Bulletins - First Baptist Church of Huntersville West Virginia

Worthy Of Worship
To God Be The Glory
Holy Forever
Ephesians 4:1–6 CSB
1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Match your walk to your talk.
The Greek word for worthy is axios - the imagery is that of scales where they are in balance… or equal value, similar worth
Axios was also used to describe a coin that was “worthy” because it actually contained the weight of gold it claimed too have. A “light” coin was a fraud.
On one side of the scales is our calling (the gospel, God’s grace, being His child) - on the other side is our conduct, our walk
Don’t let the scales be lopsided. Make sure your lifestyle carries enough weight to match the heavy grace you’ve been given.
If your life was weighed against the gospel today, would you be “light” on the scales?
In other words - because of all that God has done for us in providing salvation and making us into a spiritual dwelling place of God then we need to live like it
Paul reminds them that he is a prisoner in the Lord - at the time, Paul was literally in prison and had given up his freedom to follow Jesus
We may not end up in a literal prison but we are called to give up our freedom, our desires, our plans, etc.. to follow Jesus.
But what does this look like? How do we walk worthy of our calling?
Walk small and focus on others.
Paul says we are to walk with all humility - he is not talking about some fake attitude
Humility doesn’t mean we are to see ourselves as some pitiful excuse for humanity, some low life or piece of trash at the bottom of the human pile
Humility means that we are to see ourselves as God sees us - with infinite and inherent value but with no more value than anyone else
It means being willing to accept God as the authority over our lives rather than insisting on being our own supreme authority
Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.
We are to be so secure in God’s love that we stop checking the mirror to see how we stack up.
We are not the center of attention - Jesus is.
We order our lives in such a way as to serve God by serving others and if we all do that then all needs are met by others
Walk softly and focus on kindness.
Gentleness is “power under control”
It is the ability to handle people with care instead of crushing them with your “righteousness”
In a world of “outrage culture,” a gentle walk is the loudest testimony you have.
Walk slowly and focus on timing.
Don’t outrun God’s timing - or others
Patience is believing God’s timetable is good no matter what it is.
We have to be willing to wait for God to act when, where and how He chooses.
Patience also means giving people room to grow.
If God was patient with your walk then you have to be patient with other people’s walk.
Walk together and focus on support.
We are to shoulder the load together
The Greek implies “putting up with” or “holding up.”
People are messy, and love means staying under the weight of their mess instead of walking away.
Love is a verb that requires “muscle”
Bearing or forbearance means giving people “grace-space”
It is the extra grace required for the people who rub us the wrong way.
Walk in step and focus on peace.
We must do all we can to protect the peace.
Unity doesn’t happen by accident, it takes effort.
We are not the ones who create unity, the Holy Spirit has done that, our job is to keep from breaking it
Think about an orchestra. Every instrument is different (diversity), but they all tune to the same note (Christ). Unity isn’t uniformity (everyone being a violin); it’s harmony (everyone playing the same song).
To walk in step we have to keep your eyes on the Conductor.
We are walking toward the same goal.
We aren’t just walking randomly; we are walking toward the same “hope.”
In a world that tries to divide us by politics, race, class, or even religious ideology, Paul reminds us that we share the same DNA
We are one body.
Our hope is in Jesus and if we focus on Him then we will naturally walk closer to each other.
We walk under the same Authority.
Remember WHO is charge of our life, our calling, our walk.
Paul repeats the word ONE seven times in the final 3 verses: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all
Paul is hammering home that there is no “my truth” or “your truth” in the kingdom - there is only THE Truth.
We live worthy because we serve the same Father.
He is above all (sovereign), through all (working in us) and in all (present with us).
The Gospel is the heaviest, most beautiful news the world has ever known. It is the weight of God’s grace, the weight of His sacrifice, and the weight of His love.
When Paul tells us to 'Live Worthy of Your Calling,' he is simply asking us to balance the scales.
He’s saying: If you claim the heavy grace of a Savior who died for you, don’t live a lightweight life.
If you talk about a God of humility, don’t walk with a heart of pride.
If you talk about a God of patience, don’t walk with a spirit of impatience.
We match our walk to our talk not to earn our place in the family, but because we are already His children. We walk small so He looks big. We walk softly so He is heard. We walk together because we are One.
This week, as you go to your jobs, your schools, and your homes, remember: Your life is the only 'sermon' some people will ever hear. Don’t just tell them about the Gospel; show them the weight of it.
Match your walk to your talk, and Live Worthy of Your Calling."
- - Ephesians 4:1–6CSB
Take My Life Lead Me Lord

Match your walk to your talk.

Walk small and focus on others.

Walk softly and focus on kindness.

Walk slowly and focus on timing.

Walk together and focus on support.

Walk in step and focus on peace.

We are walking toward the same goal.

We walk under the same Authority.

Ephesians 4:1–6CSB