During the season of Advent we reflect on and celebrate the birth of the one, true, perfect, king that will rule for all eternity over the entire universe That is King Jesus, the King of Kings. There are two key things going on: The gracious glorious proclamation & explanation of grace, salvation and God’s sovereignty and the faithful submission of a servant of the Lord. The main idea that we get from this text is to behold the advent of Jesus, Son of God and Eternal King! Follow Him in faith.
Acts 13:16-41 contains Paul’s first recorded sermon. This isn’t his first time to preach, but this is his first recorded sermon. It is also the longest sermon that we have. Why this text at Advent? Paul’s sermon traces the history of the Old Testament that leads to the coming of Christ, and then reflects on Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Christmas is part of this grand story. It is also to help us embrace the mission. This month we are taking up an offering that will go to reach unreached people groups, and that will go to help fund church planting. This is also a great text to talk about mission, since this is not only Paul’s first recorded sermon, but it is also Paul’s “first mission trip!” Paul and Barnabas are sent out by the church in Antioch, and along the way, we get Paul’s recorded sermon.
During Advent season, we are reminded afresh of the incredible truth that God came to us in an unprecedented fashion when he came in the person of the God-man, Jesus Christ. All throughout history God made Himself known in one way or another, providing needed and even helpful “pictures” of who He is, what He’s like, and how He prefers to get glory for himself. As gracious and glorious as those “peeks” were, it was like looking in 2d, when Jesus is like experiencing God in 3d. He pops off the pages of Scripture and emerges from out of the “shadows and types” to provide us the greatest revelation of God we would ever experience in this life.
In chapter 5:1, Paul urges us to imitate God. Be like God. Paul tells us in other places to imitate him, as he imitates Christ (1 Cor 4:16; 10:31-11:1; Phil 3:17; 1 Thess 1:6; 2 Thess 3:7, 9); and he tells congregations to imitate other congregations (cf., 1 Thess 2:14). Only here in Ephesians are we told to “imitate God.” So the main point is clear: be imitators of God. I love the simplicity of this verse. But “How?” We see three “walks” (the key verb in this section, “to conduct your life”): walk in love (v. 2); walk in light (v. 8); and walk in wisdom (15).
We’re talking about a new set of clothes in Eph 4. Paul uses this metaphor, of “taking off and putting on” (clothes) to talk about what happens when you become a Christian.Of course, he’s not talking about physical clothes, but spiritual clothes – for a person may change their outer appearance and be a fifthly spiritually. The “clothes of Christ” changes everything. When we put on Christ, we receive a new spiritual identity and must now live differently. When a Christian puts off that corrupt garment of the old self (22), and puts on the new self recreated in God’s image (24), he then has new expectations and responsibilities corresponding to his identity. So what are you wearing? Have you come to know Christ? Are you dressed in his righteousness? If so, live out your new identity as new creations in Christ, for the good of others and the glory of God.
