my name is Tim if you're visiting uh<\/p>\n
tonight you're here for the first time<\/p>\n
at Grace City my name is Tim Tim Mills<\/p>\n
I'm one of the elders here at Grace City<\/p>\n
and we're so glad that you're here and<\/p>\n
afterward we have a time of of<\/p>\n
Fellowship we have some donuts out there<\/p>\n
you may have seen the donuts and so we<\/p>\n
look forward to getting to to speak with<\/p>\n
you and get to know you more so we've<\/p>\n
been uh in a series and I'll talk about<\/p>\n
that in a few minutes but um if you want<\/p>\n
toan moan Dr Chan is going to be<\/p>\n
translating again so if you want to hear<\/p>\n
it in Tha I'll be preaching in English<\/p>\n
so if you need to hear it or want to<\/p>\n
hear<\/p>\n
it you can go get uh a transmitter and<\/p>\n
it will be translated for you and so if<\/p>\n
you want if you'd like one you can raise<\/p>\n
your hand someone will bring one to you<\/p>\n
or you can go get one<\/p>\n
now<\/p>\n
okay all<\/p>\n
right okay and I'll I'll give you all a<\/p>\n
moment to get<\/p>\n
those and then we'll make sure it's<\/p>\n
working okay<\/p>\n
so when we uh think about you know a<\/p>\n
great City here one of the main major<\/p>\n
things that um defines what we hope<\/p>\n
defines this community is that we are<\/p>\n
really centered around Jesus the songs<\/p>\n
we've sung tonight the the the passages<\/p>\n
of scripture that we've looked at I hope<\/p>\n
you see I hope you remember and that we<\/p>\n
see as We Gather here that um we are<\/p>\n
centered around and we're looking at the<\/p>\n
person and work of Jesus Christ week in<\/p>\n
week out who Jesus is what Jesus has<\/p>\n
done what Jesus is doing our desire is<\/p>\n
that everything we're about here uh and<\/p>\n
all that we do flows out of that flows<\/p>\n
out of U who Jesus is God's good work in<\/p>\n
our community and in our lives through<\/p>\n
Jesus Christ for the past few weeks<\/p>\n
we've been going through a new series on<\/p>\n
discipleship discipleship and if you're<\/p>\n
wondering you know what what does that<\/p>\n
word mean what is discipleship or what<\/p>\n
is what does it look like you know and<\/p>\n
it's really a about uh becoming more and<\/p>\n
more like<\/p>\n
Jesus discipleship is that it's becoming<\/p>\n
more and more like Jesus this is what<\/p>\n
the Christian faith the Christian faith<\/p>\n
is really all about becoming like Jesus<\/p>\n
we look in faith to Jesus as Lord over<\/p>\n
our<\/p>\n
lives and we seek to grow in him from<\/p>\n
day to day day to day growing to become<\/p>\n
Jesus the transformation of our lives in<\/p>\n
Jesus has its beginning with God it<\/p>\n
starts with God's work in<\/p>\n
us and God will bring it to its fullness<\/p>\n
right it starts with God and God does a<\/p>\n
good work in us and brings it to its<\/p>\n
fullness its<\/p>\n
maturity this is what we call gospel<\/p>\n
driven discipleship the gospel is<\/p>\n
pushing this forward the good news of<\/p>\n
who Jesus is and what Jesus has done God<\/p>\n
discipling our<\/p>\n
hearts all of this is initiated by God<\/p>\n
it's it's brought forth It's brought to<\/p>\n
FR fruition through God so the Christian<\/p>\n
a Christian is one that has been<\/p>\n
reconciled to God made right before God<\/p>\n
by God and God is faithful to build up<\/p>\n
that life we talked to we just saying<\/p>\n
build my life right but God is building<\/p>\n
our lives God builds Our Lives God is<\/p>\n
faithful to<\/p>\n
refine God is faithful to<\/p>\n
sanctify the believer in him okay I<\/p>\n
don't see the clicker up here so I'm<\/p>\n
going to need CH to help me back there<\/p>\n
I'll just let you guys know okay or<\/p>\n
maybe aan has one but anyway we'll we'll<\/p>\n
make sure we move forward through the<\/p>\n
slides as well um in the book of Hebrews<\/p>\n
and you can go to the next slide for me<\/p>\n
uh in the book of Hebrews we read about<\/p>\n
that very idea it says uh in in Chapter<\/p>\n
12: 2 Jesus is the<\/p>\n
author and the perfector of our faith<\/p>\n
thank you aan Jesus is the<\/p>\n
our good and what that's that's great<\/p>\n
news that our good Creator is faithful<\/p>\n
to work in our hearts in our lives<\/p>\n
making us more and more like<\/p>\n
him and in 2 Corinthians we also read<\/p>\n
and we just talked about this in our in<\/p>\n
our confession and Assurance of our<\/p>\n
forgiveness in Christ is that if anyone<\/p>\n
is in<\/p>\n
Christ he is a new creation that person<\/p>\n
is a new creation<\/p>\n
and it says the text says the old has<\/p>\n
passed away it's gone and<\/p>\n
behold behold the new has come the new<\/p>\n
has come so there's new life and that<\/p>\n
new<\/p>\n
life is in Christ and is a new creation<\/p>\n
in Jesus this is what the gospel is all<\/p>\n
about and for the first uh two weeks of<\/p>\n
this current series on discipleship<\/p>\n
talking about gospel s uh gospel driven<\/p>\n
discipleship for the first two weeks<\/p>\n
we've talked about that very idea that<\/p>\n
process uh in a couple of themes so far<\/p>\n
embracing the gospel all right we've<\/p>\n
talked about it through two themes thus<\/p>\n
far embracing the gospel so<\/p>\n
kuniran led us through passages in the<\/p>\n
scriptures talking about that idea of<\/p>\n
being<\/p>\n
embraced uh by the truth of who God is<\/p>\n
okay and uh believing coming to believe<\/p>\n
the truth of the Gospel being enveloped<\/p>\n
by it if you will embraced by it by the<\/p>\n
goodness of God and then living out that<\/p>\n
reality living out that reality of our<\/p>\n
faith as we are discipled by God we're<\/p>\n
built up transformed and also as God<\/p>\n
uses us to do that in the lives of other<\/p>\n
people helping to disciple others in the<\/p>\n
faith I on last week uh we used he used<\/p>\n
the there we go he used the analogy and<\/p>\n
we use the theme of of teaching the<\/p>\n
gospel remember he used the analogy of<\/p>\n
the Baton right being passed so thinking<\/p>\n
about how Believers have received the<\/p>\n
truth of who uh God is in the gospel and<\/p>\n
how Christians we've been instructed in<\/p>\n
and through the goodness of God and how<\/p>\n
we're led to give to teach to instruct<\/p>\n
others as we pass that baton right we<\/p>\n
pass that on to other people and so that<\/p>\n
was the analogy used last uh week as a<\/p>\n
visual right to help us think about that<\/p>\n
in a relay race and tonight we turn<\/p>\n
to displaying the gospel I think it<\/p>\n
takes three time I press it three times<\/p>\n
and it goes forward displaying the<\/p>\n
gospel displaying the<\/p>\n
gospel when we think about u a<\/p>\n
television screen or we have a screen<\/p>\n
here a projector screen or we think<\/p>\n
about a computer monitor you know those<\/p>\n
digital devices they are simply designed<\/p>\n
to reveal<\/p>\n
to show to display the internal content<\/p>\n
of that<\/p>\n
unit the screen shows the programming it<\/p>\n
shows uh you know what's inside what you<\/p>\n
know the the programming of the signal<\/p>\n
that's coming in the monitor projects<\/p>\n
the content the software the programs<\/p>\n
the applications within that system<\/p>\n
right you can see where I'm going with<\/p>\n
this so as our lives are rooted in who<\/p>\n
Jesus is rooted in Jesus the desire is<\/p>\n
that our lives like how we live how we<\/p>\n
move how we go through uh the lives<\/p>\n
we've been given that through the power<\/p>\n
and the work of God our lives will<\/p>\n
display the gospel we will display who<\/p>\n
Jesus is you know we would do well to<\/p>\n
ask ourselves do others see the grace<\/p>\n
and power of God at work within my life<\/p>\n
or do they even see the grace and power<\/p>\n
of God in in my life do others see<\/p>\n
that let me pray for us let's pray<\/p>\n
together as we look at the scriptures<\/p>\n
today specifically Ephesians chapter 4<\/p>\n
let's pray before we<\/p>\n
begin God we thank you for your word the<\/p>\n
Bible we ask that you would open our<\/p>\n
hearts our minds as we read today even a<\/p>\n
passage perhaps that some of us have<\/p>\n
read many times or are familiar with<\/p>\n
help us to see what you would have us to<\/p>\n
know today and that you would we pray<\/p>\n
that you would lead us that you would<\/p>\n
grow us challenge us to be more like<\/p>\n
your son Jesus Christ and we do pray<\/p>\n
this in the name of Jesus<\/p>\n
Amen I'm going to read Ephesians 4 we<\/p>\n
have it in its<\/p>\n
entirety<\/p>\n
and I'll read it in English and then<\/p>\n
it's In tha and then as we're going<\/p>\n
through the text tonight it will be on<\/p>\n
the screen for us this is the word of<\/p>\n
God Ephesians chapter<\/p>\n
4 I therefore a prisoner for the Lord<\/p>\n
urge you to walk in a manner worthy of<\/p>\n
the calling to which you have been<\/p>\n
called with all humility and gentleness<\/p>\n
with patience bearing with one another<\/p>\n
in love eager to maintain the unity of<\/p>\n
the spirit in the bond of Peace there is<\/p>\n
one body and one Spirit just as you were<\/p>\n
called to the one hope that belongs to<\/p>\n
your call one Lord One Faith one baptism<\/p>\n
one God and Father of all who is over<\/p>\n
all and through all and in all but Grace<\/p>\n
was given to each one of us according to<\/p>\n
the measure of Christ's gift therefore<\/p>\n
it says when he ascended on high he led<\/p>\n
a host of captives and he gave gifts to<\/p>\n
men in saying he ascended what does it<\/p>\n
mean but that he also descended into the<\/p>\n
lower regions the Earth<\/p>\n
he who descended is the one who also<\/p>\n
ascended far above all the heavens that<\/p>\n
he might fill all<\/p>\n
things and he gave the apostles the<\/p>\n
prophets the evangelists the Shepherds<\/p>\n
the teachers to equip the Saints for the<\/p>\n
work of Ministry for building up the<\/p>\n
body of Christ until we all attain to<\/p>\n
the unity of the faith and of the<\/p>\n
knowledge of the Son of God to mature<\/p>\n
man Ood to the measure of the stature of<\/p>\n
the fullness of Christ so that we may no<\/p>\n
longer be children tossed to and fro by<\/p>\n
the waves and carried about by every<\/p>\n
wind of Doctrine by human cunning by<\/p>\n
craftiness and deceitful<\/p>\n
schemes<\/p>\n
rather speaking the truth in love we are<\/p>\n
to grow up in every way into him who is<\/p>\n
the head into Christ from whom the whole<\/p>\n
body joined and held together by every<\/p>\n
joint with which it is equipped when<\/p>\n
each part is working properly makes the<\/p>\n
body to grow so that it builds itself up<\/p>\n
in<\/p>\n
love now this I say and testify in the<\/p>\n
Lord that you know must must no longer<\/p>\n
walk as the Gentiles do in the futility<\/p>\n
of their minds they are darkened in<\/p>\n
their understanding alienated from the<\/p>\n
life of God because of the ignorance<\/p>\n
that is in them due to the hardness<\/p>\n
of heart they have become callous and<\/p>\n
have given themselves up to sensuality<\/p>\n
greedy to practice every kind of<\/p>\n
impurity but that is not the way you<\/p>\n
learn Christ assuming that you have<\/p>\n
heard about him and were taught in him<\/p>\n
as the truth is in Jesus to put off your<\/p>\n
old self which belongs to your former<\/p>\n
manner of life and is corrupt through<\/p>\n
deceitful desires and to be<\/p>\n
renewed in the spirit of your minds<\/p>\n
and to put on the new self created after<\/p>\n
the likeness of God and true<\/p>\n
righteousness and<\/p>\n
Holiness<\/p>\n
therefore having put away falsehood Let<\/p>\n
each one of you speak the truth with his<\/p>\n
neighbor for we are members of one<\/p>\n
another be angry and do not sin do not<\/p>\n
let the sun go down on your anger and<\/p>\n
give no opportunity to the devil<\/p>\n
devil let the thief no longer steal but<\/p>\n
rather let him labor doing honest work<\/p>\n
with his own hands so that he may have<\/p>\n
something to share with anyone in need<\/p>\n
let no corrupting talk come out of your<\/p>\n
mouths but only such as is good for<\/p>\n
building up as fits the<\/p>\n
occasion that it may give Grace to those<\/p>\n
who hear and do not grieve the holy<\/p>\n
spirit of God by whom you were sealed<\/p>\n
for the day of redemption<\/p>\n
let all bitterness and wrath and anger<\/p>\n
and clamor and slander be put away from<\/p>\n
you along with all malice be kind to one<\/p>\n
another tenderhearted forgiving one<\/p>\n
another as God in Christ forgave you<\/p>\n
this is the word of<\/p>\n
God have you ever<\/p>\n
had the experience of meeting a new<\/p>\n
family you meet the parents and you meet<\/p>\n
the children and you think when you see<\/p>\n
the kids you think wow these kids look a<\/p>\n
lot like or sometimes they look exactly<\/p>\n
like their parents their features you<\/p>\n
get to know them more like even their<\/p>\n
mannerisms the way they speak you think<\/p>\n
wow they're just like their parents you<\/p>\n
know there are some idioms or some<\/p>\n
sayings in English that describe this<\/p>\n
very thing we say say something like the<\/p>\n
Apple doesn't fall from the tree you<\/p>\n
know far far doesn't fall far from the<\/p>\n
tree let me say that again the apple<\/p>\n
doesn't fall far from the tree meaning<\/p>\n
like wow it's you know so much I mean<\/p>\n
there's the Apple there's the tree man<\/p>\n
that child is just like their parents or<\/p>\n
there's another one we say that uh we<\/p>\n
say they're a chip off the old block you<\/p>\n
know it's kind of an older one chip off<\/p>\n
the old block means they're you know<\/p>\n
just like their parents they're just<\/p>\n
like their parents<\/p>\n
they<\/p>\n
display right the children display all<\/p>\n
that their parents are in the very same<\/p>\n
way this text and and the truth of the<\/p>\n
Gospel says that God has called us<\/p>\n
called us and God enables us to<\/p>\n
display the gospel or who God is and<\/p>\n
what God has done in our very<\/p>\n
lives in our very lives God gives us<\/p>\n
faith God leads us in growing to be more<\/p>\n
and more like Jesus our lives remember<\/p>\n
rooted like a tree rooted in the faith<\/p>\n
of God in God and then by God's power<\/p>\n
and goodness at work within us<\/p>\n
displaying the characteristics of Jesus<\/p>\n
more and more this is the work of God in<\/p>\n
us this is the work of God in us Paul's<\/p>\n
writing to Christians in Ephesus writing<\/p>\n
to the church he's teaching them<\/p>\n
reminding ing them of what the<\/p>\n
outworking of our faith looks like right<\/p>\n
so Paul's writing to new Christians and<\/p>\n
then we who claim Christ we can be<\/p>\n
learning from this text all these years<\/p>\n
later and even those that do not yet<\/p>\n
know who Christ is do not yet call him<\/p>\n
Lord and Savior we can look at the truth<\/p>\n
of who God is here revealing himself to<\/p>\n
us of what it looks like the displaying<\/p>\n
of our faith that God<\/p>\n
does you've been called Paul writes he<\/p>\n
uses that word that very word a few<\/p>\n
times you've been brought into the<\/p>\n
family of God and your lives are now<\/p>\n
evidence of God's work in and through<\/p>\n
you we've been brought into fellowship<\/p>\n
with god with one another not only that<\/p>\n
but God has graciously given Believers<\/p>\n
gifts abilities roles to be used for the<\/p>\n
edification and for the care of others<\/p>\n
in the church Paul's writing about but<\/p>\n
then we also will talk about how that<\/p>\n
spills out into the<\/p>\n
community as we continue to look through<\/p>\n
the<\/p>\n
text I'm going to get this there we<\/p>\n
go we see Paul describing this process<\/p>\n
of discipleship of God equipping and<\/p>\n
building up the body in and through him<\/p>\n
verse 11 he says he gave the apostles<\/p>\n
prophets evangelists the Shepherds and<\/p>\n
teachers to equip equip the Saints for<\/p>\n
the work of Ministry for the building up<\/p>\n
of the body of Christ you see that<\/p>\n
beautiful provision of God here do you<\/p>\n
see do you see that God brings us into<\/p>\n
community in him and then he gives us<\/p>\n
each a role to help care for one another<\/p>\n
in that Community you see that God<\/p>\n
brings us into community and then he<\/p>\n
gives us a role to build up the<\/p>\n
community it's really a beautiful a<\/p>\n
beautiful thing that God has done in his<\/p>\n
is doing we<\/p>\n
need we need one another take a moment<\/p>\n
Grace City and look just look around the<\/p>\n
room real quick you might see someone<\/p>\n
you connect with them you smile you see<\/p>\n
them just take a moment if you're up<\/p>\n
front here maybe you need to turn around<\/p>\n
and look behind you just look across the<\/p>\n
room just kind of gaze across the room I<\/p>\n
see some smiling which is great means we<\/p>\n
love each<\/p>\n
other we need each<\/p>\n
other we need each other<\/p>\n
we're bound together in our faith God<\/p>\n
has given us the role to care for one<\/p>\n
another to display the gospel to live<\/p>\n
out the gospel in<\/p>\n
community and this care is a<\/p>\n
vital vital<\/p>\n
importance Paul unfolds this for us it's<\/p>\n
about building up the body it's about<\/p>\n
preserving unity and growing and<\/p>\n
maturing in our knowledge of God this is<\/p>\n
discipleship<\/p>\n
this is the body growing to become more<\/p>\n
and more like Christ displaying the<\/p>\n
inworking of God and seeing it displayed<\/p>\n
in our<\/p>\n
community of great importance is the<\/p>\n
teaching Paul writes of sound doctrine<\/p>\n
of course Paul's here writing sound<\/p>\n
Doctrine right to the church in Ephesus<\/p>\n
and then we also receiving that now<\/p>\n
thousands of years<\/p>\n
later being rooted firmly in the truth<\/p>\n
of who God is what God is has done<\/p>\n
helping to protect the church from<\/p>\n
unsound teaching from falsehood right<\/p>\n
from from any deviation from the truth<\/p>\n
and then here's a major indicator also<\/p>\n
of the primary way the gospel is<\/p>\n
displayed in our lives Paul's writing he<\/p>\n
says we're going to be a people that are<\/p>\n
marked by truth and love next slide<\/p>\n
please Nan or Chan who whoever thank you<\/p>\n
he says we're going to be marked a<\/p>\n
primary indicator of the church is going<\/p>\n
to be we're going to be marked by truth<\/p>\n
and love when we talk about this a good<\/p>\n
deal at Grace City because it's that<\/p>\n
important Truth and Love they go hand in<\/p>\n
hand they go together they must be<\/p>\n
linked together Pastor Tim Keller has a<\/p>\n
quote uh he I think he just actually it<\/p>\n
was part of one of his sermons at one<\/p>\n
point he said this then and we'll talk<\/p>\n
about it truth without love<\/p>\n
is imperious<\/p>\n
self-righteousness love without truth is<\/p>\n
cowardly self-indulgence now what does<\/p>\n
he mean by that and what does the text<\/p>\n
kind of help us point<\/p>\n
to we may speak truth into the lives of<\/p>\n
others we may display the truth of God<\/p>\n
lives but if it's not coming from a<\/p>\n
place of love and it's not uh you know<\/p>\n
and care for the other person and not<\/p>\n
rooted in love then we're really just<\/p>\n
crushing them crushing them with the law<\/p>\n
of God without the grace and love of<\/p>\n
God crushing<\/p>\n
people on the other hand if we're not<\/p>\n
willing to do the hard work of<\/p>\n
admonishing someone of speaking a truth<\/p>\n
that may be painful for them to hear and<\/p>\n
maybe even painful for us to share if<\/p>\n
we're not coming alongside someone and<\/p>\n
that may be caught up in in sin because<\/p>\n
we don't want to harm them we don't want<\/p>\n
to hurt them then we're not really truly<\/p>\n
loving them right we're not really truly<\/p>\n
loving them so Truth and Love must be<\/p>\n
bound together they must go together<\/p>\n
Paul writes we cannot do without either<\/p>\n
one of those together and this is what<\/p>\n
leads to maturity this is what leads to<\/p>\n
growth in Christ we grow up in every way<\/p>\n
into him who is the head the text says<\/p>\n
into Christ into Jesus Christ as the<\/p>\n
gospel Works in our hearts this is the<\/p>\n
essence this is exactly what<\/p>\n
discipleship is all about each part and<\/p>\n
this is fascinating the text says<\/p>\n
working properly you see that each part<\/p>\n
working properly so this is so important<\/p>\n
each part working properly this is what<\/p>\n
makes the body grow this is what makes<\/p>\n
the body grow this is the right<\/p>\n
functioning of the body displaying the<\/p>\n
gospel living out the gospel in word and<\/p>\n
in deed in what we say in what we do and<\/p>\n
how we live out the gospel with one<\/p>\n
another the body building up the body in<\/p>\n
love it's<\/p>\n
beautiful we've talked a little bit<\/p>\n
tonight about New Life the text goes on<\/p>\n
to speak about<\/p>\n
that Paul is detailing what it<\/p>\n
practically means for the Christian to<\/p>\n
display the gospel we're called to live<\/p>\n
the new life we've been given not to<\/p>\n
walk in the old ways Paul writes but to<\/p>\n
put off our old selves and live out the<\/p>\n
new life that has been created in us<\/p>\n
we're no longer like our old selves I<\/p>\n
mean that's what the text is saying<\/p>\n
there there are things that were a part<\/p>\n
of your life life and they're and<\/p>\n
they're no longer part of your<\/p>\n
life Paul says we're not to to live as<\/p>\n
though we're alienated because you're<\/p>\n
not you're not alienated from<\/p>\n
God you are<\/p>\n
united to God you are you are bound to<\/p>\n
Jesus so live unto him live in him let<\/p>\n
your life display this new life that<\/p>\n
you've been given right this new life<\/p>\n
that's been created in you<\/p>\n
verse 24 says a new a new self created<\/p>\n
after the<\/p>\n
likeness of<\/p>\n
God after the likeness of God in true<\/p>\n
Holiness Paul uses an app descriptor<\/p>\n
here he's using language that's helping<\/p>\n
us get around get our minds around this<\/p>\n
he implores us to put<\/p>\n
on the new self is the phrase that he<\/p>\n
uses which has been created after<\/p>\n
likeness of God and truth and true<\/p>\n
Holiness God created<\/p>\n
humankind In His Image Genesis unfolds<\/p>\n
and<\/p>\n
teaches we all bear the image of God<\/p>\n
everyone you see this week in the city<\/p>\n
an image bearer of<\/p>\n
God bearing the image of God and what<\/p>\n
happens is our sin comes and it<\/p>\n
Mars it Mars is our Vis our<\/p>\n
image but God through his saving work<\/p>\n
brings restoration God rebuilds he<\/p>\n
restores he brings<\/p>\n
renewal and when we turn in faith to<\/p>\n
Jesus we put<\/p>\n
on Christ we put on Christ we are<\/p>\n
clothed with<\/p>\n
Christ that's the language that Paul is<\/p>\n
using this is the work of God in the<\/p>\n
life of the believer to display God's<\/p>\n
grace and transformative power in our<\/p>\n
lives over our lives and to<\/p>\n
others it's<\/p>\n
amazing Paul<\/p>\n
continues in this<\/p>\n
theme he gets very practical he says<\/p>\n
okay what does this look like you want<\/p>\n
to know what this looks like here's what<\/p>\n
it looks<\/p>\n
like you're going to put away<\/p>\n
falsehood you're going to be about truth<\/p>\n
not<\/p>\n
lies you're going to speak the truth<\/p>\n
with others you're going to be<\/p>\n
angry it's an emotion you're going to be<\/p>\n
angry but be angry and don't<\/p>\n
sin what does it mean to do that well we<\/p>\n
need God to do that help us in that<\/p>\n
what's an example of being angry about<\/p>\n
something but not sinning well being<\/p>\n
angry about things that are awful<\/p>\n
Injustice think about something that is<\/p>\n
unjust and we should be angry about that<\/p>\n
but then through the power of God we're<\/p>\n
going to be able to be angry and yet not<\/p>\n
sin that takes Jesus at work in us right<\/p>\n
to do<\/p>\n
that you'll be a<\/p>\n
person of of good work not not<\/p>\n
stealing not being a thief but you're<\/p>\n
going to have integrity you're going to<\/p>\n
want to honor God in your work and then<\/p>\n
therefore honor your employer and your<\/p>\n
colleagues and that's going to lead to<\/p>\n
having the opportunity to be<\/p>\n
generous to be generous with others<\/p>\n
you'll be a person of careful words look<\/p>\n
at verse 26 29 rather not bringing harm<\/p>\n
to<\/p>\n
others but instead seeking to<\/p>\n
encourage seeking to build<\/p>\n
up in fact giving Grace it says through<\/p>\n
our words being able to give the grace<\/p>\n
of God to others through what we say how<\/p>\n
beautiful how beautiful is that being<\/p>\n
able to do that in the lives of others<\/p>\n
verse 30 says not grieving the holy<\/p>\n
spirit of God we're going to be a people<\/p>\n
that take care to put behind us<\/p>\n
bitterness and wrath and anger and<\/p>\n
slander harsh words about others putting<\/p>\n
all that behind us because it's not of<\/p>\n
God and instead being transformed allow<\/p>\n
o ourselves to be transformed by our<\/p>\n
savior to be more and more like him<\/p>\n
discipleship being discipled by<\/p>\n
Christ being a people marked and the<\/p>\n
text ends this way being a people marked<\/p>\n
by<\/p>\n
kindness do people say that we're<\/p>\n
kind by love<\/p>\n
forgiveness just like God has done<\/p>\n
through Christ<\/p>\n
Jesus how he's forgiven us in Christ<\/p>\n
Jesus do other people see our lives like<\/p>\n
that if we claim Jesus Christ as Lord<\/p>\n
and Savior do others see Jesus in us<\/p>\n
that's the question<\/p>\n
if the text calls for us to put on the<\/p>\n
new self to put on Christ are others<\/p>\n
seeing Jesus Christ in us are they<\/p>\n
seeing the outworking of the<\/p>\n
Gospel you can see how this has<\/p>\n
ramifications in the church and to those<\/p>\n
who are yet to come and believe yet to<\/p>\n
come to the table we want them to come<\/p>\n
to the<\/p>\n
table some years ago I was still when we<\/p>\n
still lived in the US um we have have<\/p>\n
traffic there<\/p>\n
too and so you have a lot of time to<\/p>\n
read the stickers on cars in front of<\/p>\n
you bumper stickers we call<\/p>\n
them and I remember seeing one and it<\/p>\n
said<\/p>\n
this it said<\/p>\n
Jesus please save me from your<\/p>\n
followers and I laugh too like you did<\/p>\n
but I also thought wow how sad too right<\/p>\n
how sad but probably honest<\/p>\n
and I I thought you know if I could sit<\/p>\n
with that driver and say hey let's get<\/p>\n
coffee and I could ask them like tell me<\/p>\n
about that and why you have that sticker<\/p>\n
on your<\/p>\n
car they could probably share some<\/p>\n
really hard things and really honest<\/p>\n
things and they could say you know maybe<\/p>\n
you know and I assume maybe they've seen<\/p>\n
truth of what Christians Proclaim but<\/p>\n
they haven't seen a lot of the love and<\/p>\n
the grace of Christians speaking into<\/p>\n
their lives that's my guess on<\/p>\n
that and so do people see Truth and Love<\/p>\n
Of Christ in US someone may disagree<\/p>\n
with the teachings of the Christian<\/p>\n
faith right many do and someone may deny<\/p>\n
Jesus as Lord and many do but it's near<\/p>\n
impossible to deny<\/p>\n
love people will not deny love someone<\/p>\n
might say of us I don't believe and this<\/p>\n
this is what we would hope right as a<\/p>\n
church as Believers as Christians we<\/p>\n
would hope they would say I don't<\/p>\n
believe what they believe but they<\/p>\n
really care for me they love<\/p>\n
me and I cannot deny that and so what<\/p>\n
happens then right is that people say<\/p>\n
well I maybe I need to<\/p>\n
consider what they<\/p>\n
believe and God sometimes uses that in<\/p>\n
the lives of people he uses sometimes he<\/p>\n
just reveals to people that you know the<\/p>\n
text says God is love and sometimes<\/p>\n
people see that directly and they cannot<\/p>\n
deny that the love of<\/p>\n
God when we think about the role of an<\/p>\n
ambassador and maybe you've maybe some<\/p>\n
of you have dreamed about that job right<\/p>\n
you get to live in different countries<\/p>\n
it's a it's a diplomatic job it seems<\/p>\n
exciting the role of an ambassador we<\/p>\n
know is you know they're not the leader<\/p>\n
of the country right they're not the<\/p>\n
leader of that country but their job is<\/p>\n
represent the leader the leadership the<\/p>\n
government whatever that country may<\/p>\n
have as its leaders in government<\/p>\n
structure and to represent the national<\/p>\n
interests of that<\/p>\n
country it's the same for followers of<\/p>\n
Jesus we represent Christ sometimes to<\/p>\n
to many people they say I you know the<\/p>\n
Christians I know are like<\/p>\n
this right do they know us as people who<\/p>\n
love and care for them the way Jesus<\/p>\n
does imperfectly Yes But as God works<\/p>\n
through US changing us transforming us<\/p>\n
do they see Jesus or think about a<\/p>\n
mirror I heard recently you know we've<\/p>\n
never actually see we can't see<\/p>\n
ourselves which is kind of weird we've<\/p>\n
never seen ourselves we've seen a<\/p>\n
reflection of ourselves that's what a<\/p>\n
mirror does a mirror is not the person a<\/p>\n
mirror is not us but it reflects the VIS<\/p>\n
it reflects the real person the<\/p>\n
appearance of the real person in the<\/p>\n
same way Christians are marked by the<\/p>\n
person and work of Jesus we're called to<\/p>\n
represent Christ to display Jesus to a<\/p>\n
watching world and we think wow how can<\/p>\n
we do that and yes we should always have<\/p>\n
that question we need to rely on God<\/p>\n
doing that work in us we're created in<\/p>\n
in the image of God we've been restored<\/p>\n
to New Life in and through Jesus and so<\/p>\n
may we reflect this new life in all we<\/p>\n
do so what do we do with all this all<\/p>\n
we've we've talked about tonight and I<\/p>\n
want you to hear this carefully because<\/p>\n
we can leave here thinking and feeling<\/p>\n
one way and I want to make sure that we<\/p>\n
don't so here's how here's what I want<\/p>\n
to end with first we need we need to<\/p>\n
acknowledge and yield to the word work<\/p>\n
of sanctification that God is doing in<\/p>\n
US sometimes it's a hard yielding but<\/p>\n
it's so good what God does in us but<\/p>\n
sometimes we're also like I yield just<\/p>\n
do a good work in me Lord God and and<\/p>\n
help me so let us ask God okay and maybe<\/p>\n
that's what you do tonight or from this<\/p>\n
today ask God and reflect on how how we<\/p>\n
are<\/p>\n
to care for the body of Christ the<\/p>\n
church that God has placed Us<\/p>\n
in you're a part of Grace if you're a<\/p>\n
member here you're you're coming here<\/p>\n
you are a part of Grace City you are<\/p>\n
part of the body that God has created in<\/p>\n
this place and time maybe you've been a<\/p>\n
part of another church in the past and<\/p>\n
you may be very well be a part of<\/p>\n
another community of Christians in the<\/p>\n
future but God has placed you us here<\/p>\n
and that question is how are we to care<\/p>\n
for this body of Christ the church that<\/p>\n
God's placed Us in right now who are we<\/p>\n
caring for and how may we grow in this<\/p>\n
okay so some things to think about and<\/p>\n
to ask God to help us know how to do<\/p>\n
that<\/p>\n
secondly let us seek after God seek<\/p>\n
after our savior seek after Jesus moment<\/p>\n
moment a word that's been coming to my<\/p>\n
mind lately a lot is like<\/p>\n
Delight<\/p>\n
Delight like are we delighting in Jesus<\/p>\n
like are you feeling the Delight of<\/p>\n
Jesus like spend time with him through<\/p>\n
prayer and the you the means of Grace<\/p>\n
Bible prayer Jesus silence like go out<\/p>\n
and just be with God and just be quiet<\/p>\n
Delight so that's something we can<\/p>\n
do let us Delight in the Lord and God<\/p>\n
and His presence in our lives to know<\/p>\n
and love Jesus is to seek<\/p>\n
Jesus and in so<\/p>\n
doing we're going to become more and<\/p>\n
more like Jesus right because we're<\/p>\n
spending time we're we're we're we're<\/p>\n
we're loving the Lord our God and we<\/p>\n
cannot help but become more like<\/p>\n
him thirdly let us be reminded that when<\/p>\n
we claim Jesus as Lord we say I'm a<\/p>\n
Christian we've taken the mantle of<\/p>\n
Christ means we've we've allowed<\/p>\n
ourselves to be<\/p>\n
clothed with Jesus we're wearing Jesus<\/p>\n
clothes okay think about that do people<\/p>\n
think about that when they see us when<\/p>\n
they look at us when they look at our<\/p>\n
lives<\/p>\n
okay and this is what I wanted to hear<\/p>\n
us to hear very carefully now we need to<\/p>\n
be careful to not hear do this do this<\/p>\n
do this do this because we can take all<\/p>\n
of these things and we can be very<\/p>\n
legalistic about them right we can leave<\/p>\n
feeling like oh I just okay I got to do<\/p>\n
this more and more I've got to do this<\/p>\n
more and more I've got to do this more<\/p>\n
and more that's where the Delight piece<\/p>\n
comes in Grace<\/p>\n
Delight in Jesus in these things he'll<\/p>\n
do these things in us so if you hear<\/p>\n
anything tonight just hear<\/p>\n
that Delight in the Lord your God<\/p>\n
Delight in Jesus and let him disciple<\/p>\n
you and then let him help you disciple<\/p>\n
others<\/p>\n
okay so don't leave here and feel like I<\/p>\n
have to try harder I have to do this<\/p>\n
friends let us instead acknowledge the<\/p>\n
good and efficacious work of Jesus in US<\/p>\n
and that he'll bring all these things<\/p>\n
about it's really amazing that's the<\/p>\n
that's the the goodness the good news of<\/p>\n
the Gospel is like believe in Jesus and<\/p>\n
relax relax and Delight in him and he<\/p>\n
will do this Paul reminds us that all<\/p>\n
this is the work of God in<\/p>\n
us we looked at Corinthians tonight<\/p>\n
we'll look at it again<\/p>\n
here and we all this is like the the<\/p>\n
trajectory of where we're headed Where<\/p>\n
We Are are and where we're headed and we<\/p>\n
all with unveiled face beholding the<\/p>\n
glory of the<\/p>\n
Lord are being transformed into the same<\/p>\n
image from one degree of Glory to<\/p>\n
another that's<\/p>\n
unbelievable for this comes from the<\/p>\n
Lord comes from the Lord who is the<\/p>\n
spirit so friends God is doing all this<\/p>\n
in us it is good is good let him do that<\/p>\n
may we yield to this good work in our<\/p>\n
hearts and our<\/p>\n
lives so these are kind of final words<\/p>\n
here we are created in the image of<\/p>\n
God when we come to faith in Christ we<\/p>\n
become children of<\/p>\n
God our lives are to reflect to display<\/p>\n
the goodness and the glory of God who<\/p>\n
has made<\/p>\n
us God is committed to this process<\/p>\n
process of transforming us to become<\/p>\n
more and more like Jesus he's<\/p>\n
faithful this process will continue<\/p>\n
throughout our current fleshly existence<\/p>\n
okay it's<\/p>\n
ongoing some of us may feel like wow<\/p>\n
we've got a long way to go well guess<\/p>\n
what God is committed to doing that in<\/p>\n
us he's committed to doing that in us<\/p>\n
and he's here with<\/p>\n
us and it will be this process process<\/p>\n
will be fully complete one day this text<\/p>\n
is talking about that when we're in the<\/p>\n
presence of<\/p>\n
Jesus you see that<\/p>\n
unveiled face no longer veiled we're<\/p>\n
with Christ and that process is<\/p>\n
done so the life of the Christian the<\/p>\n
believer it will exhibit the indwelling<\/p>\n
of the holy spirit of<\/p>\n
God when we belong to Jesus we will grow<\/p>\n
to become more and more more like him it<\/p>\n
will happen it is happening we'll<\/p>\n
display the characteristics of Jesus<\/p>\n
more and more as God works in our hearts<\/p>\n
as and as we follow him I once um this<\/p>\n
is just a final story I once attended a<\/p>\n
retreat um it was a very small gathering<\/p>\n
and actually the one of the main<\/p>\n
speakers at that retreat was a a<\/p>\n
prominent Theologian that you all may<\/p>\n
know May would you might know he's a<\/p>\n
professor he's a<\/p>\n
writer thinker very<\/p>\n
respected and I'll leave him Anon<\/p>\n
Anonymous in this telling because it was<\/p>\n
a very small gathering and I'm sure he<\/p>\n
would share this but it's his personal<\/p>\n
story and so I I think I'll leave his<\/p>\n
name out of this and but I'll share a<\/p>\n
bit of what he shared um because it it<\/p>\n
stayed with me okay it stayed with me<\/p>\n
and part of his story was that he had<\/p>\n
not grown up in a Christian home he had<\/p>\n
not grown up in a in a setting where he<\/p>\n
was seeing the Life of Christ<\/p>\n
displayed uh that wasn't part of his<\/p>\n
early childhood or his story but um he<\/p>\n
was in high school now and the woman<\/p>\n
that he eventually would marry uh he was<\/p>\n
starting to spend time with her starting<\/p>\n
to spend time around<\/p>\n
her and he said her family like welcomed<\/p>\n
me like so he was around her family he<\/p>\n
was around them and he said this and<\/p>\n
sorry I'm this is really beautiful today<\/p>\n
and so sorry I'm a little choked up<\/p>\n
about it he got choked up too actually I<\/p>\n
have that in my text he said he got<\/p>\n
choked up when he said this but he said<\/p>\n
they loved me into the<\/p>\n
family they loved me into the<\/p>\n
faith they loved<\/p>\n
me so may our lives do the<\/p>\n
same as Christ displays himself through<\/p>\n
US yield to the holy spirit of God<\/p>\n
allow the Lord to do his good work in<\/p>\n
you and so some of you you you might be<\/p>\n
here and you're like I don't you know I<\/p>\n
don't know what I think about Jesus I<\/p>\n
don't know enough yet you may have<\/p>\n
questions you may have really good<\/p>\n
questions and you might be thinking why<\/p>\n
is this guy crying a lot so that's okay<\/p>\n
um your questions are really good<\/p>\n
questions and there are people here that<\/p>\n
would love to talk to you about those<\/p>\n
hear what you have to say hear your<\/p>\n
questions and share um what the<\/p>\n
Christian faith teaches and what we<\/p>\n
believe because it's good it's really<\/p>\n
good and Jesus is good and we've sung<\/p>\n
tonight that he's the only one that<\/p>\n
knows us and can help us we've heard<\/p>\n
that from the text tonight we're<\/p>\n
probably going to sing some more songs<\/p>\n
about that tonight and we're going to<\/p>\n
sing some more about that in the future<\/p>\n
because that is the main and only<\/p>\n
message here is that Jesus is good and<\/p>\n
that he is God and that he does a work<\/p>\n
in us that is good and<\/p>\n
eternal so tonight as we think about<\/p>\n
this you know the idea of discipleship<\/p>\n
this is what this is this sermon series<\/p>\n
is focused on um what does it mean to<\/p>\n
display the gospel in our own Hearts our<\/p>\n
own lives with those around us with the<\/p>\n
church right Paul was saying with the<\/p>\n
church at Ephesus so caring for the body<\/p>\n
but then also how is the gospel being<\/p>\n
displayed in our lives to a watching<\/p>\n
world to people with bumper stickers<\/p>\n
that say yeah show me the love that<\/p>\n
chrisan talk about show me so let's do<\/p>\n
that let's do that let's pray<\/p>\n
holy God we thank you for this<\/p>\n
passage written to the church in Ephesus<\/p>\n
thousands of years ago and yet so<\/p>\n
relevant<\/p>\n
now and forever because your word is<\/p>\n
eternal and it's<\/p>\n
true so help us as we look to you the<\/p>\n
Lord Jesus may you open our<\/p>\n
eyes to any way that we may not be<\/p>\n
reflecting you displaying you and the<\/p>\n
truth of who you are would you show us<\/p>\n
that first of all and then would you<\/p>\n
lead us help us towards repentance of<\/p>\n
that and then help us enable us to walk<\/p>\n
forward in the way that you would have<\/p>\n
us to walk forward in help us to display<\/p>\n
you so those old things that Paul was<\/p>\n
writing about that aren't to be a part<\/p>\n
of our lives anymore help us to to walk<\/p>\n
away from<\/p>\n
those and to remember that we have we've<\/p>\n
been clothed with you Lord<\/p>\n
Jesus you are our good and loving King<\/p>\n
you are the one that leads us and helps<\/p>\n
us so help us to do that help us to walk<\/p>\n
in your<\/p>\n
way help<\/p>\n
us may you help us re reflect to display<\/p>\n
who you are to a hurting<\/p>\n
world would you remind us that we are<\/p>\n
yours and lead us as we go and God if<\/p>\n
there's anyone here tonight<\/p>\n
that says I don't I don't know that<\/p>\n
I first of all that maybe that I even<\/p>\n
believe in<\/p>\n
God or I've heard of Jesus but I don't<\/p>\n
know I don't know what I think or even<\/p>\n
what I I don't know anything about Jesus<\/p>\n
Lord God would you reveal yourself in<\/p>\n
your<\/p>\n
power in your<\/p>\n
truth would your love be evident to them<\/p>\n
right<\/p>\n
now would you reveal yourself Lord God<\/p>\n
and show<\/p>\n
us how we can come along side people<\/p>\n
that have questions about you would you<\/p>\n
give Faith would you give<\/p>\n
belief and maybe some of us tonight need<\/p>\n
to be reminded of these<\/p>\n
things maybe we're<\/p>\n
hurting maybe we're troubled by<\/p>\n
something that's happening in our lives<\/p>\n
right now<\/p>\n
would you help us look at whatever that<\/p>\n
is through the framework of what we've<\/p>\n
heard tonight that you care about us<\/p>\n
that you are with us that you are<\/p>\n
leading us that you are growing us<\/p>\n
transforming us and would you help us to<\/p>\n
reach out to those around us who love<\/p>\n
and care for us the church the<\/p>\n
body maybe some of us have things that<\/p>\n
we're going through then we we feel like<\/p>\n
I can't I can't talk to anybody about<\/p>\n
that I can't share that with anyone<\/p>\n
actually help them know that yes they<\/p>\n
can and they need to because the body<\/p>\n
needs to function<\/p>\n
properly we need to to care for one<\/p>\n
another we need to come alongside those<\/p>\n
who are hurting so help that person God<\/p>\n
to to talk to someone to reach out to<\/p>\n
someone to confide in them so that they<\/p>\n
can be free and walk forward in<\/p>\n
you so Lord<\/p>\n
whatever however we find ourselves<\/p>\n
tonight you're ready to meet us there<\/p>\n
and you do<\/p>\n
so we ask God that you would do that now<\/p>\n
and you would help us walk forward in<\/p>\n
you we ask and pray this in your good<\/p>\n
name Lord Jesus amen<\/p>","english_search_text":"","":"","original_publish_date":"20240522","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DsVAgQeQpF4","video_id":"DsVAgQeQpF4","video_duration":"48:45","channel_name":"Grace City Bangkok"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=418"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":419,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418\/revisions\/419"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}