Walking in Submission

Purpose

submission to God and to Others

our verses today have no words with multiple meaning.

These 4 verses are straightforward from the original writing.

So we can spend our time, studying the meaning and not the translation

Let me remind us of the original audience of this letter, and i am pretty confident that you will see the comparison to our world today

History of Ephesus

HIstory Reminder:

Paul is writing this letter from prison to a church that he helped to plant in a city full of idol worship, prideful people, and turmoil happening daily.

The very name of Ephesus means “desirable”

it is a center of travel and commerce

More like a NEW YORK CITY rather than Los Lunas or Albuquerque

it was one of the greatest seaports and would have been bustling and full of bars and brothels

Paul pens this letter about 62 AD in a time of riot brewing that will have left the temple destroyed and the Jews dispersed in 70AD

So when Paul starts this letter to the saints and the faithful he is fully aware of them living differently than the world they are in.

Paul is encouraging them to stay the course of Jesus and THE WAY.

Interestingly the the Apostle John - the author of John, John 1. 2, 3 and revelation becomes the Pastor of this church in the late 60s

it is also likely that Mary, the mother of Jesus was living in Ephesus with John as John 19:26-27 Jesus commands John to look after his mother.

John was banished to Patmos in about 81 AD, so it is likely that John was convicted because of his work in Ephesus

Lets remember that Rev 2:1-7 the church in Ephesus is commended by Christ for their works, patient endurance, and abhoring of evil. BUT they abandoned their first love

They are warned to return to how they started - to repent and do the work that they first did

and we are connected back to Paul who started the church in about 52 AD and writes this letter in about 62 AD ten years later

Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians C. The Filling of the Spirit (vv. 15–21)

Ephesus was a center of pagan worship and ritual. The Ephesian culture worshiped Baccus, the god of wine and drunken orgies. They believed that to commune with their god and to be led by him, they had to be drunk.

Paul was again seeking to SET THE CHURCH - THE BODY OF CHRIST - APART FROM THE WORLD

This church is NOT the church that we see today

They are not gathered in a building, a school or a church building

They like were a church of small communities, united by teaching

they probably came together to hear special teachings

I suppose that our modern equivalent would be small groups connected by a pastor or church

BUT here in Ephesus Paul is not advocating for a building but a body of believers joined by the unity and focused on the cornerstone of Christ.

the main point of this message is submitting.

Making a choice

Earthly intoxication or Spirit filled Focus

Treating others with Joy and kindness or worldly opinions

Giving thanks to the Lord or grumbling

wanting control or submitting to others

selfishness is the main cause of marriage issues and since vs 22 [next week] concerns marriage there is a connection to this issue.

the prior verse lead up to this command

if you walk away with anything this morning let it be verse 21

Eph 5:21 “21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Filled by the spirit

open your Bible to Ephesians Chapter 5 verse 18

i guess that i could have added these first three 18-20 to last week BUT it was because of the THEREFORE in verse 17 , and the AND in 18 combined with needing to make the point of SUBMISSION

the removal of selfishness into self less ness.

Filled with the Spirit should not be read past tense.

This is one of the major changes in post resurrection and is not often taught.

OT - Spirit came upon a person

NT - True believers are indwelled

OT - a person could lose their rightousness if they did not follow the law in fact it was very clear that only Jews would have the chance for eternal life with GOD…

NT - we come by eternal life by faith in Jesus, regardless of ethnicity or past. We walk rightly because of Christ, debt paid, reuniting happened. Therefore it is not what we do but what HE DID.

this is important to the original context of this letter. The original hearers of this message would have been much more in tune with the battle of doing for righteousness and would have battled it.

TODAY it is likely that we take it for granted

yet there are many around us that believe certain actions are required or need to be performed in order to be in God’s favor.

Friends encourage these people !!

we are saved by faith

saved by grace

reconciled with God because of Jesus on that cross

We live with HIM, united as one and not able to lose what God has bound.

We do good works because of His work, not for His grace.

We already have that if we have proclaimed Him, believe in Him, live in faith, which is living IN CHRIST more and more daily.

Eph 5:18-21 “18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Paul is making a comparison here - where in good times or bad, in calm or in stress do you chose to fill yourself with earthly things or the Spirit.

do you go to Dr. Amazon or nurse target

Do you use you smartphone as urgent care?

or do you go to the lord

do you consult with Jim beam, johnny walker or jose cuervo?

or do you go to the Holy Spirit in prayer?

a few of the commentary that i study stated that Paul is not making a comparison here,

but i fully disagree.

IT IS THE WORD BUT in the middle that simplifies it for us.

do Not do this for it leads to debauchery - excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures.

remember is a few lessons ago Eph 4:19 “19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.”

we are to live our life as an IMITATOR OF CHRIST - not conform to this world.

This is important as we are NOT designed for solitude but for Community

Remember in Genesis “it says it is not right for man to be alone” and God creates Eve

so God wants us to have healthy relationships - and in our next verse He gives us insight

Addressing Others

19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

Christ submitted to the Father - Phil 2:5-7

Philippians 2:5–7 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

and we should follow this model in our daily life and interactions.

addressing, speaking, singing

variations in this verse

What is a Psalm vs a Hymn?

The literal meaning of a hymn is "a song of praise or thanksgiving to God or a deity."

Whereas the psalms are considered by their inclusion into the Bible as the inspired word of God,

hymns are songs created by humans for means of worship.

it certainly can be odd hearing this directive in our modern society

I truly think if someone walked up to me and started singing i would laugh

Yet this is a directive

We must always view as BIBLE, HISTORY and then CULTURE

Let me bring this in to cultural context ---

Be a dispenser of:

kind words

Speak to people with encouragement

Recite Scripture and Truth

Tell them to be

Joshua 1:9 “9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””

Let you voice be a melody in harmony with God to help others walk in rhythm with Him

then is says “to the Lord”

honoring others is honoring God

seek first His kingdom...

love the Lord with.... and love your neighbor

How often do we miss that our interaction with others is also to the Lord?

Giving Thanks

20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Do you find yourself focused on the negative, what went wrong today?

I enjoy listening to short 12 min or so, summary of books

one such book encouraged journaling or just mediation of

WHAT WENT RIGHT TODAY?

Trust me it is a challenge — or nature is to problem solve not praise

When we purposefully change our focus

Submitting to Each Other

21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians C. The Filling of the Spirit (vv. 15–21)

Paul’s important point is that in each of these sets of relationships the one in authority is to be submissive to the needs of those under him and those in submission are to be subject to the authority of the one over him

vs 21 Submitting to each other

Lead like Jesus - TO SERVE> NOT TO BE SERVED

this is our daily battle ground.

we awake and rise and must pray for strength to submit to others

we are selfish lot...

we get defensive

we get protective

we forget that we are here for others, not our self

Phil 2:3-8

Paul has given us the basis for living right.

Remember we are to walk in wisdom

thinking before we speak

thinking before we act

being mindful or who are are going to become.

realize who’s we are

who we are

how we should stand

who we should become

and how to act daily

ALL to Glorify God above all other things.

CONCLUSION:

the main point of this message is submitting.

Making a choice

Earthly intoxication or Spirit filled Focus

Treating others with Joy and kindness or worldly opinions

Giving thanks to the Lord or grumbling

wanting control or submitting to others