Ephesians 4

Last week at ACTIVATE Youth Group, Bill Maier took us through Ephesians 3 and finished with a prayer by Paul. It goes: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” The next sentence that Paul writes is this: “I urge you to live a life worth of the calling you have received.”

This concept of God doing things that we can't even imagine reminds me of a story that comes from both the book of Numbers and Deuteronomy. About 4000 years ago God showed up and made himself known in the epicenter of the world in Egypt. He saw a people that were abused and oppressed and rescued them from bondage. He gave his servant Moses incredible powers to cause wonders and signs to prove his existence and then sent 10 plagues on Egypt to force them to release their slaves! Those slaves rejoiced in their freedom, left Egypt and were brought through the desert on a long trip back to their homeland of Canaan. On that lengthy journey God provided them with everything they needed. He gave them water, food, and showed them which way to go. As they were attacked and provoked by marauders and armies, God stepped in and made it clear that he was fighting through and for them.

When they arrived at the promised land of Canaan, Moses said to the people “See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your father, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deut. 1:21)

But the people wanted more information. They wanted to send spies into the land and check it out. They sent one leader from each of the twelve tribes of Israel into the land to look it over. But ten of those leaders came back saying a false message. Their own leaders said that God could not protect them from the people of the land. They said, “They are stronger than we are.”

Two of the leaders, Joshua and Caleb, stood against the crowd and said “If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.”

But the people were filled with doubt and because they refused to trust and obey God, they were exiled to wander for 40 years in the desert to die before their kids were allowed to enter the land.

So, keep that story in mind as we go back to Ephesians 4. What does it mean to live a life worthy of the calling you have received? I’ll tell you what I think, but it will take backing up to what we’ve been talking about from the beginning of Ephesians. It’s difficult for people to understand the concept of our memory verse, Ephesians 2:8-9 that says, “It is by grace you have been saved through faith and this not of yourselves it is a gift of God. Not by works, so that no one can boast.” But when we get it: that we can’t save ourselves, we are saved by God’s work for us through Christ, it’s like a huge burden is lifted from our lives. All our sin is gone and we can spend eternity with God! We’re like the girl in the lifehouse skit, we’re free and we’re walking with Jesus. We’re like the people of Israel; we’re freed from our slavery and burdens.

But so many Christians think that grace is only for the removal of sins. However God is clear through his word that every part of the Christian life is by grace. So when I begin reading through Ephesians 4 right now, I don’t want you to think that the salvation stuff that we’ve been studying for the past few weeks is a gift from God, but this part is the stuff we need to do on our own. NO, this is all a gift from God. It is by continual dependence on his Spirit that we live out the rest of Ephesians.

Read with me from Ephesians 4

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Paul is saying, “don’t be like the faithless people who were afraid and discouraged. Be people of faith who obey God no matter what the cost.”

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.

It’s vital that we recognize the unity that all Christians have through our common belief in Christ. We should be the best friends that there could possibly be. We should be looking out for one another and making sure that all who come in the doors of the church feel incredibly welcomed and loved. As we depend on God’s strength we should be unified at school and able to stand with one another as friends and Jesus followers.

7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.8 This is why itt says:
"When he ascended on high,
he took many captives 
and gave gifts to his people."t

9 (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regionst?10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

This part is pretty confusing, but basically Paul is quoting Psalm 68 to show that Christ Jesus is ruler over all, top dog, king, lord. . . you get the point.

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up13 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.

So there’s six kinds of Christians according to this passage. There’s the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, teachers, and who else? God’s people.

So, apostles are people that physically met Jesus after his resurrection. They’re not here now, but their testimony is written down as the New Testament, so we follow them pretty intensely. Prophets are people who hear God speaking directly to them. Some of you may have that gift and should pursue it with your life. Evangelists love to tell the gospel to those who do not believe. God has gifted them for this, and though we’re all supposed to share the good news, these people are especially gifted for it. Maybe that’s you. The word Pastor means shepherd. A pastor guides people to be able to live the Christian life as a shepherd guides his sheep to green pastures. And a teacher helps increase the knowledge of the students in the study of God.

All of those gifts are for one purpose, to help us all grow more like Jesus in our thinking and in our actions.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The people of Israel were so easily persuaded to doubt God and turn away from Him. If you and I are not in a place where we are encouraged and built up by other faithful Christians, we’ll do the same thing. We’re supposed to be the body of Christ. We can’t give up being together. So, go to church this Sunday. Say no to those sports and activities that take you away from Youth Group. Be involved and active in the Body of Christ.

Next week Georgann will pick up where I've left off, but in the mean time I have one question for you. Will you be a Joshua and Caleb and live out a life of faith, or will you be like other 10, who doubted God and refused to obey?

As we break up into small groups you’ll be memorizing 2 Peter 1:3 that reinforces the fact that we’re not on our own as we consider living out our Christian life. God has given us all the power we need if we believe in Jesus.

Small Group Time:

1. Memorize 2 Peter 1:3 in the Bible or on your keychain

2. Share highs and lows from the week and prayer requests.

3. Ask what they can do to actually depend on God’s help to live out what God desires for them. (direct them toward prayer and waking up each day asking for God’s leading)