A New Way To Communicate Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• An elementary teacher asked her students what their favorite animal was.

• One little boy said, “Fried chicken.”

• The teacher said that he wasn't funny, but she couldn't have been right, because everyone else in the class laughed.

• The little boy’s parents told him to always tell the truth, and he did. Fried chicken was his favorite animal.

• Anyway, his teacher sent him to the principal's office.

• The boy told the principal what happened, and he laughed, too.

• Then he told him not to do it again.

• The next day the teacher asked the students what their favorite live animal was.

• The same little boy told her it was chicken.

• She asked him why, and he told her it was because you could make them into fried chicken.

• She sent the boy back to the principal's office.

• The principal laughed, and told him not to do it again.

• The little boy still didn’t understand.

• His parents taught him to be honest, but his teacher didn’t like it when he was.

• The next day, the little boy’s teacher asked her students to tell her what famous person they admired most.

• The same little boy told her, “Colonel Sanders.”

• Guess where the little boy was sent?

• In our modern world, we have so many ways to communicate. Facebook has changed the way we communicate.

• When I was a kid, I used to think it would be cool to be able to take the phone with me wherever I went. Now we have that!

• WE used to have only a hand full of channels on the TV, now we have more than we can ever watch!

• One would think with all the ways we can communicate today, that we would not have communication issues.

• Wars have been started and many relationships have been damaged and ended because of communication issues.

• In the first 16 verses of the 4th chapter of the letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul speaks about the unity and diversity we have in the body of Christ.

• Then in verses 17-32 he expounds on the subject of living the new life we have in Christ.

• We are encouraged not to be what we used to be before we were in Christ. In verses 22-24 we are reminded by Paul that we have put on a new life when we are in Christ.

• Then Paul begins to articulate how one who belongs to Jesus should strive to live.

• Throughout our series, TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF, we will contrast and old way of life with the new way of living in various areas of life.

• Today, we begin by examining new way to communicate. This new way to communicate is one that those who are in Christ should embrace.

• The way we communicate can either make life good or it can cause one to live a life full of unwanted drama.

• There are many elements that are a part of the communication process. Today we are going to focus one area of communication.

• How we incorporate this one part of the communication process will determine if our communication builds up or destroys.

• Let’s turn to Ephesians 4:25 together.

• SLIDE #2

• Ephesians 4:25 (HCSB) Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. Discard the old way.

• Before you can do something in a new way, one needs to discard the old way of doing things.

• This simple principle is what wrecks New Year’s resolutions and it holds Christians back from enjoying the fullness of life that God desires for them.

• I want us to focus on the first few words of verse 25. Since you put away lying

• Going back to what Jerry covered last week in verses 22-23 we find Paul reminding us…

• SLIDE #4

• Ephesians 4:22–24 (HCSB) You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires; you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

• When you give your life to Jesus, you are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us…

• SLIDE #5

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (HCSB) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.

• Jerry hit this point well last week, notice 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us to LOOK, NEW THINGS HAVE COME.