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PREFACE

As you open your Bibles to Ephesians 4, let me say that we’re going to continue in our study entitled “Let God’s Glory Be Made Known”  We said last week that God’s glory will be made known as you and I speak the truth in love, for as we do we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is Christ… meaning that we will grow toward unity and maturity in the faith.

So, last week , we dealt with TRUTH.  This week, we will deal with GOODNESS.  Two weeks from today, we will deal with RIGHTEOUSNESS.  You may ask:  “Why these subjects?”  Well, Eph 5:8-9 state “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light.  For the FRUIT of the light consists in ALL GOODNESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, and TRUTH.”  In these verses, Paul reveals not only the structure of this portion of the book of Ephesians, but the effect that this information should have on our lives… that is, there ought to be fruit produced in our lives as a result of understanding our new nature and calling in Christ!

Let us now READ God’s Word – Eph 4:29-32  (This ends the reading of God’s Word.  May His glory be revealed in us, as we embrace His word for ourselves that His manifold wisdom might be made known even to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.)

PRAYER

Our Father, as we come to your word, we pray for understanding, for conviction, for renewal, and for the transformation that you desire for our lives.  May you open our eyes and seal this truth in our hearts, that your goodness might be lived out in our experience, for we pray in Jesus holy name, Amen.

SERMON

I want to ask you to do something a little unusual this morning.  I want to ask you to sit back and MEDITATE on God’s love for the church. Just so you know I’m NOT asking you to do anything liberal, or asking you to put your judgment aside, I’ll tell you I’m simply going to read several passages of Scripture and ask you to think about them, meditate on the truth they communicate, and reflect on what God’s word has to say.  So, let me ask you to sit back, relax, put all other thoughts aside, and listen.  Meditate on God’s love for the church; not only on His affection for the church and His attitude toward the church, but the expression of his love as communicated through his actions on behalf of  and toward his people, of which you are a part (assuming you belong to him through faith in Christ).

When it comes to the EXTENT of God’s LOVE for the church, we see that it forms the motivation behind… it moves him toward… and it enables him to fulfill the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.  Think about these verses:

     John 3:16  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

     We find that his loves extends not only to our justification, but also to our sanctification.

     Eph 2:4-5a  “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions…”

     The timing of the expression of his love highlights HOW GREAT His love toward us actually is.

     Rom 5:6-8  “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

     Rom 5:10  “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

Point:  God’s love for the church is SO GREAT, it moved him to extend love to us, even when we were most unlovely and unworthy.

Concerning His KINDNESS, we read:

     Acts 14:17  “Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

     We also read that He is kind to the needy, the poor, the oppressed, and the offensive (Ps 139:24).

Think of His COMPASSION:

     Ps 103:8-13  “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

              so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.   As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;”

Finally, Consider the MANNER in which God COMMUNICATES with you:

     God blesses us through His word.  Think about the fact that God has NEVER said ONE THING, not even a grunt or sigh, that was meant to cause you harm, has he?  No, EVERY WORD that has ever proceeded out of the mouth of God has been given to edify, build up, and nurture those to whom and for whom it has redemptively been spoken.  Regardless of whether it is to be used for teaching, rebuking, correcting, or training in righteousness, it has ALL been spoken to be HELPFUL for building you up, according to your need.

One more passage to meditate on… WHAT DO YOU THINK PAUL MEANS WHEN HE SAYS IN…

     Eph 4:22-24  “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; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, CREATED TO BE  LIKE GOD in true righteousness and holiness.

Do you think He means that your new position in Christ brings with it not only the ability, but the obligation to love others and to treat others the way GOD has treated you?  (You better believe he does!)  That’s how Paul summarizes this passage.

     Eph 5:1-2  “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

The truth is… you and I as believers were called and created to be LIKE GOD in the Attitude of our Minds, the Affections of our Hearts, even in the Actions performed through our Will toward others.

If you and I were created TO BE like God, then we NEED TO BE like God!

This point was illustrated well in a recent Fox News Report, which showed a previous study which had been crafted to produce slanted results showing that children raised in homes of homosexuals and lesbians were not affected by their parental-child relationships.  The new report shows that the children are affected.  On the whole, the possess attributes and attitudes like those who rear them.  It shouldn’t surprise us, should it?

It is the same in the spiritual realm.  

     Eph 5:1-2  “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

You see, because we have been adopted as sons, we are t become like our HEAVENLY Father in ALL that we do.  That’s why in Eph 5:8-9 we read:  “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in ALL goodness, righteousness and truth)”

It’s not okay to be good toward others ninety-nine percent of the time, but to harbor bitterness in our hearts toward that individual.

JUST AS God is loving and kind and compassionate in ALL that he is and does, so should we be!

Question:  How Does That Play Out In Our Experience?

Answer:  Three Applications

I.  WE MUST BECOME IMITATORS IN THE COMMUNICATION OF OUR MOUTHS (v. 29)

Here, we find both the negative and positive.

     v. 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.”

There’s the TEST to be applied to all you say to others – Ask:  Is it HELPFUL for building the other person up?  (If not, it shouldn’t be said!)  Think of the congregation where everything that is spoken is of help to the other person!  You see, even the frame of mind we possess ought to be one that is concerned about the welfare of others.  Look at v. 29  “… according to their needs.”  If you and I were to be concerned about the welfare of others, we would never let any unwholesome (corrupt, putrid, vile, rotten, worthless, damaging) words come out of our mouths.  (Putrid is a word that describes food that rots in the digestive tract before it can be digested)  Verse 29 says “Do not let ANY” [not even one] unwholesome conversation come out…”     You and I should be concerned about the welfare of others since God’s purpose for our lives is to participate in works of service sot that the body of Christ might be built up.

Question:  HOW does the church become holy habitations in which God lives by His saints?

Answer:  As you and I build one another up according to our speech!  But it begins as your and my speech to people like Ralph, and David, and Sonya and Susan is fruitful (helpful, profitable, useful)

Be imitators of God in YOUR communication with others!

II.  WE MUST BECOME IMITATORS IN THE INCLINATION OF OUR MINDS (vv 30-32)

v. 31  “Get rid of ALL bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

The truth is… it begins with the attitude of your minds. 

How many of you have tasted the center layer of a pecan?  I did once as a boy at my grandparents home.  It was sharp, bitter, … it made my teeth draw up on edge.   Similarly, Paul says you and I are not to harbor such bitterness in our attitude toward others.  You know why?  Warren Wiersbe states “Bitterness leads to wrath, which is the explosion on the outside of the feelings on the inside.  Wrath and anger often lead to brawling or evil speaking (blasphemy/slander).”   Matthew Henry puts it this way “By bitterness, wrath, and anger, are meant violent inward resentment and displeasure against others:  and by clamor, big words, loud threatenings, and other intemperate speeches, by which bitterness, wrath, and anger vent themselves.”   The point is not only are you and I not to act out of hatred, dislike or in ways harmful to others; but we are not even to harbor such attitudes and feelings toward others in our hearts.  You know why?  … because it GRIEVES the Holy Spirit when we do! (v. 30)  It hurts!  It makes one sorrowful when a child has a bad attitude or does wrong.  So much more, when you consider God’s HOLY Spirit dwelling within us.  Rather, like God, we are to be kind and compassionate toward one another; forgiving each other just as in Christ God has forgiven us.

  But you see, there’s the problem, isn’t it?  It is hard, …no, impossible to forgive (apart from Christ)!  In my experience, I find men are quick to move on in a relationship without forgiving.  Women seem to take much longer to forgive …”I’m having trouble forgiving you… I’m working on it… If over the next five years, I find you’re sincere, I’ll forgive you.”  Let me ask, did God do that with you?  No!  Even in full knowledge that your heart was hard, that you would go on sinning apart from his grace and strength … HE FORGAVE!  He

didn’t wait.

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

There is NEED for Christ in our lives!

III.   WE MUST BECOME IMITATORS IN THE CAPITULATION OF OUR WORSHIP

Definition:  Capitulation refers to  “Conditional surrender”. 

  We are to live a life of love JUST AS Christ gave himself for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice.”

  Point:  It is because Christ sacrificed himself for us, out of obedience to God, that WE must be willing to sacrifice ourselves on behalf of others.  The truth is … you and I sometimes want to hurt others, to cut them down with our mouths, to harbor bitter feelings for them, to express anger, slander, fighting, etc.  But because of what Christ has accomplished for us, we are FREE to serve others in a holy way.  No matter if others seem to get the best of us, the Holy Spirit has sealed us for the day of redemption (others cannot take anything from us! …this frees us to serve them!) Our worship is not just what we do here in the sanctuary.  Our worship includes how we think, act toward one another, etc. The Baker Bible Commentary writes “Imitating God in forgiveness parallels the imitation of the self-sacrificial love of Christ for us, in which we are similarly secure enough in our position and future with God, that we may lay down our own interests as an offering to God on behalf of the interests of other people.”   There’s an old saying that goes like this “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  That saying is just as much a lie today, as we knew it was when it was first told to us.  Words do hurt… when not expressed in our best interest… But at the same time, when they are given for our best interest, we need to listen!

 v. 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.”

You will only benefit from these words if you listen and take them to heart.  God has given them that his church might be built up!  Will you listen?

Pulpit Ministry | Sermons - Chronological | Old Testament | New Testament | Subject Index