(Audio/Video/Text)
Title: “But You“
Intro:
Silly story about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Jakes
Menu:
Rubens
Shenbergers
A fine selections of WINEgers.
I know it’s been a month since we were last in Ephesians, but, you may recall, we spent three consecutive Sundays covering the information that Paul lays out in verses 17-19 in a series entitled “8 Observations of the Lost.”
For the sake of reminder, in brief, here were those 8 observations made by Paul (Ephesians 4:17-19)
- Their minds are futile
- Their understanding is darkened
- They are alienated from the life of God
- They are ignorant of the Truth
(Because)
5. Their hearts are blind
(Therefore)
6. They are past feeling
7. They have given themselves over to lewdness
(The Tangible Result)
8. To work all uncleanness with greediness
And that brings us to the comparative transition:
“But you have not so learned Christ.”
The NASB translates this a bit more clearly with “But you did not learn Christ in this way…”
And the NIV is also a bit clearer, “That, however, is not the way of life you learned”
In other words, Paul is declaring, that (v22) if indeed you have been taught by Christ
Paul is not necessarily meaning “in person” It’s safe to say that most likely NONE of the people Paul is writing to in Ephesus were taught directly by Jesus, for two reasons: Can anyone take a guess what those two reasons might be?
- Paul wrote Ephesians around AD 62, some 30 years AFTER Jesus was crucified.
- Ephesus is 1,127 miles from Jerusalem where Jesus centered his ministry. This is roughly the same distance from Ashland, Ohio to Orlando, Florida.
Therefore, it’s possible that someone in the Ephesus Church had been directly taught by Jesus, but it is highly, highly unlikely.
It is a certainty that when Paul makes this statement, that he is clearly saying all of the true believers in Ephesus have indeed “been taught by Christ.”
Pastoral Question: When today we proclaim, “I have been taught by Christ.” What are the methods by which Christ has taught us? (take answers)
- The teachings and examples of Jesus in Scripture
- Prayer/Holy Spirit’s urgings
- Meditative evaluation and accountability
- Others?
“As the Truth is in Jesus”
This is such a brilliant statement by Paul, coming off the thorough explanation of those 8 characteristics of the lost. Look back at this list, is there anything that TRUTH (Big T Truth) can’t fix?
Their minds are futile
Their understanding is darkened
They are alienated from the life of God
They are ignorant of the Truth
(Because)
Their hearts are blind
(Therefore)
They are past feeling
They have given themselves over to lewdness
(The Tangible Result)
To work all uncleanness with greediness
So if the TRUTH is the solution, the next question is simple: Where do we find Truth?
And Paul tells all flatly: In Jesus. Not “about” Jesus. Not “because of Jesus.” Not “with Jesus”. But “IN JESUS.”
A lot of people know “about Jesus” a lot of people can tell you how the world changed and continues to change “because of Jesus”. A lot of people pick and chose which parts of Scripture they can stomach and then claim they are “with Jesus”.
Think of this with Jesus own words in Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Do you know who Jesus will know? Not those who know about Jesus. Not those who claim their life changed because of Jesus. Not those who claim they are with Jesus. But rather those who are IN Jesus.
pray/QA