Note: This is a study through the book of Ephesians as done in 1995. One of the main sources I used at the time was Beacon Bible Commentary vol. 9.
Title: Changing clothes
Theme: Cleaning out our lives is important
Text: Eph 4:17-32
Materials needed: Old T-shirt, work pants, overcoat, running shoes
In the early church when a new convert would get saved tradition says that they would be taught for a little while then they would be baptized. They would be taught the truths of the church and the Christian walk and if they still accept it they would be baptized. Now the way they were baptized was different than today. First they would find a stream, lake or pond (obviously they didn't have the nice, clean, warm baptismals we have in some churches) then they would stand at one end and prepare to be baptized. Upon their turn they would take all their clothes off and enter into the water. The rite would be preformed and they would climb out and put on new clothes. Now I don't know if this applied to all the churches but I want to use it tonight as an illustration.
I want to talk about cleaning out our closet. But first I would like to pray.
Many of us have closets that need to be cleaned out. We have old clothes that either don't fit or just plain worn out. But we also have spiritual closets that we need to clean. The closets in our lives that need to be redone. Let us look at some of these.
I. Old over coat.
How about that old over coat that you may have? The one that you have been keeping for years although you never wear it. Maybe it is full of memories but it don't fit. Many people pull out this over coat. The world pull out this over coat even Christians if we are not careful can pull out this overcoat.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
The overcoat represents lying. Not begging truthful of the situation but covering it over with something. Maybe sugar coating it or total deception.
Now most of us would say we don't lie. Generally we don't. Even the world knows it is wrong and feels it is better to tell the truth.
But what about the philosophy of the non-Christian. Isn't it a lie. Let us see if we can sum it up in this statement: "Life is supposed to be fun and entertaining for me; anything that makes it easier or more fun is good, and anything that makes it harder or more boring or less fun is bad." If you don't believe me look at the commercials that we see or hear. Ie mentioned one Wednesday night that had to do with the Georgia lottery. We see it from pants to perfume to panty hose to popcorn. From beer to beverages to . And it sells. It tells you how much fun life is if you take care of yourself. "Eat, drink and be merry".
As we know it is a lie that covers up the truth that will eventually happen. All is unless we follow Christ.
And as I said it can affect the Christian. We can get caught in the money trap, in the pleasure trap, in the fun trap, in the entertain me trap. Forgeting all about what we are here for and the purpose of it all.
Paul’s instruction is: speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Speak the truth. Listen to your fellow brothers and sisters we are in this together and against each other but for each other.
II. Old running shoes
They say that running or walking shoes after a while they get worn down and it is time to replace them. It is important that we replace the old shoes if not it could make our feet or may cause other problems. I think that this is similar to what Paul is saying here in verse 26 of Ephesians 4
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
We are to be angry. Anger is good under certain circumstances. As I told you Wednesday night about all the martyrs that were killed for the cause of Christianity if you were to read the book and see the heartless people who passed judgment on these innocent people you would probably be angry. How about the serial murders? or Drive by shootings or even that guy who cut you off in the parking lot. That makes you angry. Some of it may be reasonable and justifiable and Paul does not say it is wrong. But he does give us guidelines.
He says that there is a time when it is useful but then it must be put away. Just as them old running shoes there are times when they are useful but there are times when they must be put away if not they can cause problems. If we don't put away the anger it could cause problems.
Anger if we are not careful can cloud our judgment in dealing with other people. It could cause us to be revengeful. It could cause us to hurt someone. It could also cause us to lose out on our relationship with the Lord. We can't pray when we are angry. We can't pray when we are revengeful. When we are trying to get back because we know God is not that way but he is a God of mercy.
Remember Jonah. Jonah got mad at God because of this. Why? because he saved Nineveh. He allowed for repentance. So Jonah sulked and God had to teach him a lesson with a gourd and a worm. Let us throw these out and make room in our closets.
Paul gives us two guidelines. First be angry and sin not. In other words you anger should not be sin which is one of malice and revenge. Second when you are angry for justifiable reasons don't let the sun go down before you let it blow off.
Neither give place to the devil.
III. work pants
Let us look again into our closet and see what we find. Do you have any old work pants that need to be cleaned out. Maybe they are worn or piled up. Maybe it is time to throw them away.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. {to give: or, to distribute}
Now this may not mean much to you. Obviously and hopefully you don't steal. But think about it from the worlds perspective. Stealing from God. Materialism is stealing from God. It is actually taking what is God's and using it for the world this is stealing. The world is wrapped up in this. The worlds motto is "Work hard so after you pay your bills you can buy yourself something nice" but this is not God's motto. His says give me mine and then the rest is yours for your responsibility. See the mindset it is different.
But we must also make sure that we clean out our closets. Sadly, and I know this does not apply to us here?, the average Christian gives 2% of his or her earnings to the Lord's work. Now that is stealing we need to throw out the old work pants and get some servant clothes.
IV. Unreligious T-shirts
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. {to...: or, to edify profitably} (Ephesians 4:25-29 AV)
Now this reminds me of some of the T-shirts that I see people wear. They have all kinds of graphics scenes on it. Some from some rock group with half naked women or humanistic sayings. Some with racial sayings. Some with sacrilegious sayings. Offensive to people.
I understand that no matter what people wear someone will be offended but it is time for common sense to come in and let us try to avoid hurting others if possible.
There are some things that don't need to be worn. There some T-shirts that we can leave out.
Paul’s sums it up in this:
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31-32 AV)
