March 12, 2023
Morning Service

After completing our “spiritual inventory” in the first 3 chapters of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we were immediately challenged to use our findings as motivation to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”  Paul then revealed to us the gift of the 5-fold ministry God has put in place within His church to “equip us for the work of the ministry and to keep our feet planted in the truth and love of God.”  I wanted to circle back and drill down into each of those five gifts and explain them a little deeper.

Eph. 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

·        Apostles-These are men Jesus personally commissioned to the preach the Gospel Message and establish churches (the Twelve)

·        Prophets-Spokesmen or mouthpieces of God who received direct revelation from God and passed that on to the church. (Paul)

·        Evangelists-Men who are divinely called and gifted to win the lost to Christ.  (Billy Graham)

·        Pastor-Also known as “Bishop” who has been called and gifted to be an overseer/shepherd of a fellowship of the Lord’s church.  He is to guide and protect them from outside influences and continually disciple them to grow their roots of faith deeper into Jesus. (Jerry)

·        Teachers-Men who are divinely gifted to interpret the scriptures and explain it in such a way that it is easy to understand and apply to our lives. (Sam/Andy/Steve)

This 5-fold ministry is how God has designed to keep the church standing firmly upon the foundation Jesus built and lead us to be sure the truth is handed down to the next generation.  As we continue in chapter 4, Paul now gets very practical about some things in our life that we should be doing (put on) and some things we need to should try to remove from our lives (put off).

 

Eph. 4:17-32 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, (18) having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; (19) who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  (20)  But you have not so learned Christ, (21) if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: (22) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, (23) and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, (24) and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.  (25)  Therefore, putting away lying, "LET EACH ONE OF YOU SPEAK TRUTH WITH HIS NEIGHBOR," for we are members of one another.  (26)  "BE ANGRY, AND DO NOT SIN": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, (27) nor give place to the devil.  (28)  Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.  (29)  Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  (30)  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  (31)  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  (32)  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

  I encourage you to reread this passage this week and dig into each specific item to be sure you are not conforming to the world’s view of these things and somehow justifying these actions in your life.  Lying, anger, stealing, corrupt language, bitterness, wrath, clamor, evil speaking, and all malice are to be “put off” from our journey following Jesus.  These are weights that slow us down and also truly hurt our witness. In verse 20 (read) Paul is saying; “you know better” than to do these things.  You know there is no such thing as a “little white lie.”  You know taking something from work because everybody else is doing it does not make it right.  You know to allow anger to direct your actions is wrong.  You know the words that you should not be saying.  You know that talking about someone in a cutting or malicious way helps no one.  You know better and have been taught a different path to take on these and the other fronts discussed here.  We are called to work hard to remove these things from our lives (put off) and put on the attitudes that please our Lord.  This is summarized in verse 30, as Paul reminds us that way we conduct our lives should not “grieve the Holy Spirit of God” that we have been blessed with.  If you have turmoil in your life and you are practicing some of these things, now you know why; you are grieving the Holy Spirit (going against what God desires of you.)  The Holy Spirit will not sit quietly if you begin to allow these type of sins be part of your life.   Paul goes deeper with this as we begin chapter 5:

 

Eph. 5:1-7 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  (2)  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.  (3)  But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; (4) neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.  (5)  For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (6) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  (7)  Therefore do not be partakers with them.

            We are called to imitate Christ, not the world around us.  Many of the sins mentioned here are accepted as normal by the world, but you know better.  “Do not be partakers with them.”  God does not reward disobedience, but will chasten us, because He loves us, in order to bring us back to the narrow path.  We are called to be like Jesus, “as He who called us is holy, you also be holy in your conduct.” (I Pet. 1:16). Paul now explains the transition we have made leaving the darkness and coming to the Light.

 

Eph. 5:8-18For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (9) (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), (10) finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.  (11)  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.  (12)  For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.  (13)  But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.  (14)  Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."  (15)  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  (17)  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  (18)  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.

            Paul tells us to “walk as children of light.”  Our lifestyle should be reflecting our commitment to the One we are following.  We know the path He has chosen for us to walk; one enlightened by the Word revealing what things we are to put off and the things we are to put on.  We need to choose to avoid “fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” and walk in the light “circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.”  Examine the path you are walking and calculate where it is taking you.  If you want to go Bedford and at the 37 intersection you turn left, the path you have chosen is not leading you to where you want to go.  If you desire to draw closer to God and follow Jesus faithfully and are choosing to allow these sinful actions to be part of your life, that is a choice that is not leading you where you want to go.  Solomon wrote this is the Book of Proverbs:

 

Pro 4:18-27 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.  (19)  The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.  (20)  My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.  (21)  Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; (22) For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.  (23)  Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.  (24)  Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.  (25)  Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.  (26)  Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.  (27)  Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

            “Keep your heart with diligence,” which means giving great effort to be sure you are choosing the narrow path that leads to salvation and to be sure we are not conforming to the standards of this world.  You can’t just go with the flow of the world around us, we have follow to Jesus with desire to be found faithful.  He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).  Our journey with Jesus must be one in which we often check the map often to make sure we are still on track on the path He has chosen for us making any changes that need to be made to correct our course. My challenge for you today is to “ponder the path of your feet.” Are the choices you are making; is the lifestyle you are living drawing you closer to Jesus or drawing you farther away from Him?

 

Heavenly Father, open our eyes and hearts to honestly see the path we are on whether it is leading us closer to You or farther away.  Give us the desire, courage and wisdom to make the any changes needed to bring us back on the path You lead us down.