Lisa Godard (Lisa)

TITLE: Household of God, Celebrate His Gift! – Jn1:1-18, Eph6:17-18 AIM: Celebrate together the gift of God of Christ & thru Christ. INTRO: Didn’t hear the message, tho would like to have. Dr. David Jeremiah’s TV program advertised his message for today – maybe some of you heard it. I think title was, “Why All the Music at Christmas.” From the ad it seemed that he was going to say there’s plenty to sing about at Christmas – much to celebrate. Why we don’t spare the special music & other music on Christmas Sunday & Eve. Celebrating the gift of Jesus is the right/only thing to do if we consider it at all. Most, if not all gifts we give/receive at Christmas have a limited value & use span. May last for years, but will eventually wear out or be outgrown or otherwise consumed. These gifts are temporal. God’s gifts, however, are eternal & perpetually fresh, vitally useful & infinitely valuable. The gift of God is His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior/Lord. But as have already seen, thru Jesus we are given more & more & more. He really is the gift that keeps on giving. 2013 theme: HofG – understanding that we who are in Christ are the HofG & seeking to understand what it means to be the HofG. I would say to you this Christmas Sunday that as part of the HofG, we should/must celebrate God’s gift – it’s right & good & vital that we do so. Just think about those well-known vss – John 3:16, John 1:14, Isaiah 9:6. Just think for a moment. If “all” God did was to send His Son to enter into our world, into humanity, into the plain of man’s despair, to be one of us, to identify w/our plight – wouldn’t that in itself be wonderful? It would not accomplish our salvation, but it would still be a marvelous thing, that God would lower Himself to be among us. Sadly, that is the extent of the understanding of Christmas for many, & many others don’t even have that understanding. But thankfully, Jesus didn’t just come to become like us. He took on our sin, though He Himself was sinless. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, so that we could be forgiven. Jesus rose again, as conqueror of sin/death, for us, so that we might live new. Jesus is our conqueror, our champion. Thru Christ, the barrier of sin was taken away, & the gulf of our lack of righteousness was filled. His righteousness was imputed to us who believe, so that we could become children of God. We’ve quoted II Cor.5:21 many times – great vs – “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” We can know God & be known by Him thru faith in His Son, His gift, Jesus Christ. And so much more is given to us thru Christ. In the NET John 1:16, speaking of Jesus, reads, “For we have all received from His fullness one gracious gift after another.” Again, Jesus is the gift of God, in essence God giving Himself to us. But thru Jesus we continue to receive gift after gracious gift. Look thruout the pages of Scripture & see these gifts enumerated. God’s choosing & adopting us, His working w/in us, His acceptance, His forgiveness, His abiding presence & immeasurable love, His precious Holy Spirit, who is a guarantee of/down payment on our inheritance. All of this comes to us thru Christ, the gift of God, & is applied to our lives by faith in Him. Today, consider 3 other gifts that come to us thru the gift of Christ. Been looking at armor of God – truth covering. Last “piece” of the armor & the weapons of our spiritual battle are found in Ephesians 6:17-18 – “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication…” The helmet of salvation is simply sure hope which depends upon God, believing that we are saved & will be saved, come what may. David Gudzik wrote that it is “assurance that God is w/us & will triumph, in this present age & in the one to come.” Sometimes we lose sight of God & God’s salvation. In the struggles of our lives we forget that God is a “big picture” God, that He is working toward His purposes & the design which He has set forth. We have to remember that from before creation He set a plan in place, & thru the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension & 2nd coming of Christ He has been & is carrying out that plan. He will indeed triumph & we who have put our whole trust in Christ will triumph w/Him. He helps us in our struggles now, but also has His higher purposes in mind, which are for His glory & our good. So we hold on to Him & depend upon Him. The sword of the Spirit, Paul tells us, is the word of God, the Bible, “His story.” The wd Paul used for “word” is not the one used in John 1 – “In the beginning was the Word [logos], & the Word was w/God, & the Word was God.” “Logos” means word which embodies a concept or idea. Jesus was the definitive word of God, just as He is the gift of God. The song we sang this morning calls Him “the final word” – representing the fullness of what God has said & done. The wd Paul used in Eph.6:17 is “rhema,” or “spoken word,” lending itself to discourse or narrative. If Jesus is the definitive word of God, then the Bible, which was “breathed out by God” (II Tim.3:16) thru the writers of the 66 books, is the expansive, explanatory word of God, the narrative of God’s story. II Peter 1:21 – “…men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” It is this word which is wielded as a sword by the Holy Spirit in our lives, cutting away the flesh/old man in us & becoming a weapon in our hands as we battle temptation & take the offensive w/the gospel. But Scripture is little help to us if we don’t know Christ, except to help us come to faith in Him. The promises of God contained in Scripture are for those who believe, for God’s covenant people, which we become by faith in Christ. What a marvelous gift God has given us thru our Savior, Jesus Christ – His word, which is sure! The last element of the whole armor of God is prayer, which really fastens all the armor together. Prayer is communication w/God. Now, lots of people of many different faiths pray to whatever god they worship, but prayer for the Christian is an expression of relationship w/God, the one true God, who gave us His Son & saves us by His grace. Prayer is an expression of faith, of trust in Him. Why pray if you don’t believe that God hears & receives our prayers on the basis of Christ? Prayer is an expression of hope, that God will help us, that He will save us. Paul said to “pray at all times” & “in the Spirit,” that is, being led by the Holy Spirit, praying w/His guidance, which means we will be on target, & God will hear & will answer & will lead us in His triumph in Christ. What a marvelous gift is prayer! And it comes to us thru Christ. It’s a shame to receive a gift & never use it. If the giver knows this, they will be offended. How foolish we are when don’t pray, commune w/God, nor petition Him concerning our own struggles or those of our brothers/sisters in Christ. Prayer is always in order – there’s not time that’s not the right time to pray! God’s gift of & His gifts thru give us much to celebrate at Christmas & every day all year long. Household of God, celebrate His gift! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

TITLE: Household of God: CHRISTmas Gifts – Ephesians 6:10-20 AIM: Considering the whole armor of God, gifts given thru Christ. INTRO: We understand in our minds that Christmas is the celebration of God’s gift to us of His Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Savior & Lord. Of course, it’s been turned into a gift giving occasion. We make lists (check them 2ce) of what want to receive & what plan to give. That’s not all bad, to give gifts to celebrate His gift, but that often gets lost in the shuffle. Many in America/world give little thought to the birth of Jesus or why He came. Not saying shouldn’t give/receive gifts – especially since I’ve purchased most of the gifts I’m giving, but we certainly ought to focus on the greatest gift ever & the greatest giver of gifts. There is so much that comes to us thru the gift of Jesus Christ. Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians is filled w/descriptions of what comes to us in/thru Christ, including Paul’s layout of the armor of God. 2013 theme: HofG – understanding that we who are in Christ are the HofG & seeking to understand what it means to be HofG. I submit to you that members of God’s household are given the gift of Jesus & are given gifts thru Jesus. The whole armor of God are some of those gifts on that wonderful gift list under the heading, “JESUS”. Ephesians 6:10-20 (READ). Just by way of review, the core message of this passage is that we are at war. It’s a spiritual war against spiritual foes – not flesh & blood, tho that’s what we often feel. But our true enemy is Satan & his demonic forces, which are very real & seek in any way can to destroy the works of God, us included. Yet, our battle is really God’s battle, which He has already won thru Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension & soon return. Satan can’t stop what God has done/is doing, so his attention is on us, to steal, kill & destroy us & hinder God’s work in us. But God has made provision for us, having given us complete armor. Our aim (God’s aim for us) is to stand and w/stand, having put on the whole armor of God. The armor of God is essentially our truth covering. We must be centered on the truth & be encompassed by the truth. As began last week, let’s take a look at the armor that God has provided for us. 1)Belt of Truth, focused on last week. It’s very imp, as we face our foe, to be girded w/truth, in general & specifically the truth of God & our relationship w/Him – the truth of who God is, of what He has done for us in Christ, of who we are in Christ, etc., because this is what Satan will attack, probing for chinks in the armor. “Is God really in control? Does He really care about your life/circumstances? Are you really forgiven? Is there any hope? Does God really love you?” On & on & on the lies will come, attacking the truth claims of God in general & specifically in regard to your life. We must embrace & be embraced by the truth, which Jesus is, which God has spoken, on which we must/ can stand. Didn’t mention last week, but occurred to me that there’s sense in which each piece of the armor may have a primary & secondary application. Must not only be encompassed by the truth of God, but also by truth of character. Integrity – being true to what we believe protects us in times of temptation/struggle. 2)Breastplate of Righteousness – vs14. The breastplate was that piece of armor, “consisting of 2 parts & protecting the body on both sides from neck to middle” (Strong’s). The breastplate essentially protected the vital organs. Today’s soldier is equipped w/body armor for that very reason. This breastplate of righteousness is a gift from God thru Christ. It represents nothing less than the righteousness of Christ credited to us. It’s very imp for us to realize that perfect righteousness is the only status that God will accept from us, that will make us acceptable to Him. Is anyone here perfect? Anyone anywhere? There’s only been 1 ever – Jesus. Jesus said in Matt.5:48 – “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” No wonder Isaiah said, “Woe is me, for I am undone.” No wonder Peter said to Jesus, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” If God requires perfect righteousness, how can any of us be accepted by Him? It’s laughable to consider anyone thinking, “I’ve tried, done my best. God will accept me.” On the basis of what? Many people, including many Christians, don’t seem to understand that the death of Christ in payment of our sin was not enough to save us from God’s righteous, justified wrath. The death of Christ for our sin just brings us from a negative balance to zero. It doesn’t give us a positive balance. We still are lacking. We need righteousness if we would stand right before God, a righteousness we don’t have of ourselves, but which does come to us thru Christ. II Cor.5:21 is one of the most glorious vs in all of Scripture. “For our sake He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus Christ the Son) to be sin who knew not sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” The great cosmic exchange on the cross settled the account for those who believe. Christ took our sin upon Himself, to pay the full penalty; & His righteousness was credited to us, so that we become the righteousness of God. Paul understood this & counted all his past credentials & accomplishments as nothing/dung, “…that I may gain Christ, & be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law (keeping the law perfectly), but that which comes thru faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…” (Phil.3:8-9). It’s this right standing before God that Satan will attack as the accuser of our souls. He can attack this truth of our being justified thru faith in Christ – not guilty, but righteous in His sight, acceptable to Him, because we see the practical reality of our everyday lives. We not only make mistakes from time to time (which is enough to condemn us were it not for the death & righteousness of Christ counting for us), but we choose to disobey & blatantly sin. Sometimes the vilest things come out of the mouths/lives of Christians, words & actions & attitudes which are not in any way following Christ. We give Satan plenty of ammunition to use against us. But, if we are in Christ we are accepted by God on the basis of Christ. Hallelujah for that, for there’s no way that you/I could ever reach or maintain a perfect righteousness of our own. However, I believe the 2ndary application of the breastplate of righteousness could be our own right living. Whenever we choose to do what is right we take ammunition away from Satan. Again, integrity in our actions/attitudes/words protects us from the schemes of the enemy. And by the grace of God & the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives we can choose to do right in any & every circumstances. Before we came to faith in Christ, we could not do anything but sin. Even our so-called righteousness was like filthy rags before God. But now, in Christ, we can say no to sin & yes to righteousness by the power of the living Christ w/in. That’s not the basis of salvation for us, but a living out of what God has put w/in us. It happens only as we give way to the Holy Spirit & Christ Jesus lives His life thru us. Focus on Him, surrender to Him, & live/walk/stand on higher ground. 3)Shoes of the readiness of the Gospel – vs15. It’s clear that proper footwear is essential for a soldier. If he can’t stand or walk solidly, he can’t fight. If our aim is to stand against the schemes of the devil, to w/stand in the evil day, to stand firm, then we need good footing & a good foundation. The truth of the gospel is the readiness/ “underbinding” of the Christian. Are you ready/prepared to meet your God? Only then can you/I be prepared to meet our foe. Do you believe the gospel? The word, as most know, means “good tidings.” According to Strong’s, it is for the Church, “the glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be set up & subsequently also of Jesus the Messiah, the founder of the kingdom. After the death (& resurrection) of Jesus , the term comprises also the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to procure eternal salvation for those in the kingdom of God – salvation thru Christ’s death, burial & resurrection & the saving impact upon all who believe.” We’re ready to stand if we believe the gospel & therefore are right w/God. Rom.5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace w/God thru our Lord Jesus Christ.” Hallelujah, amen! Again, this is truth which Satan will attack, because if he can get us to doubt the gospel & thru our salvation, he will render us useless for the work of Church/gospel & helpless in dealing w/life. However, if we stand on the preparedness/readiness of the gospel, we are ready to take that gospel to those around us. The 2ndary application of this part of the armor is our participation in the spread of the gospel. Again, we cannot save anyone, but God will use us & work/speak thru us. And if you’re active in telling others the good news, you will have less inclination to go your own way or give over to sin. 4)Shield of Faith – that is, faith in God & His promises – vs.16. The wd used here for shield references the type of shield that was a “large, oblong, 4-cornered shield,” perhaps metal, or wood covered w/leather, almost covering the entire person holding it. A soldier could set it on the ground & kneel behind it & be completely shielded from the arrows shot by the enemy. Often those arrows would be dipped in pitch & lighted, so they would be “flaming darts.” Satan fires flaming darts at us all the time, practically continuously. As Francis Foulkes describes them, they are “the arrow tongues of men, the shafts of impurity, selfishness, doubt, fear, disappointment, that are planned by the enemy to burn & destroy.” They are also, again, darts enflamed w/lies against the truth claims of God. Our defense/shield is faith – certainly faith in the gospel & the imputed righteousness of Christ, but also faith in God Himself & in His promises. It startles me awake sometimes to realize that many Christians, maybe you, have a hard time trusting God’s goodness or His sovereign plan; but I have to admit I struggle to trust too, sometimes. Do you really think that God having started His good work in you will not carry it thru to completion? Do you really believe that God, having loved you so much that He would not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, will not graciously give you all things you need (really need)? Do you really doubt that God is big enough & kind enough to take care of you, His child? Do you really doubt that your heavenly Father knows your need? Do you really doubt that your heavenly Father knows what He’s doing & is faithfully working for His glory & your good even thru the dark times/deep waters? Faith – conviction of the truth, trust & holy fervor born of & joined w/faith. Faith in God & His promises – that’s our shield, protecting us at all times against the flaming arrows shot our way by the enemy Satan. We need to take hold of faith, that our God & Father is good & righteous! His promises are true – He will not fail nor forsake us! His word is sure – you can take it to the bank w/out hesitation or fear of there not being enough to cover. We’ll pick up here next week, but understand the wonder of these marvelous gifts – Christmas gifts, really, because they all come to us thru the one gift of Jesus, born of a virgin, born in a manger, born a child & yet a King, born a man, & yet divine Savior & Son of God. Give thanks w/a grateful heart. Take heart in Christ & stand. Put on the whole armor of God, and STAND! We are the Household of God!

Part A: Joyce Johnson shares!

Part B: Communion Message: Communion Message

TITLE: Household of God: Christ-Centered Zones – Ephesians 6:5-13 AIM: The workplace is to be Christ-centered, like all other areas of life, but also like all areas, we need God’s help, which He provides. INTRO: Privileged to stay w/my brother Leonard when flew down to VA for my sister-in-law’s memorial service. Talked about some of the battles he had been going thru mentally, emotionally, spiritually – guilt, anger w/God, fear about future – all very normal for someone who lost his spouse. But God brought to mind a vision in his mind’s eye he had experience yrs before, when he was struggling w/some sort of opposition from other professed believers. The picture which came to his mind was of him sitting at a table, outdoors, w/Jesus standing behind him, His hand on Leonard’s shoulder. The table was set w/quite a feast. As Leonard looked up, he could see various creatures glaring at him & growling, snarling. But Jesus, glaring back at the enemies in front of them, said to Leonard, “Go ahead & eat, I won’t let them bother you.” The scripture that came to mind was, of course, Psalm 23:5 – “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” Leonard knew that God was reassuring him that in the midst of his struggles concerning Alice’s death – the lies that Satan threw at him – he would be ok, because God was w/him & would protect him, help him. We need to understand the same thing in our everyday walk as followers of Christ. Talked last week about how every area of our lives is to be Christ-centered. But if that is to be so, if we are to live Christ-centered lives, we need to understand 2 things: 1)We will be opposed. Satan will throw everything w/in his arsenal at us. Jacob Hardy shared recently that he is reading C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, a book about a senior demon mentoring a junior demon, & all the ways he advising the junior to stir up trouble for the humans for whom he was responsible. The schemes of the devil are many & varied & he will use everything he has to cause us to stumble. So, we should also understand that 2)We need God’s help, which He graciously supplies. Theme: HofG – understanding that we in Christ are the HofG & learning what it means to be the HofG. As said last wk, members of God’s household should move seamlessly from one Christ-centered zone to another, to which should be added, we need God’s help to do so. Our faith is certainly to encompass all of our lives, whether we are alone or w/others. Much of the time we are interacting w/others, & want Christ to be Lord of all our relationships. The Christ-centered zones we numbered last week were: 1)Our personal Christian lives – following Christ when no one is looking; 2)Church lives – relationships we have w/in the body of Christ; 3)Marriages – husband/wife relationships; 4)Family – especially parent/child relationships, but other family relationships as well; & 5)The workplace. Last week we considered what Paul had to say about parent/child relationships – Eph.6:1-4. Today, let’s consider the workplace. Read from Eph.6:5-13, the latter part addressing the opposition we will face as we seek to live Christ-centered in every area of life [READ]. 1st of all we should be clear that the Bible doesn’t condone slavery. Paul was simply addressing this relationship between slaves/masters as a condition in the culture of his day. Certainly it had to be that both slaves & masters came to faith in Christ. Now what were they to do, how were they to live as bro/sis in Christ? I think the book of Philemon, to whom Paul wrote on behalf of an escaped slave who came to faith under Paul’s ministry in Rome, while he was in prison there (Paul), clearly suggests that Paul would admonish slave owners to set them free. In Isaiah 58:6, God makes clear His view: “Is this not the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” We should also note that some slavery in Paul’s day was indentured servanthood – someone owed a debt he couldn’t pay, so he sold himself to the one to whom he owed the debt, working for him w/out pay until the debt was erased. Then too, this word translated slave – oidouloi – can also be translated servant. So it could refer to someone who worked as a servant for wages he would receive. So then, it can apply to employees/laborers working for an employer/boss, and Paul’s exhortation applies as well to the workplace relationships we have. So he says, “Slaves (employees), obey your earthly masters (employers/bosses)… The workplace is to be a Christ-centered as far as it depends on you. May have non-Christian employer/boss, but you can honor Christ in the workplace by how you go about your work & the relationship you cultivate w/the one(s) for whom you work (as well as the ones w/whom you work). One way we are to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (vs21) is to obey those in authority over you in the workplace. Paul said we’re to obey “w/fear & trembling,” that is w/respect & a dread of displeasing. And, we are to obediently do our work w/a sincere heart – putting our hearts into it, giving it all we have, just as we would obey Christ as Lord. We’re not just to work hard when the boss is looking – giving eye-service or being people pleasers – but we’re to work hard, do our best all the time, “as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” It’s God’s will that we work hard, do our best at whatever we do. That honors God. We should think of our work as being for God – “rendering service w/a good will as to the Lord & not to man…” We can do this knowing that we can never out-give God. If we work hard for Him, we “will receive back from the Lord” whatever good we do. Be careful not to put a dollar value on that, expecting God to get you a raise or make you a boss. He may indeed bless you in that way, but it also may be other ways & it may not be in the present, but the future. The promise is sure, however – God will bless you as you honor Him w/your work. And that should make us happy in our work. Not all jobs are fun, but Christians should approach their jobs w/thanksgiving that they have a job & w/earnest, because we’re serving God in what we do, & w/joy/ delight, because God will bless us as we honor Him. Pt is that Christians should be the best workers of all. Any employer should be delighted to hire a Christian because he/she knows they will get the very best effort & attitude. Next, Paul addressed masters/employers/ bosses. He said that they are to treat their slaves/employees that same way the employees are to treat them – that it, w/respect, kindness, sincerity. I’ve always thought that if employees worked hard, thinking of the good of the company, they would benefit in the process. The reverse is also true. If employers treat their employees well, consider their welfare & make the workplace conducive to good work, they & their company would benefit in the process. Some of you are employers/bosses – treat those who work for you well, because it’s the right thing to do, & God will bless you for it. Paul specifies “not threatening.” If an employer is always threatening an employee, wouldn’t that worker be more apt to be looking out for himself, & become a people-pleaser, doing eye-service? Are you really going to get the best out of someone if they’re always watching their back? The saying is certainly true that you get more flies w/honey than w/vinegar. Get more out of someone if you treat them well, build them up, than if you are always on them, threatening to fire/discipline, etc. Then Paul reminded masters (employers) that they had a Master as well. The Lord Jesus Christ was/is Master over them as well as the slaves (employees), & He was/is not partial to one over the other. He was saying, just as did to slaves/employees, that they were to carry out their business (supervision) as if they were doing it for the Lord, which they should have been doing. Business owners/bosses (have several among us), conduct your business, area of responsibility in a way that honors God & points to Christ. Again, the workplace is to be Christ-centered as far as it depends on you. Humbly submit to Christ & then to your employees by treating them well & helping them do their best. The bottom line is that Christian employers/bosses should be the best to work for, because they live out their faith in their business. Why? Because it points others to Jesus, makes Him real to those around us. One of the books that impacted my life as a young believer was In His Steps, by Charles Sheldon. If haven’t read it, should – classic. Set in late 1800’s in small town America. Folks are challenged 1st by a stranger & then by the pastor to not do anything w/in the next year w/out 1st asking, “What would Jesus do?” As the story played out you could see the transformation of individual lives but also businesses & the whole community. Businesses were operated w/Jesus in mind, to honor Him & do it His way. That’s the way you should operate your business & do your work. Now, it’s obvious to us all that this is much easier said than done, because people for whom & w/whom we work are not always easy to get along with. Unreal expectations, the grumbling spirit of the workplace, mistreatment by those over you, & certainly in many cases an un-Christ-like atmosphere, make it very difficult to do your work, run your business as unto Christ. It’s not impossible, but we definitely need God’s help. Certainly in every area of our lives we need God’s help. Paul seemed to shift his focus as he came to the conclusion of his epistle to the Ephesians, but not really. He realized that for the Ephesian believers & for us to live Christ-centered lives, personally, w/in the Church, in our marriages & families, in the workplace or wherever, we would need God’s help because of the spiritual battles that would ensue. To live Christ-centered lives, we need the armor of God. So he concluded this epistle w/warnings, but also w/great encouragement. He wrote, “Be strong in the Lord & in the strength of His might.” Note that he didn’t write simply “Be strong.” Our personal strength will not avail for most if not all that we face in our Christian walk. We need God’s strength & God’s might in all our relationships & all areas of our lives. If we’re going to get it right we need God’s help. That’s because we have an enemy who opposes us continually. Paul wrote, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” The devil is a schemer, seeking to thwart God’s work. He doesn’t real care about us – his aim is God. But he can’t hurt God, nor stop what God is doing. So what he does is to come after us. Revelation 12:17 tells us that since the dragon (Satan) could not defeat the child (Jesus), he then went after the rest of the offspring of the woman (spiritual Israel/Church), to make war “on those who keep the commandments of God & hold to the testimony of Jesus.” That’s what Satan has been doing ever since Jesus died & rose again & ascended into heaven. And he seeks to disrupt in any way he can our personal lives, our relationships in the body, our marriages, our families, our lives in the world, the workplace or wherever. He seeks to destroy our witness & cause us to stumble in our relationship w/God. Paul continued to write, “For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood…” Your bro/sis in Christ, your spouse, your children/parents, your co-workers, your employer/employees – are not your enemy! They may certainly be used by the enemy, but they are not your enemy. The real enemies of our souls are spiritual. “…but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Satan has an army, all working to hinder, destroy God’s work, all against God & therefore against us. So, Paul continued, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” We’ll look closely at this armor which God has provided for us in weeks to come, but let me say briefly that all of it has to do w/truth – the truth of what God has done for us in Christ, who we are in Christ, God’s promises & His presence. God’s aim & our need is that we be able to stand. The urging of God thruout Scripture is that we should stand – stand firm, strong; stand & see His salvation; stand & watch Him work; stand & let God be God. To live Christ-centered lives we must stand up for Jesus & stand in Jesus. We need God’s help, & God is our help! We are the household of God!

TITLE: Household of God: Christ-Centered Zones – Ephesians 6:1-4 AIM: The family is to be Christ-centered, like all other areas of life. INTRO: As Blythe & I traveled to/from VA last weekend, saw lots of signs which looked something like this (slide) – “Work in Progress” – Work Zones. Had to slow down, of course, & perhaps merge into one lane. A hassle – making good time & all of sudden stalled. Of course, the aim of state/workers is to make the road safe to travel. But seemed at times that passed from 1 wk zone into another. That’s not unlike the Christian life, is it? For most/all of us, there are so many areas of our lives that need work, under construction – wk zones; & we often have to slow down & let God do His wk, & yes, it’s a hassle. Of course, the aim of God is to make us like Christ, to further His Kingdom & glorify His name. Our lives & every area of our lives, should be not only work zones, but Christ-centered zones. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians bears that out. 2013 theme: HofG – understanding that we who are in Christ are together the HofG & seeking to learn from Scripture what it means to be the HofG. I submit to you that members of God’s household move seamlessly (or should) from one Christ-centered zone to another. It’s not that our lives are broken up into zones, but we can recognize areas that need our attention & cooperation w/God as He works in those areas. Our scripture text for today features one of those God ordained/designed Christ-centered zones – the family. Eph.6:1-4 [READ]. As look back over some of what we have covered thruout the year, can recognize that our personal Christian lives are to be Christ-centered. Paul exhorts us who are in Christ to put off the old self (way used to live apart from Christ), learn to think new (God’s instruction thru His Word), & put on the new life (Christ-likeness). Stop lying & speak the truth to one another; stop stealing & start working/giving; stop being controlled by anger, start dealing w/it; stop denigrating others & build others up by your words; stop seeking revenge & start forgiving, etc. Put away that which is not Christ-like & start imitating God. Can see how our own personal relationships w/Christ & personal lives move right into & affect relationships w/others. The Church is also to be a Christ-centered zone – relationships w/in the body & the corporate ministry of Church are to be Christ-centered. Led by the Holy Spirit, we’re to speak into one another’s lives & encourage worship/growth by our examples. And we’re to submit to – place selves under - one another in our thinking/ acting. Then too, the marriage relationship is to be a Christ-centered zone. As Christians, our marriages are to mirror the relationship between Christ & the Church. Wives are to submit to their husbands in the same way as Church is to submit to Christ. Husbands are to love their wives with the same kind of self-sacrificing love expressed by Christ as He gave Himself up for us, dying on the cross. Our text this AM makes it clear that the family, specifically the relationship between parents/children, is to be a Christ-centered zone. Next week we’ll look at vs6-9, which calls for the workplace to also be a Christ-centered zone. All of these are to work together & we should move from one to another w/out hesitation, being focused on, centered in Christ in every area. The family is certainly a vital cog in the wheel of our lives. The development of our children & the growing/working together for Christ of the family unit is of utmost imp. Parents, you may be earnestly pursuing careers, portfolios, but we must realize the absolute imp of our responsibility to our children/family. Nothing is more imp. Your legacy will be your family, & it has to be different in a positive way in the church. Strong, healthy families lead to strong, healthy churches as well as strong, healthy children & future generations. As Paul continued his teaching about imp of submission to one another, having expressed how it was to work in marriage, he then focused on the family – parent/child relationships. As did w/marriage, he began w/the one under authority in the family – children. In the family zone, if you will, children are to obey their parents – submit thru obedience. Note that this is indeed a spiritual matter – “In the Lord.” Out of reverence for Christ, children are to obey their parents. Of course, children have to be taught to obey & to reverence Christ & to understand how the 2 go together. Understand, you who are under your parents’ authority, that God has placed you there, not to squelch your development, but to enhance it, & to protect & guide you. If you have understanding enough that you know Christ as your Savior/Lord, & know that you are to follow Christ, then you should know that obedience to your parents is part/parcel to following Jesus. It’s the right thing to do – “for this is right.” Paul pointed to the 10 Commandments, the 5th one specifically: “Honor your father & your mother…” You honor/esteem your parents by obeying them. Then he reminded us that this is the 1st commandment w/a promise. It’s promising to obey your parents. “That it may go well w/you & that you may live long in the land.” Now, I don’t know for sure, but when my dad said to me, “If you want to see your next birthday…” he may have been referring to that phrase. Living longer depended on my obedience in that moment (never really said that). Rebellion takes away from our lives, as many of us have experienced. Yet, in our sinful nature, rebellion comes so very natural. That’s why we need the discipline of God & of our parents. However it plays out, obedience to our parents as they seek to guide us in doing what is right, is good for us, & we are wise to follow their lead. Of course, just as some wives may have ogres for husbands, some children may have parents who abuse, are bad examples. It such cases, seek help from others – relatives, teachers, pastors, etc. But obedience is the general rule. Also, in this “family zone,” parents are to raise their children well. “Fathers” – includes mothers as well, but Paul makes it clear that fathers are to take the lead in raising their children. Now, mothers are generally w/their children more than the fathers are, but it’s the father’s leading of the family that is to prevail, set the course. That means that fathers must be involved in their children’s lives. Of course, parents are to work together, support one another in the raising/discipline of children, but again, the father needs to take a leading role/responsibility. The bane of families in our society is the absence of the father. Fathers, we must man up & be responsible for our children’s development/well-being. Note that Paul 1st said to fathers that they must not “provoke your children to anger.” That phrase means to “rouse to wrath, exasperate.” Someone by the last name of Wood wrote, “The gospel introduced a fresh element into parental responsibility by insisting that the feelings of the child must be taken into consideration. In a society where the father’s authority was absolute, this represented a revolutionary concept.” Things are much different in our society, where often the child is the central focus, but this admonition by Paul remains true. David Gudzik wrote that “Parents/fathers provoke children to anger, exasperate them thru unkind, over-critical attitudes. In so doing they torment instead of train, giving unnecessary justification to a child’s natural rebellion.” I would suggest we also provoke our children by our absence or ill-treatment or unrealistic expectations. We parents are to influence our children for God, but too often we drive them away from God. We need God’s help – much prayer should be involved in parenting. What we’re supposed to do, w/God’s help is to “bring up” our children – that means to nourish/nurture them up to maturity. Calvin translated “bring them up” as “let them be fondly cherished.” Again, this nurturing to maturity requires your presence, dads! Don’t leave it to your children’s mother or grandparents or Sunday School or Youth Group. Dads, your children need you! And again, bringing up children is to be a Christ-centered process. “Bring them up in the discipline & instruction of the Lord.” That word discipline, according to Strong’s, refers to the “whole training & education of children…the cultivation of mind & morals… [also including] the training & care of the body… [involving] admonition, reproof, punishment… [aiming] at increasing virtue…” Discipline is aimed at shaping the person, & parents are entrusted by God w/the privileged responsibility of shaping their children. Obviously God is the Potter & He shapes those who are His, but He definitely uses parents to shape their children. Gudzik correctly pointed out that “both [these words – discipline/instruction, training/admonition] are used to describe the purpose of the Scriptures. Parents are to raise their children on the Word of God. That wd “instruction” is “nouthesia.” Counseling which is called “nouthetic” is counsel/admonition based on the truth. What does God say? That’s how we are to teach our children. Of course, we must know the truth of Scripture if we’re going to teach it to our children. And we need God the Holy Spirit to teach us, as we read/study His word. So, our families – parent/children relationships – are to be Christ-centered. Is your home Christ-centered? It’s imp not only for the sake of the family/children, but also for the church – this church. Christ-centered homes = strong, healthy families; & strong, healthy families lead to strong, healthy churches. That should be our hope/aim, which means we should be praying for each other & all the families of our church because we are a household of households. We are the Household of God!

So Close and Yet So Far (a few notes taken from Larry's message) Remember to say thank you... Luke 17:11-19 (Jesus heals 10 Lepers and only one comes back to thank Him) Go show yourself at the temple is a testing of their faith; going before any evidence of healing. The one stops to worship: loud voice of thanks at the feet of Jesus... the One who will soon be the Great High Priest of Heaven and earth. Jesus tabernacled with us; the days of the tabernacle are coming to an end. The test: would they have faith? would they know where God truly was? To the one who did know where God truly was: Your faith has SAVED you; you are well in body AND SOUL!

The Fear of the Lord The God Who is the Sum of all Wisdom. Proverbs 9:10, Luke 12:5 -We always put our eyes on what we fear; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 John 4:18 -Perfect love cast out fear; John 14:15 -If you love Me, you are compelled to keep my commands; 2 Corinthians 5:14 -He Who IS Love; Matthew 10:37, 2 Corinthians 3:18

TITLE: Household of God: A Matter of Trust – Ephesians 5:21-33 AIM: See how submission works in the marriage relationship. INTRO: You/I as the church have a very unique & imp opportunity before us. That opportunity lies in our marriages. Whether newly married or 50+ years, the opportunity remains. If widowed or divorced, the opportunity becomes one of support, in prayer & encouragement. If not married, but plan to be some day, you will have the opportunity to learn well & follow Christ. As you know, efforts have been made to redefine marriage to include what the Bible doesn’t. These efforts may be well meaning, but they’re misguided. What’s imp is what God thinks. And, sadly, marriages in the church end up in divorce at nearly the same rate as those outside the church. Marriage is in trouble, and we should be gravely concerned, because of what’s at stake. Christian marriages are (or should be) much different than other marriages. In a Christian marriage, there is much more at stake than the lives of 2 people or even the individual family. The opportunity we have in the church, in our marriage relationships is to point others to Christ thru our marriages. Marriage was designed by God for oneness, & to reflect the relationship of oneness between Christ & His bride, the Church. That truth is very much expressed in our text this morning. Theme: HofG – understanding from Scripture that we who are in Christ are together the HofG, & trying to understand from Scripture all that means to be HofG. Following up last week’s message, I would say to you that members of God’s household submit to one another out of reverential fear of Christ. I would further suggest to you that this submission to one another can be seen, perhaps at its best (or worst), in the marriage relationship, in God’s design for marriage. Eph.5:21-33 [READ]. Once again, it’s under the influence of the Holy Spirit that we are enabled to submit to one another. That word submit means “to place one’s self under,” meaning that you put the other person 1st, ahead of yourself, or you recognize when another has been given authority over you & you willingly place yourself under that authority. Ray Stedman made an interesting statement when he said that Eph.5:21 holds the “divine solution to all problems in human conflict, which is the recognition of 2 powerful & transforming factors: 1) Life is so constructed that we cannot find fulfillment w/out another person involved. We’re not made to fulfill ourselves; we can only do it if we seek to attain the benefits of another. 2) We can only do this when we see the 3rd party present in each situation – the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not me against you, you/me; it really is a matter of my relationship w/Christ & obedience to His word/will.” That’s essentially what Paul was saying in Eph.5:21 – we’re to submit to one another “out of reverence for Christ.” That wd reverence is really fear, but it’s fear compatible w/love. If we’re justified by faith, we have peace w/God, & tho God is awesome/awful, as His children we need not be afraid of Him. We can enter His presence w/assurance, boldness, knowing that we will always be received & receive mercy & grace. If you don’t know God, you should be afraid, because He is the holy & righteous Judge &, according to Scripture, “a consuming fire” (Heb.12:29). But for Christians, the fear of the Lord is the fear of disappointing Him, of grieving Him, because we love Him who 1st loved us (at least that’s how it should be). And this fear/reverence is to be our motivation for submission to one another – it’s because our Lord calls us to it. It’s a matter of relationship w/Christ. It’s a matter of loving obedience. It’s a matter of trust in the One who died for us, rose again, lives w/in us by His Spirit, & is coming again to gather us to Himself in His eternal kingdom. Now, then, Paul began in vss22-33 to make specific application of this general principle of submission to one another. Here’s how it should look in the marriage relationship. Stedman stated his opinion, w/which I agree, that “the husband is to be subject to the wife as much as the wife to the husband. The manner will differ according to sex, but the principle is the same for each.” So, Paul wrote, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” The word submit is not actually in the original in vs22, but it refers back to the previous vs. Literally it reads, “wives, your husbands.” But the subject is clear – it’s submission. Wives, here’s what you’re to do w/this matter of submission. Note it doesn’t say submit to every man, but to your own husband. Nowhere does the Bible call for women to submit to all men, unless they are in positions of authority. It’s relational. Because you, wife, have this relationship in marriage, submit to your husband. Understand however, your primary relationship is not to your husband, but to Christ. If your Lord has placed you under the authority of your husband, trust Him & obey Him. That’s the crux of the matter, is it not? Do you trust your Savior/Lord? Yield to your husband’s leadership, headship, because you’re yielding 1st to the Lord’s leadership, headship. The husband is head of the wife as Christ is head of the Church, His body; He our Savior. As the Church we have but one head, Jesus. But unless the body cooperates w/the head, nothing gets done, by God’s design. The Church is to follow the lead of our head, cooperate w/Him. Even so, God has established only 1 head in a marriage relationship/ family – the husband. Wives are to cooperate w/the leadership of their husbands & together act & move, for the good of the family & marriage, & for the glory of God. And, you are to submit “in everything.” The only obvious exception to that is moral wrong. Certainly a wife should not steal or murder or lie, etc. because her husband wants her to, but “in everything” seems to mean everything w/that 1 exception. Wives, stop looking for loopholes! Trusting God & reverencing Christ, place yourself under your husband & his leadership. That doesn’t mean you become his slave or that you’re inferior in any way. Recently saw a depiction of what the world thinks wives submitting to their husbands means: woman kneeling before husband, holding his hand & filing fingernails. Meant to be derogatory. Doesn’t mean walking 2 paces behind, as do in some cultures. But it does mean following husbands lead, trusting God to lead him & trusting him to lead you/family. And it means putting your husband 1st, honoring him, serving him in ways you can. Best example – my mom. Now, my dad would help get a meal ready on special occasions, at least – peel potatoes, make mashed potatoes, stuff like that. But, once meal was ready, he sat down at his usual place at head of table & my mom would fill & bring his plate to him, get his drink. As matter of fact she never sat down until all of us had our food. My 2 oldest brothers married women who were similarly raised & they would bring their plates to them. Andi: “Don’t be expecting that from me!” And I don’t. But that was one of many ways my mom always honored Pop & served him (he served her in other ways as well). Andi serves & honors me, too, in many ways, just not bringing my plate to the table. Mom always put Pop 1 st - she was no slouch – she ruled the roost in many ways, but she put Pop 1st & served him. She appreciated his long, hard work to provide for family. Together they made decisions. Pop seemed to take the lead in major matters, but Mom wielded quite a bit of influence. “Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord.” Serve & honor & respect him as you would serve/honor/ respect Christ. Your willing submission to your husband may be a good gauge of your submission to Christ! Next Paul admonished, “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” It’s very imp to note that Christ’s love was a self-sacrificing love, which He showed by giving Himself up to shame & death on behalf of His bride, the Church. That’s how husbands are to love their wives, w/the same self-sacrificing love shown by our giving up ourselves for our wives – to death if necessary, certainly to the death/laying down of our wants/rights to serve our wives/families. It’s not about “me,” but about “us.” That’s how our submission to our wives is to be exhibited, by our giving ourselves away, serving them in love. It means taking the responsibility of leadership which most of us would gladly give over to our wives & then grumble about it. It means leading by serving. Stedman pointed out that “Jesus’ life-giving was not w/out purpose. He gave Himself for us/the Church 1)That might sanctify us/her (“having cleansed her by the washing of water w/the Word”); 2)That might present the church to Himself in splendor (w/out spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy & w/out blemish); & 3)That He might fulfill the mystery of His own being, becoming one w/His body, the Church (because we are members of His body). And, Stedman continued, “The same goals apply to the husband in regard to his wife.” Husbands are to 1) Sanctify our wives. Sanctify means to set apart for special use, or “to put to the proper use.” Husbands, we are to help our wives fulfill their womanhood. Wives, God’s design for you, at least according to Stedman, is 2-fold: A) be a suitable helper to your husband. Doesn’t mean you’re not your own person, but you are to be a completer, if you will. A husband is not complete w/out his wife (& vice-versa). So husbands, we are to let our wives help us, complete us. Don’t exclude your wife from what you’re trying to do or from any part of your life. We’re not very good at this & many wives are deprived. We need to let them into our lives. Talk to your wife – give yourself up, share w/her, discuss decisions w/her, seek her help. Andi, I want to be better at that – forgive me. And husbands, don’t exclude yourself from your wife’s life or your family. Be involved. Husbands, we should open the doors of opportunity for our wives to help us, walk/work w/us, as God leads us. B) Contribute beauty to life, in form, figure & spirit. Wouldn’t life be terribly void & ugly w/out women/our wives? Wives/all women should seek to exhibit the beauty of Jesus, a gentle & quiet spirit (I Pet.3 – doesn’t mean not talking, but being loving/calm in contributing to the husband/family). And husbands should contribute to the development of this Christ-like beauty in our wives by speaking/ sharing the Word of God together. Don’t leave to your wives the responsibility of the spiritual nurture of the home. Take responsibility for the spiritual welfare of your wife/family. We have shirked this for far too long. Stedman continues by saying that the husband, following Jesus’ example, is to also 2) Glorify his wife (present her to himself in splendor). Husbands, we are to honor our wives, in the family circle & outside the home as well. We ought to delight in our wives & compliment her in private & before others. We ought to be, in Stedman’s words, “infallibly courteous.” We ought to avoid criticism (doesn’t mean not lovingly discussing matters of concern) – words that cut, wound. Avoid any degrading (goes for the wife as well). Husbands, we should seek to recognize & treat wives as beautiful gift from God they are. What wife doesn’t want that? 3) Husbands are to love our wives by fulfilling the mystery of our being one flesh. Husbands are to love their wives, Paul said, as our own bodies – nourishing & cherishing her. Just as we are to put off the old self, learn to think new, & put on the new self in Christ, in the same way we are to leave our parents/ siblings & cleave to our wives – really does require a new way of thinking – putting our spouses/family 1st before our birth family. Wife is intimate part of the husband (& vice-versa) – he can’t help but care for, nurture, cherish, serve. What hurts the wife hurts/damages the husband. Why do we do this to ourselves? We should do everything w/in our ability to bless our wives & lead them in the way God would have us go as couple/family. Now again, Paul was purposefully bringing 2 thoughts together, not only talking about the marriage relationship of husband/wife, but also about the relationship between Christ & His Church. Our marriages should look like the relationship between Christ & the Church, & point others to Christ! Our marriages should be a witness to the world that Jesus lives & makes a difference in our relationships. This is the ideal, for which we need the help of the Holy Spirit. We must be filled w/the Spirit, under His influence, if we would be the husband or wife He would have us be & if we would point to Christ thru our marriage relationship. Note the final injunction in vs33. “Let each one of you love His wife as himself, & let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Each one is responsible to be obedient & reverent to Christ by submitting to one another – wife to husband, husband to wife, each in the manner described by Paul – regardless of what the other does or what others do. It’s a matter of relationship w/Christ, of obedience to Him, & trust – trusting Him. Do it His way! We are the Household of God!