Ephesians 5:1-2 (KJV)
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
The message tonight is going to come from Ephesians 5:1-2 but you will no doubt recognize that in the first verse there is this word, “therefore.”
The cute little phrase that goes with that is “Whenever you see the word, therefore ask the question, ‘What is the therefore, there for?’”
It might seem like a silly little expression but the principle behind it is sound and important.
It will be impossible to properly interpret and understand what follows without remembering what went before.
In the broader context, the “therefore” would relate to the whole of the book of Ephesians:
- • It is a church book – its focus is on the local church and
- • It is a book about church unity – the mystery of the oneness of the members of a church
I maintain what I have said over the course of many of these massages now:
- • The most important thing to God is Christ
- • The most important thing to Christ is the church and
- • The most important thing in the church is unity
That’s the broad picture.
In the strictest context Ephesians 5:1 points back to Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
It all fits together, but I suggest to you that the “therefore” is there because, “God, for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
We ought to obey Ephesians 5:1-2, and what follows, because, “God, for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
I want to give you three things that we ought to be because, “God, for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Number one
I. BE FOLLOWERS
Vs 1
Be ye therefore followers of God…
I want to be a little bit careful how I say this because there is another side to this truth, but we are to be followers of God and not of:
- • Political parties,
- • Denominations,
- • Popes
- • Pastors or other
- • Men
Look at these passages:
A. Some Characteristics to follow
Peace
Romans 14:19 (KJV)
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
Charity
1Corithians 14:1
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
Righteousness, faith love patience meekness
1Timothy 6:11
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
B. Some churches to follow
1Thessalonians 2:14
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
C. Some persons to follow
Those who inherit the promises of God
Hebrews 6:12
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Them which have the rule over you
Hebrews 13:7
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
D. A person to follow
1 Corinthians 4:16
Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
There are seven verses all together that tell us to follow Paul.
One of them even says, “ye ought to follow us.”
Am I presenting a contradiction then?
Do we follow churches and their leaders or do we follow God alone?
Paul answers that for us, 1 Corinthians 11:1
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
We only follow:
- • Church
- • Spiritual leaders and
- • Pastors
as far as they follow Christ.
As long as they are following Christ, we ought to follow them.
Be followers of God.
Secondly
II. BE CHILDREN
Vs 1
as dear children;
Because God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us, we are children of God.
- • We are children through the new birth and
- • We are children through spiritual adoption – God chose us to be His
I want to focus a bit on the phrase “dear children.”
What is it that makes children so dear? Among those qualities that we enjoy so much are:
A. Innocence
1 Corinthians 14:20 (KJV)
Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
There is just something precious and dear about the innocence of a little child, isn’t there?
- • We know they are not perfect
- • We know they are sinners and that the sin
But it takes a while for them to get that malicious evil sort of sin nature.
They are precious because they lack the experience of evil.
B. Exuberance
Matthew 11:16-17 (KJV)
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
This may or may not be a good biblical example of what I mean to say here.
In the passage Jesus uses children at play to make His illustration.
He points to children
- • calling out in the streets
- • playing music and dancing
- • pretending to mourn and to lament
Children are filled with
- • Energy,
- • Imagination and
- • Flexibility
They can turn anything into a toy and they can switch emotions in a split second.
C. Radiance
The joy and the love and the glow in a child’s eyes just make them seem dear and precious to us doesn’t it?
D. Confidence
Luke 18:16-17 (KJV)
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
We like to call it “childlike faith.”
Children just tend to be trusting, especially of their parents.
And children almost never have to be convinced that there is a God. It is almost an innate knowledge in them that the world has to teach out.
- • They believe you
- • They trust you
- • They follow you wherever to let them go with you
And they forgive you.
- • We break our children’s hearts sometimes don’t we?
- • We misunderstand and discipline them wrongly sometimes don’t we?
But kids will love their parents unconditionally.
It’s almost impossible to destroy that trust they have for their parents – and even if it has been destroyed, give them the slightest reason to, and they will forgive and go on loving their parents.
I know a preacher who was raised in a foster home most of his life.
His father was a drunk, homeless and pretty much worthless man.
This preacher had not seen his father since he was a little boy
But he got saved through the bus ministry of a local Baptist church
- • It was that church that saw him through the junior high and high school years.
- • It was the members of that church who watched him play in sports games
- • It was the members of that church who attended his high school graduation.
He went to Bible College, became a pastor and, now in his thirties, approaching forty, he preached at a rescue mission and extended the invitation for sinners there to be saved.
He said after the service was over a withered man approached him and said, “Jesus loves me and will forgive me. I just wonder if you will. I am your dad?”
That preacher, who didn’t even know his dad, now has a loving relationship with him.
It’s just how kids are with their parents.
Hey – just be like that with the Lord.
Be followers
Be Children
Lastly
III. BE SACRIFICIAL
Vs 2
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
The true definition of love is sacrifice.
It is giving ourselves as a sacrifice for others.
- • It is esteeming others better than ourselves
- • It is, in honor, preferring one another
It is taking a lower place so another can have the higher
And more than anything else, it is doing it as an offering to God and for His pleasure.
- • Sometimes there is no good reason one person does what they do
- • Sometimes you might think it was totally wrong that they did what they did and got away with it.
But God knows
- • And He wants us to be Christlike
- • And Christ loves the church
- • And the church functions on unity
Conclusion
- • The most important thing to God is Christ
- • The most important thing to Christ is the church and
- • The most important thing in a church is unity
No comments:
Post a Comment