Ephesians 4 is going to be our text today. We're going to look at the first six verses of Ephesians 4. You know, when a person joins an organization or joins in citizenship with a country or becomes a part of an athletic team, usually they are agreeing to a certain set of stipulations, set of guidelines that they are required to submit to. I've referenced Southwest Airlines in the past. Southwest Airlines has created a very distinct corporate culture. They experience only a 2% voluntary turnover. People, once they start working for Southwest, don't want to leave. And of course, with that comes certain requirements. whether it be dress code and other attitudinal type of things that are a prerequisite to their service with that airline. Military service is not just a job. It is serious business involving the security of the United States of America and the interests of the nation. And so they have certain policies in place. They permit no visible piercings. You've got to give something up if you want to be a part of the military. The New York Yankees have one very particular requirement for which they have become well known. No beards. To this day, if you want to play for the New York Yankees, you will be clean shaven. I think they do allow a mustache and that's it. When the cause is great, or the money is good, it is amazing the sacrifices people are willing to make. Right? To lay aside things that you might enjoy, but to put them aside in order to be involved in something really special. Well, I would suggest to you that God too has certain requirements that are put upon those who would be welcomed into His home. He's talked about adoption here in these earlier chapters. That we are no longer foreigners, aliens, strangers, enemies of God, but we have been seated at His table. We have been adopted into His family. And along with that comes a certain set of expectations. Well, we stand here in Ephesians at a sort of a hinge point in the book, in the letter. In the first three chapters up until chapter three, verse 13, we see that we have been redeemed by God to represent Him in the world. We've not only been kind of rescued out of this very desperate condition, we were under the wrath of God. We stood deserving of His judgments. But not only has God forgiven us, but again, He's exalted us to this place of inclusion within His family and really a place of great privilege. He closes chapter two by saying that the church has been made the temple of God. We are the place in the world where God has chosen to show up and to work through us and in us. So this really exalted picture And then that leads to sort of a bridge prayer. Chapter 3, verses 14 through 21, Paul prays. The essence of that prayer is, you know, God, we need help. How can we fulfill this calling? How can we in any real legitimate sense represent you in the world? Reflect your attributes, reflect your love and your holiness. God, we need Your help. And then in chapter 4, through the end of the book, we find this need for a response. In light of this great truth, this needs to be our response. So we're going to talk a little bit about what I call the gospel lifestyle. desire to participate in God's redemption and His grace. These are the terms by which we are able to be a part of His family. So the therefore of Ephesians 4, verse 1 is very significant. It's a transition from doctrine to duty. From orthodoxy, right belief, to orthopraxy, right behavior. There are rules in God's household. There is what would be called a gospel lifestyle, a lifestyle that corresponds to this great truth. And I think we see this in numerous places. One of the clearest places is in Galatians where Paul is confronting, he's kind of relating a conflict that he had with Peter. Here's these two apostles and Paul is confronting Peter because Peter had adopted some behaviors that Paul said are not in line with the gospel. Peter's behavior was contradicting his message. You see, there is a gospel lifestyle that accompanies a genuine response to the Gospel. We might think of it even like the exodus out of Egypt, where God drew the Jewish people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. And it was by grace, wasn't it? They didn't earn that deliverance. They cried out to God. They were helpless. God, please help us. We're in bondage. We're in slavery. And God in His grace brought them out of Egypt. But the first place he brought them was to Mount Sinai. And here at Mount Sinai, he gave them his law. He gave them the standards which were to characterize his redeemed people. So these things weren't a basis by which they would earn their salvation. They had already been saved. But these were the things that were to mark them, set them apart as God's people. And similarly, We've been saved by grace alone, not through any set of behaviors. But the response to that grace is that we are willing to follow and abide by God's standards that are to mark His people. So let's look at Ephesians four, beginning in verse one, hear the word of the Lord. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." The Lord add his blessing to the reading of his word. I want you to note at the outset here the importance of doctrine Paul's pattern is similar in all of his letters. Romans, Colossians, we see it here in Ephesians. He starts off with a section of doctrinal teaching, and then based on that, he moves into practical application. See, behavior flows out of belief. Spiritual change begins in the mind. That's why Paul says in Romans 12, don't be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. He uses a word for metamorphosis there, like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. Here he uses this idea, if you want to begin down a path of seeing actual change in your behavior, it begins with changing how you think. We need our minds to be constantly informed by God's truth. It's shaping our worldview. So we never underestimate the importance of doctrine. This little therefore provides us a great caveat to just Think about how important truth is. It's because of truth that we live the way that we do. So what would we note about this Gospel lifestyle? I first want us to think about the call to a Gospel lifestyle. It's not sort of a casual thing or a suggestion. It is a call. It is a very clear set of commands that have issued forth from God Himself. And we would note that it is a comprehensive call. Paul indicates that all believers have received a calling. Of course, oftentimes we limit this terminology to pastors and missionaries. They have received a call to vocational ministry. But Paul would say that all believers have received a call. I think in some ways this call sort of cuts against our sensibilities. It sort of challenges us first because it questions and draws into doubt our autonomy, our right to determine our own actions. The reality is that you and I, if we call ourselves followers of Christ, are not free to live however we want to live. We have been purchased, redeemed out of slavery. And now we serve a new master, a benevolent, King, the King of the universe, the rightful King. So freedom does not mean that we have the freedom to do anything we want to do. And this text reminds us of that. Here is this call from God upon our lives. We're not simply able to remain autonomous. It also challenges our independence, my desire to sort of remain unattached and uncommitted and on my own. Technically, this is a collective call or a corporate call. We could read it like this, I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you all to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you all have been called. Paul has the entire church in mind as he's extending this call, not simply individuals. It's a corporate call. I often want to know God's will for my life, right? A specific decision that I'm faced with and what should I do? But Scripture is much more concerned with God's will for the church, for His people. Now, God is an omniscient God. He knows all things. He has a plan for your life. But Scripture focuses on His plan for His people. So we read in 1 Thessalonians 4, we are to flee from all sexual immorality, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Not just for each individual, but for us collectively. That's how the Scriptures generally speak of the will of God. It's God's will for His people. So there's this corporate aspect to the call. It's also a pervasive call. We are not called on to simply behave a certain way at church or at school or when we are in public places. We are called on to maintain a worthy walk. This terminology speaks of daily patterns, our lifestyle. So the NIV brings it across as live. Choose to live in a manner worthy of the calling which you have received. It speaks of daily life and patterns. You see, previously, Paul has talked about this in Ephesians 2, that they had once walked or lived according to their own sinful desires, following the pattern of the ungodly culture, just going along with the pattern of unbelieving humanity. And now, Paul is calling them to adopt a distinctive lifestyle, a counter-cultural lifestyle. that reflects their new standing as children in God's family. So this pertains to what you eat and drink, your entertainment choices, the ways you express your sexuality, the way you talk with co-workers, the things you post on social media. None of these are out of bounds in terms of God's authority and His call on your life. a lifestyle, a way of day-to-day living. It is a pervasive call. It's also a passionate call. Paul uses very strong language. He urges them, or we might say exhorts or appeals to them. It's a very interesting word. It means to call alongside. So there's sort of this imagery that goes along with this word. It's not just someone kind of shouting, But it's this very intense and personal type of communication where you come alongside, you might put your arm on somebody's shoulder. And it could have a positive or a negative connotation. It could be that I come along and say, I noticed what you did last week. And I really appreciated that. That stood out to me. And I think it really made a difference. Thank you. Or it could be something very different. I've been noticing this in your life and I'm concerned about it. I wanted to talk to you about it. Maybe I'm missing it. Maybe I'm overly sensitive. Maybe there's another explanation. Could you help me to understand? Because this type of behavior is concerning to me." So it's that type of a very intense type of conversation. It's actually the word that's used to describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He's very direct. He brings us under conviction, who affirms us when we do right and convicts us when we do wrong. I had this text opened up as we were sitting at the dinner table last night because we were talking about unity and we were talking about the patterns that engender unity. And there were a few unity issues in our home yesterday. And so we talk about this passage. But then later on, I had to actually sit down with one of my kids on their bed and look them in the eye and talk to them by name and express my expectations for them and the consequences if they didn't follow those expectations. That's a very different type of conversation. That's the type of conversation that Paul is having here with these believers. He's not shouting from a distance. He's coming close. And he's looking us in the eyes and he is urging us to take this seriously. It's not a casual suggestion. It's also a pictured call. And I know this is sort of a funny way of using the word and I'm not into peas or alliterating. I just couldn't think of a better way to sort of capture this. Paul is exhorting them, urging them to this particular lifestyle. And I think as he does it, he doesn't just sort of leave them with a vague notion. I think he models for them the very lifestyle that he is calling them to, that he wants them to embody. So once again here, he says, I, Paul, am a prisoner for Christ Jesus. He's mentioned his imprisonment several times. Why does he keep bringing this up? Well, every other time he's mentioned it, chapter 3, verse 1, chapter 3, verse 13, He's making a point about his love for these believers. Why was he in prison? For them. He cared enough about them to preach the Gospel, even though it meant he was going to be in prison. It ultimately cost him his life. See, so he wants them to understand that I'm calling you to something First of all, I'm not going to call you to something that I'm not willing to do myself. I'm going to lead by example." And he leaves them this imagery as he begins to launch into some specifics. He pictures or he models this call, this lifestyle. So the call to a gospel lifestyle. We also find here the characteristics of a gospel lifestyle. What does it look like? It should not surprise us that the primary marks of a Gospel lifestyle are relational. Spiritual maturity is not gauged by how many years you have been a believer. Spiritual maturity is not gauged by how many verses you memorize, or how many Bible studies you attend, or how vocal you are against same-sex marriage. A spiritually mature believer is one who loves. Now, there's a lot of important things that I ought to be doing in terms of obedience to God's commands. I ought to maintain holiness. I ought to memorize Scripture, right? But if that's all that I have, then I'm still immature spiritually. The mark of spiritual maturity is that not only do I have these baseline things, but I have cultivated a spirit and a discipline of love, of putting the needs of others ahead of myself, of being willing to sacrifice for the good of others. This was Paul's singular prayer in the verses preceding, that they would be rooted and grounded in love. And he goes on to say that if that's the case, they will be filled with the fullness of God. They will accurately reflect God to the world. They'll be an effective temple where people can encounter God if they're marked, rooted and grounded in love. And of course, he gets specific. He lists off a series of different character qualities and attributes that would be a part of this picture that would that would lead to or produce or characterize a gospel lifestyle. Gospel lifestyle is characterized by humility. A Christian is to think with lowliness, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but have a proper assessment of his own sinful condition, his own propensities, a person who views others as more important than themselves, according to Philippians 2. This was the mindset of Christ, right? Who as the very Son of God, chose to put the needs of others before His own. Even to the point as He's there on the cross, He's worrying about Mary, His mother, and her care, And so he's arranging matters between Mary and John. John, you take care of Mary. She's now your mother. Mary, you look to John. He's now your son. Can you imagine, in the midst of agony, even then looking to the needs of others? This is the pattern of humility that we are called to. Of course, it runs counter to pride. It addresses the root problem Our disunity. Our desire to exalt ourselves. James touches on it very clearly. Why are there fights and quarreling among you? It's because you have and you don't obtain. It's because you're vying, pressing, manipulating to get your way. Humility is the acknowledgement that I'm not the center of the universe. We need to embody this if we are to evidence a Gospel lifestyle. The Gospel lifestyle is also characterized by gentleness. It often has a sense of weakness sort of attached to it culturally. It certainly did for the Romans. The Romans and the Greeks thought this was a pitiable virtue to be gentle or meek. But very clearly, A meek person is not a weak person, but a strong person who is under control. This is David, King David, or before he was king, as he's on the run from King Saul. He had multiple opportunities to take Saul's life. It was within his grasp. It was within his power. And he didn't do it. This is Jesus, who could have come down from the cross and destroyed his persecutors. But he didn't. He was willing to defer his rights. Paul has a staggering section in 1 Corinthians 6 that cuts against our American sensibilities. We can't imagine having a right to something and not exercising that right. It's what our country is based on. I love that state seal of Virginia. I don't remember the slogan, but it pictures this woman standing over this king with the crown laying on the ground. Death to tyrants. I submit to no one. I claim my rights. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6, he's talking about this dispute in the church. He says don't go to court. Don't take another believer to court. Don't drag the testimony of the church through the mud in that way. And then he says, it's a fascinating statement, he says, wouldn't it be better to be wronged? Wouldn't it be better to just chalk it up as a loss than to allow this disunity to be played out in the church? That's the aspect of gentleness or meekness. When something is in your control, you have a right to something. An injustice has been done and you choose not to retaliate. You choose not to seek vengeance. You seek not to react. Timothy Gombus writes, evangelical culture, at least in the United States, is almost completely beholden to triumphalism, the notion that God is magnified through human power, prestige, political influence and outward success. This is the predominant mindset of our culture, and yet we are told that that is not how the church advances. It's not how the Gospel advances. The Gospel advances inexplicably through meekness, through gentleness, through humility. So that amazingly enough, Jesus could say in Matthew 5, verse 5, blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. The ones who don't grab will actually get the most. Gentleness, meekness. Gospel lifestyle is characterized by patience. We should have a long fuse. Pastors are called to preach in season and out of season with great patience." There's that word. In season and out of season. When people are responding and when they are not. And it's because Paul has in mind this idea of, and he uses this a lot, that ministry and working with people is kind of like farming. You know, I do something and that person just ticks me off. Why do they keep doing that? Paul says the mindset is that, hey, God is changing them. It's not going to happen right now. It's not going to happen tomorrow or the next day after that, but I'm willing to stick with it. I'm willing to exercise patience and ministry with people. And I'll keep working and toward incremental progress, because I believe that God can change people. Comes with a mindset of patience. Of course, it comes across in some of the translations as long suffering, right? Hardship over a long period of time. That's part of this idea of patience. Gospel lifestyles characterized by bearing with one another in love. Literally means putting up with something that annoys or irritates. Jesus expressed this against his own disciples. How long must I endure this faithless generation? Matthew 17. Paul says there will come a time when people will not endure sound doctrine, but they'll gather around themselves teachers. They'll have itching ears. They want to hear what they want to hear. They want to hear what makes them happy. And they won't endure somebody who tells them what they don't like hearing. That's the idea. and putting up with it even when it is very uncomfortable, when that person or that ministry or whatever it might be really bothers you. premised on the idea of love. We bear with one another in love. The idea of love, this particular word is agape love. It's not eros love. Romantic love that's kind of inclined towards pleasure and satisfaction. It's not philia love, which is kind of reciprocal, brotherly love. But it's agape love. It's the type of love that loves even when there's nothing in return. This is Christ's love for us. Bonhoeffer writes this, he said, nothing is easier than to stimulate the glow of fellowship in a few days of life together, but nothing is more fatal to the sound, sober, brotherly fellowship of everyday life. Retreats are great, aren't they? Kind of these mountaintop experiences. You get away and maybe with other brothers and sisters in Christ, have a great time. And he says, be careful that that doesn't cause you to come back Now I've got to actually deal with these people in real life. That kind of idyllic notion again, there it is, is a real danger to Christian community. We just understand it's going to be hard. It is going to take a lot of work and a lot of patience. Don't run away. Don't dodge difficult people or difficult circumstances. Bear with. And a gospel lifestyle is characterized by an eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit. It's interesting, we're not called upon to create unity. It's already been established. This has already been accomplished in the spiritual realms in Christ. But we are called upon to maintain it or to guard it, to maintain its visibility, to make sure people can see it, to preserve it. And again, It requires effort. We are to exert great eagerness or energy towards this task. You go to great lengths. It's a strenuous, continuous activity. It never finishes. I ask you, what are the lengths you are going to to contribute to the unity of the Spirit? When is the last time that you asked another believer for forgiveness, specifically said, I was wrong to jump to that conclusion. And I realized that was hurtful to you, and I am sorry, will you forgive me? What commitments have you made regarding your speech patterns of what you will and will not say about another believer? Are you given to venting? You're frustrated with this person. Are you inclined to this person? That is toxic. It's so destructive to unity. Do you speak negatively of others when they're not present? That's gossip. Even if it's true. I think sometimes we have in our minds, well, it's true, but any speech that's not helpful to the person you're talking about, it doesn't help in any way to build them up. And it introduces a bunch of toxins now to the person that you're talking to. It's not good for them. So who is benefited by that speech, even if it's a true fact that you are sharing? It's wrong. It's sinful. It's certainly not consistent with one who would call themselves a follower of Christ. Are you willing to confront when you hear another believer engage in gossip? Here's a tough one. Look, I'm going to stop you right there. I love you. And I love the person you're talking about. And you're both part of my church family. And I want to challenge you that we just go talk with this person. If it's that big of a deal and it's festering, let's go meet with them. Take that type of a lead. I mean, this is the type of stuff. It is not easy stuff. It's not natural stuff. It doesn't just happen. It requires work. Of course, there is then the cause of gospel lifestyle. And I went ahead and filled in the blanks for you because I knew we'd be focusing on these first couple sections. Paul introduces a triune structure talking about the unity forged through the Spirit. It's formed us into one body. The unity centered on the Son, one faith, one Lord, one baptism, one hope, and a unity that is sourced in the Father. This is already an accomplished reality. We are just called upon to live it out, to make it visible to those around us. So I just simply ask you, will you respond to the call? People are willing to shave their beards to play for the Yankees. They're willing to adopt a certain dress code to be an employee with Southwest Airlines if they're willing to lay aside the piercing to serve in the armed forces. What are you willing to do in response to God's great grace and for the privilege of being called a child of God? What steps are you willing to take? There's a serious aspect to this as well. I'd say, well, I'm already saved and that's the important thing. Some pretty sobering passages that would perhaps make you think twice. Matthew 7, many will come to me and say, Lord, Lord, those who enter the Kingdom of Heaven are those who do the will of my Father. If your life is not characterized by these things, and you have no interest in them, and you're not going to change your patterns, then perhaps you better give careful consideration to whether you have genuinely been redeemed by Christ, as to whether you really are a part of His family. I think Paul's urgency in extending this call is something that we need to feel, not just hear today.