Ephesians 4:31-32

A world-renowned school counselor here in Mobile, AL, recently did an exercise on the power of our words with her students. In this exercise, she passed out tiny paper hearts to her students. Each heart represented their heart. As she talked, she periodically told the kids to fold their hearts, and each fold represented a hurtful word spoken to them. After about five minutes of folding, she had the students unfold the hearts. As they unfolded their hearts, the students realized their hearts would never be the same due to the creases caused by each fold.

This exercise was intended to represent how powerful our words are. The phrase, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," simply isn't always accurate. Words possess great power. They can be used for good, and they can be used for corruption. They can be medicine, or they can be poison. They can build up, and they can tear down.

So, I would be willing to bet that it's quite likely some of the greatest pain you've experienced in this life stems from words you've had spoken to you. Many of you are walking around with creases on your hearts. Your heart is full of pain and trauma caused by the various hurtful things spoken to you in this life. Your heart has been battered and damaged. It seems you've been on the receiving end of mean and hurtful speech your whole life. Perhaps at home, your father was never proud of you. Perhaps at school, your friends constantly mocked and ridiculed you. Perhaps your spouse makes you feel like garbage. Perhaps you've tried to find a spouse and been met with constant rejection. Because of this, your heart has become hard and calloused.

But, what we're going to be reminded of today is this: when we place our faith in Jesus, God gives us a new heart. Our heart no longer has to have creases. In Christ, our offenses against God are forgiven and washed away. In Christ, we are a new creation. In Christ, we stand before the Father holy, blameless, and above reproach. In Christ, our heart of stone is replaced with a heart of flesh.

So, what that means is this: we no longer have to walk around with creased hearts! The cross offers us forgiveness and healing. It offers us the ability to forgive those who have sinned against us. So you don't have to be bitter and angry anymore. God gives you the ability and the strength to forgive as he has forgiven you. In our passage today, God continues to show us there is a better way of living than how we once lived.

Let's dive in.

"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, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

In these two verses, we find Paul doing what he has done for the past six verses. He tells us what we shouldn't do as Christians, followed by what we should do as Christians, followed by a reason.

So, I want us first to define what we are called to put off as Christians. We will ask the simple question, "What should we not do?"

BITTERNESS

The first thing we see that we are to put off is bitterness. Trying to live out the Christian faith with a bitter heart is like playing soccer with no feet. It's like trying to plant a garden on a basketball court. It simply won't work.

Bitterness (pikria) is a sour and yucky spirit. It's a slow simmering of hard feelings toward someone or something. It's the act of dwelling on grievances, nursing our frustrations.

Bitterness is the opposite of friendliness. It's a poison of the heart that pushes us away from community, not toward it. It possesses a unique ability to drive wedges in friendships and can destroy all sorts of relationships. The bitter person often finds themselves alone and in isolation. The bitter person seldom smiles and often frowns. Joy and laughter are far from their hearts.

But what's interesting about bitterness is that it often thwarts our perception of reality, causing us to view things far worse than they actually are. A bitter heart always assumes the worst. There are no accidents to the bitter person, everything is intentional.

The bitter heart never has difficulty justifying its bitter actions. There's always a good reason to be jaded and sour. "You don't understand; that person did me wrong." says the bitter man.

Yet, God calls us to put bitterness down. No amount of pain, heartache, and turmoil in this life is a justifiable means to embrace bitterness. Choosing to hold on to bitterness is like choosing to drink soured milk when you could drink water. It will only lead to your misery and the misery of those around you. So, "put bitterness away from you," Paul says.

I read this week that a bitter root will lead to bitter fruit. This saying is true. Bitter actions follow a bitter heart; sour actions follow a sour spirit. And this is what I believe we find being laid out for the rest of verse 31, the fruit of a hard and soured heart.

WRATH + ANGER

Out of a bitter heart flows wrath. Wrath (thymos) could be understood as a passionate outburst of rage or hostile feelings. It's anger boiling up and then soon subsiding. It's you being short-tempered. It's you being triggered by just the smallest things. It's you lashing out in rage whenever you are inconvenienced or threatened. It's the opposite of patience and peace. It's self-centered and harmful to our neighbors.

Similar to wrath, anger (orge) is the movement or agitation of the soul. It's you shaking with uncontrollable rage, an impulse, and a desire for violent emotion.

Neither wrath nor anger are welcome in the hearts and lives of a believer. These things lead us away from love, not toward it. They lead to us hurting, not healing, those around us.

CLAMOR + SLANDER

Clamor (kraugē) is an outcry of rage. It's the act of crying out or screaming at someone. It's the couple arguing in your apartment next door. It's a father yelling at their kids to eat their dinner or go to bed. It's a friend drunkenly shouting in rage at the party. Nothing damages our reputation as a Christian faster than the act of clamoring.

Slander is the quiet and shy sibling to clamor. If clamor is a loud outcry of rage, slander is a silent whisper of rage. Slander (blasphēmia) is the act of speaking about someone in a demeaning way that harms their reputation. Some of us don't fear confrontation and are content with watching others sulk in pain. Others of us hate confrontation. Therefore, we do most of our work in the shadows.

You'll never see us yelling at a party on Saturday; instead, you'll find us quietly gossiping at the coffee shop on Monday. You'll never hear us yelling with our spouse next door because we're too busy texting about our spouse to our friends. Many of us will turn our noses up at a video on Facebook of people rioting in public. Then, two minutes later, we text our friend, slandering our coworker in private. Slander is the silent work of bulldozing the reputation of others behind their back. But, neither clamoring nor slandering has any place in the hearts and lives of a believer.

MALICE

Malice (Kakia) is ill-will toward another. It's a calculated desire to injure and harm your neighbor. It's a type of wickedness that's not ashamed of breaking laws.

We are to put off all of these things. We are to put them away from us. The phrase "put away" means picking up and removing an item from its original place. So, these things are not welcome within the heart of God's people. We should take them and put them far from us.

But here's the unfortunate reality of life: until the day that we die, the weeds of sin will never stop growing in our hearts. So, putting these things away isn't a one-time event; it's a consistent and daily act of denying oneself. Jesus says, "If anyone were to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow after me." Every day, we must tend to the garden of our hearts. Putting off sin is a daily task.

KINDNESS

As we take these things off, we are to then put on kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness— "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Kindness (chrēstos) is an action wrapped up in pursuing your neighbor's good. It's the opposite of harshness, bitterness, and quarreling. It's to be mild, manageable, and pleasant. The kind person seeks to be as helpful to others as possible, while the bitter person stands off and holds back helpfulness. Kindness is selfless living; bitterness is selfish living. Kindness leads to generosity; bitterness leads to theft. Kindness looks outward; bitterness looks inward.

NT Wright says this about kindness, "…Kindness is one of the purest forms of the imitation of God. How would it be if God were the kind of god who was always making snide or bitter remarks at us? What would worship and prayer be like if we thought God had been talking about us behind our backs, putting us down to others? How would we feel if we thought we couldn't trust God to tell us the truth, if he was always losing his temper with us? Well: how do people feel about us if that's what we're like? Wouldn't it be better in every way to be like God?" So, walking in kindness with one another is a tangible way to display God's glory to those around us.

TENDER-HEARTED

Not only are we to be kind, but we are also to be tender-hearted (eusplagchnos). This is obvious, but being tender-hearted is the opposite of being hard-hearted. It's to be compassionate and willing to show pity.

One of the greatest dangers of living out the Christian faith is to become hard-hearted.

I've played a lot of baseball throughout my life, and I never wore batting gloves. During the season, I would swing a bat 500+ times a day. But, after the season, I always took a break from hitting. So, I would have to be careful when I would pick back up a bat to start hitting again. The consistent friction and rubbing of the bat on my hands would lead to my hands becoming blistered. But, over time, those blisters would evolve into callouses. My once tender hands would turn into calloused and hard hands. Having calloused hands would prevent me from feeling pain from the rubbing of the bat.

I fear the Christian life can easily become like swinging a baseball bat. As young believers, we will take our best swings at living out the gospel. But, over time, we will encounter friction, and small blisters will pop up in our hearts, making them hard and calloused. There will be moments when we seek to serve, selflessly pouring our life out for the church, and then we're taken advantage of by the church. There will be moments we love fervently, and then that person betrays or abandons us. There will be moments when we seek to be kind to our coworkers, and then we hear them badmouthing us in the break room.

Swing after swing. We strive to live out the gospel. But, in return, we're met with betrayal and rejection. The next thing we know, we've become jaded. We've become bitter. We've become indifferent toward the life and difficulties of those around us. Instead of looking for opportunities to serve, we find excuses not to serve.

A hard heart is a fertile soil to only the weeds of sin. But, a tender heart is a fertile soil to the many fruits of righteous and Godly living. So, we must remain tender-hearted.

How do we remain tender-hearted? We stay close to the cross. We remind ourselves of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. The cross tenderizes our hearts. As believers, the longer we fix our hearts on the cross, the more we will be willing to live out the cross. The light of the cross will peer into our hearts, and the fog of bitterness will begin to dissipate. Kindness and forgiveness will soon be on our lips.

FORGIVENESS

Paul tells us to forgive because God has forgiven us in Christ Jesus. Forgiveness (charizomai) is a gospel word. It's to give graciously to someone, the act of restoring a relationship from one to another.

Sometimes, forgiveness is really difficult to give. I've talked with many of you, and you've shared with me ways you've been hurt and wronged by others. I never want to come across as insensitive to the pain you've experienced in your life. But I want to remind you that no one knows the pain of rejection better than God. God understands trauma. God understands heartache; his heart has been broken. God understands rejection; he's been rejected. God understands shame; he's been publicly mocked, shamed, and ridiculed. Yet, God in Christ Jesus took extreme measures to forgive those who hurt him. Jesus willingly marched to the cross so that our sins might be forgiven and our relationship with God might be restored. At the cross, Christ says, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Satan wants you to hold on to bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. But God wants you to put these things away. God is inviting his people to a better way of living. He's inviting us to be kind to one another, tender-hearted, and forgiving, as God in Christ has forgiven us.

Forgiveness is always better than resentment. Sometimes, there will be people who have hurt and wronged us and don't care. They don't want to be forgiven. But, if you have a fractured relationship in your life, may it never be because of your unwillingness to extend forgiveness. C.S. Lewis says, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."

Ephesians 4:30

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” — Ephesians 4:30

Ephesians 4:29

A proverbial saying has been floating around neighborhood playgrounds for generations. Across the globe, kids will mock their offenders with the quote, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

This saying aims to communicate to our offenders that the offensive words they threw at us have rendered themselves ineffective. Their comments have not succeeded in offending us.

This saying was often on my lips as a kid. And though I may have convinced little Johnny that he didn't hurt my feelings, I could never convince myself.

We are not the little indestructible human beings we led others to believe we are. As much as we try to make it seem like words are powerless, deep down, we know that words possess great power. Depending on how they are used, words can be like medicine, or they can be like poison. They can lead to life, or they can lead to death.

You see, we live in a fallen and broken world that's full of broken and hurt people. So, we shouldn't be surprised when hurt people say hurtful things to us. It comes with the territory. But we're going to learn today that believers are expected to use their words differently than those around them. We no longer use our words to hurt; we use our words to heal. We no longer use our words for death; we use our words for life. We no longer use our words to tear down; we use our words to build up. A relationship with God should impact how we speak to those around us. As recipients of grace, we must use our words to give grace.

Let's dive in.

"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."

WORDS ARE POWERFUL

The first thing we see here is a contrast between two different ways of talking. There's a corrupt way and a good way. This tells us that our words are a powerful tool that can lead to death or life. They can be poison, or they can be medicine. They can tear down, or they can build up. They can cause pain, or they can bring healing.

The word corrupt is a word in the Bible that represents something of bad quality, something rotten or worthless. It's a term of evil and wickedness. We see Jesus use this word to describe bad fruit from a tree or rotten fish from the sea. So, it's something that's gross and rotten, an instrument of death and sickness.

Good, however, is a word that means useful, pleasant, upright, honorable, and excellent. Jesus uses this term to describe good fruit or good fish. So, it's the opposite of corruption. It's a term of health, holiness, and reasonableness. It's something that leads to life and health, not death and sickness.

Think about it this way. Let's say you're walking down the beach and find a dead fish washed up on shore with flies surrounding it. What would happen if you took that rotten fish home and ate it? You would get really sick. The same is true with our words. Corrupt words are sickening, while good words are nourishing. Corrupt words are like poison, while good words are like medicine. Corrupt words tear down while good words build up.

There are no morally neutral words. There are only two different directions our words can go: to death or life.

This is a principle that has rung true since the beginning of time. Go all the way back to Genesis. In Genesis 1, God uses words to create, bless, and command his creation. From the creation of light to the formation of man, God created through words. He used his words for life, speaking the world into existence. And, following his creation, he spoke a blessing over those he made in his image. God has always used his words for life and blessing. But, if you turn in your Bible two pages to the right to Genesis 3, you will find how words were also used to lead to death. In Genesis 3, we see Satan use his words to deceive Adam and Eve into disobeying God. Satan came questioning God's commands with deceptive words, which led to Adam and Eve eating the fruit that God commanded them not to eat. So, God spoke in creation, and Satan spoke in the fall. God uses his words for life. Satan uses his words for death.

Words are so much more than air flowing past our vocal cords. Our words are powerful instruments that can lead to death or life. Therefore, we ought to pause and carefully think about how we are using our speech on a day-to-day basis.

WORDS REVEAL OUR HEART

Words are powerful tools that can lead to death and life, but they're also powerful instruments capable of revealing the state of our hearts. The words we say directly reflect what's inside of us. Our hearts and tongues are never at odds with one another. They work hand in hand. Our hearts are the source of the words we speak, and the words we speak reveal the state of our hearts.

On multiple occasions throughout Jesus's life, he reiterated that the fruit of our life directly indicates the type of person we are. In Matthew 12, for example, while speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus says, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

So, your words reveal to those around you who you are as a person. The good person speaks good words; the corrupt person speaks corrupt words. And we will be judged by the words we speak.

But do you know what's interesting about this statement here by Jesus? He's speaking to the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the religious elite, those who prided themselves in obeying the law. Yet, in talking to those who prided themselves in the law, he calls them a "brood of vipers," a group of snakes.

This tells me that Jesus is attacking something deeper here. He's not worried about people adopting specific religious phrases because it's possible to use religious words in a non-religious way. It's possible to use positive words in a negative manner.

For example, you could mockingly say to your mom, "Ok, MoM. I'll dO wHaT yOu SaY." Those are good words used in a demeaning manner. Or, at Bible study, you could say, "Bless their hearts," then slander your neighbor. You've disguised corrupt words with a Godly phrase.

Our words can be used to tear down, or they can be used to build up, and our words reveal the state of our hearts. So, what is coming out of your heart?

I'm not asking if you cuss (that's another conversation for another day); I'm asking you to go deeper. It's easy to stop saying the "D-word." It's hard to speak encouraging, life-giving words to those around you. So, what do your words say about who you are as a person? Which kingdom do your words show you belong to: God's kingdom or the kingdom of this world?

Those who belong to God's kingdom will seek to use their words to build up. Those who belong to the kingdom of this world will use their words to tear down.

RIGHT WORDS, RIGHT TIME

There's a phrase in this sentence in Ephesians that might be easy to overlook— "as fits the occasion."

We often dress for the occasion. We don't wear to a wedding what we would wear to a gym. And we don't wear at home what we would wear at work. A tuxedo is nice. But, it's not appropriate to wear to work. It doesn't fit the occasion.

In the same way, we ought to make sure our words fit the occasion. This tells us that there might be a time to be quiet. Sometimes, we need to open our mouths and say something nice; sometimes, we just need to be quiet and listen.

There will be times in our lives when our hearts will be burning with rage, and we want to say something hurtful to the person who has hurt us. We should refrain from such speech. But there will also be times when we want to say something nice and helpful to someone hurting. But, it might just be best for us to quietly put our arm around that person and weep with them.

Every occasion is different. So, before we say something, we should ask, "Is this the right time to say what I want to say?"

Sometimes it's good to be quiet, but sometimes it's good to speak up. Proverbs 15:28 says, "The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things."

To "ponder" means to study, meditate, or give careful thought to something. So, we should give careful thought to the words we speak. The Christian should seek to speak appropriate words. We should contemplate our hearts and motives— "Why do I want to say what I'm about to say?" We should ponder our words— "Are my words correct, true, and seasoned with grace?" We should consider the person we're speaking to— "Will my response here be helpful?"

GRACIOUS WORDS

We should seek to speak fewer words, and we should strive to speak appropriate words. The proper Christian approach to words is to carefully think about how to use our words to "build up" others, not tear them down. We strive to give grace to those who hear.

What is grace? Grace is an undeserved gift.

In Ephesians 2, Paul paints a beautiful picture of grace. He says, "[1] And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—[3] among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…"

This is rebellious language. This is mockery language. This language depicts us as incapable of living a life honoring God. Yet, God still pursued us. He made us alive with Christ. He saved us by grace. He's seated us in the heavenly places with Christ. He's extended to us riches whenever we deserve poverty. He's extended to us kindness when we deserve wrath.

Grace is an undeserved gift. The Son of God willingly entered a hostile world with grace, love, and kindness. He willingly marched to the cross, laying his life down so that "children of wrath" might become "children of God."

Here's what's really important for us to understand: we cannot speak grace until we've first experienced grace. Our words cannot change our hearts, but our hearts can change our words. And the beauty of the gospel is that, in Christ, God gives us a new heart. When we trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit moves into our hearts, transforms our hearts and minds, and replaces our heart of stone with a heart of flesh. So, speaking life-giving words is a byproduct of experiencing eternal life.

When God's grace seeps into our hearts, we begin to be transformed into the image of Christ. We cannot speak grace until we've first experienced grace.

If grace is an undeserved gift, then there will undoubtedly be moments when our hearers don't deserve kind words. But, those who have received grace will be willing to do as Jesus has done. As recipients of grace, we must be extenders of grace. If our heart has received grace, then our hearts will become filled with grace, and a heart filled with grace will begin to speak graciously. So, may we be men and women willing to interject kind words into a hostile world, just as our Savior has done.

Ephesians 4:28

We can approach this passage with two different lenses today: the lens of the law and the lens of grace. The lens of the law will see this passage as a description of how we become Christians; the lens of grace will see this passage as a description of how we should now live as Christians.

There's a big difference between the two. One operates out of fear and pride, while the other operates out of joy and freedom. One views ethics as a to-do list or a means to an end, while the other views ethics as an expression of worship.

I fear that many of us still approach God's word with our law-tinted glasses on, believing our time here on earth is a tryout for making it onto God's team. We believe that, to make it into heaven, we have to perform well in this life, and if we do more good than bad, then hopefully, he will allow us in.

But I'm here to tell you today that's not remotely close to what the Bible teaches. The Bible invites us to take off our law-tinted glasses and put on a new pair of glasses, the glasses of grace.

If our life were a tryout, we would all be left off God's team. If making it to heaven depended upon our ability to do more good than bad, we would all be left out. But, the Bible isn't a to-do list you must check off to make it to heaven. The Bible is a love story of God's loving pursuit of his bride. The Bible is a story of hope, rescue, grace, and redemption.

Yes, you've blown it. Yes, you've rebelled against God. Yes, you were running in the opposite direction of God. Yes, you deserve death and condemnation. But the beauty of the gospel is that God has pursued you and sent His Son to die on the cross for you. The beauty of the gospel is that through faith in Jesus, you can be adopted into the family of God. The beauty of the gospel is that grace, not works, is how we can become sons and daughters of God. Your salvation rests upon the shoulders of God's grace, not your works.

This is not a tryout. Ephesians 4 is not a list of things you must do to make it onto God's team. No. Ephesians 4 is simply a description of how one should live now that they are on God's team.

The proper approach to Christian ethics is to understand that the vertical shapes the horizontal. If you have encountered God's grace, love, and mercy, your life will never be the same. Grace should transform how we think, feel, and live. Our thoughts, desires, and affections will begin to be transformed, leading to a new way of life. The things we once loved, we will no longer love. The way we once thought, we will no longer think. The things we once did, we will no longer do. No corner of our heart, no shadow of our life, should go untouched by the bright light of God's grace, love, and mercy.

Today, we will look at how God's grace should impact the way we work. Where we once stole, we now give. Where we once lied, we're now honest. Where we were once lazy, we now work hard. As Christians, we seek to honor God with how we work and why we work.

So, let's dive in.

"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."

STOP STEALING

Here, we find transformational language being used once again. Someone's life, which was once built around thievery, is to put down stealing and pick up generosity. A believer should no longer take and hoard; they should labor and give.

As we walk through life, we will undoubtedly see things that will grab our attention. We will see things that don't belong to us that we want to belong to us. The thief will let his eyes lead his hands, giving himself to taking what doesn't belong to him. The thief is set on building his kingdom with the possessions of another. He couldn't care less about those around him as long as his wants and desires are being met.

But those whose faith resides in Jesus are called to take off their old way of stealing. Put simply, Christians should never take what doesn't belong to them.

Now, if I'm a betting man, I would bet that when we hear the words "thief" and "stealing," we likely don't lump ourselves into that category. When we hear thief, we think of someone breaking into a bank or a grocery store wearing a mask over their face. Therefore, we believe this is a distant concept for us.

But, I want to gently push back against that mindset for a moment. In Romans 2, while addressing the law-abiding Jews, Paul says, "You then who teach others, do you not teach yourselves? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law."

We must understand that it's possible to be guilty of the very thing we condemn. It's possible to be guilty of the very thing we turn our nose up at on the news. Therefore, we must be slow to disassociate ourselves from the sin described in the Bible.

Robbery isn't limited to holding someone up at gunpoint. A thief comes in various shapes and sizes, and none of us are exempt from fitting the mold of a thief. The thief is someone lying on their timesheet at work. The thief is someone who lies on his or her taxes. The thief is someone who borrows and never returns a company computer. The thief is someone who takes advantage of an ignorant customer, making them pay more than they should. The thief is someone who cheats on their homework.

Just because you've never been in handcuffs doesn't mean you're not guilty of stealing. Just because you don't have a mugshot online doesn't mean you're not a thief. We've all probably got a little more thievery in us than we would like to admit.

WORK HARD

But, once the thief encounters Jesus, something should begin to happen inside their heart and mind. The thief should set down the mask and the gun, and they should roll up their sleeves and get to work. Instead of stealing, they "labor, doing honest work, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." This tells us that a Christian should work hard.

The word for labor implies one growing weary and tired from their work. In John 4, for example, Jesus is journeying from Judea to Galilee and, weary from the labor of his journey in the hot sun, he stops in Samaria (Jn. 4:6). The word "labor" paints the picture of work being hard and difficult.

Listen, work is good. It was created by God to give mankind fulfillment and joy! We see in Genesis 2:15 that before sin entered the world, God created humans to have and enjoy work! Yet, because of sin, we now have a clouded view of work. Because we now live in a sinful world, work doesn't always feel like a good thing.

After Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, we see God say in Genesis 3, "…cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." So, when sin entered the world, the relationship between God and man was fractured, which affected everything we do and experience on earth. So, although work is still good, it has now become harsh, strenuous, and (at times) unpleasant for humans. Just as the plants of the ground became tarnished with thorns and thistles, so also has work—"by the sweat of our face, we will eat bread." And since work is now difficult, we are tempted to avoid work and become lazy.

But, we see here that Christian workers don't take the easy way out; instead, they embrace the labor of hard work. It honors God when we honor our boss by being diligent workers. It honors God when we show up on time to our job. It honors God when we put down our phones at work. It honors God when we take time to think and carefully plan out how we can be better employees. It honors God when we come home tired from our job.

BE HONEST

God cares about how we work! A strong work ethic is God-honoring. We ought to be workers who work hard for our bosses, and we ought to be workers who work honestly for our bosses. God delights in honest, non-deceptive work. A Christian should be an honest worker— “doing honest work with his hands.”

The word for honest here is to be good, upright, honorable, and beneficial. It's the opposite of stealing. It's a commitment to being above reproach, having nothing to hide from others when it comes to work.

This tells us that God cares about how you make your money. God cares about the type of worker you are, and he cares about the kind of work you do. A full bank account is not a surefire sign of God's blessing. It's possible to be making a lot of money outside of the will of God, and it's possible to be making not a lot of money inside the will of God. Proverbs 16:8 says, "Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice." So, it is better to make less money doing honest work than it is to make a lot of money doing dishonest work.

Honesty may be costly. Doing the right thing may require sacrifice. You might make less money doing the right thing. But, doing the right thing will always be worth it— "Better is a little with righteousness." Honesty may be hard, but honesty is always worth it.

Now, our sinful hearts are programmed to doubt the reliability of honesty. We're all tempted to think, "This company isn't paying me enough. If I don't lie on my paycheck, then my children won't eat," or "If I don't cut this corner, then I'm going to lose my job, and if I lose my job, we will lose our home and my family won't make it."

The enemy wants us to believe the lie that sin is the only way to a better life. He wants honesty to seem like a death wish. But, when you read the Scriptures, God dismantles the lie that so many of us believe! Immediately following the call to do honest work in Proverbs 10, we read, "The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked."

So, yes, doing the right thing may lead to loss. But it will never lead to despair. In your pursuit of righteousness, you will never lose your provider, and you will never lose your protector! The creator and sustainer of all things promises to care for you. Your employees may mock you when you pursue honest work. They may abandon you when you do the right thing. But God will never leave you nor forsake you! God will always take care of you in your pursuit of doing what's right.

Those who do what is right will never go hungry. But, the cravings of the wicked will be thwarted. To "not go hungry" is to be satisfied and content, but "craving" is rooted in hunger. Craving is rooted in a desire to be satisfied. So, in using the language of Ephesians, the thief will never be satisfied.

Some will cut corners to gain more wealth because they think more money will provide more security. Yet, they will find out that there's never enough money in their savings account. Others will cut corners to gain more wealth because they think more money will provide more joy and happiness. Yet, when they cash their checks in, they still feel empty.

Choosing sin over righteousness is like choosing a plate full of air over a steak. After every bite you take, you think you will be satisfied, but you will only find yourself becoming more hungry. Sin never satisfies. Unjust gain will never satisfy the hunger of our soul. So, may we be honest workers who are content with the fruit of righteousness.

SHARE THE FRUIT OF YOUR LABOR

Why do we stop stealing? Why do we work hard? Why do we work honestly? The answer is simply: so that we can honor God by living generously. Paul says, "So that he may have something to share with anyone in need."

"Sharing" is a term of generosity. It's a term of giving. It's the same word used by Jesus in Luke 3 when he says, in regard to bearing good fruit, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." So, Christians work hard so that, with the fruit of their labor, they might better care for the needs of those around them.

Notice the transformation of motives here from the start of this verse to the end of this verse. The verse starts with a thief corruptly taking from his neighbor to build his own kingdom, and it ends with the thief emptying his kingdom to give to his neighbor. A fundamental element of the Christian faith is sharing the fruits of our labor. God hasn't blessed you with money and possessions so that you can feel safe and secure by them. He has blessed you with these things so that you can meet the needs of those around you.

Jesus demonstrated the greatest act of generosity in history. Jesus left all riches and became poor so we could become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." So, as recipients of God's rich grace, we should seek to live graciously and generously. Generosity is what we are called to as believers. And when we embrace a generous life, we are choosing to imitate Jesus in the way we live. So, we give generously because God has given generously to us.

Ephesians 4:25-27

TEXT:

"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 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."

MANUSCRIPT:

To find a command in Ephesians, you must first journey through 66 verses. For context, there are 155 verses in Ephesians, so you're 42.6% of the way through this book before you come across a command. In a six-chapter book, a command doesn't show itself until the fourth chapter.

I believe this subtle reality teaches us something important regarding the Christian faith. It teaches us that although good works are a fundamental element of the life of a believer, good works are not the foundation of a believer's salvation. Our hope doesn't reside in our good works. The basis of our salvation doesn't rest upon our good works. Our relationship with God doesn't hinge on our good works. The church doesn't stand upon our good works.

Good works are the fruit of salvation, not the root of salvation. Paul tells us this much in chapter 2, "We are saved by grace through faith, which is not a result of works so that no one might boast. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

So, the finished work of the cross is where our hope stands. The basis of our salvation rests securely upon the shoulders of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our relationship with God hinges upon the fact that he has adopted us into his holy family. The church stands upon the firm foundation of Christ Jesus, our Lord. We have been brought near to God, not by our good works, but by the blood of Christ.

But, now that we've been brought near to God, we ought to begin to live as if we're a part of the family of God. When we place our faith in Jesus, something happens inside of us. Our heart of stone becomes a heart of flesh. The Spirit of God now dwells within us, and he begins to lead us to good works. Our actions, our thoughts, and our desires begin to change.

Well, here in verse 25, Paul begins to give tangible examples of how a believer will begin to live out the gospel daily. So, over the next few weeks, we will discuss the various examples of gospel living given in these eight verses.

There's a lot of application packed into these eight verses. And we have a couple of options for how we could unpack them. We could take a bird's-eye approach, tackling how to live out the gospel in one week. Or we could go a little slower, zooming in on each of these exhortations. We will take the Noah approach for the next few weeks, ushering two of these commands a week into our lives.

Today, we will examine our words and emotions: truth-telling and anger navigation.

• A Christian must be committed to speaking the truth.

• A Christian must know how to navigate the emotion of anger.

So, let's dive in.

"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 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."

NEW HEART, NEW WORDS

The word "therefore" is intentionally placed to link what was just said with what is about to be said. In last week's passage, we found a call to take off our old self and put on our new self. And here, we see that a new heart should lead to new words. As a new creation with a new heart and desires, we are to put off falsehood and put on truth-telling.

Jesus, in speaking to the Pharisees in Matthew 12:34, says, "For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." So, the words we say directly reflect the state of our hearts. Our hearts and tongues are never at odds with one another. They work hand in hand. Your heart is the source of the words you speak.

Well, the beauty of the gospel is that whenever we believe and trust in Jesus, God turns our heart of stone into a heart of flesh. We become a new creation. Therefore, we can now begin using our tongues for life, not death, because our hearts have changed. A heart of stone is prone to speak falsehood, but a heart alive in Christ will seek to speak the truth.

LIES, A LACK OF FEAR

At the heart of a lie is a lack of fear of God. If you're content with speaking lies, you're more concerned with the opinion of man than the opinion of God. If you're content with speaking lies, you're more concerned with your kingdom than God's kingdom. If you're content with speaking lies, you're bowing in worship to the idol of greed. The heart of a liar says, "I don't care that God knows the truth as long as my neighbor doesn't."

Can we talk briefly about the exhausting effects of a lie? I'm convinced that some of (not all of) the mental health problems we are facing right now in our society simply stems from our commitment to falsehood. We're living in darkness while telling others we're in the light. We stack lie upon lie, thinking it will offer us freedom, but it only digs us deeper into the pit of darkness and despair. But God invites us to live in the light, free from the bondage of falsehood. He invites us to confess our sins to each other, not so that we might be scolded and condemned, but so that we might be healed.

Telling the truth may be hard, but it's always worth it. Those who have confessed their sins and come to God broken and in need of a Savior have tasted and seen the freedom that comes from truth-telling. This should lead us to tell the truth to each other. Honesty with God should lead to honesty with our neighbor.

Sometimes, we might be tempted to think that a lie may better serve the church than the truth. But a lie can only accomplish what a lie can accomplish. Do not believe the lie that sin can yield the fruit of righteousness. A lie, as John Stott puts it, "is a stab into the very vitals of the Body of Christ. For fellowship is built on trust, and trust is built on truth. So falsehood undermines fellowship, while truth strengthens it."

Paul then says, "Be angry and do not sin…"

Here, in Ephesians 4, we find a complex dichotomy regarding anger. In verse 26, it seems as if Paul is giving the church freedom to be angry, but in verse 31, he tells us to put away anger. One moment, he's telling us to be angry. The next moment, he's telling us not to be angry.

As we unpack the words here, I think we will learn that there will be justifiable moments to feel the emotion of anger, but that anger ought always to be short-lived. Anger isn't always anti-Christian. You're not always wrong when you feel the emotion of anger. There is a right time to be angry. But, when we feel anger, we must be careful to make sure we do not sin in our anger.

Here's what I think we find when we survey the Scriptures regarding anger: we should be slow to become angry and quick to resolve our anger.

SLOW TO ANGER

There's a consistent call in Scripture to be "slow to anger." Think about this call like a firework. Some fireworks have short fuses, while other fireworks have longer fuses. As Christians, our fuse should be longer than others. We shouldn't burn with rage every time something doesn't go our way. So, it's not necessarily that God doesn't want us to feel the emotion of anger. Instead, he wants us to be slow in becoming angry.

Church, listen, anger is overwhelming (27:4), and the person given over to anger causes many transgressions and stirs up strife (29:22). If you are a short-tempered person, your life will be marked with heartache, pain, suffering, and strife. Therefore, we ought to be slow to anger.

But, the fact that the Bible tells us to be slow to anger tells us there's undoubtedly a suitable time to become angry. In Ephesians 4, Paul tells us to "be angry and not sin." Therefore, there must be such a thing as righteous anger.

So, what is righteous anger? When is it the right time to feel angry?

Dr. Allender, in his book The Cry of the Soul, narrows our anger down to be a response to two things: interference with satisfaction and unjust assault. In other words, we typically feel angry whenever we have experienced an inconvenience (unrighteous anger) or witness or experience injustice (righteous anger).

In Psalm 7:11, we see a righteous God feeling indignation every day. And his anger is directed toward the wicked. He feels indignation toward the evil one. God is a good judge who can only judge rightly and justly. The cruel injustice in this world stirs up God's indignation every day. This tells us that God's righteous anger isn't a response to inconvenience; it's a response to injustice.

This is a good thing. We want God to get angry at sin, and we want him to punish sin! If a murderer is standing before a judge, and the judge smirkingly asks him, "What kind of gun did you use?" we would want that judge to be fired immediately. A just judge despises evil. Therefore, a God who felt anything but anger when looking at evil would not be a God worth trusting. We want God to get angry at sin. When someone has hurt you deeply, you want to know that God deeply cares about what you're experiencing. We don't want a God who is laid back on a couch eating Cheetos, shrugging his shoulders at the evil in this world. We want God to feel indignation every day.

But we also want him to be slow to anger, don't we? We want God to be slow to anger because we would all be dead in hell right now if he weren't slow to anger. If God had a short fuse, we would have tasted the wrath of God a long time ago. So, thankfully, the God who feels indignation every day is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness! Thankfully, God's steadfast love holds back the reigns of the anger he feels every day. Thankfully, he doesn't smite us because he abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness. Thankfully, God is quick to extend mercy and grace! Thankfully, God's long fuse gives us many opportunities to rethink our sinful decisions and repent from them.

God is a just judge who will deal rightly with the wicked. In speaking on God's anger, Nahum says, "Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him (Nah. 1:6)." So, when it's time for God to act on his anger, you better watch out. When it is time for God to strike his gavel, the wicked will be destroyed.

But, the beauty of the gospel is that God's steadfast love didn't just hold back the reigns of his anger. His steadfast love drove him to pour all that anger upon himself. God's anger, love, justice, grace, and mercy collide at the cross. God poured out his wrath upon his blameless Son at the cross so the guilty might go free.

Only when we rightly understand the cross will we begin to rightly steward the emotion of anger. The cross teaches us that the feeling of anger is not an excuse to set aside grace, mercy, and love. Righteous anger drives us toward redemption.

Church, it's not wrong to feel anger when we witness or experience any injustice. I agree with Ray Ortlund when he says, "The closer we get to Christ, the angrier we will get at real evil." The emotion of anger is not always wrong. If a sister was sexually assaulted, you ought to join with God in feeling anger. If someone was falsely accused of doing something they haven't done, you ought to join with God in feeling anger. When you witness racism, you ought to join with God in feeling anger. When you hear the abortion of babies being celebrated and encouraged in our country, you ought to join with God in feeling anger. When you see the rich profiting off the poor, you ought to join with God in feeling anger.

But what must we do when we feel anger in our hearts? We must not sin. And how do we make sure we don't sin in our anger?

First and foremost, I think we pause, reflect, and ponder. We need first to consider and question our anger. We need first to ask ourselves, "Why am I angry? And is my anger justifiable? Am I upset over an inconvenience, or am I upset over legitimate injustice?"

I'm going to be honest with you guys. I often find myself getting angry at all of the wrong things. Unfortunately, I get more frustrated with inconvenience than I do injustice. I'm afraid I would be more likely to get upset with my children for constantly asking me for a snack than with someone who stole my children's snacks. I'm often as bold as a lion when things aren't going my way and timid as a mouse when I witness true wickedness.

So, the first thing we need to do whenever we feel anger is question our anger. Why am I angry? Is my anger justifiable? If it's not, put it to death. If it is, then we need to question our desires. For example, let's say someone has wronged you personally. What do you want at that moment? Our sinful heart will want to be the judge at that moment. Our sinful hearts will want to hurt or destroy someone who wronged us. So, what is your desire? Do you want this person to experience pain and humiliation? Or do you simply want them to stop doing the thing that is causing you or your neighbor pain?

If it's the former, we must put that to death. The Bible is clear: vengeance belongs to the LORD, not us. If it's the latter, then (before we confront the individual or move forward in action), we should begin to ponder our own sinful hearts.

The Bible is clear: we should take the log out of our eyes before dealing with the speck in our neighbors. We often hate the very thing that we do ourselves. And we can't hate someone else's sin more than our own. So, we must ask, "Am I guilty of the very thing I'm upset about?"

If yes, we must go to the Lord for forgiveness before moving forward. Then, before we confront the issue, we should ponder the gospel.

We must never forget to cross. The anger you feel pales in comparison to the anger God feels. He feels indignation every day. Yet, in his steadfast love, he poured that anger out on his Son so that you might be free. The cross teaches us that anger is not an excuse to set aside grace, mercy, and love. Preach the gospel to yourself in your anger. The good news of Christ-crucified helps us act rightly in our anger. And after you've done these things, you confront for the sake of healing.

The emotion of anger is there to drive us to action. But it's not there to drive us to actions contrary to the gospel. We must be careful to "be angry and not sin." So, as we address the problem, we do so truthfully and in love.

You are not God. God is God. You are not the righteous judge. God is the righteous judge. So, rest in the fact that no act of wickedness will ever go unpunished. No sin will fall through the cracks. Each injustice will be dealt with viciously, either on the cross or at the end of history.

The cross leads to joy and gladness, not anger and bitterness. So, if your heart is drenched with anger, then could it be that you haven't truly encountered Christ? The cross forces us to drop our swords and forsake wrath.

DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN

Have you ever cooked a soup, turned the burner to simmer, and then forgot about it? Next thing you know, you've burned the bottom of the soup, ruining the entire soup. The same is true with anger. Letting anger simmer in your heart for a long time will only lead to your demise. Therefore, we must not let the sun go down in our anger. As John Stott puts it, "Satan loves to lurk around angry people hoping to be able to exploit the situation to his own advantage by provoking them into hatred or violence or a breach of fellowship."

Ephesians 4:17-24

The NBA trade deadline is coming up on February 8, which means that if a team wants to trade any of their players, they have until the 8th to do so.

Here's what that will mean for some players in the league: February 8 will be the last day they wear their team's uniform. On February 9, they will have a new jersey to wear. On February 9, they will have new responsibilities and a new identity. Someone will no longer be an LA Laker; they will now be a Chicago Bull. They will remove that old Lakers jersey and put on a new Chicago Bulls jersey.

In our passage today, we will find this "taking off" and "putting on" language being used. We put off our old self, and we put on our new self. When we place our faith in Jesus, our team changes. We were once on the world's team, but now we are on God's team. And now that we are on God's team, our responsibility and identity changes. We take off our old way of living and put on our new way of living. We take off our old way of thinking and put on a new way of thinking. We take off our old desires and put on new desires. As Tony Merida summarizes this passage, "When we put on Christ, we receive a new spiritual identity and new corresponding responsibilities. Having put off the corrupt garment of the old self (4:22) and put on the new garment (v. 24), we must live in light of our new identity."

Let's dive in.

"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."

DIFFERENT THAN THE WORLD

At the beginning of this section, Paul says, "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."

Walk is a term used throughout the gospels to describe the act of stepping one foot in front of the other— the act of making one's way through a town or place. Remember, there weren't cars during this time, so "walking" was a term that encompassed all of one's life.

Paul, however, often uses this word to describe the conduct of one's life. It's an individual's lifestyle. In saying, "You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do," Paul is saying, "You must no longer live as the Gentiles do." Put simply, how you live your life as a Christian ought to be drastically different than the Gentiles.

But what is a Gentile? A Gentile is a term used to describe 'the nations' or 'non-Jews' or 'the pagan world.'

So, Paul is saying Christians should live differently than the rest of the world. There are things the world will endorse that we should no longer endorse. There are things the world will do that we should no longer do. There are things the world will say that we should no longer say.

The language we use and the conversations we're a part of should stand out at work. How we do business, as a business owner, should be different than our competitors. How we care for our neighbors should be different than everyone else in our neighborhood. How we interact with the opposite sex should be different than our partners at the gym.

DIFFERENT THAN YOU

Your lifestyle should look different from the world. But not only should your life look different from the world, it should also look different from how you used to live. "No longer" implies that the church did, at one time, walk as the Gentiles walked. So, Paul says that those who have experienced salvation will also experience transformation. The way you live now as a Christian should be different than how you lived before you were a Christian. To confess Jesus as Savior is also to acknowledge him as Lord. To say, "Jesus has saved me from my sins" is also to say, "I'm willing to let Jesus lead me away from my sins."

There should be a distinction between the church and the world, and there should be a distinction between your new self and your old self.

You're missing this fundamental aspect of the Christian faith if your justification for snapping at a co-worker, bickering with a neighbor, or arguing with your spouse is, "Well, I've always been a short-tempered person. Short fuses run deep in our family."

The way you live now as a Christian should begin to be different than how you lived before you were a Christian.

HEART & MIND

Now, I want us to look at how Paul describes the world's ways, "...you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 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. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity."

Notice the primary emphasis here is on what's on the inside, not the outside. Paul doesn't summarize the world's way as "drinking, smoking, and cussing." No, he summarizes the world as a people who are darkened in their understanding and have a hard and calloused heart toward God.

I believe this teaches us that God cares about our hearts more than our actions. It's possible, at times, to look morally clean with religious actions and still be alienated from the life of God. It's possible to cover up a greedy heart with actions that appear to be selfless. It's possible to look like someone who loves God when, in reality, you hate God.

The heart of the problem is the heart of the person— "Futility of mind, darkened in their understanding, ignorance that is in them, hardness of heart, calloused."

Futility is a term that implies emptiness. It's a word used in the Old Testament 54 times (mostly Ecclesiastes) and three times in the New Testament. It's a term that signifies vanity, purposelessness, absurdity, or worthlessness.

Vanity, vanity, everything is vanity," says Solomon in Ecclesiastes. Similarly, Paul says in 1 Corinthians that our faith would be futile and worthless if Christ had not been raised from the grave (1 Cor. 15:17). In Romans 8:20, he tells us that creation had been subject to futility due to the fall (Rom 8:20), meaning it was created to produce fruit to preserve life, but was thwarted due to the curse of the fall. Similarly, Peter tells us that false prophets utter loud boasts of complete folly (2 Pt. 2:18).

So, here in Ephesians, Paul is saying that there is something fundamentally wrong with the mind of the world; it's unable to function the way that it was intended to function. There's a way that might seem right to the world, but in reality, it's empty and worthless apart from God. There was a way that seemed right to us before Christ, but in reality, it was empty and worthless apart from God.

Paul adds that 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." So, they walk in the futility of their minds because their understanding is darkened. But not only are they darkened in their understanding, they are far from God.

Paul, in Romans 1, tells us that "what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 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. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 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."

So, God has made himself known to the world, yet the world has rejected him. They did not honor him as God. They've distanced themselves from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. Therefore, God has given them up to the lust of their hearts. Their hearts are hard. Using Paul's language, they have become "calloused and have given themselves us to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity."

This is the world; this was you. Their minds are futile; your mind was futile. Their understanding is darkened; your understanding was darkened. Their life is far from God; your life was far from God. Their hearts are hardened toward God and full of ignorance; your heart was hardened toward God and full of ignorance. They are calloused and greedy to practice every kind of impurity; you were calloused and greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

LEARNING CHRIST

"But!" Paul says. Something has changed in you! He says, "But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus…"

Learned is an academic word. It's a word that implies one being taught something. So, Paul is telling us that when they learned Christ, transformation began to take place, which teaches us that teaching and learning are fundamental aspects of the Christian faith. They heard about Christ and were taught in Christ.

Community is important. Being present in one another's lives is essential. I think a healthy church does things together. We want to be friends with one another. We want to laugh with one another; we want to cry with one another. But, we short-change community if we neglect discipleship. Jesus called his disciples to go into the world to make disciples, and teaching is a fundamental element of discipleship. Discipleship is teaching a Christian how to think, feel, and act like Jesus. So, to be a disciple of Jesus, we must learn about Jesus.

There's something interesting here that 99% of us will miss. Paul, in his writings, often refers to Jesus as "Jesus Christ," or "Christ Jesus," or "Lord Jesus," or "the Messiah, Jesus." But, here in Ephesians 4:21, we find the only mention of just the name Jesus in Ephesians. So, Paul seems to be intentionally drawing his reader's attention to the historical person, Jesus. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The life of Jesus isn't a fabricated story; it's a historically accurate story about the person and work of Jesus. A fundamental aspect of discipleship is teaching one another about Jesus. Jesus is the subject of Christian teaching.

But our teaching isn't merely intellectual; it's also relational. As we grow in our knowledge of Christ, we should grow in our relationship with Christ. The fundamental difference between the world and the church is our proximity to God. The world is alienated from God; we are with God in Christ. The world worships man; we worship God. The world loves self; we love God. The world serves its own desires; we serve Christ. As we commit to learning about Christ, we commit to walking with Christ. We want to know him both intellectually and relationally.

NEW CREATION

Paul then says that we are to put off our "old self, which belongs to [our] former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds."

To embrace Jesus is to adopt a new way of life. We're taking off that old jersey and putting on a new one. And this new way of life starts with our hearts and our minds. When we trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit moves into our hearts and gives us new desires.

Think back to when COVID was running rampant through our world. One common effect of having the virus was a change of or a lack of taste. Things that we once loved, we no longer love. Things we once craved, we no longer have a taste for. Some of us, for example, were addicted to coffee, got COVID, and then no longer liked coffee. No one could explain how it happened, but something happened inside us that changed our tastes and desires.

Friends, this is the Christian life. Something changed within us when we learned Christ and placed our faith and trust in him. Our thinking changes. Maybe not instantly, but over time, our desires should begin to change. As our minds are being renewed, our affections are transformed. Things we once craved no longer sound appealing. Things our hearts once longed for don't quite have the same hold on us as they once did.

We put off our old self, and we "put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." Church, when we trust in Jesus, we become a new creation. Galatians 2:20 says, "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." Colossians 3:1 says, "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."

We are a new creation. Our old self has died, and we have been raised with Christ. And this new self has been created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

In Christ, you are declared righteous, truly righteous. You are justified before God, meaning you will stand holy, blameless, and above reproach in his presence. And, now, those whom the blood of Jesus has made righteous should begin to pursue righteousness by the power of Jesus in them. In Christ, you are made holy, set apart from the world. And, now, in Christ, you are called to pursue holiness.

Ephesians 4:12-16

TEXT:

"[12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, [14] so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15] Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

SERMON MANUSCRIPT:

"They grow up fast" is a phrase most parents will say at some point in their life. One moment, you're in the hospital, and the next moment, you're in a college dorm room. One moment, you're sleep-deprived, waking up every two hours, and the next moment, you're fighting to get your child up every morning for school.

Growth, maturity, and development may take time, and it may seem like they will never happen. But they're inevitable. As long as there's breath in their lungs, the immature will mature, and the undeveloped will develop. Your little boy will one day become a man, and your little princess will one day become a queen.

They grow up fast. You grew up fast. One moment, you're climbing hills; the next, you're paying bills. One moment, all you want to do is play, and the next moment, you're wondering why your hair is gray.

Growth and maturity are common to the human experience. And what our passage today teaches us is that growth and maturity ought to be common Christian experiences. When each of us trusted in Jesus for our salvation, we were immediately adopted into the family of God, making us members of the body of Christ. And when each of us trusted in Jesus for our salvation, we immediately became spiritual infants. But, as we each grow, we grow together, becoming more and more like Jesus as we walk through life together. Like a young child, the church is to grow together into mature manhood.

BRIEF RECAP

Last week, we saw where Christ had given four unique gifts to the church:

• Apostles: someone who was personally taught and sent by Jesus into the world to teach his message.

• Prophets: a mouthpiece or spokesman of God.

• Evangelist: someone gifted with the ability to share their faith with the lost.

• Shepherd/pastor: someone responsible for caring for God's flock, the church.

And we saw that Christ gave these gifts to the church to equip the church for the work of ministry. And today, we will continue looking at God's intentions for the church.

So, let's dive in.

"[12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, [14] so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15] Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

HUMBLE SERVICE

We're not going to spend too much time here. But, in verse 12, we see that Christ gave these gifts for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of ministry.

Saints is a general term that describes the entire church, which tells us we are all ministers. We all have a unique role and gifting for ministry within the life of the church.

The word used here for "ministry" is the Greek word "diakonia." It means attending to the needs of another. It's the idea of serving another by applying intentional relief, which teaches us that proper church culture is one of humble service.

Every member of the church is called to ministry, and ministry is humble service. Each member of the church is called to empty their tanks, using their gifts to serve one another selflessly. A healthy church is a serving church. The heartbeat of the church should be lowly and humble Christ-like service and love.

GOAL OF CHRISTIAN UNITY

As we continue to read, we will discover that one of the primary goals of the Christian faith is unity in Christ— "for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God…"

This is a bit of a paradox when you think about it. On the one hand, we are positionally one in Christ. Upon belief in Jesus, we have been given an involuntary unity in Christ. We have been adopted into the family of God. We have been grafted into the people of God. We are now members of the body of Christ. But, on the other hand, we are responsible for working toward unity. Unity is something received, but it is also maintained (v.3) and attained (v.13).

The unity we seek to maintain is a unity that revolves around knowing Jesus— "until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God…" Jesus is the glue that holds the church together. The moment we abandon knowing Jesus is the moment Christian unity comes out of reach. The moment we forsake learning about Jesus is the moment fractures will begin to creep into the body of Christ.

What unites the church ought to be that which ignited the church. What ignited the church? Individuals coming to know Jesus. What unites the church? Individuals knowing Jesus. Jesus is what holds us together.

GOAL OF CHRISTIAN MATURITY

In addition to unity, one of the primary goals of the Christian faith is Christian maturity— "to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and from by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."

Notice that the maturity he is referring to here is corporate, not personal. He's speaking about the church, the body of Christ, growing up together into mature manhood. But, for the church to mature corporately, it must be filled with individuals maturing individually. As we grow, we grow together.

As you watch a child grow, they sometimes grow awkwardly. Perhaps their feet, for a time, grow faster than the rest of their body. And, for a few months, they look like a duck. But, eventually, the rest of that child's body will grow with their feet. This is Christian discipleship. As we grow individually, we ought to grow corporately. As we mature personally, we ought to mature corporately. We use our gifts, talents, and resources to build up one another into mature disciples of Jesus. And, as we mature as disciples of Jesus, we are building up the body of Christ.

Christian maturity coincides with Christian unity. The more we grow in our walk with Jesus, the closer we should grow with one another. Immaturity pushes us away from one another; maturity pushes us closer to one another. We are intended to grow in our walk with Jesus together.

So, you show me a mature church, and I will show you a united church. You show me a united church, and I will show you a mature church. A key element to Christian discipleship should be teaching young believers the importance of Christian unity.

Now, I want you to notice what happens when the church matures. As a church matures, it will be able to recognize false teachings and withstand the deceitful schemes of the enemy. Paul says, "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."

I want you to see the imagery Paul is using here.

I grew up at the beach, and I love to surf. We are a beach family. The Parazine family is happiest when the air is warm and sand is between our toes. But going to the beach with young children can sometimes be nerve-racking, especially when the waves are big. When the waves are big, and the current is strong, you're afraid to let your children get close to the water. No matter how much they beg, you won't allow them to get close to the water because you know the danger before them.

As a parent, you know that what might be safe for you isn't safe for a child. You are taller, and you are stronger. The same current pulling at your waist would be pulling at their neck. The current you might be able to withstand would easily carry your child out to sea. So, as a parent, you must diligently protect your child from the dangerous currents of the ocean.

Well, church, I'm here to tell you that cultural and doctrinal currents are ripping throughout our society today. There are false doctrines that sound compelling and will easily pull young Christians away from Christ. There are false teachers who, like Satan himself, have intentions to confuse, trick, and deceive the church. There are men and women who, like Satan himself, are seeking to plant seeds of doubt into our hearts and minds by asking, "Did God really say that?" There are men and women who, like Satan himself, are unbelievably good with their words that will lure the spiritual infants into embracing teachings that are contrary to the true gospel.

So, we need to grow and mature in our faith so that we can begin to recognize and discern what is true or not. As we grow in our knowledge of Christ, we mature. And as we mature, we will become rooted and grounded in truth. We want to be a mature church full of men and women who can stand firm against the currents seeking to pull us away from Christ.

GOAL OF CHRISTIAN LOVE

Then, finally, we see that a mature church is a loving church. The more we grow in the knowledge of Christ, the more we ought to love like Christ. The more we embrace truth, the more we ought to ooze out love.

Have you ever seen one of those souvenir penny presses? You put the penny into the machine, crank the machine, and then out comes a newly shaped penny.

This ought to be the Christian's experience with truth. Upon belief, we enter into a relationship with Jesus. And the end result of being pressed by a knowledge of Jesus is a loving believer. The more we grow in the knowledge of Christ, the more we ought to love like Christ.

Paul says, "[15] Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Part of Christian maturity is understanding, embracing, and proclaiming truth. But truly mature Christians will proclaim the truth in love. The mark of a mature believer is love. The mark of a mature church is love. Christian love is the blood flow to a healthy church. Without it, we will quickly die.

Ephesians 4:11-12

TEXT:

"[11] And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, [12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, [14] so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15] Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

SERMON MANUSCRIPT:

Depending upon your upbringing, sports can get a good or bad rap. Sports can undoubtedly become an idol we worship, leading to multiple painful memories. But sports can also be a good gift from the Lord, a common grace of God that teaches us many valuable lessons about work, life, and God.

Sports teach us the importance of hard work, they teach us how to handle success and failure, and they teach us the importance of teamwork. Sports teach us that we need our teammates just as much as our teammates need us.

Think about baseball or football for a moment. For a baseball team to be successful, you need nine players to play nine different positions well. Even though everyone might want to play shortstop, you can't have everyone play shortstop. Just as much as you need someone to play shortstop, you need someone to play the not-so-glamorous position of right field.

The same is true with football, as well. For a football team to be successful, you need 22 players playing 22 different positions. Even though everyone wants to be the quarterback, you can't have everyone play quarterback. If everyone played quarterback, you would have no one to throw the ball to. With a team full of quarterbacks, you would have no one to block the opposing defense or stop the opposing offense.

For a team to succeed, you need a group of individuals who are uniquely gifted in various ways who are committed to playing their position to the best of their ability. Well, the same is true of the church. For the church to function correctly, it needs to consist of a group of individuals who are uniquely gifted in various ways and who are committed to playing their position to the best of their ability. Today, we will look at how God has uniquely gifted different members of the body of Christ for the glory of God and the good of the church.

But, before we do so, I want to give us a brief overview of spiritual gifts in the Bible. The word "gift" is the Hebrew word "charisma." It's a word that is directly tied to grace. Perhaps it could best be understood as God's undeserved favor extended to his people. At times, this word is directly tied to the gospel and the free gift of salvation.

For example, Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift [charisma] of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." So, where we deserve death, God has extended the undeserved gift of eternal life through his Son, Jesus. Salvation is not something you earn through merit; it is not something you deserve through effort. It is something you receive through faith, an underserved gift [charisma] from God.

In addition to salvation, charisma is also used to describe spiritual gifts within the church. So, this isn't a saving grace but a ministry grace. A spiritual gift is a Holy Spirit-empowered ability given to a believer that they should use to build up the body of Christ.

There are four instances in the New Testament where spiritual gifts are mentioned: Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Peter 4:11. In looking at these different passages, you'll notice some overlap in the described gifts. But, in addition to this overlap, significant differences are found among these lists.

The book of Romans and 1 Peter seem to lay out several essential and basic functions performed in the church. 1 Corinthians seems to be more of a matter of special abilities found within the church, and Ephesians 4:11 is a list of various offices within the church. Our passage today, therefore, teaches us that God has given unique leaders to the church for the purpose of equipping the church to be the church.

So, let's dive in.

"[11] And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, [12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, [14] so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15] Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

I want to spend our first few minutes unpacking the various gifts Christ gives the church to equip the body of Christ.

APOSTLES.

The first gift mentioned is the apostles. The word "apostle" simply means "one who is sent." So, in a very general sense, an apostle is a specific messenger with a specific title, taking a specific message to a specific people. In this general sense, all Christians everywhere are apostles because we have been sent into the world as Christ's ambassadors proclaiming his message.

But, in a more specific sense, the Bible speaks of [A]postles of Christ. These were a small group of men chosen and commissioned by Christ to proclaim his message to the world (the twelve disciples of Jesus). So, where Jesus had many disciples who followed him, he chose twelve apostles responsible for preaching his message.

We see this in Luke 6:13 and Mark 3:14.

• "And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles…" — Luke 6:13

• "And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach…" — Mark 3:14

In chapter 2, Paul tells us that the apostles and prophets were the foundation of the church-- you and I are "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." This tells us that the apostles and prophets are profoundly important to the church.

Let's now try to put a definition to the term apostle for a moment. An apostle was someone who was personally taught and sent by Jesus into the world to teach his message. An apostle was an appointed messenger of Jesus. These were men who personally walked with Jesus, who were personally called by Jesus, who were personally taught by Jesus, and who were personally sent out by Jesus to preach the message of Jesus.

Now, due to Judas' betrayal, we see Mathias become one of the twelve apostles in Acts 1. And, in Acts 2:42, we see the early church devoted themselves "to the apostles teaching…." So, the apostles were teaching, the church was listening, and the church was doing what the apostles were teaching them.

In addition to Mathias, we also see Jesus appear before Paul, save Paul, call Paul, and send Paul out as an apostle. So, at the beginning of many of Paul's letters, you find Paul introducing himself as an apostle of Jesus. In doing so, he's saying, "Hey, I have God's message for you."

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were taught, commissioned, and sent by Jesus to proclaim his message. This was a small group of men who received authority to teach God's people God's message, which led to the church embracing their teaching.

With that being said, I believe that the gift of apostleship is still being enjoyed within the church today. But, I do not believe the gift of apostleship is still being distributed amongst the church today.

There's a fundamental difference between those two statements that I want us to understand.

In general, yes, we're all called to be [a]postles, meaning we're all sent into the world to be Christ's ambassador, proclaiming his message. But, in the specific sense of the word being used here, no one today has an apostolic authority to come and proclaim a direct and unique message of Jesus. Only a handful of apostles were sent to proclaim God's message in which the church would be built. So, church, you should politely run out of the building if I come to you next Sunday and say, "Church, close your Bibles. The Lord has given me a new message for you today."

Well, if the gift of apostleship isn't being distributed, how is it still being enjoyed? In God's providential goodness, we still can enjoy God's written message proclaimed through the apostles. In God's grace, the message of the apostles was written down and recorded. Therefore, we can still be equipped and edified by God's word spoken through the apostles.

PROPHECY

Like the apostles, the term prophet has varying degrees of application. In using the definition John Stott gives in his commentary on Ephesians, a prophet was "a person who 'stood in the council of God,' who heard and even 'saw' his word, and who in consequence 'spoke from the mouth of the Lord' and spoke his word 'faithfully.'" In other words, a prophet was a "mouthpiece or spokesman of God, a vehicle of his direct revelation." Like an apostle, a prophet proclaimed a direct message from God, saying, "Thus says the LORD."

Similar to an apostle, I do not think, in this formal sense, there are [P]rophets today. Like the apostles, the prophets served as the church's foundation, and fortunately, we still have their words available today that we can study and know. But, with that being said, I do think the gift of prophecy is different than the gift of apostleship in the sense that it is a gift still being given to the church today. When you look at the list of spiritual gifts in Romans and 1 Corinthians, you will find prophecy listed in both. So, although I do not think there are [P]rophets, I certainly believe there are [p]rophets.

But what does the gift of prophecy look like today?

Perhaps this could be demonstrated through a believer's ability to study God's word and then apply God's word to a specific person, people, or context.

Generally, we should all strive to handle the Bible carefully. And as we study the Scriptures, after we learn what the text means in its immediate context, we should ask the question, "What does God have to say to me (and us) today?" We should all seek to contextualize the Bible to our immediate life and context. But, there are undoubtedly some of us whom God has uniquely gifted to do this better than others. Some of us have a special gift for taking the Word of God and contextualizing it to where we are today. Some of us will be reading the Bible and feel the Spirit lead us to text someone and say, "Hey, as I was reading this morning, God laid you on my heart, and I want to let you know ______."

EVANGELIST

At the root of the word "evangelist" is the word "evangelize." In his book on Evangelism, Alvin Reid defines evangelism as "sharing the good news of Jesus Christ by word and life in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that unbelievers become followers of Jesus Christ in His church and in the culture."

As believers, we're all called to evangelize. We're all expected to share our faith with the lost. But, an Evangelist is gifted with a unique ability to proclaim the gospel and share their faith with the lost. An evangelist is someone gifted with the ability to share their faith with the lost.

As we all seek to share the hope of the gospel, there are undoubtedly some of us here today who have a special ability and passion to reach the lost. These are individuals who are more hardwired to think outward than inward. These are individuals who are always thinking through the lens of how to win the lost to Christ. These are individuals who can carefully walk with the lost without jeopardizing biblical conviction. These are individuals who can proclaim Christ crucified in a manner that is compelling and not abrasive.

A healthy church needs men and women who are using their gifts, talents, and resources to reach their neighbors for Christ. The church needs men and women to be praying, "Lord, help me leverage my entire life to make your name great in the world!"

SHEPHERDS AND TEACHERS

Next, Paul mentions shepherds and teachers. There's a difference of opinions here regarding whether or not this is one or two positions described. Some try to divide these into two roles or gifts (the gift of a shepherd and the gift of a teacher), while others lump them into the same role.

Those who put them in the same category point to the fact that there's just one definitive article separating in Greek here, indicating they're in the same position— "the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers." They would then say that one of the primary ways a shepherd takes care of his flock is by feeding his flock, and the way a shepherd feeds his flock is through the teaching of the word.

Others, however, would respond by saying, "Yes, all shepherds should teach. But not all teachers are shepherds. Some are gifted in teaching and will not be responsible for shepherding the flock in a pastoral role."

There are certainly valid arguments either way. And I, honestly, went back and forth on which camp I landed in this week. But I want to spend the next few moments discussing the role of a pastor/shepherd here.

Depending on your translation, your Bible will say "shepherd" or "pastor." The Greek word for shepherd here is "poimēn." It describes the act of overseeing and caring for the flock. So, a pastor is responsible for caring for God's flock, the church.

When you read throughout the New Testament, you'll find three different terms used to describe this same office of a pastor: presbuteros (elder), episkopos (overseer), and poimēn (pastor/shepherd). At Harbor, we will hold to the idea that these three terms are used interchangeably to describe the same office. So, an elder is an overseer, an overseer is a pastor, and a pastor is an elder.

Why do we think this?

We come to this conclusion because of passages like Acts 20:17-28. Here, Paul gathers the elders (presbuteros) of the church of Ephesus to give them a farewell message. Well, in verse 28, as he's giving a final commission to the elders, he says, "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (episkopos), to care for (poimaino) the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." So, the elders of the church of Ephesus were to watch over and care for the flock that God had made them overseers of.

I want you to notice that Paul addresses the elder[s], plural, of the church of Ephesus. Passages like this make us believe a local church shouldn't have one pastor. We hold to the belief that a church is best shepherded through a plurality of elders/pastors. So, as long as the Lord has me here, I will always be one of the pastors here at Harbor; I will never be the pastor. We have three elders/pastors here at Harbor: Wayne Cunningham, Brady King, and myself.

But why? Why a plurality of pastors?

Well, I can think of a multitude of reasons. For one, the Bible talks about wisdom coming through many counselors. So, pastors shepherd best with other pastors. But the fundamental reason why I think a plurality of elders is so important is this: it allows your pastors to be pastored.

Look back at that passage in Acts, "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock…" Before you find a call to shepherd the flock, you find a call to shepherd each other, themselves. A plurality of elders provides accountability to those who need accountability. It provides comfort to those who need comforting. It provides wisdom to those who need counsel. It provides prayer for those who need prayer. A plurality of elders keeps your elders grounded.

Although I am the pastor you see the most, I am no different than Wayne and Brady. This is not my church, and I am not the pastor. This is God's church, which he obtained by his own blood. I am simply one of the men God entrusted to shepherd his flock, and in that same breath, I am a part of the flock that the pastors of this church are shepherding.

As pastors, it's our responsibility to pay close attention to ourselves and to the flock God has entrusted us to shepherd. It's our responsibility to lovingly care for you and seek your growth in Christ (Heb 13:17; 1 Th 5:12). It's our responsibility to provide teaching, preaching, and counsel from the whole counsel of God (Gal 6:6; 1 Tim 5:17-18). It's our responsibility to help you in times of need (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35; Jas 2:14-17; Gal. 6:1-5). It's our responsibility to pray for you regularly (Jas 5:14). It's our responsibility to be on guard against false teachers/teaching (Acts 20:28-31). It's our responsibility to exercise redemptive church discipline when necessary (Mt 18:15-20; 1 Co 5; Gal 6:1). It's our responsibility to help you become equipped to serve Christ and his church well (Ep 4:11-13).

Look at verse 12, "he gave these gifts... to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain the the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."

It's not the pastor's responsibility to do the work of the ministry; it is the pastor's responsibility to equip the church for the work of the ministry. To be clear, that doesn't mean the pastors do nothing within the church. No, we ought to serve and be actively involved in the life of the church. But what I mean by that is this: the church is best served whenever the pastors are equipping the church to do the work of the ministry because we are all ministers.

The word used here for "ministry" is the Greek word "diakonia." It means attending to the needs of another. It's the idea of serving another by applying relief to them. It's the same word used in Luke 10:40 to describe Martha. When Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, her sister (Mary) was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to his teaching. While Mary was listening, "Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Jesus and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?"

This teaches us that we are all called to ministry, and ministry is humble service. Ministry is a term of action. It's a term of selfless service.  We are all called to empty our tanks, using our gifts to serve one another selflessly.

Ephesians 4:7-10

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Spend some time reading as discussing the creed of oneness in verses 4-6. What does this creed teach us about what should be important in the church?

2. Why do you think Paul quotes Psalm 68 here when talking about spiritual gifts?

3. How is unity different than uniformity? Why is diversity within unity a good thing?

TEXT:

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

8 Therefore it says,

"When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,

and he gave gifts to men."

9 (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)"

SERMON MANUSCRIPT:

For Christmas, my in-laws bought my children an unassembled swing set (which, in my humble opinion, is an expression of love to the child who gets to play on the swing set and an expression of hate to the parent who has to assemble the swing set, but I digress).

Over the years of building various things, I've learned that I'm not too fond of instructions; I would much rather skip the reading portion of the assembly and dive right into the building process. In doing so, I'm never able to assemble things correctly.

To build something properly, one must first consult the instructions. Well, the same is true with the Christian faith. As instructions are essential to assembly, gospel doctrine is essential to gospel living. Gospel doctrine shapes gospel culture.

We find the book of Ephesians teaching us this much. In the first three chapters of Ephesians, we find Paul teaching the church doctrine. He's been teaching the church theological truths surrounding who God is, what God has done for the church in Christ, and who the church is in Christ. But, here, in chapter 4, we find a transition taking place. In chapter 4, we find Paul shifting from the heart and mind to the hands and feet, from the vertical to the horizontal, from doctrine to application, orthodoxy to orthopraxy.

In the remaining portion of Ephesians, we will begin to learn that what we believe about God should shape how we live among men; correct thinking should lead to right living. If you want to build a sturdy play set for your kids, you need the instruction manual. In the same way, if we want to be a healthy church, we need sound doctrine. Gospel doctrine shapes gospel culture.

So, as we journey through the rest of this book, we will be building on top of the doctrinal foundation laid for us in chapters 1-3. In Ephesians 2, for example, Paul laid down the foundation of church doctrine. In chapter 2, he painted the picture of the church being a united people who cling to Jesus as their only hope for salvation. The church is a body, the body of Christ. It's a beautiful kingdom, a royal family, a holy temple. In Christ, we are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Well, in Ephesians 4, we find Paul stacking on top of that doctrinal foundation bricks of practical application regarding how the church should interact with one another on a day-to-day basis. Today, we will learn that although the church is one in Christ, we are not all the same in Christ. There is a diversity of giftings within the church that ought to be noticed and celebrated. You are one with the person next to you, but you are not the same as the person next to you. Unity is not the same thing as uniformity. The church is a united yet diverse group of people who seek to lovingly serve one another for the glory of God and the good of one another.

Let's dive in.

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

8 Therefore it says,

"When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,

and he gave gifts to men."

9 (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)"

A UNITED BODY

Before we dive into verse 7, let's look at verses 4-6 for a brief moment.

The declaration here in these few verses was likely a creed that the early church would corporately repeat together. Here in this creed is a theme of unity and oneness.

The word "one" is used seven times in these three verses. Simply put, "one" is the opposite of many. It's a word of singularity. It's a term of unity. There are not many bodies of Christ; there is one body to which we all belong. There are not multiple spirits; there is one Spirit who indwells all believers. There are not varying objects to which we can place our hope and faith; there is one place our hope and faith can reside: Jesus. We don't submit to multiple lords; we submit to Christ and Christ alone. There are not numerous places to which our sins can be washed away; there is one baptism to which we can partake and become white as snow. We don't have multiple fathers whom we trust; there is one Father who has lovingly adopted us into his family. We are one, united together as the body of Christ.

This is a foundational doctrine of the church, the oneness of the church. The imagery Paul uses here is the church is a body. The church is not a building, nor is it an organization; it is a living and breathing organism that is joined together as the body of Christ.

This is strategic imagery Paul uses to communicate our oneness. We must understand that the Christian faith is not a solo faith; it's a corporate endeavor that we enjoy with other believers. You are a member of the body of Christ in the same way an arm is a member of a human body. In the same way an arm best functions while joined to a body, you function best when you are joined to the church. A hand doesn't get to wander off from the body. You don't wake up in the morning and say, "Daggumit, my feet ran off again." You need the church, and the church needs you.

For a body to function properly, it needs all of its members. And for a body to function properly, it needs all of its members to follow the control and guidance of its boss, the brain. Similarly, for the church (the body of Christ) to function correctly, its members (you and me) must follow the control and guidance of our boss, Jesus. Jesus is the head, and we are the members of the church.

So, our unity as the church centers around Jesus. It revolves around his life, teachings, death, and resurrection. Together as the church, we proclaim that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We are united in this proclamation. As the church, we aren't an all-inclusive club where anyone can bring whatever truth they want to the table. No, we are a people who have abandoned the many false truths that the world will offer for the one true hope of Christ crucified. What binds us together is a conviction to certain Biblical truths, which are of primary importance. Together, we are one body that rallies around one Lord, proclaiming one hope throughout the world.

Now, I want to speak on the local church for a moment. When I hear different pastors teach the idea of the church being the body of Christ, they unintentionally (or maybe intentionally) make it out that their church is the body of Christ. But I want us to understand that that's not what the Bible teaches here.

Harbor Community Church is not the body of Christ; it is a part of the body of Christ. Harbor is a [b]ody of Christ that is a part of the [B]ody of Christ. And in God's providential goodness, we are not the only [b]ody of Christ here in Mobile. Therefore, we are not in competition with other churches. In the same way that it would be crazy for an arm to despise a leg, it should be foolish for a church to despise another church. We are on the same team, members of the same body.

To be clear, not all buildings with the word "church" on them are a part of the body of Christ. Wolves are certainly in sheep's clothing here in Mobile. Organizations are pretending to be organisms. False teachers are proclaiming false messages. There are "churches" wrapping Satan's gospel with the words of the true gospel. Some folks have replaced the gospel of freedom with the gospel of slavery.

But, friends, let me also be clear. We have a lot of brothers and sisters throughout Mobile who worship in different buildings on Sunday. So, as a pastor, I believe I am responsible for encouraging and praying for other pastors in Mobile. As a pastor, I think I have a responsibility to, at times, encourage folks to join and stay at other churches in Mobile. We are not in the business of building our church with the ruins of another church.

If we want to be a faithful [b]ody of Christ, we must be eager to maintain unity amongst the [B]ody of Christ. We may have differing opinions on how the church should be governed. We may have differing views on baptism. We may have different opinions on the end times. But, we do not have differing views on the Lordship of Christ; no, together, we all bow in submission to Christ as our Lord. We put our arms around our brothers and sisters and say, "It is in Christ, and Christ alone, that our hope resides. We may not see you on Sundays, but we will see you in heaven."

UNITY IS NOT THE SAME AS UNIFROMITY

Now, notice what Paul does after addressing this creed of oneness. He says, "But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift."

The term "but" is a literary record scratch. It's a term used to introduce a phrase or clause contrasting with what has already been mentioned. So, what Paul is about to say contrasts with what was just said— "We are one body… but grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift."

The English word "grace" is the Greek word "charis." It implies an undeserved gift given to someone by another. It's a word often used in reference to salvation— we are saved by grace through faith (Rom. 6:1,14-17; 11:5-6; Eph. 2:8). But, it's used differently here. Here, it's used in reference to spiritual gifts. As Tony Merida describes it, "This is not 'saving grace' but 'ministry grace.' It is grace to serve and build up the body."

So, what this is saying is that although we are all one in Christ, we are also uniquely different in Christ. As the church, we cling to the singular hope of God's grace in Christ Jesus. Yet, we've also been graced differently by Jesus.

Unity is not the same as uniformity. Our ears are different than our noses, and our nose is different than our eyes. Each member of our body is different than the other, yet each member is a part of the same body.

To support this, Paul quotes Psalm 68 by saying, "Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? [10] He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)"

Psalm 68 is what some would call a victory hymn. God had gone in triumph before his people after the exodus out of Egypt. The mountains shook, the waters moved, and the kings were scattered. This Psalm was a reminder to God's people of God's victorious power and a call for God to act powerfully on behalf of his people in the future.

Now, what's interesting is that, over time, many Jews had begun to associate Psalm 68 with Pentecost, which was a Jewish feast that celebrated the giving of the law. It evolved into a covenant renewal celebration, a time for remembering God's covenant with his people on Mount Sinai. So, Moses ascended up Mount Sinai to receive the gift of the law and descended down with the gift of the law. Well, in Acts 2, we see that during the feast of Pentecost, the promised Holy Spirit came down on his people and filled them with power.

So, it could be that Paul is saying that Jesus is the greater Moses. Like Moses, Jesus ascended on high and returned to the Father after his death and resurrection. And he then gave the gift of himself (the Holy Spirit) to his people so that he might fill all things. So, the gift Christ gives to his people is the Holy Spirit. Each member of the church has been given a unique grace/gift of the Holy Spirit that they are to use to serve and build up the body of Christ.

Next week, we will begin to unpack some of the gifts the Holy Spirit gives. But, I want us to understand today that God has given everyone in the church different gifts that they are to use to serve the church. Although we are one, we are different. This teaches us the fundamental truth that everyone is essential in the church. You are important to the church. God has uniquely gifted you for the purpose of building up the body of Christ.

You may be an ear, and I may be the nose. She may be a hand, and he may be a foot. We are all vastly different in how God has gifted us. But, our differences are essential. As John Stott puts it, "Christian unity is enriched by the diversity of our gifts."

But, just to remind us, the words "gift" and "grace" are the opposite of "wage" and "strength." If you are prideful about how God gifted you, you are fundamentally missing the point. God has uniquely gifted you for the work of ministry. And this ought to breed humility, thankfulness, and selflessness. As you serve and use your gifts, you do so with a humble heart.

Ephesians 4:1-7

Acts 1:8

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. The disciples were “witnesses” of Jesus who witnessed under the power of the Holy Spirit. How should this help us trust their testimony surrounding Jesus in the Bible?

2. Why is it good news that effective witnessing hinges on the Holy Spirit, not our eloquence?

3. Do you find yourself becoming afraid or nervous when sharing your faith? If so, how does the apostle Paul saying that he preached the gospel in “fear and trembling” give us confidence that we can still be effective witnesses despite our fear?

Mary’s Song pt.4

Mary’s Song pt.3

Mary’s Song pt.2

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. If Jesus was the "Son of God" and the "Son of the Most High" then why did he commonly refer to himself as the "Son of Man?" (Hint: read Daniel 7)

2. What are some of the other old testament prophesies about the coming messiah that Jesus fulfillined?

3. Verse 33 says that Jesus would reign "over the house of Jacob forever." How do we know that Gabriel is not talking about Jesus ruling over the Jews only?

4. What does it mean to be a "servant (or bondservant) of the Lord?"

5. Mary told Gabriel "let it be to me according to your word." How do we discern what God's word is for us today when we don't have any angels appearing to give us specific instructions from God?

Mary’s Song pt.1

TEXT:

“[5] In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. [6] And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. [7] But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

[8] Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, [9] according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. [10] And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. [11] And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. [12] And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. [13] But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. [14] And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, [15] for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. [16] And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, [17] and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

[18] And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” [19] And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. [20] And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” [21] And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. [22] And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. [23] And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

[24] After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, [25] “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Why is the birth of John the Baptist important to the story of Jesus?

2. Read verses 6 and 7. What do these verses teach us about trials and suffering?

3. In verse 13 we see Gabriel tell Zechariah that his prayers have been heard. What does this teach us about the Christian life and prayer?

Ephesians 3:20-21

“[20] Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Ephesians 3:14-19

TEXT:

"[14] For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, [16] that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [19] and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What does Paul’s prayer here in these verses teach us about how we should pray?

2. How should we balance confidence and humility within the Christian faith?

3. Why do you think Paul prays that the Holy Spirit will give their inner being strength?

SERMON MANUSCRIPT:

The book of Ephesians has a lot to say about many different things. It addresses a variety of topics, one being the topic of prayer. But, the book Ephesians doesn't necessarily address the topic of prayer as Jesus did in Matthew 6, where he explicitly said, "Pray like this." Instead, Paul (in Ephesians) teaches us how to pray by showing us how he prays. In this week's passage, Paul (once again) allows us to peek behind the curtain of his prayer life, hopefully teaching us how to become better praying people.

Today will remind us that if we want to be a healthy church, we must be a praying church. A key element of the Christian faith is prayer. You show me a healthy church, and I will show you a church that prays for others and is prayed for by others. You show me a strong believer, and I will show you a believer who prays for others and is prayed for by others. Therefore, developing a healthy rhythm of bowing before the Father and lifting others in prayer would serve us well.

Let's dive in.

"[14] For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, [16] that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [19] and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

A KEY ELEMENT TO PRAYER IS HUMILITY

Many commentaries I read this week highlighted how the standard posture of prayer amongst the Jews during this time was standing. Kneeling in prayer was not a common practice. Yet, here we find Paul going against the grain, bowing his knees before the Father. As Paul approaches the Father in prayer, he bends his knee in reverent humility, which teaches us that humility is a key element of prayer. When we approach the Father, we humbly bow our hearts before him.

Now, suppose you look back to verse 12. In that case, you will find Paul reminding the church that they have bold and confident access to the Father through Jesus. This means we don't have to hide from God in shame like Adam and Eve in the garden after they sinned; instead, we can go to him confidently, with no fear or shame, as if we've never sinned. So, through Jesus, we can confidently go to God in prayer. But, in the kingdom of God, confidence isn't the absence of humility. We go to the Father boldly yet humbly.

Let's think about this for a moment.

In the world, confidence and humility are opposites. In the world, confidence is often demonstrated through arrogance. And in the world, those who demonstrate humility are often those who have no confidence. But that must not be the case in God's kingdom. Gospel confidence is a humble confidence. Biblical humility is choosing to kneel when you have the right to stand.

As believers, we walk humbly because our confidence doesn't reside in anything we've done for God. Instead, our confidence as believers resides in what God has done for us in Christ. Therefore, as we confidently approach God in prayer, we do so in humble meekness. We humbly bow before God, knowing that it is only by his grace, mercy, and love that we can confidently come to him in prayer.

Paul says, "For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father." This tells us that humility is not a means to an end but an expression of gratitude. It is a response to something.

This is so important for us to understand because we're transactional people. We think, "If I do X for you, then you will do Y for me." And, if we're not careful, we will begin to think this way with God. If we're not careful, we will begin to think that outwardly demonstrating humility will manipulate God into doing what we want him to do on our own terms. As a kid, for example, I always thought that if I made myself look sad and said, "Pleaseeeee," maybe my parents would give me what I wanted.

But that's not how things work with God. A posture of humility is not a means to an end but an expression of gratitude. It is a response to something already freely given. We don't bow our knees in prayer to pull on God's heartstrings. No. We bend our knees as a humble response to what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. We bow our knees before God in prayer because He is God, and we are not. He is the Sovereign Lord over all things, the one by whom "every family and earth is named." In other words, nothing falls outside of God's sovereign control: not a fallen leaf, a word uttered, or a child named. God has been and always will be on the throne, and he invites us to come to him in prayer. So, we do so with humble and grateful hearts.

Now, when we pray, we can certainly pray for ourselves. We see Jesus, at times, praying for himself. We should cast all our cares and desires upon the God who loves and cares for us. But, Paul here demonstrates to us the importance of praying for other people, primarily those within the church. We should make a habit of praying for other Christians. Part of being a Christian is praying for other Christians. So, who in the church are you praying for regularly?

PRAY FOR SPIRITUAL STRENGTH

But what should we pray for when we pray for other Christians? Well, Paul begins to answer that for us in verse 16, Paul begins to pray for strength for the church. He says, "According to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being." Paul doesn't pray for physical strength; he prays for inner strength.

The unfortunate reality of life is that our bodies are wasting away. So, devoting all our time, effort, and resources to acquiring physical strength would be unwise, like chasing after the wind. Instead, we should understand that spiritual strength is far more important and doesn't fade. As our bodies waste away, our inner being can strengthen through the power of the Holy Spirit, who resides within our hearts.

This is what Paul is praying: that the all-powerful God of the universe will grant the church inner strength. This is a lofty prayer that is worth repeating. One of the greatest things we can pray for one another is that our inner being might be strengthened.

The Bible makes it clear that the heart is the wellspring of life. Everything we do flows from it. It drives our every action and steers our every word. Therefore, to be faithful Christians, we need the Holy Spirit to do a mighty work within our hearts.

Think about what Paul is praying this way.

We have an old boat that we've been fixing up, trying to get it ready for the water. I've done a ton of work on it and still have much more to do. I've sealed holes, added seats, wired lights, and added rod holders. But I still want to paint it, add a live well and a fishing deck, and connect a trolling motor.

Here's the unfortunate state of our boat: the motor is old and isn't running well. So, it would be absolutely ridiculous to spend all of my time, energy, and money on cosmetic work while neglecting the technical work on the motor. A pretty boat with a dead motor is a useless boat. If I want to use the boat how it was designed to be used, I need the motor to function correctly.

Well, the same is true of the Christian life. Our motor is our heart, our inner man. And we need our motor, our heart, to function properly. For the Christian life to work, we must be strengthened in our inner being.

Addressing our actions without addressing our hearts is like adding a fresh coat of paint to the boat with the hope of the motor starting up. Who we are on the inside is more important than who we are on the outside. The person that only God can see is more important than the person our friends can see. As Christians, we don't simply concern ourselves with our actions; we care about our words, thoughts, and desires. So, Paul is praying that their inner being will be strengthened through the power of the Holy Spirit "so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith."

Now, Paul isn't praying that Christ will move into their hearts. As we see in Chapter 1, the Holy Spirit already resides within their hearts. Christ already lives in them. So, Paul isn't praying that Christ will move into their hearts for the first time; he is praying that Christ will take up residence and settle into their hearts to control and strengthen them.

Maybe another illustration might be helpful.

Perhaps you've purchased an old home before that needs a lot of work. The floors are old, and they creak. The walls are stained and dirty. The roof is decrepit and leaking, and the appliances needed to be replaced in 1946. Your new home is in need of a renovation. So, when you move in and take residence in your home, you begin to change your home, making it your own. You paint the walls, scrub the floors, repair the roof, and fix the appliances. Over time, the home begins to reflect the likes and desires of the one who resides within it.

If Christ moves into our hearts, the deed has been signed, and our hearts belong to him. Your heart is his home. Therefore, he has the exclusive rights and freedom to do with his home as he pleases.

It would be foolish for the previous owner of your home to come knock on your door and say, "I see you bought some paint. Please don't paint the walls blue."

When the deed has been signed, you can do with your home as you please. Well, the same is true with our hearts. Your heart no longer belongs to you; it belongs to Jesus. When you placed your faith in Jesus, you handed over the keys to your heart and life and said, "Lord, do as you please with my life. Transform my heart in any way you see fit. The only thing I ask is that you give me the strength to obey what you call me to do."

This is what Paul is praying will happen for the believers in Ephesus. He is praying that the Holy Spirit will strengthen their inner being so that Christ will reside in their hearts, making them more and more like Jesus. When we pray for one another, this is something we should pray for. We should pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen others to become more like Jesus.

PRAY FOR LOVE

Paul then begins to pray that the church will be "rooted and grounded in love." Both of these phrases (rooted and grounded) imply security and stability. For a tree to withstand the strong winds of a storm, it needs to have strong roots that seep deep into the ground. For a house to withstand the strong winds of a storm, it must be built on a firm foundation. The same is true for you and me. Love is the foundation by which the church stands. Love is the root that keeps us from collapsing when the winds of life come rushing through. When Christ dwells in our hearts, love is where he directs us. When Christ moves into our hearts, he rips up the old floor of hate, envy, and jealousy and lays the new and better foundation of love.

Love is central to the Christian faith. It is an action inspired by an encounter. It's an action that flows out of an experience. We love because God first loved us.

Look at what the apostle John says in 1 John 4:7-12, "[7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. [8] Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. [9] In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. [10] In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [12] No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

So, brotherly love is central to the Christian faith. If we know God, we know love. If Christ dwells in us, we will begin loving one another. We know we love God by our willingness to love one another in a way that reflects God's love for us. When we pray for one another, we should pray that we will love one another. We should pray that other Christians will be loving.

And here's the beauty of Christian love. Christian love is something we actively live out, and it's something we actively cling to. It's something we give, and it's something we receive. To love well, we must know love well. To extend the love of Christ, we must be able to comprehend the love of Christ. And this is what Paul is praying for the church. Paul is praying that they will be able to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. He's praying that the church will be able to comprehend the incomprehensible love of Christ. Look at this, "that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Paul is praying that the church will be able to (together) comprehend all of the vast dimensions of God's love for his bride. God's love for his bride is unending. It stretches farther than you could ever see, deeper than you could ever go, and higher than you could ever climb. So, as we pray for one another, we should pray that we can know the love of Jesus.

It's when we know the love of Christ that we can truly begin to live out the love of Christ. Gospel doctrine shapes gospel culture. The healthiest churches are those who can comprehend the incomprehensible love of Christ. The incomprehensible love of Christ fills us with the fullness of God, transforming us into loving believers.

As we close, I once again want to direct our attention to the importance of the church and the necessity of walking through life with other believers. Paul prays that the church will be able to comprehend this love with all the saints. As John Stott puts it, "The isolated Christian can indeed know something of the love of Jesus. But his grasp of it is bound to be limited by his limited experience. It needs the whole people of God to understand the whole love of God, all the saints together, Jews and Gentiles, men and women, young and old, black and white, with their varied backgrounds and experiences." As the church, we have the privilege and honor of growing in our knowledge of Christ's love by extending the love of Christ to one another.

Ephesians 3:7-13

TEXT:

“[7] Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. [8] To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [9] and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, [10] so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. [11] This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, [12] in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. [13] So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. How does Paul’s example in verses 7-9 demonstrate Christian humility?

2. Why is grace so essential to the Christian faith?

3. In what ways does verse 10 highlight the beauty of the church?

4. How do we have “boldness and access with confidence through our faith in [Jesus]?”

SERMON MANUSCRIPT:

In today's passage, we find Paul continuing to unravel the threads of God's mystery surrounding the gospel and all of its implications. If you remember, as we unpacked Paul's words at the start of chapter 3, we learned that God revealed to the apostles and prophets his mysterious will hidden from past generations. This mystery surrounded Jesus, primarily how the Gentiles would be grafted into the family of God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. What was once hidden has now been revealed to us through the apostles. What was once foggy has now been made clear to us through the prophets. We can now see clearly that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Since Paul learned of this mystery, he has taken it upon himself to take it to all people. "If God loves the world, I gotta take this message to the world," Paul is thinking. By God's grace, Paul has been made a minister of the gospel. God has called and equipped him to go into the world proclaiming the mysteries of Christ to the nations. So, as we unpack these verses, we will be afforded the opportunity to peek behind the curtain of Paul's mission, allowing us to discuss the life of a healthy missionary.

Now, there's a temptation to check out when we hear the word "missionary." There's a temptation to think, "I'm not a missionary, nor will I ever be a missionary. Therefore, this message doesn't pertain to me, a non-missionary."

But that's the farthest thing from the truth. The reality of the Christian faith is that we are all called to be on mission for the gospel. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are. We are all called to be modern-day missionaries. Jesus calls us to "go and make disciples of all nations." Therefore, "missions" are something we're all called to.

So, today, we will further unpack what the life of a healthy missionary looks like. What does Paul's example in Ephesians 3 teach us about the mission we are called to as believers?

Let's dive in.

"[7] Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. [8] To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [9] and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, [10] so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. [11] This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, [12] in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. [13] So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory."

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A LIFE OF HUMILITY

If you were to take your mouse and double click on the word "minister," you would see that this is the Greek word "diakonos," a term used to convey lowliness and service, similar to a servant or slave. It's the same word used to describe a deacon of the church. In its most literal sense, it refers to a servant or a waiter/waitress, someone who tends to the needs of another.

We see this word used in John 2 in reference to the servants (diakonos) present at the wedding at Cana. These were individuals responsible for tending to the needs of those at the wedding. Their primary responsibility was ensuring everything at the party went smoothly.

This teaches us that there is no position of prominence within the church. All appointed leaders within the church, Paul included, are nothing more than formally recognized servants. There are no ladders to climb up within the Kingdom of God, only ladders to climb down. The Christian life is a humble life of lowliness where we commit ourselves to serve in a way that reflects the humble service of Jesus.

Paul, however, describes himself as a minister/servant "of this gospel." He is a servant to a particular message for a specific people. Gospel means good news, primarily the good news surrounding Jesus' death on the cross for the salvation of the world.

Paul is saying that his responsibility and calling in life was to cater to the needs of this gospel message. His master is the gospel. And oh, the gospel message is a good master to serve. The gospel is not an oppressive ruler who seeks to destroy his attendants. The gospel is a loving master who takes good care of his servants. The gospel's greatest need is to be heard and embraced. It only has one desire, one rule: trust in Jesus so that you might be saved. Therefore, as a servant of the gospel, Paul must give his life to proclaiming its message boldly.

Church, listen. We may not be ministers of the gospel in a formal sense like Paul, but we're all called to be ministers of the gospel in a general sense. We're all called to humbly and boldly take the gospel to the ends of the earth. We should be servants of the gospel message, proclaiming it to those who need to hear it. The Christian life is a life of humble service to the gospel.

Now, look at how Paul describes himself in verse 8. He views himself as the least qualified person to be put in the position he's in. He says, "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints…"

He's essentially saying to the church, "Listen, I can think of a million people who would be a better fit than me. But God had a different plan and called me to this work."

In saying this, some believe that Paul is likely thinking about the many heinous sins of his past here—remembering how he actively persecuted the church, how he drove Christians out of their homes, how he killed Christians, and how he forced Christians to denounce their faith.

Listen, nothing can make you feel less qualified for the work of ministry than reflecting on who you were before Christ. There's nothing that can keep you up at night more than remembering all the people you hurt before you embraced Christ as Lord of your life. Thinking about your past hurts, and it makes you feel grossly unqualified for anything related to the Christian life. Nobody knows this feeling better than Paul.

Others think Paul could be reflecting on the sinfulness of his heart now— how he still doesn't do the things he wants to do and does the things he doesn't want to do. Nothing is more humbling than having to confess your sins to your brothers and sisters. Nothing keeps you grounded more than honestly surveying your heart and life and being honest with yourself about the sin in your life.

Whichever it may be, Paul is hyper-aware of his unfitness for ministry. Brothers and sisters, listen to me. A key element of humility is having a sober view of yourself. In fact, I would argue that those most unfit for Christian ministry are those who are most confident in themselves. Every one of us should scoff at Paul's words here and say, "You wouldn't say that if you had met {insert your name}."

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A LIFE OF GRACE.

We're all, like Paul, unfit to be servants of the gospel. We're all, like Paul, bottom-of-the-barrel Christians. The only thing that qualifies us is the grace of God. We are here today by God's grace, and by God's grace, we have a purpose today.

Look at the driving factor of Paul's words: "Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…"

These verses teach us that all of the Christian life is a life of grace. We never outgrow our need for grace. Grace is undeserved favor from God placed upon one's life. In Chapter 2, we see that believers are saved by grace; in Chapter 3, we see that we are called to a life of ministry by grace. Paul was called out of darkness into the light by God's grace. But he was also uniquely gifted and called by God's grace to preach the particular work of the gospel.

We have God's grace resting upon our lives to live a life effectively for his glory. We're all so unworthy, yet God has called us to himself, and his undeserved grace rests upon our lives for the work of ministry.

Grace breeds humility. Those who are humble are those who understand grace. Those who are humble are those who have experienced grace. Those who are humble are those who have received grace. Those who are humble are those who seek to extend grace.

The Christian life is a life of grace. By God's grace, Paul was made a minister of the gospel, and, as a minister of the gospel, Paul understood that his responsibility was to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. He knew he was to (verse 8) "preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ," and (verse 9) "to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things."

The word "preached" means to declare or bring good news to someone. So, Paul knew that part of his responsibility as a gospel minister was to bring good news to the entire world. What was once believed to be only for the Jews is now understood to be for Jews and Gentiles. What was once understood to be for only one group of people is now understood to be for all people.

THE CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL.

Now, let's look at verse 10 for a moment. There are a couple of things I want to unpack.

The grace of God was given to Paul so that he might preach the mystery of the gospel to everyone, "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."

Let's try to wrap our minds around what Paul is saying here.

First, he's saying that the fruit of the mystery of the gospel being proclaimed will be a diverse church. Paul describes the wisdom of God as manifold here. Manifold means multicolored. The root of this word was used to describe the coat of many colors that Jacob gave Joseph in Genesis 37:3. So, the wisdom of God that has been revealed through the church is multicolored. I believe Paul highlights the church's beauty that resides in its multicultural and diverse nature. Like a multicolored bouquet of flowers, the church is beautiful.

God's wise and mysterious plan was for the church to consist of folks from every tribe, tongue, and nation. The church's beauty comes not from our similarities but from our differences. In the words of John Stott, "The church as a multi-racial, multicultural community is like a beautiful tapestry. Its members come from a wide range of colorful backgrounds. No other human community resembles it. Its diversity and harmony are unique. It is God's new society. And the many colored fellowship of the church is a reflection of the many-colored wisdom of God." God's manifold wisdom for the church to be a diverse and united people in Christ.

Now, notice to whom this manifold wisdom is being revealed— "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." It seems widely agreed upon amongst scholars that this revelation is to spiritual beings such as angels or demons. God uses the church to teach spiritual beings his wise and mysterious plan.

If you're like me, this is likely a foreign concept to you. You have probably never heard anyone mention angels and demons when preaching on the importance of the church. In fact, the topic of angels and demons is a bit taboo within the church. It's a topic that "normal people" steer clear of to avoid being weird. Because of this, we likely don't have much of a theology of spiritual beings. Therefore, it might be helpful for us to spend a couple of minutes looking at what we can gather here about this topic.

First, we can safely conclude that angels and demons are real. This is an obvious and elementary point. But it's a point worth making. Sometimes, we would rather set aside and dismiss what we cannot see. But, the Bible is clear. A battle is going on in a place we cannot see. There are rulers and authorities in the heavenly places that we have not laid our eyes upon.

Second, we can safely conclude that angels and demons are spiritual beings. There are exceptions to this in Scripture (Heb. 13:2, Gen 18), where angels appear to take on human bodies and walk amongst humanity. See Hebrews 13:2, for example— "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." But, despite examples like these, it seems clear that there are cosmic powers and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. There are elements of the Christian faith that we cannot see. Paul tells us that we don't fight against flesh and blood; instead, we fight against the cosmic powers and spiritual forces in the heavenly places. In Psalm 91, for example, God commands his angels to "guard [his people] in all their ways."

Third, we see that angels and demons are not all-powerful. We often fear what we can't see. Therefore, we're afraid of demons. But we don't have to fear them because they don't possess all power; God possesses all power. Demons possess a power that can be withstood with the armor of God (Eph. 6).

Fourth, we see that angels and demons are not all-knowing. Here, we see that the manifold wisdom of God is being revealed to angels and demons through the church. Therefore, his mysterious will was being carried out without their knowledge.

The church is a declaration to the demons that they're fighting a battle that they will not win. What they intended for evil, God has intended for good. He is on the throne, and they are not. And the church is a declaration to the angels that Christ has emerged victorious. God's plan of redemption will ring true throughout all of history.

The mystery of the gospel was indeed a mystery. Not even the angels in the heavenly places could see what was coming. The spiritual rulers and authorities are now finally able to peek behind the curtain of God's mysterious will, which is that he created diverse and united people in Christ Jesus. As John Stott puts it, "History is the theatre, the world is the stage, and the church members in every land are the actors. God himself has written the play, and he directs and produces it. Act by act, scene by scene, the story continues to unfold. But who are the audience? They are the cosmic intelligences, the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. We are to think of them as spectators of the drama of salvation. Thus 'the history of the Christian church becomes a graduate school for angels.'"

This reminds us once again of the importance of the church. The church is beautiful, and the church is necessary. But the church isn't just beautiful and necessary for you and me. It's beautiful and necessary for the spiritual beings in the heavenly places. Therefore, we should always maintain a high view of the church. God is revealing his divine plan to the spiritual powers through the church.

CLOSENESS WITH GOD.

Then, in verses 11-12, he says, "This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him."

God's eternal plan for the church was for his people to have direct access to the Father through Jesus. Through Jesus, we can have a relationship with God.

In Genesis, one of the first things we see Adam and Eve do when sin enters the picture is hide and cover themselves from God. Sin brings forth death, causing us to run and hide in shame. But, in Christ, our sins have been cleansed and removed far from us. Therefore, if we are in Christ, we don't have to hide in shame from God fearfully. Instead, we can go to him boldly in prayer with confidence.

There's no greater call one can have on one's life. There's nothing more extraordinary that one can devote one's life to than to take the gospel to those who need it. Therefore, Paul says, "So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory."  We must never forget that suffering for Jesus is worth it.

Ephesians 3:1-6

TEXT:

“[1] For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—[2] assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, [3] how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. [4] When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, [5] which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. [6] This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Paul is suffering in chain on behalf of the Gentiles. Have you ever suffered in some way for the sake of the gospel? How should verses like this comfort us in the face of such opposition?

2. Paul was acknowledged God’s sovereignty over his suffering by saying he was a “prisoner of Christ Jesus.” How should this shape the way we view suffering? How should this shape the way we walk through suffering?

3. What is the mystery of the gospel? How was this something “predicted and fulfilled” and “hidden and revealed?””

Ephesians 2:11-22 pt.2

TEXT:

“[11] Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—[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. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [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, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17] And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [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.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What is the significance of the church being portrayed as God’s kingdom, a place where we are “fellow citizens with the saints?”

2. What is the significance of the church being portrayed as God’s family, a place where we are “members of the household of God?”

3. What is the significance of the church being portrayed as a holy temple, a place where we are being “built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit?”

SERMON MANUSCRIPT:

If I were to give Ephesians 2 a theme, it would be the theme of reconciliation. Ephesians 2:1-10 shows us that we have been reconciled with God through faith in Christ's death on the cross. Ephesians 2:11-22 shows that the church has been reconciled with one another through Jesus' death on the cross. Reconciliation with God leads to reconciliation with God's people. Peace with God leads to peace with one another. A relationship with God leads to a relationship with God's people.

Today, we will continue looking at Paul's words regarding our peace with one another. And as we look at these verses, I want to ask, "What do these verses teach us about the church?"

We live in a day and age where many are leaving the church. I read a statistic early this week that three out of every five young Christians (59%) disconnect permanently or for an extended time from church life after age 15. Another Barna study estimates that roughly 3,500 people leave the church each day, and over 1.2 million people will leave the church in the next year. Barna cited a multitude of contributing factors. But, the most significant factor is an overall sense of disconnect from the local church.

So, I think now, more than ever, we need to know what the Bible says about the church. Now, more than ever, we need to establish a robust theology of the church. When we properly understand what the church is and what it's intended to be, we can begin to actively live out a healthy church.

So, what is the church? What does the Bible say about the church? Is the church optional when it comes to loving Jesus? Can we have a healthy relationship with Jesus without a healthy relationship with the church? Can we deconstruct our faith, step away from the institutionalized church in America, and maintain a healthy love and relationship with Jesus?

These are the questions I want us to wrestle with today. And I'm confident we should walk away with a reasonably straightforward answer to these questions after studying our verses today.

The main point of our passage today is that the church is important to God. Therefore, the church should be important to us.

Let's dive in.

"[11] Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—[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. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [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, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17] And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [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."

JESUS PEOPLE

At the start of these verses, we see that the church is a united group of people who cling to Jesus as their only hope for salvation. This is the most foundational element to who and what the church is. The church has been and always will be about Jesus. We are a Jesus people. If you take away Jesus, you have no church. We are individual disciples of Jesus who gather to worship Jesus and who seek to teach and encourage other disciples of Jesus.

Remember what we learned last week as we unpacked verses 11-17. In addressing Gentile Christians, Paul teaches the church that Jews and Gentiles are now one in Christ.

Notice all the separation language used at the start regarding the Gentiles: uncircumcision, separated, alienated, strangers, no hope, without God. But, notice the language change that occurs because of the cross: brought near, peace, made us both one, one new man, reconciling us both, killing the hostility, both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

So, now Paul is saying, "Ok, you were once far off, but now you're close because of Jesus. There was once distance between you and God, but now there's nearness. There was once hostility between you and God, but now there's peace. You were once without God, but now you have access to God through the Spirit."

Jesus changes everything. The cross is transformative. God is creating for himself a redeemed people who are united in their love and allegiance to Jesus. The church is not a building; it is a people. And it is not a divided people; it is a united people.

We are united in Christ. And if we are united in Christ, then that tells us that a critical element of the church is peace. Living peaceably with God's people is not optional for God's people. We love, serve, and honor Jesus with our lives together.

So, to stir up conflict within the church is to wage war against the gospel. To build up walls within the church is to wage war against the work of Christ. To abandon the church is to abandon Christ.

Together, we have been reconciled to God in one body through the cross. If you love Jesus, you will love his bride. If you love Jesus, you will care about what he cares about.

As we see in verse 18, it is through Jesus that we have access to the Father. The church is a Jesus people because Jesus is our only way to the Father. I said it last week, but it's worth repeating. Jesus isn't a good way to heaven or the best way to heaven. Jesus is the only way to heaven.

HOLY SPIRIT PEOPLE

But, not only are we a people who cling to Jesus as our only hope for salvation. We are also a united people filled with the Holy Spirit— "For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father."

The Bible teaches us that those who are in Christ have the Holy Spirit in them. The third person of the trinity resides within the hearts of His people. The Holy Spirit is the one who comforts us in trials and calamity; he is the one who convicts us of sin and teaches us truth; he is the one who strengthens us to proclaim the gospel in power; he is the one who gives us the power and ability to put sin to death and walk in righteousness; and he is the one who extends to us unique gifts that we are to use to build up the church.

One of my greatest joys in being a pastor is seeing the Holy Spirit work in and through your lives. Sometimes, this may be seeing the Holy Spirit working through you as you share the gospel with a nonbeliever. Sometimes, this may be listening to you confess difficult sins. Sometimes, this may be watching you serve others within the church. Sometimes, this may be watching you experience comfort in the midst of trials.

It's such a joy knowing that the same Spirit that resides within me is the same Spirit that lives within you. You and I are no different. We are the same. We are one. The church is a united people, filled with the same Holy Spirit, who possess the same access to the Father.

A HOLY KINGDOM

Next, we see the church portrayed as a kingdom to reside in. The church is a holy kingdom. In verse 19, Paul says, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints…"

The root word for fellow citizens here is the Greek word "politēs," which means to inhabit a city or country (Acts 21:39, for example). It's to say that a particular location is your home.

The term "saint" doesn't refer to those who are holy or set apart. It's an expression that was first applied to Israel as the 'holy nation.' But it is later extended to the Christian community, the Israel of God. "Saints" is a term used to describe all of the church. If you have trusted in Jesus for your salvation, this title is bestowed upon you. If your faith resides in Jesus, you have been set apart as holy, belonging to God as a prized possession.

So, together with all of the saints, we are residents of God's kingdom. And just like any kingdom, city, or country, there's a distinct culture found in God's kingdom.

I just recently got back from Boston, and Boston is very different from Mobile. People talked, acted, and lived differently in Mobile than in Boston. This is true all over the world. The language people speak in America is different from that in Russia. The food people eat in Mexico is different from the food people eat in India. Transportation is different in Mobile than it is in New York. The clothes people wear are different in Hawaii than in Iceland.

The same should be true of God's kingdom, the church. There ought to be a unique culture within the society of God's kingdom that you shouldn't be able to find anywhere else. We should be a city known for kindness and love, not rudeness and hostility. We should be a kingdom known for peace and hospitality, not hatred and divisiveness. We should be a holy people known for righteousness, not wickedness. The way we live, the way we talk, and the way we act should stand in stark contrast to the rest of the world.

The culture of every kingdom should begin to reflect the character of their king. Therefore, the culture of Harbor Community Church should begin to reflect the character of Jesus. The culture of the churches in Mobile, AL should begin to reflect the character of Jesus. The culture of the churches in America should begin to reflect the character of Jesus. The culture of the [C]hurch throughout the world should begin to reflect the character of Jesus.

We are fellow citizens with the saints. We are residents of God's kingdom. Therefore, we walk in submission to the King. We have a good King and should love and worship him together.

GOD’S FAMILY

Next, we see the church is God's family— "…you are…members of the household of God."

The term "household" is oikeios in the Greek. It's a phrase that entails close familial intimacy. It means to belong to a house or a family related by blood.

In writing to Timothy, for example, Paul says, "But if anyone doesn't provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

Paul tells Timothy that a critical element of the Christian faith is providing for your family, especially your immediate family. And in Ephesians, Paul describes the church as God's immediate family. The church is not a distant relative to God; they are a part of his immediate family that he will provide and protect. This is unbelievably beautiful imagery. If God calls us to provide for the members of our household, how much more will God provide for the members of his household? God will always take care of his children. He will always take care of you.

It's important for us to understand that sometimes God cares for his family's needs through the love and care of those in his family. In Galatians 6, for example, Paul says, "As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially those who are the household of faith."

So, as members of God's household, we are responsible for doing good to those in God's family. The church is a kingdom in which we reside together. But, the church is also a family. We are not simply neighbors that we pass by on the streets. We are brothers and sisters who sleep under the same roof and eat at the same table. We are a family.

A HOLY TEMPLE

Then, lastly, we see the church described as a holy temple, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Verses 20-22 say, "…built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."

I don't want to assume that we all understand the evolution of God's dwelling place throughout Scripture. So, let me quickly unpack that for a moment. In the book of Exodus, God dwelt with his people in the wilderness through the Tabernacle. Then, once they made it to the promised land and built the temple, God dwelt with his people through the temple. But, in the gospels, we see God became flesh and tabernacled (dwelt) among his people— Jesus was Immanuel, God with us. But now, in Ephesians, we see God lives with his people by residing in his people. God is with us by being in us. We, the church, are the body of Christ, the new temple of God (Eph. 2:21-22; 2 Cor. 6:16). Those who are in Christ have Christ in them.

Now, when it comes to temple imagery in the New Testament, there's a personal and corporate aspect to it.

In the book of 1 Corinthians, for example, we see Paul highlight the personal aspect of this. In his letter, he points to individual believers twice and says, "You are the temple of God."

One instance is in 1 Corinthians 6:13-20, "[13] "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. [14] And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. [15] Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! [16] Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh." [17] But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him. [18] Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. [19] Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, [20] for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

What one moment do we see Jesus express his righteous anger? Jesus expressed his anger when the religious leaders defiled the temple by selling oxen, sheep, and pigeons. After he made a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple and said, "Take these away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade."

So, listen to me. You are God's temple, and God cares about you and what you do with your body. Your body is not your own. So, be careful what you do with your body. The marriage bed is a good gift to be enjoyed within the confines of marriage and marriage alone. So, do not make his temple, your body, a house of trade. Jesus is zealous for his house, and you are his house. So, glorify God with your body.

The New Testament also describes the corporate church as the holy temple of the Lord that is still being built together— "you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." We are a temple where Christ is the cornerstone, and the apostles and prophets are the foundation. In simple terms, this means that the teaching of the apostles and prophets, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, served as a solid foundation for the early church.

The imagery here is that we are essential stones placed around and upon Jesus, the cornerstone. The cornerstone would have been the most important stone laid in constructing a building. It would have been the stone that led and guided the workers in the building process. Once the cornerstone was set, it became the basis for determining every measurement in the remaining construction; everything was aligned to it.

So, upon Christ, you and I are essential to the structure of God's dwelling place. We are being built into a holy temple in the Lord, the dwelling place for God by the Spirit.