July 18, 1999 - LESSON: Ephesians 4:28

SERMON TITLE: Grace Givers

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INTRODUCTION:

  1. In the story of Goldilocks and the Tree Bears, Goldilocks has difficulty in achieving satisfaction.
    1. She does not want things too hot or too cold, too high or too low, too hard or too soft
    2. She wants things just right.
  2. This is a good metaphor for Christianity.
    1. Some people find Christianity too hard.
      1. It can take on a rigorous application of legal principle.
        1. The Bible is a book of rules and regulations.
        2. You must.
        3. There is no other alternative.
      2. These good people make it hard for themselves and everyone else.
      3. They don't understand it.
    2. Some people find Christianity too soft.
      1. The Bible is al old book create by well-meaning, but mis-guided persons.
      2. You are a good person.
      3. Faith is a vague principle that often has little bearing on life.
      4. There are essentially no rules or regulations.
      5. They don't understand it.
    3. In reality Christianity is just right.
      1. Christianity is theoretical.
        1. There are principles.
        2. Faith is possible.

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      2. Christianity is very practical.
        1. You can use what has been provided to improve the quality of your life.
        2. This, we realize, can only be achieved in relationship with God, the Holy Spirit.
  3. In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul is dealing with both the theoretical and the practical.
    1. This passage from chapter 4, verse 28, is practical.
      1. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear, (Ephesians 4:29 NRSV).
    2. Let us explore the practical.

MAIN BODY:

  1. The Christian is to live in a particular way.
    1. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need
      1. There is one way to understand evil talk.
        1. Helga was in Michaels and I was sitting in the car.
        2. Two young men walked along side the car. They were talking. The language was a bleep and a conjunction.
        3. It was hard on the ears, and even harder on the sensitivities of the spirit.
        4. They were not being grace givers, but an irritation.
        5. There is another way to understand evil talk.
          1. Evil talk is that which tears down persons or organizations.
          2. It belittles
          3. It so concentrates on the negatives that the positives are ignored.
        6. Our talk, which by the way comes from a particular mind-set, should be for building up.

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  2. How may we arrive at a place where we are not guilty of evil talk.
    1. Only what is useful for building up.
    2. Your words may give grace to those who hear.
    3. How do we become grace givers?
  3. In Philippians 4:4-8, some further instruction is given that provides us with the means to be builders of good and not evil.
    1. [4] Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
    2. [5] Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
    3. [6] Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
    4. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
    5. [8] Finally, beloved,
      1. Whatever is true,
        1. Truth is an individual matter
        2. Truth is also a community concern.
        3. Truth for the Christian is what is morally and spiritually sound.
        4. This means that the source of truth for the Christian is Jesus Christ.
        5. In John 14:6, Jesus said..."I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
      2. Whatever is honorable,
        1. Honor is honest
        2. This describes a code of conduct.
        3. The only way to create a code of conduct that is honorable is to base it on love.
        4. In the biblical material we have examples of love and descriptions of love so that we do not need to be in doubt as to what it is and of what it consists.

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      3. Whatever is just,
        1. It means to act justly.
        2. It means whatever is equitable in character or in act
        3. By implication is means whatever is innocent, holy, either absolutely or relatively.
        4. This apply not only to our personal lives, but to all our relationships, community or business.
      4. Whatever is pure,
        1. Remember the Ivory Soap commercial?
          1. The announcer intoned. "Ivory, 99 and 44/100 percent pure. It floats.
          2. Well it contained a lot of air, but it was as pure a soap as one could use.
        2. Purity is freedom from adulteration.
          1. We only ave to look at our environment to understand what this means.
            1. Air quality.
            2. Water quality.
            3. Food quality.
          2. Purity is related to our ambitions
          3. Purity is related to our desires
          4. Purity is related to our motives
      5. Whatever is pleasing,
        1. Negatively this means not to concentrate on that which is displeasing.
        2. It describes whatever is worthy of love.

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      6. Whatever is commendable,
        1. Whatever is reputable.
        2. This is describing those things that harmonize with the Christian ideals.
    6. Paul concludes with, If there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
      1. There is excellence, is there not?
      2. These things are worthy of praise.
      3. We are to think about these things.
    7. We are to remember the words of the wise man in Proverbs 23:7, KJV
      1. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he
      2. For as you think in your mind so are you.

CONCLUSION:

  1. We are to be grace-givers
    1. Grace is not only graciousness of manner or act
    2. Grace is the revelation of the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.
    3. Grace is the character of God which is shared, through the presence of the Holy Spirit, with you and me.
  2. We are to give grace to others and God has given grace to us.
  3. If we are grace-givers then we will not "let any evil talk come out of our mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that our words may give grace to those who hear."

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