God's Wisdom For Children And Those Who Love Them Series

God's Wisdom for Children and Those Who Love Them

Ephesians 6:1-4

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Series: The Book of Ephesians

(Prepared July 1, 2024)

BACKGROUND:

*The Apostle Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he wrote this letter to the Christians in Ephesus. Bible scholars generally agree that it was written during Paul's first Roman imprisonment. And Acts 28:30-31 tells us that "Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him."

*John Phillips explained that "Paul was not at liberty to go where he wished, but he was able to receive anyone who came to visit. So, Paul’s rented house in Rome became the headquarters of world evangelism. The Apostle could not go, but he led visitors to Jesus, and inspired many other Christians to keep spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul even led some of the Roman soldiers guarding him to faith in Jesus Christ! The Apostle used all of his ability and authority to keep spreading the gospel and building the Lord's Church. (1)

*As Paul usually did, he opened this letter by giving us a better understanding of God's love and the good news about Jesus Christ. Then in Ephesians 4, Paul began to focus on how we should live as Christians. And the heart of it is that we should live like Jesus lived: with godly goodness, kindness, humility, love, and forgiveness. But knowing our tendency to fall short, Paul wrote in detail about how to have healthy churches and healthy marriages. Now God's Word will speak to us about healthy relationships between parents and their children.

*That's why today's Scripture includes one of the LORD's Ten Commandments from the Old Testament. They were first listed in Exodus 20. It was about 1,400 years before Jesus was born, and three months after the LORD miraculously set the Children of Israel free from slavery in Egypt. Two to three million Jews were gathered around the foot of Mount Sinai. Then God supernaturally spoke out of a fire from the top of the mountain, so that everyone in that camp physically heard the LORD's voice! It was sure, miraculous evidence that the Ten Commandments came from God.

*The people were so terrified by the LORD’s voice that they begged Moses to be the go-between, and he was. God then wrote the Ten Commandments down on two tablets of stone. Exodus 32 tells us that Moses shattered the first set when he discovered the horrible idolatry the people had fallen into while the prophet was on Mount Sinai. Thankfully, Exodus 34 tells us that the LORD wrote a second copy when Moses went back up on the mountain. And the fifth Commandment was for children to "Honor your father and mother."

*Some misguided preachers today teach that the Old Testament is obsolete in New Testament times, but that is simply not true. Yes, we have a new covenant or new testament through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is the eternal Son of God who humbled Himself to be born as a mortal man. And Jesus was the only perfect sacrifice for our sins, because no one else has ever been able to live a completely perfect life. There is no other way to be saved except by God's grace through faith in our risen Savior.

*But the Old Testament will never be obsolete, because the New Testament is built on the Old Testament. And the New Testament wouldn't make good sense without the Old, because the New is filled quotes and references from the Old.

*One of my favorite examples happened on the first Easter Sunday. Two of the Lord's followers were on the road from Jerusalem to a nearby village called Emmaus. On the way, they were talking about Jesus' crucifixion, and the earlier reports of His resurrection, -- which they did not believe.

*Then our risen Savior drew near and began to walk with them, but Jesus miraculously kept them from recognizing Him. And the Lord asked what was making them so sad. They explained what had happened, and in Luke 24:21 they said, "We WERE HOPING that it was He who was going to redeem Israel."

*After they finished, Jesus used the Old Testament to rebuke His doubtful followers. Please listen to Luke 24:25-28 from the New Living Translation:

25. Then Jesus said to them, "You are such foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures.

26. Wasn't it clearly predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his time of glory?"

27. Then Jesus quoted passages from the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining what all the Scriptures said about himself.