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Sermon: Spiritual Disciplines – Submission
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ephesians 5:15-21
Duration: 28:37
Size: 13.1 MB
Spiritual Disciplines
Submission
Ephesians 5:15-21
Christian Submission…
Out of all the spiritual disciplines, I think that submission is the most counter cultural.
The Submission that Paul is calling us to is a mutual submission – not one where there is one person in submission, and another in authority, but that we would submit to each other.
It is not the abdication of responsibility or authority so we get no where and no decisions get made because we are so worried about stepping on each others toes.
Submission is – a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden. “put others first.”
The most amazing picture I have of submitting from a place of strength is that of Jesus standing before Pilate.
Laying down one’s life is not just about dying it is about giving up what we hold dear because our friend is even more dear to us.
Our Submission to each other is an outworking of the Spirit’s filling of our lives.
Areas to Submit…
I ask for the grace to let myself be shaped by my loving Creator.
I believe that God gives us families to practice love on, because if we can love them, we can love anybody.
If you look around you, these are all the “one-another’s” that God calls you to love and serve, to lift up and honor above yourself.
The Spiritual Disciple of Submission is as about as counter-cultural as you can get – you may feel it within you as you bristle at the very word “submission”.
Christian Submission…
- Christian Submission is not about being a Doormat.
- Christian Submission is not about the lowest common denominator.
- Christian Submission Flows Out of Strength, Not Weakness.
- Christian submission is not about placating a bully.
- Christian Submission must come in Relationship.
- Christian Submission is about Sacrifice.
- Christian Submission flows from the filling of the Spirit.
- Christian Submission is about Honor.
Areas to Submit…
- Submit to God.
- Submit to God’s Word.
- Submit to our Families.
- Submit to your neighbors, coworkers, friend…
- Submit to the Christian Community.
- Submit to the Broken & Despised.