Honor and Serve: Reflecting Christ in Relationships
Notes
Transcript
Ephesians 1:1–2 (ESV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Key Verse:
"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people."
— Ephesians 6:7
I. The Power of Relationships
I. The Power of Relationships
Opening Illustration:
Good morning, Church. Today, we are diving into a passage that speaks directly to our everyday lives—our relationships. Whether at home or at work, how we treat one another, how we honor and serve each other, speaks volumes about our faith.
Last week we talked about marriage and the church, specifically how marriage is emblematic of the church, being the bride of Christ. Just as the a husband and wife become one, so it is with Christ and the church. They are together one, and you cannot have one without the other. Today Paul continues this idea and the purpose for the church and the family, that it is to bring up children, even those who are young in the faith, and train them in the way they should go, even trained up in righteousness.
You see, relationships—whether at home, at work, or in the community—are at the very core of our lives. These relationships give us daily opportunities to reflect Christ’s love. But in a world that often promotes self-interest and individualism, Paul calls us to a different standard—one of mutual respect, honor, and service.
Let’s dive into Ephesians 6:1-9 and see how we are called to honor and serve one another in our homes and workplaces, and ultimately, how we reflect Christ in our relationships.
II. Children and Parents: The Call to Honor and Nurture Ephesians 6:1-4
II. Children and Parents: The Call to Honor and Nurture Ephesians 6:1-4
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.”
A. Obedience Rooted in the Lord (vv. 1-3)
Explanation:
Paul begins this section by addressing children. He says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise—‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’”
Notice that Paul isn’t just talking about blind obedience. He’s talking about obedience “in the Lord.” Obeying our parents is an extension of our obedience to Christ. When children honor their parents, they are reflecting their relationship with Jesus.
This is rooted in the Fifth Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). And Paul reminds us that this commandment comes with a promise—“that it may go well with you.” God promises a blessed life to those who respect and honor their parents.
Now, this doesn’t mean that relationships between children and parents are always easy. In fact, as we grow older, honoring our parents can become more challenging. But it’s in these difficult moments that we’re reminded to rely on the Lord.
Think of a grown adult who is caring for an elderly parent. It’s not always easy to navigate the changing dynamics—role reversals, health challenges, and even moments of frustration. Yet, when that adult child continues to honor their parent by caring for them, they are living out this commandment. It’s not about perfection but about love, respect, and reflecting Christ in those moments of service.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
B. Parenting with Grace and Discipline (v. 4)
Paul then shifts to parents, saying, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
As parents, we have a responsibility to raise our children in the way of the Lord. But we are warned not to provoke them to anger. This doesn’t mean that children will never get upset at discipline, but it means that we, as parents, must discipline with grace. We are to lead by example, showing them Christ’s love through our actions.
It’s not about ruling with an iron fist; it’s about nurturing our children, showing them the love of Christ, and guiding them in faith.
Illustration:I once heard about a father who had a rule in his home: “Discipline, yes, but always with love.” When his teenage son made a serious mistake, the father’s first instinct was to get angry. But instead of reacting in frustration, he prayed for wisdom. He sat down with his son, explained the consequences, but also expressed how much he loved him and how God’s grace was available in the midst of mistakes. That conversation wasn’t just discipline—it was an opportunity for the father to point his son to Christ.
III. Servants and Masters: The Call to Serve as unto Christ Ephesians 6:5-9
III. Servants and Masters: The Call to Serve as unto Christ Ephesians 6:5-9
Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,
A. Obedience and Sincerity in Service (vv. 5-6)
Explanation:
Paul then addresses slaves and masters, this slavery is not necessarily what we think if slavery and we can apply these principles more to our modern-day workplaces. He says, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.”
In our context, this speaks to employees and their relationships with their employers. Paul is calling us to serve wholeheartedly, not just when the boss is watching, but with sincerity, as if we were serving Christ Himself.
In our jobs, it’s easy to just go through the motions, or worse, to do only the minimum required when no one is looking. Today there is a big problem that is happening with employees where there are doing what is called silent quitting, where employees are doing minimal or even less than minimal work. As Christians, we are called to a higher standard. We are to work with integrity, knowing that our ultimate Master is the Lord. Working as if we are working for the Lord.
To understand this we have to look no further than a parable Jesus tells in Matthew 20:1-2
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’
So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’
And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.
And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’
But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.
Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”
That last line, the last will be first, and the first will be last, tells us all that we need to know on the kingdom of God. It isn’t what the world sees as fair, it isn’t even something we earn but the graciousness of God, to do what He wills. Then Paul says something that plays right into this idea.
not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
We do not do what we do hear at the church to please men or women, we are not here to entertain, but together we do our service, confessing our sins, absolving those sins, preaching the word, baptizing, marring, burying, and eating Christ body and drinking his blood, proclaiming the good-news this isn’t to impress you, but to save you. This is Christ for you, for the forgiveness of sins.
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.
B. Masters and Employers: Leading with Integrity (v. 9)
Paul also addresses masters, saying, “And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.”
For those in positions of leadership, whether in the workplace or elsewhere, Paul reminds us to lead with integrity and respect. We are accountable to the Lord, who shows no favoritism. This means treating employees with fairness, kindness, and valuing them as people made in the image of God.
Again we are reminded of the purpose by which we are called, that this isn’t just for the sake of meriting something before God, or before men, but the results of the change that comes from knowing Christ, knowing what he did for us on the cross, knowing the power of his death, burial and resurrection, for the forgiveness of our sins. That simply the gospel goes forth, creating in us a new heart. That new heart, that new creation makes things possible that we had never thought possible, it changes us from the inside, turning everything on its head, shows us the way that no matter what situation we find ourselves in, our daily work, in something new we are called to by God, even right here within this congregation, we are called here for a purpose, we all serve in someway, not just to look good before others, but in service to Christ, for we have seen the great love God has for us, in Jesus. In his name we rest assured in the hope and promise of eternal life, the free gift he has freely given to us. Amen.
