Walk In A Manner Worthy Of Your Calling

“A Walk Worthy Of Our Calling”

Ephesians 5:1-8,15

04/06/2008

by

Chris Nerreau

TITLE: Your Walk

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 5:1-8,15

DATE: 04/06/08

May the words of our lips and the meditation’s of our heart be always acceptable in thy sight, giving praise glory and honor to Your name our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Read Ephesians 5:1-8,15

ILLUSTRATION: Often times I will walk to help keep in shape (obviously I need to walk a bit further) . When I walk, I typically do the same journey over and over again, a total of (2) miles from my house to the end an adjoining street and back. I leave in order that I may return.

Throughout this walk there are several flat area’s where my mind wanders and I just enjoy the sound of the birds around me, but then there are also hills that challenge me and my mind is solely focused on getting over them. But whether walking on flat or elevated terrain, I am always moving forward toward home.

Often time’s I hear people describe the Christian faith as a “walk”. They ask questions like – “how is your walk going?” or “have you ever considered making this or that change to your walk.” I always found it interesting that Christians described their life in God as a walk because it seems to imply an intrinsic knowledge that we are on a journey and not static, that the goal is to progress. This idea of walking also seemed to imply that the journey was slow and steady and just like my physical walk included moments of peace and moments requiring effort.

INTRODUCTION: As I began to look, I found that this term – “walk” is used often in the scriptures (Gen. 6:9 Noah – “Walked with God”; (Gen. 5:22 Enoch – “walked with God”; (Gen. 17:1) Abraham was to “walk before [God] and be blameless”. In Leviticus we see that there are (2) way’s we can walk – toward or away from God.

But in the New Testament this term was predominately used by the Apostle Paul (walk by faith, walk by the Spirit ect...) In Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, (2:10) the apostle say’s we were “created in Christ Jesus for good works [and] that we should walk in them.” And later (4:1) Paul “begs” us to “walk worthy of the calling”. Over and over again, we see the scriptures imploring us to move toward God through the flat parts of life and the hills, in a slow, steady progression . Not a sprint, just a walk.

PROPOSITION: In our sermon today I am going to suggest that all of us are walking either toward or away from God.

ORIENTATION: and so in order to discern the direction your heading, you will need to better understand the three themes found in our passage.

1. Walk In Love – v. 2

2. Walk In Light – v. 8

3. Walk In Wisdom – v. 15

TRANSITION:

Let’s take a look at each theme beginning with …

I. WALKING IN LOVE (v. 1) “walk in love, as Christ has also loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God…”

EXPLANATION:

It is no secret that at the pinnacle of Christianity is LOVE and the perfect expression of LOVE is Christ. This is why Paul calls us to “walk in love, as Christ has also loved us…”

So the question remains – “How did Christ love us?” Paul say’s the answer is - “HE GAVE!” v.2

• There can be no true love without sacrifice, as a matter of fact true love cannot even begin until we are giving more than we want to give. In other words, true love starts

• when the cost is more than we want to pay.

• True love is to put others before yourself – their wants OVER yours, their needs OVER yours. For example: Jesus pleaded with God to – “remove this cup” (Mt. 26:39) but then proceeded to the cross. This is true love, the cost was more than Christ wanted to pay, but pay it He did.

• True love does not begin until it hurts, until it costs, until it requires you to do something you do not want to do. It is action at the expense of contentment. It is work when you want rest, it is pain when you want comfort and it is lack when you desire abundance.

• True love forfeits it’s right of anger, desire, comfort and in many cases justice in order to demonstrate the love of God and to be set free from the burden of self desire.

• True love actually listens to what others are saying, (Stop typing on the computer, stop thinking about what you’re going to say in response, stop being RIGHT all the time.)