August 13 Sermon:

Spiritual Renewal of our Attitudes

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven... and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:51

Jesus will give himself that we might have life - a new kind of life.

Almost the same words you here every Sunday: “This is my body, given for you.”

Jesus gives us His Body, himself... that He might be a part of us - and that we might live a new life, guided by His Word and Spirit.

It is a new life we grow into as we mature in faith, as I said last Sunday. I spoke about maturing in faith - we are to grow up in every way into Christ

Paul explains that striving toward that goal of spiritual maturity implies being ... made new in the attitude of your minds.

There must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You should display a new nature because you are a new person. Ephesians 4:23,24

Maturity implies thinking and acting in a different way – a new nature, Christ’s nature - having His attitude toward others.

In our second lesson, Paul explains how we can display a new nature, reflecting Christ’s.

At first, it sounds like Paul is just giving practical advice about living in community with other people - advice that is relevant to both churches and family life. It is often in the working out of the family dynamics that we can experience Christ’s more excellent way. In living out Jesus’ teaching in our families we move in the direction of the kind of human relationships that God intends for us.

But his advice goes beyond just telling us how to get along with others - rather it is also about the “why” we should - because we should have the attitudes of Christ – and the “how” - reflect Christ in our everyday activities.

He begins put away falsehood and tell the truth. Simply be truthful. Of course, you say. But Paul says remember the motivation for this and the other things he has to say: As Christians we do these good things because we recognize that we are each a part of the body of Christ - members of one another, To be less than truthful with our brothers

and sisters is to deal falsely with ourselves - we are a part of one another.

Having begun with the obvious, he moves on to something more difficult.

Don’t sin by letting your anger gain control of you. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. For anger gives a mighty foothold to the devil. 26,27

Paul does not say “Never be angry”. If you’ve read his letters, you know he got angry - lost his temper. Anger is an emotion - it’s natural to be angry at times.

Anger is the emotion visible on the surface, but often below anger is hurt. Below hurt may be fear - even remorse or regret.

Sometimes anger is a sign of our caring. I’m angry at that person because I really care about them and they hurt me.

So when I’m angry it’s best not to explode, but to ask why am I angry? - for the emotion is only the tip of the iceberg.

What Paul says is that you have to control that emotion - rather than letting it control you. So he advises - Try to resolve your differences, rather than wallowing in anger and bitterness. The effective way to deal with anger is to work swiftly toward reconciliation. Otherwise, the cause of the anger grows in each party’s mind.

+

Of all the deadly sins, anger is possibly the most satisfying. To lick your wounds, to remember grievances long past. To savor the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back. Perhaps to look forward to the bitter confrontations still to come. I’m not going to get even, I’m going to get ahead.

But it can consume you - for finally that retained anger hurts you more than anyone else. It can consume you and rob you of happiness.

Because if you stay angry, you are creating an opportunity for the devil. He’d rather that you hang onto that anger - let it continue to torment you - and finally lead you to think about how you’re going to get even - get back at that person. So Paul warns: In your anger, do not sin. For anger always creates temptations to sin - and the longer you are angry, the greater the temptations become. And of course, as you stay angry, you continue to carry an emotional burden.

I know that you know that - but I find that something will make me mad almost every day - and I need to be reminded to control my anger, and not let it control me - especially when I’m driving.

Paul realizes that, so later in this passage, he returns to this same subject again with stronger words

Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed... 30

In other words, don’t do or say things that would embarrass Jesus - by making it look like you haven’t been paying any attention to his teaching and not really His follower.

To keep yourself from embarrassing Jesus by what you say, Paul advises: Get rid of all bitterness and anger, slander and harsh words, as well as all types of malicious behavior. 31

How are you going to do that?

Look to Christ and his example. See others with the eyes of Christ. See them as a person Christ loves and has redeemed. See them as a sinner - imperfect like you and I - in need of forgiveness and love. See them as linked to you in the body of Christ.

When Jesus admonishes us to love one another, he doesn’t require feeling affection. But he does require an attitude of Christian love – of charity.

Charity means wishing good not bad for the other. It means speaking and behaving so that good will befall them.

Charity implies compassion - an empathy that allows us to envision ourselves in the place of an other person - and thus to see things from their perspective. It brings an awareness of their situation.

Charity - Christian love - would lead us, as Paul writes to be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you. 32

Personal relations in the family and the church will never work without forgiveness. The problem is the world around us sees forgiveness as weakness; aggression as strength. But we are to have Christ’s attitude – His nature – and to forgive as he forgives us.

+

The renewal of our attitude – that Christ-like nature - begins with how we speak to each other. As Paul writes: Don’t use abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 29

Encouraging, positive words. It’s easy to be negative - to criticize and find fault. And so it’s easy to embarrass Jesus and grieve the Spirit.

It takes discipline to watch what you say - so that you speak as a follower of Jesus. So that your conversation is positive and uplifting - not negative and critical.

For most of us, that takes an attitude adjustment - which is exactly what Paul said at the very beginning of this passage.

There must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You should display a new nature because you are a new person.

A spiritual renewal comes as we draw closer to Christ in worship and prayer - as we read the Bible as a guide to daily living - and as we re-commit ourselves everyday to His way.

The decision to follow Jesus - like most promises - does not do well as a once-for-all-time pledge. It needs to be renewed, so that it will be intentional, saying this is the way I am going to live.

Therefore be imitators of Christ.. live in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us... 5:1

Commit your life upward to Christ.

+

Jesus said: “I am the living bread that came

down from heaven... and the bread that I will

give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

When you come to the altar rail this morning, you’ll hear the words:

“The Bread of Heaven, the Body of Christ

GIVEN for you....”

We receive the Body of Christ so that we might be the Body of Christ in the world.

We receive Christ that he might renew our minds with his Spirit.

… that we might have a Christ-like attitude toward others.

-- that we might carry Christ with us this week where ever we go - --that Christ might speak through our words to uplift and encourage others;

---- that he might work through our hands, performing deeds of love;

that thus Christ might live through us as we bear Christ to others

and bring glory to his name.