The Real Church IV - Real members make a real church

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Real Church IVReal Members make a Real Church (NV 8/15/04) Eph 4:17-5:2

OS: A You can have the greatest stadium, best workout facilities, and the finest field in the world; but, if you don’t have any players you don’t have a football team!

I.      B The only way to have a real church is to have real members!

A.   Members who are tired of playing church and refuse to do so.

B.    Members who are ready to get on with the mission of God.

C.   Members who are disciples of Jesus.

II.   Text of Ephesians

A.   Chapters 1-3 Paul has been talking about lofty ideals of the real church, and what God has done through Jesus for the church.

B.    He has brought all men together regardless of race, economic status, social status, or whatever else.

C.   He has destroyed all the barriers that could keep a church from being the real church of His intent.

D.   It’s like a race team: All is provided and perfect. The day of the race has arrived, and now it’s up to the driver. That where the text leads following 4:16.

                      1.       God has provided all that is needed in Christ for Northview to be a real church!

                      2.       We have a great congregation! Proud to be a member of Northview!

                      3.       Without God we can't; without us he won't.  It’s up to us!

III.           Today’s text: Ephesians 4:25-5:2

A.   Note that in 4:17-24 – Get your mind right!

B.    Text: Ephesians 4:25-5:2 C D E

 

PS: F Walking in Love includes thinking, talking, and working in love. Costly, sacrificial love is to become the distinguishing mark of people who belong to Jesus’ church. Because, Christ loved them and gave himself up for them as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

I.      G Real members think like Jesus. If I’m going to be a real member I’m going to think like Jesus.

A.   In order to change your life you must change your mind! (not my mind!)

                      1.       Text: That’s where Paul begins this discussion on how the people of God should live.

                      2.       H Romans 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.  2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

                      3.       : Philippians 4 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

B.    I People mistakenly assume that their thinking is done by their head; it is actually done by the heart, which first dictates the conclusion, then commands the head to provide the reasoning that will defend it.

                      1.       That is how the world thinks – That is why people in our culture believe that truth is not absolute, but it is relative.

                      2.       Don’t think like the world – think like Jesus.

                      3.       J Colossians 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

C.    K Three old men were at the doctor for a memory test. The doctor said to the first old man, "What is one plus one?" "Two hundred seventy-four," he replied.  The doctor said to the second man, "It's your turn. What is one plus one?" "Tuesday," replied the second man. The doctor said to the third man, "Okay, your turn. What's one plus one?" "Two," said the third man. "That's great!" said the doctor. "How did you get that?" "Simple," said the third man. "I subtracted 274 from Tuesday."

D.   Think like Jesus, not like the world. Allow His Word to rule.

TS] The motivating factor is always love!

II.   L Real members talk like Jesus. If I’m going to be a real member I’m going to talk like Jesus.

A.   The way you talk has a lot more to do with how your life goes than you think.

                      1.       M Proverbs 15 4 The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. 

                      2.       Proverbs 18 21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. 

B.     “Only what is useful for building others up”

                      1.       Why is Paul concerned about that? – My wellbeing and my privilege of being a part of a growing vibrant church depends largely on you. So, I want to build you up and get you going. When we all do that to one another we grow to be more as God wants us to be.

C.   N In a Reader's Digest survey of 2,624 readers, the percentage of those who said they had:

1. Misstated facts on a resume/job application: 18

2. Been undercharged/received too much change from cashier and not told them: 50 (Text? Tell the truth)

3. Lied to friends or family members about their appearance, to avoid hurting their feelings: 71 (wife, “do I look fat in this dress?” / “Its been a long time since we had a fight.”)

D.      We live in a lying culture. - Historian Joseph Ellis, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, Founding Brothers, was caught inventing a Vietnam War record for himself. So was Tim Johnson, manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. Ex-conservative writer, David Brock, admitted he'd made up sordid details about Anita Hill. Gloria Steinem's claim about the number of women who die of eating disorders—supposedly 150,000 a year—turned out to be a huge feminist hoax. James Patterson and Peter Kim, authors of The Day America Told the Truth, estimate that 91 percent of us regularly embroider the truth. "We lie and don't even think about it," Citation: Charles Colson, "Post-Truth Society," Christianity Today (3-11-02), p. 112

E.    The use of our tongue doesn’t just involve telling things that are not true, but also saying things about people when they’re not around.

                      1.       O Ecclesiastes 10 20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. 

                       2.       An elderly man had serious hearing problems for a number of years. His family tried again and again to convince him to get a hearing aid. Finally he relented. He went to the doctor and was fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed him to hear 100 percent. A month later he went back to the doctor. The doctor said with a smile, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again."  The old man replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to their conversations. I've changed my will three times!"

TS] The motivating factor is always love!

III.            P Real members work like Jesus. If I’m going to be a real member I’m going to work like Jesus.

A.   Once we get our mind right, then we begin to reveal that by the way we talk and what we say. Then, our actions are revolutionized.

                      1.       Your behavior is a reflection of what you truly believe. (how you think and what you say)

                      2.       Q Ephesians 2 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

B.    The end purpose or result of being the real church is found in “work”.

                      1.       R As I’ve said before it would be a lot easier to just not. But you won’t have it that way. You’ve got to push and shove and work toward a brighter tomorrow no matter how bright today may be. That is to be commended!

                      2.       But don’t forget! That comes from God! He has a job for this church and it’s obvious that God is ringing home to us His mission.

C.    Two preaching students were doing summer evangelistic work in a rural area near Montgomery. One hot day they stopped their car in front of a farmhouse and proceeded up the path through a gauntlet of screaming children and barking dogs. When they knocked on the screen door, the woman of the house stopped her scrubbing over a tub and washboard, brushed back her hair, wiped perspiration from her brow, and asked them what they wanted. "We would like to tell you how to obtain eternal life," one student answered. The tired homemaker hesitated for a moment and then replied, "Thank you, but I don't believe I could stand it."

D.   Earlier in this century, someone claimed that we work at our play and play at our work. Today the confusion has deepened: we worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship." —Leland Ryken, author and Wheaton College professor

TS] S Walking in Love includes thinking, talking, and working in love. Costly, sacrificial love is the distinguishing mark of people who belong to Jesus’ church. Because, Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

T Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn't really matter.

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.

Do all the good you can By all the means you can In all the ways you can In all the places you can To all the people you can As long as ever you can.

The motivating factor is always love!

You may be thinking: “I can’t do it” God can!

"Anything God has ever done, he can do now. Anything God has ever done anywhere, he can do here. Anything God has ever done for anyone, he can do for you." —A.W. Tozer

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