Family Resemblance - Eph 5:1-17
Notes
Transcript
What do we imitate as children?
Cowboys and princesses race car drivers - police
We model movies - superhero
Superman, Spider man in my day
I had a SWAT closet when i was little
a closet with a long pull string and plastic guns and gear....
As i thought deeper on it
I wanted to imitate my Grandfather, my father
My boy scout leader, and others i admired and looked up to
We imitate those we admire, those we love
Humans begin imitating others in infancy, which researchers say is a mechanism for learning how to be a human, learning about their culture, and bonding with their mothers.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or so the saying goes.
But more than that, it might also be at the root of what makes us, well, human.
THEREFORE BE IMITATORS OF GOD
Imitators of Christ
Imitators of Christ
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.
We have covered not walking as the Gentiles, we have talked about walking worthy and pointed out some of the todo and not todos.
the theme here is to be IMITATORS of GOD.
Then the verse selection ends with Understanding the will of God.
to imitate you need to study -- to learn
not simply the words to say but the way the subject carries themselves, the phrases or mannerisms that are common and mark them as unique.
These passages point us to the person of Christ and the person that we are to become in CHRIST.
We learn so that we can mimic and then become HIM
Illustration:
I love the prayer about the FOOTSTEPS -- you know the one. two sets of prints with Christ walking aside of you, and then times were you only see one set and the writer is confused on why Christ would leave him, yet CHRIST explains that this is the times in life that Christ Carried him.
I like to think on that poem -- to follow jesus is not simply to see the footprints but to walk in them
I don't want to study the walk of Christ and then struggle to mimic, i simply want to walk in the impressions that He made.
each step is already numbered, calculated and planned by God for us.
This is the point of our passage today.
We are to be imitators of God, and we are to do this so that HIS will is done to best of our given ability.
Walk in Love
Walk in Love
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;
our lesson opens today with a conclusion from the last teachings -- BE IMITATORS OF GOD as BELOVED CHILDREN
I had to think on this full statement in my prep time.
Be imitators of God -- -SURE that is what we have been told for years -- be LIKE JESUS
Yet i missed the AS BELOVED CHILDREN
HOW do i walk, think and imitate GOD as a beloved Child?
Then it hit me -- i imitate Christ because i look up to HIM
I must know him, and walk with HIM in order to imitate HIM
If i live my life in the world i mimic the world, but if i continue to learn about CHRIST
Who is CHRIST?
He is a leader
A display of Kindness, Peace, Gentleness, .... and LOVE
and right there was the connection to verse 2. walk in love
In the last weeks of study we have been told to WALK WORTHY
to Not WALK AS THE GENTILES --- We deduced that we should not walk as an UNBELIEVER
But rather to walk as our LORD for we are HIS now
we are NEW CREATIONS
it is us and others on this earth that holds on to our past.
Jesus uses our past to create a new YOU
Just has many parts come together to create something new
They are not individuals any more but a new creation
Think on that
God HIMSELF took dirt, He took the dust of the ground and formed man in Genesis 2:7
This is what becoming a Follower of the WAY -- the WAY of CHRIST
our old dusty, dirt, grit, life was formed by our faith in JESUS and the HOLY SPIRIT shaped us and the BREATH of NEW LIFE was breathed into us.
Friends in times of trouble, in times of doubt, in times of stress
-- TAKE A BREATH
Feel that Fresh new air breathed into us ==
Be reminded that you are beloved children who imitate their Father but walking in the same way, in the same LOVE as Christ Loved US
Christ gave HIMSELF up for us --- we are a "fragant offering and sacrifice to GOD"
Walk in Light
Walk in Light
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.”
our verses 3-6 revisit the commands that we saw in the last weeks.
Get rid of the OLD worldly ways
and take on a character, a thought pattern that focuses on Thanksgiving
of being in the LIGHT not the dark
To stand firm and know JESUS, KNOW HIS Words, and not be full of HIS wisdom so not to be deceived.
To be a Child of Obedience and not a Child of Disobedience
Verse 7 AGAIN tells us to not PARTNER to not be of this world
Live in it, but DO NOT become it.
This should be in our relationships
It should be in business partnerships
It should be in anything we chose to bind with in this world
Look at the verses 8 - 13
Paul reminds us again
Do not walk in Darkness
Walk in the light
in the LIGHT there is
All that is good, right and true
and i love the little word in verse 10
TRY.
Illustration:
i have said many times if my family and friends decide when i pass to honor me with a service or a headstone
May they theme it all with this phrase
HE TRIED.
Friends that is a KEY piece of comfort that we should carry with us daily
It is our PROGRESS, not our PERFECTION that honors GOD.
Daily are question should be are we making progress.
If you are driving to a new place or taking a road trip you want to know that you are heading in that direction
we use the GPS and want to see how far we have to go and how long it is going to take
we monitor our dashboard and our GPS
we monitor our gas, and we refuel when necessary to continue to move forward
** this is why we need to be in congregation EVERY WEEK, to be in devotionals, and prayer.
To sit quietly and listen for HIS voice
I get it my wife loves to use WAZES for directions — she loves to change the voice to an english accent, or southern
I like the drill sargent or FOGHORN LEGHORN
I say BOY BOY you need to make a turn in 100 ft.
NOW I SAY BOY YOU need to reroute
SON you are about as SHARP as a Bowling ball
you get my drift
We must start to turn on the VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT in our internal GPS
make a right decision in 5 minutes
Deadend ahead
then in verse 14 PAUL says
WAKE UP — GET ON THE RIGHT PROGRAM — arise from the OLD YOU and LET CHRIST SHINE ON YOU.
Wow is that not beautiful
Paul alternates between commands and instruction
pops in a WAKE UP and then covers that direct command with CHRIST WILL SHINE on YOU
BEAUTIFUL
Walk in Wisdom
Walk in Wisdom
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.
When you are hiking you need to watch your steps
it certainly is different that walking on a paved trail
you need to adjust your stride, lift your feet , or step over or around something
Paul tells us to LOOK CAREFULLY where we step and where we are going
and then he tells us to make good use of our time.
When my wife and i did our first 14er
we needed to watch the trail, follow the signs and move a good pace to achieve the summit
YUP that is watching where we walk BUT it was important to watch our time.
We need to be off that mountain when the afternoon rains come, when the lightening may be a danger
Walk in Will
Walk in Will
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Paul closes with another THEREFORE
do not be foolish in your NEW life, you still can stumble, you still can fall and get hurt.
be WISE
and understand the WILL of the LORD
Friends -
Chose in life who you want to imitate.
The chose is REAL and it is important
you want to be like those around you
or strive to be better than those around you
OR
Do you want to focus on becoming like Jesus?
It is not an easy path, but friends the SUMMIT, the end result is wonderful, beautiful and eternal
Lets Pray.