Somebody Loves You
Walking In Love pt.1
Are we really demonstrating God's love in our lives when the pressure is on? Unforgiveness in the church is so huge today. So many people that are holding onto grudges. We need to be careful that we are not a bad witness to this world. (upbeat music) ♪ I am falling ♪ ♪ I am falling ♪ ♪ I am falling ♪ ♪ Now I am falling ♪ ♪ Now I am falling ♪ ♪ I am falling ♪ - Welcome to Somebody Lives You Radio, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Role Race in Diamond Bar, California. We're glad you've joined us today for our continued focus on walking more closely instead with God. As you set fresh goals and priorities for this new year, Role will encourage you to consider whether you're positively representing the Lord with your choices. Role will lead us in understanding Jesus' example of selfless humility and sacrificial love, pointing others to salvation through your witness. If you have your Bible, join us in Ephesians chapter five for the message Walking in Love. Here's Role Race. - It is amazing the way Paul the Apostle writes his letters, especially when he's writing epistles, that is letters to the churches. The church of Ephesus was a church that not only had, as your pastor Timothy, co-labor worked with Paul the Apostle, and yet the intensity of that city and the crime and the immorality, and all the things that went on in that city. And it's amazing that not only Paul the Apostle writes an epistle to that church, but when John the Beloved is writing to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, in chapter two verses one through seven, he writes to them because what's happened is that the church has actually come up with a real problem in their lives. And the way Paul begins to share with the church of Ephesus is that it's amazing how they have everything that a church should have. That is outwardly. Man, it looks like that church is so right on. He says, "I know your works, I know your labor, "I know your patience, "and that you cannot bear those who are evil. "And you have tested those who say they are apostles "and are not, and I found them to be liars. "And you have preserved, and have patience, "and have labor for my name's sake, "and have not become worry." And then he says this, "Nevertheless, "I have this against you." And this is the words of Jesus, he says this to them. He says, "Nevertheless, I have this against you, "that you have left your first love. "You have left your first love. "I have not left you, but you have left me." And that's always the case. When God pours out his love, his grace, his mercies, it seems that God here is not really complaining, but he's actually exhorting the people. Because in the next verse, not only does he define the problem, but then he gives a resolution, or what they should do. He says, "Now remember, therefore, where you have fallen. "Go back and do your first works." Or else, "I, Jesus, will come to you quickly, "and I will remove, notice, your lampstand "from your place unless you repent." That is, the Lord is actually exhorting them that if they don't repent, and they don't return back to Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ is going to remove himself from their lives, and he's going to go somewhere else and work." Interesting exhortation. And now Paul, the apostle here, speaking to those in the church of Ephesus, to the city of Ephesus, those that were believers in the fifth chapter of the book of Ephesians, he's going to speak to them about God's love for them. And it's interesting the way he writes, look at verse one and two of chapter five of Ephesians. Listen to what Paul says. He says, "Therefore, be imitators of God as their children "and walk in love. "His Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, "and it's an offering in sacrifice to God "for a sweet smelling aroma." So now Paul, the apostle, is going to speak to us about how we need to walk in love. We have not only been learning over the past weeks what we are in Christ, but now that we know what we are in Christ, now this is the way we should be living, or this is the way we should be acting as believers. And this is why Paul, in that fifth chapter, in verse one, Paul says, "Be you followers of me." And the word follower there, it's a very interesting word. The word is to mimic somebody, that is to imitate somebody. He says, "Be you imitators of me, "even as I am an imitator of God. "Be you imitators of God the Father, "even as Jesus Christ was the imitator of God the Father "through the Holy Spirit, and now we need to be imitators "of Jesus Christ." Literally, it can be translated this way, "Be you imitators of God as beloved children, "as beloved children of God." This sets the theme for this evening, for this section, but listen, what Paul is simply arguing here is that the children are like their parents of fact that can be both encouraging, and at the same time, it can become embarrassing. To those of us who have children, we know that. Why? Because whatever your child has been watching you do, you've seen children as a sitter, and they try to mimic you, sometimes with good, and sometimes they mimic with evil, because you're the parent. That's the word that is used here. And so what Paul is saying, even as our children imitate us or mimic us, we need to mimic what God is, and God is light, and God is love, and God is truth. That's what Paul says. Listen to what God says concerning this love that God has for us in, first John 4-8, he says, "He who does not love, does not know God, "for God is love." And then God is light, as we see it in Ephesians 5-8, and in 1 John 1-5, he says, "For we were once in darkness, "but now you are in light, "and the Lord walk as children of the light." And then in 1 John 1-5, he says, "This is the message which we have heard from him, "and declare it to you that God is light, "and in him there is no darkness at all." And thirdly, God is truth. In Ephesians 5, 15 through 17, we'll get to that later on. Listen to what Paul says, "See then that you walk circumspectly, "not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, "because the days are evil, therefore do not be on wise, "but understand what the will of the Lord is." And then 1 John 5-6 says this, "This is he who comes by water and blood, "Jesus Christ, not only by water, "but by the water and the blood, "as in the Spirit who bears witness "because the Spirit is truth." So God is love, God is light, and God is truth. Listen to carefully what Paul is declaring in chapter five verse one again, "Therefore be imitators of God as their children." We have a need to imitate Christ. Now, how do we imitate Christ? What do we need to mimic Christ with? First of all, let me say this, we need to imitate him in meekness of life, in meekness of life. Matthew 11, 29 says this, "Take my yoke upon you, "learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart, "and you will find rest for your souls. "I am meek and lowly in heart." Jesus is giving an actual invitation for people to come to know him because he's meek in character. Secondly, we should imitate Jesus Christ in a self-denial life, a life not built around us. Self-denial. Matthew 16, 24 says this, and then Jesus said this to his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, "let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." A life of denial as we take up our crosses, which is the instrument of death, as we begin to follow Jesus Christ. Thirdly, we should imitate Jesus Christ in our love for one another. The way Christ loves us, we should love others the same way. John 13, 34 says this, "A new commandment I give to you, "that you love one another, "is I have loved you, "that you also love one another." It's a commandment by Jesus Christ given to the church. Fourthly, we should imitate Jesus Christ in our obedience of life, even as he was obedient to death, we should be obedient to Christ. John 15, 10 says this, "If you obey my commandments, "you will abide in my love, "just as I have kept my father's commandments "and abide in his love. "When you obey, "then the true love of God is in you, "because love dies to itself." (upbeat music) - This is Somebody Loves Your Radio with Roll Raze. It's our privilege to equip you with biblical direction and timely inspiration for your spiritual walk. Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 for resources including this entire series titled "How to Walk with God." Let's continue now with more from Roll Raze. - Fifthly, we should imitate Jesus Christ in benevolence of life. Second Corinthians 8, 7, and 9 Paul says, "But as you abound in everything, "in faith, in speech, in knowledge, "in all diligence, and in your love for us, "see that you abound in the grace also, "for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, "that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, "he became poor, that you through his poverty "might become rich in him." Wow. He did it all for you, all for me, so that we could become rich in this life, spiritually speaking, for what he did for us. And six, we should imitate Jesus Christ in humility of life. Philippians 2, 5, and 7, he says this, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ, "but made himself of no reputation, "taking the form of a bondservant "and coming in the likeness of man, "humility of Christ, as he humbled himself "to go to the cross." Seventh, we should imitate Jesus Christ in forgiveness of other people. Colossians 3, 13 says this, "Bearing with one another, "and forgiving one another, "and if anyone has a complaint against another, "even as Christ forgave you, "so you also must do." Wow. We must forgive, and we must love one another. And then eighth, we should imitate the sufferings wrongfully of Jesus Christ. First Peter 2, 21, 23 says this, "For this you are called, "because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example. "Then you should follow his steps, "who committed no sin, "nor was the seat found in his mouth, "who when he was reviled, "he reviled not in return. "When he suffered, "he did not threaten, "but committed himself to him, "to God who judges righteously. "Everything Christ did "so that we could imitate him, "so that we can become like him more and more." Ninth, we should imitate impurity of life. First John 3, 3 says this, "And everyone who has this hope in Jesus Christ "purifies himself just as he is pure, "just as he is pure." And tenth, unless on this section, is that we should imitate in giving of our lives to Jesus Christ. John 10, 11, Jesus said this, "I am the good shepherd, "and the good shepherd give his life for the sheep. "And if Jesus Christ gave his life for you "and for me, how much more now we need "to give our lives for our brethren." Think about that, that's true Christianity. Second point is this, the need to love like God, Ephesians 5-2, and walk in love, he said. First of all, God's love is a great love. Understand that, it is a great love. It's not a small thing. But listen to what he says in Ephesians 2-4. He says, "But God who is rich in mercy "because of his great love in which he loved us." Can you imagine how much God loved us? That he forgave you for everything you ever did? Not only God's love is great, but secondly, God's love is an everlasting love. It's not just part-time. But whenever he feels like giving you love, it's everlasting love. Jeremiah 31-3 says this, "The Lord has appeared of all to me," saying, "Yes, Jeremiah, I have loved you "in an everlasting love. "Therefore, with loving kindness, "I have drawn you to me." And thirdly, God's love is a sacrificial love. A love that he showed on the cross to each one of us. Listen to what he says in Romans 5-8. "But God demonstrated his own love towards us, "and that while we were yet steel sinners, "Christ died for us." Christ died for you. God, Christ died for me. Fourthly, Christ's love is also a personal love. Galatians 2-20 says this, "I, Paul, have been crucified with Jesus Christ. "He does no longer I who live, "but Christ lives in me, "and the life which I now live in the flesh. "I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me "and gave himself for me." Men, notice the broadness of God's love, the width and the height of God's love for us. Fifthly, God in Christ's love is a conquering love. Romans 8-37 says this, "Yet in all these things, "we are more than conquerors through him "who loved us." I love it. And seventh, Christ in God's love is an unbreakable love. God will always love you the same, no matter what you do. Always the same. Romans 8-35 says this, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ "shall tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, "nakenness, pearl, a sword?" I mean, what shall separate us from the love of God? Nothing, nothing can never separate me from the love of God. And then eighth, Christ in God's love is an intimate love with us. 1 John 3, 16 says this, "By this we know love because he, Jesus, "lay down his life for us, "and we also ought to lay down our lives "for our brethren." Interesting. Speaking of this imitation of love, third point, the purpose of Christ's mission. Ephesians chapter two, verse five, verse two. Look what he says. "Even as Christ also has loved us "and given himself for us in offering "and a sacrifice to God for us." Sweet spelling aroma. So he's taking you back, not only to the Old Testament sacrifices, but now he speaks personally that instead of a lamb, being sacrificed, Jesus Christ became the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. So first of all, the purpose of his mission was what? It was to fulfill God's perfect will in his life. God's perfect will. John 638 says this, "For I, Jesus, "have come down from heaven not to do my own will, "but the will of the Father who sent me." Notice that, the son submitting to his father, just like Abraham and Isaac, when Isaac submitted himself to his father's sacrifice and yet God intervened for him. Jesus did the same thing. Secondly, the purpose of Christ's mission, it was to save sinners, not to condemn them, not to send them to hell, but to save sinners. Luke 19 10 says this, "For the Son of Man has come to seek "and to save that which was lost." That is the purpose of God. He did not come to condemn, he did not come to destroy, he did not come to damn anybody, he came to save the world by giving himself. And thirdly, he has purposed for his mission, it was to bring in an everlasting righteousness through him. And everlasting righteous, as Daniel 924 said, that 70 weeks are determined for the people and for your holy city. To finish the transgression and to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in an everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy speaking of all of Jesus Christ, even in the Old Testament. Fourthly, it was to do what? It was to destroy Satan's work, the purpose of his coming and his mission, to destroy the work of Satan. Hebrews two, 14 says, "In as much then as children "have partaken a flesh and blood, "he himself, Jesus, shared in the same, "that through death he might destroy Satan, "who had the power of death, that is the devil." Jesus came and conquered over Satan and death. That is why it's so beautiful that you and I, have the power tonight to overcome Satan, we have a power over death that when you and I die, immediately we enter into the presence of God's presence in heaven, and we are with him forever and ever and ever, where we don't ever have to fear death. Never fear death. And fifthly, the purpose of his mission, he was to fulfill the Old Testament scriptures, fulfillment of the scriptures. Matthew 5, 17, Jesus said, "Don't think that I have come to destroy the law "or the prophets, I did not come to destroy "but I came to fulfill the word of God." That's why he came. And then six, the purpose of Christ's mission, it was to give his life for you and for me. John 10, 10 again, the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy, but I, Jesus, have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Choosing the path of self-denial and sacrificial love doesn't come naturally to any of us, but we hope you've been inspired today by Jesus' example. You're listening to Somebody Loves Your Radio with Roll Race. Today's lesson is titled Walking in Love. If you'd like to get an unedited version, we'll send one to you for a donation of $5 or more. Just call us at 800-634-9165. Now, as you think about the ways you can follow in his footsteps and point others to God through your life, we'd like to tell you about this insightful series titled How to Walk with God. Available on both CD and flash drive, this 16-part study will further challenge you to let go of grudges, embrace humility, and honor the Lord in your interactions with others. To purchase Roll 16 lesson series titled How to Walk with God, visit SomebodyLovesYou.com or call 800-634-9165. We'll send you the CD collection for a donation of $30 or the flash drive for just $20. That number again is 800-634-9165. To order by writing us our mailing address is Somebody Loves You Radio, P.O. Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765. Thank you for your partnership. You're a great blessing to us and every contribution you make is tax deductible. We invite you to join us again next time for more insight into how you can enjoy an abundantly fruitful life with God. You'll discover that your bond with the Lord will naturally strengthen as you focus less on yourself and prioritize others. Here's Roll once again with the closing comment. - And seventh and last, listen carefully. The purpose of Christ's mission, it was to complete revelation, the unveiling of Christ. Hebrews one one says is, God who at some three times or various times and various ways spoke in times past of the fathers by the prophets, why? Because Jesus Christ was unveiled, he was revealed. He became the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. And so when Jesus Christ came, just like Paul says here, he came and he loved you and he loved me and he gave himself for us in offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma, which means what, that God was pleased with Jesus Christ as Jesus Christ now is pleased with you and pleased with me. As we submit our lives to him, Jesus Christ becomes pleased. How? By loving one another. True Christianity is that we love, love, love, God, and love one another, God is love. ♪ I am falling in love with you ♪ - This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California. [MUSIC PLAYING]
To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/133/29