R375 Imitating God, Pt.1

We all could use some encouragement and will find it together today in the Bible-based printing of Dr. Don Wilton about imitating God. That's right. Over the next two days were diving into God's word in this concept of what it is to be an imitator of God to know that when people see us. They are seeing a representation of what they think a Christian is and will open God's word together, but we also want to know they were open to talk with you and pray with you 24 hours a day on our prayer line 866-899-WORD.

It's also placed order resources like the new book from Dr. Wilson call Saturdays with Billy about his time with Dr. Billy Graham is his pastor for over 20 years and many more resources. Also online@twonline.org here today to share with a friend. All those details RTW online.org now Dr. Don Wilton with me to Ephesians chapter 5 its worship together in the word of God. Ephesians chapter 5. I'm going to read just the first seven verses of Ephesians chapter 5 the first seven verses be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality or of any kind of impurity or greed. Because these are improper for God's holy people, nor should they be obscenity, foolish talk of course joking, which are out of place, but draw the Thanksgiving for you can be sure of this, that no immoral, impure or greedy person for such a man is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words fall because of such things. God is Roth comes on those who are disobedient.

Therefore, do not be partners with them by the Lord right he's weight upon our hearts this morning. Is it possible to imitate God no, I think if we understood the high and the brilliance of God's glory in his holiness.

I think every one of us here this morning would be exasperated and would agree quite readily that it's time to leave church right now because it is humanly impossible for any mortal man or woman to rise up to God's standard because God is holy God is just. God is the absolute of everything that anyone could ever be. But the Bible says that we ought to imitate God. In fact, it's interesting to note, my friends, that the word discipleship carries with it the very context of imitation. If you are a disciple and Jesus said we ought to go in all the world and make disciples.

That's why I'm so excited about what's happening with discipleship in our church.

That's why I'm so excited about what's going to happen tomorrow night at 730 when we introduce teammate to all of those who are interested and who really want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Discipleship means that I literally put my feet in the same footprints that God has put he's feet I want to do what God does. I want to follow God's leadership.

It's interesting to note too that the word imitate is the word from which we get mimic the word in the Greek text is mimicked by it literally means mimic God copy God do what God tells us to do full talks about it rather frequently in all of these possibly persons full sales that as born-again believers that the clarion call to all of those who love the Lord Jesus is to be like God to follow God to know the mind of Christ and the Bible says to us here in in Ephesians chapter 5 in verse one that as believers we ought to imitate God we must we must limit God, we must try to be like God that God is our barometer. He's our litmus test. He's our standard of operation I eat. He's the computer that we consult. He's the button that we want to push I eat he's the screen that we observe these. The picture that we want to pray. We want to be like God in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's interesting to note here in Ephesians chapter 5 that Paul gives us two reasons why we should do this. He lays the foundation in verses one and two. He says the first reason why we need to imitate God is because of who we are.

Verse one. He says be imitators of God. Therefore, as dearly loved children are like that don't you. Did you know that the moment that you gave your life to the Lord Jesus Christ that you received a special designation from God, you immediately became one of God's dearly beloved children are the many things we could say about children with one thing we can say is that children love to imitate their parents. I remember many years ago when my sons were just little traps and we were out watching a ballgame somewhere and even though it was a minor incident to always remember with great love in my heart because I was just standing there with my hands in my pockets, watching the guy my wife tapped me on the shoulder and she said look at the boys and I looked at the boys sure not there. They were both of their hands in their pockets, watching just like that, children imitators. You know, experts in these areas and I'm sure Seth Buckley knows a lot more about this in youth ministry than I do, but experts tell us that children imitate clearance to the extent that as they grow up they take on more and more of the habits and the characteristics of their peers. If parents to discipline their children become discipline. If parents have high principles they children have high principles if their parents all of the Lord they children honor the Lord if they parents give to God's work. They children are going to give to God's work. Conversely, the negative side of their parents behave with badly. Children grow up behaving badly. You know I say this if if if you not have you ever met a couple who every Sunday have preacher for lunch or they have church for lunch. I'm talking about.

They just critical. I'll give you a guarantee if in your home you criticize the church you criticize God's people. You criticize the preacher you criticize your Sunday school class get what guess what you children are going to is guaranteed. I'll guarantee you nine times out of 10 when your children leave home and they go off to college by going to be found nowhere spiritually. They going to have a critical that's what the Bible teaches us. The Bible says my friend listen to me.

The Bible says we ought to be imitators of God number one because we are his children. Number two because of who he is. Not just because of who we are but number two because of who he is because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. Look at verse two and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us and and gave himself as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice for us forces we ought to try and do what God does and the live according to God's plans because when we do the Lord Jesus Christ is going to bless us. Now how do we imitate God. I want to give to you just for ways that Paul talks about here in this great passage.

First of all we imitate God by living a life of love. Look at verse two. Again and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. Just having said we need to imitate him tells us what we must do and he begins at the very character and expression of who God is full. Says if you want to imitate God.

You must live a life of love and then he tells us three ways to do that and he tells us three ways based upon the example of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How do you imitate God by living a life of love number one by loving number one by loving John 316 God so loved the world that dear friends, I don't know how to describe love to you as a minister' have the privilege of marrying a lot of people and the one question I always lost couples.

It's Johnny.

It's just so basic. I look at the young lady and I say to her you love him, and then I look at the young man and I say to do you love her.

Can you imagine asking that of a couple who are going to get married. I mean, they have every reason to look at me and say preacher, now you mean to say we going through all of this reviewed Oscar such an obvious question. Do you know folks the number one reason why so many marriages fail is because couples do not love one another. What is love people are described.

Love is a feeling love this action. It's a doing word love is everything in between. In the English vocabulary but if we want to understand the very expression of imitating God. We've got to understand first Corinthians chapter 13 where Paul talks about love is not envious and love is kind and love is long-suffering and he roots everything he says in the imitation of God in the very next question of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. When I think of love.

I think of mom I think of the no strings attached.

Kind of love moms get that award there is no question in my mind moms just seem to know how to love with no strings attached, and when you let them down. They just keep coming back and just keep loving and loving and loving.

Paul said, if we are going to imitate God we need to live a life of love number one by loving but number two by giving what he says. He says Josh he says, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. Why does Paul want us to live a life of love by giving.

It is simply this, my friends, because giving is the ultimate of everything that God is in Genesis, God gave life in Exodus, God gave the law in Joshua God gave these people land in the Old Testament God gave these covenant in the Gospels, God gave his son in the acts of the apostles, God gave his Holy Spirit in Revelation God gives to us and inexplicable hope of glory, giving my friend, is the very heart of the holiness of everything that God is and the Bible says that if we are in Christ Jesus. We are to imitate. If we are to imitate him by living a life of love.

How do we do that by loving my giving and number three by sacrificing that's what he tells us in verse three. Verse two, he says sacrifice will put it like this in Romans chapter 1 Romans chapter 12 verse one I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice.

You see friend. When Paul points us to imitating the God of sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ he's talking about the atonement and when he talks about the atonement he's talking about ultimate and absolute forgiveness.

You going to live a life imitating God you go to imitate his sacrifice. You go to imitate the forgiveness of God because of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. That's what Paul is saying, you know that forgiveness comes on three levels. Number one God's forgiveness.

We cannot operate without God's forgiveness.

In fact, there are some people yesterday who would say pasta if you knew what I had done. If you understood what I had been involved in. You wouldn't even bother to say these things friend.

I'm not saying them. I'm telling you that God's forgiveness is absolute, you can begin again. You can be completely forgiven of your sin today absolutely 100% God will take your sin in Jesus Christ and he will cost it as far as the east is from the west and he will remember it no more label number two is forgiving also. You know that there are people yesterday who are being forgiven by God, but you struggle so much to forgive yourself that you you just cannot forgive yourself for what you've done.

And so there is a sense in which that as you walking through life you dragging with you a big big lump of lead.

There's a weight that is in your heart and soul and you know it is, it's that you have refused based upon God's righteousness. You have refused all you struggle to forgive yourself. I want you to do something right now. If you've done something that you know God has forgiven you for I want you to sign your own heart Lord Jesus right now because of the Lord Jesus Christ. I forgive myself you need to be set free. My friend, if you are going to be an imitator of God, you need to be set free. But there's 1/3 level of forgiveness and that's forgiving other people. That's a tough using orderly God forgives us not only are we in a mood to forgive ourselves, but number three as a consequence we then begin to forgive others for what they have done to trust one another that I want you to do something else this morning.

If there is somebody that you have not forgiven no matter what it is I want you in your heart right now to say Lord Jesus because you forgiven me because I have forgiven myself. I forgive that person for what he or she has done to me friend I want you to know that God will take that burden from you and he will allow you to begin to imitate him number two we can imitate God by living a life of love number two by avoiding immorality.

Look at verse three. But among you. They must not even be a hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity or greed.

Because these are improper for God's people. This is an interesting area gathered forgive sin that is so strikingly significant because we are in the midst my friends of one of the worst sexual revolution was that it never hit the world since the days of the Roman Empire. When people gave themselves to such debauchery. The word careful immorality is the word point in their it's the word from which we get the word pornography. Whenever you read about pornography or pornographic. You can just put the word immorality day as far as God is concerned and pulled here trying to tell us to imitate God is saying to us, listen if you want to be like God.

If you want to please God, you have to flee away from any and all forms of immorality pouring there pornography and when he begins to talk about that. Ironically, Paul gives us three different understandings of immorality here in the Scriptures the first 20 talks about his sexual immorality, sexual immorality, Paul talks about illicit relationships. He talks about sexual permissiveness and if you go back ironically to Galatians chapter 5 the apostle Paul even demarcate sexual immorality, even to a distinctive class that goes way beyond this description. He talks about adultery. He says listen.

Adultery is any full of sexual activity by a married person with anybody else at any time under any circumstance. That's what Paul says in God's word and Paul says my frame in Galatians chapter 5 and he says it again here in verse five of Ephesians chapter 5 that day that do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God that folks we living in a day of compromise. We living in the Elizabeth Taylor era in the United States of America where it is not only legitimate to hop in and out of bed, but it's legitimate to get married as many times as you want to you can just fall in and out of marriages. You fall in and out of love and it's quite legitimate to have any kind of sexual relationship you want to.

The Bible says my friends that if you imitate God, you are going to avoid all forms of immorality. Some people would say will foster my granddaughter, Mary, it doesn't apply to me. Will Paul goes on, he talks about fornication. Fornication is equally sexual immorality, fornication is for those my friend, who are not married.

Fornication means any form of sexual activity outside of marriage on any circumstance in any way in any form or fashion. The Bible says neither do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God and there is a divorce number of people in America today who would say pasta. That's the case I need to get up and leave because there is no hope.

Don't believe whatever you do you know why because of God's forgiveness because of God's forgiveness.

God's forgiveness.

My friend is absolute, but it is conditional upon God's standards. That's why I'm so proud of our young people with true love waits, but I'm going to say to you, my friend. If you have committed adultery. If you have committed fornication. I want you to know that the Bible says that God's forgiveness is 100% absolute and I want to make an announcement today at First Baptist Church because we know and love the word of God.

If you are guilty of sexual immorality and you have told the line, according to God's standards. You all welcome in this house of God know why because the only difference between the best of us in here and the worst of them out there is the grace of God. What a powerful truth from Dr. Wilton.

There's more gray teaching to come in just a moment the doctor done once we remind you we hear for you to pray with you and for you at 8668 just the number down stored in your cell were available 24 hours a day at 866-899-WORD 9673 or online@twonline.org, by the website today. That's TW online.org. Now back to take teaching with Dr. Don and I'm going to say to you, my friend.

If a person who has been guilty of sexual immorality cannot come into the church and find absolute restoration absolute reconciliation absolute forgiveness where in the world are we going to send the what hope is there for the world outside the church of Jesus Christ all their friend, I'm so glad that you're here today because there is hope there is a new beginning.

Paul goes on he does money talk about sexual immorality.

He talks about impurity, which is more general. That means sick or unclean. He talks about greed and lust, which is somebody who has something, but is not satisfied with it. That's why so many marriages break up today because of lust because they have something and they not satisfied with it, and so they just up and walk away. You my friend do not have a right to walk away from your marriage.

Let me say that again you have the right, according to God's word to walk away from your marriage, not according to God's word, not according to God's word and if your marriage is creaking at the ends and it's falling apart.

My friend, I want you to know that I'm not wonderful news for you. You cannot abandon those children. You cannot abandon that life and that husband you cannot split up a family like that because God's word says it's wrong. That's why you cannot do and there is no reason Bible says God's grace is absolute. His forgiveness is completely complete frame. If you've already gone through that God will forgive you today can be the first day of the rest of your life.

But don't let it happen to you.

You won't go to one single person whose marriage is broken up and I'll give you a wonderful rosy picture of how wonderfully deliriously happy day on now that their marriage is broken. I never find people like that don't do it, stand on God's principles.

Young people don't sell your body to somebody who's going to steal the very precious Jew that God has given to you stand firmly upon God's principles. And if you're not standing upon God's principles and you failed and you and and you've done these things. I want you to know I'm glad you're here because God will would you say amen God will forgive you, forgive you, on the condition that you stand in line with what God's word teaches now, beloved friends. These things are not always necessarily popular I will guarantee you today that you will find churches that will not only condone what you're doing. They'll help you do it. I will guarantee you will not only find clusters and preachers that will condone what you're doing. That will help you do it they'll make you feel comfortable. God's word says be imitators of God. That's what the word teaches be imitators of God stand upon God's word. Indeed, that is where we stand on the mercy rich grace filled word of God, per Dr. Wilton is preaching from the pulpit. Now, as he stepped in the studio for you to open your heart to what he want to share next are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right. Dear God, I know that Iversen and I know that Jesus died for me. Crops today I repainted my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart.

In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news. If you just prayed to receive Jesus moments ago with Dr. Wilton or perhaps to rededicate your life you need to know Scripture promises that the angels are rejoicing in heaven as are we, Dr. Dawood love to help you walk to the next steps we have free resources for you if you call us at 866-899-WORD at 866899673.

I would love to connect with those resources that's a part of what that line is about awesome that phone number means so much more first two periods first prayers, intercession for 14 those in authority time.

Our lives are any peacefully.

Client find peace concerning the daily prayer reading. God wants to give myself we just need to me would be honored to pray for you we would be honored to pray for his life. The Encouraging Word the 24 hour live prayer line you can call 866-899-WORD 866-899-WORD 9673 in talk to a real person running the lab. The Encouraging Word is a viewer or listener supporting ministry for listening.

It's been a great day and there's more to come tomorrow with part two of this message, imitating God with Dr. Don Wilton. I hope you'll join us and bring a friend.

We can stay connected between now and then on our website@twonline.org that's TW online.org