Walk in the Way of Love
Message Transcription
SUMMARY
In this final sermon of the "Therefore" series, Karl Ihfe ties together the themes explored in previous weeks. He reminds the congregation of Jesus' teaching on priorities in Matthew 6, Paul's message of freedom through the Holy Spirit in Romans, and the call to stand firm in faith due to Christ's resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. The sermon then focuses on Ephesians 5, where Paul urges believers to "follow God's example" and "walk in the way of love" (Ephesians 5:1-2).
Ihfe emphasizes that our identity as God's dearly loved children should motivate us to imitate Christ's sacrificial love. He explains Paul's practical advice for living as "children of light," avoiding sexual immorality, impurity, and foolish talk. The pastor stresses that this way of living isn't about earning salvation but about aligning our lives with God's design. He concludes by challenging the congregation to apply these principles in their relationships, speech, and daily interactions, encouraging them to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength.
TRANSCRIPTION:
We're finishing up our series, Therefore. In fact, I'm just gonna, just got a couple minutes left here to kind of tie up some loose ends that we've been thinking together about. This word, therefore, this conjunction that connects the past and the future. Because this happened, therefore, now this is gonna happen.
We've been looking at some different passages that talk about that and asking Jesus and Paul, what's the therefore? Therefore? And so we looked first at the sermon on the Mount, Matthew six, and we learned from one of Jesus most famous therefore statements, don't worry about your life. Therefore is there to remind us of our priorities, what really matters, what's most important. We looked at Paul's letter to the church in Rome.
And this reminder of that, this kind of life we are called to live is only powered by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Right? We've been set free. And in that freedom, now we get to experience the Holy Spirit teaching and showing and shaping us.
A little later on in Romans, we looked in week three at how worship is more than just the words that we sing on a Sunday morning, but it's the life that we live. Therefore, we offer our bodies as living sacrifices. Last week, we spent some time thinking about his letter to the church in Corinth. At the end of chapter 15, this amazing passage on resurrection. He says this, therefore, as dearly loved.
Excuse me. Therefore, my dear friends, stand your ground. Stand firm. Don't hold back. That therefore is there to remind us that because the resurrection has happened, that tomb is empty.
We can stand firm, though we're going to face challenges and trials of many kinds. We have God's spirit, and we have God's people. We have God's word that helps us to become who he's called us to be. As we finish this morning, I want to come back to the passage that Mister Wiggles shared with us just a minute ago. It was first written by Paul to the church in Ephesus, but reminding the same, therefore, because we know what God has been doing for us, right?
Because of what we experience and celebrate every Sunday at the communion table. Therefore, in light of that, knowing that as dearly loved children, and we are all God's children, follow God's example. Imitate him. Walk in the way of love. Just as Christ loved us, and he gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.
It's why we do this every Sunday, to remind ourselves of the incredible gift that's given to us, but also why the therefore is there? It's to remind us to then imitate it. Walk in that same way of love. Walk in the way of God. And how did he walk?
What did that way of love look like? Paul actually goes on a little further. In picking up in verse three, he starts to explain to the church in Ephesus what it's going to look like for them to walk in that way of love. He says, among you, there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity or greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should we be.
Should there be obscenity or foolish talk or, of course, joking, which are out of place. But rather than thanksgiving, for of this you can be sure, no immoral, impure or greedy person. Such a person is an idolater.
No person like that has any inheritance in the kingdom of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things, God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, don't be partners with them. For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. So live as children of light.
I love how Paul's letter. It's not concerned with exercising authority or power or control over other people. Instead, it's focused on living in the way of love. It's concerned with treating others the way that God treated us. Paul brings us back to our identity.
Your dearly loved children. Jesus has done this amazing thing in sacrificing his life for you. Therefore, follow him. Live as he lives. As my dad might say this week, our call is not to embarrass the family, right to walk in the way of love, not because we're somehow earning our way into the kingdom, but because'that's who God is.
That's how he treats us. And he calls us will. Will we live that way? He says, because there are some folks who, when they don't live that way, their minds are depraved and God gives them over to those minds. He says, the wrath of God is coming.
But it's not like maybe some of us and have said, I know I have, or heard it as a kid, just wait till your father gets home. Or just wait till mom finds out about this. Right? Paul's not saying that we. Well, just wait till God finds out.
Then you're really in trouble. No, no, no. He's saying there's actually a way that God created us to live this way of love. And when we don't live that way, it comes with consequences. We like to think, well, it's not hurting anybody.
I'm just being me. I'm just doing what I want to do. But the truth is, no, actually, that violates the way God created us to live, and that comes with consequence. And we just have to turn on the local news to see the consequences of folks just living how they want to live. Paul says, that's not how we learn the gospel.
In fact, he uses this language. He says, don't partner with folks who live that way. Now, if you're familiar with his letter, you'll remember back in chapter three, he talks about this partnership that has been built, it's the same word, this partnership between Jews and Gentiles in Christ, that what's happened in Christ has not only broken down every other barrier, it's also broken down this barrier between Jews and Gentiles, those who thought they were totally separated. Paul says, no, actually in Christ there's this incredible partnership that's now been formed. And so let's live that partnership out.
He says, don't partner with the ways of this world, but you're a child of light. Let's live that way. The rest of chapter five and into six, he's going to talk about the ramifications of that and how we treat and use our bodies. He's going to talk about how we walk in the way of love by what we say. In Paul's day in that church, they were struggling with sexual immorality and how they're going to use their bodies, whether it's in worship or just in day to day life.
Others, it was what they said, how they talked to people. So, church, let me ask, what is the way God's challenging you to walk in the way of love this week? Maybe like this church in Ephesus, you need to rethink how you've been talking, how you've been expressing yourself, your frustrations, your hopes, your fears. And we're going to have a few weeks coming up here in election where we're going to have a chance to listen to some people express themselves. Are we contributing to the chaos or are we going to walk in the way of love and to be able to speak the truth in love?
Maybe for you it's a relationship that's gotten off track somewhere. And so walking in the way of love may just be a move towards humility, to humble yourself the way that Jesus humbled himself. Maybe it's to speak a kind word, to offer an invitation of friendship. I'm not sure exactly what way it's going to manifest itself. But we're praying and we're hoping and we're trusting.
We're believing that the Holy Spirit will help change our minds so that we can walk in the way of love. God, would you help us to be your people this week? Would you help us to be sensitive to your spirit? Would you help us to be on the lookout for ways that you are wanting us to walk in the way of love? Got I pray, a special blessing over our students.
And maybe there's not a more challenging place to try to walk in the way of love these days than in our schools. God, would you fill them with your spirit? Would you remind them of how much we love them? But God, even more so how much you love them. It may it empower them to walk in the way of love, to be a kind voice to that friend that just seems on the outside looking in.
Or maybe it's that friend who will speak a word of truth in the midst of some lies, some rumors.
May they be willing to live with courage, to trust you, and to live as a light in our schools here in Lubboc. Gott pray that for our teachers and our faculty, our staff, our college students at LCU or Texas Tech, South Plains, wherever they may be. Gott pray for our families that I know that walking in the way of love this week is going to require some humility. It's going to require some sacrifice, a willingness to listen instead of talk. Oh God, would you give us courage to be led by your spirit into that way of life?
God, in our workplaces around the city, it's going to require us, God, to think of others ahead of ourselves. It's going to require us, Lord, to be willing to say we're sorry when we make a mistake and not try to manage impressions. It's going to require some of us who have the incredible honor of getting to lead in a place of business, God, to lead with humility, to be first in line to serve. Oh God, would you help us to walk in the way of love? And Lord, you know that the only way we can do that, we know the only way we can do that is if, Holy Spirit, you fill us.
Help us to be the men and the women, the husbands and the fathers, the teachers, the learners, the wives, the mothers, all the grandparents. Whatever role, whatever place you have put us, God, would you help us to walk in the way of love? Father, thank you for the humble example of your son, Jesus, who showed us how to do this. Thank you for that. This gospel is not just for perfect people who have ve got it all figured out, but it's for messed up people just like me, just like us.
And we get to come here every week, and we get to remind ourselves around the table that you gave your life so that we could find ours. Oh, God, help us to find it this week and to walk in the way of love. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.