My Notes from Pastor Jason’s Sermon at Community Church on 3/9/2025, focusing on practical ways to “Imitate God” through our interactions with “One Another.”
The sermon is centered around Ephesians 5:1-2″
“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
https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.5.2.ESV
Reflections: My favorite part of the sermon was the story about the janitor mentoring the CEO. It reminded me how important it is to treat everyone equally, no matter their age, race, class, or position. It also made me reflect: When people look at me, do they see a mini version of Jesus or someone else? I need to watch my words carefully and truly show my love for Christ by serving and respecting others!
Watch or listen to the the full sermon (45 minutes):
Quick Sermon Transcript Summary:
The sermon introduces a new series titled “One Another,” focusing on how Christians should relate to each other, guided by New Testament teachings. It highlights that over 50 instances instruct believers to mutually love, encourage, serve, and humbly submit to one another.
Using Ephesians 5:1-2 as the foundational passage, the speaker stresses the importance of imitating God as beloved children, specifically through walking in love and humility.
Key points emphasized in the sermon include:
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Imitating God: Christians should naturally imitate Christ’s humility, love, and sacrificial service, just as children imitate their parents.
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Spirit of Humility and Submission: Believers are called to serve and submit to one another, placing the needs of others above their own out of reverence for Christ.
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Motivations for Loving One Another:
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Recognizing our identity as children of God.
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Understanding that we are deeply and personally loved by God.
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Appreciating that we were bought at a significant price through Christ’s sacrifice.
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A significant illustration shared by the preacher involves a janitor at a large corporation who became a respected leader within his church, eventually mentoring the CEO of a Fortune 50 company who joined the church and accepted Christ. Despite the vast difference in their professional roles, their relationship exemplified genuine humility, love, and mutual submission. The janitor humbly discipled the CEO, and they became close friends, illustrating the biblical principle that submission to one another crosses barriers of status, age, race, and wealth.
The preacher urges listeners to reject bitterness, entitlement, and anger, instead choosing active love, forgiveness, and service, even in difficult relationships. Using the phrase “as you wish” from The Princess Bride as an example, he highlights that real love always expresses itself in humble service. Ultimately, the sermon calls for repentance and encourages believers to proactively reconcile and serve one another in humility, reflecting Christ’s model of sacrificial love.
List of simple ways we can “Imitate God”
- Forgive Others
- Reflect God’s forgiveness as seen in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
- Example: Forgive as God forgives us through Christ’s sacrifice.
- Walk in Love
- Imitate God’s love, as Ephesians 5:2 states, “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.”
- Example: Show sacrificial, unconditional love in daily actions.
- Be Holy
- Pursue holiness, as 1 Peter 1:15-16 commands, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”
- Example: Avoid sin and live purely, mirroring God’s holy nature.
- Show Kindness
- Emulate God’s kindness, per Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted.”
- Example: Offer help or encouragement, reflecting God’s compassion.
- Speak Truth
- Imitate God’s truthfulness, as Ephesians 4:25 says, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor.”
- Example: Be honest in all dealings, like God’s unchanging truth.
- Live in Light
- Follow God’s light, per Ephesians 5:8, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
- Example: Expose darkness with good deeds, reflecting God’s purity.
- Practice Mercy
- Show mercy as God does, per Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
- Example: Extend grace to others, mimicking God’s merciful character.
- Love Enemies
- Imitate God’s love for all, as Matthew 5:44-45 says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”
- Example: Pray for and bless those who wrong you, like God’s impartial love.
- Be Patient
- Reflect God’s patience, as 2 Peter 3:9 notes, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you.”
- Example: Endure others’ faults with patience, as God does with us.
- Seek Justice
- Imitate God’s justice, per Micah 6:8, “To do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
