October 26th, 2003
Let us pray
Welcome....
It is good when saints can come to-gether and fell-ow-ship, and last evening we had a
wonderful fellowship at the home of Bro. and Sis. Jones...........
Last Sunday we used as our topic, Is Any Thing Too Hard For The Lord? and we con-
cluded that there was nothing too hard for the Lord, agreeing with the words of Jeremiah
in Jeremiah 32 verse 17, Ah, Lord God! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the
earth by Thy great power and stretched -out-arm, and there is nothing too hard for
thee. Saints, it is true, there is nothing too hard for the Lord.....elaborate...
Our topic for today is, Be Mimics of God, and our scripture reading can be found on
page 5 of our bulletin or in Ephesians 5 verses 1 through 17 in our bibles. Let’s all stand
and read together. Please tell someone, you can’t go wrong, if you follow the Lord. (I
am going to ask each person to greet at least five persons right now.........elaborate)
The word followers in verse 1 of our text is the word "mimics," so the verse can be
translated, Be ye imitators of God as beloved children or Be ye mimics of God as
beloved children. Paul is saying that children are like their parents, and this could be
good or could be bad. Children will imitate or mimic whatever their parents does whether
it’s good or bad. My grand-daughter was 7 months old last Monday. I will tell her to say
grandpa, but she won’t respond, but if I say, dadda, dadda, she will respond by saying
dadda, dadda .....if I try to wave goodbye...............she is learning how to imitate me, or to
mimic what I am doing......elaborate....
If we are children of God; if God is truly our Father, then we ought to imitate or mimic
our Father. In doing this, there are three things we are called upon to do: 1. Walk in love;
2. Walk as children of light; 3. Walk in wisdom.
How do we walk in love, in a world that is so un-loving? In order to walk in love as
mentioned in verses 1 and 2 of of our text, there are certain things we must get rid of.
Let’s go back to Ephesians 4 verses 31 and 32 (read) It is a tragic thing when these
attitudes show up in the family of God, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour - a loud confused
noise; making demands or complain loudly; evil speaking, unforgiveness. In order to walk
in love these things must be put away. Paul gave several reasons why Christians ought to
walk in love.
Numbre One: Because he is a child of God. Since we have been born again; since our
lives have been changed; since Christ is now residing on the inside, and since God is love it
is lo-gi-cal that God’s children should walk in love. Paul was not asking the saints to do
something that was foreign to the Christain life, for we have received new nature that
wants to express itself in love. The old nature is selfish and unloving, but the new nature is
loving......
Why should Christians walk in love? Number Two: Because he is God’s beloved child.
Be ye imitators or mimics of God as beloved or dear children. Just imagine, God speaks of
us as the same way as he spoke of his son. In Matthew 3 verse 17 God spoke of his son,
This is my beloved son. As saints of God, we are born into a loving re-la-tion-ship with
the Father, that ought to result in our showing love to him by the way we live. What more
could God do in expressing His love to us? Is it asking too much for us to walk in love in
order to please God?........elaborate....
Why should Christians walk in love? Number three: Because he was purchased with a
great price. Let’s turn to St. John 15 verse 13 (read) Not only did Christ laid down his
life for his friends, but also for his enemies. Let’s look at Romans 5 verse 10 (read) Our
love for Christ is in response to his love for us. The apostle Paul compares Christ sacrifice
on the cross to the Old Testament "sweet savor" sacrifices that were presented at the
altar of the temple. The idea behind "sweer savor," is that the sacrifice is well pleasing to
God. Please note very carefully, this is not suggesting that God is pleased that sin demands
death, instead it indicates that the death of Christ "satisfies the holy law of God and
therefore is acceptable and pleasing to the Father." Christ died for you and for me, and
that’s love. As Christians, as children of God, we are called to walk in love because love
is the basic factor in the Christian life. If we walk in love, we will not disobey
God....elaborate...
We are called upon to walk in love, and secondly we are called to walk as children of
light. Since God our Father is light, and we are imitating or mimicing our Father, then we
should walk in light and have nothing to do with the darkness of sin. Verses 3 and 4 of
our text reminds us as to who we are; we are saints, that is we are "set-apart ones" and no
longer belong to the world of darkness. We have been called out of darkness into his
marvelous light. There are certain things we just can’t do any more, because our lives have
been changed, and so Paul sends out a warning in verses 3 and 4 of our text (read verses 3
& 4) Sexual sins and covetousness should not be named among the saints. Sad to say,
these sins have invaded the homes of Christians, and brought grief to our churches.
Paul warns against sexual sins and covetousness, and he also warns against the sins of the
tongue. For the child of God, there is nothing humorous in obscene language or jests. If
you are in the company of someone telling "dirty jokes," don’t laught or be a partaker of
their wrong. As Christians we have to avoid foolish talking. It’s alright to have innocent
humor, but we have to avoid senseless conversation that cheapens the man and does not
edify or minister grace to the hearers. I know of a retired pastor whenever he preaches he
is always giving jokes, but these are innocent humor that drives home a point as he
preaches.............elaborate..
Jesting is a translation of a word that means "able to turn easily." There are people who
have a certain kind of gift, and can take any kind of conversation and turn any statement
into "a course jest." You might say something very innocently, and somebody could take
your innocent saying and turn it into course jest. Words are powerful, and depending
where you put certain emphasis, what you say could be easily turned around. It is said that
"the gift of wit is a blessing, but when it is attached to a filthy mind or a base motive, it
becomes a curse." As Christians let’s be very careful in the things that we
say.....elaborate...
When we trusted Christ, when we became Christians we entered into the kingdom of God.
Let’s look at verses 5 and 6 of our text (read) Paul makes it quite clear that people who
deliberately and persistently live in sin will not share in God’s kingdom. That word whore-
monger is a translation of the Greek word por-nos, from which we get our word por-no-
gra-phy, and it means "one who practices fornication - illicit sex." Christians do not
habitually sin, sin is not part of our lifestyle, but if we sin, if we fail the Lord, we should
confess our sins....elaborate....
There were false Christians in Paul’s day who argued that believers could live in sin and
get away with it. These deceivers had many arguments to convince ignorant Christians
that they could sin repeatedly and still enter God’s kingdom. They were saying you were
saved by grace, therefore it was alright to go ahead and sin that God’s grace might
abound. In Romans 6 verses 1 and 2 Paul answered that foolish argument of these false
Christians. (Read Romans 6 Verses 1 & 2) Saints of God, sin should not be part of our
lifestyle...elaborate....
We are saints; we are kings, and we are light. In verses 7 through 14 of our text we are
called to walk in the light. Let’s look at verse 8 of our text (read) To "walk as children of
light," means "to live before the eyes of God, not hiding anything." It is so very easy to
hide things from other people, because they cannot see what’s happening on the inside, but
I want someone to know we cannot hide from God. What are you hiding? When I was
going to Jamaica, and coming back from Jamaica, I had to go through a special inspection.
I had to take my shoes off, remove all jewelry, remove coins, and allow my body to be
searched, but I was not nervous, because I had nothing to hide..........elaborate...I have
heard of people smuggling drugs through their stomach, ...........
As the world looks at you, can you say, I have nothing to hide? Walking as children of
light means revealing God’s light in our daily lives. As God lights, we help others find their
way to Christ. I want to encourage every child of God here today, to let your light shine,
and walk as children of light. We are called to bring God’s light into a dark world.........
When light comes in, darkness has to go, and we can no longer have fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness. As Christians we cannot take part "in the worthless pleasures
of evil and darkness, but instead rebuke them and expose them." We have a high calling,
and we should walk as children of light. Verse 12 of our text talks about the "unfruitful
works of darkness." Paul says "it is a shame even to speak of those things." There was
a time when homo-sexuality was not talked about, but today it is all over in the news, and
people are not afraid to say who they really are. In last Friday’s Chicago Sun Times, a gay
priest who is a bishop elect, says these words, "God and I have been about this for
quite a while now, and I would be really surprised if God were to want me to stop
now." It is time for the church to awake and start preaching against sin. It is time for the
church to arise and stop trying to win a pop-u-lar-i-ty contest. It is time for the church to
speak out, and let the world know that God hates sin.............elaborate..
As Christians there is no time to be dabbling in sin; a little sin here, and a little sin there, no
body will know, so it is alright. Let’s be very careful what we are dabbling in. The story is
told of a youth worker who felt it necessary to read all that the teenagers were reading "in
order to understand them better," and it so polluted his mind that he himself fell into sin.
I don’t have to try drugs to know what it will do, because I can see the effects of drugs all
around me......
When you think of light, you think of waking up to a new day, and this picture is
presented by Paul in verse 14 of our text (read) This same picture is seen in Romans 13:
verses 11 through 13 (read) When Christ our Lord arose from the dead it was the dawning
of a new day for the world. As Christians we are not sleeping in sin and death, but we
have been raised from the dead through faith in Je-sus Christ. The darkness of the
graveyard is past, and thank God we are now walking in the light of salvation. We all
should rejoice for what God has done..........elaborate....
As Christains today, we have no business walking in darkness, we are the children of light,
so let’s walk as children of light...........elaborate...
We are called upon to walk in love; to walk as children of light, and finally to walk in
wisdom as seen in verses 15 through 17 of our text. (read) The word cir-cum-spect means
be cautious, be discreet, and it comes from the Latin words which means "looking
around." Verses 14 and 15 are somewhat tied in together, and it seems Paul is saying,
"Don’t walk in your sleep! Wake up! Open your eyes! Make the most of the day." A sleep
walker cannot tell what’s real or unreal while walking, and so we are called upon to wake
up. There are many professed Christians who are drifting through life like sleepwalkers,
who never took the opportunity to truly live for Christ and serve Him........elaoborate..
Only a foolish person; only a person with no direction in life drifts with the wind and the
tide. It’s a new day, what do I do today? I will just move with the flow, whatever will be
will be, that’s the attitude of some people........A wise man carefully marks out his course,
and moves toward the desired destination. A wise man when he wants to build a house,
will first draw the plans so that he knows what he is doing. We are called to walk in
wisdom, but how many Christians plan their days so that they use their opportunities
wisely? Besides going to work on Friday or on yesterday, what else did you do that was
worthwhile doing? Did you witness to someone? Did you spent some quality time in
prayer? Did you talk on the phone? What did you do? Verse 16 of our text makes it
quite clear that life is short. Not only is life short, and that we should take advantage of
every opportunity, but the days are evil. Saints we are living in some evil days. If the days
were evil back in Paul’s time, what must be the condition today? Let’s turn to 2 Timothy 3
verses 1 through 7 (read) In the city of Harvey; in the city of Chicago, all around our
nation these words are true...........elaborate..
What is God’s will for your life? Verse 17 of our text states, Wherefore be ye not
unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. God has given us a mind, let’s
use it. We discover God’s will for our lives as he transforms the mind through His Word;
through prayer, meditation and worship. God has given you a mind and he expects you to
use it to glorify him..........elaborate...
My challenge to you today is, Let’s be followers of God. Let’s be imitators of God. Let’s
be mimics of God. As we imitate God, let’s walk in love; let’s walk as children of light and
let’s walk in wisdom. There are too many people that are following man; there are too
many people who are imitating man. Man will fail, but since God cannot fail, let’s start
imitating God...............................elaborate...
Let us stand
Call to discipleship
Closing song/prayer
