We are in our fourth week of Lent.
So Lent's those 40 days, the 40 days we are in, that lead us into Good Friday and Easter.
And we're studying passages that help us feast, our hearts feast on the lavish goodness of Jesus for us.
And this morning we're going to see how the gospel is not just the entry into being a Christian, the Christian walk, but actually the gospel is the totality of being a Christian.
Meaning it doesn't just welcome us, it welcomes us and empowers us.
And so let's dig into this Ephesians passage.
We're going to break it down into different chunks.
Ephesians 5, 1 and 2.
Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Point number one is this you are a dearly loved child of the Heavenly Father.
In verse 1, we see the word therefore.
Now anytime in the Bible we see the word therefore, we ask, what is it?
Yeah, very good.
Y'all love Bible study.
Great.
And so what is it therefore?
What's Paul doing?
What's going on?
What's he saying?
Well, Paul is setting up a framework of something that's throughout the entire New Testament.
And it's something that can transform us really from a guilt-driven, exhausting faith to a grace-centered, restful faith.
And here's what I mean by that.
What Paul is setting up for us is that we live the imperatives through the indicatives.
Now we've said that in our church before.
We live the imperatives through the indicatives, meaning how we should live is fueled by what is already true about us, what's been indicated, the promises we have in Christ, deemed as a dearly loved child, as you are right now.
That's kind of amazing.
That's the grace, forgiveness, and righteousness we have in Jesus.
We live out of that what we should live like.
That's what fuels us.
So who we are fuels how we live.
We don't just skip over to how we live, we live that out of who we are.
The word beloved is the Greek word agapatos, meaning esteemed, dear, favorite, worthy of love.
In January, I was in St.
Louis for a week for a doctorate class, and I got home after just a week gone.
Not long, not six months, not three months, just a week.
And on Friday, I was so excited to pull into the driveway and see my three girls come running out of the house.
You would have thought I was gone six months, you know, to Siberian prison or something.
All I wanted, all I wanted, right, is just to hug them, right?
Hug them, kiss them, watch a Seinfeld with them.
This is my dreams in my life.
Y'all know this.
Small dreams, that's all I need.
And the hugs I gave and the hugs I received, I mean, you would have thought I'd gone forever.
And no matter what those three girls were going through that week, what their condition was, how perfect or imperfect they were, what was going on, what anxieties or mistakes or uncertainties, right?
Like my love as an imperfect father, very imperfect, my love for them was coming at them.
Like I didn't stop and get like a report card from each of them.
Like, what's your righteousness report?
How are you this week?
You know, no, oh, I'll hug you now.
You know, like that's not what I did, right?
No, like you're like, oh, I missed you, like I'd seen you, like esteemed, dear, worthy of love.
Because they're my dearly loved children.
Right?
Underneath all of our roles and masks, we're all asking.
All of us.
All of us are asking.
Who am I?
Could I could I be esteemed?
Like apart from my job or my role?
Like, could I be worthy?
Like, am I a pastor?
Or am I something much more profound?
Are you just like an accountant?
Is that like who you are?
Or a mom?
Is that who you are?
Or is there something deeper at the core of you?
Brendan Manning, author of Abba's Child, writes, and we've read this before, define yourself radically as one beloved by God.
This is the true self.
Every other identity is illusion.
See, Paul says in verse 1 to be followers of God's example as dearly loved children.
So how we should live is empowered by who we are deemed.
Paul does the same thing in Romans 8, 14 through 16.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
We say sons and daughters of God, for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons.
Adoption, not orphans, you're not orphans.
We're children by whom we cry, Abba Father.
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
Now that word father is the Greek word pater.
It's a common term in the New Testament for God is a father, a heavenly father.
What a beautiful image that we get to receive of what God is for us.
And then Paul goes even further, and he uses that word Abba.
I love that word Abba.
It's best translated Papa.
And Abba speaks of tender endearment and trust by a child toward a father.
I mean, this would have been radical to any Jewish person at the time where such respect for God was like, don't even speak the name.
And Paul's saying, oh, he's like a papa.
The Father loves us fiercely and tenderly.
He loves you fiercely and tenderly.
And see, God being Abba makes you, makes you a dearly loved child.
Now, if we go back to verse 1 of that Ephesians 5.
Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children.
And maybe say, followers of God, or as dearly loved children.
Paul's addressing that great question, as we are Abba's child, how now shall we live?
Well, he answers it.
Verse 2, and walk in love.
As Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
So point number two is this as dearly loved children, who we are, who we've been deemed by Christ, as dearly loved children, we walk in the way of love.
I mean, what a wonderful and horrible calling, right?
If you've ever tried to love anybody over a length of time.
Horrible.
Your mother's still impossible.
Right?
And your kid, we don't start on your kid.
And you thought that really sweet, you know, you joined that sweet Bible study, and that sweet Christian lady was in that Bible study, and then she stabbed you in the back.
You're like, what is going on?
Impossible, people.
How do we love in a world where loving is really hard?
Well, Paul tells us first we love as Christ loved us, which means we love others lavishly.
But that's not easy.
So I love that he points us to how Christ loves us.
We love as an offering or sacrifice to God.
That's actually quite helpful.
Because it's almost as when we're loving that impossible person, we can understand that this is a sacrifice.
And that's okay, that's part of love.
That loving this person is not gonna be easy and it's gonna be a sacrifice.
If you're gonna try to love me, if you're gonna try to love me over time, you better pack a lunch of sacrifice.
You're gonna need it.
You just are.
And if I'm gonna love you, I'm gonna need some sacrifice to love you.
Verse 3, Ephesians 5.
Paul continues, what does it mean to walk in love?
What does it mean to be a child of God?
What does it mean to walk in godliness?
Verse 3, but sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, who is covetous, that is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not become partners with them.
So point number two is this as dearly loved children, there's our beginning point again, we live out of that, we live as children of light.
Walking in light is a walk away from destruction and darkness, away from lust, sexual morality, impurity, greed, hurtful words.
We are all painfully aware that these things are destructive to our hearts, to relationships, families, society.
But we're called dearly loved children, called to walk in love, and called to walk in light.
Now, I don't know if you caught verse 5 in there.
It's a tricky one.
Let's look at it again.
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous, that is idolatry, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ in God.
And we've got, like, oh, we we are all in trouble.
I love to covet.
I won't even go into the other areas, but we're all guilty.
That's a tricky verse.
But we read the tricky verses in light of the context and in light of what is clear.
And Paul's not talking about believers who struggle, all of us.
We don't have to raise our hands, but all of us.
Paul's already established believers as secure and forever God's children by Christ's word.
That's already secure, that's already been cleaned up, that's secure.
We got that.
So we come into this verse.
This verse speaks to people whose vice is their savior.
And that's very different than people who struggle with something.
Their vice is their savior.
Jesus is not their savior.
No, they run to their destructive way as a way for wholeness or peace or worth.
And it doesn't work, but they keep doing it.
Paul's rhythm of writing about obedience shows us that the way beyond destruction and darkness and the way toward godliness is not for me to tell you to stop.
I mean, what if I told you there is a red button in this building somewhere?
There is.
There is a red button in this building.
Please do not try to find it.
Okay?
Just don't.
Just please don't try to find it.
And please don't touch, don't press it.
Okay?
Just don't.
Right away.
Some of you are gonna press the red button.
But I can guarantee all of you want to find the red button.
Right?
It's the nature of demand.
The nature of law and what happens in our sinful nature when we come up against demand.
I'm gonna press that red button.
At some point, I will press it.
When you're not looking, when I'm by myself, at some point that's gonna come.
Right?
And all of us want to press the red button.
That's the nature of demand and law.
The law by itself does not have the power to generate godliness.
My demand to you to not press the red button could be the best advice you could ever receive in your entire life.
But it doesn't have the power to generate unless, unless, unless I really love you.
And you know I love you.
And you love me.
And now that changes the demand, doesn't it?
Because then you go, I think he really knows what's best for me.
And out of that love, my behavior changes.
See, we need what Paul is lavishing on, that the gospel is not just the beginning, it's the totality of our life.
You are dearly loved children of the loving Abba.
Now, how should we live?
Since that's true, since that love is so lavish, we are free in Christ, how should we live?
And then verse 7 says, Don't be partners with them.
So the people that are going into darkness, don't be partners with why?
Why should we not be partners with them?
Verse 8.
For at one time you were darkness.
And here's why, but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light.
For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.
And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.
But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible.
For anything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore it says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Paul's saying, You're light.
Live in the light, behave in the light.
We respond to the light because we have been deemed this.
And this response is not merit for God's love.
It's not payback for God's love.
It's fruit.
Jesus tells a parable about our hearts and life fruit in Luke chapter 13.
Luke 13, verse 6.
And he told this parable, a man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.
And he said to the vine dresser, look, for three years now I've come seeking fruit on this fig tree.
I found none.
Cut it down.
Why should it use up the ground?
And he answered him, this gardener, answers the owner.
Sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and put on manure.
Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good, but if not, you can cut it down.
Here's point number three.
When we're thinking about who we are and the fruit in our life, point number three, Jesus is patient with you.
Working in your heart and creating fruit in your life.
So the vineyard owner is God the Father, the gardener is Jesus, you're the fig tree, I'm the fig tree.
And the owner says, Well, if the tree's not producing fruit, I might as well cut it down.
Let's be done with it.
And that's the good news where the gardener steps in in verses eight and nine.
And Jesus says, Oh, that beat up.
Broken down, worn down, end of themselves, can't get themselves together.
I know her.
And I know him.
Let me, hey, let me work with them.
Let me work in their hearts for a little bit.
They'll be garden a little bit.
A few weeks ago, I showed you this picture of Christy's granddaddy and Nana.
Talk about them often.
We love going over to their house.
Little ranch house, pretty big lot, and garden all over, and granddaddy would force speed us Briars ice cream.
You know the vanilla with the specks in it?
Four-speed.
Dairy intolerance was not an option.
He's had your ice cream, went to the toilet, and then we all toured, all toured the garden.
You went out and you toured the garden.
And his garden and flowers, vegetables, unbelievable.
I told you about the Linton Rose, Murder Linton Rhodes.
Well, his tomatoes, though, were just renowned.
They were amazing.
Until I came into the family, you know, I thought tomatoes were basically just for ketchup.
That's all I knew of tomatoes.
I'd never had a tomato like this.
I mean, this is the tomato, I discovered the tomato sandwich, right?
White bread, not healthy like bird seed bread.
Like it, white, like a cake.
You know what I'm talking about?
And you put on a bunch of mayonnaise, a little pepper, sliced, just a couple big slices of tomato, tomato sandwich.
I mean, his tomatoes were so good.
They were so they were amazing.
They were so and he labored for these tomatoes.
I mean, it happened because he was a caring gardener.
Here's a picture of him tending the soil.
As any good grandpa letting a child run machinery, heavy machinery is always a good thing.
Yeah, that's just a grandpa move right there.
Grandpa can do stuff like that.
He tended that soil.
He worked it.
He mulched.
Like verse 8 talks about the unearthing at the base of the plant that would create fruit.
Now, the point of the parable is not that you'll be fruitless and you should be inferior your entire life because God's gonna disown you and kick you out of the family.
That's not the point.
The point's also not that you're gonna always be flourishing.
But the point is that you have a gardener.
The owner's never gonna get a chance to cut you down because the gardener steps in.
Jesus' response to the owner is just a call for more grace toward us and for him to have time with us.
He's just saying, hey, give me more time with these children.
I'd like a little more time.
I mean, I know he's really stubborn.
Yeah, I know she's really rebellious.
I'd like more time to work in their hearts.
And that's where I go, like, how much I need to be quieted by his love.
For all the love and worth I'm trying to find out there, and to understand that dearly loved, esteemed, worthy, dear.
Allow the Holy Spirit to unearth and kill up those motives that I need to repent of and the wounds that I'm coping from.
For the joy of more freedom.
For the joy not of destruction, but of godliness and light to walk in love and light out of being a dearly loved child.
On Thursday, our staff was in here praying.
And as we were praying, and I'm pondering this Ephesian passage, you know, all week for the sermon, the worship song Tend comes on by Emmy Rose.
And I want to pray the chorus for us as a closing of our message.
Because I thought the words were so fitting.
And so as we pray, if you're you're willing, if you just open your hands as a way of surrender, a posture of surrender.
If that's weird to you, I understand.
We do weird stuff in church and you don't have to do it.
But let's pray together.
Ah, but quiet our hearts in these moments as we receive the prayer of this song.
So be the gardener of my heart.
In the soil of my soul.
Break up the fallow ground.
Cut back the overgrown.
And I won't shy away.
I will let the branches fall.
So what you want can stay.
And what you love can grow.
Heavenly Father, we pray you are the Abba and we are your dearly loved children.
Help us to live out in love and light from the identity that we have in you as dearly loved children.
Jesus, you are our full forgiveness and full righteousness.
Thank you for the lavish love we have.
Thank you for the welcome.
And thank you also for the empowerment we have in you to walk away freedom and joy and godliness.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.