Living the Why: Walking Worthy Together

Message Title: “Living the Why: Walking Worthy Together

Thank you to Jeff for walking us through Paul’s prayer for us last week. We were in Texas. Here’s who we saw...

Real-Life Example: Investigating the "Why" with Humility

Consider the story of Chuck Colson, a former political aide involved in the Watergate scandal for admitting guilt to being the president’s “hatchet man.” Before beginning his prison time in Alabama, a client he was representing in court, talked to him about Jesus. Tom Phillips. Tom had just turned to Christ himself. After one evening of discussion, Colson broke down on his way back to his car and turned to Christ. After serving time in prison, Colson deeply reflected on his "why"—his purpose and calling beyond worldly success. Through faith, he experienced a profound transformation, dedicating his life to prison ministry and founding Prison Fellowship, which became one of the largest outreach programs for prisoners and their families. Despite his significant impact and success, Colson remained humble, always pointing to God's grace as the source of his renewed purpose…the source of his Why.

This story resonates with Paul’s call in Ephesians to live worthy of the calling we have received—not for personal glory, but for faithful, humble service, in love, to others and God’s mission.

1. Opening: What’s Your Why?

For the past 20 years or so, many leadership books have gravitated to the question of why? What’s your why? There’s also been a cultural emphasis on “purpose.” For some time now, a move in business, even churches, is to have a purpose or mission statement. Your “why?”.

Paul’s “why” isn’t personal ambition—it’s divine grace and calling.

Chapters 1–3: We are chosen, redeemed, sealed, raised, reconciled, and rooted in love. Paul explains this in detail in chapters 1-3 and ends with a prayer for the church there in Ephesus, that they would see and know and experience how wide, long, and deep Jesus’ love is. Not just know about it but be immersed in it.

This is his “why?” If you’re ever doubting that you have a why on this planet, go to Ephesians chapters 1-3 and remember your “why?”

This is our shared “why”—our reason for BEING as the church.

Paul talked about this…that people who believe and realize their need for God…that life comes from Him…are being built into this temple…the church…the people of the Kingdom.

2. Walking Worthy of the Why (Eph 4:1)

Ephesians 4:1 NIV

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

“Worthy” means living in alignment with the gospel story. The true story about how God planned from the beginning to create us, give us purpose, save us from ourselves through Jesus, and put us back on track to be part of His purpose.

This is a hinge—Paul moves from identity to action.

Jesus in John 13

Jesus mentions this. John records this in his Gospel

John 13:34–35 ““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.””

Love for each other. This is a life worthy of our collective call to be in God’s family. This is our “why?”

3. The Posture of a Disciple-Making People...someone who is maturing in their faith...in their life given back to God. (Eph 4:2–3)

Ephesians 4:2–3 NIV

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

I heard one person say it this way…this list Paul presents is less of a short hand version of how to behave and more of a “this is what it looks like to live in response to God’s grace.” Another person said that to live each of these things out, something needs to go. You gotta get rid of something.

Humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another—these are the relational rhythms of discipleship.

Humility - Self centeredness needs to go. The opposite of this is pride. This is how sin came into the world. At the root of all sin is pride. And Paul, in Ephesians and in his other letters, talks about being Humble.

The best self awareness is to come to a point where you say…God…I’m not a worm and I’m not you. But in between I’m a marvelous creation of you, with purposes from you. And that’s a great place to be. So I’ll keep my pride out of the equation. I’ll stay focused on the life you give…not the life I think I can generate myself, not the culturally trendy life the world gives me.

Humility leads to valuing other people like God does. Jesus died for all. Do we live that way? Be humble. We were once dead…but now alive. That can be everyone’s story if they realize the deep, long and wide love of God through us. In humility we value people as Jesus did.

Gentleness - In order to have gentleness, we have to get rid of harshness and violence. If we’re trying our best to be disciples, we’ll try to have or create healthy relationships. And healthy relationship cannot exist under force or threat. Being gentle means that we intend to help someone else rather than ourselves…gentleness towards someone means that we value them. The opposite is equally true.

Patience - Wow, what do we give up by being patient? Our own agendas and timelines. Our society has taught us all the “I want it now” and “I expect to get it” attitude. John Chrysostom, one of the early church fathers, defined patience this way…”to have a wide and big soul.” It’s the exercise of a largeness of soul that can endure annoyances and difficulties over a period of time. Being patient with someone means that you value them…not just for a period of time you choose…but for the time God gives you with that person.

Bearing with one-another - This, in other translations, means, tolerant love. This is not the definition of tolerance that we hear today. But true tolerance, meaning that even though we might disagree, we can still love each other. What do we have to get rid of for this to be present? We must get rid of our rights. That might sound weird at first but hear me out.

Insisting on our own rights (you may hear personal pride there) can be a form of self centeredness. Rights are important, however we need to be very careful of how and when to express these things. One person said it this way, “Be careful of standing on your rights, for then God may stand on His.” Insisting on your personal rights, and living like that, never leads to healthy relationships with other people. All of us, at some point and time, have been and probably will be a burden and a pain in the behind sometimes. All of us. But we are bound to each other as a church family….and loving each other is a choice. Tolerant love.

The opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference…lack of care and lack of empathy.

Humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another

Disciple-making begins with how we walk together…how we value each other the way God values us.

John Maxwell story - in his study. Years ago I had the incredible experience to sit with a leadership guru in his study at his house. A new friend of mine and I were sitting there with him…i felt like a little kid sitting in front of a genius. But what he said was great. He said, listen guys, I know this might be intimidating…people before us were asking “how to” questions and “how do you do this or that.” We must have looked like “deer in the headlights.” You know… He said, listen, I’ve had some success at this leadership stuff. I’ve written books and made some money. But when we’re just sitting here with each other…there’s nothing different between us. We’re people. New friends. No differences. He would later go on to say the way to get what you want, is to help other people get what they want. And secretly in that wisdom, what people want is life the way God gives it. Sometimes we chase it ourselves, sometimes we get out of our own way, and allow God to do it through us. Value other people. God values us enough…loves us enough that what?….God so loved the world that He gave …. This is a short list of the qualities of God. Paul says…our response to God is to be like Him. Humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another

One commentator said these virtues are Holy Spirit-shaped, not self-generated. These are things that show up in New Life…New Birth….Dying to the old person…allowing Jesus to recreate you in His image.

Unity...every effort - Paul says do things that promote unity. Don’t do things that create hostility. How? Through the bond of Peace.

Think super glue…remember that old commercial of the guy with the hard hat being lifted up off the ground…his hat superglued to a chain on a crane? If that glue doesn’t hold…it’s not going to be a good situation.

The bond of peace. The peace that Jesus offers us…the peace that is now offered between us and God and the peace that is available for us between each other…let that hold us together. This peace is available through God’s spirit that is inside of us all.

4. The Unity That Flows from Our Why (Eph 4:4–6)

Ephesians 4:4–6 NIV

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

Scholars agree that this little section is a creed. Now…we may not like creeds, but their original intent was to remember something super important. They are like …. little sayings that help us remember truth. They aren’t truth themselves…they remind us of truth. Sometimes we hold up sayings higher than the truth they remind us of.

The guess is that this was a saying that Paul used…or that Paul was familiar with…it might have been something the Ephesian church used…and then Paul reminded of them of it.

Sevenfold unity: one body, one Spirit, one hope, etc.

One body - We might have a lot of denominations and expressions of faith…and I’ll agree that some are closer to truth and some are farther away. Some are expressing truth correctly…some are not. But take away all the names, put us all under Jesus, and we’re His body. Paul reminds us of this. We might sometimes like ourselves a lot and say that our way is the best way…Paul just says…take away the “my” and just go after God’s way. Jesus said He is the way. We need Humility… One body…not ours….Jesus.

One Spirit - There’s not a plurality of spirits that hold us together…it’s one…and it’s the spirit of God that is giving this body life….new life even.

One Hope - Hope is only found in Jesus. Hope can be found in nothing or no one else. Paul says you were called to this and by this. That’s a big calling…for us to share Hope with the world. Hope of salvation, hope of forgiveness, hope of peace, hope of eternal life with God and other believers.

One Lord…just one. Not many…Not a choice of who…there’s one master over all of life. And He is called the Christ....Christ means the anointed one. One Lord.

One Faith…there’s not a plurality of faiths that can provide this one Hope. Just Faith in Jesus. Jesus calls us to this faith...and helps us walk and grow in it.

One baptism…Jesus said He came to baptize us in the spirit…meaning…immerse us into the Spirit of the Father. Immersed. That’s where real life is. That’s where reality is. Everything else in this world is a false reality. Paul says, you’re going to be immersed into reality through Jesus...through God’s Spirit in you...changing you.

One God and Father of all…One. Not many…Just One. Over all, through all, in all. That’s pretty encompassing.

This is our shared foundation—our “why” lived out in community...in our relationships with each other. Oneness.

Jesus in John 17: unity is not just an internal feeling that we’re hoping for—it’s missional. Jesus prays for this oneness between us, God and each other...why? What’s His why? So the world will know Him.

5. Closing Invitation: Walk the Why

We may have personal callings, nudges, pushes from God. We see that in different areas of scripture. What Paul is talking about here though is different. He’s talking about our call to become part of the Kingdom. A call to come to believe and live in Christ. A call to be part of the body of Christ here on Earth. That’s what this call is for. This call is a call to respond to what we’ve been given (we’ve been given compassion, patience, forgiveness…real life. Paul says…live worthy of that call. Live your life as a response to what God has given you.

Reflect: What does walking worthy of our calling look like in your life? How do you value others? Look through that list and evaluate yourself. How do others see you in light of those needs?

Communal reading of the “one” statements as a declaration of shared purpose.

Ephesians 4:4–6 NIV

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

Prayer together: Lord help us to really live out these qualities. And we know, in order to do this, we need some things in our lives to go away. We need to stop doing some things, acting in certain ways, we need to get rid of some of our attitudes, our actions....so that people see you and not us. This isn’t about us. This is about your “why”....we live as the body of Jesus so that others will see Him and know him and surrender to Him.

Help us surrender all of ourself to you.