Sermon Tone Analysis

*/Ephesians 6:5-9/*

 

Let’s review the context.

The larger context begins in Eph 5:15 with the command to be careful how you walk, *not as unwise but as wise*.

Wise people do not waste time but “buy up the time intensively” because they realize that they are living in an evil age (5:16) and that time is a creation and gift of God (Heb 11:3).

It should therefore be used wisely and not wasted.

Wise people are not foolish but seek to understand what the will of the Lord is both generally and specifically (5:17).

Wise people do not get drunk with wine so that they are controlled by its influence but are filled by the Spirit so that they are controlled by the Spirit’s influence in any and every circumstance (5:18).

Therefore, a wise person is one who buys up the time intensively, constantly being filled by the Spirit so that they are able and willing to adjust their lives and plans to the will of God.

3 Applications to Being Filled By the Spirit.

Paul then seeks to apply the filling of the Spirit to three basic areas of life (5:22-6:9); areas of life that all of us face; 1) marriage (5:22-33), 2) family (6:1-4), and 3) labor (6:5-9).

These are the first three Divine Institutions given in Genesis.

A Divine Institution is an absolute social structure instituted by God for the entire human race—believers and unbelievers.

Whenever mankind fools with these areas of life by changing the God-ordained structure, trouble is waiting ahead.

It simply can’t be avoided.

Marriage, family and labor are what God says they are and can’t be re-defined by tyranny or majority vote.

They are so fundamental that ignoring them will result in the collapse of a society no matter how powerful the military.

See, a nation may have external power and force but the real issue is the internal condition of the hearts of men.

The Roman Empire was, perhaps, the most powerful military force the world has ever known yet it fell, not because of military defeat but because of internal decay.

Sure, they were defeated militarily by the northern peoples (Visigoths, et.

al) but the real source of their decay was their internal heart condition; their total depravity.

First, we looked at Marriage, DI #2.

Initially we looked at the wives responsibility as the submissive party.

She is to submit to her husband.

Ultimately she answers to the Lord for this responsibility.

If she rebels against this structure she is rebelling against the Lord.

Next, the husbands have the authoritative role and responsibility of loving their wives as Christ loved the Church.

Ultimately, he answers to the Lord.

If he rebels against this structure he is rebelling against the Lord.

Both wives and husbands must be filled by the Spirit as individuals in order to be able to fill their roles properly.

Second, we looked at Family, DI#3.

Initially, we looked at the child’s responsibility to obey his parents.

Ultimately, the child answers to the Lord for this responsibility.

If a child rebels against this structure he is rebelling against the Lord.

Next, we looked at the father’s responsibility to train and correct the child in the way he should go and not make him angry.

Ultimately, the father, who is responsible for the whole family, answers to the Lord.

If the father rebels against this structure he is rebelling against the Lord.

Both children and parents must be filled by the Spirit individually in order to be able to fill their roles properly.

Third, this week we are going to look at Labor, DI#1.

Initially, we will look at the submissive party, the slaves, who are to obey their masters.

Ultimately, the slave answers to the Lord for his responsibility.

If a slave rebels against this structure he is rebelling against the Lord.

Next, we will look at the master, who has responsibilities toward his slaves.

Ultimately, the master answers to the Lord for his responsibility.

If a master rebels against this structure he is rebelling against the Lord.

Both slaves and masters must be filled by the Spirit individually in order to be able to fill their roles properly.

I hope you are getting the picture here.

Paul says it doesn’t matter what the other person is doing.

That is not the issue.

The issue is what are you doing in that situation?

Are you fulfilling your responsibility to the Lord?

Are you being obedient to the Lord?

If not you are sinning.

Your response should never be conditioned on the other person’s actions but on the commandments of God.

Each one of us has responsibilities.

It is not your job to fix everyone else.

It’s very easy to say, “Well, they’re not doing what they are supposed to be doing so, I’m not obligated to them.”

“They’re not submitting to me so I don’t have to love them” and on and on.

So many Christians have conditioned their response mechanisms on other people’s behavior that they can’t even see God’s commandments clearly.

It would not surprise me one bit if many Christians haven’t been filled by the Spirit in decades.

We have simply built in worldly response patterns as if so and so has an obligation to me.

So and so doesn’t have any obligation to you, so and so has an obligation to the Lord.

We shouldn’t be interested in human-centered obedience but God-centered obedience.

If our obedience only externally resembles the real thing then it will never reach God’s standard.

Our obedience must reach past the world to heaven, where the ultimate authority sits on high.

This can only be accomplished by the Spirit Himself who controls our actions when we yield to Him.

Today’s passage is structures similar to the previous two

 

*Structure*

Responsibility of Slaves (6:5-8)

Responsibility of Masters (6:9)

 

As is Paul’s custom, the submissive party is dealt with first and then the authoritative party follows.

Also, there are more responsibilities for the slaves than for the masters.

Let’s read the passage:

 

*Ephesians 6:5-9 * 5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;  6 not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,  8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

* *

We have to say a few words about “slavery” here because the situation in Paul’s day is not familiar to you.

The “slavery” of Paul’s day was not the same as “slavery” was in America which I’ll explain in a moment.

For now, observe that Paul does not condemn slavery.

Paul was not an abolitionist.

Why not you may ask?

Why was Paul not an abolitionist?

Because Paul was more concerned about spiritual and eternal things.

He taught that our present suffering was nothing in comparison to the joys of eternity (Rom 8:18-30).

Second, Paul respected human government (Rom 13) and would not rebel against human government by trying to abolish slavery, particularly when it wasn’t contrary to the word of God.

We might say in conclusion to these thoughts: Christianity does not promise that our circumstances will be changed but it will give us the power to endure those circumstances.

However, in 1 Cor 7 Paul instructs believers who are slaves to become free if they can (7:21) and believers who are not slaves to avoid becoming slaves (7:23).

*Responsibilities of Slaves (6:5-8)*

 

                                              NPM          2 PPAImp                               prep     ASF         DPM          prep      GSM       conj       GSM

*/Greek Text 6:5 /**/Oi` dou~/loi( u`pakou,ete toi~/j kata.

sa,rka kuri,oij meta.

fo,bou kai.

tro,mou /*

prep      DSF                       GSF                         GPF      conj                             DSM

*/evn a`plo,thti th~/j kardi,aj u`mw~/n w`j tw~/| Cristw~/|( /**/ /*

*Translation 6:5 The slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling in straightness of your heart as to Christ,*

 

            Verse 5 begins with an imperative command *slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh*.

Don’t let this translation of the original confuse you.

It is not saying that *slaves *should obey their masters in fleshly~/sinful things.

It could better be translated simply *slaves, obey your earthly masters*.

The *masters according to the flesh* simply refers to their earthly masters in distinction from their heavenly Master.