Ephesians 5:1-21

Good morning again church! We are picking up our study this morning in the book of Ephesians 5, some of you are bigger fans than others of this chapter, but there is much in here for all of us. We find ourselves in the second half of the book. If you recall, the first 3 chapters of this six chapter book was about all the awesome things God has done for us, and who we are and the blessings we have, not just in the sweet bye and bye, but today, as living disciples of His. I’m so glad he starts the letter that way, cuz I’ll be honest, if he started with chapter 4, it would be pretty tough to teach, much less do.

But Paul tells us because of Jesus, because of what He has done in us, and wants to do through us, it is not only possible, but it’s how every single one of us could be and should be living.

Then in chapter 4 we have this transition where Paul calls us, or charges us really... as Christians to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. He calls us to unity not uniformity, but unity despite our diversity. He describes the life of the Christian as something radical, putting off the old stuff and putting on new stuff, there is an expectation in Paul’s writing that the verse we read in 2 Cor 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

As Paul writes here, there is an expectation that it’s actually true in our lives! We are of one body, all with different gifts that are to be used to build up and strengthen one another, and the words that come out of our mouths shouldn’t be biting sarcasm, but words that encourage and impart grace to the hearers…and then he tells us to be nice to each other, in fact we’ll read that verse, because I think the last verse from chapter 4 belongs with the first two verses from chapter 5.

Let’s pray and walk through this together. Our Holy Heavenly Father, great is Your Name, Holy, holy, holy, You are. Lord I pray as we read these things today, that we would be filled with encouragement about the life you have called us to live. That you desire amazing things for us in on this earth, and you want to it in us. Give us understanding, and the strength for application, in Jesus name....Chapter 4 verse 32

Ephesians 4:32–5:2 NKJV

32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

As children of God, made in His own image, we are to be imitators of God…I don’t normally don’t like to interrupt myself so early in the sermon, but I have seen some of your kids do amazing impressions of you. And the older they get, the better the impression, and the funnier they get! I can’t tell you which ones, but what makes them so funny is they just exaggerate the things that we already do. They get better with age because they’ve spent more time around you. Now unfortunately impressions generally make fun of our quirks and idiosyncrasies, so I try to correct them after the show and remind them to honor their mother and....father.

But that isn’t what Paul is talking about here, He couldn’t be because our Heavenly Father is perfect, and that makes being an imitator of Him a difficult thing. He is all knowing, He is ever present, of unending strength, and without sin…but He is also Love, not good at love, He is love, and Paul says imitate that, walk in love Christian…as Christ also has loved us....and check out the end of verse two again because I think it is so cool.

What Jesus did for us, it was both and offering and a sacrifice to God, and when God looked upon it, it smelled good. When He sees us walking in love, that smells good to Him, like an offering sent to Heaven. Think of some of your favorite smells…one of our children doesn’t eat meat, they did when I was paying for it, but not any more…but last night we were thanking God that they don’t eat meat, because someone gifted them 4 incredible fillets…what an amazing aroma they made....

You know one of my other favorites, yes BBQ, but that’s not what I was thinking, the first bloom of lilacs. I love the smell of lilacs in the spring…not just because winter is gone, but you can smell them from a long way off, like incense rising in the sky. When God sees us walking in love its like lilacs and steak only better. He sees us acting like Jesus, laying our lives down as a sacrifice, and offering to Him. I think it is an especially sweet-smelling offering when it is from walking in love.

I say that because I was thinking about this whole idea of Jesus giving Himself for us, and offering and a sacrifice to God, and I actually think in our group, we don’t just have some, we have several that would be willing to do that. Especially, if you’re scheduled to be in children’s ministry that day, you need someone to take a bullet God, I’m your gal!

Joking about the children’s ministry, because you guys are actually doing this. But what I mean is that if a crazed gunmen walked in the church and said someone’s going to die here today. Are any of you Jesus lovers ready to lay down your life, so the rest of these guys can live. I honestly think there would be a line of volunteers. And I don’t know what kind of value you put on your life, Wikipedia places that number somewhere between 1 million and 10 million dollars, I think you guys are top notch, say you’re worth 15 million. Same scenario, gunman comes in and nothing changes, several of you would be all in and cash out at 15 million.

Now a much lower number, in a typical church, maybe not this one, but in a typical church. If you had to pay the price of 15 million 1 dollar at a time, walking in love, considering others as better than yourselves overs years and years and years, it’s a much harder task, it’s a sacrifice, and offering being poured out one day, one act of love and service at a time, and it smells awesome to God. That imitates God!

In Verse 3 he makes a hard break from this talk of unity that began in chapter 4 and commands purity. Let’s look at it.

Ephesians 5:3–4 NKJV

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

· Fornication (porneia), a broad word describing sexual sin. Specifically, any sexuality outside of the covenant relationship of Marriage. Far too often you might hear a young couple self righteously proclaiming that they don’t do that, but there is a long list of things they do.

· Uncleanness, another broad word for “dirty” moral behavior, especially in a sexual sense., but not limited to sexuality...

· Filthiness, the idea here is really filthy talk, now when I say this, someone might come to mind, maybe your old self, but that guy or that gale that would always turn a normal comment into something filthy, or with a second meaning...

· Coarse jesting, which has the idea of inappropriate, impure sexual humor. We shouldn’t be participating in crass humor, or crude sexual jokes, Paul says it’s not fitting and I like that expression. Have you folks ever had a shirt or a pair of pants that was no longer fitting. It started getting more and more uncomfortable, until you finally put it away, that’s what Paul is saying here.

Chapters 1-3 says that He has made us Saints, we need to walk in that! These kind of things don’t fit into who we are now, Paul doesn’t only say that they are not fitting, he says let it not even be named among you, these are the things we need to put off, he ends verse 4 though with something to put on, he says, but rather giving of thanks.

I don’t think for a minute that Paul rebukes all these issues concerning sexuality and then just tells us to be good and give thanks. You know what I think he talking about? Giving thanks for sex! Can I say that in church? Yes, because I’m married, and the bible says the marriage bed is undefiled, all other beds are defiled, that’s what bad, not sex! We can thank God for sex. It was His creation, His gift.

I hate when churches talk about it like it is a dirty word! We grow up in church thinking sex is bad, and filthy, and horrible, and then we get married and are suddenly supposed to be alright with it and not feel a little bit dirty, so self conscious that God knows what we’re doing? I won’t ask, mostly because you’d never ever give me an answer, but I would love to send out a poll to all gospel believing, Bible teaching churches out there and ask them one question. What was God’s purpose in creating sexuality?

Probably those from a certain generation would take be right to Gen 1:28 where God told mankind to be fruitful and multiply…sex it for procreation, and some might say only for procreation, man are they missing out! And then there is another branch of the church where if I were to ask the same question it would be, “Oh God loves us bro, He wants us to be happy, sex is for our pleasure.” Both are benefits but I don’t think they were God’s primary purpose for sexuality. I thing that when you look at the totality of what the Bible says about sexuality, it reveals that God’s primary purpose was for bonding together man and woman in the one flesh union or relationship of marriage.

Sexuality connects us together, heals, us, and makes us one, when done as God designed it. As I said already it is the marriage bed that is undefiled, so that does not include sexuality that is abusive, or only self gratifying, that’s probably enough on that…Gnosticism…two thought flesh and spirit are separate, punish the flesh or feed it. verse 5, Paul says we are no where near done on this topic because people are deceived inside and outside of the church.

Ephesians 5:5–7 NKJV

5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any 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. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

These are strong words, I don’t want to lighten it for anyone of us, because it says what it says, and it is consistent with what Paul says in several other places. No fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. What’s he saying? If you are given to these things, whether you call yourself a Christian or not, there is no inheritance for you. He is not talking about rewards when you get to heaven, he’s talking about the inheritance of the first 3 chapters of this letter, you’re not going to Heaven is what he is saying.

Again those who are given to these things. I want to be very careful here especially in light of verse 6, Paul is not talking about the Christian that struggles with some of this stuff, I don’t mean justifies and continues in it, I don’t mean excuses it, or blames someone else for it, no he’s clear that leads to Hell, but all of these things are forgivable when we turn to Him and they are also able to be completely removed from our lives.

God gives us directions in here. He never ever says to flirt with something so you can test your growing resistance, He never says, dance right along the edge, to see how close we can get, no over and over and over again in the Scriptures we are told to flee....1 Cor 6:18 flee from sexual immorality....2 Timothy 2:22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart., flee, flee, flee,

Vs. 6 says those that would tell you that it’s OK, or justify it, or tell yourselves you’re going to get married anyway, or it doesn’t matter because you’ve already blown it, those are deceptive words, untrue words, do not be partakers with them...

Some of you, maybe one of you is thinking that is too hard, I can’t give that up…Charles Spurgeon said, “The grace that does not change my life will not save my soul.”

The same grace that was given to save you is strong enough to change you…for some maybe not in this room, but might someday hear this the reason you are stagnated and not growing spiritually, is because of something on this list. You don’t hear from God, because you don’t honor God and do the things that He tells you to do. W-e’ll talk about that more later in our chapter.

Ephesians 5:8–10 NKJV

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

Jesus said I am the light of the world, He’s gone to Heaven Church, we are the light now in the world in the Lord, we are to walk as children of light.

Ephesians 5:11–12 NKJV

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

This is not saying isolate yourselves from people that aren’t Christians and form a commune together out in Greenbush. No fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.

Ephesians 5:13–14 NKJV

13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

Awake you who sleep, don’t misunderstand this, Paul is not talking to lost soles, he’s talking to people that are professing Christians, but you can hardly tell. The change hasn’t occurred, or maybe a little bit, they look awake. Any sleep walkers here today, I know some of you talk in your sleep, maybe sing in your sleep, we can give the appearance of being awake when we are not, and Paul says wake up and Christ will give you light. Eph 5:15-17

Ephesians 5:15–17 NKJV

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

This what I was talking about…understand what the will of the Lord is…Paul just told us how God would have us to walk, we’ve had two chapters of it now, He says something very similar in 1 Thessalonians. But let me ask you a question first...

As a Dad, if I told one of my kids that they had a curfew and they came in late there was a consequence, privileges were cut. If it happened again, more privileged were cut and reigns were tightened. I’m talking about my imaginary kids, my real ones were perfect like every pastor’s kids right? Plus they are here today so I can’t talk about them.

Say your child violated curfew 5 nights in a row and then came to you and said hey mom, hey dad, what do you think I should do tonight? Go to a party at the beach, or go to a concert with my buddies down in Portland. You’d say nothing, and nothing you’re grounded until after college.

When God reveals His will for us in plan language, in His written Word, and we ignore it, do you think He going to keep revealing things to you?

1 Thessalonians 4:1–4 NKJV

1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

God’s will that we be a called out people, a holy people, pure, in our thoughts and our sexuality. Verse 18 again. Eph 5:18-21

Ephesians 5:18–21 NKJV

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.