Loving God with all my heart, mind and soul and loving my neighbor as myself by making disciples, baptizing and to teach all things commanded by Jesus Christ in the Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles and the Revelation. HEAR THIS GOSPEL - Romans 10:17 BELIEVE ON CHRIST - John 6:47 REPENT OF EVERY SIN - Luke 13:3 CONFESS JESUS AS CHRIST - Matthew 10:32 BE BAPTIZED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS - Acts 2:38 LIVE FAITHFULLY - I John 1:7 SPREAD THIS SAME GOSPEL - Acts 8:4
Ephesians 5 speaks about marriage, but it is not about marriage. Ephesians 5 speaks about Christian living, but it is not about Christian living. Ephesians 5 speaks about singing in Christian worship, but it is not about singing in Christian worship. If it is not about these things, just what IS it about?
Ephesians 5 is about God's great mystery, the church of Christ. It is illustrated here by Paul primarily by marriage and "clean" living which includes "singing to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs."
Ephesians 5 tells us primarily about Christ's relationship to the church which is a "great mystery." Since Paul in several places reveals the mysterious church of Christ (the mystery is that the gospel is for all, not just the Jews) and makes sure by inspiration that the church of Christ remain a mystery no longer!
The Jews organized their writings (including Inspired Scripture) is a way unlike extant Westerners (shocking!). Instead of lining up arguments in a line with a conclusion at the end, Hebraic literature would often have a thesis in the middle with arguments on the front end descending to the thesis and corresponding arguments ascending backwards to the thesis. These "chiasms" rendered emphasis without repetition. There also was an "internal tension" between the various top and bottom assertions. For example, the "no uncleanness to be named among you" of Ephesian 5.3 - 5 is contrasted by Ephesians 5.31's "For this reason..." It goes without saying that a faithful monogamous relationship will allow no uncleanness. This "chiastic" outline gets its name from the Greek alphabet letter "X" (chi) as it looks like a cut in half letter "X."
Here is Ephesians 5 outlined chiastically. As Paul did not leave us his outlines, this has been organized by me and me alone. The Word is without error but my outline might not be! Feel free to construct your own chiasm's to further your study of God's Word!
2Walk as
did Christ in love, sacrifice and offering
3 – 5No uncleanness to be named among you
6Be wary of deception
16Redeem the time
20
– 21Submit to all with
thanksgiving
22 – 23 Christ
is the head of the church – LEADER
Christ is the Savior of the Body - SERVANT
24aThe church is submissive to Christ
24bWives are subject to husbands in everything
25
– 26Husbands, love your wives AS
Christ loved the church
31“For this reason a man should leave his
father and mother and…
32This is a
great mystery BUT see Romans 16.25 – 26 & Colossians 1.26 - 29
This outline was presented to the Archdale church of Christ, 2525 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210 on 11 April 2018 by Russell H McCullough
Sarai, Abram, Hagar and GOD. High drama in the Negeb desert as pragmatism is once again shown to be utter foolishness as Sarai has a meltdown, Hagar flees, Abram acts like a poltroon and...God shows His Sovereignty to all! (Video may be shortened due to a battery failure in the computer.)
Sunday night sermon at the Archdale church of Christ in Charlotte, NC - 21 August 2016.
Thesis: The Love of God
conquerors all things including treachery, loathing and unrequited love!
1Introduction
A.The
Four Tops – “Just Ask the Lonely”
When
you feel that need
To make it all alone,
Remember no one is thinking of,
Going alone
Just
ask the lonely
They know the hurt and pain,
Of losing a love, you can never regain
B.Jacob
betrayed Esau at Beersheba
1.Located
75 miles SW of Jerusalem
2.Founded
when Abraham and Abimelech made a covenant regarding the well Abraham had dug
in Genesis 21.
3.The
name means “The Well of the Oath” or “Seven Wells.”
4.Isaac
built an altar of sacrifice there (Genesis 26)
5.Near
here Jacob had his vision of the Stairway to Heaven (Genesis 28)
C.Rebecca
told Jacob to flee to Paddan-aram
1.599
miles from Beersheba
2.Name
means “Field of Aram”
3.Actually
an area in which is located Haran
4.Laban
was Rebecca’s brother and Jacobs uncle
5.Rachael
and Leah were his cousins
D.Jacob
comes under the tent of his uncle Laban
1.Begins
as an extended visit
2.Employment
offered by Laban to Jacob because of kinship
3.The
wages – 7 years of labor in return for Rachael
2The
Treachery of a Father – Genesis 29.15 - 24
A. (We see how Jacob inherited his devious ways!)
B. Laban breaks his covenant with Jacob
C. Laban uses Leah as a bargaining chip to double his money
1. He saw
his daughter as not being valuable because of
Poor eyesight.
2. By his snookering (THE FREE DICTIONARY - To lead(another)into a situation in whichallpossiblechoicesareundesirable;trap.)
he got 7 extra
years of free labor by Using his daughter as a pawn in a business deal.
D. Leah’s father’s treachery must have left her very alone
and very afraid of her future.
1. Once bartered away, women were under 100% control of their
husbands, the father was no longer any factor whatsoever. Leah had no legal rights at all whatsoever.
E. We can hear the sobs and see the tears as her father “high
fives” over his business deal.
3The
Loathing of a Husband – Genesis 29.25 - 30
A. Leah is a trick to Jacob not a lover though she is his
wife
B. Jacob sees Leah as making him a victim
C. Jacob sees Leah as an instrument of deception
D. Jacob is told the “fine print” of the covenant and
realizes he’s been “snookered.” GOTCHA!
E. Jacob spends a week with Leah, not out of love for her but
for the love of her sister!
1. “I’m going through the motions so I can marry your sister
that, UNLIKE YOU, I love!”
F. Leah’s husbands open and notorious loathing of her must
have left her in absolute terror, loneliness and self-hatred.
G. We can hear the sobs and see the tears while Jacob sulks
in the corner over having been out maneuvered by his uncle as he yearns for
Leah’s sister.
4Unrequited
Love – Genesis 29.31 – 34; 30.8
A. Reuben is born – “Now my husband will love me.”
B. Levi is born – “Now this time my husband will be attached
to me because I have born him 3 sons.”
C. Intense competition erupts with her sister who claims
victory over her
D. We can hear the sobs and see the tears as time after time
with each new son the love and affection of Jacob elude her.
5. Love Conquerors All! – Genesis 29.35ff
A.
A progression of faith in God – HER TRUE FRIEND AND HELPER
1) 29.31 – The Lord came to her rescue when HE saw she was
hated.
2) 29.32 – “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction…”
3) 29.33 – “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated…”
4) 29.35 – “THIS TIME I WILL PRAISE THE LORD!”
a)
JOY HAS REPLACED SORROW FOR HER LOVE
IS
NOW FOCUSED ON GOD AND NOT JACOB.
b)
This is the turning point in Leah’s life when
she
ceases crying and begins rejoicing!
5) 30.11 – “Good fortune has come!”
6) 30.13 – “Happy am I!
For women have called me happy.”
7) 30.18 – “God has given me my wages because I gave my
servant to my husband.”
8) 30.20 – “God has endowed me with good endowment…”
6The
Legacy of Leah’s Life
A.With
God’s loving help:
1)Leah,
like Churchill said, “Never, never, never give up!”
2)Leah
did not allow loneliness to defeat her
3)Leah
did not allow treachery to destroy her
4)Leah
never rebelled against her father
5)Leah
never rebelled against her husband
6)Leah
did not allow her loathing husband to cease striving for his love and affection
7)Leah
did not allow jealousy of her sister embitter her
8)Leah
waited on the Lord to hear her case
9)Leah
always sought what was best for her husband
10)Leah
accepted her circumstances
11) Leah gave thanks to God for the
success of others
12)Leah
always gave God the glory
13)Leah
was given two great gifts that continue to bless us today!
a)It
was her son, Judah, that became the savior of the family and the familial
progenitor of the Lord Jesus Christ!
b)She
received the highest commendation of those who lived centuries later:
1.“Then
all the people who were at the gate and the elders said; “We are
witnesses. May the LORD make the woman,
who is coming into your house, like Rachael and LEAH, who TOGETHER built up the
house of Israel…” – Ruth 4.11a
7Leah
Challenges Us This Morning:
A. To know that when God is for us, no one can be against us
B. To realize that surrender to our circumstances is not an
option
C. To understand that suffering is not failure
D. To know that treachery is never final
E. To realize that every person has at least one other person
in life who loathes them
F. To understand that getting “snookered” is not a reflection
on me
G. To give God Thanks for every circumstance
H. To give God all the praise and glory for all achievements
I. To understand that a small faith can grow great
J. To grasp the fact that family is greater than all
possessions
k. To willingly rejoice with the success of our adversaries
l. To realize that rebellion against God, parents or spouses
is never an option
m. To come to grasp with the fact that true happiness is
found ONLY in God and nowhere else!
1. “I have
come to give you life and life more abundantly!”
n. To “Never, never, never give up!”
8“The
Gospel Call”
·My fifth great uncle was Hugh Gaston who was
rector at the Ballywillan Presbyterian Church (pictured above left) in County
Antrim, Ulster Plantation (Northern Ireland) and wrote the most dangerous book
of his time; Gaston’s Collections. It
allowed “the ploughman to know more Bible than his clergyman.” Hugh fled to South Carolina where he died
prematurely of the measles. He is buried
just one hour south of Charlotte in Chester County, S.C. in “Burnt Meeting
House Cemetery.” Uncle Hugh continues
to inspire my ministry to this very day.
You can read more about Uncle Hugh here: http://www.ballywillanpci.org/rev-hugh-gaston
Ruins photo courtesy of:
ballywillanpci.org.
·On Friday night, August 5, 2016 Russ will
dramatically portray the life and times of his 5th Great
grandfather, John “Justice” Gaston entitled; “A Patriot of the Revolution.” A
portion of the event will cover also the life and times of his brother, Hugh
Gaston. The event will take place at the
Archdale church of Christ, 2525 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210 at 7
p.m. The public is invited to this free
presentation.
21 March 2016 (Mint Hill, NC) - Several weeks ago the Charlotte City Council voted to mandate that public bathrooms be no longer gender specific. Without going into explicit details such an ordinance will allow deviancy to become legally, though not morally, normative. The personal privacy of individuals will be at least compromised. The worst case, of course, is that the safety and security of individuals will be threatened. Under the guise of "sexual orientation confusion," deviants will proceed into bathrooms of the opposite sex for less than honorable pursuits.
What should the response be to this by Christians?
There are two possible responses. One is to take the historical view of the early church and not engage at all in the political process. The other is to use whatever biblical allowable means available to challenge this turn to immorality in our community. We will here explore both options.
The first option, to do nothing, comes from a misapplication of ancient history. First and second century Christians, according to the Roman philosopher Celsus (image noted above), refused service in the military, did not engage in any kind of empire politics and did not even participate in the running of local municipalities. The much admired and lamented bro. David Lipscomb held this view for American church members in the 19th century. With all due respect to our late brother, to apply Roman conditions to American conditions is simply trying to compare apples to oranges. The "dog just won't hunt."
We should go to the Patristics (the so-called "church fathers") for history but never for theology. For theology, we go exclusively to the Holy Writ. Christians never participated with Rome for such a participation would constitute an "unequal yoking." The reason being of course, is that the early Christians intuitively knew that Rome was the "Beast." (Revelation 13)
No such designation could ever be applied today to our Nation, to our Declaration and to our Constitution. Our Republic, like no other, acknowledges that ALL rights descend, not from other men as was the case with Rome, but from God Himself! In fact, Peter, by inspiration tells us to "honor the king." (I Peter 2.17) Just who is our king in the United States? Our king, to which we give honor, is the Declaration and the Constitution. We give honor to our king, not by disengaging in the political process, but by embracing the political process!
Therefore, option two is biblically viable for the church today here in America. So...how does this play out in our time and place?
* The biblical truth concerning Christian morality must be heralded continually from our pulpits. Namely, ALL sexual contact outside of marriage between one man and one woman for life is immoral and damnable.
* Our approach to all parties should be one characterized by "truth in love," never with anger, rancor, threats, shoutings or any other form of personal animosity. Our approach should be as was Christ's; "...go and sin no more."
* Our approach must always be within acceptable legal channels such as public hearings, prearranged visits with dignitaries, letters, emails and social media.
* Should our pleas go unheeded, then we are free to support other candidates for the city council that oppose immorality and support our Constitutional moral order.
* Finally, Christians should be running to serve on councils, boards and commissions so immorality will no longer raise it's ugly head in our community.
NOTE:
Since I wrote this article the Governor and Legislature of North Carolina have stepped in on the side of decency and morality to overturn the Charlotte City Councils dictatorial bathroom edict. We thank God for their quick and decisive action.
Having said that, the likelihood of a radical court "overturning" (one cannot "overturn" what is biblical, good, pure right and moral!) this state statute is very great indeed. The deviant parties are already rumbling about this direction. The place to have stopped this would have been on the council itself so that there never would have been a vote in the first place.
On May 8 North Carolinian's will vote on Proposition One:
“Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.”
If I listen to two former Charlotte mayors, Harvey Ghant (D) and Richard Vinroot (R), I will likely vote against Prop 1. Why? Because these two men consider any prohibition of homosexual marriage to be little more than hatred, discrimination and bigotry. Their views are sadly predictable. Life long politicians follow the path to money and votes. All other considerations aside, the homosexual demographic has plenty of both. Sadly, both parties are anxious to get their money and their votes. These two lifetime professional politicians have teamed up to make a television commercial in order to suppress the pro Prop One vote. They do so by insinuating that anyone so voting is uneducated, narrow-minded, intolerant, bigoted and hateful for wanting to deny the "right" to marriage to two people of the same sex who want to be married.
On the other hand, if I listen to Jesus Christ, I will assuredly vote FOR the proposition. In Matthew 19 Jesus makes very clear that God blesses sexual union ONLY between one man and one woman for life with two exceptions - death and adultery. All other sexual unions are, therefore, outside of God's Will. This would include ALL forms of immorality, including but not limited to, fornication, adultery, incest, bestiality et. al. "From the beginning" God made the familial model of one man with one woman for life with children the basic building block of society. Our Founding Fathers understood this. John Adams, signer of the Declaration and our 2nd president, said; "Our form of government is for a moral and religious people and none other." To discard this marital model is to invite chaos and destruction to the Republic.
We all have a blessing, opportunity and an obligation to vote FOR Proposition One on May 8. This is not a political issue though it is debated in the political arena. It is not a Democratic Party or a Republican Party issue for both parties are both pandering to immorality. It IS an opportunity to "proclaim liberty throughout the land" for morality, marriage and fidelity protect and enhance all other freedoms - freedoms given to us by God and not by man as stated in the Declaration.
As for me and my house, I will vote for righteousness on May 8 though many may "call" me a bigot.
