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River Church Sermons


May 3, 2020

Authentic Spirituality, Pt. 10

Where My Life Needs To Change, Eph. 4:25-5:4

By Louie Marsh, 5-3-2020

 

INTRODUCTION: 4 Cartoons, last one Managing Change

 

Remember the Principle –

 

To really change I must do two things –

  • PUT OFF my old nature
  • PUT ON my new nature

 

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)

 

Practice the Principle -

 

1) Honesty

 

What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. Ephesians 4:25 (MSG)

 

  • Don’t – LIE

 

The Greek word is pseudos, so what we need to do is stop being pseudo Christian and pseudo people, and instead become the honest, straightforward people God wants us to be!

 

That means being real about my shortcomings. The old church tradition of not admitting my faults and hiding them behind a façade of pious talk hoping that sooner or later it’ll become real, is just as false and telling outright lies!

 

  • Do – speak TRUTHFULLY

 

  • Why - Because we are PART OF EACH OTHER.

 

2) Anger

 

"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV)

 

  • Don’t – SIN through anger.

 

  • Do –  Express RIGHTEOUS ANGER

 

NOT ON HANDOUT OUTLINE

 

So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." John 2:15-17 (NIV)

 

  • Why – To keep SATAN out of my life.

 

3) Work

 

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Ephesians 4:28 (NIV)

 

  • Don’t –STEAL

 

  • Do – work HARD

 

Some Rules that Bill Gates once gave some High School Seniors –

 

Rule 3:  You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school.  You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4:  If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5:  Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity.  Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping:   they called it opportunity.

 

  • Why -  So I can HELP others

 

4) Speech

 

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. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:29-30 (NIV)

 

  • Don’t – use ROTTEN SPEECH

 

Notice that Paul does NOT give us a list of forbidden words like a lot of churches do! You have to figure this out in the context of your situation and the people you are dealing with.

 

  • Do –  speak GRACEFUL words.

 

  • Why – So I won’t GRIEVE  the Holy Spirit.

 

Why is this so important? It’s only words!

 

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 (NIV)

 

The real issues isn’t the words, it’s the attitudes and the condition of my heart! That’s why God really cares about this – rotten words are symptoms of an inner spiritual rot that I’d better be concerned with if I want to experience Authentic Spirituality!

 

5) Attitudes/Emotions

 

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 4:31 - 5:2 (NIV)

 

  • Don’t – be BITTER OR UNKIND.

 

I’m not going to define all the words Paul uses here – you can visit the blog and get brief definitions if you want too. This morning I’m going to focus on Bitterness.

 

Bitterness is spiritual cancer, it’s a deadly poison in my heart that will kill me if I’m not very careful!

 

NOT ON HANDOUT OUTLINE -

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)

 

 

  • Do –  be LOVING AND FORGIVING

 

VERSE 32 – Chuck Smith story of when his daughter was little, very bad and needing to be spanked, he said, What does the Scripture say? Expected to hear Obey your parents – instead she said, “Be ye kind one to another!”

 

What does Love mean?

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"


"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca- age 8

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."  Billy - age 4

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy -age 6

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." Cindy - age 8

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8

 

  • Why – to IMITATE CHRIST.

 

6) Sexuality

 

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:3-4 (NIV)

 

  • Don’t – DEGRADE OR DEBASE sexuality.

 

  • Do –  GIVE THANKS FOR IT.

 

  • Why -  because it’s God’s gift & we ARE CALLED TO BE HOLY.