Sermon Notes, June 12, 2016 AM
Attitudes
to Attain
Steve W. Reeves
INTRODUCTION:
A. The
dictionary defines the word, “attitude” as, “a settled way of thinking or
feeling about someone or something, typically one
that is reflected in a person's behavior.”
1. In an article that appeared in Forbes
magazine, January 19, 2016, Travis Bradbury wrote that attitude is far more
important than IQ in a person’s success. Bradbury
reports the results of a Stanford
University study that revealed people’s core
attitudes fall into one of two
categories. Fixed attitudes or growth attitudes.
2. People who have fixed attitudes are
convinced they cannot change and are subject
to the circumstances in which they live.
3. Here is what Bradbury writes about
growth attitudes. “People with a growth
mindset believe that they can improve
with effort. They outperform those with a
fixed mindset, even if they have a lower
IQ, because they embrace challenges,
treating them as opportunities to learn
something new.”
B. The
most powerful influence you have is your attitude.
1. If your attitude is negative, critical
and harsh your influence will be detrimental.
2. If your attitude is positive, kind and
loving your influence will be beneficial.
3. The greatest tool for sharing your faith
is your attitude.
C. This
is the reason for the practical instruction about attitude in Ephesians
4:25-32.
1. The theme of Ephesians is, “The church
in God’s eternal purpose.” God intends for
his church to make known His wisdom and
purpose not only on earth but to the
heavenly hosts as well according to
Ephesians 3:10.
2. What we say, the way we think and the
way we act really matters.
D.
Let’s open our Bibles to this text and prayerfully consider six “attitudes to
attain.”
I. YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS TRUTH
A. In verse 25 Paul says, “Therefore,
laying aside falsehood, speak truth each
one of you with his neighbor, for we
are members of one another.”
1. Any time you see the word,
“therefore” in a passage you need to back up and
consider what has been said
previously.
2. In verses 17 through19 Paul says that
we are not to walk as the pagans do with
darkened understanding, ignorance
and hard hearts.
3. In verses 22-24 he writes,“That, in
reference to your former manner of life, you
lay aside the old self, which is
being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of
deceit, 23 and that
you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the
new self, which in the likeness of God has been
created in righteousness and
holiness of the truth.”
B. We possess a new attitude toward our
neighbor (whoever is next to us).
1. We’re truthful with them.
2. What type of relationship can you
build with someone who is not truthful? What
type of marriage will you have if it
is not built on truth? What type of job or
friendship will you have without
truthfulness? Certainly, not good ones.
C. Lying keeps very poor company.
1.
The Devil is the Father of Lies. Jesus said in John 8:44 – “He was a murderer
from the beginning, and does not
stand in the truth because there is no truth in
him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he
speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar
and the father of lies.”
2. In Jeremiah 23:14 Jeremiah said he
had seen a horrible thing. What was it?
Those who committed adultery and
walked in falsehood.
3. The Psalmist said, “I hate, I despise
falsehood” in Psalm 119:163.
4. Colossians 3:9 – “Do not lie to one
another, since you laid aside the old self with
its evil practices.”
5. Revelation 21:27 reminds us, “And
nothing unclean, and no one who practices
abomination and lying, shall ever
come into it.”
II. YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS ANGER
A. Paul writes in verses 26-27 – “Be angry,
and yet do not sin; do not let
the sun go
down on your anger, 27 and
do not give the devil an opportunity”.
1. Is anger a sin?
a. Jesus became angry when he saw
the money changers in the temple. He
made a whip of cords, turned
over their tables and drove them out. He was
angry but did not sin.
b. There are some things we should
be angry about. Perhaps we are not angry
enough about some of the things
going on in our country.
c. Do you know who Candy Lightner
is? In 1980 her 13 year old daughter was
killed by a drunk driver. Candy
was devastated and then she became angry.
What was she going to do? She
could have allowed that bitterness to seethe
within her and destroy her.
Instead she channeled her anger and began an
organization you have heard of,
“Mothers Against Drunk Driving.”
2. It is not wrong to be angry. The sin
occurs when we lose control and allow anger
to dominate our lives.
a. Sin occurs when a person inflicts
abuse on another.
b. Sin occurs when we let anger
dominate our thoughts resulting in bitterness
c. Anger is one letter short of
“Danger.”
B. When we allow anger to control us we are
giving the Devil an opportunity to exploit
us and destroy us. Do you suppose the
Devil ever gets bored because we make it
so easy for him to exploit us. Do not
give him an opportunity.
III. YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS WORK
A. Paul goes on in verse 28, “He who steals
must steal no longer; but rather he must
labor, performing with his own hands
what is good, so that he will have something
to share with one who has need.”
B. Work is God’s idea. It was His idea from
the beginning before sin entered the
world. Don’t get the idea that work is
punishment for sin. God placed Adam and
Eve in the garden to tend it.
C. There are many people who refuse to
work.
1. Some want to exist by dishonest means
– stealing.
2. A lot of people want to get something
for nothing. We have seen a huge increase
in legalized gambling in our country
in the past twenty five years. Whether it is
the proliferation of casinos or a
state sponsored lottery the get rich mentality is
very prevalent in our society.
3. In New Testament times there were
people who quit working for religious
reasons. Some in Thessalonica were
so convinced in the imminent return of
Jesus they sat down, folded their
hands and quit working. When Paul heard of
this he wrote in 2 Thessalonians
3:10, “For even when we were with you, we
used to give you this order: if
anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat,
either.”
D. What type of attitude do you have toward
your job?
1. Are you always complaining? Remember,
there are many who have been
laid off from their jobs.
2. Are you doing your best? In
Colossians 3:23 Paul said, “Whatever you do, do
your work heartily, as for the Lord
rather than for men,”
3. Do not be afraid of work. I mowed
yards as a kid. I buffed floors in college and
during the summers. I worked at
Sears for two years after Tami and I married. I
spent a summer working with a
construction company pouring concrete. Do not
be afraid of work. You will live!
IV. YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS SPEECH
A. In verse 29 Paul writes, “Let no
unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but
only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so
that it will give grace to those who
hear.”
1. We are so picky about the things we
put in our mouths. I wish we were as
selective about the words that come
out of our mouths.
2. In Matthew 12:36-37 Jesus said, “But
I tell you that every careless word that
people speak, they shall give an
accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37 For
by your words you will be justified,
and by your words you will be condemned.”
3. Why is this the case? In Matthew
15:18 Jesus said, “But the things that proceed
out of the mouth come from the
heart, and those defile the man “
B. Paul says that there should be no
“unwholesome” word. That word means
“tainted,” “rotten” or “putrefied.”
These are words that reflect stinkin’ thinkin.’ There
is a lot of that in the world. Colossians
3:8 – “But now you also, put them all aside:
anger, wrath, malice, slander, and
abusive speech from your mouth.”
1.
Paul says our words should be good for edification. Building others up instead
of
tearing them down. Anyone can tear
down. It takes care and skill to build up.
2. Our words should impart grace.
Colossians 4:6 – “Let your speech always be
with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you
should
respond to each person.”
3. Proverbs 13:3 – “The one who guards
his mouth preserves his life; The one who
opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”
V. YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE HOLY
SPIRIT
A. In verse 30 we read, “Do not grieve the
Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption.”
1. The Holy Spirit is not an abstract
concept. He is real. He is a part God along with
the Father and the Son. He can be
grieved.
2. When is He grieved? All of you who are parents will understand
that it grieves
you when your child is disobedient
or rebellious. Their disobedience causes you
pain. In the same way our
disobedience to God grieves the Holy Spirit.
B. This particular verse is like an
umbrella over the other attitudes in this text.
Whenever we fail to possess the right
attitude towards these other things we grieve
the Holy Spirit. If we do not have the
right attitude towards truth, towards anger,
towards work, in our speech or towards
others we are grieving the Holy Spirit.
VI. YOUR ATTITUDE TWOARDS OTHERS
A. The conclusion of this chapter contains
practical admonition regarding our attitude
towards others. In verses 31-32 - “Let
all bitterness and wrath and anger and
clamor and slander be put away from you,
along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one
another, tender-hearted, forgiving each
other, just as God in Christ also has
forgiven you.”
B. Ira North used to say that he noticed
two types of birds on his farm in Lawrence
county, Tennessee. There were the
songbirds that filled the air with their beautiful
sounds early in the morning. Then there
were the buzzards and vultures that would
fly over acres of green pasture looking
for a dead carcass to prey upon.
1. All of us resemble one or the other.
We have an attitude of blessing others by
doing away with bitterness, anger,
slander and being kind, tender-hearted and
forgiving.
2. Or we can be like a buzzard just
looking for ways to pick people apart. The world
has enough people like that. The
church does not need to add to the number.
CONCLUSION:
A.
Your attitude will be your greatest asset or your worst liability. It will
affect your
marriage, family, friends, job and
everything you do. Most important, it will chart
your course for eternity.
B.
Will you have an attitude of love and reverence for God? Will you have an
attitude of
submission to the Lordship of Jesus? If we
may help you in these ways we welcome
you today.
