UNITY: IN THE FAMILY

Sermon Notes, September 9, 2018

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

            Pastor Garry continued his sermon series on Ephesians.  The first three chapters of Ephesians are about Unity with Christ.  The last three chapters are about unity with others.  This week’s sermon was titled “Unity: In the Family,” and was based on Ephesians 5:21-6:4.

            Pastor Garry started off by talking about weddings; celebrating the creation of a new family.  There is usually a honeymoon period; then reality hits.  Marriage can get rough.  There are highs and lows.  Sometimes, after a few years, one partner or the other wonders “Maybe Paul was right about the single life.” 

            Today’s scripture starts off with that word we don’t like: Submit.  From the beginning of man, they didn’t want to obey—that’s why we have sin in the world.  Submission is a negative concept in today’s culture.  When Paul wrote this, he was writing to new Christians, coming from a Roman-influenced society.  If you were a male you had unlimited power over your household. What do we know about absolute power?  It corrupts absolutely.  If you were a slave you had to submit to the master’s power.  At least until you were free.  If you were a female, you had to submit to that power your whole life.  We think “submit” means that one person takes the role of doormat. 

But Paul is introducing a new concept.  He wanted to change the way they viewed marriage, unity in the home, and submission.  Jesus submitted His whole life, and He was no doormat.  He cleaned up God’s house using a whip he’d made.  He submitted His will to God and He is the one we should all honor and imitate.  When we submit to God, we become more likely to be obedient to His commands, and to be submissive to others.

Paul is telling wives that they should be willing to follow their husband’s leadership. That is a hard thing for many guys.  It’s hard to be a leader.  When you don’t know what to do, you should go to God and ask.  Sometimes what husbands need is a little encouragement.  And sometimes the wife sees what should be done before the husband does. 

For the husband, submission means that they put the overall care of their wife and the rest of the household over their own self-interest.  That’s tough.  Put their needs above your own; their problems become your problems.  Sacrifice a little.  When we have a strong bond with Christ, we are more concerned with needs of the other person than we are with ourselves.

Paul is saying that all believers should submit to one another because you WANT to, not because you HAVE to.  Wives to husbands, husbands to wives, children to parents, parents to children.  In doing this, we preserve order and harmony in the family, and the love and respect of the family.  Husbands, you are the pastor of the house.  That’s a big responsibility.  Model your life after Christ.  He served the disciples, even down to washing their feet.  Husbands, we need to serve our wives with the same attitude of love Jesus has for the church: He gave His life for it.  Wives, encourage and respect your husbands, not undermining the husband’s role.  Paul encourages men to take leadership, submissive to one another.  He tells fathers not to exasperate their children, and children to obey their parents in the Lord.  This is a commandment with a promise.

For Paul, marriage is a tangible example of what unity between Jesus and the church is like.  It is an example of what Christian living should look like.