Put on the New Self

Welcome

Announcements

Join us on Sunday Mornings at 9:30 am for Sunday School, Wednesday evenings at 6 pm

Prepare for Worship

Call To Worship

332 Oh, How Good It Is

Confession

Prayer of Confession

O Lord, we openly admit that you know us thoroughly. Our deepest secrets are open before you. You know our thoughts before they are conceived in our minds. We cannot hide from you. Therefore, we ask that you discover unto us our sins so that we may humble ourselves again in your presence and seek your forgiveness and grace. We admit we have tolerated sinful thoughts about power, lust, greed, jealousy, malice and other things that grieve your heart. We have committed sins by not doing what is right and by doing what we know to be wrong. But we seek your mercy and cleansing from our sins by the blood of Christ. And we thank you for your Spirit who enables us to walk in a new life of holiness and obedience. Give us the grace to please you this day and forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Assurance of Faith

Brothers and sisters, God does not leave us in our distress. He does not abandon us to our devilish decisions. While we choose to starve ourselves on a diet of our own making and choosing that leads to spiritual atrophy and deterioration, God provides us with the Bread of Life. Pursuing us, those who have rejected the wisdom of God, Jesus declares of himself in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, they will live forever.” The bread that he gives is for the life of the world, for you and me. It is his very body pierced and broken which reunites us to the wisdom, truth, life and light of God. In Him and through Him, we are forgiven. Amen.

Worship

361 By Faith

368 Speak O’Lord

Prayers of the People

Prayer Request

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Put on The New Self

Turn to Eph 4:17-24

Paul has been exhorting the church to walk in unity

He now begins to give them specific instruction in how to do that. In speaking to the whole he also speaks to each individual

Ephesians 4:17–24 ESV

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to 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.

He says that “testify’s in the Lord” essentially he insists.

that they no longer walk as the other Gentiles, (or he is simply identifying unbeleivers as Gentiles, Christians are now one new man)

they cannot walk this way - which means to live this way according to Hebrew understanding

they walk in the futility (that which is devoid of truth) in their mind (their thinking)

Paul is adamant that the Christian cannot walk as the unbeliever walks, we cannot live as the unbeliever lives

and he ties our living with how we think, how we see the world

So as we as a church seek to serve God rightly and effectiently we must understand what it is to live in Him, to trust in Him,

The joy of living in the Lord is our freedom, our freedom from the bondages of sin. Paul tells us how to walk (live) in this freedom.

The Gentile’s Walk

Ephesians 4:18–19 ESV

18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

We are told what the nature of the life and thoughts of the unbeliever are, what the walking in the absence of truth looks like

This passage should serve two purposes, one to show us the pitiful state of those outside of Christ, and two to give us pause as we examine our own worldview, asking ourselves, am I content to live like the unbeliever, even though I claim to be in Christ

"darkened”

The unbeliever is darkened (blind of the mind) in their understanding (their way of thinking, feeling) in their mind

this same term is used in Rev 9:2

Revelation 9:2 ESV

2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.

and Rev 16:10

Revelation 16:10 ESV

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish

This is the effect of being slave to sin, thinking we are finding joy in the world around us, we miss the true joy of not being slave to our sins

"alienated”

The unbeliever is alienated (excluded) from the life of God (that is the fullness of life)

Ephesians 2:12 ESV

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Colossians 1:21 ESV

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

being alienated from the fullness of life that God offers leaves us without hope, it leaves us with hostility in our minds, and seeking to do evil deeds

we are alienated because of the ignorance (lack of knowledge, a moral blindness) that is within us

Acts 17:30 ESV

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

1 Peter 1:14 ESV

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

it is an ignorance we are called to repent of, turn away from, and not be conformed to

and that ignorance that is in them, the one that excludes them from the fullness of life that God offers is due to the hardness (stubborness) of their heart (soul mind, seat of thoughts and passions)

Mark 3:5 ESV

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.

"calloused”

They walk in darkness, they walk in ignorance, because they have become calloused (cease to feel pain)

and they have been given over (into the hands of another), Turn to Romans 1:21

Paul talked about this in his letter to the Romans, telling them that since the beginning of tiem God has made himself known to man in his creation, but they suppressed that knowledge in unrighteousness, and.....

Romans 1:21–28 ESV

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

here in Ephesians he says they have given themselves up to sensuality, they are greedy to practice every kind of impurity

when man walks in the darkness, turning away from God, denying him his proper worship they are given up, and they give themselves up to a life that denies all that God calls us to

Walk in Truth

But Paul exhorts the Christian

Ephesians 4:20–21 ESV

20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,

we are to walk in the Truth of Jesus, because when His truth is revealed to us, it becomes the standard by which we judge right and wrong.

"learned Christ”

He reminds us that this life, this walk of the Gentile in no way is reflective of how we have learned Christ

not simply learning of Him, not simply coming to a knowledge of his existence, but to have learned (hear, learned in use and practice)

note that Paul says we didn’t learn of “Christ” the office of messiah, the Lord over your life. When we come to Christ, when we come to acknowledge Him as Lord over our life, it can no longer look like that of the Gentile (the unbeliever)

"assuming”

“assuming that you have heard”, not a statement of doubt, but rather “if indeed,” “if you truly” have heard

to hear (to comprehend, to understand), if you really have understood

and you were really taught, meaning have recieved proper instruction and understood it

If this is the case then what follows you will know and believe

"the truth”

what follows is the truth, and that truth is in Jesus, the person of Jesus, the incarnated word

He says that he is the way the truth and the life, the embodiment of the truth

The New Self

and what exactly is this truth that we should have been taught, and will believe if we have truly heard and beleived in the Christ?

Ephesians 4:22–24 ESV

22 to 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.

"old Self”

old self - implies something that is worn out, something that is worse for the wear,

old man, old being - a life and everything that defined it, quite literally it is an idea that the old has died and should be discarded (put off) it should be thrown our with the trash

numerous text about dying to oneself

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This old-self belongs to a former manner of life - it is a way that was practiced before the truth was know to us.

It must be noted that by the grace of God many have grown up in Christ, so this idea might be foreign to them, but like the unbeleiver who can look to Scritputre to understand the blessings of living in Christ, the believer can likewise look to Scripture to see the old self, or the former manner of life being described here contains, they can see all the characteristics of a life lived outside of Christ, and then can readily see how many of those sins are prevalent in their life.

But for some, they know the pains of living outside of Christ for a large portion of life, and some who hear this know they are there now.

when we come to Christ this former manner of living, one characterized by all we spoke of before, must be put away. so no matter what camp we fall into we must examine our lives and if we see those things defining how we are living, we must put them away.

and we can recognize that manner of life, because it is corrupted by deceitful desires.

corrupted (destroyed, lead away from the truth) imagery of the OT temple, and seen in us as the temple

1 Corinthians 3:17 ESV

17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

as believers we must not let ourselves as a temple, a dwelling place of God be destroyed by deceitful (lying) desires (lusts), that promise fulfillment, but do not deliver

"renewed”

rather we are to be renewed (regenerated, made new, recreated) in our soul and in our mind

We are called to love Christ with all our heart, soul, and mind

every corner of our being is to be oriented to Him, not what we want, not how we believe we should live

we cannot live with the idea that I am saved, my soul is good, i am going to heaven, then live with a debased mind, constantly at odds with our heart

"new Self”

and it says we are to put on our new self

put on - (sink into, pur on clothes)

new - new in kind, something superior to the old

Ephesians 2:15 ESV

15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

Revelation 21:5 ESV

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

imagery of the new Jerusalem in Revelations

self - whole person, mind and soul

in the likeness (according to the model) of God

in righteousness (virtue) and holiness (otherness)

this new self that we put on must be according to Gods standard of right and wrong, and it should be different (holy, other) than the world around us

Conclusion

I do not want to belabor the point, we all know that us without Christ is without hope and slave to sin. But when we are in Christ we are called to be something different thatn we were before, or something different than those who walk without Christ.

We cannot embrace the world around us, if we do we communicate to the world that being in Christ is merely a personal choice, its just us decidieng to live by a slightly different standard, but the standard you live by is ok too, that is why we accept part of it.

No rather we must not live in or indulge in those parts of the world that we know to be sinful and not God honoring.

And it is not merely an ethical choice, it extends far beyond just being nicer, or not personally lying. it means I am not going to be knowingly complicit in the lies and cruelty of the world around me.

I will not publicly support a politician know to be dishonest, I will not participate in organizations that deny God and His righteousness in their operation, even when it is to my detriment.

We are a new creation, and we are to live as such, so that God might bless us, and show the world that He is the only way.

Lords Supper

343 The Communion Hymn

Lets us now partake of the Lord’s Supper together as the New Covenant body:

Table is open to all who are professing believers

The words of Institution that the Apostle Paul has given us should give us caution as we come to the table this morning:

English Standard Version Chapter 11

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.

So as we pray and prepare to receive the supper, keep the Word in your mind, preparing your heart for the receiving of the Supper.

Please take this time to pray, and prepare your heart to receive the Supper.

And now in His name, I take these elements to be set apart by prayer and thanksgiving to the holy and mysterious use for which he has appointed them. As He gave thanks and blessed, let us draw near to God, and present unto Him our prayers and thanksgivings.

God, Who by the blood of your dear Son has consecrated us a new and living way into the holiest of all: we ask of you, cleanse our minds by the work of the Holy Spirit, that drawing near to you with a pure heart and clear conscience, we may receive these gifts without sin, and in doing so glorify your Holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Have the people come and take. Elders deliver to those who cannot rise.

The Bread: On the night Jesus was betrayed , he took the bread and when He had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to the disciples to eat saying: “This is my body which is broken for your; do this in remembrance of me” Take the bread

The Wine: And in the same manner He also took the Cup, and having given thanks, He gave it to the disciples, saying: “This is the cup of the New Covenant in my Blood, shed for many for the remission of sin. Do This as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Drink of the cup.

Let us Pray.....

Benediction & Doxology

Closing Prayer

If anyone has any questions or concerns feel free to catch me afterwards. And a quick reminder we do have plates in the back for anyone who desires to worship through giving today. The plate to the right is general giving, and the one to the left is specific for our missions giving.

Join us as we sing the doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Please Join us in the Parrish Hall for Lunch