PUT OFF and PUT ON

Introduction

Illustration of taking off the old and putting on the new (share story about having to change out of old grubby clothes and into clean new clothes.******

Illustration AUDIENCE GAME: GUEss the occupation>

The adults can only guess from the first slide But kids- you get an extras picture to look at to guess what type of job these people have?

If you get all of them correct you can come up and get a

ADULTS GUESS BASED ON THE FACE ONLY

KIDS GUESS WHEN THEY SEE THE WHOLE PERSON IN THEIR UNIFORM.

a fireman

a doctor

a Astronaut

Anyone who got all 3 correct can come up and get a price. (Sticker- I love my church)

What was it that made you know who each of these people were?

It was the way they dressed.

When a person becomes a new fireman they get new clothes to wear. Clothes that identify their new position

When a person becomes a new doctor -they get new clothes to wear.- clothes that identify who they now are

When an astronaut becomes an astronaut they get new clothes to wear. - clothes that identify them as an astronaut.

But understand that it is more than just getting a new outfit. When each of these individuals took on these new roles they also took on new responsibilities that correspond with their new identity.

The fireman took on the responsibility to fight fires and rescue people .

The doctor took on the responsibility to heal the sick and to care for their physical needs

The astronaut took on the responsibility to navigate the spaceship and to seek out the science in the atmosphere.

This morning as we continue on in chapter 4 of Ephesians Paul is teaching us that the Christian has been given a new identity (a new set of clothes) in Christ and with it comes new responsibilities.

BIG IDEA: Put off the Old man and put on the New.

Our text this morning is all about our new identity in Christ and what it looks like when we live out this new identity through our lives.

Paul begins in verse 17 Urging the church to stop living like the world and to start looking like Jesus.

PUT OFF - the old man

vs- 17-19 “ 4:17 So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 4:19 Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.”

vs- 17-19 “ 4:17 So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do,

Did you catch Paul’s passion? “Christian - Don’t live like the Gentiles”

Paul is not using the term gentile as an ethnic turn, but a moral term.

remember that The gentiles represent “life apart from God”-

The gentiles were pagans that did not follow God.

Paul is saying to the church “ stop living like the world apart from God.”

Paul goes on to describe The characteristics of what the World looks like .

“I insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as [pagans] do, in the futility of their thinking. 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 4:19 Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.”

Paul says this is who you were before Christ

Characteristics of the OLD man

Before Christ- We lived in the Futility of our minds-

When you can't see the point in even trying, that's the feeling of futility, the sense that no matter how much you work at it, nothing good will ever happen, so you might as well give up.

This worlds philosophies teach us to do whatever feels good now because there is no hope for tomorrow.

I have heard too many times young people say whats the point of even staying alive because nothing good ever seems to happen.

Christian before Christ this is all you had.

Transition: Paul goes on and says You were also Darkened in your understanding.

Darkened understanding-

To be darkened in understanding means that they are blinded to the truth.

Romans 3:11 tells us that The total depravity of mankind is so great that not even a single person seeks out God, not even 1 person in good.

We are darkened to the truths of Gods grace and love for us until the light of the gospel permeates our hearts.

Transition: Paul goes on and says before Christ, not only were you hopeless in your thinking and blinded in your sight you were also

alienated from the life of God-

In Eph. 2:1 Paul says that without Christ “And you were dead in your transgressions and sins,”

as a result of our own sin, We were cutoff from spiritual life with God, and this results in.....

Hardened hearts-

Think about an apple

on the tree is gets all nutrients and water it needs to grow.

But if you were to pick it , what would happen?

It would loose its source of nutrients.

It may look alive for a while on the outside but it is dying inside.

because- It cannot live on its own without the source of its nutrients and eventually it would shrivel up become hard and die.

To have a hardened heart means that you are calloused to the things of God so much so that there is no hope of spiritual life left in you.

The world is so dead in their trespasses and sins that there is literally no spiritual life in them at all. Their hearts are hardened to the things of God.

Transition; Paul is telling us as the redeemed churched- that before Christ saved us, We were calloused like the world. We were hopeless, We were blinded in our sins, and we were cut off from life with God, and this leaves us hardened in our spiritual lives.

Eph 4:19 “Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.”

The result of a calloused heart is that man is

given over to impure actions-

What’s in the heart comes out in our actions.

Selfish hearts will always produce selfish actions.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful above all things, and desperately sick Who can understand it? I

there is nothing more deceitful than the human heart. and our actions are the desires of our heart coming to fruition in our lives.

Paul begins this text by pleading with the church to stop acting like the world in their futility of their thinking and then in verse 20-21 He tells them to start acting like the redeemed children of God by which they were called.

and now Eph. 4:22-24 Paul is telling believers to Put of this old corrupt man and put on the new man in Christ.....

Understand that if you are in Christ You mUST make a fundamental break with your past. You must put off the old man and the old way of thinking.

listen to the text.....“ put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Paul is telling the church its time to change your clothes.

Illustration: As a boy I spent every waking minute i could outside. As soon as the sun was up I was out the door finding somewhere new to explore. and ways to get dirty.

I remember my mom often yelling out the kitchen window “ Jason time to come in and change your clothes.”

It was time for me to take off my dirty clothes and put on clean clothes.

Paul is telling the church “its time to change your clothes.

RREEAD TEXT AGAIN

“ put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

PUT ON - The new man

Paul doesnt say clean up the old man, He doesnt say do a million dollar makeover, He says Put on your New clothes.

Characteristics of the NEW man are characteristics that come from their new father...

2 Cor. 5:17 “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come! 5:18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ,”

At the moment of salvation the old man is gone, and God makes you into a new person- that now possesses the righteousness and holiness of God,

and Paul, in our text this morning, goes on to describe what this new man looks like in contrast to the OLD man that is now Gone.

Listen to the text......

Eph. 4:25-31 “Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger.Do not give the devil an opportunity. The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need. You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, 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. You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk.”

Do you see the contrast from the natural selfish man to the New man in God’s Likeness?

If we are truly “IN CHRIST” then we must put off the old man and put on the nature of Christ.

old man vs. actions of the NEW man

Speaks Lies ---------Speaks truth vs. 25

Gets Angry----------- Controls His anger vs. 26

allows the devil to influence their life----- Resist the devil vs. 27

John 8:41-43 “Jesus said to the unbelievers “Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The father of the unsaved is the Devil- and He has great influence over their lives.

The ability to resist the influence of Satan comes only IN JESUS.

Steals from others for his own benefit------ Works hard to give to others for their benefit vs. 28

Stealing is a selfish act of sin. Working to benefit others is a selfless act of Love.

Uses his words to tear others down----- Uses his words to build other up vs. 29

how you talk to others makes all the difference (tone of voice)

illustration. say the same thing in two different tones

motive behind your words.

Grieves the H.S. -------- Listens to the H.S. vs30

In this context of the church to grieve the holy spirit means that you disrupt what God is doing in and through the church.

And in Ephesians 4:1-16 We saw that Gods purpose for the church is Unity and Edification.

So to grieve the spirit - means that you drive division into the church instead of building it up.

Because the very nature of God the Spirit is Holy- any sinful act or thought of the believer would grieve the H.S.

the opposite of grieving the H.S. is to listen to the spirit - this means that you let him control your life, that you let him convict you of your sin, that you let him transform you to be more like Jesus so that your life and actions look like Jesus’ life and actions did while he was on earth.

When we put on the clean clothes the dirt and grime that were on our old clothes are gone, and we are new. We no longer look like we used to, because we are now clean.

TRANSITION: In the final 2 verses of this chapter Paul tells us what Actions we need to put off and what Actions we need to Put on if we are going to be a Christ Like child of God..

Eph. 4:31 “You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, clamer, and evil, slanderous talk.”

These are all characteristics of people without Jesus.

Bitterness - is being irritated that your life isn’t as good as you think it should be. Its looking at other peoples blessings and frustrated that they are not your own.

John MacArthur calls bitterness “ Smoldering Resentment” the irritation with other people just keeps smoldering and never burns out.

Anger and Wrath- are both outburst of passion.

Anger is a strong feeling of being upset because of something wrong or bad that happened to you.

Wrath takes it a step farther and says Im going to get even with you because of what you did to me.

clamor- Its your inward anger coming to life in outward actions.

To have clamor in the church means that you are fighting and brawling with other sin the church.

evil slanderous talk- Is hostility towards one another

Paul is telling us as the church ,that we all must Put off resentful attitudes, festering anger, Outburst of wrath, and hurtful language towards one another. and in there place we must put on Kindness and forgiveness towards one another.

listen as Paul wraps up this chapter with the virtues that One who follows Jesus must put on every day

Eph. 4:32 “Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.”

Our church should be known in this community as a kind and forgiving church.....

......because our kindness and forgiveness to One another exemplifies God’s kindness and forgiveness- that He showed each of us through His Son Jesus Christ.

God’s Kindness Titus 3:4-5“But “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us...”

God’s Forgiveness - 1 John 1:9 “But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.”

When we Put on unconditional Kindness and forgiveness we exemplify Christ to our community.

Bring It Home

This passage should both encourage us and convict as Christians.

I am encouraged knowing that I no longer have to wear dirty clothes in my life.

God through Jesus has made me new. and it was all based on His kindness and forgiveness towards me.

I am also convicted this morning to look at my own heart and to see what clothes Im actually wearing. Do I still look like the world, and if so , What do I need to do in my life to change out of those clothes.

The Question I have for all of us this morning .

What Are your wearing?

Have you ever come to Know Jesus in your life?

Have you taken off the selfish clothing of this world and put on Christ Righteousness in your life?

If you have never done this - I encourage you today to accept Jesus as your Savior and let him change you into something new

As followers of Jesus I encourage all of us to live out our new identity in christ , clothed in His righteousness for the purpose of Edifying the church and proclaiming the gospel to the World.

When the church looks at you what clothes do they see you wearing?

When the community looks at your what clothes do they see you wearing?

My prayer for each of us this morning is that of Ephesians 4:1 that we “walk worthy of the calling by which you have been called” Devoting tour lives to our savior, by putting off the old sinful man and putting on the new man in Christ.