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Scripture Text: Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, stripping off falsehood, let everyone speak truth with his neighbor,[Ephesians 4:25 Zechariah 8:16] because we are intimately related to each other as parts of a body. 26 Be angry, but don’t sin[Ephesians 4:26 Psalm 4:5(4)] — don’t let the sun go down before you have dealt with the cause of your anger; 27 otherwise you leave room for the Adversary.
28 The thief must stop stealing; instead, he should make an honest living by his own efforts. This way he will be able to share with those in need.
29 Let no harmful language come from your mouth, only good words that are helpful in meeting the need, words that will benefit those who hear them. 30 Don’t cause grief to God’s Ruach HaKodesh, for he has stamped you as his property until the day of final redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, violent assertiveness and slander, along with all spitefulness. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.
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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Ephesians 4:25-32
Verse 25
[25] Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Wherefore — Seeing ye are thus created anew, walk accordingly, in every particular.
For we are members one of another — To which intimate union all deceit is quite repugnant.
Verse 26
[26] Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Be ye angry, and sin not — That is, if ye are angry, take heed ye sin not. Anger at sin is not evil; but we should feel only pity to the sinner. If we are angry at the person, as well as the fault, we sin. And how hardly do we avoid it.
Let not the sun go down upon your wrath — Reprove your brother, and be reconciled immediately. Lose not one day. A clear, express command. Reader, do you keep it?
Verse 27
[27] Neither give place to the devil.
Neither give place to the devil — By any delay.
Verse 28
[28] Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
But rather let him labour — Lest idleness lead him to steal again. And whoever has sinned in any kind ought the more zealously to practise the opposite virtue.
That he may have to give — And so be no longer a burden and nuisance, but a blessing, to his neighbours.
Verse 29
[29] Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
But that which is good — Profitable to the speaker and hearers.
To the use of edifying — To forward them in repentance, faith, or holiness.
That it may minister grace — Be a means of conveying more grace into their hearts. Hence we learn, what discourse is corrupt, as it were stinking in the nostrils of God; namely, all that is not profitable, not edifying, not apt to minister grace to the hearers.
Verse 30
[30] And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Grieve not the Holy Spirit — By any disobedience. Particularly by corrupt discourse; or by any of the following sins. Do not force him to withdraw from you, as a friend does whom you grieve by unkind behaviour.
The day of redemption — That is, the day of judgment, in which our redemption will be completed.
Verse 31
[31] Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Let all bitterness — The height of settled anger, opposite to kindness, verse 32.
And wrath — Lasting displeasure toward the ignorant, and them that are out of the way, opposite to tenderheartedness.
And anger — The very first risings of disgust at those that injure you, opposite to forgiving one another.
And clamour — Or bawling. "I am not angry," says one; "but it is my way to speak so." Then unlearn that way: it is the way to hell.
And evil speaking — Be it in ever so mild and soft a tone, or with ever such professions of kindness. Here is a beautiful retrogradation, beginning with the highest, and descending to the lowest, degree of the want of love.
Verse 32
[32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
As God, showing himself kind and tenderhearted in the highest degree, hath forgiven you.____________________________
Daily Devotions:
Monday, August 17, 2015
Text to read: Ephesians 4:25-32
- In verse 28, Paul wrote, “Thieves must give up stealing…” Why then, as is now, is stealing a social justice issue?
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Text to read: Ephesians 4:25-32
- We understand that property can be stolen, but what else can be stolen from us and others?
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Text to read: Ephesians 4:25-32
- Wednesday - What are the underlying social complexities that lead to the need to steal?
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Text to read: Ephesians 4:25-32
- In verse 26, Paul invites people to be angry, but not to sin. What does he mean?
Friday, August 21, 2015
Text to read: Ephesians 4:25-32
- In the second part of verse 28, Paul assumed that even thieves sought to contribute positively in society.
- How can the church help rehabilitate and reconcile people who’ve been punished?
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Text to read: Ephesians 4:25-32
- In Ephesians, Paul suggests how to live as a healthy community; how are you mentoring and building up others?
Sunday, August 23. 2015
Text to read: Ephesians 4:25-32
- Today, pray for those who have been victims of crime as well as those who have been incarcerated.
First United Methodist Church
2111 Camino del Rio South
San Diego, California 92108 United States
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Sermon Stories "The Truth About People who are Differently Abled" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 23 August 2015 with Scripture: Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, stripping off falsehood, let everyone speak truth with his neighbor,[Ephesians 4:25 Zechariah 8:16] because we are intimately related to each other as parts of a body. 26 Be angry, but don’t sin[Ephesians 4:26 Psalm 4:5(4)] — don’t let the sun go down before you have dealt with the cause of your anger; 27 otherwise you leave room for the Adversary.
28 The thief must stop stealing; instead, he should make an honest living by his own efforts. This way he will be able to share with those in need.
29 Let no harmful language come from your mouth, only good words that are helpful in meeting the need, words that will benefit those who hear them. 30 Don’t cause grief to God’s Ruach HaKodesh, for he has stamped you as his property until the day of final redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, violent assertiveness and slander, along with all spitefulness. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.
As we read and reflect on this passage of Scripture written by the Apostle Paul to the Messianity Community in Ephesus, we somehow hear the cry of the people who are differently abled and their family members. There are many people who are devalued, but we will talk about how we view and have excluded people who are differently abled from our society, but specifically from our churches. We hear about people who are differently abled may be louder or more angry than other people, but what really is the root cause of this attitude from the people who are differently abled. How do they perceive the actions or reactions from the people around them? Too often, we have placed the people who are differently abled separate from the population of our churches whether they are children or teens or adults. We have a tendency to think the people who are differently abled will affect our children or other parishners with negative attitudes, but what happens if what will be affected is the positive attitudes that all people including the people who are differently abled are people made in the full image of God and have the God-given gifts and graces to contribute to building God's Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. How do you view people who are differently abled no matter what their diagnosis may be? What happens if even people who are in the autism spectrum are able to communicate as they are accepted as people. We have learned that people with autism know their surroundings and understand what other people are saying or react to their lives. Yes, there are cases whee autism people overtime begin to verbalize, but even if they do not we have the God-given love of God to treat them as fully human beings as they are. God will use each person for His purpose to share God's love with all other people which is our call to do as well. Too often, I have seen family members who have other family members who are differently abled become angry with God and other people in the church begin to say just get over their feelings without allowing the family members to honestly talk out their feelings of anger with God. This is our call to be able to listen without judging people who are angry with God for their family members being differently abled, but suppor them as God in His grace begins to deal with their feelings wherever they may come from. There are many places that their feelings may come from, but too often it comes with the history of how people who have been differently abled have been treated and excluded in the church as well as society. There is an education problem in how we really understand how people learn differently whether fast or slow or picturres or words. Research has helped us learn about different learning styles and teaching strategies over my own lifetime yet we do not really take these tools seriously even within our churches. I am reminded of a third grade Sunday School teacher in the 1950s who used verbal and pictorial teaching with the use of the flannel graph in teaching about who God is and Jesus life, death, resurrection, and ascension which was able to teach all children where they are which was in the beginning stages or not even though of in the researching of the educational process. Yet, this Sunday School Teacher knew something other teachers did not. How can we learn from the technology and research concerning learning styles and teaching strategies? How can we develop ways to engage our children, teens, and adults with the truth of the Gospel using the latest technology and research? How have we failed to use the intellectual and heart knowledge to embrace all people as they are? Lord Jesus, Have Mercy on us as we come to repent of our sins in taking the Body of Jesus and eating it and taking His Blood and drinking it as we come the the Holy Sacrament's table know as the Holy Eucharist. We come to the table to receive from God singing the Hymn: "The love of God is greater far" by Frederick Martin Lehman (1868-1953)
1. The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.
Chorus: O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
2. When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Chorus: O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
3. Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Chorus: O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
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Gary Lee Parker
4147 Idaho Street, Apt. 1
San Diego, California 92104-1844 United States
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