C’mon Y’all, Let’s be the Church!
This is my sermon on the second half of Ephesians 4, where Paul charges, testifies, that we should act like Christians.
He’s already talked about how great it was the God united Jews and Gentiles into one people. Then he went on to talk about how that one people got combined into God Himself in Christ! So now, quit acting like none of that happened. Act like Christians!
Here’s the outline, with a summary below that.
I. Introduction: Understanding the Context (Ephesians 4:17)
A. The Shift in Paul’s Use of “Gentiles”
- From a neutral term to a derogatory one signifying “lost” or “kindling for hell.”
- The importance of this context for understanding the passage.
B. The Command: “You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do.”
- A call to stop living like a lost person, in the “futility of their minds.”
II. The Gentile Mindset vs. The Body of Christ
A. The Futility of the Gentile Mind
- Useless, fruitless, with nothing good coming from it.
B. Our New Identity in Christ
- We are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers.
- We are to think and live on the level of our new calling, as the body of Christ.
III. The Downward Spiral of a Hardened Heart (Ephesians 4:18-19)
A. The Root Cause: Hardness of heart
- My personal testimony of having a hard heart and rejecting the gospel.
B. The Progression of Sin
- Hardness of heart leads to ignorance.
- Ignorance leads to alienation from the life of God.
- Alienation leads to a darkened understanding.
- This results in a life of sensuality and impurity, seeking pleasure to fill a void of meaning.
C. The Reverse Engineering: How to Draw Close to God
- Keep a soft, open, and sensitive heart.
- Seek knowledge to combat ignorance (read the Bible, talk to other believers).
- Participate in the life of God through prayer and obedience.
- This leads to a growing understanding and wisdom.
IV. Putting Off the Old, Putting on the New (Ephesians 4:20-24)
A. “That is not the way you learned Christ.”
- We came to Jesus as our Savior, not for self-gratification.
B. The “New Self” is a Brand New Replacement, Not a Refurbishment
- The old self is dead and gone, buried with Christ.
- A completely new life has been born.
- Analogy of the stem cell transplant and new DNA.
C. The Power to Overcome Deceitful Desires
- We can declare the truth that we are new in Christ and no longer desire to sin.
- We are being renewed in the spirit of our minds.
- We are clothed in a righteousness and holiness that is a free gift.
V. Practical Applications of the New Life (Ephesians 4:25-32)
A. Honesty and Truthfulness (v. 25)
- Speak truth to one another as members of the same body.
B. Righteous Anger (v. 26-27)
- Anger as a gift to get our attention and align our will with God’s.
- God uses everything to conform us to the image of Jesus.
- The example of Joshua and Caleb.
- Unresolved anger gives an opportunity to the devil.
C. Honest Work with a Purpose (v. 28)
- The goal of work is to be able to share with those in need.
D. Edifying Speech (v. 29)
- Let no corrupting talk come from our mouths.
- Speak only what is good for building up and giving grace.
E. Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit (v. 30)
- We are sealed for the day of redemption.
- Don’t dwell on sin; Jesus died for it, so move on.
F. Put Away Bitterness and Wrath (v. 31)
- The desire for vengeance vs. the grace of God.
- Understanding the reality of hell changes our perspective on judgment.
G. Be Kind, Tenderhearted, and Forgiving (v. 32)
- The foundation of forgiveness is how much we have been forgiven by God in Christ.
- A soft heart leads to knowledge, participation in God’s life, and the ability to extend grace.
VI. Conclusion and Prayer
A. Thanking God for our new identity in Christ.
B. Acknowledging that the “old way” is gone and the “new Jesus in me” way is better.
C. Praying for God to be our teacher in living out this new life.
Summary
Here’s a summary if you don’t want to listen but you want more details than the outline:
In my sermon on Ephesians 4, I started by explaining the context of Paul’s use of the word “Gentiles.” It wasn’t just about being non-Jewish; it carried a heavy, derogatory meaning of being lost and destined for hell. Paul’s command to “no longer walk as the Gentiles do” is a powerful call to leave behind the futility and uselessness of that old way of thinking.
I then traced the downward spiral that begins with a “hardness of heart.” I shared my own story of how a hard heart led me to ignorance, blocking me from God’s love. This ignorance alienates us from the life of God, leading to a darkened understanding of the world. People in this state often chase pleasure and sensuality because they lack a deep sense of meaning and purpose.
The good news is that we can reverse this process. By keeping our hearts soft and open, we can gain knowledge of God, participate in His life, and grow in our understanding. This is what it means to live as the body of Christ, not in futility, but with the purpose we have as apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers.
The core of my message was about “putting off the old self” and “putting on the new self.” I emphasized that this isn’t just a renovation or an improvement; it’s a complete replacement. The old me is dead and buried with Christ, and a brand new life has been raised. We are clothed in Christ himself, with new desires and a new identity. This is a righteousness and holiness given to us as a free gift.
Finally, I walked through the practical applications of this new life. Because we are a new creation, we should put away falsehood and speak truth. We should handle anger by realigning our will with God’s, understanding that He uses everything to make us more like Jesus. Our work takes on a new purpose: to labor so that we can give to others. Our words should be for building up, not tearing down. We must put away bitterness, wrath, and slander, and instead, be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, just as God in Christ has forgiven us. It all comes back to having a soft heart that recognizes the immense grace we’ve received.