You know, the Bible gives us many examples.
Of those who were called. We can look through the pages of
the old New Testament and find many stories of men and women
who have been called throughout time just one that comes to mind
is in Matthew chapter 4. And this is Jesus.
After he's been baptized by, John the Baptist, and he's will
begin reading in there, in verse 17.
This is after he was tempted by the devil as well.
And Matthew chapter 4 beginning in verse 17, the Bible says
there from that time. Jesus began to preach and to
say, repent for the kingdom of Of Heaven is at hand and Jesus
walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers Simon called
Peter and Andrew. His brother, casting a net into
the sea for they were fishermen. Then he said to them, follow me.
And I will make you, Fishers of Men.
They immediately left their Nets and followed him going on from
there. He saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee and John, his brother, in the boat,
with Zebedee, their father, mending their Nets, he called
them and immediately, they left the boat of and their father,
and followed him. So here we have an example of
Jesus directly out of out of his own mouth calling these men to
follow him. And if we look back into the Old
Testament, we can think about stories of Abraham how God from
Heaven called, Abraham directly to leave his home and to leave
that, which he knew to go in to serve him.
So some people say and some people might think, well, you
know, if God would just talk to me and if God would just come to
me and call me, I would, I would drop everything.
I would, I would disregard everything as we talked about
this morning a little bit and I would serve him and follow him.
But, you know, when people say that the story that always comes
to my mind is the story of the rich man and Lazarus.
And you remember when Lazarus was there and torment after he
had begged for just a drop of water?
He asked if someone could be sent from the dead to talk to
his Brethren to convince them that they should live, right?
Because they don't want to end up where he ended up, you know,
that was a rich man. And if I just said Lazarus,
after the rich, man, wanted he wanted someone to go to talk to
his Brethren so that they wouldn't end up where he was in
torment. And you remember the Bible says
that they have Moses and the prophets.
And as I paraphrase, the Bible tells us that if his Brethren
are going to listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't even
listen to someone who's come back from the dead.
So you see, when we're called today by the Bible, by the word
of God, it has just as much impact.
And just as much significance as those who were called before, by
God himself, or by Jesus himself, It's just as important
and the calling is just as important.
And the service to God is just as important as it was, for
Abraham as it was for Peter, and for Simon, and for James and
John as it was for any who were called directly by either God or
Christ. So that's important for us to
understand that the calling that we received through God's word
and through the preaching and teaching of it is just, as
important as it was to those who have been called directly by
God. God.
So I wanted to make that point before we get into what we
really want to talk about which is walking in a worthy way or
walk a w having a walk that's worthy of that calling you know
sometimes when people We'll ask you, how are you or, how are you
doing, things that come to our mind, you know, in way of
response to a question like that?
And I know it's a very everyday day-to-day question, sometimes.
We don't even give much thought to how our reaction is.
But, you know, sometimes will think about our health.
When someone asks us, how are you?
And we'll respond based on our current health situation.
Sometimes when someone asks how are you will think about maybe
some some problems or some financial troubles that were
having and will respond based on that?
Sometimes it'll just be based on our mood, whatever kind of
attitude or mood. We have that day.
But you know, when when we're asked how how we are or how are
we doing? Sometimes we don't think about
How well, we really are doing. Sometimes we tend to focus on
the bad. We've talked about that idea.
Before here we focus on the bad, we focus on what our most recent
problem is or what are our most recent trouble is.
And when we talk to people about how our life is going, or how
our day is going even, sometimes we don't focus on the things
that are the most important and and for us, We have been called
to do something. That is greater and more
significant than anything. Anyone could do in this world,
and that's to serve God. And when we live, and when we go
about our daily walk in our daily, our business, and whether
it's school or work or whatever we need to, remember that what's
really important to us? And what we really answered a
call to do is greater than anything we could be doing in
this life, anything So serving God is greater than any other
activity. We could, we could even think to
do in this life, you know, we have physical dreams and
aspirations and those are fine. We strive to be better.
We strive to do, you do more fun things or more adventurous
things? Every time I see Roger bun, I
always think about how he likes to bungee jump and I always ask
them, what's the next thing you want to do?
You know, you're going to want to bungee jump off a bridge or,
you know, we can strive to like, accomplish those kinds of things
or we can strive to do adventurous things and that's
okay. But as far as our service to God
is concerned, that is the most important thing.
Ever do ever. So, when someone talks to us
about how we're doing, should always be a positive reaction.
We're serving God, after we be doing any better.
How could we be doing any better?
So that's important for us to know when we think about walking
worthily, Paul in this letter to the Ephesians, he talks a lot
about what it is that we are we have been blessed with he tells
us that we're blessed, he tells us that were chosen.
He tells us that were predestined that were adopted
that were accepted that were redeemed and then we're forgiven
all in a couple of chapters that here.
Rights to these brethren in Ephesus, that's important for us
to know. That we're all of those things.
And that we should remember that but I suppose the deeper
question is does our Behavior match?
What it is that we believe to be true and does our walk match
what it is that we speak or what it is that we what the words are
that we believe in? Is there a lifestyle that we can
live? That's worthy to this great and
awesome calling and there are a lot of words that we could talk
about or just try to describe if that's the case.
But we're just going to study what Paul has written to these
brethren. Earth.
He says, first of all, that it's a walk.
And I think that's an important analogy for us to think about,
you know, we talked about running life's race and and
Paul, of course, himself. We get that from his teachings
as well. But you know, the idea of walked
to me, depicts the idea of moving forward and I know that
seems simplistic, right? But if you think about run, or
if you think about someone running, you think about someone
making great progress in a short amount of time?
Time. But what happens when you run
when you run, you get tired a lot faster, don't you?
When you run you don't have as much energy to go all the way.
So Paul says we walk which means we are constantly moving forward
and I think a lot of what it is that we do from day to day as we
talked about, as uncle Frankie talk about this morning is we
only have to be a Christian today.
We only have to live the Christian Life today.
We'll worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes and that's the
Idea to me of walking, as we just keep walking.
And however, many days we get to walk, we keep walking.
We can walk a long time just as physical being without getting
tired. We truly can.
And spiritually in the same sense we can go on forever.
If we keep the, we keep the right pace.
So he tells us first that this is a walk that this life is a
walk. Now, back in Ephesians chapter
2, it was kind of a different situation.
The Paul describes, their, Paul talks about how in the world
when we were apart from Christ. There was no purpose.
There was no goal. There was no progress.
We were kind of just Meandering and we were wandering about from
Darkness from this Darkness to that.
That and whichever The Winds of the world blue.
We kind of just went that way. But with Jesus, we have Forward
Motion, we have progress and that's the picture that Paul
makes here. So the question becomes, where
we going or, how is it that we are living to our lives.
Truly reflect God's glory Colossians 1:27 says to them,
God, willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of
this mystery, among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you
the hope of glory. So, do our lives.
Reflect that that kind of beautiful word.
Do our lives. Reflect what it is that it's
supposed to or what it is that we have accepted to attempt as
Christians we have been called by God to live a life.
That demonstrates his love and his grace and his Mercy to the
rest of the world and it's a matter of life and perspective
and attitude. So we're going to talk about
three, I think three ideas that Paul says here, the Paul lays
out for us here that are things that we need to consider and
think about when we talk about walking a worthy walk and the
first thing is do we have the right perspective?
Do we have the right perspective?
Paul begins this chapter by talking about how he was a
prisoner for the Lord. Now, Paul was literally a
prisoner. He was literally in bonds.
He was imprisoned and he could not leave where he was.
But here, when Paul talks about being a prisoner he puts it in a
different perspective than sometimes.
We would think here. He talks about being a prisoner
of the Lord. And, you know, his words then
that follow really ring a lot more.
They have a lot more weight behind him.
It seems like because when he starts about talking about how
he's a prisoner of the Lord, that gets your attention, then
you want to listen, As if he didn't have enough Authority and
already being an apostle. Now, he's basically saying live
what I teach because what I teach I live as well.
So his words here have a lot of weight behind them because he
has living what he is preaching. He is living exactly what it is,
that he is preaching, and it's possible that if Paul had never
decided to fully yield to Jesus and fully accept Jesus, And full
decide fully to live for him that he wouldn't have been in
prison. Fact, we know he wouldn't have
So he's making a statement right away, right off the bat here
that he is a prisoner but he's doing it because he's doing it
for the Lord. And I suppose a that I would
like to follow someone that does say that and practices what they
preach. Sometimes we talk about double
standards in this world. We talked about contradictions,
we talked about compromises and these are all things that are
stumbling blocks for authenticity authenticity.
So when Paul practices what he preaches we are inclined to
listen to him and for good reason Paul has lived for Jesus
to the point of imprisonment. He's not living in a mansion
somewhere. He's not driving that nice, new
Mercedes-Benz Chariot, he's not lapped and luxury as sometimes
we see people who are so-called evangelist today but he's living
a life. That's reflective of his
teaching on how to live. So he says, I beseech you there
and chat. Let's read chapter 4, verse 1
again. So we understand exactly what
the verse is telling us again. It says, I therefore, the
prisoner of the lord, we covered that.
Then Paul says, beseech, you to walk worthy of the calling, of
which you were called. Now, this word besiege or this
phrase. I beseech.
You can also be translated I beg you or I exhort you the word
beseech in the Greek, also can be to call Near or to comfort or
to council. And it's the same word that's
used to describe the works of the Holy Spirit Paul Begins by
telling us that beseeching us and this way or or, or exhorting
us in this way to walk a walk. That is worthy of our calling.
You know, I find often that stumbles and and frustrations
can get in our way And that's certainly true today.
Often we try to walk in a way that is apart from our calling
often. There are those who try to live
without live right without being right first.
You know, they try to go through the motions without changing the
inside. They try to do the routine
without first making. Right?
What needs to be made, right? And that's the heart.
So Paul is telling us to walk worthy of the calling that we've
been called, but he doesn't tell us to act.
Worthy or he doesn't tell us to fake.
Worthiness is my point. He's not telling us to just go
through the motions. He's saying that we have to
live. We have to live in a way that is
worthy and we're going to talk about that a little more.
I don't want to get too far ahead of ourself.
So here's the danger, it can be easy to believe that we are the
initiators and that God is the responders sometimes.
People think that way that if we are, you know, if we pray enough
or if we give enough, or if we do enough, then God will bless
us because of all the things that I've done and we talked
about this last time when I was up here.
It's not because of anything special.
It's not because we are anything amazing, that makes us Worthy.
There's nothing that we have done and that's especially
Grandeur. Great of our own of our own you
know divisiveness or whatever. That's makes us worthy.
We are worthy because he made us worthy.
So since he made us worthy since God has made each and every one
of us worthy. Now, we have the obligation to
walk a certain way. Now we have the obligation and
the duty. To respond to that worthiness,
he's given us. And that's the lifestyle choice
that we've made. So it's not something that we
are especially great at You know, not because shot, hey, is
better than anyone else that he can walk this this life or he
can walk this walk and he worthier than ever to anyone
else because he's that much more special.
It's not that at all we all have the same opportunity.
All have the same ability to walk as a Christian because God
has given that to us. Not because we've given it to
ourselves and that's an excuse me.
And that's important for us to know as well.
Nehemiah 8 and 10 says, then he said to them go your way.
Eat the That drink the sweet and send portions to those who for
whom nothing is prepared. For this day is Holy to our
Lord. Do not sorrow for the joy of the
Lord is your strength. The joy of the Lord is your
strength. So with the right perspective, I
think that it helps us to walk a little bit See, we have to have
the right frame of mind to have the right way of looking at it.
When we think about all the things that we can't do, oh, how
I wish I could do all those things I used to do, that's the
wrong perspective. That's the wrong perspective.
Oh man, just everyday. I just, I'm so tempted.
I can't even take it. I just want to give in, that's
the wrong perspective. We have to have the same
respective that Paul had. Yeah, I'm prisoner but I'm a
prisoner for the Lord. Yeah, I've suffered but I suffer
for the cause of price. Yes I'm persecuted.
But I do it because my calling is higher than that persecution.
And that's the right perspective, that's the right
perspective that we all have to have we all have to have that.
But in addition to the right perspective, I think Paul tells
us that we also have to have something else.
We also have to have the right position.
We have to have the right position as well, in chapter 4
again, in verse two and three, let's read those verses.
So after he beseeches us to walk worthy of the calling of which
we were called, he says to do. So in this way with all
lowliness and gentleness with long-suffering bearing with one
another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit of
the in the bond of Peace. So This is the position that he
wants us to. After we've got the perspective,
now he gives us the position. He says to do this with all
lowliness with meekness and a life lived in the grace of God,
I think leads to lowliness. And I think that we can see that
easily the word, lowliness literally means to be brought
low. It's the opposite of asserting
yourself. There are some people that
aren't that, simply are not happy, unless they are the
center of attention, where all their ideas are preeminent,
where their voices heard above, Anyone else's where they are
constantly center stage stage at all times.
Those people want to lift themselves up to be recognized
by others. Philippians chapter 2 and verse
3 says, do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit.
But with humility of Mind, regard one another as more
important than yourselves, So those people that just want to
be elevated, those people that just want to be a little bit
better than everybody else. God doesn't accept that.
God does mix-up that. I read once about a young
Seminary Student in Scotland, he was highly gifted and a leading
student in the school because of his reputation and excellent.
Grades, a local church, invited him to teach their one Sunday
morning since he was a rising star in that denomination.
He entered the pulpit with great pride and expectations, when he
stood before the congregation to preach, he was confused.
He was overtaken with fear and Stage Fright, he couldn't say a
word. He began to Cry and weep and ran
out of the church. Humiliated, then a sweet dear
elderly member, followed him out the door and caught up with him.
She shared these insightful words with him at that time.
She said, young man, if you had only walked into the pulpit as
you came down, you would have walked down the way you went up.
That is with all lowliness and meekness.
So see the point is is that if we go into a situation or we
live this life, with the Dude, of being lonely and being meet.
God will raise us up. God will lift us up in the end.
I know a lot of people who just like to be number one all the
time. I know a lot of people who just
they want to be Top Dog all the time.
Maybe they just like the praise of men.
I know a lot of people that like that too, but for the Christian,
that's not what we are. That's not what we were called
to be. We weren't called to be number
one. We weren't called to be the
greatest in the best. We were called to be servants
who were called to be humble servants.
So, when we talk about walking in a way, that's worthy of that
calling We have to reflect that in our lives.
We can't always be the best. We can always be number one.
Sometimes we just have to accept that we're not going to always
be the ones to win the argument if we're just stubborn enough
and if we just hold on and long enough, sometimes we have to
give into that mentality. And it's certainly something
that easily and grips and entangles US, meekness is a term
used to describe power under control.
If you ever thought about that power under control, it's used
to measure yourself in relation to God, I think, and I think we
can listen to what was written in John chapter 3, and verse 30.
When John, the Baptist said he must increase.
But I must decrease, I think it's kind of like that Jesus
represented the best example, of course of this, in all of the
Bible, You remember in Matthew chapter, 11 verses 28 and 29.
Some very familiar verses to us where Jesus said, come to me,
all you who labor and are heavy laden.
And I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me for. I am gentle and lowly in heart
and you will find rest for your souls.
Power under control. That's meekness when you think
about Jesus, man, that's power under control.
That's Supreme divine power under amazing control.
At any moment in time, Jesus could have wiped out his
adversaries. At any moment in time.
Jesus could have decided, you know what I'm done?
I'm done. You're not worth it.
At any moment in time while on the cross Jesus could have come
right down. Power under control.
That's meekness and Paul tells us here in order to walk in a
way, that's worthy of your calling, you have to do that.
You have to do that. So he says in lowliness and
meekness. Someone of course, who is not
lowly and meek, that would be what we call Pride and a
prideful person tries to control everything.
As we've said, Pride makes one feel like they know it all like
they're smarter than everyone else, like they're wiser than
everyone else. My way is the right way, but
humility lowliness. Meekness these things are not
that it's being occupied with your own life and not meddling,
or destroying the lives of others, it's allowing God to
work through. You first Peter chapter 5 and
verse 5. Says, likewise the younger
people submit yourselves to your elders?
Yes. All of you be submissive to one
another, and be clothed with humility for God.
Resists, the proud, but gives grace to the humble and
lowliness and meekness. These are important.
We can't miss these. These are important.
Especially when you look at the life of Jesus and you understand
that that's the life that we model our own after these are
important. So if you don't take anything
else from this lesson tonight, just know we all need to work on
these myself, definitely included.
We all need to work on these lowliness meekness humility.
These are really important. He also tells us to Bear one
another in love and we won't talk too much about this because
we've been covering this concept A Lot in our Wednesday night
studies. But basically this phrase
bearing with one, another in love is kind of talking about
patient endurance. It's long-suffering, really.
And that's, of course, listed in Galatians.
Chapter 5 is one of the fruits of the spirit.
When you and I are walking in the spirit controlled by the
spirit, led by the spirit, as as is through the word of God.
We will be long and suffering when someone you know, Cuts us
off on the freeway. We let it go.
What an unkind word is shot. Our way we turn the other cheek
when we are wronged hurt or wounded, we don't retaliate all
the power, all the rights, all the ability held under control.
Bearing one another in love means that we even though we are
feeling pain from time to time, we do what we need to do to help
others. Bearing one another in love
means that we are always there for each other, always no matter
what, no matter what's going on in our lives.
That's bearing one another in love and that's, you know, I
think something that's easy to do in the church because there's
a lot of people who want to do that.
Also, it's hard. When you're the only one, it's
hard. If you were the only one I
should say. But when there's so many who
have this attitude around us, I think it's a lot easier.
You know? I The world's kind of a rough
neighborhood, if you think about it that way and from time to
time, when I think about that, I think about the great Sanctuary
that we really have in the body of Christ.
And we're going to talk a little bit more about this in a minute,
but we can come here with people who think and talk and act like
we do because we all have the same Mission.
We all have were called by the same calling and this really is
a sanctuary from the turmoils that the world presents.
So when we talk about bearing one another in love, We should
want to do that, and I think that we do, especially here at
this place, I see that all the time.
Every every time I'm with The members of this congregation.
I can see that just in the way that people treat each other
here and that beautiful. That's all they'll be half that
but let's not take it for granted and everyone needs to be
working out and everyone needs to be doing their part.
The right perspective in the right position and those are
important thirdly though, I think that Paul tells us one
more thing. He tells us that we need to have
the right perspective, the right position, and the right purpose.
The right perspective, the right position.
And the right purpose. He tells us in verse 3
endeavoring to keep the unity. So after we've decided to walk
from the right perspective and after we've decided to walk in
the right position that is with lowliness and humility.
Always trying to live at peace with one.
Another is something else that we're commanded to do Romans
chapter 12 and verse 18 says, if it is possible as much as
depends on, you live peaceably with all men.
With all men, then he says to Endeavor or literally exert
yourself diligently, try to keep the unity.
Diligently. Try to keep the unity.
That's working at loving with what?
Loving one another in unity and peace.
You know, this verse basically to me says that we're not to
fight we're not to compete with one another, we're not to
complain about one. Another one man said it is too
bad that anything so obvious should need to be said at this
late date, but from all appearances, we Christians have
about forgotten the lessons. So carefully taught by Paul
God's servants are not to be competitors, but coworkers
Coworkers, if I'm going to work, I want to work my very best.
If I'm going to do something, I want to do the very best I can
do. And when we all do that together
there's nothing we can't accomplish nothing, there's
nothing. We can't do together as God's
family. So he tells us to have the right
perspective, the right position, and the right purpose, you know,
we talked about the right purpose.
We talk we can talk about the right purpose, and when we have
the right purpose, that's why we're here in the first place,
right? When we have the right purpose
and the right goals, when we are all striving for the same thing.
That's what brings us here together in the first place.
So sometimes when we think about difficulties, We all have those
but we need to focus on our common purpose, our common
purpose of service to God and he illustrates that by now listing
things, he's going to make a list right now.
Beginning in verse 4. Let's briefly look over this and
we'll talk about it just a little bit more, and we're
nearing nearing the completion. But he says in verse 4 that
there is one body that is one family of Believers where.
Jesus is our head. The Oneness of the church I
believe is essential for the work of the Gospel on Earth.
Today one Spirit, he says, now the Greek word for Spirit.
Here can also be translated as breath, which I think is
interesting. But this verse is basically
illustrating the power of the Holy Spirit as we have
manifested today through God's word, there's one hope in our
calling and this is the great power of our Unity.
As I said we are all moving toward one goal that's to see
the face of Jesus. You remember Titus Chapter 2
Titus Chapter 2 verses 11 through 13.
The Bible says for the grace of God that brings salvation
Salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts. We should live soberly
righteously and godly in this present age.
Looking for the Blessed, hope and glorious appearing of our
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, that's our common goal.
We want to see that. We want to be ready for that in
verse 5. He says one Lord, of course,
talking about Jesus who is our Master, our leader, in our King,
the one that we follow and example, Our Lives after one
Faith, he says, Faith. Of course, being the first step
for one entering the kingdom. And it's our belief and
unyielding trust that keeps us guides us and strengthens us,
Ephesians 2. And 8, of course, says for
Grace. You are saved through faith and
that and not and and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God. He says, also, in verse 51,
baptism are outward demonstration of what it is that
we believe internally. It's the one way to wash away
man sins here on Earth. The one way to put us in the
family of God one. Baptism in verse 6.
He says one God and Father we, of course know there is but one
God, he is the father of all. And I think that's the greatest
description of God is being father to us of all the things
that we can look at throughout all of the pages of the Bible,
as way as a description of God. He is our father, he keeps us,
he loves us. He takes care of us, he nudges
us nudges us on when we need it. That's always been my favorite
description of how God works today.
He's our father He's our father. Galatians chapter 4.
And verse 6 says, and because you are Sons.
God has set forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying
out. Abba, Father, he is above all.
He is sovereignty, he is absolute power and he is our
father and he chooses to be that he chooses to take care of us.
He chooses to love us the way that he does.
He's chosen to give us a plan to redeem us, he's chosen to send
his son because he loves us. All because he is our father.
In closing tonight, I'd like to read a few words that Adam Clark
writes about this passage. And I think this very well
illustrates some of the thoughts we'd like to portray.
He says here that the calling is the free invitation that they,
they have had from God to receive the Privileges of the
gospel, and become his sons, and daughters their vocation, or
calling took in their Christian profession with all the
doctrines precepts, privileges and duties, He goes on to say,
Among Us, a man's calling signifies his trade or
occupation in life that that at which he works.
And by which he gets his bread and it is termed his calling
because his because it is supposed that God in the course
of his Providence calls, the person to be thus employed and
thus, to acquire his livelihood, It's our profession.
And like any other job, it requires effort and work on our
parts. But God has called us to work
for him and he's called us to work for him in a specific way.
And those of us who have answered the call and who are
here tonight because we continue to answer the call.
We need to remember that. There's a certain way in which,
we need to walk certain way, which we need to live.
And that's in a way that is worthy of such a great calling
in close tonight. Paul, begs and pleads with us,
he exhorts us to have a walk worthy of our calling with
lowliness meekness, long-suffering bearing with one
another because of his grace and God's great love.
He tells us to walk in a certain way to make progress together
and that our Behavior should match our beliefs, that our
actions match, our attitudes, our decisions, and our life.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information or you would like to
receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.
Please email us at info at True Church of Christ
Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
M, please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
honored guest