Untitled Sermon (2)

Building God’s Family

Building God's family is what we are called to do.

* Those who are a part of God's family are transformed.

* Those who are transformed produces good fruit.

* Spiritual man, natural man, carnel man.

It is not so much what the church does for people that changes lives; but who the church is.

* it is a lot easier to do than it is to be.

* The enemy works hard to derail the church.

Ephesians; the church at Ephesus is a good model of what and who the is or looks like that produces transforming lives.

Of all the epistles, Ephesians is the only one Paul writes and is not addressing an issue.

* He writes to edify and encourage them.

* Keep doing what your doing and walk out these teaching.

Paul refers to them as those who faithful in Christ Jesus.

* He writes to both Ephesians and Colossians at the same time.

* These are the two churches he refers to as faithful. Yet, there is a problem in Colossians he is addressing.

It is as if the Holy Spirit is allowing us the readers to see the effects of a church (Colossians) govern by rules and regulations and those who are devoted to their rules and regulations but lacks genuine power to transform lives.

* People had real problems and their rules and regulations would not address the heart of man's condition.

* We might say, so, as long as they know the rules and regulations.

* rules and regulations don't transform.

DeSelvia says, "Christianity in the modern age has been no less susceptible than the Colossian Christians when it comes to devising and enforcing regulations: “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch.”

You can't force people to be better by your rules and regelations, there's a transformation that has to take place.

* they promote Pride, Prejudice and Division.

Colossians has some similarities to Ephesians but in Colossians there is more an air of legalism at work.

When we get to Ephesians it is not about legalism, it is not about anybody's rules but we see in full transforming effect:

Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy.

Orthopraxy is how a believer acts; Orthodoxy is what a person believes.

Paul writes to the Ephesians because their orthodoxy (correct teachings/doctrine) and their orthopraxy (correct actions/behavior) are in alignment with each other.

Somethings wrong if my orthodoxy (doctrine, teachings) are on the right track, but my orthopraxy (right behavior) is on the wrong track.

* That's the issue with trying to force people to follow the rules.

* they may act right, but it teachings are off, they will continue to break rules.

Somethings wrong if I have right attitude/behavior, but I live with some bad teachings.

Orthodoxy (doctrine/ teachings) and Orthopraxy (right attitude/behavior) is expected to work together.

Ephesians presents the church making known the wisdom of God.

What man is trying to figure out; God already has.

* It is the church that is to display the wisdom of God in this messed up world.

The church makes known the wisdom of God in past, present and future societies.

* Everything man is trying to figure out; it is the church that is designed by God to help man fix his mess.

* It's not the government it is the church; it is not community agencies; it is the church; it is not folks in the neighborhood who are attempting to do a good work; it is the church.

Everything that man needs, God has designed the church to show the rest of the world that

* he was the answer yesterday,

* he is the answer today

* and he will be the answer tomorrow for this world.

Ephesians shows the power and effectiveness of a church.

People were getting saved and that bothered local business.

* People were being transformed; changed.

* Places I use to go, things I use to do, stuff I use to say.

* George Walker puts it this way; it's not that I forgot where I use to go, it's not that I don't know how to do what I use to do, it's not that those colorful words that I used to express myself have lost their vibrance.

Paul is in prison, but while in prison he is not focusing on his problems he remains faithful to the mission.

The church at Ephesus was surrounded by many false gods, beliefs and practices yet they remained faithful to the mission.