Full Sermon Manuscript
Sermon Outline
I. Introduction: The Moving Day Illustration
Personal story of unloading the moving truck in hot, muggy weather
Getting drenched in sweat, exhausted, and gross
The relief of showering and putting on clean clothes
Key Point: Once clean, you never want to put the dirty clothes back on
II. Paul's Lists of "Dirty Clothes" (vv. 5, 8-9)
A. The Sins We've Taken Off:
Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness
Anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, lying
B. The Lack of Fruit from Sin:
Each sin promises pleasure but delivers destruction
Looking back at past sins reveals their emptiness
Reference to Romans 6:21: "What fruit were you getting...?"
III. The Heart Issue: Covetousness as Idolatry (v. 5)
A. Paul's Key Insight:
"Covetousness, which is idolatry"
Connects the 1st and 10th commandments
B. Supporting Scripture - James 4:1-2:
All conflict stems from coveting
Murder, adultery, false worship - all rooted in distorted desires
C. Definition of Covetousness:
More than wanting what we don't have
"Consuming ambition" and "greed gone amuck"
Never satisfied, always wanting more
IV. Remembering Our Former Life (v. 7)
A. "In these you too once walked"
We used to live wearing these "stinky clothes"
Importance of remembering our past lifestyle
B. The Seriousness of Sin (v. 6):
"On account of these the wrath of God is coming"
Sin doesn't just hurt us - it angers God
The cross demonstrates sin's seriousness
V. The Decisive Change in Christ (vv. 9-10)
A. What Has Already Happened:
"You have put off the old self"
"You have put on the new self"
We are "dead to" our former lifestyle (v. 5, NASB)
B. Connection to Last Week's Message:
Since we're seated with Christ in heaven
We seek heavenly things and are dead to earthly things
VI. The Ongoing Renewal Process (v. 10)
A. The Tension:
Decisive change has occurred
But renewal "is being renewed" - ongoing process
B. The Monastery Illustration:
Monks with old and new robes hanging side by side
Daily choice to put on the new robe, not the old
C. Daily Battle:
"But now you must put them all away" (v. 8)
Continual need to "kill" the old patterns
John Owen's quote: "Be killing sin or sin will be killing you"
VII. The Ultimate Goal: Renewed in God's Image (v. 10)
A. Back to Genesis 1:26-27:
Originally created in God's image
Image distorted by sin, but not destroyed
B. Restoration Through Christ:
Jesus IS the image of God
We're being renewed to look like Jesus
Living the life we were created to live
VIII. The Conclusion: Christ is All (v. 11)
A. Earthly Distinctions Don't Matter:
Greek, Jew, circumcised, uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free
We could add many more divisions to this list
B. Central Truth:
"Christ is all, and in all"
He must be central to everything we do
IX. Application and Challenge
Don't get caught up in earthly realities and ways of thinking
Remember: you're dead to those things, alive in Christ
Continually focus on killing what dishonors God
Throw off the old, put on the new life in Christ
Keep being renewed into His image
