Imitating Greatness
Ephesians 5:1-20
Intro: One awesome thing about living your life for God is that He never asks you to do anything that you could not do with His help. He will definitely ask you to do things you could never do on your own, but we need to remember that the same one who calls us to greatness is the same one who gives us power to do great things.
-In our text today Paul encourages believers to be imitators of God. How in the world would a person go about imitating God? I think about how big and how powerful God is, how He created everything from the smallest subatomic particle to the largest known star that is over a million times larger than earth. How could I possibly imitate someone that vast and powerful?
-Well, the answer is found in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to show us the Father. The Bible says Jesus is the exact representation of God – the express image of the Father. Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Jesus became flesh (human) and came into this world to show us what God is like. He came to help people learn how to live and made it possible to connect our lives with His. He lived a blameless life, healed people, delivered them from dark demons and other bondages, and reached out to people who had been told that they had no value. Jesus spoke life into people around Him and they found the reason for which they had been created.
-This same Jesus (whom we can read about in the 1st 4 books of the NT), this same Jesus is God the Son whom Paul says we are to imitate. We can imitate greatness by doing what Jesus would do. And the only way we can know what Jesus would do is by reading about His life and getting to know Him relationally. It is not an impersonal imitation, where we just admire Jesus and try to be like Him without knowing Him. It is a joining of our life with His.
-So, with this in mind, we are called to imitate greatness in the person of Jesus. And here is the greater implication that I want us to get a hold of today: We can be like Jesus if we live in close fellowship with Him.
-TS: Let’s look at some areas of life that will help us be more like Jesus.
I. Live a Life of Love (1-2)
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
-Since we are dearly loved by our Father in heaven, we can pass that love on to the people in our lives. We are to imitate God by loving people the way He loves them. Some translations say, “Walk in love.” Actually the Greek word is peripateo which literally means to walk around. As we walk around on this little ball called Earth, we are to love people the way Christ loved us, taking our place as a substitute sacrifice. He offered Himself in our place so that we could have peace with God and live with Him forever. It is this sacrificial love that we are to continually give to those around us. Most of us are okay with convenient love. We love others when it is convenient and appears to be productive to do so. But how about loving sacrificially when we are met with anger and rejection? How about loving someone who does not seem to be worthy of our love? What about someone who makes a big mess of their lives because of the wrong choices they’ve made? Are we supposed to love them? Well, the answer is this: only if Jesus loves them.
-At what point does God stop loving a person? I don’t find any limits for His love. Is there a point of fallenness at which God’s intense love turns into hatred or indifference? I don’t believe so. Some so-called Christians have taken it upon themselves to preach the message that God hates gay people (only they don’t put it so nicely). I’m not sure what they hope to accomplish through their efforts, but they are not accurately representing the God of the Bible. The sin of homosexuality is offensive, but so are the sins of slander, gossip, selfishness, pride, stinginess, jealousy, lust, and so on. Because we are loved by God, we can love one another, and we can love those whose lives are messed up and polluted by sin.
-Imitate God and live a life of love.
II. Live a Life of Purity (3-7)
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of
impurity, or of
greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-- such a man is an idolater-- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
-Premarital, extramarital, and other immoral sexual behavior was as common in pagan cultures back in the first century as they are today. Yet we don’t find a watered down version of how a Christian is supposed to live here. Paul shows that God’s standards are unchanging and do not bend to accommodate any culture. In fact, it may shock you to read Paul’s words here that people who live like this will not be with God or His people in the world to come. Jesus taught, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” One cannot be pure in heart and be immoral in their lifestyle. The 2 do not go together. As v.3 says, sex outside of the bonds of marriage, all other impure living, and greed are improper for God’s holy people. They do not reflect the character or holiness of our Father.
-3 other things that are out of place for a follower of Jesus are things that come out of our mouths: obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking. They just don’t fit in the life of someone who loves God and seeks to honor Him.
-Paul is describing the pagan culture around them and telling them not to get sucked back into it. Don’t let the people around you dictate how you live. Let God’s word show you how to live. God told Israel during the time of Moses, “Be holy as I am holy.” Holy means pure. Holy carries the idea of otherness. We are not of this world. We have been born into God’s family and must not lose our identity as a child of God. Things like immorality, impurity, and greed will destroy the family resemblance we have with our Father. In fact, God’s wrath and punishment will come on people who live that way.
-Paul is not saying that they should not interact with the people around them who don’t know Christ. He explains in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10 “9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.” So, Paul was not promoting separatism or isolationism, but warned believers not to become partners in crime, so to speak, with those who lived ungodly lifestyles.
-Instead, imitate greatness and live a life of purity as Jesus showed us and empowers us to do.
III. Live a Life of Radiance (8-14)
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
-The B.C. lives of Paul’s readers were dark and hopeless, but since they received the forgiveness and grace of God they are new people! Paul is saying, “Since you are new people – children of light – live like it and find out what makes God happy!” Don’t live to make yourself happy, giving into your selfish lusts and desires.
-If we live our lives in a way that pleases the Lord, His light will shine through us and bring life to those living in darkness around us. Just living a holy life for the Lord can bring hope and conviction of sin to those around us. The light of Christ that shines through us makes everything visible. It helps people to see that they have been living a dead end life and have been asleep at the wheel. God hasn’t called us to the dark night life of sin and immorality. He has called us to live in His light and to let it shine through us to others so they can see and know that there is a God who can help them.
IV. Live a Life of Spiritual Fullness (15-18)
15 Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
-“Be very careful” implies caution, but also purpose. Purposeful living is what God has for us. Live with intentionality. Know why you are here and what the Lord wants you to be and do. In your effort to live life to the full, be sure that you are drawing from the right well. If you are drawing from the well of pleasure, it will be wasted pursuit. If you are drawing from the well of selfish ambition or self-promotion, the result will not be blessing or life, but emptiness.
• Make the most of every day
• Understand what God wants
• Don’t waste your life, don’t check out
The word for debauchery basically means wastefulness. It is often true that drunkenness may lead to loose, immoral living. But even if it doesn’t, it is wastefulness – wasting the time God has given us on this earth, wasting opportunities God places before us, and wasting our credibility or favor with people who need Jesus. I cannot find a ban on alcohol in the Bible, but I do find a ban on drunkenness and wasting our lives by checking out of reality.
-If we carry this idea of wastefulness out, we must consider some of the other things we try to fill our lives with. Some of us really like to watch movies and TV. Some of you really like to play electronic video games. Some of you love to get out and hunt and fish and go 4-wheeling, hiking, camping, and so on. Most of these things are not sinful in and of themselves, but if they consume our time, energy, or resources then we are not living wisely. We are spending the resources God has blessed us with on pleasure, rather than on something that lasts forever. Once again, I’m not saying that it is wrong to have some fun and recreation. In fact, if we don’t relax and unwind sometimes we are probably going to drive people away and drive ourselves crazy. Moderation is the key. Have some good clean fun and enjoy the life God has given you, but never lose touch with your purpose in life – Understand what the will of the Lord is. Make the most of every opportunity. Don’t check out and lose yourself in things that were never designed to bring you lasting fulfillment. God has called you to do some great things for Him, but if we lose our sense of purpose and our sense of urgency, we may come to the end of our lives and realize we didn’t really do much for the Lord or for others.
-Did you ever get one of those report cards that said, “Does not apply himself.” I hated that kind of report! I wanted to hear, “Well done! Mark is working hard and doing great!” During seminary, after laboring intensively over a 20-page paper, the professor wrote a note saying that I had made several careless errors and really needed to apply myself more. Ouch! I thought I was applying myself, but the truth was, I was trying to do too much other stuff to do my best job on the paper.
-Spiritual fullness does not happen by itself. Being filled and staying filled with the Holy Spirit does not happen by itself. We must apply ourselves by spending time with the Lord and time in His word. Seek Him and you will find Him when you go after Him with your whole heart. As we read through the NT we cannot help but find several references to being filled with the Spirit or baptized in the Holy Spirit. Luke seems to cover it the most both in the book of Luke and in Acts. The whole purpose of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is found in Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses….” Being a witness means that we will be able to boldly tell others what we have seen and heard from Jesus. We can boldly share with others of the difference He has made in our lives. When we keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit, we have power to tell others the truth about God and the truth about us – we need God’s help to make it in this world and the next.
-So, what would your report card say about how you apply yourself to pleasing God and making the most of every opportunity? We are all in process and learning and growing. Just be sure that you are still growing and haven’t checked out, getting lost in the other pursuits of life.
V. Live a life of Worship (19-20)
19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-This is the culmination of the whole process. It is where we take everything that God has blessed us with and give it back to Him in the form of praise. Praise and worship gives us the opportunity to acknowledge God as the one who gives us all good things and allows us to participate in His life. In worship, we can personally address the Lord. We don’t just sing about Him or talk about Him, but we sing to the Lord and give thanks to Him.
-Yet worship has both a vertical dynamic and a horizontal one. V.19 says to speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. So there is an element of interaction with one another in our approach to worship. We can sings songs to God and we can sing songs that tell others how great God is! We’re talking about heart expression here, not canned worship or prefab praise. If all you can do is hum, then hum to the Lord with all you’ve got. If you can’t carry a tune in a bucket, then get a wheelbarrow. The point is, speak out God’s praise to one another in word and song, and sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. And always be thankful to God for everything. Why? Because He is personally involved in our lives and is ruling the course of events that happen to us and around us.
Wrap up: Don’t imitate the world, but Imitate Greatness: Love, Purity, Light, Fullness of the Spirit, Worship.
