Sermon Tone Analysis

Communication That Promotes Peace

Introduction:

God desires for us to communicate with each other in a way that will solve problems, build relationships, and bring glory to Him.

“Communication is the process of sharing yourself verbally and non verbally in such a way that the other person can both accept and understand what you are saying.

It is the exchanging of vulnerabilities.”

~ Norman Wright

Communication lenses that can either birth peace or stir confusion:

• Words alone = What we say

• Tone of voice = How we say it

• Facial expressions, gestures and postures = non-verbal communication

1. BE REAL - Speak the truth in love.

...but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all {aspects} into Him, who is the head, {even} Christ...

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

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Paul picks up the image of putting off clothing and applies it to lying.

The sentence begins with Therefore (dio; NRSV “So then”).

This indicates the close, logical relationship between theory and practice.

The command is not merely negative, but positive.

It is not enough to cease lying; falsehood must be replaced by truth.

This is especially appropriate given the introductory statement about “the truth that is in Jesus” (v.

21).

The neighbor in this case is presumably a Christian, given the causal clause that follows, for we are all members of one body.*

It forwards Paul’s concern with the unity of the body.

Falsehood divides; truth unites.

* 4:25 The NIV’s for we are members of one body where the Greek has allēlōn mer̄e (“members of one another”) reflects an understanding that the neighbor is a believer and that it is the body of Christ that is implied.

MANY people admit that they lie but excuse those lies because they are only “little white ones.”

A little lie is like being a little pregnant, it’ll all show up after awhile.

Walter L. Liefeld, Ephesians, vol. 10, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), .

2. BE ANGRY - Deal with anger appropriately.

2

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

The translation “Be angry …” in the KJV and NRSV seem to reflect option 1 or 2. The interpretation in the paraphrase by Eugene H. Peterson is that anger is a good thing deserving of commendation: “Go ahead and be angry.

You do well to be angry …” (Peterson 1993).

This is clearly a strong form of category 1.

The Revised English Bible’s “If you are angry …” represents option 4, or possibly 3. The NIV’s In your anger seems to assume anger in the sense of 4. Actually it brings the clause into conformity with the NIV wording of its source, , “In your anger do not sin.”

The context of should yield some clue as to its use there, though the interpretation of that verse in the psalm is itself difficult.

When is seen as consisting of alternating sections, with verse 1 being the call of believers to God, verse 2 God’s call to unbelievers, verse 3 assurance to believers, verse 4–5 an exhortation to unbelievers and verses 6–7 the resolution of the believers’ perplexity through trust in God, the meaning of the troublesome clause begins to unfold.

The exhortation to unbelievers begins with an expression that could signify anger or trembling.

In either case, they should progress from their antagonism to reflection and then conversion.

If this is the sequence of thought in its original setting, Paul’s use of it could be parallel.

In the convert is to forsake falsehood and in verse 28 to forsake stealing.

Between these is the exhortation of verses 26–27 to forsake anger.

The new converts pictured in 4:17–5:2 are clearly in progress.

At their present stage they are still tempted to be angry.

Even if this happens, they should be careful not to allow that anger to fester, to last beyond nightfall and become an opportunity for the devil to use for evil.

Thus the meaning of the troublesome phrase in verse 26 would be best represented by option 3 above.

Anger (except for righteous anger, such as God’s wrath) is wrong.

It is a Christian virtue to control it, or more properly, the Spirit produces such virtues as patience ().

But even when anger gets out of control, its duration must be limited by the setting sun—practical as well as spiritual advice.

The reference to the devil (v.

27) informs us that there are various ways besides obvious direct attack in which Satan works against the Lord and his people.

In this case a strained relationship provides the occasion.

Given the emphasis in Ephesians on reconciliation and unity, this is an important fact to understand.

A MAN bragged on his marriage once and said, “In or marriage, my wife and I have decided to never go to bed angry.

We haven’t been to sleep in three weeks!”

Walter L. Liefeld, Ephesians, vol. 10, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), .

3. BE DILIGENT - Work hard on your relationships.

He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

Along with falsehood and anger, the next “case” of needed changes in the life of a new Christian is to forsake stealing.

Once again, it is not merely a negative step, avoidance of a sin, but a positive one, replacing stealing with useful work.

In this case a second positive instruction follows: to have something to share with those in need.

One could easily pass this by with a nod of agreement, but it deserves a second look for three reasons.

One is that stealing is a major problem in contemporary society; another is that financial responsibility is of immense importance to Paul; a third is that stealing is forbidden in the Ten Commandments.

One of life’s little embarrassments comes when one leaves a store and hears the theft alarm go off because some item purchased was not properly desensitized.

That momentary circumstance is minor compared with the immense amount of money lost today by stores, libraries and other businesses—to say nothing of victimized individuals—through theft.

Shoplifting has grown to immense proportions.

We in the West have grown accustomed to seeing surveillance cameras peeping at us in stores, banks and other business establishments.

One might hope that enough conversions would solve the problem, but if that were the case Paul would not have had to write this passage, for it is to those already converted that he addresses it.

Paul had a strong personal work ethic.

He wrote the Corinthians that he had the right to receive financial remuneration for his preaching but refused to do so ().

He reminded the Thessalonians that he worked day and night so as not to burden anyone ().

In part, at least, his reason for working at a craft while he was preaching was to demonstrate his genuine motives, in contrast to the greed of many wandering pagan preachers of his day.

But he also did this as “a model” for Christians to follow ().

He believed strongly that all believers should work for a living and not be idle, offering as a principle “Anyone unwilling to work should not eat” ( NRSV).

We would assume that this principle is in his mind as he writes to the Ephesians, but he is dealing with more than a refusal to work or an unhealthy dependence on other people.

While working and giving are the desired outcomes, the problem is stealing.

And that must be dealt with if the desired outcomes are to follow.

Therefore we can assume, given Paul’s reverence for the Law, that a prime reason for his command not to steal is that it is one of the Ten Commandments: “You shall not steal” ().

The Old Testament elsewhere advocates giving to those in need, especially in the year for canceling debts ().

And Paul encouraged such giving so that “there might be equality” ().

Both the negative and the positive aspects of this verse are therefore important: give up stealing; work with your hands; give to those who have need.

BECAUSE of all of the laws regarding food safety, you can’t take food allotted to be served on any given day and distribute what is unused.

A friend of mine owns a restaurant and at the end of business each day, they pack up their unused food and take it immediately to a shelter, staying within the confines of the legal time period given by the laws, and share with others.

They’d rather share the food with the homeless than discard it in a trash can.

One of life’s little embarrassments comes when one leaves a store and hears the theft alarm go off because some item purchased was not properly desensitized.

That momentary circumstance is minor compared with the immense amount of money lost today by stores, libraries and other businesses—to say nothing of victimized individuals—through theft.

Shoplifting has grown to immense proportions.

We in the West have grown accustomed to seeing surveillance cameras peeping at us in stores, banks and other business establishments.

One might hope that enough conversions would solve the problem, but if that were the case Paul would not have had to write this passage, for it is to those already converted that he addresses it

“Give us this day our daily bread” does not just imply a selfish kind of request.

It also invovles being concerened about the needs of others.

This verse says, “Give us.”

It raises the question of our personal need and the needs of others.

Walter L. Liefeld, Ephesians, vol. 10, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), .

Walter L. Liefeld, Ephesians, vol. 10, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), .

Walter L. Liefeld, Ephesians, vol. 10, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), .

One of life’s little embarrassments comes when one leaves a store and hears the theft alarm go off because some item purchased was not properly desensitized.

That momentary circumstance is minor compared with the immense amount of money lost today by stores, libraries and other businesses—to say nothing of victimized individuals—through theft.

Shoplifting has grown to immense proportions.

We in the West have grown accustomed to seeing surveillance cameras peeping at us in stores, banks and other business establishments.

One might hope that enough conversions would solve the problem, but if that were the case Paul would not have had to write this passage, for it is to those already converted that he addresses it

Walter L. Liefeld, Ephesians, vol. 10, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), .

4. BE POSITIVE - Don’t wound with your words.