Walk Worth of Your Calling in the World Part 1

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. As believers, we are well aware that the walk of faith will involve struggle. We will encounter a worldly system of thought that is contrary to biblical truth. Though the enemy works to undermine our faith, God has lavished us with abundant resources to stand and resist. Rich examines Ephesians 6 10-17 to show us how we have been equipped for the hardships ahead. Let's listen to the first segment of this message titled, Walk Worthy of Your Calling in the World, first preached on January 21, 2017. So we're coming now to the end of Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus.

The theme being, in Christ, the riches of His grace. And if that is true, if He has lavished His grace upon us, then the theme, the emphasis in the last three chapters is to walk worthy of that calling. With the grace that He has lavished upon us, we walk worthy of that calling. That calling is to be one radical new people in a radical new community. Because we're not just forgiven sinners, we are a new creation, we are a new people. And we are called to be that new people, the church, in the context of this world.

So as we're going to study verses 10 through 20 now for two weeks, walk worthy of your calling in the world. The first thing that we need to do is to recognize that the Christian walk, in many respects, is a struggle. Now I want to be careful about that, because I actually heard an evangelist say one time that living the Christian life is the hardest thing I've ever done.

I don't agree with that. I think it is true, living the Christian life is the hardest thing you will ever do if you simply try to do it in your own strength. When you hang on to all the idols of the flesh, and that the world has to offer us, and at the same time try to be a Christian, yes, it's going to be hard. But that's not the struggle I'm talking about, because Jesus said, come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you another burden to put on your back. Is that what He said? I will give you rest, for my yoke is?

What is it? And my burden is? Think about that. What is He saying? When I surrender myself to Jesus, that's what it means to take my yoke upon you. If living the Christian life for you is still the hardest thing you've ever done, it's because you've not taken His yoke upon you.

You're still living in two worlds. He said through the Apostle John, by this we know love, if we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. His commandments are not burdensome. So what is the struggle of which we speak? Because the Apostle Paul says here, finally, that means we're close to the end here, and we are finally, be strong in the Lord in the strength of His might. Be strong, stand, resist. What is the struggle that we face? We have to recognize that yes, there is a struggle. This is war. What is the warfare in which we fight? We need to understand what that is.

Listen, are you listening to me? We need to understand what it is and what it is not. Because I think there's a lot of Christians who believe that they're fighting a battle, but they're fighting the wrong enemy.

They're fighting the wrong enemy. So He calls us to be strong, to stand, to resist. Walking worthy of the calling with which we've been called, the calling to be a new people in a radical new community, the church. We are called to be the church, not come to church. We are called to be the church, because we are called to be the church, because when we leave this room, we don't cease to be the church. So as we go out into the world, into the marketplace, into our daily lives, we are the church. Let's be the church.

How do we do that? And what is the struggle that we're facing? What is the struggle that we're battling?

He brings this down to the reality of day-to-day life. Walk worthy of your calling in your family. Walk worthy of your calling at work. Walk worthy of your calling in the context of the world, the world system, a system that does not acknowledge God. Now we're beginning to identify where the real struggle is.

Because you remember, as the Apostle Paul said to the Romans, don't be conformed to this world. There is the struggle. There are powers battling for your allegiance.

It comes down to the affections of your heart. That's where the struggle lies. The walk of faith entails struggle, because there is a resistance against you.

Now the Apostle Paul is writing to believers, so he is saying this with the assumption that he is speaking to believers. If you are in Christ, listen to me. There is resistance against you. Do you understand that? There's resistance.

What is that resistance? It is the various authorities that are battling for your allegiance. They want your desire. They want your loyalty. You who have surrendered yourselves in faith to Jesus Christ, there are still authorities that are battling for your allegiance.

We need to identify what they are. It says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but the fact that it says we wrestle not against flesh and blood means that there is a wrestle. There is a struggle going on, but we need to understand what the struggle is not and what it is. By God's grace, what He has given you, what He has lavished upon you, understand grace, please. Grace is not what God withholds from you that you deserve. That's not what grace is. Grace is what God has poured out on you, what God has given you, how He has equipped you, namely Himself. He's given you Himself. God has invested in you, in person, in the person of His Son, in the person of His Holy Spirit and through the presence of His Word, the power of His Word.

All of that is God's grace that He has lavished upon you. The Christian through this grace, God the Christian, has the resource to be strong in the Lord. Those three words, in the Lord, very key here. God's not just standing there saying, okay, now you be strong.

No, He's invested Himself. You are in Christ. Again, you need to know, Christian, you need to know, Christian, you need to know, Ephesians 1 to 3.

Know it. That is the grace that God has lavished upon you. These are the riches of His grace. And when you know that, then it can be said, like it says in Psalm 119, 165. Great peace have those who, what, love your law. What is His law? God's self-disclosure. Great peace have those who love your law and nothing can make them stumble.

Did you hear that? You need to know the riches of His grace. It is so important, Christian, I call you to that this morning. Your armor, get this, your armor is what you know and trust to the point that it informs your attitudes and desires. Write that down.

Let that sink in. Because God's self-disclosure is key here. Because that's what informs your heart and mind to prepare you and equip you for the battle and the struggle that you are going to face day after day after day. What you know and trust to the point that it informs your attitudes and your desires. Okay, now let's talk about the enemy. Who is this enemy? When it comes to your faith as a Christian, your enemy is the one who works to keep you from faith or to undermine your faith.

The one who keeps you from faith or who seeks to undermine your faith. Now let's talk about his identity. Once again, the Apostle Paul says here, it is not flesh and blood. What does he mean by that?

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Listen to this, please. Know this. Know this.

Ready? Write this down. Other people are not the enemy. You understand that? Other people are not the enemy. People who disagree with you, people who disagree with your faith, people who do things different than the way you think they ought to be. People are not the enemy.

Say that with me. People are not the enemy. Know that, Christian.

This is the word of God. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Remember the illustration of POWs. What are we? We are rebels against a sovereign God and we are held hostage by our rebellion and God has done the work necessary to reconcile us to himself by his grace. We who are reconciled cannot consider the other POWs still held hostage as enemies. They are not enemies.

Though they are held hostage by their rebellion, they are not our enemies. We need to have compassion on them and seek to rescue them. We need to love the captive soul but rage against the captor. I want that to be your paradigm, church. As you leave this place and you go out into the world, into the marketplace, let this be your habit of thought. To love the captive soul but to rage against the captor.

Who is this captor? John tells us the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. That is under the sway, says that 1 John 5. The whole world lies in the power of the evil one. He's the spirit, Paul says, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience. The writer of Hebrews calls him him who has the power of death. Death is separation.

He is bent on separating you from your maker who loves you and redeemed you. We're so glad you've joined us for Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can hear this message and others anytime by visiting our website, www.delightingrace.com. You can also check out Pastor Rich's book, Seven Words That Can Change Your Life, where he unpacks from God's Word the very purpose for which you were designed. Seven Words That Can Change Your Life is available wherever books are sold. As always, as always, tune in to Delight in Grace, weekdays at 10 a.m.