Good Morning and welcome in. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of Ephesians, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a story.
When we moved up to Northern Minnesota, I built a small cabin in the woods for my family so that we could come out from the world and live inexpensively on the things that God provided us day by day. When my two oldest children began to walk around, my wife and I realized that the siblings were going to need a little more room to play and grow up in, so we added on a larger edition.
Whenever we work on a home improvement project, we are attempting to make it better than what it was in the past. Such are each of us in the church. Sometimes to improve a home you have to use a crowbar to rip out things that need to be replaced, but although the house looks in disarray for a while, the new walls can be put up,… painted, and all the rubbish removed and cleaned up. The end result of the project is something better than what it was before.
The church is a place filled with sinners who need home improvements done upon their hearts. Each of us is like a home that God is remodeling and He wants each of us to build up one another in the faith. Edification is defined as to instruct or improve someone morally or intellectually or, to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge. When we use our speech, we want to use it in a constructive manner, or in a way that is going to build another person up in their faith so as to help them become better.
Ephesians 4:29 – Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hear
When someone uses corrupt communication, they use their speech in a way that is morally wrong. Instead of using it in a helpful manner, they use it to destroy someone else, or bring them down in the eyes of others. As we’ve talked about recently, corrupt communication is to speak evil about others and is seen through gossip, tattling, being a busybody or whisperer, talebearing, speaking ill, and backbiting.
This is called evil speaking because it is evil. It is speech that is not meant to help others but to harm them. It’s motivated by a malicious heart. They use their tongue to malign others, to speak unfavorably about them, badmouth, and drag them through the mud. It is truly evil and harmful in nature and influence. It’s a sin, just like murder. Listen to what Jesus taught about the usage of words.
Matthew 12:34-37 – O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
The Apostle James teaches that the tongue is full of deadly poison.
James 3:5-8 – Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
God has granted us life, and if you want to enjoy it, you must watch what comes out of your mouth. Is it something that is meant to educate someone in the truth, or is it simply poison?
1 Peter 3:10 – For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile
Pro 21:23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
Jesus had some very strong rebukes for the religious leaders of his day, but He loved them very much. He wants all men to come to a place of repentance and call upon his name so that they can be forgiven for their sins but sometimes in order to help somebody from the error of their way, it requires being able to rebuke them sharply. This is what the Apostle Paul taught to Timothy. When you remodel and do home improvements, it sometimes requires a crowbar of Truth.
1 Corinthians 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
2 Corinthians 12:19 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.
The Apostle Paul loved the church very much and they were very dear to his heart, but at times they needed strong rebukes and corrections to keep them on the straight path.
1 Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
The Apostle reminded the brothers that when they gathered together, everything needed to be done for the purpose of building others up in their faith.
1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
Men of God are doing home improvements each day inside of the church to help others to become better.
Eph 4:11-16 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
So when you think of the word edification, I want you to think of building something better than it was in the past. The church is a place of spiritual growth, and it is very beneficial to all of us when we edify one another because from time to time, each of us may require…..
…..Home Improvement
Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing, we will talk some more tomorrow. Till then, bye-bye everybody. ❤️
tlkjbc.wordpress.com
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 