9:30 am Worship Service
10900 Huron Street
Northglenn, CO

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-13

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things and he gave some apostles, ans some, prophets, ans some, evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith; and of the knowledge of the Son God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

Sermon: To Walk Worthy – Tomm Tice

1. What is this calling?
2. How do we know that walking worthy is important?
3. What does it look like to walk worthy?

Catechism: Westminster Shorter Catechism Question #88

What are the outward and ordinary menas whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?

The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are, his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

Matthew 28:18-20 and Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. God ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Acts 2:41-42. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles; doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Worship:

Bow the Knee
O Great God
I Love You Lord
Open Our Eyes Lord

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.

Ephesians 4:1

How serious a matter is it for us to walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling as saints?  Apparently, to Paul, it was a serious matter.   There are at least two things he does in our text which indicate this.  The first thing he does is refer to himself, as ‘the prisoner of the Lord.’  By this reference, he obliquely points out that he has taken this walk of faith seriously enough to follow it to its’ logical conclusion.  That has landed him in prison for the sake of Christ.  The second thing he does is to beseech, or beg, the Ephesians to walk worthy of this calling.  Paul was an imitator of Christ to its’ logical conclusion.  He wanted the Ephesians, to likewise be imitators of Christ.  It is the small steps we take all along the way which lend us to the large conclusion.  Small actions, repeated, lead to large consequences.  Because Paul understands this, he begs the Ephesians to take this walking worthy as seriously as he does.  He understands that this is the only appropriate response to grace and the only true reflection of genuine gratitude for all that God has done for us in Christ.  Paul’s entreaty to the Ephesians is also an entreaty to us.  If we have received grace, with what degree of gratitude will we respond?  How will we walk worthy of the calling with which we were called?

Our Holy, Wise God and Heavenly Father,
we rejoice that You have laid out before us
a pathway to follow, step-by-step.
We praise You that You have set Christ before us,
as the brilliant example,
Whom we can imitate as we walk along this path.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.

Ephesians 4:1

If we are ‘called to be saints,’ how are we going to ‘walk worthy of the calling?’  What does that mean, and how do we pursue it and practice it?  Paul will flesh this out in practical terms over the next three chapters.  So much of what he will say will come down to our interactions with each other.  The touchstone of truth for us is going to be the pattern set for these interactions by Christ Himself.  Walking worthy of the calling with which God has called us relates directly to how we observe Christ interacting with others.  Christ saves us by free and Sovereign grace.  Having justified us, He goes on to sanctify us, which means He develops us to become like Him.  This is a long, slow process which the Holy Spirit performs by continually revealing to us more of Christ.  He does so by the means of grace and by the experiences in life to which He brings us which will highlight the areas where we need the greatest transformation.  In all these instances our looking to Christ is of paramount importance.  It is the contemplation of Christ that leads to the imitation of Christ.

Our Glorious Living Christ,
we rejoice that You have given unto us
the privilege and responsibility
of making You known to all people.
We praise You that daily we can look to You
and learn to imitate You as Your Spirit leads us.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.

Ephesians 4:1

What is the calling of which Paul speaks?  He is transitioning into the portion of Ephesians where he will practically apply all the doctrines which he has been expounding to them since the beginning of the book.  As he does so, he appeals to his children in the faith to, ‘walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.’  Elsewhere, Paul refers to that calling.  In the first chapter of both Romans and I Corinthians, Paul speaks of those who are, ‘called to be saints.’  In saving us, God calls us to be saints.  Sainthood is not what is has come to mean by connotation.  To become a saint is to be saved by free and Sovereign Grace.  This is the calling of which Paul is speaking.  The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is what will ultimately conform us to the image of Christ.  Paul makes it apparent that we have the opportunity to act and interact as we make use of the means of grace which God has afforded us.  We are not the authors or finishers of our own sanctification, but He does afford us practical means of which we may take advantage as He does this work.  Paul will dive into these practical means in the next few chapters.  In the meantime, he introduces this section with the plea for us to ‘walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.’  We are called saints and becoming like Christ through the work of sanctification.  He has begun this work and will finish it.

Great God of Wonders,
all Your Works are matchless, Godlike and divine.
We rejoice that You are conforming us
to the Image of Christ that we may fulfill the
high purpose to which You have called us.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning