Walk Worthy

How do you climb a mountain? Know your goal. Prepare your body. Pack properly and go with others! Then it’s one foot in front of the other. One step at a time.

Paul gave us three chapters preparing us for the journey of life in Christ. Sharing all that Christ has accomplished and done for us. He tells us that we have all we need, in Christ. Now he will begin three chapters of what this means for us. How now shall we walk with Christ?

Ephesians 4:1–6 (LEB)

1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to live in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called: 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, 3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; 4 one body and one Spirit (just as also you were called with one hope of your calling), 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.

Sermon Outline: Living Worthy of the Call

I. The Call: "Walk" Worthy (v.1)

A term used to express God’s worthiness or glory (Kavod) means “Weighty.” He’s heavy. You can feel His footsteps when He’s around! You feel and experience His presence when He moves. He wants us to live in a manner that makes a positive difference for the Kingdom. He wants us to walk in a manner that reflects His glory, grace, and love for each other in this life.

a. Live in a manner that matches your calling.

Christ gave you all, these wonderful gifts and love unconditioned on anything you did or didn’t do before receiving His grace and mercy while free, do not come without God expecting a relationship in return. He expects reciprocity. He expects us to adopt the King’s Family vision and desire! He wants you all to become One in Him. He didn’t want the Prodigal to remain in the pigpen. Neither did he want the older son to work for approval and stay away from the family festivities. He wants us to join Him in the family lifestyle.

b. Balance knowledge with action.

The past 3 chapters gave the weight of God’s glorious grace, mercy, riches, and love. Now Paul will give us the marching orders. Our lives now should seek to honor, give weight to all the Christ has done for us. What we know should move our collective feet in His direction. So no matter where we began our journey in Christ, we grow closer to Him every day and at the same time grow closer to each other as well.

For Paul under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, the knowledge and experience of God compels us forward to heavenly heights. If someone claiming Christ does not move to Christ, Paul sees them as lacking a proper understanding of God or worse, not having experienced the power of God.

II. The Challenge: Attitude (v. 2-3)

If this were easy, Paul wouldn’t need to spend three chapters prepping us for the foundation of why and how we can become unified. If it just happened at conversion, we wouldn’t need any direction or challenge. But we have an old nature we must put off and a new nature we must put on. And the reality is that we must constantly allow God to shape and mold our personality and character. And you know how He determined to do that? He put you in a family with people who will push your buttons. In fact its that iron sharpening iron thing. And it doesn’t always happen the way we want it to. We think, oh God will put this super Saint in my path that I will always look up to and be challenged by their great discipline and always having the right answer.

While you will find that. The more typically way it works is He will put you in the deep end with someone that has needs, traits and character development that rubs you the wrong way. So the question is, will you journey down that path or will you look for the easy path of avoiding God’s method of training you to be like Christ?

a. Humility: Putting others before yourself.

It means to reign in or curb the tendency to put yourself first. It doesn’t mean to think less of yourself, but to think of other people more often.

How do you make room for others, especially newcomers at work, school, church, Sunday school, sports teams, friend groups? Pause for a moment. Does the thought ever even occur to you? I mean seriously. Humility means taking the time and effort to consider how you can welcome someone into a closer walk with you. It’s like mountain climbers tethering themselves to each other. If someone has a slip or a fall, they are going to pull on you. But, you have to be close enough to make a difference.

This comes down to hospitality. Taking the time and effort to get to know someone by asking about them rather than telling about yourself. It’s learning about where they exist, seeing their God given potential, and enabling them to be fully embraced.

It doesn’t mean you don’t see differences or areas that need strengthening. It means you come along side them rather than from above them looking down on them. It means you recognize that this is a team sport and not a competition for attention.

You are stuck together to reach the goal together.

b. Gentleness: Responding with kindness, even when hurt.

Willing to suffer injury without seeking revenge. Jesus took the beating on the cross for us. He could have come with an army to punish us for our sin, but instead He took the yoke of the cross upon Himself.

Matthew 11:29 CSB

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

One of the reasons we feel guilty about these characteristics is because we fail. However, we fail because we attempted it in our flesh. Your flesh can fake it for a time, but it will always fail. We need to remain in Christ, under His yoke, empowered by the Spirit.

Listen, most people need more gentleness. I grew up in a Clint Eastwood world. “Put some dirt on it.” “What doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger.” There’s a time and place for that perhaps. But, when it comes to helping people grow in Christ and trust God, they need His gentle Spirit many times. Listen, we now know that 1 out of 4 girls and 1 out of 5 boys suffer serious trauma as children. They are literally shell shocked. They can easily be triggered by things others don’t intend. They sometimes don’t even know why they withdraw or have outbursts. It’s our calling to gently approach them and come along side of them.

You know we’ve all got porcupines in our lives. Those people who have some good points, but as you get close to them, you’ll get stuck and poked a few times. In fact we are all porcupines to someone at some point.

But, who has God put in your life like that? How might you approach them? How will you prepare to be gentle even when they stick you a bit?

c. Patience: Enduring annoyances without losing your cool.

Harry Ironside a preacher of some time ago had a friend named George. George struggled to keep his temper in check. It would flare up time to time. Harry and those close to George knew the secret to quenching that fire. They would simply ask this question, “Is that the old George or the new George?” George had a tender heart, he would immediately have an attitude change, and would often come to tears at the question. He would answer that it’s the old George and I must take him to be crucified with Christ on the cross immediately.

What prompts do you have when you find the old nature rearing it’s ugly head? Do you desire to grow in Patience? Are you praying give it to me now? Do you realize God gives you patience by putting you in relationships where you must grow in enduring annoyances? Do you avoid such situations or embrace them?

What’s your plan of meditation and action to take the old nature to the cross? Do you need to go for a walk? Meditate on Scripture? Breathe while counting to 4 or 10? How are you prepared to endure?

d. Eager: Actively seeking unity over personal comfort.

God didn’t say CREATE unity. He said be eager to maintain it. You didn’t create the gospel, die on the cross, rise from the grave, or start the church. You didn’t create the unity. So all you can do is either seek to live in it and encourage others to do so. So that means do the good things God calls you to. Put on the new nature and put off the old nature! That takes effort and time! It takes commitment. You know the difference between an attender of a church service and a member of the Body? Commitment. An attender comes and goes as he or she pleases. A member remains committed to the Lord and the Bride of Christ, warts and all.

III. The Climb: Unity (v. 3-6)

If someone wants to climb Mt. Everest, they can start from two very different places. In fact, people start in two different countries. One base camp (the South) is in Nepal and the other is in Tibet (the North). The distance between South Everest Base Camp (Nepal) and North Everest Base Camp (Tibet) is approximately(about 35 miles) in a straight line. Keep in mind that this distance is an aerial measurement and does not account for the challenging terrain, elevation changes, and winding paths that climbers encounter during their expeditions. Climbers must navigate treacherous slopes, glaciers, and rocky sections as they traverse this considerable distance between the two base camps. Proper preparation, acclimatization, and mountaineering skills are essential for a successful journey across this rugged landscape.

We all come with baggage and differences. But as we draw closer to Christ and prioritize what He values we draw closer to each other. The more we act like Christ, the more we close on the glorious Hope of being one family in Christ.

a. Focus on similarities, not differences.

Paul gave us seven realities that bind us together as the family of God. It’s saved in Christ, identifying with Him through baptism (hence one of the reasons I’m a baptist, they

b. Prioritize what matters to God.

Our Part by James Francis

Shift our gaze from worldly things, Embrace God’s mission, and give love wings.

‌No longer passive and still. We are dynamic ambassadors focused on His will.

‌Make our homes a haven where godliness presides, ready for our Savior to arrive.

‌Extend the message to neighbors and kin, Build real connections, where love begins.

‌Spread kindness and empathy—actions that sing, Speaking louder than words, let love’s music ring.

‌Shine Jesus’ love across the land in grocery aisles or gatherings grand.

‌ Be approachable and caring, share hope’s decree, plant seeds of faith, and set hearts truly free.

‌Beyond church walls, our mission is clear: Fulfill the Great Commission without fear.

‌Homes, communities, and workplaces galore, Spread the light of the One we adore.