This material is primarily being used in a small group / Bible class setting. In Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, he calls the readers who are members of a small group or class to make a group covenant that includes the nine characteristics of biblical fellowship: We will share our true feelings (authenticity), forgive each other (mercy), speak the truth in love (honesty), admit our weaknesses (humility), respect our differences (courtesy), not gossip (confidentiality), and make group a priority (frequency).
Our class was encouraged this week to look at Rick Warren’s fellowship characteristics and make a new commitment to exhibit those characteristics.
REVIEW. Last week we really focused in on preparing our hearts for this study. We looked at Luke 11:9 - “So I say to you, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will opened to you.” We discovered that for us to be able to understand what the Scripture holds for us we have to ask, seek, and knock. This requires us to MOVE. The answers won’t be found under the Christmas tree. We have to ask, seek, and knock. Also, we talked about blame shifting and how that won’t accomplish anything. It will only get us what it got Adam and Eve – banished. That brings us to our memory verse for this week. As you may recall it was from Revelation 22:12 – “Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”
This week we are going to look to the Scripture to see who is called to submit. We will find submission is for everyone. Often when the topic of submission is brought men kick back and relax. Married women get tense. Single women zone out, thinking it is irrelevant. But this is all wrong. We are all called to submit in various facets of our life.
The word submit comes from the Greek word hupotasso, which means “to arrange in order under.” It is actually a military term requiring a soldier to arrange himself under his superior officer. One who is called to hupotasso has to arrange himself in order under another. Hupotasso appears several times in the Scripture and is not always translated as submit. Other translations include subordinate, obey, subject to, surrender, be weak, afflicted, humbled, and put under.
Submission connotes readiness to renounce one’s own will for the sake of another’s and to give precedence to others. It involves deference (polite regard for someone else’s wishes or ideas). Submission emanates from the subject. Submission is not the result of forced compliance. It is an action displayed from free will.
Here is a list of most if not all of the times hupotasso appears in the Bible and to whom it is referring. The plan is to cover these verses over the next few weeks. Our goal now is just to realize that submission applies to everyone, young, old, men, women, etc.
Everyone is called to submit to government authority.
* Romans 13:1-5
* 1 Peter 2:13-15
The church is called to submit to God.
* 1 Corinthians 15:24
* Ephesians 5:24
Slaves are called to submit to their masters.
* 1 Peter 2:18
* Titus 2:9
Women are called to submit in the church.
* 1 Corinthians 14:34
* 1 Timothy 2:10-1
Everyone is called to submit to those working for the church.
Everyone is called to submit to those working for the church.
* 1 Corinthians 16:15-16
Women are called to submit to their husbands.
Women are called to submit to their husbands.
* Titus 2:5
* 1 Peter 3:5-6
* Ephesians 5:22
* Ephesians 5:24
* Colossians 3:18
* 1 Peter 3:1
Your spirit is in submission to your mind.
Your spirit is in submission to your mind.
* 1 Corinthians 14:29-32
Everyone is called to submit or will submit to God.
Everyone is called to submit or will submit to God.
* 1 Peter 3:21-22
* James 4:7
* Luke 10:17-20
Young men are called to submit to older men.
Young men are called to submit to older men.
* 1 Peter 5:5
Everyone is called to submit to the authority around them.
Everyone is called to submit to the authority around them.
* Ephesians 5:21
* Titus 3:1-2
The church is called to submit to the leaders (elders).
The church is called to submit to the leaders (elders).
* Hebrews 13:17
Jesus submitted to his parents and to God.
Jesus submitted to his parents and to God.
* Luke 2:51
* Hebrews 5:6-8
A sinful mind cannot submit.
A sinful mind cannot submit.
* Romans 8:7
What are your feelings on these calls to Biblical submission? Are some easier to understand than others? Are some easier to comply with than others? Why do you think it is that we have rebellion against submission?
What are your feelings on these calls to Biblical submission? Are some easier to understand than others? Are some easier to comply with than others? Why do you think it is that we have rebellion against submission?
Romans 8:5-7 – Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
The things that I believe cause me to rebel against submission include:
* a lack of faith in God’s desire to help me – I know in my head that God can do anything. We read that He parted the Red Sea, He helped Sampson destroy thousands of Philistines, He led Gideon, He fed the Israelites in the wilderness, through the apostles He healed lepers, etc. In my own personal life, he brought me through childhood and into adulthood and provided opportunities. Just when I would think the end had come and I wouldn’t be able to feed my children, a job would come through. Even though intellectually I can review these things and know that this was God at work, it is so easy for me to revert to doomsday thinking that while God can provide for me, he won’t. This is my sinful mind leading me to distrust what I have read and seen in my own life.
* preferring my desire over God’s desire – there are many times that I just want to sit in my home and watch TV, read a book, play with the kids on Sunday morning or during other church function. I know that is not God’s desire. That is my desire. My sinful mind tells me that missing one church service will be ok. My sinful mind tells me that someone else will help run the fishing tournament. My sinful mind tells me, “You have a new baby. Let someone else do the work.”
* looking to the world for guidance rather than to the Bible – feminism, justice, equality. Do you think Jesus ever felt justice or equality on this earth? Why do I think I deserve better than what the son of God was given on earth? Because my culture tells me I do. My culture, media, advertising, the ACLU, etc. tells me that as an American I am entitled to certain things. I DESERVE to be happy, I DESERVE equal rights. According to Outback Steakhouse, I DESERVE a steak and a blooming onion!
* leaning on my own understanding – The truth is that in some areas I am smarter than my husband. There are many times I know more about my job than my boss does. Why should I have to submit to those who know less than I do about a topic? Then there are times when I just think I know more than those in authority. There have been decisions made in this church that I don’t like. I don’t see the wisdom in the decision. I have had to decide that the elders may know more than I do about the topic and trust that God led them to that position for a reason. Why haven’t I found it in my heart to say the same thing about my boss or husband? My sinful mind pipes up.
How do we combat a sinful mind? 2 Corinthians 10:5 provides the answer. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
It is imperative that we become aware of our thoughts, that we consciously bring them before ourselves and compare them with the truth. We need to purposefully inventory our thoughts and see how they stack up against spiritual truths. This will require us to take a moment to be quiet and actually reflect on what our sinful mind is telling us.
* preferring my desire over God’s desire – there are many times that I just want to sit in my home and watch TV, read a book, play with the kids on Sunday morning or during other church function. I know that is not God’s desire. That is my desire. My sinful mind tells me that missing one church service will be ok. My sinful mind tells me that someone else will help run the fishing tournament. My sinful mind tells me, “You have a new baby. Let someone else do the work.”
* looking to the world for guidance rather than to the Bible – feminism, justice, equality. Do you think Jesus ever felt justice or equality on this earth? Why do I think I deserve better than what the son of God was given on earth? Because my culture tells me I do. My culture, media, advertising, the ACLU, etc. tells me that as an American I am entitled to certain things. I DESERVE to be happy, I DESERVE equal rights. According to Outback Steakhouse, I DESERVE a steak and a blooming onion!
* leaning on my own understanding – The truth is that in some areas I am smarter than my husband. There are many times I know more about my job than my boss does. Why should I have to submit to those who know less than I do about a topic? Then there are times when I just think I know more than those in authority. There have been decisions made in this church that I don’t like. I don’t see the wisdom in the decision. I have had to decide that the elders may know more than I do about the topic and trust that God led them to that position for a reason. Why haven’t I found it in my heart to say the same thing about my boss or husband? My sinful mind pipes up.
How do we combat a sinful mind? 2 Corinthians 10:5 provides the answer. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
It is imperative that we become aware of our thoughts, that we consciously bring them before ourselves and compare them with the truth. We need to purposefully inventory our thoughts and see how they stack up against spiritual truths. This will require us to take a moment to be quiet and actually reflect on what our sinful mind is telling us.
“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature--trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...We need silence to be able to touch souls.” -- Mother Teresa
Do you pay attention to what you are thinking? What strategies do you have or can you create for taking your thoughts captive and submitting them to Christ?
We see that everyone is called to submit to various people and to God. Our sinful mind prevents that submission. We combat a sinful mind by purposefully taking our thoughts captive and comparing them to biblical truths which can only be done when we take a moment to get quiet and pay attention.
Our memory verse for next week is 2 Corinthians 10:5 - "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
** Next week’s topic is what happens when we combine faith and submission.
Our memory verse for next week is 2 Corinthians 10:5 - "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
** Next week’s topic is what happens when we combine faith and submission.
No comments:
Post a Comment