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Ephesians pt11 - Walk This Way

Triumph Church Ireland

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  1. You're very welcome to today's Triumph Church podcast.

  2. We pray that you enjoy the message.

  3. All right, well, we're going to be going back into the book of

  4. Ephesians here. We're going to be continuing

  5. that series. We're in Ephesians chapter 4

    Ephesians 4 chapter mention

  6. this week. There is so much in there.

  7. It is an. Amazing, amazing book.

  8. And the first 3 chapters are really the apostle Paul is.

  9. Building things. Brick on brick telling us.

  10. Who God is, who we are. In God.

  11. How he views us, What we. Have in Christ.

  12. Because of what he has. Done.

  13. He's building things, but now he's moving in a little bit of a

  14. different direction. He's moving from from doctrine

  15. and. Now he's going into.

  16. Lifestyle in chapter 4 we're going to begin this morning in

  17. in verse one Ephesians chapter 4 in verse one that says therefore

    Ephesians 4 chapter mention

  18. IA prisoner for serving the Lord beg.

  19. You to lead a. Life worthy of your calling, for

  20. you have been called by God. The word therefore is.

  21. Paul pointing back to everything that he's been.

  22. Talking about in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, as if

  23. to say in light of all of that. Here's how you should live

  24. we're. Going to be looking at three

  25. things this morning that the Apostle Paul urges us into.

  26. The first one is going to be walking worthy.

  27. The second thing is growing up and the third thing is putting

  28. on Christ. So the first thing we're going

  29. to talk about is walking worthy. We're going to reread Ephesians

    Ephesians 4 chapter mention

  30. chapter 4 verse one. We're also going to add in verse

  31. 2, but we're going to read this from the amplified that says so

  32. I the prisoner of the Lord. Appeal to you to.

  33. Live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been

  34. called, that is to live a life. That exhibits godly character.

  35. Moral courage, personal integrity, and.

  36. Mature behavior. A life that expresses.

  37. Gratitude to God. For your salvation and in verse

  38. 2, with all humility, forsaking self righteousness and

  39. gentleness, maintaining self-control with patience,

  40. bearing with one another in unselfish love.

  41. Wow, there's a lot to that, isn't there?

  42. Paul begins this by. Appealing to each of us to live

  43. a. Life that is worthy of that

  44. great. Calling.

  45. We've all been called into God. 'S family.

  46. On some cultures, everything you do represents that family.

  47. You can. Honor that family by your

  48. actions by. What you do by what you say

  49. right? Or you can bring.

  50. Dishonor. To.

  51. That family, right, We don't talk a lot about honor and and

  52. dishonor a lot in society anymore, but honor is very

  53. important. Honor is very important to God.

  54. And so the apostle Paul is is appealing to us to lead.

  55. A life that is worthy. Of that great call being called

  56. to God's family, being a member of God's family through Jesus,

  57. but also worthy to a greater purpose in his Kingdom.

  58. Now before you start putting pressure on yourself and start

  59. freaking out about this, I want you to understand that a life.

  60. Worthy is not a perfect life. Thank God, right?

  61. God is not. Expecting us and judging us on

  62. whether we're we're. Being worthy to be in his family

  63. based upon. Our being perfect, what it's

  64. based upon is that we're moving in the right direction.

  65. When we wake. Up in the morning time, are we

  66. moving? Towards God are we abiding.

  67. In God are we thankful? For God are we thankful?

  68. For Jesus are we? Trying to.

  69. Take a step closer to him. That's all he wants from you,

  70. living a life worthy moving towards him, moving in that

  71. direction. Because in this life we're being

  72. perfected. We're working out our salvation.

  73. Scripture says, right? Well, what do you mean working

  74. out our salvation? That's being.

  75. Worthy of. This family that we've been

  76. adopted into, we're. Taking off all of this rubbish

  77. that's been placed upon our lives through sin and by this

  78. world, and we're putting on Christ.

  79. We're going to talk a little bit more about that, but Paul

  80. doesn't start with a program. He doesn't start with a formula,

  81. all right. He starts with character.

  82. You know what? Character is.

  83. Character is. Is what you do when no one else.

  84. Is looking right. God sees.

  85. What, no one else? Sees He sees our heart.

  86. He sees in the shadows, He. Sees in the darkness.

  87. He sees behind. Closed doors we cannot.

  88. Hide anything from God. God.

  89. Is looking at character and these aren't personality types

  90. that the Apostle Paul is mentioning here being.

  91. Humble, being gentle, being patient, being loving.

  92. Those are all choices. Choices that we make.

  93. We're not. Robots are we?

  94. Is there anyone here who's a robot?

  95. You know we're in the. Age of AII.

  96. Don't know, like I remember some films growing up, there's this

  97. crazy film. I wouldn't recommend watching

  98. it, but it's called like RoboCop and there's like this Cyborg,

  99. like police officer kind of thing.

  100. Is there anyone here who's a? Cyborg.

  101. You're half robot. You're.

  102. Half human. Right.

  103. Is there no if you're not. That means that you.

  104. Haven't been pre programmed. You are not programmed.

  105. You can make choices. You can choose to be patient

  106. when you're. In that queue on the motorway.

  107. Going home today, you can choose to be patient.

  108. I have a hard time with that sometimes, just to be honest

  109. with you when I'm stuck in. Traffic or people are.

  110. Driving. Really slow or just getting in

  111. my way, you know? I just would like to have a tank

  112. right? And I would just like to blast

  113. the car in front of me out. Of the way, right?

  114. Come on, get out of my way. What are you doing?

  115. Why are you driving so slow? It's a really wide Rd.

  116. The speed limit is 120 kilometers and you're driving

  117. 80. What is?

  118. Wrong with you, right? We can choose to be patient

  119. though, can't we? God.

  120. Bless them, Lord, Hallelujah, they're going to get to where

  121. they're going safely. And so am I, right?

  122. Thank you, Jesus. We can choose gentleness.

  123. We can choose. Self.

  124. Control we can choose. All of these things.

  125. We have that capacity. You have that capacity.

  126. But you have to make that decision then.

  127. The Apostle Paul says this in the Ephesians chapter 4 and

    Ephesians 4 chapter mention

  128. verse 3. He says make every effort to

  129. keep yourselves united in the Spirit binding yourselves

  130. together with. Peace, make every effort.

  131. Some effort. A little bit of effort.

  132. I'll sure I'll give it a go and if it.

  133. Doesn't work out right. No, he says make.

  134. Every effort make. Every effort to keep yourselves.

  135. United in the spirit, unity is something that.

  136. You have to work. At it's not something that.

  137. Just comes natural to us. Right.

  138. We all have different thoughts. We all have.

  139. Different opinions, right? Unity is something that you have

  140. to work at. It's a decision.

  141. That you make in your. Marriage.

  142. It's a. Decision that you make.

  143. On your job. It's a decision that you make

  144. when you walk through the. Doors of this church.

  145. When I was going to Bible school, there was this young

  146. man. I was a young man too at the

  147. time, but there's this guy in one of those classes that I had

  148. that I would sit next to, and we're friends now.

  149. I didn't like him at the time. We were Bible school.

  150. Students right, but every single day like he'd grab the.

  151. Back of my arm. And he'd like pinch it.

  152. I'm like. What is wrong with you?

  153. Why are you doing this every day?

  154. I'm like, you do it again and we're we're.

  155. Going to have some problems here right and every.

  156. Day he'd do it again. And I'm like, Oh dear Lord

  157. Jesus, you're teaching me, Patience.

  158. You're teaching me. Self.

  159. Control. You're teaching me so many

  160. things. You're teaching me love, right?

  161. Because I just wanted to punch the guy in the.

  162. Face to be honest with you like it hurt I.

  163. Had like a perpetual bruise on the back of my arm trying to be

  164. united. Lord, he's a member of your.

  165. Body, right? I don't want him in this body

  166. though. But praise the Lord, we're great

  167. friends, great friends now, but it's a decision that you have to

  168. make, being gentle and patient with someone who sees something.

  169. Different from you isn't always easy, but we're called.

  170. And working our. Way to maturity.

  171. Right, we're no. Longer children being tossed.

  172. To and fro we're. Working our way to maturity,

  173. right? We have to make these decisions

  174. to extend people, grace, unity. Isn't uniformity, it isn't

  175. everyone being the same. It's everyone though, being

  176. committed to something. Bigger than their differences.

  177. Right, we're all. Christians.

  178. In this room, right? We're all believers.

  179. We all love Jesus Christ. As our as our Lord and Savior,

  180. but we can have a conversation about something sometime and

  181. we're not going to see. Things.

  182. Eye to eye, we're going to see things.

  183. Differently, perhaps? We may interpret.

  184. A scripture differently perhaps, but it's important that we're.

  185. Mature. We respect each other's

  186. differences. And let's agree on what we can

  187. agree with and just say, OK, this isn't that important.

  188. For the sake of unity, right? We're going to extend.

  189. Grace to one another. We're adults.

  190. You don't want to expect 24 year olds necessarily to do that.

  191. They're going to fight over a toy, right?

  192. But we're adults, you see, Two adults.

  193. Fighting over something and you're like, what's wrong with

  194. you, right? Let's grow up here.

  195. I'm not saying that anyone in our church is doing anything,

  196. all right? Don't mistake me.

  197. I'm not pointing him dead. I didn't look anyone directly in

  198. the eyes for too long, did I? All right.

  199. This is just the apostle. Paul talking about things and

  200. it's important. That we talk about.

  201. Things in the Bible, not just. Things that we're dealing with,

  202. but things that we may deal with.

  203. In the future. It's better to be.

  204. Forearmed, right? Or forewarned.

  205. Or whatever the expression is anyways.

  206. I butcher those things so bad sometimes.

  207. My point is, a life worthy of your calling starts on the

  208. inside character. It starts with the.

  209. Posture of your heart. And what's interesting

  210. sometimes? Is you have Jesus.

  211. He's with his disciples and he's seeing all these people in the

  212. Bible. Says that he was moved with

  213. compassion for those people because they were.

  214. Lost having no shepherd. He had compassion on them.

  215. There's there's no one sharing with these people.

  216. They're just walking around like.

  217. Like lost sheep. Not knowing where to go, not

  218. knowing. What to do?

  219. Can we look at people? With that same kind of

  220. compassion, that same kind of love, that same kind of

  221. understanding. Because we don't always know

  222. what people are going through, what they're dealing with in

  223. their. Personal lives, right?

  224. Even if they're a jerk. Sitting next to you A.

  225. Bible School. Student pinching your arm.

  226. Every. Single day can you have patience

  227. with a? Person like that it's.

  228. Difficult, man, I could tell you so many stories of things that.

  229. I've had to endure in my life. You would feel so sorry for me.

  230. The second thing I want to talk about is is growing up in

  231. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 11 and 12 it says now.

    Ephesians 4 chapter mention

  232. These are the gifts. That Christ.

  233. Gave to the church. The apostles, the prophets, the

  234. evangelist, and the pastors and teachers.

  235. And their responsibility is to quip.

  236. God's people to do his work and to build up the church.

  237. The body of Christ This is a pretty massive statement.

  238. Paul is saying that the job of. These gifts the apostle.

  239. The prophet, the evangelist, the pastor, the teacher, that the

  240. job of of. These gifts.

  241. Is not to do all the ministry if a pastor if you have the

  242. expectation that pastor Brad and Pastor Amy.

  243. Are supposed to do all. The ministry within this church

  244. where you're going to send us to an early grave, right?

  245. Hello. Listen.

  246. You work a job. A lot of you, don't you?

  247. Right, on your job, would you expect?

  248. 1. Employee to do everything in

  249. that company. Is that an?

  250. Expectation you would have. It'd be impossible, wouldn't it?

  251. You know the definition of multitasking is you only have

  252. 100% everything that you add, everything you.

  253. Put into your basket. Means that percentage.

  254. Drop so if I'm. Doing 4 things that means that

  255. I'm. Only able to do those 4.

  256. Things each at 25%. Or I could adjust.

  257. That percentage a little bit, well, I'm going.

  258. To give this 50%. And the others a little less,

  259. you know, but I only have 100%. You only have 100% right The.

  260. Gifts of the body. The apostle, the prophet, the

  261. evangelist, the Pastor, the teacher, their.

  262. Job. Scripture.

  263. Says is to equip God's people. In verse 12.

  264. To do his work and to build. Up his church, the body of

  265. Christ. There's the expression, another

  266. expression. I hope I do this one justice,

  267. right? You can give a man a fish.

  268. And feed him for a day. You ever heard this one?

  269. Or you can teach him to fish and feed him.

  270. For a lifetime. Does that make sense?

  271. Right. So if you come to church and all

  272. you're expecting is to be. Fed for that day, right?

  273. Well, you're just being fed. For that day, my job as a

  274. pastor. A good.

  275. Pastor. A responsible pastor.

  276. A pastor that's seeking to be scriptural here is to teach you

  277. how to fish so you can feed. Yourself for a lifetime.

  278. What? Do you mean by?

  279. That teach you to be. Self-sufficient in Christ.

  280. Teach you to know. Christ's Word.

  281. How you can apply God's word to your family?

  282. How you can apply God's word to your life so that you can be

  283. self-sufficient? Because it'd be really weird for

  284. me to follow you. Around every day, right?

  285. I'm here. Just in case you need my help.

  286. That would be strange. Pastor Brad, I just.

  287. Have a little bit of privacy, like you're right on me all the

  288. time. Like back up at.

  289. Least an at least. Arm's length, right.

  290. This is my bubble. This is the space that I

  291. require. You know anything outside of

  292. that, you're fine. All right, It'd be.

  293. Awkward it'd be. Strange, right?

  294. My job as a pastor. Is to equip you.

  295. Every single Sunday, this is what we're.

  296. Doing and this is what those other gifts.

  297. In the Bible are. Is to equip you.

  298. For the work. Of the ministry.

  299. What is that? It's what God has called you to.

  300. I've probably never met most of your neighbors I've probably

  301. never met. Most of your Co workers.

  302. I've probably never met. Most of your.

  303. Family members, I'm not around you in all your life, all the

  304. time. Listen, there is a personal

  305. ministry that you have. Things that God has called you

  306. to, people that he has called you to reach.

  307. My job is to equip you to be able to do that, to be able to

  308. fulfill and walk in the ministry that God has called you to.

  309. And that's going to be different.

  310. For each and every one of us, right?

  311. And the Apostle Paul is giving the five fold.

  312. Ministry, The. Apostle, the Prophet the

  313. Evangelist the Pastor the. Teacher.

  314. Those are things that God places in the body.

  315. Those aren't things that you can just become.

  316. Right, well, I'm going to. Aspire to be an.

  317. Evangelist, I'm going to. Aspire to be a prophet or a

  318. teacher. Or or a pastor.

  319. Those are things. Those gifts are God calls you to

  320. listen. I did not.

  321. Want to be a pastor? No offense I.

  322. Love you. All right, I love.

  323. Pastoring you, right? But when I was little, when I

  324. was a teenager, when I was even at Bible college, when I

  325. graduated from Bible college, when I moved.

  326. Over to Ireland to help pastor. Amy's parents over in Limerick.

  327. With their church. I did not aspire even then,

  328. 2000. 13 to be a pastor. In fact, when the Lord put it on

  329. my heart to pastor a church, to start a church, I was mad for

  330. three days. I did not talk to God for.

  331. Three entire. Days I was so.

  332. Mad at him. God places those.

  333. In the body whom? He will.

  334. My sister, my older sister, I don't know why she always grew

  335. up saying I'll never be a pastor's wife.

  336. Why? Would you say that?

  337. Like you're a teenager. I'll never be a pastor's wife.

  338. OK, that's weird, right? I don't, I don't get that.

  339. Well, guess what? She is now.

  340. She's a pastor. 'S wife don't tell God that

  341. you're not going to be a pastor, right?

  342. I mean, I always said, you know, once my sister became a

  343. pastor's. Wife, I'm like, OK.

  344. I'm catching on to something here.

  345. All right, you tell God you're not going to do something he's

  346. going to have to have you do. That in sort or in order.

  347. For you to be obedient to Him. Right.

  348. All right, Lord, if you want me to pastor, I'll pastor.

  349. You know, I remember actually saying that I.

  350. Didn't want to but I'm. Going to make sure that I'm

  351. going to. Say tell God, OK?

  352. God, I'm going to pastor if you want me to pastor.

  353. I still wound up being a. Pastor, but the purpose of this?

  354. Is to equip you right? Equip you to reach.

  355. Those around you in a little while here, I'm going to be

  356. doing a series on apologetics. Apologetics.

  357. Is is just you being able to to share the gospel with people?

  358. Around you, right? I think the the church overall

  359. has done a very. Poor job of equipping the people

  360. in their churches to be able to share their faith with others.

  361. This is really. Important, isn't it?

  362. I mean, there's nothing. That we can take in this.

  363. Life to heaven, except. For people.

  364. So what should we be investing our?

  365. Life in a brand new. 65. Inch OLED television.

  366. That sounds nice, doesn't it? I can't take that to heaven.

  367. A new car. That would be really nice,

  368. wouldn't it? I still can't take that to

  369. heaven. I can take.

  370. People to heaven. Amen.

  371. Most people come to church honestly as consumers.

  372. They come to receive. Something and receiving is great

  373. and I. Want you to receive?

  374. Something from God, I don't have the banner up there, but one of

  375. the things that that is important to.

  376. US is that people. Come to triumph.

  377. Church and experience God not to experience.

  378. Pastor Brad to experience God, really.

  379. Because everything in my life isn't because of me.

  380. It's. Because of God.

  381. Everything that I'm sharing with you isn't my thoughts, isn't my

  382. opinions. I have some very strong

  383. thoughts. I have some.

  384. Very strong opinions. Talk to me about politics

  385. sometime, right? I have some strong thoughts,

  386. right? But those things aren't going to

  387. get you on to heaven. But.

  388. This is so this. Is what I stick with God's word.

  389. This is the only thing that's going to help you, right?

  390. I want you to receive from God, but the goal is, is that.

  391. What you receive every week, the equipping that you get, is

  392. something that you take with you to reach those around you.

  393. To change the world around you when you're.

  394. A light and you're placed in the middle of.

  395. Darkness. You can't help but.

  396. Shine, hey, man. When you're walking in that.

  397. Joy, you've been shouting in the traffic.

  398. All the way to work. Praising God, not shouting

  399. because you're angry. Shouting.

  400. Because you're full of joy shouting.

  401. Because you're shouting those walls down in your.

  402. Life By the time you get to work, you are so.

  403. Pumped up and excited. About what?

  404. God. Is doing in your life.

  405. Everyone else was stuck in the same traffic.

  406. They're not coming to work the same way.

  407. You are right. You're a light.

  408. And that light can't. Help but.

  409. Change the darkness, right? Let's continue in Ephesians

    Ephesians 4 chapter mention

  410. chapter 4 and verses 13 through 16 and it says this will

  411. continue until all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge

  412. of God's Son that. We will be.

  413. Mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete

  414. standard of Christ in verse 14. Then we will no.

  415. Longer be immature like children.

  416. We won't be. Tossed and blown about by every

  417. wind of new teaching. We will not be.

  418. Influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever

  419. they sound like the truth. Listen to Orte verse 15 instead.

  420. We will speak. The truth in love growing in

  421. every way more and more like Christ who is the head of the

  422. body of the church in verse 16. He he makes the whole body.

  423. Fit together. Perfectly, as each part does its

  424. own special work, it helps the other parts grow.

  425. So the. Whole body is healthy.

  426. And growing and full of love. Paul says that when every part.

  427. Of the body. Does its work?

  428. The whole thing grows. It'd be really strange if one

  429. part. Of me grew, but the other parts.

  430. Did not. I'd be out of.

  431. Proportion, right, Pastor Brad, you have a massive head.

  432. But you have this little itty bitty.

  433. Body. You ever seen a Tyrannosaurus

  434. Rex? You know, you have this big body

  435. and you have these little tiny arms.

  436. You're wondering what are those for?

  437. Like, I don't know. Like what does he do like?

  438. Even trying to bend down and pick up something that's

  439. awkward. We need every part.

  440. Of the body to do its. Part.

  441. In order for it to be in proportion in order for.

  442. It to function in order for it to grow.

  443. Are you seeing that you're not just a spectator?

  444. You're not. Just a warm seat.

  445. On Sunday morning, you. Are a.

  446. Functioning part of. Christ's church, you are a

  447. functioning. Part of Triumph Church and look

  448. at what the apostle Paul contrast here.

  449. He says immature believers in verse 14 are tossed around.

  450. They're unstable. They're easily.

  451. Manipulated every new idea, every new teaching.

  452. Every bit of controversy online, they're blown all over the

  453. place, right? But mature.

  454. Believers in verse 15. They speak the truth.

  455. In love, they're anchored. They're.

  456. Stable. They're growing.

  457. They're moving in the right direction.

  458. Maturity in Christ is not measured by.

  459. How much you know, you could actually and there are some

  460. incredibly smart people who know a.

  461. Lot. Of scripture who could quote?

  462. Most of us in circles, they know a lot more of the Bible.

  463. Than we do. And yet they're an.

  464. Atheist Knowledge. Without having that actually in

  465. your heart, it's not stable, it's not growing.

  466. Maturity in Christ is not measured by.

  467. How much you know? It's measured in how much you

  468. walk. Like Christ the fruit.

  469. That you're bearing in life when you stub your toe.

  470. In the middle of the night, like I've done so many times.

  471. Or hit your. Shin, we have this this bed and

  472. on the on the the foot board there there's like these sharp

  473. corners there. Who designed that?

  474. I don't know why did I buy this bed, but sometimes I hit my shin

  475. like on the corner of the bed, you know?

  476. What's the thing that? Comes out of my mouth.

  477. What's the words that? Come out of my mouth, right?

  478. What's on the inside comes out. Where is my heart?

  479. What's in my heart? What am I placing in my heart?

  480. What am I investing in my heart? What am I sowing in my heart?

  481. Because what I, what I sow in my heart, what's in there is what's

  482. going to come out. And sometimes it's kind of

  483. shocking what comes out. Of people's mouths.

  484. You're a Christian, OK? Yeah, here, come over here.

  485. Let's have a conversation. It's measured by how much you

  486. live like him. So here's the question.

  487. Are you growing? Because growth requires being

  488. connected. Verse 16 says that for.

  489. A believer to grow, to mature, they should do their.

  490. Part and that means. That you have a role.

  491. To play. There are things in this church

  492. that only happen. When you show up.

  493. You're one-of-a-kind. There's no one else like you.

  494. You have a part. And those things only happen

  495. when you show. Up when you serve, when you

  496. give. When you tithe.

  497. When you pray. When you speak.

  498. Life over. Somebody who needs it.

  499. This connects directly to what Paul says in verses one through.

  500. Three, you walk worthy when you walk together.

  501. That's what a church is. We're walking together.

  502. We're not walking separately, we're not walking in our own

  503. way. We're walking in unity, we're

  504. walking together. We're.

  505. Walking towards something A. Purpose this.

  506. Church has a purpose. Has a call.

  507. Has a unique plan that God has designed for this just.

  508. Like each of us, our individuals have a purpose.

  509. Have a unique call, right? God has.

  510. Planted Triumph Church for a reason, not just for us to come

  511. and and. Receive.

  512. We need to receive, but that receiving is for us to be able

  513. to. Then give.

  514. We're coming. To be equipped.

  515. That's what church is. It's an equipping station.

  516. It's a place where we're being equipped.

  517. For the ministry that. God has called us.

  518. To and we're walking together in this.

  519. Then the third part I want to talk about is putting on Christ

  520. in Ephesians chapter 4 verses 17 through 19 says with the Lord's

    Ephesians 4:17–19

  521. authority, I say this live no longer as the Gentiles do, for

  522. they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of

  523. darkness. They wander far from the.

  524. Life God gives. Because they have closed their

  525. minds and harden their hearts against him and verse 19, they

  526. have no sense of shame. They live for a lustful pleasure

  527. and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

  528. Paul is describing that. Old way.

  529. Of life, not the. Old you before you were.

  530. Saved in some abstract sense, all right.

  531. He's describing the actual daily patterns, the thinking, the.

  532. Choices, the habits that. Defined us before Christ.

  533. And he? Says that way of living is

  534. darkness, it's confusion, it's hardened hearts.

  535. But then look at what he says next in Ephesians chapter 4 and

    Ephesians 4 chapter mention

  536. verse 22 through 24. He says, throw off your old

  537. sinful nature and your former way of life which is corrupted

  538. by lust and deception. And verse 23 instead let the

  539. Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

  540. Verse 24 Put on your new nature. Created to be like God.

  541. Truly righteous and holy. This is a language of changing

  542. clothes, right? Throw off the old, put on the

  543. new. And the thing that makes that

  544. possible is verse 23 where it says, let the Spirit renew your

  545. thoughts. And your attitudes?

  546. That's something we have to. Allow the Holy Spirit to do in

  547. our. Lives.

  548. And we do. That by applying.

  549. His word to our life seeing. What Christ wants our thoughts?

  550. To be seeing who we. Are in Christ.

  551. This will. Change renew our mind.

  552. And we will. Begin to look at our ourselves

  553. differently. We will begin to.

  554. Talk about ourselves differently.

  555. We will begin to act. Differently.

  556. This isn't self improvement, right?

  557. This is. Transformation when you become.

  558. Born Again the. Spirit of God.

  559. Comes and abides in your heart and begins transforming.

  560. You from the inside out, taking those old.

  561. Things and removing those from your life.

  562. Like like dirty dusty things that you.

  563. Just need to throw in the bin, they're not good for anything.

  564. He's cleaning house. It's transformation from the

  565. inside out and it begins in your heart, but then it starts

  566. impacting your mind, your thoughts.

  567. The transformation in your heart begins to change what you

  568. believe about yourself. And it begins to change What?

  569. You say about yourself, and this is exactly the pattern that we

  570. see in Scripture that we've talked about a lot of different

  571. times in Romans 10/9 and 10. We see this just how we are

  572. saved. Just how?

  573. We give our lives. To the Lord, Romans 10/9 and 10

  574. says if you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in

  575. your heart that God raised him from the dead.

  576. You will be saved. For it is by believing in your

  577. heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly

  578. declaring your faith. That you are.

  579. Saved, so it's believing. Right.

  580. You see this, it's saying and then it's receiving.

  581. This is how everything. This is how God is going to

  582. transform. Everything in our lives.

  583. Everything. Can you say?

  584. Everything. Everything.

  585. This is how God is going to. Transform everything in your

  586. life. The same pattern that saved you

  587. is the same pattern that is going to transform you.

  588. We're going to close with this last part.

  589. And Paul gets very practical here in the second-half of this

  590. chapter, and he begins to name some specific things here in

  591. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 20. 5 through 32.

    Ephesians 4 chapter mention

  592. All right, don't yell out in pain as I read this verse 25 it

  593. says so stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the

  594. truth. For we are all.

  595. Parts of the same body and don't sin by letting anger control

  596. you. Don't let the sun go down while

  597. you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil

  598. verse 28 if you. Are a thief.

  599. Quit stealing. Instead, use your hands.

  600. For good hard work. And then give generously to

  601. others in need verse 29 don't use foul or abusive language

  602. let. Everything you say be.

  603. Good and. Helpful so that your words.

  604. Will be an encouragement to those who hear them and do not

  605. bring sorrow. To God's holy.

  606. Spirit, by the way you live, remember?

  607. He has identified you. As his own guaranteeing that.

  608. You will be. Saved on the day of redemption

  609. and verse 31. Get rid of all bitterness, rage,

  610. anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of evil

  611. behavior instead. Be kind to 1.

  612. Another tender hearted forgiving one another just as God through

  613. Christ has forgiven. You.

  614. These are not suggestions that the apostle Paul is offering

  615. here. These are the practical living

  616. out of a renewed mind, every one of them.

  617. Is a take off. Put on moment lies off truth on.

  618. Rage off kindness on. Bitterness off.

  619. Forgiveness on. Foul words off Encouraging words

  620. on your mouth is one of the most powerful tools.

  621. That God has given you, so use it.

  622. Here's some practical steps I want to leave with you this

  623. morning. First thing is to start your

  624. morning by declaring who. God says you are and speak it

  625. before you think anything else. Identify 1 old nature pattern.

  626. In your week. And make a deliberate decision

  627. to put it off. And replace it with the new.

  628. Guard your words. This week before you speak.

  629. Ask yourself, does this build up or tear down?

  630. Choose unity when you feel the pole.

  631. Towards division and offense, make the decision that Paul

  632. describes in verses one through 3.

  633. Show up and do your. Part.

  634. And find your place. In the body of.

  635. Christ and serve it. I'm going to close with this.

  636. I can just have everyone bow your heads and close your eyes.

  637. Paul opened this chapter by. Begging you to walk worthy.

  638. Of your calling. It's not a guilt.

  639. Trip. It's an invitation.

  640. God has something so extraordinary for your life,

  641. something so incredible and making.

  642. You a new creation. That the most natural response

  643. is to let it show, respond to God, give him your heart, walk

  644. worthy of that. That he's called you to the life

  645. God has called you to is not just believed in your heart, but

  646. it's lived out. So let me ask you, what do you

  647. need? To take off.

  648. Today and what? Do you need to put on?

  649. I want us to pray this prayer together and just let.

  650. The Holy Spirit work in your. Heart and do what only he.

  651. Can do in your. Life, let's all pray this prayer

  652. together. Dear Heavenly Father, just

  653. repeat after me. I thank you that I'm a new

  654. creation in Christ. I choose today to walk worthy of

  655. my calling. I throw off every old pattern

  656. that does not belong to me and I put on the new.

  657. Nature that you have. Given me, renew my mind by your

  658. spirit. Let my words build up and not

  659. tear down. I believe it in my heart, I

  660. declare it with my mouth, and I receive your transformation in

  661. my life. Jesus name, Amen.

  662. Thank you for listening to the Triumph Church podcast this

  663. week. If it was a blessing to you,

  664. share it with someone you know. For more information on Triumph

  665. Church, you can visit us at www.triumphchurch.ie.