A Christian is to walk in a manner different from the rest of the world. Vs. 1 “Walk worthy”
If you ever study the life of Alexander, the Great. The great conqueror, you will find he was a very strict man. He believed in firm discipline among his men.
While moving across the land, he kept hearing reports of a young man. An unruly soldier, he called him to his tent and asked him his name. His reply was, “You either change your name or change your conduct.
I wonder if The Lord ever feels this way. Change your name, Christian or Christ-like, or change your conduct.
I believe this is what Paul is telling the church at Ephesus, vs. 1 “Walk worthy of the calling wherein ye are called.” God has called us out of the world. Called us unto Himself. We are His people. We bear His name. Now Paul says, “There is a duty that comes with being called by Christ, and it is that you walk worthy of that name.”
Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12, over and over the word of God makes it very clear, that one of the duties put upon us, is “To walk worthy of that name.”
1. The reputation of Jesus is bound up in His followers.
a. John 14:9. Philip asked to see the Father and Jesus said, “He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. I am the truth about the Father.”
b. Then Jesus said, “as the Father hath sent me even so send I you.”
2. Just as Jesus was the truth about the Father, you and I should be the truth about Jesus.
a. Just as Jesus said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”
b. So, should you say “He that hath seen me, has seen Jesus, that is what the Bible teaches.
3. I ask you “are you really the truth about Jesus.
a. The very moment I call myself a Christian I am saying I am a Christ person, Christ-like.
b. Jesus is to be living in me, expressing His character through my human person.
4. I am afraid many of us have been telling lies about Jesus.
a. Not with words, but by the way we live, our conduct.
5. Listen. The greatest enemies Jesus has today have been among His followers.
6. The thing that keeps the world from believing on Christ is not….
a. The gambling crowd.
b. The crowd at the bar.
7. But it is His people who are not willing to live worthily of that name.
8. You see the people I live around, work with, the people I associate with, they evaluate Jesus by me.
9. So, Paul says, “I beseech you, that you walk worthy of the Lord.”
a. The word “walk” indicates our manner of life.
b. Everything we do ought to show the transforming grace of God.
c. Everything I do should be regulated by the fact “I belong to Him”, and that should make a difference.
d. My conduct, my actions, my words, my thoughts are to be regulated by this fact. I belong to Him.
e. Far too many Christians say, “How will this affect me?” No, how will this affect Jesus. What will this do to His reputation and His name?
10. So, this is the duty of the Christian life, that you walk worthy of Christ’s name.
a. Now how am I to walk worthy of that name? Three Ways….
I. To Walk in Harmony
Unity
1. This is not the first thing mentioned in Chapter 4, but it is the central theme of the Chapter. Notice verse 3.
2. The number 1 goal of the Christian life is, that he live such a life that will keep, or preserve the harmony of believers. The unity of the Spirit.
3. There is nothing as important as the unity and harmony of God’s people.
a. John 17:20-21
b. Book of Acts notice how many times the words, in one accord, with one heart, with one soul, with one mind occur.
c. Every time the Spirit came down and filled those folks, thousands of souls were saved. It always says, “They were one; unity.”
4. Now there is a big difference between union and unity.
a. Two tom cats with their tails tied together are in union but not unity.
b. This is a description of a lot of church I know.
5. This is the greatest hurt among the church today.
6. The most ignorant sinner knows that the mark of a Christian is love or getting along.
7. Lack of unity keeps God from blessing.
8. Unity does not mean that we all think alike.
a. Paul here is speaking of unity of heart. Unity of spirit.
b. It is not saying you and I have to agree on everything we talk about.
c. He is saying, “are my own feelings, my own wants, my own selfish ways, are they worth sacrificing for the unity of God’s people?”
9. This unity is produced by the Holy Spirit. Every saved person has the Holy Spirit indwelling them.
a. I have the Holy Spirit; you have the Holy Spirit. That makes us one in Jesus. Born into the same family, and this brings about unity, harmony, oneness, no bitterness, no unforgiveness.
10. Notice not only does the Holy Spirit produce this unity, but the believers are responsible for preserving this unity, vs. 3. We are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit.
a. In is foolish and a waste of time for you and me to pray, “Lord make us one.” No, that is your job.
b. You are responsible to keep or preserve or cherish the unity of the Spirit.
c. Word keep, vs. 3, means to cherish, to prize above all other things, and the most prized possession of any church is its unity, its harmony.
11. I would rather pastor a church full of drunks than a church full of people who can not get along with each other.
a. I have never seen a business meeting torn up by a drunk, but I have seen Sunday school teachers, bus drivers, deacons, church members, even preachers who were not willing to sacrifice their own petty feelings for the sake of the unity of the church.
12. Endeavoring, working to keep, prize or cherish. I don’t know about you, but I prize above everything else the unity of the church.
13. Not only are we to cherish it, but also guard it.
a. I think it is time for us as believers to stop putting up with anyone sowing discord, ill will, troublemakers.
14. If I am going to walk worthily of the Lord, then I must walk in harmony, in unity. I must realize God hold me accountable for the unity of the Spirit among believers.
15. The duty of the Christian life is to walk in harmony and unity. How is this done?
II. To Walk in Humility.
1. Notice the connection: between the two, the only way a believer can walk in harmony is by humility, vs. 1-2, forbearing one another in love, and having done this you are ready to keep the unity of the Spirit.
2. You cannot keep vs. 3 until you have obeyed vs. 2. If we are to walk in harmony, we must walk in humility.
3. Vs. 2, look at these words one by one.
A. Walk with all lowliness. The world says get your fair share, look out for # 1.
1) Word lowliness means, lowliness of mind, your attitude toward yourself.
2) Humility and harmony begins with what you think of yourself.
3) What do you think of yourself? Your attitude about you? It should be a lowliness of mind, not haughtiness, not pride. Philippians 2:3; Romans 12:10
4) It is an attitude of mind that says, “I esteem everybody else better than myself.”
5) It is not whipping yourself and putting yourself down. it is forgetting oneself. It is esteeming everyone else, preferring everyone else over self.
6) Can you imagine what would happen, among God’s people if the attitude was, I want what you want, your desire and goals over mine.
B. Meekness. Meekness is not weakness. Matthew 5:5
1) This word was originally used of a wild horse that had been broke or tamed. This horse had not lost a bit of his power or spirit. The difference is now he is controlled, useful.
2) Most of us in our dealing with fellow brothers and sisters, all of our energy, strength, passions are controlled by how we feel.
3) To be meek simply means, we allow God to control us, and we are not mastered by our own emotions, or our feelings.
4) This means I refuse to have a get even spirit. If I hear somebody has said something about me, my first reaction is to strike back.
C. Longsuffering. Means patience with others and their faults.
D. Forbearing one another in love, longsuffering and forbearing go together.
1) Longsuffering means I am patient with the faults of other people.
2) What I need from other people is your permission to make a mistake. Allowed to fail.
3) Have you ever been around anyone who would not tolerate failure, how miserable?
4) Longsuffering is allowing other to fail.
5) Forbearing means to stand by and support that one who is wrong. Galatians 6:1-5
a. What do you do when somebody is wrong? You should stand beside them and help hold them up.
6) Walk in harmony, walk in humility and one last thing….
III. Walk in Holiness. Vs. 17-32
1. Vs. 31, Is where he ties it all together.
2. Bitterness is a bitter frame of mind. It is indicated by a long-standing resentment or a brooding over the past mentality.
3. Wrath, irritations, easily upset.
4. Anger is a violent outbreak.
5. Clamor is the same as anger.
6. Evil speaking, putting somebody down whether it is true or false. 1 Peter 2:1-2
