1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,160 Well, good morning again. Do you have your Bible's Ephesians 4 is where we're going to be? 2 00:00:08,340 --> 00:00:13,460 Knock out three verses today. Now initially when I had outlined Ephesians 3 00:00:15,500 --> 00:00:17,500 last year 4 00:00:17,860 --> 00:00:21,660 the verses we are going to cover this morning were actually spread out over two weeks. 5 00:00:23,140 --> 00:00:26,580 When we began looking at the schedule and trying to get done with chapter 4 6 00:00:26,580 --> 00:00:32,940 before Advent we had to combine a couple of the weeks just for timing's sake. 7 00:00:33,460 --> 00:00:36,100 But as I began working on 8 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:41,700 this thing this week I remembered why I wanted to separate verse 25 through 9 00:00:42,420 --> 00:00:44,580 26 and 27 like it came back to me. 10 00:00:45,140 --> 00:00:48,460 So there's a change of plans today, and I hope you'll be flexible. 11 00:00:50,660 --> 00:00:53,380 I'm actually going to do it a little backwards. 12 00:00:53,380 --> 00:00:59,020 So we're actually going to start with verse 26 and 27 and then we'll come back to verse 25. All right? 13 00:00:59,660 --> 00:01:03,700 We'll read it all together, but that's so that's where we're going to go. All right. 14 00:01:03,860 --> 00:01:06,220 So let's read our passage this morning. We'll start in verse 25. 15 00:01:08,820 --> 00:01:10,820 Therefore having put away falsehood, 16 00:01:11,340 --> 00:01:16,460 let each of you speak the truth with his neighbor for we are members of one another. 17 00:01:17,220 --> 00:01:19,220 Be angry and do not sin. 18 00:01:19,220 --> 00:01:24,220 Do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil. 19 00:01:24,540 --> 00:01:26,980 Now if we start with verse 26 20 00:01:28,820 --> 00:01:34,980 and we'll come back to 25, but we start verse 26 we can see that there's two commands about anger right there, right? 21 00:01:35,380 --> 00:01:38,620 There's two commands about anger. Paul says be angry 22 00:01:39,700 --> 00:01:45,060 and do not let the sun go down on your anger. Now at the surface that can look somewhat confusing. 23 00:01:46,140 --> 00:01:47,900 Be angry 24 00:01:47,900 --> 00:01:50,540 but make sure you don't go to bed angry, right? 25 00:01:50,540 --> 00:01:56,980 I just kind of confuse him. However, if we look at the look at it within with the correct lenses on and we look at it in the 26 00:01:56,980 --> 00:01:58,980 right context, 27 00:01:59,620 --> 00:02:07,020 hopefully we can clear that up. That word that is translated angry in the first command is often the same word that is used to 28 00:02:07,380 --> 00:02:09,380 describe God's anger. 29 00:02:09,380 --> 00:02:19,460 So when Paul says be angry he is referring to a righteous anger. We should be angry 30 00:02:20,340 --> 00:02:22,340 against the things that are sinful. 31 00:02:23,460 --> 00:02:25,460 Does that describe you? 32 00:02:26,260 --> 00:02:35,860 Is that how you are? When sinful things are going on around you, does it anger you or are you unbothered by it? 33 00:02:35,860 --> 00:02:44,100 So Paul says be angry. It's a command. Now when Paul says do not let the sun go down on your anger 34 00:02:44,500 --> 00:02:50,100 it is a different word. It's an anger that is caused by irritation or 35 00:02:50,940 --> 00:02:54,260 bitterness. Those are two different types of anger, right? 36 00:02:55,100 --> 00:02:59,220 One has to do with holiness and the other has to do with 37 00:02:59,780 --> 00:03:03,620 circumstances. It is one thing to be angry 38 00:03:03,620 --> 00:03:06,460 about things that dishonor God. 39 00:03:08,180 --> 00:03:12,380 It's another thing to be angry because your kid made a mess in the house. 40 00:03:12,860 --> 00:03:18,540 Like those are two different types of anger. We should continue to be angry about sin, 41 00:03:19,660 --> 00:03:24,180 but messes and annoyances need to be dealt with pretty quickly. 42 00:03:24,380 --> 00:03:30,340 We don't want to let that fester. Now we'll see here in a minute that this text is not dealing with individual anger 43 00:03:30,340 --> 00:03:40,500 but anger within the body. So as a church, as Cornerstone, we need to be angry about things that are sinful. 44 00:03:42,300 --> 00:03:44,300 Things that rob God of his glory. 45 00:03:46,100 --> 00:03:52,980 But things that go against our preferences or things that get on our nerves need to be handled differently. 46 00:03:52,980 --> 00:03:59,860 Now from this context of this passage biblical anger is expressed within the church. 47 00:04:00,780 --> 00:04:07,540 This is completely consistent with the context of this passage in which Paul is dealing with the entire body, 48 00:04:07,860 --> 00:04:09,860 not just individual believers. 49 00:04:10,100 --> 00:04:16,540 So the kind of anger that Paul is commanding his readers to express here seems to be limited 50 00:04:16,540 --> 00:04:22,700 to that which is expressed within the body, expressed within a group of believers. 51 00:04:23,140 --> 00:04:27,220 So when Sina and I were engaged and even when we were newly married, 52 00:04:29,020 --> 00:04:31,700 other couples would quote this verse to us. 53 00:04:32,620 --> 00:04:39,580 Do not let the song go down on your anger, meaning in your relationship settle all these disputes before you go to bed. 54 00:04:40,540 --> 00:04:42,820 That's not correct use of this verse. 55 00:04:42,820 --> 00:04:49,820 The correct use of this verse is that if there is anything within the body that's making you angry 56 00:04:50,260 --> 00:04:57,860 and if you are angry at another member, don't let the sun go down before you deal with it because it will be harmful to the church. 57 00:04:59,380 --> 00:05:03,380 When we allow things to fester, it gives the devil an opportunity. 58 00:05:04,820 --> 00:05:06,820 We don't want to do that. 59 00:05:06,820 --> 00:05:13,820 So because of this command, if there is an annoyance you have against somebody in this church, 60 00:05:13,820 --> 00:05:15,820 it needs to be dealt with today. 61 00:05:16,820 --> 00:05:22,820 If that means talking with them about it, if that means sharing your grievances and figuring out a solution, 62 00:05:22,820 --> 00:05:24,820 then you need to do that today. 63 00:05:25,820 --> 00:05:29,820 If it means that maybe you just sit there and pray that the Lord will soften your heart towards them, 64 00:05:29,820 --> 00:05:33,820 that the Lord will help you overcome whatever that is, you need to do that today. 65 00:05:33,820 --> 00:05:46,820 You can help protect the unity of the church by speaking the truth with one another and settling any anger that might disrupt that. 66 00:05:46,820 --> 00:05:52,820 Settling any disturbance to the unity of the church. 67 00:05:54,820 --> 00:05:58,820 We also need to understand that biblical anger fights for God's glory. 68 00:05:58,820 --> 00:06:04,820 Now the first part of verse 26 is a quote from Psalm 4. 69 00:06:04,820 --> 00:06:06,820 Let me read a couple of verses for you. 70 00:06:06,820 --> 00:06:10,820 In Psalm chapter 4 starting in verse 2, David says, 71 00:06:10,820 --> 00:06:31,820 It says, 72 00:06:31,820 --> 00:06:43,820 So David wrote this Psalm out of his distress, probably at a time when his son Absalon had rebelled against him, 73 00:06:43,820 --> 00:06:49,820 was trying to attack him, and in verse 2, David reveals the object of his anger. 74 00:06:49,820 --> 00:06:53,820 While David has certainly been hurt by others, even his own flesh and blood, 75 00:06:53,820 --> 00:07:01,820 his righteous indignation, his righteous anger is directed towards those who have turned away from God's glory, 76 00:07:01,820 --> 00:07:03,820 who have put God's glory to shame. 77 00:07:04,820 --> 00:07:11,820 By seeking falsehood rather than the truth, the very thing Paul has addressed and will address when we go back to verse 25, 78 00:07:11,820 --> 00:07:14,820 his enemies have robbed God of his glory. 79 00:07:14,820 --> 00:07:23,820 But in verse 4, David is warned against allowing that righteous anger to become sin. 80 00:07:23,820 --> 00:07:24,820 That's where we got to be careful. 81 00:07:24,820 --> 00:07:30,820 When sin is allowed to remain in the body, when sin is allowed to remain in the church, 82 00:07:30,820 --> 00:07:37,820 it robs God of the glory that is to be his through his church. 83 00:07:37,820 --> 00:07:41,820 Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 5 what we should be angry about. 84 00:07:41,820 --> 00:07:46,820 He says it is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, 85 00:07:46,820 --> 00:07:52,820 and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. 86 00:07:52,820 --> 00:07:54,820 And you are arrogant. 87 00:07:54,820 --> 00:07:56,820 Are you not rather to mourn? 88 00:07:56,820 --> 00:07:59,820 Let him who has done this be removed from among you. 89 00:07:59,820 --> 00:08:03,820 So if we were to pick apart that passage real quick in 1 Corinthians 5, 90 00:08:03,820 --> 00:08:09,820 and we were to try to describe what kinds of sin do we need to be angry about, 91 00:08:09,820 --> 00:08:12,820 it's revealed in this passage. 92 00:08:12,820 --> 00:08:17,820 We should be angry about sin that is evident. 93 00:08:17,820 --> 00:08:19,820 Sin that is well known within the church. 94 00:08:19,820 --> 00:08:25,820 Even outside the church should cause us to be angry. 95 00:08:25,820 --> 00:08:27,820 It was also continual. 96 00:08:27,820 --> 00:08:30,820 In this passage, it doesn't a one time slip up. 97 00:08:30,820 --> 00:08:34,820 This is a habitual lifestyle that this man was living in. 98 00:08:34,820 --> 00:08:39,820 And additionally, it doesn't seem that there is any repentance, 99 00:08:39,820 --> 00:08:41,820 but rather an acceptance. 100 00:08:41,820 --> 00:08:47,820 So any sin that is evident, any sin that is continuous, 101 00:08:47,820 --> 00:08:53,820 and any sin that is unrepentant needs to cause anger amongst us. 102 00:08:53,820 --> 00:08:58,820 When there is that kind of sin in the body, we ought to be angry. 103 00:08:58,820 --> 00:09:04,820 Not because of what that sin does to us or to our reputation, 104 00:09:04,820 --> 00:09:11,820 but because of the way it robs God of the glory that he intends the church to give him 105 00:09:11,820 --> 00:09:14,820 as it manifests his wisdom into the rest of the world. 106 00:09:14,820 --> 00:09:20,820 When we allow sin to stay in this place and we're not angry about it, 107 00:09:20,820 --> 00:09:24,820 we don't need to so much worry about our reputation. 108 00:09:24,820 --> 00:09:29,820 We need to really consider the fact that God is not getting the glory that he deserves. 109 00:09:29,820 --> 00:09:33,820 Finally, biblical anger is handled quickly. 110 00:09:33,820 --> 00:09:37,820 Now remember that this is directed towards the body. 111 00:09:37,820 --> 00:09:39,820 This is not directed towards individuals. 112 00:09:39,820 --> 00:09:41,820 We'll get to individual anger in a few weeks. 113 00:09:41,820 --> 00:09:44,820 But in the Jewish culture of Paul's day, 114 00:09:44,820 --> 00:09:49,820 sunset was actually considered to be the beginning of a new day. 115 00:09:49,820 --> 00:09:56,820 So the idea of handling anger before the sun sets means that we aren't to begin a new day 116 00:09:56,820 --> 00:09:59,820 without handling that source of anger. 117 00:09:59,820 --> 00:10:05,820 But it doesn't seem that Paul is attempting to place a definite time limit on handling our anger, 118 00:10:05,820 --> 00:10:10,820 as much as he is making the point that we need to deal with the cause of the anger, 119 00:10:10,820 --> 00:10:15,820 and we need to deal with that cause quickly, not let it fester. 120 00:10:15,820 --> 00:10:22,820 The reason we want to handle it quickly is because we don't want to give the devil any opportunity. 121 00:10:22,820 --> 00:10:25,820 We don't want to do that. 122 00:10:25,820 --> 00:10:29,820 The word opportunity is the Greek word topos. 123 00:10:29,820 --> 00:10:34,820 Now topos is where we get our English word topography. 124 00:10:34,820 --> 00:10:39,820 It originally referred to a defined territory or a piece of land, 125 00:10:39,820 --> 00:10:45,820 but it was also used figuratively to describe a place, an occasion, or an opportunity. 126 00:10:45,820 --> 00:10:47,820 And so Paul is warning us here. 127 00:10:47,820 --> 00:10:49,820 He's warning the church. 128 00:10:49,820 --> 00:10:55,820 He's warning other believers that if we don't deal with the sin within the body, 129 00:10:55,820 --> 00:11:01,820 that it gives the devil a base of operations from which he can infiltrate us, 130 00:11:01,820 --> 00:11:04,820 from which he can attack us within the church. 131 00:11:04,820 --> 00:11:13,820 And almost every military operation, the invading army starts by establishing a place of operation 132 00:11:13,820 --> 00:11:16,820 from which they can stage their attack. 133 00:11:16,820 --> 00:11:22,820 And at the spiritual battle is the place it's going on in our world. 134 00:11:22,820 --> 00:11:26,820 The devil is always looking for a place within the body of Christ 135 00:11:26,820 --> 00:11:32,820 where he can establish a base of operations from which to launch his attacks. 136 00:11:32,820 --> 00:11:34,820 We don't want to give him that opportunity. 137 00:11:34,820 --> 00:11:40,820 And when we allow sin to remain in the body without dealing it with it, 138 00:11:40,820 --> 00:11:46,820 we provide the devil an opportunity to set up camp. 139 00:11:46,820 --> 00:11:54,820 I've seen it happen so many times where good meaning people hold a grudge against someone 140 00:11:54,820 --> 00:11:58,820 and it causes division amongst the church. 141 00:11:58,820 --> 00:12:04,820 Because what happens is someone offend you and then you go tell someone about it. 142 00:12:04,820 --> 00:12:07,820 Can you believe that they did that to me? 143 00:12:07,820 --> 00:12:09,820 Can you believe they said that to me? 144 00:12:09,820 --> 00:12:16,820 Can you believe they looked at me that way across the sanctuary? 145 00:12:16,820 --> 00:12:21,820 Then what happens is that person goes and tells somebody else. 146 00:12:21,820 --> 00:12:29,820 Then all of a sudden you have five or six people that are upset at this one person. 147 00:12:29,820 --> 00:12:32,820 And that breaks trust. 148 00:12:32,820 --> 00:12:34,820 It causes people to pick sides. 149 00:12:34,820 --> 00:12:40,820 And then before you know it, there's this great chasm that has developed in the church. 150 00:12:40,820 --> 00:12:43,820 I'm sure we've all seen it somehow. 151 00:12:43,820 --> 00:12:45,820 I'm sure we've all experienced it in some way. 152 00:12:45,820 --> 00:12:50,820 We have to have the mindset 153 00:12:50,820 --> 00:12:53,820 that anytime we get angry about something, 154 00:12:53,820 --> 00:12:56,820 anytime we get upset about something, 155 00:12:56,820 --> 00:13:03,820 it has the potential to split the church if we don't handle it correctly. 156 00:13:03,820 --> 00:13:07,820 Every time you get offended, you have to have the mindset, 157 00:13:07,820 --> 00:13:12,820 if I don't handle this correctly, it has the potential to split the church. 158 00:13:12,820 --> 00:13:14,820 There's a big difference, 159 00:13:14,820 --> 00:13:19,820 but there's also a fine line between getting help about a situation, 160 00:13:19,820 --> 00:13:23,820 seeking wisdom, and gossip. 161 00:13:23,820 --> 00:13:27,820 There's a big difference, but the line is pretty fine. 162 00:13:27,820 --> 00:13:30,820 If you are seeking wisdom about how to deal with your anger, 163 00:13:30,820 --> 00:13:34,820 make sure that it is with someone who will listen to you 164 00:13:34,820 --> 00:13:37,820 and advise you to make peace. 165 00:13:37,820 --> 00:13:41,820 If your motivation is to get people on your side, 166 00:13:41,820 --> 00:13:46,820 if the motivation is to build up a group of people 167 00:13:46,820 --> 00:13:49,820 that will support your idea and support your cause, 168 00:13:49,820 --> 00:13:51,820 it will cause division. 169 00:13:51,820 --> 00:13:54,820 Every time you are offended, 170 00:13:54,820 --> 00:14:02,820 keep in mind that it has the potential to disrupt the unity of our church. 171 00:14:02,820 --> 00:14:07,820 When I was younger and before Caller ID was invented, 172 00:14:07,820 --> 00:14:12,820 I used to do things that are not appropriate. 173 00:14:12,820 --> 00:14:15,820 I had this friend named Josh that lived down the street from me. 174 00:14:15,820 --> 00:14:18,820 We were the same age, went to the same school, 175 00:14:18,820 --> 00:14:20,820 we were in the same class. 176 00:14:20,820 --> 00:14:23,820 Almost every day after school, I would walk home with Josh, 177 00:14:23,820 --> 00:14:25,820 and my brother and my sister were with me, 178 00:14:25,820 --> 00:14:27,820 and we'd get to our road, and Josh would go left to his house, 179 00:14:27,820 --> 00:14:31,820 and I would go right to my house, about another block. 180 00:14:31,820 --> 00:14:34,820 We would then be home alone for about an hour, 181 00:14:34,820 --> 00:14:37,820 hour and a half before one of my parents would get home. 182 00:14:37,820 --> 00:14:43,820 Now, as you can imagine, I get bored sometimes. 183 00:14:43,820 --> 00:14:47,820 And so I would make these prank phone calls to Josh 184 00:14:47,820 --> 00:14:53,820 almost every day until eventually he figured out it was me, 185 00:14:53,820 --> 00:14:56,820 and it wasn't any fun anymore. 186 00:14:56,820 --> 00:14:59,820 So I had to take it up a level. 187 00:14:59,820 --> 00:15:01,820 I would get home, and I would order a pizza, 188 00:15:01,820 --> 00:15:04,820 and I would have it delivered to his house. 189 00:15:04,820 --> 00:15:06,820 Now, I didn't have to pay for anything, 190 00:15:06,820 --> 00:15:09,820 because this was just, once it shows up, 191 00:15:09,820 --> 00:15:13,820 you pay, you know, COD, cash on delivery, right? 192 00:15:13,820 --> 00:15:16,820 And so I would order these pizzas every week to his house. 193 00:15:16,820 --> 00:15:20,820 You know, I started off small, you know, just one pizza, 194 00:15:20,820 --> 00:15:22,820 but that got bored. 195 00:15:22,820 --> 00:15:25,820 And so eventually, I took it up a notch, 196 00:15:25,820 --> 00:15:27,820 and there was a time I was having ten pizzas 197 00:15:27,820 --> 00:15:31,820 delivered to him after school. 198 00:15:31,820 --> 00:15:34,820 Now, I'm really to this day not sure how my parents found out 199 00:15:34,820 --> 00:15:36,820 that I did that. 200 00:15:36,820 --> 00:15:41,820 But they did, and it didn't end well for me. 201 00:15:41,820 --> 00:15:46,820 I'd lied by ordering pizza to a house in which I didn't live, 202 00:15:46,820 --> 00:15:48,820 plus I couldn't pay for. 203 00:15:48,820 --> 00:15:51,820 My parents lied and said that the police were going to come get me, 204 00:15:51,820 --> 00:15:55,820 and I would spend a month in jail. 205 00:15:55,820 --> 00:15:58,820 Which caused me to really fear the police 206 00:15:58,820 --> 00:16:03,820 for a lot of my time growing up. 207 00:16:03,820 --> 00:16:11,820 What I thought was one little prank turned into a whole lot of destruction. 208 00:16:11,820 --> 00:16:17,820 I'm sure my parents had to pay for a lot of pizzas that weren't consumed. 209 00:16:17,820 --> 00:16:19,820 Thankfully, thankfully. 210 00:16:19,820 --> 00:16:22,820 I don't do that anymore, and I'm really hoping 211 00:16:22,820 --> 00:16:26,820 that it's not just because Caller ID is now a thing, right? 212 00:16:26,820 --> 00:16:29,820 I'm really hoping that the Lord has done a work in me, 213 00:16:29,820 --> 00:16:30,820 and I don't do that. 214 00:16:30,820 --> 00:16:33,820 I had to grow up. 215 00:16:33,820 --> 00:16:39,820 And as Christians, that is what Paul is saying here now in verse 25. 216 00:16:39,820 --> 00:16:43,820 He is bringing this back to church unity. 217 00:16:43,820 --> 00:16:48,820 That as we grow up, we have to put away falsehood 218 00:16:48,820 --> 00:16:51,820 because we are members of one body. 219 00:16:51,820 --> 00:16:54,820 You can call it whatever you want to. 220 00:16:54,820 --> 00:16:56,820 You can call it falsehood. 221 00:16:56,820 --> 00:16:58,820 You can call it lying. 222 00:16:58,820 --> 00:17:02,820 You can call it pretending to be someone you're not. 223 00:17:02,820 --> 00:17:04,820 But the point that Paul is trying to make is 224 00:17:04,820 --> 00:17:08,820 if we don't put away falsehood, it is going to be destructive. 225 00:17:08,820 --> 00:17:12,820 Now you may not be ordering pizzas and not paying for them, 226 00:17:12,820 --> 00:17:15,820 but let me give you some examples. 227 00:17:15,820 --> 00:17:18,820 Are you a different person when you are at church 228 00:17:18,820 --> 00:17:23,820 or you're around other Christians than you are the rest of the week? 229 00:17:23,820 --> 00:17:26,820 Do you have one vocabulary that you use at church 230 00:17:26,820 --> 00:17:33,820 and another that you use at work and another that you use at home? 231 00:17:33,820 --> 00:17:37,820 Do you have a different vocabulary than the one you use at church 232 00:17:37,820 --> 00:17:41,820 versus the one you use when somebody cuts you off in traffic? 233 00:17:41,820 --> 00:17:47,820 Do you treat your coworkers, neighbors, friends, family different 234 00:17:47,820 --> 00:17:51,820 than you treat people at church on a Sunday morning? 235 00:17:51,820 --> 00:17:57,820 If you're trying to live these several different lives, 236 00:17:57,820 --> 00:18:01,820 depending on your setting, depending on where you are, 237 00:18:01,820 --> 00:18:07,820 then I'm going to suggest that you are still clothed with falsehood. 238 00:18:07,820 --> 00:18:11,820 When people ask you how you're doing and you say, 239 00:18:11,820 --> 00:18:19,820 fine, are you really being honest about what's going on inside of you? 240 00:18:19,820 --> 00:18:23,820 Do you feel free to share your hurts with others 241 00:18:23,820 --> 00:18:27,820 or are you afraid of what others might think of you? 242 00:18:27,820 --> 00:18:32,820 I'm not saying that you just have to kind of dump all your baggage onto them 243 00:18:32,820 --> 00:18:35,820 and let them carry those problems, 244 00:18:35,820 --> 00:18:39,820 but if you're not willing to be honest about your life with others, 245 00:18:39,820 --> 00:18:42,820 that's a form of falsehood. 246 00:18:42,820 --> 00:18:45,820 I mean, believe it or not, how refreshing would it be 247 00:18:45,820 --> 00:18:48,820 if you come in here, somebody asks how you're doing, 248 00:18:48,820 --> 00:18:50,820 or you ask somebody how they're doing, 249 00:18:50,820 --> 00:18:54,820 and they just kind of, listen, I've had a rough morning. 250 00:18:54,820 --> 00:18:56,820 My kids are wearing me out. 251 00:18:56,820 --> 00:18:58,820 We almost got divorced on the way over here. 252 00:18:58,820 --> 00:19:00,820 I need some help today. 253 00:19:00,820 --> 00:19:03,820 I mean, I know that's a story for many of us, right? 254 00:19:03,820 --> 00:19:05,820 Sunday mornings are stressful. 255 00:19:05,820 --> 00:19:08,820 Do you not think that's a spiritual battle? 256 00:19:08,820 --> 00:19:10,820 Do you not think that other people are dealing with the same thing? 257 00:19:10,820 --> 00:19:11,820 But instead, what do we do? 258 00:19:11,820 --> 00:19:13,820 We come in here, how are you doing? 259 00:19:13,820 --> 00:19:14,820 Fine. 260 00:19:14,820 --> 00:19:17,820 Can't stand my wife right now, but I'm fine. 261 00:19:17,820 --> 00:19:21,820 I want to slap my children right now, but I'm fine. 262 00:19:21,820 --> 00:19:24,820 It's a form of falsehood. 263 00:19:24,820 --> 00:19:28,820 Have you ever told someone that you would pray for them, or her, 264 00:19:28,820 --> 00:19:31,820 then not follow through? 265 00:19:31,820 --> 00:19:34,820 Perhaps you said it because you thought it sounded spiritual. 266 00:19:34,820 --> 00:19:36,820 It sounded like the right thing to do, 267 00:19:36,820 --> 00:19:38,820 but you never really had any intention of doing it, 268 00:19:38,820 --> 00:19:41,820 or maybe you really, really meant well, 269 00:19:41,820 --> 00:19:43,820 but you never followed through. 270 00:19:43,820 --> 00:19:46,820 Have you ever made a commitment to some ministry in the church 271 00:19:46,820 --> 00:19:49,820 and then not followed through? 272 00:19:49,820 --> 00:19:52,820 Now, maybe something came up, and it kept you from committing, 273 00:19:52,820 --> 00:19:54,820 or you just got too busy, 274 00:19:54,820 --> 00:19:57,820 or maybe honestly you just forgot that you were supposed to do it, 275 00:19:57,820 --> 00:20:03,820 but you never let anybody know what happened. 276 00:20:03,820 --> 00:20:06,820 Are you struggling with some temptation or sin in your life, 277 00:20:06,820 --> 00:20:10,820 but you're afraid to share that with anyone else? 278 00:20:10,820 --> 00:20:13,820 Maybe you're afraid that someone will betray your confidence, 279 00:20:13,820 --> 00:20:17,820 or you're worried about what someone else is going to think of you. 280 00:20:17,820 --> 00:20:21,820 Maybe you don't share those things because you don't want to appear weak. 281 00:20:21,820 --> 00:20:24,820 I want to encourage you with James 5.16, 282 00:20:24,820 --> 00:20:27,820 it says that we should confess our sins to each other 283 00:20:27,820 --> 00:20:33,820 and pray for each other so that we can be healed. 284 00:20:33,820 --> 00:20:37,820 Confess your sins so that you can be healed. 285 00:20:37,820 --> 00:20:42,820 When we don't do that, we are engaging in falsehood. 286 00:20:42,820 --> 00:20:45,820 We're pretending to be someone we're not. 287 00:20:45,820 --> 00:20:48,820 Now, I don't think we intentionally try to mislead or live in falsehood, 288 00:20:48,820 --> 00:20:51,820 but we are all prone to do it. 289 00:20:51,820 --> 00:20:54,820 Maybe it's because we don't realize how destructive it is. 290 00:20:54,820 --> 00:20:59,820 The first way that it's destructive is it goes against the character of God. 291 00:20:59,820 --> 00:21:01,820 Even though Paul doesn't mention this directly, 292 00:21:01,820 --> 00:21:04,820 this principle is seen clearly if we read verse 25 293 00:21:04,820 --> 00:21:06,820 within the context of the entire letter, 294 00:21:06,820 --> 00:21:08,820 and especially chapter 4. 295 00:21:08,820 --> 00:21:11,820 If the church is the body of Christ, 296 00:21:11,820 --> 00:21:14,820 then we should reflect His character. 297 00:21:14,820 --> 00:21:16,820 If the church is the body of Christ, 298 00:21:16,820 --> 00:21:18,820 then we should reflect His character, 299 00:21:18,820 --> 00:21:21,820 which is clearly seen in the Old Testament passage of Numbers. 300 00:21:21,820 --> 00:21:23,820 Numbers 23 says, 301 00:21:23,820 --> 00:21:25,820 God is not man that He should lie, 302 00:21:25,820 --> 00:21:27,820 or a son of man that He should change His mind. 303 00:21:27,820 --> 00:21:30,820 Has He said, and will He not do it? 304 00:21:30,820 --> 00:21:33,820 Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it? 305 00:21:33,820 --> 00:21:39,820 Last week we talked about truth, that Jesus is truth. 306 00:21:39,820 --> 00:21:43,820 When we as the church 307 00:21:43,820 --> 00:21:45,820 pretend to be something that we are not, 308 00:21:45,820 --> 00:21:48,820 we violate the character of who He is. 309 00:21:48,820 --> 00:21:50,820 We violate the truth. 310 00:21:50,820 --> 00:21:53,820 There are non-believers all around us 311 00:21:53,820 --> 00:21:57,820 where the only experience they have had with the character of God 312 00:21:57,820 --> 00:22:01,820 is from people within the church. 313 00:22:01,820 --> 00:22:04,820 And a lot of times, it hasn't been a good experience. 314 00:22:04,820 --> 00:22:08,820 I'm sure many of us have had conversations with non-believers 315 00:22:08,820 --> 00:22:10,820 that have said, 316 00:22:10,820 --> 00:22:14,820 I've had some sort of horrible experience with somebody from church. 317 00:22:14,820 --> 00:22:16,820 I've had some sort of horrible experience 318 00:22:16,820 --> 00:22:20,820 with people that claim to be Jesus, or love Jesus. 319 00:22:20,820 --> 00:22:24,820 Now, I waited tables for four years through college. 320 00:22:24,820 --> 00:22:26,820 Abuelos Mexican Food Embassy, it's fantastic. 321 00:22:26,820 --> 00:22:29,820 They need to get one here. 322 00:22:29,820 --> 00:22:32,820 It's fantastic. 323 00:22:32,820 --> 00:22:37,820 But I worked every shift throughout my time there. 324 00:22:37,820 --> 00:22:40,820 And do you know which one I hated the most? 325 00:22:40,820 --> 00:22:42,820 Sunday lunch. 326 00:22:42,820 --> 00:22:46,820 All the people from church would come in 327 00:22:46,820 --> 00:22:50,820 after experiencing a time of worship, 328 00:22:50,820 --> 00:22:55,820 after experiencing a time where they got to hopefully be in the presence of the Lord, 329 00:22:55,820 --> 00:22:57,820 and they come in for lunch, 330 00:22:57,820 --> 00:23:04,820 and they are the rudest, cheapest people we saw all week long. 331 00:23:04,820 --> 00:23:08,820 I came to understand why people like Billy Joel 332 00:23:08,820 --> 00:23:14,820 would say that he would rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. 333 00:23:14,820 --> 00:23:16,820 Friday nights were fun. 334 00:23:16,820 --> 00:23:18,820 The people were nice. 335 00:23:18,820 --> 00:23:20,820 The people weren't cheap. 336 00:23:20,820 --> 00:23:25,820 I dreaded Sundays, and so did every single one of my coworkers. 337 00:23:25,820 --> 00:23:27,820 One particular Sunday, my coworker, Clint, 338 00:23:27,820 --> 00:23:29,820 who knew that I was a Christian, 339 00:23:29,820 --> 00:23:34,820 asked me, why would you want to be associated with him? 340 00:23:34,820 --> 00:23:37,820 He had just worked a table that racked up a $150 bill, 341 00:23:37,820 --> 00:23:44,820 and they left a tract as a tip. 342 00:23:44,820 --> 00:23:47,820 When you go out to a meal, 343 00:23:47,820 --> 00:23:50,820 especially on a Sunday, 344 00:23:50,820 --> 00:23:54,820 you get to reflect the character of God. 345 00:23:54,820 --> 00:23:56,820 Be generous, 346 00:23:56,820 --> 00:23:58,820 because he is overly generous. 347 00:23:58,820 --> 00:24:03,820 Be kind, because he has been so kind to us. 348 00:24:03,820 --> 00:24:06,820 Well, Daniel, sometimes the service is terrible. 349 00:24:06,820 --> 00:24:08,820 Sometimes they're rude to me. 350 00:24:08,820 --> 00:24:14,820 That's okay, because sometimes you're terrible. 351 00:24:14,820 --> 00:24:17,820 And God still loves you anyway. 352 00:24:17,820 --> 00:24:21,820 If you are going to claim to be a Christian, 353 00:24:21,820 --> 00:24:24,820 if you're going to claim to be a follower of Jesus, 354 00:24:24,820 --> 00:24:30,820 don't harm the character of God by looking like the rest of the world. 355 00:24:30,820 --> 00:24:33,820 Falsehood is also destructive to yourself. 356 00:24:33,820 --> 00:24:36,820 Proverbs 19 says that a false witness will not go unpunished, 357 00:24:36,820 --> 00:24:41,820 and he who pours out lies will not go free. 358 00:24:41,820 --> 00:24:46,820 There's two things that happen when our lives become characterized by falsehood. 359 00:24:46,820 --> 00:24:49,820 There's two things that happen when our lives are characterized by lies. 360 00:24:49,820 --> 00:24:51,820 The first is that we lose our integrity, 361 00:24:51,820 --> 00:24:53,820 and that people can no longer trust us. 362 00:24:53,820 --> 00:24:55,820 I mean, that's pretty obvious, right? 363 00:24:55,820 --> 00:24:57,820 When you live a life of lies, 364 00:24:57,820 --> 00:25:00,820 people begin to doubt that you're actually telling the truth. 365 00:25:00,820 --> 00:25:05,820 I think that most of us recognize how falsehood hurts us in that manner. 366 00:25:05,820 --> 00:25:08,820 But there's also the flip side that I'm not sure that we tend to consider. 367 00:25:08,820 --> 00:25:12,820 When we fail to put off falsehood, when we live a life of lies, 368 00:25:12,820 --> 00:25:16,820 we also have a hard time believing and trusting others. 369 00:25:16,820 --> 00:25:19,820 If we live a life of falsehood, 370 00:25:19,820 --> 00:25:24,820 it makes us skeptical of everyone around us. 371 00:25:24,820 --> 00:25:26,820 I see it all the time. 372 00:25:26,820 --> 00:25:28,820 I've experienced it in my own life. 373 00:25:28,820 --> 00:25:32,820 We put on a facade because we think that's the person that people will accept. 374 00:25:32,820 --> 00:25:36,820 We fail to be real because we want to have this relationship. 375 00:25:36,820 --> 00:25:38,820 We want to have this friendship. 376 00:25:38,820 --> 00:25:45,820 We pretend, and then we form this relationship that's based on a lie, 377 00:25:45,820 --> 00:25:50,820 and we kind of somewhat become dependent on it. 378 00:25:50,820 --> 00:25:56,820 But there's this constant thought in your head that if they really knew you, 379 00:25:56,820 --> 00:26:02,820 if they really understood who you were, that relationship would be over. 380 00:26:02,820 --> 00:26:06,820 If I were to confess that I struggle with this particular thing, 381 00:26:06,820 --> 00:26:09,820 then people would abandon me. 382 00:26:09,820 --> 00:26:11,820 And so you become skeptical of those around you. 383 00:26:11,820 --> 00:26:15,820 Do they love you or do they love the facade that you've put up? 384 00:26:15,820 --> 00:26:20,820 Do they want to hang out with you or do they want to hang out with a person that's lying to him? 385 00:26:20,820 --> 00:26:22,820 That's a form of punishment. 386 00:26:22,820 --> 00:26:25,820 It's not freedom. 387 00:26:25,820 --> 00:26:27,820 That kind of life is exhausting. 388 00:26:27,820 --> 00:26:29,820 Many of you are living it. 389 00:26:29,820 --> 00:26:30,820 I've lived it. 390 00:26:30,820 --> 00:26:31,820 It's exhausting. 391 00:26:31,820 --> 00:26:33,820 It wears you out. 392 00:26:33,820 --> 00:26:40,820 Some of the most free people I've ever met in my life are sitting in a prison cell right now. 393 00:26:40,820 --> 00:26:44,820 That's who they are. 394 00:26:44,820 --> 00:26:46,820 They've been busted. 395 00:26:46,820 --> 00:26:48,820 There's no more secrets. 396 00:26:48,820 --> 00:26:54,820 And they are walking in more freedom than most of us in this room are, 397 00:26:54,820 --> 00:26:58,820 because they're not pretending. 398 00:26:58,820 --> 00:27:01,820 Find you a group of people that you can trust. 399 00:27:01,820 --> 00:27:06,820 Find you a group of people and be willing to be who you are with them. 400 00:27:06,820 --> 00:27:08,820 It will be hard. 401 00:27:08,820 --> 00:27:10,820 Not going to sugarcoat that one. 402 00:27:10,820 --> 00:27:12,820 It's going to be hard. 403 00:27:12,820 --> 00:27:14,820 They might betray you. 404 00:27:14,820 --> 00:27:16,820 That's a reality. 405 00:27:16,820 --> 00:27:19,820 But it will be worth it. 406 00:27:19,820 --> 00:27:23,820 Finally, falsehood is destructive to the church. 407 00:27:23,820 --> 00:27:27,820 That's very consistent with what Paul has already written here in Ephesians. 408 00:27:27,820 --> 00:27:31,820 And how he's described that all of us are connected to one another. 409 00:27:31,820 --> 00:27:33,820 We're connected to each other. 410 00:27:33,820 --> 00:27:34,820 We are one body. 411 00:27:34,820 --> 00:27:38,820 So when one part of the body suffers, the rest of the body suffers with it. 412 00:27:38,820 --> 00:27:42,820 If there's an infection in a body part, it affects the rest of the body. 413 00:27:42,820 --> 00:27:46,820 And that's particularly true when it comes to falsehood. 414 00:27:46,820 --> 00:27:50,820 That's particularly true when you deal with a bunch of lies and things like that. 415 00:27:50,820 --> 00:27:55,820 Many of us here in this room have either been a part of a church split, 416 00:27:55,820 --> 00:27:59,820 or we've been impacted by one in some way. 417 00:27:59,820 --> 00:28:03,820 And I'm convinced that in most of those cases, 418 00:28:03,820 --> 00:28:09,820 that church split is not over some major theological or doctrinal issue. 419 00:28:09,820 --> 00:28:15,820 But rather, that church split is a result of relationships that have been damaged 420 00:28:15,820 --> 00:28:17,820 because of falsehood, 421 00:28:17,820 --> 00:28:19,820 because of lying, 422 00:28:19,820 --> 00:28:21,820 because of pretending. 423 00:28:21,820 --> 00:28:29,820 I hear often, often, how someone doesn't trust someone else, 424 00:28:29,820 --> 00:28:34,820 they feel like they're holding their cards too close to the chest. 425 00:28:34,820 --> 00:28:37,820 They just like to talk at surface level. 426 00:28:37,820 --> 00:28:39,820 You can never really go deep with them. 427 00:28:39,820 --> 00:28:42,820 When we talk just on surface level, 428 00:28:42,820 --> 00:28:44,820 now this is no offense to Andy Irvin, 429 00:28:44,820 --> 00:28:49,820 but sometimes we've got to get past the weather. 430 00:28:49,820 --> 00:28:52,820 Sometimes we've got to go a little bit deeper. 431 00:28:52,820 --> 00:28:57,820 When we talk at surface level only, trust is unable to be built. 432 00:28:57,820 --> 00:29:00,820 And when trust isn't built, 433 00:29:00,820 --> 00:29:05,820 we will just be a church who likes to play in the kiddie pool. 434 00:29:05,820 --> 00:29:11,820 There will never be healing if that's the case. 435 00:29:11,820 --> 00:29:16,820 So audience participation, alright? 436 00:29:16,820 --> 00:29:19,820 Everybody hopefully will participate. 437 00:29:19,820 --> 00:29:21,820 But show of hands, 438 00:29:21,820 --> 00:29:27,820 if anyone else thought daily, weekly, whatever, 439 00:29:27,820 --> 00:29:31,820 that you were failing as a parent, 440 00:29:31,820 --> 00:29:35,820 look around you. 441 00:29:35,820 --> 00:29:39,820 So have I. 442 00:29:39,820 --> 00:29:42,820 There's been many days that I lose sleep 443 00:29:42,820 --> 00:29:47,820 because I'm wondering what should I have done better in that situation? 444 00:29:47,820 --> 00:29:50,820 How can I love my kids better in that situation? 445 00:29:50,820 --> 00:29:54,820 Has anyone else felt like their marriage needs help 446 00:29:54,820 --> 00:29:58,820 because there's some hurt and there's not real great communication? 447 00:29:58,820 --> 00:30:00,820 Anybody else? 448 00:30:00,820 --> 00:30:03,820 Look around you. 449 00:30:03,820 --> 00:30:09,820 Those of you that are married and do not have your hands up are liars. 450 00:30:09,820 --> 00:30:12,820 Let's put away the falsehood. 451 00:30:12,820 --> 00:30:14,820 Because I have. 452 00:30:14,820 --> 00:30:19,820 There's days when scene and I do not click. 453 00:30:19,820 --> 00:30:27,820 There's days when we just do not get along. 454 00:30:27,820 --> 00:30:32,820 What about struggling with some sort of temptation or sin? 455 00:30:32,820 --> 00:30:34,820 And you've been afraid to share it. 456 00:30:34,820 --> 00:30:35,820 I've been there. 457 00:30:35,820 --> 00:30:38,820 Anybody else? 458 00:30:38,820 --> 00:30:43,820 Let's put away some falsehood, y'all. 459 00:30:43,820 --> 00:30:46,820 I've been there. 460 00:30:46,820 --> 00:30:50,820 Our sin nature wants to keep things in the dark. 461 00:30:50,820 --> 00:30:52,820 Our sin nature wants to say, 462 00:30:52,820 --> 00:30:55,820 I'm fine when we're not. 463 00:30:55,820 --> 00:30:59,820 Our sin nature wants to pretend that our marriage is perfect when it's not. 464 00:30:59,820 --> 00:31:02,820 Our sin nature wants to pretend that we are the best parents 465 00:31:02,820 --> 00:31:06,820 to ever walk the face of the earth when we're not. 466 00:31:06,820 --> 00:31:12,820 And when we do that, when we let our sin nature overcome us, 467 00:31:12,820 --> 00:31:22,820 we will never be a place that finds healing. 468 00:31:22,820 --> 00:31:26,820 So put away the falsehood. 469 00:31:26,820 --> 00:31:28,820 Not everybody rose their hand. 470 00:31:28,820 --> 00:31:30,820 Raise their hand. 471 00:31:30,820 --> 00:31:35,820 Raise their hand. 472 00:31:35,820 --> 00:31:38,820 But every single one of us in this room, you can look across the room. 473 00:31:38,820 --> 00:31:41,820 Every single one of us in this room is dealing with something. 474 00:31:41,820 --> 00:31:44,820 Everybody in this room is perfect by any means. 475 00:31:44,820 --> 00:31:47,820 But we like to pretend that we are, don't we? 476 00:31:47,820 --> 00:31:50,820 We like to pretend that we have it all together when we don't. 477 00:31:50,820 --> 00:31:54,820 Let's put away the falsehood today. 478 00:31:54,820 --> 00:31:56,820 Let's put away the falsehood. 479 00:31:56,820 --> 00:32:01,820 And let's be angry about it when we see it. 480 00:32:01,820 --> 00:32:05,820 Let's gather together and support one another. 481 00:32:05,820 --> 00:32:07,820 Let's be honest with one another. 482 00:32:07,820 --> 00:32:12,820 Let's find healing together. 483 00:32:12,820 --> 00:32:14,820 And so I'm going to pray for us. 484 00:32:14,820 --> 00:32:17,820 We'll have time to respond. We'll have time to sing. 485 00:32:17,820 --> 00:32:20,820 Maybe you need to go grab somebody that's in this room that you can't stand right now. 486 00:32:20,820 --> 00:32:23,820 Maybe you need to make peace. 487 00:32:23,820 --> 00:32:27,820 Maybe you need to come to the altar and you need to lay these things before the Lord. 488 00:32:27,820 --> 00:32:32,820 Maybe you need to sit in your chair and just ask God to speak and reveal things to you. 489 00:32:32,820 --> 00:32:33,820 I don't know. 490 00:32:33,820 --> 00:32:38,820 But this passage affects all of us. 491 00:32:38,820 --> 00:32:42,820 Every single one of us. 492 00:32:42,820 --> 00:32:52,820 I am a messed up, sin filled husband, father, pastor, person in general. 493 00:32:52,820 --> 00:32:58,820 And I will never pretend to be anything else. 494 00:32:58,820 --> 00:33:02,820 But because of Jesus, I have healing. 495 00:33:02,820 --> 00:33:05,820 But not when I keep it to myself. 496 00:33:05,820 --> 00:33:10,820 And so if you've ever once thought, man, I hope to be like Daniel in my spiritual journey, 497 00:33:10,820 --> 00:33:13,820 I'm telling you you don't. 498 00:33:13,820 --> 00:33:14,820 You don't. 499 00:33:14,820 --> 00:33:16,820 I'm not the example. 500 00:33:16,820 --> 00:33:17,820 Right? 501 00:33:17,820 --> 00:33:18,820 We said that last week. 502 00:33:18,820 --> 00:33:19,820 Jesus is the example. 503 00:33:19,820 --> 00:33:20,820 Jesus is the truth. 504 00:33:20,820 --> 00:33:26,820 Jesus is who we look up to to find life. 505 00:33:26,820 --> 00:33:32,820 And so I'm going to pray for us. 506 00:33:32,820 --> 00:33:34,820 I'm going to encourage you to take that step. 507 00:33:34,820 --> 00:33:37,820 If you need, we'll have the prayer team ready, enable. 508 00:33:37,820 --> 00:33:40,820 If they can pray with you, if you can want to confess something to them. 509 00:33:40,820 --> 00:33:47,820 If you want to do something, let us minister to you today so that you can find healing. 510 00:33:47,820 --> 00:33:48,820 Amen. 511 00:33:48,820 --> 00:33:49,820 Let's pray. 512 00:33:49,820 --> 00:33:55,820 Father God, I pray that you will do a work in this place today. 513 00:33:55,820 --> 00:33:58,820 I pray, Father, that you will give us soft hearts. 514 00:33:58,820 --> 00:34:04,820 I pray that you will reveal any anger that we might have that needs to be settled before 515 00:34:04,820 --> 00:34:07,820 the day is done. 516 00:34:07,820 --> 00:34:09,820 God, we pray for church unity. 517 00:34:09,820 --> 00:34:14,820 We pray that you will not, that you will protect us from allowing the enemy, the devil, to 518 00:34:14,820 --> 00:34:19,820 set up any sort of camp here. 519 00:34:19,820 --> 00:34:22,820 We give him no opportunity whatsoever. 520 00:34:22,820 --> 00:34:29,820 And so, Father, I pray that you as your spirit moves to this place, that you will bring healing, 521 00:34:29,820 --> 00:34:33,820 that you will bring life. 522 00:34:33,820 --> 00:34:35,820 So I ask all these things in Jesus' name. 523 00:34:35,820 --> 00:34:53,820 Amen.