent’s approval by mimicking them
it is simply the natural outflow of already having that approval
It is a natural expression of the love between them
Suggesting that we be imitators of God is in no way suggesting that we are to imitators of His sovereignty or His power
He alone is God all by Himself.
There is no other God, nor shall there be.
We are not growing to one day be God.
But, as dear children, we imitate His nature, His character.
We can act, and think, and feel like God
We can love others like God loves us - even sacrificially
We can be kind like God
We can forgive like God
We can be selfless Like God
Walk in Love, as Christ Loved Us
The simple way to accomplish this admonishment to imitate God, is to walk in love
All of the commandments are summed up in love -
Love for God, Love for God’s people.
The example given here is Jesus
God became a man - the living expression of His Word - His Love
We need only look to Jesus to understand how to love
As Christ also loves us, and has Given Himself for Us
Jesus offered himself
This example has been followed by many thousands of His saitns
Consider Stephen, when he was stoned, praying for those harming him.
Yes, we can walk in love, as Christ loved us
Jesus said “a new commandment I give you: That you love one another, as I have loved you.
He said “ you call me Lord.... if I your Lord wash your feet, you must wash one another.
We have Him as an example
We see how He treated the woman caught in adultery
He treated the multitudes when they were hungry, even when He was tired
How He touched the leper
How He taught the people
How He cared for His disciples
It is easy to walk in love, if you consider Him as your example
This has nothing to do with being loved
So many people think they can’t live like Jesus, becasue others don’t treat them kindly.
You can love others even if the whole world walks in hatred
And if you do, it just may change the world.
Jesus did.
But Stop Sinning!
This is the part that so many preachers skip over in today’s popular Christianity.
It isn;t popular to talk about sin.
And even less popular to specify what sin looks like
If it’s mentioned at all, its presented as some abstract idea of meanness instead of niceness.
But Paul is specific in hi reference to sin.
If we are to know what God’s character is like that we should imitate it, we ought also to know what character is not like His, that we should avoid.
Fornication and all uncleanness
There is no way around this. Fornication is sin
In today’s culture this can seem impossible to some people
Nearly every television show and movie these days presents the idea of a culture where sex is nearly always outside of marriage
in our youth group nearly every young person lives in a home without married parents
71% of African American births are out of wedlock and 40% over all.
when I was born that number was about 7%.
Still below 10% in places like Japan, China and Israel.
Nevertheless, we are told again throughout the bible, fornication is sin
God made sex for marriage.
Period
This is true if everyone obeys, and it is true if nobody obeys.
We do not measure sin by public opinion
What God says is sin in A.D. 1 and 1964 is still sin today
Covetousness
Perhaps even more widespread than sexual sin is greed
So many people live for their possessions, and to keep up with the Jones's
Contrast this with the bible teaching that having food and clothes we should be content
There is nothing wrong with having prosperity, but only in its proper place
In fact it is God’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom -
believing that, we don’t need to wrest it from others
we don’t need to become so desirous of getting things that we can no longer do God’s will
We don’t have to measure ourselves by ourselves
It is good to have nice things, but what are you willing to trade for them?
Paul says, don’t even let these things be named among us
Seek you first the kingdom of God
Filthiness, foolish talking, course jokes
There is so much filth in our media these days -
we call it entertainment-
compare that with
This may be unpopular to talk about, but this is the Word.
How many people are in church on Sunday morning praising God after taking pleasure being entertained by so much sinfulness in our media?
But we have not so learned Christ
If Jesus came to your house, would you have to turn off the TV, or change stations?
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