Sunday, December 13, 2015

Sermon Notes for the 13th of December 2015



2015.12.13                       Eph 4: 20-32; Ch 5:1-5
                           Third Advent
               Put on Christ and Walk in Love
We want to welcome you to Calvary Chapel this morning…. I´m Glad that you are here! I have Good News for you!  His name is Jesus… I want to read one of the many prophesies about the Coming of the Lord Jesus to a lost and dying world…
Isaiah 9:1-2                                           NLT
1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
23 Doch diese Zeit der Dunkelheit und Verzweiflung wird nicht für immer andauern. Wurden früher auch das Land Sebulon und das Land Naftali gedemütigt, so wird später das Gebiet der Völker, die Gott nicht kennen, die Straße am Meer jenseits des Jordan, zu Ehren kommen.
1 Denn das Volk, das in der Dunkelheit lebt, sieht ein helles Licht. Und über den Menschen in einem vom Tode überschatteten Land strahlt ein heller Schein.
Of Course… Jesus is that Light…. He sent us as genuine believers out into this world…. He said… You are the light of the World… Let your light shine… The letter to the Ephesians is a great help to us as we seek to obey the Lord by letting our light shine… Paul spent his life Proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples… He taught the Word of God everywhere he went… He wrote about 1/2 of the NT… He wrote Ephesians to teach us about the Lord our God… He explains to us what it means to be in Christ… And then… very importantly Paul addresses the very practical questions of being salt and light… How does the great theological truth that we are in Christ... Affect the way we live and treat others… How do we shine! By reflecting the Lord Jesus in everything that we do… Definitely not by being Shineheilig
The Lord our God has redeemed us… He has transformed our lives…. He has poured His unbelieveable grace out on us in a never ending flood…
It is only Because of His work in transforming us… That we have become new creatures… But what are the practical ways that we are different now… different than before we were born again… This question will occupy our time again this morning…
God´s grace affects our past present and our future… We have been forgiven…. We now live for the Lord Jesus … We will continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him and we will be with Him forever!.. Great… but how do we grow in grace… Paul has lots of advice for us…
In this very practical section…. Paul focuses on our Christian walk… Everything about us is…. or at least should be different… We are part of His body… We are His representatives in this world… People need to see Jesus in us…. The world needs us to be a reflection of God´s Grace and Mercy… We are saved so that we can Graciously Proclaim the Truth to a lost and dying world… In order to remind ourselves of the context…. I will read a few verses from last week… Paul says … Stop living like the Gentiles… Eph 4:.. vs17-19…
Ephesians 4: 17-19      NLT Neues Leben
17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
17 Ich will vor Gott bezeugen, dass ihr nicht mehr leben sollt wie Menschen, die Gott nicht kennen und deren Denken ohne Sinn und Ziel ist.18 Ihr Verstand ist verfinstert und sie sind von dem Leben, das Gott für sie hat, weit entfernt, weil sie von ihm nichts wissen wollen und ihre Herzen hart geworden sind. 19 Gleichgültig überlassen sie sich ganz ihren ausschweifenden Leidenschaften und suchen gierig nach jeder Art von Verlockung
v17… Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused… we should walk… conduct our lives… differently than the world around us does…
There is a growing tendency for Christians to try to display to the world that we really aren't so different after all… We try to compromise our Biblical values for their sake…
We seem to deeply desire the approval of the ungodly… so much that we compromise the things that we know that we should stand for… This is nuts…. We are different and we need to stop pretending that we are just like them…  They don´t even know what they are doing…. Or why they are so unwilling to repent of their sins…
v17b… for they are hopelessly confused… The Gentile walk is characterized by the futility of their mind…. KJV… v18… they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him… In the end… their thinking is hopeless… because their understanding is darkened… They are alienated from the life of God…
v19… They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity…
As I said last week… Basically… the ignorance and lack of understanding of man is a heart problem… It is shown not only in a foolish denial of God… but also in unrestrained greed and lust… Paul goes on to tell us not to live like that anymore… He tells us how to put on the Lord Jesus Christ… v20-22…
Ephesians 4: 20-22                     NLT   Neues Leben
20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
20 Durch Christus habt ihr jedoch etwas anderes kennen gelernt, 21 wenn ihr ihm zugehört habt und die Wahrheit kennt, die in ihm ist. 22 Deshalb sollt ihr euer altes Wesen und eure frühere Lebensweise ablegen, die durch und durch verdorben war und euch durch trügerische Leidenschaften zu Grunde richtete.
22… throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life… the NKJV says…. Put off … the old man … put on the new man… This has the same idea of putting off or putting on a set of clothes… The idea is to "change into" a different kind of conduct….
Think of a prisoner who is released from prison… but still wears his prison clothes and still acts like a prisoner… He is not living like a free man… We are free in Christ…. That does not mean that we can do whatever we want…. We are not Free to sin…. We are Free to live for the LORD! We would tell him or her to put on some new clothes…
Now for the second time in just a few verses… Paul calls for a new and transformed way of life… Put on your new nature…  It will start to change our attitudes about everything and everyone… v23,24…
Ephesians 4: 23,24                     NLT   Neues Leben
23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
23 Lasst euch stattdessen einen neuen Geist und ein verändertes Denken geben. 24 Als neue Menschen, geschaffen nach dem Ebenbild Gottes und zur Gerechtigkeit, Heiligkeit und Wahrheit berufen, sollt ihr auch ein neues Wesen annehmen.
v23… Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes…  Paul is saying…    that   the Christian  must make a break with the past… Jesus isn't merely added to our old life… the old life dies and He becomes our new life… turn with me to Galatians ch2..v20… Here is how Paul puts it…
Galatians 2: 20,21                        NLT   Neues Leben
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.
20 Ich lebe, aber nicht mehr ich selbst, sondern Christus lebt in mir. Ich lebe also mein Leben in diesem irdischen Körper im Glauben an den Sohn Gottes, der mich geliebt und sich selbst für mich geopfert hat. 21 Ich gehöre nicht zu denen, die die Gnade Gottes gering achten. Denn wenn wir durch das Gesetz gerettet werden könnten6, hätte Christus nicht sterben müssen.
v20… It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me… We were crucified with the LORD Jesus on the cross… So that we could live for Him… We now live by trusting Him… We must not continue with our old selfish and sin filled life… That would be to ignore our great Salvation…
v21… I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless…
This is important… We stand by grace… We were saved by grace through faith… If we now as genuine believers try to go back to a legalistic way of relating to God… If we decide we must work for God´s blessing on our lives now… We are treating God´s grace as meaningless… As genuine believers… We love and serve the Lord out of a deeply grateful heart… Not because we must…
Our Christian life must go beyond head knowledge… We are expected to put on the Lord Jesus… We have learned from Him…. We see Him clearly Here in His Word…. We have been forgiven and The Lord has given us a new heart…. Ezekiel 36… but it must affect our whole manner of thinking… We now have the ability to set our minds on the right things…. We look to Him and His Word…. As we do…Our mind is renewed day by day… This is what Paul wrote in Romans… Turn with me to Romans ch12…v2…
Romans 12: 2                 NLT  Neues Leben
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
2 Deshalb orientiert euch nicht am Verhalten und an den Gewohnheiten dieser Welt, sondern lasst euch von Gott durch Veränderung eurer Denkweise in neue Menschen verwandeln. Dann werdet ihr wissen, was Gott von euch will: Es ist das, was gut ist und ihn freut und seinem Willen vollkommen entspricht.
Stop acting like the World…! Let God transform the way you think!
Back to Eph 4… look at v24… (Can scroll down)
Ephesians 4: 23,24                     NLT   Neues Leben
23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
23 Lasst euch stattdessen einen neuen Geist und ein verändertes Denken geben. 24 Als neue Menschen, geschaffen nach dem Ebenbild Gottes und zur Gerechtigkeit, Heiligkeit und Wahrheit berufen, sollt ihr auch ein neues Wesen annehmen.
v24… Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy…The old life is gone; a new life has begun! That´s 2 Corinthians 5:17…
This miracle happened in us… when we repented of our sins and cried out to God...  We have been transformed… Old things have passed away… Everything is new… Paul gets very practical here in these next verses…
Put on your New nature

1 turn from lying and tell the Truth… v25
2 turn from uncontrolled anger to self control… 26,27
3 turn from stealing to working… v28
4 turn from harsh words to encouraging others… v29
5 turn from Bitterness to love and forgiveness… ch4:31,32 and 5:1,2
6 turn from sexual sin to genuine committment to God… ch5: 3-5
Let´s remember that Paul is talking to genuine believers here…. He is talking to his own church congregation as we read this letter… v25-27…
Ephesians 4: 25-27                     NLT   Neues Leben
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
25 Hört auf zu lügen und »sagt einander die Wahrheit«, weil wir alle zusammengehören. 26 »Sündigt nicht, wenn ihr zornig seid«, und lasst die Sonne nicht über eurem Zorn untergehen. 27 Gebt dem Teufel keine Möglichkeit, durch den Zorn Macht über euch zu gewinnen!
v25… point 1… So stop telling lies… The new man tells the truth...
We are members of one another…  there is no place for lying to each other… No reason to do it…
v26… point 2… And “don’t sin by letting anger control you….”Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry… We may get angry… but we cannot not make our sin worse by holding on to our anger… The new creature knows how to let go of his wrath…  
v27… for anger gives a foothold to the devil…The devil's work is to accuse and divide the family of God… and to sow discord among them… When we harbor bitterness and anger in our heart…. we do the devil's work for him…
Instead of loving and encouraging each other… We spread discord… We talk about each other behind the back… We are being Sinful and prideful… We are not being like Jesus…
The name “devil” literally means "slanderer”… Paul is saying that when we hold on to our anger… creating bitterness… we give place to the slanderer… He is the one who is constantly accusing us to the Lord…. And tempting us to slander and accuse others… v28-30…
Ephesians 4: 28-30     NLT   Neues Leben
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
28 Wer ein Dieb ist, soll aufhören zu stehlen. Er soll seine Hände zu ehrlicher Arbeit gebrauchen und dann anderen, die in Not sind, großzügig geben. 29 Verzichtet auf schlechtes Gerede, sondern was ihr redet, soll für andere gut und aufbauend sein, damit sie im Glauben ermutigt werden. 30 Achtet darauf, den Heiligen Geist nicht durch euer Verhalten zu betrüben. Denkt vielmehr daran, dass ihr sein Siegel tragt und dadurch die Gewissheit habt, dass der Tag der Erlösung kommen wird.
v28a… point 3… If you are a thief, quit stealing…The new man works with his hands…
v28b… use your hands for good hard work… The “Greek” here says… "to exert oneself to the point of exhaustion."… That is exactly what we saw in the life of Paul… I am sure that the Ephesians knew this about Paul…. He worked hard and he gave generously to others… Paul definitely practiced what he preached…  This is the kind of heart attitude God commands those who used to steal to have... Paul's idea is that we should work hard so that we can give to others...
v29a… point 4… Don’t use foul or abusive language… Stop your mouth form trash talking… Don´t do that… Do this… Be kind and helpful… Put off the old garbage… Put on the new…
v29b… Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them…Good and helpful and encouraging…. That´s the new and transformed heart and attitude in action…
v30… And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live…The new man will seek the Lord for strength in times of temptation…. He will hang on to the Lord Jesus for help…. Help to put on the new man…. Help to get the fellowship and encouragement he or she needs… We will to keep our eyes on Jesus… We will look to the Word of God… turn to Romans 15… v4…
Romans 15: 4       NLT  Neues Leben
4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
4 Dies wurde vor langer Zeit aufgeschrieben, damit wir daraus lernen. Es soll uns Hoffnung geben und ermutigen, sodass wir geduldig auf das warten, was Gott in der Schrift versprochen hat.
Right here in this book… We are taught about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…. Here we find hope and encouragement…. We learn Patience…. You know… Even in our trials and temptations…. Even in our very hard times the Lord is teaching us… He teaches us to look to His Word… and to hold on his promises to love and care for us… Deuteronomy 8… Even in the hard times…
In 2 Cor 1 we see something wonderful about our hard times…… turn to 2 Corinthians ch1..v3,4…
2 Corinthians 1: 3,4                  NKJV    slt 2000
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
3 Gelobt sei der Gott und Vater unseres Herrn Jesus Christus, der Vater der Barmherzigkeit und Gott alles Trostes,4 der uns tröstet in all unserer Bedrängnis, damit wir die trösten können, die in allerlei Bedrängnis sind, durch den Trost, mit dem wir selbst von Gott getröstet werden.
v3… Our heaven Father…. He is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort…
He comforts us in all of our tribulations…. And then he uses those very same Very difficult experiences to equip us to minister to others… What a Great God we serve…. He delights to show mercy… Micah 7: 18...
That´s awesome… back to Ephesians 4… v31,32…
Ephesians 4: 31,32                 NLT   Neues Leben
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
31 Befreit euch von Bitterkeit und Wut, von Ärger, harten Worten und übler Nachrede sowie jeder Art von Bosheit. 32 Seid stattdessen freundlich und mitfühlend zueinander und vergebt euch gegenseitig, wie auch Gott euch durch Christus vergeben hat.

Ephesians 5:1,2                    NLT   Neues Leben
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
1 Folgt in allem Gottes Beispiel, denn ihr seid seine geliebten Kinder. 2 Euer Leben soll von Liebe geprägt sein, wie auch Christus uns geliebt hat, denn er hat sich selbst als Gabe und Opfer für unsere Sünden gegeben. Und Gott hatte Gefallen an diesem Opfer, das wie ein wohlriechender Duft zu ihm aufstieg.

v31… point 5… Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior… Stop that!... The new man has control of his emotions… When such things do break out… We can and should  deal with them in a manner glorifying to God…
How?...
By being quick to see what we are doing…. And humbly and quickly ask the Lord and those who we have offended…. for forgiveness… Instead do this…

v32a… be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another…The Lord expects us to show the same kindness, tender heartedness and forgiveness to others that the Lord has shown us… If we treat others as God treats us, we fulfill everything Paul tells us to do in this chapter… And of course…. Paul is just reflecting the Words of Jesus…
Our forgiveness of others is patterned after the forgiveness of Jesus towards us… When we think of the amazing way God forgives us… it is shameful for us to withhold forgiveness from those who have wronged us…
v32b… just as God through Christ has forgiven you…
This gives us complete assurance of our forgiveness…  it is all for Christ's sake… We have been forgiven for the Sake of the Lord Jesus Christ… We are commanded to forgive others for the very same reason…. Ch5… v1…
v1… stop the bitterness… Put off the old man…. Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children…
v2… Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ…
We live our lives filled with His love… And We forgive each other for Christ´s sake… All of this pleases the Lord our God… This is not easy….
Nevertheless Paul insists on this…. He says it is possible…. You can do it… Remember the Lord Jesus… let´s continue to point 6… v3-5…

Ephesians 5: 3-5                     NLT   Neues Leben
3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
3 Weil ihr Gott gehört, soll es keine Unzucht, Unreinheit oder Habgier unter euch geben. 4 Genauso unpassend für euch ist schmutziges, dummes und anzügliches Gerede; vielmehr sollt ihr Gott danken. 5 Ihr könnt sicher sein, dass kein unzüchtiger, unreiner oder habgieriger Mensch je das Reich Christi und Gottes miterben wird. Denn ein Habgieriger ist nur ein Götzendiener, der weltliche Dinge anbetet.
v3-5… point 6… turn from sexual sin and greed to genuine committment to God… Greed is Idolatry… look at the end of v5… a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world…


Close
We have been redeemed and our lives have been transformed…. Our sins have been washed away…. Our old life is dead… We have a new life now…. All because we are in Christ… We forgive because He has forgiven us… turn to Romans 15: 1-7…
Romans 15: 1-3                           NLT   Neues Leben
1  We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. 3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.”
1 Selbst wenn wir einen starken Glauben haben, dürfen wir uns nicht nach uns selbst richten, sondern müssen die Zweifel und Ängste Schwächerer ernst nehmen. 2 Wir sollen uns so verhalten, dass es dem andern hilft1 und er dadurch im Glauben ermutigt wird. 3 Denn auch Christus lebte nicht nur für sich selbst. In der Schrift heißt es: »Die Menschen, die dich beleidigen, beleidigen auch mich.«2

Romans 15: 4-7                           NLT   Neues Leben
4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
4 Dies wurde vor langer Zeit aufgeschrieben, damit wir daraus lernen. Es soll uns Hoffnung geben und ermutigen, sodass wir geduldig auf das warten, was Gott in der Schrift versprochen hat. 5 Gott, der diese Geduld und Ermutigung schenkt, soll euch helfen, eins zu sein und in Frieden miteinander zu leben. Geht miteinander so um, wie es Christus vorgelebt hat. 6 Dann könnt ihr gemeinsam mit einer Stimme Gott, den Vater unseres Herrn Jesus Christus, loben und ehren. 7 Nehmt einander an, wie Christus euch angenommen hat, denn dadurch wird Gott geehrt.
Let´s pray…

Sunday, December 6, 2015



2015.12.06                              Ephesians 4: 1-6
    The Characteristics of a Worthy Christian Walk

This great passage on the worthy Christian walk really deserves our diligent faithful study… because it reveals an important truth that we need to consider… That is the Christian life is not a matter of what we do…. The First and most important thing is who we are…
There is a lot of confusion today about what it means to be a Christian…
The letter to the Ephesians is concerned first… With what it means to be in Christ… And very importantly we are confronted with this important question… How does the great theological truth that we are in Christ... Affect the way we live and treat others… God has redeemed us… He has transformed our lives…. He has poured His unbelieveable grace out on us in a never ending flood…
It is only Because of His work in transforming us… We are new creatures… But what are the practical ways that we are different than before we were born again…
In Ephesians… Paul clearly explains what it means to be in Christ… What it means to Born again… It affects everything…. God´s grace affects our past present and our future… We have been forgiven…. We now live for the Lord Jesus … We will continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him and we will be with Him forever!..
Most of this letter is teaching us how we should live our lives… We are now in this very practical section…. Paul focuses on our Christian walk… Everything about us is…. or at least should be different… We are part of His body… We are His representatives in this world… People need to see Jesus in us…. The world needs us to be a reflection of God´s Grace and Mercy… We are saved so that we can Graciously proclaim the truth to a lost and dying world… Just like Jesus… John 1… full of grace and truth…
Let´s read the first 6 verses of Ephesians ch4…. 1-6…

Ephesians 4: 1-3                      NLT   Neues Leben
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
1 Als ein Gefangener für den Herrn fordere ich euch deshalb auf, ein Leben zu führen, das eurer Berufung würdig ist, denn ihr seid ja von Gott berufen worden.
2 Seid freundlich und demütig, geduldig im Umgang miteinander. Ertragt einander voller Liebe.
3 Bemüht euch, im Geist eins zu sein, indem ihr untereinander Frieden haltet.

Ephesians 4: 4-6                             NLT Neues Leben
 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6  one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.
4 Ihr sollt alle gemeinsam ein Leib sein und einen Geist haben, weil ihr alle zu einer Hoffnung berufen seid.
5 Es gibt nur einen Herrn, einen Glauben, eine Taufe,
6 und es gibt auch nur einen Gott und Vater, der über allen steht und durch alle lebt und in uns allen ist.
v1a... Therefore… Paul has just spent three chapters spelling out in detail all that God has done for us… He has reminded us over and over that it is all because of the Lord Jesus… He has given us these gifts freely by His grace… Now he begs us to lead a life that is worthy…

v1b… beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling… When we really understand how much the Lord has done for us… we will naturally desire to serve and obey Him out of grateful and thankful hearts….
The idea is clear… We don't walk worthy so that God will love us… but because He does love us… Our love and service is motivated out of gratitude… not out of a desire to earn God´s favor or to earn his blessings… Paul explains the Worthy walk to us…
Paul now gives us this wonderful description of the worthy walk…     Notice that these things are heart attitudes and not what we do…   Those are all internal attitudes…. These are the Characteristics of the transformed heart…These things should be true of every genuine believer… v2,3…
Ephesians 4: 2,3                      NLT   Neues Leben
2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
2 Seid freundlich und demütig, geduldig im Umgang miteinander. Ertragt einander voller Liebe.3 Bemüht euch, im Geist eins zu sein, indem ihr untereinander Frieden haltet.
We're learning the basic principles of the worthy walk... v2a… Always be humble and gentle… The KJV says… With all lowliness and gentleness… A worthy walk before God will be marked by lowliness and gentleness… not a pushy desire to promote ourselves… We will also not be quick to defend our own rights… or to advance our own agenda… The first thing I see is that we cannot do these things unless the Lord is at work in us… It is a work of the Holy Spirit deep inside our hearts and minds…
v2b… Be patient with each other… making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love… the KJV says…. Longsuffering…  We desperately need this here in the church… Because we all make mistakes… We sin… we say stupid and hurtful things to each other… In the Sermon on the mount… we are reminded of the character of our heavenly Father… Turn with me to Luke 6: 35,36…
Luke 6: 35,36                             NLT Neues Leben
35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
35 Liebt eure Feinde! Erweist ihnen Gutes! Leiht ihnen Geld! Und macht euch keine Sorgen, weil sie es euch vielleicht nicht wiedergeben werden. Dann wird euer Lohn im Himmel groß sein und ihr handelt wirklich wie Kinder des Allerhöchsten, denn er erweist auch den Undankbaren und den Bösen Gutes.
36 Ihr sollt gütig sein, wie euer Vater gütig ist.
Earlier in this same sermon… Matthew 6:15…We are reminded that if we do not forgive… We will not be forgiven…
We must remember that we have been forgiven…. We are commanded to forgive others… We do not retaliate… We do not pay back…. We cover their sins with our love… That takes longsuffering…
Longsuffering is having to power to take revenge… but never doing it… It is characteristic of a forgiving… transformed  heart… Back to Ephesians ch 4… v3…
v3… Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace… This humble… forgiving attitude towards each other… naturally helps to keep the unity of the Spirit… Listen carefully now… Forgiveness from the heart is the basis of Christian unity…. Not perfect doctrine…
We must endeavor to keep this unity - we do not create it... God never commands us to create unity among believers... He has created it by His Spirit… our duty is to recognize it and keep it… By forgiving each other… By being patient and kind…. By gently correcting each other…
This is a spiritual unity… It is based on the fact that we are in Christ…. He has redeemed us…. Even though we did not deserve it…   We see this in the instantanious fellowship possible among Christians of churches, nationalities, and languages….
This supernatural unity is found only in Jesus Christ… Genuine believers are knit together by the Spirit of God...
Many years ago Charles Spurgeon wrote this…
"We want unity in the truth of God… through the Spirit of God. This let us seek after; let us live near to Christ, for this is the best way of promoting unity. Divisions in Churches never begin with those full of love to the Savior." Charles Spurgeon
Let´s read the next section… v4-6…
Ephesians 4: 4-6               NKJV slt 2000
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
4 Ein Leib und ein Geist, wie ihr auch berufen seid zu einer Hoffnung eurer Berufung; 5 ein Herr, ein Glaube, eine Taufe; 6 ein Gott und Vater aller, über allen und durch alle und in euch allen.
v4,5… There is one body and one Spirit… We have unity because of what we share in common… In Jesus we share one body…. Together we make up the Body of Christ… We have the same Holy spirit living in us… one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one Father... Each of these common areas is far greater than any potential differences between us… Paul has been telling us over and over…. We are in Christ… We are one in Him… let´s read the next section…v7-10…
Ephesians 4: 7,8                    NLT   Neues Leben
7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,“When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”
7 Doch hat jeder von uns seinen Anteil an der Gnade geschenkt bekommen, so wie Christus sie uns geschenkt hat.
8 Deshalb heißt es in der Schrift: »Er ist in die Höhen hinaufgestiegen und hat Gefangene mit sich geführt und den Menschen Gaben geschenkt.

Ephesians 4: 9,10                    NLT   Neues Leben
9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. ….
9 Dass er in die Höhen hinaufstieg, bedeutet aber auch, dass er vorher herabgekommen war: Er kam als Mensch auf die Erde.
10 Er, der herabkam, ist derselbe, der über alle Himmel hinaufstieg, damit er Herr über alles ist.
v7… he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ… Grace was given to us by and through the Lord Jesus Christ… We all have grace given to us abundantly…  This is the basis for God's distribution of spiritual gifts through His church…. It´s all  grace… the free, unmerited grace of God….  
v8… When He ascended on high… He gave gifts… This giving happened when Jesus ascended to heaven… It is proof   of His Total Victory over every enemy…  
Paul quotes from an ancient translation (called a Targum) that quotes the Psalm in this way…
v9… Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.
In this, Paul demonstrates how the words He ascended in Psalm 68:18 have reference to the resurrection of Jesus… Paul is proclaiming the incarnation of the Lord Jesus…. When he took on flesh and was born in Bethlehem… He descended into the earth… When he Rose from the dead… He ascended again into heaven from where he had come… If you have questions about this passage… You are welcome to  come and talk to me about it… For now… let´s continue… v11,12…
Ephesians 4:11,12      NLT Neues Leben
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
11 Er hat die einen als Apostel, die anderen als Propheten, wieder andere als Prediger und schließlich einige als Hirten und Lehrer eingesetzt.
12 Ihre Aufgabe ist es, die Gläubigen für ihren Dienst vorzubereiten und die Gemeinde - den Leib Christi - zu stärken.
v11a… These are the gifts… Jesus established these offices… They are really appointed by the Lord Jesus… not men...
v11b… Gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers… Paul describes four offices not five… as in the commonly but falsely called the  "five-fold ministry”… First Apostles…
Apostles… Sent ones…  Missionaries are in a sense Apostles… Because they were sent to do the Lord´s work… There are no capital A Apostles today… Not in the same authoritative sense of the first century apostles... They were used to provide a solid Biblical foundation (preserved as the New Testament) Ephesians 2:20… next…
Prophets… They speak forth the Word of God…. Remember that every Prophet that ever lived has had the same message… Judgment is certain…. Repent… The kingdom of Heaven is at  hand… That proclamation of the Gospel is always the main prophetic message… Yes Sometimes they speak about things that will happen in the future… But it is always in totally consistent with the Scriptures… And every Prophesy is always subject to the discernment and judgment of the church leadership…1 Corinthians 14:29... Also… Just like the apostles… modern prophets do not speak in the same authoritative sense that the first century prophets did… They brought God's foundational word (Ephesians 2:20)… next…
Evangelists… They  are specifically gifted to preach the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ… next
Pastors and teachers… pastor-teachers… the ancient Greek clearly describes one office with two descriptive titles… who shepherd the flock of God primarily through teaching the Word of God…
These gifts are given to the church by the Lord Jesus, working through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:11)… They all serve the same great purpose… v12…
12… For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry… The purpose of these gifts of leadership is also clear… It is that the saints… All of God´s people…. Not just the perfect ones… might be equipped for the work of ministry…  That is taught and discipled… Equipped  and prepared to do the very things that the Lord has planned for everyone of us…  so that the body of Christ would be built up (expanded and strengthened).
The Greek word for Equipping also has the idea of healing and strengthening…  It was used for setting broken bones…   These ministries work together to produce strong, healthy…  fit Christians…
It is you…. God's people do the real work of ministry... Leaders in the church have the responsibility to equip people to serve…
Our job description is simple…. We help to equip you to do the work…. We do that with the Word of God….  It is the Word of God that the Holy Spirit uses…. He uses it in all of our lives… 2 Timothy 3: 15-17…
let´s continue… v13…


Ephesians 4: 13                NKJV       slt 2000
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
13 bis wir alle zur Einheit des Glaubens und der Erkenntnis des Sohnes Gottes gelangen, zur vollkommenen Mannesreife, zum Maß der vollen Größe des Christus;
v13a… Till we all come to the unity of the faith… This is the primary goal of God's work in the church… This is consistent with both the ultimate purpose of God… Ephesians 1:10… and the mystery of God revealed through Paul… Ephesians 3:6…
v13b… And of the knowledge of the Son of God… We As we spend time here in the church…. We mature in our faith and in our relationships with each other and with the Lord Himself… Peter exhorts us to this very same goal… Let´s take a quick look…. 1 Peter 3:18…
1 Peter 3:18                     NLT   Neues Leben
18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
18 Wachst aber in der Gnade und Erkenntnis unseres Herrn und Retters Jesus Christus! Ihm gehört alle Herrlichkeit und Ehre, jetzt und in Ewigkeit! Amen.         
He said we must grow in grace and as we learn more about Him… We will experience a greater… deeper relationship with God…. Back to Ephesians…ch4…let´s read.v.13-16 this time…

Ephesians 4: 13-16                       NKJV
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
13 bis wir alle zur Einheit des Glaubens und der Erkenntnis des Sohnes Gottes gelangen, zur vollkommenen Mannesreife, zum Maß der vollen Größe des Christus;
14 damit wir nicht mehr Unmündige seien, hin- und hergeworfen und umhergetrieben von jedem Wind der Lehre durch das betrügerische Spiel der Menschen, durch die Schlauheit, mit der sie zum Irrtum verführen,
15 sondern, wahrhaftig in der Liebe, heranwachsen in allen Stücken zu ihm hin8, der das Haupt ist, der Christus.
16 Von ihm aus vollbringt der ganze Leib, zusammengefügt und verbunden durch alle Gelenke, die einander Handreichung tun nach dem Maß der Leistungsfähigkeit jedes einzelnen Gliedes, das Wachstum des Leibes zur Auferbauung seiner selbst in Liebe.

v14a… We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine… We sit in the church… We sit under solid Bible teaching and learn to love and encourage each other… We become more and more mature… We grow up in Christ… We are being firmly planted on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20)…
The ancient Greek word for tossed to and fro is from the same words used to describe the stormy sea of Galilee in Luke 8:24 (raging of the water)….
v14b… By the trickery of men… Those who do not mature in this way are targets of deceivers… These decievers are effective precisely because they operate with little lies and cunning craftiness… and they lie in wait to deceive….  .
v15a… Speaking the truth in love… This speaks to not only how we are to relate to one another in God's family… but also to how leaders and saints are to deal with deceivers… We should deal with them patiently and in love… but never letting go of  the truth...
v15b… May grow up in all things into Him who is the head… Another way maturity is described is as the growing up into Jesus, who is the head. Again, this defines the direction of maturity. We never grow "independent" of Jesus, we grow up into Him.
v16… the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love…
God wants us to see the church functioning as a human body… where every part does its share…. Vs17-19…

Ephesians 4: 17-19      NLT Neues Leben
17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
17 Ich will vor Gott bezeugen, dass ihr nicht mehr leben sollt wie Menschen, die Gott nicht kennen3 und deren Denken ohne Sinn und Ziel ist.
18 Ihr Verstand ist verfinstert und sie sind von dem Leben, das Gott für sie hat, weit entfernt, weil sie von ihm nichts wissen wollen und ihre Herzen hart geworden sind.
19 Gleichgültig überlassen sie sich ganz ihren ausschweifenden Leidenschaften und suchen gierig nach jeder Art von Verlockung
v17a… Therefore… Stop living like the Gentiles… This makes the connection, not only with the glorious spiritual privileges laid out in Ephesians 1 through 3, but also with the high call of a unified, mature body as described in Ephesians 4:1-6. Because of this high calling, we should walk… conduct our lives… differently than the world around us does…
There is a growing tendency for Christians to try to display to the world that we really aren't so different after all… We try to compromise our Biblical values for their sake…This is usually a misguided effort to gain the world's "respect" or approval... This is nuts…. We are different and we need to stop pretending that we are just like them…  
v17b… for they are hopelessly confused… The Gentile walk is characterized by the futility of their mind…. KJV… v18… they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him… In the end, their thinking is futile because their understanding is darkened - because they are alienated from the life of God…
v19… They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity…
Basically…  the ignorance and lack of understanding of man is a heart problem… It is shown not only in a foolish denial of God, but also in their moral failures (licentiousness, uncleanness, greediness)…. We see this in Romans chapter 1…
The greek here is sometimes translated… Licentiousness…. It  is sin that flaunts itself…throwing off all restraint and having no sense of shame or fear…. uncleanness is a broad word…. mostly with reference to sexual sin and unrestrained lust....
CLOSE
It is interesting to remember that as dark and wicked as the world is today…. There is still hope… The Good News of the Gospel can still pierce the Darkness… You are the Light of the World… The desperate need of the hour is for the church to stop being just merely fans of Jesus…. It is time to truly be FAT….
Faithful…
Available… and
Teachable…
Turn to 1 Peter…ch1… v21-25… I want to use his words to summarize our mission here in the church…
1 Peter 1: 21,22                             NLT  
21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
1 Peter 1:21-25                               Neues Leben
21 Durch Christus seid ihr zum Glauben an Gott gekommen. Und weil Gott ihn von den Toten auferweckt und ihm große Herrlichkeit gegeben hat, setzt ihr nun euren Glauben und eure Hoffnung auf Gott!
22 Jetzt könnt ihr einander aufrichtig lieben, denn ihr wurdet von eurer Schuld befreit, als ihr die Wahrheit Gottes angenommen habt. Deshalb sollt ihr euch wirklich von Herzen lieben.

Let´s pray…