Who Do You Imitate?
Ephesians 5: 1-14
OPEN: Today we want to continue with our study through the book of Ephesians. Today we want to talk about the issue of imitation.
Context: we’ve been new garments to wear – Eph. 4:22
- Part of the worthy walk – a balancing of the scales
Paul says become imitators of God.
Everyone Imitates Someone Else. “Be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children” (5:1) KJV says “be followers of God” - not nec. the best translation. The NKJV catches it and changes it to imitators. Webster’s Dictionary: “to follow as a pattern, model or example.” IMATATING = = we get our word mimic. Children mimic their parents. It’s just as natural as it comes. Children develop their parent’s nature and they instinctively imitate their parent’s actions and behaviors. Do you remember when you were a little kid, and starting out in school one of your teachers wanted to teach you how to draw, so she passed out papers of pictures and the pictures were in great big bold ink, and then she passed out what she called tracing paper. And all the little kids would take the paper and stick it on the bold page and the picture would come through and you would take your little pencils and you would draw, tracing. That’s exactly what he’s saying here, take Jesus Christ and put your life on top of it and trace your life out just as His is. He is the pattern.
Where is this most prevalent? It’s with our children isn’t it? Most of us can probably picture in our minds images of our children - the little girl copying mom as she puts on her makeup or the little boy following dad around in the yard with the little plastic lawn mower. How many are glad that your children copy you? It depends doesn’t it? It depends upon what part of your life they are copying. We love it when our kids copy the good aspects of our life but we get upset with our kids when they imitate the bad behaviors that we model for them. God is like that. He sets a good example and enjoys it when his children emulate him. Our whole Christian life could be summed up in that one statement, be imitators of God.
Now here’s part of my thesis today – Everyone Is Imitating Someone. Let me show you this from the Bible. Scripture draws a line right down the middle of humanity and places all people in one of two camps. Children of the devil – “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does.” (John 8:42-47) Satan’s purpose in your life is to get you to mimic him. But mimicking him- he believes he is being glorified. How many people have heard the old cliché, “Imitation is the highest form of flattery.”? It makes you feel good when your children model their lives after you, doesn’t it? Satan loves it when his children model their decisions and their lives after his. He glories in it. It feeds his pride.
Children God – “But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:5-6)
“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:15)
To bring this right into present-day reality in this sanctuary, Who Are You More Like? Who are you emulating? What do your decisions reveal about you are imitating? When you experience powerful urges and powerful passions, powerful feelings when they sweep over you, not just sexual feelings? How do you handle strong feelings of wanting to take revenge when you’ve been wronged? How do you handle that? How do you handle wanting to win at all costs, even if you have to stomp on some people to do it? How do you handle strong feelings of envy when they sweep over you, or jealousy or hatred or the urge to do violence? Who do you emulate?
If you’re like me, you contend with these strong, disruptive, tormenting feelings and passions from time to time and you kind of blow it off – you don’t pay much attention to it. You might do a little bit of self-talk, “God would certainly understand why I acted that way – why I said those kinds of things – in fact I think my Heavenly Father would probably see things my way.”
Now, before we get to far into things let me remind you what the book of James says on this topic:
“When tempted, no one should say God is tempting me.” (James 1:13) In other words, don’t try to get God to rubberstamp the sin in your life by rationalizing that God has something to do with the sin in my life. James says, here’s the deal; get it straight. Whenever a dark desire gains steam on your insides -- whether it be the dark desire to exclude or hate somebody, the dark desire to put someone down, to seek revenge, to exploit, to lie, to deceive, to commit adultery or steal -- whenever a dark desire arises in you, know this: it didn’t come from God. It is not even remotely possible that God would ever trigger any form of darkness in you -- not a chance. Don’t start playing mental games and saying to yourself when a dark desire is gaining steam in you, “Maybe God wanted me to experience this. This is the way he made me after all.” Don’t play around with dark desires in order to explore their potential theological significance. James says if it’s dark, if it’s dishonoring, if it’s destructive to yourself or others, take it to the bank -- God has nothing to do with it, and neither should you.
Well, by the process of elimination, if it’s not God stirring up those dark desires, then who is it? James says you’d better belly up to this reality real soon. You better clear up the confusion on this one. There is an evil force at work in this world. There’s an evil one who’s alive and well, and he seeks to destroy your life. Part of the way he does it by stirring up dark desires and hoping that you’ll respond to them, and he hopes that you’ll go the wrong path – hoping that you’ll mimic him - and he hopes you’ll pay the consequences.
Look at John 10:10. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life. And have it to the full.” This is a classic text on distinguishing the nature of God from the nature of the evil one. In describing the intentions of the evil one in this passage, Jesus uses the metaphor of a thief, which works quite well if you think about it. Look at the text, John 10:10. “The thief,” or the evil one, “comes to kill, steal and destroy.” If a thief comes to your house, he’s probably not going to break in and set the dinner table for you, cook a little meal, vacuum the carpet, make the beds. If a thief comes to your house, he’s there to do damage, to steal stuff, to violate you, to take what does not belong to him. He’s there for sinister purposes. Jesus said here’s what you have to understand -- the evil one exists to kill, steal and destroy. And then Jesus says, but, now listen, 180 degrees. Here’s my agenda. “I have come” -- what – “to give life. I come to give life and to give life in all of its fullness.” Extreme polar opposites, totally different agendas.
Ill - a conversation this week, “You seem like you’re a smart enough guy, but, really, between you, me and the lamppost, do you really believe that there exists in this world a defined evil being with a sinister agenda of wrecking havoc in people’s lives? Do you really believe stuff like that?” I say, “Yes, the Bible teaches it. As I look at life, I think that makes sense. I believe it.” If I’m feeling a little feisty that day, I’ll look him back in the eye and say, “I can’t believe a smart person like you would believe otherwise because the proof seems pretty overwhelming to me if you’ll open your eyes.”
How do you explain the fact that in the last century alone, 60 million people have been slaughtered on battlefields, mostly over issues like border disputes and ethnic differences -- 60 million people during the last century alone. Hundreds of millions more have been maimed on battlefields. How do you explain that? How do you explain sexual abuse? How do you explain it? How in God’s name does a father molest his very own daughter? Tell me how a mother can conceive a child, carry it in her womb for nine months, put it in a dumpster and walk away? How does a person walk into a school yard filled with beautiful young children and start passing out free samples of drugs just so he can lure them into an addiction that will enslave them for years to come and rob them from every iota of joy in their life?
How is all this immoral insanity explained? A damaged chromosome here and there? An ineffective public school system? Come on! It’s deeper than that. It’s darker than that. It’s evil and it’s organized and there’s an intentionality behind it. Will you tell me why I say and do things that dishonor the God I love? You tell me why you break promises. Why do you violate your conscience and say and do self-destructive things when you don’t want to? James 1:16 says, “Do not be deceived.” This is not all that complicated. Don’t put your head in the sand. There is a force at work in this world and in your life and mine, and it’s the force of evil. There’s great intentionality behind it. It will attempt to wreck havoc in each of us and stir up dark, destructive desires from this day till our dying breath. You’d better know what you’re up against. When you’re tempted, know who’s behind it. It’s not God. It’s the power of evil, and it’s real.
You better know who it is you are imitating. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what
I say?” (Luke 6:46) Jesus looked at people who would claim to be his followers and there was this incongruity in his mind – it just didn’t make sense that people would claim to be his followers but not imitate his way of life. I mean does that make sense? That people would say “I am a Christian” but not change their thinking, behaviors and attitudes? By the way, this isn’t just a New Testament principle, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” Comes out of the Pentateuch, Leviticus 11:45. That was the way it was from the very start. God says, “You’re My people and I’m your God” and this is where it all begins, “Be ye holy, as I am holy” – “Imitate me – not what you see in the world – not what the culture says is right – sometimes it’s not what was modeled for you in your own family – imitate me.” Since you are God’s children – imitate him. His children should bear his likeness. We are to pattern our life after our heavenly Father because we are his children. It’s a normal thing for a child to want to be like his parents. It’s an abnormal thing for a child not to imitate his parents.
Now what does it involve? How Do We Imitate God?
Recognize We Can’t Accomplish It On Our Own. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children – It’s a command, not a suggestion. What’s your first thought? “How in the in world do you imitate God? How is it possible for us depraved sinners to possibly imitate the sovereign Lord of the universe? I can’t do it.” Do you know how you start to be like God? You start by realizing you can’t be like God, you start with a broken and a contrite spirit, you start mourning over your sin, you start in meekness, you start with such an overwhelming sense of sinfulness that you hunger and you thirst for righteousness. And so there’s a fabulous paradox here, on the one hand you are to be like God; on the other hand you are to know you can’t be like God, see? And that’s just the point, when you know you are to be like God and you know you can’t be like God then you know there’s got to be some other power to make that possible. That takes us back to Eph. 3:20- “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” So the situation we have is God is calling us to do something that we can’t do – right? God says I must be like Him, but I can’t and if I can’t then somebody’s got to get inside of me and enable me to do what I can’t do. And who is that? It is the Holy Spirit – who fills us will all the fullness of God. (the first step in the worthy walk is complete humility – back in 4:1)
You see that’s always what God calls us to do - You’ve got to be what you can’t be. That’s where the Spirit of God comes in. You’ve got to see what you can’t see – you’ve got to do what can’t be done. You’ve got to reach where you can not reach. You’ve got to be willing to go when you can’t see the end. That’s what faith involves. Faith involves us going beyond ourselves – to the point where we actually rely on a miraculous provision of God – where we actually rely on a supernatural power to get us through – where we actually abandon human wisdom and fully rely on the wisdom of God’s Word. Faith says “I can’t do it – but I have a God who can – and I am doing something beyond an intellectual assent to the fact that I can – I am putting myself in a position where He has to come through or I sink.”
Live A Life That Imitates The Love Of Christ 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. Now to understand what this actually means, I want you to look back at the end of chapter 4 – verse 31 in your Bibles. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” These attitudes are all the exact opposite of love. When you are bitter towards someone, when you rage against them, when you hold anger – when you are brawling or slandering someone – whatever kind of malice it might be – those are all exact opposite of how God wants us to act. All those attitudes are offset by the attitudes in the last verse of chapter four – kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. So what he’s saying here is put away all of the anti-love stuff. Don’t have characteristics of an unloving heart. We are called to live in ways opposite of the world and to demonstrate the love of Christ in our lives. What’s the love of Christ look like?
Be Forgiving - the greatest measuring rod of love in your life is forgiveness. That’s the way God presents his love to us, isn’t it? God’s ability to forgive that tells us His love. You see we could say, oh God - so loved the world that He made pretty flowers. God so loved the world that He made beautiful ladies, handsome men. God so loved the world that He made delicious food. God so loved the world that He said nice words. God so loved the world that He made trees and mountains. Well, that’s all nice, but it’s missing something.. God so loved the world that He took a whole bunch of dirty, rotten, vile, God hating sinners and died on the cross to bear their sins so that He could forgiveness their way - bring them into His eternal heaven and fellowship with them forever. Now that’s something better than trees and flowers and pretty ladies, that’s better than anything.
Love Others Unconditionally – loving people unconditionally means that we love others without limits. – no dependence upon their response to us or our love. When others don’t respond properly, we keep on loving. When all others want to do is take – we keep on loving. The world’s love is conditional – it is the opposite of Christ’s love. It says, “Give me what I want and I’ll love you. Stop meeting my needs – and I’m out of here. The worlds’ love is “me centered” Christ’s kind of love is “others” centered. Ill. – Story about a guy who got married and got his bride and he got in the cart that was pulled by the horse and they were leaving the wedding and the horse bolted real hard and the guy said, “That’s one.” A little while down the road the horse bolted and he said, “That’s two.” The third time the horse did it he got out of the cart, took a gun and shot the horse dead between the eyes. And his wife said, “Wait, what in the world are you doing? Are you crazy?” And he looked at her and said, “That’s one!” The world’s kind of love is it doesn’t leave much room for error. You don’t mess up very many times, I’m gone baby. While we were still sinners Christ died for us – while they were crucifying him, he said “Father forgive them.” While they were arguing over who was the greatest, he washing their feet. His love was unconditional – so must ours be.
Serve Others in a Self-Sacrificing Way – that’s what this verse reminds of isn’t it? Christ loved us and gave himself up for us – Worldly love is self-centered, not self-sacrificing. It is self-centered, it feeds on its own need. It is the very thing opposite what God says characterizes us. Jesus gave us everything – he held nothing back. He never said – “That’s enough – I’m not going any further.”
Decide To Raise Your Standard Of Holiness “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.” Here’s what Paul is saying, “If you are going to imitate Jesus, it is going to require that you raise the standard of holiness in your life.” Ill of “Olstein - has everyone say out loud before they hear the message every Sunday, “I will never, never, never be the same.” I don’t know much about that particular pastor or that particular church but I do know that particular idea is a biblical one. Ill - The creation of what we now call Ivory Soap was an accident; more air was beat into the vats than anticipated when a worker forgot to turn off the mixing machine. Later, calls for this mystery floating soap created tremendous orders. Its creation was an accident. It’s advertising says it’s a soap so pure it floats. “The Name You Trust for Good, Clean Family Fun” Long before Ivory soap was ever invented, Jesus said the same thing about his family.
Paul says there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality. The word is porneia We get the pornography from it. It encompasses every immoral, sexual act with another person that you can possibly name. Any kind of illicit sex outside of what God has outlined in Scripture. Anything outside the bond of marriage is sin. It includes adultery, sleeping together outside of marriage, homosexuality, prostitution, pedophilia. Paul says there’s no place for this in our life, none at all. No kind of impurity – the meaning of the word is very close the previous but this I think has to do with more with the thought process. Someone might say, “hey I’m clean on this because I’ve don’t actually participate in actual acts of immorality, but I secretly fantasize about it all the time.” You’re not off the hook. Then he mentions greed - Now why in the world would he mention greed? It is talking about relationships that tear down instead of relationships that build up. Why would he put greed in there? Because a person that is immoral is a person who is greedy and he never gets enough. Why does a person participate in immorality? Because he is greedy – What God has provided isn’t enough – He wants more. His/her marriage partner isn’t enough – they want more. It’s part of the old nature to want more and more and more – no contentment with what they have. They are greedy. You talk to anybody that has gotten involved in pornography – they will tell you. It’s never enough – they want more and more and more.
Paul says none of this is proper for God’s holy people. The word "proper" means becoming. Meaning it doesn’t fit you now – He’s referring back to the new garments we are wearing. You can’t wear the old rags and the new righteousness of Christ at the same time.
Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. Verse 4 he says not obscenity – KJV says “no filthiness” he’s talking about filthy talk. It’s disgraceful talk. It never ceases to amaze me how often the world seems to be compelled to use obscenities. The list of obscene words is relatively small – but they learn a four letter word and they seem compelled to say one in every single sentence. They same the same word over and over and over again – I mean get a vocabulary for goodness sake! He mentions “foolish talk” the word is morologia – from the root we get the word moron. It’s a gutter mouth. It’s the jr. high bathroom talk. It’s just a low class garbage mouth. Then he mentions course joking. You take something that is shameful and make it seem as if it is okay by placing it in the context of humor. That’s the basis of most sitcom material we see on our televisions. Filthy language means that there is a filthy heart.
Then he gives us a warning: 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. You can’t hang on to these kinds of things and still claim to walk worthy of the name of Christ. Hanging on to any of it is a revelation that Jesus is not really King of your life. You still have an idol on the throne – you are still imitating someone else other than Christ. You can’t expect an inheritance from Christ while still hanging on to the old gods in your life.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. He says it clearly – don’t be deceived. God’s anger burns against such things. Paul says, “Raise the standard!” Who are you imitating?
CLOSE: A news article reported on a dangerous practical joke played by a nursery employee: A British Columbia-based nursery is trying to track down people who bought poisonous plants that were incorrectly labeled "tasty in soup." Valleybrook Gardens, which distributed the plants, has worked with government officials to locate the buyers of 17 improperly labeled perennials sold at stores in British Columbia and Ontario from April 18 to 25. Only eight of the plants had been accounted. The label should have read, "All parts of this plant are toxic," but an employee changed it to, "All parts of this plant are tasty in soup," said
Michael Benoit, the nursery’s general manager. "The employee was making a practical joke and thought it would be caught by a horticulturist." The devil has done the same to us. God put a warning label on sin that declared, "Do not eat from this for you shall surely die." But our enemy switched labels. The label he attached to sin reads, "Looks good. Tastes great. Is desirable to make one wise."
- who are you imitating?
- before you leave today – change your allegiance
- hang the poster on your refrigerator to remind of you everyday
- filter every behavior, every attitude, word, every behavior through our commitment to Christ.
* PowerPoint slides may be available for this message. Some slides I use have copy write restrictions on them - others are slides, which I’ve created. If this sermon has slides I’ve created, I’d be glad to pass them on to you for your use. Please feel free to email me at: timvamosi@charter.net
