Calvary Chapel Wenatchee
Sunday Service - Ephesians 4pt3
  • All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
  • Ancient Of Days
  • Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)
  • I Know Whom I Have Believed
  • Made Me Glad
  • Sovreign
  • Where The Love Lasts Forever
  • Your Love Reaches Me
  • Last week:
    Remember, we are to walk in a manner worthy of our calling
    Humility, gentleness, patience, tolerating one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
    We have all been brought into the body of Christ
    BUT, we have all been given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift, not our effort, not what we bring, but what He chooses
    So He has given us some as apostle, prophets, evagelist, pastors and teachers… not all, but some. Why? To equip the saints for their work so the body can be built up
    We are growing into maturity
    Because of this, we are not to walk how we use to, as the Gentiles, but putting off, or casting off, the old self, the old desires, the old way of doing things, and instead, putting on the new self, which God is creating in righteousness and holiness of the truth
    Today, we get to see this in even greater detail and what this really looks like.
    Illustration:
    I grew up playing baseball. I love it, and I still enjoy it. My mom could attest that when I was younger, I would go out to the yard, and just swing the bat. I wouldn’t have a tee, I wouldn’t even have a ball, I would just go outside, pretend I was Ken Griffey Jr or Jay Buhner or Edgar Martinez, and swing. I would imagine hitting the ball over the centerfield wall and enjoy the imagination of running around the bases. But what I didn’t realize, was by doing this, I was simply getting better at swinging the bat, and what went from a very mediocre baseball player in little league, to making the High School team and getting very serious about the game I loved.
    But all good things must come to an end, and as I grew up, as I matured, I realized my career in baseball was coming to an end, no matter how much I did not want it to. So naturally, when I stopped playing baseball, I thought I would instead go over to golf. And even though in golf, you are still hitting a white ball, everything is extremely different. The things I learned about swinging a baseball bat, I had to take all of those things and lay them aside, cast them off, and completely change my swing if I wanted any chance to succeed at golf. I still struggle with it today, wanting to go back to my old nature, but when I was at the driving range, I realized, I have to lay all that aside and do something completely different.
    And as Christians, as followers of Jesus, as the Church, the Bride of Christ, what we use to do won’t work anymore. We have to learn to cast off the old and put on the new, and today, Paul is going to give us some great help with knowing how we ought to go about being successful in walking in a manner worthy of our calling.
    The New Self (V.25-32)
    V.25
    Ephesians 4:25 NASB95
    25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
    Therefore:
    How to lay aside the old self and put on the new.
    I love how Paul goes about this
    The Ephesians didn’t automatically do everything right. These were all things that the Ephesians needed to be taught and told.
    We need that too. You may have been living your life this way up until now, but remember, this is why God gave us these gifts, your pastor. So you can learn how to put off the old self and put on the new.
    This is not to condemn you, but to transform you.
    lay aside falsehood:
    If you are use to lying to get out of trouble, or lying to make some one feel better, or lying to get what you want, lay that aside. Put that off.
    In your old self, this may have been a habit and something you did without thinking about it. But not anymore.
    Why?
    Because we are all members of one another
    V.26-27
    New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 4

    26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

    27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.

    Be Angry:
    Is it ok to be angry?
    Yes, but when does it become a sin?
    When you let the sun go down on your anger.
    Do not let it fester and become more than it should. Resolve your issues.
    Why?
    So you do not give the devil an opportunity.
    When you sit in your anger, it gives Satan an opportunity to come in and entice you to become sinful.
    This also includes what people call “Righteous Anger.” It still needs to be resolved appropriately.
    This applies strongly to marriage.
    Think about what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:5
    1 Corinthians 7:5 NASB95
    5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
    We don’t want to give Satan a foothold, especially when we are angry. So anger is definitely not a reason to deprive one another. And in this case, a double negative does not equal a positive, but rather, real danger.
    V.28
    Ephesians 4:28 NASB95
    28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.
    He who steals:
    stealing money or things… this is no longer something you will be doing.
    Instead, go to work, work hard, and then you will no longer be taking, but able to give and share what you have.
    There is nothing wrong with asking for help, but there are people who make it a habit, because it has been part of their life for so long.
    Now is the time to stop. No need to be embarassed if this was you before, but now, start working, start laboring, so you aren’t a taker, but a giver.
    V.29
    New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 4

    29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

    No unwholesome word:
    Paul will explain more in Ephesians 5:4 what this includes. And also here in the next couple verses as well.
    The word literally means rotten
    Instead, as a new self, we speak only what is good for edification, to build, to edify, according to the need of the moment.
    So instead of tearing others down or violating someone’s conscience, it will give grace to those who hear you.
    Don’t forget what James says in James 3:5-8
    James 3:5–8 NASB95
    5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
    V.30
    Ephesians 4:30 NASB95
    30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
    Do not grieve the Holy Spirit:
    How do we grieve the Hoy Spirit.
    Grieve here means to dishearten, discourage, or ignore.
    When we grieve the Holy Spirit, we ignore the work He is doing in our lives, and the lives of others.
    This is also in light of unwholesome words, and can ultimately be what follows as well.
    When we speak rotten, not edifying nor graciously, we grieve the Holy Spirit
    V.31
    Ephesians 4:31 NASB95
    31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
    Put away from you:
    How we deal with people is part of the new self.
    Are we bitter?
    Are you wrathful or angry?
    Are you always shouting or slandering?
    Are you being malicious?
    We aren’t going to be perfect with all of these things, but remember, this is what begins to happen as we are transformed and changed by the work of the Spirit, that we put these things off.
    V.32
    Ephesians 4:32 NASB95
    32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
    Instead, this is how we should be:
    kind
    tender-hearted
    forgiving
    Why forgive? Because God forgave you
    Think of what Jesus teaches in Matthew 18:23-35
    Matthew 18:23–35 NASB95
    23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26 “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27 “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
    You have been forgiven, so when people here, people in the church especially, fail in these areas, forgive them, restore them, don’t shoot them nor beat them. Forgive
    We are to treat one another differently than the world.
    Conclusion:
    Remember, to walk in a manner worthy of your calling. This is your calling, to treat one another in this way as the body of Christ.
    Next week, Paul will continue to give us what it looks like to put off and put on, how to continue to walk in a manner worthy of your calling in Christ Jesus, in humility and kindness and patience and tolerating one another.

      • Ephesians 4:25NASB95

      • 1 Corinthians 7:5NASB95

      • Ephesians 4:28NASB95

      • James 3:5–8NASB95

      • Ephesians 4:30NASB95

      • Ephesians 4:31NASB95

      • Ephesians 4:32NASB95

      • Matthew 18:23–35NASB95

Calvary Chapel Wenatchee
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