Imitating God's Sacrificial Love in Our Lives

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound theme of love as depicted in the Bible, particularly focusing on Ephesians 5. The essence of our faith journey is to imitate God, especially in how we love others. The Bible can be seen as God's autobiography, a narrative of His love reaching out to a broken world. This love is epitomized by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, a selfless act of reconciliation. As followers of Christ, we are called to emulate this sacrificial love in our daily lives.

Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 5 is a call to action: "Imitate God in everything you do." This means living a life filled with love, following Christ's example. Love, as God defines it, is not a mere feeling but a commitment to act selflessly. Our culture often reduces love to a feeling, but true love is enduring and sacrificial. It is not transactional; it does not seek something in return. Instead, it is a pleasing aroma to God, a reflection of His unconditional love for us.

We also discussed the dangers of walking in ways that destroy love, such as sexual immorality, impurity, greed, and foolish talk. These behaviors can lead to broken relationships and hinder our ability to love as God loves. Instead, we are encouraged to walk in the light, allowing God to illuminate areas in our lives that need change. This process of repentance and transformation leads us to a life of freedom and fulfillment.

Ultimately, love leads to sacrifice. It is the deepest, most unbreakable form of love, rooted in the decision to love others regardless of their response. This sacrificial love is what God calls us to imitate. By living in this way, we redeem the moments in our lives, turning past mistakes into opportunities for growth and reconciliation. As we gather together, our collective faith and love inspire and strengthen one another, helping us walk worthy of the calling we have received in Christ.

Key Takeaways:

1. Imitating God's Love: We are called to imitate God by living a life filled with love, following Christ's example of sacrificial love. This love is not based on feelings or transactions but is a commitment to selflessly love others. [08:10]

2. Sacrificial vs. Transactional Love: True love is sacrificial, not transactional. It is given without expecting anything in return and persists regardless of circumstances. This kind of love reflects God's unconditional love for us. [13:55]

3. Walking in the Light: Allowing God to illuminate areas in our lives that need change leads to freedom and fulfillment. Repentance and transformation are key to living a life that reflects God's love. [20:14]

4. Redeeming the Time: We are encouraged to redeem the moments in our lives, turning past mistakes into opportunities for growth and reconciliation. This involves making the most of every opportunity to walk in love and forgiveness. [31:08]

5. The Power of Community: Gathering together as a church strengthens our faith and inspires us to love sacrificially. Our collective faith and love help us walk worthy of the calling we have received in Christ. [41:25]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:00] - The Mega Theme of Love
[06:09] - God's Autobiography of Love
[08:10] - Imitate God in Love
[13:55] - Sacrificial vs. Transactional Love
[20:14] - Walking in the Light
[24:43] - The Dangers of Losing Love
[25:40] - Mismanagement of Desire
[27:08] - Emotional Detachment and Loneliness
[31:08] - Redeeming the Time
[38:06] - Walking in Healthy Love
[38:59] - Being Filled with the Holy Spirit
[39:35] - The Importance of Community
[41:25] - Inspiring Each Other in Faith
[43:20] - Invitation to Say Yes to Jesus
[44:33] - Closing and Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Ephesians 5:1-2
- Romans 5:8
- 1 John 4:7-11

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Observation Questions:

1. According to Ephesians 5:1-2, what specific actions are believers encouraged to take in their daily lives? How does this relate to the concept of imitating God? [08:10]

2. In the sermon, what examples were given to illustrate the difference between sacrificial love and transactional love? [13:55]

3. What behaviors does Paul warn against in Ephesians 5, and how do these behaviors impact our ability to love as God loves? [20:14]

4. How does the sermon describe the role of community in strengthening our faith and inspiring us to love sacrificially? [41:25]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the concept of sacrificial love, as described in Romans 5:8, challenge the cultural understanding of love as merely a feeling? [13:55]

2. What does it mean to "walk in the light" according to the sermon, and how does this relate to the process of repentance and transformation? [20:14]

3. How can the idea of "redeeming the time" be applied to personal growth and reconciliation in our relationships? [31:08]

4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that being part of a community can help us live out the calling to imitate God's love? [41:25]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a recent situation where you acted out of transactional love rather than sacrificial love. What could you have done differently to reflect God's love more accurately? [13:55]

2. Identify an area in your life where you feel God is calling you to "walk in the light." What steps can you take this week to allow God to illuminate and transform this area? [20:14]

3. Think of a past mistake or broken relationship. How can you take steps to "redeem the time" and turn it into an opportunity for growth and reconciliation? [31:08]

4. How can you actively contribute to your church community to inspire and strengthen others in their faith journey? What specific actions can you take this week? [41:25]

5. Consider a relationship in your life that may be suffering due to a lack of sacrificial love. What practical steps can you take to demonstrate unconditional love in that relationship? [13:55]

6. Reflect on the sermon’s message about the dangers of behaviors like greed and foolish talk. How can you guard against these in your daily interactions? [20:14]

7. How can you ensure that your love for others is not based on feelings or transactions but is a true reflection of God's unconditional love? What changes might you need to make in your mindset or actions? [13:55]

Devotional

Day 1: Emulating Divine Love
In Ephesians 5, believers are called to imitate God by living a life filled with love, following Christ's example of sacrificial love. This love is not based on feelings or transactions but is a commitment to selflessly love others. The essence of this call is to reflect God's unconditional love in our daily interactions, making love a deliberate choice rather than a fleeting emotion. By choosing to love selflessly, we align ourselves with God's nature and purpose, becoming a living testimony of His love to the world. [08:10]

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life can you show selfless love to today, without expecting anything in return? How can you make this a regular practice?

Day 2: The Nature of True Love
True love, as defined by God, is sacrificial and not transactional. It is given without expecting anything in return and persists regardless of circumstances. This kind of love reflects God's unconditional love for us, challenging us to love others in the same way. In a world that often views love as a means to an end, believers are called to rise above and demonstrate a love that is enduring and selfless. This love is a pleasing aroma to God, a reflection of His heart for humanity. [13:55]

"Let all that you do be done in love." (1 Corinthians 16:14, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a relationship where you have been expecting something in return for your love. How can you shift your perspective to love sacrificially instead?

Day 3: Walking in the Light
Walking in the light involves allowing God to illuminate areas in our lives that need change, leading to freedom and fulfillment. This process of repentance and transformation is key to living a life that reflects God's love. By inviting God's light into our lives, we can identify and address behaviors that hinder our ability to love as He loves. This journey of transformation is not always easy, but it is essential for spiritual growth and maturity. [20:14]

"For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life that you feel God is calling you to change? How can you begin to walk in the light in this area today?

Day 4: Redeeming the Time
We are encouraged to redeem the moments in our lives, turning past mistakes into opportunities for growth and reconciliation. This involves making the most of every opportunity to walk in love and forgiveness. By choosing to redeem the time, we can transform our past into a foundation for future growth, allowing God's love to guide us in every decision. This proactive approach to life enables us to live with purpose and intentionality, reflecting God's redemptive work in our lives. [31:08]

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a past mistake that still affects you today. How can you use this experience as an opportunity for growth and reconciliation?

Day 5: The Strength of Community
Gathering together as a church strengthens our faith and inspires us to love sacrificially. Our collective faith and love help us walk worthy of the calling we have received in Christ. In community, we find encouragement and support, enabling us to live out our faith with greater boldness and conviction. The power of community lies in its ability to inspire and challenge us, helping us to grow in love and faith as we journey together. [41:25]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively contribute to your community of faith this week, encouraging others to love and good works?

Quotes

1. "In fact, you could argue that the Bible is a simple autobiography of God reaching down into a broken world, trying to reach his creation to say, hey, I love you, and live a life in the same way that I behave toward you, live that kind of life with other people. You could almost say that the Bible is that. It's an autobiography of God saying, I love you, and love each other how I love you. The biblical narrative really crescendos with Jesus on the cross. Jesus goes to the cross in this great act of substitution, of reconciliation, where Jesus pays the price, right?" [00:06:41] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let's pause for a moment. Point number one is this. We are called to love like God. You are called out from the miry clay as the great songwriter said you were called out of blindness darkness you were called out to love like God to imitate God in love." [00:08:28] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Paul says, you were called to imitate the father you were called to imitate God 1 Peter 1 .16 says, for the scriptures say you must be holy because I am holy be holy, right live the right life live in the right way live in the blessings that I have for you because I am those things we are to be imitators of God, people that's who we are called to be I'm asking you, are you imitating God in everything that you do?" [00:12:13] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "I'm going to give you the answer right now God's love is sacrificial it's not transactional God's love is sacrificial and this is the way that we are to imitate Him you know, we live in a society that reduces love to a feeling yeah? reduces love to a feeling this morning's sermon is M -rated, by the way this section will be, so just block little kids' ears if you don't want them to hear stuff our culture brings love to a feeling and our culture brings love to a feeling our culture says, right the culture of Hollywood the culture of our music industry the culture of our arts right, the our culture has led us to a place where love ends with sex where love ends with a feeling that if I feel good then I must have love if I feel good not you if I feel good then I must have found love but that's not the way it works that's not the true meaning of love that's one part of what love is but that's not real love if you've been married for more than 15 seconds" [00:13:58] (76 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "feelings change there must be more to love to make it last the distance you learn very quickly if you're married that love is not a feeling but it's a feeling it's a fortitude right Romans 5 .8 says but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us so that while we were still separate from God God still loved us have you ever had someone in your life that did something bad to you and then you had that feeling of well I'm not going to be your friend then I'm not going to hang out with you then that's not what God did with us we upset God and God still took a step forward and said hey I'm still going to sacrifice for you because I love you love is not a feeling who knows that when we sin we break the heart of God and it upsets God yet God still takes that step forward to us you have a father who loves you right?" [00:14:04] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "says here that we are to show love that's like an aroma it's like an aroma it it's a good thing it makes the other person feel good there's a pleasantness about it that's the love that we're to show not a transactional love right i'm going to do this so you do this for me a pleasant love is i'm going to do this for you and expecting nothing in return that's the love that we are called to live right here's some differences between transactional love and sacrificial love here's one with trade -offs let's go to the next slide right if you've been any married people know here that another word for marriage is compromise right trade -offs right transactional love is a give -and -take model right i do this for you i do this for me sacrificial love though is selfless and given without expecting anything in return that's sacrificial love when it comes to conditions transactional love is conditional it depends on whether the person fulfills certain expectations or provides something in return so if you do this for me then i'll love you that's transactional sacrificial love is unconditional it persists regardless of the circumstance let's look at focus transactional love focuses on what i can get from the relationship sacrificial love it focuses on what i can give to the relationship with relationships in your life are you looking to get something out of or to give to it's a different mindset and it'll lead to two different destinations let's look at the response to conflict right when you get two people in the room it's inevitable that it'll happen eventually transactional love its response to conflict is it withholds affection when there is a conflict or when expectations aren't met right but sacrificial love seeks reconciliation offering forgiveness and grace in times of conflict we are to imitate the love of god which is sacrificial we are not transactional people when it comes to love now" [00:20:56] (158 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "here's the hard thing right is you need both parties to own that if you want to have a really healthy pump and marriage both the husband and the wife the wife and the husband have to live sacrificially right you need to have a healthy pump and marriage and you need to have a healthy if one is sacrificial and the other transactional and so you got to figure out together hey here let's have that talk right let's get to this healthy space imitating god and his love is moving towards sacrificial love not superficial selfishness 1 john 4 verse 7 says this dear friends let us continue to love one another for love comes from god anyone who loves is a child of god and knows god but anyone who loves is a child of god and loves each other and knows each other and knows each other and knows each other and knows one another who does not love does not know God for God is love God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only son into the world that we might have eternal life through him this is real love sacrificial not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son as a sacrifice to take away our sins dear friends since God loved us that much we surely ought to love each other that much no one has ever seen God but if we love each other God lives in us meaning if we love sacrificially people see God in you how do people see God by the way that we love each other right that's how people see God and his love is brought to full expression in us if all we did as a church was love each other sacrificially almost everything else in your life would kind of fall into a happy place think of the top three problems that you have in your life right now I could almost guarantee that there's a face to that problem most issues in your life come with a person attached to it most of them right if you and that person that person and you could get to a place where you sacrificially love each other that problem would probably cease to exist right peace unity and conflict resolution all come when we live that life that we're called to live which is to reflect the love of God when you walk in the imitation of God's love right it leads to good places so the question is this then well if there's a walk that leads to goodness there must be a walk that leads to darkness Paul talks about this let's continue Ephesians 5 verses 3 let's continue let there be no sexual immorality impurity or greed among you such sins have no place among God's people obscene stories foolish talk coarse jokes these are not for you instead let there be let there be thankfulness to God you can be sure that no immoral impure or greedy person will inherit the kingdom of Christ and of God for a greedy person is an idolater and a sinner and a sinner is a sinner and a sinner is a sinner worshiping the things of this world don't be filled by those who try to excuse these sins for the anger of" [00:23:14] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "While I was studying I read an article of this guy an Aussie guy he he um they were interviewing him because he slept with 400 people in two years and how did he get the time for that far out anyway he said something quite profound I'm like oh man that'll preach he said this he said I'm a sex addict and he said I thought that the next person was going to be the person that I would have a long lifelong relationship with that's what he said but at the end of every night he said that he felt more lonely and more disconnected because when you have an uncontrollable mismanagement of that desire that's the only place it leads to he was having his cake but it didn't fulfill the need it didn't give him that energy and that goodness that this guy was looking for leads to addictions leads to decreased self -worth of trust and relationships Paul is saying if you walk in porneia if you walk in uncontrolled mismanagement here's where it leads it leads to broken relationships right Paul starts talking about other things you know impurities greed um Ephesians 5 4 obscene stories foolish talk and coarse jokes these are not for you um I'm going to call this the words of a moron right um because the word here used for foolish talk in the Greek is the word moros that's where we get the word moron from right and so Paul is saying right um moros means taking something good and then flipping it around to be dirty that's what that's what that's what it means to take something good and then to flip it around and to make it dirty or to be sarcastic in a way that rips people down right that's what this word means moros and Paul goes on to say that he says that porneia and moros have no space in heaven and isn't that scary I don't know about you but one two three and four let's put my hands up I reckon we've all done one of them if not all of them been greedy right whatever porneia and moros walk hand in hand in God's sight when we have uncontrolled mismanagement desires in our life and when we can't control this thing and it rips people to pieces those two things will break relationships if you walk with uncontrolled mismanagement and a tongue that cuts you will destroy relationships that's where that walk leads it's a little scary isn't it let me say this Paul says instead right turn to your neighbor and say instead right Paul says instead instead instead instead instead instead instead instead instead do this right that walk will lead to broken relationships so instead meaning this and here's the good news about Jesus right the good news about Jesus is Jesus always says instead right you there's another way" [00:27:53] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "there's a way of salvation there's a way for freedom there's a way for a good life we just have to live instead right the other way and then Paul gives some great ways of how we can live but what I want to tell you and ask you and convince you to do today is live in the moment of instead right there might be things in your life that are breaking relationships breaking trust stop doing those turn away and walk in the other direction that's called repentance right we're saying okay I'm not going to live like that I'm going to turn and walk in a different direction I'm going to walk this way instead of that way amen right let's be people who walk in the instead of Christ and walking in light Ephesians 5 8 to 14 we're not going to read this chunk but what it's said what it says is um that God is light walk in the light right God is light live in the light of Jesus we went camping a few weeks ago and uh the kids made some friends with some other people in the campground and they played spotlight who remembers spotlight as a kid that was a fun game in fact let's turn the lights off now let's get me a torch right who wants to play right so it was so fun anyway they're they're playing spotlight and maybe you haven't played spotlight spotlight is a game it's like tiggy but in the dark but the has a torch and they have to run around and shine the light on all the people who aren't it and if you get shone upon you're it right in in in in the next game Paul is saying in this chunk of scripture that God he loves playing spotlight he loves you inviting him into your life and him going okay let's let's look around what things are in your heart what things are in your heart your mind that we that I can say hey let's deal with this let's hey let's go let's look at this one let's deal with this one I reckon if we deal with this you'll become more healthy if you deal with if you deal with this unforgiveness I can see some unforgiveness here deal with this and that relationship will slowly increase back to a good level right God wants to put a light on some things in your life right and we let him do that we let him do that and you'll find that when he does that right you will find some freedom in your life let's continue Ephesians 5 verses 15 it says this so be careful how you live don't live like fools but like those who are wise make the most of every opportunity in these evil days don't act thoughtlessly but understand what the Lord wants you to do don't be drunk with wine because that will ruin your life and instead be filled with the Holy Spirit singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourself and making music to the Lord in your hearts and give thanks to Christ and everything to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ last point is this where does love lead that was the title this morning where does love lead point number four love leads to sacrifice love leads to sacrifice if you are to imitate God in love it always leads to sacrifice sacrifice sacrificial love is the best deepest most unbreakable kind of love that you and I can have because it's not based on a feeling it's not based on a transaction right it's it's not based on anything else but I'm gonna love you no matter what and even if you don't love me back the same way that you love me I'm still gonna love you that way that's the kind of love that God is calling us to imitate let's just pull this apart three things Ephesians 5 15 so be careful how you live" [00:31:07] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "don't live like fools but like those who are wise make the most of every opportunity in these evil days I want to just for a second pull apart two things in the English in verse 16 it says make the most of every opportunity a few English words there other translations sat this way redeem the time three words redeem the time redeem means to buy back and it means that you lost something something was taken from you and then you're buying it back redemption it means to give freedom to redeem the time that word there's two words for time first word is Kronos which means minutes right so that that's so right now it's nine fifty nine that's Kronos time right they're exact time then there's another word for time called Kairos and Kairos isn't about minutes but it's about moments think back to a moment in your life right now that you just enjoyed you there was just lots of fun think back to that moment that's Kairos time you can't remember the Kronos but you remember the Kairos Paul says redeem the time and he uses the word Kairos redeem the moment what he's saying is this it doesn't matter if you've done one or all of those four things that leads to broken relationships what matters right now is are you going to put yourself in a place where you can buy back that moment are you going to put yourself in a moment right now that you can find freedom in to Paul is saying yes there might be hurt yes there might be broken trust yes someone may have done something to you you may have done something to someone else and you look back and you go man I wish I didn't do that Paul is saying hey redeem the time take this moment right now church" [00:35:03] (137 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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