Ephesians chapter 6. You got
it there on your lap? Going to look at this evening
verses 1 down to verse 10. I trust we'll get through these
verses in good order. The Word of God that we hold
in our hand, inspired, God-given. It is a treasure. It is a great
treasure. Tells us everything we need to
know about the way of salvation. And it also instructs us about
the way of life in Christ Jesus and how to live, how to live
in this world. The Word of God is full of needful,
wholesome, truthful instruction for every believer to live by
and to die by. His Word is our bread. His Word
is our food. Peter encourages believers to
desire the sincere milk of the Word that we might grow thereby. The Word of God not only tells
us about the way of salvation in Christ, but also about very
practical things that we need to know as believers. Practical things in our everyday
life that we need to be aware of. The Word of God declares
in 2 Timothy 3, all Scripture, is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable, that is, it is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the believer may be mature, may be grown up, throughly, thoroughly
furnished unto all good things. Now last week we talked about
God's order in the home between the husband and the wife, and
how that is a fit picture of Christ and His bride, Christ
and His church, how He loved the church and gave Himself for
it, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church,
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Now in this chapter,
chapter 6 of Ephesians, we see God's order between parents and
children, between servants and masters, or workers and bosses,
And then, down in verse 10, we'll wind up with this encouragement,
Finally, brethren, be strong, be strong in the Lord, and in
the power of His might. And that's the title of the message
this evening, Be Strong in the Lord. Be Strong in the Lord. Now, as we look at these verses
this evening, I want to consider these sayings in two ways. in
the light of two things. I want to make what we call a
very homely illustration and then I want to use these things
as a heavenly instruction or heavenly application. There is
that homely application and there is that heavenly application
in Christ Jesus. Now in verses 1 down to verse
3 we see the accountability of children under their parents,
and the responsibility of parents to their children. Let's read
these first three verses. Children, obey your parents in
the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father. Honor your
mother. God said this is His commandment
with promise, the first commandment with promise. And the promise
is that you'll have a long, prosperous life if you're obedient to your
parents. That it may be well with you,
that you may live long upon the earth. And then verse 4, he says,
Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up into
nurture and admonition of the Lord. Now, let's make that homely
application. Children living at home, are
under the authority of their parents as the ministers of God. Now, I know this is dismissed
in this day in which we live, but nevertheless, among God's
people, they believe God's Word and His order. God is a God of
order. He's not the God of confusion.
You put children in the home in charge, and you know what
you'll have? You'll have confusion. That's right. Children living
at home are under the authority of their parents as the ministers
of God Parents are to be respected and obeyed with a sincere and
willing obedience as if their Instructions to you are the very
instructions of God He said for this is right. It's right. It's good Obey your parents in
the Lord Now, in the Lord, which would rule out anything unlawful,
evil, or immoral if a parent, now a parent who is a good parent
and a loving parent would never do that, but we see in society
sometimes we have some very poor parents. Obey your parents in
the Lord. Now, it's sad, but true. Sometimes
children have parents that are not very Good parents. It's sad. It's sad to see a home
like that. This creates all kinds of problems
in society and problems in the home. But loving and caring parents
want the best for their children and desire that their children
honor God by obeying mom and dad. Is that unreasonable? That's not unreasonable. Not
at all. He says in verse 2, honor your
father and your mother, children, which is the first commandment
with promise. Now, this brings honor to God. Believing God brings
honor to God, to Him. Now look at verse 3, that it
may be well with you that you may live long upon the earth.
It'll be well for you. You'll be much happier if you
obey mom and dad. Your life will be long upon the
earth, not that we live longer than the Lord has purposed or
the Lord has decreed, for man's days truly are appointed of the
Lord. But listen to this, being disobedient unto the Lord, that
is being disobedient to your parents, when they ask you to
do things which are right, being disobedient unto your parents
is being disobedient unto the Lord. and will surely bring the
displeasure and judgment of the Lord upon you." Now, this is
good and needful instruction in our day. The wise man Solomon
says, fear the Lord, the fear of the Lord prolongeth days,
but the years of the wicked will be shortened, will be cut off.
Now, I thought about this. As you read through the Word
of God, there are some very prominent striking examples in the Word
of God of disobedient children who were suddenly cut off. That is, God killed them for
their disobedience. Now, can you think of some children
in the Scriptures who were disobedient to whom God's judgment fell? Well, I thought about this. In
Leviticus 10, Aaron had two sons, Nadab and Emahu. The two sons
of Aaron, they offered strange fire unto the Lord, contrary
to what God had ordered. And you remember what happened?
The fire of the Lord fell and consumed both those boys. I think of another example. There
was a priest of old named Eli in 1 Samuel chapter 4. He had
two sons that were rebels, Hophni and Phinehas. Eli was a priest,
ministered about the temple. And the people began to complain
to Eli because his two sons were misusing their authority, their
privilege in the temple. Well, both those boys were killed.
And the Word of God said, because his sons made themselves vile
and Eli restrained them not. There's that parental responsibility. And God killed both those boys
and eventually Eli died as well. I think of another example, a
striking prominent example of a son who was a rebel son who
had all kind of privilege, all kind of privilege. His dad was
a king. His dad was a great king. You remember his name? David. David. But he had many children,
but one particular son that David loved so well, was so favored
in the house of David, his name was Absalom. But Absalom was
a rebel. Absalom hated David's rule and
reign, and the people there somehow convinced that boy to drive his
own father out of the kingdom that David, by God's decree,
had established. David's own son kicked him out
of the kingdom. Now you think about that. That's
the height of rebellion, isn't it? Not only rebellion against
David, but it goes much further than that. It's rebellion against
God's order. Well, what happened to Absalom?
Remember the story? David's general, Joab, He caught
O Absalom as he was riding somehow in some low hanging branches
and somehow he got caught up in those branches and there he
was stuck in the tree hanging there by his hair. And Joab spotted
him out and he said, I'm going to kill that boy. He's a rebel
against God, a rebel against his father. And he took three
darts, put them in his heart and killed him. against God will not prosper. Rebellion against mom and dad,
their authority in the home will not prosper. Now here's a spiritual
application. Children, children, we are all
believers that are sitting here this evening, we are all children
of God by His decree, by His purpose. We say with the apostle,
By the grace of God, we are what we are. We are spiritual children
born into His family, adopted by His love, made new creatures
in Christ Jesus, born into this family by the Spirit of God,
and as such, believers being special chosen children of God. Beloved, behold what manner of
love the Father would bestow upon us that we should be called
sons of God, We have such a privilege to believe this gospel, to love
the Lord Jesus Christ. And I tell you what God's people
desire in their heart unto the Lord. You know what it is? Obedience
to the Lord. Children, obey the Lord for this
is right. This is right. You see how we
can make that heavenly application as well? Now listen to this. A preacher friend of mine wrote
this. While we are not saved by our personal obedience, we
are not saved apart from being obedient unto the Lord. Christ
and the Gospel, they are to be obeyed, obeyed. Truth is to be
not ignored, obeyed. Faith without obedience is not
faith at all, is it? Love without obedience is not
love at all. Repentance without obedience
is not That's not repentance at all, is it? Worship without
obedience is not worship at all. It's vain worship. Faith is obedience
unto God. In Romans chapter 1 it talks
about the obedience of faith. Love is obedience. Our Lord said, if you love me,
obey me, keep my commandments. Repentance is obedience, is it
not? God commands all men everywhere
to repent. Repent, bow to Christ. Repentance
is obedience to God's command. Worship is obedience. To obey
is better than sacrifice. You see how important obedience
is? The wise man Solomon summed it
up like this, Fear God and obey His Word. This is the whole duty
of every child of God. to be obedient unto the Lord.
Children of God? Oh, obedience to the Lord. Obedience
to the Lord. Now, here's the other side of
the coin here. It talks about parents, fathers,
and this would include mothers. The father certainly is the head
of the home, but the mother certainly is involved in in raising children
in a very, very important way. Fathers, provoke not your children
to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of
the Lord. And here's the responsibility
of loving, caring, believing parents. Fathers, don't be overbearing
with your children. The father is the head of the
house, but as I said earlier, both parents are involved. Both
are responsible, both children are responsible for the general
welfare and behavior of their children. We stand responsible
for our children. In this life we do. Children
are the gift of God unto us. In Psalm 127, it talks about
the children that we have, they are the heritage of the Lord
and the fruit of the womb is His reward, His gift, His gift. We are to correct our children,
but we're never to abuse them, or use very harsh and unnecessary
correction or discipline. It's always correction in love,
in love. Sometimes parental decisions
are very difficult to make, and oftentimes by children not easily
understood. One of the toughest things a
parent has to learn is to say no and stick with it. And one of the most difficult
things that a child must understand is what no means. It's a lesson that we need to
learn. Now, let me show you another
scripture over here that will help us if you find just over
Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. You see,
the Word of God gives us these very practical, needful instructions
for us. In Colossians chapter 3, it talks
about children. You see it? Obey your parents
in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord, that which
is right. Fathers, provoke not your children
to anger, lest they be discouraged. Don't be overly... aggressive in being and administrating
too much discipline. We are responsible for our children,
for their education, not only in things natural, but also to
subject our children to spiritual things, to the Word of God, to
the truth of God, to bring our children up under the preaching
of the gospel. Now notice, if you will, It says in verse 4, Fathers,
provoke not your children to wrath, to anger. It's discipline
with love. It's always discipline with love
for the glory of God and for the good of the child. But we're
to do this, bring them up, bring them up, raise them up in the
nurture. That's a tender word, isn't it? To nurture a child, to nurture
a young baby. bring them up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord." Bring them up, teaching them,
thus saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord. Now, bring
them up in the nurture, this word means education and training. And this word admonition means
warning and instructions. Proverbs 22 declares unto us,
train up a child in the way that he should go, And when he is
old, he will not depart from it. Now, you remember over here,
let me just turn and read it to you. I find it quickly here. Over here in 2 Timothy chapter
3, the apostle Paul reminded young Timothy of the training
that his parents and grandparents did bring this young man up in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And Paul writes this,
in verse 14 of 2nd Timothy 3, But continue thou in the things
which ye have learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom
ye have learned them, and that from a child ye have known the
holy scriptures, he was taught the word of God, which are able
to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in our
Lord Jesus Christ. So bring them up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord. Now, there's that homely application. Now let's make a spiritual or
heavenly application. We have, as believers, we have
a Father, a heavenly Father. We have a loving, kind, gentle,
merciful, long-suffering, gentle, heavenly Father who knows how
to raise us up in a way that's honoring to Him, to raise us
up in the Word of truth, in the wisdom of God, and to teach us
the way of salvation in Christ. You remember the words of our
Lord in John chapter 6. All those who have learned and
heard of the Father, they come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Our
loving Father never disciplines His children out of wrath, but
always in love and tenderness. That scripture over in Hebrews
12 talks about the Father in the home and the discipline in
the home, but it also talks about those whom the Father loves. He chastens every son whom He Our loving and heavenly Father
does all things well for us. He acts with perfect parental
wisdom. And we don't have that. He does.
He never makes a mistake. Everything our heavenly Father
tells us is right. It's good for us. He leads us
in the ways that are honoring to Him. He does all things well
and right for us. And you know what He does? He
provides everything for us who meets all our need according
to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. He's made unto
us wisdom. The Lord Jesus is made unto us
by the decree of God. He's our wisdom. He's our righteousness.
He's our sanctification. And He is our redemption. Oh,
I tell you, I want to be that obedient child unto my Heavenly
Father. Don't you? I know you do. You're a believer setting in,
resting in and setting in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, in verses
5 down through verse 9, he talks here and gives us instructions
about those who work for someone, workers, or those who are maybe
owners of a business or those who are given the responsibility
of having workmen under you. Maybe you've been a supervisor
or are a supervisor. That's a weighty responsibility
that's given to you. the companies depending upon
your decisions and to run things right in that way. So let's look at these verses
here. First of all, he talks about servants. And I'm going
to use this in a way of application to us in our day, those who are
employed by someone, a company who has hired you. and they have
determined and you have settled an agreement with them that for
so many hours a week that you'll receive so much pay. What did they expect you to do?
They expect you to fill your end of that bargain and you expect
them to fill their end of their bargain. They said they'd pay
you X amount of dollars for so much service and as a servant
you want to obey that contract. Servants Here's a homely illustration. Servants and those who work for
someone, be obedient to your boss. Be obedient to your supervisor. And we could make this application
to children in school. That teacher in the classroom,
that's God's authority. That principal in the school,
that's God's authority. The policeman on the street,
that's God's authority. Those who are workers are to
be obedient to their supervisors. When you're asked to do something
on the job, don't shirk it. When the teacher tells you to
turn in an assignment and to get your assignment and have
it done on a certain date, don't be a shirker. Get it done. Get
it done. This especially is given to believers,
be a diligent and faithful employee. I think that's honoring to the
gospel. I know it is. Be diligent, be a faithful employee. Strive to be the employee of
the month. Strive to be the student of the
month. Do what you're told to do, do
what you're paid to do, and hired to do, and do it as unto the
Lord. I tell you, that'll give you
a good attitude at work. It really will. Work with singleness
of heart. Notice what it says. Servants,
be obedient to your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling,
in sincerity, singleness of heart, in your heart, as unto Christ. That's pretty important, isn't
it? Work with sincerity, with purpose of heart as unto the
Lord. Believers, now here's the other
side of this. Believers certainly are servants. They certainly are servants to
the Lord. The Apostle Paul called himself
that often, didn't he? Paul, the servant of the Lord. Oftentimes he said that. And
believers are servants to their Master. What a great privilege
the Lord has given to us to be called out of darkness and to
serve Him with singleness of heart and gladness of heart,
sincerity of heart. Servants of the Most High God
who show us the way of salvation. Turn over here to Romans chapter
6. Believers being called out of
darkness into God's marvelous light are no longer servants
to sin. For sin shall not have dominion
over you, Romans 6 verse 14. But you're not under the law,
but you're under grace. What then, shall we sin because
we're not under the law but grace? God forbid. Know ye not that
to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are,
to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto
righteousness." Christ, our righteousness, believing Him. But thank God,
God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you've
obeyed. There's that obedience. From
the heart, there's that singleness of heart. That form of doctrine,
that's the gospel which was delivered unto you. Being then made free
from sin, you became the servants of Christ. Servants of Christ. What a blessed, blessed description
of God's people. I told my wife and the people
at the church there, when the Lord is pleased to take me home
and to put my body in the dust, put on my tombstone the servant
of the Lord." The servant of the Lord. And I pray that I can
serve Him the remaining years of my life in a way that's honoring
to Him. Now, when we think about servitude
and think about a willing, loving, bond servant, I think of one
great example of faithful, diligent, perfect service unto the Lord. And you know who it is? It's
the Lord Himself. Turn over to Philippians chapter
2. It talks about the Lord Jesus Christ our servant, God's servant. God calls Him my righteous servant.
He says in Isaiah 42, Behold my servant, my elect, in whom
my soul delighteth. But let this mind be in you,
Philippians 2 verse 5. Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men. And being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient." Servants unto
God are obedient servants. He became obedient unto death. even submitting to the death
of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. To
that that name every knee should bow, and every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. Now look back to the text again.
Talking here about servants, workers, but also making that
heavenly application as believers being a servant to the Lord.
We serve Him, look what it says in verse 6, not just with eye
service, not just pleasing men, men pleasers, but as the servants
of Christ. That's a high title, servants
of Christ, doing the will of God, obedient to the will of
God. What is the will of God? His
Word, being obedient to the Word of God, and do it in the heart. You know, God looks on the heart.
We look on the outward countenance. God looks on the heart. Do it
from the heart. Not with eye service, but as
a servant of Christ in the heart. We are to serve diligently, and
this can go back to the job or even in a church setting. being a member of a local congregation. We're to serve diligently just
not when men are watching to impress them. That's hypocrisy. That's not sincerity. You've
all seen that, you men who have worked on the job. That fellow
is always off in the corner slacking until the boss comes around and
he straightens up and acts like he's working real hard until
the boss walks off and then he goes back to shirking his responsibility. We've all seen that. That's hypocrisy,
isn't it? That's not sincerity. But rather,
he says here, not with eye servants, but as doing the will of God
from the heart. The Lord knows our very motive
and our purpose, and believers do, they seek at all times to
honor Him, to honor and to believe the Lord. Now, look what he says
here in verse 7. Talking about workers and it's
also talking about servants. That is, service to the Lord
and servants to the Lord. Doing the will of God from the
heart with a good will. Doing service as to the Lord,
not to men. Not to men. Work and serve with
a good will. A good attitude. Not an ill attitude. doing service with a cheerful
mind, a ready spirit, a willing spirit, as if the Lord Himself
instructed you personally to do that. How would you act that
way? You would say, yes, Lord. How can I serve you? How can
I be of help? Isn't that what Isaiah said?
Lord, here am I. Send me. Let me go in your name. Let me preach your gospel. What
can I do to promote the glory of God? and the furtherance of
the gospel. With a good will, doing service
as to the Lord, not to men, not to men, serve him with a willing
heart. Verse 8, knowing, knowing this
whatsoever good thing any man does, the will of God, the heart
to the Lord, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether
he be a bond man or free man, knowing this, whatever we do
as servants of the Lord, as believers with a right motive, out of a
right principle, for the glory of God, for the furtherance of
the gospel, we'll be blessed of God. We shall receive the
fruit and advantage of it in the way of grace. Now, let me
give you this Scripture. Colossians chapter 3 again, don't
turn, let me just read it to you. Whatsoever you do, do it
heartily as to the Lord, not unto men. knowing that you shall
receive the reward, and it's always singular, the reward of
the inheritance, for you serve the Lord's Christ. Now, a lot
of people in religion, they talk about serving the Lord to receive
a bigger reward or to have more rewards, don't they? They try
to motivate people that way. But listen to me. Every time
you see this word reward in Scripture, In reference to the believer,
it's always singular. It's never rewards. Abraham said,
I've lifted up my hand to heaven. He is my exceeding and great
reward. Christ is our reward. We don't
need other things. Christ is everything. He is our
reward. Now look at verse 9. back in Ephesians 6 verse 9. And here it talks about the other
side of that coin. It talks about those who are
workers, and here we'll make application of this, you masters
or you bosses, supervisors, or maybe someone that's an owner
of a business. Do the same things unto them, forbearing, threatening,
knowing that your master Your Lord, who is the absolute Lord,
He's in the heavens, He's on the throne, and He is not impressed
by your authority or by your power. Neither is there a respective
person with Him. Now, people in position of authority
on the job, those who are in position of authority in the
home, should conduct, or in the church, the pastor and the responsibility
that the pastor has, should conduct themselves upon the same principles
of the word and will of God. Treat those who work for you
as you would be treated, want to be treated. Pay your workers
well, if you have that responsibility. Treat them with respect. knowing
that your Lord and your Master is on the throne of absolute
dominion, and He's not impressed at all with our wealth, our power,
or our position, because everything we have by His decree, His purpose. Always remember what we have
in the way of authority and privilege is given to us by our sovereign
Lord, and He can just as easily take it away. I the Lord give,
I the Lord take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
The Lord killeth. He maketh alive. He bringeth
down to the grave. He bringeth up. The Lord maketh
poor and maketh rich. He bringeth low and He lifts
high. I the Lord do all these things.
Finally, verse 10, finally, brethren, you believers are a family. They're
a family. Finally, my brethren, finally,
my brethren, Believers are one family. You remember over here
in chapter 2 verse 19, he says, Now therefore you are no more
strangers and foreigners, but your fellow citizens with the
saints, and you are of the household of God. And you're built upon
this foundation, the same foundation of all the apostles and all the
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. Finally, my Brethren, beloved
of God, be strong in the Lord. Believers are that one family
chosen by His electing love, redeemed and bought by His blood,
called and made new creatures in Christ Jesus. Now, here's
the exhortation for us. Be strong in the Lord and in
the power of His might. Now, two things, three things
here and I'll wind this up. The things which are commanded
of us as believers are impossible to perform without His grace
and strength. Paul wrote to young Timothy,
he said, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Even
our faith is a gift of God. Our Lord said, without me you
can do nothing. Turn over here to Ephesians chapter
3, back one page. be strong in the Lord. The things
which are commanded of us as believers are impossible without
His grace. Ephesians 3 verse 16. He says, verse 14, For this cause
I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would
grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened
with might by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell
in your hearts by faith, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth,
length, and depth, and height, to know the love of Christ with
passive knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness
of God. Now read on, verse 20. Now unto him that is able to
do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think according
to the power, his power, the power that works in us. He's
able to do exceeding, abundantly, above all we ask or think according
to His power. Unto Him be glory in the church
by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Secondly,
we desperately need His strength and power to overcome our enemies.
In all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved
us. Paul said to the Corinthians, thanks be unto God who has given
us a victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. David declared,
I will triumph in the work of thy hands, O Lord, how great
are thy works. And lastly, although we are weak
in ourselves and can do nothing of ourselves, his sovereign almighty
grace is sufficient for us in this life. He said, my grace
is sufficient. See what David's saying in Psalm
46, and I'll let you go with this. God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble, therefore will not we fear. Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord and in the power of His, His might.