Four Steps to Maturity

Ephesians 4:25-32

Introduction

1.      The Old Testament prepared people for the coming of Jesus

2.      The Gospels tell of his coming and his death for our sins

3.      Acts tells us about people becoming disciples of Jesus

4.      The letters instruct us in godliness  

Discussion

1.      Falsehood to truth

a.       Lies come in all kinds of shapes and forms, for all kinds of reasons, some seeming to be good, others obviously bad

b.      John 8:32

c.       We do not need to be nasty when we tell the truth; it needs to be told out of love, not hate

d.      Telling a part of the truth in order to mislead is also a lie

e.       Lying destroys relationships  

2.      Angry but not sinning

a.       Anger is an emotion that is sometimes attributed to God, thus it is not always wrong to be angry (see Eph 4:26

b.      Jesus was said to be angry – Mark 3:5

c.       Jesus is assumed to have been angry when he drove the sellers from the temple – Mark 11:15

d.      God was angry when Moses would not listen – Exodus 4:14

e.       More often we are angry in our own defense, or when our wants are frustrated  

3.      “Do not give the devil a foothold”

a.       The devil gets a foothold when our hearts are set on evil – when we have lust in our hearts

b.      The devil gets a foothold when we are ignorant of the Bible

c.       The devil gets a foothold when we stand by and condone evil being done

d.      The devil gets a foothold when we neglect our spiritual life – prayer, meditation, meeting with the church, family devotionals, and other spiritual activities  

4.      Change stealing to giving

a.       To neither steal nor give is like trying to get somewhere in your car while it is in neutral gear

b.      People attend church to take or to give

c.       People live in our country to take or to give

d.      People work for an employer to take or to give

e.       Those who put taking above giving will always be on the wrong side of God  

Conclusion

1.       Paul is not writing about “optional” behavior, but what is expected of one who has been saved by the grace of God

2.      Titus 2:11-12

3.      It is a privilege, not a right, to wear the name Christian

4.      This name is taken in baptism – Matt 28:19; Acts 11:26