R377 Imitating God, Pt.3

Encouraging Word for you and me today.

The Bible-based precinct Dr. Don Wilton as we had the book of Ephesians together today on The Encouraging Word. We finished the message: imitating God with Dr. Don Wilton and know that we are here for you connecting and praying together at 866-899-WORD 866-899-WORD 9673 Nonviable St., Ephesians chapter 5. I'm going to be preaching the lost in a miniseries from Ephesians chapter 5, entitled imitating God and we discovered during chapter 5 in verse one that will say is we ought to be imitators of God and the where there imitators member time which literally means we ought to mimic God. We ought to be like God. Is that as born-again believers we ought to endeavor to emulate photocopy God I we ought to strive to say what God said we ought to strive to do what God does to behave in a manner that is well pleasing to the principles and precepts that God our heavenly father takes before us, but I want you to notice something here. I want you to notice that in chapter 5 in verse one that the apostle Paul says, be imitators of God and then in verse 21. Look at verse 21 with me for just about what is Paul say in verse 21 he says submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Now friends. There is something about to happen here. I want all the wives and the ladies to listen to this because I I'm I'm going to give you just a little peeping to the future here if we understand what God is trying to teach us because and I'm I'm not going to get into, but when we get into verse 22. There are some things there that we going to read about that America doesn't want to read about and there are going to be some things with regard to marriage and family, and the relationship between husband and wife and parents sons and daughters that today. Of course the world says we cannot operate according to these principles in these preset we living in an increasingly volatile world in which men want to become women and women want to become man. We are living in a day and age to the where it becomes increasingly unpopular for a man to be a real man all for a woman to be a real woman, it becomes increasingly unpopular to honor the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now I want to show you something rather interesting here because in chapter 5 in verse one, the apostle Paul says, be imitators of God and then in verse 21 he says submit to one another and that word submit is the same word that we going to find in the next verse we pull having laid the foundation, having set the scene, having placed the context in its correct circumstance and situation in the heart of God pull from verse 2122 is going to begin to help us to understand what it is that God wants us to know about this special institution called marriage.

He's going to try and help us to know the mind of Christ as we begin to go into the real biblical essence of what it means to be a woman or a man or a son or a daughter. The Bible tells us how to live, but we cannot understand these things if we don't understand God's principles and precepts we not going to be able to understand that God has created man and woman absolutely 100% close equal partners in marriage. There is no such thing as a boss in the house.

There is no such thing as authoritarianism in the house that is not what God is talking about you and what Paul is saying is listen. If you are not all going to be able to understand the precept and the principles of God's word. We must understand what it means to imitate God. Now let's have a look at this together. I want to read to you.

Chapter 5 beginning at verse 1B imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 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. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality or of any kind of impurity or greed.

Because these are improper for God's holy people, nor should they be obscenity, foolish talk course joking, which are out of place, but rather Thanksgiving. For this you can be sure that no immoral, impure or greedy person for 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 fall because of such things God's wrong comes upon those who are disobedient.

Therefore, do not be partners with them from now. You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the life for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them for it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient doing secret, but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is life that makes everything visible. This is why it is said wake up closely put rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you, be 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 do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery.

Instead, be filled with the spirit speak to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ submit to one another out of reverence for Christ by God and his blessing this morning to this reading from his word.

We looked at the first several ways in which we can imitate God. I want to just remind you of some of them this morning. How can we imitate God. According to what Paul tells us your number one, by living a life of love, we saw that in verse two, by loving by giving by sacrificing number two by avoiding immorality that we so that in verse three we discussed the other two Sundays at length, sexual immorality, impurity, greed and lust so that way we can imitate God is by broadening the tongue according to verse four Paul divides this into three components. Obscenity, foolish talk and course joking and we know that the apostle James reminds us that the tongue is a small instrument that can do more damage than anything else in life an entire forest fire and hit the tongue can do so much good for the Lord Jesus Christ number five by appreciating the change that has taken place in our hearts and lives in you. Remember in verse eight we sold this juxtaposed together. The apostle Paul says you once were in darkness, but now you are children of the lack there, but by the grace of God go I, and the apostle Paul says here in verse eight he says listen if you're going to imitate God. You must appreciate the strange that is taken place in your life and pull puts it into two components. He says once you were in darkness. Now you're in life in the Lord Jesus Christ. What an incredible thing to think about what an unbelievable joy to be able to announce to the United States of America today that the word of God tells us that because of Jesus Christ. You once were, but now you all pull puts up like this. He says therefore if any man is in Christ Jesus. He is a brand-new creature all things, apostolate, and behold all things are become new. And I said to my friend Louis yesterday I sent him Louis my constant playing in my agony of my heart is that our young people today would not make the same mistakes as we mind that they wouldn't waste their time and become damaged and impaired enough to carry baggage on their shoulders for the rest of their lives in Bible says you can be delivered from you can be set free.

But there's a six means by which we are able to imitate God and that is by taking on godly characteristics by taking on godly characteristics. Look at verse nine and 10, Paul says for the fruit of life consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth. He begins to talk about the practical reality of imitating God and he divides it into three areas.

He talks about goodness and he talks about righteousness and he talks about truth. Well, we've come to understand goodness in all different kinds of ways to die but yet when the apostle Paul talks about goodness, my friend. He's talking about goodness as it pertains to the mind of Christ Jesus. He's talking about what is right. He's talking about what is free, he's talking about what is beautiful and honorable.

What is morally good what is pleasant and useful and suitable and worthy and in this context, Paul is saying that if you imitate God, you are going to be given to goodness that is excellent and what is the ultimate expression of moral excellence. It finds its ultimate expression in that which is willingly and sacrificially done for others. That's what Paul is our churches filled with people like our churches filled with people like that. I went to someone's home this past week and later about 80 years of age and they said to me' three join the church, which all there's nothing else for us to do.

I said no you not to overload you need to be a deacon and you need to be a Sunday school teacher and you need to be involved.

You know why because the Bible says that we need to imitate God, what an incredible thing goodness bull takes another step further and he talks about righteousness. We talked about righteousness. He's talking about righteousness on two levels of understanding. It has to do with our relationship with God.

That is our faith which is the exemplification about righteousness, but it also has to do with how we live.

That's what Paul is talking about when he talks about imitating God. Romans chapter 6 and verse 13, Paul says, present your members as instruments of righteousness to God what is that mean it means simply push you righteousness go off go off to righteousness do something about it dictated into high gear. But then he takes it even further. He talks about truth says if you going to take on godly characteristics not any goodness not only righteousness but truth and when he talks about truth. He talks about honesty, reliability and trustworthiness in opposition he's talking about hypocrisy, deceptiveness, falsehood, and he saying in essence, without fruit you never going to be a walking display of an imitation of God because without fruit.

There is no evidence of a relationship God. That's what Paul is saying, look at that verse again. He says live as children of the light for the fruit of the last is consistent in all goodness, righteousness and truth.

Then he takes it one step further. There's 1/7 means by which we can imitate God. I hope some of you have written these down. That is by obeying the Kaman by obeying the Kaman's how can I imitate God.

It's impossible. When I think of of Louis and myself was young boys and to unite in if you'd come to me when I was 14 and 15 and and and and said to me you need imitate God I would've said how I mean, it's almost a contradiction.

You know, because there's so much going on in a young person's mind, but Paul says you imitate God by obeying God's Kaman to look at verse 11. I have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of dark.

That's the Kaman every now and again. I'll have someone come to me and say to me pasta are being presented with this opportunity of that opportunity. What shall I do not say Dr. tongue-in-cheek. I've had people come to me and say to me, preacher, what you think of sin and I say I'm against it. Sometimes what Paul is saying here is listen. We don't have to worry about options as far as God is concerned we don't have to worry about options about morality and immorality of right and wrong in God's word says it's wrong at the spirit of God tells us it's wrong and the weight of God confirms that it's wrong. Don't do that supposed to have nothing to do walk away from our folks listen we gotta get into parents and all race I'm going to be speaking to myself primarily, you know, most of us baby boomer parents. We are the biggest compromises that the world is ever seen. Without you, were always compromising, not with them, but folded we are actually telling our children listen, it's okay to do it but just do a little bit of it. It's okay to go to this place but but just you know just just behind when you go there. It's okay to participate in this thing but but but just behave like a Christian when you do. Paul says have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness we must obey the Kaman's of God. We must not participate in or even associate with what God says is wrong. Number eight. How can we imitate God by doing the commission of God by doing God's commission. Look at verse 11 through 13 have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. He doesn't really tell us what not to do God's Word tells us what to do. He takes it one step further, he says expose them for it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient doing secret, but everything exposed by the light becomes visible.

What is he saying here he saying simply that, that if we are to imitate God we cannot ignore evil we must expose. We cannot resort to silence all writing is charged Timothy in second Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16. He said preach the word why because it is profitable for every circumstance of life and pull aside that we must use the weight of God to reprove and to correct and chastise in the boondocks and UK. That's what pulsates your listing to The Encouraging Word with Dr. Don Wilton will be back with the rest of today's message in just a moment. We also want to remind you about the opportunities you have to get connected with the daily Encouraging Word devotional. You can sign up on our website right now@twonline.org. Of course it's absently free pops into your email box about 6 o'clock Eastern every morning and will provide an application to God's word that you will be blessed by just a single page takes just a moment and you can sign up right now online@twonline.org now that today's great teaching with Dr.Paul is giving us a direct appear at this juncture, but there's 1/9 in the final direct appear that I want to share with you for says that if we're going to imitate God we must heed the call, we must heed the call. Look at verse 14 Ford is life that makes everything visible that it is wired to say wake up post sleeper rise from the dead, you know you know what I believe Paul is trying to say Paul is is trying to say here under the inspiration of the spirit of God wake up.

I don't know how to paraphrase the just sign wake up.

He saying listen Christians in Ephesus. You been given all of God's Kaman you know the way you know what you need to do and you know how you supposed to do it now wake up and do. Maybe this was the first Nike advertisement. I don't know if he had lived in 1997, Paul would've made a lot of money he wouldn't have said wake up from sleep, he would've said just do just perhaps he understood human weakness. Most acutely, perhaps better than we knew.

Sometimes he understood that our greatest difficulty is coming to church on Sunday and going to Sunday school and listening to what God has to say. But then we go to work on Monday and we don't just do it.

We continue as normal. We continue to flirt with the David. We continue to keep 1 foot in the world and 1 foot in the church limit. Let me give you a guarantee this morning. If I might is your husband really unhappy see a Christian, you want me to tell you why he's unhappy because he's not doing what God tells him to do.

Is your wife unhappy share Christian, you want me to tell you why she's unhappy she's not doing what God's word is telling her to do is your son and daughter unhappy are they Christian young people if they are Christian young people and they just they live just never come together, my friends, it's guaranteed.

According to God's word. But guess what the Bible says in one John one verse nine if we confess our sin. Jesus Christ is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But we are faced with a predicament. How do we translate all of this into the practicality of our daily lives.

Well, from verse 15 to verse 21 we have a series of seven practical application. I want to give them to you now, you might want to write these down folks stick them on your refrigerator or something.

Seven practical applications. I believe directly related to imitating God. In fact, is a little conjunction. They Paul says be very careful then that word then means on the basis of what God has shown us type these biblical precepts and apply them to your lot. That's what pulled aside so let's have a look at them some practical issues related to imitating God. How do we how do we take these biblical precepts number one.

Be careful how you live there. It is in verse 15 and I was looking at these seven issues yarn. I wish that I was preaching on this on graduation Sunday high school and college graduation because these seven points they are tremendous in terms of their practical application in our lives. Number one, Paul says be careful how you live not as unwise but as why Paul is saying, watch what you doing know who you are standing firm upon God's precepts and principles as you walk more carefully and circumspect circumspectly walk in the way of God and God is going to bless you for that number to make the most of every opportunity.

Verse 16. Make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Paul says listen, let's let's just cut all the fact, let's just come to the point at which we understand that there is an incredible amount of evil in this world and that Satan is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour and what Paul is saying here is, if you want to imitate God and apply these principles, you must not only be careful how you live but you must make the most of every opportunity.

Time is too precious, three understand the Lord's will understand the Lord's will look at verse 17 he says therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is now here he juxtaposes foolishness with a lack of understanding about the will of God any hits the button right on the head. He hits the nail right on the head. Paul says listen if you want to imitate God. You need to find yourself in the center of God's will make your decisions based upon an understanding of the will of God consult God awesome God what it is that he wants you to do. Number four don't drink alcohol talking about imitating God when we get up to verse 18 Paul says don't drink alcohol do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery. I don't have time to talk about alcohol this morning but I don't think is anyone here who would disagree with me that because of alcohol they been the loss of far too many backers because of alcohol.

My friends they have been the downfall of many a government because of alcohol.

They have been has been moral corruption of the highest order, because of alcohol they has been unrestrained behavior and recklessness. Such of which our society still hasn't come to grips with how to deal with the because of alcohol. There have been loss of life and broken families. Every day you open up a newspaper somebody else's being killed somewhere in South Carolina over this past year we've had some precious young people, teenagers drowning in Linux all over the place and accidents and things happening. And Mary every time alcohol is somewhere involved in the whole shebang you say to me pasta. How can you imitate God listen to me. The Bible uses alcohol. Do you know why because alcohol my friends and being drunk on alcohol is the very counterfeit point number five which is to be filled with the spirit.

Paul says you need to load your self up with the spirit of God, not with El Cajon and what will be the result result is that it will affect your speaking and your singing number six give thanks always number seven. Submit to one another.

That means that everybody else comes first.

Such powerful teaching from the pool today with Dr. Don Wilton and now as he heads in the studio. I pray you to open your heart to what he wants to share next are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now.

Dear God, I know that Iverson and I know that Jesus died for me today. I repainted my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting new welcome to the family of God.

Some of you I know pray along with the pastor moments ago and we want to give you free resources to help you grow. 866-899-WORD is the number let's connect. Let us put those resources in your hands. That's 866-899-9673. We love to connect with you and I'm so glad that we've been able to shave together by means of radio today you just mean so much to me and thankful we are going to get you control right now and connect with me at 866-899-9673. Did you get that 866-899-9673 call and connect with me right now. Thank you again for joining us. Let's connect over the weekend on our website at tewonline.org