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COMPLETE SERMON NOTES

Godcast – Part 5

Hearing His Voice Through Submission

“Why is it our flesh hates submission and resists learning about it? It’s because submission requires brokenness – humbling ourselves, choosing to become a lamb, not a wolf.”

K.P. Yohannan (Recommended Reading: Touching Godliness)

Most won’t like this sermon because it goes against our very nature. We have a hard time submitting to God, let alone other people.
God’s principles are guardrails not roadblocks.

1. God’s creation submits to the laws the Creator established.

2. God’s Son submitted to the Father (and Caesar and parents).

Submission brings order and can lead to peace: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:8
Submission is submitting to God’s authority and then submitting to and obeying (with a cheerful heart) those HE has set over me.

DISCLAIMER: There are isolated situations where those over us clearly disregard God’s authority, or where severe abuse is occurring. In those cases, we need to remove ourselves or disobey the authority. Because in order to “obey” them I must “disobey” God (cf. Acts 4).

Water District example – hard environment
Constant state of submitting: Submit to God in the morning and then submit to the needs of my family and then submit to those in need that I serve for the day and then submit to the traffic laws in order to get there and then submit to flexible schedules and not my own plans and then submit to the needs of my family again and I submit to the work of the Holy Spirit

Drawing a distinction between a doormat and submission

Was Christ a doormat? We submit our strength and will to the will of the Father.
Submission is the heart / Obedience is the action
Hypotasso – to arrange under in an orderly fashion; the person submits on their own without God (or others) forcing them.

3 Institutions – dual citizenship

When it comes to submission, most Christians apologize for God’s Word rather than see the wonderful dynamic that He has created. Submission isn’t the problem, sin is – those in authority often abuse their position.

So lets not apologize for His Word…

1. Family

Ephesians 5:21-25,28 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” (submission leads to peace in marriage)

Complementarian vs. Egalitarian – we complement each other
2. Church

a] Leadership submits to 1 Timothy 3

b] One good thing about “membership”

Christmas Eve
Matthew 16:18-19, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

The church universal, not a man, has the spiritual authority.
If I said that 500 years ago I would be burned at the stake.
It breaks God’s heart more than mine that power is vested in a structure that has drifted from Him.

3. Government

a] For those who want to complain, think of the alternative: NO Authority – NO police – NO peace

Romans 13 NIV: 1Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. (The institution isn’t bad; the character of those is)

“Do all things without grumbling and complaining” (Phil. 2:14).
– County and City – garage conversion

– Parking ticket

KEY: We are blinded by pride; we despise submission; we desire control; we want our way; we can’t stand constructive criticism; we want what’s best for us – the quickest and easiest path.

A “governor” on a vehicle: it will control your speed since you can’t.
KEY: HEAR HIS VOICE – The blessings of God flow into and out of a submissive (humble heart). His will becomes clear; resistance is minimized; effort is eased because we are flowing with Him versus fighting against Him.

2 Cor. 3:17… where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
A. The atmosphere is freedom. We want to serve – we’re not forced. Submission fosters that environment.

B. Most spiritual, physical, and mental problems can be traced back to “rebellion”

Spiritual: not allowing humility and gentleness to truly guide. Not obeying God, but instead, fighting Him – or obedience.
Physical: i know how to take care of my body but i chose not to. I won’t submit to the physical laws of Kinesiology and Biochemistry.
Mental: i might “act” submissive but my mind is a raging volcano.
COMPLETE SERMON NOTES on line

Biblical Support:

James 4:7, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (submission leads to victory)

1 Peter 5:5-6, “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’” (submission leads to God’s grace – His blessings)

Ephesians 5:33, “Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife (submit to her needs) as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (submission leads to a healthy marriage)

Wives have a hard time submitting to men who do not submit…
1 Corinthians 11 – head coverings to remember the principle of submission.
Ephesians 6:5-8, “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men…” (submission leads to peace in the workplace)

Ephesians 6:1-4, “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.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” (submission can lead to longevity and the blessings of God – Father’s, don’t use their submission against them: deliberately annoy, anger, or incite)

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CLOSING: We can once again put ourselves in the center of God’s will and hear His voice.

I’d rather ‘hold my peace’ and have peace. I’d rather make less yet have more. I’d rather submit and obey then resist and fight. I’d rather not get the last word in and experience joy.

The greatest act of submission was Christ submitting to the Cross – Peace from SUBMISSION.

You submit now, or you submit later, but either way, you’re going to submit. ​

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