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Jul 09, 2023

The Gospel Changes Everything

The Gospel Changes Everything

Passage: Ephesians 4:1-6

Speaker: Chip Paul

Series: Together | In Him & For Him

Category: Sunday Sermons

Keywords: heaven, church, worship, prayer, faith, jesus, sermon, christian, bible, christ, scripture, hope, new testament, share the gospel, sermons, eternity, paul, ephesians, jesus christ, the bible, christian life, lord, christianity, bible study, ability, how to pray, affirmation, transformed life, renewed mind, affinity, study the bible, bible teaching, pray to god, 2023, burnt hickory worship, burnt hickory baptist church live stream, bibly study

We continue in our summer sermon series through Ephesians by looking at chapter 4 this week. We see that in discerning spiritual gifts that God has given us, we need to consider our affinity, ability, and the affirmation from others. Our gifts are the means in which we share the gospel. Because we have been changed through the gospel, we live with renewed minds, hearts, and souls for Christ. Charles Stanley puts it this way – “God's plan for enlarging His kingdom is so simple - one person telling another about the Savior. Yet we're busy and full of excuses. Just remember, someone's eternal destiny is at stake. The joy you'll have when you meet that person in heaven will far exceed any discomfort you felt in sharing the gospel.”

Good morning, church man. It is. It is good to be with you this morning. I'm excited about where we're going this morning. This summer, if you've been with us any of this summer, you know that we have been walking through the Book of Ephesians. And so the first few chapters we have spent some time in those over the last couple of weeks. Pastor Brian started us off at the beginning of the summer. Pastor Matt did two and three with us last week, did three with us and we've had a beautiful time walking through the Book of Ephesians. Today I want to kind of share a message that I've entitled the Gospel Changes Everything, and I've gotten that from the Scripture. Today, as we dig into the seasons, Chapter four, as we get into Ephesians chapter four, what you're going to see is there's a little bit of a shift in the conversation that's taking place here. Paul has been writing to the Church of Emphasis, and in the first three chapters, as many times we've already heard, these first three chapters are talking about what it means to know God. It's all these examples and all these biblical contexts of what it means to truly know him as our savior, to know him for who he is, what he has done for us.

And then you get into chapter four and very quickly, what we see is just a shift in the conversation, because all of a sudden in chapter four, it goes from knowing God to now how are we to live for God? And you're going to see that through the latter part of the chapters as well. The last three chapters are going to focus on the action of living for God, not just the knowing, but now we're getting into the living for God and that there's change that happens when you know God. Because what we all know is this: If God is in it, change is going to happen. If God is in anything that we do, change will happen. And so for today, as we dig into this, I want us to be very careful that we don't just look for change, but that today that we are equipped with that understanding of what it means to live as one that has been changed, to live in such a way that when people see us, they see the gospel of Jesus and through our lives. Because that is exactly what Paul is trying to communicate to the church here, is that life change is happening. You know God, now live it. In Ephesians chapter four, he starts the chapter off very quickly. Getting to that point, he says in verse one, he says, As a prisoner of the Lord, he says, I urge you, he says, I want you to understand this is extremely important. When he says the word urge, any time you see the word urge, it is one of those, like kind of elbows of like, Hey, I need you to get this done. You know what it means. And there's a sense of urgency in the midst of anything. And he says, I urge you, he says, Live a life worthy.

Let me stop there for just a second because I want it to be able to just sink in for a second what it means. And Paul is looking and he is saying to the church, I am challenging you. I am urging you now that you know Jesus, now that you know of his forgiveness, now that you know of his salvation, you know the life change that happens because of him, you know, the gospel truth led a life that is worthy. But not just worthy of whatever we want it to be, but worthy of the calling that you have received. He says, live a life that is worthy of the calling. See, many of us today, we live our lives in such a way that we measure up to the worth of the world and not the worth of God's Word. Let me say that again, just in case I said that a little too fast. Many times, you and I and people in our circles, we measure our worth by the measurement of the worth of this world. And not by the measurement in the worth of God's Word. We live by this understanding that if I can just do enough, my net worth is going to make a difference. If I can make enough, if I can accomplish enough, that is going to make me worth something. When in return, the world continually just devalues that worth because that worth is something that will never measure up to the gospel.

And so Paul is very clear to say, I want you to live a life worthy not of what the world measures up as worthy, but I want you to live a life that is worthy of the calling of the gospel that has been placed on you. The assignment that God has placed on you at where you are at, that you would live a life worthy of the calling that you have received. When I was reading that verse, it reminded me of a story that I had heard a while back. It was a story of a father who had given his son a pocket watch. It was a heirloom that had been passed down from generation to generation, and at his son's graduation, he handed it on to his son. The father did. He says son, I want to give you this, but I want you to do something with it for me. Son says, What is that? He says, I want you to take this watch. Said, I want you to take it to the jeweler. I want you to ask him what he'll give you for it. What is it worth? Ask him to give it to you. Give it for you. And so it goes to the jeweler. And as he gets to the jewelry, he says, Hey, my father sent me to bring you this watch to tell me what it's worth. What kind of money would you give me for this? And his father or the jeweler looks at him and he says, Well, it's worth about $150. It's old, so I'll give you $150 for it. And he goes, okay, well, he goes back home and he tells his father, he says dad, I took the watch, the jewelry, said it was worth about $150. I said, okay, son, I want you to do something else now. I want to take that same watch that I gave you that has been passed down from generation to generation. And I want you to take that watch and I want you to take it to the pawn shop. And I want you to go to the owner of the pawn shop and ask him, What is this pocket watch? What is it worth? What would you give me for it? And so he does exactly as his father says, and he goes to the pawn store and he looks at me and says, Hey, I've come to ask what you would give me for this watch. What is it worth? He looks at it, says, Son, it doesn't work and it's old. I'll give you $10. So he goes back home a second time. And he looks at his dad. He says, Dad, the pawn store only said they'd give me $10 for it. So he's getting a little discouraged. It's like I didn't really get a nice gift, right? This is supposed to be a good gift that's given down to me, right? So his dad looks at him one more time and he says, Son, I want you to do one more favor for me. I said, I want you to go to the museum down the road and I want you to ask for the curator. I know him very well, and I want you to ask him, What is it worth? Now, a curator is someone that shows value in something of antiquity. And so he goes there to the museum. He asks for the curator, and he says, Hey, my father sent me. He says he knows you very well. And he asked me to show you this pocket watch and to ask you what it is worth. He said, Son, this watch is very old. He said, It does not work, he said, but it is worth $550,000. At that point in time. The kid is just astounded. He's like, Oh my gosh, I got this watch. It's worth $550,000. He runs home and he tells his dad, You're not going to believe it, He said. The curator said this thing is valuable. He said he would give us $550,000 for it. The father then looks at the son and he says, I want you to understand something here, son. This watch has been passed down from generation to generation. And he said, If you didn't know the value of this thing, you would have sold it for $10. Said if you didn't know the worth, the value of it, you would have sold it for $150. But you know the worth in the value of it now.

See, the world tries to define our work and our value all the time. And many times we give in to the $10 bid that's thrown at us. Many times we find our worth in these things, and we don't understand the worth of the calling that God has placed on us. And we sell out on little bitty things that are not worth what God has created us to be worth. We sell out and we give in to the value of the things of this world and what they say is worthy. And the world has devalued the worth of our own lives. But God says you are valuable. And the gospel that I have given you is priceless. So it says so live a life worthy of that calling. Live as though the gospel has really changed your life. Not like everyone else, not just like the rest of the world. But it's a gospel that is a part of your life. Live a life that is worthy of that calling. And then Paul goes on from there. As he is, he gets into a little bit of part of the verses. He gets into verse two and he says, Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Patience is something I know that I've got to work on.

Some of us in this room, we have got to work on some patience. But he says the patient makes every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit just as you recall to one hope you were called. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all. What does he say here? He looks at them and he says, I need you to understand you are worthy of something. You have a calling that is a gospel that has been given to you. Now I need you to take that gospel church, and I need you to unite together and let's work together in this. And that right there is where in the world we live in today that we may be struggling a little bit right? Sometimes within the church and amongst other churches, there is a little bit of bickering and complaining that is going on. And instead of uniting, we're fighting instead of even inside of the church. Sometimes we're very quick to jump on the negative. Oh, that wasn't my favorite song. Why did they not play that song for me? I just don't like that. Man, that message. I can't wait until pastor Matt gets back. We'll guess what? He'll be back in a couple of weeks. You can listen to him then. But today you got me. But there's so many that maybe I just wasn't, you know, get anything out of it. And we start bickering and we start complaining and it's real quick, are way to start to share the negatives.

You know, I've never gone on Yelp and looked at a review of a hotel and seen more positives and negatives. If anything, I always see negatives because people are very quick to hide behind the keyboard and tell you everything that's wrong. In the church, that happens as well. In the church that happens so much of the unifying of the scriptures and the unifying the church should be one in the same purpose, and that is to carry the gospel out into this world and to stop fighting and complaining over things that are not important.

C.S. Lewis, among his writings, wrote a series of articles for a newspaper. This compilation of these articles was called The Screwtape Letters. If you've never read them Man, I encourage you to get them. They are good, they're solid. But one of them that he wrote, he wrote in one scene, there was a junior devil like, you know, he's plotting how to hook victims and the senior devil tells him not to work too hard. And this is what he says. He says, Our plan is to create so much noise in the world that man can no longer hear the voice of God. See, the body is surrounded by a whole lot of noise in this world that's telling us all these things of worth. And if we're not careful as a body, if we don't unify as one living for one calling, one understanding, one gospel, and understanding that Jesus is the reason that you and I are here today to worship it ain't about the song. It ain't about the message. It's about the king. If we don't unify, we're just going to fall into the background noise. And this world is loud enough. So instead we need to step up and understand that we can hear the voice of God, that we can proclaim the name of God. Too long have you and I loud this world to live rent free in our minds. It cost us so much. We've allowed it to define our anxieties, our stresses, our depressions. We've allowed it to build those things into us. It's allowed us to define our trajectory of where we're going. And we've allowed the world to live rent free in our minds. But our battle is not that. Our battle is that we are to fight and to carry the gospel. Unified as one body and that is what Paul is saying, that he doesn't stop there. It's the beauty of it. He says, I want you to live a life that's worthy, but you're going to have to unite together because you're one body of believers in order to do that. But at the same time, in the midst of that moment of you uniting as a body, what's really cool about this is God says, I'm not going to send you out alone. I'm going to send you out with some gifts, man. I'm going to give you some spiritual gifts, some gifts that you're going to use to make sure that lives are being changed.

Because I truly believe that God is giving spiritual gifts that will change people's lives. I don't think God gave you a spiritual gift just to use and to put in your back pocket and to do it somewhere else. No, I truly believe that God gave you a spiritual gift as a follower of Christ to change lives, to use it for His glory, to use it for His gospel sake. But the problem is, many of us ask the question like, how do I know my spiritual gift? Right? Like we get into the Scripture and we start digging into Ephesians 4, and it talks about all these spiritual gifts and it starts talking about that we should have these let me see live in these. And some of us. Right. Well, I'll just take it like a spiritual survey. No, no, no, no. Like negative on a spiritual gifts survey. I've taken a couple in my life, but I'm afraid some of them weren't right, because some of them were like, You got mercy. I'm like, No, I don't. No, no. I don't like it. Oh, yeah, your spiritual gift is like organization and administration. No, I hire people for that. I got two amazing ladies, three amazing ladies on my staff that make things go a lot better than I ever would because they're much more organized than I am. That isn't my spiritual gift. But I'm like, Oh, yeah, that's what it told me. So I'm a little bit tainted by those surveys. And I understand surveys are only as good as the data in which you put in them. And so that's the reason why sometimes they come back that way, because I really want to be good at that. So I just kind of lied in that thing, like, Oh yeah, good at this, because, you know, nobody answers the question going, now I stink at this. No, we really got to go well, I'm like in the middle, right? And before we know it, we've skewed the whole thing. And that's why it's like you're merciful. And I'm like, No, I'm not, ask my family. Not, you know, that's not my thing.

But J.D. Greer actually gives an amazing formula that I want to share with this morning that I think really is a powerful way to find our spiritual gifts and to use exactly what Paul is talking about, how we're to take our spiritual gifts and to use them to share the gospel, to live a life worthy of the calling that we have received. And he says this and I love this, and I want to show it to you visually. It's going to come up on the screen. There's a circle that it starts with that we are to live in. The first circle is our ability. Now our ability is to look for what you are good at, man. Let me tell you something. You know what you're good at. Do you know that thing that comes natural to you? You don't have to work real hard at it. Or is something that man says you're just good at it. People even acknowledge that about it. Well, that's what he says. He says, Start out in that bubble. You want to find that spirit, you get the start out in that thing you're good at.

Let's look at that. How can we take what we're good at and how can we use that? Let's take that for a moment. See where that defines us as a believer. But he says, don't stop there. Let's look at what we care about, which is our affinity to take your ability and your affinity cross them over a little bit so you're good at something and you care about something. We know what you care about. We know what you care about because you talk about it, you show it, you wear it. We know what you like. Sometimes we know what you don't like. At least in my household, I'm not going to talk about who because she will get mad at me. But I will say this. I've had to look multiple times at people in my family and go, I need you to fix your face. Because I can tell you don't care about that. I'm a pastor. I kind of need you to help me out here. And that's like a saying in our household is like, fix your face, right? Because it's one of those moments when someone says something we don't like. Our face starts to show it. Why? Because we know what we care about. Can't hide it. Can't hide that. So you take what you're good at and you take what you care about. You start to cross those two over. You look at those. You need to start thinking about those things. What am I good at? What do I care about? How can I use those two intermingled into one to make a difference?

Somewhere in the midst of that, there's a gift that God is giving me because it gave me a reason to care about it. He gave me a reason to be good at it. But then there's one more circle and it's listening to what others say you're good at or what you're gifted at, and it's got affirmation. Let me sit in that for just a second. Church, can we do a better job of affirming people? And I don't take this worldly. I'm not talking about affirming identities or affirming people's lifestyles or affirming. No, I'm talking about affirming the things that God is doing through someone's life, like looking at someone and going, Man, you're very good at singing. Man, you are so good at teaching. God has blessed you with that. And I saw that when you were on the field coaching the other day. Those, those kids. And they're running everywhere because they're a bunch of tee ballers and they only know where the right hand is from the left hand and they're chasing the ball over here. But you're asking them to go over here, and you're not losing your cool. You're good at that, man. It's affirming those moments that God could use them to be amazing things for his glory. Or maybe even in a business meeting when things are kind of going the wrong way and that person sits back and they're able just to stay in a moment of calmness and speak truth in amongst that. That we could look in the mirror, and go you know what, it was good. Just celebrating like I feel like as a church we need to celebrate more the victories that God has done. We celebrated a little bit of that earlier with Guatemala, the lives that are being changed. We celebrate the fact that people are going to be going back again. Man, let's find that moment of affirming somewhere in the midst of that ability, that affinity and that affirmation. We look in the mirror and we're all of them. Cross Is that spiritual gift or gifts that God has blessed us with. That God has given us that He has identified for us that because we are united in the body. He has told us it is our gift to use for his glory's sake, not for our sake.

And so for some of us, our gift is serving, so let us serve well. Man, we got guys to stand at the door and they welcome you, affirm them. Thank you so much for doing that. But they serve. Why? Because that's the gift. You got some guys that walk the aisles and they sit you down and you hate them because they sit you on the front row because you were late. But they're serving, man. They're doing what God called them to do. You got some that are discernment, some that are teaching, some that are leadership, some that are administrative, some that are mercy. They're living in those moments. Why? Because the Gospel changed their life. Because Jesus changed their life. But it doesn't stop there. Paul continues on. He says, Hey, here's where you need to find some of those moments. Find somewhere in the middle of that. There's a gifting that God is given. You use it to glorify his name. He says this on Ephesians four versus eleven through twelve. He says, So Christ gave himself the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and the teachers. And this is what changed my life, he said to equip his people for the work of the service. The body of Christ may be built up. See, some are called to be pastors and teachers. I was called to be a pastor at about 18 years old, stepped into a church very soon after and knew this was what I was supposed to do. But I learned very quickly that I was not supposed to be the one that does it all. But my job and my responsibility and my gifting was to equip. So that when we equip in here, it doesn't stay in here, that what happens in this room goes outside of these walls. When we talk about the gospel here that is just equipping you with the opportunity to go out and share the gospel out there. If it just stays in here, we've missed the mark. If you just come in here on Sunday, you're like, Oh, praise the Lord. It was so good, man. I felt it. I was dancing, I was excited. I was left in my hands, I was screaming. I was having a good time. I was Amening the message. That's good. I was, Amening the message, I was doing all that kind of stuff, having a good time. I was in the word. And then you walk out of here and nothing happens. You miss the mark. Why? Because you didn't take the equipping that was given to you To use it to carry the gospel into this world. Ministry is meant to happen outside of these walls. Not that it can't happen here because it does. Lives are changed in this room. Lives are changed in this place. But this place is not the only place. Those walls outside those walls. It's where life change, where the gospel is supposed to be present. Because you and I take it out there.

And the reason why we take it out there is because we understand that you are God's plan A for sharing the gospel. You're not his backup plan. It wasn't like there was like an oops moment where it was like, Well, I guess I'll use these guys. I mean, I feel like that's sometimes when I'm in ministry, I'm like, why Me, Lord? Like, was there not someone else that you could have used? And he goes, No, no, no. You are equipped with the gospel. You were the plan to share the gospel. I sent my son to die for you, to show you forgiveness, to save you from sin, to wipe the slate clean, to provide a gospel for you so that you my plan A could go out and share this gospel of Ephesians three. I'm going to step back into Chapter three for just a second. Paul says this in verse seven. He says, I became a servant of the Gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. He says, I'm a servant of this gospel. It was a gift given to me, and I'm supposed to take it out through his power and use it. He says in verse ten, His intent, God's intent was that now, through the church, the unifying of the body, the church, you and I, as you hear today, that the man upon the wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms according to His eternal purpose, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus.

You were given the equipment to go and share the Gospel. You were given the Gospel through the power of Jesus to take it out and to share it. You were given the gifts to use, to share the Gospel. Why? Because the Gospel changed your life. Charles Stanley, when he was in his ministry on earth here he said this. He said that God's plan for enlarging his kingdom is so simple. He says it's one person telling another about the Savior. Yet we are busy and full of excuses. Just remember someone's eternal destiny is at stake, and the joy you have when you meet that person in heaven will far exceed any discomfort you felt in sharing the Gospel. See, you and I are called to live like the Gospel has changed your life. It's changed you forever, it's wrecked it. You're no longer the same. And so Paul says in Ephesians four, verse seventeen. It says, So I tell you this and insist on it in the Lord, you must no longer live like the Gentiles. Now, when he uses the word Gentiles, he's basically referring to the unsaved people.

So we look at this verse and we go, He says, You must no longer live like the world, like the unsaved in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of their ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of the heart. It says they have been separated from the life of God. They've lost all sense and they've given into sensuality. Why? Because they've fallen into this lie, and we are not to be like that any longer. We are not to live in that realm any longer or to step out of that realm. Today, I'm wearing a pair of Reebok pumps. Some of you guys in the room know what Reebok pumps are right? You couldn't afford Jordans, so you got Reebok's. When I was in eighth grade, I got a pair of Reebok pumps. Man, I was so excited about them. I'd seen all the commercials. Some of you guys, you in here, you're nodding your head. You know where I'm going with this, right? I thought when I got these Reeboks, man. I was going to be able to hoop. I did. I thought man I'm going to get these things. I'm going to pump these little things up. Little airbags on my feet, it's going to make me fly. And then when I get tired, I'd hit that little side button, let's all the air back out. Right. That's what those things were. They're going to help me hoop. They're going to help me, maybe be a basketball player. I was going to be in it. And I remember thinking, Man, these things are everything I've ever wanted. Now, do you know anything about me? I've said this before. I was kind of a 4x4 kid. Wasn't really an athletic type individual. You'll get that joke at lunch, but I wasn't the most athletic individual. But I assumed because of the commercials, because of this, this thing that I could buy, which is like a cheaper version of the Jordans that I could buy, then I could use them. And they were going to make me something. From an outward appearance, I thought that. What happened though, when I was in eighth grade, when I had them, I got into an accident wearing them and I ended up having to get stitches in my leg and ruined them. Ruined the shoes, I hated it. Man. I messed up my pumps. I can't even have them anymore. Thought I was the coolest kid around. And so what happened when I became an adult, I realized that when you become an adult, there was a point in time, as an adult, you can buy your own Christmas presents. You don't have to have other people to be able to buy them for you. You want it, you buy it, right?

So last year I decided I'm going to find some Reebok pumps. I said I was like, I've been wanting some pumps since I was in eighth grade. Maybe I thought that if I wore them, I would be a better pastor, I don't know. I just thought something about them as I am, get them. So I found the Reebok pumps. Just so, you know, they're still not very expensive. They're really relatively cheap. But I got them. And I remember thinking, Man, these are so cool. I loved them. I remember when I was a kid, I loved them. But what happened when I was a kid is I fell into this understanding that if I could put something on the outside, that it would make me something that would change the inside. But it didn't. See, a lot of us will sit in here today and we'll put something on the outside. Well, we'll put this whole understanding that, oh yeah, the gospel feels great. It feels good. I want to wear the gospel on me. I want to represent the gospel. It's going to make me fly, right? It's going to make me whatever I need to do. I'm going to be able to hoop and do whatever I want to do. But the reality is, unless it's from the inside it isn't changing anything.

So that's why Paul really quickly said, Don't keep falling into the things of this world. Stop just fixing the outside people, and fix the inside. So I've drawn a line and gone. How close can I get to sin before I'm in trouble? No. Quit drawing the line and stay away from it. Don't see how close we can get before we fail. Look at God and go God, I know that I'm going to fail today. So I'm asking you right now just to go ahead and take that failure away right now so that I can do what you want me to do. Because if it's all on me, I'm going to fail. So don't draw the line. Lord, let me get away from it. I want to walk with you because I don't want an external gospel. I want an internal gospel because that internal gospel was changing my life. But how do I live this way? I love that Paul continues on and says this. He says, right here in Ephesians chapter four, verse twenty. He says that in order for us to live this way, we've got to have a renewed heart. Man our heart has to be changed. It can't be just external, it's got to be an internal heart change. The gospel has to really impact our heart. And he says in Ephesians four in verse twenty through twenty one that, however, it is not the way of life that you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. He says, You want to have a renewed heart. You need to spend time in the truth. People ask me all the time, How do you hear God? I mean, I've never heard him audibly, but I can tell you this. I hear him in his word. I hear him in his word. I know people say they feel like they've heard God audibly. I believe he can still speak the truth audibly to us. I think it's the same God of the Old Testament that is of the New Testament, that is of today. So if he could do it, then he can do it now. But I also believe with all my heart that he also gave me the word, the truth so that I could dig into it, to where I could find the truth, that I could hear his voice, that I could understand his truth.

Because the truth is found in the Word of God. And I need you to understand something today. The truth that I'm talking about is found in the word of God, it is not relative to society today. It is absolute. It is not changing. It is not evolving. It is not tolerance. It is not a feeling. It is not an emotion. It is true. The gospel that lives inside of me. That is it. That changes your heart. That Christ provides is a truth that does not change just because it feels right. It says in John, 14 and verse six says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me that I don't feel good, man. I don't care if it feels good because the truth isn't about a feeling. The truth is about an absolute. And so Jesus says very clearly, I am the way if I knew that and I believe that. And that's changed my heart. Why am I not telling my neighbors? Why am I not telling my coworkers this? Why am I not telling my waitress today? Why am I not telling people I encounter today that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life? Why am I not posting that on social media? Why am I not walking around knowing that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus, and that gospel changed my life, and so I need to share that with somebody? I need to live that out, because that's the truth.

In John chapter eight, in verse 31 and 32, it says, If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples, then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. What's it setting me free from? From the bondage of sin, from the expectations of this world that I will never live up to. It is setting me free from those things so that I can live faithfully for Jesus. And then John 17:17, says the word is truth. Can I please help you understand this morning that if in any way there is a truth, there is a way that there's a life, that his name is Jesus. And if you settle for anything else, then that truth you are settling for a cheap imitation of a truth that will never set you free.

You know, I was, as I was studying this, I came across an article, a document by the center of Bible Engagement. They have compiled some extensive research. LifeWay kind of took that, and they titled it and they titled the document Understanding the Bible Engagement Challenge. And it said scientific evidence for the power of four. In this study, what they found was this. They polled 40,000 people from the ages of 8 to 80. And this is what they found out in their polling about people reading scripture. And how it was impacting their lives. It said that one time a week, which could include kind of like this moment, right? Like a lot of times we spend the time in the word here, someone, a pastor, somebody tells you to open the word, right? One time a week. You spend time in the world, you open your Bibles. It says that there's really no net negligible effect. It really doesn't change you too much. This is the only time you spend in the word. There's probably not going to be a lot of change seen in your life is what the research shows here. The same result was true if you engage in Scripture just two times a week, the results were equal to little or no effects in people's lives. Three times a week, they saw a small indication of life, maybe a little heartbeat or maybe a little bit of inclination here and there. Like, you know, maybe scripture is a little bit kind of okay, I thought about that this time three times. So you're like a Sunday or Wednesday. You showed up for a Bible study on a Thursday three times a week. Nothing, nothing crazy, nothing radical. But four times a week, they said when they saw people that engaged in the Scripture four times a week, it was eye opening and this is what they found. There was a spike, a stunning spike in change. Feeling lonely, dropped by 30%, Anger issues dropped by 32%, bitterness in relationships dropped by 40%, alcoholism dropped by 57%. Sex outside of marriage dropped by 68%. Feeling spiritually stagnant, dropped by 60%. Viewing pornography dropped by 61%. Sharing your faith jumped by 200%, disabling others jumped by 230%. Because you spent time in the world four times, just imagine with me what would happen if we went five, six and seven times. The change that happens from being in the word, by being equipped with the word, by carrying the gospel astronomically changes with just four is what the research shows.

It's a renewed heart. The truth renews a heart not just our physical. But then he goes on, Paul goes on. He didn't stop there with just that, he says a renewed mind in Ephesians four verses 22 to 24. It says you were taught with regard to your formal way of life to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. He says The way that you think it's changed by your heart. So your heart is renewed, therefore your mind is being renewed. At that moment in time. It is no longer focusing on the things of this world, but in the midst of those moments it starts to shift and intertwine with the things and the calling of God that has been placed on our life so that we can live a life worthy of the calling. Actually, this verse in Ephesians is a parallel to Romans Chapter 12. Paul is kind of referring back to Romans 12 and verse two, where it says, Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Well, the coolest part about this whole verse is, when we see the transformation in our mind, it says, Then you'll be here to test and approve what God's will is.

And it is good and it is pleasing and it is perfect. His gospel is good, it is pleasing, it is perfect. And it says when we have that renewing in our mind and we focus on the Saints, it changes everything about us. Philippians four and verse 8 says, it's finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is holy, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. That's what gospel change looks like, a renewed mind. But then he goes on and he says, A renewed soul. You get a renewed heart. You want gospel change, renewed heart, renewed mind, and renewed soul. He says, this is what gospel change looks like, is what Paul says. Ephesians 4:29 He says, Do not let anyone, any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building up others according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen. He says do not let any unwholesome talk come on your mouth. Guys, sit on that for a second. We shouldn't sound like the world when we talk. This is the manner of life. This is how we conduct ourselves. Because the gospel has changed even our vocabulary. The gospel has changed the way we talk with others. It is a manner. Our Sunday gospel has become our Monday gospel. It has become our Tuesday gospel, our Wednesday gospel, our Thursday gospel. It's not just what happens in this room, but because our life has radically been changed. Our soul has been changed, our talk has been changed. And it says in Ephesians four, in verse 32, it says, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you. He says, Hey, when your soul has been changed, your mouth is have been changed.

But not only that, you now understand what it means to love others. You understand what it means to be compassionate to one another and to forgive each other because Christ forgave us when we didn't deserve it. And he says, You start to live that. You start to live this life that is worthy of a calling that has been placed on you, that you have received that came from the gospel, that changed your life forever. Guys, can we please walk out of this place today? Looking, sounding, smelling, talking differently than when we walked in? And why? Because the gospel changed us. Too many Sundays, do we come in here and just leave. God calls for gospel change because that's what's going to change this world. Which is why he gives us the greatest commandment, when he's asked, What is the greatest commandment? In Matthew 22 and verse 37 through 39. He says the greatest commandment is this, is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. All right, We're going to live gospel change. We have to have a renewed heart, a renewed mind and a renewed soul. That's all found in loving God. But he doesn't end there. And he says, But the second is like this: Love your neighbor as yourself. Be compassionate, be forgiving. Share the gospel. Live a life worthy of the calling. Don't sell out. Don't sell out. This gospel is too good to live life worthy of the calling. And that's my challenge today, is that we would live as though the gospel truly changed us. That we would live is though man, this Jesus that we talk about is not just someone that we put on a shirt or that we sing about on a Sunday, but that he is the same God that brought us the Gospel on Monday and on Tuesday. And on Wednesday. And on Thursday. May you live ever as though the gospel has changed you today.

I am going to step over here on the side. We've got a Next Steps area. Maybe you're here today and you're like, Hey, I've never really received this gospel I love. I mean, it would be an honor for me to get a chance to spend some time with you, or one of our deacons that will be over here as well. We'd love to have a chance to pray with you, talk with you, and help you understand this gospel. But maybe you're in this room today as well, and you just like, I just need some prayer. Man, I had the blessing and honor of praying with someone earlier that's just been struggling because he had family members that didn't know Jesus. I had the honor just to pray over those family members. And we'd love to pray with you for whatever you're going through. That's what the next steps is about. So I'll be over there if you need. But let's now continue in worship. Let's go to the Lord and let's praise his name. Let's honor him in this time. Ok? I'm going to pray for us. And then we're going to step into that.

Father, thank you for this moment. Thank you for this truth, for this word. Thank you for the Gospel. God, may we live as though it's truly changed us. May we live in a way that brings glory to your name. It's in your name we pray.

Amen.

Follow Along with the Message

The Gospel Changes Everything

July 9, 2023

Ephesians 4:1–6
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

“Our plan is to create so much noise in the world that Man can no longer hear the voice of his God.”
— C. S. Lewis

Formula used to find out your spiritual gift:

1. : what you’re good at

2. : what you care about

3. : what others say about your gifting

Ephesians 4:11–12
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

You are God’s for sharing the Gospel.

Ephesians 3:7
I became a servant of this Gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.
Ephesians 3:10
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold of wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“God’s plan for enlarging His kingdom is so simple — one person telling another about the Savior. Yet we’re busy and full of excuses. Just remember, someone’s eternal destiny is at stake. The joy you’ll have when you meet that person in heaven will far exceed any discomfort you felt in sharing the gospel.”
— Charles Stanley

Live like the Gospel has your life.

Ephesians 4:17–18
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
How do we live this way?

1. Renewed

Ephesians 4:20–21
That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.
John 14:6
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Ephesians 8:31–32
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 17:17
“…your word is truth.”

2. Renewed

Ephesians 4:22–24
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.

3. Renewed

Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Matthew 22:37–39
37 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
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