Ephesians 4:29-5:2
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
5 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Living a life worthy of the calling we have received because of the grace of God! The mechanism of change is to put off bad behavior, be renewed in our desires and priorities and then put on new behavior. This is a PROCESS!
From the law, to what is behind the law, we are called to be like God in all that we do and say!
This is both our greatest challenge and our greatest purpose!
Your mother is the first person who you can see who has given you life. She was an example of patience, sacrifice, kindness etc. We talk about God as Father because of His authority, but this does not mean that God is not also the best of the feminine as well. God is perfectly balanced, so when you think of your mother, think of God!
When I think of my mom, it is easy to see examples of the first main point in the sermon this morning:
- Speak Words that Give Life
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
- We are responsible for our words
Matt 12:
33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Proverbs 10:
19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.
31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced.
32 The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
Proverbs 17:
27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.
- Manage words at the heart level
Take on the responsibility for your words. It’s the same thing as taking on the responsibility for your heart!
Luke 6: 43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
How will I do this?
Col 3: Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
James 1:
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
- Be committed to the good of others
I Peter 4: 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Micah 6:6-8
6 With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Celebrate the good things that come to others!
- God will give you Spiritual Power to do this
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The power of the Spirit is in you
Romans 8: 9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
Acts 1: 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 2: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Submit to the Holy Spirit’s will and power
Do not grieve the Spirit,
Do not quench the Spirit
The high point late in this section is found in 5:18
Be continually filled by the Holy Spirit
Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. It’s time for a new Pentecost in the church! Pray and ask God to fill you afresh with His Holy Spirit. He will show you areas where you need to be emptied of other things. So get ready!
- Love Like God Loves
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
5 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
- Do not be malicious in any way
Malice: The desire to harm someone.
Financially, in body, in mind, in reputation, by harming others who are important to them.
Brawling: That’s an easy one
Bitterness: Why be bitter? Because people can and will do terrible things to you! How can I avoid this? See all of your life as under the direct power and purposes of God!
Joseph: “What you meant for evil, God meant for good.”
Hebrews 12: 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Anger: see last week
Slander: to speak against someone something that is false for the purpose of bringing them down or raising you up in comparison.
These are all of the things to put off.
- Be kind and forgive
Kindness: Treat someone like family, like they are your child, your kind.
Forgive: love covers a multitude of sins. If you don’t pick up an offense at the beginning, then forgiveness is much lighter.
- God is our example to follow
What is love? It is to willfully pursue what is best for someone.
What excuse do we have to not love others?
They are enemies. They have been bad to us. They have hurt us emotionally, physically, purposely.
How does God act? Romans 5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Matt 5: 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
How will we be able to love others who are hard to love?
Love is to willfully pursue what is best for others. We will do this because we love God and God has loved us.
- Your love of others is a fragrant sacrifice to God!
Would you like to do something for God that pleases Him? Would you like to do something for your mother that pleases her on mother’s day? Then love as God loves. This is a fragrant (acceptable and pleasing) sacrifice to God.
We will be receiving communion this morning. In the communion observance is the methodology: Put off, be renewed put on. We come to the table, we are putting off. We come to Jesus, we are renewed. We come to the life of Jesus and we put on a new way of living.
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