1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,966 The word of God that calls for our attention is the epistle for this day, plus the verse immediately before it, 2 00:00:08,833 --> 00:00:15,366 submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. In the name of Jesus. 3 00:00:18,466 --> 00:00:27,000 Saint Paul provides us with an object lesson. You know object lessons. Pastors frequently use them 4 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,033 when they do children's sermons. Sometimes they go over the heads of the children, 5 00:00:32,166 --> 00:00:37,466 but the adults appreciate them. The pastor maybe holds up a light bulb and says, see, 6 00:00:38,033 --> 00:00:44,766 this is a light bulb. Jesus is like a light bulb. He lights up not only a room, but the whole world. 7 00:00:46,300 --> 00:00:54,033 But Paul does not point to a light bulb. He points to every husband and every wife on this earth. 8 00:00:54,033 --> 00:01:03,566 In other words, if you are married, you are the object lesson. Every husband is a picture of 9 00:01:03,566 --> 00:01:14,666 Christ. Every wife is a picture of Christ's bride, the church. And man, do we make a homely bride 10 00:01:14,666 --> 00:01:16,033 for our Lord. 11 00:01:18,266 --> 00:01:20,166 Google ugly brides. 12 00:01:22,766 --> 00:01:28,000 You will find some strange looking pictures, but you ought to see a picture of each one of us. 13 00:01:30,966 --> 00:01:39,733 We honor our Lord with our lips and not our lives. We say we love our Lord, but you cheat on him 14 00:01:39,733 --> 00:01:40,733 every day. 15 00:01:42,833 --> 00:01:51,166 Your Lord has every reason to dump you. To look at you and me and say to hell with you, 16 00:01:51,733 --> 00:01:58,066 I'm going to go find somebody who's worthy to spend eternity with. But for some reason that 17 00:01:58,066 --> 00:02:07,833 only God can explain, he still wants a sin scarred people covered with the zits of sin 18 00:02:08,699 --> 00:02:17,566 as His own forever. But He cannot have a relationship with with unholy people. 19 00:02:18,533 --> 00:02:22,700 So Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. 20 00:02:25,100 --> 00:02:34,733 That sentence caused me great consternation for many years. Christ loved us past tense. 21 00:02:35,366 --> 00:02:38,666 Okay, for those of you who just finished a summer Greek, 22 00:02:39,333 --> 00:02:46,233 eros,, but heiress properly translated his past. Doesn't Christ love us in the present? 23 00:02:47,366 --> 00:02:56,466 Why does it say he loved us? In America, when we talk about love, we mean an emotion. When the 24 00:02:56,466 --> 00:03:04,700 Bible talks about love, it means an action. God does not feel love for you. He does love for you. 25 00:03:05,533 --> 00:03:13,833 God loved the world in this way. He gave His only begotten Son. Christ loved us and gave Himself 26 00:03:13,833 --> 00:03:22,466 up for us when 2000 years ago, that's past tense on the cross. Yes, your Lord loves you now, 27 00:03:22,466 --> 00:03:29,166 but Paul's talking about the moment He loved you at the cross with a death when Christ Jesus took 28 00:03:29,166 --> 00:03:34,433 the blame for everything you have done to ruin your relationship with your heavenly Father 29 00:03:34,433 --> 00:03:40,300 and everything you have done to ruin your relationship with any other human including 30 00:03:41,833 --> 00:03:49,700 including your selfishness, your fault finding, your refusal to shoulder your share of the blame. 31 00:03:49,700 --> 00:03:54,733 Jesus took it all, even when it killed Him to do so. 32 00:03:56,900 --> 00:04:07,933 And this is the reason why Saint Paul can say you are sanctified, holy, you have been cleansed 33 00:04:07,933 --> 00:04:14,166 by the washing of water with the word. Those of you who are going to be pastors, 34 00:04:15,133 --> 00:04:22,466 when you are at the font with a baptismal candidate, do not be afraid to pour copious 35 00:04:22,466 --> 00:04:34,133 amounts of water. You want it obvious that this ugly sinner has had every vestige of ugliness 36 00:04:34,733 --> 00:04:41,933 washed off, that this is one who is now part of Christ's beautiful bride, the church, 37 00:04:42,866 --> 00:04:46,966 worthy to walk down the aisle with Him. 38 00:04:52,466 --> 00:04:58,033 39 years ago this month, I had the privilege of walking down the aisle 39 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,533 with a beautiful woman who is still my wife. 40 00:05:04,133 --> 00:05:11,766 Before that wedding day, she went and did some dress shopping with her mom. 41 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:17,766 I don't think my wife was thinking as she walked into the dress store, 42 00:05:18,933 --> 00:05:25,133 you know I better be careful what I pick out because it's going to remind everybody at my 43 00:05:25,133 --> 00:05:32,133 wedding what Christ did for His bride, the church. But after you read Ephesians chapter five, is it 44 00:05:32,133 --> 00:05:39,533 not true that a wedding dress serves as a pretty good object lesson, a children's sermon for adults, 45 00:05:39,533 --> 00:05:45,466 though your sins be as scarlet you shall be white as a wedding dress, 46 00:05:49,566 --> 00:05:54,400 that you have been cleansed and you have been dressed in Jesus, 47 00:05:55,366 --> 00:06:00,233 Jesus thy blood and righteousness my beauty are my glorious dress. 48 00:06:02,333 --> 00:06:09,133 Whether you pour just a little bit of water or copious amounts of water, 49 00:06:09,133 --> 00:06:17,533 let there be no doubt in your mind that the one being baptized and you who have already been 50 00:06:17,533 --> 00:06:27,633 baptized are being presented before your heavenly Father, holy, blameless, without any ugliness left 51 00:06:27,633 --> 00:06:37,533 in you. And every husband and wife on this earth is God's reminder that Christ loves His bride, 52 00:06:37,900 --> 00:06:46,200 the church, and gave Himself up for her. That includes you. This my friends is why we can 53 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:54,033 submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. I'd like to talk about what this submitting to one 54 00:06:54,033 --> 00:07:02,200 another looks like and what it sounds like because we are part of the bride of Christ. 55 00:07:06,966 --> 00:07:13,033 You'll notice that I'm going to talk about not just marriage relationship but all of our 56 00:07:13,033 --> 00:07:20,100 relationships and you say well that's not in the text. Well if you read on in Ephesians it is 57 00:07:20,100 --> 00:07:24,566 because Christ not only tells wives submit to your husbands he also says 58 00:07:24,566 --> 00:07:32,900 children submit to your parents, workers submit to your bosses or in in this text it is 59 00:07:33,966 --> 00:07:37,200 bond servants submit to your masters. 60 00:07:41,666 --> 00:07:49,033 It strikes me in a way that I never noticed before all the times that I've preached on this text 61 00:07:49,033 --> 00:07:57,533 that as Paul teaches us how to live under authority he also teaches us how to live when 62 00:07:57,533 --> 00:08:06,466 we are one the ones in authority. Let me give you an example parents are in authority and so he says 63 00:08:06,466 --> 00:08:15,700 fathers do not provoke your children to anger. Give them what they need and what do they need the most 64 00:08:16,666 --> 00:08:21,866 to be brought up in the instruction and admonition of the Lord. 65 00:08:24,500 --> 00:08:31,100 And so what a joy to see a seminarian sitting down and reading the scriptures to his four-year-old 66 00:08:31,100 --> 00:08:37,866 that's using your authority in reverence to the Lord. Now children obey your parents 67 00:08:40,066 --> 00:08:45,766 seek to please your parents and as your parents get older 68 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:51,566 do for them what they did when you were young take care of them. 69 00:08:52,266 --> 00:08:57,000 My sister goes every day to visit my mom at the senior living facility. 70 00:08:58,700 --> 00:09:06,566 She takes care of mom's needs. She drives her to appointments. She takes her out for excursions 71 00:09:06,566 --> 00:09:13,133 she advocates with her but most of all she spends time with mom. I don't think my sister thinks 72 00:09:13,133 --> 00:09:19,833 about this but she is submitting to mom out of reverence for Christ as Paul teaches us to do. 73 00:09:20,666 --> 00:09:28,500 How about in the workplace workers work for your boss as if it were Jesus you are working for 74 00:09:29,166 --> 00:09:37,100 bosses care for your workers as if it were Jesus working for you. Whatever you do for the least of 75 00:09:37,100 --> 00:09:46,433 these and then wives submit to your husbands how old-fashioned and oppressive can you get Paul? 76 00:09:48,500 --> 00:09:55,200 But only it only sounds that way if we're thinking the way of the world. And once again 77 00:09:55,200 --> 00:10:01,066 Paul gives instruction to those who have been placed into the authority position. Husbands 78 00:10:01,066 --> 00:10:09,266 love your wives. How? As Christ loved the church. How did Christ love the church? By giving himself 79 00:10:09,266 --> 00:10:16,633 up for her by sacrificing Himself for your you for her. Husbands you and I are called 80 00:10:16,633 --> 00:10:27,366 to sacrifice ourselves to lay down our lives for our wives. And it strikes me that it will be a 81 00:10:27,366 --> 00:10:35,066 whole lot easier for wives to submit to their husbands when they know that their husbands are 82 00:10:35,066 --> 00:10:45,500 ready to die for their wives. Ladies if that guy is not someone you could submit to guys 83 00:10:46,833 --> 00:10:54,133 if that lady is not someone that you are ready to die for don't marry that person. 84 00:10:56,466 --> 00:11:04,733 Will it be easy for you to submit to place your needs under the needs of the other no because you 85 00:11:04,733 --> 00:11:16,600 still have that old ugly flesh clinging to you at the same time that flesh has been cleansed and 86 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:20,600 and holified by Jesus. Which is why we need more Jesus in our relationships that's 87 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:22,033 one of the reasons we're coming to the Holy Supper of our Lord. Because when you leave this altar you 88 00:11:22,033 --> 00:11:30,133 will leave with Jesus's body that's his risen body that is the power for you to live in the in your 89 00:11:30,133 --> 00:11:38,333 various relationships whether you are in authority or under authority. We've heard how it is 90 00:11:39,833 --> 00:11:48,266 what what it is that relationships look like when we submit to one another what do they sound like? 91 00:11:48,266 --> 00:11:57,133 Because the authorities say communication is the key to an effective relationship. 92 00:11:57,133 --> 00:12:02,833 I say that's bunk. If you look at your boss and you say you're a nincompoop 93 00:12:04,566 --> 00:12:11,700 that's clear communication but it didn't do much for your relationship. Paul tells us the real key 94 00:12:11,700 --> 00:12:17,566 to an effective relationship it's a relationship that sounds a whole lot like the church talking 95 00:12:17,566 --> 00:12:24,933 to Jesus and Jesus talking to the church. The church says I'm sorry and we mean it Christ says 96 00:12:24,933 --> 00:12:32,833 I forgive you and he means it and when those words I I'm sorry and I forgive you begin to permit you 97 00:12:32,833 --> 00:12:36,833 to do what you have to do to eliminate our relationships it transforms our relationships. 98 00:12:41,366 --> 00:12:48,666 Children when you disobey your parents don't slough it off turn to your parents and say I'm sorry. 99 00:12:48,666 --> 00:12:56,300 Parents when you fail your children even when you figure it out years later 100 00:12:57,166 --> 00:13:03,533 go to them tell them what you did wrong and say I'm sorry. And when your parent your child 101 00:13:03,533 --> 00:13:11,866 your husband your wife or even your unbelieving boss says I'm sorry don't answer oh that's okay. 102 00:13:12,466 --> 00:13:21,066 Sin is not okay. The answer is I forgive you that's love in action. 103 00:13:24,466 --> 00:13:32,166 My wife worked at a Lutheran preschool and they taught the children how we live in community 104 00:13:32,166 --> 00:13:37,133 as brothers and sisters in Christ they've got something to teach us about how to live in 105 00:13:37,133 --> 00:13:44,933 community at the seminary. I would go to the preschool and I'd hear two little ones who'd 106 00:13:44,933 --> 00:13:54,633 had a spat and one would say I'm sorry the other would answer I forgive you. Oh that those words 107 00:13:55,266 --> 00:14:02,366 would echo through the halls of our seminary within the walls of our homes and in every 108 00:14:02,366 --> 00:14:11,266 relationship we have because that's that's what love sounds like I'm sorry and I forgive you. 109 00:14:11,933 --> 00:14:16,500 You are in all kinds of relationships and in every relationship that you have 110 00:14:17,266 --> 00:14:21,400 there are two flawed sinners which is why we often do not get along. 111 00:14:22,633 --> 00:14:28,900 You could give up on your relationships Christ has got a better idea. He gives you the perfect 112 00:14:28,900 --> 00:14:36,366 partner for every relationship Himself. And every time you see a husband and wife strolling across 113 00:14:36,366 --> 00:14:44,066 campus every time you see a husband and wife shopping in the store say oh that husband and 114 00:14:44,066 --> 00:14:50,800 wife they're God's reminder to me of why it is that I can submit out of reverence for Christ. 115 00:14:51,333 --> 00:14:57,033 That husband and wife are God's reminder to me that Christ loved his church and gave Himself 116 00:14:57,033 --> 00:15:02,166 up for us all. That husband and wife are God's reminder to me 117 00:15:03,533 --> 00:15:10,400 that I an ugly sinner have been made a beautiful bride ready to walk down the aisle with Jesus 118 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:16,100 till death us do part and the awesome thing is because Jesus has risen from the dead and 119 00:15:16,100 --> 00:15:23,200 promises to raise you from the dead death cannot even part you. That husband and that wife they are 120 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:29,500 God's reminder to me that in every relationship I have God has given me the perfect partner 121 00:15:32,100 --> 00:15:34,166 Jesus. In the name of Jesus.