Walk in Humble Submission II - Week 11
Lesson Eleven Eph 6:1-9
Connecting to one another
Hagar, an Egyptian slave, is pregnant with her mistress Sarai’s son. So now Sarai is despised in her eyes. Sarai does what is right in her eyes and treats her slave harshly causing Hagar to flee into the wilderness. There the Lord’s eyes find her. He sees the womb child’s future: Ishmael will be a despiser of men. She sees the Lord yet lives. The One who sees sends her back to her mistress. Seventeen years later, Ishmael despises his toddling brother, the son of Sarah. Abraham sends him and Hagar into the wilderness. Water gone, Hagar cannot bear to see her son die, but God hears Ishmael’s cry and opens Hagar’s eyes so she can see the well. But this time the Lord does not send her back to her mistress.
Welcome to Genesis where relationships are. . .complicated. Think about one of your complicated relationships. What can be wrong with your eyesight? What is always right about God’s?
Understanding the Truth with one another
Verse by Verse ~ Topic by Topic ~ Argument by Argument
CONTEXT – Last week we discussed how wise husbands and wives honor Christ as they fulfill their roles. Paul continues, now instructing children & parents and slaves & masters to be filled with the Spirit by submitting to one another. His letter would have been read to many churches of this region. What is countercultural is that children and slaves in this audience are directly addressed; the instruction is not given to the parents and masters in order to be passed along to children and slaves. Consider as you read, how the Lord shows no partiality toward all in His family, no partiality for grace or judgment.
Read Ephesians 6:1-9.
1. Children and Parents
a. Read Exodus 20:12; Romans 1:30; 2 Timothy 3:2. What does the relationship between parents and their children reveal about a society?
b. Note that “in the Lord” qualifies the verb “obey.” What is the implication? Why does God ascribe this level of obedience and honor to parents?
c. In this relationship, parents have the greater authority. How are they to use it? Consider how God is carefully protecting the spiritual relationship between children and parents, particularly fathers.
d. Both children and parents are submitting to one another out of obedience and reverence to the Lord. What is the result for the disciple? the house? the church? the community?
CONTEXT – Like children, slaves are commanded to “obey” their masters. Paul does not use the softer middle voice as he did with wives. Historians believe perhaps a third of those living in the Roman Empire were slaves. Some were treated as quasi-members of the household; others were treated merely as property. Regardless, slaves had no inherent rights in the household. However, in the household of God, a slave was an equal as one created in the image of God and could play a higher role than a master. In the book of Philemon, for example, Paul considers Onesimus his brother and equal to him as an apostle.
2. Slaves and Masters
a. In verses 5-9, how does Paul repeatedly factor the master out of the world’s equation?
b. Why does he do this as he addresses slaves who are his brothers and sisters in Christ?
c. In this relationship, masters have the greater authority. How are they to use it? Consider how God is carefully protecting the spiritual relationship in particular between servants and masters.
d. We cannot equally compare the injustice of slavery in the United States’ past or what we see in human trafficking today to this form of slavery. But we can recognize God’s ancient strategy for transforming individuals who then transform their world. Discuss how disciples hearing Paul’s letter --whether they were slaves or masters – might have impacted their communities.
Living the Truth as we are sent out
We opened with the story of Hagar who played the roles of slave and parent. God saw her current complicated relationships and their future. He saw what was hers to own and what was not. He holds all authority and yet met with her, seeking her heart. He is the same God today as He was then.
3. What is on your heart as a parent, child, supervisor, employee? Are you burdened? Convicted? Discouraged? Share with your group so that you can be seen. Allow them to minister to you.
4. Parent – Choose one
o Do you think you have the heart of your own child(ren)? Why or why not?
o Think of a time you provoked your child to anger. What was the result on your relationship? How might this have affected your child’s perception of God? What could you have done more proactively to prevent this escalation?
o We are to bring up our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. This takes intentional time. How is that already on your calendar? How might you be more intentional?
5. Child – One of our community groups has youth participating with parents.
o How is your obedience or honor for your parents unto the Lord?
o How is it not? What is yours to own? Is God ready to help you obey? How do you know?
6. We can apply some of the principles from Ephesians 5:5-9 to our roles as supervisors and employees. What is something you would like to apply to yourself?
Praying Through the Truth for one another
Divide your group into prayer partners so that they can have more time to pray for one another as parents, children, supervisors, and employees. Pray that we at Grace would serve regardless of our roles as unto the Lord.
Worship ALL Week At Grace we trust Christ to transform us as we abide in Him daily.
READ & MEDITATE
o Homework – Read Ephesians 6:10-20 in preparation for next week.
ACT
o Review where you were convicted in this week’s lesson. What steps of repentance should you take? Is there a person you should confess to or seek forgiveness from or ask to hold you accountable in this area? Is there retribution you need to make? If you need help, then reach out to your group for wisdom and prayer.
God’s joy and strength to you!
kpaulson@gracelaredo.org