Ephesians 4:2b-3
Introduction
Avoiding IED’s. One of the challenges early on in the war on terror was avoiding IED’s, which stands for Improvised Explosive Device. Humvees didn’t have any armor in the beginning, they were Armor-less Humvees. The enemy saw this and used artillery shells leftover from the Saddam regime to build IED’s, plant them on the roadside. As the US Forces outfitted all the Humvees with armor, the enemy changed tactics and placed the IED’s in the centerlane of the road. The IED’s would blow the unprotected underbelly of Humvees. So the US Forces started stopping and scanning all roadkill and debris and trash to see if wires were sticking out. So then, the enemy changed tactics again and started using remote control detonated IED with walkie talkies, garage door openers, cell phones, etc. So the US Forces started using jammers to block electric signals. So the enemy started using pressure plated IED’s and linking a bunch of them together to create what is called a daisy-chain. They would all go explode and create a kill zone field spanning up to a football field in length.
Our soldiers face an innovative enemy who constantly adapts, adjusts and improvises. He searches for weaknesses and when he finds them he attacks with great force to do as much damage as possible.
Transition As Christians we are at war. We are at war spiritually. Ephesians 6:12 says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers , against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We are at war. We are on a battlefield. We face an enemy. He is intelligent, he is inventive, and he is insidious. He knows our weaknesses. And he will exploit our weaknesses if we do not armor up as the Church. Paul says also in 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God…” Put on all the armor so that your weaknesses are not exposed to attack. What are our weaknesses? What are the areas in our lives that we must protect? Paul tells us in our verses this morning. Just like the USF travelled through a foreign country, we as the Church travel through a foreign world. This is not our home. This is not our citizenship. This is not where our hope lies. And just like the USF needs to put on armor to protect itself from the enemies IED’s, so we too need to protect ourselves as the Church from the IED’s of Satan. If we don’t, then they have the potential of blasting apart our unity, our peaceful fellowship, and any witness for Christ we might otherwise have.
These are several spiritual IED’s that can blow up EFC’s unity. We continue to look at characteristics becoming a Christian. It is important that they are mentioned first. They are the most vulnerable areas we have. They can become flaws in our armor.
Characteristic #3: Patience
Characteristic #3 of Conduct Becoming a Christian is Patience. Paul says in verse 2, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient…” Someone has said, “Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead of you.” Patience is important. It is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), a quality of love (1 Cor. 13:4), Jesus demonstrated unlimited patience towards Paul (1 Tim. 1:16); Proverbs relates patience to wisdom. In Proverbs 19:11 it says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience”; in 14:29 it says, “A patient man has great understanding”. In other words we can show how wise or foolish we are by whether or not we show patience.
In the NT there are 2 words translated as patience. One relates to patience with things, or circumstances. The other relates to patience with people. This is the word Paul uses here. Paul is not talking about patience while waiting in traffic or a line or with slow internet or when put on hold while on the phone.
Patience, makrothymeo, has to do with people. The word means to put off or delay an action. I like that, especially if you think of patience as delaying your anger. Instead of a short-fuse, we have a long fuse. Instead of a quick-temper, we have a slow-temper. Instead of being easily irritated and upset, instead of letting our buttons being pushed, instead of flying off the handle, we keep composed and don’t react. This is control. And it is not just outward control. It means inward control also - none of this inward seething beneath the outward serenity stuff; none of this condescending kind of toleration. Patience is graciously tolerating others and their irksome flaws without letting up our love for them, and, without looking down on them. Patience starts in the heart and comes out from there. James 1:19 says it perfectly, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”
Patience is rooted in who God is. Patience is one of his most praiseworthy attributes (if we can say such a thing). We would be in a lot of trouble if God were not patient. I think we lose sight of God’s patience in a society like ours, where we don’t see the seriousness of sin. Of course we see how God needs to be patient with other people but we are confident He never needs to be patient with us. In Exodus 34:6 God passed in front of Moses proclaiming these words: “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness”. Then in Psalm 78:38 it says again, “Yet the Lord was merciful; He forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time He restrained His anger and did not stir up His full wrath.” God’s patience is for our repentance. Romans 2:4 says, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?” And in 2 Peter 3:9 it says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Let’s look to an example from the OT to illustrate the consequences of impatience. Turn with me to Numbers 20:1-12. Moses had been leading the people of Israel in following God through the wilderness. They come to a place and find that there is no water.
Moses struck rock in anger and impatience with the people of Israel. His impatience was a spiritual IED that exploded and did huge damage. God told him speak to the rock, Moses bashed it twice. For losing his cool like that he forfeited setting foot into the promise land. Forty years of leading the people thrown away because of one moment where Moses loses his cool.
Listen: God did not do this to Moses because He is a vengeful God. God is holy, and He did not overlook what Moses did because of all the people it was Moses who knew God. Burning bush, mountain top, speaking face to face, miracles...Moses knew God and it is this we learn: God was not in Moses' anger. "Moses I am not with you in this tirade. This is not of My doing. You are doing this on your own. You are not honoring Me. What you are like right now is not what I am like."
And it is this we learn, if we know God then He demands to be known through us. He expects that what we know of Him is able to be known by others as they look into our lives. He will not be misrepresented, His reputation is at stake. His Name is on the table.
Transition If we are going to protect and preserve our fellowship here from an spiritual IED, then this is an imperative skill we must develop and excel in. Now notice I said skill and not gift. Patience isn’t some gift given to some and not others. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, a fruit of the righteousness of Christ, a fruit born in the life of the wise.
Characteristic #4: Forbearance
The Next characteristic that is part of conduct becoming a Christian is forbearance. Paul says, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Bearing with someone means putting up with them. We’ve all had moments where we wanted to say, “I will not put up with that person anymore! I will not suffer them any longer.” That is not forbearance. Forbearance means you continue to patiently, lovingly, graciously put up with someone and their everyday faults. The opposite of forbearance is to quit on them.
You know what a great example of this is if you think of Jesus and the way He was the whole time with the disciples. You and I would not have put up with them. I mean, think of their pride (greatest in kingdom, sit on Jesus left/right, demons obey us, vow of commitment to follow Jesus all the way to the end). Think of their tempers (fire from heaven on samarian town), dull minds (didn't get His parables, or feeding the multitudes). Their constant thoughtlessness (peter rebuking Jesus). Their unbelief and their fear.
Half the time Jesus was correcting them just to allow Himself to get on with His ministry. But hourly, not daily – hourly, Jesus was with 12 of these guys. And never once did He lose His temper. He showed perfect patience, and perfect forbearance. How many of their faults did He overlook and love them for? Proverbs 10:12 says, “Love covers all wrongs” and Proverbs 17:9 says, “he who covers over an offense promotes love”. That’s what Jesus did and that’s what we are to do. It is through love that we cover over the everyday wrongs of others – meaning we forgive them and don’t keep holding them against that person.
Jesus demonstrated restraint that can be called unmatched excellence of human virtue but is better called perfect display of His divine nature. He continually overlooked and forgave their weaknesses, shortcomings and vices. What makes this truly excellent is that His forbearance took place in a setting where daily and hourly he was surrounded by these men and all there failings. Jesus modeled the excellent virtues of the Christian life in a setting very relatable to us today: with people He did everyday life with.
We, however, escape in work, or facebook, or video games or recreation, or quarrel when every petty grievance or offense arises. Do we face the irritations and annoyances of our lives with the same grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? Every crime, from hastily rebuking Him for informing them he was going to the cross all the way to the abandonment of him in his hour of death, He forgave. In Colossians 3:13 Paul relates forbearance with forgiveness, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” You see forbearance involves a continual forgiving of others; a refusal to keep inventory of all their faults. And the way you do that is to keep fresh in your mind that you have been forgiven and the Lord bears with you also. It is done through forgiving. Do you know what the difference is between forgiveness and an apology? (Explain forgiving as opposed to an apology). We have to be willing to forgive and seek forgiveness.
People who dont get this are never in any one church for very long. They leave for petty reasons. They cry about how imperfect people are. Well you will fit in perfectly because you're imperfect too.
Actually, these virtues (humility, patience, gentleness, forbearance) are emphasized because we are imperfect. If everyone is perfect we don’t ever have to be patient or forbearing or forgiving because none of us would ever do anything to slight, injure, wound, offend, annoy or irritate each other.
These first commands underscore how relevant God's Word is, how much God understands our weaknesses, and His wisdom to provide the solutions so we don't tear each other apart. This is relevant and applicable to our everyday lives and relationships.
Who do you do everyday life with? That’s where your Christianity is tested. That’s where your character is tested. That is where you’re not insulated from the irritating quirks and annoying habits and human flaws of others. That’s where you are tested – where the imperfections of others bring out your own imperfections. Christ lived hourly with flawed people. The local church and your home are the real setting for you to prove the character of Christ in you. That is where you live hourly, daily and weekly with real flawed people in an up close way. That’s Christianity. That is where humility, patience, gentleness, forbearance are seen.
Characteristic #5: Wholeheartedness
Do it with all your heart
Conclusion
Let’s conclude with this story. I call it the Menard’s Moment. And as I share this, I want to remind you that our focus is to have Conduct Becoming a Christian. It is even better said, Conduct Becoming of Christ. Are we living worthy of our Calling? Are we living up to the Name we bear? Think about this:
Annie’s brother is a cop in Indiana, and One of my favorite things to do when Annie and I go to Indy on vacation is to do a Ride Along. I’ve done it a couple times and its always a blast. Well, one time he got a call to Menards because someone had stolen something. So we show up, we walk into the security office and this guy is sitting there with his head in his hands.
He didn’t look anything like I expected. I watch cops on TV and I’m expecting some guy to be cuffed on the floor with his shirt off, dirty, a little beat up from the scuffle.
Nothing like that. He was clean cut, mid-thirties, wedding band on his finger, looked very responsible…But here is the kicker: He was wearing his company shirt. The guy worked for a heating and cooling company and he was in uniform. He actually drove to Menards in his company van that he worked out of! Now he was busted for theft, bearing the name of his employer, and guess what he stole – a $0.75 drill bit! One stinking drill bit. You know what, it doesn’t matter that he stole just a bit, it is the fact that he stole. Actually because he stole something so insignificant makes him look worse because he was willing to compromise his character, his reputation, and the name of his employer for a mere $0.75!
Introduction
Avoiding IED’s. One of the challenges early on in the war on terror was avoiding IED’s, which stands for Improvised Explosive Device. Humvees didn’t have any armor in the beginning, they were Armor-less Humvees. The enemy saw this and used artillery shells leftover from the Saddam regime to build IED’s, plant them on the roadside. As the US Forces outfitted all the Humvees with armor, the enemy changed tactics and placed the IED’s in the centerlane of the road. The IED’s would blow the unprotected underbelly of Humvees. So the US Forces started stopping and scanning all roadkill and debris and trash to see if wires were sticking out. So then, the enemy changed tactics again and started using remote control detonated IED with walkie talkies, garage door openers, cell phones, etc. So the US Forces started using jammers to block electric signals. So the enemy started using pressure plated IED’s and linking a bunch of them together to create what is called a daisy-chain. They would all go explode and create a kill zone field spanning up to a football field in length.
Our soldiers face an innovative enemy who constantly adapts, adjusts and improvises. He searches for weaknesses and when he finds them he attacks with great force to do as much damage as possible.
Transition As Christians we are at war. We are at war spiritually. Ephesians 6:12 says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers , against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We are at war. We are on a battlefield. We face an enemy. He is intelligent, he is inventive, and he is insidious. He knows our weaknesses. And he will exploit our weaknesses if we do not armor up as the Church. Paul says also in 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God…” Put on all the armor so that your weaknesses are not exposed to attack. What are our weaknesses? What are the areas in our lives that we must protect? Paul tells us in our verses this morning. Just like the USF travelled through a foreign country, we as the Church travel through a foreign world. This is not our home. This is not our citizenship. This is not where our hope lies. And just like the USF needs to put on armor to protect itself from the enemies IED’s, so we too need to protect ourselves as the Church from the IED’s of Satan. If we don’t, then they have the potential of blasting apart our unity, our peaceful fellowship, and any witness for Christ we might otherwise have.
These are several spiritual IED’s that can blow up EFC’s unity. We continue to look at characteristics becoming a Christian. It is important that they are mentioned first. They are the most vulnerable areas we have. They can become flaws in our armor.
Characteristic #3: Patience
Characteristic #3 of Conduct Becoming a Christian is Patience. Paul says in verse 2, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient…” Someone has said, “Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead of you.” Patience is important. It is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), a quality of love (1 Cor. 13:4), Jesus demonstrated unlimited patience towards Paul (1 Tim. 1:16); Proverbs relates patience to wisdom. In Proverbs 19:11 it says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience”; in 14:29 it says, “A patient man has great understanding”. In other words we can show how wise or foolish we are by whether or not we show patience.
In the NT there are 2 words translated as patience. One relates to patience with things, or circumstances. The other relates to patience with people. This is the word Paul uses here. Paul is not talking about patience while waiting in traffic or a line or with slow internet or when put on hold while on the phone.
Patience, makrothymeo, has to do with people. The word means to put off or delay an action. I like that, especially if you think of patience as delaying your anger. Instead of a short-fuse, we have a long fuse. Instead of a quick-temper, we have a slow-temper. Instead of being easily irritated and upset, instead of letting our buttons being pushed, instead of flying off the handle, we keep composed and don’t react. This is control. And it is not just outward control. It means inward control also - none of this inward seething beneath the outward serenity stuff; none of this condescending kind of toleration. Patience is graciously tolerating others and their irksome flaws without letting up our love for them, and, without looking down on them. Patience starts in the heart and comes out from there. James 1:19 says it perfectly, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”
Patience is rooted in who God is. Patience is one of his most praiseworthy attributes (if we can say such a thing). We would be in a lot of trouble if God were not patient. I think we lose sight of God’s patience in a society like ours, where we don’t see the seriousness of sin. Of course we see how God needs to be patient with other people but we are confident He never needs to be patient with us. In Exodus 34:6 God passed in front of Moses proclaiming these words: “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness”. Then in Psalm 78:38 it says again, “Yet the Lord was merciful; He forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time He restrained His anger and did not stir up His full wrath.” God’s patience is for our repentance. Romans 2:4 says, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance?” And in 2 Peter 3:9 it says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Let’s look to an example from the OT to illustrate the consequences of impatience. Turn with me to Numbers 20:1-12. Moses had been leading the people of Israel in following God through the wilderness. They come to a place and find that there is no water.
Moses struck rock in anger and impatience with the people of Israel. His impatience was a spiritual IED that exploded and did huge damage. God told him speak to the rock, Moses bashed it twice. For losing his cool like that he forfeited setting foot into the promise land. Forty years of leading the people thrown away because of one moment where Moses loses his cool.
Listen: God did not do this to Moses because He is a vengeful God. God is holy, and He did not overlook what Moses did because of all the people it was Moses who knew God. Burning bush, mountain top, speaking face to face, miracles...Moses knew God and it is this we learn: God was not in Moses' anger. "Moses I am not with you in this tirade. This is not of My doing. You are doing this on your own. You are not honoring Me. What you are like right now is not what I am like."
And it is this we learn, if we know God then He demands to be known through us. He expects that what we know of Him is able to be known by others as they look into our lives. He will not be misrepresented, His reputation is at stake. His Name is on the table.
Transition If we are going to protect and preserve our fellowship here from an spiritual IED, then this is an imperative skill we must develop and excel in. Now notice I said skill and not gift. Patience isn’t some gift given to some and not others. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, a fruit of the righteousness of Christ, a fruit born in the life of the wise.
Characteristic #4: Forbearance
The Next characteristic that is part of conduct becoming a Christian is forbearance. Paul says, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Bearing with someone means putting up with them. We’ve all had moments where we wanted to say, “I will not put up with that person anymore! I will not suffer them any longer.” That is not forbearance. Forbearance means you continue to patiently, lovingly, graciously put up with someone and their everyday faults. The opposite of forbearance is to quit on them.
You know what a great example of this is if you think of Jesus and the way He was the whole time with the disciples. You and I would not have put up with them. I mean, think of their pride (greatest in kingdom, sit on Jesus left/right, demons obey us, vow of commitment to follow Jesus all the way to the end). Think of their tempers (fire from heaven on samarian town), dull minds (didn't get His parables, or feeding the multitudes). Their constant thoughtlessness (peter rebuking Jesus). Their unbelief and their fear.
Half the time Jesus was correcting them just to allow Himself to get on with His ministry. But hourly, not daily – hourly, Jesus was with 12 of these guys. And never once did He lose His temper. He showed perfect patience, and perfect forbearance. How many of their faults did He overlook and love them for? Proverbs 10:12 says, “Love covers all wrongs” and Proverbs 17:9 says, “he who covers over an offense promotes love”. That’s what Jesus did and that’s what we are to do. It is through love that we cover over the everyday wrongs of others – meaning we forgive them and don’t keep holding them against that person.
Jesus demonstrated restraint that can be called unmatched excellence of human virtue but is better called perfect display of His divine nature. He continually overlooked and forgave their weaknesses, shortcomings and vices. What makes this truly excellent is that His forbearance took place in a setting where daily and hourly he was surrounded by these men and all there failings. Jesus modeled the excellent virtues of the Christian life in a setting very relatable to us today: with people He did everyday life with.
We, however, escape in work, or facebook, or video games or recreation, or quarrel when every petty grievance or offense arises. Do we face the irritations and annoyances of our lives with the same grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? Every crime, from hastily rebuking Him for informing them he was going to the cross all the way to the abandonment of him in his hour of death, He forgave. In Colossians 3:13 Paul relates forbearance with forgiveness, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” You see forbearance involves a continual forgiving of others; a refusal to keep inventory of all their faults. And the way you do that is to keep fresh in your mind that you have been forgiven and the Lord bears with you also. It is done through forgiving. Do you know what the difference is between forgiveness and an apology? (Explain forgiving as opposed to an apology). We have to be willing to forgive and seek forgiveness.
People who dont get this are never in any one church for very long. They leave for petty reasons. They cry about how imperfect people are. Well you will fit in perfectly because you're imperfect too.
Actually, these virtues (humility, patience, gentleness, forbearance) are emphasized because we are imperfect. If everyone is perfect we don’t ever have to be patient or forbearing or forgiving because none of us would ever do anything to slight, injure, wound, offend, annoy or irritate each other.
These first commands underscore how relevant God's Word is, how much God understands our weaknesses, and His wisdom to provide the solutions so we don't tear each other apart. This is relevant and applicable to our everyday lives and relationships.
Who do you do everyday life with? That’s where your Christianity is tested. That’s where your character is tested. That is where you’re not insulated from the irritating quirks and annoying habits and human flaws of others. That’s where you are tested – where the imperfections of others bring out your own imperfections. Christ lived hourly with flawed people. The local church and your home are the real setting for you to prove the character of Christ in you. That is where you live hourly, daily and weekly with real flawed people in an up close way. That’s Christianity. That is where humility, patience, gentleness, forbearance are seen.
Characteristic #5: Wholeheartedness
Do it with all your heart
Conclusion
Let’s conclude with this story. I call it the Menard’s Moment. And as I share this, I want to remind you that our focus is to have Conduct Becoming a Christian. It is even better said, Conduct Becoming of Christ. Are we living worthy of our Calling? Are we living up to the Name we bear? Think about this:
Annie’s brother is a cop in Indiana, and One of my favorite things to do when Annie and I go to Indy on vacation is to do a Ride Along. I’ve done it a couple times and its always a blast. Well, one time he got a call to Menards because someone had stolen something. So we show up, we walk into the security office and this guy is sitting there with his head in his hands.
He didn’t look anything like I expected. I watch cops on TV and I’m expecting some guy to be cuffed on the floor with his shirt off, dirty, a little beat up from the scuffle.
Nothing like that. He was clean cut, mid-thirties, wedding band on his finger, looked very responsible…But here is the kicker: He was wearing his company shirt. The guy worked for a heating and cooling company and he was in uniform. He actually drove to Menards in his company van that he worked out of! Now he was busted for theft, bearing the name of his employer, and guess what he stole – a $0.75 drill bit! One stinking drill bit. You know what, it doesn’t matter that he stole just a bit, it is the fact that he stole. Actually because he stole something so insignificant makes him look worse because he was willing to compromise his character, his reputation, and the name of his employer for a mere $0.75!
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