Sermon Tone Analysis

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Sunday, August 10, 2008
*Living our calling*
Ephesians 4:1-13
Pastor Dan Folden, New Heights Christian Church, Kent, WA
/1 //As// a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received./
Ephesians 4:1 NIV
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*This morning begins* a 5 week study of the *4th chapter of Ephesians*.
My intention of *parking on this chapter* at this time is to allow it to *prepare us as a congregation* for effective ministry this fall.
*September* is really the *start of new beginnings in a church*, far more than January.
On September 7th, a *new quarter begins* for our *Sunday School* classes.
*Sunday evening children* and *youth programs* begin.
Early in September our *Women’s Bible Study* gets a fresh start on Thursday mornings.
On *Wednesday nights* our *home fellowship groups return* after a summer break.
And, *the common factor* in all of this is *commitment*.
I just *listed several programs* of the church.
But, *programs* are really just *excuses*, if you would, for *bringing people together* so they *grow together* in their *love for Christ*, in their *love for each other* and in their *effectiveness in communicating Christ’s love* for the world.
When we *know* what *our objectives* are, we have a great deal of *freedom* in *how we choose to reach* those objectives.
*Our Vision* as a church is to: *Influence individuals and communities* to *begin*, *sustain* and *grow* a personal and corporate *relationship with Christ* by developing a *worshipping*, *supportive* and *evangelistic fellowship*.
The *methods we use* to influence, *begin*, sustain and *grow* *relationships* with Christ can be *quite varied*.
Sometimes it will involve the *entire congregation* being gathered in one place.
Other times it will involve *intentional and smaller groupings* of the congregation for more *face to face* and *heart to heart* interactions.
But *whatever the strategy* we choose to employ as a congregation, *our effectiveness* in doing ministry *depends on* a few very important factors like being *faithful*, being *available* and being *teachable*.
But *the glue* that binds those factors together is *commitment*.
And so this morning, I want you to *know my purpose* in preaching *5 sermons* from Ephesians 4. It is to *call us* as a congregation to commitment to *Christ*, commitment to *His church* and commitment to *the work of Christ* in this world.
I am *convinced* that *Jesus Christ* is the *Way*, the *Truth* and the *Life*; . . .
that no one comes to the Father except *through faith in His Son*, Jesus Christ.
*Christ’s demonstrated love for us* is adequate *motivation* for us to *respond* to Him as *servants*.
In the next 4 weeks, I will be *urging you to recommit yourself* *to Christ* as your *highest* and *most valued priority*.
I will be challenging you to *take control of your calendar* so that your days and your weeks *reflect* that *Jesus Christ truly is your Lord*.
I am also *convinced* that when *Christ* brought each of us into His family He *made us to be brothers and sisters together* who are called to *humbly serve side by side* in worship and evangelism.
Over the next 4 weeks I will be challenging you to *an even higher view of the local church* and *discover* more of *the gift that church is *for the believer who desires to *fulfill his God-given calling*.
I remain *convinced* that *faithful, obedient, loving Christians*, individually, but even more so, *collectively*, have the *greatest potential for impacting the unbelieving world* that surrounds them.
So, with *this sermon* and the *next 4*, I hope to *persuade you* through the *truth of Ephesians 4* and through the *work of the Holy Spirit* applying the truth to your life, that *there** is not one thing* that you would want to *commit yourself to more* than to *Christ*, to *His Church* and to *His work* in the world.
Let’s *read together* the first 6 verses of Ephesians 4.
Then, *I’ll read the remaining 7* to finish the selection for today.
I would like you to *stand with me* as we *read from the Bible* and *pause for a moment* to remember that many Christians have *given their lives* so we could have the *luxury* of having *this Book* so we can read it *in our own language*.
Further, we have been *asked* specifically *to pray* for the *persecuted church in **China* during the Olympics.
So, before we exercise this *great privilege of reading the Scriptures* aloud in public worship, let us pause to *say “thanks*,” and to ask God to *continue His supply of strength* and hope for the Christians in China.
Pray.
Now, please *join me in reading* the first 6 verses.
*Ephesians 4:1-13 (NIV) **/1 /**/As/**/ a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received./*/
2 //Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3 //Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
/
/4 //There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 //one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 //one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
/
/7 //But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
8 //This is why it says: /
/“When He ascended on high, He led captives in His train and gave gifts to men.”/
/9 //(What does “He ascended” mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 //He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
/
/11 //It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 //to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 //until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
/
This letter of *Paul’s*, written to *the congregation of believers *in *Ephesus*, was likely written while he was *in **Rome* and during the *early stages* of his *imprisonment* there.
He had been *to **Ephesus** twice*.
On his *third missionary journey*, he spent the *majority of his time* in Ephesus, staying there and serving as the *pastor-teacher* of the church for *over three years*.
So, when he opens the *very practical section* of his letter in *chapter 4*, it is a very *true statement* that he is a *prisoner for the Lord*.
O, he was a *prisoner of **Rome*, but it was because of his *allegiance to Jesus Christ*, his Lord, that *got him arrested* and imprisoned.
So he writes:
*Ephesians 4:1 (NIV) **/1 /**/As/**/ a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received./*/
/
If find it *intriguing* that Paul *incorporates his identity* as a *prisoner* for the Lord in his *argument for why* the Ephesian believers should *live lives worthy* of their calling.
It makes me *a bit curious* if Paul was *seeing his circumstance as his present calling* and was *doing his best* to live a life worthy of being *His Lord’s representative* in a *Roman prison*.
So surely, *if Paul could trust in God’s sovereignty* in such a difficult circumstance, then *the Ephesian believers could also* trust God as well.
I believe there could also be *the added weight* of the *real possibility* that this could be *the end of the road for Paul*.
It’s conceivable that *Paul could die in this prison* and his dear friends reading his letter would *listen even more closely* to every word.
And so *he urges* his brothers and sisters in Christ to *walk in a manner worthy* of their calling.
No doubt *they understood* from both *his teachings* while he was *with them* as well as *his instructions* in the *first three chapters* of this letter, that they had been *called by God into a relationship with Jesus Christ*.
And it was *to this relationship* that Paul was urging them to *live a life worthy* of being attached to Christ.
So the *recipients of this letter* would *feel the weight* of their *allegiance to Paul* and their *indebtedness to Jesus Christ*.
I take */calling/* here to mean both *a common, over-arching objective for all believers* and a *specific, tailor-made assignment for particular believers*.
Paul has *all believers in mind* and is saying that *as redeemed followers* of Christ, we have been *called out of darkness* and brought *into* the marvelous *light of Christ*.
We have been *forgiven of our sins* and the *Holy Spirit lives within us*.
We are *new creatures in Christ*.
We have a *whole new life to live*.
No longer do we live to *satisfy the lusts* of our flesh, but *now we live to honor* the Lord Jesus Christ.
*He* has become *our goal*, our *objective*, our *life*.
As we *will* *see later on*, our *calling* also has a *very personalized* and *specific aspect* to it.
We will deal with that more *next week*.
It seems *obvious enough* that Paul’s *next words* are really an *explanation* of what he *means by our /calling/*.
He says, if you *live this way* we will be *honoring our Lord*.
/2 //Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
/
The *aspect of our calling* that Paul *first* focuses on is *relational*.
Verse 2 can be *summarized* with the words *humility and patience*.
That’s *how we should relate with people.*
Treat people with *respect* and *gentleness*.
*Endure* people.
*Church* is *where* we should be *getting our best practice* at this.
Certainly there’s *enough grace present in this place* that *practicing* *humility* and *gentleness* and *patience* would be a *most logical thing to do*, especially since *Paul urges us *to do it.
So, tell me, *what will it look like* if we *practice verse 2* in our relationships *here at New Heights*?
*When* do we need *complete humility*?
How about when we *experience a little bit of envy*?
Somebody’s *getting more attention than we are* and now we have to *consider him or her as better* than ourselves.
We could use a little humility then.
How about *complete gentleness*?
*When* do we need that?
How about when *someone has a need* and *we* could *do something about it*?
We put *aside our agenda* and give *attention* to meeting the need of another.
That’s basic to *gentleness*; a *sincere consideration* of the *needs of others*.
O, and then there’s *patience*.
We are *tested on this often*, aren’t we.
*Why* do there have to be *so many people* who just *don’t do things* the way they’re *supposed to*?
And, why are there *so many of them in the church*?
The *Holy Spirit* is working to *grow patience within us* and the ability to *bear with others*, to suffer them *for a long time*.
I *wish* I could say *it gets easier* from here on.
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