Beautiful Feet

 Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

When I get the opportunity, I like to follow the advice of the late Zig Ziglar and start my day by reading the Bible and perusing the daily headlines, in order, as he put it, "to see what both sides are up to!"

Without a doubt, the news from the other side is not good. Whether you get your daily news from a paper (or website) or follow the TV news broadcasts, the news always starts off bad and seems to get worse. With everything going on in our world today, from wars and rumors of war, to pandemics and natural disasters, there doesn't seem to ever be anything good happening anymore at all. Brooke remarked one night as we were watching the news together, "Well, that's negative," and she was right.

But I always like the fact that the evening news always has that one story at the end. That one inspirational story of good news. That heart-warming and heart-touching story of how some person did something that changed the life of someone else or how their action saved someone or saved the planet in some small way. I always wait for that last story before I go on to something else, because it is in that last story that I find hope to go on.

We long for good news in our lives. We need good news in our lives. As Isaiah points out, we find beauty in those who bring good news to our door, who proclaim peace, good tidings, and salvation. Who remind us that, in spite of all the bad news we hear, God still reigns.

As we start this new week together, let's commit to doing two things:

First, let's look for the good news and try to minimize our time with the bad. Hunt for the stories that bring hope to life. Look for the stories of lives being changed and the world being made a little brighter through the action of someone else. The good news is out there, but since good news doesn't sell subscriptions or draw viewers, you just have to look for it. Do that this week

And, second, be the bearer of good news. Don't spend your day ranting on social media or complaining about bad drivers, poor service at restaurants, and difficulties at the grocery store. Instead, look for the positive and share the good things that happened. Share that you got to spend time with the Lord today, or that the sunrise or sunset was especially beautiful after all the rain we had. Share how someone's touch or smile or gesture affected you and made your day a little better. And always share the Good News we have in Christ, for it's only in Him that we find our true hope and the promise of the good that is to come.

May your feet be beautiful this week, and may God touch you in a special way today.

Covid Strikes Back

 After 2+ years of successfully keeping Covid-free in our household, Covid has finally shown up.  My wife and daughter both came down with Covid this week, despite being vaccinated and boosted.

Although I am symptom free at the moment, I have been teleworking for my secular job for the past two days, and have decided to have a guest speaker fill in at Naylor Community Christian Church (Facebook account here) for the next two Sundays so I don't inadvertently share an infection in case I am a non-symptomatic carrier.

Covid has certainly been one of the most divisive issues to hit this country and our churches in my lifetime.  Never did I imagine a virus would divide communities and churches the way this one has.  Never did I imagine a virus would be politicized to the extent it has.  It is baffling, to say the least.

I worry that this pandemic might be a warning sign from God.  Certainly, the Bible seems to make the case that God has reached out to His people through plague and pestilence in the past.  And while I do not think this is a sign of God's judgment and wrath on the world, I do think God allowed this pandemic to happen to get our attention so that we might turn back to Him in repentance and faith.

I am perplexed at why no one in the Christian community seems to have made this case, and so I wonder if I am just a lone voice completely lost in the wilderness and not understanding the reality of what is occurring.  

We have been going through a series at our new church called Walking with Jesus.  The next message in this series is "Walking with Jesus in Warfare," referring to the spiritual battles that we face in our everyday lives.  Maybe it's because I've been studying and researching spiritual warfare that I see a spiritual component in this pandemic.  

As a scientist, I understand the reality of viruses and how we are now seeing novel viruses arise with increased transmissibility that allows them to impact populations around the world.  This is certainly exacerbated because of the ease of intercontinental travel in our 21st century.  A virus in China or Africa can make it to the United States or Europe in less than 24 hours because of modern transportation.  So, pandemics make sense.  Novel viruses make sense.  New diseases and infections make sense from a scientific viewpoint.

But I still feel there is an underlying spiritual component in this pandemic that is not being discussed.  As I said above, God has certainly used pandemics in the past to catch the attention of His people  C.S. Lewis opined that pain was God's megaphone, and the same case could be made for pandemics and natural disasters.  Both of these would seem to be events that would cause individuals to cry out to God for help, or at least answers.

On the other hand, one can certainly see how Satan has used this pandemic to divide the communities of faith in the U.S., and how this pandemic has raised the sin of Christian nationalism to unheard of levels as the virus became politicized and turned into a red versus blue battle.  

There is something going on at the spiritual level that we are missing.  To what end?  I do not know.  But I do know no one is talking about it.  I do not hear the spiritual side of the pandemic being discussed in the communities of faith or in Christian media.  This concerns me, but I don't know what to do other than to try to keep close accounts with God and to encourage those in my faith community to do the same.  

So, get vaccinated.  Stay safe.  Stay close to God.  Turn to Him with your questions and your fears.  Seek revival through repentance.  And have faith that God is working, even when we don't see it with our fleshly eyes.

SERMON: WALKING WITH JESUS IN WISDOM

  

I.  Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to Ephesians 5:15-20

 

Ephesians 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

            -- I know you wouldn’t know it to look at me now, but several years ago, I was an avid gym goer -- almost every day of the week -- as soon as I got off work -- I’d head to the gym at Moody and either jump on the treadmill or lift weights

            -- during the summertime, the gym gets really crowded and sometimes all the cardio equipment would be filled up -- so, I got in the habit of entering the gym by the cardio room so I could look in and see how crowded it was -- if it was too crowded, I’d either lift weights or hit the track upstairs

            -- one day, I walked in like normal and turned my head to look through the windows of the cardio room, and I fell flat on my rear -- I was not watching where I was going and I didn’t realize that they had just mopped the floor and it was still wet -- when my cowboy boots hit that wet floor, my feet went out from under me and I hit the ground -- all because I wasn’t being careful in how I walked

 

            -- this morning, we’re continuing in our series, “Walking with Jesus” -- so far, we have talked about walking with Jesus in unity -- in holiness -- in love -- and in light -- this morning, we are going to be talking about walking with Jesus in wisdom

            -- just as an aside, if you missed any of these messages and want to catch up, you can find the videos on our Facebook page, along with a link to a website where all my sermons have been posted -- feel free to check it out and let me know what you think

            -- so, on to today’s message -- Walking with Jesus in Wisdom

 

II.  How Do We Walk with Jesus in Wisdom?

 

A.  Carefully/Circumspectly

            -- so, how do we walk with Jesus in wisdom?

            -- if you would, look back with me at Ephesians 5:15 and let’s start there

 

Ephesians 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise

 

 

            1) Walk Carefully

            -- the first answer in how to walk with Jesus in wisdom is to walk carefully or circumspectly

-- now before we dig into this, I want you to notice how the Bible interchanges the words “live” and “walk” -- depending on what translation of the Bible you have, verse 15 either says to be careful how you live or to be careful how you walk -- those two words are interchangeable -- to walk in wisdom means to live in wisdom -- so Paul is not just talking about our behavior -- he’s talking about how we live our lives -- the way we walk with Jesus on a daily basis -- the daily conduct of our lives -- internally and externally

-- the Bible commands us here to walk carefully -- other translations say circumspectly -- means the same thing -- it means to walk cautiously -- sensitively -- not like the way I walked into the gym that day, but paying attention to where you’re going and how you’re living

-- this means we consider all circumstances and possible consequences before we do or say anything -- it means we think about how we act and pay careful attention to the dangers and deceptions that come to us from our moral enemies -- the flesh and this world and the devil

-- sometimes, you’ll see this word translated in the Bible as “beware” -- it’s a good reminder to us that we are not to just walk through this world with our heads in the clouds, but we are to be watchful and pay attention and to be on our guard for things that might trip us up -- for the temptations and sins that so easily entangle and hinder us in our walks with Jesus

 

            -- when I first started working for the Government, I was an endangered species biologist at Fort Benning -- I was out with another guy surveying for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker near one of the weapons ranges -- we knew we were safe because we were cleared into the area and they weren’t firing -- we walked through this stand of trees with our binoculars -- looking up in the canopy for signs of woodpeckers

            -- we finished surveying the stand, and turned around to head back to the truck, and I noticed these gold discs shining in the sunlight -- I walked over and took a look -- and discovered they were unexploded high ordnance -- basically, we had walked into a minefield because we hadn’t been paying any attention to what we were doing -- if we had stepped on one of those disks or kicked it walking through there, it could have exploded and injured or killed us -- I can tell you that we paid a lot more attention to where we put our feet when we headed back to the truck

            -- that’s the message that we see in this verse -- be careful how you live -- be careful how you walk -- so that you won’t get hurt by the things of this world or the sins that so easily entangle

 

 

            2) Walk in wisdom, not foolishness

-- Paul goes on to say that we need to walk in wisdom, not foolishness

-- what is wisdom? -- the common definition is the application of knowledge -- knowing what is true or right and taking action based on that knowledge

-- in other words, knowledge is knowing something as a fact -- wisdom is doing something with that knowledge -- wisdom is putting your knowledge to work

-- in school, I knew a lot of really smart professors -- they knew a lot -- but a good many of them had no experience outside the classroom -- they had knowledge, but didn’t know what to do with it -- they had knowledge, but no wisdom

-- the Bible says it’s not enough to know about God and to know what He wants from us -- we have to take the next step and walk in wisdom and apply what we have learned to our lives

-- wisdom comes through experience -- through living out God’s word in your daily lives

-- James talked about this in James 1:22-25 -- he tells us to not just listen to the word, but to do what it says -- verses 23-25 says, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like -- but the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it -- he will be blessed in what he does”

-- to walk in wisdom is to take our knowledge of Jesus and apply it to our lives -- wisdom is the ability to use knowledge for correct behavior -- what Paul is reminding us of here is that when we become a Christian, it’s not just about head knowledge -- it’s about a change in how we think and believe and live out our daily lives -- it’s about living out your faith and using your knowledge of God to walk carefully and circumspectly in this world

 

B.  Consciously (Stepping forward with full awareness of what one is doing -- having considered the way of God, we choose to follow His path)

 

            -- verse 16

 

Ephesians 5:16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

 

            -- the first way to walk with Jesus in wisdom is to walk carefully or circumspectly

            -- the second is to walk consciously -- to step forward in full awareness of the path you are taking -- in other words, after considering the way of God and looking carefully around you, you are consciously making a decision as to how you will live

 

            -- Paul describes this in verse 16 as making the most of every opportunity -- other translations have this as redeeming the times

            -- these phrases carry with them an urgency -- Paul implies here that we have to make the most of every opportunity because time is short

            -- we’re only here for a limited time -- unless Jesus comes first, every person in this room will one day face death -- and in that short period that we have on earth -- whether it’s 30 years -- 50 years -- 80 years -- 100 years -- whatever it is -- we are to make the most of that time -- living each day for the glory of God

            -- you’ve probably heard the saying that it’s the dash on someone’s tombstone that is the most important thing -- if you look at someone’s tombstone, there is the date they are born and the date they died -- and then a dash in the middle -- that dash is the sum of their lives -- that dash represents who they are and what they did -- the question is how they lived out that dash?

            -- did they live a life that made a difference? -- did they use their time here on earth to live for God and impact other’s lives in meaningful ways? -- or did they waste their time pursuing pleasure and worldly gain? -- the measure of a person’s life all comes down to the dash

            -- walking in wisdom means we use our time wisely and don’t squander it -- knowing that we will have to give an account of how we have used the time God has given us

 

            -- Paul also says here that we have to make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil

            -- if there’s a more self-evident verse in the Bible, I don’t know what it is -- all you have to do is look around you and you can see the days are evil -- we live in dangerous and perilous times -- not only are we seeing an increase in natural disasters around the world, but we live in a time of war and rumors of war -- we live in a day when people not only tolerate sin in their midst, but they affirm it and celebrate it -- and when Christians speak out against these sins and the evil around us, the world attacks us

            -- it takes wisdom to recognize the days are evil -- foolish people cannot see the danger in what they are doing and the impact this has on their spiritual lives -- they’re blindly walking through this life in opposition to God -- it’s like they’re walking along blindly -- heading towards the edge of a cliff -- without even being aware of it

-- our situation today reminds me of one of my favorite movies, “Shaun of the Dead,” a spoof about zombies -- in that movie, everyone is running for their lives from the zombies, but Shaun is just walking around oblivious, just like it’s a normal day -- he’s completely unaware of the danger he’s in because he’s not looking around him to see how evil the world has become -- that’s the same way a lot of people go through life today

-- wise people discern the dangers around them and live their lives accordingly -- making the most of every opportunity and urgently sharing the gospel with those around them because they know that time is short and they see the evil around them

 

            -- Paul commands us here to not be like the world -- don’t be foolish -- but understand what the Lord’s will is

            -- there are two ways for us to live -- as wise or unwise -- as wise or foolish

            -- wisdom, Paul says, is knowing the Lord and understanding His will and walking with Him down the path of His will -- foolishness is going our own way and ignoring the call of God

 

            -- I don’t have time this morning to dive into what Paul means by understanding the Lord’s will -- a few years ago, I preached a series on God’s will -- you can find it on that website I mentioned and you might want to take a look at it because we went pretty deep on what the Bible means by God’s will

-- real quick -- in summary -- let me remind you of the major points here -- when we talk about God’s will, there are several spheres that we can talk about -- first, there’s His sovereign will -- His sovereign grace -- His will and purpose and plan expressed to all creation -- His providential grace that falls on this world and on all people as a whole to make us aware of Him -- to call us to Him

-- the next is God’s moral will -- His revealed will -- His purpose for believers in a general sense -- it is knowing God and receiving redemption and restoration through His living word as it is spoken and revealed to us through the Spirit -- when we talk about God’s moral will, we’re talking about the commands of the Bible -- doing what God has told us to do in His word

-- the final sphere is God’s individual will for us -- what does God want us to do specifically? -- this is what everyone wants to know -- what is God’s will for me? -- what is God’s will for my life?

-- the thing to remember is that when it comes to His will for our individual lives, it is not usually a matter of knowing exactly what God wants us to do -- it’s more about who we are -- it’s more about whether we’re walking with Christ in all aspects of our lives and letting the Spirit lead us to do what God wants on a daily basis

-- I wish I had the time to dig into this more this morning, but just know this in regards to God’s will -- God wants you to please and glorify Him with your life -- He wants you to be a Godly person -- to do what is right -- and He wants you to know Him -- to be in a right relationship with Him

-- when you are seeking to become who God wants you to be, then it becomes easier to discern His will and follow His will and understand what His will is, as Paul tells us to do here

 

C.  Controlled (Controlled by the Spirit -- Led by the Spirit)

            -- let’s move on -- verse 18

 

Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

            -- so, first, we walk in wisdom with Jesus when we walk carefully and circumspectly -- secondly, we walk in wisdom with Jesus when we walk consciously -- making the most of every opportunity and following His will in our lives

            -- finally, we walk in wisdom with Jesus when we walk controlled -- and by this I mean, controlled by the Spirit -- led by the Holy Spirit -- in all that we are and all that we do

 

            -- Paul tells us here that we not to get drunk on wine, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit -- the emphasis here is not so much on alcohol, but on what controls us -- what is driving our thoughts and our attitudes and our behaviors

            -- when someone gets drunk, they are under the influence and control of the alcohol -- it makes them think and speak and behave differently than they would normally do -- so Paul is trying to paint for us a picture of something that influences and controls our thoughts and our minds and our actions -- it might be alcohol or it might be greed or pride or anything else -- all of these can influence us, but Paul says the only thing that should be controlling our lives should be the Holy Spirit

 

            -- the Bible commands us here to be filled with the Spirit -- this implies there is an action on our part that allows the Holy Spirit to fill us -- in other words, there is something that we have to do in order for the Holy Spirit to fill us and control our lives

-- what is it? -- faith and trust -- opening ourselves to God -- submitting ourselves to God and to His will and allowing Him to direct and control our lives

-- after God has molded us and shaped us into the vessels He wants us to be, now He wants us to be filled -- not with wine or the pleasures of this world -- but with His Spirit

            -- to be filled with the Spirit is to let the Spirit empower you and control you -- to lead you in the way you should go

            -- the issue here is influence and control -- who or what determines your actions? -- who or what determines your thoughts and attitudes? -- who or what influences you? -- the Bible says it should only be the Holy Spirit

 

-- Ray Stedman points out that being filled with the Spirit is "the great secret of real Christianity.... we constantly need to be filled with the Holy Spirit -- The filling of the Holy Spirit is the momentary taking from him of the resources you need for the situation in which you are. It has nothing to do with an experience, or a feeling or a crisis; it is a quiet drinking again and again of an inner supply of strength."

-- to be filled with the Spirit means that we go to the Lord and tell Him, “I’m empty -- I need your power -- I need your strength -- I need your direction -- Fill me with your presence and guide me in the way I should go”

-- “As long as we are conscious of our need and as long as we are willing to yield to the Lord, we can be filled with the Lord all day long. His power is available to us all day long” [Ray Pritchard]

 

            -- when we are filled with the Spirit, He influences and controls who we are and what we do -- Spirit-filled Christians speak words of life to each other and to those around them -- they speak in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs -- they sing and make music in their heart -- they give thanks to the Father in all situations because they trust Him and are led by Him in all wisdom and knowledge

            -- to be filled by the Spirit means you are following the path of Christ and walking with Jesus in wisdom -- living holy and righteous lives and sharing the word of God to those around you -- to be filled with the Spirit means you are making the dash matter

 

III.  Closing

            -- I’ve gone on long enough -- let’s bring this to a close

 

            -- since the people I love reminded me of how I made negative comments about Alabama football in my sermons recently, I thought I would say something positive

            -- without a doubt, one of Alabama’s former coaches, Paul "Bear" Bryant, is widely considered to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time -- in 38 years of coaching, Coach Bryant had 323 wins -- He took 29 teams to bowl games -- won 15 conference championships -- and won six national championships -- As one of his colleagues said, "He wasn't just a coach; he was the coach."

            -- John Croyle played for Coach Bryant on the 1973 Alabama national championship team and was deeply impacted him -- he shared the story of one of Coach Bryant's pregame speeches.

-- Coach Bryant paced in front of his assembled team as the band played for the capacity crowd waiting outside in the stadium. He made eye contact with each player as he spoke the following words:

-- “In this game, there are going to be four or five plays that will determine the outcome of this contest -- Four or five plays that will swing the momentum toward us, or away from us -- I don't know which plays these will be -- You don't know which plays these will be -- All you can do is go out there and give all that you have on each and every play

-- “If you are doing that on one of those crucial plays, and you catch your opponent giving less, that play will swing things in our direction -- And if we rise to the occasion like that, on those four or five plays, we are gonna leave here today a winner.”

 

-- the Apostle Paul would share that sentiment -- in your life, there are going to be plays -- there are going to be moments -- where you have to choose what direction you are going -- you have to choose whether you are going to follow Jesus or follow the world -- and those moments are going to define your dash

-- Paul tells us here how we need to approach, not just those moments, but our entire lives -- carefully -- consciously -- and controlled

-- if we do those three things -- walk carefully and circumspectly -- walk consciously -- aware of the time and of these evil days -- if we understand and follow God’s will through the empowering of the Spirit within us -- one thing is certain -- we are gonna leave here as winners

-- our dash will matter -- our lives will matter -- we will have made a difference here and in eternity

-- so, consider how you want to live your life -- consider what you want your dash to stand for -- and walk with Jesus in wisdom today and tomorrow and forever

-- let us pray

           

SERMON: WALKING WITH JESUS IN LIGHT

 I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Ephesians 5:7-14

 

Ephesians 5:7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

 

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

 

“Wake up, sleeper,

    rise from the dead,

    and Christ will shine on you.”

 

            -- has there ever been a time in your life when you were in total darkness? -- a darkness so complete that there was not even the slightest glimmer of light?

            -- I have -- one time in my life -- and although I was really young, I remember it to this day

            -- when I was about 5 years old, our family took a trip to West Virginia -- on the way, we stopped off in Tennessee at a place called the Lost Sea -- it is the world's largest underground lake, found deep inside of a mountain as part of an extensive cave system called Craig Caverns

            -- we followed a lighted path down into the bottom of the cave, where the lake was located -- the guide put us in glass-bottom boats, and we spent about 30 minutes riding on the water and looking at the pale white fish that would come up to the boat -- he told us how all the fish were blind because there was no need for sight in the depths of the lake

            -- eventually, we reached the other side of the lake and we all got out of the boat and began to follow the guided trail back to the opening of the cavern

            -- as we were walking along, the guide began to tell us about all the people who had used the cave in the past -- from Native Americans to Confederate soldiers during the Civil War -- he said that every one of them had one thing in common -- they all needed light

            -- about that time, the guide stopped and asked everyone to stand completely still and he had parents grab the hands of their kids -- he then turned off a light switch that was on the wall of the cave -- and we were immediately plunged into total and complete darkness

            -- you've heard the phrase, "It was so dark I couldn't see my hand in front of my face" -- this was literally that dark -- it was a pervasive dark -- almost tangible -- almost a physical presence --void of any hint of a glimmer of light at all

            -- you know, it is almost impossible in our day and age to be in total darkness -- we have so many artificial lights that even if there is not a light near you, you can always see a glow on the horizon from a city or a town or even the interstate -- that’s one reason why we can’t see the stars like we used to -- the sky is just too light and the stars are just not as visible as they used to be

            -- so, it’s a rare thing indeed to be in total and complete darkness -- to this day, I can still remember how I felt when the guide turned the lights off in that cave -- the moment that light switch went off, I found myself in a darkness so thick and so complete and so stifling and I was immediately gripped with fear and panic -- the darkness made me afraid because it just wasn’t natural -- it’s not what we were created for

 

            -- that’s the very point the Apostle Paul is trying to make to the Christians in Ephesus here in these verses -- he’s been explaining to them what it means to live in the Kingdom of God -- how we are to walk in unity with God and each other -- how we are to walk in holiness -- how we are to walk in love -- and, here, he explains how we are to walk in light because we are not created for darkness, but to live our lives in the light of Jesus

            -- so, let’s look at this passage together now and see how we are to do this

II.  Who We Are (Ephesians 5:7-8a)

 

-- verse 7-8a

 

Ephesians 5:7 Therefore do not be partners with them.  8a For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

 

-- last week, in verses 3-6 of this chapter, we looked at Paul’s counsel to live lives of love and to avoid ungodly behaviors -- things like immorality, impurity, and greed -- obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking -- and here in verse 7, Paul goes one step further and warns us to not be partners with those who live such ungodly lives

-- let me explain what Paul means when he says to not be partners with such people -- what he means is that we are not to be intimately involved with them -- we’re not to be yoked with them in such a way that we’re following their lead and their direction

-- there’s an old adage that says that you are the sum of your five closest friends -- in other words, you become like who you spend time with -- you start to look like those you are intimately involved with -- so, that’s why Paul warns us here to not be partners with people like this because doing so will inevitably lead to us living like they do

 

-- now, don’t misunderstand this warning from Paul -- he’s not telling us that we are not to have non-believers as friends -- that we are not to associate with unbelievers at all -- that’s not what he’s saying -- Paul understood that we have to live in this world -- that we are constantly going to associate with unbelievers in our lives -- but he’s reminding us here that even though we live in this world, we are not of this world any longer -- therefore, we shouldn’t be living and acting like the world

-- so, we can be friends with non-believers, but we should not be partners with them -- we should not be so closely tied to them that we begin to live and to act like them -- you can be friends with someone and not live like they do

-- how else are you going to share the good news of Christ with someone if you don’t know them or if you aren’t around them at work or at school or in life? -- when people see how you live your life differently than them, they will come to see the truth of Christ in you

-- I’ve got a Christian friend who used to work at the University of Georgia -- and, because it’s a government institution, he had to be careful about sharing his faith -- so, at lunch, he and a few other Christians would gather together in a small conference room for a Bible study -- they didn’t advertise it -- they’d just go in there, close the door, and study God’s word over lunch -- one day, he said, they were sitting there eating lunch and sharing the word when someone knocked on the door -- they opened it, and a coworker is standing there -- he said, “I don’t know what’s going on in here, but there’s something different about all of you, and I want that in my life, too” -- what a perfect example of how we are to influence those around us simply by living our lives in obedience to God

-- that’s what Jesus did -- He spent time with sinners, but He didn’t become like them -- instead, He drew them to Himself by how He lived and how He spoke and the relationship He had with the Father -- and this is what caused them to respond to Him and change their lives

-- so, Paul’s not saying we can’t be friends with unbelievers -- we just can’t be partners with them or be in close relationships with them

 

-- in actuality, Paul was more concerned about Christians who lived in disobedience -- who continued to live in darkness and sin after coming to Christ -- than he was about Christians associating with nonbelievers

-- hold your place right here and turn with me to 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 or listen as I read those verses

 

1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[a] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

 

-- believers should not be living in the darkness, and Paul is saying we should not associate with those who continue to do so after knowing the truth

-- that’s why Paul emphasizes the change that should have occurred in our lives when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior -- here in Ephesians 5:8, Paul says, “you once were darkness” -- the implication here is that you aren’t darkness any longer -- that’s who you were -- that’s how you used to live -- but you shouldn’t be living like that any longer

-- when the light of Christ came into our lives and brought us out of the world and into the Kingdom of God, our very lives and nature were transformed -- in 2 Corinthians 5, we read that we are new creations in Him -- therefore, Paul says, we are no longer to live in darkness as we once did -- but to live as light in Christ

-- his message here is a call of discipleship to the believers in Ephesus -- he’s reminding them of how they are to live now that they are Christians -- he’s reminding them to stop walking in darkness -- that’s who you used to be, he says, but it’s not who you are now -- instead walk in the light with Christ

 

III.  How We Are Supposed to Live

            -- look back at the second part of verse 8b-9

 

8b Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

 

            -- do not be partners with the darkness -- do not walk in sin and darkness any longer -- instead, live as children of light

            -- notice this doesn’t say to live as children in the light -- it says to live as children of light -- there’s an important distinction there -- it’s like the time my boss said that he learned there’s a major difference between a boy being in the band and a boy being in a band when his daughter was in high school -- in the same way, there’s a difference between being children in the light and being a child of light

once again, Paul is pointing out the transformation that should have occurred in the lives of believers -- when we become believers, we are united with Christ -- we have become one with Him -- our very nature and character and being have changed and our lives should be reflecting the very light of Christ -- we are His light-bearers -- as Jesus said, we are the light of this world -- and we should be living as children of light

 

-- to be a child of light means we bear His light in this world -- we carry His light in our very nature and character and being -- and this light produces tangible fruit that can be seen by all those around us

-- Paul says the fruit of the light consists of goodness, righteousness, and truth

-- goodness refers to how we act -- to be good is to be like God -- as Jesus said, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone” -- as children of light, God’s goodness -- His high moral character and holiness -- should be flowing through us and into this dark world -- as children of light, we should be known by the good we do

-- to be righteous is to be in a right relationship with God and others --  as one commentary put it, “the righteousness of God is all that God is -- all that He commands -- all that He demands -- all that He approves -- and all that He provides -- the fruit of light is a life that is righteous, rightly related to God and rightly interacting with men.”¹

-- truth is the absolute standard by which everything else is measured -- Jesus is the truth -- He is God’s word made manifest -- and in Him we know the standard by which we should live -- by looking at Him, we know whether something or someone is true and right or if it is not -- to walk in truth is to walk in obedience to Christ and to share the truth in love -- to walk in truth is to align your life to the word of God and live lives of personal integrity

 

            -- verse 10-14

 

10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

 

“Wake up, sleeper,

    rise from the dead,

    and Christ will shine on you.”

 

            -- how do we live as children of light? -- what does that look like on a practical basis?

-- first, we must find out what pleases the Lord -- in other words, Paul is telling us that we have to learn what it means to walk as children of light -- it’s an on-going process -- it’s something that we do from the moment we become a Christian until God takes us home

-- a few years ago, bracelets with the acronym WWJD started showing up everywhere in Christian communities -- WWJD -- What Would Jesus Do? -- that’s a great starting point in trying to discern what pleases the Lord

-- as we are faced with decisions in our lives -- as we seek to walk as children of light -- we can begin by asking ourselves, what would Jesus do in this situation? -- how would Jesus act? -- what would Jesus say?

-- we find our answers by studying His life in the gospels -- by studying God’s word in its entirety -- through prayer and interaction with the Holy Spirit -- and through His church -- as God’s people speak the word of God into our lives

-- as children of light we should be continually asking ourselves, “will this please the Lord?”

 

-- the second way we live as children of light is by avoiding the darkness -- as Paul puts it here, “have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness” -- but live in such a way that the darkness is exposed

-- this gets back to Paul’s original point in this passage -- we are to avoid sinful thinking and sinful living -- we are to stop living as darkness and in the darkness -- we do this by surrendering our all to the Spirit of God, who will produce within us the fruit of the Spirit, including the fruits of goodness, righteousness, and truth

-- the Bible tells us that if we resist the devil, he will flee -- and that when we are tempted, God will show us a way out of that temptation so that we can endure -- we are told to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ -- meaning that we examine all our thoughts and desires in the light of Christ and turn away from those that do not align with His word

 

            -- and, finally, Paul says we are to expose everything in our lives to the light of Christ, so that we will be able to walk in the light

            -- what Paul is counseling us to do here is to examine our lives to make sure we do not have darkness lurking in our hearts -- Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart -- test me and know my anxious thoughts -- see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” -- that is the exact same thing that Paul is telling us to do when he says to expose everything to the light

            -- this is an examination of conscience -- an examination of who we are and how we living -- how close to the standard of God’s word are we living? -- are we the same people at home or work or school as we are in church?

 

            -- One afternoon, the members of a health club assembled for a meeting on nutrition and exercise -- the dietitian leading the discussion asked each member in turn to describe his or her daily routine -- the first participant admitted to a number of excesses, including overeating -- Others joined in agreement, and said they did the same

-- But one seriously overweight member reported, “I eat healthfully and moderately, I drink moderately and I exercise frequently.”

-- “I see,” said the dietitian. “Are you sure you have nothing else to tell us?”

-- “Well, yes,” said the man. “I also lie extensively.”²

 

-- the first step in getting healthy is learning to tell the truth -- to see if you have any offensive way within you -- to ask God to cleanse you of your unrighteousness and disobedience so that you might walk in the light of Christ in all facets of your life

 

-- most commentators agree that the end of verse 14 is an excerpt from an early hymn -- when Paul writes here to “Wake up, O sleeper, and rise from the dead,” this is a call for believers to wake up from their backsliding and the hypocrisy of their lives -- to admit their sins and their failures -- the darkness in their lives -- and to let the light of Christ shine on them so that they can live as children of light

 

-- these three steps -- finding out what pleases the Lord -- avoiding the darkness -- and exposing our life to the light of Christ -- helps us to become who we are in Christ -- they help us to become children of light who live as the light of the world and as the light-bearers of the King

 

IV.  Closing

-- In his documentary titled, “Light On Earth,” David Attenborough tells of an unbelievable experience of the S.S. Lima. On January 25, 1995, as this British Merchant vessel sailed the waters of the northwestern Indian Ocean, the seas beneath them began to glow.

-- On a clear moonless night, while 150 miles east of the Somalian coast, a whitish glow was observed on the horizon. And after about fifteen minutes of traveling, the ship was completely surrounded by a sea of milky white color with a fairly uniform luminescence. It appeared as though the ship was sailing over a field of snow or gliding over the clouds.

-- While stories of glowing seas have been a part of maritime folklore since the 1700’s, they have never been scientifically confirmed. But a group of scientists had an ingenious idea.

-- Using a Defense Meteorological Satellite, Dr. Stephen Haddock and his team discovered a large luminescent area roughly the size of Connecticut -- about 110 miles long -- in the exact area where the S.S. Lima had reported the glowing seas in 1995 -- marine biologists discovered that the glowing sea was caused by massive swarms of bioluminescent bacteria feeding on large populations of algae

            -- Imagine that for a moment -- Bacteria are microscopic -- they cannot be seen by the naked eye -- but when they congregate together, the light they give off transforms the very sea and can be seen by satellites 600 miles above the earth ³

            -- if mere microscopic bacteria can do this, imagine what the church of Christ could do if we all began living as children of light -- imagine the brightness of the light that would shine from us -- and imagine how this light could transform the world and dispel the darkness in all its forms

 

            -- if you’ve been involved with church for any length of time, you probably remember the children’s song, “This Little Light of Mine” -- This little light of mine -- I’m gonna let it shine -- this little light of mine -- I’m gonna let it shine -- let it shine -- let it shine -- let it shine

            -- that is our call this morning -- that is the sum total message that Paul was giving us in this passage -- to leave the darkness behind -- to live as children of light -- and to let our light shine before God and men so that this whole world would come to know Jesus as we know Him

            -- so, leave here today with your light held high and let it shine -- let it shine -- let it shine

            -- let us pray

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 Precept Austin

2 Rich Cathers

3 David Attenborough, “Light On Earth” CuriosityStream.com (5-9-16)

SERMON: WALKING WITH JESUS IN LOVE

 I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Ephesians 5:1-6

 

Ephesians 5:1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

 

            -- when I started working at Moody Air Force Base, one of the first people I met was the computer guy -- he was an older gentleman -- worked there for decades -- his office was in a little trailer behind our building -- and when I first had computer issues, I was told to go find him -- no one would take me over there, and after I finally made my way over and met him, I learned why

            -- this guy was not friendly -- he didn’t like to be bothered, especially by those people who needed his help -- he was gruff -- didn’t speak kindly -- and didn’t hesitate to use foul language -- his whole demeanor was “leave me alone -- I don’t like you -- and I don’t want to be around you” -- and so people avoided him as much as they could

            -- as time went by, I got to know him a little better -- we’d nod if we passed each other in the hall -- and I had occasion to speak with him on other issues from time-to-time -- one day, he stopped by my office and said, “I hear you’re going on the Walk to Emmaus -- that’s good -- I went on the Walk and it changed my life and it made me more active in my church -- I’m a leader there now” -- and then he went on

            -- my jaw hit the floor -- I couldn’t believe what I just heard -- this grumpy old man who everyone avoided because of his behavior and his language just told me he was a Christian -- and not just a Christian -- but someone who had been on a special Christian retreat designed for leaders in the church to help grow their faith and their walk with Jesus

            -- never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined this guy was a Christian -- my best guess was that he was undercover -- maybe a secret agent for the Lord -- but that really affected me -- it caused me to consider who I was in Christ and how others saw me

            -- you’ve heard the old cliche, “If they were arresting people for being Christians, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” -- well, there’s some truth in that old saying -- learning that my coworker was a Christian caused me to think about how I was living -- could others tell I was a Christian based on how I talked and how I acted and how I related to them in the office? -- or was I another secret agent for the Lord? -- proclaiming to be a Christian while living a life in public that did not reflect Christian values, attitudes, or behaviors?

            -- that’s exactly what the Apostle Paul is addressing in this passage from Ephesians 5 -- so, let’s look back at this passage together now and answer those questions about ourselves as we look at Paul’s call to walk with Jesus in love

 

II.  Scripture Lesson (Ephesians 5:1-6)

 

            -- look back with me at verse 1-2

 

Ephesians 5:1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 

-- a couple of weeks ago, Great Britain celebrated Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee -- she has reigned for 70 years now -- and despite the public failings and foibles of her children and grandchildren, her reign has always been characterized by grace and class -- she has diligently given her life to serve her people well, and as a result she is deeply loved and highly revered -- there has never been a whisper or a hint of impropriety with Queen Elizabeth -- she has been an example for all the people of Great Britain for over 70 years

-- So, you can understand what it means to the people of Great Britain when they see the British flag flying over Buckingham Palace -- when the flag is flying, it means the Queen is in residence -- she is there with her people in the heart of her Kingdom -- that flag is a visible and public reminder that Queen Elizabeth is there

-- As Christians, we should be cognizant of the fact that our King is always present with us -- Jesus told us that He would never leave us or forsake us -- that He would always be with us and in us, no matter where we go -- our King is always home

-- but do others know? -- we don’t have a flag that we fly above our heads to let the world know that Jesus is within us -- but they should know He is in residence within us because of how we live -- if He is truly within us, that should show on the outside -- we should not be secret agent Christians, living undercover lives -- but bold witnesses of His presence and His grace as we imitate Him in our attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors¹

-- as Phillip Yancey wrote, “For the watching world, we ourselves serve proof that God is alive. We form the visible shape of what he is like.”

 

-- that is why Paul commands us here to be imitators of God -- as His dearly loved children, we are called to imitate Jesus in our daily lives -- to become like Him -- inside and out -- reflecting His Kingdom values in who we are and what we do

-- what does it mean to imitate God? -- it means to be like Jesus -- and to explain that better for us, Paul tells us that we imitate God by living a life of love

-- the word that Paul uses for love here in the Greek is the word agape -- just as a reminder, while we only have one word for love in our English language, the Greeks had multiple words to describe the different types of love that we experience in our lives

-- for instance, they would use the word eros to describe romantic love -- passionate love -- the love between a husband and a wife

-- they would use philia to describe brotherly love -- the love you have for your friends -- for those people around you who are more than acquaintances but not blood relation

-- they would use storge to describe familial love -- family love -- the love for your parents and your children and your siblings

-- but the highest form of love was agape love -- this is the love of God -- sacrificial, unconditional love -- the love that has no bounds -- the love that surpasses all understanding

-- to imitate God, Paul says, you must live a life of agape -- you must live a life where your love reaches out and touches everyone -- spouses, family, friends, enemies, the entire world -- with the love of God -- love, not in name, but in action and in attitude and in behaviors -- the love that God poured out on us when He sent Jesus to die for our sins and when He forgave us for all that we had done -- this is the love you are to live out -- this is what it means to imitate God

 

-- now, I know what some of you might be thinking -- sure, it’s one thing to tell us to imitate God -- to tell us to live a life of agape love -- but it’s another thing to do it -- we’re not Jesus -- we can’t live like Him -- we’re not God

-- no, you’re not -- but remember that you have God in residence within you -- if you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are filled with His very presence -- the Holy Spirit is inside you -- empowering you and making you capable of doing what you could not do in your flesh

-- remember that Jesus told us that we would do greater things than Him -- and Paul isn’t just giving religious platitudes when he commands us here to be imitators of God and to live a life of love -- he’s not telling us to do something that we are incapable of doing

-- a lot of people forget that when Jesus came to earth, He emptied Himself of His divine attributes -- as we learn in Philippians 2:5-8, Jesus made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man -- He became one of us -- fully man -- fully human -- and what He did on earth was done through the power of the Holy Spirit

-- we can do the same -- yes, we have a sin nature that Jesus did not have -- we have a lifetime of sinful habits and behaviors and thoughts that lead us astray that Jesus did not have -- but we have the very presence of the living God within us who gives us the power to imitate Jesus in who we are and what we do -- to be holy as He was holy -- and to live lives of agape love

-- if this was not possible, God would not have commanded it of us -- so, yes, we can do this, but only because we have God Himself within us making us capable of living in such a way

 

-- so, immediately after telling us what we are to do -- how we are to imitate God and live lives of love -- Paul paints for us a picture of the opposite -- he shows us how we used to be before Jesus came into our lives -- and how the world still lives today

 

-- look at verse 3-6

 

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

 

-- in these verses, Paul contrasts the way of the world with the way Christ calls us to live and to love

-- our world today is hypersexualized -- we see it in our movies and our TV shows -- we see it on the internet and in social media -- we see it in advertising and in the lives of those around us -- as far as the world is concerned, almost anything goes when it comes to sexual relations -- they have redefined normal sexuality to mean whatever they want it to be and whatever feels good for them

-- God calls their definition of normal sexuality immoral -- and Paul tells us and the Ephesian Christians that there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality in our lives because this will compromise our walk with Christ

-- the Greek word Paul uses here for sexual immorality is very expansive -- it refers to any form of sexual activity outside of marriage -- whether that is pornography, premarital or extramarital sex, or same sex relationships -- for the last month, you might have heard the catch phrase, “love is love,” being bantered about -- but Paul is saying that the love the world defines as the new normal is contrary to the nature and character of God 

 

-- he goes on to talk about avoiding impurity and greed -- with these three -- sexual immorality, impurity, and greed -- Paul is addressing what drives our actions and behaviors -- he’s calling out our internal beliefs and attitudes and the thoughts that drive what we do and who we become

-- he is referring to our immoral thoughts, passions, fantasies, and ideas that are coming from the old man -- our flesh -- which we talked about last week

-- as you remember, Paul said in Ephesians 4 that these need to be put behind us and that we need to put on our new selves in Christ -- putting aside sexual immorality and greed and impurity and putting on the things of Christ -- His holiness and righteousness -- imitating God and living lives of agape love

-- there’s an old praise song we sometimes sing that says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus -- look full in His wonderful face -- and the things of earth will grow strangely dim -- in the light of His mercy and grace” -- that’s the message Paul is giving us -- stop dwelling on the things of earth and instead turn your eyes and your thoughts towards Jesus -- imitate Him in your minds and in your thoughts and in your attitudes -- and you will find that the things of the world like sexual immorality and impurity and greed no longer drive you and define who you are and what you do

 

-- he goes on to say that we should be mindful of that which comes from our mouths -- and, I would add, that comes through our fingers to our screens as we communicate on the internet and social media -- avoid obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking -- instead speak words of praise and thanksgiving and love from a grateful heart

-- I had a pastor one time who always taught that what is in your heart comes out of your mouth -- that the words you used were an indicator of where you were in your relationship with God -- she always said, “do you want to know what is in your heart? -- hit your hand with a hammer and see what comes out -- then you’ll know”

-- now I’m not advocating anyone to go out and hit their hand with a hammer -- but I am recommending that you spend some time paying attention to what you say and how you say it -- because that is what the Bible is telling us to do here

 

-- the point Paul is making here goes back to the two paths we talked about last week -- the path of the world and the path of Christ -- if we are walking with Christ -- if we are imitating Him and trying to become like Him, then our lives should start looking like Him -- we should start reflecting Christ’s character and nature more and more

-- we should be putting behind us sexual immorality and impurity and greed -- we should be speaking words of grace and not words of death or cursing -- we should reflect who Christ is in our thoughts and attitudes and behaviors as the Holy Spirit works within us to sanctify us and make us holy as God is holy -- to make us more and more like Jesus daily

-- Paul is counseling the Ephesians here to look at their lives -- to see how they are living -- are they living in truth and faith -- do their actions and behaviors reflect a life being changed by God? -- or do their actions and behaviors demonstrate that their faith is more lip service than transformational? -- are they true Christians living lives of love or are they secret agents who are imitating the world more than Jesus?

-- be imitators of God, Paul says, and live a life of love -- so that you may become more like Jesus and less like the world

 

-- let’s bring this to a close -- Paul gives us several examples here of what not to do as we seek to imitate God and live like Jesus, but what does living a life of love look like in practice? -- what does living like Jesus look like on a daily basis?

-- Thomas Aquinus wrote that “Love is willing the good of the other” -- and Skye Jethani points out that “the true disciple of Jesus Christ isn’t recognized by spectacular acts of power, but by an inexplicable love that puts others ahead of themselves”

-- true agape love is loving others unselfishly and unconditionally with the love of God that is in you

-- the clearest picture of what living a life of love looks like can be found in 1 Corinthians 13 -- turn over there with me now -- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a -- [read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a]

 

-- this is what love looks like -- this is what agape love looks like when it is lived out in the life of a believer

-- it is patient -- it is kind -- it does not envy -- it does not boast -- it is not proud -- it is not self-seeking -- it is not easily angered -- it keeps no record of wrongs

-- it always protects -- it always trusts -- it always hopes -- it always perseveres -- love never fails

 

-- that is why the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:8 that God is love -- it’s because the agape love that we are called to walk in is divine -- it is an expression of who God is -- it is the sum of God’s character and nature and being

           

-- God’s love is eternal - Man’s love is emotional

-- God’s love is selfless - Man’s love is selfish

-- God’s love gives sacrificially - Man’s love takes greedily

-- God’s love gives life - Man’s love condemns us

-- God’s love is pure - Man’s love is perverted

-- God’s love understands - Man’s love demands

-- God’s love is personal - Man’s love is objective

-- God’s love is unconditional - Man’s love is conditional²

 

            -- to live a life of love is to walk the path of God in your daily lives -- to love, not just with words, but in deeds and actions -- to love unconditionally -- sacrificially -- selflessly -- to love like Jesus

 

III.  Closing

            -- let me close by leaving you with this thought -- a few years ago, I had the opportunity to go to the top of Pikes Peaks in Colorado -- I don't know whether any of you have had the chance to do that, but if you are ever out that way, I would encourage you to do so

            -- Pikes Peak is over 14,000 feet high and overlooks Colorado Springs -- from the top of Pikes Peak you can see all of the front range of Colorado, including the Continental Divide -- it was the view from the top of Pikes Peak that inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write her patriotic song, "America the Beautiful"

            -- there's really only two ways to get to the top -- you can drive up a two-lane, partially paved roadway with hairpin turns and 1,000-foot drop offs -- or you can take a cogwheel train -- I didn't want to chance driving up that road in a rental car, so I took the train

            -- the trip up in the train was fascinating -- we started in the bottom of the valley at about 7,000 feet in a town called Manitou Springs -- it was heavily forested with ponderosa and logdepole pine -- but as we headed up the mountain, the vegetation changed -- the pines gave way to hemlocks and firs as we climbed in elevation -- and it became easier to see great distances from the train

            -- finally, as we neared the top, the trees almost completely thinned out and you could feel the wind blowing up the mountain, rocking the train car that I sat in -- the wind was blowing about 35 miles per hour and I asked the engineer about it -- he said that it always blew like that on top of the mountain

            -- he pointed out the snow drifts that the wind had piled up right next to the tracks -- he said that they have to go up there daily with a specialized train to cut a path through the wind-blown snow -- you could see how the wind really shaped the environment near the top of the mountain

            -- right before we left the tree line, I noticed how all of the trees had this unique shape -- in ecology, we learned this is called a "krummholz" -- it is a German term for crooked, bent, and twisted wood -- and that was the perfect term to describe the trees up there at the edge of the treeline

            -- the wind that was constantly blowing against these trees affected their growth pattern -- rather than standing up straight with a full canopy on each side like all the other trees in the forest, these trees looked abnormal -- their trunks were bent and their canopy was shifted towards the downwind side -- they didn't look like the other hemlocks that I had seen lower down -- these hemlocks were permanently affected by the blowing of the wind -- the wind shaped them -- the wind formed them -- the wind gave them life on top of that mountain

            -- that is how it is to be for us as Christians -- we are to be shaped and formed by the Holy Spirit blowing in our lives -- filling us and empowering us with His presence -- our growth is to be affected and we are to resemble Christ and not the world -- we are to look like Him and not those around us -- we are to imitate Him and to walk with Him in love so that others might see Him in us and come to know Him as we know Him -- that is the message of this passage for us today

            -- so, go forth and be imitators of God -- walk with Jesus in love today and tomorrow and forever -- and let the Holy Spirit shape you and mold you and make you into who you are called to be

            -- let us pray

----------------------------------------------------

1 Modified from an Our Daily Bread devotional by Joe Stowell

2 From Dr. Bradford Reaves, The Distinction of God’s Love in Jesus, Sermon Central