Living Together‐‐Parents/Children; Employers/Employees

1. Living Together‐‐Parents/Children; Employers/Employees March 13,2011

2. The Setting ... • Remember that we’re reading a letter written to someone else • Upon receipt of a letter from the Apostle Paul, the whole church would have assembled to hear it read • In the audience would have been every sort of person imaginable: • Fathers/Husbands • Mothers/Wives • Children • Slaves • Masters • Unbelievers

3. To Children • Ephesians 6:1-3 • 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother” - which is the first commandment with a promise - 3“thatit may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” • Paul breaks the cultural norm and addresses children directly • What does Paul mean by “obey ... in the Lord”? • Are there exceptions? • What does he mean by “first commandment with a promise”? • What is the promise?

4. The Commandment, Translated • Exodus 20:12 (NIV) • 12“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. • Exodus 20:12 (Hebrew) • כַּבֵּ֥ד אֶת־אָבִ֖יךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּ֑ךָ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יַאֲרִכ֣וּן יָמֶ֔יךָ עַ֚ל הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ ס 12Honorthy father and thy mother, so that thy days are prolonged on the ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee. • Exodus 20:12 (Septuagint) • 12Honoryour father and mother, as Jehovah your God commanded you, so that things may go well for you and that you may live a long time in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you.

5. For Discussion • Proverbs 23:22 • 22Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. • Why is honoring and respecting parents so critically important? • What do we demonstrate when we treat them with respect? • What do we learn when we treat them with respect? • What do we demonstrate when we don’t?

6. Personal Introspection ...

7. Warnings ... • Exodus 21:15, 17 • 15“Anyone who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death.” • 17“Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.” • Leviticus 20:9 • 9“‘If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head. • Why such strong punishment for contrary behavior?

8. To Fathers • Ephesians 6:4 • 4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. • In what ways might fathers “exasperate” their children or “provoke them to anger”? • Why would Paul address this command directly to fathers and not parents in general? • Fathers in the first century ... • Held all of the power

9. Have You Ever ... • Punished your children in anger? • “Lied” to your children? • Told them that they were not important to you – either verbally or non-verbally? • Nagged at your children beyond what is appropriate? • Been unreasonable with your children? • These things “exasperate” and alienate children and can drive wedges between them and their parents • How do we know where to draw the boundaries in discipline?

10. Personal Introspection ...

11. To Slaves • Ephesians 6:5-8 • 5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. • Is Paul condoning slavery here? • What relevance would Paul’s commands to slaves have for us today?

12. Work with Your Hands ... • 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 • 11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12sothat your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. • Colossians 3:23 • 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,24sinceyou know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

13. To Masters • Ephesians 6:9 • 9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. • Does this passage have relevance today? • If so, what would be today’s analog to “masters”?

14. For Discussion • How do these admonishments apply to today’s employer/employee relationship? • What does God expect from Christian employers? • Fair treatment of employees • Fair wages • Exemplary Behavior • What does God expect from Christian employees? • A day’s work for a day’s pay • Integrity & honesty • Exemplary behavior • Whichever side of this fence we happen to fall upon, we represent Jesus

15. Next Week • Equipped For Living • Ephesians 6:10-24 Questions?