LIVE IN CHRIST (CC)
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LET US RISE FOR THE READING OF
THIS MORNING'S SERMON TEXT
RECORDED FOR US IN THE LETTER
TO THE EPHESIANS WHERE WE READ
FROM CHAPTER 4, BEGINNING WITH
VERSE 17:
SO I TELL YOU THIS,
AND INSIST ON IT IN THE LORD,
THAT YOU MUST
NO LONGER LIVE AS THE GENTILES
DO,
IN THE FUTILITY OF THEIR
THINKING. THEY ARE DARKENED
IN THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND
SEPARATED FROM THE LIFE OF GOD
BECAUSE OF THE IGNORANCE THAT
IS IN THEM
DUE TO THE HARDENING OF THEIR
HEARTS. HAVING LOST
ALL SENSITIVITY, THEY HAVE
GIVEN THEMSELVES OVER
TO SENSUALITY SO AS TO INDULGE
IN
EVERY KIND OF IMPURITY, AND
THEY ARE FULL OF GREED.
THAT, HOWEVER, IS NOT THE WAY
OF LIFE
YOU LEARNED WHEN YOU HEARD
ABOUT CHRIST
AND WERE TAUGHT IN HIM IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRUTH
THAT IS IN JESUS. YOU WERE
TAUGHT, WITH REGARD TO
YOUR FORMER WAY OF LIFE, TO
PUT OFF YOUR OLD SELF,
WHICH IS BEING CORRUPTED BY
ITS DECEITFUL DESIRES;
TO BE MADE NEW IN THE ATTITUDE
OF YOUR MINDS;
AND TO PUT ON THE NEW SELF,
CREATED TO BE LIKE GOD IN TRUE
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS.
THIS IS THE WORD OF OUR LORD.
LET US PRAY:
GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS GOD,
MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND
THE MEDITATION OF EACH OF OUR
HEARTS BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR
SIGHT,
OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE AND
COMFORT. AMEN.
[TEXT TAKEN FROM
THE HOLY BIBLE
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
1973, 1978, 1984, 2011
BY BIBLICA, INC.]
DEAR FOLLOWERS
OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS
CHRIST:
OUR READINGS FOR THIS
MORNING'S SERVICE,
I THINK ARE READINGS THAT ARE
TRULY FAMILIAR TO US.
WE KNOW THAT ACCOUNT
OF GOD PROVIDING QUAIL AND
MANNA TO HIS CHILDREN
AS THEY TRAVELED THROUGH THE
DESERT
ON THEIR WAY TO THE PROMISED
LAND. WE KNOW
THOSE WORDS OF JESUS SAYING:
I AM
THE BREAD OF LIFE.
BUT THERE'S A FLAVOR IN ALL OF
THESE LESSONS
THAT I THINK STANDS OUT IN OUR
MODERN
CURRENT HEARING.
A FLAVOR THAT REMINDS US
THAT WITH GOD IT REALLY IS NOT
JUST A MATTER OF:
THIS IS MAYBE SOMETHING YOU
SHOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO
IN THE FUTURE. OR WITH GOD
THAT:
IT'S OKAY. I, YOU KNOW, I'M
GONNA OVERLOOK THE FACT,
YOU KNOW. YOU'RE NOT REALLY
HAPPY WITH ME.
AND EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALL
RIGHT.
WE SEE HOW GOD DEALS WITH THE
PEOPLE THAT
HE HAS CALLED TO BE HIS OWN.
SAVED, WITH HIS OUTSTRETCHED
ARM,
AS SCRIPTURE TELLS US, FROM
THE EGYPTIANS
AND BROUGHT THEM OUT INTO THE
DESERT.
AND ALL THEY COULD FIND TIME
TO DO WAS COMPLAIN!
TO COMPLAIN ABOUT MOSES.
TO COMPLAIN ABOUT AARON. AND
GOD
HEARS THAT GRUMBLING. AND HE
DOESN'T IGNORE IT.
HE COMES TO THEM AND HE SAYS:
AARON AND MOSES, YOU GO TO
MY PEOPLE AND YOU TELL THEM: I
AM
THE LORD!
AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THAT
I AM THE LORD.
AND I AM GOING TO PROVIDE FOR
YOU
FOOD IN THIS WILDERNESS
WITH MY MIRACULOUS POWER.
DO YOU REMEMBER
WHAT MOSES AND AARON SAID TO
THE PEOPLE?
WHY ARE YOU GRUMBLING ABOUT
US?
WHO ARE WE?
YOU'RE GRUMBLING AGAINST GOD!
YOU HAVE
PLACED YOURSELF IN THE
ALMIGHTY
ALL-POWER ETERNAL GOD'S
PRESENCE AND NOW YOU'RE
GOING TO TELL HIM WHAT'S WRONG
THAT HE HAS DONE.
KNOW THIS. GOD HAS HEARD YOU.
AND HE IN LOVE RESPONDS
AND ANSWERS YOU
BY PROVIDING YOU WITH FOOD
THAT YOU NEED.
BUT BE CAREFUL HOW YOU USE IT.
DON'T GET GREEDY. TAKE ENOUGH
FOR THE DAY.
TAKE TWICE AS MUCH ON THE
SIXTH DAY.
BECAUSE THE LORD HAS PROVIDED
THAT.
THE PEOPLE WENT OUT AND
SAW THAT DEW ON THE GROUND.
THEY SAW THE GLORY OF THE
LORD IN THEIR PRESENCE.
AND WHEN THE DEW DRIED UP,
THERE WERE THOSE
LITTLE FLAKES AND THEY ASKED
EACH OTHER: WHAT IS IT?
AND MOSES SAID:
THE FOOD OF THE LORD.
GATHER IT IN. AN OMER PER
PERSON.
SOME GATHERED IN A LOT.
SOME GATHERED IN A LITTLE AND
WE'RE TOLD THAT
IT ALL WORKED OUT. BUT THEY
WEREN'T TO KEEP ANY
FOR THE NEXT DAY.
BUT YET SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T
TRUST THE LORD.
SO WHAT DID THEY WAKE UP TO IN
THE NICE LITTLE HOARD OF FOOD
THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE
GONNA KEEP FOR THEMSELVES?
A PILE OF MAGGOTS
AND STENCH!
IT'S IMPORTANT TO OBEY THE
LORD.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO HONESTLY
UNDERSTAND
WHAT'S GOING ON. JESUS WAS
THAT HONEST
WITH THOSE PEOPLE WHO SAW HIM
PROVIDE THAT
MIRACULOUS FOOD FOR THEM FROM
A FEW LOAVES OF BREAD
AND SOME FISH. AND THEY CAME
AFTER HIM
BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BE FED.
THEY WANTED TO BE WITH HIM
BECAUSE
OF WHAT HE COULD DO.
AND JESUS SAID TO THEM: IT'S
NOT ABOUT WHAT I
CAN DO. IT'S ABOUT WHO I AM!
AND WHY I HAVE COME TO YOU.
AND I KNOW WHY YOU'RE HERE.
AND YES,
THEY WANTED TO DO THE WORK FOR
THE LORD - THEY ASKED THAT OF
CHRIST, AND WHAT DID HE SAY?
BELIEVE IN ME
IS THE WORK OF THE LORD!
BELIEVE IN ME! BECAUSE HE
SAID:
I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE! I AM
THE ONE WHO
SATISFIES ALL OF YOUR NEEDS.
NOT JUST PHYSICAL NEEDS. BUT I
AM THE ONE WHO
SATISFIES YOUR LONGING AND
YEARNING IN YOUR HEART.
THOSE ARE HONEST WORDS.
TODAY PEOPLE MIGHT SAY HARSH.
OR EVEN THE WORDS THAT THE
APOSTLE PAUL
WROTE TO THE EPHESIANS.
I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING.
AND I AM GOING TO
INSIST ON IT.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS
WISHY-WASHY.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU
CAN TAKE
OR NOT TAKE. THAT YOU CAN PUT
INTO PRACTICE OR NOT PUT INTO
PRACTICE.
I INSIST ON THIS: THAT YOU
NO LONGER LIVE IN YOUR FORMER
WAY OF LIFE.
THAT YOU DO NOT LIVE IN
THE FUTILITY OF THOSE WHO DO
NOT HAVE FAITH.
LIVE IN CHRIST!
DON'T BE IGNORANT.
BE MADE NEW IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
THEY'RE SIMPLE WORDS TO US
AND WORDS THAT WE HEAR
BUT WORDS THAT WE CONSANTLY
NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES OF
BECAUSE OF OUR VERY HUMAN
NATURE.
OUR VERY HUMAN NATURE IS THAT
WE LIKE TO BE
IGNORANT. WE DON'T LIKE TO
HEAR THE LAW
COME DOWN ON US. WE DON'T LIKE
TO HEAR THE FACT THAT GOD
IS NOT PLEASED WHEN WE DO NOT
ACT IN ACCORD WITH HIS WILL.
WHEN WE'RE LIKE THOSE PEOPLE
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
WHO DIDN'T TRUST GOD ENOUGH
BUT HAD TO HOARD FOOD BECAUSE
THEY THOUGHT THEY WEREN'T
GONNA GET ANYTHING TOMORROW.
OR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ALL THEY
COULD DO WAS GRUMBLE AND
COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SERVANTS
THAT GOD HAD APPOINTED TO
THEM. OR THAT WE RUN TO GOD
LIKE THE PEOPLE
RAN TO JESUS BECAUSE WE WANT
HIM
TO TAKE CARE OF OUR LIFE HERE
AND MAKE IT
EASY FOR OUR PHYSICAL NEEDS.
BUT WE DON'T TURN TO GOD AND
REALIZE THAT
HE IS: 'THE BREAD OF LIFE'!
WHO HAS SAVED US.
WHO HAS COME IN TO OUR
HELPLESS DARKENED LIVES WITH
HIS LIGHT.
TO SHOW US THE TRUTH. TO SHOW
US THE WAY.
TO POINT TO HIMSELF AS THE ONE
WHO TAKES AWAY
ALL OF OUR SIN! THAT'S WHAT
WE LEARN OF CHRIST.
THAT'S WHAT THE SCRIPTURES ARE
FILLED WITH.
THAT HE IS THE ONE WHO SAVES
US FROM OUR SINS.
THAT GOD FORGIVES US OUR SINS
THROUGH CHRIST.
THAT HE IS THE ONE WHO SAVES
US FROM CONDEMNATION
OF DEATH ETERNALLY AND GIVES
US
LIFE IN HEAVEN. THAT HE IS THE
ONE WHO HAS
DEFEATED THE DEVIL AND IS ON
OUR SIDE
IN THAT STRUGGLE. IN THAT
STRUGGLE
TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. AND THAT
STRUGGLE
IS A PART OF OUR DAILY LIFE
AS LONG AS WE AS CHRISTIANS
TAKE BREATH IN THIS WORLD.
WE NEED TO KNOW THAT.
AND BE AWARE OF THAT.
BECAUSE WHEN WE BECOME
IGNORANT OF THAT
WE LOSE OUR SENSITIVITY.
AND THE WORLD WANTS TO
BEAT US DOWN SO THAT WE DON'T
HAVE
A SENSITIVITY ANYMORE.
THAT WE DON'T STRUGGLE. THAT
WE DON'T FIGHT
TO PRESERVE WHAT GOD'S WILL IS
IN OUR LIFE.
DO WHAT YOU WANT
IS WHAT THE WORLD SAYS.
BUT WE AS CHRISTIANS SOMETIMES
JUST LOOK AT WHAT GOES ON
AND WE THINK HOW CAN THIS BE?
AND THE APOSTLE PAUL TELLS US:
VERY EASILY ...
BECAUSE THEIR HEARTS HAVE BEEN
HARDENED.
THEIR HEARTS HAVE BEEN
HARDENED AGAINST GOD,
AGAINST HIS WILL, AGAINST HIS
WORD.
AND WITHOUT GOD, THE ONLY
THING THAT MATTERS IS ME
AND MY FEELINGS AND MY
THOUGHTS
AND WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY.
AND IT'S AN EMPTY LIFE
THAT ENDS IN ETERNAL DEATH.
OUTSIDE OF THE GRACE
OF GOD.
BUT GOD HAS COME TO EACH OF
US.
CALLED US BY THAT GOSPEL
TO BELIEVE AND TRUST IN JESUS
CHRIST
HIS SON. THAT WE HAVE FAITH
THAT KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS
THE STRUGGLE. I MEAN
THE APOSTLE PAUL HIMSELF PUT
IT VERY CLEARLY
IN THE ROMANS: THE GOOD THAT
WE WANT TO DO
THAT WE DON'T DO. WE KNOW THE
GOOD THAT GOD WANTS
US TO DO, BUT WE DON'T DO IT.
WE ALSO KNOW
WHAT GOD DOESN'T WANT US TO
DO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE
KEEP DOING. IT'S A REMINDER TO
US
THAT OUR SINFUL NATURE IS
STILL WITH US.
STILL WANTING US NOT TO LISTEN
TO GOD.
NOT TO DO HIS WILL. TO DO
EVERYTHING
AGAINST HIM. BUT PAUL
ENCOURAGED THE EPHESIANS
AND HE ENCOURAGES US TO LIVE
IN CHRIST.
STOP THINKING LIKE
THE WORLD. STOP THINKING LIKE
THE UNBELIEVERS BECAUSE YOU
ARE NOT THEM.
YOU ARE DIFFERENT.
YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED OUT OF
THE WORLD TO BE
THE CHILDREN OF GOD. LIVE IN
CHRIST. IMITATE HIM.
FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE. PUT THAT
INTO PRACTICE IN YOUR LIFE
AND TRUST IN HIM.
TRUST IN HIM AS YOUR LORD AND
SAVIOR.
TRUST IN HIM THAT HE WILL BE
WITH YOU.
TRUST IN HIM THAT HE WILL
PROTECT YOU.
TRUST IN HIM THAT HE IS ACTIVE
IN YOUR DAILY LIFE.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN MADE NEW
IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF
CHRIST. THAT OLD
SELF THAT WAS SUCH A PART OF
YOU, THAT SINFUL NATURE,
WAS DROWNED IN THE WATERS OF
YOUR BAPTISM.
HELD UNDER WATER UNTIL
IT WAS DEAD.
AND THROUGH CHRIST, WE ARE
DEAD TO SIN.
AND EACH AND EVERY DAY, WE ARE
ALLOWED BY CHRIST'S GRACE
TO PUT ON HIS ROBE OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
TO LIVE IN THAT GRACE. TO LIVE
IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE
THE VICTORS
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND WHAT
HE HAS DONE.
TO GET UP EACH MORNING WITH A
RENEWED ZEAL AND
A RENEWED LOVE OF GOD. TO PRAY
TO HIM
FOR THE STRENGTH TO GET
THROUGH THE DAY
LIVING FOR CHRIST. SHOWING OUR
FAITH.
FOLLOWING THAT WILL OF GOD TO
MAKE US AWARE
OF WHAT'S GOING ON; TO THINK
ABOUT
WHAT WE'RE DOING.
TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE
SAYING.
TO STOP IN OUR LIFE
AND ASK OURSELVES: HOW DO I
SHOW
THAT I AM A CHILD OF GOD?
INSTEAD OF LETTING THAT BASE
NATURE IN US COME OUT AND
WE JUST GET ANGRY. OR WE JUST
EXPLODE. OR WE JUST DO
NOTHING.
WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS GIFT.
WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS GIFT.
IT IS THE GIFT OF OUR FAITH.
AND IT IS ONE THAT WE NEED TO
KEENLY BE AWARE OF.
IT MATTERS IN OUR DAILY LIFE.
TO DO THE WORK OF GOD IS TO
BELIEVE IN HIM.
TO TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST
AS THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE.
AS THE ONE WHO HAS SAVED YOU.
AND YOU SHOW
YOUR THANKS IN THAT LIFE BY
LIVING IN ACCORD
WITH HIS WILL. LIVING IN
CHRIST
AS HIS FOLLOWERS. DOING WHAT
HE SAYS.
OBEYING HIS COMMANDS. PUTTING
INTO PRACTICE
OUR FAITH.
AND I COME TO YOU TODAY WITH
HONEST WORDS.
NOT TO JUST TRY THIS. NOT TO
MAYBE
TRY IT ON MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS
AND FRIDAYS BECAUSE
THAT'S ABOUT ALL I CAN HANDLE
THIS WEEK WITH EVERYTHING ELSE
THAT'S GOING ON.
BUT AS PAUL SAYS: I INSIST ON
IT.
LIVE YOUR FAITH.
LOOK AT YOUR LIFE. WHAT ARE
YOU LIVING FOR? WHAT CONSUMES
YOUR DAY AND YOUR TIME AND
YOUR THOUGHTS?
WHAT'S NUMBER ONE IN YOUR
HEART?
THE LORD SAYS HE WANTS THAT
PLACE.
ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE.
THAT WE LOVE HIM AND FEAR
HIM AND TRUST IN HIM
ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE. AND HOW
DO WE SHOW HIM THAT WE KNOW
THAT?
WE PUT OUR TRUST IN HIM.
TO LIVE IN CHRIST.
TO STOP WITH THE FUTILITY
OF THE THINKING THAT IS AROUND
US.
TO NOT BE IGNORANT, BUT BE
SMART,
BECAUSE WE'VE ALL BEEN TAUGHT
WHAT GOD'S WORD SAYS.
WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT
WHAT GOD WANTS FROM US. HE HAS
TAKEN US
FROM OUR FORMER WAY OF LIFE
AND
GIVEN US NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.
LIVE
IN CHRIST!
AMEN.
LET US RISE.
NOW MAY THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH
GOES BEYOND ALL OF OUR
UNDERSTANDING KEEP YOUR
HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS AND
ESPECIALLY YOUR LIVES IN THE ONE TRUE FAITH UNTO LIFE
EVERLASTING. AMEN.