Learning from Jesus to Change
By Pastor Matt Black
17
February 2008
Lord’s Day morning
Ephesians 4:20-21
Introduction: Great minds think alike. Yesterday we had Men’s Prayer Breakfast. Usually we have what is akin to a breakfast buffet. We have pancakes, biscuits and gravy, breakfast casserole, and sausage links. Sometimes we even have omelets and somebody usually brings donuts. I had a long week at the Biblical Counseling Conference in Lafayette so instead of breakfast casserole I decided I would bring Krispy Kreme donuts. Gary Johnson walked in the door with donuts. Jim Kassl walked in the door with donuts. Mike Larsen walked in the door with donuts. Laurel Grenz decided to be a little bit different and bring pastries (which are basically European donuts).
In the Christian life we should all have the same taste. “O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Our goal in this life is to please God in all that we do—to be like Jesus Christ in every way. To be changed into His image. That’s a hard thing to do in this culture that teaches us to please ourselves. Every thing around you is telling you deserve a break today, and do what you want to do.
Well, this morning we are looking at “Learning From Jesus to Change”.
Scripture and Theme: Jesus Christ died to change us into His image this morning. If He wanted you to remain the same He would not have died for you. Instead Jesus entered into this earth that He made to die for an undeserving, unholy wretch like you and me. He died to bring CHANGE—to take you from sin and scorn to love and holiness.
Would you open your Bible to Ephesians 4:17-20 and stand with me as we honor Jesus Christ this morning? We are reading His Book, and He is present with us today.
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
[Prayer for guidance]
We are told right off the bat, “don’t walk like other Gentiles walk” (verse 17). As Christians we are later in verse 22 told to put off this kind of behavior. We are to put on a new way of thinking and of living. What’s the basis of this new life? Verse 20 says it is the fact that we learn from Jesus Himself. He teaches us and we listen and learn. We are enamored with Jesus Christ, and we change on that basis.
We do not learn to continue in sin from Jesus. Jesus is dwelling in you to give you lasting freedom from sin.
I. In order to change we need to Look to Jesus. Look at what we are outside of Christ.
A. Look at what we lacked in the past when we were without Jesus. Last week saw from verses 17 to 19 what we looked like when we were lost. May be you are here today. And you are without Jesus. And you have no purpose.
· We lacked a divine Purpose. We had VAIN, purposeless minds (verse 17).
· We lacked a divine Perception. Our understanding was DARKENED (verse 18).
· We lacked the divine Presence. We were ALIENATED from the LIFE OF GOD (verse 18).
· We lacked a divine Passion. Our HEART was IGNORANT and BLIND (verse 18).
· And finally we lacked a divine Power. We were enslaved by the LACIVIOUSNESS or LICENSE of their flesh. The Flesh had total power over us so that we OBEYED the powerful desires of the flesh even the UNCLEANNESS with GREEDINESS (verse 19).
But aren’t you glad God did not leave you this way? You are no longer as Ephesians 2:1 says, “dead in trespasses and sins”.
Illustration: We were like Mephibosheth.[1] We could not help ourselves. Mephibosheth was son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul. Mephibosheth lived in Lodebar, and he had been crippled from a fall. His life was in danger there, and actually, he was not safe anywhere. King David was the new king in town, and the family of former kings were usually seen as a threat and put to death. Just about all had been executed in the house of Saul, except Mephibosheth. It wasn’t that Lodebar was unsafe—it was that there was NO safe place to life for Mephibosheth. And to add to matters, Mephibosheth was a cripple. He couldn’t help himself even if he wanted to. There was only one place where Mephibosheth could be safe. And that was at King David’s table. One day David asked if there was on from the house of Saul that he could show his kindness to. Mephibosheth left Lodebar and lived the rest of his days eating as a guest at King David’s table. He had nothing to fear. He was safe.
Like Mephibosheth we all deserve to die. We are not worthy to sit at the King’s table. Let me say if you are lost, you are not safe in Lodebar or wherever you life! You are not safe anywhere. Like Mephibosheth you are a cripple. You cannot help yourself. This is where we are without Christ. So we need to look at our past.
B. But then we need to look at what we are in the present. Look at your life right now. Have you looked to Jesus? Is He changing you right now?
· Has there been a change in you?
· What makes you different?
· What makes you a Christian? Jesus Christ has come to dwell inside of you and give you counsel. He has come in to renew your mind. We used to live godlessly, but verse 20 says, “We didn’t learn that kind of godless living from Christ!” Our hearts are no longer blinded, our minds are no longer darkened. No, we have learned of Christ; we have been taught by him. He has turned on the Light to the reality of eternity and holy living.
Application: Is Jesus Christ teaching you? Christians are taught of Jesus.
· We spend more time looking at ourselves in the mirror than we do looking into the face of Jesus.
· We spend more time searching the internet than we do searching and longing for Jesus.
· I wonder if some professing Christians today have a closer relationship with the actors on TV and their story lines than with our Savior.
I want to give you hope today. You can change. But you need to stop listening to the “counsel of the ungodly” (Psalm 1:1), and you must start listening to the voice of Jesus. You must give the ears of your heart to Jesus. He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). If you are a believer, you have the resident teacher of the Christian faith. He is not only here right now in this room. He is dwelling inside of you.
And if you are a believer you are going to want to be like Jesus.
So we need to Look at ourselves and notice the difference between a believer and an unbeliever. The believer has been taught by Jesus. So we’ve taken a good hard look at ourselves. I’ve said if you are saved, you are being taught by Jesus.
II. Then we need to Learn from Jesus. Jesus Christ is Author of change. You already know this. You already know that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me”.
So who is Jesus? Let’s look at our text in Ephesians 4:20-21. We read, “But ye have not so learned Christ”. We’ve not learned godless living from Christ… Verse 21, “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus”.
Now if we are going to learn of Jesus, we need to know who He is.
A. The first thing we learn from this verse is that Jesus Christ is Omnipresent. He teaches people in Ephesus as well as people all around the world all at the same time. He also does the same thing today. He actually takes up residence in people in various places in the world. And he promises in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee”. So we learn that Jesus Christ, our teacher, is omnipresent. He is everywhere at all times.
B. Secondly, we learn that Jesus Christ is Omniscient. If we are to learn of Him and be taught by Him, then He must know everything about us in order for Him to teach us truthfully. Our heart may be deceitful and desperately wicked, but Jesus Christ can search us out and create in us a clean heart and renew our mind he knows everything about you, and so take heart that there is no area of your life that Jesus cannot and will not change because He knows everything about you and He still calls you to be holy.
C. Thirdly, He is True. We are to hear Christ and to taught by Christ as the truth is in Christ. The truth is in Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus’ counsel is always true. Are there competing voices in your life? What are you feeding your heart and mind.
Application: Here is a suggestion. If you want to know how to renew your mind with the truth of Jesus, remember that you are being taught things about God from the media in your life. So much of the ungodly counsel of the world comes into our hearts and minds, and we are actually naïve enough to believe that all that stuff has no influence over us. I’ll tell you how to revive your heart and increase your faith. Eat on the truth of Jesus. Don’t just put off the media or wrong friends. Fill your heart with the word.
If you don’t have a CD player in your car, spend the money to put one in there. You can do it for a hundred or so dollars. Then do something radical for the glory of God. Instead of listening to the radio, get a CD of the Bible and wear it out!!!
D. Fourthly, and most importantly we learn from this verse that Jesus Christ is Holy. [2]
1. Definition: Now when I refer to holiness I’m talking about moral purity. Jesus Christ is without stain of sin. “He is pure. He is not just good, He is morally perfect. As God He is not only morally perfect. He is separated from all things and all creatures that are not morally perfect. There is no spot in Him. God cannot tolerate sins. He cannot tolerate even one sin.”
2. Examples:
a. Think of Adam and Eve. He did not tolerate the sin of eating the forbidden fruit. How many times did Adam and Eve sin before they were cast out of the presence of God? They sinned only once.
b. How many times did Satan sin in order to be cast out of the presence of God forever? He sinned only once. God did not tolerate Lucifer’s one moment of pride. One moment of pride is worth ten thousand eternities of God’s good wrath. God put a curse so extreme on Satan that ten thousand eternities could not explain how much God hated that one sin. God threw out one third of the angels of heaven who also crossed the line beyond God’s holiness. If you interview a demon today, he will tell you that it is a line of no return. Now, do you think that God is going to tolerate even one sin in you? It is impossible that the holy God of heaven would give His only begotten Son for you and then not make you into His image.
3. Application:
a. When we say that God is holy, we are saying that God is not common. He is special, priceless, and to be treasured. He is worthy of our love and worship with all our heart, soul, mind, body, and strength.
b. When we say that God is holy it means that He is Set Apart or Special. He has absolutely no tolerance to anything or anyone that contradicts or opposes His nature. He is holy. We have made God so common. “Holiness means that God is not common. He is not ordinary. He is not casual. He is distinct. He is not like us. He is never to be taken lightly. He is God.” And God is holy. “[O]ur God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). Holy and awesome is His Name.[3]
c. When we say that God is Holy, it means also that he is Awesome. He is to be feared. So you remember what Isaiah’s response was in the presence of God? Abject terror. Many people serve a comfortable God. “Casual prayerless people have a God that can do nothing for them. They also like him because he can also do nothing to them.”
The God of the Bible is not like that. He is holy. Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit…” Yes, as Christians He is our loving heavenly Father, but that does not mean that we bring Him down to our level. That’s not what Isaiah did. He saw the Lord High and Lifted up. We cannot bring God down even a little. If we bring God down on any level, we’ve created an idol. Isaiah 6:3 the angels shouted and sang—“Holy, holy, holy”—this is the only of God’s that is ever repeated in Scripture. God’s holiness is the Himalayas of all His attributes.
E. Let me say finally that Jesus Christ is Omnipotent. He is all powerful. We learn of Him and are taught by Him so that He can CHANGE us. There is no case that is too hopeless for Christ. He can turn any pagan into His holy child. Many of the people Paul reached were rough and tough people filled with sin, and he could tell them: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
So we need to Look at ourselves and Learn from Jesus.
III. Finally we need to Live for Jesus. And here we learn that real lasting change of your outward behavior is motivated by an inner change that takes place through Christ.
Let’s look again at our text in Ephesians 4:20-21. We read, “But ye have not so learned Christ”. We’ve not learned godless living from Christ… Verse 21, “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus”.
In other words: “If you have heard Him…if you have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus, you cannot possibly continue in sin”.[4]
He’s even clearer in verses 22-24, We learn of Jesus to: (verse 22) “put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Let me say this on the side. Do you remember what Jesus commanded us to do in the great commission?
Matthew 28:18-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” The great commission doesn’t end here. It goes on to verse 20, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
In other words, we are to be DOERS of the Word, and not HEARERS only. People who are hearers only suffer from self deception. James 1:22, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
In other words, if you know about Jesus, but you don’t live for Jesus, you don’t know Jesus. Let me say that again: if you know about Jesus, but you don’t live for Jesus, you don’t know Jesus.
So how is it that I can live for Jesus?
A. First, Understand that Outward change is not enough. Many have learned the Bible well without the help of Jesus Christ. Many have changed outwardly without the help of Jesus Christ. Christianity has always been about change at the core of your being—heart change. If your heart is changed, your actions will follow.
B. Secondly, you need to understand that Holiness is possible because of Christ residing in us as our Teacher. He takes up His residence with us not simply to sleep while you sin. He abides in us to work His holiness into this creature that He bought with His own blood. I want to show you from the Bible that it is absolutely impossible for you to be a child of God if you are not being progressively sanctified. Is your marriage on the upward swing toward holiness? Is your prayer life getting hotter? If you are saved I want to comfort you that God is going to make you holy.
Now, thirdly, I want you to see something in Romans 8:28-30, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
C. So thirdly, We need to understand that if you are saved, God will help you live a holy life. It is guaranteed, and that may be a controversial statement to you. I don’t know why it would be, but there is a teaching that God saves people that He does not ultimately sanctify. But I want to show you from Romans 8:28-29 that EVERY SINGLE PERSON HE SAVES HE SANCTIFIES.
Romans 8:29-30 says, everyone He “justifies” He “predestinate[s] to be conformed to the image of his Son”. He cannot have it any other way.
You see, you cannot possibly be justified without being sanctified. If you have learned of Jesus, you are being taught by Someone who is utterly without sin. Jesus Christ has one reason for abiding in you. If He is in you, then He is in you for one reason—to make you holy. He doesn’t just want to save you and leave you alone. The Spirit of Christ dwells in you precisely to make you holy. Jesus Christ did not die that horrific death just to save you and leave you alone. Everyone He saves He transforms into His image.
So how can we live for Jesus?
· Outward change is not enough, and work on inward change.
· Remember that holiness is possible because of Christ residing in us as our Teacher. So spend time with Him.
· Every single person God saves he sanctifies. Never get discouraged. God is faithful!!
Conclusion:
To the Christian. If you are a Christian, I hope you will take more time this week examining your heart for sin than your face for blemishes. Look at your life, Learn of Jesus and Live for Jesus.
Jesus didn’t just tell us to teach all nations about Him, he told us to “teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”.
I hope that you will take more minutes looking into the beauty of holiness in Jesus’ face than you will looking at your own face, or looking at your car, or looking at your computer screen. I hope you will spend time tasting of Jesus
To the Lost. And if you are here without Christ, realize that you need to look to Jesus Christ. When you look to Jesus Christ in faith something is going to happen!
Your heart is going to melt. I woke up this morning and wondered when Spring would come. It seems like it’s been a long winter. Maybe you’ve had a long winter spiritually. This morning the rain started falling. Maybe today you will look to Christ and he will melt your heart!
Are you going to trust that what your TV tells you about life is true? You cannot change without first humbling yourself and looking to Christ. Oh, yes, you can modify your behavior, but you cannot have a deep heart change until you come to Jesus Christ. Look to Jesus and be saved all the ends of the earth! Learn of Him. And Live for Him!
[1] The events of Mephibosheth’s live are recorded in 2 Samuel 4:4, and chapter 9.
[2] Many of the ides I have here on the doctrine of God’s holiness come from Part 1 of Paul Washer’s sermon on Holiness (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxHpvzG_AT0&feature=related). I highly recommend listening to his entire set of messages on the subject. Those items in this section that are directly quoted I have noted with quotes.
[3] In Hebrew, when it speaks of the Name of God, it Leviticus 24:11, it simply says “the Name”. Look at the orthodox Jew. You cannot get him to even say the God’s Name from His lips. Is the Jew taking it to an extreme? Yes. But we in our country are at another extreme. We market the Name that is above every name as if the Lord of Glory is “Tommy Hilfiger”.
[4] Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Darkness and Light, 103.