11/13/22

We're talking about you know whatever we do it to God did Paul just he's writing Colossians and he thought and another thing and just threw this in there no I don't think so he's writing one cohesive letter this is an extension of verse 17 which says and whatever you do in word or indeed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ giving thanks to God the Father through him and how do we do this what are the specifics that's where we're moving into today one of the ways we do this is through our relationships so now that we've answered all of those outlying concerns it's time to go right let's dive into what the text actually says the first household relationship that Paul brings up is the marriage relationship and here Paul starts with the wife I've heard all sorts of reasons why but we're not even going to get into that what he says is wives submit to your husbands as is fitting in the Lord Cody gave me a very challenging verse to tackle for 21st century years as the worship leader I can't express to you how sad I was to not preach let the word of Christ dwell on you richly teaching and admonishing one another and all wisdom singing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God I mean come on that is the theme verse of every worship leader ever but it's all in God's timing and I thank God for the opportunity to preach to you this morning whatever the passage may be so let's start by defining that pesky word submit it comes from the Greek and I'm going to try it but you Greek Scholars out there

Don't get too mad at me hypotasso which carries the idea of a it carries the idea of a willing submission so the first thing we can rule out here in the meaning of this command from God through Paul is that husbands are supposed we can rule out that husbands are supposed to forcefully make their wives submit to them that is not what it says it's definitely not the idea rather the wife is to willingly submit to her husband secondly we must ask is this submission only for wives or only for women the answer is no just in First Corinthians chapter 11 verse 3 while making a very similar argument to the marital relationship Paul says but I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ the head of the wife is her husband and the head of Christ is God so we see that at the very least the man is to submit to the will and authority of Christ but in Ephesians 5 it says that's we are supposed to submit to one another that's one Christian to another and that it's an act of giving thanks and reverence toward Christ so it's not even just men submit to Christ women submit to men no it's every single Christian submitting to every single other Christian that's crazy I mean is that is that what we see when we look around at the Modern church I don't think so but that's what we're called to so to whom is the wife supposed to admit or to submit sorry to whom is she supposed to submit does this passage say any man no does it say any married man any husband of course not she is called to submit to her husband this also in my opinion does not trickle down to dating relationships it is only when the two become one as husband and wife that a wife is called to called by God to submit in this way

This should always be a loving committed marital relationship in which case submission is much easier for the couple that is in Christ right if they're in a loving Christ-centered relationship submission suddenly doesn't seem quite as hard so let's talk about several other things that submission is not I find it helpful to Define some terms by their negative so what is submission not submission is not inferiority Galatians 3 28 we read There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free there is no male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus this is not an ancient transgender argument nor does it mean that all have the same Earthly role but it does mean that we are all new creations and that Christ makes us equal even though we're still different we who believe all become joint heirs our status goes from sinner to Justified there are no important and unimportant Christians there is only the Christ who saved us so submission is not inferiority submission is also not absolute you'll see in the next couple of verses children and servants are called to obey but wives are called to submit it seems that in Roman society the idea that wives should obey was pretty common which just shows how counter-cultural the Scriptures have always been and how liberating it really is towards women husbands you know maybe close your ears for this next part to save your ego but wives your husband will not always be right and I believe it's part of the beauty of the marriage relationship and indeed the Christian relationship to be able to work through these things in love with one another the most obvious example of this is the scenario when the husband wants to lead his family in an ungodly manner it is not the duty of the wife to Simply go along with it and say oh well that's

Not what submission is she must first and foremost follow God if her husband won't wives are not simply called to obey they're called to a willing submission submission is also not to be oppressive husbands are not called to be overbearing with their charge as the head of the household or to force their way thus submission should not be a scary thing rather in a Christian relationship it should be a joyous and wondrous thing so now that we've decided we've defined many things that submission is not let's explore what it is submission is an act of love and respect wives should lovingly align themselves to their husband who has been charged with the leadership in the household they should choose to support encourage help and even redirect and correct as an act of recognition that God has placed your husband to lead and guide you in God's way according to God's word that's a good thing that is a good and right and joyous thing now the final section of this verse it says as is fitting in the Lord the parallel verse in Ephesians 5 22 remember Colossians parallels Ephesians in many things books written to different places but containing a lot of the same information so in Ephesians 5 it says as to the Lord rather than as is fitting to the Lord as to the Lord the message is the same as is fitting it means something like because of submit to your husbands because of the Lord because of your relationship with the Lord because of your joy in the Lord this idea it's expanded in the next verse in Ephesians 5 23 where it says for the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church his body and is himself its Savior so it's not just to be morally good or to be better but it's an act of worship

An act of recognizing what Christ has done in you and sharing that idea in other areas of your life in one sense it's an act of evangelism how strange must it look to the rest of the modern world for a woman to be submissive to her husband and also full of joy in Christ these those things are supposed to be mutually exclusive in the secular World they're supposed to be oil and water the only way you're supposed to get happiness is to have your way all the time but in Christ those things marry together in such a wondrous and amazing way finally we move on to the second verse it says this and it won't be nearly as controversial you won't give me nearly as many Angry glares it says husbands love your wives and do not be harsh with them this is the other side of the coin in the marriage relationship now the love described here it's not a love of feelings or a love of passion or emotion that love is commonplace and it's love people used to describe their relationships when they're dating someone new or unfortunately even when they're getting married that kind of love of feelings and passion it's fickle and fleeting it's cheap the love in this verse is the love of choice the word he used the word used here is agapate which is taken from the Greek word Agape which I'm sure many of you have heard before and it means something wildly different than the modern culture definition of love so let's Define love I get to steal some of this from the sermon I preached just a couple of weeks ago so this part was easy to write I think the word love is one of the greatest failures in the English language we have one word to describe a multitude

Of emotions affections and actions and we just call it all love I can say I love cheeseburgers and I can say I love my wife in the same breath and I can be completely truthful in both statements that just somehow seems wrong to me I'd better love my wife differently than I love cheeseburgers amen there are several words for love in Greek which is what the New Testament was largely written in and each word carries a very different meaning there's Eros which is an erotic love and I compare this sometimes to that feeling of infatuation it burns hot but it means very little it's commonplace it's the kind of love that teenagers feel when they see the pretty group pretty girl across the room it fades there's Brotherly Love or if it's a friendly love and it's it's carried by the word filos which is where the city of Philadelphia gets its name I think that the city I probably love is coincidentally a very violent city which I think is a pretty good way to describe how Brothers love each other now we also have agape love it's a giving love it's a love that comes from choice and that is the love that is talked about in this passage you see love here is a verb an action word husbands are not just called to feel some good feeling towards their wives they're called to actively and intentionally show their love to their wives to do to do the love furthermore we can relate this agape love to a kind of Covenant Love a covenant is like a one-sided business deal in the Old Testament God made covenants with Noah and Abraham and Moses and David when people would make covenants one would promise something there is often kind of an exchange but they would sacrifice an animal to kind of seal the deal

When God covenanted with Abraham in Genesis chapter 15 Abraham he goes and he gets a cow and he cuts it in half and he lays the haves on the ground and the custom we actually see that a fire passes through it the custom was that the people who made the Covenant would walk through the halves of the carcass and kind of that idea was let this punishment befall me if I should break the Covenant let me be like this split in half animal if I should break the Covenant that's pretty serious right but I said oh Covenant is a one-sided deal you see Abraham he had nothing to offer God that God didn't already own he chose Abraham not because he was special but God made Abraham special in his choosing God required obedience from Abraham as part of the Covenant but the thing that was given him was immeasurably greater he gave Abraham a son that would father a nation that would change the world and he gave Abraham a promised land that would be that Nations to possess that sounds like a pretty one-sided promise to me right so why'd I go off in this tangent we're talking about love I'm talking about cows being cut in half that's not as good of a question as your last one but I'll answer it anyway because in the same way the Covenant love that God offers to man it's the same kind of love that husbands are supposed to offer their wives it is one-sided it's not dependent on what your wife does it is to happen continuously regardless when she doesn't wash the dishes just the way you like or when she asks you to watch the kids when you're trying to watch the football game or when she moved the driver's seat up and didn't put it back you are called to selflessly and unconditionally show love to her that is the charge in the Scriptures

It's a promise you make at marriage I will love you regardless that's what it is the next part of this verse it says do not be harsh with them still talking to the husbands the word here carries the idea of a bitter taste like vinegar in your mouth so we could understand it as something like do not have the habit of tasting bitter to your wife look at how counter-cultural this idea forget ancient Rome even America like a couple decades ago had a problem with this idea in the Christian home that a husband should not taste bitter to her wife or to his wife sorry what are the things that cause a husband to seem bitter to his wife to cause her to not want to be around him we you know harshness temper resentment being irritating or exasperating wives hold on to your amen just keep it keep it there for a second this passage says don't do it don't be those things don't be bitter the opposite of that of course would be sweet be something that she wants to be around and again that is on you that is not on the actions of your wife that's the charge the man is given in the marriage relationship there's so much more that we can say about agape love the husband ought to show his wife in Peter or in First Peter 3 Peter says that the wife is the weaker vessel we don't have time to get into that but because of that the husband should honor her honor is the result of that relationship that she is weak and that your strength is there to take care of her in her weakness even though she is also a joint Heir with you in the grace of life and you're equal in Christ so what does this all point to that you are called here to love with the love that God has for his people that Christ showed and chose to his

Church that's where the word Agape is used in the New Testament the love of God to his people and that's what we find in the parallel instructions given in Ephesians 5 25 husbands love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her now I ask you ladies and gentlemen in view of what we've talked about here in the marriage relationship which action seems more difficult to submit hopefully to a man of God or to love your life your wife with the love that Christ shows to us remember that while we were still in active open Rebellion against him the creator of the universe Christ died for us that's heavy that is a hard thing to do and in fact without Christ that is an impossible charge for the husband I think a misunderstanding of a Godly household is the root cause of every problem in the home and it's the leading cause of divorce in both the secular and the Christian worlds wives are not called to feel good about their husbands they are called to submit husbands are not called to feel love for their wives they're called to be loving how often have you heard a couple say something like we just don't love each other anymore we just don't love each other like we used to based on what we're reading here that is your fault that is assuming that there aren't other glaring issues like infidelity or abuse going on that's on you the love is on the part of the lover you're supposed to love or submit not because your partner is worth it but because Christ is worth it he is worth all the unpleasantness and discomfort that may come with obedience in this matter you ready to fire me yet next Paul moves into the second household relationship which comes from the first it's the parental relationship

He says this children obey your parents and everything for this pleases the Lord now this one's pretty straightforward obey period that's it the word used for children here doesn't give an age range but it's to be understood as those who are still under Parental Guidance so for those of you with adult children sorry you can't pull this one out at them anymore especially married children they're supposed to leave and cleave they're out of the home but this command is it's not a Paul thing and it's not a new thing in the New Testament rather it's riddled throughout Scripture perhaps most notable the fifth commandment in Exodus chapter 20 honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land and that the Lord God is giving you but it also shows up in Exodus 21. In Deuteronomy 21 in Proverbs 1 and 6 Matthew 15 and Mark 7 just to name a few it's important to God that children be obedient to their parents I'll say that one more time it's important to God that children be obedient to their parents well you spunky teens might be thinking in what ways are we supposed to be obedient I heard the question I'm willing to answer it's a great question from a rebellious mind which is why I thought of it too the answer is simple in every way in all things Paul doesn't give a list of things you're allowed to ignore does he obey your parents accept if they tell you to clean your room that one doesn't really matter obey your parents except if you want to break curfew just a little bit this isn't the Willing submission that we see before you aren't given the option you are to obey your parents there is one implied exception and we

See it actually spelled out in Luke chapter 12 at 51-53 it says do you think that I've come to give peace on Earth this is Jesus talking no I tell you but rather division for from now on in one house there will be five divided three against two and two against three they will be divided father against son and son against father mother against daughter and daughter against mother mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law the only exception to this rule of the child's obedience is if their parents are leading them in a way that's contrary to God's law that's it in everything else God calls you to obey but he gives us a reason a reason follows for this pleases the Lord that should be all the encouragement the believer needs all the encouragement the believing child needs to obey it pleases the Lord of course we're imperfect we're going to behave imperfectly but what an amazing thought that a child might please the Lord simply through obedience to their parents my mind wanders to that glorious scene When God Says of Jesus this is my son with who I am well pleased and also to that blessed statement that the Lord will make to those of us who abide in him well done my good and faithful servant to please God is not a bonus in life it is everything it's the point it's our created purpose and children can do it through obedience you just have to obey John MacArthur writes many young people they struggle with knowing God's will for their lives obeying parents is the right place to start it's also worth noting here before we move on that disobedience in Scripture

Is the Mark of the wicked we see this in second Timothy and in Romans we see in the world today that children who disobey their parents are destined to disobey every other authority figure in their lives teachers police employers whoever decides to try to exert Authority upon the child this is a warning to both children and to parents children seek to live a righteous life now walk in obedience to your parents train yourselves in obedience so that it won't be foreign to you when you're older and yes even though you're convinced that you have the worst parents in the world and parents you are to help your children to walk in obedience don't just dictate disciple which brings us to our next verse fathers do not provoke your children lest they become discouraged and again this is the other side of the coin for the parental relationship children are called to obey but parents are called to help now the word here for fathers paterres it's plural and it may refer to parents rather than just to male parents we see the same translation in Hebrews chapter 11 where it means parents the parents of Moses rather than fathers so we can understand that just to put it in colloquial terms parents quit nagging your children and all the kids said amen just like your children are supposed to obey in all things you should make it as easy as possible for them to obey and just like there's a reason for the children there's also a reason for the parents it says if you provoke your children you will drive them to discouragement you must guard yourselves against over protection neglect favoritism a lack of Standards constant criticism and abuse

This is your responsibility not your child's this is the responsibility of the parents not of the children so what does discouragement look like you know you think hey I kid becomes discouraged that's not so bad but what does it really look like the idea here that's carried is a despondence it's the idea of losing heart that's just sad to think about that children should be so discouraged that they just feel like nothing how many parental relationships are plagued not just with disobedient kids but with kids who feel like they can't obey like they can't please their parents or do anything right that's a big problem folks and according to God's word it's a problem that needs to be addressed by the parents not by the children and the parallel passage in Ephesians Paul exhorts parents to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord how is the parent going to do that with a disengaged and disconnected child children need to be disciplined but if you stopped and thought about the connection between the words discipline and disciple they're the same root word a person being disciplined is being shaped into the will and image of the disciplinarian they are being discipled we can see some version of this in military training the soldier is broken down and built back up into the image of a soldier Jesus of course he gives us the best example of discipleship 12 men who left everything behind to strive to be like Jesus parents you are discipling your children whether you like it or not they will despite your best efforts look something like you in their actions

Their thoughts their mannerisms you name it your goal in discipline is to encourage your children to look like Christ and the only way you can do it is to strive to look like Christ yourself a person who looks like Christ will disciple their child to look like Christ and will guard them from discouragement finally we get to the last relationship which is between the master and the servant raise your hand if you have a live-in servant anyone no yeah I actually saw one hand I'm not sure what that's about so we already discussed some cultural differences in these relationships today versus the ancient world but there is value in this text just the same while we no longer have these kinds of relationships in the home we do find these kinds of relationships connected to every home the passage here it says Bond servants obey in everything those who are your Earthly Masters and it says whatever you do work heartily as for the Lord and not for men you see while we aren't Bond servants we are workers this there is a job or there has been a job in pretty much every single household and we do we sell our time and our skills to employers so the master servant relationship it can be compared to the employer employee relationship and that's how we're going to look at this section of the passage today first Paul exhorts the servant to obey in everything that's all the things all of the things for those of you who forgot to listen to that part obey in everything those are your Earthly Masters for us that's our bosses we are not to obey them or we are to obey them not as people Pleasers and not by way of eye service for everybody that's had a job and

Perhaps for those of us who have had a physical labor job you know that guy he's coming up in your mind right now in fact you may have been that guy on the right or wrong day I know I can answer yes to both of those things it's the guy that only works when the boss comes around he stands around watching everybody else work until the boss rolls up and says oh I was I was just on a water break for a minute or two or I'm just reloading the string in my weed eater but you're thinking he's been over there for like 45 minutes Paul says don't do that this is ironically it's kind of the longest section of the passage today but it's also the most straightforward don't do it don't be just a people pleaser don't be someone who's just looking for to work when the boss comes around when people are watching but instead work heartily work with conviction as for the Lord and not for men it's a simple concept but it's hard to do how often does it feel like you're doing whatever you're doing for the world's dumbest boss and you just don't even want to try we've all been there I'm sure unless you just have you know the world's smartest boss Maybe it happens to the best of us it's a real struggle but the Christian is supposed to view it in a different light we're supposed to view our work as unto the Lord what a concept I mean I'll be honest with you there's some days where it's hard for me to see that in preparing the worship service that I'm working for the Lord and not for men and I'm thinking if it can be that hard for me how much harder must it be if you're working in a non-Christian environment but that's what the worker is called to do to work unto the Lord rather than for men

Paul gives us here a positive and a negative reason why we ought to follow this command first from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward I think some of us read this and we think wow God's going to give me all this stuff all this money if I just work hard but that's not the inheritance Paula speaking of The Inheritance is eternal life with Jesus Christ Our Lord we should work hard because he is worth our working hard we are so generous here pilgrims passing through our home is with God and we are to work with that in mind running the race with endurance the negative reason is that the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong that he has done the one who does work for eye service and as a people pleaser will not prosper they may have temporary success but they will be punished and if not here and now their punishment will come in judgment when the righteous receive their reward It also says there is no partiality God will show no favoritism towards any of the unrighteous by the way I hold a strong belief that the righteous cannot bear to keep working in a way that we're called not to as our relationship with God develops as we as those who believe grow in their sanctification it becomes impossible to sin over and over constantly every day doing the same thing because of the conviction that God works in US amen see I went off the script and now I lost my place finally in this map this passage we see a word to the Masters in 4-1 they're instructed to treat their bond servants well with Justice and fairness once again we see the Epic counter-cultural Freedom the Gospel provides Masters were not required to treat their servants well

But the Christian Master is required because the servant is either now his brother or in Christ or because the servant could become his brother in Christ in the same way the Christian boss is not required to treat his employees well with Justice and fairness but he should he should because that person is either their brother or could be their brother the master should know that he too has a master in heaven Christ if Christ has saved this master this boss from his sins how could the master deny that same love and kindness to his servant it reminds me of the parable of the debtor remember the one guy owns an insurmountable fortune and is released from his debts and immediately he goes down and shakes down the guy who owes him just a little bit it doesn't make sense the joy that we find in Salvation we ought to offer to those around us that is the natural outpouring of the love of God you see all this passage is very practical instruction but one question we haven't asked here is why Paul gives us little reasons here and there we said it's from Colossians 3 17. It's an outpouring of that he gives us little reasons it's fitting in the Lord it pleases the Lord your children would be discouraged the wrong doer will be paid back you have a master in heaven but we're left with the question why should I do all this stuff if I'm already saved from hell if I'm a Christian I'm saved from hell why would I follow it seems easier to not do that it seems like it'll it'll be a an easier life to live if I don't submit if I don't love my wife like Christ loves the church our question here is answered in the beginning of Colossians 1 11-14 says may you be strengthened

With all power giving thanks to the father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the Saints in light he has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom we have Redemption the Forgiveness of sins it then goes on to describe this Savior that he is God he is the Creator and in him all things hold together he made peace with Rebels and Sinners by the blood of the Cross we were alienated and hostile but we've been brought near and we're reconciled we were dead in our trespasses but now Made Alive raised to New Life In Christ and enabled to live a life of Holiness by the Holy Spirit and what do we do with all of that where do we put that joy that runs over and overflows when we meditate on the salvific work of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit on our behalf we who deserved nothing but hell and death what do we do with that information how do we respond to the Gospel we pour it into our worship of our Lord and Savior We Praise Him in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs we let every action every word and deed indeed every breath be an act of praise to him we Orient all that we are to give praise to him we behave in a manner worthy of our calling and our relationships with our husbands and our wives parents and children bosses and employees we are called to these things because of our relationship with Christ the message of the Gospel should fill us up in such a way that even the way we choose our actions and even the way we treat the people around us should begin to look radically different counter-cultural we should want to conform to God's perfect plan for the family and for work if you need to be reminded just what this is what God did for you so that you can start to make these adjustments out

Of an abundance of joy in your life or if you don't yet know Jesus as your Lord and Savior here it is I'll make it simple for you God created mankind to love him and to dwell with him forever but we sin each one of us heinously and constantly and that sin separates us from God and there's no way we could ever overcome it but God being rich in Mercy and love Sent His only begotten son to live the perfect life that we couldn't live to Die the death that we deserved and he bore the wrath of God that was reserved for us he was buried in a grave but on the third day he arose from the grave and appeared to many he ascended into heaven and awaits the appointed time of his return the message is that if you repeat if you repent and believe on him you can gain the free gift of forgiveness because the price has been paid you can receive his grace which brings you into the fold of God as a son and Joint heir of Christ himself praise God what a Savior this message is so great so wonderful so immeasurable so amazing it should cause us to Worship in every part of our being so if you'd like to respond to that message this morning I'm going to invite the deacons up any who are able and willing to talk with you while we join together in singing the Praises of that wonderful Savior let's pray dear Lord we can love you because you first loved us Lord we long to follow the instructions that you set before us because we know they are right and good and better than anything we could come up with Lord we pray that you would help us to meditate on the Gospel that you would help us to praise you at all times in everything we do whether it's in our singing or our reading whether it's in our relationships in our work

God help it all to be an act of worship to you and it's in Jesus name we pray amen I'd invite you now to stand again as you're able while we sing [Music] for the Son of God who came when Sinners to reclaim Hallelujah What A Savior [Music] bearing shame and the scoffing rude in my place condemned he it sealed my pardon with his blood Hallelujah What A Savior man sorrow s of God purchase Freedom by his blood God lamb who takes the blame for sin Hallelujah What A Savior guilty violand have bless we spotless Lamb of God full atonement can it be hallelujah what a Savior Man of Sorrows Son of God purchased Freedom by his blood lamb who takes the blame for sin Hallelujah what I say Savior [Music] lifted up was he to die it is finished was his cry now in heaven exalted

High hallelujah what I say Behavior hallelujah [Music] what I say Savior A Hallelujah What A Savior [Music] Man of Sorrow Son of God Burgess Freedom by his blood good lamb who takes the blame for sin Hallelujah What A Savior [Music] when he comes our glorious King all his ransomed home to bring then I knew this song We'll see hallelujah what a Savior men of Sorrows Man of Sorrow Son of God purchase Freedom by his blood lamb who takes the blame for sin hallelujah what a Savior Hallelujah what Savior [Music] right if you just sit down just a minute it won't keep you too long you know there was a lot of talk about love this morning wasn't there and we know that Christ loved us more than we could ever pay him back but you know while we're here on Earth we do have a responsibility and I would like to read John 15 13. Says this greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends and I'm wondering how many of us are willing to even consider that well there are a group of men who did

Consider that this last week couple of days ago was Veterans Day and there were men willing to give their life for their friends and for us some of those veterans are with us today we would like to just have them stand and we would just like for you to show your appreciation for their desire to serve you and to give their life so if you're a veteran please stand and I hope you looked around the room you know don't be bad so go up to one of these men and ladies and just thank them because they deserve it and so let's pray Our God to follow we just thank you for all that you have done for us for the love that you have shown us for the example that you have set that we are here on Earth to show our love to others and this day we just do recognize those veterans who will were willing to give their life and to go to places that we weren't or weren't able to so just as we leave today Lord May our life be reflected in your love and we pray this in Christ's name amen thank you foreign