Learning How To Walk A New Way”
Ephesians 4:1-10
OPEN: Today we are going to be continuing in our study through the book of Ephesians. This morning we are going to be looking at chapter 4 and learning how to walk in a new and different way. Now I know we are not going to get very far into this today. In fact I’m sure we won’t even get the first two verses covered completely. Now I didn’t start out that way. I started out with an outline of the first 10 verses and that was what I was going to speak on this morning. But I got so wrapped up in some of the concepts in the first couple of verses that I got really bogged down. So I don’t know if it’s my own stupidity or God that has slowed me down - but I chose to believe that it was God for obvious reasons. – Anyway today we are going to be talking about learning how to walk in a new way.
- As parents one of the great jobs we have is teaching our children to take their first steps. The day baby takes his/her first steps is a big day. If mom is at home and dad is at work – the first order of business in the evening is: “Watch this!” And you hold that toddler up and try to get them to duplicate those first tentative steps. The day a child starts to walk is a big deal. It’s a day of celebration and joy. But every parent also knows, it’s only the beginning. Just because baby can take one or two steps, it doesn’t mean they can walk yet. As they start to learn how to walk, there are going to be a number of times when they are going to fall onto the soft padding God has been so gracious to provide on the back side of our bodies. (Wasn’t the Lord so very thoughtful for providing that?) But every parent wants their child to learn how to walk properly. If there is anything that gets in the way of that – it becomes a major issue for the parent. Ill. one of our children actually had a difficult time at first in this area. Our first daughter Nikki had a twist in her legs that caused her feet to turn outward. As a very young child, the bones in her legs started to grow in an unnatural way. She was extremely bow-legged and the bow in her legs was getting in the way of her walking properly. So the doctors gave us a contraption that had straps that wrapped around her legs that put pressure on the bones in her legs as she was growing. Those leg braces eventually changed the way her legs developed and she walks fine today.
What is the major task confronting the church? – teaching people to walk properly. How many of you have ever talked with a person who has either gone through an injury or some kind of devastating accident or experienced a illness of some sort that so effected their legs or feet that they said, “I had to learn how to walk all over again”? Some injuries in life can be so devastating that you actually have to learn how to walk all over again. And that can be a very painful process, depending on the extent of the injuries. You see that’s exactly the way it is when we come into the body of Christ. We have to learn how to walk all over again. We are not trying to correct a few mis-steps that we’ve made along the way. It’s a brand new way of walking – a brand new way of living. We have to be taught how to walk - how to live – all over again. Let’s dig into it:
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
There are two things that identify Paul in this verse. Paul was a prisoner- he was really a prisoner of Rome technically, but he never saw it that way. Some would say he was chained to a guard (and he was) – but in reality he was chained to Christ. And here's a great truth for you to remember. The apostle Paul had the ability to see everything only in the light of how it was attached to Christ. If you saw him in his jail cell – you would say he was attached to the guard – Paul would say – no I’m really here because I am attached to Christ. Referenced everything to the divine. That took everything in life above the mundane. “If God is in what I am doing – then how can it be mundane?” Everything keyed off of his connection with Jesus. Why does he say he is a prisoner? Someone might say – “It’s easy for him to say walk worthy….he doesn’t know what my life is like.” So he just throws this in – I’m a prisoner – and it doesn’t change my walk. Even though the circumstance is negative..there's never a change in the commitment. Even though my circumstances are down – my commitment level stays up. And so he begs even as a prisoner that everybody walk worthy.
Paul was a Beggar: He was passionate about the growth of the church. Not that He was a beggar in terms of his possessions but I mean he was a beggar in terms of his passion. The NIV doesn’t really portray the passion of this verse. (KJV) I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, The word beseech means to implore – literally to beg. Now I’m not talking about a begger who begs because of no resources – but begging in the sense of urging and pleading. There is fire and passion behind what Paul is saying here. His heart is involved in what he is saying. He didn’t mind begging that people respond to it. He didn't mind beseeching and pleading and imploring and entreating people to act. Sometimes people will say to me –“you know, you come on a little strong sometimes” Well what would you prefer? – Johnny Milktoast? I’m not half as passionate as most of the people I see in the Bible. I’ll never understand people who don’t feel a sense of urgency to reach others with the gospel. Either they don’t understand what is really ours through Christ – or they don’t understand how lost – lost people really are. Or both. But I don’t have enough time left on earth to even listen to people who say “We can’t.” Too much time is lost listening to people who can’t connect the dots between a God who is declares he is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine – and the little issues we come up against in our lives. Too much of the church lacks real passion – too many people want a safe, comfortable, calm, collected, undisturbed routine. We don’t serve a safe, calm, undisturbing God, do we? If your walk the Lord is safe, comfortable, and undisturbed – you better start thinking about learning how to walk differently. Paul is saying – I plead with you – I urge you – I beg you – listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to you. God is able – to immeasurably more than all we ask or think – according to His power – not yours – according to his power that is at work within us. Paul says – I beg you - Listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth – and respond to it properly.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, - the word “worthy” in Greek is axios. It has the root meaning of balancing the scales. Here’s what it is saying: That which is on one side of the scale should be equal in weight to what is on the other side. Our response – our commitment level should match what we have been given. Our spiritual position and our spiritual possessions should be reflected in how we live our life. Nothing new and earth shattering here by the way. We live this way in every other arena of life. If we put in a full day’s work we expect what? A full day’s pay. My investment of time should be balanced with a corresponding amount of pay. My commitment to my employer should be matched by my employer’s commitment to me. All Scripture is saying is that God’s commitment level towards you should be matched by your commitment level towards him. If he has given us grace – he expects grace should flow out of our life towards others. If he has given us the unsearchable riches of Christ – our lives should be lived in a manner that reflects that we believe we have received them. If he has given us power to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can think or imagine – our actions, decisions, hopes and dreams – our daily lives should reflect a dependence on that provision.
Let’s break it down a little more – let’s look at the second half of this verse: Paul says walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. Here’s what he is saying – you don’t get to choose how you want to walk – how you want to live. When the New Testament uses the term “walk” it’s just talking about how you live. How you take each step after you come to Christ. So when Paul says “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” He is saying there is a standard – there are obligations – there are expectations that the Lord has as we respond to what he has given to us. We can’t just respond any way we choose- there is a manner of response that is Jesus expecting.
Ill – How many people here have an American Express Card? American Express says “Membership has it privileges” Now on my American Express card it says I’ve been a member since 1990 – for 19 years. And in 19 years I still have no understanding what those privileges actually are. But whatever those privileges are – I’ve got them. I’ll tell what I have discovered from my American Express card: - I’ve discovered that membership has its responsibilities – the primary one being paying your bill on time. Just see how long you keep your membership if you don’t live up to your responsibilities. In fact, you first you have to agree to live up to your responsibility – then you are granted the privileges. Before you are granted the privileges, you first have to sign a paper that has a whole lot of very fine print, which outlines in great detail your responsibilities. If you don’t sign the sheet saying you will live up to your responsibilities – you get no privileges. Responsibility first – then previlige.
You see Jesus reverses the order. Privileges and responsibility always go together – but unlike the world, Jesus first grants us all the privileges of Kingdom children. He says “All I have is yours.” My power, my wisdom, my grace, my inheritance, my wealth, my love, my mercy, my patience, my forgiveness, my holiness, my justification, my death, my life, my resurrection, my name, my eternity - all of it yours. I grant you the privileges of the kingdom on the front end. But he doesn’t forget about the responsibilities. He says, “I fully expect that you will live up to your part of this transaction. I have called you into my Kingdom – and in my Kingdom – there is a standard by which you are to live.”
“walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called We are called to live in a
manner worthy of our privileges. This is the way it is in every area of life. In each step as we grew - as we entered into different kind of activities the same concept is reinforced. It starts with cub scouts – the cub scout oath: I (say your name) promise to do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to help other people and to obey the law of the pack. Boy Scout - On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. “If you’re going to be a scout – you are called to live up to a standard.
It continues as we grow into our high school year – the coach standing up at the first gathering of the team and saying, “If you are not willing to commit to the practices and hard work that is involved in being a team member – you should not be here. The requirements of being a team member are non-negotiable.” (And it doesn’t matter what team you join – baseball, football, wrestling, even the cheerleading squad – there are expectations right from the beginning.) It continues into our college years – joining a fraternity and certain clubs – you have to conform to certain way of conducting yourself and agree to live by these standards. If you join clubs – the Rotary, the Lions, the Eagles, the Moose, the Elk – the Royal Order of the Goats - you have to abide by their practices. And it is really reinforced when you take a job. “If you want to work here – understand what kind of commitment we are asking for – if you are not willing to make this kind of commitment, then don’t sign up for the position – because these commitments are non-negotiable. Don’t think you can just show up anytime of the day or whenever you feel like it. Don’t think you can go home anytime you want – or take a three hour lunch because you feel like it. Some places say – if you want to work here understand there is a dress code involved – you have to wear the uniform we want you to wear. If you want to work there you agree and you live by the code of conduct. And guess what happens if you choose not to live up to those commitments?
But catch this: when you translate that into the church something goes wrong. You get tons of people who come and a lot of people who want the blessing and the rights and the privileges and the honors but somewhere along the line they never make the commitment to conform to the standards. The responsibilities and duties that come with the privileges of bring a recipient of grace are somehow seen as being optional.
Ill of movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” They even have a Pirate Code - a running joke through out the movies are “Well the code is more like a guideline than a code.” There are some pirates that say, “Stick to the code!” There are other pirates that say, “Hey wait a minute, we’re pirates – we make up the code as we go along. The very essence of being a pirate is we reject the code.” Others say- “No stick to the code.” You see what they were saying – you can’t be a pirate and not be committed to being a pirate. If you want the privilege of being a pirate – you have to accept the responsibilities of being a pirate.
In case anyone is wondering – we’re not pirates. (Can I get an “aye aye Maity”?) We’re Christians. We are Christ followers. We’re disciples. And we’re not in a movie. Folks what we have in the Bible are not guidelines. It’s responsibility - It’s duty.
- the first three chapters of this book has been trying to establish a motive for complete commitment –
not trying to establish – has established - the first three chapters are doctrine – and we respond to it because it is our duty. First there is position – then there is practice. First there is Identity – then there is calling. First there is privilege – then there is responsibility. First there is doctrine – then there is duty. Now I know there are probably some here that don’t like that word – “duty” The cultural swing in our nation since the 60’s has been to try a culture where I have no duty to anyone but myself. But don’t get upset over that word – you respond to duty every day – Ill – of driving the speed limit. You don’t drive the speed limit because you woke up one day and said, “You know I was praying this morning and it seems right to me that obeying the speed limit is the right thing to do.” You didn’t pray about it. The reason you drive 55 miles an hour is because there is a doctrine and that doctrine says you will drive 55 miles an hour. Your duty is predicated on that doctrine. Around the first of April you don't say to your wife “Honey, let's send a large check this year to the government. They've done so much for us, the lovely parks that we enjoy, the highways upon which we take our vacation, the wonderful programs they have to provide for the needy, this government is so great let's just send them several thousand dollars.” No. The reason you send that in is because there is a doctrine that says you're going to send it.
That's the way it is in the Christian life. You don't arbitrarily do things. And unless people know the reason you, you have a hard time getting them to make a commitment to the duty. Gathering together on Sunday morning – or any other time we get together – is not about having a sanctified pep-rally – it is not to hold a self-help seminar – it is not to nurse the wounds we’ve experienced during the week – it is to bring us into alignment to the revealed Word of God - to understand that we have a duty in response to our privilege.
OK – So if people are willing to sign off on non-negotiable commitments in dozens of other areas in life, why is sometimes difficult to get them to make those same kind of commitments in a church?
Why Are People Resistant to Higher Levels of Commitment? – because there are barriers that get in the way. The barriers are on both sides of the equation. Some exist in the life of the believer – some exist in the atmosphere of the church.
Hypocrisy – they’ve heard one thing and seen something else. Because there is a disconnectedness that is observed between doctrine and duty, it becomes a stumbling block. When authenticity is missing, there will be no deep commitments.
Legalism - They have seen religious systems that was built on mans rules and cultural conformity and have are totally turned off by it. Faith in some churches is all about obeying the rules and is void of deep relationships and real agape love. Who wants to be a part of that?
Judgmentalism This exists on two levels. One is having had others have unfairly judged them and they don’t want to be a part of that kind of a church. The other is they themselves harbor a judgmental attitude within themselves.
Past Woundedness - they not willing to place themselves in a place of vulnerability again and risk getting wounded and hurt.
Independent Thinking - lack of submission to the Word of God. This is the person who says, “I don’t agree with what the Bible says, I have a different idea.” What a prideful arrogant way to live- particularly for anyone who would at the same time claim the name of Christ.
Lack of Biblical Understanding – There are some who are new to the faith and just don’t understand what the Lord actually requires of his children. They are not sure what kind of commitment the Lord actually asks of us.
Individual Interpretation – This is a person who does place themselves under the authority of the Bible but holds that their particular interpretation is the “proper and correct interpretation”
Lack of Unity – If the church lacks true unity there is no attraction for someone to make a deep commitment. – no real reason – who wants to be committed to a broken body?
We all have to learn how to walk in a new way – how to live differently. We are called to walk worthy So that is what Paul begins to teach us starting in verse two. 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 (Eph. 4:2.3)
Now before I jump into to this I want everyone to see where it is headed. Paul starts focusing on the goal in verse 3 where he says make every effort to keep unity. What is unity? Unitedness. Oneness. Now in case you have a difficulty understanding exactly what unity is look at verses 4 & 5. 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; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Now there is one word that stands out in those verses – what is it? Now that’s the goal – oneness. Without this the Christian doesn’t have a testimony. In the world’s eyes, “If love and unity doesn’t work for you collectively, it won’t work for me individually.” That’s the way the world thinks. Cranky Christians do more harm then they can ever possibly realize. They discourage the people who are in the church and they turn away the people who aren’t in the church. They undermine the very mission of the church. – Catch the importance of this: – the very first response after three chapters of our unsearchable riches in Christ – respond by living in unity. The most pressing issue in God’s heart for his people. We are called to walk in oneness. To be in step with Christ and each other. So how are we going to get there?
Paul takes us through some baby steps. There are five -Each step is important. These are all characteristics of a life that is worthy of the calling. Notice how he describes them: Be completely humble, gentle, patient bearing with one another in love. Now it’s that word “completely” that bothers me. I looked it up in the Greek – do you know what it means? It means “complete” It means “all” “Total” Completely humble – completely gentle – completely patient – Let these characteristics permeated every area – every conversation – every relationship – every moment. So it’s going to involve work. What’s so funny is we’ll look at this list and our mind will go back to one time – one incident: “I remember one time when I was humble – I remember once when I was gentle – or patient.” Come on don’t you do that? And we’re satisfied with that. Even if you’ve been humble once – that doesn’t mean you have arrived at humility yet.
Let’s take a look at the first quality – and that’s all the further we will go today. Humility is listed first. Rightly so – with it, none of the others are likely to happen. In fact if the other four are missing – chances are the bottom line is that the lack of humility is the real issue. There’s a progression to these steps. You won’t do well with step two – if you try to jump over step one.
What exactly is humility? Humility is a very elusive thing. We want to talk a lot about humility but sometimes we don't really understand it. It's that thing that when you finally gotten it you just lost it. It's very elusive. When you finally say “Now I am now humble. I’m very proud of how humble I am.” You just forfeited humility.
Ok so here is Webster’s only definition of humility: the quality or state of being humble. I’m not joking – that is all that’s there. Some help! So I thought I’ll look up the word “humble” instead.
And this is what I found - not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive. OK, it’s telling me what it isn’t but it still really isn’t telling me what it is.
It’s a word that our world struggles with. Because it’s a concept that is foreign to our world. Our world is not a world that accepts humility. Our world is a world that exalts pride. We don't hear great talks about humility. The word that is translated humility only appears in biblical Greek. The Christians had to create the word because neither the Romans nor the Greeks had a word for humility. The concept was so foreign - so unnatural to them and their way of thinking that they had no word to describe it. This word was picked up by the way in pagan writings after it appeared in the bible but was used only as a derogatory term to describe poor cowardly people. For them humility was a weakness.
The Greek word translated humility means “to think or judge with lowliness – to have lowliness of
mind” Humility is at the very heart of our faith – and no characteristic is more foreign to the way the world thinks. The world exalts pride, not humility. Pride is self exaltation. “I want my way. I want my desires. I want my name to be seen and recognized. I want you to acknowledge me. Look at my trophies. Look at my accomplishments. Look at me. My name will be exalted.” Pride was the first sin – but in Lucifer’s heart before he fell and in the garden in the heart of Adam and Eve. In one way or another every sin after that has been in some way an extension of pride. The original sin of Adam and Eve was pride, trusting in their wn understanding above God’s. Every heartache, disappointment, addiction, failure, broken relationship, every argument, every sin is in some way or another tied to residual pride in our life.
There are so many verses in Scripture on this topic, it is impossible to deal with it all this morning. But here are just a few. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5),
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Prov. 11:2)
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. (Prov. 16:18-19)
For this is what the high and lofty One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isa. 57:15) The Lord says I live in the highest of places – but I only allow those who are lowly in spirit to enter in my dwelling.
Humility is dealing with yourself honestly before God. It is honest self-awareness. Humility begins with an honest person seeing himself as God sees you. Whenever you're tempted to be proud remember who you are. You know when we get all fouled up about who we really are, when we compare ourselves with other people. Because we can always find people worse than us. I'd come home with a C and my parents would say “You should not get a C, you did not put out your best effort, why did you get a C?” Well, mom, 10 kids got a D.” You see, there's always a lower standard. You can always find one. It goes on in the home, too. You got this argument thing going on between you and your spouse and you say, “Well, you know, if you don't like it go marry the drunk next door, see how you like those potatoes!” You can always find something worse than you. It’s raw pride. “I’m way better than anything else you’d ever find or deserve for that fact.” Raw pride -
Every spiritual blessing starts with humility. God will only bless the humble. He is opposed to proud.
Every manifestation of pride is a kind of competition with God. “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11). You've got to see your faults and confess your sins and deal with those things honestly.
Close: Challenge- begin a new walk this week – take the first step of humility.
* PowerPoint slides may be available for this message. Some slides I use have copy write restrictions on them - others are slides, which I’ve created. If this sermon has slides I’ve created, I’d be glad to pass them on to you for your use. Please feel free to email me at: timvamosi@charter.net
