We Are To Be Different

INTRO:

What if I told you “we are called to be different!”

As a follower of Jesus Christ, we are to look different.

Our conduct should be one that glorifies the Lord.

Our words should be edifying the Lord.

Our attitude should be that of Christ.

Church, we should look nothing like what we see …..

On TV (Programs)

On the News (Politics)

On the Reels we watch (People abusing others, slandering others)

Our life should be one that glorifies Christ.

What people hear coming from our mouth should be that which glorifies Jesus.

What people see us do (our actions) should be that which glorifies Jesus.

How we think should be that which brings glory and honor to Jesus.

We are to be different!

Please understand this, I am not saying this because I am the Pastor and this is what this church believes.

I am saying this because this is what God’s word says how we should be …… DIFFERENT!

Lets look at Gods word and see were it says this.

BODY:

Ephesians 4:25–32 “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

In this section (pericope) Paul is expounding on Ephesians 4:22–24 “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Paul lays out 3 “PUTS” ….. Put off (22), Put on (24) and Put away (25).

“Put on” (Endyo) which is different from the phrase “Put off”(22) or Put away(25).”

(22) & (25) is the Greek word “Apotithemi” (We will lak about this word in a few minutes.

The Word “Endyo” (24) is signifying “to enter into, get into,” as into clothes, “to put on.”

Some examples:

Mark 1:6 “Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.”

Luke 24:49 “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

So, in verse 24, Paul is reminding the church to “Put on (Endyo) the new self.”

Cloth yourself: to enter into, get into.

This is not the idea of putting on a costume but its about a mindset.

Paul starts this with a reminder when it comes to Putting on the New Self: (Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”

The word “Therefore” helps us see something very significant.

Greek: “DIO” it’s a conjunction.

Serves to coordinate what follows with what precedes and indicates that the conclusion is self-evident. (What would this be?)

So putting on the “New Self” is evident.

Paul is telling is this morning that since we are new beings we must act like it.

What Paul points out and I want us to see this morning is 3 things when it comes to the NEW SELF. (Evidence of a New Self)

Evidence of being different ….

Words

Actions

Thoughts (Mind)

WORDS

One of those things that is evident to a New Self is “having put away falsehood.”

“Having put away” is the Greek word “Apotithemi” which means “to put off, lay aside,”

But due to the fact that this phrase is in the middle voice, it is translated “to put off from oneself, cast off,”

It gets even better ….. This phrase is also in the Aorist tense which means it is something that has happened in the past (snap shot) and is a completed action.

Meaning, the readers have already accomplished this action.

They have already put away falsehoods.

Paul is reminding them to continue doing so!

Let me point out something else while we are here …..

The only way you know you are “No longer speaking lies (Falsehood) is because you are now speaking truth.”

Colossians 3:9 “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices” expresses the same command more directly: “Do not lie to one another.”

The language here “but speak the truth each one with his neighbor” (25) is derived from Zechariah 8:16 “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;”; here “neighbor” has the meaning “fellow Christian,” “fellow believer.”

Our words should be word that speak truth.

Fellow believers should be able to believe what other believers say.

This brings about unity within the body.

Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth ..”

The word “corrupting” is the Greek word (Sapros) which means “corrupt, rotten”, primarily, of vegetable and animal substances,

…. expresses what is of poor quality,

….. unfit for use, putrid.

It is said of a tree and its fruit; of certain fish; of defiling speech, Eph. 4:29.

Paul reminds the church that their speech should be “good for building up and extending grace.

The church should be a place that edifies one another with its words not eat each other up like locus. (We are to be different).

ACTIONS

Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,”

The word ANGRY is the Greek word (Orgizo) which means to be or to become angry.

Many of us would agree that scripture tells us to “Not get Angry!”

Psalms 37:8 “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath”

In Matthew’s Gospel humans who are angry with a brother or sister are subject to judgment (Matthew 5:22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment;….”)

Paul is suggesting here that a person can be angry without sinning if that anger is short-lived and controlled. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger”

This also eliminates an opportunity for the enemy. (We are to be different.)

Paul also brings about our actions being honorable and righteous.

Ephesians 4:28 “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”

Paul addressed a community composed largely of the working poor which is evident from the positive alternative he proposed.

Instead of stealing, Paul urged manual labor.

The verb steal in Greek is from (kleptō) (in English a kleptomaniac is a compulsive thief).

The Greek term referred to those who secretly lived at the expense of others by pilfering, not violent robbery.

(Paul is saying to us today ….. We are to be different.)

THOUGHTS

If we were to look at these verses with an in-depth lens we could say that Paul is addressing, better yet, pointing out, where this New Self lives: IN THE MIND.

Look at Romans 8:5–7 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”

Look at Romans 12:1–2 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

When it comes to our words and actions, everything starts in the mind.

Words that are produced are byproducts of what you are thinking!

If we say something that is divisive, hurtful, derogatory, slanderous, mean, etc, Its because you thought it first.

The same can be said of saying things that are encouraging, helpful, hopeful, loving, caring. Its because you thought it first.

Actions that are acted out are byproducts of what you are thinking!

If you do something that is destructive, mean, hurtful, etc, its because you thought it first.

The same can be said of doing something that is loving, kind, uplifting, etc, Its because you thought is first.

When we look up the word “Mind” in the Greek its the word (Dianoia):

The meaning of this word is “that faculty as the seat of human reason, understanding, emotions and will.

So if we are to be “transformed” it will be done in our minds.

We are to be different!

CONCLUSION:

Let me ask you, are you different?

Being different is what God is calling us to be.

Let me say this, Being different is a good thing.

A life of peace, love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, honor, and Joy.

Paul was calling the Ephesian church to be different.

God is calling Journey Church to be different.

Lets come and make a declaration today ….

Lord, I declare from this day forward that through the power of the Homy Spirit, I am going to be different. My words are going to be that which edifies the Lord. My actions are going to be that which glorifies Jesus. And my attitude is going to be that which pursues Peace, love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, honor, and Joy. I declare that my life is going to be different from this world. Amen