Submission and Authority

Submission and Authority

This is a Bible, We like the Bible, right? We believe the Bible, right? How many of you have read the Bible and hit certain points where you think, “I have no idea what to do with that. I know it’s true, but that is a tough one for me. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that part of the Bible”? Have you ever had that?  

Today we are talking about Submission and Authority in ways that we don’t really like. 

Ephesians 6:1-9

Context/Story

• • Paul’s writing a letter to a church in the middle of a culture war. He is writing to a culture that is much similar to ours.  Sexual sin was pervasive, marriage was questioned,  Children were often abandoned.  And Christians were not walking worthy of their call.  They were failing to apply their faith to their circumstances.

• This is all about authority

• • Romans 13:1 – Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
  • Similar to last week, we see further examples of authority that can be severely abused and are frequently the source of great evil.  
  • Abusive authority can happen in any of these contexts and has the ability to absolutely destroy people. 
  • How do we understand authority being from God when it is evil? (there is a mystery here!)
    • God is not responsible for evil but He does use evil to accomplish great good. 
      • Joseph to his brothers “what you meant for evil, God intended for Good.  (Daniel – Lions Den, David before Goliath, Jesus on the cross)
        • Romans 8:28 – All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes.

Children and Parents

I have often believed that no man should give advice on parenting when he has no children.  I also believe that no wise man, even if he does have children, should give advice on parenting before his children are grown and have turned out well.  

I can tell you now that I have 3 children, but as a preacher, I do not have the luxury of having my children fully grown.  I fully admit that there are wiser men and women than me when it comes to parenting.  Parenting is one of the most difficult things in life, and I have failed repeatedly in this area.  I pray daily, like perhaps many of you, that God would graciously fill in the areas of my children that I have fallen short.  

• Children Obey your Parents

• • • Some of you have parents who are a bit overbearing.  Your mom is 65, you are 45, and they pull this text out to keep you in line.  Nope.  The text is talking about kids.  
      • 20 or younger – Ancient world (counted in census at 20, Able to enlist at 20, under 20 could enter the promised land)
    • Kids, Teenagers, Obey means obey. The expectation is that you will do what they say. There should be a standard and expectation of obedience set in the home.  
    • A friend of mine once shared what he told his children as they went into a restaurant.  “We are going into a nice place here.  I expect you to behave.  If I don’t have a good time in there, you won’t have a good time later”
      • Proverbs 23:22 – Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
        • It is a respect thing!

• Children Honor your Parents

• • • The promise “that it may go well with you, live long in the land”  You want to live a long life? Honor your parents.  You want have a good life? For things to go well for you?  Honor your parents.  That’s the promise
      • And it doesn’t really matter if you think they are right, or perfect, or have all the answers.   It doesn’t matter if you think you know better than them.  You are not in authority here.  You are obeying as to the Lord. 
  • Fathers – Be present!   
    • Over half of all children today are born out of wedlock.  30% of all children today will go to bed without their biological father.
      • Absentee father even when present – “I’m too busy” Children who see their dads always working, (at work, in the garage, on the computer or on the TV)  They see you as not having the time for them!
        • Play catch, draw a picture, have a tea party, build a birdhouse together. Bring them into your hobbies (woodworking, Hunting, fishing)

• Fathers – don’t provoke your children to anger.

• • • Deposits and withdrawals
    • What provokes a child to anger is when they feel like the parent is a critic and not a coach, one who is there to just point out flaws and not to help provide some solutions.
  • Fathers – Discipline your kids
    • There are two extremes on this that should both be avoided.
      • Permissive Parenting – allowed to run wild, wear the pants in the family.  Everyone caters to them.  They dominate your household. 
        • Culture says that kids are inherently good we are supposed to (provide a safe place to nurture their nature)
        • The Bible says that kids are inherently evil – If you nurture their nature you will have evil kids.  (You discipline, you set expectations, you have rules that must be followed)  
      • Dominating Parenting – Unfair punishments, Unreasonable anger, nothing is ever good enough
        • You can go to far, and end up crushing them.  Creating a hard heart, a resentful spirit, provoking them to anger.
    • The correct way is the middle road! 
      • Show grace.  Meet sin with patience.  Be characterized by love, not wrath.  You will be their ultimate example of their heavenly father.   Either they will struggle with the concept of a loving father, or they will understand it clearly through your actions.  
  • Fathers – Instruct your kids – Parents are the primary disciple makers of their kids.  We have handed our responsibility over to governments, schools, prisons, welfare systems, and even to churches.  You must teach them the truth!  Do not leave it to someone else!  
    • Here is what others are doing with your kids
      • Schools – LGBTQ agenda, Sex changes are common, Skin color makes them oppressors, “No, Public Education Isn’t Too Woke. It’s Barely Even Awake”
      • Tik-Tok (Last night an old acquaintance of mine was promoting on her facebook her surgical transition from girl to boy)  (it was celebrated!)  Don’t let your kids come upon this stuff without having instructed them in the Lord.  They must know what the people of God are to believe on this!
    • Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
    • What are you to teach them?  
      • Teach them about Jesus! Our goal is not to just have moral children but to have children who love God and obey him out of a new heart. We are not looking for behavior modification. We are looking for salvation.

Slaves and Masters

• • How could Paul possibly say these things about slaves? Why doesn’t he immediately advocate for the freeing of slaves?
    • Slavery in Biblical times was complicated
      • In the Greco-Roman world at the time, it was estimated that there were about 60 million slaves.  That’s about half of the population who was enslaved to the other half. 
        • Paul himself is not a free man. He’s a man who is in prison.  Through no fault of his own, his life was being dictated by those over him.  

• immediately what happens as soon as we hear that word “slavery” is we import into it, slavery as was practiced in the United States of America

• • • • Good – Economic agreement – often to pay back a debt or to be taken care of during famine. 
        • Not perpetual – didn’t transcend generations. 
        • The Law of Moses required Hebrew slaves to be set free after six years of service
          • Exodus 21:2 – When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.
      • Bad – Conquering kingdom enslaves the conquered, Infants who were abandoned.  
        • Philemon – a letter written to a slave owner requesting him to free his slave
        • Here Paul is focused on the behavior of believers, not overthrowing social powers.  He is telling them how to be godly in the midst of ungodly circumstances. And his silence on the institution of slavery, as well as other things, is not to be in any way interpreted as a tacit approval of those structures.
          • Example – Writing a letter to Christians in a Muslim nation.  
    • What really matters is who is your master?
      • Read Vs 6 – Bondservants of Christ
        • If you tell me that I am a slave, and my master died to save me.  That He will pour out all of his love, resources and blessings upon me for my benefit.  That he pays my debt, and saves my soul.  I would absolutely be crazy to try to emancipate myself from that slavery.  
      • Even when circumstances are far from perfect, what does Paul say? 

• Be a good slave and focus on what really matters…

• Sometimes we can consume our lives fighting for things that are not as important as eternity.

• Apply
  • Easy takeaways – We will never create utopia here on earth. 
    • AI, nuclear holocaust, pandemics… it all feels like a ticking time bomb because of corruption, sin, and evil. But on the other side of eternity, these things can be explored, free from evil
  • Should we dismiss this section entirely? No – Employee/Employer
    • The closest thing that we have is an employer and an employee; someone who is in authority, someone who is under authority
    • EMPLOYEES
      • Obedience as to Christ – willingly do all honest work assigned without grumbling, arguing, or complaining.
        • Do not obey if it does not honor Christ. (shady business practices)  Confront, then quit if necessary)
      • fear and trembling – let me just summarize that this means respect. (The same words are used in a Christian’s relationship to God.)
      • A Sincere Heart (interpreted as Generosity) Don’t be stingy with your time, or effort.  Don’t work hard only when the boss is around!  Be steady, Faithful, and have a genuine desire to have the work done.
      • Render Service with a good will – Seek the gain of the boss, the company, and all who are around you.  Be a team player! Don’t steal from your company, don’t steal time, don’t steal money. 
    • EMPLOYERS
      • Care for your employees! – Be generous with their salary, be fair, give them a good benefits package.  Do not see them as less than you, but elevate them, Help them, love them as you love Christ!
      • Don’t threaten them – Good leadership leads from the front.  Lead not by words but by their actions and examples.  They lead with integrity, accountability, and trust.  They encourage their employees not discourage them.  

Conclusion

Read Vs 8

Whatever good you do, you will receive back from the Lord. Slave or Free  Master or Servant, Employee or Employer, Child or Parent, Husband or Wife.  God sees everything.  And He blesses every good deed.  

I had that question this week, does God bless every good deed?  The answer is yes.  It may not be how you want to be blessed, it may not be in the timing you want to be blessed, but He does in fact bless every good deed. In this life, or the life to come. Imitate Christ, Walk worthy of the calling, and you will be blessed by God.