“How We Live Matters”

Ephesians 5:7-20

1. Walk in the light, exposing darkness, so that others may witness God’s truth.

2. Walk in wisdom to make the most of your time and avoid a wasted life.

Walk in wisdom = understanding and doing what God desires.

3. Walk in the Spirit, embracing a life of joy, gratitude, and worship.

Main Idea: Live like you know that God loves you. 

1. Walk in love, by imitating Christ. Verse 2

2. Walk in love, by rejecting impurities, greed, and corrupt speech. Verse 3-7

3. Walk in love, by cultivating thanksgiving. Verse 4

Introduction:  James 1:22, we are to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.

Our Greatest Challenge:  God's people are on a very treacherous journey. The Holy Spirit is within us and among us. He guarantees our final salvation. 

Ephesians 4:25, 29, Remember That We are One!

• Ephesians 4:26-28, Resist Our Greatest Enemy
  Resist the Temptation to Blame One Another, (vv. 26–27).
• Resist the Temptation to Become Idle (v. 28).

Ephesians 4:30, Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 4:31-32, Remember the Gospel

Main Idea: Delight God by eliminating even the smallest sinful habits and fully embracing the new identity He has given you in Christ."

Don’t WALK as Gentiles (People who don’t know God) Verse 17-20

Jesus University. Verse 20-21

The Steps to WALK a life in Christ. Verse 22-24

1. Kill Sin: Put off the old self. Verse 22

Colossians 3:5 “Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry… Put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self.”

2. Reflect God’s Image: Put on the new self. Verse 24

3. Renew your mind with God’s Word. Verse 23

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

(1 Thessalonians 1:4-10)

Principle 1: Human beings learn through the seeing about that which is unseen.

Principle 2: A body that does not follow its head becomes sick; it will wither and it will die.

Principle 3: The big mission is lived out in the little mission.

Sermon in a sentence: Use the gifts God has given you to build his church.

1. The Source of our Gifts. V.7-10

"The ascension of Jesus Christ is one of the most neglected concepts in Protestant history. Jesus was elevated to heaven, where he is enthroned as the King of kings and where He is our great high priest forever… He’s just not the risen Lord; He’s the ascended Lord.” RC Sprouls

2. The Purpose for our Gifts. V.11-12

Main Idea: Trust God. Trust God. Trust God.

Verse 1: The Question: From where does my help come?

Verse 2: The Answer: My Help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.

• Reason #1 to Trust in the Lord: The Lord works the Night Shift. Verse 3-4
• Reason #2 to Trust in the Lord: The Lord is a Keeper. Verse 5-6
• Reason #3 to Trust in the Lord: The Lord’s Keeping has no Expiration Date. Verse 7-8

Prayer: (v 1) “prisoner of Christ, (v13) “don’t lose heart”

Eph. 3:2-6 – Paul’s role in God’s plan

Eph 3:7-12 – The church in God’s plan

1. God’s plan for the world

2. The church in God’s plan

3. Individuals in God’s plan

1. God’s plan for the world

“Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me” – Eph 3:1 (ESV)

“to bring to light for everyone what is the plan” – Eph 3:10 (ESV)

“making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” – Eph 1:9-10 (ESV)

2. The church in God’s plan

and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. – Eph 3:9-10 (ESV)

“with” compound verbs in Ephesians 2 & 3

“made us alive together with” – Eph 2:5

“raised us with and seated us with – Eph 2:6

“fellow citizens with” – Eph 2:19

“being joined together with” – Eph 2:21

“heirs with, members of the body with, partakers of promises with” – Eph 3:6

"The church is unified across ethnic lines and is a newly created human being. By its very existence as a unified body, then, the church makes known to the evil spiritual rulers and authorities the vastness of God’s creative wisdom: he not only created the universe with its endless variety, but in a wholly surprising way he has also begun to restore the crowning achievement of his creation—humanity—to its original unity." – Frank Thielman

3. Individuals in God’s plan

Central Idea: Christians tear down walls that divide to build a house that unites.

1. Our Hostile CONDITION. Verse 11-12

"You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.” Acts 10:28

2. Christ’s Peaceful CONSTRUCTION. Verse 13-18

3. The Church’s Pressing CHARGE. Verse 19-22

How to be a Peacemaker:

1. Pray: God, your will be done, and your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
2. Forgive those who have offended us, and we seek forgiveness from those we have offended.
3. Pick up our crosses and die to our worldly allegiances.
4. Extend the grace you have been given.

Main idea – God’s gift of salvation revives the walking dead to live for God’s glory

1. Salvation is because of grace

2. Salvation gives us new life

3. Salvation is by faith

“God’s workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10) vs. “that which God created” (Romans 1:20)

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made.

2. Salvation gives us new life

3. Salvation is by faith