Following a New Way (Ephesians)

Appleton Gospel Church

Following a New Way: How can we learn to navigate the rough terrain of life? Not by following the ways of this world. Becoming a Christian puts you on a new path — the way of Jesus — where we learn to walk in the way of love, goodness, righteousness, truth, and wisdom. This is the way. Recorded on Jun 30, 2024, on Ephesians 5:1-20 by Pastor David Parks. Our series, Ephesians: The Gospel in Life, serves as an epilogue to Finding Life in Jesus’ Name from John’s gospel. The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians reveals much about how the life found by faith in Jesus actually works. This series will touch on themes of grace, identity, purpose, family, the church, spiritual warfare, and more. If you’re considering the life of Jesus or if you’re ready to follow him today, this series is for you. Sermon Transcript Today, and through the end of July, we’ll continue to work through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in a sermon series called The Gospel in Life. And today, as we start Chapter 5, we’re going to consider how our identity in Christ — our union with Christ — impacts and transforms the direction of our lives. I don’t know about you, but I love to go backpacking. The first time I went backpacking, I was in high school, and our youth group went to Colorado for a 5-day, 4-night hike over a 12,000+ foot mountain pass. Now, backpacking is so much work. You carry everything you need for life on your back the whole time. If you forgot something, you just don’t have that thing. If it rains, you put on your rain gear and keep going. And there are certainly no showers, beds, or bathrooms on the trail. But as some of you might’ve guessed, I love that kind of challenge, and I love being out in the woods or the mountains. However, we didn’t know what we needed to bring or what to do, or how to get from where they dropped us off at the trailhead to the end of the trail (on the other side of the mountain). But everything was ok because we had a guide, and our guide knew where we needed to go and what we needed to do to make it across some very rough and potentially dangerous terrain. Our guide made sure we stayed on the right path. He showed us how to hike through the woods, above the tree line, and finally across the snow at the top of the pass. Well, in our passage for today, the Apostle Paul acts like a trail guide, helping us know how to navigate the rough terrain — how to walk through life. Every one of us will reach different points in our path where the trail seems to lead in different directions. How will we know which way to go? How can we make sure we’re on the right path? the path that leads to life/love/joy/peace? the path that honors God and is worthy of the calling we have received in Christ? If you have your Bible/app, please take it and open it to Eph 5:1. We’ll read through this text and unpack it as we go. Ephesians 5:1–2 (NIV), “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.” Last week, we considered the call “to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” That in Christ, we’re being transformed day by day into the likeness of Christ. Here, Paul uses the idea of walking as a metaphor for how we live our lives. Three times in this passage, he refers to how we might walk through life, the first of which is here in v. 2 (“…walk in the way of love”). He says, “Follow God’s example (lit. “be imitators of God”), therefore, as dearly loved children.” Have you ever seen a little kid imitating their parents? Not just in their appearance but in how they speak, dress, or act? This can be really cute or scary, depending on the example of the parents. But, Paul says, no matter what example our parents were for us (g...