Walk Like Jesus

SERMONS Antioch Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Perry County Arkansas

WALK LIKE JESUS

Larry Elmore Pastor of Antioch Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Houston Arkansas

LARRY ELMORE

Pastor of Antioch Landmark Missionary Baptist Church

Walk Like Jesus Not the World

Ephesians 4:17-24

The church in Ephesus was a New Testament church made up of saved Baptized believers. They were children of God. And like Paul mentioned to them before, they need to act like children of God, not continue to follow the ways of the sinful world. The expectation is to live a life that is Holy and reflects Jesus Christ. This letter written for the Ephesians is also written for modern Christians. These instructions are for us today.

This is a set of two lists, of don’ts and do’s. As we are going through these lists, and it’s going to start sounding very familiar.

Antioch Baptist Church Perryville Ar Walking like Jesus
Antioch Baptist Church in Perryville Arkansas BE RENEWED

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk”

Ephesians 4:17a

Antioch Baptist Church Perryville Arkansas put on the new man

#1 Don’t Walk Like the Gentiles (the World)

Ephesians-4:17-19

  • Vanity of the mind
    • Vanity means futile, empty, or meaningless.
    • Remember Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”
    • The word mind here is the same principle as the inner man.
    • There are no thoughts of God, and no morality in their reasoning and in their being.
    • Psalm 94:11 “The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, That they are vanity.”
  • Darkened understanding
    • The things of God are foolish to them.
    • They are not indwelled by the Holy Spirit. The have no spiritual perception 
    • 1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
  • Alienated from God
    • They are still at war will God and His enemies
    • They choose to be ignorant of God.
    • They choose to harden their hearts to God.  (blindness=hardness)
  • Past feeling or insensitive
    • Or feeling no pain. No remorse. Hardening of their emotions so they don’t feel, especially things of God.
  • Lasciviousness (Gross sensuality)
    • Lewd behavior. No moral restraint. Galatians 6:19 calls it “works of the flesh”.
  • Uncleanness and greed
    • Any form of impurity, and covetousness.

The Gentiles, or nonbelievers, he is talking about, leave God out of everything they say, do and think. This is where the world is right now, in the present day in which we live. This is where we were before Jesus.

“If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:”

EPHESIANS 4:21

#2 Do Walk Like Jesus

Ephesians 4:20-24

Believers are to walk as Jesus walks, not as men walk. We are to walk the opposite of the don’ts list.

Paul says, since we have learned about Christ:

      • The Ephesians heard about Him, and were taught about Him.
        • Through God’s Word
        • Through Pastors, Ministers, and Teachers
        • Christ is the actual teacher and He teaches truth through pastors, ministers, and teachers.

How to walk like Jesus

  • We put off the old man
    • We leave our old ways, the old us dies. Romans 6:11-13 explains this perfectly.
    • Romans 6:11-13 “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
  • We renew our spirit and mind
    • As we yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit, as we study and read our Bibles our minds will be renewed.
    • The mind, this is where our battles take place. We are saved and are sins forgiven but we still live in these fleshly bodies that can sin. 
  • We put on the new man
    • Once we are saved we are made new by God. A new creature.
    • We can now have fellowship with God.
    • Now we live our lives to show Jesus.
    • This new man is made by God and nothing we have done.

Are we allowing our minds to be renewed by the Holy Spirit?

Are we showing those around us the new man?

Are we showing the righteousness and holiness of Jesus?

      Antioch Baptist Church in Perryville Ar service times BLUE GRADIENT

      “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

      EPHESIANS 4:24