Sermon Notes 10-10-21
October 9, 2021

Sermon Notes
10-10-21
Pastor David Bowen

Be an Imitator

Ephesians 5:1-20

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Charles Caleb Colton coined the phrase in 1820.

Let’s understand HOW the term ‘imitator’ was understood by Paul’s readers.

Imitation was the main part of the training of an orator.
The teachers of rhetoric declared that the learning of oratory skills depended on 3 things:
theory, imitation, and practice.
The main part of their training was the study and the imitation of the Masters who had gone before.

Paul intended that these exhortations guide believers into patterns of wise living. He wanted them to develop qualities in their Christian lives.

Paul launches us to the highest standard possible…Be imitators of God…means imitators, mimics. (spoken in the present tense; continuous, ongoing action)

But how can finite human beings imitate an infinite God?
If we are called to be God copiers, then what does a God copier look like?

Walk in Love. Walk in Purity. Walk as Light. Walk Carefully.

Paul is commanding, not suggesting, that believers imitate God

Ephesians 5:1
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children”

Just as it is natural for an earthly child to imitate his earthly Father, so it is natural for a spiritual child to imitate his heavenly Father. From the word imitate we get our word mimic which means “to act like”.

Ephesians 5:2
“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.”

To imitate God, in this context, is to walk in love. Love denies self.
Christ provides the model for how Christians are to live.

Love is willing to give up self-interest for God’s sake.
We ought to give ourselves up for Him. “To give oneself up” means “to follow, to obey, to live in relationship with.”

The beauty of a journey is every step you take, not necessarily getting to your final destination.
People love the outcome. God loves the process (every step of the journey).

Example: As a culture we love to spend a lot of money on the wedding and hardly anything on the marriage. If an average wedding in the US is $26,640. Then, I’d love to see a couple spend $6000 on it and invest $20,000 into their marriage. (Couples retreats, marriage conferences, weekend getaways, marriage books)

You’ve heard of the duck test
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. So, if your life looks like a Jesus Follower, walks like a Jesus Follower, & sounds like a Jesus Follower, then you’re probably a Jesus follower.

Ephesians 5:3-4
“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. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.”

WHAT IS the opposite of imitating God and the opposite of giving oneself up for Him is to live a life of sinful deeds such as sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or greed. In addition to sinful deeds, Paul says that we shouldn’t let any sinful words become part of our speech. We should speak from a heart of thanksgiving.

The right kind of love implies that we hate certain things.
Romans 12:9 Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

Paul doubles back & attacks the sins of the pagan world.
1st is sins of sexual immorality (Vs 3)
2nd is sins of conversation (Vs 4)

• Uncleanness (a broader term for impurity).
• Covetousness (greediness, often used to describe uncontrolled desire)
• Filthy talk - Obscenities. Shameful, filthy, or obscene speech.
• Foolish talk – Silly talk. Talk of fools. The conversation of a drunkard.
• Course talk – quick wit. Crude joking. Makes light of human weakness or human goodness.

Which do you think God hears? When you give thanks before your meal…or when you complain about everything you were served?

Ephesians 5:5-7
“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. 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.”

Paul warns the Ephesus church not to engage in the activities of those who are disobedient. He is saying that Christians should not do such things because we are no longer disobedient children. Since we are not part of that anymore we should not participate in such activities.

This phrase is not a matter of salvation. It is a matter of identification.

The wrath of God comes upon those who are not Christians and thus that person has no inheritance in the Kingdom of God. So Christians are not to be partners with them. For the Christian, sin will never mean separation from God and suffering the horrors of hell. The Christian has been spared from that alternative because he is safe in Christ.

The Christian may suffer two other types of chastening. First, theirs is natural cause and effect chastening. If one sleeps around, they may contact a sexually transmitted disease. This is natural cause-effect. God is not spiting you. This cause is in direct result of your action.

A second form of chastening is direct divine chastening. Hebrews 12:5-13 speaks clearly about God’s discipline. So does 1 Corinthians 11:20-22. This discipline, or chastening from God is not retribution for our sins. Jesus paid the price for our sins. That is a price we no longer have to pay. This discipline is the loving hand of God helping us to change our self-destructive behavior. This discipline reveals not only God’s love but the depth of His patience.

Vs 5 - Paul underscores the seriousness of this kind of behavior.
Obviously, there is forgiveness to one who falls to one of these…he’s speaking about anyone who does this habitually with an unrepentant heart.

Ephesians 5:8-10
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.”

It would be a gross inconsistency for a Christian to participate in the flagrant sins of non-Christians. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…” If nothing becomes new in this person’s life then they either did not understand what it means to become a Christian or he was not sincere in his confession.

The Ephesus Christians were once just like those who are disobedient, but no longer! Rather than doing deeds of immorality, impurity, and greed, they should do deeds of goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Christians are no longer dark, but light. Therefore we should do deeds of light not darkness.

You were once darkness…not were in darkness.

How to know if you are walking in darkness: when you hide (erasing your history on your computer, why?), lie (what are you covering), or blame someone else (1st thing Adam/Eve did when they 1st walk in darkness. It’s my x-wife, it’s my lousy kids, it’s my impatient boss, it’s my…).

It’s when you’re not allowing light to expose something.
Children of light - if God is light then naturally His children would be also.
Think purity, not lumens. Think spiritual light not physical light.
It’s hard to walk in light in a dark world.

Light produces Good Fruit (Vs 9)
Here are some of the products of light (goodness, righteousness, truth).
Walking in the light produces spiritual fruit.

Light Exposes Motives (Vs 10)
Light enables the Christian to discriminate between what is pleasing & what is not pleasing.
Here is where all motives, attitudes, & actions must be tested.
We are to find out what pleases the Lord.
Just find out what’s acceptable to the Lord. (i.e. not to others)

Light Exposes Evil (Vs 11-12)
Light exposes the unfruitful works of darkness.

Evil activity, when dragged into the light of Christ, is seen for what it is & dies a natural death. (the story of the woman caught (in the very act) of adultery, is really the story of the men (Scribes/Pharisees) caught in hypocrisy.

Do you know when that story was over in John 8:11? What does the very next verse read? John 8:12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.

Ephesians 5:11-14
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 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.’”

Not only should Christians not fall into the same sins as those who are disobedient but we should try to expose the darkness. We expose the darkness by sharing the light, Jesus Christ. If it is a Christian that is living in a flagrant, unrepentant sin, the church is to try to get them to turn from their sins. (See Matthew 18:15-20)

This passage however is speaking of the disobedient.

This would indicate that the church should be a light into the world and expose worldly behavior as well. Sins are exposed by shining light into sin’s darkness. Everything that is revealed becomes truth (light). Light turns darkness into light. It does not matter if the people caught in the darkness are church members or members of society, the goal is to transform them completely from darkness to light.

The poetic passage which follows verse 14 may be a quote from an ancient hymn. It is not a direct scripture passage. A person who was participating in the deeds of darkness is to wake up and rise from the dead which means to turn from those deeds. Christ will shine on you means that Christ is pleased with the person who turns from such deeds.


**
Ephesians 5:15-17**
“Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

The will of the Lord is that we live carefully, cautiously, always matching our lifestyle with the teaching of scripture. Life will not be perfect or necessarily easy. Evil does and will exist until the Lord returns.

Ephesians 5:18
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

Picture1.jpg
Ephesus was a center of pagan worship. The Ephesian culture worshipped baccus, the god of wine and drunken orgies.
They believed that to commune with their god and to be led by him they had to be drunk. In this drunken state, they could determine the will of their god and determine how best to serve and obey him.

It was natural for Paul to draw the contrast between how the god of Ephesus is served and how the God of heaven is served. With the God of heaven you do not get drunk with wine. Rather you are filled with the Spirit. Being drunk with wine leads to sexual sins and immorality of darkness described here by Paul. By being filled with the Holy Spirit, you can determine God’s will and serve him faithfully in moral living.

What does being filled with the Spirit mean?

Being filled in this verse (plarao) is not the same word used in the Book of Acts (pimplemi). In this context, it means directed, influenced and ultimately governed by the Holy Spirit.

In the book of Acts 2:4, 3:10, 4:8, 4:31 the Greek word for “filled” is (pimplemi). In Ephesians 5:18 the Greek word for “filled” is (plarao). These two words have different meanings.

We do not see (pimplemi) filling of the Holy Spirit after Acts 19. (Pimplemi) is always aorist passive with the genitive case. Aorist tense means that the filling did not last long and was not intended to last long. The passive indicates that the people who were filled had no control over the fact that they were filled. It was a sovereign work of God.

(Plarao) in this passage is imperative passive, meaning that they were commanded to let it happen and that they could control their willingness to be filled.

(Plarao) filling is people oriented. (Pimplemi) is task oriented. The dramatic events surrounding (pimplemi) are designed to accomplish a certain task.

When Paul commands us in Ephesians 5:18 to be filled with the Holy Spirit he is commanding us to allow ourselves to be governed by the fullness of Christ in our lives. The results of being filled with the Spirit are psalms, singing, giving thanks, and a harmony of relationship between husband-wife, parents-children, employers-employees.

In Colossians 3:16, we see the exact same results of teaching with psalms, singing, thankfulness, and harmony. These results are produced not by being filled with the Holy Spirit, but by letting the Word of Christ richly dwell within you. Being filled with the Spirit and letting the Word of God richly dwell within you produce exactly the same result.

The Holy Spirit applies God’s truth to our hearts and as we yield to it, allowing ourselves to be governed by it, we experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The filling Ephesians then is best understood as a command for the believer to yield himself to the convicting and empowering work of the Holy Spirit. As He works in our hearts through His Word, our lives are brought into conformity with the will of God as we see in verse 17.

Light cannot compromise with darkness; it can only expose it.