9 16 09 HT PM Letters Series Part 3
Letters Series Part 3 – Responsibility of the Believer
9 16 09 HT AM
Ephesians 4:1-6 NKJV
Ephesians 4:1 NKJV
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
Ephesians 4:2
with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
Ephesians 4:3
endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
Ephesians 4:5
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
Ephesians 4:6
one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in ◙ you all.
The fourth chapter of the book of Ephesians covers four specific topics
Ephesians 4 Overview ( each area is a REPONSIBILITY of each Believer)
1. Unity
2. Gifting
3. Identity
4. Authenticity
Tonight I want to give you some perspective of the author before we begin to break down the preceding areas for application to our life. Go back to verse one. As you go back – Paul was not your average fellow. He himself experienced a significant shift in his life, he felt a purpose for what God had done in him, he was not an acquaintance he was one on assignment.
Ephesians 4:1 NKJV
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called
While imprisoned in Rome Paul wrote the book Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. Three books to churches and one to an individual ( a convert of Paul).
Notice the opening line – “a prisoner of the Lord” he did not say a “prisoner of Rome” WHY? Because more than be held captive physically by the Roman government his heart was held captive by the Lord.
The discovery of who or what holds you captive is the foundation for everything else in your life!
Who or what are you holds you captive?
What does it mean to walk worthy and how do we walk worthy –
• Walk worthy –
Worthy – axios
Thayer Definition:
1) weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much
To walk worthy means to walk out your life with sufficient weight. Not your weight or value but His. To posses a quality in your life from acknowledging what Christ has poured into you.
Table TALK –
Question – Do you view yourself through the lens of what Christ has poured into you?
A Believers RESPONSIBILITY #1 Unity
Ephesians 4:1 NKJV
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
Ephesians 4:2
with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
Ephesians 4:3
endeavoring (eager pursuit)to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
Ephesians 4:5
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
Ephesians 4:6
one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in ◙ you all.
The base of the rest of the teachings in the book/ chapter and really all of Scripture hinge on this idea of UNITY. Not just unity of common mind but the Unity of the Spirit.
1) Creating Unity of the Spirit
• Convictions about knowing Christ –
1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:15
But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
1 Corinthians 2:16
For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
You cannot view Christ through the NATURAL but the SUPERNATURAL – remember rational overriding faith and trust brought sin into the world.
Philippians 2:1 NKJV
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
Philippians 2:2
fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Philippians 2:3
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
Philippians 2:4
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
If you look at spiritual things through the lens of codes, laws, expectations, in our natural mind our natural ration and reason will always win out. In our natural mind we will always be looking for loopholes, and the creation of a message the enforces how we see things naturally.
TABLE TALK-
Question- How have you learned to be IN His mind and OUT of your mind?
Jeremiah 10:23 NKJV
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
Jeremiah 10:24
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
• Confidence in Christ
Philippians 3:4 NKJV
though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
Philippians 3:5
circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
Philippians 3:6
concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Philippians 3:7
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
Philippians 3:8
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Most all “faith” issues are really confidence or trust issues.
• Commonness with one another
Acts 4:32 NKJV
Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
Acts 4:33
And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
Acts 4:34
Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
Acts 4:35
and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
• Care for one another
1 Corinthians 12:20 NKJV
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
1 Corinthians 12:21
And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
1 Corinthians 12:22
No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
1 Corinthians 12:23
And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,
1 Corinthians 12:24
but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,
1 Corinthians 12:25
that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
1 Corinthians 12:26
And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.