Be Distinctive!
Ephesians 4:17-5:2
Focus: Christians are to walk worthy of our call by being different from the world around us.
Function: To challenge & call Christians to holy living in their minds, speech and attitudes.
Several years ago a good friend invited me to come and watch him compete in an area skate boarding
contest. He’s several years younger than me, but we were both kids. I had always thought that my cousin
was just a little bit ‘different.’ He didn’t dress normal. He’d wear big baggy pants so brightly colored that there was no way you could miss him coming down the street! He didn’t wear his hair normal. It was
shaved almost to military length around his ears, but up on top he let it grow till it hung down well over his eyes. He was an excellent skateboarder, but I couldn’t see how he could even see to know where he was
going! And he really didn’t talk normal, either. He used words I hadn’t heard before- ‘gnarly’, ‘hang ten’,
‘bogeyd’, etc. We were good friends and I loved him a lot, but to be honest, I thought he was just a little
weird! When I would say something to him about it, he’d explain to me how this was just his personality-
how he wasn’t going to CONFORM to any kind of societal norms. He was determined to be himself . . . to
be DIFFERENT! I was surprised then, when I went to see him compete in that skateboarding contest to
see that all of the other skateboarders looked just like him! He wanted to be different, sure, just like
everybody else!
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 Davidsons, 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 4:17-5:2
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 the
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
handbasket!” 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! Its 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!
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 ....? How can I lean on you for the spiritual encouragement that I need as a Christian,
if I can’t trust you?
Beware of 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!
Work so that you 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 dependance upon others; but seeks to give to
others.
Watch your 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 build 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?
The Bottom Line: Imitate God
CHAPTER 5 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (NIV)
Our character should is to be modeled after our Father. Lev. 19:2 “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am
holy.” And again, Paul mentions the underlying, foundational motivation for it all: LOVE. We live this way
because of what God has done for us in Christ. He loved us so much that he gave up his only begotten
Son so that we- thru faith in him- would not perish, but would have eternal life!
Conclusion: That’s Certainly A Counter-Cultural way of life
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
your are more “like the culture” or more “different from the culture?”
Is your life TRULY DISTINCT from the World? Truly Christlike? 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? Jesus’
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?
If you don’t know Jesus, or have a personal relationship with him- you need to. How can we encourage
you to come to him this morning- turning away from your former way of life and wanting to put on the new
man by being baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins!
If we can encourage or pray for you in any way- please let those needs be known by responding to the
front during this invitation song.
