God Calls Us To Walk Through Life In A Worthy Way Series

*Euodia and Syntyche were having a disagreement, just like we have sometimes with our family, our friends, at school, at work, even at church. We don't know what the argument was about. It wasn't important enough for Paul to even mention. (Have you ever gotten into arguments over nothing?)

*We also don't know who was to blame. Both of these women were good, godly women. Both of them were saved; both of them had worked together with Paul to spread the Good News about Jesus. Christ -- But now they were fussing, and fighting. Sometimes even the best of us don't get along like we should, but God's word says, "I implore Euodia, and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord." The KJV says, "I beseech" or beg. The NIV says, "I plead." God's Word says, "I implore, beseech, beg, plead with you to agree with each other in the Lord."

*Bro. James Strittman was one of the most godly men I have ever known. He and Mrs. Flora faithfully served the Lord for over 70 years. One day I visited with Bro. Strittman, while Mrs. Flora was in surgery. We talked about church, and he asked me about some of the churches around us that were struggling at the time.

*Then Bro. Strittman told me about a church he had considered going to pastor. He said at first glance everything seemed fine. They had recently carpeted the whole church, and they had air conditioning, back in a day when most churches didn't. But then Bro. Strittman looked a little deeper and found out that no one had been saved in that church in over 2 years. That greatly concerned him. And over time it became clear that the people in that church were fussing with each other.

*Bro. Strittman said that on the day they voted to call him, the vote was 145 to 6. And at the end of the service, one of the men who voted against him came out the door and said, "Preacher we want you to know that we weren't voting against you. -- We were voting against that other 145!"

*Bro. Strittman paused for a moment and then he said, "I sure am glad the Lord led me in another direction." He also said that he could understand why people weren't being saved. The church members did not love each other. There was no bond of unity, and that kind of fussing kills the witness of a church.

*"It kills the witness of a church," Bro. Strittman said. And in John 13:35, Jesus said: "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." That's why we have to pursue godly peace.

CONCLUSION:

*The Lord wants us to learn how to walk with Him every day: Going in the same direction, headed to the same place, following Him, and enjoying His company along the way. He wants all of us to learn how to walk in a worthy way, so let's walk together in humility, meekness, patience, love, and peace.

*We can ask the Lord to help us. And if you have never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, call on the Lord to save you today as we go back to God in prayer.