1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:02,280 Amen. All right, we're continuing on 2 00:00:02,280 --> 00:00:07,720 in Ephesians chapter 4 this morning, Ephesians chapter 4, 3 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:11,640 we're going to be in verses 17 through 24. 4 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:16,880 I'll read that for US ever so quickly and then we will dive in 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,200 to our passage. Ephesians chapter 4 picking up 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:25,080 in verse 17, it says Now this I say and testify in the Lord, 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,200 that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do. 8 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:32,280 In the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,760 understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the 10 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,480 ignorance that is in them. Due to their hardness of heart. 11 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:44,040 They have become callous and have given themselves up to 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,880 sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 13 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,160 But that is not the way you learned Christ, assuming that 14 00:00:52,160 --> 00:00:55,240 you have heard Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is 15 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,000 in Jesus. To put off your old self which 16 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,560 belongs to your former manner of life, and is corrupt through 17 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,239 deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your 18 00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:09,640 minds, and to put on the new self created after the likeness 19 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:13,120 of God in true righteousness and holiness. 20 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:18,000 Sermon title this morning is New clothes for a new Year and we 21 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:19,640 could not have timed it any better. 22 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,600 So here we go new clothes for a new year. 23 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,200 As we dive into our our passage this morning we we need to 24 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:31,480 remember the flow of Ephesians remember Ephesians chapter 4 and 25 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,600 on to the end of the of the book is really imperatives for you 26 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,600 and for me. It's a list of things that that 27 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,600 he that Paul is telling the church to do. 28 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,880 He begins in chapter 4 verse 1. He says I therefore a prisoner 29 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:50,120 for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling 30 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,720 to which you have been called. And then he he goes on and he 31 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:58,080 talks about the body and how how you and I are part of that body. 32 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:03,160 And then he ends or our passage really takes off from verse 16. 33 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,600 He says from whom the whole body joined and held together by 34 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,120 every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is 35 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:14,520 working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up 36 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:17,040 in love. That that's the church, that 37 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,960 that is you and I as believers of Jesus Christ. 38 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:25,120 We are the church, we encompass the church, and we are to work 39 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:29,720 together for love, for the love of Christ, right? 40 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:34,440 We have love in us because He first loved us US and so we are 41 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:39,520 are able to love because again he he loves us and we unify with 42 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:43,960 that love and then he he breaks it down even further and he he 43 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:48,160 begins this passage again with the the old self as we look in 44 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:54,480 to verses 1718 and 19. This is the old self where some 45 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:58,880 of us are still at today. We're still battling with this 46 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,360 old self. Either we have not given our 47 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,280 lives to Christ and we literally are living the old self. 48 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:10,280 There is no new self in Christ. Or we have this idea that that 49 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:15,360 we can take on Christ and still hold on to our past as well. 50 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:19,120 And this has been an ongoing problem all throughout the 51 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,760 church, all throughout the, the generations, right? 52 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,920 The Judaizers, they wanted to, to say, yes, Christ is who he 53 00:03:25,920 --> 00:03:29,360 says he is, but I, I still need to obey the laws. 54 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,200 I still need to abide by the Old Testament, right? 55 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,520 We, we've had this, this issue all throughout the church. 56 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,640 We have this issue today in our churches that we say, yes, 57 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,920 Christ is enough. Christ is sufficient, but I 58 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:49,480 still love my old life or I still need to do XY and Z and, 59 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:51,560 and if you want to tune me out, hear this. 60 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:57,880 Do not add to the grace of God. His grace is sufficient for you. 61 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:02,000 That's right. We look in verse 17, he says 62 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:07,120 this, he says now this I say, and I testify in the Lord. 63 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:12,120 So so he brings this, this, this idea and he says this is of the 64 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:17,440 Lord that this I am bringing to you as truth and Lord, the Lord 65 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,320 is my witness. OK, and so he he says that you 66 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:25,120 must no longer walk as the Gentiles do. 67 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:29,240 Here's here's the word that we need to focus on is that we 68 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,240 must. This is for you and for me that 69 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:37,640 that we are no longer to walk as the Gentiles walk. 70 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,800 This word walk encompasses our daily conduct. 71 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,600 What what you and I do day-to-day, right. 72 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,920 We look at our lives over the last month and and we look at 73 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,600 those and we say, what has our daily conduct been like over the 74 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,600 last month? And that is encompasses our walk 75 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:03,840 with the Lord or our walk with the world but one way or the 76 00:05:03,840 --> 00:05:06,440 other. And he says, but we must no 77 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:11,280 longer walk as the Gentiles do. Remember Psalm 11? 78 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,600 He says this blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of 79 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:19,320 the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the 80 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:23,480 seat of scoffers. That that's a word for you and 81 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:29,640 for me, that in our day-to-day lives, we are to be looking for 82 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,840 the things of God, not the things of the world. 83 00:05:34,840 --> 00:05:37,600 So when we see this word Gentiles, as we walk through 84 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,800 this, we're talking about the lost world, the Pagan side, the 85 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,240 people that are not followers of, of Jesus Christ. 86 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:48,240 And he says we cannot walk as the Gentiles do. 87 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:52,320 We must be different. And then he's going to give us 88 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:57,200 this list, this nasty list that you and I have to have to dig 89 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,400 through because it's the word of the Lord and we cannot gloss 90 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,640 over it. So bear with me as we dive into 91 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:08,320 some nasty things that the world brings and yet you and I live it 92 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:13,880 every single day, he says. First and foremost, he says this 93 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:17,320 about Gentiles, about the lost world. 94 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:24,640 They are futile in their minds. Their minds are literally empty. 95 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,960 This, this word futile is pointless or useless. 96 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,040 Pointless or useless. Their minds are empty and void 97 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,200 of substance. The life of an unbeliever 98 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,760 consumes himself in the pursuit of goals that are purely 99 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:47,120 selfish, in the pursuit of what is temporary, and they look for 100 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:51,960 satisfaction in things that are deceptive and disappointing. 101 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:55,640 You see, that's the way of the world. 102 00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:00,160 That is the old self. That is the, the, that is what 103 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:04,280 we call the fleshy self, right? The old way, the old clothes, 104 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,280 the old man is what the King James Version says. 105 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:13,640 He says that that our minds are not like their minds. 106 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,200 Our minds are not futile. They are not empty. 107 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,680 They are full of the word of God. 108 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,880 They are full of the grace of God. 109 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:29,720 They are full of the attributes of God because again, we are 110 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,800 bought with a price. We are bought with a price. 111 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:39,560 And he says, do not be futile in your minds. 112 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:44,240 Do not use our minds for the things of this world. 113 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:49,280 Do not use our minds to pursue the things of this world, but 114 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:54,240 use our minds in pursuit of those things that are godly, 115 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:59,280 that are lovely. He goes on. 116 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:03,320 And he says this in verse 18. Again, continuing on in the list 117 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:08,000 of what the Gentiles do, he says this. 118 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:12,960 He says they are darkened in their understanding, alienated 119 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,720 from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them 120 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:24,400 due to their hardness of heart. Yeah, I'll go back to verse 16 121 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,240 very quickly. Just the first part, he says 122 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,560 From whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint 123 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,840 with with it with which it is equipped. 124 00:08:35,159 --> 00:08:39,039 And he says this in verse 18, that their hardness of heart. 125 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:43,360 And this idea of hardness is that that that calcium build up 126 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:47,040 that they get in between their joints that that are very hard, 127 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,640 that they are painful, they are nagging, they keep you from 128 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:55,360 actually moving your body. It is hard as a rock. 129 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,440 And that's what he's saying, that they have a hardness of 130 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,680 heart. Their hards, their hearts are as 131 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:06,840 hard as a rock. And we can look upon the lost 132 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:08,960 world. We can look upon our neighbors, 133 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:14,520 we can look upon those in power of the world and we can see the 134 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,600 hardness of their hearts. We can see the things that they 135 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:23,160 have done are doing that are against God. 136 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,760 And they continue this, this idea or this, this thought 137 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:30,640 process of being hardened of hearts to the point that 138 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:35,360 literally they are ignorant, ignorant to the things of God. 139 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:40,000 Of Romans chapter 1, verses 21 and 22, it says this. 140 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,160 It says for although they knew God, they did not honor him as 141 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:48,480 God or give thanks to him. But they became futile in their 142 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:52,800 thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened, claiming 143 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:57,520 to be wise. They became fools and we see 144 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:02,520 that day in and day out in the world of which we live in the 145 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:06,720 cause of the darkness. The ignorance and separation 146 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:09,880 from God is truly the hardness of heart. 147 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:14,880 Their their willful determination to remain in sin. 148 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,760 Their willful determination to remain in sin. 149 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:25,600 They like the sin. They like the way it makes them 150 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,480 feel. Remember, they live for 151 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,680 themselves. That's what the word of God 152 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,120 tells us, that they live for themselves. 153 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,200 John Phillips says this. He says the nonsense some men 154 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,600 believe shows how darkened their understanding is. 155 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:45,120 He says Christian Scientists, for instance, believe that death 156 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:49,200 is not real and that pain is an error of the mortal mind. 157 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:52,480 He says Mormons believe that they can become gods. 158 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:56,000 Hindus believe that depending on how we behave in this life, we 159 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,000 might come back as a cow, a chicken or a cockroach. 160 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:01,800 The scientific community embraces the theory of 161 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,280 evolution. The humanist thinks that man is 162 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:09,000 essentially good and quite able to cope with moral problems. 163 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,720 And you and I would say absolutely not. 164 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:19,440 Man is not inherently good. We are not inherently good, 165 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:26,880 that's right, apart from Christ, praise God, but in Christ we are 166 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:30,000 a new creation. We are a new creation. 167 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,360 So he says this, He says they are darkened in their 168 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:35,000 understanding. They do not understand the 169 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,440 things of God. They don't understand the things 170 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,680 of God because they have hardened their hearts. 171 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:45,440 They have hardened their hearts through continual sin that says 172 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:49,520 I want my sin more than I want anything else. 173 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:53,520 I I desire myself above all things. 174 00:11:53,680 --> 00:11:55,880 That is the world of which we live. 175 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:59,680 That is the selfish world that you and I are in. 176 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:03,440 And he says this, he says, Paul says to to the church in 177 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,040 Ephesus, he says you cannot be that way. 178 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:12,320 You must be different. You must be different, He says, 179 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,560 listen in 19, he says they have become callous. 180 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:21,320 This idea of of being callous is when people continue to sin and 181 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:26,840 turn away from the life of God. It's this continual rub. 182 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:31,560 Most most of us have calluses on our hands from one thing or 183 00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:34,560 another. It's this continuous rub that 184 00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:38,520 that that creates this callus upon your hands. 185 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:43,240 And this continual rub is what he's talking about, is the rub 186 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:48,640 of sin, the rub of the world, the things of the world, the 187 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:54,200 constant rub, the constant going back to their vomit, as the word 188 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,120 of God says. You see, we're called to 189 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,920 something greater. We're called to something much 190 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:06,040 more powerful than going back to our own vomit. 191 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,560 He says they reject all standards of righteousness. 192 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,160 They do not care about the consequences of their 193 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:14,080 unrighteous thoughts and actions. 194 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,640 Titus chapter one verse 15 says this. 195 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:23,360 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and 196 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:28,560 unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and their 197 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:35,440 consciences are defiled. May it not be for followers of 198 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:42,720 Christ, May it not be for those that proclaim Christ, He says. 199 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,440 They have become callous in verse 19. 200 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:52,640 They have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice 201 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:57,560 every kind of impurity. So we, we, we, we know a little 202 00:13:57,560 --> 00:14:01,080 bit about Ephesus. We know a little bit about the 203 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:03,520 temple of, of Diane. That's there, right? 204 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:07,680 But we, we know that it's one of the seven wonders of the ancient 205 00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:11,280 world. There was lots and lots of 206 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:14,160 debauchery going on in that temple. 207 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:20,600 Lots and lots of of lust, lots and lots of prostitution and all 208 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:24,640 the things that go along with that was right there in the 209 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:28,000 middle of emphasis going on in their world. 210 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:32,240 And so as he writes this, as Paul writes this to the church 211 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:38,080 at emphasis, their minds automatically go to that place 212 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:42,160 as he begins to say that they they have given themselves up to 213 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:47,320 sensuality and greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 214 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:51,840 And every kind of impurity was was there at that temple. 215 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:56,280 And every kind of impurity unfortunately, is at our 216 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,160 fingertips now on the web, on the Internet. 217 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:05,320 And we invite that. And not only do we invite that 218 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:10,960 into our homes, we actually pay to invite that into our homes. 219 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:18,040 You see, we have this idea that that we are are we are safe from 220 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:22,040 the things of the world because we are followers of Christ, that 221 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:26,960 that the world cannot taint us because we are now a part of the 222 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:29,400 Kingdom of God. And I wish that were true, but 223 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,280 that's not what the word of God tells us. 224 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,640 That's right. That's not what the Word of God 225 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,000 tells us. The Word of God tells us that we 226 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,520 are to be separated from the world. 227 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,440 We're to be in the world, not of the world. 228 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,160 We're to be renewed in the Spirit of God. 229 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,720 So we're going to talk about here in just a minute that that 230 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:52,120 that our lives look different than the world. 231 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:58,200 That that we would not invite those things into our homes, 232 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:04,480 into our families, that again, that we would be different then 233 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:08,720 the gentiles, then the pagans, then the lost world, because 234 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,600 they have become callous and given themselves up again to 235 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,200 sensuality. And this idea of sensuality is 236 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,120 primarily talking about sexuality. 237 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,600 And all of the things of that goes along with that that we 238 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:24,600 won't get into for our young years. 239 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,200 But you guys understand what we're talking about. 240 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:32,160 You understand the debauchery of what we live in in our day and 241 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:37,320 age, the debauchery of what you and I see in the depravity of 242 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:41,800 man. He says the he says that again, 243 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,280 that that they have given themselves up to sensuality. 244 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:48,040 The world of sensuality and impurity is truly the world of 245 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:51,360 greediness. The person given over to 246 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:56,400 godlessness and immorality greedily takes whatever they can 247 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:00,600 from those around him. They evaluate life only in 248 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:05,040 material terms and use other people to their own advantage. 249 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,440 They also turn their backs on God in order to fulfill their 250 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:16,000 own evil desires. The whole point is this, that 251 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,920 they evaluate their life only in material terms. 252 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:24,079 You see, you and I are called to something far greater than that, 253 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:29,920 far greater than this exchange of materials, this exchange that 254 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:33,600 says I want what I want and I want it now, right? 255 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,120 That's why we have a microwave. Amen. 256 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:40,920 We, we, we do not want to wait very long for our Pop Tarts to 257 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:42,280 be ready. So we're going to throw it in 258 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:45,720 the microwave, right? We do not want to wait long for 259 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:48,240 our Hot Pocket, so we want to throw it in the microwave. 260 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,000 We want what we want and we want it now. 261 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,480 And that is the world of which we live in. 262 00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:59,400 If we want sensuality, if we want to to do that, we can just 263 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:03,000 go on the World Wide Web. We can go on the Internet and do 264 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,680 whatever it is that we want to do in the privacy of our own 265 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,960 home. And we think nobody is the 266 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:15,480 wiser. And that is from the devil. 267 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,800 Second Peter chapter 2, verse 3 says their greed. 268 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,600 They will exploit you with false words. 269 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:29,080 Their condemnation from long ago is not idle and their 270 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:35,000 destruction is not asleep. You see that the Bible talks 271 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:42,600 about our enemy, our enemy, that we have a real enemy who goes 272 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:48,400 around, prowls around, looking for people to devour. 273 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:55,920 He goes around like a lion waiting to attack US, us 274 00:18:56,320 --> 00:19:01,320 followers of God, that is our enemy, that is Satan, who is 275 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:06,320 alive and well ready to get us at that moment that we are the 276 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:07,160 weakest. That's right. 277 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:16,480 That's when we turn to Christ and say I am a new creation. 278 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:23,360 I am a new creation. I am no longer bound by the 279 00:19:23,360 --> 00:19:28,120 chains of this world. He says this in verse 20. 280 00:19:29,120 --> 00:19:30,880 All the bad stuff pretty much gone away. 281 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,840 Let's look at the good stuff. We'll park here for a while, but 282 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,560 that is not the way you learned Christ. 283 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,000 Let's just stop here for a moment and let's just look at 284 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:45,800 the the one word, the one word, verse 20. 285 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:52,160 But how many times do we see in Scripture where, where there is 286 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:56,120 this list of things that the world is, is out to get you in 287 00:19:56,120 --> 00:20:00,120 all the bad things of the world. And then it says, but God. 288 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:06,000 But God, you see, there is power in the blood of Jesus Christ. 289 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:08,880 He says you have learned about Christ. 290 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,400 You know about Christ, you know what he did for you upon the 291 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,920 cross. You know, the sacrifice of which 292 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:18,440 he made for you. You see, it's a free gift, but 293 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:21,520 it is not a cheap gift. That's right, it was costly. 294 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,880 It was very costly. And we take that gift, we accept 295 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:30,280 that gift and we look different than the world because no longer 296 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,880 does the world have it's chains in us. 297 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,840 We are now bound. We are now bound to Christ. 298 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:38,960 We are in the Lamb's book of life. 299 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,600 We are heaven bound, not hell bound. 300 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:48,080 We are glory bound, not Satan bound and that is the power of 301 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:53,440 the blood of Jesus Christ. But God, without God, all of 302 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:56,400 those things that we have already talked about are sealed. 303 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,280 There's nothing that you can do about it. 304 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,680 There's no, there's no hope for you, there's no love for you. 305 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:06,000 There's no way out. It's all about you and this life 306 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:14,680 that we live in, but with God, but with God we can say this 307 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:16,760 world does not have a hold on us. 308 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:22,240 This world does not have a hold on you and me. 309 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:28,560 We can and we should look different than the world. 310 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:34,280 We can and should look different than verses 1718 and 19. 311 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:40,560 He says this, he says, but that is not the way you learned 312 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,920 Christ. Again, I, I, I'm thankful that 313 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:50,880 one of our, our core values here at, at heritage is, is that that 314 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:56,320 we, we love knowledge. We love theological knowledge 315 00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:01,040 and we put that in high esteem because we want to teach who 316 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:04,360 Christ is and what Christ has done. 317 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,600 And the more knowledge we get, the deeper in love we get with 318 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,680 who he is. And the deeper in love we get 319 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:17,680 with who he is, the more we look like Christ and less like the 320 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:19,560 world. And the more we look like 321 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,880 Christ, the more people come to us. 322 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,440 And they say, how is it that that you have this peace in the 323 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:30,400 midst of this chaos, in the midst of this world? 324 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,760 Who is out to devour you? How is it that you are able to 325 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:36,000 have peace? And you say, I have peace 326 00:22:36,120 --> 00:22:40,280 because I know the God of peace. I know the Prince of Peace. 327 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:46,440 Let me introduce you to Jesus Christ who can change you from 328 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:50,280 the inside out. You see, we are called to 329 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:57,040 something far, far greater than verses 1718 and 19. 330 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:03,920 We are called to Christ. I love this passage because it 331 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,440 doesn't say that that that these are the 10 steps to a better 332 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,600 life. It doesn't say that if you abide 333 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:15,120 by these 10 rules, life will be amazing for you. 334 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,280 Even though there are lots of books out there that you can 335 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:23,760 read about 10 steps to A to A to a healthy life. 10 steps to be 336 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,400 better at work, 10 steps to learn to drive better, right? 337 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,840 Some, some of it, you all need to read that 10 steps to 338 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,280 whatever, right? He doesn't say that. 339 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:36,960 He says let me introduce you to Jesus Christ. 340 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:44,440 It is a relationship with a real live person who is alive and 341 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:49,840 well and who is wants to be in our lives. 342 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:52,520 He says it's not, it's not a ten step thing. 343 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:57,960 It's not a three-step thing. It's this is a relationship with 344 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:01,760 a real person. That's the answer. 345 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:06,440 That's the answer that that that is how you and I change from the 346 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:09,400 inside out. Again, it's not this this idea 347 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,720 or precepts or principles. It is a person that we go to and 348 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:18,280 we tell him that I need a new way of life. 349 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:22,560 I am tired of the rat race of the world and what it provides 350 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:27,800 because it provides death and destruction in this endless rat 351 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,560 race. Like, like a gerbil on the wheel 352 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:35,480 who never gets anywhere. That is the world. 353 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:37,600 That is what the world offers us. 354 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:43,240 And we say we're tired. We're tired of being that gerbil 355 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,560 on the wheel. We want to actually do something 356 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:52,720 that changes this rat race. And there's only one thing that 357 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:56,840 changes that. That is Jesus Christ, a 358 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:02,680 relationship with Jesus Christ, he says. 359 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:07,320 But but that is not the way you learned Christ. 360 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:10,920 The essence of the gospel. The essence is is literally 361 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:15,880 right here in this verse very easy to memorize. 362 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:22,080 That is not the way you learned Christ in complete contrast to 363 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:23,840 the world and what the world offers. 364 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:26,880 We read in Matthew Chapter 11 verse 29. 365 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:31,880 He says, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am 366 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:36,960 gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your 367 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:42,280 souls. That is what Jesus Christ offers 368 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:47,320 us. He offers us an exit off the on 369 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:53,880 ramp of this wheel, this gerbil wheel that gets us nowhere. 370 00:25:54,240 --> 00:26:02,840 And He says come to me, learn from me, you see, come to Him 371 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:08,280 and then learned from him. Allow Him to work in you this 372 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:13,520 process of sanctification. He says I am gentle and lowly in 373 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:16,320 heart. I don't know about you, but that 374 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:22,520 is 180° off of what the world has for you and for me. 375 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,360 The world is anything but gentle and lowly. 376 00:26:26,360 --> 00:26:30,120 That's right. Anything but gentle and lowly. 377 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:35,560 And he says you will find rest for your souls. 378 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:40,080 Some of us need to find rest in this new year. 379 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:45,720 Some of us need to to find rest as we turn the clock to a new 380 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,600 2026. How many of you guys do New 381 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,600 Year's resolutions or whatever it is you call it, so that it 382 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,800 doesn't sound so bad like a resolution, like you're resolute 383 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,680 in that Anybody got anything like, yeah, there's a cup. 384 00:26:57,840 --> 00:26:59,240 There's like 3 of you. That's great. 385 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:01,080 I'm going to talk to the other three for a minute. 386 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:07,120 The rest of y'all can listen as we turn the clock to 2026. 387 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:16,560 As we look back at 2025, we look back at verses 1718 and 19 and 388 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,160 we be real and honest with one another. 389 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:23,880 And we say far too often was I defined by the old man by verses 390 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:29,240 1718 and 19. Far too often was I defined in 391 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:33,040 that way in 2025. And as the the clock rolls to 392 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:38,280 2026, I want to do better. And how do we achieve that? 393 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:44,760 Well, the word of the Lord tells us. 394 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:47,480 He goes on in verse 21. He says this. 395 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,920 He says assuming that you have heard about him and were taught 396 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:57,160 in him as the truth is in Jesus. Alright, so I love this because 397 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:00,880 remember Paul was at Ephesus for about how many years? 398 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:04,560 But I remember 3. So he was there for about 3 399 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:06,400 years, the longest he was anywhere, right? 400 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,600 He was in Ephesus for about 3 years. 401 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:12,880 Scholars say it's somewhere between four and six years he's 402 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:17,760 been gone from Ephesus when he when he writes this book back to 403 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:21,040 the the Ephesians there remember this is a a prison epistle, 404 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:24,760 meaning he is in prison when he writes this to the Ephesians. 405 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:28,720 Again, four to six years or so he's been gone from Ephesus. 406 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:32,360 He was there for three years and he says this in in verse 21. 407 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,440 Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught him 408 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:39,120 taught in him as the truth is in Jesus. 409 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:43,000 And we know that they were taught in that, but at least 410 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,560 while Paul was there. But we also see it in Acts 411 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:50,040 chapter 20. And, and, and you know, for, 412 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,280 for, I apologize to you guys. I wasn't going to go into Acts 413 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:56,200 chapter 20, but but Aaron said I have plenty of time because we 414 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,840 didn't have a ministry minute and we didn't have a choir. 415 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:00,320 So I had like an extra 20 minutes. 416 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,600 So we're going into Acts chapter 20. 417 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:05,120 So turn with me to Acts chapter 20. 418 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,120 You can blame Aaron after all, right? 419 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:11,280 So Acts chapter 20, this is this is him. 420 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:16,000 This is this is Paul leaving Ephesus. 421 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,480 OK. And again, I, I wasn't quite 422 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:20,800 prepared to go here, so I got to find the verses here. 423 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:30,960 I know it's towards the end and we'll just pick up in verse 26. 424 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:34,240 Let's just say that. Let's just say 26, everybody in 425 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:38,800 in Acts chapter 20, verse 26, everybody there. 426 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:41,640 I love the sound of Bible's turning. 427 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,600 It's my favorite sound in all the world. 428 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:48,080 Here we go. Acts 20 verse 26. 429 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:51,240 Therefore I testify again, this is this is Paul talking. 430 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,400 He's leaving Ephesus. OK, been there three years 431 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:56,560 approximately. Therefore I testify to you this 432 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,320 day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not 433 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:02,920 shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 434 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,960 Pay careful attention to yourselves, to all the flock in 435 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:11,080 which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the 436 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:14,320 Church of God, which He obtained with His own blood. 437 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,760 He says, I know that after my departure, here we go. 438 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:22,080 After my departure, fierce wolves will come in among you, 439 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:27,040 not sparing the flock. Here's very important verse 30. 440 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:32,920 And even from among your own selves, even from among your own 441 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:36,280 selves. Again, he's only talking to the 442 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:38,960 elders at an Ephesus at this time. 443 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:42,560 Even from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted 444 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:44,880 things to draw away the disciples after them. 445 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:49,160 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not 446 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:53,120 cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. 447 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:58,320 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which 448 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:01,600 is able to build you up and do give you the inheritance among 449 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:06,480 all those who are sanctified. He says, I coveted no one's 450 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:13,200 silver or gold or apparel. He goes on, Let's just bypass a 451 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:15,360 little bit. And then he says in verse 36. 452 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,360 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed 453 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:19,760 with them all. And there was much weeping on 454 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,520 the part of it. They embraced Paul and they 455 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:26,040 kissed him. You see, Paul was there again, 456 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:32,800 pouring out his blood, pouring out his tears for the church at 457 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:36,120 Ephesus. So he he knows in verse 21, 458 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:39,880 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him 459 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:45,440 as the truth is in Jesus. This four to six year hiatus 460 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:49,200 from being there. He says, I hope that the word of 461 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:52,640 God is still being taught how it should be taught. 462 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:57,240 That tells you and me that we must always be on guard to who 463 00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:02,560 we listen to, to who we give our ear to, to, to who we allow to 464 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:09,280 speak truth into our lives. He says that assuming that you 465 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:14,040 have heard about him and were taught in Him, there's a big 466 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:19,240 difference about about knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus 467 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:25,000 and things about Jesus and having a relationship with Jesus 468 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:29,120 Christ. We cannot get those confused. 469 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:33,080 We see in verse 21. These verbs here are are past 470 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:36,800 tense. It leads us to believe that that 471 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:40,680 a time where they have given their life to Christ. 472 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:45,600 He says, assuming that you have heard about him and were taught 473 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:50,360 in him as the truth is in Jesus. John 14-6 Jesus said to him, I 474 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:53,280 am the way and the truth and the life. 475 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:56,480 No one comes to the Father except through me. 476 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:04,880 You see, the idea again is that the truth is Christ, that that 477 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:07,680 is truth. Philippians 2, five through 11. 478 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:13,640 Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, 479 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,720 who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality 480 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:20,040 with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking 481 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:23,560 the form of a servant. Being born in the likeness of 482 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:27,480 men and being found in human form, he humbled himself by 483 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:31,600 becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 484 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:35,800 And therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him 485 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:40,200 the name that is above every name, so that at the name of 486 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:43,760 Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under 487 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:47,320 the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is 488 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:50,560 Lord to the glory of God the Father. 489 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:58,080 Paulus 3 truths. We're going to see 3 truths here 490 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:01,320 that when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and 491 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:05,320 Savior, these three things are done for you. 492 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:10,360 Let me let me say that again. When you accept Jesus Christ as 493 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:14,760 your Lord and Savior, these three things that that Paul 494 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:18,080 mentions here in just a moment are done for you. 495 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:23,320 You, you don't do them. God does them for you. 496 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:26,760 You guys, you guys with me. OK, here we go, three things. 497 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:28,679 I'm going to read them for you and then we'll dissect them 498 00:34:28,679 --> 00:34:32,280 together, right. So the first in verse 22 is you 499 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:36,120 put off the old self. Verse 23, you're renewed in the 500 00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:39,960 spirit of your minds. Verse 24, you put on the new 501 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:43,239 self. Again, these things are done for 502 00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:45,400 you. This is not the the three-step 503 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:48,960 process to a better life. OK, Don't don't take that that 504 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:53,400 these things are done for you the moment that you accept Jesus 505 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:58,880 Christ as your Lord and Savior. OK, here we go verse 22 he says 506 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:03,600 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of 507 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:07,360 life and is corrupt through deceitful desires. 508 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:09,960 These are the literally the old clothes. 509 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:14,200 This is the idea of putting off stripping off old clothes and 510 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:16,280 and putting on new clothes, right? 511 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:19,480 Think of a time where you were the dirtiest you've ever been. 512 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:23,240 You had the nastiest clothes on that you have ever had and you 513 00:35:23,240 --> 00:35:27,240 could not wait to RIP them off. Take a shower and put on new 514 00:35:27,240 --> 00:35:28,400 clothes. Everybody got that moment in 515 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:31,600 your mind? Yes. 516 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:33,280 Thank you. We have one person has it. 517 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:35,280 I was giving everybody a moment. Isaac, come on now. 518 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:37,240 Not everybody's as quick as you, brother. 519 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:41,240 So the moment I can think of here, here we go very quickly. 520 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:46,240 We're in Liberia, West Africa. We are driving 3 hours on a dirt 521 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:50,240 road, 15 miles an hour so that we can avoid potholes that will 522 00:35:50,240 --> 00:35:52,400 swallow the car. We drive 3 hours. 523 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,040 We we go, we meet a ton of people. 524 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:57,040 It's dusty. It's hot, it's nasty. 525 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:02,120 We put on a revival. We, we share Jesus Christ with 526 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:05,960 an unreached area and, and we, we enjoy all of that. 527 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:11,000 And then we drive back about midnight, 3 hours, 15 miles an 528 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:14,800 hour on these dirt roads because again, it's going to swallow our 529 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,800 car if we hit a pothole. And so we're driving very 530 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:20,280 slowly. And when we get back, I am by 531 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:22,960 far the dirtiest I've ever been in my life. 532 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:26,680 I took three showers, three showers, and I normally take 533 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:30,120 like one a week. So that was really like 3-3 534 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:32,960 showers was a lot for me. And I took three showers and I 535 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:37,040 kid you not, I kid you not, the next day I was still digging out 536 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:40,920 dirt in my ears, in my nose, in my eyes. 537 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:44,480 It was disgusting. I could not wait to get back to 538 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:46,840 the hotel to RIP off those clothes. 539 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:52,160 You see, that is the idea that we have here that we cannot when 540 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:58,360 we, when we meet Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we cannot 541 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:05,040 wait to get the old self, the old man, the old clothes off and 542 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:10,000 put on the new clothes, the new self, right? 543 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:14,120 Second Corinthians 517 tells us if we are a new creation in 544 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:18,080 Christ, the old has gone away. Behold, the new has come. 545 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:21,560 You see, I want to, I want to, I want to tell you one more thing 546 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:25,160 very specifically, that there are three things again that 547 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:28,160 happen. The old self goes away, renewing 548 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:30,760 of our mind. The new self comes on. 549 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:35,680 You see that this isn't a marriage, all right? 550 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:39,480 This isn't a marriage where you bring in your stuff and I bring 551 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:45,000 in my stuff and we form this marriage that somehow works 552 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,320 sometimes and doesn't work sometimes. 553 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:53,280 That is not what this is. This is a death to the old self. 554 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:58,560 The, the never the twain shall meet is what the key King James 555 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:01,520 Version says, right? Never the twain shall meet. 556 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:06,120 The old self goes away. It is a death of the old self 557 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:11,760 and it is a life to new self. Stop trying to bring the world 558 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:15,120 with you. Stop trying to bring in all of 559 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:19,640 your baggage with you. And I often say that that, that 560 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:23,400 in our day and age, I think that the the best analogy is when 561 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:28,320 when Jesus says that there is a narrow gate, the narrow way, 562 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:31,840 it's because we cannot bring in all of our baggage through that 563 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:37,080 narrow gate. We can only take Christ, our new 564 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:39,680 self. We can't take the things of the 565 00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:42,400 world with us, and we shouldn't want to. 566 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:46,560 And we shouldn't be going back to them like a dog returns to 567 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:49,640 his vomit. We are a new creation in Christ. 568 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:54,720 The old has gone away. Behold the the new has come, he 569 00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:59,960 says in verse again. 22 put off the old self, which belongs to 570 00:38:59,960 --> 00:39:06,280 your former manner of life. Verses 1718 and 19 that no 571 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:11,640 longer is you. Those are not you any longer. 572 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:17,240 If you are followers of Jesus Christ, that no longer defines 573 00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:21,560 you. Colossians chapter 3. 574 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:23,600 You could turn there if you want. 575 00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:26,360 It's just to the right. I mean, just a couple of pages. 576 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:28,720 Colossians chapter 3. You don't have to if you don't 577 00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:30,800 want to. Colossians chapter 3, verses 5 578 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:35,560 through 9. I think it, I think it lays this 579 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:38,040 out for you and for me very plainly. 580 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:42,480 It says put to death. Therefore, what is earthly in 581 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:47,040 you? Sexual immorality, impurity, 582 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:49,480 passion. Think about these things as I 583 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:51,600 read them. Write down the one that you 584 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:53,920 struggle with. Write it down. 585 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:57,840 Here we go. Put to death the earthly things 586 00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:03,400 that are in you, sexual immorality, impurity, passion, 587 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:09,200 evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry. 588 00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:11,240 There's going to be another list here in a minute. 589 00:40:11,400 --> 00:40:15,160 If I didn't get you, I will hear on account of these. 590 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:20,000 The wrath of God is coming in these you 2 once walked. 591 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:24,160 When you were living in them, that's the old self. 592 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:28,520 That's verses 1718 and 19. That's before verse 20 that says 593 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:31,520 you have a relationship with Christ. 594 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:37,080 He says those are the old things that you once walked in them, 595 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:39,720 but now you must put them all away. 596 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:46,960 Anger, wrath, malice. Some of you guys need to start 597 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:50,720 writing on the back, right? Anger, wrath, because I know I 598 00:40:50,720 --> 00:40:54,040 do. Anger, wrath, malice, slander 599 00:40:54,680 --> 00:40:56,640 and obscene talk from your mouth. 600 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:01,680 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you put off the old 601 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:07,200 self with its practices. You see, we still struggle, 602 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:08,600 don't we? If we're going to be honest with 603 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:11,280 one another, we still struggle with the old self. 604 00:41:13,720 --> 00:41:15,720 But I think it's a, it's a mind shift. 605 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:22,880 It's a mind shift that says that that is death, that that is no 606 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:27,600 longer defining me. Stop thinking of it as a 607 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:30,520 marriage where the two should blend. 608 00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:36,200 Never the twain shall meet. That's TWAIN, by the way. 609 00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:44,560 Never the twain shall meet. It's a mind shift, verse 23, and 610 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:48,520 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds. 611 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:53,840 The Bible tells us that we're to take our thoughts captive. 612 00:41:54,840 --> 00:42:00,120 When we find ourselves going to those places of the old self, of 613 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:06,560 the fleshy self, we take those captive, but we say no, I cannot 614 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:09,640 go there anymore. That does not define me. 615 00:42:09,720 --> 00:42:13,600 That is the old self. I, I do not live under those 616 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:18,120 laws anymore. I am now living for Jesus 617 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:21,320 Christ. We take our thoughts captive 618 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:27,400 sometimes, sometimes in the darkest days. 619 00:42:28,880 --> 00:42:33,880 I know for me, I can speak for me in my my darkest days were 620 00:42:33,960 --> 00:42:38,160 with when Noah was on dialysis for two years, bar none, no 621 00:42:38,160 --> 00:42:41,440 doubt by far lowest I've ever been in my life. 622 00:42:41,720 --> 00:42:44,360 I pray I never ever, ever go there again. 623 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:48,280 There were days where I literally just said I couldn't 624 00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:51,040 even sing it. But I would say the joy of the 625 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:56,840 Lord is my strength and I began to refocus my mind. 626 00:42:57,440 --> 00:43:00,600 The joy of the Lord is my strength. 627 00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:06,680 I had no other strength. The Bible talks about even being 628 00:43:06,680 --> 00:43:09,600 weary to the point where you cannot pray for yourself and the 629 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:15,400 Spirit intercedes for us. Those were the moments, guys. 630 00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:18,160 Those are the moments. So you think about that for your 631 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:21,360 life. Some of you may be in that now, 632 00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:26,880 in those darkest days of your life, if you are a follower of 633 00:43:26,880 --> 00:43:32,520 Christ, depend on fellow believers to pray with you and 634 00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:38,000 encourage you and remind you that the joy of the Lord is your 635 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:43,440 strength and it is a mind shift. It is a mind shift. 636 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:50,960 Hold your thoughts captive. Satan always attacks the mind. 637 00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:55,720 Satan always attacks the mind. The other thing, this is not a 638 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:58,360 counselling session. Hopefully you're not taking it 639 00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:02,680 that way, but there are usual triggers in our life that moves 640 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:05,360 us back to the old self. What are those? 641 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:08,960 What are those triggers in our life that says that that tend to 642 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:13,480 remove our thoughts back to the old self and the old way of 643 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:15,800 living? Maybe you're bored, maybe you're 644 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:18,040 depressed, maybe you're in a fight. 645 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:21,400 Whatever it is, what what are your your triggers that bring 646 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:25,840 you back to the old self and try to avoid those bring people 647 00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:29,960 around you that would encourage you that you can call when those 648 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:33,000 begin to creep up. But again, ever since our first 649 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:36,240 parents ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the 650 00:44:36,240 --> 00:44:40,800 human mind has been vulnerable because it has a natural bend 651 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:46,280 toward evil thoughts. I'm just being real with you, 652 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:49,200 right? This is the world that you and I 653 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:52,480 live in. We are attracted to sin. 654 00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:58,000 It is blind to spiritual truth unless it has the Holy Spirit's 655 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:02,920 illumination. Colossians, chapter 3, verse 10. 656 00:45:03,720 --> 00:45:05,640 So back in Colossians, if you still have your finger there. 657 00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:07,360 If not, it's OK. I'm only going to read verse 10 658 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:12,040 and have put on the new self which is being renewed in the 659 00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:16,680 knowledge after the image of its creator again, we're to be 660 00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:20,160 renewing our minds in the word of God. 661 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:24,680 We're to be renewing our minds with fellow believers that 662 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:28,920 encourage us that that change our thought process. 663 00:45:29,280 --> 00:45:34,040 We're to be renewing our minds by holding our thoughts captive, 664 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:36,920 saying no, I, I, I won't go there. 665 00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:42,200 We're renewing our mind to know that this is going to cause me a 666 00:45:42,200 --> 00:45:45,520 problem. If I go to this place or if I do 667 00:45:45,640 --> 00:45:49,360 this or if I allow myself to go here or think that that will 668 00:45:49,360 --> 00:45:54,280 lead me down a dark path. I will not allow myself to do 669 00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:58,480 that to discipline. It's a discipline. 670 00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:04,440 Verse 24 again now this is the new self and to put on the new 671 00:46:04,440 --> 00:46:10,120 self created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and 672 00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:12,960 holiness. This is the the new man. 673 00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:17,000 This is the new clothes. This is the new clothes for the 674 00:46:17,200 --> 00:46:20,560 new year that you and I would look different than we did in 675 00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:24,600 2025 and 2025 may have been a fantastic year. 676 00:46:24,720 --> 00:46:28,600 It may have been the best year that you've ever had, but 2026 677 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:31,600 can be even better. Because remember, we are being 678 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:35,160 renewed in the Word of God. We're being renewed by the 679 00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:37,600 passions of God. We're being renewed by our 680 00:46:37,600 --> 00:46:41,520 relationship with God and we are growing deeper and deeper in 681 00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:46,120 love with Him and becoming more like Christ every single day. 682 00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:52,600 And so 2026 can look way better than 2025 ever did because we 683 00:46:52,760 --> 00:46:57,200 die to self even more. I'll tell you, we have six 684 00:46:57,200 --> 00:46:59,360 children. Six children. 685 00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:02,320 And I love most of them every day. 686 00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:07,960 And I remember every time we got a child I thought I couldn't. 687 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:11,400 I'm no longer selfish. There's no way they've already 688 00:47:11,400 --> 00:47:14,600 taken out all my selfishness. I'm ready for another kid. 689 00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:18,120 It's not going to be anything. And every single time they 690 00:47:18,280 --> 00:47:21,720 taught me how selfish I still was. 691 00:47:21,720 --> 00:47:25,480 And if I had 12 more kids I'm not. 692 00:47:25,520 --> 00:47:31,800 But if I did, I feel like every single time I would have more 693 00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:37,600 self to die. Because we love self, don't we? 694 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:41,400 I mean, if we're going to be honest, we love self, right? 695 00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:45,360 But let's love Jesus more. Let's love Jesus more. 696 00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:49,560 The renewed spirit of the believers mind is a result to 697 00:47:49,560 --> 00:47:55,280 putting on the new self again. This is the new creation made in 698 00:47:55,280 --> 00:48:00,440 the likeness of God. We are made in the image of God. 699 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:03,800 That is you and I. We're not made in the image of 700 00:48:03,800 --> 00:48:05,640 the world. We're not made in the image of 701 00:48:05,680 --> 00:48:08,680 Satan. We're made in the image of God 702 00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:10,840 our Creator, our sustainer. Amen. 703 00:48:10,840 --> 00:48:14,000 Hallelujah. Praise the Lord that we are made 704 00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:18,720 in His image. He has changed us from the 705 00:48:18,720 --> 00:48:22,800 inside out. He has given us righteousness 706 00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:26,240 and holiness, the things that we never had before. 707 00:48:26,360 --> 00:48:32,600 But because we cannot have those apart from Christ, we must be a 708 00:48:32,600 --> 00:48:37,760 new creation in Christ. We must take the word, this word 709 00:48:37,920 --> 00:48:40,640 as truth. We must know that there is an 710 00:48:40,840 --> 00:48:44,320 old self and there is a new self, and never the twain shall 711 00:48:44,320 --> 00:48:46,880 meet. And we must live under the new 712 00:48:46,880 --> 00:48:49,240 relationship of Jesus Christ again. 713 00:48:49,360 --> 00:48:54,320 The old has gone away become the the new has come, and we must 714 00:48:54,760 --> 00:48:57,960 obey and hold our thoughts captive. 715 00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:02,040 In Colossians chapter 3 and verse 12, Paul calls believers 716 00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:05,640 the chosen of God, holy and beloved. 717 00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:09,720 In Galatians chapter 2 verse 20, he says I have been crucified 718 00:49:09,720 --> 00:49:12,880 with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but 719 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:16,320 Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh. 720 00:49:16,320 --> 00:49:20,320 I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave 721 00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:25,280 himself for me, practically speaking, and I'm and I'm and 722 00:49:25,280 --> 00:49:28,200 I'm done. The primary means of ongoing 723 00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:32,120 transformation in our lives is the word and the Spirit. 724 00:49:33,200 --> 00:49:39,000 Let us let us no longer let us no longer hold on to the old 725 00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:42,120 self. Let us no longer focus on verses 726 00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:49,960 1718 and 19 because verse 20 says, but God, we have a 727 00:49:49,960 --> 00:49:56,120 relationship with Jesus Christ who transforms us from the 728 00:49:56,120 --> 00:50:00,120 inside out. I ask you, do you know him 729 00:50:00,560 --> 00:50:04,880 today? Do you know this Christ of whom 730 00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:09,240 we speak of today? Let me pray for us. 731 00:50:09,720 --> 00:50:13,640 And we're, we've got a few things left, but we're almost 732 00:50:13,640 --> 00:50:15,280 done. Father, we are grateful for your 733 00:50:15,280 --> 00:50:21,880 word. We're grateful for the truths 734 00:50:21,880 --> 00:50:27,880 that say that that God we are no longer bound to this world that 735 00:50:27,880 --> 00:50:33,920 we are a new creation in Christ and Father as we turn the clock 736 00:50:33,920 --> 00:50:37,680 to a new year. God, I ask that you would renew 737 00:50:37,680 --> 00:50:44,040 our minds show us father on this list, this list of in Colossians 738 00:50:44,040 --> 00:50:46,120 chapter 3. Where is it that we are still 739 00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:51,600 holding on to old self, to the old, close to the old way of 740 00:50:51,600 --> 00:50:55,360 life that we ask for your wisdom? 741 00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:59,600 We ask that you would save and call people to yourself today. 742 00:50:59,960 --> 00:51:03,640 Change them from the inside out, for we are nothing without you. 743 00:51:04,320 --> 00:51:06,440 In Christ's name we pray. Amen. 744 00:51:08,520 --> 00:51:10,720 Thanks for listening. To learn more about Heritage 745 00:51:10,720 --> 00:51:13,760 Church or if you'd like to respond to this sermon, visit 746 00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:18,080 our website at www.heritageshawnee.org.