There is a new sermon available.  If you get a chance to listen to the newest sermon you might need to see these.  In discussing Ephesians 4:17-24 we talked about the spiral of rebellious idolatry and the spiral of redemption.  In the coming weeks we will be spending more time on this spiral of redemption.  As I studied the text I thought this was a decent representation of the life of the Gentile (unbeliever) contrasted with the life of the believer. 

This God rejecting spiral is the result of idolatry (or as I have titled it Fighting the Gospel).  When we reject God and fight the gospel we become hardened and calloused (Losing Humanity).  Then this comes to full fruition and we are given over (as in Romans 1) or we give ourselves over (as in Ephesians 4) to sin. 

The God accepting spiral is the result of Ephesians 1-3 happening in our lives (coming to know God and being transferred from the kingdom of rebellion into the kingdom of redemption).  This spiral is contrasted with the idolatry of our former way of living.  Rather than dying in sin we are now fighting sin (Put off the old self).  We are being renewed in our spirits (growing in the gospel—or being redeemed into who God intends humanity to be).  And we begin growing in holiness and righteousness (we start looking like God).

The preaching notes for the series on Ephesians (at least what has been preached thus far) are now available online.  As always they are the rough copy that I take into the pulpit with me and it always ends up being a tad different than I have originally written.  May the Lord bless you through these.  Here are the sermons and their links:

Ephesians 1:3-14 The Cure for Broken People and a Broken World Part One

Ephesians 1:3-14 The Cure for Broken People and a Broken World Part Two

Ephesians 1:3-14 The Cure for Broken People and a Broken World Part Three

Ephesians 1:15-23 You’ve Already Got It: Living in what Christ has purchased

Ephesians 2:1-5 How Broken Are We?

Ephesians 2:4-6 The Cure for Brokenness, No Matter How Broken

Ephesians 2:7-10 Are You Different? The Gospel Changes You

Ephesians 2:11-22 Don’t Forget to Remember

Ephesians 3:1-13 Losing Heart

Ephesians 3:14-21 Life Shattering Prayer

Ephesians 4:1-6 Walk in Unity

Ephesians 4:7-16 Unified or Unstable?

Ephesians 4:17-24 What Does a Christian Look Like?

Ephesians 4:25—5:2 Living Out Redemption Part One: Lying v. Truth

It is worth noting that in Ephesians 4 Paul focuses on unity within the body before he focuses on our relationship with those outside the body. Ephesians 4:1 serves as the introduction to the rest of the letter. Everything Paul says after this statement flows out of “living lives worthy of the calling by which we have been called.” The call of Ephesians 4:1 is to live in such a way that you accurately represent what God has done in your life. What he has done in principle we are to live in practice. 4:2-6:20 is what that statement looks like in practice.

In 4:2-16 Paul focuses on walking in unity. In 4:17-24 he focuses on walking differently than we once walked (or even in the present to walk differently than those outside the body). I do not think it is an accident that Paul focuses on relationships within before he focuses on our relationship with the outside world.

In other words, if you look different from the world but you aren’t in unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ then you aren’t really walking in a manner worthy of the calling. Jesus died to redeem our relationship with him but also to redeem our relationship with one another. Relationships and unity within the body is not an option.

No clue who that poor kid is but I bet he got picked on in grade school.