Relationships That Work: A Submissive Community Series

RELATIONSHIPS THAT WORK:

A SUBMISSIVE COMMUNITY

Ephesians 5.21

S: Community

C: A Submissive Community

Th: Building Up in Love; Doing Our Work

Pr: WE ARE TO RAISE EACH OTHER UP.

?: Who? Who are we to raise up?

KW: Relationships

TS: We will find in our study of Ephesians 5 four relationships where we are to raise each other up to make us an impressive community.

Type: Propositional

The ____ relationship is…

I. MARRIAGE

II. FAMILY

III. WORK

IV. CHURCH

PA: How is the change to be observed?

• Submit to one another

• Wives lift up their husbands

• Husbands sacrifice for their wives

• Children obey their parents

• Parents train their children

• Workers work for the Lord

• Employers treat employees respectfully

• We look out for each other and lift each other up

Version: ESV

RMBC 08 October 06 AM

INTRODUCTION:

1. Our theme for our discipleship emphasis is “Building Up in Love; Doing Our Work.”

When you come to the message supplement this morning, you will notice that I pick specific words for the fill-ins.

The fill-ins are never arbitrary.

They are words chosen for emphasis.

This week, the first one is love.

That was to connect us with last week.

Last week, we made note that we must be a community that walks in love.

But, at the same time, we must recognize that to do so, it will take work (that second fill-in).

Let me share with you, once again, a specific word that has been on my heart for the year 2006.

It is the word deliberate.

And, I believe it is an essential word for us as Christians.

For when it comes to cultivating our spiritual growth in Christ (that is a portion of our purpose statement), we do so by being deliberate.

But, this not only applies to ourselves as individuals, it also applies to our Randall community.

You see…

2. We want to be deliberate in the kind of community Randall will be.

This is why we have asked you to put together action plans for yourself as an individual in Christ, and then also for the community of believers here.

In fact, our emphasis will be incomplete if we do not work on these action plans, because these are the ways we are measuring our intentionality.

Let’s do a quick review of what we have covered so far…

2.1 Called – Spiritual Blessings

First, we are a called community, which has received every spiritual blessing by being placed in Christ.

2.2 Transformed – Grace

Next, we are a transformed community, which has been changed by the salvation God gives; it is a matter of grace, and not works.

2.3 Praying – God’s Love

Three weeks ago, we discussed being a praying community, looking to pray differently with a more kingdom orientation, discovering how great God’s love is to be in our midst.

2.4 Diligent – Unity

The following week, when John Fischer was here, we discovered that it is important to diligently live out the unity we have been given in Christ.

2.5 God-Like – Love

Last week, we covered the importance of being a God-like community which is ultimately observed as a people that walk in love.

TRANSITION:

Now, as we come to today’s study, we are approaching a scary word.

Some think it is so bad, that they called it the “S” word!

But it really is a good word.

It is the word submissive.

Submission only works if we are determined to live out the unity we have been given.

ILL Unity

A conversation took place between two men and the topic of religion came up. So the first asked the second, “Are you Protestant or Catholic?”

The second replied, “Protestant.”

The first said, “Me too! What denomination?”

He answered, “Baptist.”

“Me too!” the first said. “Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”

“Northern Baptist,” the second replied.

“Wow, me too! I can hardly believe all that we have in common!”

This continued to go back and forth. Finally the first asked, “Northern conservative fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1879 or Northern conservative fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1912?”

The second replied, “Northern conservative fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1912.”

Then the first’s face turned red and he shouted, “Die, heretic!”

based on Emo Phillips comedy routine

Sometimes, I wonder how close we are to living that out, even within our communities of faith.

But here is what we must realize…

1. Our unity is to be lived out in our relationships.

We are to possess relationships that work.

Oneness is a mark of the church.

This means that God is more concerned with what we contribute to our relationships, and definitely not what we demand of them.

God calls us to live in harmony and submission is how this is accomplished.