We Walk Different
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THIS MARKS A TRANSITION IN THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS - THE FIRST 3 CHAPTERS ARE CONCERNING SALVATION BY GRACE ALONE, FAITH ALONE, CHRIST ALONE. NOW WE ARE AT A TURNING POINT IN THE BOOK - WHERE PAUL BEGINS TO ADDRESS OUR WALK (CHURCH WHOLE AND INDIVIDUALLY) AND WE FIND THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR WALK IN CHRIST. How do we walk different -
Call of the walk
Call of the walk
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
This is BECAUSE - (therefore) we have been made alive in Christ. (we are called to this walk)
EVERY BELIEVER IN THIS ROOM HAS A CALLING, THIS IS SPEAKING OF THE UNIFYING “WALK” -OR-LIFE THAT IS PLEASING TO GOD.
A LIFE THAT UNIFIES THE CHURCH.
THE APOSTLE PAUL IS SAYING HERE THAT WE ARE TO WALK WORTHY OF THE CALLING - OUR CALLING IS IN CHRIST AND FOR CHRIST. AND FOR THE GLORY OF GOD ALONE. WHY? BECAUSE 2:10 TELLS US -
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
WE ARE CREATED - WORKMANSHIP OF GOD - FOR GOD WORKS.
(WE ARE NOT SAVED FROM WORKS, BUT TO DO GOOD WORKS)
READ THIS VERSE AGAIN AND YOU WILL SEE HOW TO WALK WORTHY - DO THE WORK HE CALLED YOU TO.
WE CANNOT EXPECT MUCH OUT A A DEAD PERSON - JUST LIES THERE, DOES NOTHING
THOSE THAT CHRIST HAS MADE ALIVE - HAVE SOMETHING TO DO.
YOU ARE EITHER DEAD (OR) ALIVE.
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
We Walk worthy (as an ambassador) of the one that called us from death to life.
This walk has a high calling -
WE ARE CALLED TO PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST - EXAMPLE : LIKE A JACKET. THE JACKET DOES NOT KEEP THE WEATHER FROM BEING BAD, IT DOES NOT STOP THE RAIN FROM FALLING, IT DOES NOT KEEP THE COLD FROM COMING - BUT IT WRAPS ME IN COMFORT AND SAFETY. WE UT ON CHRIST MUCH LIKE THIS. WE PUT ON CHRIST JESUS AND NOW WE CAN FIND SHELTER FROM THE STORMS OF LIFE - THEY STILL COME BUT YOU HAVE COMFORT. PUTTING ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY TO REDUCE THE POWER OF THE FLESH OVER OUR LIFE AND LIVE LIFE IN THE SPIRIT. - PUTTING ON CHRIST THEREFORE, GIVE US THE ABILITY TO GIVE NO PROVISION TO THE FLESH, NOR FULFILL ITS LUST. IT IS INDEED A HIGH CALLING - BUT WE ARE CREATED (ALL OF US) FOR THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD.
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Care of the walk
Care of the walk
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
This is how we guard our walk with and in Christ.
These are the instructions on how we walk worthy before Christ Jesus
Lowliness -
Gentleness -
Longsuffering -
Bearing with others in Love. - (Shane’s Song)
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
There is ONLY one way we can possibly do these things - WE CANNOT in our own strength.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
We MUST have the mind of Christ - What does that mean?
in the following verse of Phil 2 - we see that Jesus - though equal with God and is God, made himself a servant,
If your hearts desire is to be more life Christ - The very attribute of Christ is to become a servant to all, a humble person.
SO, WHAT IS THE MIND OF CHRIST.
This was the very “mind of Christ”
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
If you are to be like Christ and have the Mind of Christ - then you are to serve, and be a servant to all.
THE MIND OF CHRIST IS HUMBLE - WE SHOULD BE HUMBLE
THE MIND OF IS GIVING - (FEEDING THE MULTITUDE) (GIVING HIS LIFE) - WE SHOULD BE
THE MIND OF CHRIST IS OF PRAYER AND WORSHIP (JESUS TOOK TIME TO WORSHIP, PRAY, AND ATTEND SERVICES) SO SHOULD WE.
EXTRA POINTS: JESUS LAUGHED AND WAS JOYFUL.
SO OFTEN WHEN YOU SEE A PICTURE OF JESUS HE IS SERIOUS AND SOMBER AND MELANCHOLY - BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: HE HAD A WELL ROUNDED MAGNETIC PERSONALITY
HE CARRIED CHILDREN - WHAT CHILD WANTS TO BE AROUND SOMEONE THAT NEVER LAUGHS. (MK 11:35)
HE WAS ACCUSED OF BEING TOO JOYOUS (PLEASE LET THAT BE A COMPLAINT OF OUR CHURCH) (LUKE 7:34) - HE ALSO TOLD JOHN THAT NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR MOURNING.
TOO OFTEN CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS THINK THAT TO FOLLOW JESUS IS TO ERASE ALL OF THE LAUGHTER, JOY, AND HUMOR FROM OUR LIVES - BUT THE OPPSITE IS TRUE - WE SHOULD BE THE MOST JOYFUL BUNCH OF PEOPLE YOU EVER MEET.
BECAUSE - WE WERE ONCE DEAD IN SIN - BUT MADE ALIVE IN CHRIST. JOY!
THE MIND OF CHRIST IS LOVE - (BUT DOES NOT AGREE WITH SIN)
Caution of the walk
Caution of the walk
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
CHRIST HAS ALREADY CREATED THE UNITY IN HIS CHURCH.
WE DO NOT CREATE UNITY - CHRIST CREATED UNITY WHEN HE MADE US ALIVE IN HIM AND MADE US A PART OF HIS BODY -THE CHRUCH.
WE ARE TASKED WITH “KEEPING” THE UNITY - NOT TRYING TO CREATED IT.
FOR THIS REASON WHEN WE COME TOGETHER IT SHOULD BE LIKE A FAMILY REUNION EACH WEEK - WE LONG TO BE TOGETHER - TO WORSHIP TOGETHER, PRAY TOGETHER, HEAR THE WORD TOGETHER. THAT IS THE UNITY EPH 4:3 SPEAKS OF.
WHAT IF TOMORROW YOU WOKE UP AND ONLY YOUR LEFT ARM WORKED, AND YOUR RIGHT LEG, ONLY YOUR BOTTOM LIP - YOU’D LOOK A MESS AND UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH MUCH. ATTENDING WORSHIP IN UNITY IS LIKE ALL THE PARTS COMING TOGETHER TO GLORIFY GOD AT ONCE. IF A PART IS MISSING IT’S JUST NOT THE SAME. We are tasked to keep the unity - not by our own doing - but watch the passage - :We do so - of or in the Spirit.
We seek peace AND UNITY.
Being a humble - peace seeking person does not make a weak person - it demonstrates the strength of God in our finite lives.
Being a humble servant of the spirit in peace does not mean being a push over - we still must stand for the truth of the Word of God -
The Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone. We can seek peace and reconciliation through the word of God.
LIVE YOUR LIFE BY THE WORD OF GOD - AND THUS, YOUR WALK WILL PLEASE GOD.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE READ THE BIBLE - NOT JUST A FEW PASSAGES? I MEAN COVER TO COVER. YOU JUST SIT AND READ IT? I MEAN - FOR SOME CHRISTIANS, IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BIBLE - HEAVEN MIGHT BE UNCOMFORTABLE OR AKWARD FOR YOU FOR A WHILE. WHEN YOU GET THERE AND MARK, SAYS - DID YOU LIKE MY BOOK, THEN YOU SEE JOHN AND HE ASKS YOU - WHAT WAS YOU FAVORITE PART OF MY BOOKS? THEN OLE HABBAKUK STEPS FORWARD AND SAY - OH, I WROTE ONE TOO, WHAT DID YOU THINK? GOD’S WORD IS THE LAMP FOR OUR FEET AND THE LIGHT FOR OUR PATH THE BIBLE GIVE DIRECTION TO OUR LIVES- WE CANNOT LIVE A LIFE PLEASING TO GOD WITHOUT READING THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL HE GAVE US.
Harmony of the walk
Harmony of the walk
-music illustration
-gospel illustration
Harmony does not mean always agreeing - Harmony means all the different parts coming together for the Glory and Purpose of God - Sola Deo Gloria (for the Glory of God alone)
My life is to be a testimony to the one true living God ...bringing me from the death found in my sins to the LIFE (being made ALIVE) in the Lord Jesus Christ.
My life and your life is to be a life that is lived for the Glory of God.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
There is one KEY WORD in this passage - the emphasis is on the word ONE.
One Body
One Spirit
One Hope
One Lord
One Faith
One Baptism
One God & Father.
It signifies the unity of all things put together by God, For God and to the Glory of God. ONE.
-when we marry - we are to made one
when we come to Christ we are made one - through him.
Many will be familiar with this:
OUT OF MANY ONE PEOPLE.
God takes many - and makes us one. One Body of believers called the church. We are His. He is ours.
Cancer is one of the most dreaded diagnosis a person could get. Cancer is when cells that are in the body begin to operate on their own agenda - the bring havock, pain, and rapid division - as the cancer cells are in the body they stop things from flowing correctly. Cancer cells often attack major organ such as the liver, brain, skin, pancreas's, and others such as breast and the list could go on - but the chief goal of cancer is to divide and conquer. The cells of in the body - but they are not of the body - in fact - they are woking against the body. This is the same for a person brining disunity to the church. They may be a member, they might have been in the body, but they are not working with the body, they have their own agenda - they are working quietly against the leadership, against others, and against the growth of the church. It is so vital that we maintain the unity of the church (keep it) that we cannot allow a cancerous division to take over the body. We must be together for the gospel and the cause of Christ.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is much easier to walk in unity as believers when we are humble, servants, instead of prideful Pharisees - depending on our own good to please God.
Roman 13:10
10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
We are to be known by our love for each other - we should be the most loving people on the planet. Because JESUS LOVED US - we are to demonstrate that love in our daily lives - our walk must match our talk.
it is the desire of the Lord Jesus to become everything to each of us.
Like Paul - becoming all things to all people that he may win some to Christ.
Christ in turn must become all to us, because HE IS ALL, and IN ALL. HE IS OUR ALL & ALL. (v 6)
TODAY YOU CAN BECOME ONE. ONE WITH CHRIST, BROUGHT FROM THE DARKNESS OF SIN AND MADE ALIVE IN CHRIST JESUS.
Have you made Christ Jesus your all today?
Does your walk match your talk?
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
God is calling - will you respond?