Turning on the Lights! – Thursday, January 9, 2025. Another look at holy living through Ephesians 4.
Good Morning, Good Morning my brothers and my sisters and welcome to Turning On the Lights! from the Churchtown Church of God. It is Thursday January 9, 2025 and today we continue to explore the concept of living a holy life that is worthy of our calling as disciples of Christ.
Tuesday we looked at 1 Peter 1 and today we open up a sister scripture from a different Apostle, Ephesians 4.
I really do pray that you learn much and are challenged by the Word of God. I really pray that you learn, grow, and become the man or woman that God knows you can be.
God bless you and, as we always say, WE WILL SEE YOU IN CHURCH!
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This is a transcript from the audio of this episode of Turning on the Lights! – Thursday, January 9, 2025
Hey, good morning. Good morning, my brothers and my sisters. Hi. Hi, there. The Christmas decorations are coming down this weekend. Relax. Relax. We got a whole system. I’m not doing it all by myself so we’ve got a little bit of help coming on Saturday. Do a little bit of the Christmas undecorating. I get to carry everything back down to the basement. Just hold on a second. I gotta go turn on the lights. It is Thursday morning. The world is burning. I don’t know if you’ve noticed that. The world is burning. Oh, how we as human beings try to do so much thinking that we can control. Good morning, Sandy. Nature thinking that we can control systems. Thinking that we can control God’s creation. We’re going to manage this water and we’re gonna manage these forests and we’re gonna do this and we’re gonna do that and we’re gonna control everything. Now, we’re not. You see this world do what the world does nature wise. The energy that is involved, the size, the sheer scale and we see these fires and we see these hurricanes and we have so many like the governments around the world. We’re going to control this and we’re going to control that and we’re gonna control the cooling and we’re gonna control the heating and we’re going to control the water and we’re going to control. No, you’re not. No, you’re not. God. We pray. I don’t even know what to pray for when you see fires like that. Pray that they go out. Pray that people don’t die. Pray that people wise up. It’s frustrating because a lot of it, not everything, is preventable not by us trying to control things but by us looking at common sense like what are the cycles of nature? What does it look like out there? Where is the water supply? What should we do about all of this instead of ridiculous policies of control? So, there’s my little side excursion this morning. There might be a couple of other ones because as you can tell in the title, we’re not going to go back into first Peter. We’re going to go into Ephesians. Ephesians four, I believe and I did not prepare this beforehand. I mean, I didn’t open my Bible to the page here that is in the church. There we go. Ephesians four. It happens to be a favorite chapter of mine dealing with a lot of good things. Let’s see who we got here this morning. Good morning, Sandy. Good morning, Mary. Good morning, Rosie. Good morning, Josh. I’m sure that more folks will join us as we move on. Do you ever get stuck between words? I was about ready to pray. Father God, thank you for the opportunity to share your word this morning. May your word go out by the power of your Holy Spirit and change hearts and minds. May they submit to the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior. May they repent of their sin and turn and may your kingdom of God grow in Jesus name. Amen. Morning, Kim. I’ll say good morning to everybody who pops on. I’m I’m friendly like that. I try to be anyway. Should be a good day. I’ve got a little bit of work to do this morning. The Church Town Weekly is going to come out. If you’re not a part of the Church Town Weekly, you can certainly be a part of the Church Town Weekly. It has this particular Church Town Weekly has a vision for 2025 that I talk about. I talk about it here and I talk about it in the Church Town Monthly, which is just distributed for regular attendees because it has a lot of detailed information about the council meetings and finances and things of that nature. But we want to start talking about 2025 moving ahead. Good morning round knob. Good morning, Rick and so we want to get that out there because we want to be intentional. We don’t don’t want congregational members saying what’s going on. Nobody should ever say that and so we have several vehicles the weekly and the monthly and the live stream and the texting groups and and the obviously we’re gathering congregation on Sunday mornings and all of these things and we try to get it out there. What’s going on? What do we need? What do we not need? What are we? What have we been discussing in positional leadership as to what 2025 will look like 2024? Wow wow. You talk about so many different things coming to fruition in 2024 Council Prayer Initiative, Congregational Prayer Initiative Prayer during before during and after the service very intentional about that pairs and spares young adult ministry and that has only brought two more couples into the church right not because of that, but I I think that it’s the if you build it, they will come we were looking around and we had these young couples and then we had these young families with these babies and we’re like what what are we doing? Are we doing anything because you know there is a time outside of the Sunday morning setting when age right when age appropriate or whatever you say same age group type same situational type group. It’s nice to be with your people like that and say hey, these are my struggles. What are your struggles? These are my joys. What are your joys and so that popped up and now more couples are popping up. Surprised no. So that happened. We’re still working on some things and that’s outlined in the Churchtown Weekly this week Sunday morning we bring in welcome six new official members here at Churchtown six individuals who have stood up and said actually it’s three couples. Yes, this is my place. This is my people. This is my place. These are my people. This is where I wanna be and so they stand before the congregation say you’re my people. This is where I wanna be and that’s what that’s what membership means to us all of the baggage of membership doesn’t apply here at Churchtown. The first question I asked on a membership application is are you a Christian? Fair. That’s a fair question right. The second question is why do you wanna become a member of Churchtown? I think that’s way more important than say you gotta do this. You gotta do that. You gotta do this. You gotta do that. I mean yes, you take vows and say I understand the teaching of this church and I will abide by it. That sort of thing sure. And then that level of commitment just after a single year empowers that individual for whatever the Lord may be directing them. Certainly they are empowered before we say so, but it’s always one of the hardest parts. That’s be a line of delineation somewhere right like this person. Has has made this commitment this person hasn’t and that’s not to say anything about people who haven’t. It’s just okay if I wanna move into a ministry leadership position or I wanna move into positional leadership as elder deacon secretary treasurer or whatever the case may be. I should show something right like put something on paper. So that’s where we are with that. It’s gonna be fun and one of the things that we do one of the scriptures that we have is Ephesians four now. This is a parallel scripture or a sister scripture or an adjacent scripture right of the of a first Peter one that we did on Tuesday. We’re talking about holiness and what that looks like and the and Jesus speaks of it and the apostles speak of it in various different ways using various different terms and describing various different behaviors. So when you say when when God was we read says be holy as I am holy doesn’t leave us hanging scripture never leaves us hanging because it never fails in its intended purpose. Right hi pegging never fails in its intended purpose. So when we read be holy as I am holy, we have a we have a library of information about what that means and really what we’re talking about is what we’ve been talking about here and that is the fruit of our salvation. What does it mean? What does it look like? What does it sound like to be a Christian? Right there there’s gotta be something there’s gotta be something you walk. You know I’m a Christian. Okay. So what now what what what does that mean and so scripture gives us a ton of information. This is Ephesians four. I wanna start with verse fourteen cuz he talks about I beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling. What does that look like? I heard about that dear Lord. Please guide the hands of the surgeons for on day and would you bring peace to her spirit and healing to her body in Jesus name. Amen. Her name is Gandhi. Everybody. I have prisoner for serving the Lord beg you to leave a life worthy of your calling for you have been called by God. That’s the opening line of Ephesians four and Ephesians four is going to go on and talk about this and on Sunday, one of the reasons why I’m using Ephesians four is because I am back in it again for Sunday during the membership service. We’re gonna take a look at first Peter during the time in the word and we’re gonna take a look at this for the membership service. Verse fourteen then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever that they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love growing in every way more and more like Christ who is the head of his body. The church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly as each part does its own special work. It helps the other parts grow so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Remember remember remember that the letters of the apostles are written into. The churches when he says brothers and sisters love one another, he’s not just saying. I mean that’s a good rule like okay. I’ve got love. I’ve got the love of God in me, but this particular when they’re when he’s writing into congregations his brothers and sisters love one another for the Lord first loved you and redeemed you pulled you out of the pit. Now you’re together. The first thing if you can’t get this solid congregation if you can’t get this solid church, what are you going to do out there? And it’s the airplane oxygen mask theory remember when if the mask falls down and you’re traveling with somebody who is unable to care for themselves, be sure to put the mask on yourself first before caring for others. Why because you’ll be trying to do something care for others and you’ll die. And you won’t be able to care for obviously yourself or anybody else. So get the mask on make yourself whole and healthy. We’re good relationship with God. We can talk about that as an individual. We can talk about that as family unit marital unit. We can talk about that as congregation. Get yourself right get into the word when he talks about you won’t be blown around right by by every new teaching you because your roots will be in the word of God. Another last year, one of the great initiatives of Churchtown was biblical literacy. It has been for years. We go deeply into the word as often as we can two times in the live stream. The Churchtown weekly every Sunday we get into the word. I want our roots to be deep and I want us to be able to understand and grow from the inside out. He talks about that growth right here. And that is important this year. We’re going to press into biblical literacy even more by offering theological study days by doing all the things that we’re currently doing and by offering more formal Bible study and exposition. Right, I’m in a devotional now and the guy the dude’s a great communicator, but he almost he almost immediately jumps to life application like don’t be like Peter like do you have these questions? Let’s get into the word and what does it say before I start talking about how it’s all about me because it’s not. It’s all about God and and learning about God helps me learn about myself because I have been created in the image and in the likeness thereof. So here we go right. This is Paul writing in Ephesians, not Peter. Paul alright and we won’t be tricked by things that sound like the truth and this is where we need to be careful too because you know our saying here the best lies are what 99% true. The opposer of God’s will doesn’t care if you miss salvation by a millimeter or miss salvation by five miles as long as you miss it. And the best way to do that is to lead people right up to the cross and then right around the cross. And so how are you going to know if you’re being misled? How are you going to know if the crux of that teaching is false? Unscriptural, unbiblical, not of God because this is the word of God. Well, the only way that you’re going to know that is to know the word of God. How do we do that? We do that together as a group individually as couples of what all the time. We know what’s going on with the Lord’s authority. I say this live no longer as the Gentiles do for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness. They wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. Clearly indicating that the Christian life looks different than the secular life. The non-Christian life. Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life. Oh wait, wait. I skipped a couple lines. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. Sound familiar? Go check out the live streaming services. Go check out the news. This is how the non-Christian world lives. They live to satisfy their selves, their own egos, their own sense of self-worth, their own identity. Well, all of those things, their own lusts, their own greed, their own idol worship. Right sex and money and power and title. These are the things that fill up their souls or actually will never fill up their souls, but they keep pouring into it. Are you going to live like that? Oh, time and time and time again, God says, why do you have such little faith? But, but, but, but, but I watch all of these rich people and you know, they, they’re doing so well and they don’t believe anything in God. Okay. Your point is what exactly? Your point is you think God should give those things to you because you have faith because you’ve repented. Your point is those things are really the reward of salvation. People will teach you that for sure. What’s your point? Are you living life and living life abundantly? Well, that means that I have cars and money. No, it doesn’t. It means that you are saved. You’re being sanctified and your salvation is sealed for you in the age to come and that you will live dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Well, that’s not enough. Well, I can’t help you with that. That’s not a God problem. That’s a you problem. And you better get yourself in front of a mirror and get right if you want to. If you don’t want, but I’ll use all of that money. I swear I’ll use all of that money for the benefit of the church for the benefit of Christianity. Okay. If you go on and you’re repentant and you’re faithful and you’re living the life and you get rich and wealthy and have abundance. Good. Go for it. But it’s not like read Job. It’s not a reward for anything that you’ve done or haven’t done. Your salvation is grace. Remember, mercy is a reprieve from the punishment that we so desperately deserve. Grace is receiving a gift that we do not deserve. In the grace of God, you are saved and yet you want more. So what are you saying here, right? So what are you saying here? They have no sense of shame and live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. You talked about the folks outside the heathens outside of the kingdom of God and I talked about how we can get twisted inside the kingdom of God. It’s important, but that isn’t what you learned about Christ here. This is kind of what I was just talking about. Since you have heard about Jesus, you have learned the truth that comes from him. Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the spirit of God renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your, say it with me, new nature created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. Put on your new nature. Right, put on your new nature created to be like God because we have been and this is only by the power of God and the learned experience of God that we will ever become more like God, more Christ-like. You can try to do it on your own like the Pharisees, but it is way better to do it by the very power, the very spirit of God within you. That will be your education. That will be your sanctification. That will be your conviction whenever you’re walking off the path. This will be your growth from the inside out. This power of God will empower you to grow to be the person, the disciple, the human, the man, the woman, the mother, the father, the husband, the wife that you can be. That God sees. Right, instead of going out and trying to seek those identities on your own, find those identities in Christ. We talk all the time about not only are people lost, they are fractured. When men want to be women and women want to be men and men want to be with men and women want to be with women and all of the we are fractured and the enemy takes those pieces and just presses in. You’re right, you’re right, you’re right. You’re born in the wrong body. You’re right. No, you’re wrong. You want to know who you are. Know who you are in Christ because you are created to be like God, right? Not a God. You are created in his likeness, his image and his likeness, truly righteous and holy only by the power of God. The covering of Jesus Christ. Now you’ll know who am I and the Lord will say, let me show you, brother. Oh, son, I guess in this case, let me show you, sister. Whoo. It’s anything but boring. So here’s some specific behaviors. He never leaves us hanging. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth. Let me go back again. I did it. Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, right? Put on your new nature created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth for we are all parts of the same body and don’t sin by letting anger control you. For anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. The Bible is not very practical. Hey, stop telling lies. Don’t let your anger ever get a hold of you. If you’re a thief, listen to me. Stop stealing. It’s wrong. Pretty practical. Instead, use your hands for good work and then give generously to others in need. I’ve created an abundance. What do I do with this abundance? Share it. That’s our answer to everything here in Church Town. We say we have a need. Do we have it? Yes, then give it. That’s how Kelly and I live, right? Is there a need there? Yeah. Do we have it, Cal? Yep. Then let’s give it. We’ve never been disappointed in the result and we have never been starving as a result. The Lord cares. He’s like nice. Don’t use foul and abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Very practical. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved in the day of redemption. If you claim to be a Christian, how about you start acting like it? Huh? That’s probably the most practical advice of all and again, he doesn’t leave you hanging. This is all over scripture. Heck you can do a Google search and find scriptures about living a holy life and read them. It’s all over the place. It is anger and pettiness and the desire for my ego to come out on top cuz I feel like I’ve been bruised. I’ve been bested. Oh, I used to be like that. Oh my goodness and I would hold that like I would play the long game. 2 years out, I get that person back. Letting go things that are so embedded in your behavioral system and in your personality, your corrupted personality. It’s hard. Maybe hard isn’t the word. Maybe it is, but you must be very intentional in your walk with the Lord as you alter your as your behaviors alter and you realize every time you’re harboring those thoughts and or enacting a certain behavior acting on those thoughts. You’re you’re convicted and God says this is this why I say you so you could continue to try to hurt others and you’re like. At first you’re hiding right. What did I do? But then as you grow spiritually, you come off the milk and get into some solid food. You’re like well, you start making excuses that person did it first. I read in scripture where you know you get back at people vengeance and then finally you’re like no it’s not. No, it’s not that person you’re dealing with that person and all I can do is be the best example of Christ that I can be. I may be the only Bible that that person ever reads. What am I doing? How am I representing you Lord? I’m sorry. So you you know don’t be too hard on yourself. I’ve been in those stages. You still need need. I still need to be very intentional. I work with people that. Right, it’s a church. I get it, but I work with a lot of people. That’s not easy and so you gotta you’re challenged all the time. What? Lord, it’s all you. I don’t know maybe a lot of pastors aren’t going to ever. But you know what I mean it’s my vocation and I’m very real with people and I’m very real when I need to to move and and take a couple steps back those boundaries go up cuz I need some health. Right, I need some time me and him me and Cal whatever the case may be and do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit. By the way you live remember he has identified you as his own. You are representative of him guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness. Hear me now. Bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander as well as all types of evil behavior. What is evil? Anything that goes against the will of God. Anything that is not of the will of God. Anything that is not of the word of God is evil. It is in opposition to the will of God. It is the opposite of good because the only good is God. All types of evil behavior instead be kind to each other. That can be tough. Tender hearted, forgiving one another just as God through Christ has forgiven you. There is some good lessons. Good lessons. Good lessons on living holy, living a holy life, behaving as a Christian, behaving as you are set apart from the world cuz you are. We learned that from the very first line that we read. You’re set apart. Now what? So what? These are the questions that we ask and the Bible doesn’t leave us hanging. You wanna live a holy life? Read scripture. Go deeply into scripture. Jesus just doesn’t say be like me. We have the entire gospels to see how he is and the apostles don’t say simply imitate Christ. They lay it out for you and when it comes to individuals, family units and congregation, they lay it out for us. We are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit than to follow through with those seemingly impossible things. The tender heartedness, the forgiveness, the kindness, the generosity, all of those things we are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit because that’s not our nature. We thought we talked about our nature earlier. Fill my soul with my lusts and desires is our nature. Look at me. I’m better than you is our nature. The things of God are called the things of God because they are say it with me of God, not of me. Father, we pray that your word will indeed go wherever you need to send it through this medium and beyond people that whomever you need whomever we pray that they hear this word and they their hearts are warm. Their their necks are turned. Curiosity is peaked. Repentance happens in the kingdom of God grows in Jesus mighty name. Amen. Hey brothers and sisters. It’s Thursday. The weekend’s coming. What am I gonna say next? Fill in the comments with what I’m going to say next. It’s Thursday and the weekend’s coming. So I feel I’m in a good mood today. I hope you’re in a good mood today. I’m in a good mood today. I’m gonna go get some things done and then Kel gets off work early and we’re gonna ramble around and we got choir practice tonight, which isn’t a downer. It’s just that it’s on Kelly’s only day off. It’s once a month. It’s okay. It’s Thursday and the weekend’s coming. I’ll see you in church.
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