Understanding Authority

Introduction

Ephesians 6:1–9 ESV

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

CIT: Christ followers must honor the structures of authority that are at place over their lives.

Explanation

Children must obey parents.

Paul emphatically tells children to obey parents.

If you are still living in your parents house, you obey their rules. There was no distinction between a child and a teenager.

If you want to have the authority over your life, pay your own bills.

Paul reminds the Ephesians that his teaching is based upon one of the ten commandments, and it is the only commandment with a promise.

Deuteronomy 5:16 // that it may go well for you and you may live long in the land.

This doesn’t mean that if you obey your parents, you will automatically make it to 90.

John Piper, “God honors humility, respect, and wisdom in the family.”

This command is corporate - the family will make the society.

Children have a responsibility to respect and honor parents just as parents have a responsibility to love, cherish, and support their children.

Children, honor your parents in a world that is attempting to break you from your family.

How long should you honor them?

Is this for infants and children? Is it until you become a teenager? Until you can drive? Until you go to college? Get a job?

Every culture is different. In some cultures, individuals are normally married around sixteen years old. In others, adolescence is delayed.

In our culture, becoming an adult is around 18 years old. However, many of your parents are still somewhat financially responsible for you after you turn 18 years old. Responsibility equals authority.

So while you may be in college, you should still heed the advice, warnings, and teachings of your family in those situations as they are still somewhat taking care of you.

How do fathers exasperate their children? Erik Raymond gives us 11 ways. (Gk. ___)

Bullying

Showing Favoritism

Question their salvation or overreaction when they mess up.

Unclear standards

Unexplained discipline

Inconsistency

Excessive and unreasonable discipline

Discipline out of anger

Humiliation

Never admitting your wrong

Over protection and smothering

Slaves must obey their masters.

This text has become culturally tainted. Obviously, we know that slavery is emphatically wrong in the Bible.

Slavery. Rupprecht wrote an article on slavery in ancient Roman society.

In Paul’s day, some 80-90% of inhabitants in Rome were slaves.

Slavery was not race based.

Some slaves were prisoners of war. Other slaves sold themselves into slavery in order to relieve a burdensome debt.

Slaves had certain rights under Roman law and couldn normally be expected to be released after seven years or by age 30.

Slaves could own property, and they were in all but the highest level of Roman society.

Slavery was not good, but Paul was not telling the Ephesians to submit to the chattle slavery of America, the Caribbean, and South American in the 18th and 19th centuries.

A Biblical ethic against slavery is necessary.

While Paul did not speak to end slavery here, the Bible does tell Christians that we should...

love our neighbor

treat others the way we would like to be treated

slavery nor masters are never viewed positively in the Bible

A picture of the gospel is freedom from bondage.

So what does the Bible say?

Both slave and master are under the Lordship of Christ.

They should treat each other as they would treat Christ and a brother in Christ.

Slaves should work for their masters as unto the Lord.

Masters should show justice and grace to their slaves.

Jesus, the Obedient Son and the Master of the House

We worship Jesus as the obedient son. The one who honored and obeyed the wishes of His Father. It is by his obedience that we are healed and made new.

Philippians 2:5-11 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

We worship Jesus who is the master of the house. The one who is the keeper of our lives and the one we owe everything to know.

Many Bible translations in recent years have changed the word, “doulos,” to mean “bondservant” or “servant.” The word means, “slave.”

We are slaves to Jesus Christ. He has bought us with His blood. He owns our lives.

We owe everything to him as he has given everything for us.

He is a compassionate master, who gives of his share of glory to those who call upon his name.

Invitation

Be obedient children.

Work as unto the Lord.

See Christ as the obedient son and master of the house