25. New Life 101- The radical reoreintation of our relationships in the church, Ephesians 6;5-9

Ephesians 6:5–9 (ESV)

5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 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.

It should be impossible for someone in our country, with our history of slavery, to preach this passage without acknowledging the fact that slaves- or bondservants are addressed here to continue in service to their masters.

Does this mean that the NT supports slavery? Should Christians accept or fight against slavery?

The NT doesn’t support slavery, but it does speak to those in it.

Christians should be against slavery, especially the Christians who are free.

Those without power or opportunity are not in the position to work against the institution of slavery.

When it comes to Christians, they shouldn’t have to be forced to stop something that goes against the gospel.

If you look at the book of Philemon, verses 8-21, you will see clearly that as Christians we shouldn’t have to be forced to do what is required…

Philemon 8–21 (ESV)

8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

Paul tells Philemon that he is bold enough to command his brother to obey, but for the sake of love he appeals to him to do what flows from Jesus.

Paul writes as a prisoner… you can’t let that part go. He is in chains, sending a slave back to his master, with the hope that Philemon will do even more than is required.

The reason Paul feels this way is because of the change that God has made in his own heart.

Following Jesus requires a radical reorientation of what is good, right, and true

“7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” - Ephesians 5:7-10

Without Jesus we don’t know what is good, right, or true.

Jesus said it plainly when he said that He is the way, truth, and the life. So, those who have not been transformed by the grace of God through their faith in Jesus are living according to what they think is good, right, and true.

Romans 1 says that those who are lost have exchanged the truth for a lie… and what they think is good is actually bad, and what they think is bad is actually good.

And this takes place in every relationship that we have. But, as we have seen…

The radical reorientation of the Christian life is let go of the ways of the world and conform to the ways of Jesus

God calls Christians to live according to His will and plan before sin came into the world because we are going to live with Him for eternity. As Jesus told us to pray… “on earth as it is in heaven…” this is our goal and our hope in this life…

It’s this perspective that’s at the heart of Paul’s instructions regarding marriage in Ephesians 5:22-33, parents and children in Ephesians 6:1-4, and slaves and masters in Ephesians 6:5-9.

Following Jesus radically reorients the “why” and “how” of our relationships with others.

Why? We do what we do for others because of our relationship with Jesus. How? Christians treat others the way they wish was done for them.

Matthew 7:12 (ESV), 12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The radical reorientation of the Christian life is let go of the ways of the world and conform to servant-hearted way of Jesus

Matthew 23:11–14 (ESV), 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

Matthew 25:31–45 (ESV), 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

Luke 22:24–27 (ESV), 24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

And, not only did Jesus each and model this radically different way of treating people… His own brother emphasized it in his letter to the church.

James 2:1–13 (ESV)

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Following Jesus means a radical reorientation away from the worldliness of partiality; and toward the humble, genuine, servant-hearted, willing, and impartial way of Jesus.

You may not have realized this yet… but Paul speaks to the bondservant/slave just like every other member of the church.

Going back to his letter to Philemon- Paul states that he should receive Onesimus, “16 no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.”

Here in Ephesians he speaks to the slaves in the church just as he speaks to the Masters in the church. (The same is true for husbands and wives, and children and their parents.)

Radical reorientation to relationships that is Christ-centered and others focused.

You can’t keep score of who serves you- that is the opposite of what you should be doing.

It’s really amazing how often someone will come up to me after a sermon like this one, and then point out the ways that I, someone else, or many people aren’t serving them… and sometimes it’s true. But, if your takeaway from these passages and message is what other people should be doing, then you aren’t listening with ears to hear or a heart to respond. We don’t listen to the Word for what others should hear… we listen to the Word for what we need to hear.

In Luke 9:46–48 (ESV) Jesus addressed this kind of heart and thinking- “46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

Jesus knows the condition of our hearts… and his word to all of us is that we should be doing for others without the hope of repayment… right back to Matthew 7:12 (ESV), 12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

You can’t do things for others hoping they will praise you for what you have done- that’s the opposite of what you should be doing.

Again, Matthew 7:12, whatever you do for others should be what you would want done for you… not so that they will do something for you! Praise, adoration, thankfulness, etc- those are all responses to what you have done… and our example is Jesus.

Jesus died for us to redeem us, we can’t do anything for Him that repays what he has done. He hasn’t done this so that we will pat him on the back or clap for him. He deserves that whether he dies on the cross or not. He is God, holy, pure and righteous… and he has put himself in the position of a servant- and has reconciled us to the Father.

Our response is the one he created for us in the beginning, and the one that He has saved us to do with our lives. Like is says in Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV), 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Following Jesus requires a radical reorientation from pleasing men to pleasing Christ

“5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.9 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.”

Four ways that you can live and work for the opinion and praise of others:

Be hypocritical, insincere, and selfishly focused on what you think or how you feel.

Verse 5

Selfishly focused on what people can see so they think better of you than you deserve.

Verse 6

Reluctant and selfishly focused on the reward of their praise and opinion.

Verse 7-8

Selfishly using your position or influence to benefit you at the expense of others.

Verse 9

Four ways you can live and work for the name and praise of Jesus Christ:

Be genuine and pure in your motives toward others as if you are doing it for Jesus.

Verse 5

Be unconcerned about your personal reputation because you are consumed with living for the reputation of Jesus Christ.

Verses 6-7

Working and living to the best of your ability for the reward that waits for you in heaven.

Verse 7-8

Serving and sacrificing for Jesus; for the benefit of others at personal expense.

Verse 9

Some of the ways that I believe this plays itself in the life of a church…

Children are important

The poor are treated as equals

The rich are often found at the back of the line.

Leaders are chosen because of their Christ-likeness, not because of their position in the community or their wealth. (Too often others show partiality to the wealthy and influential- even when they don't want it)

We take the gospel to the whole city… the whole county… the whole country… the whole world!

There is no such thing as a church for them, unless you mean the one that is closest to them that is preaching the Bible and living for Jesus.

It means that the rich are sensitive, the poor are comfortable, and Jesus is at the center of all of our relationships. We don’t expect more than Jesus expects… which is more than enough!

Following Jesus requires that we regularly look inwardly at our own hearts and respond with faith, repentance, and obedience.

What is it that Jesus is calling you to? Him? Someone else to go to and make things right? Maybe to be generous? To step and lead? Or to let others have a spot?