Ephesians 5: Can Christians Imitate the Lord?

Class Outline:

---

It's about reflection and not perfection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re in the resident congregation, turn off your electronic devices and put them away.  Let this be a place where you aren’t distracted by the world.

 

Welcome To

BARAH MINISTRIES

 

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with a worldwide impact.  My name is Pastor Rory Clark.  Thanks for listening to this Bible lesson!

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Can Christians Imitate the Lord?

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

The iconic movie The Breakfast Club follows five high school students from different social cliques as they spend a Saturday together in detention. It reveals some of the inner struggles of teens as they wrestle with independence.

 

One of the classic interactions in the movie occurs between Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy.  Molly says, “I’ll NEVER be like my parents.”  Ally Sheedy looks at her and says, “Yes you will…it’s inevitable.”

 

In the teen years, we seek independence.  Yet as we age, we find ourselves thinking and saying things we learned from our parents.  Children are human video recorders who watch and imitate their parents.  In today’s lesson, as we transition to the study of Ephesians, Chapter 5, our divine parents…God the Father…God the Son…God the Holy Spirit…and the Lord Jesus Christ encourage us to be like Them.

 

OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s hear some music!  John, who was described as an apostle whom Jesus loved, had this to say in First, John, Chapter 1, Verse 5…

FIRST JOHN 1:5

This is the message I heard from the Lord Jesus Christ and announce to you…that God the Father is Light…and in Him there is no darkness at all.

 

As children of God, we believers in Christ are imitating Him when we do as June Murphy suggests in song…when we WALK IN THE LIGHT.

 

MUSIC

OPENING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

WALK IN THE LIGHT

June Murphy

 

OPENING PRAYER

 

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Father, thank you for the encouragement and the warnings of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians…thank you for giving us guidelines for our Christian walk, a lifestyle of love and purity…thank you for sending your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to rescue us from the kingdom of darkness…

 

…as we learn from Your lesson today, help us to remember to put off the lifestyle of darkness and to put on the lifestyle of Light which Your Son paid for on our behalf…

 

…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Can Christians Imitate the Lord?

 

LESSON PART ONE

 

When my older brother would get mad at his wife, he’d storm out of the house saying, “That does it!  I’m going to work!”

When he was three years old, my brother’s oldest son Michael visited his Chicago

family for the first time.  He flew out from his home in California to stay with us for a few months.

 

My younger brother and I played hockey in the basement.  Michael always wanted to join in.  “Play hockeee to?” he’d ask.  “Play hockeee to?”  We’d tell him, “No Michael…you can’t play…you’ll get hurt.”  Michael would storm out of the basement saying, “That does it!  I going to work!”  Kids love imitating their parents.

 

We continue our study of one of the apostle Paul’s prison epistles, written to the first-century believers in Christ in Ephesus, a city in Turkey, in Ephesians, Chapter 5.  Here is the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD TRANSLATION of today’s passage of study…Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verses 1 to 14…it’s a continuation of the Lord’s suggestions about conduct becoming of a Christian from Ephesians, Chapter 4…

 

EPHESIANS 5:1

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children…

 

EPHESIANS 5:2

…and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

 

EPHESIANS 5:3

But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints…

 

EPHESIANS 5:4

…and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting…rather, the giving of thanks.

 

EPHESIANS 5:5

For this you know with certainty…that no immoral person or impure person nor covetous person, who are idolaters, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God the Father.

 

EPHESIANS 5:6

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of

God the Father comes upon the sons of disobedience.

 

EPHESIANS 5:7

Therefore, do not be partakers with them…

 

EPHESIANS 5:8

…for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord…so walk as

children of Light…

 

EPHESIANS 5:9

…(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth)…

 

EPHESIANS 5:10

…trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

 

EPHESIANS 5:11

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness…instead expose them…

 

EPHESIANS 5:12

…for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which they do in secret.

 

EPHESIANS 5:13

But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light…for everything that becomes visible is light.

 

EPHESIANS 5:14

For this reason it says, “Awaken sleeper…and arise from the dead…and Christ will shine on you.”

 

What’s easy to do when we are studying the Bible is to lose the context of what the Lord is saying to us through His Word.  When we extract Bible verses from their context, we get messages that shake us to our core.  This passage is easy to take out of context, so I want us to keep the Biblical context in mind as we go deeper into the message the Lord is sending to His believers.

 

Ephesians, Chapters 4 and 5 are the WALK portion of SIT-WALK-STAND.  You’ll remember that Ephesians, Chapters 1 to 3 remind us that the Lord Jesus Christ gave us a position in union with Himself at the moment of salvation. Believers in Christ are IN CHRIST through the baptism of God the Holy Spirit.

We are to SIT in our position in Christ and to enjoy the benefits.  We are justified by faith in Christ alone.  At the moment of salvation, we receive the gift of God’s righteousness, so as believers in Christ, we are holy and blameless in God the Father's sight.

 

Ephesians, Chapters 4 and 5 teaches us the lifestyle the Lord wants for His believers…THE WALK.  So as we study Ephesians, Chapter 5, we must not remove it from the context that includes Ephesians, Chapter 4.  In fact. We must not remove the things of this chapter from all of Scripture.

 

What does the Lord want for us in the WALK portion of the Christian Way of Living as we build a lifestyle during the sanctification portion of Christianity?  Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 1…

 

EPHESIANS 4:1

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I (Paul) implore you to WALK in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…

 

The Lord wants us to build a lifestyle that is an accurate reflection of those who are on His team.  God the Holy Spirit is in charge of “conforming us to the image of the Son.”  What is our part in building that lifestyle?  In addition to getting in front of men regularly who have the edifying spiritual gifts of evangelism and Pastor-Teacher so we hear the gospel message and the Word of God on a habitual basis, Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 22 to 24 encourage us this way…

 

EPHESIANS 4:22

…in reference to your former manner of life…lay aside the old self which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit…

 

EPHESIANS 4:23

…and keep on being renewed in the spirit of your mind…

 

EPHESIANS 4:24

…then PUT ON THE NEW SELF…which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and in the holiness of the truth.

 

In other words, don’t participate in the deeds of darkness that were a part of your former manner of life.  Instead, put on (like clothing) the new lifestyle of Light that has been given to you as a gift from a gracious God.  Is it suitable for our God to warn you what to stay away from?  The answer is a resounding YES!

 

The Lord uses the apostle Paul, the same man who taught us about our salvation and our eternal security, to warn us not to forfeit the mental serenity that comes with building a lifestyle of purity.

 

So let’s continue our study of the Christian walk, the lifestyle the Lord wants for those of us who are IN CHRIST…the lifestyle the Lord wants us to pick up and put on like clothing.  Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verses 1 and 2…

 

EPHESIANS 5:1

Therefore (believers in Christ) … be imitators of God the Father because you are divinely loved children…

 

EPHESIANS 5:2

…and walk in a lifestyle of unconditional love…just as the Lord Jesus Christ also loved you unconditionally and gave Himself up as a substitute for us…He was an offering and a sacrifice to God the Father as a fragrant aroma.

 

God is unconditional in His love for us.  What He wants for us believers in Christ is that we develop a lifestyle of unconditional love as well.  Why?  Because we are children of God.  Because we are divinely loved ones.  Because we are possessions of God that have been purchased with a price…the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

A lifestyle of unconditional love is one that is pleasing to God (a fragrant aroma) and one that is both supportive of and edifying of others.

 

A lifestyle with the foundation of unconditional love is a lifestyle of purity.  Purity is the avoidance of things that pollute and contaminate our lifestyle, which we certainly know is what Satan wants for believers in Christ.

 

We are to be holy as our God is holy.  When we are pure in our approach to life.  We are walking in a manner worthy of the Lord and the calling to which we have been called.

 

Children imitate their parents.  What better thing for an imperfect Christian to do than to imitate a perfect God?  Yet be clear…if you imitate the Lord, it does not make you “Christ-like” any more than imitating your parents makes you “parent-like.”  Imitating the Lord ensures that you are keeping yourself out of harm’s way in Satan’s kingdom.  As believers in Christ, we want God the Father to say about

us is what He said about His Son in Matthew, Chapter 3, Verse 17…

 

MATTHEW 3:17

“This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.”

 

We are His children, too!  Is He well pleased with your conduct?

 

What are the things of the old lifestyle of unbelief that Christians are to avoid?  Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verses 3 and 4…

 

EPHESIANS 5:3

But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you…as is proper among saints (us believers in Christ)…

 

EPHESIANS 5:4

…and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting…rather, the giving of thanks is proper.

 

In other words, we avoid conduct that is not becoming of the lifestyle to which believers in Christ have been called.  What conduct are we to avoid?

 

CONDUCT CHRISTIANS ARE TO “PUT OFF”

 

Sexual Immorality                   Impurity

Greed                             Filthiness

Silly Talk                       Course Jesting

 

Sexual immorality and impurity were rampant in first-century culture and in the first-century church, and they have grown unabated to this very day.  Sexual immorality includes fornication (pre-marital sex) and adultery (sex with someone who is not your spouse when you are married).

 

Impurity is anything that is toxic to Christian Way of Living.  Greed is one of those sins.  Covetousness is another.  In essence, these are the sins of an uncontrolled appetite.  These sins do not reflect the fruit of the Spirit, especially the fruit of self-control in our relationship with God.

 

These are sins of darkness and have no place with children of Light.  Paul admonishes us not even to let things like this come up in our lifestyles.

There are sins of the tongue as well…filthiness, silly talk, and course jesting.  This is a mirror worth looking into.  It would be interesting to have a transcription of what comes out of our mouths.  Would we be proud of these things?  When people listen to you do they hear a reflection of the Lord?  Do they hear you imitating Him?  If not, ask God the Holy Spirit to do something about it for you.

 

Let’s be clear.  As Christians, when our kids do things we’re not proud of, it is not our practice to discard them as if they are garbage.  Many Christians do that.  It’s a convenient practice to dismiss people who sin when you forget how many of your sins the Lord forgave.

 

Yet the truth is we don’t want our children being poor reflections of the training they have received.  We did not train our kids to gravitate to sinful lifestyles in word and deed.

 

Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verses 5 to 7…

 

EPHESIANS 5:5

For this you believers in Christ know with certainty…that no immoral person or impure person nor covetous person…those who are idolaters…has an inheritance in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father.

 

EPHESIANS 5:6

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God the Father comes upon the sons of disobedience (unbelievers).

 

EPHESIANS 5:7

Therefore, do not be partakers with them…

 

As believers in Christ, our partnership is with a holy God.  Our partnership is not with unbelievers who practice the sins mentioned earlier as a lifestyle…sexual immorality…impurity…greed…filthiness…silly talk…and course jesting.

 

God is Light.  What He wants for His believers is that we keep on developing a lifestyle of Light…a lifestyle that can withstand the scrutiny of the light.  In the first century, many unbelievers encouraged believers in Christ to take advantage of grace.  They would say to believers, “Since you’re saved by grace, you can sin as much as you want with no consequence.”  Romans, Chapter 6, Verses 1 and 2 discourage the practice…

 

ROMANS 6:1

What shall we believers in Christ say then? Are we to continue sinning so that God’s grace may increase?

 

ROMANS 6:2

May it never be (absolutely not!)! How shall we believers in Christ (the children of a King)…who died to sin as an established fact at the moment of our salvation… still live a sinful lifestyle as if sin is still our master?

 

Darkness is not the lifestyle God wants for His children.  These three verses warn us not to be partners with people who practice lifestyles of lawlessness.

 

When we return from the break, we’ll take the offering and then we’ll continue the study of the first passage in Ephesians, Chapter 5.

 

FIVE-MINUTE BREAK

NOBODY

Casting Crowns

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Can Christians Imitate the Lord?

 

OFFERING INTRODUCTION

 

Zig Ziglar…author, salesman, and motivational speaker once said, “You can have

everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

 

Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall to present you with one of the ways to receive everything you want by giving.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

JOHN 14:15

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Instrumental Version

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Can Christians Imitate the Lord?

 

LESSON PART TWO

 

You’ll remember the structure that surfaced in our study last week.  When the Lord communicates the lifestyle He wants us to build He instructs us this way…

 

THE STRUCTURE OF THE PASSAGE

 

Don’t Do This

Do This Instead

Here’s Why

 

Let’s continue our verse-by-verse study at Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verses 8 to 10…

 

EPHESIANS 5:8

…for you believers in Christ WERE formerly darkness (when you were unbelievers) … but now you ARE Children of Light in union with the Lord…THEREFORE, walk in the lifestyle children of Light would walk…

 

Don’t do darkness.  Do Light instead.  It’s the right way to walk.  How do children of the Light walk?  It’s a fruit of the Spirit walk…

 

EPHESIANS 5:9

…(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth)…

 

EPHESIANS 5:10

…trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

 

As believers in Christ, we want our lifestyle to be "fragrant aromas," totally pleasing to God the Father.  What's easy to miss, and why legalists have a field day with this passage, is that they ignore the WERE and ARE aspect of it.  We WERE unbelievers…all of us…in the darkness…Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verses 1 and 2…

 

EPHESIANS 2:1

And all of you (all mankind) were spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins…

 

EPHESIANS 2:2

…in which trespasses and sins you believers in Christ formerly walked according to the course of this world (the world system curriculum) … according to the command of the prince of the power of the air (Satan)…with the same spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (a spirit of rebellion against God).

 

We WERE sons of disobedience.  Now we ARE made into a completely new BEINGS by God…Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 17…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is IN CHRIST…and all believers in Christ are…there is a new creation…the old things passed away…behold…new things have come.

 

So our BEING comes first.  Who we ARE comes first.  What we do…our lifestyle follows our BEING.  In the sanctification portion of the Christian Way of Living we learn what to do as we are taught by God the Holy Spirit.  Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 10…

 

EPHESIANS 2:10

For we believers in Christ are God the Father’s workmanship, created IN CHRIST Jesus for good works, which God the Father prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

 

So as a friend of mine would say, “Let’s not get it twisted.”  As believers in Christ, we are saved.  We have new clothes.  We don’t walk before we are IN CHRIST.   We walk AFTER we are IN CHRIST.  We SIT and then we WALK.  So let’s not go back to the old lifestyle of darkness and put on dirty clothes.  Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verses 11 and 12…

 

EPHESIANS 5:11

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness…instead expose them…

 

EPHESIANS 5:12

…for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which they do in secret.

 

First Thessalonians, Chapter 5, Verses 4 and 5…

 

FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:4

But you, brethren (believers in Christ), are not in darkness, that the day of the Lord would overtake you like a thief…

 

FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:5

…for you believers in Christ are all sons of Light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness…

 

Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 13…

 

EPHESIANS 5:13

But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light…for everything that becomes visible is light.

 

This is not a reference to sins.  This is a reference to our BEING.  One day soon it is going to become obvious the difference between those who are in the darkness and those are in the Light.  Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 14…

 

EPHESIANS 5:14

For this reason it says, “Awaken sleeper…and arise from the dead…and Christ will shine on you.”

 

The Lord wants us not to be lulled to sleep by the kingdom of darkness so that we seem to be partners with them.  Instead, by following the Lord's lifestyle instructions, we make it clear to others the difference between those of us who are in the Light and those who are in the darkness.

 

Here’s the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION of the passage…Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verses 1 to 14…

 

EPHESIANS 5:1

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children.

 

EPHESIANS 5:2

Live a life filled with unconditional love, imitating the example of Christ. He loved us unconditionally and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God the Father.

 

EPHESIANS 5:3

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.

 

EPHESIANS 5:4

Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.

 

EPHESIANS 5:5

You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God the Father. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

 

EPHESIANS 5:6

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God (WRATH) will fall on all who disobey him.

 

EPHESIANS 5:7

Don’t participate in the things these people do.

 

EPHESIANS 5:8

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord.  So live as people of light!

 

EPHESIANS 5:9

For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

 

EPHESIANS 5:10

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

 

EPHESIANS 5:11

Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness…instead, expose them.

 

 

EPHESIANS 5:12

It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people (unbelievers) do in secret.

 

EPHESIANS 5:13

But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them…

 

EPHESIANS 5:14

…for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper…rise up from the dead…and Christ will give you light.”

 

Can Christians imitate the Lord?  Through the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit, we can and we must.

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race

 

The next ten minutes could be the ten most important minutes of your life.  You’ll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life.  We want you to know that…

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

He Wants You Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

…and what He wants for you is that you make the most important decision of your life.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ gave you a powerful weapon and a perfect gift from the moment of your physical birth…CHOICE.  You get to choose the life you want to live.  The life you are living right now is the sum of all the decisions you have made so far.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Sovereign God of the Universe and the Savior of all mankind says there are only two choices for your eternal future…either heaven (the small gate and the narrow way) or the Lake of Fire (the wide gate and the broad way) … described in Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 13 and 14…

 

MATTHEW 7:13

“Enter through the narrow gate…for the gate is wide and the way is broad that

leads to destruction…and there are many who enter through the wide gate (into the Lake of Fire).”

 

MATTHEW 7:14

“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to the resurrection life (into heaven) … and there are FEW who find the small gate.”

 

MOST PEOPLE CHOOSE THE BROAD WAY according to the Lord.  Which road will you choose for your eternal life?  You have the chance to be the eternal hero of your own life by making the right choice.

 

Those who are on the broad way that leads to destruction believe there is safety in numbers.  It is not true.  Believing what everyone else believes does not save you.  Learning the truth saves you.  Placing your confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation saves you.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is 100% God…that’s why we call Him Lord…and He is 100% Man…He’s human like you and me…that’s why we call Him Jesus…and He is the promised Messiah …that’s why we call Him Christ.  In John, Chapter 14, Verse 6, Jesus says HE is the small gate, which makes Him your guide to heaven…

 

JOHN 14:6

Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation) … and I am the truth (through the gospel message in the Word of God) … and I am the resurrection life (eternal life) … and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”

 

God the Father’s plan for your life is simple…BELIEVE in His Son and it is your ticket to eternal life.  Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31 says…

 

ACTS 16:31

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved by God, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

Those on the broad way that leads to destruction place their confidence in liars.  The Lord Jesus Christ warns about them in Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 15…

 

 

 

MATTHEW 7:15

“Beware of the false prophets (false teachers) … who come to you in sheep’s clothing (appearing harmless) … who inwardly are ravenous wolves (out to destroy your eternal future).”

 

As ravenous wolves, false teachers want you to choose to follow a false gospel message.  Proverbs, Chapter 14, Verse 12 illuminates the issue…

 

PROVERBS 14:12

There is a way that seems right to a man (saving yourself by thinking good

deeds will earn your salvation) … but its end is the way of death (the second death in the Lake of Fire).

 

The Lord Jesus Christ offers the true gospel message and an invitation to be saved in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life (eternal life) right at that moment…but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”

 

RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT…RIGHT NOW…you can tell God the Father that you are believing in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, and that is the moment of eternal life for you.

 

Who is this God who saves you?  The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (Paul) delivered to all of you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4

…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…

 

God’s enemy…Satan…is the sponsor of false teachers, false teaching, and a

false gospel message.  You have to be able to discern the difference between

God’s truth and Satan’s lies…John, Chapter 8, Verses 31 and 32…

 

JOHN 8:31

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word (the Word of God from a true teacher), then you are truly disciples of Mine…”

 

JOHN 8:32

“…and you will know the truth (the true gospel message) … and the truth will make you free.”

 

Another warning for those who choose the broad way is Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 21 to 23…

 

MATTHEW 7:21

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven… but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven (by obeying the gospel message) will enter heaven.”

 

MATTHEW 7:22

“Many will say to Me on that day (of judgment), ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name…and in Your name did we not cast out demons…and in Your name did we not perform many miracles?’”

 

MATTHEW 7:23

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…depart from Me (into the Lake of Fire) … you who kept on practicing (a lifestyle of) lawlessness.’”

 

Don’t wait until it’s too late to consider what road you are on!  Mark, Chapter 1, Verse 15 says…

 

MARK 1:15

“The time is fulfilled…and the kingdom of God is at hand…so repent…(change your mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ) … and believe in HIS gospel message.”

 

The will of God the Father is that you believe in His Son so you can have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Those who choose the narrow way have decided that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone is the ONLY ticket to heaven.  Get off of the broad way that leads to destruction.  Get yourself on the narrow way that leads to eternal life in heaven right this minute.  Jesus Christ is ready to save you.

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race

 

CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s close with music!  As you know, there is absolutely NO WAY any human being could ever accurately be described as “Christ-like.”  Today, the Lord tells us in Scripture that we can be “imitators” of God by reflecting His Person, His values, and His standards.  Marcus and Carolina Akins describe this beautifully in their song IMITATORS.

 

MUSIC

CLOSING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

IMITATORS

Marcus & Carolina Akins

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Almighty God and Father…

 

Father, thank you for reminding us who we are IN CHRIST…thank you for helping us to get clear on the tenets of this passage…that as believers in Christ we are not sons of disobedience…we are children of Light…so we don’t lose sight of what Your Son did for us at the Cross, paying for all our sins with His blood… simultaneously, we remember not to act like we acted in the darkness, being blown about by every wind and following the suggestions of the kingdom of darkness…

 

…instead, we walk as children of Light walk, imitating our perfect God in thought, word, and deed under the direction of God the Holy Spirit who produces His fruit in us…

 

…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.

 

THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Please make it a habit to listen to the announcements.  They are posted separately.  Keep current on the things going on and coming up in Barah Ministries.

 

DISCUSSING THE LESSON AND PRAYER CIRCLE

 

Join us Live or on Zoom Immediately Following the Lesson

 

GOT BIBLICAL QUESTIONS?

 

Ask the Pastor

pastor@barahministries.com

 

WANT US TO PRAY FOR SOMEONE?

 

Send your request to pastor@barahministries.com

 

 

KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!

 

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

 

www.barahministries.com