There is the old saying “When in Rome.” The idea of course is that if you are a particular area or with a group of people you act like they do. If you are with a sophisticated people you act sophisticated. If you are Red Necks you act like a Red Neck. If you are among Pagans then act like one. Whatever you do don’t stand out. From the world’s way of thinking that is how you succeed.
Of course it is those who stand out who are successful. But really the saying should bother us because it is wicked. That way of thinking is opposed to Christ. In a human way of thinking conforming gets you noticed, liked, and it opens doors.
Jesus was killed because he did not conform. Conforming to the way of the world is fatal.
This is said because the Ephesians were Gentiles. They were surrounded in Ephesus by some very wicked stuff (17-19).
First it would be easy to conform because the opposition to the Church was fierce. Ephesus was a meeting place for many religions, it was a great center of Emperor Worship, many their practiced Magic Arts and everyone held in high regard Diana. Paul really caused problems for this city by bringing Christianity to the region (Acts 19).
There was a lot of temptation around them. But Paul is saying you be Holy. You be different than these other people.
You need to think differently, you need to understand more, and have an open heart and mind to the things of God.
Naturally when you tell people to act a certain way you need to tell them why. Why do we have to act this way?
This is true as Parents. “Because I said so” is not always the best answer.
Martyn Lloyd Jones “Our conduct should always be to us something which is inevitable in view of what we believe….If my Christian living is not quite inevitable to me, if I am always fighting against it and struggling and trying to get out of it, and wondering why it is so hard and narrow, if I find myself rather envying the people who are still back in the world, there is something radically wrong with my Christian life.”
James Boice “Therefore, if I am failing in the Christian life, what should trouble me is not that I am failing or that I have a problem but that I have failed God and him important purposes for me.”
So Why Are We to be different?
You are different because you have been to the school of Christ. Paul is beginning to get very practical. We live holy lives not only because of our adoption into Christ family but because we have been educated by Jesus. “You were taught” to be different.
John Stott “When Jesus Christ is at once the subject, the object, and the environment of the moral instruction being given, we may have confidence that it is truly Christian. For truth is in Jesus. The change from his title ‘Christ’ to his human name Jesus seems to be deliberate. The historical Jesus is himself the embodiment of truth, as he claimed.”
So we have learned from Christ and because he allows us to have a personal relationship with him we honor him by giving our lives over to him.
Basically this all leads to us being different from the people around us. We are always wanting to do that in the world. We are to be Counter culture people.
What is it about American society in general that has led to the creation of certain sub-cultures; certain’ counter-cultures’ through the years? In the 1920’s there were the flappers whose outrageous dress and provocative dancing embarrassed the older generations. In the 1950’s there were the greasers- who sought to be different by rocking to Elvis Presley, riding loud Harley Davidson’s, slicking their longer than normal hair back with some sort of oil and generally frightening any man with a daughter old enough to go out on dates! In the 1960’s there were the ‘flower children’ who sought to be different by sticking flowers in their hair, tie-dying their brightly colored t-shirts, sowing American flags to the seats of their faded blue jeans, listening to the Beatles, growing their hair even longer and promoting ‘love’ not war. The 1970’s saw counter-cultural movements such as disco; the 1980’s- break dancing; the 1990’s gangsta rap . . . and on and on and on.
What’s so interesting about each of those movements within our popular culture is that in their beginnings they were extremely counter-cultural, yet when we look back over those periods of time, they sometimes define the culture. Its hard to sustain a purely counter-cultural movement, because just as soon as reaches a certain popularity, it has become so cultural that it is no longer ‘different’ or counter cultural. Are you with me?
Well, I say all of that to ask this: What has become the norm in our culture and where do we as Christians fit in? Are we ‘cultural’ or ‘counter-cultural?’
This is what Paul is interested in, in the text this morning. We’ve been looking at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Last week he turned from discussing a theology of the church to its implications for the Christian.
Eph 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (NIV)
Literally, that’s “walk worthy of God’s call.” In other words, “You are Christians, so live like it!” And the first thing he mentioned, “walk worthy of the call by preserving unity among fellow Christians!”
That is SO important for the body of Christ! There are not hundreds or thousands of little bodies of Christ scattered all over the place . . . NO! There is one body of Christ– parts of whom meet in different locations because of geography, but there should be unity among them & a spirit of love & cooperation!
And in today’s text, Paul continues the same train of thought and says, “WALK WORTHY OF YOUR CALL BY BEING DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD!”
Eph 4:17-32 17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of then ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. (NIV)
Life Without Jesus is Meaningless!
What more horrible picture could be painted of the meaning of life than Paul does here? “Futility of their thinking”; “darkened in their understanding”; “ignorance”; “hardening of their hearts”; “loss of all sensitivity”; “given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity with a continual desire for more!” ??? But isn’t this an accurate picture of life without God? And it may as well have been written today instead of 2,000 years ago. It looks just like a snapshot of the 21st century.
It strikes me that a lot of Christians get up in arms about the current state of affairs in our world . . . prayer has been taken out of our schools, the ten commandments aren’t allowed on the walls, a sixteen year old girl has to have a permission slip to go on a field trip with her class but in some states can get an abortion without even informing a parent, schools can give kids condoms or teach Islam, but can’t mention Jesus or give them Bibles. SURE- all of these things are bad . . . they’re horrible! Our world is really messed up! No doubt about it!
But my question is: why are we surprised that the world is behaving like the world? Aren’t we told in the Bible that the world is in the control of the evil one? We’re even warned that while we have to live in the world, Christians are not to be OF THE WORLD! Why not? Because we’re supposed to be DIFFERENT! Folks, the world is going to be the world! Now, I don’t mean that Christians shouldn’t do what we can to change that with our influence, but it’s a reminder of just how desperately our world needs.
Jesus! The bottom line: this horrible picture is a typical picture of a people that don’t know Jesus!
Paul’s message is clear: Life without Jesus is just meaningless! The thinking of the Gentiles was ‘to no end’; futile, pointless, meaningless! The wise old teacher of Ecclesiastes understood this thought well.
Eccl 1:2-9
2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." 3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. (NIV)
He seemed to make it his life’s ambition to seek meaning for his life. And as you flip through the pages of Ecc. you see that he looked in many places: he sought meaning in wisdom; in pleasures; in work; in riches& on and on . . . But, in the end, this is how he concludes Ecc:
12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. 13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. (NIV)
In the end, the wise old teacher could only find meaning in God! Where are you seeking to find meaning for your life? We look in all kinds of different places even today, don’t we? Wisdom of men? Doing what
makes us happy? Our jobs? Money/ Wealth? That’s still where the world is looking . . . But as Christians perhaps our reaction to things like this in the world, shouldn’t be “Oh my- the world is going to hell in a hand basket!” as much as it should be “Oh- how sad that someone would live this way not knowing Jesus.
What can I do to live counter-culturally & to share with them the good news of a better way?”
{Because, as Christians, we know . . .}
Life with Jesus is Transforming!
20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 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; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Now, we’ve got to understand that knowing Jesus is more than knowing ‘about Jesus’, about just knowing the facts! It’s about RELATIONSHIP; about knowing him personally! That’s why he came to Earth in the flesh . . . God had already given us the facts about himself through the Old Law, but in Jesus we have the opportunity to actually know him first-hand! The “truth” is not facts about Jesus- rather the truth is Jesus.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” We CAN know truth by knowing Jesus!
Knowing Jesus makes all the difference! It is transforming; life-changing! We put off the old- cast it aside to put on the new! We no longer walk in the ways we used to walk– that path led to death & destruction!
Paul said it this way to the Romans, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”(Rom 12:2 NIV)
A few years ago, the “in-thing” for the 6 year-old set was a group of teenage super-heroes called the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. They were an unlikely hit- originally produced with a very low budget in Japan, then badly dubbed into English. But their appeal was that- while ordinary teenagers by day- when called upon, they could transform themselves into powerful martial arts experts for justice. They would cry, “It’s morphin time!” You might laugh- but a form of that word “morph” is the very Greek word that Paul used in Rom. to mean just this concept: transformation! (Metamorphoo) Its not just 6 year olds who want to ‘morph’ is it? We, too, are to be changed- to be transformed- to “morph”
from our former way of life into something new . . . something different! (From: Ortberg, The Life You’ve Always Wanted)
Well, what does this new life look like? It is COUNTER-CULTURAL!
We are distinctive when we:
Live a life of Integrity
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Truth DOES matter, especially to a people living in community like the people of God! Why should we be truthful? B/c we are members of one body- Paul says! That makes sense, doesn’t it? Communities are built upon mutual reliance. How can we be community; be unified; if we can’t trust one another; rely on one another; be there for each other? How can I lean on you for the spiritual encouragement that I need as a Christian, if I can’t trust you?
As Christians we should tell the truth even when it is hard.
Watch out for Anger
26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. Anger, in and of itself is not wrong– sometimes we need to get angry! Christians need to be angry at some of those things I mentioned that is going on in the world. But, Paul knows that anger is one of those emotions which can take hold and overcome us if we let it– like a cancer that infects our soul, and if not removed immediately can spread and overtake other, healthier parts of our souls, eventually rotting our spirits from the inside out! So, Paul says, take care of your anger BEFORE you give the devil this foothold in your life! Don’t let it fester!
We know it is hard to keep anger in. But, most of the time, I think we all would have to admit that we vent our anger and then have to apologize later for the stupid things we say and do. People sometimes excuse their anger and temper by saying, “well, I’ll admit I’ve got a quick fuse, but it’s over in a minute.” So is a Tornado but someone always has to clean up.
Part of the Fruit of the Spirit is self-control. And as we grow in Christ we are to be distinctive in that we are not flaring up all the time. That means we bite our lip, count to ten, or walk away. But just determine to not let the devil get a foothold. Proverbs 29:11 reads, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”
Work so that we might give
28 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.
Notice WHY Paul says a person is to work– not just so he won’t be a drain on others, but so that he might be able to help provide for others! That’s certainly counter-cultural: the thief is to become the philanthropist! But a transformed life no longer lives in total dependence upon others; but seeks to give to others.
I know of a couple in a large church who are well to do. They make about $400,000 a year, but for several years they have given away 50% of their income to Christian causes. They tithe to the church and then the other 40% they give to missionaries and benevolent needs. They don’t brag about it and hardly anyone knows who it is. But that’s incredible.
Now like most of us they have their own family responsibilities. But this Christian couple decided that since God was blessing them so much, they would give 50% of what they earned and live off the rest. Now some of us who don’t make that kind of money would say, “Sure, I could do that if I make $400,000 a year, I could live on $200,000.
But I doubt it. That is a rare case. Most of the times our wants exceed our resources and if their peers knew what they were doing, they would call them crazy! Because, after all, they could buy a plane, go on European Vacations; leave a huge estate for their children. But they are determined to be distinctive. They want to make their lives and money count for Jesus while they are alive.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:25, “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for Me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world yet forfeits his soul or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Watch our mouth
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.
Like James also says, our mouths- our tongues; our words- are indeed powerful weapons.... “a restless evil full of powerful poison.” (James 3:8) The word “unwholesome” is also used to describe spoiled fish or rotting fruit— it is “Bad”, “foul” and we may understand it in terms of foul language, but I think it may be better understood as DESTRUCTIVE language; words that hurt. Why? Because Paul’s concern is that our language builds others up; that it benefit and not harm those who hear us! How many of us consider how our words might hurt, BEFORE we say them? James says that while men have tamed lots of wild beasts, “no man has yet tamed the tongue.” Notice that this whole list has been about a people living in Christian community with one another! Our lives affect others & our transformed lives should build up others!
Get rid of Hatefulness
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.
These things hurt the Spirit of God! They grieve Him! They cause him to weep over our sins; over the way we treat one another with bitterness . . .etc.!
Forgive because you’ve been forgiven
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Seems to me that this is a key component, not only of living in Christian community, but of preserving the unity that we talked about last week. We’re not only to be kind to one another, not only to bear with one another- or “put up with one another”- we forgive one another. Given what God has forgiven us of- how could we NOT forgive each other?
I really hurt for some people who have alienated themselves from others. Some of you here today won’t speak to other Christians for something that happened years ago. The passage says to forgive as God forgive us.
How has God done that? HE offered forgiveness even before we apologized! Romans 5 teaches us that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He forgave us completely. He buries it in the deepest sea and doesn’t remember it anymore. He forgives us with out demanding restitution.
Some say you don’t know how bad I was hurt. Well maybe not but listen to this:
Chris Carrier lived in Coral Gables; FL. Chris was abducted in 1974 when he was 10 years old. His captor burned him with cigarettes, punctured his skin with an ice pick, shot him in the head and left him to die in the Everglades. The boy survived, though he lost sight completely in one eye. No one was ever arrested.
Then 20 years later, a man confessed to the crime and Chris Carrie went to see him. He found David McCallaster, a 77 year old ex-con frail, blind, living in a North Miami Beach Nursing Home. Carrier, now thirty, befriended David McCallaster. He began dropping by everyday to visit him, read to him from the bible and pray with him.
Now no arrest was made due to the Statute of limitations. But Carrier says, “that is fine with him. When I look at him I don’t stare at my abductor and potential murderer. I stare at a man very old, alone, and scared.
Are you really serious about God? If we are that means we are distinctive in a lot of ways.
I recently heard a story about a high school football player who was a Christian. He was a big fellow and a great athlete. He led his team to the best season they had ever had and won many awards. He was being interviewed and the reporter asked him this question, “You know you have the reputation of being a devout Christian. Isn’t it hard o be a devout Christian with all the peer pressure you face?” And he said “Ma’am, I am the peer pressure.”
I don’t care how old you are, everyone faces some degree of pressure. But Christians should be so courageous, so unashamed, so distinctive in standing up for Jesus Christ that others are attracted to Him, not repulsed. Life w/ Jesus is to be Distinct from the world!
What does YOUR life look like this morning? Is it ‘different just like everybody else around you?’ Have you sought meaning for your life in the things of this world? Are you looking for it even now out there somewhere? If someone from the outside were to look at the way you live your life, would they say that you are more “like the culture” or more “different from the culture?”
Is your life TRULY DISTINCT from the World? Truly Christ like? Do you promote truth & integrity in all that you do- in every area of your life like Jesus did? Are you a person others can trust? Do you treat others differently? Like Jesus did. Do you use your words differently? Like Jesus would have you. Do you readily forgive? Like Jesus does. Do you show love, not hate in your actions? Like Jesus did. Do you give rather than take? Like Jesus does. Do you walk to the beat of a different drum? The truth is that for all of us: if we put our lives side by side with Jesus, we all fall way short! But God is transforming us more and more into the image of His Son– or at least that is his goal. Have you been letting him?
We don’t challenge you to live this distinct life to get to heaven. Works will not get you there. We challenge you to live this life because you have been saved and because living this life can lead others to the saving grace of Jesus Christ as well. So let’s do everything we can to grow up in Christ and live that distinct life.
Remember the goal is for all of us to “Die Climbing.”
Maybe you are sitting here today thinking, “wow I can’t do that. I cannot live up to those great expectations.” You are right, I can’t, you can’t and no one else can on their own. But one did! Jesus Christ lived that perfect life and paid for our sins and now His spirit can come to live inside us so that we can grow in Him and live a more distinct life more and more as we grow in Him. All of us fail.
1 Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.” We are all sinners but you can accept Him today and start putting away the old man and growing up the new.
