CREC 13 C3 Churches- Sermon Notes

CREC 13- C3- Churches

Christ and His Church

Ephesians 5:17-6:10

February 11, 2018

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXHORDIUM

         We are winding down our sermons on the CREC. We are on sermon number 13 and we are covering the second C, churches. In this sermon, my focus is on the local church and its building blocks.

         The title is Christ and the Church. This is the fundamental reality for those of us who have been joined to Christ. The collective church is the bride of Christ. Each member is not Christ’s bride but the members together are the bride of Christ.

         This passage from Ephesians is very telling. It tells us what God expects of us as Christians, particularly in relation to Jesus. Then he goes on to show us what being a Christian looks like in the particulars.

         Here’s the thing, a faithful Christian is a submissive Christian. An obedient Christian is a submissive Christian. For those of us schooled in the doctrine of Christ, this comes as no shock. Jesus is Lord and those who serve Him bow the knee to Him and confess this truth. This is submission to Jesus Christ.

         For many, this submission is not a problem, at least not in the abstract. We get that God has sent His Son into the world to save sinners. We get that Jesus is God in the flesh. We get that God has made His Son Lord and master. We know that Jesus has risen from the dead, ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father, ruling over Heaven and Earth. So, He is Lord and is worthy of my worship. The meaning of worship is to bow yourself down before, that is, to submit to Him.

         We are not to bow before any earthly authority in this same fashion. Only God should receive our worship. But God has built a bunch of submission into the world to see if we understand the nature of what He is asking us to do in His Son.

         Furthermore, not only is He giving us the opportunity to understand the nature of submission, He is also giving us the opportunity to actually submit or not.

         The passage in Ephesians works this out for us in real time. He tells us to be godly and then gives us examples of what godliness in the Lord, in the Church, looks like.

         He says you should be submitting yourselves one to another and then explains what he means. Wives to husbands, children to parents, servants to masters.

         And then we let the controversy start or we spend the next three sermons making qualifications. The problem with doing that, however, is that the Scriptures are not making a bunch of qualifications. Paul just tells us to submit to our earthly authorities.

         The only qualification I will add here is a clear biblical one, No Earthly authority is absolute so no earthly submission is absolute. Earthly authorities may not compel us to sin and when they do so, it is our obligation to Jesus to refuse to obey them.

         Now in the list of submission that I read from Ephesians, wives to husbands, children to parents, servants to masters, who got left out? Husbands? How must they submit? And to whom?

Husbands are commanded to be like Jesus. They are to submit to death for the sake of their wives and children. Within the church, they are held accountable to this by their own elders and pastor.

        

Compare early part of chapter 5 talking about fidelity and purity. He builds from this to the glorious truths of 5:22ff about Christ and the Church.

         Eph. 5:1   Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; ² And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

         Eph. 5:3   But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; ⁴ Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. ⁵ For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. ⁶ Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

         Eph 5:3

and all uncleanness- this is meant in the context of fornication. He says that fornication is not appropriate but neither is uncleanness related to pornea. So, not only the specific act of fornication but also uncleanness in body and mind related to pornea. This would include pornographic material.

Men sometimes feel justified in viewing pornography because they have not committed the act of fornication but this scripture condemns both.

Ladies also can be unclean in this area. Many women engage in lewd behavior to attract the lustful eyes of men. This Scripture condemns that sort of uncleanness as well.

or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 

We tend to think of covetous behavior as wanting money or expensive things that we do not or cannot possess. That is true, that is being covetous. But this context surrounds sexual behavior and exhorts Christians to be content with what God has established and given. Do not even want those things that God forbids, neither fornication, adultery, sexually lewd or explicit photos, movies, phone conversations or anything that is sexually lewd. Do not covet those things.

He says that such things are not even to be named among the saints. However, we know that such things are named among the saints. So, we are in need of confession, repentance, cleansing and renewal.

We need to keep in mind the broader context. He will soon be talking about the glorious relationship of Christ and His Church and then relating that to marriage. Christ is faithful to His bride. Thus, the bride should also be faithful to her husband.

It is clear from this that the Apostle is teaching us what the church should look like. It should look like the creation mandate of one man and one woman for life. It should look like faithful children to a thousand generations. That is the standard.

However, we know that we fall short of the standard. Adam and Eve did. And they paid the consequences. We are no different in terms of our humanity. We fall short and pay the consequences. But God has not left us in the estate of sin and misery. He has provided a way of salvation for us through our redeemer Jesus Christ.

So, there is grace and there is a standard.

Christ is the Head of the Church

The Church is the body of Christ

The church submits to Jesus

Jesus leads the church

Paul talks about marriages mimicking this relationship.

This is the truth that saves the world.

While the family is not the church, the husband-wife relationship and the addition of children in that relationship do reveal the truth of Christ and His Church. This is a wonderful way to tell the redeeming story of Jesus Christ.

You can do this well or poorly.

Husbands, how are you doing? Do you look like Jesus?

Wives, how are you doing? Do you look like the church, the bride of Jesus, the very body of Christ?

The principles laid out here are more than simply principles of marriage and family. They are that but they are not just that. They all flow from the principle of Jesus Christ as Lord and the Church as His faithful bride. That is the story that these other relationships reveal. So, we want to tell that story well. We want to live that story well.

Furthermore, this principle of submission to Jesus is the cornerstone of every other institution and the foundation of a civil society. Incidentally, the breakdown of this basic foundation begins to crumble the society. We are seeing that happen in our own culture. Unless and until we restore the fundamental order, husband and wife, we will not see the restoration of our society, as a whole. Pockets of resistance may survive, but the society, itself, will crumble.

Foundations of Society

Self-Government- Is represented in personal relationship with Jesus Christ that manifests itself in self-control.

Marriages- A greater glory than one. It is not good that man should be alone.

Families- be fruitful and multiply and fill all the earth. Children, obey your parents in the Lord.

Churches- Submitting yourselves one to another, all in the proper order. Learning to love, forgive and lay down your lives for one another. This is Life Together, a reflection of the Trinity and of Heaven.

Communities- Churches that work together for the common good of mankind and the communities they live in. This includes the civil magistrate as a deacon of God. Individuals, families and churches submit to God’s authority in communities.

WHY all of this submission? Can’t we just rule? I like submission when the people under me have to submit. I dislike submission when I have to submit to those over me.

Really? Well then, you do not like blessing. You would prefer cursing. And in the end, you will be shown to refuse to submit to Jesus, Himself.

This order of submission is given for blessing.

Recall, the fundamental picture that Paul is revealing to us. It is not wives submitting to husbands. It is the Church submitting to Jesus.

Why should the church submit to Jesus this way? Because He died for her. Jesus died to save her, to save her children, to cleanse her, to wash her so that she appears without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

But Jesus did not simply die for her. That is amazing enough. He also rose again. He did not leave her. He is by her side, all the time, until the end. He has an unending and ever faithful commitment to her.

This is to say that the Church is remarkably blessed when she fully submits to Jesus Christ. It is for blessing.

So, when we submit to earthly authorities it is for our blessing. Wives to husbands, children to parents, slaves to masters, husbands to death and resurrection. And if you refuse to submit to earthly authorities, you reveal that you are not submissive. And to not be submissive is to miss the blessing and be in danger of being cursed.

EXEGESIS

Eph 5:17- 6:10  ¹⁷ Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled   with the Spirit; ¹⁹ Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; ²⁰ Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Earthly wisdom will not submit to God’s authority. Because of this, it will not submit to God’s commands concerning earthly authority. A refusal to submit to earthly authorities reveals the refusal to submit to God’s authority.

Eph. 5:21   Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

The standard here is submission and then he goes on to show us what that submission looks like. How do you submit, not just to God, as some of you want to affirm but to actual earthly authorities.

If you have a problem with submission, you have a problem with God. May as well be honest about it. Let’s run some test cases.

²² Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Okay, wives the straightforward command is clear enough. However, many moderns want to throw this command on its head. But let’s look at his example. It does not make it easier. It makes it clearer. And given your spiritual condition that clearness may be harder or easier.

²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Husband is head of the wife. Control center. Decision making. Leader. How sow. Like Jesus is head of the church. We want to soften headship and Paul wants to harden it. Do you have problem with submission? If so, you might want to reject Paul as an apostle. You might want to reject biblical teaching.

Wives, why is submission problematic? You don’t want to be saved? Of course, your husband in not the ultimate Savior. That office is reserved for Jesus only. But the Bible teaches that your submission to your husband is like the submission of the churth to Jesus which ends up in the salvation of the church. A refusal to be submissive reveals rebellion against Christ Jesus. No way to sugar coat it.

²⁴ Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Are you subject to your husbands?

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. ²⁹ For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: ³⁰ For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. ³¹ For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. ³² This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

³³ Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

The husband is to defer to his wife in many ways. Just as he wants to love and prefer himself, he is to consider his wife his own flesh and blood. Thus, he is no longer a man making decisions by himself or for himself. He gives himself to his wife so he gives himself for his wife.

Eph. 6:1   Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. ² Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) ³ That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

For blessing. Obey that it may be well with thee. Obedience brings blessings. Disobedience brings cursing. Why would you choose the latter?

⁴ And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Dads, be good dads, don’t make it difficult for your children to obey.

⁵ Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; ⁶ Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; ⁷ With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: ⁸ Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Be obedient to your masters, bosses, too! As unto Christ, because He is your true Lord. If you are disobedient to your master, you show disobedience to Jesus.

⁹ And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

         Masters, bosses, by good. Don’t make it hard for your slaves to be obedient. Neither for your workers.

Eph. 6:10   Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

EXHORTATION

1. Learn to submit and trust God for the consequences. That is our most basic calling as a Christian. We submit ourselves to Jesus, by faith, and we trust that God will work this out for us for good. As a consequence of this submission to Jesus, we learn to trust God in every other submission.

         2. Whenever you throw off any authority, you must put on a higher authority. You are never the higher authority.

         Submission to your proper lawful authorities is submission to God. I define proper the way the Bible does. Your own husband. Your own parents. Your own boss. Your own local civic authorities.

God, therefore, receives your submission as submission to Him. On the reverse side of this, if you refuse to submit to the lawful authorities in your life, you are refusing submission to God. God also takes account of this.

         So, we Christians must have learned the inverted authority structure of Jesus Christ. It does not fit the usurped authority structure of the devil or the principalities and powers. However, it does fit the authority structure that God instituted in Adam and Eve and re-created and re-established in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we will not fear but will gladly submit to God in Christ. Amen.