Keys in on walking worthy of the call and so before we get started up
I'll be reading from the new American standards. You're to me read a little bit different
But I asked for those of you that were be participating in the
Sanctuary if you have a question or comment that you would grab a microphone
And wait to be acknowledged and the reason for that is we want everyone to get the same experience
Those on line if you don't utilize a microphone that cannot hear the internal conversation
And so we want them to be able to hear what is being discussed. So again, I'm just going to read and
We'll get started with our discussion. I'm reading
Ephesians the fourth chapter verses 1 and 2 and I'll be reading the new American standard version
And here's what it says
Therefore I the prisoner of the Lord
Employ you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called
verse 2 with all humility
gentleness with
patient
showing
Tolerance for one another in love in this passage Paul begins the second
Half of this letter with the word therefore
He is connecting what he said in chapter 3. I'm not going to be repetitive
But in chapter 3 Paul was talking about the riches that come with being in Christ in
This piece he sent in light of the glorious riches of being in Christ
There are now
accompanying
responsibilities
He says hey, I've told you all the good things that come with being in Christ
But being in Christ also cares with it
Responsibilities how many of you know that being a Christian being a Christian you have responsibilities
And so he's going to talk to us about our responsibility of being in Christ
And he wants us to walk those things out
Walk those things out in other words
Apply what we're going to talk about
You know it when I was in the world, you know we were you say you know talking to talk
But you got to in addition to talking a good game. You got to walk a good game
You know and so again, that's where we're going to concentrate
So he urges them in verses one through two to live or walk worthy of their calling
They must conduct themselves
conduct some as a conduct
Themselves in a way that reflects their new status in other words. He said hey, you got a new status now herb you got a new status
Brother and sister Purdue you got a new status Joyce you got a new status
Everyone that's in the name of a Christian has a new status
and
With that new status
Comes responsibility
In other words, he says I now want you to operate from a spirit of humility
Yeah, I want you to
I want you to be gentle when dealing with people. I
Want you to have patience when dealing with people. I want you to bear people
Burners and their fault in love
That's our responsibility
He's telling you sister Latham Deandre Latham
Sister Shirley that when you deal with people you should deal from a spirit of humility, you know and so and so
He's telling us then he says tolerance
One for another
Tolerance is simply showing people respect whether or not you agree with their perspective or not
I mean because because at the end of the day and we'll get there all of us are different
We're not going to agree on everything
But even in our disagreement we can be respectful of each other and again
So he's talking to the people that have been called to walk worthy
He's just to tell me you know, this is how you walk worthy by doing these things
Verse three being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace
in that particular passage verse three Paul says some very
Direct but pinpointing things. He says being diligent
Somebody say diligent
The word diligence mean with conscientious and persistent effort of attention
Being diligent brother Anthony is going to recoup require you to do some careful sometimes careful and
painstaking thoughts
See when you're going to be diligent
And what he's getting ready to ask you to do
You can't just you gotta put some thought into it
Jesse because because if not you if you're not going to tell you you're not gonna hit where he tells you that he's a being diligent
what to preserve
the unity in other words if I brother Anthony if I don't think
With with my conscious mind and put some serious thought and effort to it when somebody say something I may not
Say it the right way
But if I think about it Jesse
When sister Lacey and say something me instead of flying off at the handle I think about it
I process it. I put pain and effort into okay. How should I respond?
Oh, yeah
I'm telling Paul is trying to help us this only not only helps us in the church, but this will help you in any relationship that you're in
Before replying back to brother Anthony got a comment you got a microphone. Yeah, you know, bro
Lacey said diligent
Dylan just it's just not our thought process. We also have to work all
Oh, absolutely. You don't want to use that word some people like to work smart
But sometimes you got to work all absolute to get through some of this stuff
Oh, that's we can get ladies being smart. Oh, that's a little yes
In other words, you say hey you got a word see in order to preserve unity you gotta work hard
It's easy to not be in unity, but but it's hard to be in unity
Why because anytime you got more than one person you may have different perspectives and
So in order, I mean, you know and so in order to make sure that you
Respond in the appropriate manner as Anthony said you got to put in some work, right?
Persistent effort for what to preserve the unity the purpose for walking word is one fold somebody say one fold
What is that one fold?
Unity
No, I said listen I've created a new race
I've created a new people who go under represent me that I'm gonna show off to the world and
They got to be walking in
Because I am a God of order
And if they and when they look at you they say hey, there's God's people because they are
Operating from a spirit of unity
And again so again we're talking about being a Christian you have responsibilities
You accepted the call nobody made you
When Jesus reached out to you sister Linda sister Jesse
A brother Jesse brother heard nobody made you do that God can't make you do a thing
You know you I think I said a couple of things back you know they come to Del made you do they made you do nothing
You did it cuz you want to same way with God God can't make you do nothing
You can do it if you want to and again so he's talking about walking worthy
Here's the key by living this way we will somebody say will
So you've got to believe that you can do it you got to believe that if I'm walking
The way God has taught told me to do that I can do this
See a lot of people will tell you there's no way to be walking in unity
But then if they say that you got to come against that because that is contrary to what the Bible tells you
yelling my shirt right
What does it say I can do I can because the Bible says I can
And that's the way you got to thank you brother the produce made that form you got to believe that anytime the Bible
Challenges you to do something God would never ask you to do nothing that you're incapable of doing
Because he would be unfair to tell you do something just when he know you can't do it
So everything he can do is
Do it
So everything he asked us to share
He knows he knows you better than you know yourself
You just got to stretch and believe what it is. He says about you right?
Let me let me make sure that I make a
clarification here
unity is not
sameness I
Got it. I got a stretch there
In other words when I say unity he's talking about unity he's talking about unity in the spirit of peace
He's talking about the spirit, but he ain't telling you to be the same
All of us are unique
That's why even even twins don't have the same fingerprints
Why because God in his ultimate wisdom created everybody and he made them unique to what he wanted them to be?
He said you ain't got to be the same, but you got to be unified in the visions and goals that I've set for my people
You his people right
He's talking to the call right
You got to believe that hey listen. He's talking in this passage even though he's talking to the efficient a fusion herb
He's talking to you
He's talking to me
He's challenging us to walk worthy of
The call that he's placed on our line
Let me give you an analogy
I'm a basketball fan, right?
And right now this is the best month for basketball. I
Know some of y'all I'm going to identify there because everybody's not a basketball fan
But in March
comes the madness
64 teams
Basketball all the time. Hey, just ladies and gentlemen, I sit down there
I put the remote and I watched basketball all day
They started off with 64 teams Jesse 90 down to 16 and just in case you didn't know Alabama still in there
Yes, I thought I thought I thought I thought it out there
But on that team on
those teams
Even though it was one team
There are different players on the team
Right
But the teams even though they're uniquely different they're all working toward the same
The goal is to win
You and I as Christians
We're all working toward the same goal and that is to walk worthy and win in the game of life that God has called us to do
Man what a testimony Jesse when they when they look at you and they can see you walking worthy toward the call that God has called you to
Noticing we're still in verse 2 and 3
Notice Paul does not command them to notice he commands them to preserve the peace
Y'all let's see see here's the thing that I tell you in your study
Make sure in the Bible you you look at every word because God when God
When God gave these men
In the the words to say God did not waste words
And so he says preserve and see a lot of time you if you don't notice that you'll be thinking hey, Joyce
He's saying you got to establish the peace
You you you you can't establish the peace God has already did it
He says listen I
Have established the peace Anthony what you got to do is keep it
Just what you gotta do is just follow the lead that I've already put in
That's all you gotta do you and I just got a follow I already put in place her
The things you need to do to do to preserve the peace
Once you look at it that way you don't you don't make it harder than it already is
You just preserve the peace
The church did not
Establish peace or the unity God did
This unity is tied to our Christian character
You got to go back to verses to the only way you're gonna pull his office doing what we just talked about before
Humiliate
See when when when when when you walking humility Fred you ain't got a you ain't got it you or
Deandre you ain't got walker there like I like I'm all there in a bag of chips
Because you ain't
You realize that you ain't nobody but but but somebody that God is using
No, but listen, can I can I can I can I be real in here ain't nobody in here better than nobody else I
Don't care your economic financial status none of that. I don't care what title you got
I got a title called men, but ain't no better than nobody else
And you got to conduct yourself just like that
When you walk in the room you realize a I got to respect my brothers and sisters and I'm gonna talk to him with the utmost respect
I'm gonna talk to him gentle. I'm gonna talk to him. I'll be patient with him
Ain't gonna talk to him like no child
That's what that kind of stuff disturbs unity Jesse
Because none of us like to be talked down to wait wait wait, but who you thank you?
Who who who you thank you talking to?
It allows if we're not careful friend because we got remember we we knew but we still remember the old
And if and if I don't grab that thought we talking about conscience just I say something from the old man days. Oh
Yeah, they're really laughing. We all got him in an old man day. We didn't tolerate that kind of stuff
You talk you too. You come at me. I'm coming back
But gosh, hey
If you gonna walk worthy to this call you can't do that no more
Lord have mercy
All that stuff you used to do
I see you got put down the trash can
You can't you you can't operate like that anymore
See
When you operate from God's perspective, it's easy to be able to walk in unity
If you operate from his perspective
Through the bond of peace
Yes, sir, go ahead give him like
You know like
We are in God's family
We you and I in love amen, you know when we in God's family like you said we won we won
He didn't separate me from brother Fred
He didn't shut brother Fred up in one room men another give me one word brother Fred the next
He gave us the same word call we are the same in God
In God like you tell my respect, you know the old saying go you give respect you get respect
Not that might be when you was in the world when you in God you give respect whether you get it or not
Because that is the word that's that's Christian carrot. That's what he telling you about you walk worthy
See regardless of how you being treated you still got to represent him worthily in a worthy manner
And I'll be honest it will be hard
But it ain't impossible
Because if God as I go back to my original state God never asked us to do anything that we cannot do
It's a great point great point. Was there any other comment?
Somebody said to see man, I gotta tell you man. Just just can let's let's go natural for a minute, right?
How do you feel when it's peace in the relationship?
You know
You know for those of you know that they're married
Whoo
You know, I just you know, you know me cuz I put myself out there when me and sister Latham is walking in unity and there's some peace
Whoo, man came to get home
Yeah, but he hit me
And so again just imagine if we were operating in peace
In the church is that me is that me now?
The church man and so again, we're talking about unit
Thank you for the coming so verse four. We've already been there, but we got to go back to a verse four through six
I'm reading the new American standard
verse four through six
There is one body somebody for one body and
one spirit
Just as you were also called in one hope of your calling
one Lord
one faith
one baptism
one God
Who is over who is over all and through all and in all the operative word?
How many times did he had to say it the operative word was what?
one I
Mean, you know
They tell you that anytime somebody says something and they repeat it more than once
Especially when I was on it, you know, cuz you know when I was in the military, you know and past the users analogy to when the instructor
Wanted to make sure that you got it
That did it?
Who's gonna be on the test?
He was here a couple of times he would foot stomp it and that's what Paul is doing here
He's foot stumping the word one and
So look look at what he says. He says he says there is one body and one spirit
one hope
one Lord one faith one
Baptism one God the church is one body
The church is one body
Did y'all catch that the church is one body united by one spirits
Called to one hope
Worshiping one God
trusting with one faith
Identified by one baptism
To one God and father and when we fail to keep the unit of spirit we stop working in one
Brother free gunner
You know, I think a lot of times
because
We know we think the truth is gonna offend someone and gonna disturb the peace
Especially like we just got to finish talking about family. We hold back because we're trying to keep things in
Harmony but but but you know the truth is one of the set of sprees
So I think we should tell the truth and love
even if it disturbs the peace
Hey, man, but here's your thing and we're gonna get there I
Like you preach it, but you don't know folks get ahead of the speaker. You know that's in my notes, right? I'm
Pretty good
Most most of you have heard of cancer, right?
You know, let me let me let me let me just talk about cancer real quick
Cancer y'all knows a disease, right?
But do you know how cancer operate?
The reason I know this is because I got a relative that's dealing with it right now. I
Mean
But this is how cancer does
Cancer is a disease in which sales no longer want to unify with the body
Don't those cancerous sale they don't want to work with the rest of the body
So what they do is they go in there and they start doing stuff and they multiply
They don't follow the vision of all the other sales in the body
They make their own vision
They do they own
And let's uncheck what it does it takes out the entire
How does that y'all got to bring it back into the church
It's the same thing we can't allow
This unit to come in and do be disruptive to the church body
We
Ain't asking you to act like me sister
I'm just asking you to follow the vision for the church that God has called us all to follow all
To follow
All to follow
Until we've covered verses
One through six and again Paul was challenging us to walk worthy of
The call with which he placed on our lives as Christmas and
Versus seven through sixteen
He still utilizes the theme or the thought walking, but now he gonna tell you you got to walk in the gifts. Oh
Yeah, see see see see and I'm gonna tell you man
You know I'm getting hit in myself
right now is
one of the most
Disturbing times in the church
Yes, it is
Covid has exposed some things and
What has happened is a lot of people have not rebounded from the effects of Covid and
So even though, you know, we're gonna cover it, you know angle says gone because it looks like it's here to stay kind of like the flu
The flute been around for years
What you do is you just deal you you still live
You just yeah, you know the proper
But what has happened Fred in this case
People have utilized the Covid piece and
And has stopped them from exercising the gifts
The God has placed in there and
Because they're doing that the church body is suffering
He's gonna show you that
He's going to show you that every believer has been giving a spiritual gift
But it's not for the believer
It's for the church and
So when you don't do what it is the God has blessed you to do and you're part of the body I am being denied
Until again, we're talking he's talking spiritual gifts. Here's what he says
Versus
Seven through ten, but to each one of you
each one of you
Or eat one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ
gift
Therefore verse eight it says when he ascended on high
I'm like, you know, he he's quoting old Testament scriptures here. He led he come up Jesus when Jesus
Accended on high. He led captive a host of captives and he gave gifts to men
verse now so
This expression I'm just reading he ascended what does it mean?
When it says that he ascended and descending into the little parts of the earth
He who descended is himself also he who ascended far above all the heavens so that he might feel all things
So in other words, I know I read a lot of stuff. So let's just sit down
The reason God gives gifts is so that he can equip the church
To do the things that the church needed to do on his behalf
He gives gifts God graciously some I say gracious
In other words, he didn't have to give you anything
But because of his grace
He gave you something for it
He gave you a gift or sometimes it could be plural
But it's to be used in the service of serving God and his people
For for you to do this so that his kingdom can be expanded
Talks about Jesus, you know went down into hell took the cat to three and and all those type of things and again
That's the imagery of you know back in the days and the Romans generally used to go conquer somebody
They would get the they would go conquer and they would take the slaves and they would put them on display and they would just mark
Them as so I'm as free and they get even talking about that. So again my pieces
This is the thing that you and I got to be very
Make sure that you know that you God has given you a purpose in this earth
And a purpose in this church
Huh go ahead you got a comment give her a microphone
No, no, no, we just want you seared in
We're saying how to say that was a stewardship to make sure that what we have we use as good stewards
Make sure that everybody can enjoy that that's what it was
absolute
God like the way you tie that to our yearly thing
So verses 11 and 12 and he gave some as apostles and
Some as prophets and some as evangelists and some pastors and teachers
for the equipping of
the saints for the work of service to the buildup of the body of Christ
See God never intended for you to become part of the church for your own benefit
In addition to your benefit there's a higher calling on your life and
God saved and equipped you so that you can go out there and serve and bring others into his kingdom
Just think about a real body just for a second
Y'all know y'all bodies a living organism, right?
right
It is composed of two parts
right
That's not true
Your body can is composed of many parts
right
You I mean you got a nose you got ears you got toes you got fingers you got joints you got muscles
You got all kinds of stuff in your body
And they all work
Because they know that they got do they part so that your body can do what it's supposed to
Do
To do
The church will only grow
and
mature is when all the parts
Operate in harmony and unity
Let me
This is a generic statement don't undervalue yourself in the church
Just listen whatever don't undervalue yourself
Whether somebody say something nice to you would not don't undervalue yourself
God place you in the body for
reason
He knows what that reason for and I believe that if you ask him for most of it. He tell us what that reason is
Listen, I have no doubt one of my gifts is to do what I'm doing now
How do I know that?
I mean
Her I enjoy teaching this Bible more much as I love to eat and y'all know I love to eat
And so I know that you know and so God is placing all of us a spiritual ability to use for the edification of his saints, right?
Our
relationship to the corporate body is crucial not only to our own spirit development, but to the development of the
Versus 13 to 14
Y'all ain't saying too much
Huh, you know, I just had to say that because I get in trouble if the man later
You need to start asking questions to some good. So anybody got a question?
Okay, you know me. I like it
Versus 13 13 14 until we all
Attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a mature man to the measure of
Statue which belonged to the fullness of Christ as a result. We are no longer to be children
tossed here and there by waves and care about every
Wind of doctrine by the trickery of men
by craftiness and deceit
scheme
Notice here Paul uses two metaphors the first he uses his children the second one he uses is of a boat being tossed
about on the on the waves, right?
Only by growing into maturity
Will you stop?
Operating like children
That's what he's trying to get us to understand he expects you to grow and me to grow and Fred all of us to grow
So that we don't act like children why because y'all know how children act, right?
Children are unstable in their thinking
You know little kids I mean come on now you remember when you was a child you
Man you you you wouldn't focus
What minute you playing with this toy next thing you know you throw the toy away you play with a box?
Why because
You a child
But he said listen
When you became new you got to not be a child anymore I
He's telling you Jesse me Joyce you Wayne
You got to grow up if
You're gonna walk where if you're gonna walk in these gifts
You got to grow up into maturity because I need to use you and I can't use you as a child
You got to grow up because children I don't need you being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine see see a
Lot of people who don't grow
That's why they always
You know I mean they many got these guys out here now so smooth and cunning
No, they'll they'll they'll they'll get you to follow them off a clip
Because the people who follow them are not mature
They think that they're gonna sound good
Sure, then they go over here. Oh man. That's sound good
And then they go here that sound good
Listen man, everything can't be good
That's why you got to grow up
And and get into this into this word so that you know what the truth is we're gonna get to the truth
Confess it in a little minute so that you cannot be swayed. That's why I say listen I
Know some guys man, and they were that they I mean they they very persuasive
But when they start deviating from this Bible, I
Mean some of them friends. I mean, you know not tight tight, you know, how do you go ahead?
What's the cut out they made me think about like how we have like
A lot of people that nowadays peace the prosperity gospel. We don't really talk about suffering and talks more about like
This and this is everything's gonna be good
Come on tell people that even in the word and I guess nothing people don't read the Bible
I know it for themselves. So when they hear things that sound it sounds kind of right
Then it's like, oh, maybe you know what I mean? This is what he's talking about. I should do this
You're absolutely right. That's why even now y'all need to be brilliant
Don't just even though I know y'all trust me you still supposed to go behind check
Because there are people that stand in seats or standing places like this that will take some of this stuff and they'll mix it
Look the truth with some stuff and the next thing you know, you go
I'll never forget I told this before right
It I'm gonna share it again. This guy got up there
and
Believe me. I
Ain't calling out, but I just know the vibe
Next thing you know, he's hey, I need you to bring your gold
Go home get your gold go get all this stuff and bring it to the church cuz we're gonna melt it down
He put some guys in place and I'm sitting there. I'm listening
He put some heavy hitters up there. Take you know to get up there
Do you know cuz you know a lot of time you see titles y'all, you know you get impressed with title and some scenario and
Sister late so I can see her tensing up
Because she thought I was getting ready to go home and tell her to give me her gold oh
My hub even to tell me I got to give up all my gold I
Sit there right there and try to sweetheart. Don't worry. You know where your goals
Because I know he's spraying away from the
I follow you as long as you follow the
Understand so again, we're talking about growing up mature is in your best interest to grow up and be mature in what God
says in his word as as as
As my brother just said you got to know what the Bible says go here. You got to get a microphone
The button push you got green. Go try now
I
Don't like you're another Mike you got him who got a mic
You go thank you
All right, all right appreciate your patience. We really wanted to hear what you got
Words and my people are
Being destroyed because of the lack of knowledge
You see when we don't read or we don't study or we don't pay attention and learn
You can tell you anything and you won't believe it. Amen. But if you know something it's hard for them to take advantage
Brother Wayne give brother Wayne a microphone
One two one two
Yeah, just one say this um I
Think it was a year or two ago. I
Was watching TV and this guy was ministry in either pace or Milton Florida and this is a pastor and he was telling the folks
he would not do or perform into
marriages and
He was saying that if your white daughters or your white son bring a black girl or black guy
He will not do it because the black race want to get back into God's good grace. So that's why they want to
Marry into the white and I'm saying and the church is going crazy at a screaming. Amen
Amen, I'm like, but y'all got the word right here if you open up the word. They'll tell you how
Several things. I mean what did Abraham do when he put his hand in his bosom and he pulled it out
God used everybody blacks whatever and you know, they were just and the word is right there
And all they got to do is just open and read the word, you know manipulation. Amen. Amen. Very brother free. Yeah, come in brother free
But we followed the pattern that Jesus laid out
He says study the sort that's that for proof that we may be able to rightly divide the way truth. So we don't study
Then we're not gonna be right divided where the truth. He's giving us a formula
Oh, we got this father
And let me let me let me just condone y'all right and this is not a shot at anybody because I don't do that
Right because I don't know what people doing with their life, you know
But here's the thing let me just let me just impress upon y'all
There's I know each and every one of y'all got something to do right now
We all got stuff to do
You probably be a home take care of many children or doing
But you purpose for whatever reason to say hey listen Bible study is
important
I'm telling you you are in the minority
Y'all gonna hear me
You are in and ain't talking about strife. So don't don't don't try it. Don't don't try don't try it Todd
I'm talking about in Christian
in in the face
People are saying hey, don't take all that
If you go broke you go take some time
and you got to find that time somewhere and
So again, I just wanted to commend you for because sometimes you feel you know you can get to the man listen
They'll be like a man, you know you get home and you got clothes to why I
Mean cuz we all got real life things that we can be doing but when when you sacrifice
I believe God's gonna reward you for sacrifice and give you knuckles that you can plot it go ahead brother
Give him a microphone, please cuz I go
One of the things that you
That my back always was taught this today
I have another Bible study that amen and one of the things that says
meditation on God's word
It's the matrix of
creativity hmm
And then we have to break that down the matrix
of that but the bottom line is
When it says meditate God's word
One of the thing God's want from us
Is our time
in him
One thing he wants from us our
time with him and
When you bought when you don't seem like you busy
Then you will miss out all what you said before
What you just saying what we are what God has for us all the things that God's has for us
at the beginning of
These in chapter one and two and saying who what we are
But the only thing that you don't know that if you don't spend time time
And one of the things that I also remember that resonates me
Especially when it comes back was one of my favorite would come back to Joshua
it says
one and eight
what he says
meditate on
This word
day and night
Been time with me
That's why I'm asking you and then you will be
successful forever you go and
Again it comes to a point where unity
This again this
And what we saying what did it takes to be walk unity and I always say this too is
one in a I would say one of the crime is
repentance
believe and
The third one comes with this as
obedience
What do I have to be obedient with
And everything that's that the comes to support on that is the fruit of the spirit
We talk about gentleness we talk about kindness
These things that what comes along with that but once again
obedience
We'll be
great great comment verse 15
But speaking the truth in love
We ought to grow up in all aspects and to him who is the head even crime
We were talking about maturity
To mature is to grow in every way
right
We must grow in the area area of our lives
Even in the area of our speaks
Speaking the truth is love
So let's first talk about what is true
Right because you know some people will say truth is relative and I'm here to tell you truth ain't really
Truth is what God has to say about
Period dot com God establish truth
Truth must rain and sometimes it isn't pretty when the truth confronts our sins
Yeah, but you hear me sometimes
Sometimes
I know somebody get rent those stone at me, but I got you know, I know real relevant guy
Every now and then I miss Mark
Y'all know what miss Mark is right? It's a pretty way you're saying I see I
Know I know I know I ain't gonna ask y'all cuz y'all y'all y'all got it all together y'all perfect
Yeah, so that's why I talk about
Every time you know and so I
Don't do it on purpose. You know, but sometimes I do miss the mark, right? And so again
sometimes
When I do that the truth can hurt right
So here's what he's trying to tell us brilliant thing cuz I want to make sure that I get this very clear
Truth is what God says a man about a man. I said that truth must rain and sometimes it isn't pretty when it when the truth confronts
I was saying that's why the truth can't be used like a sledgehammer
The problem when people in marriages in a relationship is sometimes when we take the truth to somebody
We don't take it in love. We take it like a little jammer
Bam I'm telling the truth
You didn't say it in love you just
Yes
Fred I'm trying man. I'm you know took me out
You can tell the truth cuz the truth is the truth but do it in love do it
Even when you tell the truth it should be to build me up
Not taking me down
Well, you ain't nothing but a liar
Guess that's all of my old be even though I don't tell you tell the truth I did lie
But I guess I mean but now you know say
Again we have to make sure because at the end of the day
He's telling us how to represent him when you go to somebody the first thing in your mind
We're even with the truth you got to go in with compassion
And sometimes right you right they may not be reset, but at least you didn't drop it like a
Atomic mom on
You know you can't control people feeling but you can't control how you how you share the truth with them
You can
You know you can't control how you share the truth
Verse 16 from which the whole body
been fitted and held together
By whatever joint supplies according to the proper work of each individual part
Causes the growth of the body of the building of itself in love
Here's a pause says here
With the proper working of each individual
Part go ahead miss them. You know nothing like them
I'm like you you know I could talk about myself and I won't offend myself
But you know you taught my telling the truth and how you can tell it
It all go back to respect in the person that you telling the truth to amen amen
You know I've been married ten years praise the Lord and I'm you know down
I didn't always you know tell my husband the truth in a respectful way
But I learned across the years by his feelings
And when I'm accepting how he feel when I'm telling the truth
It hurts me when you know I look at him and it hurt him then I go back to babe
I'm so sorry, but now I am learning not just today, you know back
I'm learning and I have learned you know like honey this and that but use I said well
I'm just telling you called that's the truth. That's not the attitude to hell
And you're like you're like a sledgehammer when you do it like that
And you're like you you know like um, I've been out a couple days usually when I be off
You know I say oh Lord I'm at home, but now I'm excited being at home with my husband
I'm excited being there just hence in his presence because you know we get it
We got it together praise the Lord, you know we want now praise the Lord and there ain't no separation in there
No, you ain't the only one glad to go home. I'm glad to go home to my eyes, too
But it's that learning and that teaching that I had to receive when I was taught amen
You know a lot of time like you say you come with you come in yourself. You don't get nothing
When you come in yourself what I know about this I you can't tell me this okay
You don't got in yourself then
But when you go back and think about what God said about your husband and your wife
According to the word of the Lord
Then that's when you get on board
And I thank God and I can tell everybody thank God that I got on board
And I thank God I learned how to respect not only my husband you and everybody else in church
Everybody
I respect my enemies, you know because they're human
I've been there. I was there. I know how I felt when people didn't respect me
I feel like I was nothing so you know, I I don't want God to say what's this a family, you know
you think it back and
Look how you feel when somebody thought you were nothing now you making somebody else try to feel like they ain't nothing
I don't want to be there no more. I
Don't want to be that no more. So I thank God a place that he moved me in
Hey man, hey man
Brother Wayne. Yeah, just two things real quick even um two differences because one when you get that
Even as a church member sometimes
Like you say respect when we feel like we have that truth and we hurt somebody
Sometimes that church hurts is a is a real bad hurt, you know
But I'll show you the difference between that and spirit was because the other day
Somebody came to the barbershop. I just told my wife about it this morning a couple of guys at the barbershop
Somebody came and they was talking about where who has the best wings?
So I ate a lot of wings, but I never had Papa Joe's wings before and it's a hideaway
So I went there and I went there Saturday. I like it. So I brought my wife
They're Monday and this also piggyback on what brother Herb saying about time. So while we were sitting down there
I told my wife. I don't like
the
Setting of the place
But the food is good and she's like yeah, the wings are real good
So all of a sudden a lady came and the lady was um, she just will
Get attracted to my wife and she was telling all a life story just to speed up things real quick
So remember a while back brother brother
Short guy the mailman
Brought a word and he said when you finish praying and doing all your babbling sometime be quiet
I let God pour some stuff in your spirit and talk to you
So the other day I was at the house and I was just reflecting on
What I did throughout the day and the spirit came and show me the truth
He said Wayne you was at that place
He was eating the wings this lady opened up and she was talking to your wife and talking to you all I'm saying how
She was this dead and she was at a low point in her life
But the people at the bar took her in and and made her feel like she has a new family and
That was an opportunity for you to tell her about a kingdom family
And you didn't do it the truth then come on beat me up
But when I spent time like brother Herb was saying the spirit show me that was an opportunity
You got to be on guard. You got to be ready
So I know now this Monday coming what I got to do and I'm gonna invite and that this is not a plug
But I'm gonna invite her to the play and I'm gonna bless her because you say he said that this is what the spirit showing me
You blessing everybody with tickets to come to this play
But here are the people in the bar. You're not hitting the highways and the byways
There are my people too. Yeah
And I was like wow and I shared that with my wife this morning
And I also shared with some other brothers and sisters at the barbershop
earlier today
Get out that comfort soon. They are your people today are your brothers and sisters. Amen. Amen. That's powerful. That's powerful
Again, you know, I'm gonna just reread verse 16 because I want I want to grab something real quick from whom the whole body
So we got say the whole body being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies in other words joints
You know hold stuff together
according to the proper working of each
individual part causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself and love
Paul is saying that the body grows with the proper working of each individual part
He's talking to us now. He's talking to you as an individual the body grows with the working of each
individual part
Right when it is fitted and knitted together
the body is built up when the various parts
contribute to the whole
Have you know, I was online and I read this a fascinating article
How many of you have ever heard of the redwood trees in
California
Yeah
These trees are massive
They've done the biggest trees in the world. You can only find them in California. I know what part
I mean didn't tell me what part ain't I ain't seen I'm just telling we're it
so many trees or
Thousands and thousands of years old
Guess what they said how do you how do you operate though?
They said every tree
That you see outside but deep down under all their roots are growing together
Every tree is connected to the other tree all their true root are in twine together
And they said so when wind and all that stuff come they grow strict they're out there down
And that's how they survive and thrive because they work
Because they work together imagine
If we as the church
Would entwine ourselves and
Truly work together the way the Lord calls it do you'll see some stuff for Wayne talking about you'll see it happening on a regular curse
You know see see a lot of times we read the Bible and we talk about you know all them got folk got saved and
Back in old days, you know all that and y'all don't believe but that stuff could happen
The reason it happened back then cuz no boys were working to
Do they put they put the corporate mission ahead of their own individual desires
Church nowadays, you know a lot of us. We're just doing our own thing
You over here doing your thing. I'm over here doing my thing and the folk don't know what to do
Go ahead
Praise the Lord
Listen to this one. But anyway today. I was so happening to
Work it on my golf game be ready for my golf buddies. Anyway, I was in the backyard
Doing some chipping. That's my weak spot. So I work and trying to get things going, right?
Yeah, and as I was working on that
And I had this little green mat
You know all of a sudden I saw shadows
Like a bunch of fall over my head, you know, like what is that and I looked up
It was it was bees. I swam
Bees, yeah, I mean it just covered my whole backyard, you know, and I go
To get out of here, you know, but they never touched me
But just the fact is here to swarm and send so many bees together
I caught my breath I ran in and I was scared. I go oh my goodness
And I told my wife look at this and
And as I watched him I said what are you gonna do and I have a fruit tree
then all of a sudden they was gathering
closer to the fruit tree and
All of a sudden they stopped swarming. It was a hive. It was huge. Oh, they all was
One together. Hmm. And so I'm like I'm gonna get really these these bees and I found out
Florida
Hey, it's a hundred bees is is protected. Oh, I thought oh my I'm well
I can't go out then that's gasoline or whatever I'm gonna try to do
I have to have them removed and found that out. But the thing is I did call and
Individual guy came over and looked at what kind of bees he knew immediately. It was huge in my tree
I said, I'm hundred bees
Nothing I can do but let me tell you what was happening. They're gonna leave in two or three days
What's happening is the queen bee
Got tired and she decided to rest in my tree. So they all came together
As one you understand
And I said, okay, they he says nothing I can do they they'll leave
Two three days it wasn't two three days
I went outside and set out the report and this my mom business because they want messing with me
then all of a sudden
The queen bee decided it's time to move on and they did
They all gathered and moved on but I'm just saying once again when one's tired or everybody was together
There was one unit one year. Do we move that way?
One year as in the least was at the house as much. She's so much. That's a spiritual thing
But that's a power
Word was again unity how they all stuck together
with
with the queen bee and
It was just amazing to see that and then I just see some stragglers after the last oh see they got lost
Oh, yeah, and that's when they're gonna get lost. They just take it out. No, they didn't know where it was going
Yeah, but that's good. That's good
You know the Bible even talk about the people back then was so much together
Until everybody went out and saw what they had and brought in later
To be distributed to the ones that had nothing so you know
That's unity when you could take look at your brother and sister and though they are in need and
The church get together the body get together. Okay, we're gonna bless these as a need even if we have to
Psychophysic for we have
To share with them and I think that's a lot of times when we get even in the church we get selfish
No, we get selfish and that's in there. We don't realize
You're not helping yourself. Are you doing this?
You're hitting your blessings because you're not blessing anybody else God blesses us. He blesses us to bless others
One last thing
even God
Recognize the power of being one oh, yeah. Yeah, you're going to the top power tower baby. Yeah, yeah
I knew where you going. We all knew where you going
Yeah, tower battle even God got got the notice about the new man. I said, listen, I gotta go out there and do something
The boys don't want to call it I
Gotta break that one to call it up, but they're getting ready to do it in an evil
Circumstance. Amen. Amen real good real good. And so now we're going to switch
To verses 17 to 24 and it tells us to walk differently than the Gentiles
And so I'm reading verses 17 through 19 and we're gonna get there we got
12 minutes
So I say and affirm together
With the Lord that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk and the futility of their mind
Being darkened in their understanding
Excluder from the life of God because of the ignorant that is in them because of the hardness of their heart
verse 19 and they have become callous having been giving themselves over to
Sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greed. So here's a Paul is telling us
He said he's talking to the Ephesians and now he's saying hey
You can no longer live like the Gentiles live
And here's all he's talking about you can't live like the people who are outside of Christ
That's all he's saying because that's what we are. We know we
We're no longer Gentiles because we're in Christ
But he says to be in forth so he's telling you me and all of us that are Christian. He said hey listen
You have called been called to a higher standard
You have been called to righteous and all this stuff. You can't live like these boys live
It might he ain't telling you can't be you know, you know, he ain't taking I ain't taking you out of the world
Because I you in the world for a purpose but it even while you here you can't live like they live
And in what he's saying because they they live in contrary to how God wants them to live
Just think about it. And then I use myself
Before I got saved I
Was living how I wanted to live
I said, what? I wanted to go drink what I wanted to drink
I was something else
And that's what happened even now there are people out there that what I just said I used to do they still doing it
But he said hey Latham you can't you you can't do that no more murder if you you can't live like them
I ain't saying you did all those stuff. I did but you can't live like them
You because they live contrary to laws of God
He said listen, they didn't most most people who don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ. They don't wake up every morning
Half of me
I ain't thinking about don't really realize that the only reason they woke up is cuz God woke them up
You and I know the only reason we got up cuz God woke us up, right?
Thank you like that
They doing what they want to do like they doing what they want to do and then he says hey the hearts are hard, you know
I mean, I mean we some of us had hard hearts
Like for him for it's all we thought about was ourselves
And so again, he said don't live like they live don't live like they
Don't live like they live
verse 20 and 21
But you did not learn Christ in this way
If indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him just as the truth is in Jesus
And so what are in the other word Paul said this is not how you came to know Christ
Here Paul is referring to a Christian's new relationship with Christ
How many of you've heard of Jesus Christ?
That should be everybody right
How many of you in relationship?
with Jesus Christ
She didn't see because that's right. So a lot of people have heard of Jesus Christ
In fact some of those people that we was just talking about they've heard of him
The difference is they ain't in relationship
There's a difference
There's a difference to know of somebody and to end to be in a relationship with somebody
And so he's telling us that hey you are in a relationship. So you didn't you didn't learn like those guys
And he talks about just as truth is in Jesus Christ. That's deep
the
Paul is saying the truth is in Jesus Christ
How many of you know that Jesus said I am the truth
The way and the life
No man
And so again you you you you you you know who he is
verse 22 through 24
That in reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self
You lay aside the old self
Which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and
put on a new self
Which is like the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holy and true. So here here Paul is telling us
And their fusions. Hey listen
You have been given a new wardrobe
so to speak
You got a old wardrobe and you got a new here's what he's saying he said here and what you got to do is
You got to take off
You got changed clothes. You got to take off the old you and
Put on the new
you
Put on the one who was created in God's likeness, right?
You got see see he's letting us know that God has cleaned us up on the inside
But how many know that you're outside got this natural
See the problem is a lot of people because a lot of times Anthony people will never see you inside
But they will see you
And so again you how your conduct is what he's trying to get us to understand is very important in the kingdom
How do we make this happen? He addresses it. How do you how do you make this happen?
If you look at that, he's talking about the one common thing is he says be renewed
Renew he's talking about the brain
As a Christian you got a brain
And he's letting you know that hey the key to taking off the old and putting on the new is to be renewed in
Your mind in your brain
See the word renewed means to be a readjusted
to be
Regenerated to mean turn around see yo yo mind
We once you do that you can't think like the old person used to think
We got to be the new man
Verse 25
Therefore land aside falsehood speak truth each one of you with this neighbor, but we are members of one another
Paul explains how to implement the new way of life that results from a renewed thinking
Since the church is the body of Christ. We are members of one another
We are connected so we must not
Falsehood that mean lie but speak the truth. We already talked about that
And we know as children of God we must speak the truth because when you lie, you know who is the father of lies, right?
Oh
Yeah, and this one I got we come glad we got time
First 26 and 27 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
So let's let's talk about it. He said be angry and do not sin
So let's get real in here just for a second. We often think that as Christians we must suppress our feelings
That's not what he's asking us to do
People have made us believe that to express ourselves is sinful
But the fact of expressing our feeling is not the problem
The problem is how we express our fear
God gave you feelings
He put them in there for a reason
It's how you express your fear
People are going to make each other mad even in the church
Listen if you come in here with the misnomer that hey I go to church ain't nobody gonna get on my last
They ain't gonna make you mad
If you come in there, that's not reality
If you come in there thinking that soon as somebody do you gonna walk out?
Because you laugh
It happened even in the church
He but he said but but here's what he's saying
so he says
Control your anger
Anger oh
He's telling us you got to control
Yo anger don't let the Sun go down on your anger
In other words deal with your anger on a daily basis
You know that's one of the things that me and my wife we
Incorporated in our lives in our marriage and I'm telling you a word from
Every now and then we have a tip
But before we go to bed
We purpose in our heart
Somebody gonna apologize
Because we ain't going to bed
angry
He's telling you to deal with your anger on a daily base and do not let it simmer
See when you go down when you don't deal with it on a daily basis you go to sleep you wake up with it
It is just growing
And the next thing you know it's in flame it's burn
Relationships up
Because you didn't deal with it that day
You got to deal with it that day on a daily basis
You know how we you know I mean you know I think I heard past days one time how
Back in it when he grew up
They didn't deal with the anger on a basis in there when they finally got to you they beat you for like
They beat you for all the stuff that you did for you know three weeks ago
And so again, we're talking at peace right there
And so again we're there and then in verses
30 29 30 when it's to let no one hoaxing words
Proceed out of your mouth, but only such words is as good for education according to the needs of moment
So that would give other moments so they would give you grace those who hear do not grieve the Holy Spirit
By home you were sealed for the day of redemption that all bitterness and wrath and anger and claim
In other words, we got to be careful when we get into conversation
You know what I've learned her sometimes a conversation that starts off innocent if you don't check yourself
People can take you down the wrong path
You see the talking you see up in you got ready talking y'all talking innocent next thing in there
They got you over here talking about
somebody
Seeing stuff that you ain't supposed to be saying
And so again, you know he's talking about file miles and bitters and all that be kind to one another tender heart for giving each one
Just as Christ have forgiven you
This last comment. I know we done in this piece
You know oftentimes when people talk about forgiveness this is where hey I
Can't forget what they did
I
Want you to put your own notice God ain't for all those things all them sins you did God ain't forgot
He ain't because he's omniscient omniscient mean all know he can't forget
But in spite of all those things you did he forgave you and that's what he's saying to you and I
Listen don't forget ain't saying forget
forgive
Tonight we've been talking about
walking the walk and
talking to talk I
Just want to encourage you to hang as you walk go through this Christian journey
Talking is good
Walking is better
Let's let's give a little hand clap praise for Bible study. Thank you for each and every one of you comment
We got a few announcements we want to make I
Think they'll show them on the slide, but I got I got them in my hand if y'all want to pull them up if not