Remade

BELIEVE AND LIVE

SERMON 8

“REMADE”

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE TEXT (CIT): PAUL CALLED FOR THE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS TO PART WITH THEIR FORMER LIFESTYLE, DUE TO THEIR IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST.

PROPOSITION: BELIEVERS TODAY SHOULD STRIVE TO SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR FORMER LIFESTYLES, BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST.

INTRODUCTION:

READ – PRAY

EPHESUS WAS A PARTICULARLY SINFUL CITY.

IT WAS A LEADING CITY OF COMMERCE AND CULTURE IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE, THE HOME OF THE PAGAN TEMPLE OF DIANA, ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD.

WORSHIP OF DIANA INVOLVED THE WORST IMMORALITY OF ANY PAGAN RELIGION.

IT INCLUDED TEMPLE PROSTITUTION, POLITICAL CORRUPTION, IDOLATRY, RAMPANT CRIME, AND NEARLY ANY CONCEIVABLE FORM OF IMMORALITY.

MANY OF THE CHRISTIANS IN EPHESUS CAME OUT OF THAT KIND OF BACKGROUND.

SO IN CONTRAST WITH THAT EVIL BACKGROUND, PAUL ENCOURAGED THESE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS TO PART WITH THEIR FORMER LIFESTYLE, BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST.

AND BELIEVERS TODAY SHOULD STRIVE TO SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR FORMER LIFESTYLES, BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST.

HOW DO WE DO THAT?

THAT’S WHAT I HOPE WE WILL LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE TODAY…

LET ME GIVE YOU PAUL’S FORMULA FOR LIFESTYLE TRANSFORMATION.

1. PUT OFF YOUR OLD SELF. ()

a. EXPLANATION

b. PUT OFF THE LIKENESS OF THE GENTILE.

i. THE WORD “GENTILE” IS A WORD THAT HAS A TWO-FOLD MEANING.

1. SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE USED TO DESCRIBE PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT PART OF THE JEWISH NATION.

2. OTHER TIMES, IT WOULD BE USED TO DESCRIBE SOMEONE WHO HAD NOT PUT HIS OR HER FAITH IN CHRIST.

a. SO ONE WAS A NATIONAL TERM, AND THE OTHER WAS A POSITIONAL TERM.

3. HERE, PAUL IS USING IT AS A POSITIONAL TERM.

4. AND HE’S SAYING THAT BECAUSE YOU CLAIM TO BE POSITIONED “IN CHRIST,” YOU MUST BREAK FREE FROM THE SINFUL LIFESTYLE OF THE GENTILES…

ii. BECAUSE THIS IS NOT WHAT THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST PROMOTE.

1. THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT IF A PERSON TESTIFIES OF BELONGING TO CHRIST, THAT PERSON IS EXPECTED TO UNDERSTAND THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST.

2. OR AT LEAST BE ON THE JOURNEY OF SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST.

iii. PAUL REFERS TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DISPOSED OF AS ONE’S “FORMER MANNER OF LIFE.”

1. FOR THE BELIEVER, THE FORMER MANNER OF LIFE NEEDS TO BE EXACTLY THAT…THE FORMER MANNER…

2. THERE IS NOTHING A BELIEVER CAN USE AS AN EXCUSE TO RETURN TO THE FORMER MANNER OF LIFE…

a. AS A MATTER OF FACT, FOR THE PERSON WHO RETURNS TO THE FORMER MANNER OF LIFE, AFTER MAKING A PROFESSION OF FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST…

b. IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT THEY NEVER ACTUALLY LEFT THAT FORMER MANNER OF LIFE…

c. AS IN THEY DID NOT TRULY EMBRACE CHRIST AND HIS TEACHINGS…

d. AS IN THEY MAY NOT TRULY BE SAVED…

c. REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID IN (ESV) - 22 ON THAT DAY MANY WILL SAY TO ME, ‘LORD, LORD, DID WE NOT PROPHESY IN YOUR NAME, AND CAST OUT DEMONS IN YOUR NAME, AND DO MANY MIGHTY WORKS IN YOUR NAME?’ 23 AND THEN WILL I DECLARE TO THEM, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WORKERS OF LAWLESSNESS.’

d. ILLUSTRATION:

i. EVEN THOUGH WE MAY BE RESISTANT TO CHANGE, EVERY ONE OF US IS FAMILIAR WITH IT…

ii. BECAUSE EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT THAN THEY USED TO BE.

1. NO MATTER HOW YOUNG OR OLD YOU ARE, YOU ARE NOT THE SAME AS YOU USED TO BE.

a. YOU MAY BE TALLER.

b. YOUR VOICE MAY BE DIFFERENT.

c. YOUR HAIR COLOR MAY HAVE CHANGED…

iii. AND A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST BRINGS WITH IT THE EXPECTATION OF A RADICAL DEPARTURE FROM WHO YOU USED TO BE…

iv. NEWTON’S FIRST LAW OF MOTION SAYS - EVERYTHING CONTINUES IN A STATE OF REST UNLESS IT IS COMPELLED TO CHANGE BY FORCES IMPRESSED UPON IT.

v. IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, THE JESUS CHRIST IS THE FORCE THAT HAS BEEN IMPRESSED UPON YOU…

vi. AND TO REMAIN IN A STATE OF REST…RESTING IN THE OLD LIFESTYLE…IS UNACCEPTABLE…

e. APPLICATION:

i. HERE’S THE TRUTH THAT ALL OF US ENCOUNTER, OFTEN ON A DAILY BASIS…

1. YOUR OLD SELF WILL ALWAYS TRY TO PULL YOU BACK TO WHERE IT WAS, THEREFORE, YOU MUST WORK HARD AT DIVORCING YOUR OLD LIFESTYLE.

2. BELIEVERS TODAY SHOULD STRIVE TO SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR FORMER LIFESTYLES, BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST.

2. PUT ON THE NEW SELF. ()

a. EXPLANATION:

i. WE ARE TO BE DEFINED BY THE VALUES WE SEE IN JESUS.

b. ILLUSTRATION:

i. JESUS WAS COMPLETELY HUMAN AND COMPLETELY DIVINE AT THE SAME TIME…

1. AND IN HIS HUMANITY, HE WAS TEMPTED IN ALL THE WAYS YOU ARE, BUT HE DID NOT SIN…

2. HE WAS RIGTHEOUS AND HOLY…

c. APPLICATION:

d. PAUL POINTS OUT HERE THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, AT ITS VERY CORE, IS DEFINED BY A SHIFT IN VALUES…

i. HE’S TELLING YOU THAT SINCE YOU HAVE TRUSTED CHRIST, THE VALUES THAT ONCE DEFINED YOU, MAY NOT BE THE SAME ONES THAT DEFINE YOU TODAY…

ii. THE VALUES THAT DEFINE YOU TODAY, IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, MUST BE THE THINGS THAT FLOW OUT OF A LIFE THAT SEEKS AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS…

iii. BELIEVERS TODAY ARE TO PUT ON THE NEW MAN BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST.

e. WHAT WILL THIS LOOK LIKE?

3. THE QUALITIES OF THE NEW SELF. ()

a. EXPLANATION:

i. STOP WITH THE EMBELLISHMENTS…

1. SPEAK THE TRUTH…

ii. CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS…

1. DON’T LET ANGER LEAD YOU TO SIN…

iii. BE HONEST…

1. NO DISHONEST MEASURES…

2. NO DISHONEST WORK PRACTICES…

3. GOD HONORS HARD WORK…

a. AND HE ALLOWS US TO HELP OTHERS IN NEED…

iv. CONTROL YOUR TONGUE…

1. IT IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE TO USE OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE…

2. IT IS NEVER OK TO DEMEAN OR HUMILIATE SOMEONE…

a. OFFENSIVE SPEECH GRIEVES THE HOLY SPIRIT…

b. BECAUSE WE ARE CALLED TO BUILD UP, NOT TEAR DOWN…

c. IF YOU CAN’T SAY SOMETHING GOOD, DON’T SAY ANYTHING – GRANDMA’S GOOD ADVICE…

v. PUT AWAY THESE FIVE SINS:

1. BITTERNESS – GREEK – POISON

a. BITTERNESS IS TOXIC – PRIMARILY FOR THE ONE HOLDING ONTO BITTERNESS…

2. WRATH – FURIOUS RESPONSE TO SOMETHING…

a. OPPOSITE OF BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER…

3. ANGER – SPEAKS OF A CONSISTENTLY ANGRY ATTITUDE

a. AN ANGER THAT DOES NOT SUBSIDE…

4. CLAMOR – MEANS TO BE OVERLY VOCAL ABOUT THINGS…

a. ALWAYS WANTING TO HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD…

5. SLANDER – GREEK – BLASPHEMEO

a. MEANS WORDS SPOKEN WITH THE INTENT OF DAMAGING THE REPUTATION OF A PERSON…

b. ILLUSTRATION:

c. APPLICATION:

i. REPLACE THESE FIVE SINS WITH THESE THREE ATTRIBURES…

1. KINDNESS

2. TENDERNESS

3. FORGIVENESS

ii. BELIEVERS TODAY SHOULD LIVE NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT LIVES, BECAUSE OF THEIR IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST.

CONCLUSION: