Spirit Filled Children (Eph 6:1-3)

Spirit-filled Children: Ephesians 6:1-3 Pray & Intro: How critical is the family unit? How important is it to understand the church as a family? (This is the foundational unit of society, and particularly the church.)  Think about it: The most basic building block of the church is a heart relinquished to God. The next unit is hearts knit together in love by faith in Jesus Christ. – We need Christian family. (All of us, and this may be particularly true for those who are single. Consider the Bible’s emphasis on caring for widows who don’t have families, and orphans. Why? God knows our need, and the church is to be a shining emblem of familial bond and strengthening one another for this journey we are on together. (That means too that we need you as much as you need us. ) Here’s another interesting thing to consider regarding families and the passage at hand. Paul expected that children, at least those old enough to understand, would be listening to the reading of this letter. (O’Brien) “It is obvious from these exhortations that the apostle thinks of local congregations as consisting of whole families who come together not only to praise God but also to hear his word addressed to them. As the household tables are read out, children, too, would learn of their own Christian duties as well as those of other family members.” [Finding our place in our study of Ephesians] Spirit-filled living in the context of household relationships, specifically in the roles of submission and authority. – We come to the second family relationship, between children and parents (and their reciprocal duties). The way for kids to properly submit is described by the terms obey and honor. Read Passage to explain and apply: I. The Message of the text – Believing kids are expected to behave as integral, growing, Spirit-filled members of the body of Christ. The priority, the primary way they do this, is to demonstrate obedience to parents. Secondly, see that honoring parents, even when we are no longer under their authority, is a demonstration of Spirit-filled living and an important aspect of maintaining order in the household of faith and in society as a whole.  Spirit-filled kids are called to obey and honor their parents. Honoring them doesn’t end when we leave the nest. How can we all apply these principles of obedience and honor? II. I’m going to let you in on my little secret of trying to be an effective teacher of God’s word, a skill I’m always working to improve. (I tell you this because I think it makes us better students of God’s word.) – The message I convey must be the message of the text. (That’s what we call expositional teaching.) But beyond that, here’s my not very exciting secret: What are the hardest questions I can think of asking of the text, of its implications, and of its application? A. What’s the most challenging thing to understand in this text? [‘first commandment,’ promise of blessing from God for those who obey this command] B. What’s the most serious implication? [priority for children to obey & honor their parents, the gravity of disobedience] C. What’s the most difficult application? [honoring parents when its hard] D. Now I don’t always talk about them in this order or anything, or emphasize them equally all the time, but these questions are always in the back of my mind when studying and preparing to preach. (You’ll see it in practice today) E. [Once again] A priority for proper submission in Spirit-filled living with regard to children in family relationships is described in the verbs to obey and to honor. III. Obey: (Based on love and trust) is to listen, submit, and do (with a happy heart). – Obedience is to listen and do with a good attitude. – Obey the what and the when, cheerfully. (only accomplished by confidence in Christ and controlled by the Spirit) A. [Perhaps we should explain that] Disobedience is at the center of man’s problems, and obedience God’s solution. More focally, faith in Jesus Christ is God’s solution to our sin and separation problem. Disobedience comes from lack of trust in God. Conversely, faith is enacted by obedience. 1. Disobey is what Adam and Eve did in the garden. – That sin of disobedience to God’s condition had ramifications for families and society: “For the family life which God created at the beginning and pronounced to be ‘good’ was spoiled by human rebellion and selfishness. Relationships fell apart. Society was fractured. Love was twisted into lust, and authority into oppression.” (Stott) 2. More specifically too, disobedience to parents is listed as emblematic of gentile depravity (debased mind – Rom. 1:29b-31 note what it’s listed with), and of the godlessness of the last days (2 Tim. 3:2-3). 3. Obedience, on the other hand, is a demonstration of faith, of trusting in God. Obedience comes from faith. And as kids, we show ourselves as responsible members of the church family/body by obeying our parents. – Instead of the selfishness and rebellion of sin, now ‘in the Lord’ relationships are transformed as we are transformed. We obey in faith to do what “pleases the Lord.” (namely, obeying parents - Col. 3:20) B. Obedience is right (literally, “righteous”) because it conforms to God’s command, which is based on God’s character. (And we see the commandment next.) IV. Paul supports this theme of obedience with a quote from the 5th of the ten commandments that God gave to his people Israel in the OT. (Ex. 20:12) A. He proclaims this to be the first commandment with a promise. The objection that there is another promise under the second commandment is unfounded, b/c that ultimately is a description of the character of God and applies to all the commandments. (see Ex. 20:4-6) B. Five other places in the NT include this command to honor parents, but Paul here is the only one to include the implications of the promise. – Paul leaves out “which the Lord your God gives to you” that is an explanatory clause referring to the literal land God was giving to his people Israel. So Paul reapplies the promise in a universalized way that is consistent with the new covenant. But this promise might still mean several things: 1. A reference to heaven. – Which prevents us from having to explain how this ISN’T prosperity gospel, but it doesn’t fit the immediate context nor the Bible (Children, obey your parents in the Lord so you can go to heaven. Um, no.) 2. Purely spiritualized – promised blessing as only spiritual blessing (1:3 – except, those are spiritual blessings already made accessible to all who are adopted children of God through faith in Christ) 3. A general promise that by obedience to parents, particularly godly ones, you set yourself on the right course to be a solid, successful member of the church and society and to live a long, vibrant life… (Honestly, that’s what I think Paul means.) – God gives special blessing to those who obey this command.  This is not a one to one reward for works kind of thing, but it is a promise from God that he particularly blesses those who obey the command to honor their parents on this earth. V. Honor: (based upon the notion of setting a price or value, it means to highly esteem or honor) Honoring parents should only INCREASE in Spirit-filled believers when we leave the nest. In fact, the more distant the memory of your Christian upbringing, the more near to your heart are the parents who trained you to fear and love God. – [But what if they didn’t.] Obeying and honoring when it’s hard. (The following principles can be trusted as true even when obedience is hard or the person less than honorable.) A. On the part of the believer, honoring parents shows a receptiveness to the Spirit’s leading in your life to continue transforming you in Christlikeness. (5:18b&21) 1. It demonstrates understanding God’s will. (v. 17) 2. It demonstrates a desire to grow in godly wisdom. (v.15) 3. It demonstrates learning to comprehend God’s love for you. (v.1) 4. Honoring them may very well lead unbelieving parents to Christ and immature ones to growth in Him. B. How can you honor your parents? [This is not an exhaustive list, but are some suggestions] 1. Honor your parents through obedience in any and every way possible. 2. Honor your parents by praying for them. (This is respect in secret, honoring them before God when no one else knows or sees.) 3. Honor your parents by forgiving them. (4:32) – Bitterness eats away at YOU, steals your joy, and hinders your fruit-bearing for God. 4. Honor your parents by communicating with them. Show them other acts of love and kindness. (Save your breath saying they don’t deserve it.) 5. Honor your parents by finding something to thank them for. (After all, God used them to bring you into this world.) 6. Honor your parents with a godly, respectful attitude. 7. Honor your parents by caring for them in their twilight years. (1 Tim. 5:3-4,8 Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. […] But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.) C. Reporting abuse is not dishonoring your parents. God is not honored by our silence in such times. It is different to willingly suffer injustice and even abuse for the sake of Christ. But for children and wives to stand abused by those who are given by God to protect, provide for, nurture, and cherish them—this is a sin against God of alarming proportions. It spits in the face of God’s holy character. Abusers must be exposed and confronted by their sin to have a chance to repent and turn in faith to Jesus Christ. [even for a believer, repent] – This is not to be done vindictively, but for their own good. That is in fact honoring them. (Just be sure you know what is and isn’t abuse. Talk to a church leader for help.) VI. What God commands he empowers. (provides for) Rom. 8:31-32 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  The critical importance of the work of God’s Holy Spirit in the life of a believer for obedience. A. To rightly honor and obey God and those he places in authority over us, we must be filled with the Spirit. 1. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. […] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Rom 8:9,14) 2. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. […] If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal 5:16,25) B. How does the Holy Spirit do this work in us?  We yield to his controlling influence in our daily living. – How do we do that? By staying close to God and his word. 1. There is no substitute for investing in intimacy with God. (through Jesus Christ) – 2 Cor. 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2. There is no substitute for soaking your mind in the word of God. – Col. 3:16, used interchangeably with “be filled with the Spirit” in this parallel passage is “let the word of Christ dwell in your richly.” – And Eph. 6:17 3. There is no substitute for pouring your heart out in prayer to God. (for that is our lifeline to the power of God – 6:18 – And when you don’t know what or how to pray, if you will commit to talk to God in spite of your weakness, (Rom. 8:26-27) the Holy Spirit is faithful to “translate” and apply better prayers than we are mature enough to pray. So keep asking God to know him better and to teach you to love him and imitate him. He is faithful! 4. So then as you go about the remainder of your hours and minutes given by God in a day, you remember to tackle your responsibilities hand in hand with your Lord. C. You will obey and honor when you fear and love God because that’s where the Holy Spirit leads us in following Christ Jesus our Lord. – And remember, this is part of God’s plan to make Jesus known to the nations. Lord, we confess that we are disobedient, rebellious people. Teach us to stand in awe of your holiness and righteousness so that we long to obey you and be pleasing to you. Grant us faith and obedience to submit to others for the sake of knowing Christ better and making him known. May you be pleased to transform us and bear much fruit in us for your glory. Amen.