#Ephesians #Doctrine #Church

How Shall You Live?

August 25, 2024
Pastor Jack

two people walking in light

Ephesians 5:1-21

Therefore become imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, just as also Christ loved us, and gave himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant smell. But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or greediness, must not even be named among you (as is fitting for saints), and obscenity, and foolish talk, or coarse jesting (which are not proper), but rather thanksgiving. For this you know for certain, that every sexually immoral person, or unclean person, or greedy person (who is an idolater), does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be sharers with them, for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live like children of light (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is well-pleasing to the Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even expose them. For it is shameful even to speak about the things being done by them in secret, but all things exposed by the light are made visible, for everything made visible is light. Therefore it says, Wake up, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Therefore, consider carefully how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of the time because the days are evil. Because of this do not become foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine (in which is dissipation), but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and singing praise in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to the God and Father, being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ

Rise and Shine!

Love, Mercy, Sacrifice (LMS)

Ephesians 5:1 (ESV):

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

  • What does it mean to you that you are imitators of God?
  • Does it mean that you wear some sort of mask or act phony?
  • Do you know that you are “beloved children”?

Ephesians 5:2 (ESV): LMS

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

  • How can we “walk in love”?
  • What makes us a “fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”?
  • See Genesis 8:20-21
    • Sacrifice; Pleasing aroma; Something has died
    • What needs to die in our lives for us to be a pleasing aroma to God?

Ephesians 5:3–4 (ESV):

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.

  • Here Paul gives us a small glimpse of what walking in the light is not.
  • Is this a strict “do not do this!” list?
    • Is Paul saying, don’t do these specific things and you will be good?
    • Do we ever try to live one way on Sunday and another on Monday?
    • Do we honor God with our words and not our actions or private thoughts?

Ephesians 5:5–6 (ESV):

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.

  • What is idolatry? (Hint: Creator vs created)
  • Is this (vs 3-6) giving us a to-do list of things to avoid in order to be right with God?
    • If so, does this look a little like the OT law?
    • So what is this telling us?
  • Let’s talk about Justification and Sanctification
    • What are they?
    • How do these two concepts apply here?

Ephesians 5:7–8 (ESV): LMS

Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

  • Explain in your own words what it means by “at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord”.

Ephesians 5:9–10 (ESV): LMS

(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.

  • What is pleasing to the Lord?
    • In your life, how can you discern what is pleasing to the Lord?
    • How can we know God?
    • How can we know what is pleasing to the Lord?

Ephesians 5:11–14 (ESV): LMS

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.”
  • See Isaiah 60:1-3
  • How should we, as followers of Christ, expose the works of darkness?

Ephesians 5:15–17 (ESV):

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. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

  • Jack: “We tend to run towards the things we are told to avoid.”
  • How, practically, can we “look carefully how we walk”?
  • How can we make the best use of the time?

Ephesians 5:18–21 (ESV): LMS

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

  • Is this condemning alcohol? Or, is there something more here?
  • What does being filled with the Spirit look like?
  • How can we submit to one another?

Thoughts for Reflection

  • Love
    • God
    • Others
  • Mercy
    • Be more Christ-like
  • Sacrifice
    • Ourselves
    • Our Desires
    • Our Priority

Let’s imitate Christ!

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