A Life Worthy of the Calling// 20020407
Sunday Morning Worship// Ephesians 4:1-6
< One Word to Build Up >
During the second world war, A famous German theologian named Paul Tillich stayed in America. Whenever he was giving theological lectures, many students often giggled at his German pronunciation. He was in deep agony. One day, one students sent him a card, saying "My dear professor! Our giggling is not because of your lecture, but only your pronunciation. Your lecture is very excellent. We all love you. Be of good cheer!"
That one card built up Tillich's life. Later he emphasized, saying "We need not only the encouragement of the Lord, but also the encouragement of the Lord's follower." Why do you feel empty? That is the sign we have to encourage one another.
There is so much pain in our world. The war, terrorism, fears of biological warfare, economic turndowns, job layoffs, tensions between the persons, and on and on. There is so much pain - not just in our world, but in our hearts. To resolve that pain of the hurt we need to forgive each other, and encourage each other.
Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging [one another]; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near." The aim of our lives is not just loving and doing good deeds, but helping to stir up others to love and to do good deeds. In order to do that, we have to strengthen a habit of participation in small group togetherness where you encourage each other.
< Three Meanings of a Life Worthy of the Calling >
How can we do to live a good life in the world of pain Look at the verse 1 in today's text. "therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called," What does it mean by "walking in a manner worthy of the calling?"
1. First, it means to live a life of purpose.
In fact, all human beings has been called by God. No life is trivial, and nothing is trivial. Have you seen the grass growing up through the new asphalt walkway? Is it not astonishing that a soft blade of grass can push straight up through solid asphalt? That's the power of life. What an amazing thing. When you see things with the eyes of God, nothing in the world is trivial.
If that is true of blade of grass how much more true must it be of our life! And the worship of God, the Creator of life! We often talk about the importance of vision. In order for the vision to become a true vision of God, we have to have the eyes of God who sees nothing as trivial.
To be careful to do all the words of the Lord, and to do good! It is no trifle for us but it is our life. It is never trivial to pray to our creator. It is never trivial to sing his praises. We have to see life the way he sees it. Even though we may fail, God uses our failure for our sake.
Especially the Bible says that those who saved are the masterpiece of God(Eph 2:10). God, our Creator, has a good and beautiful plan for our life. Our Creator has uniquely designed for us a plan for living that is far superior to any other plan we might have been following without Him. The word 'masterpiece' is translated from the Greek word "poiema". The English word "poem" was derived from it. This is saying that the person who has been saved by God's grace is God's poem, God's best work of art, God's masterpiece.
Most people today don't feel very good about themselves. Think about the girl who has a potato body, bad complexion, and stutters? Does she have any basis for self-esteem at all? Usually "no". How about the guy who is very poor and plain-looking? Nowadays our worth as a person comes from our intelligence, wealth, good looks, and performance. That is why, those who have no money, no background start to lose their confidence to zero.
But God says that our sense of worth is not based on our ability to perform or to be popular. God says that every person who is saved by God's grace is regarded as His masterpiece. If we are saved by faith in God, we are God's poem, God's masterpiece. He surely will keep on making you more beautiful and more perfect. That gives you a purpose worth living for! Recognizing that God is in the process of making a masterpiece of your life provides you with a very meaningful reason to live eagerly and sincerely.
God saved us to live a life of purpose to do good works. We are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works. Good works are never the cause of salvation, but are the result, the fruit of salvation. So, once we've received our salvation through faith, we have to submit ourselves to let God work His good works through us.
Dear friends, as a saved one, have a good purpose to do good works. That's just 'walking in a manner worthy of the calling.' Without it, our souls are going to be hunger. Jesus said in John 4:34, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work." To do God's will is just like eating: it gives energy. Our souls and bodies will eventually live if we do what we were meant to do.
2. Second, it means to live a life of maturity.
Today's text says in verse 2, "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love." In a word, it says that we as Christians have to live a life of maturity.
What do we need for maturity? We need time. Maturity takes time. A squash can be grown in only three months, but true Christians cannot. God is not interested in growing Christian squashes. but Christian oak trees that are strong. So to be mature Christians, we need time, experience, above all loving heart.
What is love? Love is not easily angered. A loving person does not display a sudden outburst of temper over every petty irritation, but instead, keeps his cool under pressure. Some people, as is a nuclear bomb, display a sudden outburst of temper, and right after then excuse it, saying, "I am sorry losing my temper a lot, but it's all over in a few minutes."
It does no good for the people who was damaged by the nuclear bomb. A great deal of damage can be done by losing temper in a very short time. Always remember that even the smallest temper "bombs" can leave behind a lot of hurt. So we don't need impulsive love, but mature Christlike love.
We have to encourage other people in Jesus Christ. We are to build up, not tear down. We are not to flatter, but we are to build up. Flattery is lying to people by exaggerating their virtues. There is big difference between 'to flatter' and 'to build up.' All of us are very fragile creatures. That's why encouragement is so important.
When someone is hurting, what does he really need? Right analysis for the hurt? Proper advice? No. He needs understanding. He needs the silent ministry of presence. Because much pain in our lives isolates us, and then makes us feel alone, even though we are not.
You remember the name of the Holy Spirit is "Comforter". Original meaning of Comforter is "one called alongside". The Holy Spirit is the present, silent Listener. We have to be good at the ministry of presence than any other ministry in human relationship. We have to give ourselves sincerely than to give advice sincerely.
Just as our love to God begins with our sincere listening to His Word, so our love for the brethren begins with our sincere listening to them. God not only gave us His Word but also gave us His ear. So how important listening is. We have to learn to listen and practice it. In fact, listening can be a greater service than speaking. God offers Good News, not Good Advice. Now we have to be ready to give ourself rather than good advice.
3. Third, it means to live a life of one body.
Look at the verse 3, "being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." This means that we have to make every effort to be one in fellowship, love, and forgiveness.
Christianity is not a solitary religion. God gave us over thirty "one another" commands within the body of Christ in the New Testament. We cannot be a disciple of Christ and live as a hermit. True discipleship is possible only within a community of believers called the church.
We have to be diligent the unity of the Church. And we have to know how God loves it. In Revelation, Jesus calls the church "the bride of Christ." Jesus does not say the church is the brother and sister of Christ, or the friend of Christ, or the child of Christ, but the bride of Christ! What an impressive expression!
What comes to mind when you think about a bride? It's the most precious word possible to convey the idea of commitment and love and intimacy. Do you think that it is accidental that Jesus expresses the Church as His bride? No. That tells us that Jesus loves the church, think it as the most precious thing to His heart.
The church is the product of a great dream in the mind of God. He has designed it to last eternally. Nobody can destroy it. We have to preserve the beauty of church community we are in.
We sometimes watch the church become entangled in disputes over trivial matters? How sad it is to be in conflict from disputes over the color of the new paint or the side of the new piano in the sanctuary!
I heard the tragic story of a church which had acquired a new organ. They disputed so intently over which side of the chancel the organ should be located that the church split. That town now has two churches, one with the organ on the left side of the chancel and the other with the organ on the right How sad it is! Inner conflict is more consumable of the church than outer pressure.
We have to try to do our best to preserve the oneness of our church. To do that, we must understand 3-things:
First, we must understand the difference between disagreement and conflict. Disagreement means we have varied opinions: Conflict means the disagreements rise to damage the church's precious identity. Disagreement can be accepted, but conflict cannot. because conflict paralyzes the church.
Second, we must understand the difference between reconciliation and resolution. Some problems cannot be easily resolved but all people can be reconciled. We don't need to resolve disagreement to everybody's liking, but even though there is disagreements, we have to serve one an other with the heart of reconciliation. Not everyone agrees with everything that has been done in this church, but it is time that we move on, forgetting what is behind with the heart of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Third, we must know the difference between being peaceful and being a peacemaker. A peaceful person lives a life, enjoying peace passively. A peacemaker lives a life, pursuing peace actively.
Beloved! be a peacemaker, pursuing peace actively. There are many differences we cannot resolve between us, but we must be reconciled one another. May our church be filled with the warming heart from God through all of you!
김성원목사~QT와 만나 
