10/07/09 Letters Series: Part 6 – Our Journey Toward His Desired Outcome
Letters Series Part 6 – Our journey toward His desired outcome
10 7 09 HT PM
Ephesians 5:25-27 NKJV
God has a desired outcome for your life! Lets read His purpose!
Ephesians 5:25 NKJV
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Ephesians 5:26
that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
Ephesians 5:27
that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Every believer should embrace vs 27 as a desired outcome for your life. We are all on the journey or spot and wrinkle removal ☺
The fifth chapter of Ephesians is broken down into four parts containing a key word for each – all four of these parts/ key words place us on the right path of our Journey toward His desired outcome!
Keywords:
1. Love
2. Light
3. Wisdom
4. Submission
The first key word for our journey is LOVE – every believer. Love is a word that is used to summarize the very nature of God – lets read the first section of Ephesians 5
Ephesians 5:1 NKJV
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
Ephesians 5:2
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.
Ephesians 5:3
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
Ephesians 5:4
neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
Ephesians 5:5
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.
Ephesians 5:6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Ephesians 5:7
Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Tonight I want to turn each of these key words into a discovery for you – a how to experience or one of those “Ahh ha” moments!
Discovery – How do we live out love?
1. Imitation
Ephesians 5:1 NKJV
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
When it comes to Love we are to IMITATE GOD!
1 John 4:7 NKJV
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:8
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:9
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
1 John 4:10
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
2. Worship
Ephesians 5:2 NKJV
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.
Your love of others is an act of worship unto God! One of the greatest discoveries you can have is that God watches our human interactions! Our interactions are either acceptable or they are not! Here is proof!
Matthew 25:37 NKJV
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
Matthew 25:38
When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
Matthew 25:39
Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
Matthew 25:40
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Table Talk: Before I act, do I see my action as an act of worship unto God? If so has should this affect what I might do?
3. Elimination (obstacles to love)
1. Fornication (all acts of sexual immorality)
2. Covetousness (cant get enough)
3. Filthiness
4. Foolish talk
5. Coarse jesting
The second section of Ephesians 5 address the paths we walk the dark path or the lighted path
Ephesians 5:8 NKJV
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Ephesians 5:9
(for the fruit of the ◙ Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
Ephesians 5:10
finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
Ephesians 5:12
For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
Ephesians 5:13
But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
Ephesians 5:14
Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
Discovery – How do we walk in light?
When you walk in the dark – unexpected things happen! Ever been in the dark in the physical sense? Relational sense? Emotional sense?
Psalm 18:28 NKJV
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
1. Focus on Fruit
Fruit is birthed through the practices of
1. Goodness
Title: Thayer’s Greek Definitions
1) uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness
2. Righteousness
Thayer’s Greek Definitions
1) in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God
1a) the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God
1b) integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting
3. Truth
Title: Thayer’s Greek Definitions
1) to speak or tell the truth
1a) to teach the truth
1b) to profess the truth
2. Find what’s acceptable
Romans 12:1 NKJV
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3. Find the right fellowship
This is a tough balancing point of the believers life! A believer should not be an isolationist! At the same time darkness will destroy fruitfulness
TABLE TALK: How can I find the right balance in fellowship and not destroy fruitfulness?
The first two tracks on your journey to His desired outcome is to be a person of love and stay out of the dark!