Ephesians 4:1
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Who me? Ya You!
What we are going to see in the text today is the MAIN IMPERATIVE of the entire book. What that means is there is no option really not to obey…we must obey what we are commanded here.
Let’s get right down to business here…look at the text.
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Paul is going to make a massive appeal to put into practice or put in to operation all the wonderful things he has just spent time writing about. And the rest of this book is going to be a practical out working of this appeal.
This is the MAIN IMPERATIVE/COMMAND of this book. This is the loudest thing you will hear in this whole series. This is climatic...
Have you ever been in a room or a spot that is really echoey? Is that a word? That echoes a lot…the initial shout is the loudest but then as the sound travels it bounces off of walls and comes back.
4:1 is like Paul shouting in an echo chamber and the command will come back 4 times as it bounces all four walls. It will come back in 4:17, 5:2, 5:8, 5:15.
In 4:1, Paul is going to shout the word, “WALK.” And the rest of the epistle, we will hear the command coming back to us...walk, walk, walk, walk. Every time he uses this word throughout the rest of this epistle we should remember this message…because what Paul says here in 4:1 is pushed out of his mouth by something much deeper.
When you shout and project sound it has to initiate from something. In order for sound to travel it has to be pushed out of your mouth by force.
The sound that comes out of your mouth has to be pushed out by something. Sound is the effect of an intricate system of muscle contractions.
Think about it…your lungs fill with air, and your mouth takes a certain shape depending on what you want to have come out and then your core muscles contracts and puts pressure on your lungs to push the air out through your throat and mouth...and out comes a word. Cause and Effect.
The sound coming out of your mouth is made possible by systems that are at work in your body that are functioning properly BEFORE the sound comes out.
That is what is happening here.
Paul is going to to shout out something in 4:1 and we will notice it echo around a bit through the rest of his writing…but this initial shout is based off of a system was that in place and working properly. This shout to “walk in a manner worthy” comes from something deep within Paul and is dependent upon, based upon what he just finished praying for the Ephesians in chapter 3.
In order to understand this verse, we have to go back and remind ourselves of what Paul just prayed for the Ephesians…remember there are no chapters and verses. The divisions in our bibles with chapters and verses were made for our convenience of trying to locate sections…but when they break up a flow of thought, like we see here between chapter 3 and 4 ,we need to do our best to connect them. This is a letter and it is was written by Paul to be read from beginning to end.
So, let’s look at what Paul prayed because, 3:14-21 is the complex inner baseline system that has to be in place in order for the command we find 4:1 to be actually obeyed.
Let’s observe the roots of Paul’s command in 4:1 as we identify the causes of him “urging us to walk worthy.”
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Textual idea: We must walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.
Textual idea: We must walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.
Who me? Ya you!
You don’t need to go to bible college of know Greek or Hebrew to come up with this one. This is pretty straight forward. We have been called by God to walk in such a such way…now do it. God is God, you are not…He has called you to the task of being His image bearing creatures in this world…so get to it, image Him and image Him appropriately.
And we say…I get it. I feel the force of this command. I can’t get out from under the pressure. I feel the weight of what I am called to…but it feels overbearing. I don’t know if I can do this. I try. I fail. I feel like giving up. This is impossible. And if you are thinking this way, I say…good for you…and I quote Jesus in Matthew 19:26...
26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Do you ever feel overwhelmed to live up to the calling you have recieved? How is it a blessing to be brought to an end of yourself by this call?
How does the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:7, “for we walk by faith, not by sight” impact your understanding of the seeming impossibility of actually doing the mandates of the call you recieved? (Does this make sense…horrible wording sorry!!!)
This command is meant to bring you to the very end of yourself because “to live up to” or to “walk worthy” of the calling that we have recieved is IMPOSSIBLE. You can’t do it. You can’t observe and obey the main command of this epistle without a system in place that is working properly to empower you to actually do this word.
When we hear this command, if we care at all about honoring God, our minds begin to be flooded with questions. Questions like:
Q. How can I walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which I have been called?
Q. How can I walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which I have been called?
Q. What have I been called to?
Q. What have I been called to?
Q. How in the world will I be able to do this?
Q. How in the world will I be able to do this?
Q. What does walking worthy look like?
Q. What does walking worthy look like?
Q. What is this going to cost?
Q. What is this going to cost?
With the remaining time, let’s starting bailing out the boat of your mind that is flooded with questions.
Let’s pray...
First of all...
Q. What have I been called to?
Q. What have I been called to?
Have you ever heard the phrase sometimes things get harder before they get easier? As we explore who we are to be as Christ followers, it is absolutely overwhelming! At least that is if we were are left to fend for ourselves to somehow live out this calling by our own efforts.
We are called to live out all the theological truths we discovered over the last 3 months. We reviewed them last week. Here are just a few things to consider...
We are called to live as his very own children who have been adopted into God’s family and blessed with every spiritual blessing because we are in Christ.
We are called to live up to our calling of being holy and blameless before Him.
We are called to exist for, “the praise of His glory.” In case you missed that calling, Paul writes it down 3 times in chapter 1!
God is so concerned about His own glory it is amazing! We read in Eph. 2:7 that God saved us and has been gracious toward us in Christ so that…He can brag in the future coming age to all created beings about the “immeasurable riches of His grace” that was expressed in His kindness toward us in Christ. Look at what this says,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
We are called to be exhibits A-Z at His cosmic show and tell time.
4. And what are we called to demonstrate at that Cosmic Show and Tell Show? Well God will point at the “good works” we did while we lived our lives. That is what Eph. 2:10 clearly states,
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
5. We, the corporate gathering of believers, are called to be built together in such a way that we are a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
This is such a high calling! and humbling…when we look at this list we think to ourselves, “this is absolutely impossible.” Although this is such a high calling, this is also bringing me very low. This calling isn’t about me at all…it is about Him. It is a high and humbling calling.
And the cherry that is on top of what we have been called to is found in Eph. 3:10 where we read this.
10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
6. The church is the place that every eye in the universe (physical or spiritual) can look to see how brilliant our God is. He solved our sin problem. He reclaimed those He kicked out of the garden through the slaying of His Son.
And we are collectively confounded by what we have been called too.
We think thoughts like the Apostle Paul as he wrote the Corinthians when he said,
15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
This is what we have been called too and is appropriate to be brought to the end of yourself. Like when we see what we are called to…we should say, “This is impossible…there is no way I can or we can do this.” But never-the-less this IS what the Scriptures is clearly teaching. We must walk worthy of this calling…this is a real call…so we must really be able to live this out. And that leads us to the next question that we need to bail out of the boats of our minds.
How in the world will I be able to do this?
How in the world will I be able to do this?
If God requires something from us, then we must really be capable of pulling it off right? Like what good is it to set goals that are impossible to attain? (perfect undefeated season)
He must supply the ability to actually do it, otherwise God would be accused of being unjust. Worse than that He would be evil if He would require from us and implore us to walk according to a standard that we can’t actually do.
And that is why we need to look back at Paul’s prayer to see how in the world we will be able to do this and when we look there we will discover 2 keys that will unlock an ability to actual do this word.
The first key is found in Ephesians 3:16-17 where we read this...
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
The first key is this…
1. Walking worthy is not accomplished by our own strength, it is done by the power of the Living Christ in us.
1. Walking worthy is not accomplished by our own strength, it is done by the power of the Living Christ in us.
Look at verse 16…it starts with “according to the riches of His glory he may grant you.”
He may grant you - God is actor and we are the ones being acted upon. Look at this word, “grant” or “gave.” This is an important word to notice here. Someone who “grants” or “gives” something is someone who has authority. This same word is used in the Gospels when Jesus broke the bread and gave it to the disciples who then “gave” it to the crowd of 5,000. This bread is mine…and I am giving it to you…and you are giving it to others.
ESV - translators used the word “grant.” When I think of that word, my mind thinks of a Genie in a Lamp…right? You rub this thing and out comes a Genie and he says I will grant you three wishes (what do you always ask for??? - infinite wishes).
The Genie has the ability, the authority, to make your desires come true. Your wish is my command. (Poof - you desire is actualized).
So, I know that we are thinking, “How in the world can I actually do this calling.” And in a some sense, you can’t…the ability to actually do this is “granted” by God.
Look at the text… “He may grant you…to be strengthened with power through HIS Spirit in your inner being.”
This is amazing. Paul calls us to live up to an impossible calling. A calling that we cannot do on our own. But then He says that we will actually be able to do this calling not because we are capable, but because God is capable!
God is capable of doing this call…just look at the resume of Jesus as He walked on this earth - Heb. 4:15 - tempted and tried in every way and yet without sin. Jesus demonstrated capability to actually do this call AND He is willing to share His power with those whose hearts He dwells in by faith.
That means we will be empowered or strengthened to actually obey this main imperative because it will be carried out in us by the power of HIS SPIRIT that is in our “inner being.”
We have had a heart transplant. The causal core, our hearts have been renewed and washed and strengthened, and fashioned in such a way that we find more pleasure in obeying Christ than in the fleeting pleasures of sin.
This calling is enough to bring us to the end of ourselves. Which is very good for all of us…because the last thing is world needs is more of us trying to do our best and failing…what this world really needs is the Living Christ in us doing the work that only He can do.
Sin, death and Satan are stronger than us. We need Christ to obey for us…and He was willing, and He proved to be able, and look at what Paul says next...
“so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith.”
He is “in” us and doing all that the Father has required of Him. That is the first key to unlock the ability to live up this enormous call.
The second key is this…in order to walk worthy of the calling we have recieved...
2. We must know something about God.
2. We must know something about God.
In order for us to do what is required of us…we must know something about God. And once we know this thing about God, it empowers us to do what is seemingly impossible. Without knowing this thing about our God there is no way that we would even be willing to attempt to try to live out the mandates in the second half of this book.
What could be so compelling? What do we need to know? We find it in Paul’s prayer in Eph. 3:17-19.
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
In order to be able to walk worthy of the calling we have recieved...
We must understand to a much greater capacity, the love that God has for us.
We must understand to a much greater capacity, the love that God has for us.
When we recognize the (quality and quantity of God’s love for us), we will be able to carry out any command from God no matter how seemingly impossible because we will know for certain that He is not holding out on us at all.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
God has not, is not and will never hold out on you…for those of you who are “in Christ.”
Look, God has “good” in store for you.
We as humans have been programed to think that the absence of difficulties or problems is “good.” But we live in a world that is riddled with difficulties and problems because of the consequences of our disobediences that we have brought into and repeatedly bring into this creation.
When God created the world initially, it was “good” and “very good,” but when we fell, we fell hard and sin always destroys.
Say that with me…Sin / Always / Destroys. - We have to get this. (Sin is SAD).
Separation and destruction bring about difficulties and afflictions and we don’t like it....we label these types of hardships as “not good” and they aren’t, but as born again humans, we have come to realize, or maybe we might realize for the first time today that, being loved by God is our “ultimate good.” Think about this Jesus entered into the world fix it and to bring about the restoration of all things!
“Good” is not the absence of problems…good is knowing the love of God that grounds you and surrounds you and sustains you during your problems.
Look at the rock solid assurance of Romans 8:28.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Even the hard things…they are working for your “good,” because God loves you and has used, is using and will continue to use the fiery trials of your life to conform you to the image of His Son.
Look at what David said in the Psalms in 73:28...
28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.
David said it was “good” for him to be “near God.” Think about the context in which David was near God…it was when David needed refuge. People don’t take refuge in shelters when there are no problems. People along the coastline don’t head for high ground if no tsunami warning is issued…they head for the hills when walls of destructive water are rushing toward them. God is not holding out on you when you have difficulties in your life…He is loving you. We need to understand to a much greater capacity, God’s love for us.
Let’s investigate the content of Paul’s prayer:
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
What is the first key to understanding how you will obey the main command of this book?
What is the second key to understanding how you will obey the main command of this book?
Look at the language Paul uses to describe God’s great love...
He uses the words “Rooted & Grounded.” The love that God has for us anchors us to something bedrock and solid. The love that God has for us, is like a pillar of underground strength that provides us the proper support and infrastructure to make it in this world of troubles.
The love of God is way more than you can handle!
Paul goes on and says...
You need to know breadth of the love of God. That is, you need to how wide it is…you can’t outrun it …
You need to know the length of the love of God. That is no matter how far you run…it will find you in the furthest corners of your sin and embrace you.
You need to know the height of the love of God. That is in the mountain top experiences of your life and you look around to see that you are surrounded by thousands of blessings that you have been blessed with, not because of your hard work but because of the gracious hand of a loving God who knows what you enjoy and has decided to bless you with it…that is the height of the love of God.
You need to know the depth of the love of God…that is, it meet you in when you are walking in the lowest shadowy valley of your life and it will uphold you.
And when you start to see the love of God under you, beside you, over you and all around you and in you and you think you got it figured out…
Paul’s uses a conjunction…He uses the word “AND” which means theres more!
You mean there more love?…Ya there is more love.
He say’s, “love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.”
The love that God has for you “surpasses knowledge.” This is beyond human comprehension…it humbles us and it leaves us in wonder and that wonder sparks something inside of us.
And so we look inside us and notice something that is truly a mystery that wasn’t there before because when we look inside of us what we see...is what Paul says next.
…that we are “filled with all the fullness of God.” and we gasp!
God is in us!
13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
How am I going to walk worthy of this calling? How will I summon the strength to walk worthy? You aren’t, He is…and He loves you and He is in you. Who me? Ya you!
Q. What does walking worthy look like?
Q. What does walking worthy look like?
We aren’t even going to talk about this today…because that is what the whole rest of the epistle will talk about. The rest of this letter is an explanation on what “walking worthy” looks like. And trust me…we will have plenty opportunity to practice walking worthy because we all exist in close proximity to people who drive us crazy.
Like the people who are sitting next to you in the pews right now (sometimes you drive me crazy) (a new take on the church greeting time).(friendly church??? someone told me I drove them crazy).
Like the people in the pews in front of you or behind you.
Do you know that the rest of this book is going to be instructions on how to exist with other people in the church and in your households and those who are in authority over you.
The rubber is going to meet the road real quick in this book. And we will either screech our tires and go nowhere and flame out as a church…or we will get some good traction and run the race that is set before us in the advancement of the Kingdom of God in a broken world.
Q. What is this going to cost?
Q. What is this going to cost?
Well…in order to understand the cost associated with, “walking worthy” let’s notice what it cost Paul.
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Prisoner for the Lord - Paul was imprisoned for this stuff. Paul was imprisoned for walking worthy. This is the second time Paul is going to describe himself this way. His earthy freedoms were taken away because of his willingness to live out the calling God had for him…and even though all off his earthy freedoms were taken away…Paul recognized himself as the most freed man ever because he had been freed from the oppression of his old self. His old sin nature that left him dead in his trespasses and sins…and left him enslaved to the devil and the passions of his flesh and mind had been crucified with Christ and he no longer lived but it was Christ that who was living in him…and we just celebrated resurrection Sunday where we noticed that it was impossible for sin and death to hold him down…Jesus rose from the grave and was set free.
If the Son set us free we are free indeed!
Paul was “in Christ” and Christ was “dwelling in his heart through faith” and so take away all my earthly freedoms and I am still free.
Paul writes to Timothy, who was pastoring at Ephesus, in his very last epistle...
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
Paul is reminding Timothy that He is a prisoner.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Paul is reminding Timothy that he is “suffering, bound with chains as a criminal.” This is a major cost. But even though Paul was bound…he says, “the word of God IS NOT BOUND.”
Why does Paul care so much about the Word of God and that it is not bound even though he is bound for sharing it with people?
Look at how he ends this verse. There is “eternal glory” at stake.
Look...the chains around Paul’s wrist and the shackles around his feet have an expiration date…like the linen cloths that wrapped the dead body of Jesus.
At some point there will be no need for chains around Paul’s wrists or shackles around Paul’s feet. Why? Because his physical body will die and then there will be eternal glory…just like when Peter walked in to the empty tomb of Jesus in John 20 and saw the burial face cloth of Jesus folded up. Like we are done with that…now onto eternal glory.
This is what is in store for us who believe, for us who have been called with a calling to walk worthy. Who me? Ya you!
You might have come here saying, I wonder if it is worth it to walk worthy. Hear me when I say to you this morning.
IT IS.