Greg Laurie - Learning How to Walk (08/16/2017)
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Pastor Greg Laurie shares how believers must learn to walk worthy of their calling in Christ, drawing from Ephesians 4:1-6. He emphasizes unity, humility, gentleness, and patience in the body of Christ, concluding that our response to God's blessings should be consistent, faithful living that honors the one Lord, one faith, and one God.
A Fun Night of Worship and Bible Study
Father, this is just a fun night, and we just love to worship, we love to sing, and we love to hear from Your Word. So we're inviting You now to speak to us as we open Scripture. We commit this time of Bible study to You now. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
You can be seated. Well, I just got back. I just flew in from Dallas, Texas. And, boy, am I arms tired. No, I had the opportunity to speak to some 500 pastors at the AT&T Stadium in preparation for Harvest America. That's a lot of people that showed up, by the way. Really good turnout. As y'all remember—notice the use of the word y'all—as y'all remember, we were back there in Texas at the American Airlines Center, and we had about 130 pastors show up, which we were very pleased by to start. Now 500. That's a lot of churches represented.
Sharing the Vision at AT&T Stadium
And here's a few photos taken by Vitaly, who goes to our church. That's the outside of the AT&T Stadium. Now, just so you get a sense of how large it is, I want you to look at the bottom of the photo. And you see those little objects? Those are human beings. You see how big that is? This is one of the largest stadiums in the country, if not the world. And let's see what else we have. This is the interior. This stadium will seat 100,000 people. That's two Angel Stadiums, plus a few more. So, you get the sense of it. Amazingly, when you're in the stadium, it adds sort of an intimacy about it, as far as mega stadiums go. I mean, everything is sort of close, and they have gigantic video screens. The biggest screens I've ever seen. He was leading us in worship. I forgot his name. What's his name? Shane. One of the Shanes was there. You know Shane & Shane? That's Shane. I don't know where the other Shane was.
So, we had a great time challenging these guys with a vision for Harvest America and all that we're going to do. And there's Pastor John Collins sharing the vision for the event. You can see the backdrop of the stadium behind him. And this is Pastor Jack Graham, good friend of mine. Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church. This wouldn't be happening without Pastor Jack's vision. So, he's certainly been an impetus. This is O.S. Hawkins to the left. Another good friend and a major part of this crusade happening. Rallying the troops. They know everybody in Texas. And so, we were able to share this vision. I tell you, these guys got fired up. Guys and girls. It wasn't just guys. And I think they're really seeing the vision for this. It's going to be in the month of November. We have two possible dates: November 1 or 8. And we're waiting for the stadium to tell us which date it's going to be. So, we appreciate your prayers in that regard.
From Breakfast in Texas to Learning to Walk
Oh, we're back. Oh, there's one other photo. I posted a bunch of these on Instagram and Facebook if you want to check them out. But this next photo I'm going to show you. The other ones you saw shot by a professional photographer. Beautiful, high-resolution photos. This next photo I shot with my iPhone of what I ate on my way over. And I got far more likes for this photo than any other photo. Here it is. Yeah, that's it. That's called breakfast in Texas. Waffle and chicken. Now, that thing in the middle, that is gravy. I wasn't really sure what to do with it. I didn't want to pour gravy on my waffle. I guess I sort of dipped my chicken in it. It, uh... Actually, I had to be taken to the hospital after I ate it. But... It was great.
All right. I have one more trip this week. This has been one of the busiest weeks of my life. I'm going to fly to Oklahoma tomorrow and speak to a leadership conference. I'll be back with all you guys on Sunday for our time. But this evening, we're going to look at Ephesians chapter 4. So turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 4. And the title of my message is Learning How to Walk.
The Toddler Steps and Spiritual Growth
I don't know that many of us remember when we took our first steps as a toddler. But you may remember when your children took their first steps. I do remember when Jonathan took his and Christopher. And that's a big moment in the life of a parent. And then once they start walking, you wish they would stop. Because, you know, they're just into trouble everywhere. But, you know, as part of the process of learning to walk as a small toddler, you fall quite a few times. You know, you may grab like a table or a chair to pull yourself up. And they'll bump their little heads. Jonathan had bumped his head so many times. Ironically, in the same spot, it seems like he had a permanent bruise on his head for a year. From trying to walk.
And so, this is what happens. But you don't give up. You just keep trying. And you've never seen a child say, forget it. I'm not going to try to walk anymore. They just get up for more. And they come back for more. Well, that's a little bit like it is in our spiritual life as well. When we first come to Christ, those first steps are hard. You may bump your head here and there. You may fall down a few times. But you need to get up and walk again.
Wealth, Walk, and Warfare in Ephesians
And the title of my message is Learning How to Walk. Because at this point in the book of Ephesians, we're coming to a new section. Ephesians can be divided into three sections under these words: Wealth, Walk, and Warfare. Wealth, Walk, and Warfare. The first chapters deal with our spiritual riches and wealth in Christ. All that God has given to us. Now we're in the walk section. And in time, we'll get into the warfare section, especially Ephesians chapter 6.
But, you know, when you see someone run, they're exercising. They're on their way somewhere. But a person that is walking, it's more of a regular, consistent motion. It speaks of movement. It speaks of progress. And this is a phrase that is used many times in the Bible to describe our life in Christ. Colossians 2:6 says, As you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him. Galatians 5 says, Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 1 John 1:7 says, If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we will have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all sin.
Knowing Your Spiritual Resources
So now we're in that section where we're going to learn how to walk. Learn what God has done for us. You know, I think that before we can walk, we need to know what the Lord has placed in our spiritual account. You know, I used to have a Harley Davidson. I still have one, actually. But I had one years ago. And this is before they actually put a fuel gauge in them. And so the way it worked was you filled your tank up. And then you had a reserve tank, which was much smaller. And you filled that up, and you sort of had to guesstimate how much gas you had in your tank.
You could take the cap off and look. But this was crazy because, you know, you always were wondering, am I going to run out of gas? Because basically, if your bike started stalling, you switch it over to the reserve, a little lever, and then try to keep your bike running. And so I just got the bike, and where did I run out of gas? In the middle of the Ortega Highway. Now, I don't know if you've ever been over that windy, long road. There's not a lot of places to pull over. So that was a crazy system. It was a great luxury when I actually was able to look at the fuel gauge and know exactly how much fuel I had.
Some of us are like that as believers, we don't know how much fuel we have in the tank. We don't know about the resources that God has given to us. But I'm telling you, He's given you more than you will ever need. So at this point in the book of Ephesians now, we're sort of seeing how it works out in real life. Because listen, there's no theology without doxology. Let me repeat that. There's no theology without doxology. In other words, learning all these truths is really not of any great value unless we can apply it in our lives.
Walking Worthy of the Calling – Ephesians 4:1-6
So let's find out what Paul has to say about walking spiritually. Ephesians 4, verses 1-6 will be our text for tonight. Paul writes, I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness and long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
I'll stop there. So apparently Paul was from Texas too. It's in y'all. It's in y'all. Paul is saying now, in light of what God has done for you, what should you be doing for Him? You know, a lot of times we want to sort of bask in the glow of the blessings of God. And that's a wonderful thing, but God blesses us so He can prepare us to face the real world.
The Power of Gathering as the Church
You know, as we gather here for this Bible study, this is a time for us to be recharged and refreshed and to be taught the Word of God. And it's such a great thing to be able to do. And something wonderful and something supernatural happens when the church gathers. That's why when a person says, I don't need the church. I just listen to Bible teaching on the radio or I watch it on television or I download podcasts. There's a place for that, but there's nothing like the church. Every believer needs to be actively involved in a local church.
And because when we gather together, the Bible promises that when two or more gather together in the name of Jesus, He is there. Now, that's not to say He's not there when we're out and about, because He's omnipresent, which means present everywhere. But it is to say, God manifests His presence in a special way when His people gather together for worship, prayer, and Bible study. Right? True, isn't it? And the Scripture tells us also, the Lord inhabits the praises of His people.
And I think when we come to worship, and we come to pray, and we come to hear God's Word, it helps us see things differently. You know, you can come into church with problems. And probably many of you have tonight. You have your problems. And when you leave, your problems are effectively still with you. But often in church, worshiping and hearing the Word of God will cause you to look at your problems differently. You may come in with big problems, and a small God. And you may leave with a big God and small problems. The problems are still the same, but you have a new way of looking at them.
Psalm 73 – Understanding in the Sanctuary
There's an interesting passage in Psalm 73. A man named Asaph was grappling with the age-old question: Why do the wicked prosper? And we could expand that and add other questions to it. Why do bad things happen? Why am I going through this hardship in life? Why am I suffering? Why did my loved one die? The list goes on. Just those questions about life in general. Why, why, why? And then Asaph says in Psalm 73:16, When I tried to understand all of this, it was oppressive to me. Now listen. Until I entered the sanctuary of God, then I understood. See? So, things changed when he came to worship with God's people and got into God's Word. And that's why it's wonderful to do these things. But, God gives us these blessings to help us to live in the real world.
Ephesians 4:1. Therefore. Underline the word therefore. Whenever you see the word therefore, find out what it's there for. Therefore. And the word therefore, whenever it is used, is drawing upon what has been previously said. So you could just as easily translate it, in light of. Or, because of. In all that God has done for us. Therefore.
From Doctrine to Duty – Right Living Flows from Right Belief
So now we're transitioning from positional to practical truth. From doctrine to duty. From creed to conduct. From exposition to exhortation. From principle to practice. Because right practice is always based on right principle. And listen to this. Right living is based on right doctrine. Doctrine. We don't like the word doctrine. I'm not into doctrine. I just love the Lord. Well careful now buckaroo. Because you might end up loving the wrong Lord. Every Christian needs to love doctrine. What is doctrine? It's just another word for teaching. I need to know who God is. And I need to know what God says. So I can worship Him intelligently. As well as emotionally.
And we're told that God is the Spirit. And those that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Worship is not merely emotional. It is also intellectual. As I know more about God. I can worship Him more effectively. And we're told in 1 Timothy 4:16 that we should watch our life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them. Because if you do. You'll save yourself and your hearers.
Listen. It's impossible to have a Christian life without knowing what God has given you. It's like trying to run your computer without power. You ever take a trip and forget your power source. Or forget your computer. Or you're out with your phone and it dies. And you don't have a way to recharge it. That's just pretty much an object you're going to just carry around with you. That isn't going to perform. So in the same way we need to know what His Word has said.
Paul as the Prisoner of the Lord
Paul begins by again identifying himself as the prisoner of the Lord. Of course we know that Paul was imprisoned when he wrote this epistle. Most likely in Rome. He's not writing these words from a super nice beach in Greece. Soaking up rays and sipping iced tea. He's in a place of discomfort. A place of hardship. And yet he's writing these words of great comfort and encouragement.
But I love how Paul says he's a prisoner of the Lord. He doesn't say he's a prisoner of Rome. And what really Paul is saying is I understand that even though I'm not in a place I want to be in. And God has allowed it. You need to understand that everything that happens in your life is, shall we say, Father filtered. My friend Randy Alcorn coined that phrase. Father filtered. Which means God either did it or God allowed it. And we don't know why many times.
So Paul is in prison. He's just owning it. Hey, I'm a prisoner of the Lord. I'm here because God has allowed it. And now he gives us his message. I beseech you. By the way, the word beseech is a strong emotional word. It means to urge or to plead. Even to beg. Paul is saying I'm begging you right now. This is a message that was burning on his heart. This is the heart of a Shepherd for his sheep.
He's saying I'm pleading with you right now that you would walk this life. Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.
What Does 'Walk Worthy' Really Mean?
You know, this is the heart of a spiritual Shepherd. Paul wrote elsewhere that my children with whom I again labor over until Christ is formed in you. Paul is actually comparing himself to a mom giving birth. I don't know that we guys can ever completely wrap our minds around that. But he's using that analogy at least. And he's saying I don't want to see you just come forward. I want to see you go forward. I don't want to see you just accept Christ. I want to see you grow in Christ. And mature in Christ. And develop your gifts from Christ. And then change the world for Christ.
You know, a friend of mine asked me the other day if I was given the opportunity. Would I like to no longer be a pastor and become a full-time evangelist? And my answer was, not really. I mean, I love to evangelize and I feel called by God to do it. But fortunately, the Lord has allowed me to do both. And though I feel it is my responsibility to preach the gospel and I will when opportunities open up, I feel great joy in being a pastor.
You know, when I teach at a Bible study like this, I really look forward to it. I really enjoy it. You don't, but I do. And, you know, because to me, I love to just teach God's Word and let it unfold. And see people impacted by it. And I receive just as much joy as watching a person discover the truths of God and maturing as I do in seeing a person come forward to accept Christ. And actually, it's... Amen. That's really all a part of the Great Commission anyway.
What is the Great Commission? According to Mark, it's to go into all the world and preach the gospel. And according to Matthew, it's to go into all the world and make disciples, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. So, the Great Commission is both proclamation of the gospel and following up and helping people come to maturity in Jesus Christ.
And so, Paul is saying, now, you need to walk worthy. Well, what does that mean? Interesting word that he uses here in verse one, worthy. It means to balance the scales. Now, let's not misunderstand. God's not saying you need to really work hard at being a super good Christian so you're worthy to approach God. We've already dealt with that. We've already pointed out you can approach God anytime because of the blood of Jesus Christ. That's not what walk worthy means.
Walk worthy means something different altogether. Balancing the scales, or another way to put it, what is on one side of the scale should be equal in weight to what is on the other. That's not to say we have to do something to equal what God has done for us because we never could. But what it is saying is I should give the proper response.
So, God's done these awesome, amazing things for us, choosing us, loving us, forgiving us, adopting us, sealing us, empowering us. He's done that all for us. Now, there should be an equal response where I'm going to do everything that I can do in gratitude for Him. Not to merit it, but it's an equal response. And that's the idea that's being conveyed here. Because for many people, there's inconsistency in their spiritual life. So, Paul is saying, hey, there needs to be an appropriate response to what God has done for you.
Principle 1 – Keep the Peace and Unity
So, how do we walk worthy of the Lord? Well, let me just share a few principles. Number one, if you're taking notes, if you want to walk worthy of the Lord, as much as possible, keep the peace. As much as possible, keep the peace. Verse 3. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Paul is not saying, make unity, but rather, keep or do not break the unity that is already there.
See, when you become a Christian, you become a part of a family. You become a part of the church, the body of Christ. And we're all in this together. So, Paul is saying, don't disrupt it. Don't cause division in it. And there are people that just love to debate. They love to argue. They're always in a tiff about something. And I've already made a point about how important doctrine is. And I don't have a problem having a doctrinal debate with a person. But at the same time, we're still supposed to love one another. It's possible to disagree agreeably.
And to the point, God actually says that one of the things He hates are those that sow discord among the brothers. But there are some people that all they do is argue. All they do is debate. All they do is get into these disputes with others. And all they do is sow discord. And ironically, they think they're doing the work of God when they aren't at all.
When I had the opportunity to speak to the pastors in Dallas, one of the things I said to them was, hey guys, let's join forces. Because we can get a lot accomplished. And by the way, we're not competing with each other. Our competition is with the world, the flesh, and the devil. Let's stop fighting with each other. And remember who the real enemy is. Let's stop arguing about theological minutia. And get the big picture. The world is in need. It needs to hear the gospel. And there's a place for us all to do that.
And there is a place for theological distinctions. I'm not arguing that. We have our own theological distinctions here at Harvest. But I have many close friendships with other pastors and leaders that I don't agree with completely. And I completely respect their right to be wrong. But... No, but seriously. You might be surprised to know how well some of us who are pastors and teachers get along with each other even though we have our disagreements. Sometimes the people that follow these teachings get a little militant. But when we get in together in a room, we'll have a great old time. And realize that we're never gonna resolve all those things.
And so, you know, this is the thing. We wanna work together as the body of Christ. I mean, what if certain parts of my body decided to do their own thing? I mean, what if my hands had their own little mind and they contradicted what I was saying? So I'm saying to you, I love you so much. It's like, what? You're shaking your fist at me. Or, I'm really sorry and my hand did this, you know. I'm really sorry I said that. Well, my hand just contradicted my words.
You see, I need my hands to cooperate with my words and the tonality of my voice to convey a message. Or if I were to say, I love you, and then my eyes roll. Then I'm like, I love you. So, you know, when you're out and about and you're doing things, you know, to pick this Bible up, I need cooperation. I need the fingers to hold one side. I need the thumb to hold the other. I've got the wrist supporting everything. So this is something that my body does working together.
Well, to walk with the Lord means the idea that I walk in unity as much as I can.
Unity Has Limits – Essentials of the Faith
Now, having said that we need unity, let me add this caveat. I cannot have unity with a person who does not believe that Jesus Christ is the only Son of God. I cannot have unity with a person who does not believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. I cannot have unity with a person who does not believe in the authority of Scripture. We believe that God's Word is inerrant. It's without error. We believe that this is breathed by God.
So we might have different emphasis in our teaching, but we have to hold these essential things together. For instance, there's different views on eschatology. That's a study of end times events. And we believe that the Lord could come for us at any time and we would be caught up in the rapture and that we will not go through the tribulation period. But then there are some who are definitely believers that believe they're going to go through the tribulation period. I'm not going to break fellowship with someone over that. As far as I'm concerned, go ahead and go through it. I'll see you in heaven later. You can tell me all about it.
But I would never break fellowship over something like that. Some say, well, when you're baptized, you should be immersed. I happen to believe that since the word baptized means immerse. But some would think sprinkling would do it. I would never break fellowship over that. There's different approaches to music. Some like hymns and some like electrified music. I would never break fellowship over something like that.
So there are those theological distinctives. But I love this statement of Augustine. It's often quoted. He says, In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. So I need to maintain, as much as I can, unity with my fellow believers.
Look at... Oh, well, don't look. I'll just quote it to you, actually. Romans 12:18. Paul says, If it's possible, as much as depends on you, live at peace with all men.
Humility, Gentleness, and Long-Suffering
Beloved, don't avenge yourselves, but give place to wrath. For it is written, vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord. That's a great verse. You know why I like it? It's because Paul says, as much as it's possible. Which means, it's not always possible. I'm just telling you, there's some people, you can't make peace with them. Even if they offended you, and you go, in a way, apologizing to make peace with them, though you did nothing wrong, still, they won't accept it. They won't consider it. And you know, I feel like once I've done my due diligence there, if they don't want to have any relationship or communication, that's their problem. And I'm going to move on.
As much as it's possible, have peace with all folks. You know, some people, I think, almost like conflict. I think they enjoy being mad at someone. And to them, I would quote the great theologian, Elsa from Frozen. Let it go. No, I'm not going to sing it. I should get my granddaughters up here. They know all the lyrics. And they've sung it to me many times. And just found out there's going to be a Frozen 2. So you can spend more money. It'll be fun. It's actually a pretty fun movie.
How are we to keep this unity? Verse 2. With all lowliness and gentleness with long-suffering. Bearing with one another in love. That brings me to point number 2. If you want to walk worthy of the Lord, you need to be humble and gentle. You need to be humble and gentle.
The New Living Translation translates verse 2. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other. Making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.
By the way, the Greeks and also the Romans. By the way, the Romans were very influenced by the Greeks. The Greeks influenced the Romans far more than the Romans influenced the Greeks. Effectively, the Romans conquered the Greeks and stole their culture. And so the Greek philosophy really permeated all of Rome. And as far as the Greeks believed, there was no place in their minds for humility. In fact, humility was a derogatory term. In fact, the way they would translate humility would be low-mindedness or groveling servility. In other words, if you were humble, they'd say, oh, you're just a little bit stupid and kind of a lightweight.
Because they didn't value strength. You see, the Romans were all about strength and force and conquering others. And so when we read the Bible and it talks about humility and meekness, many would just dismiss this altogether. And they still do. And our culture today. I mean, how many movies celebrate forgiveness? Not many. How many movies celebrate vengeance and payback? Actually, a lot.
Like those Taken movies? I think there's like 15 of them now. The first one started with Liam Neeson's daughters kidnapped on a trip. And then the next one, I think his wife is kidnapped. And the next one, I don't know who they kidnapped. But, you know, in the first film, there's a statement Liam Neeson makes after they kidnapped his daughter. He gets on the cell phone. He's talking with the guy who kidnapped her. And he says, I have a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for someone like you. You know, it's just... That's the stuff people like. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We want to see those skills.
But here comes the Bible. Talking about humility and mercy and forgiveness.
Meekness Is Power Under Constraint
Here's something that may surprise you. It takes more strength to forgive than it does to take vengeance. A lot more strength. Actually, the word that is used in Scripture for meekness would best be translated power under constraint. And it was a word that was usually used to rein in wild beasts. Like a horse. You know, you're taking that magnificent, powerful creature and getting it to submit to the will of the rider. Where, with bit and bridle, that horse will do what you want it to do.
And I love horses, but, you know, I've been on a horse here and there that had a mind of its own and ran off and wouldn't stop when I wanted it to. And I prefer horse power over horse. You know, I like the fact you can hit a brake or turn it off. But, you know, the idea is controlling something powerful. Power under constraint. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is power under constraint.
I mean, you want to know who the strongest man was who ever lived? Don't say Superman. This is real people. Who was the strongest man who ever lived? Jesus Christ. Well, Samson, yeah, he had a lot of physical strength given to him by God. But Jesus was the strongest man. Jesus was the man's man.
My friend, Michael Franzese, who was a made member of the Colombo crime family, a man's man, and their whole culture was about being tough and living by certain standards, etc. And what impressed Michael as he read the New Testament was the manhood of Christ. How Christ picked the cross up and carried it after being whipped 39 times. And even Pilate said of Jesus, Behold the man. So Jesus was the man's man. Jesus was the strongest man who ever lived.
Now, you want to know who the most humble man was that ever lived? It's me. Let me explain. No, I'm kidding. It's clearly not. It's Jesus. He's the strongest man and the most humble. In fact, Jesus even said He was meek and lowly. He held back.
Remember when they arrested Him in the Garden of Gethsemane? And old Simon Peter pulls out the sword, starts swinging away. Jesus says, Put that thing away. What are you doing? And He says, Don't you know that I could speak a word and 12 legions of angels would come and deliver Me? Peter, do you understand who I am? One word. I mean, you could just see the angels' swords drawn. Say the word. Say the word. Say the word. No. No, no, no. I have to go through this.
And then when the people came and He said, Who do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. He said, I am. And John's Gospel says, They all fell backwards. Think of that. Soldiers and armor with swords and shields and spears and the torches. And one falls on the other like a bunch of dominoes. He could have just said, I am. And you were. Bye. But He was humble. And He was meek. And it was power under constraint.
So He said, well, that's fine. That was Jesus. Yeah, it was Jesus. And guess what? Philippians 2 says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Or as the New Living Translation puts it, You must have the same attitude that Jesus had.
Then Paul goes on to define what this looks like in real life. In Philippians 2, he says, Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, working together with the same mind and purpose. And don't be selfish. Don't try to impress others. Be humble. Think of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out for your own interests. Take an interest in others too.
Can you imagine if we just applied those words in our life? Think about your marriage. Don't be selfish. Look out for the interests of your mate above your own. Think how it would change your marriage. Think how it would change how you work. Don't be selfish. Don't always be thinking about yourself. Don't try to impress other people. It would change everything.
So yes, we are to be meek. Now, having said that, you can be meek and strong at the same time. Moses was described as the meekest man on the face of the earth, yet he fearlessly confronted Pharaoh in the name of the Lord. He also confronted Israel with their rebellion and sin many times.
So the meek person is also capable of righteous anger and action when needed, such as when God's name is mocked or a weaker person is being harmed. Don't forget Jesus, who submitted to the cross, also drove the money changers out of the temple because they were preying on the people instead of praying for the people. And He used a whip. And guess where He got the whip? He made it. He made His own custom Jesus whip. And He drew... And it wasn't some little dainty, you know, it was a whip. And He overturned tables, and the tables were heavy. And it was a violent act to do that. He was making a point, so I'm pointing out, meekness has strength as well.
Principle 3 – Be Long-Suffering and Patient
Number three, to walk worthy of your calling means you need to be long-suffering. If you're taking notes, it's on the screen. To walk worthy of your calling means that you need to be long-suffering. Verse 2 says, Long-suffering, bearing with one another in love. What does that mean? Well, long-suffering means to be long-tempered.
So you need to be patient with God. You know, God doesn't always move as quickly as we would like Him to. Maybe you're single and you're saying, And, Lord, I want to get married. I'm so tired of being single. I'm 18 years old and I've waited so long. Seriously, though, maybe you're a little bit older. You're wondering, okay, Lord, where is he? Where is she?
Or maybe you want to serve the Lord in ministry. And you don't understand why He hasn't opened that door for you. You're so gifted. You're so talented. And, best of all, you're so humble. Well, listen, God has His plan and God has His way and God has His timing. And sometimes you'll be being used by God and the Lord will just set you aside for a while because He needs to sort of retool you a little bit.
I'll take the story of Elijah. I mean, he goes into the court of the king of Israel, Ahab, throws down the gauntlet, says, it's not going to rain, but according to my word, the Lord says that, and then God says, okay, now I want you to go over by a little brook and just hang out there for a while. The brook called Cherith. And that's where he waited. He probably thought, why am I sitting by some dried up stream in the middle of nowhere? I'm Elijah. God was getting him ready for the next step.
Moses had to be retrofitted, if you will, for the work that God was going to call him to do. And he spent 40 years in the desert, 40 years in God's college, getting his BD, BD, backside of desert. Saul of Tarsus, after he was converted. Three people just got that joke. Okay, good. Saul of Tarsus, after he was converted, was a brilliant man, a great orator, schooled under Gamaliel, one of the greatest teachers of the time. But the Lord had to get him ready for his new work that would go along with his new name, the Apostle Paul.
So, be patient with God. And you know what? Be patient with people. But I tell you, this is hard. Because people can try our patience, can't they? And it's because we're very self-centered, generally. Sin always puts us at the center of everything. We wonder, well, how will this affect me? What's in it for me? What can you do for me? What about my needs? And we don't think about the church as a whole or affect on others. We just selfishly do our own thing.
Hey, if the marriage isn't working, shh, dissolve it. Never mind what the Bible says. Never mind the children. They'll get over it. Never mind the church. Hey, if you want to be unfaithful to your spouse, go for it. And if you want to have sex before marriage, do that too. What does it matter what the Bible says? What does it matter what damage it could do to our testimony or the church? Just do it. And then you say, I'll just find another church where they're not so judgmental.
See, here's the problem, is we don't think of others. We just think of ourselves. In fact, the church of Corinth was so messed up. Corinth was a super wicked area known for sexual perversion. Paul wrote two letters to the Corinthians, which I've often thought could be called first and second Californians too. But, so Paul was writing to them because these crazy Corinthians were boasting about how they let an immoral man stay in their church. This guy was sleeping with his father's wife, not his actual mother, but his father's wife. And they were saying, hey, we let this guy stay in the church. Isn't that great?
Paul says, are you guys crazy? He writes in 1 Corinthians 5, how terrible that you should boast about your spirituality. And let this sort of thing go on. Don't you realize that if one person is allowed to go on sinning, all will be affected. Remove this wicked person from among you so you can stay pure. He's saying, man, you guys, one person affects another person. So we need to think of others. We need to think of the church as a whole.
One Body, One Spirit, One Lord – The Unity We Share
And now we wrap this up with these powerful words from Paul, Ephesians 4. Look at verses 4 to 6 again. There is one body, there is one Spirit, just as you are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
So what do we learn from this? Number one, there is one body of believers. It's the church. It's comprised of different nations, different cultures, different races, and different theological distinctions. But we know the church is universal because one day in heaven, people that are worshiping God will have come from all around the world. Revelation 7:9 says, After this they looked and there was a great multitude, no one could count, from every nation, from every tribe, from every people, in every language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, they were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They're worshiping God from everywhere. Everyone will be reached. I don't care if it's some nation that people tell us is unreachable, God will reach it. And there will be people that will believe in Jesus in that nation. There's one church.
Number two, there's one Spirit. And that's the Holy Spirit that convicts us initially, convinces us of our need for Jesus. Then He seals us when we believe. And then He empowers us for service.
Number three, there's one Lord. And that one Lord is Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 says, There is salvation in no other name. There is no other name given under heaven among men by which we must be saved.
And there's one faith, Paul tells us. And Jude speaks in Jude 3 of the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints. And what is the one faith? It's the Christian faith that's based on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And by the way, Paul says, we are to contend for that faith, which is a way of saying, defend that faith. We should be able to defend our faith. The Bible says we should be able to give to every man an answer concerning the hope that lies within us with meekness and with respect.
Right after I became a Christian, I was just growing dramatically in my faith. I made a complete break with all my drug buddies and started going to church. And I was going to every service I could go to. I was reading the Bible. I was just like a sponge soaking it up. I'd never heard truth like this before.
So I'm about two weeks old in my faith, and I'm out and about talking to people on the street of all things about what it was to know Christ. And I was sharing my faith. And I had a buddy that I'd grown up with from elementary school. His name was Greg as well. He spelled his name with two Gs. And so Greg and I were best friends. And right after I accepted Christ, I told Greg, Greg, don't worry. I'm not going to become fanatical. You know, I'm still going to be your buddy, Greg Laurie, the same old cynical weird me. Don't worry. Okay. I'm not going to become one of them.
So I hadn't seen Greg. And I also said to Greg, you'll never see Greg Laurie walking around carrying a Bible and saying, praise the Lord. Won't happen. Okay. So Greg was reassured. So two weeks go by. I'm walking down the street in Newport Beach. carrying a Bible. And Greg is walking toward me and I see him. And before I could catch myself, I said, praise the Lord. And then we both laughed because it was so ironic.
And I said, Greg, you know, what can I say? Hey, I know I said that stuff, but Jesus is real and he's changed me. And let me tell you what he's done for me. So Greg's listening. It's great. We're talking. And there's some guy like eavesdropping on our conversation. He was in front of his little store, sort of a drug paraphernalia store. You know, like they call them head shops, you know? They were even back, around back then. He's eavesdropping. So he walks over and interrupts my conversation, says, I have a few questions for you, Christian.
And I'm like, okay, I'm ready for anything. I've been a Christian two weeks. He fires about five hard questions. My mind goes blank. I don't know the answer. Greg looks at me and says, yeah, Laurie, what about that? I was humiliated. But I went and started studying like crazy. Because I thought next time I'm going to be ready. And I've been hunting for that man ever since then. No. Not really. But we should be able to defend our faith.
There's one Lord. There's one faith. There's one baptism. And there's one God, the Father, who is above all, through all, and in you all.
Listen, Christianity is monotheistic. What does that mean? It means that we believe in one God. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, The Lord our God is one God. But at the same time, this one God reveals Himself in three persons. There are not three gods. There's one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Now, in contrast to other faiths, we believe in one God. Hinduism is polytheistic. They believe in many gods. In fact, they believe in gods and goddesses. The same is true of those in the Hare Krishna movement. Buddhists, in contrast to that, do not worship any god or gods. Buddhists believe that a person has countless rebirths, which inevitably include suffering, and a Buddha seeks to end these rebirths.
Then Muslims, they also believe in one God, but it's not the same God we believe in. They believe in Allah. We believe in the Lord God. We believe in Yahweh. We believe in Jehovah. It's wrong to say Muslims and Christians worship the same God. No, we don't. I don't worship Allah. And I don't look to the Koran for direction. That's their book. Our book is the Bible.
So there are distinctions in the various religions. You say, well, Greg, why are you saying this? Because when someone says to you, all religions teach the same thing, that's another way of saying, I don't know what I'm talking about. Because all religions do not teach the same thing. Hindus acknowledge multitudes of gods and goddesses. Buddhists say there is no deity. Muslims believe in a powerful but unknowable God. Christians believe in one God and one Father who is knowable and approachable. There's one God and Father.
So we need to spend our time getting to know Him and walking with Him.
The Long Obedience in the Same Direction
Again, in closing, walking implies effort, having direction with a destination in mind. So we want to be making progress. As I said recently, following Jesus is long obedience in the same direction.
You know, I think sometimes people are looking for some emotional experience to have every time they go to church so they can rededicate their life again. And there's nothing wrong with rededicating your life to Christ. But some people feel that they need to be born again, again, again, again, again. And they come to church waiting for that big breakthrough moment.
Listen, you had your breakthrough moment in your conversion. Now it's long obedience in the same direction. Now it's discipline. And yes, God will fill you with the Spirit. And yes, God will cause your faith to grow. Stop looking for the emotional experience and just walk with God. Because the Bible says the just will live by faith. It doesn't say the just will live by feeling. Or emotional experiences. They come and go.
So it's faith and trust and growing in your relationship with the Lord.
Now, if you've tried walking and you've bumped your head, you have a permanent bump in your head like Jonathan used to have. I think it's gone now. Jonathan's cleared up. Okay, it's good. He's in the front row now. But if you've fallen, then get up.
You might say in response, but I've fallen and I can't get up. Now that's a commercial. You push the little button on the thing, right? I have one of those, by the way. They don't work that well. No, I'm kidding. I've fallen and I can't get up. Yes, you can. You can't get up on your own. You need the Lord to pull you up. Like when Peter was sinking and he cried out, what did Jesus do? He immediately reached down and pulled him up. He'll pull you up, but you've got to call out to Him.
And maybe some of you have come here tonight and you've, you know, you've got troubles. You made a commitment to Christ at one time, but you've totally lapsed in that. You've been doing things you know you should not be doing. Maybe some of you are even living a double life. It's time for you to come back to the Lord. Okay, you've fallen. Now get up again and get back in this relationship and this walk with Jesus Christ.
And there are some of you here that have never asked Christ to come into your life. And you didn't know that there was a God in heaven who loved you. You didn't know that there was a God that was knowable. You didn't know that there was a God who would forgive you. But there is. And He'll come and take residence in your heart right now.
Jesus says He stands at the door and He knocks. And if you'll hear His voice and open the door, He will come in.
And if you've never asked Jesus Christ to come into your life and forgive you of your sin, we're going to close by giving you an opportunity to do that. And if you've fallen away from Him and you do need to come back to Him, this would be the perfect time to do it.
So you'll be thinking about what you're going to do as we pray together. Let's all pray.
Father, thank You for Your Word to us. And now I pray for everybody here, everybody listening, everybody watching. I pray that Your Holy Spirit will convict and convince them of their sin and help them to come to You now and believe.
Now while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we're praying together, how many of you would say tonight, Greg, I want Jesus Christ to come into my life. I want my sin forgiven. I want to know that when I die, I will go to heaven. I'm ready to say yes to Jesus. Pray for me.
If that's your desire, if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life, if you want Him to forgive you of your sin, if you want your guilt taken away, would you raise your hand up wherever you are? I'm going to pray for you. Raise your hand up so I can see it. And I'll pray for you right now.
God bless you. God bless you. Anybody else? God bless you too. You want your sin forgiven. You want to know God. You want to go to heaven when you die. Raise your hand up. I'll pray for you. God bless you. Anybody else? Raise your hand up now. God bless you.
One more moment. God bless you. Anybody else? Raise your hand up. God bless you.
While our heads are still bowed, maybe some of you would say, oh man, I've fallen and I don't think I can ever get up. Well, the Lord can lift you up, but you need to reach out to Him. Would you like to come back to Christ? Do you need to make a recommitment to Him tonight? Why don't you raise your hand up right now and let me pray for you. You need to return to the Lord. Raise your hand. I'll pray for you.
God bless you. God bless each one of you. Anybody else? Raise your hand. God bless.
Now I'm going to ask that every one of you that has raised your hand, if you would, please, I want you to stand to your feet. Just stand up. Wherever you are, stand up. And I'm going to lead you in a prayer of commitment or recommitment to Christ. Just stand to your feet. If you raised your hand, we're going to pray together.
Others are standing. You won't be the only one. Stand up. Don't be embarrassed. You're among family and friends here. We love you. We've got your back here. We're rooting for you. Just stand up.
Let me lead you in this simple prayer of commitment or recommitment to Christ. Anybody else? Stand to your feet. We're going to pray together. Even if you did not raise your hand, you want to make this commitment or recommitment to Jesus, stand to your feet. God bless you.
One final moment. Anybody else? Stand now and we're going to pray. Anybody else? Stand now. All right. God bless you.
You that are standing, I'm going to lead you in this prayer and I want you to pray it out loud, after me, right where you are. Again, as I pray, pray this out loud after me, right where you are. Okay, pray this after me.
Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. But I know that You are a Savior. And I ask You to forgive me of my sin now. I turn from that sin, and I choose to follow You from this night forward as my Savior and Lord. And Lord, as my God and my friend, thank You for calling me and accepting me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.