The New Life, New Walk and New Warfare of the Christian (Part 7)

The letter Paul writes to the Ephesians church and the churches surrounding the Ephesian church is, how to live above the seemingly endless darkness. How to talk the talk the walk the walk.

For those of you just joining us on this journey - The Letter is broken into three major pieces

Who you are in Christ 1-3

How to Walk in Christ 4-5 and half of 6

How to War in Christ 6

Last week we were in Chapter 3

it is broken up into two main sections, The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed and the Church its Purpose and its Power. Then on Wednesday we spoke about Paul’s second prayer.

I centered the sermon on vs 10 and how God will use and continue to use the church.

This mystery is God bringing two polar opposites together- Jew and Gentile

Gods has a Plan and it involves US

The plan involves you and me and the person next to you – what is your calling – what are you called to do.

God uses the Church

Today's Church will be the

promotor of faith - the standard of truth - Gods arms extended and the mouthpiece of hope to a lost world

Lets begin in ch 4 vs 1

Ephesians 4:1–16 ESV

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Today we move into the second major division of the letter to the Ephesians - The walk of the Christian and in this section it is all about unity and focus.

We cannot walk it our unless we know who we are in Christ. Which means our identity is critical. ( Why do you think Satan is attacking our children with an identity crisis.

Your identity is critical.

In the military we have branches of service. Why - It defines who they are and then what they are to do.

In Canada we had a Prime Minister Lester Pierson who wanted to combine all the navy, army and airforce into one unit called the Armed Forces. He took away there identity and even brought in similar uniforms. -Needless to say that did not work out very well.

It was great idea to unite but like the church we are pieces of a body we are not all the same but we can work in unity.

Paul brings to light that you will walk according to how you beliefs

QUOTE:

How you act grows out of what you believe

C.S. Lewis said, ““You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.”

Walking it out is a matter of life and death.

I want to believe rightly and I want to walk uprightly

Up until today our teaching was all about knowing who you are in Christ

Understanding the power behind the resurrection

Understanding you will have a much difficulty. You are in a battle and to win you must get the foundation right.

This chapter is so critical in the way it starts and ends

It starts with Love and ends with it.

Are you ready to grow in your walk?

It is true that sometimes it feels that others grow so much faster and they seem to have it all together.

A lot of that is do to the level that we want to change or to the level we allow the Holy Spirit to change us.

In the next 2 ½ chapters we are going to see some very distinct ways we should Walk and the importance of Unity

Lets look over what we just read in Ch 4

As a prisoner for the Lord, ( Paul was chained to a guard – you don’t hear him say he is a prisoner of Rome – He understands his call – he knows what he has to do. He is at the center of influence and he knows God has him there for a reason.

Sometimes you might feel chained to your job or stuck in a situation in which you are not comfortable but have you ever thought that God wants to use you right in your present situation. You could be the answer that changes the life of those around you.

we are you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ( I heard a pastor sum this portion of scripture up by saying – ARE YOU ALL IN?

If I learned anything in ministry it is answering the question, “am I all in?”

The disciples were all pressed with the same question – Follow Me. Not follow me half heartedly – leave your nets and follow me. God wants us all in.

Life begins to make sense when we are all in.

When your all in – decisions become easier. Your focused.

The scripture said walk worthy of the call you received. Nit just being a child of God but fully committed to the call on your life. When your walking in your call- it is much easier to exhibit Gods gracious qualities.

This does not mean life is now a cake walk. You will have days where you get up and say- Is it worth it. When you are all in it quickly becomes clear that it is all worth it. AMEN

Be completely humble – ( thinking more about others than yourself – it also means assessing oneself appropriately)Now humility is essential to unity. Pride lurks behind all discord, while the greatest single secret of concord is humility

and gentle;( defined as taming a horse- Gentling – If you watch Horse Movies you will see this. There was a about Mustangs and they needed to be gentled so people would want to buy them. Has God gentled you? Remember I did not say this was going to easy - It is necessary

be patient, long suffering in other words suffering through long term pain.

Bearing with one another – means enduring something or someone that is unpleasant

Has anyone ever aggravated you? How did you still the waters?

In Love – agape – love that is focused on the best of another individual.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

These qualities that God has put in you play a huge part in Unity

Unity is a critical message in Scripture.

Think of it, Jew and Gentile have unity. Christians have Unity. We are a global body of believers and we are held together in unity.

It is defined as the quality of being united into one

Now this doesn't mean we become a political arm like the World Council of Churches formed in 1948 with its 352 members. They seek justice and peace, renewal of creation. It is a faith movement. No where does it talk about Holiness and Salvation.

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

What is the key word hear - ONE

We are one body – we serve one Lord – we have one faith – faith in Jesus – we are baptized into one family- it means immersion – we are immersed into this amazing love of God – there is one God – one father who is above all.- The one we pray to by the name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

One Spirit means one breath - The Holy Spirit breathes life into us.

This is very important and the core to this passage – It is time to come together and worship the Lord as one. In every way and language in every culture and tongue.

Young and old, Male female, Jew Gentile – we are in this together.

Acts 2:1 NKJV

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

We are one family even though we look different we serve the same God

One Hope- The return of Jesus or if we were to die right now we would be secure with Jesus in heaven.

vs7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:

That word grace is the outworking of Gods goodwill in your life.

When God ascended, he took those that were captive by Satan. He paraded them in his Holy procession.

He took the keys of hell and death.

He is the king of kings and there is nothing Satan can do about it except await his fate.

How many of you know God was at work in the tomb.

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

In order for the church to maintain unity and carry on the mission of the Gospel he put in some leadership. ( Some call this the fivefold Ministry)

Apostles – the called out ones – started with the original 12 then it has been added to Barnabas was called an Apostle – they are commissioned by God- some call these missionaries

Prophets – Someone who interprets what is going on in the supernatural as well someone who is speaking forth a message of God. Many times it is an answer for direction and cn include a warning.

Evangelist – a person who announces information about recent and important events worthy of celebration and the way of salvation by the death and resurrection of Jesus

Pastors – Shepherd or leader of a church or a flock

Teacher – a person who instructs- imparting skill and knowledge

These people bring a complete picture – they fit together and are specific to there task and help us as the body to reach unity with one another and mature and build up the body of Christ

None of them are meant to tear down the body – there task is to build into perfection. They don’t cause division they repair the breach AMEN

They complete the building process. They get people ready for service.

Are we maturing – the answer is yes we are – Christ is pulling it all together

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Without guidance you and I are like children tossed back and forth like a boat rocking in the water. The illustration of infants or in this case small children is so appropriate.Children have the attention span of a gnat. They get bored in a matter of 2 minutes.Have you ever seen the look on a kids face when they hit the toy section of a store at Christmas. You have to hang onto them or they would just run. They don’t know which way to run.

Adults are sometimes like this – they are blown here and there by any new teaching, or new spin on the Bible or by crafty people. They are lead by emotions or fear . They can also be lead by a lie

The new teaching today is progressivism- Doctrine is in flux it will change with societal changes. NO Don’t be deceived – speak the truth in Love.

Remember Satan came in the garden as a crafty serpent and his main line was. – Did God say that? NO No No you misunderstood Eve. God wants you to eat from the fruit- this will make you smart and don’t you want to be smart.

The fruit looked so good but it was poison to the bone.

More people turn to google for the truth than they do Jesus and we wonder why we are in such a mess.

The church and the unique way that it functions keeps you on track with the truth.

We do this together – We are a corporate body – we fellowship, pray, sing, we teach, we raise our families together

We come to Maturity and increased love

1 Thessalonians 3:12 ESV

12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,

Conclusion;

Some of you might say

I am Weak – its OK because God loves the weak

I am to old – God loves the Abrahams

I am to young – God loves the David's and the Samuel's

I have nothing – God loves the Job’s

I messed up to much – It is OK because God loves prodigals

It is time to get back on track

It starts with a relationship with Jesus

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