Introduction: Most of you have probably heard this story but it makes a good point -- The captain of the ship looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signalman to send a message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south." Promptly a return message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north."      The captain was angered; his command had been ignored. So he sent a second message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am the captain!" Soon another message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am seaman third class Jones."      Immediately the captain sent a third message, knowing the fear it would evoke: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am a battleship." Then the reply came: "Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am a lighthouse." (Paul Aiello, Jr., Leadership, Vol. 4, no.2 )

We live in a world that is governed by pride and rebellion.  It was pride and rebellion that led to Satan's fall; and it was the gift of pride and rebellion that Satan gave to man in the garden when they sinned against God.  When it comes to Christian behavior, if we fail to learn to submit ourselves to God's will it won't be long before we will run our battleship of pride and rebellion aground because we failed to submit to the Light of the World.

Today we are looking at One Another injunction given to us in the New Testament, that deals with Christian attitude and behavior as it relates to submission.

Transition: Lets begin by looking at. . .

I. Submission's Definition.
- The word "submitting," (from the Greek, "hupotasso" {hoop-ot-as'-so}) does not refer to being under the absolute control of another but, in this context, carries the idea here of voluntarily placing oneself under the authority of another based upon the guiding principles of God's Word (Acts 4:19; 5:29).

Application: The word submission has even become a dirty word to many Christian today, because they fail to understand what biblical submission is, or worse, they are just unwilling to submit to God's will and Word.  Warren Wiersbe puts biblical submission into its proper perspective, "Submission is an act of faith. We are trusting God to direct in our lives and to work out His purposes in His time. After all, there is a danger in submitting to others; they might take advantage of us -- but not if we trust God and if we are submitted to one another! A person who is truly yielded to God, and who wants to serve his fellow Christians, would not even think of taking advantage of someone else, saved or unsaved. The 'mighty hand of God' that directs our lives can also direct in the lives of others."

 Biblical submission to one another isn't based upon our subjective impulses and reactions, in other words or feelings and opinions, but rather our submission is rooted in the authority of Jesus Christ and His Word.  No Christian has the right to request something of another Christian that isn't based in the Word of God  (Getz).

Transition: Now lets look at. . .

II. Submission's Influence.
1. In our relationship with one another (Christians).

A. Christian to Christian (Eph.5:21; 1Pet.5:5).

1) We are told that as Christians that we are to submit to one another.

- The younger Christian to the older Christian.

2) Submission to one another means that when the church body wishes to do something in a certain way (which is in accordance with the Scripture), then we as individual Christians should be supportive even if we disagree.

- Example: I had a Christian from another church once contact me because he was upset with his pastor and church because they decided to pursue a method of a church wide outreach that wasn't to his liking, because he preferred another method.  I guess that when he emailed me, his hope was to find someone who would side with him, so that it would give him some sort of moral support to press the issue.  But after a discussion with him concerning what the Scriptures teach, he admitted that his motive wasn't what it should have been for his pastor and his church.  The biblical solution was for him to submit himself to the church's will, not to cause problems so that he could have his own way.

B. Christians and their Pastor(s).

1) Christian to pastor (1Tim.5:17; Heb.13:17).

- Hebrews 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

 2) Pastor to Christian (1Pet.5:2-3).

A) 1 Peter 5:2-3 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;

B) The Pastor's relationship with the local Church is governed by his example of submission to the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

2. In our relationship with our family.

A. Husbands and wives.

1) Husbands to wives (Eph.5:25, 28; Col.3:19; 1Pet.3:7; 1Cor.7:3-4).

A) God Word reminds husbands of their obligation to their wives to love, protect, and provide for their well being.

- Ephesians 5:25, 28 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. . .So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

B) Christian husbands are to be submissive by obeying God's Word.

2) Wives to husbands (Eph.5:22-24; Col.3:18; Titus 2:3-5; 1Pet.3:1-4).

A) God's Word also reminds wives of their obligation to their husbands to follow their leadership according to God's design, and to be the Christian example to their families.

B) 1 Peter 3:1-4 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward -- arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel -- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

B. Parents and children.

1) Parents to children (Eph.6:4; Col.3:21; Prov.13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15-17).

A) Christian parents have an obligation to raise their children in the way of the Lord.

(1) Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

(2) Parents, if you are spiritual dropout, then don't be surprised if you children learn that lesson from you!

(A) Be careful what you teach your children by both your words and your actions.

(B) In one of the churches that I pastored, the church clerk walked into my office the first week I was there and proclaimed to me, "I told the last pastor this and I'm telling you now.  Don't expect me to attend Church except on Sunday Morning and at the monthly business meeting.  I wasn't raised to attend Church at any other time, and don't expect me to begin now!"

- What lessons are you teaching your child about the Lord's church?

B) Christian parents have an obligation to discipline their children.

(1) Proverbs 29:15-17 The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases; But the righteous will see their fall. Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul.

(2) Warren Wiersbe points out the importance of discipline for a child, "The child who does not learn to obey his parents is not likely to grow up obeying any authority. He will defy his teachers, the police, his employers, and anyone else who tries to exercise authority over him. The breakdown in authority in our society reflects the breakdown of authority in the home" (BEC).

C) Christian parents have an obligation to treat their children fairly.

(1) Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged (also see Eph.6:4).

(2) The word "provoke" isn't just talking about them getting mad at you, but we are not to provoke our children by continual agitation and unreasonable demands.

- Household rules should be reasonable, not arbitrary.

D) When it comes to the Parent-Child relationship, parents are to submit to God's will and Word if you want family that will be pleasing to the Lord.

2) Children to parents (Eph.6:1-3; Col.3:20; Prov.1:8; 6:20; 19:26-27; 20:20; 23:22).

A) Children are to submit to their parents (or whoever is raising you), not only because God's Word commands us too, but also it can have an impact upon your life:

(1) Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."

(2) Proverbs 20:20 Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.

B) Colossians 3:20 tells us that when you submit, it is ". . .well pleasing to the Lord."

C) Children, young adults!  God holds you accountable for your behavior too!

(1) If your family isn't what you think it ought to be, the question is, are you submitting yourselves to God's will or your own will.

(2) God expects you to submit and obey to His Word too!

- If your family isn't what you think that it ought to be, then the first thing that you need to do is to make sure that your actions and attitudes are in submission to God's Word.

3. In our relationship with our employers and employees (note that these passages directly relate to a slave/owner relationship, but the principles can directly be applied to the work place too).

A. Employer (Christian) to employee (Eph.6:9; Col.4:1).

1) Ephesians 6:9 tells us that we shouldn't be abusive to our employees.

2) Colossians 4:1 tells us that we should pay our employees what is right and fair.

B. Employee to Employer (Eph.6:5-8; Col.3:22-25; 1Pet.2:18).

1) Look closely at Ephesians 6:5-8, which addresses the kind of employee we are to be as Christians, let me share this from the NIV which does a good job here of putting it in a way to make it clear,  Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey 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.  Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

A) God expects us to obey our employer (unless it is a moral issue that is contrary to God's Word).

B) God expects us to show respect to our employer.

C) God expects us to earn our pay by working hard for our employer.

D) Colossians 3:22-25 adds to this by reminding us when we do our job, we should do it to the same level that we would do it for the Lord if he were our employer, and failure to submit to these principles will only give us what we deserve and its not a raise!

2) Our submission is a witness to the reality of Christ and our faith to all those that we work with.

4. In our relationship with our Government.

A. In obeying its laws (Rom.13:1, 5, 7; 1Pet.2:13-17).

- Again, the only exception to this is when it runs contrary to the clear teaching of the Bible (Acts 4:19; 5:29).

B. In paying our taxes, as we give Caesar what is due him  (Matt.22:17-21).

5. In our relationship with Christ (John 13:12-17; Matt.20:25-28; Luke 22:42; Mark 9:35).

A. Christ's example of submission should have an influence upon our behavior too.

1) He came to serve others and to be served others (Matt.20:25-28).

2) He willingly submitted Himself to His Father's will and went to the cross to die for our sins (Luke 22:42).

3) He submitted Himself before His disciples by washing their feet to help teach them a lesson about submission (John 13:12-17; Mark 9:35).

B. Jesus said in John 13:16 "Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.

1) If you are a Christian, and willingly ignore and follow God's Word and Christ's example, then you have a major spiritual problem -- this isn't based upon my opinion, but God's opinion.

2) Our willingness to submit to one another is directly related to our personal relationship with Jesus Christ -- you may be able to call Him Savior, but you cannot call Him your Lord if you fail to submit to the Master.

 You cannot become a Christian, unless you submit yourself to God by acknowledging and confessing your sins to God.  And you cannot call Jesus Christ your Lord unless you submit yourself to His Will and Word.  All the self-esteem in the world can't save you, nor will it make you a better Christian -- only submission can do these things.

Transition: And this brings us to. . .

III. Submission's Motivation.
1. It is based upon our reverence to God (Eph.5:21).

21. . .submitting to one another in the fear of God.

A. The word "fear" as it is used here carries a couple of ideas, the first is it speaks of our reverence and respect for God.

1) Christians show their respect towards God when we submit to Him and to One Another.

2) But when we fail to submit, then we become disrespectful to God and to One Another.

B. Secondly, it speaks of a healthy fear of God's authority over us.

1) Just as a child loves their father, they also will have a healthy fear of His discipline too.

2) Remember the dreaded words, "you just wait until your father comes home?"

A) You knew that an unpleasant discipline was coming your way.

B) It is the same for the believer, who has a heavenly Father who likewise disciplines His children when they do not behave as they are told too.

2. It is based upon a Spirit controlled life (Eph.5:17-21).

A. The four verses leading up to Ephesians 5:21 are talking about living a spirit controlled life and when we allow God to take control of our lives, then and only then will we submit ourselves to God, and to one another.

1) Ephesians 5:17-21 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

2) The filling of the Holy Spirit happens when there is a yieldedness to God's will (Acts 2:4; 4:31).

B. The result of or the consequence of being filled with the Spirit is, there will be submission to one another.

- And of course, being fill with self will lead us in the direction of pride and rebellion.

 If this fact doesn't create concern in your heart, then you are either walking in God's perfect will, or you have had a spiritual lobotomy.

Invitation:
1. God isn't asking you to blindly submit to Him so that He can misuse and abuse you.

A. He wants us to submit based upon a trust that He is looking out for our best interests, based upon His track record which has been revealed through His Word, His actions, and His personal relationship with us.

B. God has called His people to be a submissive people, for their own welfare and good.

- Its been said that, "If you don't surrender to Christ, you surrender to chaos" (E. Stanley Jones: 1884-1973)

A. God's word tells us that we will reap what we sow -- what have you been harvesting?

1) Job 4:8 . . .Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same.

2) Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.

B. Christian, if you haven't put the Lord first in your life by submitting to Him, then it is time to break up the rebellion in your life and come before the alter of God in submission and repentance this morning -- we have a God who not only will forgive you, but wants to rain His righteousness upon you.

- Vance Havner once said, "God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume--it is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever."

A. Romans 6:23 tells us that you will receive a wage for your labor of rebellion  For the wages of sin is death. . .

1) Your payday is coming! -- Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. Hebrews 9:27  (NIV).

2) Romans 2:8-9 says, But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil. . . (NIV)

3) And what is God's Wrath? -- But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. Revelation 21:8 (NIV).

B. But the good news is, God is willing to forgive you if you will accept His offer.

1) The rest of Romans 6:23 tells us . . .but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2) To accept God's gift, you must come to God on His terms, and it begins with submitting yourself to the Lord by having a true repentance of your sins, by not only confessing them to the Lord but also by being willing to change the way that you are presently living.

A) In Acts 17:30-31 the Apostle Paul says, In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

B) The Apostle Peter said in Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

3) And you need to put your whole-hearted trust in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins against God. - Romans 10:9-10, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.