Extreme Makeover Life Edition

On Sunday evenings, when we don’t have a Bible study or some other gathering to attend, Carol and I love to watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition[i] on the television. I would imagine that most of us have seen at least some part of this show at one time or another. Typically it would be the story of a family that had some extraordinary circumstances. Perhaps they took in a lot of foster children, or gave sacrificially to others in spite of their own dire needs. A team of designers would show up one morning, wake up the family, send them off for a 7 day vacation to Disney World, and during that 7 days they would completely make over the house – they would redesign it to fit a special needs child, or add an entire second floor, or add a separate wing for home schooling, or whatever. It quickly became a favorite of our family, and one of the most popular shows on TV – I think it’s one of the few shows that’s really worth watching. On the web site, there’s a Q & A section with Tom Forman, and it asks, “What's the best part about being the executive producer of a show that transforms lives?” And in many ways, that’s what this show does – sure it radically changes a house – but it transforms the lives of the people who live in those houses!

In the early days, the show focused on home “make-overs” – as the title suggests – the original home was still in there somewhere, but the change was so dramatic that you could hardly recognize it. I especially liked those episodes because I could relate to it – like many of you – working on an old house, trying to “makeover” the exterior or a specific room. In recent years, however, I’ve noticed that it’s become less of a “make-over” show, and more of an “extreme home construction” show. They’ve gone more and more to tearing down the old house, and simply rebuilding a new one on the same lot.

I can understand why – it’s a lot easier to in one day, destroy the old house, then bring in a prefabricated new one and put it up. With literally hundreds of local construction volunteers, it’s really no big deal to put up a new house in 7 days – a lot easier than having to work within the framework of the old place. The new houses they put up are amazing, no doubt, but to me, the most challenging part of the show isn’t there like it used to be.

As I think about our life in Christ, I find some interesting parallels. In his letters to Christians, Paul describes our conversion in some extreme make over terms. For example, in two separate passages he writes:

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Sounds like an extreme make over doesn’t it? And it’s not the old kind, either, where the old framework and foundation stays, and God tries to do the best He can with what He’s got – no, He gets rid of the old – it’s gone! And it’s all built new – a new foundation, new height, new depth, a totally new design, new entryways, new light, new exterior, new appliances, windows, entertainment – it’s all new! And this stuff doesn’t even come from Sears – it comes from God Himself! It does not get outdated, break down, or burn up – it is an eternal, internal, external extreme makeover of a life.

That is what Christ offers you! It is available to every person who hears this message. You don’t even have to submit an application video – it’s freely offered to everyone who would believe in their heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He came and died to pay the penalty for their sins. When we accept that payment by faith, and ask God to forgive us for our screw-ups, rebellion and disobedience through the blood of Jesus, the Extreme Makeover is complete – “the old is gone, the new has come!”

You know, as I have watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, there have been times when I have thought, and sometimes even said out loud, “I wonder what these people’s life is like a year later?” Have you ever wondered that? What are the implications for these folks who have their world radically transformed?

When Ty Pennigton and the rest of the design folks pull up outside the family homes on the first morning of the adventure, they catch the family completely by surprise – and the house shows it – dirty dishes in the sink and on the counter – dirty, mildewed bathrooms, bedrooms with unmade beds with socks and pants all over the floors –right? But when they leave – everything is in its place, there’s a fire in the fireplace – hand-polished fruit sits on the kitchen counter – the bathroom sparkles, the beds are made with little mints on the pillows - everything is perfect.

I wonder how long that lasts? I’d love to see a show where the team shows up outside one of those homes a year later with a megaphone and surprises the families! I’d like to see the “before,” “after” and “one year later” pictures! I can guarantee you it’s not going to look like it did the day the film crew left! Why? Because the house is lived in! And it’s lived in by human beings – people who actually eat – and who wear clothes, and who take showers and brush their teeth – and when life happens, our homes tend to look lived in – not like an art gallery! If the bathroom didn’t get cleaned before, it probably isn’t getting cleaned now. If the teenager, or the husband, didn’t pick up his socks in the bedroom before, chances are there are socks on the new bedroom floor. If the daughter didn’t make her bed then, she doesn’t do it now.

But I wonder if the design and build teams, who did all the work, and the viewers wouldn’t be more than a little disappointed in the long term results. What they really need to do is combine Extreme Makeover Home Edition with the Nanny – so that the people in the home get some training in living in that new home!

The same thing happens in our Extreme Makeover Lives. It’s true that God gets rid of the old, and everything is made new, but how does that play out in life – in real world, day-to-day existence? How are we supposed to live in these new, extremely made over lives?

The answer is found in the Bible, and this morning we’re going to have Paul tell us about a new life style that is meant to go along with our new life in Christ.

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.[ii]

When God does His Extreme Makeover work in our lives, He has expectations that go beyond completing the project – He does not pack all his stuff into a big bus and drive off to the next project…He has an expectation for the behavior that will take place in that made-over life. And it’s presented pretty clearly here.

Paul says, in some of the most forceful language he uses in all his letters, “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do…” A couple of points here:

First, that word “insist.” – a strong word, no doubt. Listen to how some other translations have put it: “In the Lord’s name, I tell you this…”(NCV); “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord…”(NKJ); “And so I insist…” (MSG); “As a follower of the Lord, I order you…”(NLT). No matter how you put it – it’s obviously a powerful statement, and can not in any case be mistaken as a suggestion or as an option for the readers.

Secondly – the readers are ordered to “no longer live as the Gentiles do…” That is interesting because, well, Paul is writing to people who are Gentiles! They are Ephesians – the live in Ephesus – they are not Jews, therefore they are Gentiles…

But that’s not altogether correct – you see, as far as the world is concerned they are racially not Jews – not a member of the physical Jewish race – but spiritually, Paul has said earlier in this letter that they are now part of the people of God. Look back at chapter 2, verses 12 & 13…

Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

You see, when God came in and did his Extreme Makeover, He even changed their racial identity! There’s no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, black or white, but Christ is all and is in all (see Col. 3:11). They are no longer part of the Gentile race – they are no longer part of the world system! The old is gone! The new is come! They are now set apart from the rest of the world around them – there have been fundamental, foundational changes in their lives – and extreme makeover!

But like those families who get those new homes, these Gentiles, who receive these new lives and new identities, are struggling with their old ways…the old habits are messing up their new lives. And it’s a whole lot worse than dad leaving his socks on the floor and Susie not making her bed! Check it out. – here’s what was happening:

…You must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

Man, that is some serious junk! I am always amazed when I read that paragraph from Paul’s letter written in the first Century – it sounds so remarkably like our society today. Futile thinking. Darkened understanding. No common sense at all. Separated from the life of God because of ignorance. Hard hearts. No sensitivity, given over to sensuality, indulgent in every kind of impurity with a continual lust for more…doesn’t that just sound like Milwaukee, Madison or Mayville? It sure does.

And that old way of thinking, and that old way of living has no part in the life that God gives His children! Christians, who have been given a new life in Christ, are not to walk around imitating the dead lives of the unsaved people around them. There should be a marked difference in our lives. The rest of this chapter is a series of contrasts – notice the opening words of verse 20 – “You however did not come to know Christ that way…” The remainder of this chapter is a series of “before and after” images, if you like. This morning I want us to just notice them – we are going to study this passage more deeply in the weeks to come:

Bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, malice / kind, compassionate, forgiving. (vs 31-32)

Those are the before and after images of the life of a person who has had an extreme makeover of their lifestyle to go along with the extreme makeover of the life. God has done his part – He has torn away the old and replaced it with new – and he calls us to live a new lifestyle in that new identity.

Let’s go back to that “insist” word…it’s a strong word – it’s an order with a boot behind it! But it’s also a scary word…because it places the responsibility for obedience on me…When Paul insists that something get done – it has to be done by those he’s insisting it upon! He can’t do it – they have to do it. He can’t do it - I HAVE TO DO IT – YOU HAVE TO DO IT…

Don’t you just love “tobecontinueds”? I know they leave us hanging, but there’s something special about a cliff-hanger, isn’t there? Well, that’s what we’ve got today…

This is way more than we can do in one message – in fact, the remainder of this letter outlines how we are no to live – not as the world lives, but as God’s extremely made-over people live. But I’m not going to really leave you hanging – I’m going to give you a copy of the script from the next episode - take out a pencil or pen and some paper – write this down –

I want you to read that portion of Scripture every day for the next week. You might remember that at the beginning of this study of Ephesians I asked you to read a chapter a day every day – to be reading the entire book once a week every week – now I want you to focus on this last half…we are going to be spending some very important and crucial weeks looking at these chapters. I can’t overstate how vital the lessons from this portion of Scripture is to your life – it is the difference between frustration and victory.

God, thank you for doing an extreme makeover in our lives when we trust in Jesus as our Savior. Thank you for the forgiveness, the freedom from guilt and the eternal life that is ours when we ask Him to be our Lord. Thank you for the assurance that our position in you is settled – we have a new identity in you.

But Lord, would you help us to live a life that is consistent with that new identity? Give us the courage and the strength to live a life that reflects your Holy Spirit’s control in every area. Help us to break those old habits, those old lifestyles that are just like the rest of the world, and live a life that is in keeping with your Word. Do an extreme makeover not only in our identity, but in our character, and in our daily walk. Amen.