Thank the Lord for that. Would you take your Bibles with me and turn to the book of Ephesians?
Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus. We've been in this for several weeks now, and we are nearing the end of the book.
So we are in chapter 5, the second half of chapter 5, beginning in verse 18, is where we'll start out this morning, Ephesians 5.
We'll read from verse 18 down through the end of the chapter.
As we go through the book of Ephesians, we are reading a letter from Paul written, yes, to the church in Ephesus,
but also written with the intention of circulating that letter all throughout the early churches back then.
So we can rightly take and apply what we learn from the book of Ephesians as though it was written for our benefit as well.
We know that all scripture is given by inspiration of God.
It is profitable for us for instruction, for rebuke, and for leading us into God's righteousness.
So Ephesians divided into two sections, who we are and how we live.
We've come through that first part, and we're now in the second half of how we live.
So much of the study and the preparation that's done for this series comes from these two commentary sets,
the Christ-centered exposition series on Ephesians and Warren Wiersbe's Bible exposition commentary.
Those are great resources for your Bible study as well.
The background of the book was written by the Apostle Paul around the year A.D. 62, and he was in prison at the time.
So how many of y'all ever been on the inside, in jail?
Anybody?
Thank you.
All right, good.
I hope you accomplished, you know, what Paul did when he wrote a book of the Bible when he was in prison.
No, that was amazing that God did that kind of thing for people in such an era when the church was not usually legal.
It was being tried to be suppressed, and oftentimes they would find themselves on the wrong side of the law in those early days of the church.
And yet God would use his effort through them to see the church just flourish and take off.
And it's incredible to see what God used men like Paul to do, men and women, in those early church years.
And Paul was very intimately familiar with this church in Ephesus.
He had helped to start the church, and had spent two to three years as their pastor back.
You can read about that account back in Acts 19.
And so we are in the second half of this book, chapters 4 through 6, very practical.
How do we live knowing our standing and our identity in Christ?
How do we then live for Christ?
So today we're in chapter 5, verse 18.
Let's read it.
Would you stand with me if you're able to?
And let's read together Ephesians 5, verse 18.
I'm reading from the Christian Standard Bible.
Don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit.
Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Singing and making music with your heart to the Lord.
Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
What does that look like?
Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the church.
He is the Savior of the body, Christ.
Now as the church submits to Christ, the wives are also to submit to their husbands in every time.
Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church.
Gave himself for her, blessing her with the washing of water by the word.
He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.
In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one ever hates his own flesh, but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church.
Remember that part about they too shall become one flesh, right?
We understand that's why it's saying if you love your wife, it's like you're loving your own body.
Verse 31.
He will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.
This mystery is profound, but I'm talking about Christ and the church.
A little clue there for us.
Verse 33.
To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.
Let's pray together.
God, I pray that you would give us understanding as we read through this passage, Lord.
There are instructions all throughout this second half of the book of Ephesians.
We understand you laid the groundwork in the first half of reminding us how great you are, how good you are,
and how we truly have it made as your children.
God, you have lifted us up from miry clay and set our feet upon a rock.
We just thank you for all that you've done for us in Christ Jesus.
Help us then to understand how we then can live a life that reflects you.
Speak to us from your word this morning.
It's in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
You may be seated.
Thanks for joining us in standing today.
So the theme for our talk today is about, let me get back to it, the evidence of a spirit-controlled life.
Okay?
The evidence of a spirit-controlled life.
Now, let me just point this out in case, you know, you're going to get distracted by this.
That's on me.
You see, that will control, and then the D is down on the next line.
That was me.
Okay?
Somehow, on my computer screen, it looks perfect, and then when it gets up here, it doesn't.
So that was me.
I should have tested it and made sure it looked good on there, but apparently I needed to space that out a little better.
That was for all the, what do you call those people who get, you know, OCD?
There you go.
Thank you.
Y'all, the ones who answered that.
You're the ones.
That's what we're talking about as a test.
All right.
Now that we got that part out of the way, the evidence of a spirit-controlled life.
What are those?
Well, obviously, if you are a child of God, then you have the desire in you to live by the spirit.
Problem is, you also have some other desires in you.
To live by what we call the flesh.
Your own desires.
Your own thoughts.
Your own wisdom.
Right?
So it's important then to always have the spirit win that struggle between the spirit and the flesh.
Does the spirit always win that struggle?
No.
Of course not.
Oftentimes, we allow the flesh to win that struggle between what we want and what God wants.
So what are the evidences of allowing the spirit to win?
What are the evidence of a spirit of God-controlled life?
Number one.
We read about it right here in Ephesians 5.
Number one, submitting to the Holy Spirit.
Let's look back at verse 18.
Submitting to the Holy Spirit.
Instead of submitting to something else.
And it gives some examples here.
One, don't get drunk with wine.
Well, it actually kind of started this theme in the verses leading up to this.
Back up to verse 15.
Pay careful attention to how you walk.
Not as unwise people, but as wise.
So it's setting the theme for what the following verses are going to talk about.
So we're talking about wisdom.
Wise living.
Verse 16.
Making the most of the time.
Because the days are evil.
Maximizing your time.
We talked about that a little bit two weeks ago.
So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
Don't be foolish.
Anybody ever told you that in your life?
Don't be foolish?
I've had it told to me a few times.
As surprising as that is.
Don't be foolish.
Don't act like a fool.
Fool.
The Bible says somewhere, somewhere in that good book it says,
The fool has said in his heart that there is no God.
So actually, when you live foolishly, you live almost as though God does not exist.
It's almost like we know that he does exist, but the way we're living is as though he doesn't.
So that's what we would call foolishness.
Living like a fool.
So don't be foolish.
Understand what God's will is.
Verse 18.
Don't get drunk with wine.
You see, it's a continuation of this theme.
Be careful how you live.
Use wisdom.
Don't be foolish.
Understand what God's will is for us.
Then it follows up with this command, a specific command, don't get drunk with wine,
which leads to recklessness, reckless living, foolishness.
Instead, be filled by the Spirit.
I truly believe that wine is a common problem throughout mankind's history.
It was certainly a common problem back then.
Ephesus was a big city.
It was a major center of politics, of religion, apart from God, man-made religion.
Wine was commonplace.
Drunkenness was commonplace.
Terrible, terrible things would be done in the name of God at the temple, etc.
And wine and alcohol would play a strong role in all of that.
It would definitely lead to reckless living.
Well, still today, drunkenness often leads to reckless living, does it not?
And so, I believe this is a placeholder.
This is representative of the idea of avoiding foolish, reckless living.
So, don't get drunk with wine, yes.
But I think we would be correct in saying,
don't get drunk on anything that keeps you from being filled with God's Spirit.
Whether it's wine, or whether it's any kind of alcohol,
or whether it's something entirely different, not necessarily a substance,
but something, whether it's our own ego, whether it's the pursuit of money,
whatever it is that would keep you from being filled with God's Spirit
because you're filled with something else,
that, I believe, is what the warning in the greater context of these verses is saying to us.
So, don't get drunk with wine.
It leads to reckless living.
Be filled with the Spirit.
So, we've got a contrast here now.
We've got this submitting to ourselves,
and then we've got this submitting to the Holy Spirit.
And they produce completely different things.
So, now Paul's going to give us some examples
of what submitting to the Holy Spirit produces.
Look at verse 19.
It's really interesting.
The first one he gives us.
Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Singing and making music with your heart to the Lord.
Why do we sing in church?
Because it's evidence of the Holy Spirit working in us.
Why do we listen to Christian music and sing along sometimes?
Why does this whole genre exist of Christian songs and music
and music artists and songwriters and all this?
Why is this a thing?
Because, one, there's an entire book of the Bible called the Psalms
that's dedicated to musical poems and songs written to God and about God.
And also, all throughout the Bible, and right here in Ephesians 5,
it says singing music is one of the best ways
that we can, one, worship God,
but also it's evidence of God working inside of us.
That doesn't mean that just because you sing a Christian song
that you're filled with the Spirit.
That certainly doesn't mean that.
But it means that if you are filled with the Spirit,
one of the chief ways that will express itself
is through singing to God.
Doesn't mean you've got to be up here in the next trio, okay?
God didn't gift us all with the beautiful voices
that we heard this morning.
But that's okay.
Doesn't mean that you have to join the choir,
although there's seats available, okay?
Y'all jump up here.
Let's fill this thing up.
But singing in the privacy of your shower, okay?
It's all right.
Singing in the shower is a good thing.
Singing in the car by yourself.
God loves to hear us sing,
and He doesn't judge whether we're fit for American Idol or not.
It's one of the chief evidences of a Spirit-filled life.
Singing and making music with your heart to the Lord.
And then secondly, giving thanks always for everything to God.
Giving thanks is, man, hard to think of
or come up with another evidence of the Spirit
that is more opposite of what you and I do.
We do not naturally want to give thanks to God.
Naturally, our flesh, when we submit to our flesh,
we just want to get, get, get for ourselves.
We're not thinking about then showing gratitude to others
and definitely not to God.
But giving thanks is a key evidence
of submitting to the Holy Spirit of God.
Giving thanks always for everything, verse 20 says,
to God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We do it in the name of Jesus
because He is our go-between.
He's our intermediary between us and God.
He's the way by which we can approach God.
Otherwise, you and I would have no access to God.
If it wasn't for Jesus and His sacrifice,
remember what Sarah talked about with the kids down here?
His sacrifice for us,
that is what allows us then to have access to God.
So, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we get to approach God
and pour out our thankfulness to Him.
Pour out our praise to Him.
Say, God, I will submit to You
because I am thankful, I am grateful
for Your sacrifice,
the love You have continually showed me.
Even before I knew You,
You died for me.
You rose for me.
You are alive today for me.
And You extend the invitation to me always.
Your arms are open wide.
And that just makes me thankful to You.
So, I want to give thanks.
Every day, I want to give thanks to You, God.
That is something that should be
continually on our lips,
continually in our minds.
Parents, letting your kids hear you,
thank God.
Older brothers and sisters,
letting your younger ones hear you,
thank God.
Continually.
Every day, not missing an opportunity,
whether it's in the morning,
in your own quiet time with God,
or whether it's in the evening.
If you gather your family together
and pray together
and maybe read a verse of Scripture
or sing a song together
before you go to bed,
have that family altar
or family devotional type time together,
that is a wonderful time
to thank God.
together as a family,
but then individually,
privately,
by ourselves.
Singing together,
speaking to one another,
making music in our heart to God,
and giving thanks always to God
for everything.
The good, the bad,
and everything in between.
God, I know it's all part of your plan.
There are people in our church right now,
there are people in our service right now
who are hurting deeply
because of circumstances
going on in their lives.
But in the middle of it,
and I've already heard them this morning
say thank you to God for it.
Thank you to God
that we know that you're in control of it all.
We don't have to try to figure this out on our own.
We don't have to try to make sense
of this mess on our own.
We know it's in your hand.
So God, I thank you for that.
And then don't miss this last part.
Before we dive into the next section,
let's look at a couple other scriptures.
James 4, 7.
Submit to God.
Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
What does it mean, submit?
Anybody want to take a stab at it?
Submit.
Give us a quick definition.
Don't be scared.
It's okay.
Absolute obedience.
It's good.
Submit to God.
Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
So I feel like there's another picture
of this struggle here, right?
It's the devil,
we have to resist,
and God,
we open up and say,
God,
have your way.
Have your way in me.
How many of you remember that old song,
have thine own way, Lord,
have thine own way?
Yeah.
That's that attitude of submission.
God,
whatever you want to do with me
in my life,
I have this other attraction,
I have this other magnetism
pulling at me.
It's the world,
the flesh,
the devil,
it's everything that is against
what you tell me,
and I'm going to resist that
and instead,
I'm going to open up
to you, God.
I'm going to submit
to you.
So that's James 4, 7.
Look over here
in Matthew 11.
Come to me.
Jesus extends the invitation.
Come to me.
What does submitting look like?
What does submitting look like
to a bad master?
Well, that's scary, right?
Submitting to a bad master?
Hey, let's go back
to our country's history of slavery.
We get a real picture
of what the wrong kind of submission
looks like
when you're forcing people
to submit
to evil, selfish, tyrannical men.
So what does submission to God,
by contrast,
look like?
Matthew 11 shows us.
Come to me,
all of you who are weary
and burdened.
I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you.
Boy, slavery was common
back then too.
Slavery has been a problem
throughout the history
of mankind.
If you go back
and study ancient history
all the way up
to modern day,
and we still have slavery,
usually in the form
of human trafficking,
alive and well
in the world today.
And so I'm thinking
of this book I read
about a man
who was born into slavery
he raised up,
he eventually escaped
and with a group of people
found some help
and got away
from this plantation
that they served
as slaves on
and then he got on a ship
that took him up
to the northeast
and was in Boston
and then God saved him.
God saved him dramatically
and changed his life
and changed his heart
and he became a preacher
that was then instrumental
in liberating
and starting churches
for former slaves.
It's an incredible story.
But I'm thinking
of what that yoke
meant for them.
For those slaves
thinking about
the hard physical labor
that they were forced
to do every day
by their wicked master.
So when Jesus references
the yoke
that would mean
something totally different
for a slave.
For us
dare say most
if not all of us
have never experienced
something like that.
But we can understand
through the eyes of others
how impactful that is
when Jesus says
take my burden on you
take my yoke on you
take my manual
physical labor on you
and learn from me.
Why?
Because I am humble.
I am lowly.
A couple months ago
we talked about
how Jesus is gentle
and lowly.
He doesn't lord it over us.
He doesn't sit up there
and wield his absolute authority
and power over us
and how much greater
he is than us.
Instead he humbles himself
and takes on the form
of a servant
Philippians tells us.
He said I am
holy
we're going to get that right.
I am lowly
and humble
in heart
and you will find rest
for your souls.
Boy that's not common
in slavery is it?
Rest.
The master providing rest
not just for your bodies
but for your souls.
For my yoke
that yoke I told you
to take upon you
it's easy
and this
any burden
that I place on you
is light
compared to what
you would be carrying
without me.
So that's why Jesus
extends this invitation
to all of us.
He says come
to me.
That's what submitting
to God
looks like.
So
we read about it
just a moment ago.
Practically
are we singing
to God?
Again
doesn't mean
you have to join the choir
doesn't mean
you have to do a special
in church
but are we finding
opportunities to sing
to God?
All throughout the Bible
there are evidences
of singing
and there are even
commands
to sing
and make music
to our God.
He'll appreciate it.
Whatever voice
or whatever skill
level he gave you
he will love
to hear you sing
to him.
Secondly
are we showing
gratitude to God?
Are we being grateful
for what God
has done
in the past
what he continues
to do today
and what we believe
by faith
he will do
in the future?
Are we showing
gratitude to God?
Look at this
look at this quote.
If you look at the world
you'll be distressed.
If you look within you
you'll be depressed.
If you look at God
you'll be at rest.
Why?
Because he said
come to me
my yoke is easy
my burden is light
I'll give you rest
for your souls.
How many of you
experienced rest
in Jesus
at some point
in your life?
Would you testify
by uplifted hand?
That's me.
I've rested
in Jesus.
There's nothing like it
is there?
There's nothing
like it.
I wish I could
live in that
every day
and you know what
we can.
We can.
But that takes
submitting to God's
Holy Spirit.
The woman who said
that quote
Corrie ten Boom
she was a prisoner
of war.
she was caught
up in the
German
enslavement
of Jews
back in the
Holocaust.
And a woman
who went through
the horrible
things that she
went through
in her life
was able to
say
yeah if you
look at the
world around
you
it's distress.
If you look
even within
yourself
you'll be
depressed
at your own
shortcomings
lack of faith.
but if you
look at God
that's where
you'll find
rest.
That's where
you'll find
rest.
I can testify
to that.
I know
I feel it
in my soul
I feel the
unrest
when I take
my eyes
off Jesus.
This last
week I had
a couple
days
where I
wasn't
resting
in Jesus.
And I
had to
get my
attention
some others
kind of
helped me
get my
attention
say hey
I can tell
you're
stressed
you're not
resting
in God.
I was
on the
phone
dealing
with some
health
insurance
stuff.
And
some of
y'all know
Bo had
a dental
injury
back last
month and
we're still
trying to
figure that
out.
He may
have to
see an
orthodontist
or something
like that.
But I'm
on the
phone.
How many
of y'all
love dealing
with medical
insurance stuff
on the
phone?
I don't
know why
there's not
hands raised
everywhere.
I am so
glad that I
had to deal
with that
that day
because I'm
talking to
this lady
and she
tells me
what I
need to
know and
it was
fine.
She was
dealing with
me just
fine.
But then
she said
by chance
you don't
know who
Samuel was
in the
Bible do
you?
Well yeah
I'm a
pastor actually
I should
know that.
She said
really you're
a pastor
no way.
And she
proceeded
for the
next 10
minutes to
preach to
me about
resting in
God.
And I
literally
like tears
started coming
to my eyes.
I got off
the phone
and I
literally
just said
in my
office
the door
was shut
and I
said
okay God
I get it
like everybody
is coming
to me
the stinking
insurance lady
on the phone
is coming
to me
saying
you need
to breathe
you need
to rest
and you
need to get
your faith
back in
Jesus.
That was
just so
impactful
and it
was such
a real
life way
of reminding
submitting
to God
is the
best way
it really
is.
Because y'all
you and I
can't handle
it.
We can't
handle
it.
That's
why we
show so
much gratitude
to him.
That's
why we're
so grateful
and thankful
to him.
Singing
to God
gratitude
to God
and then
lastly
submission
to each
other.
That's
a big
evidence
of submitting
to the
Holy Spirit
of God
is submitting
to each
other.
We got
about 10
minutes left
that I'm
going to
explain this
part of it
and then
we'll be
done.
Number
two
submitting
to each
other.
Now
this word
in this
passage
is one
of the
most
controversial
in the
Bible.
Maybe
that's
been
something
that you've
struggled
with.
Oftentimes
as a
woman
you'll
read this
passage
and you'll
struggle
with this
word
submit.
Now
I'm a
man
and I
can't
sit up
here and
tell you
what that
looks like
exactly
for you
in the
context
of your
household.
But I
can preach
to you
what the
word of
God
says.
So
look back
at verse
21.
Submitting
to one
another
in the
fear
of Christ.
What
does that
look like?
Well it
explains.
In the
following
verses
22
down
through
honestly
into
chapter
6
all the
way
down
through
verse
9
in
chapter
6
we have
different
areas
of
examples
real
life
real
world
examples
of
how
we
should
submit
to
one
another
in
the
fear
of
Christ.
Not
in
the
fear
of
man
not
in
the
fear
of
an
evil
master
but
in
the
fear
of
God
we're
going
to
treat
each
other
with
this
attitude
of
submission
because
we
fear
God
we
respect
God
out
of
love
and
reverence
for
God
we're
going
to
enter
into
this
attitude
of
submission
what
does
it
mean
well
I did
a word
study
on it
okay
and
over the
last
two
weeks
or so
how many
of y'all
remember
last week
I wasn't
preaching
this guy
named
Andrew
Bunnell
was
preaching
total
loser
just
just kidding
he's
my
older
brother
he did
an
amazing
job
did
y'all
enjoy
my
brother
last
week
I
did
too
of course
I'm
biased
but
I
really
enjoyed
him
and
I
pray
someday
he gets
to come
back
and
visit
with
us
again
but
I
was
off
last
week
so
I
had
about
the
last
two
weeks
to
prepare
for
this
sermon
and
I'm
really
glad
I
did
because
it
took
quite a
bit
of
research
and
study
to
make
sure
that
what
I'm
preaching
to
you
today
is
what
I
believe
the
Bible
is
truly
saying
so
this
word
submit
is
the
word
hupotasso
the
Greek
word
it's
a
military
term
however
in
the
non
military
usage
which
is
obviously
what
this
is
wives
submit
to
your
husbands
that's
not
a
military
relationship
sorry
guys
you're
not
the
general
okay
you're
not
her
commanding
officer
so to
speak
and
you're
definitely
not
the
king
and
if
you
think
you
are
then
she'll
very
quickly
let
you
know
you're
not
however
so
this
is
a
non
military
usage
and
in
a
non
military
usage
it
is
a
voluntary
attitude
of
giving
in
cooperating
assuming
responsibility
and
carrying
a
burden
it's
a
little
bit
different
than
maybe
we
would
first
think
when
we
read
the
word
submit
it's
a
voluntary
attitude
and
truth be
told
y'all
we
should
all
be
treating
each
other
like
this
we
should
be
cooperating
choosing
to
give
in
instead
of
bowing
up
and
fighting
against
one
another
we
should
assume
responsibility
and
we
should
carry
or
bear
one
another's
burdens
just
like
we're
commanded
to
in
the
word
of
God
so
you
got
that
hupotasso
we're
going to
take
this
just a
tiny
bit
deeper
okay
I'm
going to
be
watching
your
eyes
and
hopefully
I
don't
lose
two
thirds
of
you
in
the
next
slide
here
we
go
ready
we're
going to
be
looking
at
voice
how many
of you
guys
remember
active
voice
passive
voice
anybody
like
active
voice
they're
doing
the
action
passive
voice
it's
happening
to
you
in
Greek
there's
a
third
there's
a
middle
voice
that's
what
this
is
it's
the
word
hupotasso
my
which is
actually
how
this
word
is
used
in
this
context
active
voice
means
hupotasso
put under
someone else's
power
passive
voice
hupotasso
you're
accepting
someone else's
power
over
you
the
middle
voice
hupotasso
my
means
voluntary
supporting
someone else
voluntarily
supporting
someone else
so it's a little
different isn't
it
if it was an
active voice
it would
carry a
different
meaning
if it was
in passive
voice
it would
carry a
different
meaning
but it's
in middle
voice
which means
it's
voluntarily
supporting
someone else
so when
it commands
us
to submit
to one
another
it's
saying
voluntarily
support
one
another
wives
voluntarily
support
your
husbands
as you
would
the
Lord
because
the
husband
is
the
head
of
the
wife
God
instituted
the
husband
as
the
leader
of
the
home
doesn't
mean
he's
the
smartest
doesn't
mean
he's
always
the
most
fit
for
leadership
but
that
is
the
order
that
God
instituted
God
instituted
us
with
different
but
equally
valuable
giftings
men
and
women
men
and
women
compliment
each
other
doesn't
mean
one
is
greater
than
the
other
or
one
is
more
important
or
one
is
more
deserving
but
it
means
that
we
are
there
to
support
and
compliment
and
offset
each
other
and
make
a
beautiful
well
rounded
home
so
when
we're
commanded
to
submit
to
one
another
it's
voluntarily
supporting
watch this
quote real
quick
I'll try
to get
through it
so we
don't spend
too much
time here
submission
to Christ
requires
believers
to submit
to one
another
we just
read that
verse
Ephesians
5
21
according
to this
verse
where there
is no
mutual
submission
reverence
for Christ
is wanting
or lacking
or missing
so if
we're
not
mutually
submitting
to one
another
then we're
not looking
at Jesus
as we
should
because
the
newness
of the
gospel
at this
time
and still
today
in our
lives
because
the
newness
of the
gospel
the good
news
of Jesus
calls
for new
relationships
a paradigm
shift
has occurred
that now
requires
Christians
including
husbands
and wives
but not
exclusively
husbands
and wives
and we
see that
as it
continues
down
through
chapter 6
and we
see it
in other
passages
as well
to be
in mutual
subjection
to each
other
since the
practical
expression
of subjection
is servanthood
this means
that both
husbands
and wives
are servants
to each
other
in different
ways
yeah
is that
going to
look
exactly
the same
no
are you
going to
expect
the
wife
to do
all the
things
a husband
would
more
naturally
do
because
of his
abilities
and
giftings
no
are you
going to
expect
the
husband
to do
all the
things
all the
time
that the
wife
would more
naturally
be better
at
no
if my
wife
expected
me to
cook
all the
dinners
in our
family
then
we would
go
hungry
I'm
just
not
good
at
that
like
she
is
but
we
are
there
to
serve
each
other
in
different
ways
perhaps
in order
to
overcome
the
ruler
legacy
that
men
have
inherited
from
the
fall
remember
the
fall
of man
when
Adam
and Eve
sinned
and then
sin
passed
upon
all
men
they
took
something
that
God
instituted
and
distorted
it
God
instituted
this
order
in the
home
that
he
looks
at
the
man
as
the
leader
in
the
home
and
he
looks
at
the
wife
as
equally
valuable
equally
important
a
complimentary
piece
and
then
men
took
this
and
instituted
this
ruler
legacy
and
that
is
the
world
that
the
Bible
was
written
in
there
was
this
ruler
legacy
you
know
what's
really
interesting
you look
at so
many
religions
across
history
and you
look at
so many
cultures
across
history
and they've
almost
always
demeaned
and devalued
women
Jesus
didn't do
that
Jesus
did the
opposite
so
this
ruler
legacy
that men
have inherited
since the
fall of
man
it's
specified
probably
because of
that
that Christian
men
must
also
love
their
wives
to the
point
of
Christ
like
self
sacrifice
just like
Miss Sarah
talked about
sacrifice
a little bit
ago
I mean
to the
point
of
dying
for
them
laying
down
their
lives
women
are not
property
men
do not
own
them
Jesus
said
love
your
wife
like
I
love
the
church
if
anything
there
is a
greater
responsibility
on the
man
toward
his
wife
to be
like
Jesus
loved
the
church
did
Jesus
hold
anything
back
from
us
does
he
absolutely
live
and plan
and move
and work
for our
good
all the
time
absolutely
he does
God
values
us
above
everybody
else
I've
said it
before
you're
the
background
on his
phone
screen
God
loves
you
he's
crazy
about
you
he
could
not
love
you
more
could
not
love
us
more
so
that
is
how
Christ
loves
the
church
and
that's
how
men
we're
supposed
to
love
our
wives
now
Luke
22
a
dispute
arose
among
them
as to
which
of
them
was
considered
to be
the
greatest
who
is
them
the
disciples
that's
right
Jesus
disciples
his
closest
followers
his
closest
friends
they're
trying to
figure out
who's
going to
be
greatest
and
Jesus
says
the
kings
of
the
gentiles
lord it
over
them
those
who
exercise
authority
over
them
call
themselves
benefactors
or
you know
friends
of the
poor
but
you're
not to
be
like
that
instead
the
greatest
among
you
should
be
like
the
youngest
the
one
who
rules
like
the
one
who
serves
for
who
is
greater
the
one
who's
at
the
table
or
the
one
who
serves
is it
not
the
one
who's
at
the
table
of
course
but
I
am
among
you
as
one
who
serves
man
Jesus
flipped
this
whole
narrative
on
its
head
he
flipped
this
whole
thing
on
his
head
he's
saying
boys
the
discussion
is not
over
who's
in
charge
the
discussion
is not
over
who's
greater
the
discussion
is not
over
who gets
to be
the
boss
the
discussion
is over
who
can
serve
the
most
that's
what
Jesus
was
trying
to
institute
again
this
quote
flips
it
on
its
head
patriarchy
is
not
the
bible's
message
what
are
we
talking
about
we
say
patriarchy
how many
of you
guys
have
heard
that
word
out
there
in
the
world
patriarchy
god
instituted
something
there
are
the
patriarchs
of
the
bible
anybody
know
abraham
isaac
jacob
they're
called
the
patriarchs
of
israel
so
we're
talking
about
something
different
than
that
this
man-made
patriarchy
is this
ruler
legacy
that we
talked
about
a moment
ago
it's
this
distortion
of
the
man-made
order
that
god
i'm
sorry
the
god
ordained
order
that god
instituted
in the
home
etc
and
then
men
turned it
into
this
domination
idea
that men
are
superior
to
women
and
this
became
called
the
patriarchy
the
patriarchy
is not
the
message
of
the
bible
but
it
is
the
cultural
backdrop
of
the
bible
it
was
happening
in
the
world
that
jesus
walked
and
it's
still
happening
throughout
much
of
the
world
today
and
christians
should
stand
against
it
because
the
gospel
message
of
jesus
stands
out
from
that
in
sharpest
relief
in other
words
it
is
very
obviously
different
what
jesus
preaches
for the
home
for how
we're
supposed
to
submit
to
each
other
very
different
than
what
man
preaches
through
this
idea
of
what
we
call
modern
day
patriarchy
it's
not
servant
oriented
it's
not
mutually
submitting
to
one
another
first
peter
five
here's
another
example
of
mutual
submission
all
of
you
should
be
submissive
to
one
another
here's
another
example
of
submission
right
younger
people
submit
yourselves
to
elders
in
ephesians
six
we see
children
submitting
to
your
parents
slaves
submitting
to
your
masters
there's
all
these
real
world
real
life
examples
of
submission
but the
whole
command
that
started
all
this
was
back
in
verse
21
we
are
supposed
to
submit
to
one
another
in
the
fear
of
Christ
and
it's
repeated
again
in
first
peter
five
all
of
you
are
to
be
submissive
to
one
another
in
case
the
masters
think
that
they
rule
the
day
in
case
the
parents
think
that
they
rule
the
day
over
their
children
and
can
treat
them
however
they
want
in
case
husbands
think
that
they
rule
the
day
over
their
wives
instead
all
of
you
must
be
submissive
to
one
another
and
be
clothed
with
humility
because
God
resists
the
proud
this
man-made
patriarchy
emphasizes
pride
it
builds
the
ego
it
puffs
us
up
I'm
in
charge
you
obey
me
but
God
resists
that
he
said
I
resist
the
proud
but
I
give
grace
to
the
humble
man
we
need
grace
we
need
God
to
extend
grace
to
us
it's
crucial
we
must
have
it
so
less
hierarchy
more
humility
less
hierarchy
more
humility
more
humility
who's in charge
doesn't
matter
that's
what the
disciples
were trying
to figure
out
who's
the
greatest
he said
no
it's
not
about
that
it's
about
being
humble
less
who's
in
charge
sorry
for
that
up
top
who's
in
charge
and
more
how
can
I
serve
y'all
that is
a real
world
example
that needs
to
characterize
our
church
and
our
homes
less
who's
in
charge
and
more
how
can
I
serve
you
it's
less
why
didn't
you
listen
to
me
why
wouldn't
you
do
what
I
said
and
more
how
can
I
serve
you
that's
who
Jesus
was
who
Jesus
wants
us
to
be
therefore
humble
yourselves
under
the mighty
hand
of God
and he
will
exalt
you
in due
time
and you
can
cast
all
your
care
all
your
anxiety
all
your
fear
all
your
worry
all
your
suspicion
on
him
because
he
cares
for you
then you'll
find rest
in God
right
that's why we
submit
we submit
to God
and we
submit
to each
other
and we're
done with
this
release the
pressure
of the pecking
order
embrace the
freedom
of mutual
submission
let's read it
again
release the
pressure
of the pecking
order
embrace the
freedom
of mutually
submitting
prioritizing
serving
loving
one another
we've been
saying this
verse week
after week
let God
transform you
into a new
person by
changing
the way
you think
then you'll
know God's
will
so here's
our point
to ponder
for today
how does
God want
me to
change the
way I
think
so I
can see
my
relationships
as Jesus
would see
them
I can
see my
wife
as Jesus
would see
her
I can
see my
husband
as Jesus
would see
her
and then
we can
mutually
serve
and submit
to one
another
wives
you can
submit
to your
husband
because
you're
submitting
to God
men
you can
love
your
wives
as
Christ
loved
the
church
because
you're
submitting
to God
and you're
submitting
to each
other
that's
our
command
from the
scripture
that's
our
command
here
in
Ephesians
5
so we
submit
to God's
spirit
in us
when we
voluntarily
not by
force
but
voluntarily
submit
to each
other
would you
pray
with me
God
I pray
that we
would
submit
to you
I pray
that we
would
submit
to each
other
sometimes
it's
easier
to submit
to you
than it
is to
each
other
but
truthfully
we're
not
submitting
to you
unless
we're
submitting
to each
other
you
commanded
us
all
throughout
the
scripture
to
submit
to
one
another
and
God
I
pray
that
you
would
help
us
to do
that
empower
us
forgive
us
when we
don't
treat
each
other
as
we
should
forgive
us
when we
hold
back
forgiveness
when we
hold
back
patience
when we
hold
back
love
when we
hold
back
preferring
each
other
and
we're
in it
for
ourselves
I
pray
that
by
your
spirit
in
us
you
would
change
the
way
we
think
and
we
could
find
the
rest
of
submitting
to
you
which
then
in
turn
causes
us
to
submit
prefer
each
other
prioritize
each
other
serve
each
other
however
that
looks
in
our
lives
God
I
pray
that
you'd
show
it
to
us
right
now
in
this
moment
of
prayer
before
we
dismiss
I
pray
that
you'd
show
us
how
we
can
submit
to
you
and
to
one
another
it's
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
amen