Submission
Notes
Transcript
As with the other disciplines that we have discussed, submission begins with and inward focus that results in an outward reality.
The key of all submission begins with the difficult, but true words of Jesus that we read a minute ago
and, likewise
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
The difficulty in the christian life is to deny ourselves...
The truth is that most of us really like ourselves...
But the crux of the Christian life is that Jesus is better...
The things that He has for us are much better than anything that we could imagine
Paul shares this quiet eloquently in
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
So, as we approach submission this morning, let’s focus on the backdrop that what Christ asks us to do is good for us!
In fact, it’s greater than what we could imagine!
So, when Christ tells us to deny ourselves, it is for our benefit!
Submission often comes with many objections...
In fact, if I were to tell you right now, that you need to submit to one another, how many of you immediately thought: “well what about?”
What about abuse? or enabling? or what about the truth?
All objections that we naturally have...
We really don’t like to be told to submit to others so our brains immediately go to the exceptions, not the norm...
Now, each of these things can be addressed biblically, but we aren’t talking about the exceptions this morning
Abuse is not acceptable, enabling isn’t loving, and we always speak for and stand for the truth
So, there you go with the exceptions…let’s talk about the discipline as in the norm
The norm is, that in general, in the Christian life, we are to have an attitude of submission...
I am not making this up as we read in
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Likewise, in
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Paul is then going to go through three different ways of submission
Wives/husbands, children/parents, and slaves/masters....
To be honest this morning, I love the book of Ephesians and this particular section is one of my favorite to wrestle with and learn about..
So, I could spend a long time unpacking all of this, but I will try not to. I think this gives us a good framework for understand submission
So, Paul starts with
He starts with wives/husbands...
He tells the wives
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
Now, notice that he has already told the church in general that everyone
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
He starts this passage with this framework, we are all to submit to one another
So, then when he tells the wives to submit…this really shouldn’t be a shock…and we really be offended...
Now, we are going to jump over a few verses, not because I am scared to address them, but for time sake....
Let’s jump down to
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
So, we have wives submit to your husbands, and we we have husbands love your wives...
Remember, Paul has already told everyone to submit to each other…he echoes that with the wives, but the husbands, he gives a different instruction…to love your wives...
You see submission for wives in culture of the day was the norm…women were treated as almost property..
Husbands could divorce their wives for pretty much any reason, but wives couldn’t do the same.
Men could testify in court, women couldn’t...
Women were already to be in submission based on the cultural norm...
So, in my view, the in structure for the women was not as harsh as the instruction for the men...
Husbands love your wives…this would have been a tall order...
And love her as Christ loves the church and died for the church…This would have been radical to the hearers of the day.
Then we move to
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Notice first off here that the word is “obey” and not submit...
This takes submission to another step, as is should when it comes to the relationship between a parent and a child...
Verse 4 is where it were it is interesting..
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
So, here we see it being reciprocal…children should submit and obey, but parents also should be cautious as they raise their children. Not provoking them to anger
And the final of the three is slaves/masters
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
Again, pretty normal for the day, but again, Paul goes a step further and reciprocates it in
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
This instruction would have been super counter-cultural...
What is interesting about these three different relationships is not that those in subordinate positions were required to submit, but that those in “controlling” positions were called to step it up...
The idea being, not matter the position, we should have a heart for serving each other...
Submission is an inward focus that results in an outward reality!
Submission is first recognizing that all we do, we do as if we are doing it for the Lord!
Notice in each of the three relationships mentioned, Paul turns it back to the Lord.
“Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord”
“Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church”
“Children obey your parents in the Lord”
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord”
“Slaves obey your earthly masters with respect, and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ”
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Notice, how Paul points all of them back to the Lordship of Christ...
To have a heart of submission is to have a heart with Christ as Lord.
Because we know He is on the throne, and He is Lord, we can submit to others...
What is the benefit of submission?
Freedom!
Freedom!
I do not have to be attached because I think I am in control!
I give God back the control....and He gives me freedom!
To close, Foster gives us 7 acts of submission…things to think about as we practice submitting to one another!
Triune God
Scripture
Our Family
Our neighbors and those we meet in the course of our daily lives
The Believing Community - Body of Christ
Broken and Despised
To the World
As we wrap up this morning…I encourage and challenge you to think about your position!
Do you have a heart to submit to others or is it all about yourself?
Do you find your self in the control seat when it comes to others?
Do you desire to find freedom, letting go of controlling others and allow God to be in control?
Letting go of:
things as we talked about in simplicity
our time as we talked about in solitude
and our relationships as we talk about in submission
This morning, there is freedom in submitting to Christ as Lord!
If you have never surrendered your life to the Lord, you should! It is freeing!
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
When we let Christ be in control, we find rest!
When we are yoked with Him, we let Him control the journey, we are just along for the ride!
His burden is light, because He is carrying the load!
If you this morning recognize that you are burdened and broken, you need Christ! Turn to Him!
Put your faith and trust in Him!
And behold, the journey will be awesome!