A Bigger Story

Living as God’s Children

Joe was a drunk who was miraculously converted at a Bowery mission. Prior to his conversion, he had gained the reputation of being a dirty wino for whom there was no hope, only a miserable existence in the ghetto. But following his conversion to a new life in Christ, everything changed.

Joe became the most caring person that anyone associated with the mission had ever known. Joe spent his days and nights hanging out at the mission, doing whatever needed to be done. There was never anything that he was asked to do that he considered beneath him. Whether it was cleaning up the vomit left by some violently sick alcoholic or scrubbing toilets after careless men left the men's room filthy, Joe did what was asked with a smile on his face and seeming gratitude for the chance to help. He could be counted on to feed feeble men who wandered off the street and into the mission, and to undress and tuck into bed men who were too out of it to take care of themselves.

One evening, when the director of the mission was delivering his evening evangelistic message to the usual crowd of still and sullen men with drooped heads, there was one man who looked up, came down the aisle to the altar and knelt to pray, crying out to God to help him change. The repentant drunk kept shouting, "Oh God! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe!"

In the first chapter, Paul reveals God’s hidden plan to unite a divided world through Christ. The central theme of the entire letter is unity. Chapter two shifts focus to personal matters—our individual journeys—and emphasizes that God's plan starts with us being united with Christ. In chapter three, the focus broadens to our collective story, highlighting the importance of love and unity among believers. Last week, we explored how God aims to achieve this through the church, making unity and collaboration in the Body essential. Now, Paul turns to practical advice on personal behavior, speaking clearly and directly.

Ephesians 4:17 “Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds;”

Paul likes to give instructions to the readers, he reinforces this throughout his letters. It are instructions that we have a hard time dealing with and often makes us take a step back from following God and doing His will because it forces us to change if we follow, but it is up to us if we follow them.

I have a note that my father wrote to me when I was about 17, not even sure why I saved it but found it several years ago. My parents were going out of town for the weekend and he placed a note on the fridge that said to be sure to take the trash out and not burn down the house. He was always about the rules, but so was Paul. He was like that parent always telling us to do something that we didn’t want to like taking the trash out, clean up our room, be home by curfew, etc. This is Paul but he has a much deeper meaning behind his words.

Sin: anything that is out of character with who God is.

In Ephesians 4:17–19 “Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness.”

And Paul tells us that now, that is not who you are! 20 You did not so learn Christ! — 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. Eph 4:20–21.

He is telling us here that you have been given a new heart, you are a child of God, once you were in darkness but now you are children of light, now you are a new person so grow into that person, you have declared righteousness, now become righteousness. The life of a christian is not just about justification be one of transformation.

James Kennedy’s story of Alexander the Great. He is holding court and a young soldier who has deserted is brought before him. Alexander takes pity on the boy and asks his name. The frightened young man stammers out “Alexander, Sir.” Then the great emperor’s features harden and he asks, “What did you say?” “Alexander, Sir.” “What is your name?” demands the emperor again. “Alexander, Sir.” “Soldier,”responds the great general, “change your conduct, or change your name!”

As believers, sin is behavior that is out of character with who we really are.

Paul goes on to say that we must put off falsehood and speak truthfully, in your anger do not sin for it gives the devil a foothold. Don’t let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is useful to build others up.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Eph. 4:21-32

We must take control of who we are in Christ Jesus, it is your choice, make it line up with your new heart because we have been sealed by God for the day of redemption.

I want to share with you one of the most powerful verses in scripture.

Genesis 6:5–6 “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.”

We often rush past this verse to get to the story of Noah and the Ark, but it’s one of the most moving and powerful scriptures. Humanity’s actions grieved God deeply, filling His heart with sorrow. And now, after the cross, God has even more reason to feel hurt—He gave His life for us! He longs to make His home in us through His Spirit, "with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." God is not angry with you, nor will He ever forsake you, but our actions can still sadden Him. The Holy Spirit within gently reminds us, “This isn’t who you truly are.”

Christianity is about a relationship, not just a set of moral rules. God dwells within us through the Holy Spirit, who is "Christ in you, the hope of glory!" When we sin, it's not about breaking God's laws; it's about breaking His heart. Until we fully understand this, it's unlikely that our behavior will truly change. Yes, we can actually wound God's feelings.

Chapter 5 tells us to be imitators of Christ, to walk in love as Christ loved us and not to conform to the world but help us conform the world. It’s not easy leaving a life where we don’t have many cares, where we can behave as we want because we believe there is power in that. We often put ourselves in the story as the most powerful person there is. Often when confronted over our actions, words and behavior we say things like, “well, that just don’t like a strong person” or “I can do what I want, say what I want and if they don’t like it, that’s their problem.” Does that look or feel like Christ?

Not to me and certainly not to God. God says to leave things like this behind, stop hiding behind a wall built of your will, your attitudes and your beliefs because once we come to God, we are to transform our life into one that looks more like God and less like us, less like the world and this is what can make this so difficult, because it costs us something, the person we were before we knew God.

Remember the story at the beginning, “make me like Joe!” After he said this, the director of the mission leaned over and said to the man "Son, I think it would be better if you prayed, 'Make me like Jesus.'"

The man looked up at the director with a quizzical expression on his face and asked, "Is he like Joe?"

Are you like Joe? Are you willing to give up the old you, the one the world wants that the world already has too many of? We are created to be individuals, created to be a part of the great Body of Christ, to take up our role in that body. Do you look like Joe? Or better yet, do you “look like Christ?”

Ask yourself that question, what are the things you need to leave here this morning so that you can look more like Jesus? Bitterness? Hate? Wrath? Anger? Unwholesomeness? This is the place to leave these things, this is what the alter is for, to come to God and pray for the help we need to look more like Him, to have the strength to stand against the ways of the world, to be that person of faith to face every day, every trouble with the peace only God can give us.

Can you be the person that can look carefully how you walk, not as the unwise but as wise.

Ephesians 5:15 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,”

Only then can we be united to the body of Christ, to give up our story and take our place within the story God has written us into an fulfill the role you are created for. Can you look like Joe? Can you look like Jesus?

Father, I pray, make us like Jesus.