1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:07,000 I'm sure you have as well, but I talk frequently to to men and 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,720 women that young and old, rich and poor, that struggle with 3 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,600 what Paul describes in Romans 6 and seven. 4 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,640 They profess and you profess just like Paul did, that I am no 5 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:23,440 longer under the law, but under grace, and sin has no dominion 6 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,280 over me. I've died to that which held me 7 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,640 captive, and I'm called to serve in the new way of the Spirit. 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,840 And then Paul immediately goes in the next breath and says, But 9 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,040 I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to 10 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,840 carry it out, for I do not do the good I want. 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,640 I delight in the law of God and my inner being, but I see in my 12 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,480 members another law waging war against the law of my flesh and 13 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,480 making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in me. 14 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:53,000 And he confesses in verse 24, wretched man that I am, who will 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,480 deliver me from this body of death. 16 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,080 And our church members, in our context, they'll phrase it like 17 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,880 this. How am IA man of God, a woman of 18 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,160 God, still not able to put away my childish things? 19 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:13,000 How am I, after these months and years, not able to kick these 20 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,600 addictions? And how can I not move past 21 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,520 these foolish things? How can I continue to say these 22 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:21,280 things? How can I continue to act so 23 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,200 foolishly? And the answer is because you're 24 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,920 not Jesus Christ. And maybe this is your 25 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:29,600 opportunity. If you're asking that to figure 26 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:34,080 that out, you are not him, especially if you grew up in the 27 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,840 church, especially if you've gone to OBU and you've seen 28 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,040 mature Christians that are ahead of you and you've seen faithful 29 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,840 churches. And what a, a, a wonderful and 30 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:50,000 and terrifying thing refined Christian can be in the hands of 31 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,040 God. You could see by looking into 32 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:53,880 the future, looking at these individuals, what your life 33 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,480 could look like and what you could accomplish. 34 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,760 And then you wonder as an 18 year old, as a 30 year old, as a 35 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,240 40 year old, why am I not there yet? 36 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,240 And there are several things to see even from Paul. 37 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,560 He goes on immediately to say God has done what the law could 38 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,880 not do by sending His own Son. He condemned sin in the flesh in 39 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,280 order that the righteous requirement of the law might be 40 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:20,720 fulfilled in us. This is where we insert the 41 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,800 glorious gospel into this. There is grace. 42 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:27,720 If you are a Christian, when you fall short, the there's not a 43 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:29,200 righteous standard that you're trying to meet. 44 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,520 It's already been met by the Lord of glory. 45 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,760 He died in your place. There's only one sinless Son of 46 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:37,600 God, and it's not you. You needed Him. 47 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,040 And Paul's glorious gospel continues despite the addictions 48 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:42,480 and the weaknesses and the failures. 49 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:47,680 Not only does God give you grace when you fall short, chapter 8 50 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,240 moves on to say He actually helps you in your weakness. 51 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:53,280 He doesn't help you in your strength. 52 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:56,760 He helps you in your overwhelming weakness. 53 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,120 And the chapter teaches that the Holy Spirit comes in your life 54 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,520 and he's your live in contractor that begins to do his perfect 55 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,920 work and he begins to make You Beautiful from the inside out 56 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:07,840 and he renews you and he strengthens you in your war 57 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:12,680 against sin and temptation. And then he adds to this amazing 58 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,600 list, more than just extending grace, more than just 59 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:20,000 strengthening you, He says the Spirit prays for you and he 60 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:21,480 intercedes for you and your weakness. 61 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,280 Romans 826 with groanings that are too deep for words. 62 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,000 And that's why Paul asks at the end of that chapter, if God is 63 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,560 for us, who can be against us? No, and all these things, we are 64 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:34,480 more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 65 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:36,840 For I'm sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 66 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,280 rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor 67 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,040 height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be 68 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,840 able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our 69 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,160 Lord. How could it with this list? 70 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:53,240 And this is the background to what Paul is asking of you in 71 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,840 the conclusion of Ephesians 4, and you can turn there. 72 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,440 We just spent three full chapters understanding what God 73 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,320 has done for us and the new identity that He's given to us. 74 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,680 He says that God has prepared good works for you in eternity 75 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:07,360 past, that you might walk in them. 76 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,320 It says that the Father has predestined his church, and 77 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:13,120 predestined is always unto something. 78 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,959 And we saw that predestination was unto adoption, that he might 79 00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:19,760 be our Father, and that we might be called sons of God. 80 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,520 It's by grace that we've been saved through faith. 81 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,200 It's the gift of God, not a result of works. 82 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:30,080 And we saw that it's God's nature to abound in mercy and 83 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:32,760 grace. And he's united his church under 84 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,680 Jesus Christ. He's given this local body and 85 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:40,480 all local bodies, pastors and teachers to, to guide them and 86 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,000 to walk them. And through the faith and he 87 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,840 ascended into heaven. A wonderful and beautiful 88 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:48,160 thought that Jesus ascended into heaven, not that he could take 89 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,680 tribute from the world, but that he could give, as is his nature, 90 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,320 gifts to His church. That we can continue the work 91 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:58,080 that he began while he was here. And you come all the way up to 92 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,080 our context. RJ taught last week from 93 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,720 Ephesians 424. And he brought us this reminder 94 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,360 that you were created in the image of God, in righteousness 95 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,000 and in holiness. And having brought you to this 96 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,080 point, a transition is going to happen. 97 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,960 And he sits you down like a father would sit down his own 98 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,560 son or his own daughter. And he says, and this is this is 99 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,360 specifically practically how you can do that. 100 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:24,680 This is what it looks like to live, considering all of these 101 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:28,440 glorious truths from Ephesians one to three and even 4. 102 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,600 And this is for all the people who are frequently surprised by 103 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,280 their own immaturity. And this is for all the people 104 00:05:35,280 --> 00:05:37,400 who are still struggling with addiction and for all the people 105 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,760 who can't seem to put away their childish things, You have to 106 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:43,400 remember you are not Jesus Christ. 107 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,480 And knowing that Paul's just said there's no condemnation for 108 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:52,760 those in Christ, but only grace. And then hold that thought 109 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:57,320 because he says, but now by the strengthening of the Holy 110 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,240 Spirit, there is effort required. 111 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,760 And so now in response to that grace, not in order to gain the 112 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,520 grace, but in response to that grace, we add hustle. 113 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,920 We have to hustle and there's a continual taking off and putting 114 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:11,800 on. And this happens over the days 115 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,480 and over the weeks and over the decades. 116 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,240 There's a a sanctification that happens, a lifetime of 117 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:22,000 sanctification of our being renewed in the new man after the 118 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,640 image of God. And this is really the first 119 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,360 section of Ephesians. We've said that there's an 120 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,840 overwhelming amount of commands and we haven't really seen any 121 00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:31,200 yet. We saw back in chapter 2, verse 122 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,240 11, he commands us, you know, remember where you came from so 123 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:35,680 that you can appreciate where you are now. 124 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,960 And then he comes, he says walk according to the high calling 125 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,040 that God has given you in Christ. 126 00:06:41,840 --> 00:06:46,080 And now if you look with me to Ephesians 425 to 32, you get 12 127 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,160 imperatives in eight verses. He leans in. 128 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,800 It's a barrage of commands. They're all grounded in identity 129 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,560 and calling and grace. And what he's doing with the 130 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:57,600 commands that he gives you, they're for a purpose. 131 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,760 What he's doing is he's showing you what is meant when he says 132 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,000 put off the old self and put on the new self. 133 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:07,240 He's teaching you what sorts of behaviours ought to flow out of 134 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:11,920 your new identity. Calvin says it poetically from 135 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:13,560 the righteousness of the new man. 136 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,960 All godly exhortations flow like streams from a spring. 137 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:23,600 Read with me the streams in Ephesians 425 and continuing, 138 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,760 Paul writes to the all the local churches around the area of 139 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,680 Ephesus. And he says to them, Therefore, 140 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,960 having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth 141 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,880 with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 142 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:41,680 Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on 143 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:43,840 your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. 144 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,880 But the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing 145 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,920 honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to 146 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:54,640 share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out 147 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,840 of your mouths, but only such is good for building up as fits the 148 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:00,840 occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 149 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,240 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were 150 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:05,760 sealed for the day of redemption. 151 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:09,600 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be 152 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,000 put away from you, along with all malice. 153 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,640 Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another 154 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:21,200 as God and Christ forgave you. Best accent in the church goes 155 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,400 to Ian Hamilton. He says Christians are not only 156 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,840 defined, but what we're against. We are defined by what we are 157 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:30,240 for. Ephesians teaching us what we 158 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:31,840 were for. And there's a long list of the 159 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:32,919 church. The world looks at the church 160 00:08:32,919 --> 00:08:35,600 and they categorize, categorize us by what we're against. 161 00:08:35,799 --> 00:08:37,960 We say we're not defined by what we don't do. 162 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,600 But we are against premarital sex and cohabitation and 163 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:46,480 homosexual lifestyles and adultery and pornography and 164 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,640 egalitarianism and autonomous self definition and divorce. 165 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,720 And we are against recreational drug use and alcoholism and 166 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,760 gambling and materialism and addictions of every kind. 167 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,720 And we are against racism and partiality and slavery. 168 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:05,720 But we have to manage what we've put off and what we're against 169 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:08,200 with what we were for. Because if you look at Jesus 170 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,600 Christ and you think if he just took away our sin without adding 171 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,840 the extra imputation of giving us his righteousness, then we're 172 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,600 still lost. It's not just that he took away 173 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,920 our sin, it's that he's added to us his own righteousness. 174 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:22,880 And the same is true. We're not defined by all of the 175 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,600 things that we put away, but we're defined by the 176 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,400 righteousness that we put on. We're being renewed. 177 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:32,720 And so God doesn't tell us just to take the weeds out of our 178 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,360 garden, but he says, you plant beautiful flowers in their 179 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:37,840 place. And this is the Christian life, 180 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,600 a continual pulling up the weeds even as you plant the flowers. 181 00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:44,960 And so we're defined in this passage by what we're for. 182 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:47,600 We are for, as Christians, truth. 183 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,200 We are for purity of mind and body and speech. 184 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:55,960 We are for diligent labour and a strong work ethic and 185 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,120 generosity. We are for edifying talk that 186 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,560 builds one another up. We're for tender hearts. 187 00:10:01,560 --> 00:10:04,840 We're for kindness and we're for forgiveness. 188 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:09,040 And every commandment or exhortation that Paul gives in 189 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,240 these 8 verses surround the same theme. 190 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:17,280 These are about social virtues, social virtues that exist in and 191 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:21,120 for healthy churches. And these are moral excellence 192 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:24,280 of characters as it's patience and humility and kindness and 193 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:26,920 honesty and faithfulness and courage and gentleness and 194 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,600 justice. Not just to have them, but that 195 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:32,960 they may be used for the good of other people. 196 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:36,680 And this is the lifestyle of a new person. 197 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:39,840 It's all aimed at establishing and preserving the unity and 198 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,320 witness of local churches the world over. 199 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,120 This is the worthy walk that Paul's describing, but the 200 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:48,320 worthy walk in the social sphere, the the worthy walk with 201 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:52,720 respect to other people. And as we go through each of 202 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:57,400 these cycles of taking off and putting on these replacements, I 203 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,480 want you to see that there's a pattern that Paul establishes. 204 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,440 And it's a three fold, three-part structure. 205 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,240 And he gives, he gives a negative command and then he 206 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:12,200 gives a positive command. And then he gives a reason for 207 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,080 the positive command. And it's, it's, he's doing this, 208 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:16,960 it's designed to motivate you to do these things. 209 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:19,080 You have every reason to pursue these things. 210 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,720 And we'll say it this way. First he's going to give you a 211 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:23,920 social vice that you are to put away. 212 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:28,280 And then he's going to give you a social virtue to replace it 213 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:31,720 with, and then he's going to give you a reason for that 214 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:33,080 replacement. And we're going to follow that 215 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:38,800 pattern. 5 * 5 substitutions that you have to make #1 Truth 216 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:45,440 must replace falsehood #2 righteous anger must replace 217 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:54,040 controlling anger #3 generosity must replace stealing #4 the 218 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:57,320 language of blessing must replace the language of cursing. 219 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:02,640 And 5th and finally #5 kindness must replace animosity. 220 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:03,840 We'll go through these one by one. 221 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,360 The first replacement that has to happen in your life. 222 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:10,720 You have to replace truth, or truth must replace falsehood. 223 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:15,240 And speaking personally, this is one of my favorite verses in 224 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:19,840 Scripture because 30 years ago, Conchita Hansford taught me 225 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:21,800 Ephesians 425. This is the first verse I ever 226 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,800 memorized. And now all these years later, 227 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,320 decades later, I get to teach her this verse as her pastor. 228 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,160 And so it's a glorious thought. I had to look up this week. 229 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:33,400 You can read it with me. Look with me. 230 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,960 You gave it to me in the NIVI. Had to look it up to see even 231 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:37,960 how I had it memorized. But it says, therefore, let each 232 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:41,680 of us put off falsehood and speak truthfully to our 233 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:44,160 neighbor. For we are all members of 1 234 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:46,720 body. Yours may say we are all members 235 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:50,760 one of another. And if you memorize Ephesians 236 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:55,120 425, the best people do, then you will see you're also 237 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:59,480 memorizing Zechariah 816. It's it's quoting from the 238 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:01,480 prophet Zechariah. And it's significant when you 239 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:04,160 look back to that context, because this isn't in this 240 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:05,840 ancient context. We've already read it together 241 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:09,360 this morning as a church. It's a promise that God is going 242 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,200 to restore his people. He says, I've brought judgement 243 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:13,520 on you. I've removed your play. 244 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,240 I've removed your old age. I've brought punishment and 245 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:21,200 chastisement and refinement. But he says after this difficult 246 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,840 season where he was going to punish them, he prophesized of a 247 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,080 future day where he will bring blessing. 248 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,880 It came in verse 11. He said, But now I will not deal 249 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,440 with the remnant of this people as in the former days declares 250 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:34,760 the Lord of hosts. For there shall be a sowing of 251 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,160 peace. The vine shall give its fruit, 252 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:39,280 and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall 253 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:41,640 give their due. And I will cause the remnant of 254 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,680 this people to possess all things, And as you've been a 255 00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:47,640 byword of cursing among the nations, O House of Judah and 256 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:50,960 House of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a 257 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:52,760 blessing. And then he gives some 258 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,080 exhortations, and he says, And on that day this is how you are 259 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,360 to live. This is how you are to deal 260 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,400 socially with one another. He says, this is what Paul 261 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,880 quotes from in Ephesians 425. Speak the truth in love. 262 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:09,120 Zechariah says render true judgments, do not devise evil in 263 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,840 your hearts, and do not love false oaths. 264 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,840 And so apparently the the beauty of this passage is that Paul 265 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:20,160 sees the Ephesian church that he's preaching to, that he's 266 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,800 writing to as this new community that Zechariah was prophesying. 267 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:27,040 And even by extension, it would be us. 268 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:32,440 We are the redeemed new creation the God is forming, and we along 269 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,680 with them are fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah. 270 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:38,560 And he continues the promise that many peoples and many 271 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:40,800 strong nations are going to seek the Lord of hosts and entreat 272 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,240 the favour of the Lord. And they will say, let us go 273 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,080 with you, we pray they will say of our church, let us go with 274 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:48,360 you, because we see that God is with you. 275 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,240 And how do they see? And how do they know that the 276 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,520 Lord is with us? They see our virtue, they see 277 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:58,200 our love for one another, they see our speaking the truth and 278 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,040 love, they see our building one another up. 279 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:02,320 And that's what Paul is getting at. 280 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:06,160 Even in in Zechariah back in verse 3 of chapter 8, he said 281 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,960 that the new Jerusalem is going to be called by a different name 282 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:11,640 in the future. He says Jerusalem is going to be 283 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:16,440 called the city of truth. And so we see that this taking 284 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,680 off of falsehood and putting on, of truth is an eternal taking 285 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:24,520 off, an eternal putting on eternally putting off falsehood, 286 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:26,600 eternally putting on truthfulness. 287 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,680 And, and it's because honesty is essential for the flourishing of 288 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,680 any community. You have to have a church that 289 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:35,480 speaks the truth to one another. There has to be a freedom to 290 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:36,880 come to church. And if you're coming to church 291 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,000 with a smile on your face while your life is in shambles, 292 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:42,360 there's a disconnect. You're not being truthful. 293 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,480 You can't try and engage a church community with a, a fake 294 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,920 hope and a fake smile. And there has to be an honesty 295 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,080 between the congregation and their pastors. 296 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,880 You have to speak truthfully to us and the information has to 297 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:58,600 flow from us truthfully and honestly to you and has to free 298 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,600 flow from the whole congregation, from the deacons 299 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,920 to the elders to the church. And there has to be perfect 300 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:08,400 communication, perfect honesty. Because without this there is no 301 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,440 trust and there is no health. You cannot have a healthy church 302 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,720 without honesty. And as is typical in this in 303 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:18,720 this section he gives the reason why do we make this replacement? 304 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:22,280 He says because we are all members of 1 body, we are all 305 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,640 members one of another. And you see that deception 306 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:27,640 doesn't just harm the individual, we think it does. 307 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,640 A simple lie or a simple piece of gossip that comes into the 308 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:33,080 congregation will soon leaven the whole lump. 309 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:35,720 Deception flows through the congregation. 310 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,560 There's a famous expository preacher from the early church, 311 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:42,960 John Chrysostom. He wisely asked, rhetorically 312 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:46,840 asks if the eye sees a serpent, does it lie to the foot? 313 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:51,600 If the nose smells a deadly drug, does it lie to the mouth? 314 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,160 If the tongue tastes something bitter, does it lie to the 315 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,840 stomach? Neither does 1 member of a local 316 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:03,160 church seek to deceive another because we are all members of 1 317 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,119 body. And as we move through all of 318 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,480 these replacements, I want you to see it feels almost 319 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:13,240 proverbial as you go through it. It feels like this skill in 320 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:14,359 living. There's this wisdom. 321 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,680 And so I want to couple the wisdom of Solomon and the 322 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,839 Proverbs with the wisdom of Ephesians as we go through to 323 00:17:19,839 --> 00:17:23,480 inform us as well. Solomon says in Proverbs 12/19 324 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:28,520 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is only for a 325 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:31,520 moment. Proverbs 12/22 Lying lips are an 326 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:34,840 abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his 327 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:38,560 delight. Proverbs 1612 to 13 It is an 328 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:42,480 abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by 329 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,080 righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight 330 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:48,880 of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. 331 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:51,440 You can search your own heart and your own relationships and 332 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:55,400 say, what relationship do I need to to confess the truth in? 333 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,720 What's a relationship that I've not been honest and I need to 334 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:02,400 replace lying and deceitfulness with honesty. 335 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,160 Paul says each of you must put off falsehood and speak 336 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:10,000 truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of 1 body. 337 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:15,680 Second command, second cycle. Righteous anger must replace 338 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,600 controlling anger. Read with me in verses 26 to 27. 339 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,920 Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on 340 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:28,320 your anger and give no opportunity to the devil. 341 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:33,360 Psalm 26 quotes again. If we look at Psalm 25, it was a 342 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:36,040 quotation of Zechariah 816. You go to Psalm 26. 343 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:37,920 It's not quoting the prophets, but the Psalms. 344 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:42,200 This is a quotation of Psalm 4 which says be angry and do not 345 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,080 sin. Ponder in your own hearts and on 346 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,600 your beds and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and put 347 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,720 your trust in the Lord. Peter Craigie is a famous Psalm 348 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,880 commentator and he says this. The psalmist advises his 349 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,320 adversaries to keep their rage within themselves and to 350 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:02,120 maintain control of their actions and of their evil words. 351 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:04,720 Because you have to be able to control your body. 352 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,840 You have to be able to control your emotions and the point is 353 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:13,440 not to not be angry. The the point is to replace the 354 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,880 anger that controls you with a righteous anger that you are in 355 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,800 control of. That's the that's the ask. 356 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:23,560 He's saying avoid sin in situations where your anger is 357 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:27,080 present because as Christians, we can't not be angry. 358 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,920 If we love God, then by nature we hate evil. 359 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:33,200 And if we love justice, then we hate injustice. 360 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,560 And so we we're angry at these things be saying in your anger, 361 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,760 do not sin. Paul says steward your anger and 362 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,160 shepherd it as one who is in control of it. 363 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:46,600 Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ who 364 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:50,280 fashioned a whip in the temple and cleaned it out probably 365 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:53,720 twice. And the same Christ got angry 366 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:56,600 with the Pharisees and their hypocrisy and he, he records, 367 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,000 Matthew records 7 woes that he pronounces on them. 368 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,800 The point is not to be angry. The point is to to be in 369 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,440 control. And that makes anger different 370 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:07,960 from the other vices on the list, because it's the only one. 371 00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:14,280 That is not inherently wicked, and as you move into verse 27 372 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:18,560 from 26 you you move into an extremely short verse. 6 words 373 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:24,240 in my ESV 5 in the original give no opportunity for the devil. 374 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,560 What Paul's saying is that if you have prolonged anger in your 375 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:33,680 heart, Satan will use it. This is opportunity for the 376 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:35,680 devil. He will gain a foothold in your 377 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:37,720 life. You know this, you've seen it, 378 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:40,520 you've lived this. Satan will ruin the life of a 379 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:45,480 perpetually angry person. Paraphrases Do well with these 380 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,360 two verses. 1 commentator offers this translation. 381 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,800 Be angry if you must, but stop sinning by continuing your empty 382 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:57,920 false speech or the message here says, go ahead and be angry. 383 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,440 You do well to be angry, but don't use your anger as fuel for 384 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,360 revenge. Don't go to bed angry. 385 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:06,640 Don't give the devil that kind of foothold in your life. 386 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:12,640 And he brings in strategically, you'll see why he brings in the 387 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:16,920 principal power of darkness. It's it's the devil, the 388 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:19,560 slanderer. He brings up Satan in this 389 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:23,040 context. And the, the word devil here 390 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,320 means literally one who engages in slander. 391 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:29,160 And you can think back just to the to the last command. 392 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:30,920 We were to speak truthfully to our neighbor for we're all 393 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:34,360 members of 1 body. We were to image Christ who is 394 00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:38,200 the truth, not the slanderer who speaks lies. 395 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,640 I think that's why he calls him the devil here literally. 396 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:43,640 And he adds the, the article, the in from it in front of it. 397 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:47,160 It is the devil. It's the slanderer, the one who 398 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:50,240 speaks lies. It's the evil one himself. 399 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:54,360 And Jesus taught us that the devil in John 844 has nothing to 400 00:21:54,360 --> 00:21:56,800 do with the truth because there is no truth in him. 401 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,480 He lies because he is the father of lies. 402 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,080 And so there is no room in the truth for error. 403 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:05,800 But there's a lot of room for error that got that backwards. 404 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,120 There's no room for error in the truth. 405 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:13,120 But as Satan likes to to convince us that there is much 406 00:22:13,120 --> 00:22:18,200 room for truth and error, and he comes as a, as a looking like a 407 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:22,720 disciple or an Angel of light. And so remember that he's just 408 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:26,360 called us to truthfulness and to walk into the light and to image 409 00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:27,920 Jesus. And you have to choose today 410 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,800 whom you are going to serve. Are you going to allow the 411 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:33,720 bitterness and the anger to dwell in you and be a son of 412 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:37,280 your father the devil? Or are you going to choose to 413 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:40,920 image the Lord of glory to control your anger and be used 414 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:44,160 as a force for good and a unifying presence in your 415 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,440 community? Again, the Proverbs instruct us 416 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:50,560 with skill and living. Proverbs 1429 Whoever is slow to 417 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,520 anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper 418 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:58,640 exalts folly. Proverbs 1518 A hot tempered man 419 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:02,200 stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. 420 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:05,640 In Proverbs 1911 good sense makes 1. 421 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:10,760 Slow to anger and it is His glory to overlook an offence. 422 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:13,320 So we're going to continue this. Paul's going to pick up on the 423 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:15,880 theme of anger again. But first he moves to 1/3 424 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,360 substitution. He moves and continues in verse 425 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:22,040 28 and he says generosity must replace stealing. 426 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:27,120 Read verse 28 with me. Let the thief no longer steal, 427 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:31,360 but rather let him labour doing honest work with his own hands 428 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:35,120 so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 429 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:39,360 The devil lies and deceives Christians. 430 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,000 Our heads hit the pillow at night knowing that we are 431 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:46,880 morally pure. I used to watch my grandpa 432 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:49,320 Ellen. He would every time he'd lay 433 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:51,320 down on the couch or lay down in bed, he would immediately fall 434 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:53,960 asleep. It was insane how fast this man 435 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:55,760 could fall asleep. And so one day I asked him, 436 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,400 Ellen, how do you go to sleep so fast? 437 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,160 And his words were Sun. I have a clear conscience. 438 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,400 So it's amazing the blessings that God brings when you're not 439 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,040 lying, when you're not bitter, when you're not angry, when 440 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,280 you're not deceiving, you can fall asleep. 441 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:15,760 It's a blessing. Your conscience is clear. 442 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,640 And stealing here is, you've probably heard it before. 443 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:24,400 Stealing is the word klepto. And it's not a robbery. 444 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,520 It's not just overt, you know, stealing from people. 445 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:28,760 It's, it's more private than that. 446 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,520 It's sneakier than that. This is this is secret stealing. 447 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,480 And we see it in our own. Context in a a number of ways. 448 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,600 We see labourers stealing from their employers. 449 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,160 We see employers stealing from their employees. 450 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:50,760 We see people stealing time. Probably most commonly we see 451 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:52,960 employers cheating their customers for profit. 452 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,600 The new year is coming, which means it's time for W twos and 453 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:59,560 1090 nines and K ones. It's going to be your annual 454 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:03,560 test of am I going to be honest with my government or am I going 455 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:09,400 to skirt the truth? And so I used to be involved 456 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:14,560 when I think of not stealing. I, I, I remember of, I used to 457 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:16,920 do non-emergency medical transportation and drive this 458 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,920 wheelchair van and had a route on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 459 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:21,640 that started at 4:45 in the morning. 460 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:23,720 Praise God, those days are behind. 461 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,160 And there was a lady that I always, I would always pick up 462 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:29,760 first in the morning and I would always be picking her up as her 463 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,760 son would be coming in from a night's work. 464 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:37,000 He was a professional thief. And I remember getting to 465 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:41,480 overhear the conversations of this dad to his own son of, of 466 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,200 him just saying, how, how much longer, how much longer are you 467 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,840 going to live like this? How, how much longer you could 468 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:52,360 see that the shame that the, that the mom and the dad felt 469 00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:54,880 for their own son. It's it's a shameful way to 470 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,600 live. He would burglarize his. 471 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:02,760 Homes and come in in the wee hours of the morning Paul and is 472 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:04,120 the opposite. He didn't even want to take a 473 00:26:04,120 --> 00:26:07,560 salary from the church because he was so afraid that he they 474 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:11,000 would think that Christianity is trying to take something from 475 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:12,560 the world. Paul wanted you to understand 476 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:16,800 Christianity is a religion that gives and gives and gives and 477 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,680 even Jesus Christ again seats at the right hand of God the Father 478 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:22,960 so that he might give gifts to men. 479 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:26,680 We don't even want to give the appearance of lying and of 480 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:28,280 stealing. A thief steals. 481 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,840 Satan is a thief and he's a murderer and he comes to steal, 482 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:35,120 kill and destroy. But Christians, the Bible says 483 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:39,320 we are to lend without interest, lest there even be a hint of 484 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,200 immorality in US. And we are to give in generosity 485 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:44,840 and we are to give with cheerful hearts. 486 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:48,960 And that's why stealing is a huge issue, because you're 487 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,480 approaching the very religion and the very God that you're 488 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:53,240 professing. It's a, it's a violation of the 489 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,240 8th commandment. Do not steal. 2 words in the 490 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:58,120 original posted. No stealing. 491 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:02,040 Don't do it. And so Paul? 492 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,680 Adds a positive aspect to this. Our goal is not simply to take, 493 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:08,880 to not take other people's things, but following after our 494 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:12,480 Lord. We are to give, to go and give. 495 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:16,360 He says put on generosity and then he gives the reason. 496 00:27:17,120 --> 00:27:19,720 He says go and work with your hands that you might share and 497 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,160 participate in new Kingdom life. Satan is going to to steal and 498 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:25,760 kill and to take, but you are going to give. 499 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:28,960 We share the fruit of our. Diligent labour. 500 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:30,480 We go and we have the what? What? 501 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:32,840 We preach all the time as a Protestant work ethic, we work 502 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:34,240 harder than everyone else in the world. 503 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,400 I love this church. You work harder than any church 504 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:38,880 I've ever seen, and you work hard so that you can fill 505 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,960 yourself with resources, so that you can give them to somebody 506 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:44,880 that did not labour for them. That's the call of the 507 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,000 Christian. We share the fruit of our labour 508 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,960 for those who did not labour. Proverbs 10 For a slack hand 509 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:55,440 causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 1125 510 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,320 Whoever brings blessings will be enriched, and one who waters 511 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:00,760 himself will be watered. I wonder if that was in Isaiah's 512 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:02,800 mind. As he says, as you pour yourself 513 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,720 out for the vulnerable, Isaiah 58 he says You will be yourself 514 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:11,400 become a watered garden, a refreshment to other people, and 515 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,920 yourself refreshed by God. Proverbs 2125 The desire of the 516 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:19,000 sluggard kills him, for his hands refused to labour all day 517 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:20,880 long. He craves and craves, but the 518 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,240 righteous gives and does not hold back. 519 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,800 John Stott says powerfully. Only Christ can turn burglars 520 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,840 into benefactors for substitution. 521 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:36,440 Language of blessing must replace the language of cursing, 522 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:41,000 read verse 29. Let no corrupting talk. 523 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,640 Come out of your mouths, but only such is as good for 524 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,960 building up as fits the occasion that it may give grace to those 525 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,960 who hear. Let no corrupting talk. 526 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:52,840 The word corrupting is a colorful word. 527 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:56,120 It's a rare word in the ancient world or even in scripture. 528 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,720 The basic meaning is putrid or rotten. 529 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,760 If you look at its usage, it means or describes rotted wood, 530 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:09,240 diseased lungs, rancid fish, withered flowers, and rotten 531 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,040 fruit. So Clinton Arnold says what Paul 532 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:16,840 is doing with this image is he's creating a gag reflex in you for 533 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,720 the things that you should not say, to say these words that you 534 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:21,360 ought not to speak. He's he's saying they're, 535 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,080 they're meant to be repulsive. It's it's meant to gag you. 536 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:26,680 And the opposite of that is the word good. 537 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,720 It's the antonym to filthy. He says we are to speak 538 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:34,920 encouraging and helpful words. It's beautiful metaphors in 539 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,640 Colossians 46, beautiful language where he says let your 540 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:41,480 conversation always be full of grace and seasoned with salt. 541 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:46,360 He says let it be a ministry one to another. 542 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:50,400 So every word that comes out of your mouth, God says you have to 543 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,120 give an account for every careless word that you speak. 544 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,440 But he says that every word that comes out of your mouth is to be 545 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,880 wholesome, is to be marshalled for the purpose of of building 546 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,120 up believers. We lack enough in the church. 547 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:05,120 And Paul says it's your very words that can build up what is 548 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,680 lacking in other people and some of that need and the reason that 549 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,960 he gives that we replace foul language with the blessing 550 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:16,680 blessed language is is given. We're not just trying to not 551 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:18,480 harm other people. Again, the the point is not just 552 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,640 to not be angry and not lie and not steal and not harm, but he 553 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:26,440 says your speech is for grace. Your speech is. 554 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,640 Going to be used to manifest God's grace to other people in 555 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,160 the world. Your words are instruments. 556 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:35,800 And you can see the the. Power of a negative word is one 557 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:38,320 word of gossip comes into the church, it spreads and it 558 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,840 leavens the whole lump. And what you need to understand 559 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:44,000 as a Christian is it's the same with with powerful edifying 560 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,880 words. One word spoken in season can 561 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,200 equally and likewise build up a church and build up a community. 562 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:53,840 That's why Toby Mac says speak life. 563 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:56,600 We can turn to heart with the words we say. 564 00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,200 Mountains crumble with every syllable and hope can live or 565 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:01,480 die. The application is so speak 566 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:03,800 life. Proverbs 12/18. 567 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:07,360 There's one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the 568 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,080 tongue of the wise brings healing. 569 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:12,600 Proverbs 154A. Gentle tongue is a tree of life, 570 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:15,800 but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 571 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,040 Proverbs 1624. Gracious words are like the 572 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:23,200 honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. 573 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:28,560 Finally, the 5th commandment brings up anger again. 5th 574 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:31,400 replacement taking off and putting on. 575 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:34,240 He says kindness must replace animosity. 576 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,960 Read these final words with me starting in verse 30. 577 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,760 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God that was we 578 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:44,680 studied that at length in Isaiah 6363. 579 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:48,320 You can go back and and listen to those words again. 580 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:50,880 He says, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 581 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:54,280 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be 582 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,720 put away from you along with all malice. 583 00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:01,360 Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another 584 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:06,960 as God in Christ forgave you. And you're going to see in this 585 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,600 even this small section within a section of a progression that 586 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,240 starts in the the disposition of your heart where he says your 587 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:17,160 anger and your bitter and it moves to turns up the heat and 588 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:19,920 he says now there's anger and wrath that is within you and it 589 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,120 moves to clamour. What, what's internal comes 590 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:26,160 external, and then it moves to to words that are harmful 591 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,160 against your brothers and your sisters. 592 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:30,680 And the vice begins here with bitterness. 593 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:32,560 There's bitterness in your heart. 594 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:35,200 The word is picria, a state of being bitter. 595 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:37,360 It has to do with the feelings and the mood. 596 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:42,360 You're in a bad mood. You're in a bitter mood, and as 597 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:45,640 you dwell here and you allow the sun to go down on your anger, 598 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:48,840 here then comes the power of this Greek construction that 599 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:50,880 we've already seen. There's the word pass or all, 600 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,640 and he adds A substantive after it, which means all sorts of or 601 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:57,560 every form of, every kind of anger, every kind of clamour, 602 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:00,000 every kind of wrath, every kind of bitterness. 603 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:03,520 Put it away. There's no room for this in the 604 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:06,200 Christian life and there's no room for it in your heart 605 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,520 because from it come. Here's 2 words that get used all 606 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,240 the time together in the ancient world, in an ancient literature, 607 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:15,680 they mean the same thing. Anger and wrath. 608 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:20,480 Wrath being a state of intense displeasure and anger, strong 609 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:23,480 displeasure. And as you allow this to, to 610 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,040 dwell in your heart, next comes clamor. 611 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:28,760 Because out of the abundance of the heart, what happens? 612 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:32,280 The mouth speaks. When you open your mouth, the 613 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:34,360 only thing that comes out is what's already inside of you, 614 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:36,720 and if you have anger and bitterness in your heart, your 615 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:39,000 mouth will open and out will come clamour. 616 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:41,840 It means angry and abusive speech. 617 00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:45,120 It means crying aloud and screaming and shouting. 618 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:49,680 And Paul says there's no place. For this among God's people, 619 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:51,280 there's no place for this in your marriages. 620 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:54,240 There's certainly no place for that in the local church. 621 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:56,960 And you can see Jesus is the king of Salem. 622 00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:58,760 That's his title. It means the king of peace. 623 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:01,240 We just came out of the Christmas season reading Isaiah. 624 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:05,840 He's the Prince of Peace and the vice list ends with the word 625 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:08,840 literally. The word blasphemia means 626 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,159 slanderer. Remember what Devil means. 627 00:34:12,159 --> 00:34:16,480 He is the slanderer. We do not follow after Satan. 628 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:20,040 He is not our father. No defamation and abuse of 629 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:22,159 speech. That's what blasphemia means. 630 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:26,679 And so harsh words can. Inflict incredible damage and. 631 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:29,880 According to God's word. Without without ever being 632 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:36,360 touched physically by another person, all of this, all of this 633 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:40,280 feelings can can come. You can produce in another 634 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:42,639 person with your words, a broken spirit. 635 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:47,440 Job 17 one Psalm 51. You can create in another person 636 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:52,800 a crushed spirit, a sad heart for Samuel 1/8 Pain of heart 637 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:58,520 Isaiah 65 a broken heart or anguish of heart 2nd Corinthians 638 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:00,560 2 four. You can do this with abusive 639 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:03,320 speech without ever laying hands on somebody else. 640 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,200 And there are those who will tell you who have been 641 00:35:06,720 --> 00:35:09,920 emotionally and verbally abused. I would rather have experienced 642 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:14,680 physical punches than this. So we put this out of your. 643 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:17,560 Homes, you keep this out of your church, your pet, in your life 644 00:35:17,720 --> 00:35:21,280 after Jesus Christ, who was gentle and lowly in heart. 645 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:25,240 Who was long? Suffering the words macrothumia, 646 00:35:25,240 --> 00:35:29,080 it literally means long tempered, slow to anger and 647 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:32,520 abounding in steadfast love. And you can think back, go back 648 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:37,480 to Ephesians 211 and remember where you were and remember what 649 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,800 Christ has done for you, the grace, the the adoption, the 650 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:42,480 inheritance, that you're an heir. 651 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,120 And consider how he's dealt with you. 652 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:47,360 And then ask this question, why are you angry? 653 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:53,280 Why are you so angry? Why do you steal when God has 654 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:55,400 given you everything and abundantly more than all you can 655 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,360 ask or imagine, He says, consider the Sparrow and 656 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:01,520 consider all of these things. You, you have need of nothing. 657 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:03,240 He will provide every need for you. 658 00:36:03,240 --> 00:36:04,840 Why do you steal? Why do you lie? 659 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:07,800 When you serve the God of. Truth. 660 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,800 Who deals honestly with you? Put off these things. 661 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:15,360 And then Paul adds here we don't just take it off, he says and 662 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,240 put off. Put on kindness. 663 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:22,520 Verse 32, Be kind to one another, be tender hearted. 664 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:27,360 Forgive one another as Christ forgave you or as God and Christ 665 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:29,800 forgave you. Deal with other people the way 666 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:32,480 that Christ has dealt with you. He dealt with you graciously, 667 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:36,440 forgiving when others fail because Christ has forgiven you 668 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:41,240 when you failed. And I want to read this parable 669 00:36:41,240 --> 00:36:43,040 to you and let this parable wash over you. 670 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:48,120 This was Jesus in Matthew 1821 to 35, the parable that he 671 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:52,440 wrote, the unforgiving servant. Jesus said therefore the 672 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:53,840 Kingdom. Of heaven may be compared to a 673 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:56,280 king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 674 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:59,080 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him 675 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:02,160 10,000 talents, and since he could not pay, his master 676 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:04,960 ordered him to be sold with his wife and children and all that 677 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:06,880 he had, and for payment to be made. 678 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:10,200 So the servant fell on his knees imploring him, Have patience 679 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:12,480 with me, and I will pay you everything. 680 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,480 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released 681 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:19,040 him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went 682 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:22,200 out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 683 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,600 denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, Pay 684 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:28,720 what you owe. So his fellow servant fell down 685 00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:31,360 and pleaded with him, Have patience with me and I will pay 686 00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:33,400 you. He refused and went and put him 687 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:35,600 into prison until he should pay the debt. 688 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:38,320 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were 689 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:41,240 greatly distressed, and they went and reported their master 690 00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:44,160 all that had taken place. And his master summoned him and 691 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:47,880 said to him, You wicked servant, I forgave you all the debt 692 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:50,520 because you pleaded with me. And should not, should you not 693 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:54,000 have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you? 694 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:57,680 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers 695 00:37:57,680 --> 00:37:59,320 until he should pay all his debt. 696 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:03,440 So also, my Heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do 697 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:05,680 not forgive your brother from your heart. 698 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,440 So ask of. Your own soul. 699 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:13,320 What atmosphere enters with you when you enter into a room? 700 00:38:15,240 --> 00:38:18,240 Are those around you? Are they cursed because of your 701 00:38:18,240 --> 00:38:21,760 presence, or are they in dread, blessed because of your 702 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:24,240 presence? Do they dread your presence, or 703 00:38:24,240 --> 00:38:27,880 are they glad that you're there? Are they guarded? 704 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:29,600 When you walk in or are they hopeful? 705 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:32,000 Are they defensive or do they come alive? 706 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:36,520 Because here are the social. Virtues that are meant to, we 707 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:38,720 are meant to embody. These are the social virtues 708 00:38:38,720 --> 00:38:40,840 that build and guard the integrity of this fellowship, He 709 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:44,120 says truth must replace falsehood, righteous anger must 710 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:47,360 replace controlling anger, generosity must replace 711 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:49,760 stealing, the language of blessing must replace the 712 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:53,160 language of cursing, and kindness must replace animosity. 713 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,600 And then here, all of the results that Paul has brought up 714 00:38:55,600 --> 00:38:57,920 to this point, he says, And if you do that, you will be 715 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:02,080 unified. We'll be 1 member of 1 body, one 716 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,200 with another. And through our work ethic and 717 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:06,520 through our productivity, we will all have something to share 718 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,520 with those in need. And we build one another up and 719 00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:11,120 we give grace to all who hear us. 720 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:14,480 We are full of the Holy Spirit and the church is blessed. 721 00:39:15,640 --> 00:39:18,080 And this is not a sermon that says go and do better. 722 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:21,960 This is a sermon that says that where I want to say to you, you 723 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:25,000 are living these things. The Holy Spirit is here and he 724 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:26,880 is, he's working these things in our congregation. 725 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:29,600 I, I see you and I see you building one another up. 726 00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:33,800 And I see the Spirit moving because our work ethic is like 727 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:36,120 nothing I've ever seen. I've never seen people who work 728 00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:39,480 as hard as Heritage Church. And I'm, I'm grateful to be a 729 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:42,760 part of it. And we have fought to preserve 730 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:45,680 the unity that the Holy Spirit has brought here. 731 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:49,640 And with that. I want to invite the deacons to 732 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:53,160 come forward because this blood bought, Holy Spirit given and 733 00:39:53,160 --> 00:39:57,320 preserved unity is why we take the Lord's Supper every month. 734 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:00,520 And so I want to pray for us deacons. 735 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:03,240 If you want to prepare the elements and begin to pass those 736 00:40:03,240 --> 00:40:06,640 out, I want to pray for you. And you remember this unity that 737 00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:08,760 we have and remember these replacements. 738 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:12,400 If there's any point that you need to to put something else 739 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:16,800 off or put something on. Replace a vice with a virtue. 740 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,440 Ask the Lord for His help to do that this morning. 741 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:22,960 Thanks for listening. To learn more about Heritage 742 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:25,960 Church or if you'd like to respond to this sermon, visit 743 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:30,360 our website at www.heritageshawnee.org.