Sermon Tone Analysis

Waiting for the latest movie / or book.

Always part of a series.

What happens the moment you finish movie 2 or book 1.

The ending credits roll or you turn the last page, what is your instant desire?

When the next one going to come out?

The heart problem behind any sin the a greedy heart, we always want more!

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians God teaches us just how powerful the grace of gratitude can be in overcoming sin.

What our walk should look like.

Imitators: mimetes, imitator

Who are we to imitate?

God!

We are to walk in love- as or just as Christ loved us.

This is a sacrificial love for others, offered up to God as a spiritual act of worship.

In contrast to that:

Three things God forbids:

1. Sexual Immorality- Πορνεία / we get our English word for what? this is the idea of sexual immorality of any kind.

How easy is it in our culture to access Πορνεία?

How much temptation is there in the life of a young person to watch that 30 second TickTock video or Instagram post?

Sexual orientation is now front and center in our world- it is part of most people’s core identity!

The religion of much of the world is individualism.

Whatever makes me as an individual most happy, that is my pursuit.

Much of the time Πορνεία is at the center of what makes human beings corrupted by sin happy.

If we become imitators of God how far away should we stay from fornication? it must not even be named among you / it should not even be heard of among you / there should be “even a hint” of this kind of sexual immorality in the lives of saints.

2. All impurity- this is any kind of impurity.

This is a strengthening of the previous command to avoid sexual immorality.

Not just sexually immoral acts, but any kind of uncleaness or impurity we are to avoid.

This command is especially relevant for those who want to push out the boundary lines of purity as far as they can.

Sometimes we try to get as close to the line as we can without crossing over.

What are some ways we are tempted to push the boundary lines of purity?

God wants Christians to instead cultivate a love for purity in every area of life!

For those of you who have a desire in your heart to push the line, getting as close as you can to sin, God urges you to turn around and head in the opposite direction- to get as far away as possible!

3. Covetousness- This is the idea of greed.

Again God strengthens his command.

This is an even stronger command than fornication and all uncleaness.

This might seem a little confusing at first.

How does covetousness or greed fit with fornication and uncleaness?

We usually associate greed with money.

But greed is more that an excessive and immoderate desire for acquiring more money.

What else can we be greedy for?

food, power, or like in our context sexually immorality.

How does the idea of covetousness or greed strengthen the commands that Paul has already addressed?

By forbidding greed, God is directly addressing the kind of heart that drives all of these immoral and impure behaviors.

Not only should we avoid fornication and all uncleaness, we must avoid the kind of heart that is greedy for them.

Paul then addresses a few more negative things that should be absent from the life of a Christian in v. 4

Filthiness- obscenities, coarse or vulgar speech

Foolish talking- stupid or rash conversation; like the conversation of a drunk man

Crude Joking- dirty jokes

At the center of this kind of speech is also a greedy heart!

How so?

Why do we usually engage in obscenities, foolish silly talk, or dirty jokes?

We want to be at the center of attention!

There is a greedy desire to fit in, or to be most liked person.

God prohibits this kind of behavior in the life of a believer.

But notice that verses 3-4 do not just prohibit behavior.

There is a certain kind of behavior that God commends instead.

What is it?

BUT instead let there be thanksgiving!

Don’t skip past this small part of the passage!

If you are struggling with these kinds of sins in your life- pornography, pushing the boundary lines of purity, a greedy heart, vulgar speech, foolish talking, or dirty joking— you need to apply the power of the grace of thanksgiving to your life!

If the heart problem of all these sins is greed, then the opposite of greed is what?

Thanksgiving or gratitude.

One of the weapons of God’s grace that you can use to fight against the greed in your heart is the grace of gratitude.

We need to think more clearly about the how greed lies at the heart of all kinds of sins.

Greedy lusts wants what it does not have.

Is it always wrong to want things you don’t have?

Examples?

If you are hungry is it wrong to want a sandwich?

If you are thirsty is it wrong to want some water?

It you are tired is it wrong to want a good night’s sleep?

Greedy lusts perverts desire either in DEGREE or DIRECTION.

How does greedy lusts pervert desire in DEGREE?

When you want a good thing too much!

What can happen when we want something too much?

You really want to win that soccer game or that volley ball game and you want it so badly that you will do anything to win! What could happen?

How does greedy lusts pervert desire in DIRECTION?

When you want things you shouldn’t want or you want to satisfy your desire in the wrong way.

What are some ways we are tempted to pervert desires in DIRECTION?

Especially true in the area of sexual immorality and impurity.

We want want we should not or we want to satisfy our desires in the wrong way.

This comes from greedy desires!

In contrast, what is thanksgiving or gratitude?

Gratitude is the attitude of a heart that is thankful for anything and everything the Lord gives.

How do you become a grateful person?

When you are glad and content with what you already have.

Thankfulness is the opposite of lust!

How so?

Because the thankful heart has stopped prowling around for everything it doesn’t have and is overwhelmed with appreciation for all the good things it already possess.

When you have a lustful greedy heart what is the attention of your heart on?

The things you don’t have.

When you only focus on what you don’t have what happens to your spirit?

You become discontent!

When you have a thankful heart what is the attention of your heart on?

What you already have received.

When you focus on what you have already received what happens to your spirit?

You become overwhelmed with thanks!

Therefore, gratitude is the opposite of greed.

God wants us to use the grace of gratitude to fight sin.

Stop being greedy and start being grateful.

So we have to learn to be thankful!

How do we learn to become thankful people?