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BELIEVE AND LIVE
SERMON 9
“SUBMITTED”
CENTRAL IDEA OF THE TEXT (CIT): PAUL GAVE THE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS INSTRUCTION FOR WHAT MARRIAGE SHOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY.
PROPOSITION: CHRIST-LIKE LOVE AND AFFECTION WILL LEAD TO MUTUAL SUBMISSION AND MUTUAL RESPECT.
INTRODUCTION:
THIS MORNING, WE’RE GOING TO SKIP OVER THE NEXT SECTION IN EPHESIANS AND, BECAUSE IT’S FATHER’S DAY, LOOK AT THIS SECTION IN CHAPTER 5 THAT DEALS WITH THE SUBJECT OF MUTUAL SUBMISSION IN THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP.
SO AS YOU ARE STANDING, GRAB YOUR BIBLE AND TURN WITH ME TO EPHESIANS, CHAPTER 5.
LET’S READ VERSES 21-33
READ
THE MAIN POINT OF THE TEXT IS PAUL GIVING THE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW MARRIAGE SHOULD REFLECT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH.
AND HE POINTS OUT THAT CHRIST-LIKE LOVE AND AFFECTION WILL LEAD TO MUTUAL SUBMISSION AND MUTUAL RESPECT.
AND IN MAKING THIS POINT, HE GIVES INSTRUCTIONS FOR HUSBANDS AND WIVES, AND THEN DRIVES HOME THE POINT THAT THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION, BUT IT IS AN EXPECTATION.
SO LET’S UNPACK THIS PASSAGE.
HERE’S THE FIRST THING WE SEE HERE.
1. INSTRUCTIONS FOR WIVES – SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO THE LEADERSHIP ROLE OF YOUR HUSBAND.
a. EXPLANATION:
i. THIS IS A SERVICE AND AN ACT OF WORSHIP THAT THE WOMAN GIVES TO THE LORD HIMSELF.
ii. IT IS THE LORD’S WILL THAT THE WIFE BE SUBMISSIVE TO HER HUSBAND, AND IF SHE WANTS TO HONOR CHRIST, THEN ONE OF THE CONCRETE WAYS SHE DOES THIS IS BY BEING IN SUBMISSION TO HER HUSBAND.
iii. IF A WOMAN IS CONTENTIOUS AND REFUSES TO FOLLOW THE LEADERSHIP OF HER HUSBAND, SHE IS IN REBELLION, NOT SIMPLY AGAINST HIM, BUT ALSO AGAINST CHRIST.
iv. LET ME MAKE A QUALIFICATION HERE.
1. WHENEVER WE ARE CALLED TO OBEY ANYONE, BE IT A CIVIL MAGISTRATE, A DOMESTIC LEADER OR OUR CHURCH RULERS, WE ARE TOLD IN THE WHOLE CONTEXT OF SCRIPTURE THAT WE MUST ULTIMATELY BE SUBMISSIVE TO GOD.
2. SO IF THERE IS EVER A CONFLICT BETWEEN THE LAW OF GOD AND THE RULE OF A HUMAN BEING, NOT ONLY MAY YOU DISOBEY, YOU MUST DISOBEY THE HUMAN COMMAND.
v. THERE IS A TEACHING WHICH HAS GONE WIDELY THROUGH EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY WHICH SAYS THAT FOR A WOMAN TO BE OBEDIENT TO THIS PASSAGE, SHE MUST OBEY HER HUSBAND NO MATTER WHAT HE TELLS HER TO DO.
vi. THIS IS NOT TRUE.
vii. FOR EXAMPLE, IF HER HUSBAND TELLS HER TO LIVE A LIFE OF PROSTITUTION, SHE IS TO SHOW HER OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST BY DISOBEYING HER HUSBAND’S WICKED COMMANDS.
viii. THAT WOMAN MUST DISOBEY HER HUSBAND, BECAUSE HER HUSBAND IS COMMANDING HER TO DO SOMETHING THAT GOD FORBIDS.
ix. SIMILARLY, IF THE HUSBAND FORBIDS HER TO DO SOMETHING THAT GOD COMMANDS, SHE MUST DISOBEY HER HUSBAND.
b. APPLICATION:
i. SOME PEOPLE SEE THIS PASSAGE AS A WAY FOR MEN TO IMPROPERLY CONTROL AND MANIPULATE THEIR WIVES.
ii. BUT THIS IS NOT THE INTENT OF THE PASSAGE.
iii. THE INTENT OF THIS VERSE IS TO REMIND US THAT GOD HAS ESTABLISHED A HIERARCHY IN THE FAMILY, AND IN THE CHURCH.
iv. AND IN ORDER FOR THE FAMILY AND THE CHURCH TO PROPERLY FUNCTION, THIS HIERARCHY MUST BE FOLLOWED.
c. BECAUSE CHRIST-LIKE LOVE AND AFFECTION WILL LEAD TO MUTUAL SUBMISSION AND MUTUAL RESPECT.
2. INSTRUCTIONS FOR HUSBANDS – LOVE YOUR WIVES AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH.
a. EXPLANATION:
i. THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST’S SACRIFICE FOR THE CHURCH
1. HE GAVE HIMSELF UP.
a. CHRIST IS OUR EXAMPLE OF SELFLESSNESS.
b. HE LITERALLY GAVE HIMSELF UP TO REDEEM SINFUL MAN FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN.
2. IN ORDER TO SET APART A PEOPLE FOR HIMSELF.
a. SANCTIFY – SET APART
i. IT MEANS TO GIVE SOMETHING A DISTINGUISHABLE MARKING OR CHARACTERISTIC.
3. CLEANSED HER BY THE WASHING OF WATER WITH THE WORD.
4. TO PRESENT HER TO HIMSELF IN SPLENDOR.
a. SO THAT SHE MIGHT BE HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH.
b. APPLICATION:
i. OUR ATTITUDE OF SELFLESSNESS IS TO MIRROR THAT OF CHRIST.
1. MEN ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE THEIR WIVES SELFLESSLY.
a. LETTING HER KNOW THAT SHE IS DISTINGUISHED AS THE ONLY PERSON OTHER THAN CHRIST THAT WILL RECEIVE THE LOVE AND AFFECTION THAT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MARRIAGE COVENANT.
2. AND THAT YOU ARE GOING TO LEAD HER TO LOVE THE WORD OF GOD, AND LIVE THE WORD OF GOD, BECAUSE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS GOD’S EXPECTATION FOR YOU AS THE HEAD OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD.
c. BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT CHRIST-LIKE LOVE AND AFFECTION WILL LEAD TO MUTUAL SUBMISSION AND MUTUAL RESPECT.
3. AND MUTUAL SUBMISSION IS NOT THE RECOMMENDATION, IT IS THE EXPECTATION.
a. EXPLANATION:
i. PAUL MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THIS IDEA OF MUTUAL SUBMISSION AND RESPECT REFERS TO CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.
1. DID CHRIST SUBMIT TO THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO WOULD ONE DAY MAKE UP THE CHURCH?
2. HE ABSOLUTELY DID.
3. THEREFORE, WE ARE TO SUBMIT TO ONE ANOTHER.
ii. OUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE TO MIRROR THE RELATIONSHIP CHRIST HAS WITH HIS CHURCH.
b. ILLUSTRATION:
i. CHRIST SUBMITTED TO THE WILL OF THE FATHER, BECAUSE THE FATHER IS THE HEAD OF CHRIST.
ii. THE CHURCH SUBMITS TO CHRIST, BECAUSE CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.
iii. WE SUBMIT TO ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE WE ARE EXPECTED TO MODEL THE BEHAVIOR OF OUR LORD.
c. APPLICATION:
i. CHRIST-LIKE LOVE AND AFFECTION WILL LEAD TO MUTUAL SUBMISSION AND MUTUAL RESPECT.
CONCLUSION:
THE PROBLEM WITH MANY PEOPLE, MAYBE WITH YOU THIS MORNING, IS THAT THEY REALLY DON’T BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT TO ANYONE.
I HEAR PEOPLE SAY THINGS LIKE, “NO ONE AND NO THING IS GOING TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”
I’LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU DO.
TELL GRAVITY THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER WILLING TO BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.
SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT FOR YOU.
YOU SEE, THERE ARE PHYSICAL LAWS THAT GOVERN US.
AND BY THE WAY, IF THERE ARE LAWS, THERE MUST BE A LAWGIVER.
JEHOVAH GOD IS THAT LAWGIVER.
AND JUST AS THERE ARE LAWS GOVERN THE PHYSICAL, THERE ARE ALSO LAWS THAT GOVERN THE SPIRITUAL.
AND GOD MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE NAME UNDER HEAVEN BY WHICH ALL MEN MUST BE SAVED, AND THAT IS THE NAME OF JESUS.
WHO SUBMITTED TO THE WILL OF HIS FATHER, AND WENT TO THE CROSS, TO PURCHASE YOUR REDEMPTION.
SO THAT YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO WONDER WHETHER YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN, BUT YOU CAN KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
LET’S PRAY.