R357 Living A Worthy Life, Pt.2

God has an encouraging word for you and me today to the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton as we head to the book of Ephesians chapter 4 today. Dr. Wilson continues in this concept of what it is for us to live life as we do so here for you. Happy to pray for you 24 seven@866-899-WORD 9673, and we'd love to connect with. Please open your Bibles with me to Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 4 Ephesians chapter 4 there is nowhere in Scripture that the Bible says that being a Christian is easy. In fact, the very opposite is true. Without America we struggle to understand their we really do not because of our own doing, but because God has blessed us. We have beautiful churches that are air-conditioned and heated. We have bosses we have ministries we have budgets. I was talking about the budget a minute ago. What an incredible privilege folks just to have a budget. Just think about the amount just to have a budget it's hard for us in America. Sometimes, to really understand what the Bible teaches that being a Christian is not an easy thing. Thank Jesus put it like this.

He said if any man or any woman would come off to me, he must deny himself, I'm going to Austin rhetorical question. Don't raise your hand or anything like that.

This morning is a personal thing. How many of you. How many of us this morning can genuinely say that because of Jesus Christ we have denied also. What he goes on from there and he says if any man will come off to me.

He was not any deny himself, and strike up his cross, how many of us this morning can genuinely before God can say Lord Jesus, I have taken up the cross of Christ.

What is that mean that means that you're willing to suffer the same suffering of Christ upon the cross.

You willing even symbolically to have a crown of thorns placed upon you here you willing to be spat on you willing to be rejected for righteousness sake, if any man will come off to me. That's what Jesus said. Ephesians chapter 4 and verses one through six. The apostle Paul begins to talk about the challenge of being a born-again believer. In fact, he talks about it in such staggering terminology. He even begins with the captivity of the born-again believer. The subservience of one who is in Christ Jesus. The willingness of the disciple of Christ to be willing to go all the way for Christ. That's what Paul is saying let's just read these few verse as a prisoner for the Lord then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received that I don't want to preach on the next few verse because when I begin to understand what Paul is saying here folks I'm going to say to usual pasta that I have failed you completely.

I'm going to say to you that if we understand a life worthy of the calling that God is called us to. This pasta does not measure up to their I have failed you miserably. All too often I find my old man rearing is a and I have to continually remind myself that the apostle Paul teaches us that when we trust Jesus Christ. We put to death. The old man. We are crucified with Christ for put it like this. He said I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not I am living, but Christ is living in me and I'm going to jump the gun and I'm going to go to verse seven which I'm not preaching on today and I'm going to cite you forces, but to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it while, is there any one of us in the other data could ever stand up and say that we understand the grace of God.

Let's read together the first six verses as a prisoner for the Lord them. 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 in spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called one Lord and one faith and one baptism, one God and father of all who is over all and through all and in old by the Lord, right his word upon our hearts this morning. How can we ever measure up to a life worthy of the calling God is placed in our lives. How can we do that what Paul is saying here is we can do it for three reasons. Number one because we can respond to God's love for us.

Number two. We know that we are being called by the Lord Jesus Christ and number three because quite frankly, we understand the urgency with which he says this he said I urge you, I beg you with everything at my disposal don't you understand the highest in the day and the Bosporus and the extent of God's love. That's were pulled aside when he talks about a worthy walk. Perhaps Paul is talking about a walk which represents the quality of life that God has designed for the believer. It represents God's summons to the believer in free response to the fleeting meaning of the gospel limits called Christians that were pulled aside, Paul is saying my friends that a worthy walk qualifies us to be engaged in divine action. Perhaps the reason why God doesn't use me as well as he ought to use me or could use me is that I'm not responding to God the way I ought to respond to him in terms of my walk what he is saying my friends is that Christian grace that is the manner of the wall certifies you, and it certifies your pedigree among your fellow man. It's your testimony it's not your talk at your walk. I know that there been many times in my own life that my my tool is being damaged by my walk.

I've said this is what God says.

But then the practice of my preach doesn't match up. It breaks down my test make it's the greatest challenge that any person can have and what God is saying he's saying listen I want you to put you into my finishing school. When Paul writing to the church at Philippi, he said… Mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. He was saying, listen, why didn't you allow the grace of God to finish you and are complete you. According to God's grace. But God how can this be how can I take this and applied into the daily Tron section of my life will what characterizes a Christian walk. That's the question I'm going to submit to you that if we understand verse two we going to find ourselves flat on our faces before the throne of grace is' the local congregation of believers. I have such difficulty appropriating and applying verse two to my own life. It is a continual struggle. Perhaps the apostle Paul said it best of all, he said the good that I would that I do not, and the evil that I would not that I do.

All wretched man that I am and he found himself in this constant of the wall. So what we do beloved friends do we just give up. We just say well it's over like a married couple who find themselves in an impulse and I don't know where to turn and things are not going well and the romance is gone out of their marriage and they have no communion and communication together. What is they do just say I give up like a man who 60 years of age and has lived a life of sin and degradation and he comes before the throne of grace.

And he says God I'm 60 and it's over.

There's nothing more to me for me to do and God says hi. Excuse me, I died for you and I want you to know there is a tomorrow. That's right, there's a new diet is a new beginning you can do all things through Christ because I strengthen you that while this is an amazing I love that hymn amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a rich like me I once was blind but now I see God takes my lostness and he makes me what I cannot make of myself what what is the Christian walk number one. The Christian walk is characterized according to verse two by humility.

One writer that I've been reading told me in his work that this is a progression of thought one of these characterizations is going to lead to the next. It's almost like building blocks. When we were little kids. I mean, you build one on top of the other and eventually when you get to the final product to boot the building and you hope it doesn't fall down Christian walk is characterized by humility paps.

Humility is the foundation of the worthy walk. It's a compound word along Greek word I can hardly even pronounce it, but it literally means to think or to judge with loneliness. That's what Paul is trying to say he's trying to say to us, beloved friends that we cannot even begin to please God without humility. Now why Jesus Christ gave us the ultimate example in his relationship with the father fact, the Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 2 that Jesus Christ emptied himself, taking the form of a bond servant, and he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of – even the day upon the cross. That's what the word of God says and what Jesus was trying to teach us. My friends is that you cannot claim humility if you try and claim humility.

You walk over the edge into pride and pride is the opposite of humility is that which breaks us down and pulled a sign that humility is an ingredient of all spiritual blessing. That's what you say every virtue has its root in humility. Please forgive the interruption will be back with the rest of today's message living a worthy life in just a moment. Dr. Don want to know they were here for you.

Happy to talk and pray connecting keyboard to keyboard on our website@twonline.org and on the phone at 86689673, and it's our prayer that you're getting the daily Encouraging Word a bit of insight conducted on every single day, urging words most requested resource is the daily Encouraging Word daily Encouraging Word is a daily devotional made available in a quarterly booklet for delivery's morning meal like to request this free devotional. Please call 866-899-WORD 866-899-WORD 967 or online@tewon.org tewonline.org.org we are confident that it will be a blessing to you. The Encouraging Word is a viewer and listener supported ministry for listening today. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton here on The Encouraging Word. It allows us to see ourselves as we all according to the apostle Paul. Why is possible because it shows us before God as he is, and perhaps what Paul is trying to say here in verse two, and then he begins to develop this, my friends, is that just as pride is behind every conflict so humility is behind every harmonious relationship or the truck that we not talking about, oh Lord it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way kind of humility. It's tough when you're at the top. Paul is talking about humility, which basically means two things.

My friends, it means first of all, that your dependent and secondly, it means that you and I are loading the payments involves a sense of human limitations and it also involves a sense of unworthiness and loneliness means an honest recognition about personal inadequacies and loneliness is an honest appraisal of our personal asset. That's what dependency and loneliness mean to constitute humility. Paul said, be humble, but there's a second characteristic of walking a worthy life. The Christian walk is characterized by gentleness. Now this one scares me today. Gentleness I read that in my immediate responses will God wants me to be a a powder puff and I don't know how well I could respond to that say I live in a man's man's man. I mean, I don't want to be a powder puff and that's what it means to be a Christian.

I think maybe he's going overboard in and so as I began to look at this I I began to think that perhaps what he was saying is that one of the signs of humility is the word gentleness in the Greek is the word Pro HD Pro ATs and it's the opposite of vindictiveness is the opposite of of hostility. It's one of the fruits of the spirit that we read about in Galatians chapter 5 and what Paul is saying, my friends, is that gentleness or meekness is the power of God under control in the life of the believer, not just think about that for a moment. It's the rod of God under control in the life of the believer is like a big fine horse. I used to ride a lot of horses when I was in a British boarding school we used to play polo if you know what horse followers and we used to ride in Jim Connors and all kinds of things when I was a boy in a British boarding school, and I'll never forget all the times that we spent around horses reliving some of the most beautiful horse country here in the Carolinas and you can get a fine fine animal that has all the components of the potential to be the greatest animal that you've ever seen and yet when you put a rider on its back in the book in its mouth. That horse becomes fine to. It is power under control. That's what God's gentleness is all about. David showed this kind of gentleness when he refused to execute King Saul adding Denny in the cave.

Even though we had an opportunity to do so in first Samuel we can go right through Scripture.

You see, my friends, I gentleness in terms of God's standard is controlled. It is, it can be righteous anger when God's word or his name is Malan. It is anger that is controlled. We got to read about this. It's hard to understand but you can be angry and so not according to Scripture, that's a tough one to try and understand it's the power of God under control.

What happened to Moses. Do you know that the Bible says Moses was very humble in Romans chapter 12 Moses was very humble.

He was meek and gentle. I can't wait to meet Brother mode because I don't seem like that really through my own eyes, but the Bible says Moses was meek and gentle, yet it was Moses in Exodus 5 through 12. He confronted Pharaoh and said Pharaoh all boy it's not gonna work this way.

It was Moses, my friends confronted Israel with their sending Exodus chapter 32 it was Moses who even confronted the Lord to forgive Israel for their sin. Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones put it like this.

He said to be meek or to be gentle means that you have finished with your self forever. I like it means that you have subjected yourself to the control of God. One of the marks of gentleness and self-control. Listener what the Proverbs tell us he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who captures the city while self-control a willing response to God's word. A peacemaker someone has the right attitude to lost people.

That's what it is to be gentle. Gentleness tolerates injustice without irritation. Gentleness tolerates injustice without resentment, gentleness submits to circumstances without written this gentleness submits to circumstances without complaint. Paul said we must be. I have failed you so much my friends in this area. There's 1/3 thing that Paul tells us the Christian walk is characterized by patience while if every got 11 Don Wilton at present patients macros to me. I a compound word, a big drawer breaker in the Greek New Testament.

He was talking about having patients when not patiently my wife will tell you it's a proverbial struggle in my own life. Even when I go up to a driving in from the time I get to the little walkie-talkie to tell them which side which way up. I want my burger to the time I get it at the door had better be 2.3 seconds. Otherwise, I'm all bent out of shape reliving an instant coffee generation by just too slow. That's the problem.

If we want a café latte with frost on top. They need to do it in 30 seconds. Otherwise will go somewhere else. When we go to McDonald's. We want our coffee just right, if it's not hot enough.

We complain if it's too hot will sue them.

We live in an instant coffee generation that's what we told that's what we grow up to be one of Abraham. The Bible says Abraham, having waited patiently receive the promise of God. God came to Abraham and say them.

Abraham and Sarah, are you gonna have a baby she lost.

That's why Sarah means loft she was beyond childbearing age. She thought this was hilarious. That's the word in the Hebrew means hilarious. It means far more than loft. It means just loft until your handfuls of pop-up. I mean it's I mean this is impossible, but what is the Bible say about what the word says the word says, yet with respect to the promise of God. Abraham did not waver in unbelief, but he grew strong in faith, giving glory to God. That's patience is patients. Patients exercises restraint on the provocation keeps cool when unjustly accused for Gibbs when misrepresented, these things are hard folks.

Patients perseveres when when discouraged is there anyone discourage you this morning patients. That's what polls talking about living a worthy life patients perseveres when discouraged and perseverance.

According to the Scripture is essential to my progress.

Perseverance is essential to my integrity.

God will never allow you to be the captain of the ship until you steer the ship through the storm you patient you sticking to what God is doing. Are you holding up that flag are you keeping to what God is saying that's what Paul is telling us he says be completely humble and gentle and patient, and I'm almost becoming exasperated because he gets onto the next one and he says the Christian work is characterized by fall bearing love. What a challenge for bearing love for bearing love my friends is a reluctance to condemn other people. That's what for bearing love is. It looks the mistakes of others in a tolerates the weaknesses of others for bearing. Love bears with the failures of others.

It refrains from evil intention, and it absorbs embarrassments created by other people. That's for bearing when I think of for bearing love think about mom mother's or our congregation. Just food with mothers with for bearing love they absorb the embarrassments of even their husbands of their children of their circumstances. I wonder how many wives and mothers have Denied themselves and done with. Often, and God's word says if you going to work, walk worthy of the calling you got to be characterized not just by humility and and by gentleness that you go to be characterized by patience and for bearing love. There's one other that he closes with. He says the Christian walk is characterized by peace by peace. Look at verse two of verse three make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit are meant to be talking about that next week, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, what does that mean we gonna get into some real stuff next week is the fundamental basis upon which the apostle Paul speaks and sets out this biblical agenda. The foundation upon which we operate. But he says here that if you are going to be someone who walks where the of my standard. You have to be characterized by peace.

You see peace my friend according to Scripture, is initiated by the spirit of God's spirit proclaims peace in the spirit preserves peace. That's what God's word says. But Paul takes it a step further. He says this piece energizes human effort, keeping the peace involves cultivating these Christian graces in us, but keeping the peace also achieves incredible Christian unity brings us together.

That's what's so special going to find a ride throughout the next several verses the body of Christ.

You see the body of Christ. My friend is the reciprocal value of Christian grace the exercise of the Christian walk. What sets us apart.

What makes us what we all it is that which God has invited us to become participants in and it's a tough order.

In fact, quite frankly, between you and me. It's impossible to know God says with me. Nothing is impossible. I am what I and by the grace, his grace makes all the difference. You been listening to the preaching of Dr. Don Wilton from the pulpit of the steps in the studio. I pray you to open your heart to what he wants to share next are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that Arneson and I know that Jesus died for me today. I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend.

I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news.

Perhaps you display long document moments ago to give your life to Christ to rededicate your life. Perhaps you still have questions where here right now the other in the 866-899-WORD to answer those questions to pray with you and for you and more importantly to help you take the next steps in growing in Christ, Dr. Don has some wonderful free resources. He wants you to have if you just gave your life to Christ dedicate your life to Jesus. Would you give us a call 866899 word is the number that's 866899673. Rather, let's connect on our website@twonline.org that's TEW online.org 24 seven were connecting you with resources that help change your life and encourage you to be all that God is called you and call all of us to be in Christ