FHBC Sermon Notes

Sermon Audio: Click to Listen
Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-5:2 - Listen
Glad to be back on this Sunday when Jim keeps leading us in how we might further walk in holiness.

What Does the New Walk Look Like?
Three things to notice of this passage:

• All of these things deal with personal relationships. Holiness is not a mystical state lived out in isolation from the people around us, but in context to those around us. Each of these deal with church unity.
• Most of these identify a practice that goes with the old nature and one with new nature.
• A theological reason is given for each command.

1. We demonstrate honesty in our dealings with others. (4:25)
• Putting away falsehood, speak the truth. The great lie is that when we devote ourselves to anything aside from God, that we will be speaking lies out from our life. This implies more that just the words of our mouths, but our deeds as well. Truth is integrity. Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.
• Daniel came over for dinner this week and this verse speaks to the topic we discussed. That we put away our ties and contracts with the world, and seek God alone. We don't need to call on the authority of the world to live, but only on the authority of Christ. There is obviously a lot to be discussed behind this idea. We spent 3 hours just on Thursday. God is so patient with us. We are slow learners.  
• Are we being honest when we say, "I'm fine" to brothers and sisters when we are not. When we say that will pray for people and then do not.
2. We act with self-control. (4:26-27)
• Anger it self is not the sin. There can be righteous anger, but when our anger leads to sin. Wow., not good. "Slow to speak, slow to anger" Anger must be not be an occasion for sin. One lesson, would be that we don't just act on our feelings. The feeling is not what is wrong, but when we let that feeling lead us to act on our own, outside of Christ.
• This limits Satan's activities in the church. Holding on our anger with Satan his opportunity.  Satan is not the cause of anger, but he can use it to create even more strife. Do not give him a foothold. 
3. We work diligently and share benevolently. (4:28)
• There was no social network of the time, so people were more likely to steal. Don't steal.
• Proverbs 10:4, 12:14, 13:4 - Work is celebrated by God. Paul says that a man who doesn't work, shouldn't eat. 
• He is working for the good.  There is a purpose in this work. It is more that just working to meet our needs. It is meant that our work must go beyond ourselves. Not survival.
• How do we measure work?  We often in America attribute working directly with money. This is not the case biblically. The rich are not the world's hardest workest. We should be careful in this thought when we think of it. 
• In our discussion with Daniel, this was a big verse we discussed. It is my feeling that this verse is a direct commentary on what the purpose of money is. It is a means for us to help others, and that alone. It isn't for us to survive. (see the lilies of the valley and birds of the field). It is for God's glory that His gifts to us are used to be help others.
4. We talk encouragingly. (4:29)
• Slander is not just telling lies behind people's backs, but also speaking truthful things in a hurtful manner behind other's back.
• Words have the power to kill and destroy, especially 
• Two of the seven abominable things to God are about our speech (the last is sowing discord amongst brothers).
• Encouragement brings spritual health and food, it is a source of joy and life. See the proverbs.
• I thank God daily for giving me a wife that is so full of encouragement. She is God's most active way of bringing me sustaining energy in my life. 
5. We walk in harmony with the Spirit. (4:30)
• God's Spirit should be like a river in our life. Why do we try so hard to filter God to be our way. If the Spirit is in us there will be fruit.  Love, Joy, Peace. 
6. We demonstrate a Christlike forgiveness to others (4:31-32)
• Put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander. 
• Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving.
• This can be a hard task.  Forgiving is not just forgetting. Forgive is an action, we forgive not because it is just the right thing to do, but because we have been forgiven by God. Our offense to Him is so much greater any offense done to us. Matthew 6:13-14. Wow, Jim is really getting to the point here. This is true. He was talking about the shooting at the church he and his family were part of, and how that church embraced that shooter's family. Praise God!