The Calling. Ephesians 4:1-16NIV
Ephesians 1-3, Are all about sovereignty and grace. These 3 chapters are the foundations of our faith.
Ephesians 1-3, teach that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing.
Ephesians 1-3, gives the believer something to praise God about!
Here’s what we learned in, Ephesians 1-3. We praise God because He chose us, We praise God because He adopted us. We praise God, because He redeemed us, We praise God, because He forgave us, We praise God, because He lavishes us with His grace, We- praise God, because we may known the mystery of His will to us, We praise God, because He provided an eternal inheritance for us. We praise God because He sealed us by the Holy Spirit, We praise God, because He guaranteed our inheritance.
It’s easy for a believer to live with spiritual amnesia. They forget that our God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent.
* Forever present. (Put your emptiness in God)!
* All Knowing. (He sees the big picture)!
* All powerful. (God's glory fills all things)!
Ephesians 4:1NIV As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Are you a prisoner for the Lord? If yes, then you are to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Remember this, “What the caterpillar calls the end, God calls a butterfly."
Ephesians 4:1MSG In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel.
What does Paul urge every follower of Jesus to do? -To walk.
I love that word; it says it all, since it refers to a persons conduct or lifestyle. I like it that Paul didn't say, fly or sprint or run or charge. -Walk.
Paul states, “Walk the road God has put you on.”
Stepping stones- Ephesians 4:2NIV Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Verse 2, gives us stepping stones. From Humility to Love.
These steppingstones are humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance and love.
This word humility is the same Greek word used in, Philippians 2:3NIV Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves...
The second stepping stone is, Gentleness. Gentleness and humility go hand and hand. -Gentleness takes the edge off.
Charles Swindoll states “If all of us in the church, balanced our strengths with humility and gentleness, as Jesus did, then virtually all our conflicts would disappear.”
The third stepping stone is, patience.
God does not want you to just zip by, speed through.
The fourth, and fifth stepping stone: Tolerance, and love.
“Before God can bless your run, He has to bless, and be Lord over your walk. P.H
-Sometimes you have to slow down.” P.H
Charles Spurgeon, “I think I may say to every person whom I am addressing, “If you are yourself saved, the work is but half done until you are employed to bring others to Christ. You are as yet but half formed in the image of your Lord.” You have not attained to the full development of the Christ-life in you unless you have commenced in some feeble way to tell others of the grace of God; and I trust that you will find no rest to the sole of your foot till you have been the means of leading many to that blessed Savior who is your confidence and your hope.
Spurgeon then states, “Let us ask Him to give us grace to go a-fishing, and so to cast our nets that we may take a great multitude of fishes. Oh, that the Holy Ghost may raise up from among us some master-fishers, who shall sail their boats in many a sea, and surround great shoals of fish!"
Ephesians 4:3NIV Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
When you are born again, New Birth produces unity of the spirit. Agreement produces peace. -A peace that surpasses all understanding, Philippians 4.7
Again, Make every effort to keep unity of the spirit. J
Jesus states to Peter, That through your proclamation of who I Am.
Matthew 16:19NIV I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Ephesians 4:4-6NIV There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Again verse 4,...Just as you were called.
What we are called from and called to:
Called from labor to rest (Matt. 11:28)
Called from death to life (1 John 3:14)
Called from bondage to liberty (Gal 5:13)
Called out of darkness into light (1 Pet. 2:9)
Called from bondage to peace (1 Cor. 7:15
Called to the fellowship of His Son (1 Cor. 1:9)
What we are made by obeying the call:
We are made sons of God (John 1:12)
We are made the children of God (Gal. 3:26) We are made the servants of God (Matt. 25:21)
We are made God’s saints (Col. 1:1)
We are made God’s witnesses (I Thess. 2:10)
We are made workers together with God (2 Cor. 6:1)
We are called to a high calling (Phil. 3:14)
We are called to a holy calling (2 Tim. 1:9)
We are called to a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1)
Ephesians 4:4-6MSG You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. 5 You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.
Here are 7 pillars that all believers share.
1. One body.
2. One spirit.
3. One hope.
4. One Lord.
5. One faith.
6. One baptism.
7. One God and Father of all.
Get this, This one God who is over all, and through all, and in all.
We all have different temperaments, different gifts, different experiences, different convictions, different interest, different blessings, and different pains and scars.
Yes, one of the things we all have in common is that each of us is completely different!
The fascination of being a real believer is, We are all different, but when we all come together and the unity of the Spirit takes control. P.H
Ephesians 4:7-8NIV But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”
The crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, became the game changer.
Each person was given grace. -Unconditional. Undeserved. Unmerited favor.
Ephesians 4:7-8MSG But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. 8 The text for this is, He climbed the high mountain, He captured the enemy and seized the plunder, He handed it all out in gifts to the people.
God wants you to embrace a full-bodied ministry. P.H
Ephesians 4:9-10NIV (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
So where did He descend and how far down did He go?
Many Christians believe that, after Jesus's death on the cross, He descended into the place of departed spirits, proclaiming victory, over wicked spirits in bondage, and leaving old testament saints on a victorious path to paradise, 1 Peter 3:18–20.
John 16:7NKJV Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Ephesians 4:11-12NIV So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
Spiritual gifts listed in scripture.
Romans 12:6-8
Prophecy, Service, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leading, Mercy
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Word of wisdom, Word of knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Distinguishing of spirits, Speaking in tongues, Interpreting tongues
Ephesians 4:11
Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastor- Teacher.
1 Peter 4:10-11
Speaking, Serving.
Here's a few vital facts about spiritual gifts.
Every believer has at least one spiritual gift; some have more than one, 1 Corinthians 12,7; 14.
Spiritual gifts are given with our salvation and are used to fill God's calling for us, 1 Corinthians 14.26, Ephesians 4:12, 1 Peter 4:11.
The gifts are varied and fill different roles.
Some are more visible than others, but all are equally important, 1 Corinthians12:12–25.
All the gifts derive their power from the same source – the triune God, 1 Corinthians 12:4–6.
Spiritual gifts are given not for one's own edification, but for the common good, 1 Corinthians 12:7.
All the gifts are meant to give glory to the One who, so lavishly bestows them, 1 Peter 4:11.
What’s the shelf-life for all these spiritual gifts?
Ephesians 4:13NIV until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Dr. Howard Hendrix used to say, “The church is too much like a football game – 50,000 people in the stands, desperately in need of exercise, watching 22 people on the field desperately in need of rest.”
“Until believers get in the game and use the spiritual gifts given to them, they’re like the 50,000 fans watching. P.H
Ephesians 4:14NIV Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
The apostles Paul teaches that until believers mature, and use their spiritual gifts given to them, they stay tossed back and forth. Scheming.
Ephesians 4:15NIV Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
The term speaking the truth translate one Greek verb, which means, being truthful.
Again, Verse 15a, Being truthful with love.
John Stott sums this balance beautifully: Truth becomes hard, if it is not softened by love; love becomes soft, if it's not strengthened by truth.
The apostle Paul calls us to hold the two together. (Truth mixed with love).
Ephesians 4:16NIV From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
“For any gas vehicle: Disconnect the fuel line, or maybe an electric car, disconnect a battery, and that car will come to a complete stop!” P.H
Ephesians 4:16TPT For his “body” has been formed in his image and is closely joined together and constantly connected as one. And every member has been given divine gifts to contribute to the growth of all; and as these gifts operate effectively throughout the whole body, we are built up and made perfect in love.
Pastor Ray Stedman, We easily forget that the church is a body. We have tried to operate the church as an institution, a corporation, a business.
But the reality Paul wants us to grasp in, Ephesians 4 is that the church is a body, made up of cells – and the cells are individual believers, you and me and our other brothers and sisters in Christ. Each cell has a unique role to play in keeping the entire body healthy.
Ephesians 4.30-32NLT And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Benediction. I say this with all sincerity, “You have a calling on your life. Receive it. Live in it. Fulfilling the call brings deep satisfaction. P.H
