God’s Design for Relationships

Introduction

We are nearing the end of our time through the book of Ephesians. Through the letter that Paul wrote, we have been reminded about who we are in Christ, what the purpose of the Church is, and how the Church should interact with each other. Next week, our final part will show us the battle plan that God has for His Church.

This week, we are going to look at a familiar, yet difficult, scripture this morning. We are going to address the importance of godly relationships by looking at marriage, parenting, and work. Anytime discussion in church focuses on marriage and parenting, which should happen often, we can be quick to add our personal views and principles. Sometimes, we will bring in outside resources to prove a point. However, God’s Word gives the ultimate blueprint to relationships.

Prayer

Hook-I want to with some “What ifs”

What if your marriage was centered around what Christ did for your spouse and you?

What if you could have a better relationship with your coworkers?

What if you could begin a shift in your circle of influence?

Transition to text-If we are going to see a shift in the culture and community around us, we must have biblical and godly relationships. Instead of reading the whole scripture we are going to read each section.

God’s Plan for Marriage

Ephesians 5:22-33

EXPLAIN

God has placed his design for marriage when he created woman from man. Genesis 2:20-24

Marriage is designed to show the relationship between Jesus and the Church.

Genesis 2:20–24 CSB

The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man no helper was found corresponding to him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the Lord God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said: This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called “woman,” for she was taken from man. This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.

Paul gives a direct command to wives and husbands. First, he says Wives submit to your husbands.

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary XI. Kingdom Husbands and Wives (5:22–33)

Wives are called to submit to—to voluntarily place themselves under the legitimate authority of—their husbands. This sounds like a difficult command, but we must keep two things in mind.

First, we must be absolutely clear that the passage is not talking about a distinction in value or personhood. God the Son is equal in essence to God the Father, but he is subordinate to him in function (see

Many times men want to stop there when addressing issues. However, Paul’s command to men took 8 verses to explain. Men should love their wives like Christ loved the Church. How did Christ love the church?

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary XI. Kingdom Husbands and Wives (5:22–33)

Husbands are to love according to Christ’s standard. How did Christ love the church? To death! Love came in the shape of a cross. Therefore, a husband is to sacrifice for his wife and be her deliverer—protecting her and paying the price for her well-being. A kingdom husband is also to be his wife’s sanctifier—taking her (and all her history) from where she is and helping her to where she ought to be, just as Christ sanctifies the church (5:26–27). A kingdom husband out-serves his wife.

ARGUE

These roles in biblical marriage is not typical in our culture. Unfortunately, men have not stepped us as we should as the leader of the home, or men have chosen to love themselves more than their wives. Women think submission is demeaning and dehumanizing, but God’s word commands women to respect her husband and the husband should love his wife.

ILLUSTRATE

There are used to be a time that marriage in church meant, “til death do you part.” However, recently that trend is matching up with non-believers.

Chappel book page 51 (underlined)

APPLY

There is an epidemic in churches today when it comes to marriage. We must get back to loving and respecting each other.

God’s plan for parenting

Ephesians 6:1-4

EXPLAIN

Next, Paul speaks to the children and parents. I love this because I imagine the reader emphasizing the children here to get their attention.

Paul reminds them of the 5th commandment Exodus 20.12

Exodus 20:12 CSB

Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

The commandment with a promise!!

Like the submission passage, Parents are quick to point this verse out, but forget or skip verse 4.

Parents should not PROVOKE (NKJV) their kids to anger. However, they are to bring the kids up in the Lord.

ARGUE

What if parents are not following the Lord? Unless they are telling you to sin, you should obey them.

I’m an adult, so the passage doesn’t apply to me. We never stop being our parent’s kid.

ILLUSTRATE

My ear infection that landed me in the hospital.

APPLY

Love and respect each other as parents and children

God’s plan for work relationships

Ephesians 6:5-9

EXPLAIN

This section of scripture mentions about working relationships. The servants in the passage can mean forced or voluntary. All of scripture condemns what we know about slavery.

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary XII. Kingdom Kids and Heaven on the Job (6:1–9)

In a Roman culture infused with an unrighteous institution of slavery, Paul writes to tell a church how to live with a heavenly perspective. We can apply Paul’s principles here to our own workplaces. God wants to be an integral part of your daily nine-to-five. For Christian employees and employers to access their heavenly blessings, they must bring a heavenly perspective to bear on the job.

Paul addresses the worst possible form of work and pointed to being obedient and serving with a good attitude.

We should look at our jobs as working for God and not man. We shouldn’t seek to please men in our work but God should be glorified.

If you are a business owner or self-employed, our business should be an example of integrity and high morals and ethics.

ARGUE

What if I am retired or not working? Volunteering and housework should be done with the same attitude.

ILLUSTRATE

Summary of Joseph

Joseph’s career in Egypt unfolds across three distinct phases, each marked by rapid advancement and divine favor enabling his success.

After being sold to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer, Joseph became successful in his master’s household (Gen 39:1–6). His competence earned him favor, and Potiphar elevated him to personal attendant before placing him in charge of the entire household and estate (Gen 39:1–6). This administrative responsibility brought blessing to Potiphar’s property, with divine favor extending to his house and fields (Gen 39:1–6).

Following false accusations, Joseph entered prison but experienced similar trajectory. Though imprisoned, he gained the warden’s favor and was placed in charge of all prisoners and prison operations (Gen 39:20–23). The warden entrusted everything to Joseph’s authority because the Lord ensured his success (Gen 39:20–23).

Joseph’s final and most significant role began when Pharaoh recognized God’s spirit in him and his exceptional wisdom (Gen 41:37–57). Pharaoh appointed him governor over Egypt, second only to the king himself (Gen 41:37–57). Joseph was thirty when he entered Pharaoh’s service (Gen 41:37–57). During the abundant years, he systematically gathered surplus grain throughout Egypt, storing it in such vast quantities that measurement became impossible (Gen 41:37–57). When famine struck, Joseph collected silver from both Egypt and Canaan in exchange for grain (Gen 47:13–26), and he eventually acquired all Egyptian land for Pharaoh and made the people servants throughout the nation (Gen 47:13–26).

Joseph lived 110 years, and before his death, he secured his family’s oath to carry his bones to Canaan when God fulfilled His covenant promise (Gen 50:22–26).

APPLY

If Joseph can endure the pain of being sold into slavery and work hard no matter where he was, we can have proper attitudes in our workplaces.

Warren Wiersbe says, “The danger on the job is the employee who is a clock-watcher and does not obey from the heart, and the “boss” who forgets that he is second in command and must one day give an account to the Lord.”

God focused relationships can lead to Kingdom impact

Kingdom impact can result from:

Biblical priorities

God needs to be the only priority

If our relationship with God is strong, the other priorities will follow

Spouse

Kids

Work

Biblical work ethic

Be the exception…not the rule

Biblical living

Be weird for Christ

Go back over the what ifs

All of these can be achieved if your relationship with God is the priority.