SERMON OUTLINE - Sunday Evening Service - 16th OCTOBER 2011

Introduction:  "The Glorious Church"

General Statement on what God thinks of the Church.

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. What it contains.

Three Divisions in the Letter..... which are summed up in Watchman Nee's book "Sit, Walk, Stand"

Our position in Christ - "Sit" (2:6)

Our Life in the World - "Walk" (4:1)

Our Attitude to the Enemy - "Stand" (6:11)

Quote:- Watchman Nee. "The life of the Believer always presents these three aspects - to God, to Man, and to the Satanic powers. To be useful in God's hand a person must be properly adjusted in respect of all three: Their position, Their life, Their warfare"

Walking in the truth of what God has done.

This is the story of the whole epistle, but here in particular.

What Paul means by "Walking" Chapter 4:1, 17, Chapter 5:2

Walking, living and dwelling, occupying, living out the truth of the cross and resurrection.

Live then in what you have been taught and learned of Christ" (Para)

HOW DO WE WALK, HOW DO WE LIVE, HOW DO WE LIVE OUT WHAT GOD HAS DONE.

There are two sides to this. What we think (Belief, Attitude) and What we do (Action, Conduct) Paul speaks of both in this passage, in some key verses.

Key Verse 1: Vs 23 "Be renewed in the Spirit of your mind"

Telling ourselves the truth is one of the themes here in this portion of the          passage. When we tell ourselves the truth, we renew our mind and we align            ourselves with the work of God

Key Verse 2: Vs 22 and 24 "Put off former conduct and put on new man"

Behaviour follows, or flows from a mind that has been transformed and aligned to the finished work of Christ.

Attitudes and Actions:

The passage therefore is concentrating on our attitudes and actions. Our beliefs and behaviour, our Our Faith and Conduct..

A, Beliefs

B, Behaviour.

The Futility of the mind and the mind of the believer.

Paul links again the behaviour of the old life with the futility of the gentile or worldly mind, that is against the things of God. Of course we need to conscious here that Paul is speaking of what God has done and how the church has to live in the truth.We cannot live in the truth if we continue to think like those who have            no heart for God.

Conclusion: of God.

God has worked out his plan from eternity for a glorious church, of which we are part. Faith in the cross and the finished work of Jesus is the centre of the t