Sit, Walk, and Stand #4

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Sit, Walk, and Stand

Ephesians #4

6/8/2002 and 6/9/2002

Review:

We have been talking about the Book of Ephesians. We looked at the fact that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. We enter into the rest of faith before we do anything else. God made the earth and then man. Man’s first job was to enter into the rest of God on the seventh day. The Jewish day begins with evening.

Everything we have is a result of the great work God did in us. We Sit, then walk out our Christian lives and lastly we stand against the enemies.

Last week we talked about the miracle of Israel and touched on the mystery of the church. Today we are going to look further at the church.

Ephesians 4

1 ¶ As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Paul probably wrote this from his imprisonment in Rome yet he considered himself a prisoner of Christ rather than a prisoner of Rome.)

 2 ¶ Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

 4 There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--

 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

 8 This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men."

 9 (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?

 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ.

 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

 17 ¶ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

 20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.

 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.

 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body.

 26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

GOD’S HOPE FOR THE WORLD

(The Church of Jesus Christ)

Intro:

How many grew up in a church? If you would have told me when I was growing up that God sent Jesus and that His plan to change the world and history was through that local church or any local church I would have laughed. So often what we have experienced in church hasn’t even been relevant to life, much less the answer to the questions in life.

Matthew 16

18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

1Timothy 3

15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

-That is quite a statement. The church of Jesus is called the pillar and foundation of the truth.

-It is called “God’s household”!

EXAMPLE

There is a story of a man who was sent by his father to do some business out of high school and to see some of the world. He was supposed to take over the family business.

When he got to Rio de Janeiro he was eating on the top of the Copa Cabana. He overheard a couple saying, “we made it-this is it!”

On the same trip he was with a native church and as they worshipped God in their own way he realized that he felt more at home there than on the top of the Copa Cabana.

His conclusion was that he was going to serve the thing that Jesus was serving.

-I have decided that it is the best investment to give my life for the same thing Jesus gave His life for-THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD-HIS BODY.

EXAMPLE

I heard another story about a pastor who met regularly with the president for a Bible study. He saw the guy with the briefcase to set off the bomb and thought-THIS GUY HAS POWER. He would drive past the Pentagon and say-there are people in there who can make a phone call and just blow things up-THAT IS POWER.

Then as he went home to the church he pastured he realized that he was entering the most powerful institution on the planet. The church is where human hearts can be changed.

-Jesus works through the church to CHANGE LIVES.

1. BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF

-If you read from the 4th chapter of Ephesians you will notice that it speaks of our life together.

-Jesus is the answer. He is the savior, not the church. You have eternal life because you respond to Him and let Him change you.

-Yet, THE BIBLE KNOWS NOTHING OF SOLITARY CHRISTIANITY.

-When you were saved, you were placed in a Body. You are a member of a body.

-Its just Jesus and me is not a good excuse for a solitary socio-pathic selfish lifestyle.

-The Bible doesn’t say YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR, IT SAYS:

Romans 8:37

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

-Jesus placed you in a family. He placed you in a Body.

-We demonstrate how this is working by how we live it out.

-Everyone seems like a spiritual giant when they are alone. Only when you get around others and get hassled do you know what the sponge has been soaking up!

Notice:

v. 2-bearing with one another in love

v. 3- walk in unity and peace

v. 4-one body/one spirit/one baptism into Christ

-Be a part of something bigger than you alone. Whether it is in this part of the Body or somewhere else, stop being a Rambo Christian and realize you are joined with people when you were joined with Jesus.

2. OPEN GOD’S GIFTS

-God loved us so much that He gave gifts of men and women to men and women.

-When Jesus ascended to heaven He gave gifts to men to train and equip them.

-Your ministry to God, the Church, and the world is so important that God sent people to especially train you to carry it out.

-We have let religion and our culture mess things up but the truth is: YOUR LIFE AND MESSAGE IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO THIS WORLD.

-We need to slaughter a few sacred cows about clergy and laity.

-In the world we have the lay people or laity who come to church and listen to the clergy.

-The whole idea is to come an hear a pep talk and go back out into the real world.

JOKE

One older pastor gave some great advise to younger ministers, He said, “Trust the people in your pew’s. they are smarter than you are…that is why you’re the pastor!”   

-There needs to be a respect and honor for ministers. You should esteem the work I am doing here.

-But don’t make me the most high potentate of Warren County.

CLERGY

-The word clergy or clergyman as we know it isn’t found in the N.T.

-Clergy is derived from the Greek word “kleros” It means lot portion or heritage.

Colossians 1:12

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance  (klerou)of the saints in the kingdom of light.

1 Peter 5

3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. (NIV)

 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage,(kleron) but being ensamples to the flock.  (KJV)

-Literally the clergy is “GOD” FLOCK/GOD’S HERITAGE.

LAITY/LAYPEOPLE

-Laity is from “laos” meaning people.

1 Peter 2

9 But you are a chosen people,(laos) a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

 10 Once you were not a people,(laos) but now you are the people (laos)

of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

REVERAND

-Webster says it means worthy of reverence.

Psalm 111

9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. (KJV)

-That religion has choked us.

It’s like the Lutheran pastor who always started each service with "The Lord be with you." The people would respond, "and also with you.”
But, one Sunday the PA system wasn’t working so the first thing he said was "There’s something wrong with this microphone." The people responded, "and also with you."
   

-Let’s redefine our terms.

TRAINER-WORKER

COACH-PLAYER

EQUIPPER-MINISTER

-Ministry means service-it means work.

3. GROW UP-WE NEED YOUR HELP

v. 13-become mature

v. 14-we will be no longer infants

v. 15-we will grow up

v. 16-the body grows and builds itself up as each part does its work

-We need to grow into the life that God has given us.

-Maturity is essential.

-We grow by living in the truth and adjusting our lives to that truth.

Hebrews 6

1-Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity

 

-Maturity is marked by how much we have become like Jesus.

-The more we are like Him, the more mature we become.

-The vision of this church is to: GROW UP/GROW TOGETHER/GROW OUT.

-Paul says, YOU BEEN SEATED WITH CHRIST – LIVE UP TO IT- GROW UP INTO THE FULNESS OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN.

4. SINCE YOU’VE BEEN MADE DIFFERENT- BE DIFFERENT

verses 17-32 tell us to BE DIFFERENT

verses. 17-19-This is how you used to be.

v. 22 PUT OFF

v. 23 BE MADE NEW

v. 24 PUT ON THE NEW SELF

-Let the new man shine and put off the old man.

-In other words, you are saved by grace through faith.

-If you really are saved, you should be different.

-Live out what has been placed in you.

-This doesn’t mean you are perfect, it simply means you are progressing.

-It means you care about holiness.

-We are sanctified. That means set apart for a special use.

-We put drinking water in the refrigerator for drinking but it is water like we use in the toilet. The cat doesn’t know about sanctified water-he drinks it right out of the toilet.

-In other words, be different, stop drinking out of the toilet.

v. 27-don’t give the devil a foothold

v. 30-don’t grieve the Holy Spirit

-It has to do with your attitude, your life, and your mouth.

Heb 10:10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 Heb 10:14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy.

-He sanctified us now He is making us holy.

-My refrigerator has a water line and I put a filter on it.

-Your life was diverted to a higher calling-then it is purified to be useful for anything.

Summary

1-BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF

2-OPEN GOD’S GIFTS

3-GROW UP-WE NEED YOUR HELP

4-NOW THAT YOU ARE DIFFERENT-BE DIFFERENT

-The church is God’s answer to get Jesus to the world. This is of critical importance. Adjust your thinking to see what is happening here in hearts and families as the answer to the world’s problems.

Finish by reading Ephesians 5:1-18

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