True Beauty, Wednesday June 29, 2011, Respecting Authority Part Two
Prayer
Memory Verse- 1 Peter 2:18
Recap:
What does it mean to respect your parents?
- To love them enough to obey them, even when it’s hard.
We watched two videos- what were they?
Why did we watch them?
What team are our parents on?
When are we to obey them? When it’s fair?
Nemo video
Mini-Dictionary
Respect = to honor, to give consideration for. (Webster’s)
- Sophie’s definition = to love that person enough to obey them, even when it’s hard
Subject (1 Peter 2:13) = Military term meaning: to arrange under the commander; to put oneself in the attitude of submission.
Submit/Submissive = to give authority or power over oneself to another.
Honorable = Greek word for honorable implies the purest, highest, noblest kind of goodness. It means: lovely, winsome (sweet; innocent), gracious, noble, and excellent.
1 Peter 2:18 – “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.”
This is not a suggestion from me—this is a command for the Word of God. Take His commands seriously, God does.
Colossians 3:20 – “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
(Memory verse) Ephesians 6:1-3 – ““Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.””
Obey = action
Honor = attitude (the motive behind the action)
Promise – it is enough reason for us to obey simply because God said to do so, but God is so gracious that gives us an added blessing- living a long life if we obey our parents as if we were obeying the Lord.
The Bible says something else has to happen before we can be obedient to our parents and therefore obedient to the Lord. Do you know what that is?
Read a view verses earlier in Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”
What is the ‘word of Christ’?
What does it mean to have it ‘dwell in you richly’?
Dwell = be at home
How can it be at home in you? Read a few verses earlier in Ephesians 5:18, the last part of that verse – “…Be filled with the Spirit.”
We are to be filled with the Spirit which comes at salvation and results in His Word, the Bible, living inside us through the Spirit. From that Spirit comes respect, honor, and obedience for our authority and for others.
Take them through the rest of chapter five and into six.
God takes this very seriously:
Romans 1:29-32 – “They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, investors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
What does the Bible say is punishment for disobeying parents?
What other sins are listed?
Are those sins “big”?
Do we consider disobeying our parents a big deal?
Why?
Our culture, the people around us, television, all of these things tell us that it’s okay to back talk, to argue, to complain, to disobey, to be disrespectful, to be like Nemo and try to prove a point even though we’re disobeying. Most of the time culture doesn’t just say it’s okay, but encourages us to be disrespectful. They’ll tell you to “follow your heart,” “Be your own person,” “Don’t be fenced in,” “You need freedom,” “Parents are old fashioned,” etc, etc. But God says being disobedient to our parents ranks right up there with murder and hating God.
Who is our example?
Did Jesus respect His parents?
Luke 2:51 – “And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them…”
Did Jesus respect His heavenly Father?
Was it hard?
Luke 22:41-44 – “He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Hm. And being in agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground.”
Philippians 2:8 – “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Jesus was obedient, respectful, and submissive to His Father even though it meant death.
Romans 13:1-2 – “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”
Why are we to obey, honor, and respect authority?
Because by obeying our authority on this earth, we are obeying God. We answer to our parents, especially our father, and he answers to the Lord for how he parents us. We are just to be obedient to the Bible by being obedient to our parents.
“You learn to observe and respect God by learning to observe and respect the lesser authorities He’s put in your life.” – Bro. Michael
What are some ways we can get ourselves into an attitude of submission?
Pray. Pray for your authority, your parents, talk to them about it- let them know you’re trying to be more respectful but that it’s hard, they will appreciate it and it will show them areas they can help you in.
Pray for yourself, that your mouth will be an instrument of love, not anger, and pray that God will help you be respectful and obedient.
Even though you can pray about these things, it still won’t solve the problem.
Do you know what the problem is?
Our hearts. We are born with black hearts corrupted by sin and until we repent from that sin our hearts will not submit to our authority. We may clean ourselves up and do the right thing every now and then, but the lasting change, the lasting respect and submission will come after salvation.
Hebrews 11:6 – “Without faith it is impossible to please Him…”
Examine yourselves, repent from your sin, turn to God, and give Him your heart.
Sophie Miller 