Ephesians 4:25-29
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-Today we celebrate God’s providence, on April 9th a group of some 90 individuals met on resurrection Sunday, not knowing what church, what group of followers of Christ they would be commited to serve alongside, a group of eight men met on a weekly basis with a desire to start a church that functions Biblically. The reason this fellowship was started was out of a desire to function as a a Biblical church. A church council was formed to help guide us in this process. By the end of April after some suggestions on a name for this fellowship, we decided on Providence Baptist Church, because God has been providential providing all that we need. He provided the Bogue Chitto Heights building after we had been meeting in yards for several weeks. On May 21st we began our first membership classes and now have gone through those two different times. We have had core seminar discipleship classes, youth and children discipleship classes. We have been careful to ensure that we are functioning as a Biblical church, that we do not gather for preferences, because of programs, or to just attend a service, but that we are members of one another and that we are glorify God by building up one another in Christ. I believe we have been doing just that. As we look back in Ephesians 4:25-29. We see how the gospel has transformed us, how it leads to newness of life and how we are to live life together within the church
-the transformation leads to newness
-put off the old self, put on the new self
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
-You cannot expect change in your life or someone else’s life if there is no new life, if the individual has not been born again
-How does this transformation in the gospel lead to new life?
1 A New Community
1 A New Community
-Therefore
-speak truth
-to his neighbor
-we are members of one another
The body
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
The church is so constituted that every member matters, and matters in a very vital sense.
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones
4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,
5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
2 A New Pattern of Speech
2 A New Pattern of Speech
-a new life means a change in behavior and speech
A transformed nature will produce transformed behavior. And new behavior involves new speech, speech that corresponds to a saved and sanctified life and that reflects the holy nature of the One who has given the new life.
John F. MacArthur
-put away falsehood
-speak truth
-The Christian is to be one of integrity, not one to bend the truth, not one to cover the truth, but to embrace the truth
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
-the gospel is defined as the truth
Don’t love the truth, then you don’t love the gospel - John Piper
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
-The only way the church can grow is for us to speak the truth to one another
20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—
21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,
22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
-the old self - would be ok in deceiving others so that self could be promoted, as a Christ follower we care not about our selves being promoted, but the truth being proclaimed and Christ being exalted
-we speak truth to one another - because we are members of one another, think of the human body would the eye lie to the hand or not care about it, perhaps
-Is there any Christian you have spoken falsely to, that you have led astray?
-Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth
-corrupt = rotten, any speech that tears down
-gossip, slander
-only speech that builds up
-gives grace to those who hear
-are we being gracious with our speech? are we speaking words that build up others?
3 A New Lifestyle
3 A New Lifestyle
-Be angry
-do not sin
-do not let the sun go down on your anger
2 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
-Is this a command to be angry?
-We know God gets angry, His wrath
5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
Ephesians 4:30-32 -
-not a command to be angry, more that at times you will be angry (perhaps for the right reasons), but don’t allow that anger to lead to sin
-give no opportunity for the devil
-anger can lead to sin, hate, bitterness, other sinful actions
-thief no longer steal
-taking something that does not belong to you, it shows a lack of love for people, a lack of contentment and a desire for greed
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
-let him labor, work with
his own hands
-something to share with anyone in need
-you don’t work just to have, but to do good to others
1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,
2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
-when you are transformed in Christ it is no longer about you, you no longer should have a desire for more greed, you no should want to mistreat others, but now you want to exalt Christ, now you want to build up others and not tear them down, there is a change of lifestyle
-Have you been made new? Are you still in your sins? Has your behavior not changed because your heart has not changed? Have you truly surrendered to Christ as Lord? Perhaps your speech and behavior, and lack of love for others is because you have made yourself lord instead of surrendering to the Lordship of Christ. I beg of you, to humble yourself and come to Christ. He is what you need. He is the sovereign God. Trust in his death for your sins, receive the newness of life that only He can provide you
-Today we celebrate, we rejoice in what God has done, He is the one who has made us new in Christ, He is the one who has brought us together
The preservation of the church depends on the mere favour of God.
John Calvin