WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:13.160 I would like you to turn in your Bibles this morning to Ephesians chapter 6. 00:00:13.160 --> 00:00:21.920 ! Before we take the text in hand, I do want to make one brief announcement. On Saturday, 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:29.760 ! I know that Jared and Emily Piles and Caleb Gibbs, who is their deacon, would 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:37.600 greatly appreciate if there were adequate individuals to help with the move. I must 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:45.900 confess that I had volunteered to help with that, and then my dear companion in the gospel 00:00:45.900 --> 00:00:55.740 reminded me that I'd already scheduled something else, and so I need many able-bodied men to 00:00:55.740 --> 00:00:59.500 help with that. And all God's people said, Amen. 00:00:59.500 --> 00:00:59.700 Amen. 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:17.159 Well, I'm going to have to have your help in prayer. 00:01:17.159 --> 00:01:26.519 However, my father is not doing well, and it goes without saying that my dad's been my 00:01:26.519 --> 00:01:36.060 hero ever since I've known him. Very truthfully, I've watched my dad grow in grace. He retired 00:01:36.060 --> 00:01:47.060 at 80 from being active in medicine. And he only retired because other people suggested 00:01:47.060 --> 00:01:55.780 it was appropriate. We had to beg him to move down here because he didn't want to be a burden 00:01:55.780 --> 00:02:01.159 to us as a family. And that took me about three years of telling him that, Daddy, I need you 00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:10.400 to do this for me, not for you. He came down here to help us. And when he came down here, 00:02:10.460 --> 00:02:15.419 he moved into this congregation, and within a couple weeks, my mother knew all of your names. 00:02:16.740 --> 00:02:21.000 She has a far better memory than probably two of the rest of us put together, me included. 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:31.419 And by the way, when she went home on Sundays, she would take the pictorial directory, and she would 00:02:31.419 --> 00:02:37.420 kind of review, and she'd quiz herself just to be sure she had names and faces and had those details. 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:46.379 And I only say that because I do want you to understand that my heart has mixed emotions, 00:02:46.379 --> 00:02:53.259 feelings, okay? Frankly, I don't know how Kathy read the last chapter to her father's book. 00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:58.740 Where is she? Oh, there you are. Where you normally sit even, you know? It's like, okay. 00:03:00.099 --> 00:03:06.919 There will be no reading by me, you know, if that time comes. I may have to preach. 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:24.799 Preaching is truthfully an exercise that takes a man relying upon the Spirit to look at the 00:03:24.799 --> 00:03:32.599 Word that is settled in the heavens. And you know, as I have said over and over again, that 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:44.579 when I sit there before I come here, there is not a week that goes by that I am not moderately 00:03:44.579 --> 00:03:50.120 afflicted, but that's just the way I've been hardwired, so it's not like, ah. And there are 00:03:50.120 --> 00:03:56.959 three things that console the frailty of my heart. Number one, I believe in the power of the Word of 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:01.960 God. I believe in the Spirit of God, and I believe in the power of the Spirit of God. 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:10.000 And I believe in the power of the prayers of God's people. So let's pray and hear God speak. 00:04:15.939 --> 00:04:26.319 Every word of Scripture is settled in the heavens. Valuable, profitable for the believer. 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:35.759 Father, that we may be completely furnished for all the things that we need in life. 00:04:37.979 --> 00:04:45.699 And I am thankful this morning that we can take this book, which you in your infinite wisdom 00:04:45.699 --> 00:04:54.639 have given to us, and we who know Christ may call upon the Spirit of God to understand it, 00:04:54.639 --> 00:05:01.199 and then to be formed and shaped by it, that we grow to be more like the Lord Jesus. 00:05:03.099 --> 00:05:11.759 Why? So that He who receives the praises of angels may be worshipped and adored, 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:22.879 Lord, first in our hearts, but also in the context in which You have set us, at home, at work, 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:35.240 at school. In every place that we who are Your living representatives go, that people seeing our lives 00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:43.319 and our conduct would have to admit that there's something about us. And we, not taking credit for 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:49.360 what we don't deserve, would say, and it's the Spirit of God, and it's the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:59.560 who has saved us, that makes us different. And we ask Your power as we proclaim Your Word. Amen. 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:08.199 Amen. Last week, as I was waiting in the hospital, in this case, I wasn't at OSU with my dad and family, 00:06:08.300 --> 00:06:12.360 but I was in another hospital waiting for an individual who was going into our fellowship, 00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:16.920 having a surgery, and I happened to pick up the newspaper. You know, it's about you're waiting, 00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:23.000 waiting, waiting for the pre-surgical team to come out and say you can go and visit and have prayer, 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:31.000 etc. And I happened to grab the editorial page, and I started reading. And I was kind of caught by the 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:38.480 headline or the opening line, and really, it drew me into paying attention to the article. And the flow 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:44.920 of the article was this. Essentially, it was saying that while it is very common to hear the recitation 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:54.140 of the commonly believed idea that there is substantially no difference in the behavior 00:06:54.140 --> 00:07:00.259 of professing believers and unbelievers when it comes to the areas like divorce or drunkenness or 00:07:00.259 --> 00:07:07.780 unwed pregnancies or immorality, those kind of things, that's a very common theme. You hear it said, 00:07:07.780 --> 00:07:13.000 well, there's no real difference. This article, not written, and by the way, it was in the Columbus 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:19.379 Dispatch so you can know for certain that it didn't come from some right-wing or some kind of 00:07:19.379 --> 00:07:25.779 evangelical article. There it was. It was saying, actually, there is a substantial difference between 00:07:25.779 --> 00:07:34.420 those who go to church at least three times a week or three times a month, I should say, and those who 00:07:34.420 --> 00:07:41.720 don't. And the article was going on to explain that while there are most of us, everybody you bump into 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:46.840 at one fact on one side or another, it says, well, I'm religious. But it comes down to what do you mean 00:07:46.840 --> 00:07:52.920 when you say I'm religious? And the article was recognizing that those who actually practice their 00:07:52.920 --> 00:08:00.500 religion on a regular basis are fundamentally different. Now, that's not a surprise to me, 00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:05.340 is it? To you? Truth of the matter is, we are expected to be different. 00:08:05.339 --> 00:08:14.619 And the things that we are looking at today in Ephesians really kind of amplify the underlying 00:08:14.619 --> 00:08:20.560 truth of the Scriptures that if any man be in Christ Jesus, he's what? What's the word? What's it say? 00:08:21.219 --> 00:08:27.739 You're different. I like the lines from Kathy's song. By the way, Kathy wrote that. She didn't let 00:08:27.739 --> 00:08:35.039 you know that, but I can say that. Blame me afterwards. But I thought it was good. And one of the lines, 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:40.519 Kathy had to go, you don't have to stay the way you are or something like that. I said, yes, I believe 00:08:40.519 --> 00:08:48.980 that. I'm very thankful for that. And what we are dealing with here in Ephesians chapter 6, look at 00:08:48.980 --> 00:09:02.399 verse 9, is the third set of comparative statements made about how being a believer who is spirit-filled 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:10.480 really helps us be different than the unbelieving world. Look at the verse. We'll read it. It says, 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:17.679 Masters, do the same to them and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:28.059 master and yours is in heaven and that there is no partiality with him. You see, what Paul wants us to 00:09:28.059 --> 00:09:34.399 understand as we are working our way through the book of Ephesians is that genuine believers live 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:42.659 and really do act differently than unbelievers do. And I want you to recognize that. You're sitting here 00:09:42.659 --> 00:09:51.359 this morning, and if you know Christ, there should be a difference between you and the unbelievers that 00:09:51.360 --> 00:10:00.600 you are around in a number of different ways. There are some good reasons for that. And let me touch on 00:10:00.600 --> 00:10:05.899 several of them here just at the beginning of what we're going to study. But I want you to understand 00:10:05.899 --> 00:10:11.259 that kind of looking in a global or overview, we recognize that genuine salvation makes us new and 00:10:11.259 --> 00:10:18.000 different. Genuine salvation makes us new and different. It says in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17, 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:25.500 if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a what? He's a new creation. You're not the same as you used to be. 00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:36.220 And if you're sitting here today and you profess, well, I came to Christ when I was 7, or I came to 00:10:36.220 --> 00:10:43.320 Christ when I was 19, or I came to Christ when I was 31. And the truth of the matter is, is there is no 00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:50.320 difference in your life and your heart. My encouragement would be this morning, one of the 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:54.200 things that you do is you check your birth certificate and know whether or not you genuinely are 00:10:54.200 --> 00:11:00.320 a convert. You know Him as your Savior. You see, salvation makes us new and different. Furthermore, 00:11:00.920 --> 00:11:08.160 salvation gives us a different power source. It's not just that coming to Christ kind of gives you a new 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:15.620 address. And that is true. I'm thankful as I think about the prospect of my father's eventual home 00:11:15.620 --> 00:11:23.459 going. I think to myself, you know what? I'm going to see Him again. And when I see Him, He and I will 00:11:23.459 --> 00:11:31.899 enjoy the presence of Christ. And there comes the day when we will enjoy Christ with a glorified body. 00:11:31.899 --> 00:11:41.659 I was reading in Ecclesiastes chapter 12, and it is a fairly...now don't go there because we're going 00:11:41.659 --> 00:11:46.759 to be in Ephesians, but I have to make this comment, so just bear with me. But in Ecclesiastes 12, 00:11:46.860 --> 00:11:52.159 it's talking about the fact that getting old is not what you thought it was. It's just all downhill 00:11:52.159 --> 00:12:06.419 until we go to our eternal home. Dust to dust and the Spirit to God. But you know what? In 1 Corinthians, 00:12:06.620 --> 00:12:14.360 it tells us that it's not just dust and Spirit, but the body is going to be glorified. The best thing 00:12:14.360 --> 00:12:22.139 that is going to happen to this body is after I die, I am going to be transformed at the resurrection. 00:12:22.740 --> 00:12:26.819 And I will have a glorified body. And I'll tell you what, it's going to be a whole lot better 00:12:26.819 --> 00:12:38.159 than what I have now. You see, salvation doesn't just give us a new address, but it also gives us 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:45.500 a new power source. And tells us in Romans chapter 8, verse 11, that we who are believers have the 00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:49.299 enabling of the Spirit of God within us. In fact, you know something? If you're sitting there and just 00:12:49.299 --> 00:12:55.099 saying, I can't help myself, you are either making a theological aberration or you're speaking 00:12:55.099 --> 00:12:59.899 inaccurately or you're declaring the fact you don't know Christ. Can I say that again slowly? 00:13:01.500 --> 00:13:06.339 If you have the Spirit of God, you don't have to stay trapped in acting like an absolute witch 00:13:06.340 --> 00:13:12.560 or just an absolute boor. How many of you understand that? You have the power of God to change. 00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:21.220 It says this in Galatians chapter 5, it says, walk by the Spirit and… anybody help me here with this 00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:27.820 one? And you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. You don't have to be that way. 00:13:29.040 --> 00:13:35.320 Third, genuine salvation actually gives us a new set of operating instructions. That's pretty nice. 00:13:36.620 --> 00:13:44.240 Prior to conversion, we were running by a miserable, wicked set of rules. Do you understand that? 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:51.360 It's all about me. It's all about myself. It's all about my interests, you know? And with conversion, 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:56.000 I am given the prompting of the Spirit of God to pay attention to the Word of God, 00:13:56.120 --> 00:14:02.039 and the Spirit helps me understand the Word, and the Word becomes the system whereby I live 00:14:02.039 --> 00:14:07.799 and bring glory to Christ. And so now we're looking in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 9, 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:19.639 where we find the third set. First was wife-husband. Second was child-parent. Third is slave-master. 00:14:20.259 --> 00:14:27.620 And in these three sets that cover basic relationships, the apostle is wanting us to see 00:14:27.620 --> 00:14:37.139 clearly what Spirit-filled people act like. Let's look first at a significant command. 00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:49.419 Verse 9, masters, do the same to them. And the Word is a command. It's one that reflects our Lord and 00:14:49.419 --> 00:14:57.299 Savior speaking with equal authority to those who are servants or slaves or subordinates or employees, 00:14:57.799 --> 00:15:02.699 and also speaking with equal authority to all of you here who have authority over other individuals 00:15:02.700 --> 00:15:09.759 and serve in one capacity or another as a boss. And so the question that follows is to ask yourself, 00:15:09.860 --> 00:15:16.420 so what does it mean to do the will of God from the heart? That's what it says there in verse 9. 00:15:16.820 --> 00:15:22.379 Do the same thing to them. Do the same thing to them. Some have actually taken this passage, 00:15:22.620 --> 00:15:28.560 and some scholars, some theologians, I think, have been misguided in making the assumption that 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:36.279 really what this is saying is that the Christian boss and the Christian slave, they kind of meld 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:41.919 together, and there's no structure, no authority plan or anything. It's a little bit like when two 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:47.259 good Christian gentlemen show up at the door at the same time. How many of you know what happens? 00:15:47.259 --> 00:15:56.639 You first. No, you first. No, you first. No, you first. No, you first. You know how it goes? 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:04.779 That's not what's being proposed here. And as you look at this passage, I think it's always important 00:16:04.779 --> 00:16:10.500 to keep things in context, and so I do not believe it has application. The antecedent does not go back 00:16:10.500 --> 00:16:17.740 to verse 5, obey, but actually to the latter part of 6 and then 7, and pay attention with me, if you 00:16:17.740 --> 00:16:25.159 will, to what it says there. It says, as servants of Christ, you who are in a position of authority, 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:34.139 don't lose track of the fact that you are really Christ's slave. And then in verse 7, it says, 00:16:34.139 --> 00:16:42.120 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man. So what we see here is that the 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:49.419 Christian boss is a slave to Christ and is committed to the will of God. Well, if you are in a position 00:16:49.419 --> 00:16:56.299 of authority, you have the right of giving instructions to other individuals, the way in which you do that 00:16:56.299 --> 00:17:03.019 really is not about you getting your way, but you're making Christ look good. I want you to look at two 00:17:03.019 --> 00:17:08.639 different passages in which we kind of can put this together. Turn in your Bible first to Philippians. 00:17:08.740 --> 00:17:14.279 That's not a far way away, but Philippians, if you would, at chapter 2, verse 3. 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:18.460 Philippians chapter 2, verse 3, it says, 00:17:18.460 --> 00:17:25.980 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourself. 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:32.799 Do you follow that? Don't be full of yourself. 00:17:33.019 --> 00:17:39.559 Think about the other person. Now, so that we understand you can do the will of God and not 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:46.339 compromise the structure of authority that is woven in to every aspect of God's thinking in 00:17:46.339 --> 00:17:53.339 relationship to society, etc., I want you to turn back in your Bible just for a moment to John chapter 13. 00:17:53.339 --> 00:18:07.879 John chapter 13, Jesus does something that absolutely stuns the disciples. In John chapter 13, 00:18:07.939 --> 00:18:13.299 verse 3, we read this, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had 00:18:13.299 --> 00:18:18.740 come from God and was going back to God. Stop just for a moment. That is a significant theological 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:26.759 statement about the supremacy of Christ. Would you admit that? It's a biggie. He's going to judge 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:33.059 and everything's in His hand. He came from God. He's going back to God. That's verse 3. 00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:40.019 He rose from supper. We have this grand overarching view of the glory of Christ, and it says, 00:18:40.019 --> 00:18:46.779 He rose from supper. He laid aside His outer garments and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Can you 00:18:46.779 --> 00:18:53.819 imagine what was going on in the disciples' minds when He did that? I mean, now we've all seen paintings 00:18:53.819 --> 00:18:59.879 of the Last Supper, and I don't know exactly how it happened, but I can tell you this, that everybody 00:18:59.879 --> 00:19:05.799 knew where Jesus was in the room, and when He decided to stand up, everybody went, okay, what's next? 00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:11.220 What's up? Center of attraction. People were paying attention to Him. And then He grabbed a towel and He 00:19:11.220 --> 00:19:17.899 put it around His waist. Now, that wasn't bad enough. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash 00:19:17.899 --> 00:19:29.339 the disciples' feet. Do you know what feet did in the good old days? Listen to me. They weren't covered by 00:19:29.339 --> 00:19:39.419 socks. They weren't covered by leather shoes. And for the most part, when people padded around the roads 00:19:39.419 --> 00:19:48.480 in Jerusalem or anywhere else, guess what was out in the streets? It wasn't paved. It was where all the 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:57.059 refuse of life was thrown out. Growing up in India, one of the things that my father drilled into my head 00:19:57.059 --> 00:20:06.119 was this, do not go barefooted. Because every conceivable pathology could be picked up, walking 00:20:06.119 --> 00:20:13.519 around, stepping on things out there. Don't go there. It was a dangerous thing to do. Don't go 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:21.980 barefooted. But people stomping around. And so, here's Jesus washing feet. And that was a task that was 00:20:21.980 --> 00:20:29.120 reserved only for the lowest of slaves. And here's Jesus doing it. I want you to know that when He 00:20:29.120 --> 00:20:36.860 chose to wash the disciples' feet, sorry, feet, take that out. For you who are teaching at home, 00:20:36.940 --> 00:20:46.680 that is not a good illustration. Pastor said this. Okay. Listen to me. When He did this, He did not lay 00:20:46.680 --> 00:20:51.620 aside His glory or His position in the disciples' lives. In fact, He says, let me tell you something. 00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:56.080 I'm your Lord and Master, and I'm doing this. And I'm doing it so that you get the message. You 00:20:56.080 --> 00:21:04.680 understand that leadership is servanthood. And as we look at this statement going back, if we will, 00:21:05.799 --> 00:21:11.420 to Ephesians chapter 6, we recognize there it says, Masters do the same things to them. It's saying, 00:21:11.420 --> 00:21:17.380 hey, listen, you, masters, are really to do the will of God from your heart. Now, let me kind of 00:21:17.380 --> 00:21:22.000 put that together for you so you think about, so what is expected of you who are leaders? 00:21:23.840 --> 00:21:27.259 For one, you not have an overinflated view of your importance. 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:35.580 Christ was profoundly humble. And it is inappropriate for you, when you are in a position of authority, 00:21:35.779 --> 00:21:41.200 to have an overinflated view of who you are, because it's contradictory to the grace of God and what 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:46.240 He has done. And furthermore, what you have, you didn't really earn. How did you get it? 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:51.080 We're going to come to that later, but to shortcut, it says this, 00:21:52.259 --> 00:21:54.779 a man can receive nothing except to be given. 00:21:56.759 --> 00:22:01.039 Whatever you are, whatever the position you have, whatever the place that God has put you in, 00:22:01.299 --> 00:22:06.539 one of the things that humility should prompt your heart to recognize is that I am who I am by the 00:22:06.539 --> 00:22:12.200 grace of God and the position and the authority, the responsibility I have, has been given to me by 00:22:12.200 --> 00:22:14.440 God, and I am a steward of it. 00:22:18.019 --> 00:22:22.879 Furthermore, that the position that you are in is not one that you are to be self-serving in. 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:25.299 It's not about getting your way. 00:22:25.299 --> 00:22:29.059 It's not about gratifying your own preferences. 00:22:30.460 --> 00:22:37.779 It is not about finding however you can manipulate the situation to serve your personal interests and 00:22:37.779 --> 00:22:42.599 inclinations. I'll never forget a number of years ago when we were making the transition 00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:49.039 musically, and it was one of those tenuous times in our fellowship, and I had one of the dear ladies in our 00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:50.139 fellowship come to me and said, 00:22:50.140 --> 00:22:54.460 Pastor, I have heard it rumored that you really prefer the hymns. 00:22:56.780 --> 00:23:01.580 I said, well, I really do like the hymns, yes. And she said, well, then why don't we sing them more? 00:23:01.620 --> 00:23:06.240 I said, well, let me tell you something. When the Kenoyers meet together for Sunday dinner, 00:23:06.360 --> 00:23:14.240 I very seldom get my preference at the menu. I said, in fact, one of the things that happens when we have 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:19.940 a family dinner is that we kind of look around and decide, okay, who gets to pick next? And that 00:23:19.940 --> 00:23:27.240 person decides. And I rarely get to pick. In fact, someone gave me liver. You know, I need to preach 00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:35.640 about liver more often, by the way. And I was actually thinking I would, if I had my way, do you 00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:42.420 follow what I'm saying is if I had my way? If I had my way, we would have liver and onions several weeks 00:23:42.420 --> 00:23:50.060 in a row on a Sunday dinner. But the only time that we have actually fed the whole family liver 00:23:50.060 --> 00:23:56.060 and onions was when I was laid off once and someone kindly gave me liver and onions and we fed the 00:23:56.060 --> 00:24:01.660 whole family. And I had one of my children announce to me, if I eat this, I'm going to vomit. I said, 00:24:01.660 --> 00:24:13.920 not a problem. You'll just use the spoon. Okay. And now I'm serious. You didn't want to grow up in my 00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:25.980 home. But back we go. I said to this dear lady, when we have Sunday dinner, I very seldom pick 00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:31.480 because the people I love are important to me and I want to know what they want. 00:24:33.299 --> 00:24:39.339 You see, being a Christian boss means you and since are not all about you. The job of a Christian boss, 00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:47.019 listen to me carefully, is to help your subordinates succeed. That's what it's all about. Helping them 00:24:47.019 --> 00:24:56.480 advance. Be accomplished. I so appreciate working with Pastor Saul. And this is not in my notes, so 00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:02.240 he can't blame me. But one of the things I know about Pastor Saul from the time he came on as 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:09.420 our pastor, particularly after Kevin Brock left, Pastor Saul made it part of his job basically to 00:25:09.420 --> 00:25:14.099 work himself out of a job. And I had to retire to get there. But one of the things that he's done over 00:25:14.099 --> 00:25:21.639 and over again, whatever area he has touched, he has added a level of planning to so that in the 00:25:21.639 --> 00:25:27.179 future someone can come in and instead of having it be oral tradition, it's there and we can follow it. 00:25:28.059 --> 00:25:35.179 It's about helping other people succeed. You see, a Christian boss is also one who is inclined to 00:25:35.179 --> 00:25:43.399 kindness and mercy. Now, why is that? Everybody listen. Because those who have been richly blessed by 00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:48.480 God's mercy should be individuals who show God's mercy. Isn't that right? Isn't that right? 00:25:50.940 --> 00:25:57.380 So it is God's will, and that's what we're really dealing with here in Ephesians chapter 5 or 6 verse 9, 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:03.800 it's really God's will that His bosses are thoughtful and kind, genuinely interested in the well-being 00:26:03.800 --> 00:26:08.540 of their subordinates and interested in the progress and growth of their employees. 00:26:08.539 --> 00:26:14.339 Now, by the way, this may be a surprise, but the truth of the matter is, is that the employees you 00:26:14.339 --> 00:26:20.879 hired are not perfect. But here's another truth that goes along with that. And the next employee 00:26:20.879 --> 00:26:25.599 that you get if you decide to get rid of this one for just subordinate reasons or whatever, you don't 00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:31.579 like him, the next one's going to be pretty much like him. Do you understand that? At the end of the 00:26:31.579 --> 00:26:37.359 day, listen to this, good generals win battles with the soldiers they have, not the ones they wish they had. 00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:43.799 And so a Christian boss says, all right, this is what I got. I'll do the best I can, and we'll make it happen. 00:26:44.819 --> 00:26:51.979 The poor part-time worker at Meijer or Walmart or wherever else, the hourly employee that is in your 00:26:51.979 --> 00:26:58.519 charge, the young person that mows your lawn or helps you with chores should secretly desire, 00:26:58.519 --> 00:27:03.619 man, I hope the person I'm working for is spirit-filled today. Is that fair? 00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:20.679 By the way, parents, teach your children to be discerning about character and help them understand 00:27:20.679 --> 00:27:26.979 that when they eventually grow, they're probably going to move to the point that they are a boss, 00:27:27.059 --> 00:27:33.959 not just a subordinate, and their opportunity will be someday to show the kindness and the mercy 00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:37.519 and the character of Christ. And by the way, guess who they get to practice with? 00:27:40.200 --> 00:27:45.100 Brothers and sisters. Isn't that right? Isn't that who they get to practice with? 00:27:46.860 --> 00:27:53.700 Okay. I want you to look secondly at spiritual restraint. We find there in Ephesians chapter 6, 00:27:53.700 --> 00:27:58.259 verse 9, it says, do the same to them. Now it says, stop your threatening. Stop. 00:27:58.259 --> 00:28:03.740 Why would you think that's there? Do you know what stop your threatening implies? 00:28:05.619 --> 00:28:13.339 That it was going on. It was going on in the church in Ephesus. And here is Paul, by the way, 00:28:14.259 --> 00:28:21.379 some estimates, and it all depends on which scholar you read, but some estimates suggest that almost 50% 00:28:21.379 --> 00:28:27.299 of the community culture were involved in slavery at one point or another. And so when Paul writes to 00:28:27.299 --> 00:28:32.599 the church, there were probably as many slaves sitting in the congregation as those who were not 00:28:32.599 --> 00:28:40.799 slaves. And so he says, hey, you guys who aren't slaves, stop acting this way. 00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:51.859 A Christian boss must not be a little tyrant. Now, if a Christian father is not to be a little tyrant, 00:28:51.859 --> 00:28:58.619 right? And we got that the previous past, did we not? What does it say over there in verse 4? 00:28:58.740 --> 00:29:02.179 Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the disciplined instruction 00:29:02.179 --> 00:29:07.579 of the Lord. Now we find here it says, Christian boss, you are not to be this little demagogue and 00:29:07.579 --> 00:29:17.519 little pouty, moody, arrogant, manipulative boss. Now, I want you to understand in the ancient world, 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:25.859 abuse and mistreatment of subordinates was something that was the normal way of dealing with slaves. 00:29:27.519 --> 00:29:36.960 In fact, it was written in to instructions for masters, here's what you have to do to get 00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:44.680 the attention of slaves. You have to beat them. I'll never forget. 00:29:46.779 --> 00:29:53.259 The very first day, I talked about the fact that I worked at International Harvester in Fort Wayne, 00:29:53.299 --> 00:29:59.620 and I'll remember the very first day that I came on. Remember I told you about being given a job, 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:04.220 and it's like, I get paid that much? It was amazing. And my first day, I worked with a guy named 00:30:04.220 --> 00:30:10.660 Joe Freiberger. Does the name tell you anything? Joe Freiberger. He's not alive, so I can say this 00:30:10.660 --> 00:30:19.360 safely. But I remember, they said, you're going to be broken in by Joe Freiberger. What is this? 00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:27.940 And I went into the foreman's office that was a den of smoke. I mean, I could hardly see across the 00:30:27.940 --> 00:30:32.640 room. Everybody except me was in there smoking. I got all the secondhand smoke. I didn't have to pay 00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:41.220 for a cigarette. It was like, anyway, there I was. And I had been in the foreman's office for about, 00:30:41.420 --> 00:30:47.680 probably about five minutes. He said, sit over here. I sat down. And Joe Freiberger got a call 00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:53.400 from Department 37. I can remember this. And he picked up the phone and found out who it was. The 00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:57.880 guy's name was Jerry. And the next thing you know, I thought he was going to have a stroke. I mean, 00:30:57.880 --> 00:31:04.260 he was yelling and shouting. And then he slammed down. These were in the days were bakelite phones. 00:31:04.400 --> 00:31:10.320 You know that, I mean, they were made of Gorilla Glass before they had Gorilla Glass. And he slammed 00:31:10.320 --> 00:31:16.740 down that phone. And he said, follow me. And I was running following this guy. He goes down into 00:31:16.740 --> 00:31:23.420 Department 37. And he is standing this far from the face of another foreman. And Spittle is just going 00:31:23.420 --> 00:31:31.200 all over the place. And he goes, yo! And we're walking back. And I thought, well, there wasn't 00:31:31.200 --> 00:31:38.340 anybody got killed, so that's probably good. And he said, sometimes, Tim, you have to make yourself 00:31:38.340 --> 00:31:46.320 plain. Okay. About a week or two later, he said to me, Tim, you're not going to make it here. 00:31:47.800 --> 00:31:51.100 Well, I didn't think I was. I got to tell you, honestly, I didn't think I was. 00:31:51.099 --> 00:31:56.879 I grew up in a Christian home, went to a Christian school, went to a Christian college, 00:31:57.000 --> 00:32:01.459 taught in a Christian school, went to a seminary, and then went to International Harvester. Do you 00:32:01.459 --> 00:32:11.279 understand that? I thought that I had landed in the belly of the beast. About a week or two later, 00:32:11.399 --> 00:32:16.179 Joe says, Tim, you're not going to make it here. I said, bring it on. What do I need to do? He says, 00:32:16.199 --> 00:32:20.359 you need to lose your temper. Nobody's going to respect you if you don't get in the face. 00:32:20.359 --> 00:32:32.500 And, well, I never did get there. And I got promoted. Do you know why? Because I'll tell 00:32:32.500 --> 00:32:36.659 you, one of the things that I did every day when I drove one hour from where I lived to 00:32:36.660 --> 00:32:40.620 where I worked, I prayed, Lord, help me make you look good. 00:32:40.619 --> 00:32:58.659 Paul says to Christian bosses, don't be like the unregenerate world. 00:32:58.660 --> 00:33:07.019 The spirit-filled boss cannot be abusive and unkind without dishonoring Christ. 00:33:10.220 --> 00:33:18.360 Be fair. Be just. Deal with laziness. One of the things that they learned at International 00:33:18.360 --> 00:33:23.580 Harvester is if I told them I was going to write them up, guess what? I had already thought through 00:33:23.579 --> 00:33:28.159 what they deserved it for. And I'd also understood that I was going to get a call from the union. 00:33:28.659 --> 00:33:33.439 There was no such thing as a good, clean write-up until I began working at putting all the pieces 00:33:33.439 --> 00:33:38.919 together. Document, document, document, document. And then when the union steward came up and tried that, 00:33:39.139 --> 00:33:43.159 you know, the typical thing, it's like, hey, well, here's what I said and here's what I did and blah, 00:33:43.159 --> 00:33:47.159 blah, blah. Pretty soon it's like, Tim, did you write them up? Okay, I'll go talk to them. 00:33:47.160 --> 00:33:59.440 You know? A Christian boss is one who pays attention to what's right. And Paul says, hey, 00:33:59.560 --> 00:34:07.060 don't act like an unbeliever. That's a short story. Now we come to the reason. I like the logic that 00:34:07.060 --> 00:34:12.360 Scripture has. It says, masters, do the same to them and stop your threatening. Now we come to why 00:34:12.360 --> 00:34:17.760 you ought to be this way. Here it is, knowing that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven. 00:34:19.220 --> 00:34:25.260 You're not the top of the food chain. Do you understand that? In fact, somebody decided to 00:34:25.260 --> 00:34:31.260 put you in that position and him in the other one. And you better not forget that where you are 00:34:31.260 --> 00:34:36.740 is not something that happened by your little pea brain, but God did it. 00:34:36.739 --> 00:34:44.819 The Christian boss has a master in heaven. And because of that, we ought to pay careful and 00:34:44.819 --> 00:34:52.519 close attention. Now, God is not the least bit impressed with titles or offices or reputation 00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:59.459 or authority. And I want you to understand that his judgment in dealing with you as a believer is 00:34:59.459 --> 00:35:03.579 not going to be weighted by the fact that you happen to have had X number of years of seniority, 00:35:03.579 --> 00:35:08.299 or you happen to have been given such and such an educational title or whatever. No! 00:35:10.179 --> 00:35:15.539 He has you where he has you because he chose to put you there. And you better live in a very 00:35:15.539 --> 00:35:20.980 circumspect and humble spirit, remembering that where you are is by his divine assignment. 00:35:23.380 --> 00:35:28.420 So let me bring some practical thoughts in relationship to this. Number one, don't get a big head. 00:35:28.420 --> 00:35:35.440 You're a Christian boss, don't get a big head. Think with me just for a moment back to Romans chapter 12, 00:35:35.519 --> 00:35:47.420 verse 3. Romans chapter 12, verse 3. Paul, as he is moving from the 11-chapter theological explanation 00:35:47.420 --> 00:35:52.500 of the glory of salvation, now comes to the practical matter of how we act as Christians. So, 00:35:52.500 --> 00:35:59.000 you're saved. Now make him look good. Romans 12, 3. It says, 00:35:59.599 --> 00:36:05.440 for by the grace given to me, I say, and here's Paul. Now, isn't that a neat way to introduce what 00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:11.280 he's going to say next? In essence, what he's saying is, I am nobody special. The only reason I 00:36:11.280 --> 00:36:16.940 have this opportunity to speak to you is because God found me as a wicked, despicable wretch, and he 00:36:16.940 --> 00:36:24.360 saved me, and now he's asked me to communicate lovingly to you, here, don't have a big head. 00:36:29.539 --> 00:36:35.840 How should we think? To think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God 00:36:35.840 --> 00:36:43.519 has assigned. That's a very interesting statement. And so, let me flesh it out with two different 00:36:43.519 --> 00:36:50.500 passages that will help you understand. John chapter 3, verse 27. By the way, was John the Baptist a 00:36:50.500 --> 00:36:55.400 significant individual in the economy of the Scriptures? And what's the answer? Remember what 00:36:55.400 --> 00:37:06.840 Jesus said? There ain't nobody like him. And here's what John said. He said, a man can have nothing 00:37:06.840 --> 00:37:15.680 except to be given him. The day you stop realizing that who you are is an extension of the grace of God 00:37:15.680 --> 00:37:19.180 and for the glory of God, you're in deep trouble. 00:37:26.180 --> 00:37:32.000 Secondly, 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 7. And I want you to look at that passage just for a moment. 00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:49.880 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 7. I have it underlined in my Bible. I don't know about you, but 65 years of 00:37:49.880 --> 00:37:54.820 practice at doing this, I sometimes think too much of myself, and then I go to the opposite extent and 00:37:54.820 --> 00:37:58.539 think nothing of myself because I'm thinking too much of myself. Did that confuse you? 00:37:58.539 --> 00:38:08.099 I think about that. It'll make sense. I have it underlined because I need to be reminded. Here's 00:38:08.099 --> 00:38:17.219 what Paul says. What do you have that you did not receive? In other words, where'd you get it from? 00:38:18.380 --> 00:38:26.420 Well, he gave it to me. Okay. If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? 00:38:26.420 --> 00:38:38.300 Hmm? Don't get a big head. Secondly, understand that more authority means more accountability. Does that 00:38:38.300 --> 00:38:50.159 make sense? More authority means more accountability. I look out here and I see Jeff Merrill, who is 00:38:50.159 --> 00:38:55.900 responsible for Original Mattress Factory. Am I right? Give or take. There are other people that help you with 00:38:55.900 --> 00:39:03.740 that. But Jeff probably at the end of the day has to answer for a whole lot more than a person who's 00:39:03.740 --> 00:39:13.099 working on the line. Or I see Todd sitting in the back. The further up you are, just the more people 00:39:13.099 --> 00:39:22.220 expect from you. Isn't that right? And I'm reminded of what it says in Scripture. It says, 00:39:22.219 --> 00:39:28.639 unto whom much is given, much is what? Required. One other thing in relationship to that, remember the 00:39:28.639 --> 00:39:37.279 story of the talents? One man got how many? Five. One man got three or two. And one man got one. How, 00:39:37.439 --> 00:39:42.419 why did they get the number that they got? Does anybody know? Everybody pay attention because you 00:39:42.420 --> 00:39:51.659 need to follow this according to their ability. God gives you what He's given you for His glory and 00:39:51.659 --> 00:39:56.159 according to what He believes you can handle. Now, here's the deal. Do the best with it and don't get 00:39:56.159 --> 00:40:03.320 a big head for what you have. Third, make much of Christ. That's pretty simple, isn't it? 00:40:03.320 --> 00:40:16.120 So, when you go off to work Monday, I would encourage you as you're driving in, okay, let's do this. 00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:22.840 Get the weather, you know, a little microburst on your phone or whatever else, and then let it go. 00:40:23.340 --> 00:40:29.840 Don't worry about Facebook. Don't worry about the radio. Don't worry about the news. The plane has not 00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:37.100 been found yet. Okay? Just relax. Focus on the important thing, and it is make Christ look good. 00:40:38.579 --> 00:40:43.280 Pray about it as you're driving in. Lord Jesus, I am so thankful that while I was yet a sinner, 00:40:43.440 --> 00:40:49.220 Christ died for me, and you have saved me from the pit. You have made me your instrument of 00:40:49.220 --> 00:40:55.240 righteousness, and you are sending me into that den of iniquity, and you're sending me there to make you 00:40:55.239 --> 00:41:02.879 look good. And I cannot be there and be a petty, self-centered, arrogant fool and have Christ glorified 00:41:02.879 --> 00:41:09.919 at the same time. I want Him to look good. I think about the passage where it says, 00:41:10.019 --> 00:41:13.539 you have not because you... What? Ask not. 00:41:13.539 --> 00:41:27.380 The reason I'm not in heaven is because Jesus wants me here to do His work. Am I right? 00:41:30.019 --> 00:41:39.539 That's why He has you here, if you know Christ. And so when you remind yourself of that little song, 00:41:39.539 --> 00:41:50.420 hi-ho, hi-ho, and off to work I go. You know how that is, you know. I am going off to work to make 00:41:50.420 --> 00:42:00.179 Jesus look what? Good. There's some of you here that can't say that because you don't know Christ. 00:42:00.179 --> 00:42:06.239 I cannot preach 00:42:06.239 --> 00:42:14.319 the glory of the gospel that calls for change 00:42:14.319 --> 00:42:17.460 in the life of the believer. Do you understand that? 00:42:18.879 --> 00:42:22.259 Without pleading with those who are here that don't know Jesus, 00:42:23.639 --> 00:42:25.019 they would stop 00:42:25.019 --> 00:42:30.239 their arrogant and stubborn struggle against the grace of God 00:42:30.239 --> 00:42:33.039 and be broken 00:42:33.039 --> 00:42:35.280 and contrite 00:42:35.280 --> 00:42:36.800 and humble 00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:38.259 and say, 00:42:38.659 --> 00:42:40.639 I need Christ. 00:42:42.519 --> 00:42:43.699 Let's close in prayer. 00:42:51.639 --> 00:42:53.639 Without anybody looking around this morning, 00:42:53.639 --> 00:42:56.539 if you are here today and you do not know Christ today, 00:42:57.539 --> 00:43:01.159 now, I want to make an appeal to you that you, 00:43:01.599 --> 00:43:02.420 where you sit, 00:43:03.359 --> 00:43:06.879 would be humble enough to admit, 00:43:07.159 --> 00:43:09.099 I need Jesus as my Savior. 00:43:10.319 --> 00:43:11.460 No more games. 00:43:12.500 --> 00:43:13.379 No more delay. 00:43:14.799 --> 00:43:16.879 But with humility and brokenness of heart, 00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:19.400 say, I don't need any more evidence 00:43:19.400 --> 00:43:23.300 of the darkness and the depravity of my soul. 00:43:23.300 --> 00:43:24.600 And there is no remedy 00:43:24.600 --> 00:43:28.080 but what Jesus has done when he died on the cross. 00:43:31.260 --> 00:43:34.340 And you cannot have everlasting life without 00:43:34.340 --> 00:43:37.420 brokenhearted confession 00:43:37.420 --> 00:43:40.400 and calling upon the name of the Lord. 00:43:40.400 --> 00:43:42.440 Father, 00:43:47.440 --> 00:43:49.019 unto you be glory 00:43:49.019 --> 00:43:53.460 and unto Jesus be glory 00:43:53.460 --> 00:43:55.160 in the church. 00:43:56.039 --> 00:43:56.280 Amen. 00:43:57.300 --> 00:43:58.579 Let's sing.