Walk Worthy
Ephesians 4:1-3
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
01-12-20
What’s Your Name?
Alexander the Great was one of the greatest military generals who ever lived. One night when he couldn’t sleep, he got up and wandered around the encampment. He came upon a soldier who was supposed to standing guard but he was asleep. Alexander roused the young man who immediately recognized him and began to tremble. The punishment for falling asleep could be death.
Alexander asked him what his name was. Alexander, he replied. Three times he asked and three times the boy responded.
Finally, Alexander the Great looked the young man in the eyes and said, “Soldier, either change your name or change your conduct!”
Recap
Last week, we began a series entitled “Sit, Walk, Stand.” This is the name of a small book by the Chinese pastor Watchman Nee. This work is really a short commentary on the book of Ephesians.
The letter to the Ephesians can be divided into two parts - doctrinal (chapters 1-3) and practical (4-6). In the doctrinal section, we learn about our position in Christ (1:1-3:21). The practical section can be divided into two parts - our life in the world (4:1-6:9) and our attitude to the enemy (6:10-24).
Pastor Nee saw three key words in these verses:
Our position in Christ - SIT
Our life in the World - WALK
Our attitude toward the Enemy - STAND
We learned that understanding that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father (Eph 1:18-21). We also began to understand that we are also seated with Him! (Eph 2:1-7).
This has massive implications for our Christian life and ministry. Far too often we try to walk before we learn how to sit.
Pastor Nee writes:
“Most Christians make the mistake of trying to walk in order to able to sit, but that is a reversal of the true order. Our natural reason says, ‘If we do not walk, how can we ever reach the goal? What can we attain without effort? How can we get anywhere if we do not move?”
He continues:
“ But Christianity is a strange business! If at the outset we try to do anything, we get nothing; if we seek to attain something, we miss everything. For Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE. Thus Ephesians opens with the statement that God has ‘blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ’ and we are invited at the very outset to sit down and enjoy what God has done for us; not to set out to try to attain for ourselves.”
We have been crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20), buried with Him (Rom 6:4), raised with Him, (Col 2:12), and seated with Him in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6).
This affects the way we view our sin (forgiven), our identity (a prince or princess), and our trials and temptations (more than conquerors).
If you weren’t here last week, I would direct you to our Facebook page to watch the sermon.
Once we have learned to sit and rest in our position in Christ, it is then, and only then, that we can learn to walk worthy of our calling.
Sitting describes our position in Christ. Walking described the practical outworking of that heavenly position here on earth.
Walk the Walk
The Greek word for “walk” is used 8 times in Ephesians. Literally it means to “walk around” but is more often used metaphorically as “a way of life.”
In Ephesians 2:2, Paul writes that before Christ, we walked according to the world’s standards.
In Ephesians 2:10; Paul paints a picture of our lives as poems and encourages us that God has good works for us to walk in.
In Ephesians 4:17, Paul commands us to no longer walk the way Gentiles walk.
In Ephesians 5:2, we are commands to walk in love, in verse 8, to walk in love, and in verse 15, to walk as children of light.
The only way to “walk” in these ways is to understand that we rest in Christ and He does the work in us.
Paul tells the believers in Philippi:
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Phil 2:12-13)
Notice we don’t “work for our salvation” but work it out as God works in and through us.
At the end of chapter three in Ephesians, he says the same thing:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph 3:20)
He repeats the same theme in the letter to the Colossians when talking about his work as a disciple-maker:
He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Col 1:28-29)
Nee asks,
“What is the secret of the Christian life? Where does its power come from? Let me give you an answer in a sentence: The Christian’s secret is in his rest in Christ. His power derives from his God-given position. All who sit can walk, for in the thoughts of God the one follows the other spontaneously. We sit forever with Christ that we may walk continuously before men.”
My son is obsessed Elon Musk. Elon is a modern day Thomas Edison with Space X, Tesla, the Boring Company, and the hyperloop.
Last year, a friend actually rented him a Tesla to drive for the day. He came down and picked me up and we drove around for a while.
Well, that’s not exactly true. We didn’t do anything. We simply sat. The car drove us. It was a little scary but Josh rarely touched the wheel. All we had to do was sit and the car did the rest.
He continues:
“Forsake for a moment our place of rest in Him, and immediately we are tripped and our testimony in the world is marred. But abide in Christ, and our position there ensures our power to walk worthy of Him here.”
That leads us to our text today. I said there were 8 instances of the word walk but I only quoted seven. Turn with me to Ephesians 4.
Prayer
Walk Worthy
Remember that the second part of Ephesians is practical. How do we live out the doctrinal truths that we learned in the first part. Paul begins chapter four with a plea to not just talk the talk but to actually walk the walk:
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 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. 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. (Eph 4:1-6)
In chapter three, Paul blows the Ephesians minds and explains how God planned to include the Gentiles in the plan of salvation. Then, as he often does, he breaks into written prayer for his friends at that church.
In many translations, this verse begins with the word “therefore.” It is a transition verse from doctrine to duties. For the first three chapters, Paul explains what we believe and then, in four through six, how we are to behave. This is the transition from positional to practical truth.
Ephesians 1-3 shows how God sees us. Ephesians 4-6 shows how the world should see Christ in us.
Paul appeals to these believers (and us) to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. The phrase “live a life” can be better translated “walk.” In other words, Paul is challenging them to walk worthy of their calling.
In October of last year, I lead a group of seven men from our church that attended the “Walk Worthy” men’s conference in Chicago at Moody Bible Institute. We were challenged to live out our faith in every facet of our lives.
Notice it isn’t a command. He urges them. This word means beseech, beg, implore (which means invoke with tears).
Paul is a prisoner in the Lord not to Rome. He understands the cost of living out this faith and he was willing to pay the price.
One writer said that “Paul glories in his chains more than a king glories in his crown.”
His plea is for theses believers would not only talk to the talk but walk the walk.
He writes to the Philippians:
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.:” (Phil 1:27)
To the Colossians:
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” (Col 1:9-12)
And to the Thessalonians:
“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” (I Thes 2:11)
I love the word picture of the Greek word “worthy.” It means to bring up the other beam of the scale. Paul says to “walk worthy of the calling which you have received.”
This word “calling” is a word used for an invitation to a banquet. It is a calling to live into everything that he has taught in chapters 1-3 - the blessings and benefits of our salvation.
We are the called-out ones, seated with Christ and our calling and conduct should be in balance.
And this isn’t just for the “professional clergy” like me!
So Paul will go on and encourage them to walk in unity (4:1-6), walk in purity (4:17-5:17), walk in harmony (5:18-6:9), and walk in victory (6:10-6:24).
When Paul wants to introduce the practical side of his teaching, he begins with behaviors that lead to unity in the church!
Let’s take a close look at what Paul says should be an outworking of the work of sanctification in our lives. In other words, how do we “walk worthy” individually and corporately as a church? We will look at three fruits of the Spirit and how they play out in our lives and how they will help us to be better church members.
The Fruit of Gentleness expressed through Humility
First, Paul encourages his readers to be “completely humble and gentle.”
The word humble means “a sense of modesty, without arrogance, the opposite of pride.” It produces a correct view of ourselves, our relation to Christ, and others.
This doesn’t mean we put ourselves down but lift others up. As Tim Keller says, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”
I heard of a man whose church gave him a medal for being the most humble man in the congregation. He wore it to church the next week and they took it away from him!
Kyle Snodgrass writes,
“An understanding of God’s work is always an attack on the ego, not to obliterate or humiliate the self, but to bring into relation with God and redirect its interests. In losing life we find it.”
Greeks looked at the trait as a negative and was considered to be the mindset of slaves. This world celebrates pride and building our own kingdom.
Neil Peart, one of the greatest drummers of all time, died this week at 67. He not only was the drummer for Rush but also wrote all the lyrics. As one writer put it, “He was a monster drummer with a poet’s heart.”
One of the songs he wrote for the album 2112, called “Something for Nothing” contain these words that sum up the world today:
What you own is your own kingdom / What you do is your own glory / What you love is your own power / What you live is your own story / In your head is the answer / Let it guide you along / Let your heart be the anchor / And the beat of your own song
But the Paul turns it on its head:
To the Philippian church:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Phil 2:3)
At the Golden Globes this past week, actress Michelle Williams displayed the exact opposite of these words.
As she held a golden statue in her hands, she proudly admitted that killing her unborn child gave her the opportunity to win. The room cheered, women cried with joy, and Ricky Gervais just rolled his eye and drank another beer.
Peter echoes Paul’s words:
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (I Peter 5:5)
We are to take our cue from John the Baptist. He was asked whether it bothered him that people were flocking to Jesus and he responded, “He must increase, and I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
Our example, as always is Jesus, who:
“…being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Phil 2:6-8)
Gentleness is expressed in “not being impressed with a sense of one’s self importance.” This word means “considerate, meekness, and is the opposite of self-assertion.”
If you remember our discussion bout meekness when we studied the Beatitudes, it’s best defined as “strength under control.” It can be used to describe a soothing wind, a healing medicine, or a colt that is broken.
Jesus’ words should echo in our ears:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
In his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul makes his plea by highlighting these two characteristics of Christ:
“By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you…” (2 Cor 10:1)
How do we walk worthy of our calling? I want to encourage us to pray for the fruit of the Spirit of gentleness that would be expressed in humility.
Robert Morrison, a missionary to China, wrote:
“The great fault in our mission [as the church] is no one likes to be second. The world has yet to see what could happen if everyone lost the desire to get the glory. Would it be a marvelous place if no one cared who got the credit?”
Pastor Nee tells a story of an old Japanese Christian woman who was at home when a burglar broke into to rob her.
Her response? She cooked him a meal and offered him her keys. He was ashamed and she ended leading him to Christ!
What would happen among us in 2020 if…
We didn’t care who got the credit as long as Jesus was lifted up?
We thought of others more than ourselves?
If we cared less about being right, or our rights, and cared more about helping others to know the love of Jesus through us?
The Fruit of Patience Expressing expressed through Bearing with One Another
I have to be careful when I encourage you to pray for patience because Maxine may start throwing things at me. She doesn’t want to pray for patience. I get it. Usually God answers that prayer by allowing us to go through trying circumstances that will build our patience.
One of the early church leaders described this word as meaning “to have a wide and big soul.”
It can also mean long tempered and J. Vernon McGee translates it “a long burning fuse.”
It’s emotional calmness in the face of provocation or misfortune. It’s the opposite of irritability.
God displays this characteristic in his dealings with us:
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. (I Tim 1:15-16)
How is this “walked out” in real life? We live this out when we “bear with one another in love.”
Paul tells the Colossians the same thing:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Col 3:12-13)
One commentator described this as fully accepting others in their uniqueness, tolerating their weakness and faults.
The idea of bearing with one another sounds good on paper but…
“O to live above
With saints I love,
O, wouldn’t that be glory.
But to live below,
with saints I know,
That’s another story.”
Pastor Nee tells a story of a farmer in his province that watered his fields with a treadmill pump. The field was in the middle of a hill and one night the farmer that had two fields below his breached in the dividing bank and drained all the water into his two fields.
This happened three or four times. Each time the farmer would repair the breach.
He consulted a group of fellow Christians and said, “I have tried to be patient and not retaliate but is it right?” After they had prayed about it, one of them replied, “If we only try to do the right thing, surely we are very poor Christians. We have to do something more than what is right.”
The next morning, the farmer pumped enough water for his field and the two below. After that the water stayed in his field. The other farmer was so amazed that he started asking him questions, and ultimately become a Christian himself!
This is more than simply putting up with each other though. This literally means “to hold him up.” and it is to be done “in love.” This is the word “agape,” the unconditional love of God.
Jesus modeled this for us so beautifully with Peter. Peter was rash, impulsive, and put his foot in his mouth all the time. I’m sure Peter could be frustrating.
But Jesus was patience with him. He challenged him, confronted him, but also loved him and believed in him.
Even after he Peter had denied Him three times, Jesus, after the resurrection, made him breakfast on the beach. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. Finally:
“Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” (John 21:17)
Jesus restored him when He could have crushed him and Peter never got over it.
We need to have more grace with people that sin differently than we do. Why? Because we need each other. Paul uses the phrase one another forty times in Paul’s letters.
Sequoias trees can grow to nearly 300 feet tall. But their root systems are shallow. They grow close together and their roots intertwine which allows them to withstand any storm.
When geese fly south for the winter they fly in a V formation. As each bird flaps it’s wings, it creates an updraft for the bird behind it. You may also hear them honking. All of them honk except the lead bird. The others honk to encourage him as he leads the group against the wind.
What would happen among us in 2020 if…
We give each other grace when we fail?
We gave each other the benefit of the doubt?
We saw people not as problems but as opportunities to show the love that God has shown us?
We truly loved our enemies and prayed for those who persecuted us?
What if we did a lot of honking this year?
The Fruit of Peace expressing itself through an Urgent Desire for Unity
Let’s look at verses 3-6 again:
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 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.” (Eph 4:3-6)
The last fruit of the Spirit we will study this morning is peace, specially peace expressing itself through unity in the church.
Paul knew that this new thing called the Church would be fragile and there would be a lot of people from different backgrounds coming together to worship Jesus. He knew he had to help them understand how important unity is.
Paul encourages the Ephesians to “make every effort.” This phrase is in the present tense so they should keep continually making every effort toward peace. There is an urgency, a zeal, an intensity of purpose.
We are to diligently and resolutely seek to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bonds of peace.
Paul encouraged the Romans:
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (Rom 14:19)
We cannot make that unity, only the Holy Spirit can, but we can make an active choice to do all we can to preserve and uphold that unity.
When confronting disunity in the Corinthian church, Paul appealed to them:
“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (I Cor 1:10)
Paul writes that unity in the church leads to worship of Jesus:
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 15:5-6)
You can have union without unity. Tie a dog and a cat’s tails together. You might have a union but you certainly don’t have unity!
D.L. Moody once said that there are two ways of being united with each other - frozen together or melted together. “What Christians need to is to be untied together in brotherly love, and then they may expect to have power.”
Jesus who was prophesied to be the Prince of peace is said to be our peace:
“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.” (Ephesians 2:14-17)
He is our example. A.W. Tozer wrote:
“100 pianos tuned to the same tuning fork are automatically tuned to each other. They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must bow.”
I read of a church that had decided to merge with another church. Everything went smoothly until they were asked to say the Lord’s Prayer together. When they got to “forgive us” the people from one church said “trespasses” and the people from the other group said “debts.” They began to argue and ultimately the merger was called off!
One of satan’s most effective tool is to sow disunity in a church. Next week, we will see how we can take our stand against his schemes.
I love what Micah Fries said in a recent sermon:
“An American Christian has more in common with a Chinese Christian who is a member of the Communist Party than they do an American who is not a believer; if you are a Republican, you have more in common with a Christian Democrat than a non-believing Republican, and vice-versa.”
What would happen in 2020 if:
Had a sense of urgency about keeping the peace?
Shut down gossip in a heartbeat?
Dealt with conflict Biblically and swiftly?
Followed Augustine’s advice, “In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity?”
Applications
How do we do this? How do we walk these characteristics out in a lost and dying world?
First, we must pray. Each of these are fruit of the Spirit. You don’t get it be trying harder or doing better. Remind yourself who you are in Christ and what He has done for you. Then ask Him to grow these fruits in your life.
2. Snodgrass writes that in order to grow in these areas we have to renounce their opposites:
We must renounce self-centeredness and walk in humility
We must renounce harshness and walk in gentleness
We must renounce our own agendas and walk in patience
We must renounce our unrealistic expectations of others and walk in love
We must renounce indifference and passivity in order to be eager to maintain peace.
3. Let’s do everything we can do be a unifying church member. Thom Rainer writes about these first verses in Ephesians,
“You have a responsibility as a church member. You are to be a source of unity. You are never to be a divisive force. You are to love your fellow church members unconditionally, And while that doesn’t mean you agree with everyone all the time, it does mean that you are willing to sacrifice your own preferences to keep unity in your church.”
Humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love, urgently and diligently seeking peace. If God increases these postures of heart in us this year, I believe we will see incredible things happen individually and as a church.
Let me go back to one more picture that Pastor Nee paints:
“Think of a disabled person in a power driven wheelchair. What does he do? He goes - but he also sits. And he keeps going because he remains sitting.”
Ending Video: Team Hoyt
