Sermon Tone Analysis

I.       Introduction

          /Illustration/: Napoleon Bonaparte – man of humble beginnings who went on to be a General, stated the following after making rounds about his different post and finding a soldier asleep at his post, “Soldier what is your name, the soldier replied, “My name is Napolean, Bonaparte replied what did you say your name was, he responded the second time, Napoleon.

Then Bonaparte stated, “Soldier my name is Napoleon, and you suggest that you either change your name or start living up to it.”

*I want to speak to you on this subject: *

*/Walking Worthy of Your Call/*

 

I will invite you to turn with me in your copy of God’s word to

/Ephesians 4:1-6/

                   

II.

We are encouraged to walk worthy of our calling (vs.

1-3) \\           */Explanation/:*

·        worthy (Axios) means to balance the scales-what is on one

      side should be equal to the other.

·        We are walk in humility or lowliness~/ (this was considered to

      derogatory toward Christians from the pagan society).

·        We are to walk with longsuffering (patience) – long patience;

      the endures negative circumstances, but never gives into to

      them.

~* Abraham waiting for Isaac \\ \\

·        We are to walk with a forbearing love

       ~*Agape love – continuous and unconditional \\  

·        We are to walk in the Spirit \\  

*/Illustration/**: *

·        Paul being a prisoner knew the cost of this worthy calling.

·        /Humility-Moses-most humble of all the earth-(Num 12.3)/

·        /Patience – Abraham waiting for Isaac(Gen 17, 21)/

/ /

*/ /*

*/Argumentation/**:  *

·        *John 15:16* 16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and /that/ your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give   \\ \\

·        *2 Tim 1:8-9* 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called /us/ with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began

 

 

                   */Application: /*

·        A person’s practical living matches their spiritual living (consistency 24~/7).

\\  

·        Coca Cola is recognizable everywhere it is sold, regardless of what country it is sold \\ in.

People may not be able to tell at distance that we are a believer; however, as they gets to know us there should be some distinguishable about us that set us apart.

! III.

We are encouraged to walk in the hope of our calling [4-6]

 

                   */Explanation:/*

·        /There is one body(believers) ~/ one Spirit ~/ one Hope unity in the Spirit(Eph 1:14)/

·        /There is one Lord ~/ one Faith ~/ one Baptism, believer’s baptism,  (Acts 4:12) ~/ (Eph 2:8-9)/

·        /There is one God and Father(James 2:19)/

/ /

/                   *Illustration:* Jonah~/Josh  /

/ \\ *Argumentation:* Eph 1:14; Acts 4:12; Eph 2:8-9; James 2:19/

·        /Eph 1:14 /

·        /who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory/

·        /Acts 4:12// /

/Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved/

/ /

·        /Eph 2:8-9 /

/For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

/

/ /

·        /Jas 2:19/

·        /You believe that there is one God.

You do well.

Even the demons believe—and tremble        \\            /

*/Application:/* Regardless of, what ministry we serve in or what job we

 work at we are called to be witnesses for the cause of Christ.

·        We have one purpose – serve the Lord by leading others to Him and we have one Enemy – Satan, not each other.

IV.

Closing \\ Tonight we have seen three encouragements expressed by the Apostle Paul: \\ \\

a.

We can walk WORTHY of our calling

b.

We can walk in the HOPE of our calling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Commentary:*

* *

*Authorship*

Twice in this epistle Paul referred to himself by name as the author of the book (1:1; 3:1).

Yet the Pauline authorship of Ephesians has been greatly disputed in recent years.

Some critics think that the book reflects aspects of vocabulary, style, and doctrine that differ from Paul’s writings.

Though the book has a close affinity with Colossians, critics claim that Ephesians is uncharacteristic of Paul.

They suggest that the book was pseudonymous, that is, it was written by someone who did not use his own name but who instead claimed to be Paul.

However, pseudonymity was not practiced by the early Christians.

Also this book is regarded by many as the crown of all Paul’s writings.

Thus it seems strange that a disciple of Paul would be greater than Paul in theological and spiritual perception.

Furthermore, Ephesians was extensively and undisputably accepted in the early church as Paul’s letter.

There is no strong reason for rejecting the Pauline authorship of Ephesians.

*Destination.*

Some scholars view this epistle as encyclical, a circular letter to be distributed to several undesignated local churches in the province of Asia or some other area.

This is supported by two observations: (1) the words “in Ephesus” (1:1) do not appear in three early Alexandrian Greek manuscripts, and (2) it is strange for Paul not to mention by name any of the individuals in a church where he had lived and worked for three years (Acts 20:31).

However, it seems better to accept “in Ephesus” as genuine because of the wide geographical distribution of the Greek manuscripts that do include those words.

Also no manuscripts of this epistle mention any other city, and none have only the word “in” followed by a space to insert a city’s name.

The prescript or title “To the Ephesians” appears in all manuscripts of this epistle.

Furthermore, all the letters Paul wrote to churches mention their destinations.

With regard to the absence of names of individuals in Ephesus, it may be that Paul did not want to single out certain persons in this short epistle since he knew so many people there.

Even so, the epistle may still be considered a circular letter, with Ephesus being the primary church addressed since Paul had stayed there so long and since it was the capital city of the province of Asia.

This helps explain the absence of personal names of Ephesian believers.

If this epistle were routed to other churches after the Ephesians read it, it may have gone to Laodicea and Colosse, for Paul in writing Colossians urged the believers there to “read the letter from Laodicea” (Col.

4:16), possibly a reference to the Ephesian epistle.

(For the locations of Ephesus, Asia, Laodicea, and Colosse see the map between Acts and Rom.)

Ephesians was probably delivered by Tychicus (Eph.

6:21-22), who also took Paul’s letter to the Colossians (Col.

4:7-9).

Ephesus was a leading center in the Roman Empire.

Paul had spent a short time in Ephesus on his way back to Antioch from his second missionary journey (Acts 18:19-22).

On his third missionary journey he stayed in Ephesus three years (Acts 20:31).

Several remarkable things happened in Ephesus.

Paul baptized a dozen of John the Baptist’s followers (Acts 19:1-7).

He had discussions in the hall of Tyrannus (19:8-10).

Unusual miracles occurred (19:11-12), strange events took place (19:13-16), sorcerers were converted (19:17-20), and the city rioted over silversmith Demetrius’ loss of business because of people who turned to Christ from worshiping the great Ephesian goddess Artemis (19:23-41).

On Paul’s return to Jerusalem from his third missionary journey he gave a moving farewell address to the Ephesian elders at the coastal town of Miletus (20:13-35).

That was his last time to see them (20:36-38), unless Paul visited Ephesus after he was in Rome (cf. 1 Tim.

1:3 with 3:14).

*Place and Date.*

Paul was a prisoner at the time he wrote this letter (Eph.

3:1; 4:1; 6:20).

Scholars differ on whether Paul wrote this letter while he was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 24:27) in a.d.

57-59, or in Rome (28:30) in a.d.