Walking through Life with Jesus Christ
Ephesians 4:17-28
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Series: The Book of Ephesians
(Prepared May 10, 2024)
BACKGROUND:
*Remember that the Apostle Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he wrote four letters. Three were sent to churches, and one was to a Christian friend. All were included in the New Testament, including Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. That's why these four books are called the Prison Epistles.
*Bible scholars generally agree that they were written during Paul's first Roman imprisonment. Acts 28 records a little from this season in Paul's life, and Acts 28:30-31 says, "Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him."
*John Phillips explained that "Paul was not at liberty to go where he wished, but he was at liberty to receive all who cared to come to him. And Paul’s hired house in Rome became the headquarters of world evangelism. The Apostle could not go, but others could go. He led people to Jesus, and inspired many others to keep spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul even led soldiers in the Roman guard to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul used all of his authority as an Apostle to keep spreading the gospel and the building the Lord's Church. (1)
*Paul opened this part of his letter in Ephesians 4:1-3 by writing, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
*William MacDonald highlighted the fact that although Paul was a prisoner of Rome, "he did not speak of himself as a prisoner of Rome. That might have indicated a sense of defeat, a feeling of self-pity, or a craving for sympathy. Instead, Paul called himself a prisoner of the Lord, speaking from a heart filled with faith, dignity, and victory. Ruth Paxson said, 'There was no stench of prison in Paul's heart, for he was not bound in spirit.'" (2)
*What was the secret to such a victorious outlook? Paul was walking through life with the Lord Jesus Christ, probably as close as anybody ever has. And that's the way God wants us to walk with Him today. Please think about this as we read Ephesians 4:17-28.
MESSAGE:
*There are a lot of things I know how to do in life, -- compared to a little baby. I know how to walk and talk. I know how to eat, -- usually without making a big mess. And I know how to read, even though I didn't learn my ABCs until the first grade.
*There are a lot of things I know how to do in life. But there are a whole lot more things that I don't know. And I am still working on the most important thing of all: How to walk through life with the Lord Jesus Christ. Today's Scripture can help us do it.
1. FIRST: WE HAVE TO LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LORD.
*We have to learn the truth about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And to show us how crucial this is, Paul gave us a picture of people who don't know God. Please take a look at these very lost, ungodly people in vs. 17-19. Here Paul tells Christians:
17. This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18. having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart;
19. who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to licentiousness (that's unbridled lust), to work all uncleanness with greediness.
*Those lost Gentiles definitely did not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, so in vs. 17 their lives were futile and empty. And in vs. 18 Paul explained why. Their understanding was darkened. They were alienated or separated from God's life. They were ignorant about the truth, and their hearts were hard. In other words, they were as spiritually blind as anybody could be. That's why in vs. 19, they were given over to shameless, unbridled lust, and they were full of greed. Those Gentiles were as lost as they could be, and they didn't have a clue about it.
*They desperately needed to learn the truth about Jesus Christ. That's what everybody needs! And vs. 20-21 remind us that ultimately, the Lord Himself is the one who can teach us. Here Paul speaks to all Christians, and says, "But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus."
*Of course, human teachers in church can help us, and they do. I am so thankful for all of the teachers in our church! But we can never be saved by human teachers alone. God gives us human teachers to help us meet the Heavenly Teacher! We must have that personal contact with Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit of God.
*So that little word "IF" in vs. 21 is hugely important. Paul said, "IF indeed you have heard Jesus." And "IF you have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus." We must know Jesus Christ personally. We must open our hearts to receive Him. We must open our hearts to receive the truth He wants to give us, because again in vs. 21, "the truth is in Jesus."
*But what is the truth? In Romans 3:10 the truth is that all of us are sinners, "As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not one.'" And in Romans 3:23, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
*What is the truth? In Romans 6:23, the truth is that all of us deserve to go to hell: "For the wages of sin is death."
*But the truth is also that God loves us in spite of our sins. And God loves us so much that He sent His Son to take the punishment for us. In John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." The truth is that Jesus Christ was willing to die on the cross for our sins. And Jesus did die on the cross to pay the price for our everlasting pardon from God.
*Jesus died on the cross for us, and then He rose again from the dead. That's the truth! So Hebrews 7:25 says: "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.
*You see, we can never earn the love of God for our salvation. God loves us right now, and He loved us before the world was created! So the only way anybody can ever be saved is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We could never earn the love of God the Father, because we would have to be perfect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of our lives.
*The only person who ever deserved the Heavenly Father's love was Jesus Christ. Think about that. Always being good, even as a baby. Yes, crying from pain or hunger, but never being selfish, never telling a lie, never being mean to His little brothers and sisters, never saying anything you shouldn't say, never even thinking an evil thought. Then there's the flip side of perfection, the side that we usually don't even get around to thinking about. Not only did Jesus never do the things we shouldn't do, He always did everything He was supposed to do.
*Jesus Christ was perfect in every way. And His perfection made it possible for the Lord to take our place on the cross. We could never earn the love of God, because we can never be good enough. But we can trust in the one man who is always good enough. We can trust in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.
*The Bible tells us that He wants to know us as our brother and best friend. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." In the Weymouth translation Jesus says, "I am now standing at the door and am knocking. If any one listens to My voice and opens the door, I will go in to be with him and will feast with him, and he shall feast with Me."
*There is a famous old painting based on this verse of Scripture. It shows Jesus outside of a house knocking on the door. The man who painted the one I've seen was Holman Hunt. And the compelling thing about the picture is that there is no handle on the outside. The door can only be opened from the inside.
*Douglas Bryan told about a little girl who saw this picture, and wondered about Jesus knocking on the door. After a few minutes she asked, "Did He get in?" (3)
*The answer depends on us. Each one of us is the only person who can let Jesus into our heart and life, and when we do, we will know for sure that the truth is in Jesus. Jesus Christ is the greatest Teacher of truth. He is even the Truth personified!
2. HOW CAN WE WALK THROUGH LIFE WITH JESUS CHRIST? WE MUST LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LORD, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO CHANGE OUR SPIRITUAL CLOTHES.
*Paul began to stress this truth in vs. 22 where he tells us to "put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts." Then in vs. 24 Paul tells Christians to "put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness."
*Then in the next verses, Paul went into detail about some bad things we need to take off, and some good things we need to put on. Look at vs. 25 for example. Here Paul said, "Therefore, putting away lying, each one speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another."
*God wants us to take off dishonesty, and put on truthfulness. And we should, because we are all parts of the spiritual Body of Jesus Christ. Can your finger lie to your foot? -- Of course not. So God wants us to take off the lies, and put on the truth.
*Then in vs. 26-27 Paul said, "'Be angry, and do not sin': do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil." Christians: Anytime we are walking around dressed in those old, ungodly spiritual clothes, we are giving the devil a place to act in our lives. So Paul wants us to throw off those old clothes. God wants us to throw off those old clothes.
*At the same time, it is possible for us to be angry without sinning, -- if we will take a few moments to pray and consider the right thing to do. Pastor Ed Young gave an acronym I have often shared with young couples about to get married. It's C.L.A.S.P.
-Calm down.
-Lower your voice.
-Ask questions.
-State your position.
-Plan a solution together. -- C.L.A.S.P. -- Christians: It is possible for us to be angry without sinning, if we will pray and consider the right thing to do. (4)
*But it is also possible for us to be angry without sinning, because there is such a thing as good anger. We know this is true because God gets angry, and He never does anything wrong! A good place to see the Lord's righteous anger is in Mark 3:1-5. There God's Word says this about Jesus:
1. And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.
2. And they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.
3. Then He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward.''
4. And He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?'' But they kept silent.
5. So when He had looked around at them with ANGER, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand.'' And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
*God gets angry, and we are created in the image of God, so godly anger is good. In fact, the only good anger is godly anger. There is such a thing as righteous indignation. And God will put us in places to take a stand for truth, for justice, for righteousness, and for Him. At the right time, in the right way, for the right reason, godly anger is good. So Paul said, "Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath."
*But most of the time when we get angry, we do sin, and that's the problem. Will Rogers once said, "Whenever you fly into a rage, you seldom make a safe landing." -- And he was right. (5)
*Next in vs. 28, Paul tells us, "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." God wants us to get rid of lying, dishonesty, and stealing. He wants us to quit using our tongues to hurt people, and start using them to help and heal other people.
*There are lots of old things we need to pull off and put out of our lives. But there are also some very important things to put on. So again in vs. 24, Paul said we have to "put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness."
3. HOW CAN WE WALK THROUGH LIFE WITH JESUS CHRIST? GET BUSY CHANGING OUR SPIRITUAL CLOTHES. AND RECEIVE GOD'S RENEWAL IN OUR LIVES.
*We see this truth in vs. 23 where Paul simply tells Christians to "be renewed in the spirit of your mind." The Amplified Bible says, "Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind, having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude." The NIV calls this being "made new in the attitude of your minds." And this spiritual renewal is an important part of the Christian life.
*In Romans 12:1-2 Paul was pleading for Christians to be renewed, and there Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
*In Titus 3:4-6 Paul wrote, "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior."
*In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul talked about some of the terrible hardships they suffered as missionaries. How in the world did they keep going through all of those troubles? Please listen to 2 Corinthians 4:6-17, where Paul said:
6. For God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9. persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed
10. always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12. So then death is working in us, but life in you.
13. But since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke,'' we also believe and therefore speak,
14. knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
15. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
16. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
*How did Paul and his fellow missionaries keep going through all of their troubles? Their inward man was "being renewed day by day." And Christians: We need to let the Holy Spirit of God renew our minds every day! Otherwise we will never be able to live the way God wants us to live. So feed on His Word every day, and ask God to give you the renewal we all need.
*A few of you may remember Roger Bennett. For almost 20 years, Roger served as the pianist for "The Cathedrals." Then Roger was pianist, singer, songwriter, and co-founder of "Legacy Five."
*Roger went home to be with the Lord in March 2007, after a long battle with cancer. I think he went through at least two bone marrow transplants. About 6 months before Roger died I saw the end of an interview he gave on a Christian TV show. I don't know when it was made, but Roger looked very ill, and he made a powerful statement on healing.
*He said that a word-of-faith lady had come up to him. I think it was after a concert. And she was upset that Roger hadn't claimed his healing. Of course she didn't know it, but Roger said that at the time, his bone marrow was about 40 percent cancerous.
*And I wish I could quote it word for word, but Roger told her that it was very humbling for him to realize, but 10 out of 10 people die. He also told her that all physical healing is only temporary. And that if you signed-up for Christianity for the health plan, you've got the wrong idea.
*Roger then told about one of the Scriptures that meant the most to him during his ordeal. It was sent to him by a lady who was a breast cancer patient. Roger said that he had never noticed it before. It was the Scripture God's suffering servant wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17. Again, Paul said, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
CONCLUSION:
*Church: Our God is a miracle worker, and He always has been! But Christianity is not about the health plan. It's about humbly walking through life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who suffered and died on the cross for all of our sins, and rose again from the dead 3 days later, in everlasting victory over sin and death.
*Our Risen Savior is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But He also wants to be your Best Friend walking through life together with you. And that's what Jesus will be, if you will put your trust in the Lord, and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Call on the Lord to save you now, as we go back to God in prayer. Then start walking with Jesus, learning more about the Lord every day, drawing closer every day, and being renewed every day. God will surely help us to do it.
(1) Adapted from EXPLORING ACTS by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "Proving the Power of God" - Acts 28:1-31 - Downloaded to "Bible Study 6" from Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc.
(2) Adapted from: BELIEVER'S BIBLE COMMENTARY by William MacDonald - Edited by Arthur Farstad - Thomas Nelson Publishers - Nashville - Copyright 1995 - "Parenthesis on the Mystery" - Ephesians 3:1-13 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
(3) Sources:
-SermonCentral sermon "Aiming Higher By Stooping Lower" by Douglas Bryan - John 13:1-17
-https://www.warnersallman.com/collection/images/christ-at-hearts-door/
-"The Handle is on the Other Side" - https://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2a/handle's_on_the_other_side.htm
(4) Original source from Dr. Young is unknown - Dr. Ed Young has been the Pastor of Second Baptist Church in Houston since 1978 - https://www.second.org/who-we-are/history/
(5) Original source unknown
