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August 16, 2015

Walking in Love

Preacher: Rev. Jack Meehan Series: Life Together Category: Biblical Scripture: Ephesians 5:6–5:21

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 15-16, 2015
Ephesians 5:6-21

“Life Together: Walking in Love”

When you stop and think about it, there’s a whole lot of walking going on each and every day. We get up out of bed and walk to the kitchen. Then we walk outside to get in the car. We walk from our car to our workplace, grocery store, and wherever else we may be going at any given time. We take the dog for a walk. We may walk or go for a run over the noon hour. We walk in our own neighborhoods and now in the summer, we may enjoy a nice walk along the beach or a hike in the mountains. And how about that lovely walk behind the lawn mower as we cut the grass? Do you know how many steps we are encouraged to walk each day? The answer is 10,000 steps, which may seem like a lot or a little (http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html). People use different things to help track their daily steps – things like a pedometer to calculate how many steps we’ve taken, or a Fitbit that tracks not just our exercise and activity, but our weight, food and sleep. It really comes down to something as simple as just walking. But what should be simple is not so simple! It goes without saying that walking is not easy for everyone. Many people have physical limitations or health concerns that prevent them from walking as they would like. We hear about walking in today’s Epistle lesson from Paul the apostle. Two times he references walking: “Walk as children of light…” (Ephesians 5:8b), and “Look carefully then how you walk…” (Ephesians 5:15). It is that image of walking that is before us today. Our summer preaching series, “Life Together,” based on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians continues with today’s message under the theme “Walking in Love.” May the Lord’s rich and abundant blessing rest upon the preaching, the hearing, and the living of his Word for Jesus’ sake.

Walking – it’s part of everyday life, whether we are consciously aware of it or not. To walk in faith is to live in faith as we follow Christ Jesus. Actually, Paul speaks of this in verses that precede today’s reading. He writes: “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds” (Ephesians 4:17), and “… walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). This is where our walking in faith begins: with what God in Christ has done for us, not what we have done for God. Walking in faith is not keeping score of our good behavior or some scheme of racking up points to use as bargaining chips with God. In truth, we have nothing to bring to the table with God except our tremendous need. We can only come confessing as the tax collector did, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). Marked with the cross of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism, we are set apart as God’s chosen and beloved children. As Paul writes in his letter to the Romans: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). This is where our walking begins – here in holy Baptism as we are united with the Lord Jesus and all that he has done for us through his death and resurrection.

Our life together in Christ sets us apart from the world that does not acknowledge Jesus or believe in him. This is what Paul writes about here in Ephesians 5, calling upon believers to walk in love with Christ and with one another. But it also means that we have to walk away from things that are not good for us: walking away from empty words that deceive and lead astray, walking away from unfruitful works of darkness, walking away from getting drunk with wine. We may be tempted to walk away from Jesus, just as many of the disciples did in today’s Gospel lesson following Jesus’ teaching that he is the Bread of Life (John 6:66). Sometimes in our journey of faith, we find ourselves walking in places where we really should not be – places that are not life-giving; places that undermine and undercut our faith and trust in Jesus; places that trusted people have warned us about. Sometimes we don’t really understand how deep we are into such situations and circumstances until we are up to our knees, or our waist, or even our chin. It is precisely then that we can and should cry out to Jesus for deliverance. He is the only One who can rescue and redeem! When every other promise has failed, every other option has come to nothing, and every other door has shut tight against us, Jesus alone remains. Like we read in the psalm together: “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:17-18). This turning to the Lord, this walking away from sin and evil, this about-face is called repentance. It is constant and ongoing in our journey of faith as we walk in love with the One who walked with way of the cross for us and for our salvation.

So in lieu of these things that are not life-giving and draw us away from God, what are we to do? How are we to walk? Our friend Paul tells us: “… be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Ephesians 5:18b-20). These are the steps that lead to that full and abundant life which Jesus came to bring (John 10:10). And this is why it’s important to have these “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” at our disposal. Look in the hymnal – it is a treasure trove of spiritual support available to you. Find a contemporary praise song that speaks to you – one that is near and dear to your heart. Commit that hymn or praise song to memory and draw upon it in your own devotional time with the Lord. Committing these things to memory, together with Scripture, builds up in us a treasure house of prayer and praise that is available to us at all times and in all places. And who cares if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket? The Lord is well pleased with the song of praise that comes from your heart. And this will be a great blessing to your walk of faith.

As we walk in faith, we are called to walk in love, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). And this means that we walk together. That is what our denomination’s name means: the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Synod means literally “walking together.” It is true that no one can believe for us or have faith for us, but it is also true that no believer is ever self-made. We are shaped and molded, encouraged and strengthened, blessed and challenged by our fellow members within the Body of Christ. Jesus, who is that “living bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:51), feeds us all. Walking together in faith, walking together in love, we say with Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68). Amen.

 

other sermons in this series

Aug 30

2015

Fight the Good Fight

Preacher: Rev. Jack Meehan Scripture: Ephesians 6:10–6:20 Series: Life Together

Aug 23

2015

All in the Family

Preacher: Pastor Braun Campbell Scripture: Ephesians 5:22–6:4 Series: Life Together

Aug 9

2015

The New Life

Preacher: Pastor Braun Campbell Scripture: Ephesians 4:17–5:2 Series: Life Together