Paul’s gives some faithful advice on family life, employer/employee relations and harmony as well as the necessity to fight spiritual battles with the whole armour of God.
Ephesians 6: Children and Parents
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 "Honour your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise),
3 "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land."
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves and Masters
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,
6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,
8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
The Whole Armour of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Final Greetings
21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything.
22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.
Things to think about…
1. When our boys were younger and they didn’t always carry out Eph 6:1,2 as they should have, and I didn’t always keep Eph 6:4. We are told to not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good, Rom 12:21. As was mentioned yesterday, we cannot wait for someone else to be obedient to Christ before we are obedient. Parents are to be the main ones to set the spiritual culture within the home. These things come with a promise, vs 3 living long in the land. There is nothing longer than eternal life and Immanuel’s land.
2. Eph 6:5-9 in a modern context concerns the relationship we have between employers and employees. Our Lord’s eye is on all our work and His ear over every word. Honouring our Lord begins and ends in the heart. Jesus says everything else flows from there, Mt 15:18.
3. Had any doubts lately? What about questions concerning God’s will and character? How about acknowledging and believing in the supernatural. Do you doubt the spiritual realm even exists? Do you struggle with seeing the influence and power of the Holy Spirit in your life? If you answered yes to any of these questions – welcome to the Christian life and the spiritual war that is being waged on our souls. Paul encourages us to put on the whole armour of God to be more than protected. We are to go on the offensive and take ground. If you are not reading God’s word, your head is not protected, as such you also have no battle plan. If you are not praying, your shield of faith is down and you are open to Satan’s arrows hitting your heart. If you are not praying in the Spirit, you are open to do battle in your own strength, rather than by the Lord’s Spirit. Put on the whole armour of God.
4. Faithful Tychicus, Eph 6:21. May we be like him, bringing a word of encouragement to others. I would encourage you to always bring a good word and an encouragement about what the Lord is doing in the church and in His people. Anyone can criticise and pull down. The point is that we encourage one another so that “Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”, Eph 6:24. A wonderful final word of encouragement to us all from the Apostle.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Sermon:-“Can we trust the bible as God’s word” – 1 Peter 1:15
a. Do you trust that the bible is the word of God? What role does your faith play in this, Heb 11:1?
b. What examples can you give and what evidence is there for trusting the bible through stories like Noah’s flood, Gen 6-9 and the Tower of Babel, Gen 11. What evidence do we see? Discuss.
c. How did the Hebrews copy the scriptures from one scroll to another and what effect did the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1948 have on trusting the accuracy of the Old Testament.
d. We have over 5600 Greek manuscripts, 10, 000 Latin manuscripts and 9000 manuscripts of the NT in other ancient languages from the Middle east. The earliest known frgment is p52 in Greek showing part of John 8. Why does this matter when we compare it to other ancient writings like Plato, Homer or Caesar’s Gallic Wars?
e. Jesus Christ is the Logos – the Word. Knowing the bible means knowing Him better. Discuss how you read/receive the word of God.
Prayer Points
1. Continue to pray and Andy in Ipswich hospital and for Sally as she continues to battle Alzheimer’s. Give thanks for Andy’s brother Tad and a loving husband and example of Christ – Richard.
2. The processing of our insurance claim and the repurchasing of equipment.
3. That those who are new to the church are encouraged and settle in well into the church.
4. That we be bold in our witnessing for Christ. Pray for a heart to see those around you saved.
5. Pray for Kids@church and our Youth group.
6. How you can serve in ministry this year.
7. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Sunday was a great encouragement thankyou to all who served in the sound and worship team as well as the meeting afterwards. A long but blessed day.
2. Our insurance claim has been accepted. Now to buy and replace the equipment.
3. Young adult’s ministry – keep praying as this ministry grows.
4. Kids@Church ministry is a great blessing. Pray for Rosie and balancing her teaching, family and church worlds.
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Young Adults meeting at Dan and Mel’s house on Sunday after the service.
2. Remember to check your duty rosters for term 2.
3. Community Day Saturday 24th June at Church. At 1:00pm to 5pm ending with a bon fire.
4. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
5. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for June...
Q. 9. Who is God? A. God is a Spirit, and does not have a body like men.
