This morning's text is found in Ephesians, chapter 4, verses.

I therefore the prisoner of the Lord entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of a calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness,

with patience showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the

unity of the

community of the spirit and the bond of peace. Just as also you recalled in one hope and recalling,

one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one God and father of all, who is overall and through all and in all.

Why do you suppose Paul at the beginning of this text draws attention to the fact that he's in jail?

He's done it once already, twice I think, beginning of Chapter 3 and 313.

Why does he call our attention back to that truth that he's in prison? Why does he say,

I therefore the prisoner of the Lord and treat you to walk in a manner worthy?

My answer to that question is... in a manner worthy.

My answer to that question is, I think it's a way of saying it's worth it.

What I'm asking you to do now is worth it. It's worth dying for, it's worth languishing in jail for, to walk worthy of the Lord. It's worth it. I think that's a way of saying, look where I am, I haven't given up, I haven't quit, I haven't said,

oh, I must have blown it, I'm in jail. I believe it with all my heart, right where I am,

it's cost me jail and I believe it in other words

it's worth it so it has an emotional convicting effect of saying to the readers who may

sit as comfortably as we do right now it's worth it no matter

when you walk out of here somebody hits you right in the face because of it or if they

sliced all the tires on your car or if they burned your house down because you're a Christian

it's worth it.

That's the point of saying I'm a prisoner while I say these things.

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