Radically Changed Series

RADICALLY CHANGED

Text: Eph. 4:17-32

Introduction

1. Jesus Christ is Lord & God's still on the throne

There's power in the blood & I'm saved to the bone

The devil comes against me, he's gonna feel some pain

I can bind him, bruise him, cast him out by the power of Jesus' name!

No longer on the outside; on the inside I now stand

I'm sold out, the whole route. Completely born again

I believe on the third day Jesus; He rose from the grave

The world thinks I'm crazy

I am just radically saved! (Radically Saved by Carmen)

2. God has not called us to say a cheap prayer at the altar and then go our way as if nothing is changed. He has called us to come out and be separate; he has called us to be radically changed!

3. In our text today, Paul tells us to…

a. Live As Children of the Light

b. Put On the New Nature

c. Don’t Grieve the Holy Spirit

4. Read Eph. 4:17-32

Proposition: As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to stick out of the crowd and be radically changed.

Transition: First, Paul tells us to…

I. Live As Children of the Light (17-19).

A. Live No Longer as the Gentiles

1. Several weeks ago, we talked about the need for Christian maturity. There are certain signs of this maturity, and the most important one is change...radical change.

2. In v. 17 Paul says, “With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.”

a. First, we should notice that Paul says, “With the Lord’s authority...” In other words, Paul is saying this doesn’t come from me but from God himself.

b. Paul tells these Ephesians believers, and us, to “live no longer as the Gentiles do..”

c. Now, in this context, Gentiles means “unbelievers.” So, Paul is saying to stop living like the world. Be different; radically different.

d. The reason for this is that “they are hopelessly confused.” By this Paul means that these people were confused because they were wasting their time worshiping false idols, following untrue teachings and immoral behavior.

e. They were confused because they were living without purpose, Godly purpose.

f. Now, this is an old saying by this time, but I still think our society lives by it, “if it feels good do it!”

g. This is confused thinking because not everything that feels good to our flesh is good for us. Eating five milkshakes a day and tons of fast food may feel good, but it’s not good for us.

3. Paul then continues this line of thinking in v. 18, where he says, “Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.”

a. Their minds have become full of darkness because they have wandered away from God, who is the light.

b. “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12)

c. When people wander away from the light and teachings of Jesus, they have no choice but to walk in darkness.

d. Reason that people do this is because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against God.

e. When we decide to follow our own thinking and beliefs and shut God out of the picture it causes our minds and hearts to become hard and calloused.

4. The result of this lifestyle is that people become numb to their sin. Look at what Paul says in v. 19, “They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.”

a. When we continually sin and disobey God it causes our hearts to become hard and lose their sensitivity to the things of God.

b. The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” (1 Tim. 4:1-2, NIV).

c. Back in the old days, when someone severed a limb, they would sear the ending of the limb in order to cauterize the wound, but this would also cause the end of the limb to lose any sensitivity.

d. This was happens when we continue to do the same sin over and over without repenting.

e. After a while we no longer feel guilty or have a sense of shame. That’s what Paul is saying here, and the result is that people keep lusting for more and more to satisfy their sinful nature.