FOLLOWING GOD
TEXT:
Ephesians 5:1-21
1: Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear
children;
2: And walk in love, as
1. Follow God your father
2. You are His child
3. Love like
4. Offer yourself to be used of God for others
5. Sacrifice yourself for others
6. Bring satisfaction and pride to God by your conduct toward others.
Eph 5:3: But fornication, and all uncleanness, or
covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh
saints;
4: Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient:
but rather giving of thanks.
1.
Abandon all fornication
2.
Abandon
all uncleanness
3.
Abandon
all covetousness
4.
Abandon
all filthiness
5.
Abandon
foolish jesting as if God doesn’t hear
6.
Abandon
all jokes that have dirty or sexual undertones
7.
Don’t
allow the lost to think that any of these things are acceptable conduct for a
Christian
8.
Christians
don’t live like this.
Eph 5:5: For this ye know,
that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater,
hath any inheritance in the
1.
Learn this:
2. The inheritance of
the saints is not for the Christian that is;
a.
A whoremonger
b. An
unclean person
c. A
covetous person
d. An idolatrous
person
These sins keep
Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain
words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of
disobedience.
1. Do not allow your-self to be deceived
2. Do not give heed to vain empty words
a.
fornication
b. Uncleanness
c. Covetousness
d. Filthiness
e. Foolish jesting as if God doesn’t hear
f. Jokes that have dirty or sexual undertones
g. Don’t allow the lost to think these things are acceptable for a Christian.
Eph 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
1.
We are warned, not to be caught in the enemy camp, doing these sins.
2. When we continue in these life styles we walk out from the covering of God (our
inheritance) and are subjected to the curse that follows these sins.
3. This is not the judgment of God or His wrath, but rather the natural
consequences that result from these sins.
4. When we fail to abandon these old life styles, we are subject to the
curses that follow them.
Eph 5:8: For ye were sometimes darkness,
but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
1.
Notice we were in the past tense in darkness until the glorious light of the
gospel came.
2. God redeemed us out of darkness and translated us into His kingdom.
3. We are to live our new lives as God’s
children.
a. Mt 5:16: Let your light so shine
before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your FATHER, WHICH
is in heaven.
b. Eph 5:9: (For the fruit
of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10: Proving what is
acceptable unto the Lord.
The fruit of the indwelling Spirit is in three
parts:
a. Goodness: A life devoid of badness
b. Righteousness: The position of being
in right standing with God.
c. Truth: Being in compliance with the
written Word.
Eph 5:11-12: And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those things, which are done of them in
secret.
1. We are to abandon our links to the world of darkness and sin.
2. Those that are lost have no
fellowship with God.
3. God will not be partner with us in
these sins.
4. We place ourselves out of fellowship
with God.
5 It is dangerous to put our fate into
the hands of the enemy.
6. The wages of sin are death.
7. God promises an abundant life while the world promises a
exciting life, it really brings a curse.
Eph
1.
The light that is in us, spotlights the evil
20: For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
When
we enjoy the pleasures of sin, we avoid the light of God’s Word.
The believer that is lead by God’s
indwelling Spirit is not afraid to be seen.
Those deeds that we are ashamed to be
seen doing are evil and come from the evil realms of darkness.
2.
We are not to promote evil
Rom:
3. Do
not be caught to be in league with the Prince of darkness against God!
Eph 5:14: Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and
1. If one is awake
there is no need to say, awake.
2. He is saying for us to become aware of what is happening.
3. Wake up and smell the roses.
1Cor.
4.
Escape from the wages produced by sin.
5. Moving out of the enemy camp into God’s camp, makes communion possible.
6. Dark deeds cannot coexist with deeds of light.
Eph
16: Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
1.Don’t
live like a fool, ignorant of the consequences of dark deeds.
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived;
God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap.
8: For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh
reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall
of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
We are living in perilous times,
violence, terror, and war is on every side
1
Gal:
Eph 5:17: Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the
1. Don’t live life devoid of God’s wisdom.
2. What
is God’s will for you?
1Thes.
4:3 For this is the
3. We
cannot give thanks to God for our sins
1Thes:
Eph 5:18: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is
excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
1. Be on guard that you do not become drunk
on alcohol, drugs, the pursuit of pleasure, money, or anything
that keeps you from fellowship
with God.
2. Be overjoyed in the things of God.
3. Have a song of thanksgiving in your heart
at all times.
Eph 5:20: Giving thanks always for all things unto
God and the Father in the name of our
1.
We cannot give thanks to God while we are involved in the sins of the
world.
2.
All things in your life should be open to the Father God.
3.
If you cannot thank God for it, then abandon it
Have a GOD-day!
