How To Preach A Sermon

How To Preach A Sermon From Ephesians 5:22-6:9 is a sermon that covers the topic of submission - submission in marriages, families, work places and society in general.

How To Preach A Sermon From Ephesians 5:22-6:9

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup (referring to His death for sin) pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39b).

At that moment when Jesus was confirming with His Father that the only way to deal with sin was that He die, we see the greatest picture of submission we will ever see in history.

As one writer said, "The significant thing about this prayer was that Jesus willingly submitted His will to the will of His Father as He affirmed God's will for His life."

Therefore, in those words of Jesus, not as I will but as You will, we get a glimpse of what submission means.

We could say that submission means surrendering one’s will to the will of God. To put it in its most-simplest terms, it is saying in one's hearts not as I will but as God wills.

An interesting aspect of submission is that no one can make you submit. Submission is a voluntary response. It's a response whereby you willingly surrender your will to the will of God.

Submission affects every area of our life - it affects marriage, family, the work place and society in general.

Let's look at what it means to submit to one another out of reverence for Jesus.

Submitting to one another out of reverence for Jesus involves...

1. Wives submitting to their husbands (5:22-24)

Look at verse 22, "Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord."

Notice three important aspects of submssion here!

Submission is unqualified - not if's and but's!
Submission is as to the Lord - submission begins with our relationship with Jesus
Submission is about God's will (5:23-24)

The most important aspect here is that submission is a voluntary act that comes from one's relationship with Jesus or it comes from a Spirit-filled walk with Jesus.

Secondly, submitting to one another out of reverence for Jesus involves...

2. Husbands loving their wives (5:25-33)

Look at verse 25, "Husbands love your wives..."

Notice the features of this love!

This love is sacrificial (5:25)
This love is purifying (5:26-27)
This love is caring (5:28-30)
This love is unbreakable (5:31)

Thirdly, submitting to one another out of reverence for Jesus involves...

3. Children obeying their parents (6:1-4)

Notice what happens when children obey their parents!

They please God
They honor their parents
They receive two blessings from God - quality and quantity of life

Quality of life is referring to harmony and peace in the family and quantity of life is referring to obedience children avoiding those things that can threaten or shorten their life.

Fourthly, submitting to one another out of reverence for Jesus involves...

4. Employees obeying their employers (6:5-8)

In Paul's day, the work force was an extension of the household. Most workers were servants of the master of the household. So, in many ways, we can relate this to employees today. Employees fulfil God’s will in submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ by obeying their employers.

Verse 5, "obey...as to Christ," verse 6, obey... "as servants of Christ," verse 7, "with good will doing service, as to the Lord."

Fifthly, submitting to one another out of reverence for Jesus involves...

5. Employers being fair to their employees (6:9)

Submission affects every area of our lives - marriages, families, work places and society in general.

Submission is an important part of the fabric of our society. For Christians, it means we submit to one another out of reverence for Jesus.

However, submission is a voluntary acts that comes from our Spirit-filled walk with Jesus.

When we submit to one another in accordance to God's will, relationships will be healed and harmony and peace will prevail.

Click here for more Sermons From Ephesians.