June 5, 2011
Evening Service

This morning we were introduced to the fivefold ministry that God has established to operate within His Church.

 

We saw that this ministry’s purpose is for the equipping of the saints, work of the ministry, and to edify (build up) the church.

 

It will be needed until:  we all are unified in the faith and knowledge and reach maturity and the measure of the full stature of Christ.

 

Their teaching is to protect us from being tossed “to and fro” with every “new and exciting doctrine”.  It is to aid us in our growth individually and our combined growth as His Church.

 

Their goal is to create an atmosphere or environment where we worship, learn, serve, and grow together along our journey.

 

Eph 4:17-21  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should not walk from now on as other nations walk, in the vanity of their mind,  (18)  having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.  (19)  For they, being past feeling, have given themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  (20)  But you have not so learned Christ,  (21)  if indeed you have heard Him and were taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.

 

Paul gets up close and personal again with us.  He has encouraged us to add to our lives the virtues of a Christian (humility, gentleness, patience, love and peace) but is now revealing to us some worldly attributes we must subtract from our lives.

 

·         Vanity of the mind-living an empty, purposeless, unfruitful life.  Lots of activity with no results.

o   2Ti 3:2-5  For men will be self-lovers, money-lovers, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  (3)  without natural affection, unyielding, false accusers, without self-control, savage, despisers of good,  (4)  traitors, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  (5)  having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it; even turn away from these.

 

o   Are you living with purpose or just going through the motions?  Do you see fruitfulness from your activities?  Is God reflected by your life?

 

·         Darkened understanding-blind to what God has promised us and what He expects of us.

o   Rom 1:20-22  For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being realized by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse.  (21)  Because, knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, neither were thankful. But they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  (22)  Professing to be wise, they became fools

 

o   Are you seeking the light of His Word?  Do you understand His promises and commandments?

 

·         Alienated from God-separated by great distance.  This is brought on by sheer ignorance or a blatant rejection of His gift of salvation.  No true desire to know Him.

 

 

 

o   Eph 2:12  and that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

o   Eph 2:19  Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

 

o   Are you closer to God than ever before?  Is it a great desire for you to know Him and be close to Him? 

o    

·         Yielding to lust (licentiousness)-shameless with no feeling of regret.  Not even giving a second thought of what is right or wrong only to what feels good now.

 

o   Rom 1:24-25  Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.  (25)  For they changed the truth of God into a lie, and they worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

 

o   Have you allowed lust to creep into some part of your life?  When you yield and sin is there a bitter taste that only is eased by repentance or no feeling at all?

 

·         Working uncleanness- partaking in vile forms of behavior and life styles.  Not living by any standard but doing only what is pleasurable with no boundaries.

 

·         1Pe 4:3-5  For the time of life which is past is enough for us to have worked out the will of the nations, having gone on in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, parties, carousings, and abominable idolatries.  (4)  In these things they are surprised, that you are not running with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming.  (5)  But they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

 

o   Do you walk a life “worthy of your calling?”  Are there areas in your life that you have conformed to the world’s standards instead of God’s?  Is He Lord over all of your life or do you keep Him out of certain parts?

 

·         Greed-never having enough.  Never fully content always wanting just a little bit more.

 

o   Phi 4:11-13  Not that I speak according to need, for I have learned to be content in whatever state I am.  (12)  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound. In everything and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  (13)  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

o   1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is a root of all evils, of which some having lusted after, they were seduced from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

 

o   Are you living a life of contentment?  Are you living within your means financially?  Are you seeking out something with greater effort than you are seeking God?

 

These attitudes or life styles do not reflect who Christ is (verse 20).   He was perfect in every way, Holy without sin (pure and chaste).  He is the standard we should be aiming to achieve (a measure of the full stature of Christ).  In so doing we will reflect a measure of His holiness to the world.

 

 

Gal 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.