Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20030817.htm

EPHESIANS: GOD'S SURE PLAN FOR INSECURE TIMES
Part VIII: Mutual Edification In The Church By God's Power
B. Conduct To AVOID As God Directs Our Overcoming Habitual Sins
(Ephesians 4:17-5:17)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

After I delivered the July 27th Sunday morning message on Ephesians 4:17-5:17, a member in our Church asked if I might consider reviewing that same section to focus on overcoming habits of sins that afflict us.

(1) For example, in Ephesians 4:17-22, Paul spoke of handling hardness of heart against God's truths by the Holy Spirit's power so we believers will remain open to Scripture teaching and not close ourselves again to its effectiveness in us.

(2) Then, Ephesians 4:25 talks about overcoming a bent toward deceit, something various believers admit is an habitual challenge.

(3) The sin the believer who spoke with me after the service personally had in mind was the one on harboring anger in Ephesians 4:26-27, and how it opens the door for the Devil to work havoc in a group of believers. This Christian wanted insight on handling the habitual tendency to fail in the area of "anger management."

(4) In Ephesians 4:28, Paul spoke of the temptation to steal or to grasp in unjust greed what really belongs to another. Overcoming this sin is a great achievement, for I once knew of a situation where two families sat on opposite sides of the church sanctuary for years due to a disagreement they had on who owned what farming equipment.

(5) Ephesians 4:29-32 speaks of handling the habitual sin of using malicious words with one another; I have seen this problem in believers in another state from ours that has hurt their relationships for over forty years!



Well, SINCE we are to EDIFY one another by AVOIDING sins that BLOCK our being a blessing in our ministries to one another, and IF we STRUGGLE with HABITUAL defeat in CERTAIN sins, IS there a WAY the LORD would want us to OVERCOME such HABITUAL problems of defeat?



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "Having previously learned how to BEGIN to edify other believers by ourselves AVOIDING sin, WHAT would God suggest I do about overcoming HABITUAL sins that plague me and hinder my LONG-TERM effectiveness in ministry unto others?"
  1. In telling believers to EDIFY one another, Paul urged them to AVOID sins that hinder God's BLESSING in ministry, Eph. 4:16f.
  2. IN his directives on ministry actions to AVOID, Paul gave practical advice on overcoming HABITUAL sins (as follows):
    1. First, we may overcome the bent to be calloused against the teaching of God's Word by REPLACING dependence on the sin nature with dependence on the Holy Spirit for the attitude to WANT God's Word taught and applied in our lives, Eph. 4:17-24; Rom. 8:3-4:
      1. Paul stated we believers in Christ must cease to live calloused to Bible teaching as do those in deep wickedness, Eph. 4:17-18, 19.
      2. This must be done by leaning on the Holy Spirit's power so that the new nature seeks God's truths, Ephesians 4:20-24; Romans 8:3-4.
    2. Also, we may overcome the bent to deceive one another by the Holy Spirit's power; we do so by REPLACING deceit with telling the truth through REALIZING OUR OWN WELFARE is affected due to our interdependence with other believers, Ephesians 4:21-23, 25:
      1. In the context of calling his readers to replace deceit with the truth, Paul noted they were spiritual members of one another, 4:25a,b.
      2. Such spiritual kinship means deceiving other believers only hurts ourselves as misled believers become hurt and tend to hinder their ministry to us; thus, we must speak the truth for our own welfare!
    3. Further, we may overcome the bent to express wrath to each other that Satan uses to harm relationships by leaning on the Holy Spirit's power to REPLAC E wrath by expressing the concerns FUELING our anger QUICKLY so we can speak GENTLY to each other, 4:26f.
    4. Then, we may overcome the bent to hold onto possessions that belong to others through leaning on the Holy Spirit's power to REPLACE stealing with producing by our OWN works what we need, and thus affording even to DONATE things to OTHERS in NEED, 4:28:
      1. God knows we all have material needs, but we are to realize there is a right way to obtain them by personal industry, Eph. 4:28a!
      2. This way, not only can one edify by not stealing, but edify others by giving to them that they also need not steal from others, 4:28!
    5. Additionally, we may overcome the bent to hurt others by malicious words through the Holy Spirit's power in REPLACING thoughtless, evil words with gracious words and acts, Ephesians 4:29-32.
    6. Also, we may overcome the bent to perform the sins of immorality, greed and vile speech by relying on the Holy Spirit's power to REPLACE such sins with intolerance for them in recalling such sins are typical of those who go to hell in God's judgment, Eph . 5:1-5.
    7. Further, we may overcome the bent to heed apostate teachers through relying on the Holy Spirit's power to REPLACE heeding them by not associating with them and by exposing their error all from recalling God's wrath will come on men for such error, 5:6, 7, 11:
      1. Believers who are influenced by apostate teachers are often enamored by their appealing means and methods.
      2. Thus, Paul urged a break in one's exposure to these apostates by ending any associations with them and by exposing their apostasy, and to do so in respect for God Who will judge them, 5:6-7, 11!
    8. Then, we may overcome the bent to live ignorant of God's will to our harm by leaning on the Spirit's power to REPLACE carelessness in handling and applying God's Word with taking pains to be accurate in how we learn and apply Scripture, Ephesians 5:14-17:
      1. We before learned "circumspectly" (v. 15 KJV) is translated from the word, akribos, meaning "accurately," B.K.C., N.T., p. 639.
      2. We also know from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that all we need to know of God's will today is already revealed for us in His written Word.
      3. Thus, harmful ignorance of God's will comes by either interpreting or applying Scripture or doing both inaccurately in carelessness!
      4. We thus avoid a lack of blessing in not knowing God's will by taking CARE to interpret and apply God's Word ACCURATELY!
Application: To EDIFY by overcoming an habitual sin, we (1) FIRST believe in Christ to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit and belong to the true Church, Jn. 3:16; Rom. 8:9b; 1 Cor. 12:13. (2) Then, (a) by trusting in God's power, we (b) REALIZE (+) the HARM our sin causes us and others, (+) God's WRATH against it and (+) the need to overcome our sinful habit to edify others (c) as motive to REPLACE it with Biblically ACCURATE deeds!

Lesson: We OVERCOME HABITUAL sins by LEANING on the HOLY SPIRIT to (1) realize (a) the HARM the sin causes us and other believers, (b) God's WRATH against it (c) and our need to edify others in love (2) as motivation to REPLACE these habits with Biblically ACCURATE deeds!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 Over thirty years ago, a man by the name of Joe wrote a couple of bad checks, and ended up afraid and at the end of himself in the Police Station prison in Chico, California. He was an alcoholic, and was led by this problem into stealing by writing bad checks.

A Christian police officer happened to be in the police station when Joe was brought in, and the officer witnessed to him about faith in Christ. Joe accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior from sin, and his life was marvelously transformed for the Lord.

Out of a desire to live with God's blessing and not end up in the police station again, Joe stopped drinking by the Holy Spirit's power, and started to attend the Grace Baptist Church of Chico. He avidly and consistently listened to Pastor Lee Webb's every message, and Sunday nights in his home privately re-preached every sermon to himself to embed it into his mind and heart so he could preach it well unto others.

Eventually, though not formally trained in a Bible school, Joe started his own rescue mission and preached these practiced sermons to other needy men on alcohol. So great was the response to his ministry that, in several years, Joe began several rescue missions. I recall attending Joe's ordination service at the Grace Baptist Church where he became a "reverund"! Though he had no formal Bible training, Joe studied so much of the Word of God that he was able to answer every question posed to him by the examining board of pastors!

In effect, by the Holy Spirit's power, Joe turned from what God found objectionable and found victory over having to steal by writing bad checks. He gained the victory by working with his own hands to start rescue missions in keeping with Ephesians 4:28 not only to meet his own needs, but to disciple many other needy men for Christ and see their lives transformed from being criminal burdens to society into becoming productive men in society!

The victory over habitual sins that hinder our being effective in edifying one another comes as it did for Joe: it comes by faith in Christ, followed by a life of dependence upon the Holy Spirit to TURN from what gets us into TROUBLE with the law and God's wrath to EDIFY others with HELPFUL works!

May we, like Joe find victory over habitual sins as HE did -- by faith in Christ followed by a life of dependence upon the Holy Spirit's power for PRODUCTIVE living!