Kids' CLUB Ephesians 4:1-3
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Date: October 16, 2022
Introduction: In finishing Ephesians 3 last we, we have seen how Paul testifies to God’s faithfulness to help him to be faithful to live to please the Lord.
Ephesians 4:1 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,”
“Therefore”
This word is used in God’s Word to show us that what is being said next is connected to and builds off of what has been said before.
In looking at Eph 3, Paul offered that the Lord is able to encourage us to be more like Jesus in our actions and love, even when we’re discouraged from doing so.
“I,”
Who is speaking here?
The Apostle Paul!
What does Paul say about himself?
“the prisoner of the Lord,”
What does it mean to be a prisoner?
You are under the total domination and control of another.
Illustration: Prison
They tell you what to wear
They tell you where to sleep
They tell you where you can go
They tell you what you can do and at what time
They tell you what you’re going to eat
One can go to prison for a variety of reasons, usually bad ones.
You normally go to prison for breaking the law
However, Paul was in prison for doing something good, the best thing!
What did Paul do that put him in prison?
He preached the Gospel.
However, Paul sees that time in prison as being related to another relationship that he has.
Who is the One that Paul is a prisoner of?
Of the Lord!
You know, “Lord” is actually a title that describes something about someone.
Who is the “Lord”?
Jesus!
What does it mean that Jesus is Lord?
That He has all power and authority
Over what then does Jesus not have any power or authority?
Nothing!
Jesus has all power and authority over all things, even when difficult things happen in my life!
What does it mean to be the prisoner of the Lord?
Your life is totally controlled by Jesus Who has all authority and power.
Our response should be to humbly submit to His authority by obeying Him.
We see how Paul obeys the Lord.
Paul obeys Jesus by doing what He called him to do: proclaim the Gospel (Eph 3).
What has the Lord called you to do? (clubbers, children, siblings, students, friends)
If you know the Lord Jesus, you’re His prisoner too!
This is a great thing because the One Who loves you and died for you is the same One with all power and authority leading your life.
You must live faithfully obedient in the responsibilities that the Lord has given you in such a way that you live to please the Lord.
Question: What does it mean to be the prisoner of the Lord like what Paul referenced in Ephesians 4:1?
Answer: Your life is totally controlled by Jesus Who has all authority and power
Dig Deeper Idea: If the Lord Jesus is your Savior, how should you respond to His authority in your life?
Answer: Humbly submit to His authority by obeying Him
“implore you to walk in a manner”
What does it mean to “implore”?
Strongly encouraging someone to do something.
Usually, someone who does this has a lot of emotion in their voice and manners because they really want you to do what is right.
When Paul talks about walking, does he mean only what you do with your legs to move from place to place?
No!
What does he mean then?
Why do you usually walk?
To get somewhere so that you can do something.
Example: walking to game time (to play the game; how many of you like playing games? how many of you liked playing tonight’s game?)
You see, Paul is emphasizing our activities that we intend to do as we walk from place to place.
Question: When Paul uses the word “walk” in Ephesians 4:1, does he only mean moving our legs so that we can go from place to place?
Answer: No
Dig Deeper Idea: What does Paul mean then?
Answer: all our actions that we would do whenever we go about from place to place
Explain: God wants all believers to live in such a way that everyone knows that they are His children; that’s why Paul says “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,”
“manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,”
What is a “manner”?
It’s about the way that you look when you’re doing something.
Example: when playing game time, you all looked so happy when you were playing.
Paul wants us to understand that the way we act as we live faithful to the Lord is also very important!
What does it mean for something to be “worthy”?
For something to have worth, means that it has value, it has special meaning that someone has invested in it (ask for examples).
For something to be “worthy” it means that it is deserving of something.
What Paul is asking for all Christians to do is to live differently because of their calling in God.
What is a “calling”?
It’s something unique that God has given you to do.
This is something unique that God has given His people to do.
Earlier in Ephesians 1:18 Paul says that God’s calling gives us hope!
When you have hope, you have a good feeling about how things are going to be in the future!
This calling that God has for His people is that they would become like Jesus Christ!
In sum, Paul wants all Christians to live their life in such a way that it is clear that they belong to God as their child.
God wants others to know that Christians belong to Him as His children to reflect what God is like.
It’s like how families have unique characteristics that help us to clearly identify that they must be related to one another (example: people would confuse me on the phone for my dad).
Ephesians 4:2 “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,”
In this next verse, Paul is going to lay out what it looks like to live your life in a way that it is worthy of being called God’s child, that it fits the expectation for God’s children.
“with all humility”
What is humility?
Humility is about what you think of yourself.
If you think that you are better than others, then you are proud; God hates pride.
If you think that God is greater than you, then you are humble; God gives grace to the humble.
If you think that God is greater than you are, it’s going to change you from the inside out.
You’re going to want to obey God’s Word, because you recognize His authority in your life.
You’re going to think that you’re not as important but, that others are more important.
Example: you’ll want to give others the best piece, the piece that you want!
You’re also going to have a different attitude in how you interact with others that we’ll talk about in just a moment.
How much humility are we to exercise?
All humility!
In other words, we are to always be exercising humility, understanding that God is greater than us!
Question: According to Ephesians 4:2, Paul says that humility is a characteristic of God’s children. What is humility?
Answer: Acting like God is greater than you, because He is.
Dig Deeper Idea: According to Ephesians 4:2, if we act humbly, what kind of attitude will characterize how we treat others?
Answer: Gentleness
Explain: What are some ways that you can be gentle this week in church, at home, or in school?
“and gentleness,”
What does it mean to be gentle?
Gentleness is an attitude that we have in the way that we treat others.
If you talk to others in a mean way, we call that being harsh.
However, if you talk to others nicely, we call that being gentle.
I have often had to tell Harold to pet our dog, Duke, nicely.
Harold is learning how to be gentle with Duke.
If he’s not gentle with Duke, Duke could possibly hurt Harold.
Plus, when Harold is gentle with Duke, Duke is more likely to be nice to him also.
When we treat others with gentleness, we are showing to others what God is like!
If God wants us to be gentle like He is, Who should we seek help from to help us be gentle?
God!
“with patience,
What does it mean to be patient?
Patience is an attitude that we have about what it is that we want.
When someone wants something right away and they don’t get it, they can become angry or impatient.
However, for God’s child, we trust the Lord to provide what we need; therefore, we can wait on the Lord and not get angry about something we don’t have.
Illustration: Waiting for your turn (attempting to cut in line)
God wants us to be patient with others as this helps others to understand what God is like.
If God wants us to be patient like He is, Who should we seek help from to be patient?
God!
Question: Ephesians 4:2 also indicates that God’s children are to demonstrate patience. What is patience?
Answer: We trust the Lord to provide for our needs instead of getting angry when we don’t get what we want
“showing tolerance for one another in love,”
What does it mean to show “tolerance”?
Tolerance is about your attitude towards others who are trying to pick on you to make you angry.
When someone is trying to pick on you to make you angry, how do you normally feel like responding?
To get angry.
Maybe even hurt them.
How is it that we are to show tolerance for one another?
in love
When others are attempting to provoke us to become angry, God wants us to respond in love towards them.
If God wants us to love others like He does, Who should we ask to help us to love others?
God!
Question: How does God want us to respond to others who would try to get us to become angry according to Ephesians 4:2?
Answer: In love
Ephesians 4:3 “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
“being diligent”
What does it mean to be diligent?
You give your very best effort to complete something you’ve been given to do.
Example: schoolwork
“to preserve”
What does it mean to preserve?
You are trying to protect something from going bad.
Example: putting food in the refrigerator.
“the unity of the Spirit”
What is unity?
Unity is about bringing together people or things that are different but who have something in common.
Here, Paul identifies that there is something that all of God’s children have in common: the Holy Spirit!
When someone becomes a Christian in trusting the Lord Jesus to save them from their sins, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of them.
Every person who trusts the Lord Jesus as their Savior then has the Holy Spirit living inside of them.
So what is it that God wants all of His children to protect?
The unity that all believers have with one another through God’s Spirit.
If the Lord Jesus is your Savior, then that means you have the most important thing in common with anyone else who has trusted the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
How is it that God wants us to protect this unity that all believers have through the Spirit?
“in the bond of peace.”
What is a bond?
A bond is something that holds two or more things together.
Like glue!
What is to be the glue that we are to use to promote unity that we have through God’s Spirit?
peace
What is peace?
Peace is about our relationships.
When you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, God becomes your Father.
Peace then is the confidence that God is your Father because Jesus is your Savior.
You see, we use peace, this reminder that we all have the same Heavenly Father, to promote unity with other Christians!
God wants us to promote unity with each other.
If God wants us to unify, Who should we seek help from to help us to promote unity?
God!
Conclusion: Review Memory Verse Ephesians 4:1 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,” (X3)