A Worthy Walk

If you would to Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 1. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1. We have been talking about this command to holiness and how that that command to holiness becomes a reality in the life that we live every day. You just sing about it. I don't know if you if you pay attention to the words that you sing but you just sing about it. I know that was a new song for many of us, new words, but the words have incredible power when you look at them. They're very scripturally sound and strong theology when it talks about how your dependence is fully upon God and that's what we're talking about. But there's also a responsibility. There is a dependence on God Himself and His power in our lives but there is also a responsibility on our part for us to live it out. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1. Let's read together. I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. We've talked multiple times about that calling. As a matter of fact if you look at Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 10 we talked about the dead man walking and we connected dead walking to the trespasses in sin, walking according to the course of this world, being conformed by the world. We talked about walking according to how Satan designs and desires for us to walk and that comes out in a walk of disobedience which gratifies the flesh, the desires of the flesh, the cravings of the flesh following the flesh's thoughts and its desires. We talked about how that kind of walk is deserving of death or the wrath of God. But then we've seen how the calling, when the call comes in by God, from God, the call comes and that call involves this change in us. It is a God, a sovereign God, sovereign work of God, as a sovereign work of a sovereign God that we cannot do for ourselves. That's why we need the body and the blood of Christ so that we can find this kind of victory and this kind of call and when that call comes in then our walk begins to change. We are no longer dead people walking. We are His workmanship walking in the good works that He has prepared for us to walk in. We talked about that calling that without the calling we are without Christ, we are without a country, we are without a promise, we are without hope, we are without a God. But now in Christ Jesus, through the blood of Christ, we are brought near to God. There's the calling. All of those things have changed. We are with Christ. We are with God. We have a country and access to all of those things that citizenship in the people of God gives us and we have access to the promises and the covenant of God and we have hope, the hope of your calling. Now back to Ephesians chapter 4. He says that you would walk worthy of the calling by which you were called. There is one body and one spirit just as you were called in one hope of your calling. Colossians chapter 1 and verse 10 says walk worthy of the Lord. Philippians chapter 1 verse 27 says let your conduct be worthy of the gospel. Let your lifestyle be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. First Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 12 says that we are to have a walk that is worthy of God and we discovered that that there's no way that we deserve that, that we are worthy of God or that we are worthy of the Lord or that we are worthy of the gospel and the reason why that we are not so is because he makes us worthy. If you remember, I believe I have that verse on here. Maybe not. We'll find it. But God makes us worthy. The gospel makes us worthy. Now we have to live according to that call, according to what God has done. We are called then to live, be holy for I am holy, walk a worthy walk. So that's the challenge that we have before us. This calling that you have received, this change, this supernatural work of a sovereign God in your life to change you from a dead person to a live person, from a dead walk to an alive walk, that deserves your walk that is worthy, doesn't it? So this misconception that we have that well we can just we can become a believer and just live however we can because I believe. I don't believe that that's the way that it works. I don't believe that that's the way that the cross and salvation works in our lives. That's why Peter, as we'll find out a minute, I mean Paul says in the Philippians that we are to work out our own salvation. Work it out. We talked about what it means to be worthy and I keep this up here because I want you to be able to visibly see the expression of the worthiness of your walk and that is and it's not quite in balance again and it's because it's a third grade project here. We are to be in balance. To walk worthy means to have the same weight as. Remember? It means to have the same weight as. So we have the same weight of the scale over here and we are called to walk worthy and we said that when we begin and that the reference that Dana made that we start throwing the noodles in we'll make this side the unworthy side and I'm throwing my noodles in that's the sin in my life and every time that I that that I commit a sin you see what it does when I begin to live in a way that is unworthy of the gospel when I be when I lie to my to my boss when I I cause my children to be angry when I'm not disciplining them properly when I'm when I'm lusting after other women do you see how it works as I go through this life this is the that is an unworthy walk when we are pursuing when our intentions are to pursue things that take the balance away then we are living an unworthy walk and so we are challenged here in these scriptures to walk worthy of the gospel that we are to walk in such a way that these things are not there and the life that we live balances out with the calling that we have received okay don't let that picture go away from your mind so we understand now that what it means to be to walk worthy now last week I introduced to you the idea of what I called the intention power principle I don't know that I've ever seen that or heard anybody talk about it that way but this is our intention power principle let me explain again like we talked about last week but I want to talk about it again the intention power principle in theory works like this that when I am intentionally pursuing a worthy walk in other words I am intentionally pursuing a walk that rids my life of those kinds of things when I am intentionally pursuing that kind of walk that is not a self-dependence it doesn't come from hey I'm gonna live a holy life and and I'm gonna I'm not gonna I'm not gonna lie anymore I'm not gonna lust after somebody I'm not gonna do it doesn't come from that it comes from an intention that says I am moving towards this in God this is what God desires of me and what pleases God I am intentionally moving towards that where do you find those things that anyway help me out where do you find those things that what what what pleases God in the Word of God we find what pleases God in the Word of God if you ever doubt that something that you are doing something that you are thinking something that you are saying is displeasing to God get your head and your heart in the Word of God and you'll find it but we have this intention so if you look there with me on the line going down to the worthy walk that's me with my intentions of living a worthy walk I am intentionally moving towards those things and in moving towards those things that that worthy walk those things that please God in doing that there is a power that comes along with it from God a supernatural power that comes from God that gives us the ability to be able to walk a worthy walk we have power our God our calling was a sovereign work of God to make us alive and your ability to live out our work out your own salvation is a sovereign work of God as well so do you think that God just says okay I'm gonna save you but I'm gonna leave the rest of it up to you and do you think that if God says to us a huge statement like be holy as I am holy or walk a worthy walk walk worthy of the gospel do you think he would say those thing kind of things without giving us everything we need to be able to live it out in our lives would he do that I don't think so that's not the kind of God that I find in scripture that when God calls God provides and when God calls us to a walk of holiness and a walk of worthiness he is not saying it's all up to you Donnie go ahead and try he's saying that we are working together me and God are working together let's see it in scripture I therefore Philippians chapter 2 verse 12 we covered this verse last week Philippians chapter 2 in verse 12 and 13 therefore my beloved brothers and sisters as you have always obeyed not in my presence only notice that word obeyed as you have always obeyed there it is as you have always obeyed there's intention I want you to notice this intentional this intentional side our responsibility in this worthy walk is I am intentional they said they have always obeyed look at that always obeyed there was an intention about them to obey even when Paul was not around just because the boss man's not around we can live like we want to live there was an intention in them to live like this because they were desiring to work out look at those words work out your own salvation with fear and trembling there is this idea that let me say this verse here is one of the greatest verses that you will find about your sanctification what we are talking about if you want to put a theological term on what we are talking about walking worthy living holy there is a theological term for that that is your sanctification and that happens through Christ and Christ alone and the Holy Spirit in your life it is your sanctification you're setting apart it is a it is not something that happens instantly in terms of practical terms it is something that we grow into and mature so we are being sanctified in this talks about the sanctification therefore my beloved brothers and sisters as you have always obeyed not in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your salvation now this word work me work the word work here has the idea of of finally accomplishing to fully accomplish it means to to to accomplish or to perform and here's what he's saying put some of those words now in that he says that not much more in my absence that you would fully perform your own salvation in other words you work out your salvation let that come become the energy by which you work now look at the next one for it is God who works in you now we have a different kind of work that is the power that compels us see that that power that compels us it it comes from the spirit of God who indwells us to hear that the power that compels us comes from the spirit who indwells us that we have a the Holy Spirit we just saying about the Holy Spirit and welcoming here we this Holy Spirit that lives inside of us is worthy the real power the energy comes from for this to take place in my life that's the word the actual word here meaning power our work comes from where we get our word energy are energized so I am trying to fully accomplish my salvation and then along with my intention by working out of my salvation comes the power of God at work in my life that is the energy God energizes the intentions of your life I hope that that's something we're catching that that there is a supernatural energizing that is for it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure in other words I am intentionally moving and God in his power is empowering me are energizing me to accomplish his will and his good pleasure it's not just about me deciding I'm gonna do what God wants me to do and I've got all the power to do it in me this is not about self sufficiency it's about intentions I am intending to be pleasing and obedient to God look at 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 11 and 12 with this in mind we constantly pray for you that God may make you worthy there is the power of God right there that God make you worthy that word make some of you will have count that God would count you worthy it all means the same thing it means to be deemed to deem fit it means he says that God may deem you fit for his calling that God will make it happen there's the power of God at work and that by his power he may bring to fruition that his power his vigor his might email he may bring to fruition in you every desire for goodness and every deep prompt every every deed prompted by faith you see what he's saying that here's my look here's the intentions here's the power of God power here's that power principle and then here these two sentences are those parts of the sentence there those two sections of the sentence those are intentions I intend every desire for goodness is that sound like an intention to you I desire to to to follow in goodness and every deed that is prompted by faith sound like intention to you I am I am I intend to to carry out the deeds of faith in my life and those are empowered by God so that in our lives that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you and him according to the grace of God there's that power again the grace of God right there now if we're going to follow this and understand this 2nd Peter chapter 1 2nd Peter chapter 1 verses 3 and 4 now you've heard me refer to this many times in my preaching Peter says as his divine power whose power look at it as his divine power his that being God his divine power the word for power there is different word that's been used before and the other ones that we have looked at it is dunamis it is a miraculous power it is a force at work God's miraculous power miraculous force at work and look what God's miraculous force God's miraculous power has done it has given to us all things notice what it says did I not say that that there's this idea that if God tells you to be holy or God wants you to walk a worthy walk that he does he rob you of anything that would keep you from being able to do that absolutely not how do we know because look what he says that through his miraculous power God has given to us that you and me as believers who are called to be holy who are called to have a holy walk or worthy walk he has given to us all things look at that word all things that pertain to life and what's the next one godliness so has God left you in your own emptiness to be able to live a godly worthy walk as God left you there he has not has it God has given you all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who is called us by glory and virtue there's that word calling again by which you have been given by which have we by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these we might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust now are you seeing I'm hoping that you're seeing the theme that there is a power that is available to us there is this this promise of God this ability to be able to live a worthy walk to be able to walk holy as he is called us to be holy I'm hoping that you're seeing that it's not just up to you to do it but at the same time there is a responsibility Philippians chapter 2 again that says work out your own salvation that we are responsible to be working with God and his Holy Spirit in our life to be able to live that out are you seeing that am I am I missing the mark I'm seeing a bunch of confused looks how can I how can I simplify it bring it down well let me let me do it this way let me go back to that intention power principle again here's here's me with all of my my intentions I am intending to move towards the things that please God that's why we as Dana said we look into the Word of God we look into the Word of God and we find out what pleases God and our intention is to move towards those things as we move towards those things we experience it's not that all of a sudden you're getting as you get closer here the principle is not you get a little more power and a little more power and a little more power the principle is that as soon as you start to move in the direction as soon as you have an intention to do what God pleases what pleases God as soon as you make that move there is power that is already available it's already been given to you he has given has given to us all things pertaining to life and God in this you believe it do you do we really believe the Word of God that he has given that to us as soon as I begin to make that intention towards God towards this worthy walk then there's this power principle that empowers me to be able to walk that walk it's not about how well you can do it it's about how good you recooperate with the Holy Spirit and God in your life now I made a comment last week and I want to go back there in the 10 minutes I've got left I want to go back to that James chapter 1 verse 13 now I said last week and and and I had a couple of people ask me about this but I said that that when we make a comment like well I didn't intend to do that I really didn't intend to hurt my wife that way I really didn't intend to to go against my boss and do exactly the opposite I didn't intend to to go to that party I didn't intend to do exactly what my mom and daddy said not to do I didn't intend to do that and it is my belief that yes you did intend because if you had not intended in that direction you would have not done it and I said that last week that I think that that is a lie we lie to ourselves when we say well I didn't intend to do it I think we need to admit yeah I did I intended to do it let me see if I can prove that in scripture look at James chapter 1 let no one say that when he is tempted and I want you to notice intention and power principle even in these verses okay notice the intention power principle let no one say when he is tempted I am tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil do you see an intention of God there what do you say what does that tell you about God God never intends to do evil it is not in God to ever intend to do evil God cannot be tempted by evil nor does he tempt anyone with evil but you ready each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his screaming wife who really got under my skin and just made me do it I keep going back to that first Peter chapter 3 verse 7 live with our wives with understanding and honor as a weaker vessel that our prayers not be hindered as joint heirs in Jesus now that's not what it says is it you got proof that it doesn't say that up there but each one that means every individual every one of us are tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires do you see an intention there I am drawn away from from what what God what pleases God because my own desires are have moved away from what pleases God over to what pleases me do you see it that I'm drawn away from this I'm drawn away from that by my own selfish ungodly desires my own lust as the I think the old King James says by my own was I'm drawn away by my own lust and when I'm drawn away by my own lust my intentions move from being intentional about what pleases God to be intentional about what pleases me and when I when I'm intentional about what pleases me get look what happens I am enticed or I am ensnared I'm entrapped I've moved away from what pleases God and I moved over here to what pleases me and then I'm stuck I'm stuck what does he say happens when we find ourselves in that place then when desire has conceived when it turns into action when my desires when my intentions towards my selfish desires turn into actions it is conceived and it gives birth to sin and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death now do you see why I say that that if if if I'm going to say that I never intended to do that it's kind of hard to disprove that when we look at a scripture like this that if I do something that is displeasing to God it's because I've been drawn away from what pleases him and what is worthy and what is holding I've been drawn away by my own lust my own selfish desires fleshly desires I've been drawn away and when I give into it it entraps me and I'm stuck now here's the picture you see it the yellow line now shows me that I'm I'm moving away from what what is it what is considered to be a worthy walk and I need us to catch this principle because if we're not careful we can get stuck over here and go well I'm stuck and I can't get back and I want us to see how this works it's there that I have this unworthy walk I my intentions are now no longer towards what pleases God but what pleases me and it is an unworthy walk I am now living in absolute disobedience to God you follow me in this intentions of mine I am now living in disobedience to God and when I do that it bring I get stuck well how do I get unstuck I want to say to you that that you never ever even in this condition we never lose the power of God in your life God doesn't look up there and go well his intentions are wrong let's withdraw the power and it's no longer available to him you don't lose that to lose that would lose the calling and I don't believe we can lose our calling I don't believe we can be dead again but look what he says I what Donnie saying that I don't think that we lose the power but we will lose the experience of that power when we are walking in disobedience do you follow me when I'm out here in this in this disobedience how in the world does that allow me to connect to the power of God which empowers me to do a worthy walk you follow me so it's not that I have lost the power or access to the power it's that I have lost the experience of the power because I am moving in disobedience and so how do I fix that how do I get unstuck I believe that to be unstuck means that we find a place of a simple word repentance and repentance just says that I am turning away from my desires and I am turning to that which pleases God may I say to you that that that becomes your time of obedience right and as soon as you find yourself in obedience I want you to know this as soon as you find a place of repentance and begin an intentional move towards God that power is instantly and and immediately experiential in your life if you make access to it you follow me so God is not waiting for you to turn away from it and make 10 steps towards him to be able to empower you to do it when you say oh my god I am sorry for what I have done to you I'm sorry that I have followed off on my own track and my own trail my own desires and I have done what displeases you I am sorry and I turn from that and I turn back to I am intentional about what what you desire and what pleases you at that very moment of turning is when the power becomes yours it's hard to illustrate that here but it's at the very moment of turning the the experience of the power is yours to have you don't have to beat yourself up you don't have to to do flips you don't have to flog your body you just turn away that's what repentance is we've done this before but repentance is is I'm going away from God if I if I believe if in the illustration I'm God and my hand is me and I'm going away from from God and repentance says I what I said what I'm doing is wrong God I repent I turn I confess that what I do I agree with you that what I'm doing is wrong and I'm turning back to you do you see that turn as soon as we turn in that repentance the access of power the experience of power is available to us because the intention becomes what pleases God not what pleases my own selfish desires I hope that I hope that makes sense read with me the rest of James chapter 3 chapter 1 look at verse 19 so then my beloved brothers and sisters let every man be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath do you see intention if when you start reading the Word of God with with these ideas in mind you will see this everywhere in all of Scripture there is an intention here the intention let every man intend to be swift at hearing slow at speaking and slow to wrath why because the wrath of God or the wrath of man does not produce what the righteousness of God therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflowing we're going to come back to this verse at some point in our practical talk but I wanted you to see intentionality in this is there an intention now in laying aside is there intention there absolutely lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls but be doers of the word does that sound intentional be doers of the word and not hearers only hearing doesn't sound very intentional does it deceiving yourselves for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror for he observes himself goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was but he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it perfect law of liberty is power and continues in it is intention and it is not and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work you see the intention this one look what happens this one will be blessed in what he does my question to me and to you is do we believe that there is a power available to us as believers to help us to accomplish this do you believe it if you read chapter 1 through 3 then you will find riches that are given to you every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies has been given to you you are seated with Christ in the heavenlies and you have access to all of the spiritual blessings you just keep reading Ephesians 1 through 3 and see all of the things that you have access to that will allow you to that give you the power to be able to to live out your intentions so my question then to end today is this what are your intentions what are your intentions are your intentions those things which are pleasing to God or worthy of the gospel are worthy of the Lord yes we are going to mess up along the way of our intentions are we not we're gonna have some yellow lines in our lives for some of us more often than others but we're going to have yellow lines in our lives but what are we going to do when we find ourselves there are we going to turn are we going to continue intentions and as soon as we if we find ourselves on a yellow line and we we we intend to turn away we actually turn away then we have access for power to live a worthy walk so I get mad at my wife and I say some some hurtful words things that are intentionally done to hurt her there is no power available to live that way is there I don't need any power I got all the power to do that right inside of me but when I recognize that I have hurt my wife and I have gone against what pleases God when I have not lived with my wife with understanding and I turn away from that and I say to her and to God I am sorry forgive I turn away from that instantly the power of God is available to you men do you love your wives the way Christ loved the church are you loving them in a way that pleases God women are you walking in relationship with your husband's the way that God has intended for you to walk in relationship with your husband children young people are you living in obedience to your parents are consistent and constant disobedience to your parents turn and move towards God and things will change what is your intention this week would you with me look at your life and find out what you intend to do in every situation when you feel the anger and bitterness starting to roll up at your neighbor or your husband or your wife or your child will you intend to follow through with that or will you intend to do what is pleasing to God will you do what is it will you intend to do what is pleasing to God will you do that with me this week let's make this real and practical and then trust in the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life to help you to do it let's pray father thank you for your word this morning I pray God does that that your Holy Spirit who is our teacher would drive the truths home I pray father that we that your children those who have been recipients of the call who have been changed from from dead people to alive I pray that our walk would reflect that and God may we recognize the worthiness of the blood of Christ of Christ that that has bought this calling for us Lord I pray that we would recognize the power that is at work in our lives and that it is worthy of our walk I pray that during this week as we walk walk in our life I pray that when something comes up where we are tempted to do something that is that draws us away according to our own fleshly lust I pray father that we would that we would take a moment to see what our intention is and then intend rather than to do what is wrong to do what is right to do what is holy and experience the very presence and power of the Holy Spirit at work in us to accomplish that thank you for that power thank you that we are not left to ourselves thank you that you are in us that you dwell in us and I pray that you would help us all to experience that power this week we ask these things now in your precious and powerful and holy name amen