Worthy Of Your Calling

Ephesians 3-4

Patriots Bible

Geneva translation, 1599 year, study notes and references, this is the translation that our fore-fathers brought to America

Constitution, magna carta, the mayflower compact, declaration of independance, articles of confederation, the constitution, George Washingtons rules for civility and decent behavior.

Thanks Bruce for giving me this bible. And thanks for preaching last week! (I went to another church… an elder was preaching)

Ephesians 4:1 “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.”

Live a life worthy of your calling! This is a tall order. First we need to know what our calling is?

Well, if you use the cross referances in your bible, you’ll find that scripture does a really good job of explaining it’s self. It ALL works together! Now... We can read others opinions on a piticular verse, we can form our own opinion, but thoes will likely just be opinions, what we need to do is see what the word says about it’s self.

(I went to a barbed wire museam this past week in Lacross,KS...)

So Paul says live a life worthy of your calling… lets see what Paul says about it in other parts of the bible… let Him explain his self.

Philippians 1:27 “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, (Independance day is coming up… Glad to be an American! That’s ok. It doesnt mean you are any better than anyone else, it means you have freedoms that people in other places often don’t have. As good as it is to be an american, it’s nothing compaired to being a cistizen of Heaven!… In being a citizen of Heaven, you have freedoms that are unavaliable anywhere else!

As a citizen of Heaven, you have the freedom of eternal life with God!! Forgivness of sin!!! you can’t get that anywhere else! We all should be excited to be citizens of Heaven! And we should celebrate it!!!) conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.”

You are called to stand together as the body of Christ, with One Spirit, one purpose, fighting for the faith! Its good news folks! Its Good News that we have each other to fight along side of… Its Good News that by the free gift of Jesus we are saved from sin and hell. (again, we should celebrate this!)

So living as citizens of Heaven is our first calling. We are all called to do that.

What does that look like? Standing together, fighting together, having one main purpose, which is living out the Good News that saves us from hell. Are you living a life worthy to be called a citizen of Heaven? Aint none of us perfect… but you dont live like a communist when you are an American citizen, and you shouldnt live like a pagen when you are a citizen of Heaven.

Colossians 1:10 “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. (FRUIT!! (do you like a challenge!?!),(Gal 5:22-23) speaking of fruit, back to Ephesians 4:2–4 “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.” ) Back to Colossians 1:10 “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”

Galatians 5:22–23 love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

How many of us are good citizens? I know that I have room to grow, room to learn. Produce Fruit!!!

What else does Paul say about living a life worthy of your calling??

1 Thessalonians 2:12 “We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.”

Folks, this is something that I’ve really tried to preach here lately… Living out Gods Kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven.

Some things, we cant help. maybe you’ve had to have a difficult converation with someone lately… Deal with the negitive results of your own bad decisions or the bad decisions of somone else… We wont have to do thoes things in Heaven, but we do have to deal with them here sometime here. BUT there are other things… (like remaining in a bad attitude)… that you don’t have to do! there’s no bad attitudes in Heaven, you know that, and your attitude is within your control! Share that part of His Kingdom right now!

And share in His Glory! Ephesians 3:20–21 “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”

We give God Glory because His power is at work within us! ...give us abundant life. Fruitful life- (fruits of the spirit)

Share in His Glory! This verse reminds us that He lives in us, in His body the Church!

Is Baptism necessary for salvation?

On one hand we might say that baptism is absolutly not necessary for salvation because we read of instances in the scripture that suggest of salvation with out it… yet there are so many scriptures that place baptism on the same line as salvation. Who are we to reduce a command of our savior to a simple, un-necessesary action.

And as far as receiving the Holy Spirit at the time of baptism, we must keep in mind the scriptures that pair the two together, specifically the promise given to us in Acts 2.

On the other hand, is there any fruit in claiming that a person who has already died didnt make it to Heaven if they wernt baptized? Who are we to judge the salvation of someone, especially someone who has placed their faith in Jesus?

Discussing the scripture as we are doing is a wonderful and life-giving thing. But we have to remember why we are doing it… (Acts 17) Are we being Berians or phelophcers?

The Berians eagerly listened to the message and openmindedly searched the scriptures, the result of that was many Jews and many gentiles believed in Jesus.

The philosephers sat around discussing all the latest ideas thinking they could make their own decisions about what was right or wrong.

How can we get folks excited about acting out their faith in baptism without condeming thoes who have already gone on before us...?