God copiers 4)

This is why we need to remember Jesus said: The greatest command is to love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30).  This is no walk in the park.  No easy living.  It needs all your mind with all your strength.  Copying the world comes so easily, thoughtlessly  It’s how everybody is living.  Copying God needs Jesus, the Holy Spirit, with your mind and your will.  

You see God's urgent yearning that we be better copiers through these verses.  To recognize there are so many empty words v6…words which seem so convincing and because we are in the world’s culture we can’t help bringing some of this stuff into church.  God will not tolerate worldly behaviour v.6  In contrast with this darkness we are to v.8 Live as children of light, for the fruit of light consists of all goodness, righteousness and truth It's pretty clear how God wants us to live. We don't need long sermons.  Right in the middle of the big challenges come two vital challenges:

V14 Wake up, you’ve gone to sleep. You should be resurrected people with Jesus shining on you.  Don’t sleep walk and let the world's culture dull your senses, your brightness.  

V15 Be very careful how you live not as unwise people but as wise making the most of the time because the days are evil  vv14,15.  Don’t be sleepy careless people.  In my ministry some of my most difficult times have been listening to people, sometimes in leadership positions, who found themselves sleep walking into traps set by the big three: sex, money and power.  Wake up, be very careful, be wise.

No wonder it's like a daily battle!