★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,
Central Business District,
Garki - Abuja
19th January, 2016
IT STAFF FELLOWSHIP
* Speaker: Barr. Joseph Ayiaka Embugushiki
* Topic: Imitators of God
* Text: Ephesians 5:1-3
* Christ is our primary model
* There are many people that we want to imitate and there are those who want to imitate you
* Your calling as a Christian is to become like Christ in every aspect of your life
* The term 'Christian' came about as a result of the early Christians imitating Christ (Acts 11:19-26)
* As a believer, you must carry the 'brand' of Christ everywhere you go
★ Philipians 4:8-9 → "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—keep thinking about these things. Likewise, keep practicing these things: what you have learned, received, heard, and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you."
* When the above listed virtues abound in your life, it will become evident to all that you are a child of God
★ Romans 8:15 → "For you have not received a spirit of slavery that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
★ 1 John 3:10 → "This is how God’s children and the devil’s children are distinguished. No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God."
★ Ephesians 5:1 → "So be imitators of God, as his dear children."
* Every father wants to model his child into his own likeness
* There are things that only a father can do for a son/daughter
→ We have become children of God through adoption
★ John 8:44 → "You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and has never stood for truth, since there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies."
* Becoming like Christ is critical to our faith as Christians
* Sin will always compromise your potential and capability to become like Christ
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