S1: Today on bold steps, Mark Jobe shows you how to
S1: live a changed life.
S2: Real transformation will only stick when you put on the new.
S2: At the same time that you take off the old.
S2: You will not stay changed unless you learn that it's
S2: not just about not doing things, it's about doing other things.
S2: It's not just about taking off, it's about putting on.
S1: Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, president of Moody
S1: Bible Institute and the senior pastor of New Life Community
S1: Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Well, Mark, we're going
S1: to continue our study from the book of Ephesians now.
S1: And today's message is about change. I guarantee that people
S1: listening right now are thinking of all the changes they'd
S1: like to see in someone else. And don't what you think.
S2: Yeah. That's where our mind normally goes. And I have
S2: to tell people in service sometimes. Please don't elbow your
S2: husband or your wife. Uh, think about yourself first. Uh,
S2: but you know, Wayne, in this passage, the apostle Paul
S2: reminds us that there is a taking off and a
S2: putting on. You know, if you've been a been at
S2: work and you're working outside and you're all dirty, you
S2: don't say, hey, I'm going to change and put on
S2: a new a clean set of clothes over the dirty
S2: set of clothes. First of all, you have to take
S2: off the dirty set before you put on the new.
S2: And Christianity is that way. You're going to be eliminating
S2: things from your life, but you're putting on the new
S2: self as well.
S1: Putting on the new you. Here's Mark Jobe.
S2: Ephesians chapter four. I'm going to begin reading in verse 17.
S2: So I tell you this. The apostle Paul is writing
S2: to the to the Ephesian believers. So I tell you
S2: this and insist on it in the Lord. Now you
S2: know he's serious when he says, I insist on this.
S2: Have you ever been in a discussion or argument with
S2: a boss or a coworker or your spouse? And they say,
S2: I insist on this. You know that when they use
S2: the word insist that they're saying, I'm drawing the line.
S2: The line in the sand. This is non-negotiable. This is
S2: super important. So Paul is saying, what I'm about to
S2: tell you is super important. It's non-negotiable. What is it, Paul?
S2: I tell you this and insist on it in the Lord.
S2: That you must no longer live as the Gentiles do,
S2: in the futility of their thinking. When he refers to
S2: the Gentiles, he's not talking about an ethnicity. He is
S2: talking about people that do not yet know No God.
S2: And what Paul is saying, he's addressing believers, people that
S2: claim to be Christians, people that have the Holy Spirit
S2: inside of them. And he's saying to them, hey, I
S2: have an issue with you. And here's my issue. I
S2: know that you know, God, I know that His Holy
S2: Spirit is inside of you. But I insist that you
S2: stop living as though you did not know God. I
S2: insist that you stop living like your old self. I
S2: insist that you start living like you know God and
S2: that you like your new self. I insist that you change.
S2: Now here's what I have observed. I've observed that some
S2: of us have lived so long in our old self
S2: that when we become our new self, we drag in
S2: a lot of the culture of our old self into
S2: our new life. How many of you know what I'm
S2: talking about? We've lived so long a certain way that
S2: now that we can live a new way, we're not
S2: sure we know how to live that new way. So
S2: we drag some of our old self into our new life.
S2: I'm told that to train an elephant. Now, I've never
S2: trained personally trained an elephant. I have a little Shih
S2: Tzu dog. Now I don't have it. It's my wife's dog.
S2: That I got stuck with. I, I promised my daughter
S2: when she was three years old. She said, daddy, daddy,
S2: can I have a dog? And I said, honey, no.
S2: But she had these big eyes and this little sweet smile. Daddy,
S2: I really want a dog. So I told her, honey,
S2: when you're 12 years old, when you can take care
S2: of your own dog, take it out and feed it.
S2: I will get you a dog. I thought she would forget. It.
S2: I thought it would blow over. I thought it was
S2: a phase. By the time she was ten and 11,
S2: she had posters of dogs. She had researched it on
S2: the internet. She knew what kind of dog she knew exactly.
S2: She had told the kind that doesn't shed and the
S2: size and so forth. So when she was 12, on
S2: her 12th birthday, I had to get her a dog.
S2: I've never trained an elephant, and I can barely train
S2: the dog that we have. He's she's very unruly. But
S2: I'm told that when you train an elephant that what
S2: circus trainers do is they will take this mammoth beast,
S2: this beast that weighs tons and tons, and they will
S2: take a powerful, powerful stake and pull. And they will
S2: put it deep within the ground, and they will tie
S2: the foot of that elephant to that stake, a huge
S2: metal pole. The elephant in the beginning, when it's chained
S2: to that pole, will try to escape, it will pull
S2: and it will tug and it will roar, and it
S2: will run, and it will try to pull away from it,
S2: and it will go several days fighting against being chained
S2: to this pole. And finally the elephant will realize I
S2: cannot escape. This chain keeps me bound. No matter how
S2: much I try, how much I struggle, how much pain
S2: I inflict upon my leg to try to get loose,
S2: I cannot escape. So after a while the elephant stops
S2: trying to escape. It becomes used to being bound. It
S2: accepts the fact that I'm bound. And when I have
S2: the chain on my foot, on my foot, I cannot escape.
S2: I'm told also that what a trainer will do once
S2: the elephant has that mentality that it cannot escape that.
S2: They can take a little tent peg, a small tent peg,
S2: and they can put it in the ground and put
S2: the chain onto the the hoof of this big animal.
S2: And although the elephant could easily pull that little tent
S2: peg out of the ground, the elephant doesn't try. Because
S2: the elephant feels like I'm bound. The chain makes me bound.
S2: It's so used to be bound that even when it
S2: can escape, it does not because it thinks I can't escape.
S2: It's the way things are. There's so many of us
S2: have lived so long in our old life, so many
S2: years in the old self that once we are set free,
S2: we're somewhat like that elephant. We're so used to being bound,
S2: so used to being chained, that even though now we
S2: have the power to be set free, even though now
S2: we have the ability to run and be released, We
S2: stay bound by something that cannot bind us. We say
S2: entrapped by things that cannot hold us down. We act
S2: as though we are slaves when we're not. We live
S2: as though we're still bound to the old lifestyle when
S2: we're actually set free. This afternoon, I want to talk
S2: to you about what it means to put on the
S2: new you, creating the image of God so that you
S2: can walk in the freedom that God has called you to.
S2: I tell you this and insist on the Lord, that
S2: you must no longer live as the Gentiles in the
S2: futility of their thinking. Paul tells us that the Gentiles,
S2: the people without God, they live the way they do
S2: because they think a certain way. Thinking determines behavior. If
S2: you think a certain way, you will behave a certain way.
S2: And he goes on to describe what a mind without
S2: God thinks like. And so in the next few verses
S2: and verses 18 through 19, he describes what a person's
S2: mind is like when they do not have God in
S2: their life. Notice what he says. He says they are
S2: darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God,
S2: because the ignorance that is in them due to the
S2: hardening of their hearts. He says when someone doesn't have
S2: God in their life, their mind, the way they think
S2: is darkened because they don't have the light switch of God.
S2: There's something that happens when you come to know God,
S2: and the Spirit of God comes inside of you. It's
S2: almost like a light switch goes on and you see
S2: right from wrong. You understand things that you did not
S2: understand before. Why? It's the light of God. You experience
S2: that the light switch goes on and you realize this
S2: makes sense. Why was I living that way? I can't
S2: believe it. And once the light has gone on in
S2: your life, you look at other people where the light
S2: hasn't gone on yet and say, why don't they get it?
S2: I remember sitting down and talking with a young man
S2: who had come to Christ about two years earlier, and
S2: he was telling me, I just don't understand my family
S2: and my friends. Why can't they get it? I mean,
S2: it's so simple. It's so clear. It makes so much sense.
S2: The way of God. Why are they so blind? Why
S2: don't they understand? And I said, hold on, how long
S2: did it take you? I mean, up until two years ago,
S2: you were in the dark as well. When you're in
S2: the light, when you solved the problem, the problem looks easy.
S2: If you grew up knowing a different language. If you
S2: grew up knowing Spanish and you speak Spanish fluently. You
S2: look at people trying to learn Spanish and say, why
S2: don't they get it? Because it's easy to you. You
S2: got it already. But try learning Mandarin or Korean. If
S2: you don't know it, you'll realize how difficult it is, right?
S2: If you don't know it, then if you have it,
S2: you think it's easy. If you don't have it, you
S2: wonder why people don't get it. And so it is
S2: with the light. And so what Paul is saying is
S2: that people that do not have God, the light of
S2: God on in their life, yet they are darkened in
S2: their understanding, which means that there are certain things that
S2: they don't see because only God can show them. And
S2: so they're darkened in their in the way they see
S2: the world without the light of God. They're separated from
S2: the life of God. They don't have this intimate walk
S2: with God. They may know about God, but God is
S2: not a part of their existence and their fellowship and
S2: their life. And it says, and because of the ignorance
S2: that is in them, due to the hardening of their hearts,
S2: they're ignorant about certain things, not because they cannot understand,
S2: but because their heart is hard. And a heart that
S2: is hard does not sense and understand the things of God.
S2: Yet only a softened, broken heart can understand that which
S2: God is trying to speak to them.
S1: You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe and we'll
S1: return to our message shortly. Mark, you know what I've
S1: been reflecting on lately? The incredible privilege we have as
S1: believers living in this particular moment in history. I love
S1: to study history, but never before have we had such
S1: powerful tools for sharing the gospel globally, instantly reaching people
S1: in remote villages. That happens through bold steps, doesn't it?
S1: Or in close countries, in crowded cities alike. But we
S1: have this unprecedented opportunity. And it comes with a tremendous responsibility,
S1: doesn't it?
S2: You know, I heard recently that moody radio programming is, um,
S2: heard in 190 countries is what someone said. Wow. And, um,
S2: technology has allowed us to do that. And I'm amazed
S2: when suddenly we get a email from Eastern Europe of
S2: someone saying, hey, I haven't found a church yet, but
S2: I listened to Bold Steps. Recently, someone told me that
S2: a doctor in Mexico had joined their church, and they
S2: got saved through bold steps. And I'm like, wow, this
S2: is amazing how seeds are just being shot throughout all
S2: the world. We know specifically that there are people in
S2: closed countries right now that listen in secret, because it's
S2: dangerous for them to be caught listening to Christian radio.
S2: This is an amazing time to get the gospel out there.
S2: There are close to 9 billion people in the world,
S2: and there are millions and millions of people that have
S2: very little gospel presence in their world. They are saturated
S2: with false religion, with heresies, with a lot of different
S2: ideology that does not allow Jesus Christ to come to
S2: the forefront. And so radio, podcasting, our technology as people
S2: can live stream, this is one of the ways that
S2: we get past the guards at the borders and we
S2: through the airwaves. God has given us a beautiful gift
S2: to go past the guards, into the houses, into the homes,
S2: and right to into the bedrooms and kitchens where people
S2: live so that they are hearing the good message of
S2: Jesus like never before. And we are passionate about this.
S2: We know that there's a lot of other believers that
S2: are passionate as well, and we're saying, join us, please.
S2: This is a powerful moment for us to proclaim the
S2: gospel of Jesus Christ, especially as the world is being
S2: shaken in so many ways.
S1: I believe there are some listening right now who are
S1: not just hearers of the word, but want to be
S1: active participants in spreading that word. So today could be
S1: your day to step into that calling by giving to
S1: bold steps. Just go to Bold Steps to make a
S1: gift or call 800 D.L. Moody. That's (800) 356-6639. Remember, your
S1: gift of any amount helps share God's Word with those
S1: who need it most. Really, around the world, when you
S1: give any amount, we'll send you a special gift as
S1: our thanks and we'll take time to tell you about
S1: that just a little bit later here in the program today.
S1: But let's get back to the message now. Here again
S1: is Mark.
S2: So they're darkened. They're separated. There's ignorance there in verse
S2: 19 says having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves
S2: over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind
S2: of impurity with a continual lust for more. And when
S2: someone's mind is darkened and they don't have the light
S2: of God, yet they are awakened. Since they are spiritually dead,
S2: they are awakened to their to their senses, and the
S2: way they experience the world is through their senses. And
S2: sometimes that makes them give themselves over to sensuality. In
S2: other words, uh, people that don't have the spiritual light on,
S2: they give themselves over to sensuality. And that results in
S2: all kinds of indulgences and and promiscuity and sleeping around
S2: and getting drunk and high and whatever other senses they
S2: can awaken inside of them. And it tells us that
S2: they give themselves over to sensuality, to indulge in every
S2: kind of impurity. But here's the thing with a continual
S2: lust for more. Even though they throw themselves into these things,
S2: these things don't satisfy them. So they feel like they
S2: need more and more and more. It's like an empty barrel.
S2: They keep trying to fill it, but it stays empty.
S2: So they try to fill it more and more and
S2: more and more and it stays empty. I know a
S2: lot of people like that. I know a lot of
S2: people that throw themselves in the hard party life just
S2: to be filled and go from one party and drunkenness
S2: and girl to another, and just it never ends. But
S2: when I sat down and talked to them, here's what
S2: I know. There's a real hollowness and emptiness there. There's
S2: an emptiness. So Paul says, people that don't know God
S2: have this, this kind of thinking in their mind. And
S2: he says, here's the problem. Some of you know God.
S2: You have the Spirit of God inside of you, but
S2: you're still living as if you never met God. You
S2: have come to God. You have the spirit inside of you.
S2: You can change your lifestyle, but you're like the elephant
S2: that stays bound even though you can be free. You're
S2: not walking in the freedom that God has called you to.
S2: You're still living according to your old life. Your old
S2: life still dictates how you live, even though now you're
S2: a Christian, you're a Christian living your old life. And
S2: so now he goes on to explain what needs to
S2: happen in our life if we are going to experience
S2: absolutely true transformation. Notice what he tells us in verse 20. You, however,
S2: did not come to know Christ that way. There may
S2: be people that were taught that way and they weren't
S2: taught to change. But listen, you were not taught that way.
S2: And I think I could say that clearly to this congregation,
S2: as your pastor, I can say, hey, listen, you weren't
S2: taught that way. You weren't taught that you could stay
S2: the same. You were taught that when you come to Christ,
S2: there is change. You were taught that when you come
S2: to Christ, you leave the old behind. You were taught
S2: that God has the power to change you into a new,
S2: vibrant living full of faith, creativity and vision. Individual that
S2: is the new you. You were taught that you don't
S2: have to live that old life. You were taught that
S2: you have the power to become a new person in
S2: Jesus Christ. Now, now, why is it that people get
S2: stuck even though they have the power? You have the
S2: Spirit of God inside of you. Why is it that
S2: some people get stuck in the old lifestyle, even though
S2: they have that power inside of them to change? Well,
S2: Paul goes on to describe why that happens in verse 22,
S2: he says, you were taught with regard to your former
S2: way of life to put off the old self which
S2: is being corrupted by its deceitful desires. To be made
S2: new in the attitude of your mind, and to put
S2: on the new self, created to be like God in
S2: true righteousness and holiness. So you take off, you change,
S2: and you put on.
S1: Listening to the Bible. Teaching of Mark job. Today's message
S1: was the first of a three part message titled putting
S1: on the New You. Next time, Mark will address how
S1: to stop walking in our old ways and start facing
S1: the issues holding you back. So please join us again
S1: Friday for more bold steps. And when you visit our website,
S1: you'll discover our latest Bold Step gift, a thought provoking
S1: book by respected pastor Mike Fabares. We're fortunate to have
S1: pastor Mike join us in the studio today, Mark, to
S1: share more about this compelling resource.
S2: Proverbs tells us that envy makes the bones rot. I mean.
S1: That's a pretty, pretty direct.
S2: Vivid image of rotting bones there. But a tranquil heart
S2: gives life. Uh, you know, I went to school, actually,
S2: with a fellow student that we both grown up as pastors.
S2: He pastors a church in California in Aliso Viejo called
S2: Compass Church, a really dynamic church. If you live in
S2: that area, please check it out. But he's written a
S2: book called envy, a Big Problem you didn't know you had. Mike,
S2: tell us what motivated you to write this book?
S3: Well, it was easy for me to look in my
S3: own heart. And like you, Doctor Joe, my son is
S3: a pastor, and I have no trouble looking at my
S3: son and hoping that he does far better than I
S3: ever have done. Yeah. And that's easy to do because
S3: I love my son, right? Both my sons are pastors
S3: and I love them excelling. I found that it was
S3: not as easy for me to rejoice with my peers
S3: who do better than I do. And I realized, wow,
S3: how can that be? How can pastors look at other
S3: people doing ministry and have feelings that aren't the same
S3: as I might have toward my own children? Of course
S3: I love God. I love the kingdom. But you see,
S3: I realize the difference is I don't love my fellow
S3: Christian the way I ought to. And if I did,
S3: I wouldn't be envious. I wouldn't start to think, well,
S3: you know, that was kind of handed to him, or
S3: he was in the right place at the right time. Or,
S3: you know, people opened doors for that guy. I would
S3: never think that about my own children. And so I've
S3: got to recognize this exists in pastors hearts, missionaries hearts,
S3: and certainly it exists in the business world. It exists everywhere.
S3: And we've got to root it out when we find
S3: it and start to realize love and real, true love
S3: is the answer. And it brings great tranquility to our hearts.
S1: And pastor Mike, you say that confronting envy allows us
S1: to experience the peace and contentment that really God wants
S1: for us in the first place.
S3: Yes, if you think about it, in the Kingdom, we're
S3: going to have a lot of different people with a
S3: lot of different kinds of rewards. A lot of different
S3: ranks of of, you know, prominence in the kingdom. And
S3: we're always going to rejoice in those things. Right? We
S3: realize there'll be no envy, no coveting, no jealousy. None
S3: of those things will be active in the eternal state.
S3: We will really rejoice as though everyone actually is our
S3: brother and sister in Christ. And we've got to realize
S3: that's a different experience. I think we all intuitively know
S3: that than we have now. So let's try and enjoy
S3: a little bit of that peace and that contentment now.
S3: And that's going to I give the answers in this book.
S3: The second half of the book is all about how
S3: to fix this problem. Uh, the first half is about
S3: diagnosing it. And I think a lot of people don't
S3: look at this book or they wouldn't pick it up
S3: because they don't think I don't have that problem. That's
S3: why I tried to title this in a way that
S3: would kind of hook them into looking at.
S1: It, look a little deeper, huh?
S2: So good, so good, and such a big issue that's
S2: not talked about enough people are silent on this issue.
S2: And so thank you, pastor Mike, for writing this book. Uh,
S2: we love this topic, and I believe that a lot
S2: of people will gain a lot of insight and maybe
S2: step into contentment through it. So there you have it,
S2: a big problem. You didn't know you had envy by
S2: pastor Mike Fabares.
S1: So let us know where you'd like us to send
S1: your copy of this Bold Step gift today. When you
S1: give a gift of any amount to support bold steps
S1: like Eric and Nikki and John and Loretta did, call
S1: our team today at 800 D.L. Moody. Or give online
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S1: your donation and request this book through the mail. Write
S1: to Bold Steps. 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60,006 ten.
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S1: out by phone at 800. I'm Wayne Shepard. Be sure
S1: to join us tomorrow. And Mark continues this message putting
S1: on the new. You learn how to let go of
S1: the past as you take a bold step forward. That's
S1: Friday on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Bold steps is
S1: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.