Walking in Love
Notes
Transcript
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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DECLARATION:
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
SVCC is built by God, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.
We are joined together by union with Christ, we are growing, and we are a dwelling place of God by his Spirit.
INTRODUCTION:
Review: Walking in unity, Walking in Maturity through diversity, Walking as a new person
Story on walking in love:
WHY?… In this second half of Ephesians Paul is telling them how to WALK, which is to say how to live as Christians…
TODAY: Walking in love
1. Don’t lie but speak the truth
1. Don’t lie but speak the truth
25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
2. Don’t sin when you are angry
2. Don’t sin when you are angry
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.
4 Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
Don’t be characterized as being angry but you can appropriately express anger
5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
Even Jesus got angry
3. Don’t steal but work hard
3. Don’t steal but work hard
28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Gk. tells us this is more like “stop stealing”
Christians should be generous and help others
35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
4. Don’t speak what is harmful but what builds up
4. Don’t speak what is harmful but what builds up
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Not only are our hands to do good so are our mouths…both are to benefit others!
5. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit
5. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
In context the grieving of the Holy Spirit here could be committing sins that disrupt the intended life of the community.
10 But they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
and himself fought against them.
Thoughts on Apostasy (i.e. falling away):
· The believer is secure in their salvation and given the Holy Spirit as their guarantee (Rom 8:38-39, Eph. 1:13, 2 Cor. 1:22).
· Those who are believers and have had the Holy Spirit can “fall away” (i.e. apostatize). The willful rejection of the forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, which is the unpardonable sin. (Heb. 6:6, Mrk. 3:29)
· Sinning deliberately after accepting the sacrifice of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins will lead one to trample the Son of God, Jesus. If the sinning were to be repented then it is covered and forgiven still. It is not the sinning but the trampling of the Son of God that leads the Spirit of Grace to be outraged. Once the Spirit is outraged one has apostatized and there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin. (Heb. 10:29)
o Sinning alone is not rejecting God.
o Sinning deceives us. (Heb. 3:13)
o Sinning that goes on will bring about a hard heart and deception, which will ultimately lead to rejecting Jesus and blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
o Apostasy is possible but only God knows when the line of apostasy is crossed.
*live marked/sealed by the Holy Spirit*
6. Don’t be bitter or angry but forgive one another
6. Don’t be bitter or angry but forgive one another
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
requires progressive action
7. Imitate God by walking in love
7. Imitate God by walking in love
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
You are adopted into the family of God and seated even now with Jesus in heavenly places and therefore we should act as such.
Christ who “gave himself” takes us to the sacrifice of Jesus’ own life on the cross…that greatest expression of love.
CONCLUSION/RELFECTION:
WHAT NEW BEHAVIORS ARE WE TO PUT ON?