Calling a Man of Service

A Man of Service

Shows up 

Equipped

Rooted

Valuable (appreciation of character)         

Integrity

Caring

Engaged       

  

As we allow God to break the mold in our lives so that we can be reshaped, remolded, renewed until He is pleased with who we are. Often it seems like everything we do it fall short and goes wrong. In this season of life it has been a common theme when talking to other men and women that we are trying to do the right things in life, but lately feel like we fall short. What God has been speaking to me about and what I have been working on the past 6 months is being a man of God that Serves no matter what I am doing or where I am, this has not been an easy task and feel like some days I am starting all over. I pray as this has encouraged, challenged, and convicted me, that is would do the same for you.

                All Paul’s writings are very similar and a trend in all his writings is in the beginning chapters Paul’s main focus is on doctrinal truths of the Gospel (sin, Redemption, grace, forgiveness, ). The Latter part of his letters focus’ on direction for our lives (more practical), and how we are to present ourselves and act as followers of Christ.  For a lot of us we know the doctrinal truths in scripture, and it is very easy to get caught up in doctrine and even religious practices, and miss out on the practical ways we can truly reflect Christ in every aspect of our lives.  As Jeremiah 18, we will become another vessel that God is pleased with, and can reshape us as needed. Christians have not had a great reputation according to the world.  If you take away our doctrinal truths, and religious practices, does our everyday life look any different than the world? Jesus came not to abolish the law as it says in Matthew 5:17, but to fulfill it. To bring life to the law and life into our lives.

Ephesians 4:1-6 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Paul implores us to walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling which you have been called. Paul does not say when you get called, but walk in the manner of which God has already called you to. This is not something new, and not something that just a few of us are called to, but all of us. God calls us to Show up prepared, prepared to run the race, be the man God has and is calling you to be. You wouldn’t do out for football with no pads, and not wearing shoes? Calling us to be humble, I love how the dictionary describes being humble, “a deep sense of one's (moral) littleness”. God has called us to walk modestly, not a know it all that can do no wrong perspective. To be humble, gentle not only outwardly but having a gentle spirit (inwardly). I know I catch myself saying what is right just because I know it is the right thing to say, but deep down inside I am full of selfish thoughts, and feelings, because my spirit is not fed and equipped with the things that are pleasing to God, it is full of things that are pleasing to my flesh.

Paul writes patience, I mean really I am patient; I can deal with things at hand. I looked up the definition of patience and the one word that it uses to describe patience is longsuffering. Really, not deal with the small things that only last a little while? Long suffering really hit home for me. I find myself over time when I am tired and worn out wanting to just give up and give into the flesh. It is the “what is in it for me”, and “what you are doing makes me want to just through in the towel and walk away”. I am not going to lie this has been something the enemy always temps me with when I am tired and down.  

We are called to show Christ love in everything that we do as Christ example shows us throughout scripture. It is a hard thing to love when we feel someone doesn’t deserve it, but think do we deserve the love that we are given each day? We need to be diligent as Paul writes to preserve unity of the Spirit and bond of peace. This is not something that is just going to preserve itself; it is a precious and beautiful thing that we need to take care of each and every day. Paul continues to talk about oneness. We are to have one, One Lord, One faith, one baptism, one God. Luke writes in Luke 16:13 – 15 “ "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.”  One master not two. From experience it takes a lot more work to serve two masters and live a hypocritical life than it is to serve one.

Ephesians 4:7-13a But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men."(Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

                God is continually equipping us for the works of service and building up the body of Christ. God’s had a unique calling on each of our lives, not everyone is called to be a pastor, evangelize, or to teach as our full time jobs, but He is calling us to do these things for service and building up the body of Christ. It is not written that this is for Monday through Friday 9 to 5, it is all the time and in everything that we do. I am not a preacher, but I am preaching from God’s word right now. I am not a teaching, but I am teaching, I am not an evangelist but could be evangelizing to someone. God is calling us to be equipped to build up the Body. Calling us to encourage and build each other up in love. Having unity of the faith, we need to work together and not have division between us.

                “And of the Knowledge of the Son of God”. The Greek work used to Knowledge that is used in verse 13 is Epígnōsis, Epígnōsis is defined my Thayer’s as precise and correct knowledge, and is used in the new testament for things ethical and divine.  There is nowhere in the Bible where it says you have to read your Bible every day, and I struggle with getting into the word each day. Paul writes this because he sees the importance of knowing what is right and wrong according God, not the world. You can be smart, but if it is not the truth, or real it is not a valuable tool to be equipped with.

Ephesians 4:13a-16 to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

                We are no longer Children we are Men, not only men, but mature men. God has called us to be rooted in our lives and in our faith. Not to be tossed around and carried away by every new religious fad. Paul describes a mature man as one who is full on Christ. The Greek word used for Mature in Verse 13 is Téleios,  which is also translated as perfect. Thayer’s defines Téleios - that which is perfect, consummate human integrity and virtue of men. God is calling us to live a life of integrity. Who are you when no one is looking, who are you outside of your Church community? Are you the same, or different?

               

Ephesians 4:17-23 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;  and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.  But you did not learn Christ in this way,  if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self , which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,  and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

                Valuation is the appreciation of worth or character. We all screw up, and will continue to sin, no one is perfect. There were and still are many days were I wonder how I am supposed to have good character. Come on God, I mean you know all, and I am far from perfect. God continually over the past six months has answered, “I know keep persevering” For me Character and integrity go hand in hand. Living a life of integrity does not mean, live a perfect life. It means you are consistent, open and honest about all aspects of your life. A Man of Character does the same thing. He is the same consistent, and owns up to whatever wrong, or miss takes he has made. That is Character, being truthful and honest about everything. Owning up to our sins, and continuing to seeking and finding true repentance.

 Laying aside fleshly desires. Paul describes true repentance, that when you lay aside your fleshly desires, and when you do this you will be renewed in the spirit of your mind. L. M. Grant‘ Comments Since the ungodly mind is set against God, the understanding is darkened so that, though naturally intelligent or even brilliant, such people are unable to discern facts that are transparently clear to a believer (v.19). For so many years this is how I was. I am intelligent, at least enough to get by, or ahead in the world. But I was so entrapped by my fleshly desires that the simplest of things I would ignore, and have trouble doing. Trust me you can ask my wife, I was pretty irresponsible, with a lot of things, ok most things. Earlier I mentioned no longer being like children and you here often out in public, “being married to my husband is like having another child”. There was a time that this was me. I was the foolish Child, and instead of my wife being a partner, someone I lived life with carrying each other’s burdens, she had to act like my mother.  Are you a Child or a Man of God?

I know most of us have heard this over and over from Pastor Michael, but it is so true, and something I keep in perspective each day. “Which Dog are you doing to feed? Whatever dog you feed the most will always win” What dog are you feed regularly and what dog is being starved to death?? There are many times we feel beat up and feel like we are under attack and that it is too much to carry this burden, but are we feeding ourselves spiritually? Are we “working out” to strengthen ourselves? Like working out it is always hard to get into a routine, and at first we feel like we do not have the strength and/or time. Over time it becomes easier and easier and we get stronger and stronger to the point that no matter how hard the work out, we can handle it.

Ephesians 4:24-25  and put on the new self , which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

                We always try to live a life of Integrity. Putting on the new self, righteous, holy, and truth I am all for and as followers of Christ is something we all strive towards, our only weakness as believers is what verse 25 says, “Lay aside”, we fail to lay aside all earthly ways and desires. The Greek word used in Verse 24 for Put, is endýō and is used the majority of the time to describe putting on Clothes, to clothes oneself. Thayer defines the word endýō “ to sink into”, something that we don’t just own, and sometimes wear, but to sink into the new self completely, to be clothed by His righteousness only. When reading this verse and meditating on it, the one thing that always comes into my head is how are you clothed? Are you wearing clothes of the world? Are you wearing the New Clothes in which God sacrificed His son just for you and me? If so, are you only wearing to new clothes, or are you keeping the “Old” (worldly) clothes on underneath? No matter what you have on the outside, if the inside (or underneath) is filthy it will eventually start to stink, and what was once something you hide it will be brought to the light.

                L.M. Grant wrote, “True liberty leads one to willingly take the lowest place so eternal blessing may result” in his commentary of Ephesians 4:25. Living a life of integrity not only blesses us but others around us. This is only obtained through liberation of our fleshly desires. L.M. Grant also writes, “Lying is a common practice of the ungodly” As men of Integrity our lives need to line up with God’s, and only allow the truth to proceed through our words and actions.

Ephesians 4:26-32 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

                Be angry but do not sin, is that possible? I know that majority of the time when I get angry I rarely make good decisions, and typically say the wrong words, and give the devil an opportunity to get the best of me, which in the end hurts those who I love most. We want to lift up those who we love, not bring them down. Using words of kindness instead of words of anger is always easier said than done. One word can break, wound, and kill a relationship and a person that we love in one second, and take a thousand kind words and days, months, years to heal the wounds. The Greek word  for sin used in verse 26 is Hamartánō and one definition defines Hamartánō “to miss or wander from the path of the up righteous and honor. How often we wander or miss walking the path in which God has called us to walk. We are easily distracted from the direction the potential that God see’s in us.

                God has called has called us to be kind to one another, forgiving one another as Christ has forgiven us. What we do unto others should be the same as what Christ has done and continues to do for us. It makes me think of all the things that Christ has done for me; forgives, provides, teaches, guides, and strengthens and much, much more.  This is what God is calling us to do as scripture says “do unto others as you would wants others to do unto you” We all selfishly love to be served, but not always wanting to serve others. But that is what Christ has done and continues to do for us each and every day, and we are striving to be Christ-Like.

                The word engage is most often used to describe two sides going head to head in battle as the front lines meet.  Watching any battle scene in a war movie the two sides running straight towards each other holding nothing back always puts you on the edge of your seat. You always want one side, or maybe even one character to win or even survive.  Most of the time we want to see this because of what that side or person stands for. Take William Wallace, he was fighting for freedom, freedom from a corrupt kingdom. He fought for what was right, and not for the sinful ways in which the rulers of Scotland.

 In the movie we see a character Robert the Bruce who was in between both sides fighting for the king or fighting for what he knows to be right in his heart. He betrays Wallace for worldly things, land, money, power. As we break the mold from what the world holds important, and begin to lead our church and family to seek what God desires, we too have to be on the front line, fighting for what is right. Like Robert the Bruce, to never be on the wrong side ever again. We have all found ourselves of the wrong side, and at the time we thought it was better for us and therefore right. Each day we strive to fight for what is right and pleases God, not ourselves or others, it is for His Glory not ours. Christ Sacrificed everything for us, and if we are supposed to be like Christ, we too have to be willing to sacrifice every.