If you would to Ephesians chapter 4 and
verse 1.
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1.
We have been talking about this command to
holiness and how that that command to holiness
becomes a reality in the life that we
live every day.
You just sing about it.
I don't know if you if you pay
attention to the words that you sing but
you just sing about it.
I know that was a new song for
many of us, new words, but the words
have incredible power when you look at them.
They're very scripturally sound and strong theology when
it talks about how your dependence is fully
upon God and that's what we're talking about.
But there's also a responsibility.
There is a dependence on God Himself and
His power in our lives but there is
also a responsibility on our part for us
to live it out.
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1.
Let's read together.
I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech
you to walk worthy of the calling with
which you were called.
We've talked multiple times about that calling.
As a matter of fact if you look
at Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 10
we talked about the dead man walking and
we connected dead walking to the trespasses in
sin, walking according to the course of this
world, being conformed by the world.
We talked about walking according to how Satan
designs and desires for us to walk and
that comes out in a walk of disobedience
which gratifies the flesh, the desires of the
flesh, the cravings of the flesh following the
flesh's thoughts and its desires.
We talked about how that kind of walk
is deserving of death or the wrath of
God.
But then we've seen how the calling, when
the call comes in by God, from God,
the call comes and that call involves this
change in us.
It is a God, a sovereign God, sovereign
work of God, as a sovereign work of
a sovereign God that we cannot do for
ourselves.
That's why we need the body and the
blood of Christ so that we can find
this kind of victory and this kind of
call and when that call comes in then
our walk begins to change.
We are no longer dead people walking.
We are His workmanship walking in the good
works that He has prepared for us to
walk in.
We talked about that calling that without the
calling we are without Christ, we are without
a country, we are without a promise, we
are without hope, we are without a God.
But now in Christ Jesus, through the blood
of Christ, we are brought near to God.
There's the calling.
All of those things have changed.
We are with Christ.
We are with God.
We have a country and access to all
of those things that citizenship in the people
of God gives us and we have access
to the promises and the covenant of God
and we have hope, the hope of your
calling.
Now back to Ephesians chapter 4.
He says that you would walk worthy of
the calling by which you were called.
There is one body and one spirit just
as you were called in one hope of
your calling.
Colossians chapter 1 and verse 10 says walk
worthy of the Lord.
Philippians chapter 1 verse 27 says let your
conduct be worthy of the gospel.
Let your lifestyle be worthy of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, the good news of the
death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
First Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 12 says
that we are to have a walk that
is worthy of God and we discovered that
that there's no way that we deserve that,
that we are worthy of God or that
we are worthy of the Lord or that
we are worthy of the gospel and the
reason why that we are not so is
because he makes us worthy.
If you remember, I believe I have that
verse on here.
Maybe not.
We'll find it.
But God makes us worthy.
The gospel makes us worthy.
Now we have to live according to that
call, according to what God has done.
We are called then to live, be holy
for I am holy, walk a worthy walk.
So that's the challenge that we have before
us.
This calling that you have received, this change,
this supernatural work of a sovereign God in
your life to change you from a dead
person to a live person, from a dead
walk to an alive walk, that deserves your
walk that is worthy, doesn't it?
So this misconception that we have that well
we can just we can become a believer
and just live however we can because I
believe.
I don't believe that that's the way that
it works.
I don't believe that that's the way that
the cross and salvation works in our lives.
That's why Peter, as we'll find out a
minute, I mean Paul says in the Philippians
that we are to work out our own
salvation.
Work it out.
We talked about what it means to be
worthy and I keep this up here because
I want you to be able to visibly
see the expression of the worthiness of your
walk and that is and it's not quite
in balance again and it's because it's a
third grade project here.
We are to be in balance.
To walk worthy means to have the same
weight as.
Remember?
It means to have the same weight as.
So we have the same weight of the
scale over here and we are called to
walk worthy and we said that when we
begin and that the reference that Dana made
that we start throwing the noodles in we'll
make this side the unworthy side and I'm
throwing my noodles in that's the sin in
my life and every time that I that
that I commit a sin you see what
it does when I begin to live in
a way that is unworthy of the gospel
when I be when I lie to my
to my boss when I I cause my
children to be angry when I'm not disciplining
them properly when I'm when I'm lusting after
other women do you see how it works
as I go through this life this is
the that is an unworthy walk when we
are pursuing when our intentions are to pursue
things that take the balance away then we
are living an unworthy walk and so we
are challenged here in these scriptures to walk
worthy of the gospel that we are to
walk in such a way that these things
are not there and the life that we
live balances out with the calling that we
have received okay don't let that picture go
away from your mind so we understand now
that what it means to be to walk
worthy now last week I introduced to you
the idea of what I called the intention
power principle I don't know that I've ever
seen that or heard anybody talk about it
that way but this is our intention power
principle let me explain again like we talked
about last week but I want to talk
about it again the intention power principle in
theory works like this that when I am
intentionally pursuing a worthy walk in other words
I am intentionally pursuing a walk that rids
my life of those kinds of things when
I am intentionally pursuing that kind of walk
that is not a self-dependence it doesn't
come from hey I'm gonna live a holy
life and and I'm gonna I'm not gonna
I'm not gonna lie anymore I'm not gonna
lust after somebody I'm not gonna do it
doesn't come from that it comes from an
intention that says I am moving towards this
in God this is what God desires of
me and what pleases God I am intentionally
moving towards that where do you find those
things that anyway help me out where do
you find those things that what what what
pleases God in the Word of God we
find what pleases God in the Word of
God if you ever doubt that something that
you are doing something that you are thinking
something that you are saying is displeasing to
God get your head and your heart in
the Word of God and you'll find it
but we have this intention so if you
look there with me on the line going
down to the worthy walk that's me with
my intentions of living a worthy walk I
am intentionally moving towards those things and in
moving towards those things that that worthy walk
those things that please God in doing that
there is a power that comes along with
it from God a supernatural power that comes
from God that gives us the ability to
be able to walk a worthy walk we
have power our God our calling was a
sovereign work of God to make us alive
and your ability to live out our work
out your own salvation is a sovereign work
of God as well so do you think
that God just says okay I'm gonna save
you but I'm gonna leave the rest of
it up to you and do you think
that if God says to us a huge
statement like be holy as I am holy
or walk a worthy walk walk worthy of
the gospel do you think he would say
those thing kind of things without giving us
everything we need to be able to live
it out in our lives would he do
that I don't think so that's not the
kind of God that I find in scripture
that when God calls God provides and when
God calls us to a walk of holiness
and a walk of worthiness he is not
saying it's all up to you Donnie go
ahead and try he's saying that we are
working together me and God are working together
let's see it in scripture I therefore Philippians
chapter 2 verse 12 we covered this verse
last week Philippians chapter 2 in verse 12
and 13 therefore my beloved brothers and sisters
as you have always obeyed not in my
presence only notice that word obeyed as you
have always obeyed there it is
as you have always obeyed there's intention I
want you to notice this intentional this intentional
side our responsibility in this worthy walk is
I am intentional they said they have always
obeyed look at that always obeyed there was
an intention about them to obey even when
Paul was not around just because the boss
man's not around we can live like we
want to live there was an intention in
them to live like this because they were
desiring to work out look at those words
work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling there is this idea that let me
say this verse here is one of the
greatest verses that you will find about your
sanctification what we are talking about if you
want to put a theological term on what
we are talking about walking worthy living holy
there is a theological term for that that
is your sanctification and that happens through Christ
and Christ alone and the Holy Spirit in
your life it is your sanctification you're setting
apart it is a it is not something
that happens instantly in terms of practical terms
it is something that we grow into and
mature so we are being sanctified in this
talks about the sanctification therefore my beloved brothers
and sisters as you have always obeyed not
in my presence only but now much more
in my absence work out your salvation now
this word work me work the word work
here has the idea of of finally accomplishing
to fully accomplish it means to to to
accomplish or to perform and here's what he's
saying put some of those words now in
that he says that not much more in
my absence that you would fully perform your
own salvation in other words you work out
your salvation let that come become the energy
by which you work now look at the
next one for it is God who works
in you now we have a different kind
of work that is the power that compels
us see that that power that compels us
it it comes from the spirit of God
who indwells us to hear that the power
that compels us comes from the spirit who
indwells us that we have a the Holy
Spirit we just saying about the Holy Spirit
and welcoming here we this Holy Spirit that
lives inside of us is worthy the real
power the energy comes from for this to
take place in my life that's the word
the actual word here meaning power our work
comes from where we get our word energy
are energized so I am trying to fully
accomplish my salvation and then along with my
intention by working out of my salvation comes
the power of God at work in my
life that is the energy God energizes the
intentions of your life I hope that that's
something we're catching that that there is a
supernatural energizing that is for it is God
who works in you both to will and
to do his good pleasure in other words
I am intentionally moving and God in his
power is empowering me are energizing me to
accomplish his will and his good pleasure it's
not just about me deciding I'm gonna do
what God wants me to do and I've
got all the power to do it in
me this is not about self sufficiency it's
about intentions I am intending to be pleasing
and obedient to God look at 2nd Thessalonians
chapter 1 verse 11 and 12 with this
in mind we constantly pray for you that
God may make you worthy there is the
power of God right there that God make
you worthy that word make some of you
will have count that God would count you
worthy it all means the same thing it
means to be deemed to deem fit it
means he says that God may deem you
fit for his calling that God will make
it happen there's the power of God at
work and that by his power he may
bring to fruition that his power his vigor
his might email he may bring to fruition
in you every desire for goodness and every
deep prompt every every deed prompted by faith
you see what he's saying that here's my
look here's the intentions here's the power of
God power here's that power principle and then
here these two sentences are those parts of
the sentence there those two sections of the
sentence those are intentions I intend every desire
for goodness is that sound like an intention
to you I desire to to to follow
in goodness and every deed that is prompted
by faith sound like intention to you I
am I am I intend to to carry
out the deeds of faith in my life
and those are empowered by God so that
in our lives that the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you
and you and him according to the grace
of God there's that power again the grace
of God right there now if we're going
to follow this and understand this 2nd Peter
chapter 1 2nd Peter chapter 1 verses 3
and 4 now you've heard me refer to
this many times in my preaching Peter says
as his divine power whose power look at
it as his divine power his that being
God his divine power the word for power
there is different word that's been used before
and the other ones that we have looked
at it is dunamis it is a miraculous
power it is a force at work God's
miraculous power miraculous force at work and look
what God's miraculous force God's miraculous power has
done it has given to us all things
notice what it says did I not say
that that there's this idea that if God
tells you to be holy or God wants
you to walk a worthy walk that he
does he rob you of anything that would
keep you from being able to do that
absolutely not how do we know because look
what he says that through his miraculous power
God has given to us that you and
me as believers who are called to be
holy who are called to have a holy
walk or worthy walk he has given to
us all things look at that word all
things that pertain to life and what's the
next one godliness so has God left you
in your own emptiness to be able to
live a godly worthy walk as God left
you there he has not has it God
has given you all things that pertain to
life and godliness through the knowledge of him
who is called us by glory and virtue
there's that word calling again by which you
have been given by which have we by
which have been given to us exceedingly great
and precious promises that through these we might
be partakers of the divine nature having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through
lust now are you seeing I'm hoping that
you're seeing the theme that there is a
power that is available to us there is
this this promise of God this ability to
be able to live a worthy walk to
be able to walk holy as he is
called us to be holy I'm hoping that
you're seeing that it's not just up to
you to do it but at the same
time there is a responsibility Philippians chapter 2
again that says work out your own salvation
that we are responsible to be working with
God and his Holy Spirit in our life
to be able to live that out are
you seeing that am I am I missing
the mark I'm seeing a bunch of confused
looks how can I how can I simplify
it bring it down well let me let
me do it this way let me go
back to that intention power principle again here's
here's me with all of my my intentions
I am intending to move towards the things
that please God that's why we as Dana
said we look into the Word of God
we look into the Word of God and
we find out what pleases God and our
intention is to move towards those things as
we move towards those things we experience it's
not that all of a sudden you're getting
as you get closer here the principle is
not you get a little more power and
a little more power and a little more
power the principle is that as soon as
you start to move in the direction as
soon as you have an intention to do
what God pleases what pleases God as soon
as you make that move there is power
that is already available it's already been given
to you he has given has given to
us all things pertaining to life and God
in this you believe it do you do
we really believe the Word of God that
he has given that to us as soon
as I begin to make that intention towards
God towards this worthy walk then there's this
power principle that empowers me to be able
to walk that walk it's not about how
well you can do it it's about how
good you recooperate with the Holy Spirit and
God in your life now I made a
comment last week and I want to go
back there in the 10 minutes I've got
left I want to go back to that
James chapter 1 verse 13 now I said
last week and and and I had a
couple of people ask me about this but
I said that that when we make a
comment like well I didn't intend to do
that I really didn't intend to hurt my
wife that way I really didn't intend to
to go against my boss and do exactly
the opposite I didn't intend to to go
to that party I didn't intend to do
exactly what my mom and daddy said not
to do I didn't intend to do that
and it is my belief that yes you
did intend because if you had not intended
in that direction you would have not done
it and I said that last week that
I think that that is a lie we
lie to ourselves when we say well I
didn't intend to do it I think we
need to admit yeah I did I intended
to do it let me see if I
can prove that in scripture look at James
chapter 1 let no one say that when
he is tempted and I want you to
notice intention and power principle even in these
verses okay notice the intention power principle let
no one say when he is tempted I
am tempted by God for God cannot be
tempted by evil do you see an intention
of God there what do you say what
does that tell you about God God never
intends to do evil it is not in
God to ever intend to do evil God
cannot be tempted by evil nor does he
tempt anyone with evil but you ready each
one is tempted when he is drawn away
by his screaming wife who really got under
my skin and just made me do it
I keep going back to that first Peter
chapter 3 verse 7 live with our wives
with understanding and honor as a weaker vessel
that our prayers not be hindered as joint
heirs in Jesus now that's not what it
says is it you got proof that it
doesn't say that up there but each one
that means every individual every one of us
are tempted when we are drawn away by
our own desires do you see an intention
there I am drawn away from from what
what God what pleases God because my own
desires are have moved away from what pleases
God over to what pleases me do you
see it that I'm drawn away from this
I'm drawn away from that by my own
selfish ungodly desires my own lust as the
I think the old King James says by
my own was I'm drawn away by my
own lust and when I'm drawn away by
my own lust my intentions move from being
intentional about what pleases God to be intentional
about what pleases me and when I when
I'm intentional about what pleases me get look
what happens I am enticed or I am
ensnared I'm entrapped I've moved away from what
pleases God and I moved over here to
what pleases me and then I'm stuck I'm
stuck what does he say happens when we
find ourselves in that place then when desire
has conceived when it turns into action when
my desires when my intentions towards my selfish
desires turn into actions it is conceived and
it gives birth to sin and sin when
it is full-grown brings forth death now
do you see why I say that that
if if if I'm going to say that
I never intended to do that it's kind
of hard to disprove that when we look
at a scripture like this that if I
do something that is displeasing to God it's
because I've been drawn away from what pleases
him and what is worthy and what is
holding I've been drawn away by my own
lust my own selfish desires fleshly desires I've
been drawn away and when I give into
it it entraps me and I'm stuck now
here's the picture you see it the yellow
line now shows me that I'm I'm moving
away from what what is it what is
considered to be a worthy walk and I
need us to catch this principle because if
we're not careful we can get stuck over
here and go well I'm stuck and I
can't get back and I want us to
see how this works it's there that I
have this unworthy walk I my intentions are
now no longer towards what pleases God but
what pleases me and it is an unworthy
walk I am now living in absolute disobedience
to God you follow me in this intentions
of mine I am now living in disobedience
to God and when I do that it
bring I get stuck well how do I
get unstuck I want to say to you
that that you never ever even in this
condition we never lose the power of God
in your life God doesn't look up there
and go well his intentions are wrong let's
withdraw the power and it's no longer available
to him you don't lose that to lose
that would lose the calling and I don't
believe we can lose our calling I don't
believe we can be dead again but look
what he says I what Donnie saying that
I don't think that we lose the power
but we will lose the experience of that
power when we are walking in disobedience do
you follow me when I'm out here in
this in this disobedience how in the world
does that allow me to connect to the
power of God which empowers me to do
a worthy walk you follow me so it's
not that I have lost the power or
access to the power it's that I have
lost the experience of the power because I
am moving in disobedience and so how do
I fix that how do I get unstuck
I believe that to be unstuck means that
we find a place of a simple word
repentance and repentance just says that I am
turning away from my desires and I am
turning to that which pleases God may I
say to you that that that becomes your
time of obedience right and as soon as
you find yourself in obedience I want you
to know this as soon as you find
a place of repentance and begin an intentional
move towards God that power is instantly and
and immediately experiential in your life if you
make access to it you follow me so
God is not waiting for you to turn
away from it and make 10 steps towards
him to be able to empower you to
do it when you say oh my god
I am sorry for what I have done
to you I'm sorry that I have followed
off on my own track and my own
trail my own desires and I have done
what displeases you I am sorry and I
turn from that and I turn back to
I am intentional about what what you desire
and what pleases you at that very moment
of turning is when the power becomes yours
it's hard to illustrate that here but it's
at the very moment of turning the the
experience of the power is yours to have
you don't have to beat yourself up you
don't have to to do flips you don't
have to flog your body you just turn
away that's what repentance is we've done this
before but repentance is is I'm going away
from God if I if I believe if
in the illustration I'm God and my hand
is me and I'm going away from from
God and repentance says I what I said
what I'm doing is wrong God I repent
I turn I confess that what I do
I agree with you that what I'm doing
is wrong and I'm turning back to you
do you see that turn as soon as
we turn in that repentance the access of
power the experience of power is available to
us because the intention becomes what pleases God
not what pleases my own selfish desires I
hope that I hope that makes sense read
with me the rest of James chapter 3
chapter 1 look at verse 19 so then
my beloved brothers and sisters let every man
be swift to hear slow to speak slow
to wrath do you see intention if when
you start reading the Word of God with
with these ideas in mind you will see
this everywhere in all of Scripture there is
an intention here the intention let every man
intend to be swift at hearing slow at
speaking and slow to wrath why because the
wrath of God or the wrath of man
does not produce what the righteousness of God
therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflowing we're
going to come back to this verse at
some point in our practical talk but I
wanted you to see intentionality in this is
there an intention now in laying aside is
there intention there absolutely lay aside all filthiness
and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness
the implanted word which is able to save
your souls but be doers of the word
does that sound intentional be doers of the
word and not hearers only hearing doesn't sound
very intentional does it deceiving yourselves for if
anyone is a hearer of the word and
not a doer he is like a man
observing his natural face in a mirror for
he observes himself goes away and immediately forgets
what kind of man he was but he
who looks into the perfect law of liberty
and continues in it perfect law of liberty
is power and continues in it is intention
and it is not and is not a
forgetful hearer but a doer of the work
you see the intention this one look what
happens this one will be blessed in what
he does my question to me and to
you is do we believe that there is
a power available to us as believers to
help us to accomplish this do you believe
it if you read chapter 1 through 3
then you will find riches that are given
to you every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies
has been given to you you are seated
with Christ in the heavenlies and you have
access to all of the spiritual blessings you
just keep reading Ephesians 1 through 3 and
see all of the things that you have
access to that will allow you to that
give you the power to be able to
to live out your intentions so my question
then to end today is this what are
your intentions what are your intentions are your
intentions those things which are pleasing to God
or worthy of the gospel are worthy of
the Lord yes we are going to mess
up along the way of our intentions are
we not we're gonna have some yellow lines
in our lives for some of us more
often than others but we're going to have
yellow lines in our lives but what are
we going to do when we find ourselves
there are we going to turn are we
going to continue intentions and as soon as
we if we find ourselves on a yellow
line and we we we intend to turn
away we actually turn away then we have
access for power to live a worthy walk
so I get mad at my wife and
I say some some hurtful words things that
are intentionally done to hurt her there is
no power available to live that way is
there I don't need any power I got
all the power to do that right inside
of me but when I recognize that I
have hurt my wife and I have gone
against what pleases God when I have not
lived with my wife with understanding and I
turn away from that and I say to
her and to God I am sorry forgive
I turn away from that instantly the power
of God is available to you men do
you love your wives the way Christ loved
the church are you loving them in a
way that pleases God women are you walking
in relationship with your husband's the way that
God has intended for you to walk in
relationship with your husband children young people are
you living in obedience to your parents are
consistent and constant disobedience to your parents turn
and move towards God and things will change
what is your intention this week would you
with me look at your life and find
out what you intend to do in every
situation when you feel the anger and bitterness
starting to roll up at your neighbor or
your husband or your wife or your child
will you intend to follow through with that
or will you intend to do what is
pleasing to God will you do what is
it will you intend to do what is
pleasing to God will you do that with
me this week let's make this real and
practical and then trust in the power and
the presence of the Holy Spirit in your
life to help you to do it let's
pray father thank you for your word this
morning I pray God does that that your
Holy Spirit who is our teacher would drive
the truths home I pray father that we
that your children those who have been recipients
of the call who have been changed from
from dead people to alive I pray that
our walk would reflect that and God may
we recognize the worthiness of the blood of
Christ of Christ that that has bought this
calling for us Lord I pray that we
would recognize the power that is at work
in our lives and that it is worthy
of our walk I pray that during this
week as we walk walk in our life
I pray that when something comes up where
we are tempted to do something that is
that draws us away according to our own
fleshly lust I pray father that we would
that we would take a moment to see
what our intention is and then intend rather
than to do what is wrong to do
what is right to do what is holy
and experience the very presence and power of
the Holy Spirit at work in us to
accomplish that thank you for that power thank
you that we are not left to ourselves
thank you that you are in us that
you dwell in us and I pray that
you would help us all to experience that
power this week we ask these things now
in your precious and powerful and holy name
amen