“DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Outline)
August 3, 2008 --
PENTECOST 12 --
Ephesians 4:30-5:2
INTRO: Hopefully there was never, never, ever a time in your life when you deliberately wanted to make someone sad. The reality is that in your lifetime you have probably made someone sad, maybe even very sad. Disobedient children bring sadness to parents. All too often we hurt the feelings of the very people that we love with wicked words. With sin in this world and in our lives there is sadness. Worst of all is the brutal fact that we make our Lord sad with the sins we commit or omit every single day of our lives. This “sadness of God” is a human term we apply to the Lord. This term helps us to understand that our sins are a very grievous matter to God. "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear"(ISAIAH 59:2). Our sins keep us from understanding God’s will in our lives on earth perfectly. Our sins keep us from fully understanding God’s great love for us sinners. Paul’s inspired words are our theme (and parts):
“DO NOT GRIEVE (MAKE VERY SAD) THE HOLY SPIRIT”. How?
I. “Get rid of all rage”.
II. “Be imitators of God”
I. “GET RID OF ALL RAGE”
A. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is unique. He does not address any specific problems in this church.
1. Paul writes to encourage these believers to live in and live out their Christian life.
2. Paul encourages even though he is prison in Rome. In Christ they were new creatures.
a. Believers are saved by grace. c. They are children of light. c. They put on the new man.
B. Chapter 4 ends with encouragement of living full Christian lives, verse 4:30a.
1. Do not let your lives or sinful living sadden the Holy Spirit.
2. Why? The Holy Spirit gave them faith and guarantees their eternal inheritance, verse 4:30b.
C. Verse 4:31 lists the negative characteristics that grieve the Holy Spirit. They go from bad to worse.
1. “Bitterness, rage and anger” deal with emotional baggage bothering believers.
2. “Brawling and slander” talks of fighting and name-calling that saddens God.
3. “Malice”. Every form of hatred is to be removed from the hearts of these believers.
D. Why were there such feelings in the church at Ephesus? At one time the Jews and Gentiles did not get along with each other. Now these different nations were thrown together as followers and worshipers of Christ. There were some hard feelings. There is another reason also. Theologians speak of the “total depravity of mankind”. This simply means that we are sinful – totally, completely. We are born with evil lurking in the dark corners of our hearts. All mankind is born with original sin. We have inherited this sinfulness from Adam and Eve. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander"(MATTHEW 15:19). None can escape. At one time or another we are guilty, guilty, guilty because of hearts that are filled with evil all the time.
E. We are tempted to think we are not as bad as the next person. Or we might consider many others to be far worse than ourselves. That is not really the truth. Whoever sins against one law of God is guilty of breaking the whole law of God. Hatred harbored in our hearts is very, very dangerous. Hatred is our natural condition that leads to vengeance and murder. "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen"(1 JOHN 4:20). Cain killed Abel. Hatred for our brother has been planted in our hearts from almost the beginning of time. No wonder we are told: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage….”
F. Sin has infected each and every one of us. Sin affects each of us day after day after day. No one is exempt from the curse of sin. "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so" (ROMANS 8:6,7). Man, on his own, cannot save himself. Man, on his own, is lost and condemned forever. "The mind of sinful man is death”. By grace God seeks out the sinner. God saves the sinner freely by his undeserved love. Our reaction is to put behind us sin and sinful living.
“DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT”.
With the strength of faith we can rid ourselves of rage.
II. “BE IMITATORS OF GOD”
A. God does not ask his followers to do anything without providing his divine motivation for success.
1. Verse 5:1. Believers are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, imitating God with godly lives.
2. Why? God has made believers his children. They are “dearly loved children”. Our Father….
B. Verse 5:2. The believers were to live lives of love. This would not happen by their own strength.
1. The believers heard, knew, and believed the love Jesus had shown them and all men.
2. God sacrificed his Son, Jesus for their forgiveness. Now they knew what love was.
C. Verse 4:32. Now the lives of love of the believers would reflect divine kindness and compassion.
1. This was the kindness and compassion they learned from a forgiving Savior, Christ the Lord.
2. These examples of Christ - love, forgiving, compassion - were the motivation for lives of love.
D. The love of Christ for his dearly loved children is life changing. The love of Christ is the motivation that God’s gospel provides for our daily, godly living in this sin-darkened, evil, wicked world. All too many try to live or do God’s will by their own strength or emotional willpower. Faith cannot and does not work that way. Because the love of Christ is alive and well in each and every heart of each and every believer our faith produces fruit. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me"(GALATIANS 2:20). Christ lives in us that others may see their Savior alive in us.
E. God has clearly shown us his undeserved love for us and the rest of mankind. Christ’s self-sacrificing example of humility is our example. Christ’s undeserved love is our motivation to walk in his footsteps. "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you"(COLOSSIANS 3:12,13). Forgiveness imitates God.
F. With faith comes privilege and responsibility. Our Lord calls us his “dearly loved children”. We belong to our heavenly Father as members of the family of believers. God has set high expectations for us his children. There is a great difference between unbelieving lives and the lives of those who love God. "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you"(LUKE 6:27,28). The forgiveness of God is unconditional. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all of mankind. Jesus did not exclude anyone from his forgiveness mission. Sadly, unbelievers will not receive the benefit of Jesus’ sacrifice. Now our Savior would have us be just as generous in our forgiveness, blessings, and prayers. After all, even the pagans love those who love them. Believers imitate God in loving, blessing, and praying for their enemies.
CONC.: Our sinful nature cares very little about what God says or wants. But we have been saved by grace. God’s grace gives us strength to do all things. The strength of God is our strength because Christ dwells in our hearts and lives by faith through grace. We put on the new man created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. We are reminded: “DO NOT GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT”. We can do this when concentrate on what is godly. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things"(PHILIPIANS 4:8). Focus on these divine things. Then you will be able to get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and every form of malice. With the power of God’s love in believing hearts you will be imitators of God. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min.(Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: TUES. -- 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF / 10:55am @ Redeemer (Sun)
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PENT. 12 readings:
1 KINGS 19:9-18;
ROMANS 9:1-5;
MATTHEW 14:22-33;
(PSALM 73)
