NBBC Kids' CLUB - Ephesians 4:20-24

Introduction: Blessings of Being Saved review (Transformation, Ephesians 1:4; Adoption, Ephesians 1:5; Redemption, Ephesians 1:7; Union, Ephesians 1:10; Inheritance, Ephesians 1:11; and Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13). Tonight, we’re going to continue where we left off in the Fall in looking at Ephesians 4:20.

Ephesians 4:20-24 “20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,

What way is Paul referring to?

What he discussed in Ephesians 4:17-19

That is, if you have believed in Jesus Christ, you should not walk or live like an unbeliever.

Unbelievers are controlled by their sin in what they think, want, and do.

The way an unbeliever lives is not like Christ.

Friends, this is so very important to understand.

Paul is making clear that, living like someone without God controlled by sin and satisfying that desire is completely contrary to Jesus.

It’s against Jesus because this is why Jesus died!

Jesus died to save us from our sins.

Friends, if you find that you are living your life just to please yourself - what you can get (even if you have to get angry, to steal, or to trick someone into getting it), what makes you happy (even if it makes someone else unhappy) - this is a dangerous place.

It’s dangerous because it’s living like unbelievers rather than Jesus.

Illustration:

21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

What action does Paul refer to first?

Hearing

Hearing about Who (Osborne, EVBV)?

Christ, Jesus

This is the message of the Gospel: Jesus, the Son of God, lived a perfect life on earth, died on the cross for our sins, and was raised from the dead to never die again giving new life to all who believe in Him.

This is more than just an action of hearing words.

This is about listening to this message and believing in Jesus as your only Lord and Savior from your sins (cf. Eph 1:13).

What’s the next action that Paul refers to?

Teaching

Teaching about Who?

Christ, Jesus

The difference between this statement and the first is the difference between first believing in Jesus as your Lord and Savior and going to church, or Sunday School, or CLUB to learn more about Jesus and how He wants you to live.

What is it that characterized what the Ephesians heard and were taught about Jesus?

Truth (Hughes)

You see, Paul is emphasizing that there’s true instruction about Jesus that leads to living like God’s children (Black’s).

Additionally, to live like an unbeliever is to go against this true instruction about Jesus.

Illustration: Think about it this way, when you know that it’s going to snow, do you choose to wear shorts?

No!

Instead, you wear a heavy coat, long pants, a warm hat, and gloves!

Why?

To prepare for the weather that you know is coming!

And, maybe playing in the snow!

Any true instruction about Jesus is going to change the way that you live - you can’t go on living like someone who has not believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior

22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

Something that is “former” is something that happened in the past but no longer applies to the present.

For example, at one time I had my baby teeth but they were replaced with my adult teeth.

What is it that Paul says was something of the past but should not apply to the present any longer?

A “manner of life”.

A manner of life is the way that one lives.

The things that they think.

The things that they say.

The things that they do.

Even attitudes that one demonstrates based on the way that they think.

Look at how Paul describes this “former manner of life”.

The old self

What does it mean for something to be old?

It is something that has existed for a while.

Sometimes, old things are really good - old cars are pretty cool!

However, what does Paul call old?

Self

Self is a word that refers to you as a person.

Things that you like & don’t like.

Things that you want & don’t want.

What does Paul say that we are to do with the “old self”?

“[Lay it] aside”.

What does it mean to “lay” something “aside”?

You set sometime off to the side that you do not intend to use anymore.

Example: when you have clothing that you can’t wear anymore, you set it aside because you’re not going to use it anymore.

Why does Paul say that we should lay aside the “old self”?

Corrupted

For something to be “corrupted” means that it is spoiled and not good for anything.

Example: a rotten egg (smells and you not only can’t eat it but you don’t want to!)

What is it that has corrupted the former manner of life that Paul refers to as the “old self”?

Lusts of deceit

A lust is a desire for something that you want.

But this is more than just wanting something like an ice-cream cone.

This is wanting to do whatever it takes to get an ice-cream cone, even if it means hurting someone else or doing something that displeases God to get it.

How does Paul describe these wrong desires?

“Deceit”

What is deceit?

Believing something that is not true

You see, with our wrong desires, we trick ourselves into thinking that we’re going to get what we want.

However, in the end, we feel empty and only want more.

Back to our ice-cream example, you’re going to want ice-cream again because it’s impossible to eat some ice-cream and not want more some time later.

If you’re willing to hurt someone to get ice-cream, you’ve tricked yourself into thinking that committing that action is going to get you what you want.

Instead, you end up displeasing the Lord by doing harm to someone else.

23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

What is it that Paul wants for every believer in Jesus instead of living out one’s wrong desires?

To “be renewed”.

What does it mean for something to “be renewed”?

It’s the process of making something new that once was old.

Illustration: Have you ever been to Sam’s Club?

In order to go to Sam’s Club and purchase something, you have to be a member.

In order to maintain your membership, you need to make your membership new again each year - or renew it, so that you can continue to enjoy the benefits of being a member of Sam’s Club.

What Paul is referring to is the process by which instead of living out the wrong, sinful desires associated with the former self are being replaced with something new from Jesus.

What is it that Paul wants every believer to “be renewed” in?

[The] spirit of your mind.

What is it that you do in your mind?

You think.

There are lots of things that you think about (what’s for dinner? homework that you have to do? chores? gifts that you want?)

Paul is identifying the importance of what it is that we think about related to the choices that we make.

You see, Paul is helping us to understand that we are in need of a change to take place in our thoughts.

On our own, we can’t change ourselves and our thoughts.

However, the Lord is working to change us (Blessing of Being Saved: Transformation, being made holy)

24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

If believers are to put aside, sinful things related to one’s life before Jesus, what are they to put on instead?

“[The] new self”

What does this “new self” entail?

It’s like God!

How is it like God?

Righteousness

What is righteousness?

It means doing what is right!

We do what is right according to God’s Word.

Instead of living to please our wrong, sinful desires, we live to please the Lord by doing what is right.

Holiness

What is Holiness?

It’s about living your life totally devoted and dedicated to God apart from sin.

This is one of our Blessings of Being Saved.

This is a process that God is doing in the life of a believer.

It’s not anything that we can do.

We can’t make ourselves holy because of our sin.

We need the Lord to do this.

Thankfully, He has promised to do so.

Next time, we’re going to look as some specific ways that God wants us to live in righteousness and holiness.

Conclusion: Memory Verse Review - Ephesians 4:23 “23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,” (X3)

According to Ephesians 4:20, Who is it that every believer should be learning about?

Answer: Christ or Jesus

Dig Deeper Idea: This is a great place to remind clubbers that Paul identified in Ephesians 4:17-19 that unbelievers live just to satisfy their wrong, sinful desires. This kind of lifestyle goes against what we learn about Jesus.

In Ephesians 4:21, Paul references having “heard” Jesus. What is it that every believer has heard about Jesus?

The Gospel message!

According to Ephesians 4:21, what are we told is in Jesus?

Truth

Dig Deeper Idea: Remind that clubbers that Paul is encouraging believers that the teaching that is true to what we find in Jesus will lead us to live differently from unbelievers who live to satisfy their wrong, sinful desires

Ephesians 4:21, How does the truth that is in Jesus affect us?

It should change the way that we live, no longer like unbelievers in sin but as God’s children to please Him

In Ephesians 4:22, what is it that every believer is to “lay aside”?

Answer: the former manner of life, the old self

Dig Deeper Idea: Remind that clubbers that to lay something aside means to set something aside that they have no use for anymore (for example: clothing that they have grown out of);

Believers are to leave behind them more and more their old way of living before believing in Jesus;

This old way of living consisted of pursuing wrong, sinful desires while deceiving ourselves into thinking that we would be satisfied

In Ephesians 4:22, how does Paul describe the former manner of life?

corrupted by one’s sinful, deceptive desires

Ephesians 4:23, what does it mean for something to be “renewed”?

To make new again

According to Ephesians 4:23, what do believers need to be renewed in?

Answer: “the spirit of your mind”

Dig Deeper Idea: Remind the clubbers that we all need our minds to be changed because it is in our minds that we think about what it is that we want to do before we do things

In Ephesians 4:24, in Whose likeness has the new self been created?

Answer: God’s

Dig Deeper Idea: God’s likeness, or what He is like, is described here as being righteous (doing what is right) and holy (pure from sin);

God wants us to be just like Him, so much so that He sent Jesus to save us

Remember, holiness is part of God’s Blessings of Being Saved: transformation (Ephesians 1:4)

According to Ephesians 4:24, what describes God’s likeness that He is making us into?

Righteousness

Holiness

Who wrote this letter to the Ephesians?

Paul

Who did Paul write this letter to?

The Ephesian people that made up the church in Ephesus

What is one of the Blessings of Being Saved?

Transformation, Ephesians 1:4

Adoption, Ephesians 1:5

Redemption, Ephesians 1:7

Union, Ephesians 1:10

Inheritance, Ephesians 1:11

Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13