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The Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost
Series B
Option #1: "Some
Helpful Advice from the Owner's Manual"
Ephesians 4:29-5:2
Rev. Wayne Dobratz, B.D., M.Div.
Note: For the sake of coherence, I have chosen to add verse
29 to this pericope.
1) WHAT TO AVOID (4:29-31)
Word Pictures in the New Testament: v29: corrupt (sapros):
rotten, putrid, like fruit (Matthew 7:17f), fish (Matthew 13:48); here the
opposite of agathos (good); for edifying as the need may be (pros
oikodomeôn teôs chreias); for the build-up of the need, for supplying
help when there is need. Let no other words come out. V30: Grieve not the Holy
Spirit of God (meô lupeite to pneuma to hagion tou theou); "cease
grieving" or "do not have the habit of grieving." V31:
bitterness (pikria); old word from pikros (bitter), in NT only
here and Acts 8:23; Rom 3:14; Heb 12:15; clamour (kraugeô): old word
for outcry (Matthew 25:6; Luke 1:42); see Colossians 3:8. Be put away (artheôtoô):
first aorist passive imperative of airoô, old verb, to pick up and
carry away, to make a clean sweep.
2) WHAT TO DO (4:32-5:1)
Word Pictures in the New Testament: Be kind
to one another (ginesthe eis alleôlous chreôstoi); present middle
imperative of ginomai, "keep on becoming kind (chreôstos,
used of God in Romans 2:4) toward one another." See Colossians 3:12f.
Tenderhearted (eusplagchnoi): late word (eu, splagchna) once in
Hippocrates, in LXX, here and 1 Peter 3:8 in NT. 5:1: Imitators of God (mimeôtai
tou theou): this old word from mimeomai Paul boldly uses. If we are
to be like God, we must imitate him.
3) VIEW THE ACCOMPANYING ILLUSTRATION (5:2)
Word Pictures in the New Testament: An offering
and a sacrifice to God (prosphoran kai thusian toôi theoôi).
Accusative in apposition with heauton (himself): Christs death was
an offering to God "in our behalf" (huper heômoôn), not an
offering to the devil (Anselm), a ransom (lutron) as Christ himself
said (Matthew 20:28), Christs own view of his atoning death. For an
odor of a sweet smell (eis osmeôn euoôdias): same words in
Philippians 4:18 from Leviticus 4:31; Paul often presents Christs
death as a propitiation (Romans 3:25), as in 1 John 2:2
Barnes Notes on the New Testament on Ephesians
4:32: As God for Christs sake hath forgiven you--as God, on account of what
Christ has suffered and done, has pardoned you. This is to be the rule which
we are to observe in forgiving others. We are to do it "freely, fully,
liberally." The forgiveness is to be entire, cordial, constant. We are
not to "rake up" old offences and charge them again upon them; we
are to treat them as though they had not offended, for so God treats us
Learn:
1) That the forgiveness of an offending brother or
sister is a DUTY which we are not at liberty to neglect.
2) The peace and happiness of the church depend on it. All
are liable to offend their brethren, as all are liable to offend God; all need
forgiveness of one another, as we all need it of God.
3) There is no danger of carrying it too far. Let the rule
be observed, "As God has forgiven you, so do you forgive others."
Let a man recollect his own sins and follies; let him look over his life and
see how often he has offended God; let him remember that all has been
forgiven; and then, fresh with this feeling, let him go and meet an offending
brother and say, "My brother, I forgive you. I do it frankly, fully,
wholly. So Christ has forgiven me; so I forgive you. The offence shall be no
more remembered. It shall not be referred to in our contact to harrow up your
feelings; it shall not diminish my love for you; it shall not prevent my
uniting with you in doing good. Christ treats me, a poor sinner, as a friend;
and so I will treat you."
Children's Message
Ephesians 4:32: ...Christ loved us and gave himself up
for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Visual aid: a can of air freshener
This is the time of the year when we ride bicycles,
motorcycles, convertibles, and in all kinds of cars and trucks with the
windows rolled down. The other night two trucks passed me and there were young
people riding on the back of the trucks.
With all that fresh air blowing at us in this
warm weather, sometimes we have to smell things wed rather not smell.
Theres a skunk that someone ran over; heres a raccoon on the highway that
decided to run right under the wheels. That was last Tuesday, and hes still
there. You can imagine what he smells like by now.
I bring this up because the Bible describes
our sin this way. Right before the flood, the Bible says: "Now the earth
was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the
earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways"
(Genesis 6:11-12). When Moses was on the mountain with God, the people started
worshiping other gods. The Lord told Moses: "Go down, because your people,
whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt" (Exodus 32:7). God
says that we are CORRUPT with sin. That means "Sin stinks!"
He has a remedy. Your mom buys air freshener
to deal with the problem of odors in your home. God has his own air
freshener. Paul says in todays text: "Christ loved us and gave himself
up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
When Noah came out of the ark, he offered up
a burnt offering. Then the Bible says: The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma
and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of
man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And
never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done" (Genesis
8:21). Animals were killed and their bodies burned on an altar to cover up the
corrupt odor of sin. It smelled like steak on the grill. Paul says that Christ died
for us and his sacrifice covers over our sin. (SPRAY AIR FRESHENER)
God will never condemn anyone who has faith
in Jesus, because Jesus death covers over the bad odor of sin. Jesus
is our Savior and the worlds air freshener. (SPRAY AIR FRESHENER) Now He
wants us to live His life of love in our lives. So do your part about
sins air pollution. Live a life of love and let's freshen up this sinful old
world. (SPRAY AGAIN)
+ +
+
"Real
Imitation"
Ephesians 4:30-5:2
Rev. Kelly Bedard, B.A., M.Div.
Goal: that we would both better appreciate
and imitate God's sacrificial love and sacrifice for us
Malady: grieving God with counterfeit
Christianity, pietism: being good but not nice
Means: Spirit-empowered actions which
overshadow and overcome real yet sinful feelings
Notes:
1. pikria {pik-ree'-ah}, v31: bitter gall; extreme
wickedness; a bitter root, and so producing a bitter fruit; metaphorically,
bitterness, bitter hatred. (Strong's)
2. thumos {thoo-mos'}, v31: passion, angry, heat,
anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again; glow, ardour, the
wine of passion, inflaming wine (which either drives the drinker mad or kills
him with its strength). (Strong's)
3. orge {or-gay'}, v31: anger, the natural
disposition, temper, character; movement or agitation of the soul,
impulse, desire, any violent emotion, but especially anger; anger, wrath,
indignation; anger exhibited in punishment, hence used for punishment
itself; of punishments inflicted by magistrates. (Strong's)
4. krauge {krow-gay'}, v31: a crying, outcry,
clamour. (Strong's)
5. blasphemia {blas-fay-me'-ah}, v31: slander,
detraction, speech injurious to another's good name; impious and
reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty. (Strong's)
6. kakia {kak-ee'-ah}, v31: malignity, malice,
ill-will, desire to injure; wickedness, depravity; wickedness that
is not ashamed to break laws; evil, trouble. (Strong's)
7. chrestos {khrase-tos'}, v32: fit, fit for use,
useful; virtuous, good; manageable; mild, pleasant (as opposed
to harsh, hard sharp, bitter); of things: more pleasant, of people, kind,
benevolent. (Strong's)
8. eusplagchnos {yoo'-splangkh-nos}, v32: having
strong bowels; compassionate, tender hearted. (Strong's)
9. charizomai {khar-id'-zom-ahee}, v32: to do
something pleasant or agreeable (to one), to do a favour to, gratify; to
show one's self gracious, kind, benevolent; to grant forgiveness, to
pardon; to give graciously, give freely, bestow; to forgive; graciously
to restore one to another; to preserve for one a person in peril. (Strong's)
10. You can't have the fruit without the sap! (Charles
Spurgeon)
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