Learning to Walk Circumspectly (Lesson 2)
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Ephesians 5:15–16 (KJV 1900)
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
I. “With all lowliness and meekness”.
I. “With all lowliness and meekness”.
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
A. Our attitude and our character are a big deal in living a Christian life.
A. Our attitude and our character are a big deal in living a Christian life.
1. Jesus taught that God blesses those who are of a lowly and meek spirit.
1. Jesus taught that God blesses those who are of a lowly and meek spirit.
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
2. If we are going allow the love of God to be shed abroad as Romans tells us, then we must allow that love to form our character!
2. If we are going allow the love of God to be shed abroad as Romans tells us, then we must allow that love to form our character!
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
B. “Forbearing one another in love.”
B. “Forbearing one another in love.”
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
1. To forbear in the original means: to hold up; to hold one’s self erect and firm; to sustain, to bear, to endure.
1. To forbear in the original means: to hold up; to hold one’s self erect and firm; to sustain, to bear, to endure.
2. I will address this at great length later on in our study of “Learning to Walk Circumspectly”.
2. I will address this at great length later on in our study of “Learning to Walk Circumspectly”.
a. That being said I do want to give one Scripture that we should ALWAYS keep in mind.
a. That being said I do want to give one Scripture that we should ALWAYS keep in mind.
2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
C. We should constantly be striving to stay in alignment with the Spirit of God, or the Holy Ghost!
C. We should constantly be striving to stay in alignment with the Spirit of God, or the Holy Ghost!
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
1. Jesus desire was that we would be ONE with Him!
1. Jesus desire was that we would be ONE with Him!
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
2. When we are in alignment with His Spirit then we will find righteousness, peace, and joy!
2. When we are in alignment with His Spirit then we will find righteousness, peace, and joy!
17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
II. The role the ministry plays.
II. The role the ministry plays.
A. The Word of God will help us to change if we will receive the Word of God with meekness!
A. The Word of God will help us to change if we will receive the Word of God with meekness!
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
B. Unity must be present in a church.
B. Unity must be present in a church.
1. In the beginning of Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul calls for the unity in the church.
1. In the beginning of Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul calls for the unity in the church.
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
2. We ought to be unified in accordance to the true apostolic doctrine!
2. We ought to be unified in accordance to the true apostolic doctrine!
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
3. Because we ought to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit based upon the Apostolic Doctrine of understanding that there is only One God, there is only one Faith, and that there is only One Baptism. God gave us gifts so that we could come to this knowledge.
3. Because we ought to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit based upon the Apostolic Doctrine of understanding that there is only One God, there is only one Faith, and that there is only One Baptism. God gave us gifts so that we could come to this knowledge.
a. By His grace we are able to come to the knowledge of the Truth because of the gifts that He gave to us!
a. By His grace we are able to come to the knowledge of the Truth because of the gifts that He gave to us!
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
II. The gifts that Christ gave.
II. The gifts that Christ gave.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
A. The gifts that were given is the ministry!
A. The gifts that were given is the ministry!
1. God is looking for a church that is united based upon the Apostolic doctrine.
1. God is looking for a church that is united based upon the Apostolic doctrine.
2. In order to obtain that he gave to us, the church, the gifts of the ministry:
2. In order to obtain that he gave to us, the church, the gifts of the ministry:
a) The apostles
a) The apostles
b) The prophets
b) The prophets
c) The evangelists
c) The evangelists
d) The pastors and teachers
d) The pastors and teachers
B. Why was this necessary?
B. Why was this necessary?
1. In order for anyone to be saved you need to have a preacher in your life, because God chose the foolishness of preaching to save them which believe!
1. In order for anyone to be saved you need to have a preacher in your life, because God chose the foolishness of preaching to save them which believe!
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(1) The Bible does teach us to “Study to shew thyself approved”.
(1) The Bible does teach us to “Study to shew thyself approved”.
(2) However, the word of God is clear that for us to have a complete understanding of the Scripture, faith comes from hearing the Word of God.
(2) However, the word of God is clear that for us to have a complete understanding of the Scripture, faith comes from hearing the Word of God.
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
C. These gifts were given for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
C. These gifts were given for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
1. So, it seems to me that we must have a preacher in our lives!
1. So, it seems to me that we must have a preacher in our lives!
D. We were given these “gifts” so that we could be perfected and edified!
D. We were given these “gifts” so that we could be perfected and edified!
1. The preacher’s responsibility is not to just make you feel good about yourself, but rather to equip you for the work of Christ and to build up the Body of Christ!
1. The preacher’s responsibility is not to just make you feel good about yourself, but rather to equip you for the work of Christ and to build up the Body of Christ!
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
2. The Apostle Paul said the reason he did what he did was so that those who followed him could be followers of Christ and not enemies of the Cross.
2. The Apostle Paul said the reason he did what he did was so that those who followed him could be followers of Christ and not enemies of the Cross.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
III. Conclusion
III. Conclusion
A. We need preachers that will preach the truth. When we hear a preacher we ought to thank God for His precious gifts to us.
A. We need preachers that will preach the truth. When we hear a preacher we ought to thank God for His precious gifts to us.
B. As a result of these gifts from the Lord we now know that there is only one way to God, not many ways!
B. As a result of these gifts from the Lord we now know that there is only one way to God, not many ways!
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
1. Through Jesus is the only way to be saved!
1. Through Jesus is the only way to be saved!
C. Each time you find people receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. You also find the preacher there teaching or preaching to them.
C. Each time you find people receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. You also find the preacher there teaching or preaching to them.