Here’s my sermon on the start of Ephesians 5. I didn’t get anywhere close to as far as I wanted to get, but hey, why hurry?
Here’s the AI generated Outline of This Sermon on Ephesians 5:1-5ish
Certainly, I understand. I’ll revert to the standard third-person perspective and focus the language more on the content and commands of the scripture rather than the speaker’s personal experience.
Here is the revised outline and summary, focused on the text of Ephesians:
Sermon Outline: Imitating God Through Love and Purity
I. Introduction: The Foundation of God’s Command (Ephesians 5:1 Context)
- A. Theological Principle: God’s sovereignty is established; He set creation in motion, perfectly anticipating all events (The “baseball catch” metaphor).
- B. The Command to Imitate: “Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1).
- C. The Context of the “Therefore”: This command flows directly from the preceding verses (Ephesians 4:31-32).
II. The Call to Put Away Sin and Embrace Kindness
- A. Sins to Be Put Away (Ephesians 4:31):Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice.
- Internal Sins: Bitterness, wrath, and anger represent rising levels of internal resentment and hostility.
- External Sins: Clamor (loud quarreling/noise) and slander (defamatory talk) are external expressions of internal rage.
- The End Point: Malice is the desire for genuine evil or harm to befall another person.
- B. Virtues to Be Embraced (Ephesians 4:32):Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.
- The Standard of Forgiveness: Forgive others as God in Christ forgave you. Recognizing the magnitude of one’s own forgiveness is the necessary precursor to forgiving others.
- The Child’s Trust: The imitation of God is like a trusted child relying on their Father to handle complexities and justice.
III. Walking in Love and Sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2)
- A. The Method of Imitation: “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.”
- B. Christ as the Model: To understand God’s nature and will, one must examine Jesus’ actions in Scripture (e.g., His handling of religious legalists versus the marginalized).
- C. The Essence of Sacrifice: To put away self-centered wrath and malice is to offer oneself up for the benefit of the other, mirroring Christ’s sacrifice.
- D. The Privilege of Grace: Salvation is a full, free gift of grace. The question then moves from earning to responding: Now that this gift is given, what will be done with it?
IV. Avoiding Impurity and Idolatry (Ephesians 5:3-7)
- A. Sins to Not Be Named (Ephesians 5:3): Sexual immorality, all impurity, or covetousness must not even be spoken of among believers.
- B. The Deep Danger of Covetousness:
- Definition: Covetousness is the desire for what someone else has.
- Result: The Bible labels covetousness as idolatry (Colossians 3:5), because it means deriving one’s identity and sense of worth from anything other than God.
- C. Avoiding the Culture of Filthiness: Filthiness, foolish talk, and crude joking must be replaced with thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:4).
- D. The Solemn Warning (Ephesians 5:5-7): Those whose identity and lifestyle are characterized by these sins will have no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. Believers must not be partners with or deceived by those who practice such disobedience.
V. Walking as Children of Light (Ephesians 5:8-10)
- A. The Change of State: Believers were once darkness, but “now you are light in the Lord.”
- B. The Mandate: “Walk as children of light.”
- C. The Testimony: The life of a Christian should be an advertisement for Christ, demonstrating a tangible difference that draws others to inquire about the Savior.
