R356 Living A Worthy Life Pt.1

God has an encouraging word for you and me today. The Bible-based preaching up Dr. Don Wilton about living life today. We had to Ephesians chapter 4 to study God's Word together and you need to know were here for you connecting on our website right now ITW online.org blog or their daily email from Dr. Don tewonline.org truck to full. I want to read to you the first six verses of Ephesians chapter 4 as a prisoner for the Lord then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received be completely humble and gentle. The 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 spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you will call one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all who is overall and through all and in all my the Lord varieties word upon our hearts, living a worthy life beloved friends. This morning we going to notice a dramatic shift of emphasis as we begin chapter 4 and for the next three chapters of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, something is going to happen, and in fact right in the middle of verse one. There's a worthy as a prisoner of the Lord then in the authorized takes the word. There is therefore that they introduces a shift I change of emphasis on the part of the apostle pulled through the inspiration of the spirit of God and what we going to begin to discover is that the apostle Paul is going to begin to place an incredible emphasis on the practical translation of what we have learned about God into the fabric of our daily lives. In fact, my friends, I'm going to say to you that from time to time over the next seven weeks I'm I'm almost going to stop preaching as it were.

We just kinda check about a few things some things that you can preach about and they some things you just need to sit down and talk about sometimes you just need to stop and have a little chat about a few of the practical things that go on in life, related to raising our children related to marriages related to the difficulties that we face the struggles that we have in caring chapters for five and six. We gained notice that the apostle Paul is going to shift emphasis, but there are three things that he places an emphasis upon this morning I'm going to simply do an introduction to the next three chapters. Perhaps it is for sitting back and saying now what reason could we have to want to do what God wants us to do we get a look. First of all, at the response. What we responding to the second thing we going to have a look at is the call that God places in our lives and you going to notice that in verse one and then the third thing we going to look at is the plea the earnestness with which the apostle Paul is about to present what he presents to us and we going to discover some remarkable truths. First of all, the response tomorrow we responding and why are we responding when it comes to living a worthy life. Well Paul is going to show us here beginning in verse one that what we have to deal with is our obligation to the Lord Jesus Christ that folks, let's be perfectly open with one another.

Today anytime you are not joining an organization. We have an obligation to that organization doesn't matter what it is we have an obligation to that organization standards to their object is to their creed to their rooms to their way of doing things. Consider a citizen of the United States of America. I'm not a I wasn't born in America, naturalized American citizen and folks when I became an American citizen, I became obligated to what I became obligated to the law of the land that had adopted me. It was my choice. Nobody came and forced me to do that and when I became an American citizen. I said I played allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. And so there. Therefore it behooves me as an American citizen to do what this nation requires of me and to stand up for an employee of the company.

All of us work for somebody. I'm sure if you're an employee you have obligated you also to work for that person to abide by the company's room by the regulations by their standards by the precepts you join a club, whether vehicle waters liens Rotary you could go on and on.

You become the Holden you become obligated to the rules it might be Spartanburg country club. It might be some other organization you become obligated to the organization that you have aligned yourself with part. Perhaps the biggest example is in athletics, a hallmark of an athletic team is the extent to which an individual member of that team is a willing participant in every aspect of their team. Well Paul here is talking about the obligation that we have as born-again believers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is going to tell us in these next several chapters that if you and I have trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

We been born again of the spirit of the living God.

We been washed and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb going hand-in-hand with the blessings and the miracles and the and the things that God has done with us is our commitment to live a life that is worthy to the call that God has placed in our lives that some people had remarkable problems with it. If you turn with me to John's gospel chapter 12 just quickly turn it in John's gospel chapter 12 Unusual Pl. in Ephesians.

John's gospel chapter 12 and verses 42 and 43. Listen to what happened to some people. The Bible says that yet at the same time, many, even among the league leaders believed in him.

There was no question that these people believed in the Lord Jesus Christ could watch what happened, but because of the Pharisees, they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out on the synagogue. Why were they afraid to confess they fight they had received the brace blessings of God but they were prepared to go public. They were prepared to live a life that was worthy of the calling that God placed in the lives why verse 43 tells us for they love praise from men fall more than praise from God. What Paul is going to teacher Sharon Ephesians, my friends is that our spiritual obligation our spiritual responsibility is to live a life that is worthy of the calling that God has placed in our lives. That's why we going to notice the shift in the first three chapters we dealt with the believer's position in Christ.

The blessings the owners the privileges in chapter 3 through six we going to deal with the obligations the requirements how to live it out in the public marketplace of life in the first three chapters. We note with truth as it relates to the believers identity in the final three chapters we going to deal with the practical response of the believer to the truth that has been inculcated into his heart and in his life. Paul is going to tell us that when we accept Christ that the Lord Jesus Christ expects us to act as Jesus would expect us to act his standards must become standards. His purposes must be our purposes is destiny must meet our destiny, his nature must be our major he's going to move us from positional truth to practical truth. He's going to move us from doctrine throughout duty.

He's gonna move us from principal to practice. He's going to move us from the area of right practice to write principal he's going to teach us that right doctrine is essential for right living and the apostle Paul, my friend, under the inspiration of the spirit is going to say to us. Nonetheless, that a week theology is going to result in a week lifestyle. Now folks listen this morning.

Many times marriages break apart tapping all over. One of the things that I never apologize for telling people, and I tell you is a congregation out of the love of my heart.

Do you know what the single worst thing you can do if your marriage starts to fall apart you, not the single worst thing that you can do is gets to go to a non-Christian counselor now want to run that by again in case some of you think I'm being a little evasive on this. The single worst thing you can do if your marriage is falling apart is to go to a non-Christian counselor, you'd say to me pasta wire. The reason is because of our response to God to live a life worthy of the calling that he's placing us if you have a week theology you don't have a week lifestyle. If you have no theology you got have a tendency to have no lifestyle for me tell you what a non-Christian counselor will turn now folks, we've got some wonderful councils there are some incredibly gifted counselors who are not Christian people. They understand human development they've read. Well, they have PhD's.

They are some of the finest people that you could ever meet upon the face of the earth. They have basic intrinsic value because the difference if you if you're a man or woman in your marriage is falling apart and you go to a non-Christian counselor gelato non-Christian counselors got a new non-Christian counselor is going to counsel you within the context of justifying the brokenness of your marriage using illustration.

If you been unfaithful to your wife so and you walked out on your wife so and you go to a non-Christian counselor.

Nine times out of 10, a non-Christian counselor will tell you the following they'll say all marriages break up divorces everywhere. They will site you listen dear love you wife no I don't love her anymore will that's okay. It's quite normal to just stop loving somebody they going to tell you that it's okay to walk out on your children. They going to say to you listen everybody all around the world. Why didn't you just can't find another woman there plenty of fish in the sea wanted to just gonna marry somebody else wanted to just it is basically built upon a humanistic approach folks. There is no theological basis. The relationship is not the precepts in the principles of God's eternal word on what a Christian counselor will site you a Christian counselor will site you want.

We pray about this. Let's talk to the Lord Jesus Christian counselor talk to you about hope. Christian counselor will talk to you about forgiveness. A Christian counselor will look at you and cite you. Yes, according to God's word you've messed up you committed adultery you broken things up here in trouble, but I want you to know that God will forgive you for that and he will restore you and you bring your marriage back together again and you write a new song upon your heart and you make the brokenhearted holy name. He'll make the blind to see in the learn to walk again.

That Christian counselor will he will route what he says in our response to who God.

That's what Paul say Paul is saying listen we go to move from doctrine to Judy. We've got a make a shift. We've got to completely immerse ourselves in God's word in here in chapter 4 verse one, the apostle Paul begins to apply the practicalities of the dynamic of who we are in the Lord Jesus Christ, the wrist wants that we have is going to determine a life that is worthy of the calling God has placed in us.

But secondly, I want you to note the coal CA LOL the coal look at it in verse one as a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the coal worthy of the calling you have received in Christ. Now that's a very interesting concept there because the apostle Paul here begins by talking about his imprisonment. Did you notice that the convert chapter 3 in verse 20 says. For this reason, I pull the prisoner of Christ Jesus gets into chapter 4 and is going through this dramatic shift into a practical exhortation and he says right at the front as a prisoner of the Lord, why did Paul keep coming back to his status as a prisoner, perhaps, for reasons number one because Paul had paid the price of living a worthy life: paid the price was not saying something to us that he said was easy. Beloved friends is not easy to be a Christian.

Number two. Perhaps he was saying this because if you going to follow Jesus you going to live a life of total subservience. You gotta be totally subservient to him. If you're a prisoner to someone Frank you are totally subservient but number three perhaps what he was talking about is the real meaning of commitment. Paul was saying, listen, I'm a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ. I've been set free from the bondage of Satan and I have been diluted unto the captivity of Christ. Someone said it is been said many times, the true freedom is knowing your limits. You see friend if you understand your limits. In Christ, you are a prisoner of the Lord Jesus.

Everything that Jesus Christ doesn't say this is more important than anything else, but there's 1/4 reason I think Paul spoke about being a prisoner.

Perhaps it was because he saw everything from Jesus perspective. He saw everything vertically. Paul is saying in practicalities here that there is nothing that I do that I do outside of a vertical approval.

He was far more concerned about a vertical approval than a horizontal approve. He was far more concerned about what men have to say about it.

Then he was about what the Lord Jesus Christ had to say about his motives were God's motives, his standards with God standard his objectives were God's objectives. His vision his orientation.

It will belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul is saying here frames I'm a prisoner of the Lord Jesus. Why because everything I think everything I plan everything I say I am captive to the Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul is saying that this perhaps is one of the marks of spiritual maturity. David, I think grappled with this member David committed adultery folks. David murdered folks. David Lavin treated David was guilty as charged.

And David wrote in Psalms 16 verse site I have set the Lord continually before me because he is at my right hand so let's talk about it practically. How does this affect us our calling in Christ. I think that there are four basic questions we ought always to us if you wondering about whether you should have a relationship with someone ask these questions young people. If you dating someone ask these questions if you want to go somewhere on ask these questions if you try to make a decision businesswise on ask these questions ask these questions as you pray about it. Number one. How does this affect God. Whatever it is I'm going to do. How does it effect God number two. How will this reflect on God if I don't date this person, how's it going to reflect on God young people wanted whatever it was you did last night. How did that reflect upon God. The decision you made the place you went to the book.

The program you watched that the manner of conversation. How does this reflect on broad question number three what does God say about it anyway. Good question is what is God have to say about yours.

God what he's got to say about it. Sometimes it alters our perspective. Number four number four how can I most please broad by doing what I'm about to do.

How can I most please God by doing what I'm about to do. You see things the apostle Paul when he talks about being worthy of the calling you have received he's talking about two things he's talking about the sovereign call of God. John's gospel tells us about it. John six and verse 44 no one can come to me unless the father draws it. He's talking about something that finds its very root in the heart of God. But this calling is not only based upon the court, upon the sovereignty of God that results in a worthy wall listening to Dr. Don Wilton our teacher on The Encouraging Word and will be back with the rest of today's message living a worthy life in just a moment, but if you missed part of today's program would like to catch up on other great resources about the will to find them@ourwebsitetwonline.org that's TE W online.org to find. Also great resources like pray for our nation and our nation's prayer and our founding fathers understood everything that we having everything that we are is really kind and without error on our own. God has a very serious SH for America this month for your gift in the amount The Encouraging Word broadcast ministry received free along with the 31 days of prayer.

This resource will provide encouragement and howling days and had a renewed focus on the promise and power) for your freedom: 86998689996732 request three indeed 31 days for supporting The Encouraging Word as we continue to proclaim the life-changing gospel of Christ to a nation desperate need of a culture. Now back to today's great teaching on living a worthy life with Dr. Don Wilton if you been called by God. The result is going to be a worthy walk. Now look at this one with me again because there is some neat stuff you folks.

We've got to get to grips with us as we get into these next few chapters, the word worthy that you see the word worthy.

They I urge you to live a life worthy of that word worthy. There is the word seahorse IXIOS we get our English word axle now. What in the world is an excellent gotta do with worthiness. Well, you know the word seahorse means in the Greek New Testament. It means literally balancing the sky just like an axle does in a motorcar. It balances the we use what Paul is saying here. Listen to this. Paul is saying that what is on one side should be equal in weight to the other side. Worthiness is applied to anything that was expected to correspond with something else. The believers why his daily living must correspond to the high calling that he has in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

I love to read about famous people. One of those, the follicle, Vince Lombardi. I believe he was a great coach Green Bay Packers.

One time they were playing a game. I read somewhere in summer you probably saw this but I were playing a game and I scored a touchdown in the person and the team at school to his team.

They went berserk. I mean, they slammed the ball.

They did all leg movements jumped up all over the place. They just went berserk off to the game was over, Vince Lombardi called all the team together and he he ostracized them. He admonished them he rebuked him and he said team. I want you to know something when you go into the end zone at least look like you've been there before. Just think about it for a moment of hope at least look like you being the before, don't look like you've never been there before.

What is the apostle Paul saying he's saying listen, you must be worthy. You must like the relationship you claim to her. There's got to be a balance between what you believe and who you all the practical living must match your spiritual position.

That's what Paul is saying is not only saying that he saying as a result, you will walk worthy of that calling. And that walk is what the rest of these chapters are about. It is the daily conduct and then of course he speaks in the third place about the plea, the plea you see not only is there response and the call but there's a plea. He says as a prisoner of the Lord. I urge you, I beg of you, and the word please there or entreat all big is the word Parker Leo Parra Calais oh means to call chloramines to draw alongside and what he is saying here is the sign was tremendous. In answer to your feeling and strong desire he is saying listen what you need to do is you need to draw alongside the one who has trained Jew who has forgiven you, who has renewed you in acts chapter 26 three. He pleaded with King Agrippa to draw alongside the gospel in second Corinthians 2. I pleaded with the Corinthians to reaffirm their love for her painting brother in acts in Galatians chapter 4 verse 2012. He he pleaded with the Galatians to stand firm in the liberty of the gospel in Romans nine verses one through three depleted save Jews.

There was an intensity that wasn't earnestness that the apostle Paul had the same kind earnestness.

Your pasta has reviewed the same kind of earnestness your parents have for you young people the same kind of earnestness that your Sunday school teacher has reviewed youth workers have for you.

Every believer who knows of the grace of God beings and pleads for what that you and I would walk worthy of the coal God has placed in our lives in that incredible how about you today such powerful teaching from Dr. Don Wilton about living a worthy life that all starts with a single choice is Dr. Donald R closing thoughts for the day. 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 Iversen and I know that Jesus died for me today.

I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my phone in Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting new if you just gave your life to Christ praying along with Dr. Wilton. Welcome to the family of God will welcome back.

If you rededicate your life either way Dr. Don Wilton you have some free resources if you call us and ask about them at 866899 word I can.

The phone numbers 866-899-WORD 9673 m online as well. TE W online.org is our desire to encourage you as you walk with the Lord on a daily basis. Speaking of daily for not getting enough… You can sign up for it on a website as well.

Comes at about 6 o'clock every morning and will launch your day in a powerful way that's online@twonline.org. This program sponsored by The Encouraging Word and your generous prayer and financial support