Pastor Jon talked about how God has redeemed many ancient and oppressive social structures by infusing them with the love and compassion of Christ.
MY STORY
What's currently a social structure you're a part of (either at work, school, home, or church) that presents challenges for you?
WHAT DOES GOD WANT US TO HEAR?
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord … Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ... Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right ... Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord ... Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants 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.
(From Ephesians 5 & 6)
What are the ancient social structures that Paul describes in Ephesians 5 & 6?
What happened in society when these structures were energized by the expression of power?
According to Pastor Jon, how did Paul take these social structures show how they could be redeemed through expressions of God-honoring respect and love?
What does God want us to hear? Based on the passage and the questions above, what "takeaways" do you think God has revealed to you?
WHAT DOES GOD WANT US TO DO?
Pastor Jon said, Ancient writers who took up Aristotle's husband-wife, parent-child, master-slave breakdown of the household—these guys never said anything about husbands loving their wives.
What current social structures might tempt us to slip into a power-based mindset, especially over those who are vulnerable, or wield less influence?
Give examples of this in the context of marriage, raising kids, or managing employees.
How could we redeem these structural models by infusing them the type of love and compassion that brings delight to God's heart? What would that look like?
What does God want us to do? Flowing out of our reading and interpretation, what action does this passage or the Spirit's leading, call us to.
WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO?
Pastor Jon asked, How many things in our lives can we radically reframe—whether it's with jobs, with relationships, with parenting, with service to others—not just in terms of what we get from those things, but how much more we can give?
Pick two social structures that currently dominate your life …
One, where you're in charge ... and the other, where you are subordinate to someone.
Where have ancient, oppressive biases creeped into these two structures in your life?
What are some creative ways to either confront these predispositions in others, or correct them in your own heart?
What does God want ME to do? What is the personal application and action step God is calling you, personally, toward?
Message Notes
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