Live a Worthy Life

Introduction

Les Misérables, novel published by Victor Hugo in 1862…

Jean Valjean’s story is our story, too (1 Cor 7:23).

Subject: Your soul has been purchased for God. What are you doing with it? Your life now belongs to God. How are you living it?

Ephesians 4:1-7 (ESV)

Body

You have been called by God. Be faithful. (Eph 4:1)

Exposition: What is the calling?

Called by God…

To be blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3).

To be chosen by God (Eph 1:4).

To be holy and blameless before God (Eph 1:4).

To be adopted through Jesus Christ (Eph 1:5).

To bring praise to God’s glorious grace (Eph 1:6).

To be redeemed through the blood of Jesus (Eph 1:7).

To be forgiven of your sins (Eph 1:7).

To have God’s grace lavished up on you (Eph 1:8).

To be given wisdom and insight to know God’s will (Eph 1:8-9).

To be part of God’s plan to unite all things in Christ (Eph 1:10).

To receive the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13).

To eternal life in Christ (Eph 2:5).

To be seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6).

To be saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8).

To walk in the good works God has prepared for you (Eph 2:10).

To be a citizen of God’s kingdom, a child of God’s household, and a member of God’s church (Eph 2:19-22

In light of all this, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph 4:1).

The call of God should be the central focus of your life.

Illustration: “That call to know the grace of God in Christ, to be the children of God, and to serve him as… messengers of his gospel, should transform every part of life.” ~ Dr. Francis Foulkes

Application: What are you pursuing? The pursuit of happiness is not the highest good. The pursuit of God is.

Forget about the glamor. Be faithful.

Exposition

The Christian life is not a glamorous life.

Ephesians 4:2 — These are not glamorous words.

Ephesians 4:1 — Paul is writing this from prison… Jesus was crucified. The cross isn’t glamorous. It’s barbaric. It’s bloody. It’s gross.

Being faithful isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes it hurts. And sometimes it requires sacrifice. Sometimes you have to say no to things, even good things, so that you can say yes to God.

Ephesians 4:7… Not all callings are the same.

Don’t covet someone else’s calling because it looks more glamorous.

“Stop asking God for what he hasn’t given you, and start asking him to show you what he has given you.” ~ Dr. Crawford Loritts

Illustration: “Stop trying to accomplish something great. Start trying to be somebody great.” ~ God

Application

Greatness is not about what you accomplish but who you become. Faithfulness is not measured by the mountaintops but by the daily decision to pursue God first.

Forget about the glamor. Stop chasing an experience. And be faithful to the calling God has given you, even when it’s boring, and even when it requires suffering.

You’re called to something bigger than you. Be faithful.

Exposition (Eph 4:3-7)

You’ve been called to be part of the body of Christ (i.e., the church), to be filled with the Spirit, to be present with the Father, and to be empowered by the grace of Christ to share Jesus with others.

Sometimes, we just need to get over ourselves.

Romans 12:1

Illustration: “The world tells you to build a life. God tells you to build an altar.” ~ Pastor Lee Cummings

Application:

The radical individualism of our society is bankrupt. Mental health is at a crisis level. Suicide and substance abuse are off the charts. Media addiction is a pandemic in itself. The social fabric of our society is falling apart, and people are walking into churches, schools, and parades with guns because they face a crisis of meaninglessness. We have been lied to. We have been told that the highest pursuit in life is personal happiness and the key to personal happiness is radical individualism and complete autonomy to do whatever you want, have whatever you want, identify as whatever you want… but it’s a lie that has led our society to a meaningless, purposeless, joyless existence that people pop a pill to escape.

Called by God list… will you answer his call and come to Jesus?

Conclusion

How to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called: Start with prayer. You may not always get an answer, but at least you’re asking.