1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:06,840 We will look at Ephesians chapter 6 starting with verses 2 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:11,720 one through 9. Tonight we will be picking up 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:19,520 kind of where we left off from 2 weeks ago and walk through this 4 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:26,400 passage as we see what it is that God would direct us in His 5 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:32,080 Word. So let us read Ephesians chapter 6 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:38,680 6 verses one through 9. Children, obey your parents in 7 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,240 the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and your 8 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:46,240 mother, which is the first commandment with the promise, so 9 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:51,000 that it will be well with you and that you may live long upon 10 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,400 the earth. Fathers, do not provoke your 11 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,200 children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and 12 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:04,160 instruction of the Lord. Slaves, be obedient to those who 13 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:08,440 are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and 14 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:14,120 trembling insincerity of your heart as to Christ. 15 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:20,240 Not by way of our service as men pleasers, but as slaves of 16 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:26,800 Christ, doing the will of God from the heart with goodwill, 17 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:34,640 rendering service as to the Lord, not to men, knowing that 18 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:40,920 whatever good thing each one does, this he would receive back 19 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:47,480 from the Lord, whether slave or free And masters, do the same 20 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:53,240 thing to them and give up threatening, knowing that both 21 00:01:54,600 --> 00:02:00,760 your master and, excuse me, both their master and yours is in 22 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:07,400 heaven, and there is no partiality in him. 23 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:15,920 When we was together before 2 weeks ago, we talked about this 24 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:23,520 book, this letter, Ephesians, and we explained that what it 25 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:29,320 meant as we look at review, that these were Christians who lived 26 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:34,880 in the city of Ephesus, that it is the capital of the Roman 27 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:40,960 Providence of Asia, Asia Minor or modern, modern day Turkey 28 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:48,680 would be it today. Many commentators point out that 29 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:54,320 the earlier manuscript did not include the words in Ephesus 30 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,440 because they believed that this was a circular letter and 31 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,840 therefore it was intended for everybody. 32 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:07,040 But they rushed to tell us that there is nothing lost in the 33 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:14,720 leaving out of those words. So we move on to the letter and 34 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,920 we asked you last weekend. We will ask you again. 35 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,760 Please remember that this is a letter and not a book. 36 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:28,240 Therefore, it was not written in chapters and verses as we have 37 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:34,440 it today. Now that being said, what we 38 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:42,400 have is chapters 1-2 and three. We are instructed in who we are 39 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:49,640 in Christ. Chapters 4-5 and six instructs 40 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:57,560 us on how we ought to act because of who we are in Christ. 41 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,800 And when you think about that, that's what the Christian life 42 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:11,920 should be about, putting God on display because of what He has 43 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:22,640 done for us and in US. We started with Ephesians 515. 44 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:27,160 Therefore, be careful how you walk. 45 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:32,200 The word walk in Scripture means the manner of life. 46 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:38,680 Be careful how you live, because people are watching and you want 47 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:43,440 to put Him on display as you live. 48 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:50,760 And then he goes on and tell us, not as unwise men, but as wise. 49 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,480 By the way, I think if we asked anybody would you rather be wise 50 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,080 or unwise? I think we would all agree that 51 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:02,880 we would want to be wise. So he says to us not as unwise 52 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:08,680 men, but as wise as Paul is instructing the Saints how we 53 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,600 ought to live because of who we are in Christ. 54 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:17,600 He says that we are not to be unwise. 55 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:19,920 Think about the things that we do. 56 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,000 Think about the things that we say. 57 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,120 How is it that we communicate to people? 58 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:30,920 Are we communicating from a wise standpoint or from an unwise 59 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:36,760 standpoint? And then we looked at verse 16, 60 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,320 chapter 5. He says making the most of your 61 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:46,040 time because the days of evil. The old King James uses the term 62 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:51,600 here redeeming the time. The Greek word is used four 63 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:57,520 times in the New Testament and it means to buy back twice. 64 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,040 It is used of what Christ did for us. 65 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,440 We will read you one of those from Galatians chapter 3 verse 66 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:09,920 13. Christ redeemed us from the 67 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:15,760 curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is 68 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,960 ridden. Cursed is everyone who hangs on 69 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:24,080 the tree. The other time it is used is 70 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:32,000 about us and how we are to act. In Colossians chapter 4 verses 5 71 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,000 and 6, he says conduct yourselves with wisdom toward 72 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,040 the outsiders. Here's our word, making the most 73 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:45,720 of the opportunity. Conduct yourselves with wisdom 74 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:48,400 for those who are on the outside. 75 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:54,080 Those would be non Christians. Then he goes on to say, let your 76 00:06:54,080 --> 00:07:01,320 speech always be with grace as those seasoned with salt, so 77 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:06,400 that you would know how you ought to respond to each person. 78 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:12,280 This is each person on the outside that you are responding 79 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:15,240 to. Let your speech always be 80 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:20,440 seasoned with salt. Let it always be of grace, even 81 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:22,120 when they are not gracious to you. 82 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:30,480 Yes, let your speech always be of grace so you will know how to 83 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:37,960 respond to each person. Then we went on to talk about in 84 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,920 verse 17. So then do not be foolish, but 85 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,040 understanding what the will of the Lord is. 86 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:50,160 How is it that we not be foolish? 87 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,600 We come to know what the will of the Lord is. 88 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:59,000 How do you know that? By reading His word, by 89 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:03,440 understanding what it is that He says that we are to do. 90 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:09,760 By the way, when you see some people who say that they are 91 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:13,400 Christians, and then you listen to what it is they have to say, 92 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:18,880 it leaves no doubt that they know nothing about Christianity. 93 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:25,080 Just because a person says that they are Christian doesn't mean 94 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,000 that they are. So He says to us. 95 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:33,039 So we are not to be foolish, but to understand what the will of 96 00:08:33,039 --> 00:08:36,919 the Lord is. And then he goes on in verse 18 97 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:41,720 and says do not be drunk with wine, for that is dissipation. 98 00:08:43,159 --> 00:08:47,800 That is a terrible way to live is what he's telling us to be 99 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,680 drunk with wine. And the word has to do with 100 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:54,800 excessive drinking. So he said don't be controlled 101 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:57,920 by that. Don't be, don't live by that, 102 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:06,680 but be filled with the Spirit. The word to be filled means to 103 00:09:06,680 --> 00:09:11,480 make fool, to fill up. He's telling us to let the 104 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:18,560 Spirit of God control us and not some other source because see, 105 00:09:18,560 --> 00:09:21,400 we can look at well, I don't drink so that's not a problem 106 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:25,640 for me, but could be controlled by some other thing and that's 107 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,520 what he's telling us not to let happen. 108 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,920 What happens when we are filled with the Spirit? 109 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,920 He says to us that we were speaking to one another in 110 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:40,760 psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody 111 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:45,560 in our hearts. And to the Lord, notice he says 112 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:49,880 in your heart, you can't make melody in my heart. 113 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:51,680 I can't make melody in your heart. 114 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,640 The other thing that I think about I can't control your heart 115 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,920 and you can't control mine. But He says here that we are to 116 00:09:59,920 --> 00:10:07,000 make melody in our hearts unto the Lord, and those are the 117 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:13,680 things that we are called to do. You cannot fulfill verse 19 out 118 00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:20,120 of a heart that is controlled by something other than the Spirit 119 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,480 of God. And these are the things that we 120 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:28,720 want to keep in mind for us. And then he says to us, always 121 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:32,000 giving thanks to all things in the name of the Lord Jesus 122 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:39,360 Christ, to God, even the Father, always give thanks for all 123 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,600 things. Do we stay in that attitude of 124 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:48,520 Thanksgiving or do we like to gripe and complain about things 125 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:52,280 that come up, the weather, the people that we work with or 126 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,800 everything else? By the way, you know, Christians 127 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:56,720 have gotten so good with complaining. 128 00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:02,240 We think it's a spiritual gift. It actually is not OK. 129 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:09,800 He tells us here that here is how we ought to live. 130 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,840 We're to live in a way that we're giving thanks to God for 131 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:18,280 everything. When we think about this from 132 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:24,200 chapter 4 verse one, Paul is telling the Saints how we ought 133 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:30,040 to live irregardless to our situation when it comes to 134 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:33,720 marriage. You could be in marriage, you 135 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,520 could be out of marriage, you could be before marriage, you 136 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,120 could be one of those that say I'm never going to get married. 137 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:44,040 He is telling us as Christians how we ought to live. 138 00:11:45,680 --> 00:11:50,520 That should tell us something. How we live doesn't depend upon 139 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,800 our situation. How we live depends upon how we 140 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:58,720 respond to the Word of God in the direction that He gives to 141 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:03,360 us. In verse 21. 142 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:12,680 He would say to us that we are to do something He says in verse 143 00:12:12,680 --> 00:12:21,200 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of God. 144 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:28,840 Be subject to place yourself under. 145 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:34,120 It's what it's calling us to do. That's what the word be subject 146 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:37,240 to, to arrange yourself under, to subordinate. 147 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:44,200 Do you know the president of the United States is the commander 148 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:49,880 in chief of all of our military forces, regardless to whether 149 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,200 he's had military experience or not? 150 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:57,040 So all the men, let's tell you, on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 151 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,000 come into the room and put all of the effort together and make 152 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,280 a decision. And he can say no to that 153 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:07,760 because they have to rank themselves under. 154 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,960 And that's what he is telling us to do. 155 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,840 Paul says as we operate in the church, as we operate in the 156 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:22,640 family, we ought to submit to one another. 157 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,400 So what is this point? We covered this last time. 158 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,080 And why does he start with the wife? 159 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:33,680 Because he's dealing with leadership. 160 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,160 When it comes to leadership, the wife is to submit herself to the 161 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,000 husband. And I love what the Colossians 162 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,160 say about this. He said in everything. 163 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:51,880 Now that doesn't make me as a husband puffed up OK? 164 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:57,240 Because just a few verses later he's going to address men and 165 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:01,800 help us to understand what the husband is to do. 166 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,800 But he goes on and says in verse 22, Wives, be submissive to your 167 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:14,560 own husband as unto the Lord. Note that he doesn't say because 168 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:20,880 he's smarter than you, it's because of the position that 169 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:24,680 their husband has. Wives, when it comes to 170 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:28,840 leadership, rank yourself under the husband. 171 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,480 He goes on in verse 23 and says, for the husband is the head of 172 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:39,440 the wife, as Christ is also the head of the church, he himself 173 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:44,360 being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to 174 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:49,800 Christ, so also the wives ought to be subject to their own 175 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:57,760 husbands in everything, wives to their own husbands. 176 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:07,120 Then from chapter 5, verse 25 through verse 33, he addresses 177 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:13,600 their husbands. Husbands love your wives, just 178 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,920 as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her. 179 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:22,680 Notice what words are not inserted here? 180 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:30,360 Submit yourself and they shouldn't be as they shouldn't 181 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:36,680 be in verse 22 because in verse 21 he has told us to be subject 182 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:41,600 1 to another and therefore as we read through this, we don't need 183 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,440 the word submit because he's already addressed that issue in 184 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,520 verse 21. So in verse 22 we say wives to 185 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:54,480 your own husbands. Here he says, husband, love your 186 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:58,720 wife, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up 187 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:03,400 for it. So when it comes to my love for 188 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:08,560 myself, I am to rank that under my love for my wife. 189 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:16,360 That's how I submit to her. That's how each husband is 190 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:18,800 called to submit to his right notice. 191 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:24,520 He says here, just as Christ also loved the church and gave 192 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:32,360 himself up for her, He wants us to know that we ought to be 193 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:36,880 subject in that way. Look at verse 26. 194 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:40,720 He goes on to talk about Christ and what Christ has done for the 195 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:47,280 church so that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the 196 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:53,320 washing of the water with the Word, that he might present her 197 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:59,240 to Himself, the church in all of its glory, having no spot or 198 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:06,560 wrinkle or any search thing, but that he would be, excuse me, but 199 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:10,079 that she would be holy and blameless. 200 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:15,599 Is that what we are doing with our wives? 201 00:17:16,319 --> 00:17:21,480 Do we really love them in a way that we want them to be holy and 202 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,359 blameless? We want them to be without 203 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:31,720 fault. I should never ask my wife to do 204 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,520 something that would put her in the spot of not being holy and 205 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:37,560 blameless. Never. 206 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,320 And that's what he's directing us to do here. 207 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:47,280 Treat our wives just as Christ treated the church and gave 208 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:52,240 himself up for her. He goes on in verse 28 and says, 209 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:57,320 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own 210 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:01,560 body, For he who loves his wife loves himself. 211 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:07,680 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but narrison cherished 212 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:12,920 it, just as Christ also does the church. 213 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:17,280 It doesn't matter what a person says about how much they hate 214 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,520 themselves. The Bible says for no one has 215 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,360 ever hated himself by the way, that's the truth. 216 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:25,520 I don't we don't have to debate that. 217 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,560 But he says in verse 30, he says because we are members of his 218 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:35,720 body, for this reason, a man shall leave his father and his 219 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,640 mother and be joined to his wife, and the two of them shall 220 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:45,640 be 1 flesh. I think parents have a bigger 221 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:50,320 issue with this than the husband and wife does really. 222 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:57,360 It says for this reason a man shall leave his father and 223 00:18:57,360 --> 00:19:00,960 mother and shall be joined to his wife and the two of them 224 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:05,720 shall become one flesh. That means that man and that 225 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:11,520 woman has their house and to be ran by them, not the mom and the 226 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:15,360 dad back somewhere else. That's what he's pointing out 227 00:19:15,360 --> 00:19:19,560 here. Now he goes on in verse 32 and 228 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:23,200 said this is the mystery. By the way, he calls the mystery 229 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:27,440 great. He says, but I am speaking with 230 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:29,480 reference to Christ in the church. 231 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,320 This is how Christ in the church really should function. 232 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:39,800 But look at the next verse. Nevertheless, each individual 233 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:46,400 among you also is to love his own wife even as himself. 234 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:51,200 And the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. 235 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:56,920 So he has talked to us. He has told us how the husband 236 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,400 and the wife is to submit to one another. 237 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:06,240 Now we're going to pick up tonight's message, starting with 238 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:12,480 the children. And he says Ephesians chapter 6 239 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:19,440 verse one children obey your parents in the Lord. 240 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:25,280 For this is right. Wow, what a great statement. 241 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,840 Now if if in the statement in the Bible wouldn't be great, but 242 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:34,240 just I want to tell you something children, he said 243 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:38,080 children obey your parents and the reason you're going to do 244 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:44,400 this is because it is right As I was reading and preparing for 245 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,960 this came across this comment, this commentator and he pointed 246 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:54,760 me to Hosea. And if you remember, Hosea was 247 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:59,960 the guy that was told to go out and marry a wife of holla tree 248 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:03,320 and to have children of holla tree. 249 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,720 And the reason God told him to do this because Israel had 250 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:13,520 turned that back on God and had brought holla tree into their 251 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,920 lives. Hosea chapter 14 is the last 252 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:25,160 chapter in Hosea verse 9 is the last verse in that chapter. 253 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:31,960 And here's what it says. Whoever is wise, let him 254 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:37,560 understand these things. Whoever is discerning, let him 255 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:43,880 know them, for the ways of the Lord are right, and the 256 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:52,160 righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in 257 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:56,720 them. Notice he uses the term right, 258 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:05,400 that those who are right will walk in them, but those who are 259 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,960 transgressors will stumble in them. 260 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:13,360 By the way, if a person is walking along and he stumbles, 261 00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:15,240 it's kind of like noticeable to everybody. 262 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:20,400 So here he says the transgressors will stumble over 263 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:25,120 the same rights that the righteous person is walking in, 264 00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:30,360 the righteous person is doing. And Hosea would say long before 265 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:36,760 Paul would write this, the ways of the Lord are right. 266 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,720 So when Paul comes along and said, children, obey your 267 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:46,880 parents for this is right, He is pointing out to us as children 268 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:51,880 that it's the right thing to do to obey your parents. 269 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,480 Now he says, that's the action I want you to take. 270 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:02,240 Then he tells us how to address the attitude that we should do 271 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:05,440 that right thing. In he says honor your father and 272 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:09,800 your mother, which is the first commandment with a promise so 273 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:15,680 that it may be well with you and that you may live long upon the 274 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:20,600 earth. So when I am obeying my parents, 275 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:24,120 I need to have a great attitude in doing so. 276 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:35,680 By the way, the word honor means to estimate or to fix the value. 277 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:43,960 There's a difference between fixing the value and fixing a 278 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:48,600 value. Because see, if I fix a value, I 279 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:50,440 put whatever price on it I want to. 280 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,960 But when you fix the value, you're given the proper value of 281 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,800 that thing. And that's what honor means when 282 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:04,520 it says honor your father and your mother, number one, know 283 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:09,760 who this person is, know their value and set that on them. 284 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:15,400 Honor them in that way. And he's given us this 285 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:23,720 understanding that the children ought to submit themselves to 286 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:29,560 their parents by obeying them and by honoring them. 287 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:39,920 And then we come to verse 4. Most of us as parents never 288 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,880 think about the idea that we are to submit ourselves to our kids. 289 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,640 But here he tells us, yes, you are, because he's told us to 290 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,040 submit to one another in all things. 291 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:57,840 He says, Father, do not provoke your children to anger, but 292 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:02,200 bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 293 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:10,000 How is it that parents would submit themselves to their 294 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:17,560 children by not bringing them, driving them to anger? 295 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,840 Now, that doesn't mean don't spank your kids because the 296 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:24,600 scripture strictly tells us that that should happen. 297 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:31,000 OK, What he's talking about here is don't play something on your 298 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:35,600 kid that they can't do that would drive them to anger. 299 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:43,960 An example, let's say you have the best B student in your kid 300 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,840 that that kid can be. That kid is doing all this 301 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,640 homework, doing everything that he can, but the very best that 302 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:53,200 he can come up with or she can come up with is AB. 303 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:56,600 And you decide it has to be an A. 304 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:01,880 So you go and you drive them to get there, and they can't make 305 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:03,480 that. That's what he's talking about. 306 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:10,200 Fathers or parents, do not provoke your children to wrath, 307 00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:19,880 exasperation, or anger. Don't provoke them to that. 308 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:25,840 That they might understand, that they might know that yes, Mom or 309 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,480 dad really do love me. It would not provoke me to that. 310 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,640 By the way, this word for anger here, this Greek word is only 311 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:39,440 used twice in the New Testament, only used in 2 verses here and 312 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:45,480 in Romans 10/19. Romans 10/19 says, But I say, 313 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:50,000 surely Israel did not know, did they? 314 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:56,160 First, Moses said, I will make you jealous by that which is not 315 00:26:56,160 --> 00:27:01,240 a nation, and by a nation without understanding. 316 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:09,760 I will anger you. God is driving Israel to anger 317 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,360 over the Gentiles because of what he's doing to bring them 318 00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:16,720 in, because of how far Israel has walked away from God. 319 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:27,040 God's motives are always pure. I was a not and that's why he 320 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:31,440 would tell the children of Israel, I will provoke you to 321 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:36,200 anger because of this. But then he can direct us not to 322 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:40,720 provoke our children because our motives can be wrong. 323 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,080 I love the last part of that verse though. 324 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:53,360 Don't drive them to anger, but bring them up in the discipline 325 00:27:53,360 --> 00:27:59,600 and instruction of the Lord. I have a picture in my mind when 326 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:05,760 I come to the word. But, and let's say this podium 327 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:09,280 here would be the word, but this is kind of the picture I have in 328 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:15,080 my mind on the left side. Whatever is on but is going to 329 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:17,880 be different from what's on the right side. 330 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:23,040 So he says over here He says, do not provoke your children to 331 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:30,120 anger, but over here he says, but bring them up in the nurture 332 00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:34,320 and the admiration of the Lord. So he wants me to instruct them 333 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:39,800 in the Lord. And then I'll ask myself the 334 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:46,600 question, how would I do that? In Deuteronomy 6 verses 4 to 8, 335 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:50,920 he gives us a great way of doing this. 336 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:57,440 Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God. 337 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:01,720 The Lord is 1. You should love the Lord with 338 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:04,480 all. You should love the Lord your 339 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:07,640 God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with 340 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:12,040 all of your might. These words which I am 341 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:16,080 commanding you today shall be in your heart. 342 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:23,080 You shall teach them diligent to your sons and shall talk to them 343 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:27,760 when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way. 344 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:35,560 And when you lie down and when you rise up, you shall bring 345 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:38,360 them as a sign. Excuse me? 346 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:43,200 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be 347 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:48,880 frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the 348 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:55,120 doorpost of your house and on your gates. 349 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:57,600 He's given some great instructions here. 350 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,600 Here is how you ought to do this. 351 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:07,560 First, God addresses the adults in the room. 352 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:12,680 O Israel, what does He want them to know? 353 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:19,000 The Lord is our God, and the Lord is 1. 354 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:25,880 A parent cannot teach this to the children unless they believe 355 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:30,120 it. Now he moves on to verse 5. 356 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:35,120 You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with 357 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,240 all of your soul, and with all of your might. 358 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:46,760 Then in verse 6, he says these words which I am commanding you 359 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:51,320 today, They shall be in your heart. 360 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,120 Notice this is a command, this isn't a suggestion. 361 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:59,280 What you're going to do first, Israel, you're going to know 362 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:05,920 that the God our God is 1 and you're going to teach that to 363 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:10,400 your children. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, yes, 364 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:14,880 but one God. He says, I want you to teach 365 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:22,600 this to your children and teach it how teach it diligently to 366 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,440 your sons. Teach it when you're sitting in 367 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:27,160 your house. Teach it when you're walking in 368 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,520 the way. Teach it when you are rising up, 369 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:32,240 Teach it when you're laying down. 370 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:40,360 This is the thing he wants the Jews to do first, to understand 371 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:44,480 that these instructions ought to be taught to the kids, but 372 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:49,080 they're to be lived out in front of the kids, and the kids will 373 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:51,840 know that you believe these things because they see you 374 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:58,280 living them out. Do our kids see those things in 375 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:04,880 US? My parents taught me many things 376 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:10,840 about God in this way and those have stuck with me for a 377 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:16,520 lifetime. I am 77 years old. 378 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:23,840 So 65 years ago my mother taught me one of these lessons that I 379 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:28,400 have never forgotten. I had a dog. 380 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:34,360 The dog was named Skippy. So we're getting ready to leave. 381 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:38,080 I have no idea where we were going, but I was 12 years old 382 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:45,800 and I just said verbally to my dog, Skippy, we're leaving the 383 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:53,440 house in your hands. And my mother heard that and she 384 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:58,080 said to me, no, we're not. We're leaving the house in God's 385 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,400 hands. She didn't scold me. 386 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:05,160 She didn't say you are wrong. She didn't call me a name. 387 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:10,080 She just says, no, we are not. We are leaving it in God's 388 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:14,840 hands. She was teaching me we need to 389 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:21,080 depend on God, not the dog. And I tell you that have stuck 390 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:26,160 with me all of these years because how she approached it 391 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:31,440 and what she said. Just a gentle correction. 392 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,760 And there are many times when either one of my parents would 393 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,640 have talked to us about the Bible and made out a point. 394 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:45,760 They may have even given us an assignment to go look up and 395 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,000 come back to them. That was another way that they 396 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:53,160 taught us. My parents was intentional about 397 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:58,440 instructing us about God. And that's what Paul is asking 398 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:03,440 us to do, to be intentional when it comes to teaching our kids 399 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:08,719 that they will come to understand who God is and what 400 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:11,760 it is that he would have us to do. 401 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:17,920 So we're not to provoke them to anger, but we want to teach them 402 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:23,760 the things of God and how it is that God would direct us and 403 00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:30,440 strengthen us, and how it is that He will call us to be the 404 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:41,840 things that He wants us to be. By the way, when I first learned 405 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:46,719 about Abraham from the Bible, you know who, I compared him to? 406 00:34:48,159 --> 00:34:51,520 My dad. Because see, I knew my dad's 407 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:56,480 faith long before I knew about Abraham's faith, because my dad 408 00:34:56,480 --> 00:35:01,440 lived out the things of God and I could see it. 409 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:05,600 So when he would teach me something about it, I didn't 410 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:09,800 have a problem understanding it because I saw it in his life 411 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:14,000 1st. And these are the things that he 412 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:21,320 is bringing to us. Paul here covers the husband and 413 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:25,400 the wife. He covered the kids and the 414 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:32,600 parents and now he's going to deal with the slaves and the 415 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:37,560 masters. Today's language would be the 416 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:43,840 employee and the employers. He says in chapter 6 verses 5 417 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:48,520 and 6, Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters 418 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:54,200 according to the flesh, with fear and trembling in sincerity 419 00:35:54,200 --> 00:36:00,360 of heart as to Christ, not by way of our service as men 420 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:08,320 pleases, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the 421 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:13,240 heart. When I'm reading through 422 00:36:13,240 --> 00:36:22,080 scripture and I see the term bondservant, that word bothers 423 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:27,880 me. By the way, I I got that from 424 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:30,560 John MacArthur. By the way, while he was alive, 425 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:34,160 he called it a nun word. Why? 426 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:38,640 Because the word that is there in the Greek is do loss. 427 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:42,960 You know what do loss means? Slave. 428 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:45,920 That's all it means. It doesn't mean anything else. 429 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:51,200 It means slave. But a lot of the translators 430 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:57,720 would translate this one bond servant or servant. 431 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:02,320 By the way, this Greek word is used 127 times in the New 432 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:06,640 Testament, the King James Version and New King James 433 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:11,000 Version mostly always translated servant of bondservant. 434 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:18,560 Let me read to you from the New King James this these same 2 435 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:23,200 verses bondservant. Be obedient to those who are 436 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:27,040 your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling 437 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:32,360 and sincerity of heart. As to Christ, not with I service 438 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:37,880 as men please, but as bondservants of Christ doing the 439 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:41,880 will of God. Bondservant. 440 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:45,760 Is there a difference between bondservant and slave? 441 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:52,080 Yes there is. I know a guy at Mount Wilson 442 00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:59,760 that tells us he has nine jobs. That means he's bondservant to 443 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:02,600 nine people. That's what that means. 444 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:08,880 You can be as many bond servants as you want, but slaves is one 445 00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:12,920 person. You don't have many masters, 446 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:16,160 just one. Notice when Paul uses this term, 447 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:21,720 he says slaves be obedient to your masters according to the 448 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:24,160 flesh. He doesn't want them to be in 449 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:27,240 the misunderstanding between who the real master is here. 450 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:32,080 This is your master according to the flesh. 451 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:37,600 Later on he would say both of you have a master in heaven and 452 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:40,360 you know that. And so that's the thing that 453 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:46,480 he's directing here. Slaves or employees, How are you 454 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:50,080 going to submit to your employer? 455 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:55,400 By obedience, by being obedient to them. 456 00:38:56,600 --> 00:39:03,560 And let me hurry and say the Scripture would tell you that if 457 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:06,920 they want you to do something that God has told you not to do, 458 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:11,200 you don't have to obey that. If they tell you not to do 459 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:14,760 something that God has told you to do, you don't have to obey 460 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:17,840 that. People have asked all the time. 461 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:22,640 Well, how do you share your faith with people at work if the 462 00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:27,840 boss has told you not to see? The boss controls the time he's 463 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:31,280 paying you for. He doesn't control before work. 464 00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:35,720 It doesn't control lunchtime, it doesn't control after work. 465 00:39:35,720 --> 00:39:39,720 So you set up a time then to share these things with him, 466 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:43,200 with the person who you want to share with. 467 00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:48,600 You can do that, but you have to bring it to that particular 468 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:53,120 level because you want to do what you want to obey him, to 469 00:39:53,120 --> 00:40:00,040 put him, to put God on display. Now notice verse 7. 470 00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:06,800 It says with goodwill, rendering service as to God, not as to 471 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:13,280 men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he 472 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:19,080 would receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. 473 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:25,120 He said you honor God. Whether you get back from them 474 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:28,760 or not is a whole different thing, but God will bring the 475 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,920 thing back to you, whether you are the slave or whether you are 476 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:35,440 the slave owner. He says God will bring these 477 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:38,480 things. I know that there are those of 478 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:43,120 you who have been going through some difficulties and you simply 479 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:46,440 prayed about those and left them in God's hand and you were 480 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:50,880 amazed at what God has brought out of that. 481 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,640 That's why the Scripture tells us He would do more than we 482 00:40:54,640 --> 00:41:03,680 could even ask or think. That's how we as employers, I'm 483 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:06,880 sorry, employees, or to submit to the employers. 484 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:11,480 Then in verse 9 he deals with the masters or the employers, 485 00:41:12,240 --> 00:41:18,080 and masters do the same thing to them and give up threatening, 486 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:25,440 knowing that both their master and yours is in heaven and there 487 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:32,880 is and there is no partiality in him. 488 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:40,160 There is no partiality in God. Whether you are a slave or 489 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:42,840 whether you're the slave owner, there's no partiality. 490 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:45,800 Whether you're the child or whether you're the parent, 491 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:49,280 there's no partiality. Whether you're the husband or 492 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:56,040 the wife, there's no partiality. There's one thing for you and I 493 00:41:56,040 --> 00:42:02,160 as Christian to present God as to say that God is not doesn't 494 00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:06,360 have partiality. We have to present him that way 495 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:11,400 in every way. We present him that God has no 496 00:42:11,720 --> 00:42:19,960 partiality in him. In Galatians chapter 6 verses 9 497 00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:25,360 and 10, he says let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due 498 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:30,600 time you will reap if we do not grow weary. 499 00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:37,800 So then why we have opportunity? Let us do good to all people, 500 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:42,320 and especially to those who are the household of faith. 501 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:48,440 So you an employer or your supervisor, he says treat 502 00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:55,360 everybody that's in your care. Well, that would be the all 503 00:42:55,360 --> 00:42:57,960 people. And then he says especially to 504 00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:00,120 those who are the household of faith. 505 00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:05,360 So you're going to treat everybody good, those of the 506 00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:08,480 household of faith, you're going to give them a little bit extra, 507 00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:14,000 especially those who are the household of faith. 508 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:23,240 In this Ephesians chapter 4-5 and six, what have we seen? 509 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:27,720 Chapter 4 verse 1, he says I therefore the prisoner of the 510 00:43:27,720 --> 00:43:33,120 Lord emplore you to walk in a manner worthy of your calling 511 00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:41,600 which you have been called. Therefore let me see that word. 512 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:48,000 Therefore, you have to look at why is it therefore and the 513 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:52,560 reason it's there in verse in chapter 4, verse one, because of 514 00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:58,600 chapters 1-2 and three, here's who you are in Christ and now 515 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:02,560 he's going to say here's how you are to conduct yourself. 516 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:08,560 Chapter 5, verses 15 and 16, he says, therefore be careful how 517 00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:13,520 you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of your 518 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:18,880 time because the days are evil. You and I are instructed in 519 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:24,200 Scripture to be careful how we live, recognizing that the days 520 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:29,600 are evil, and we ought to do this in a way that we ought to 521 00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:33,960 honor him. And then in chapter 5, verse 21, 522 00:44:33,960 --> 00:44:40,160 he tells us to be submissive to one another and the fear of God. 523 00:44:40,800 --> 00:44:42,680 He deals with the whole church there. 524 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:47,000 Everybody in the church was either a husband or wife, a 525 00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:49,720 parent or a child or slave or free. 526 00:44:50,320 --> 00:44:51,920 So he deals with everybody in the church. 527 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:54,840 You know, we have that same situation today. 528 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:59,200 You either just change it out to employee and employer. 529 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:01,840 Some of us are retired, but that means we had we use them for 530 00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:06,480 heads at one time or another. But he said these are the things 531 00:45:06,480 --> 00:45:12,880 that he's laid out to us. He tells us we must do this. 532 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:21,880 Now look at the Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10. 533 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:27,520 He says finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his 534 00:45:27,520 --> 00:45:34,080 mouth, His might. How are we to do this? 535 00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:43,400 We are to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 536 00:45:43,920 --> 00:45:51,000 By what are we to do this? Verse 11 put on the full armor 537 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:56,360 of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the 538 00:45:56,360 --> 00:46:05,440 schemes of the devil. Interesting, Paul mentioned the 539 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:10,320 devil twice in this letter in chapter 4. 540 00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:13,280 When he's dealing with our anger, he says to us in verses 541 00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:18,560 26 and 27, be angry and yet do not sin. 542 00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:24,760 Do not let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the 543 00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:29,240 devil an opportunity. Wow. 544 00:46:31,240 --> 00:46:35,200 He wants us to know how to deal with thy anger. 545 00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:40,880 He said do not let the sun go down on your anger. 546 00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:45,800 I've had people say to me, well, that's, you know, it happened at 547 00:46:45,800 --> 00:46:48,760 night time. So I have all night and he's 548 00:46:48,760 --> 00:46:50,240 talking about it's a change of day. 549 00:46:50,240 --> 00:46:53,680 That's all he's talking about. So if you get angry at night, 550 00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:55,360 then don't let the sun come up on your route. 551 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:59,360 That's all he's saying now. Because if you do, what are you 552 00:46:59,360 --> 00:47:01,880 doing? You're giving the devil an 553 00:47:01,920 --> 00:47:05,400 opportunity. And by the way, the opportunity 554 00:47:05,400 --> 00:47:06,520 is with you. Morning. 555 00:47:06,520 --> 00:47:10,600 Is it with anybody else? But that's what he's telling us. 556 00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:16,800 We need to not to give the devil an opportunity. 557 00:47:17,480 --> 00:47:20,440 And then in verse 12, he says, for our struggle is not against 558 00:47:20,440 --> 00:47:25,360 flesh and blood, but against rulers, against powers, against 559 00:47:26,320 --> 00:47:34,000 the world forces of darkness, against spiritual witnesses in 560 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:38,080 heavenly places. Now all of this he's told us how 561 00:47:38,080 --> 00:47:41,960 to submit to one another. Then he says, But you're not 562 00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:44,920 wrestling against flesh and blood. 563 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:49,640 This thing is against spiritual weaknesses in the high places. 564 00:47:49,640 --> 00:47:53,640 This is against the enemy that you are struggling against. 565 00:47:54,240 --> 00:47:57,720 I know you think it's your boss, but it is not. 566 00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:00,680 You think it's the wife, but it's not. 567 00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:03,440 You think it's the husband, but it's not. 568 00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:09,320 It's the enemy provoking them to do the things that they are 569 00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:12,280 doing. And your battle is really 570 00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:19,360 against the spiritual weaknesses in high places, he says. 571 00:48:19,360 --> 00:48:22,240 For we struggle, not against flesh or blood. 572 00:48:22,640 --> 00:48:26,560 The word struggle there is an athletic term, has to do with 573 00:48:26,560 --> 00:48:31,280 two men wrestling and they're trying to throw each other to 574 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:35,920 the to the floor and the way they win is by one man throwing 575 00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:39,520 another to the floor and then holding them there by his neck. 576 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:42,640 That's the victor, he said. This is what the enemy is trying 577 00:48:42,640 --> 00:48:46,760 to do for us. You are not struggling against 578 00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:49,960 flesh and blood, but you're struggling against rulers. 579 00:48:51,240 --> 00:48:55,600 This word is used to describe the demons and the angels. 580 00:48:56,640 --> 00:49:05,240 Then he says against powers, power of choice, literally of 581 00:49:05,240 --> 00:49:11,640 doing as one pleases. That's what comes up against us 582 00:49:11,640 --> 00:49:15,440 more than anything else. I really do want to do as I 583 00:49:15,440 --> 00:49:18,880 please, he says. That's what you're struggling 584 00:49:18,880 --> 00:49:22,160 against. That's the thing that is being 585 00:49:22,160 --> 00:49:25,720 brought to you. Then he says you're struggling 586 00:49:25,720 --> 00:49:27,840 against these forces of darkness. 587 00:49:29,440 --> 00:49:34,560 Some would say the rulers of darkness, but it has to do with 588 00:49:35,880 --> 00:49:40,560 the Prince of this age, the devil and his minions. 589 00:49:41,040 --> 00:49:46,840 These are the things that we are struggling against, spiritual 590 00:49:46,840 --> 00:49:54,640 forces of wickedness belonging to the Spirit or man, higher 591 00:49:54,640 --> 00:49:58,840 than mankind but inferior to God. 592 00:49:59,760 --> 00:50:03,280 You are dealing with something that's higher than you but 593 00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:07,120 inferior to God. Therefore you can come to God 594 00:50:08,200 --> 00:50:12,040 and say I'm not going to remain angry about this because I know 595 00:50:12,040 --> 00:50:14,680 I'm not fighting against relations, but I am going to 596 00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:21,760 trust you to deal with this thing for me to help me that I 597 00:50:21,760 --> 00:50:26,040 might move forward and put you on display God. 598 00:50:28,440 --> 00:50:33,080 In verse 13, he says, therefore take the full armor of God. 599 00:50:34,120 --> 00:50:37,560 Notice He told us earlier to put on the full armor of God. 600 00:50:37,560 --> 00:50:43,280 Now he tells us again, therefore take up the full armor of God so 601 00:50:43,280 --> 00:50:47,560 that you will be able to resist it in the evil day. 602 00:50:47,800 --> 00:50:53,960 And having done all to stand, stand firm. 603 00:50:56,480 --> 00:51:06,360 Having done your best to stand, stand firm in their way. 604 00:51:07,640 --> 00:51:12,840 By the way, when he describes the armor, he talks about the 605 00:51:13,480 --> 00:51:16,120 what you put on your feet. The old Roman soldiers used to 606 00:51:16,120 --> 00:51:20,600 wear boots and they would drive nails through the soles of the 607 00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:23,360 boots so they could stand firm in battle. 608 00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:25,440 They wouldn't be slipping and sliding. 609 00:51:25,440 --> 00:51:33,240 That's what he's telling us. Stand firm verse 15, he picks up 610 00:51:33,240 --> 00:51:37,600 on that he says having shod your feet with the preparation of the 611 00:51:37,600 --> 00:51:44,840 gospel of peace, know the Scriptures, know what's there in 612 00:51:44,840 --> 00:51:49,560 addition to all take the shield of faith to which you will be 613 00:51:49,560 --> 00:51:54,280 able to quench the fiery arrows of the evil one. 614 00:51:55,320 --> 00:51:59,400 Now this word for shield there is talking about this shield 615 00:51:59,400 --> 00:52:03,960 that's about two foot and a half across, 4 feet high. 616 00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:09,440 The soldier could actually get down behind it because notice 617 00:52:09,440 --> 00:52:13,880 what he's dodging here. He's dodging fiery arrows. 618 00:52:14,520 --> 00:52:16,200 Can you imagine being shot by an arrow? 619 00:52:17,320 --> 00:52:22,880 Now think of that arrow having tar tar on it and it's a fire 620 00:52:23,040 --> 00:52:25,920 and it comes in. He says this is what the enemy 621 00:52:25,920 --> 00:52:31,240 is shooting at you, so you want to be able to get away from 622 00:52:31,240 --> 00:52:34,400 those things. And then he says, take the 623 00:52:34,400 --> 00:52:38,200 helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is 624 00:52:38,200 --> 00:52:41,320 the word of the Lord. He's not talking about getting 625 00:52:41,320 --> 00:52:43,720 saved, He's already talking to saved people. 626 00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:52,000 But you and I must know salvation, and we can only know 627 00:52:52,000 --> 00:52:58,360 that through the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of the 628 00:52:58,360 --> 00:53:06,080 Lord. Let me encourage you to stop 629 00:53:06,360 --> 00:53:09,200 running and pulling the shades down. 630 00:53:09,360 --> 00:53:14,400 When you see the coach coming to your door, go meet them at the 631 00:53:14,400 --> 00:53:19,720 door with the sword of the Spirit in your hand, so you can 632 00:53:19,720 --> 00:53:27,320 share with them the truth, because that's what God has us 633 00:53:27,520 --> 00:53:33,880 here for. How are you going to submit to 634 00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:37,680 one another? By putting on the full armor of 635 00:53:37,680 --> 00:53:43,800 God that you might do this, that you might say this, that you 636 00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:48,320 might live this out. And then He tells us at the end 637 00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:55,120 of all this, verse 18, with all prayer and petition, pray at all 638 00:53:55,120 --> 00:54:01,080 times in the Spirit. And with this in view, be on the 639 00:54:01,080 --> 00:54:06,720 alert with all perseverance and petition for all the Saints. 640 00:54:08,160 --> 00:54:12,080 Do we pray for one another? That's what He's instructing us 641 00:54:12,080 --> 00:54:14,520 to do here. Pray for all the Saints. 642 00:54:14,560 --> 00:54:22,040 Look at verse 19 and pray on my behalf that utterance may be 643 00:54:22,040 --> 00:54:26,360 given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with 644 00:54:26,360 --> 00:54:33,000 boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an 645 00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:39,000 ambassador in chains. He's not asking that the chains 646 00:54:39,000 --> 00:54:42,120 be taken off. He's acting that his mouth would 647 00:54:42,120 --> 00:54:46,520 be open, that he would speak the Word of God to people with 648 00:54:46,520 --> 00:54:50,600 boldness. Do we do that? 649 00:54:52,480 --> 00:54:57,920 Do we talk to people about God and who it? 650 00:54:58,600 --> 00:55:01,200 It doesn't matter whether they listen or not, whether they pay 651 00:55:01,200 --> 00:55:03,640 attention or not, whether they agree with you or not. 652 00:55:03,880 --> 00:55:06,920 What matters is whether you're sharing or not. 653 00:55:07,960 --> 00:55:11,960 Paul says Pray for me also that I might open my mouth with 654 00:55:11,960 --> 00:55:17,040 boldness to speak the mighty word of God. 655 00:55:18,720 --> 00:55:24,280 I was at Costco yesterday having my glasses renewed or whatever 656 00:55:24,280 --> 00:55:27,400 they do. The guy said, do you bet the 657 00:55:27,400 --> 00:55:29,320 computer a lot? I said, yeah, I am. 658 00:55:29,320 --> 00:55:31,960 He says, I'm doing the study. What are you studying? 659 00:55:31,960 --> 00:55:33,400 I told him studying the Scripture. 660 00:55:34,680 --> 00:55:36,240 He said, yeah. He said that's interested. 661 00:55:36,240 --> 00:55:40,240 He says, I'm, I'm a Catholic and I just believe that, you know, 662 00:55:40,240 --> 00:55:45,120 you do the best you can and God just, you know, counts that and 663 00:55:45,360 --> 00:55:46,720 you know, you're, you're all right. 664 00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:50,680 He said, what do you think about that? 665 00:55:51,480 --> 00:55:55,080 That's what the Bible says, that there's no one who does good, so 666 00:55:55,080 --> 00:55:57,200 doing the best you can isn't going to even show up. 667 00:55:57,200 --> 00:55:59,800 He said, no, I agree 100% with you. 668 00:56:01,080 --> 00:56:03,600 That's not what he had just said a minute ago. 669 00:56:04,440 --> 00:56:07,080 OK, But that's what he was saying now. 670 00:56:07,760 --> 00:56:11,080 And in our conversation, he kept telling me, I agree with that. 671 00:56:12,920 --> 00:56:15,800 He did not agree with it because he told me what he believed 672 00:56:15,800 --> 00:56:19,600 upfront. All we have to do people, is be 673 00:56:19,600 --> 00:56:25,000 faithful in getting the word out and that is the thing that he is 674 00:56:25,000 --> 00:56:31,920 calling us to do. Now, let me just tell you this 675 00:56:31,920 --> 00:56:37,520 in the last few minutes that I have, this isn't written to 676 00:56:37,520 --> 00:56:41,320 everyone. This is written to the believer. 677 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:46,880 You are not a believer because you come to church. 678 00:56:48,560 --> 00:56:51,440 Matter of fact, you're not a believer because you're in this 679 00:56:51,440 --> 00:56:57,360 church. Believer is one who has come to 680 00:56:57,360 --> 00:57:02,960 Christ based on what Christ has done on the cross on our behalf, 681 00:57:04,160 --> 00:57:08,600 and based on that belief we have repented and turned from our 682 00:57:08,600 --> 00:57:14,360 sinful ways and turned to Him. That's what makes the 683 00:57:14,360 --> 00:57:19,720 difference, and that's who He's instructing us to. 684 00:57:20,960 --> 00:57:26,280 And you and I ought to put these things into practice and to live 685 00:57:26,280 --> 00:57:32,240 the life that God has called us to live, that we might put him 686 00:57:32,240 --> 00:57:38,960 on display in all that we do Let's pray. 687 00:57:40,480 --> 00:57:44,280 Father, we thank You for this time that You've given us 688 00:57:44,280 --> 00:57:48,400 tonight. We ask now that You would direct 689 00:57:49,000 --> 00:57:54,920 our hearts to follow Your directions for us in Scripture. 690 00:57:57,640 --> 00:58:03,320 We who know who we are in You, help us to live a life that 691 00:58:03,320 --> 00:58:08,640 would reflect You. If there are anyone here tonight 692 00:58:08,640 --> 00:58:13,200 who do not know you, we pray that they would come to know 693 00:58:13,200 --> 00:58:16,600 You. We pray this in Christ's name, 694 00:58:17,520 --> 00:58:21,520 and for His sake we ask it. Amen.