Servanthood in Relationship

Mes(23)26Aug2018

SCRIPTURE READING:

Colossians 3:18-25 AB
(18) Wives, be subject to your husbands [subordinate and adapt yourselves to them],
as is right and fitting and your proper duty in the Lord.
(19) Husbands, love your wives [be affectionate and sympathetic with them] and do not be harsh or bitter or resentful toward them.
(20) Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
(21) Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or fret your children [do not be hard on them or harass them], lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior
and frustrated. [Do not break their spirit.] (22) Servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters,
not only when their eyes are on you as pleasers of men, but in simplicity of purpose
[with all your heart] because of your reverence for the Lord and as a sincere expression
of your devotion to Him.
(23) Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul),
as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,
(24) Knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah).
(25) For he who deals wrongfully will [reap the fruit of his folly and] be punished for his wrongdoing. And [with God] there is no partiality [no matter what a person’s position may be, whether he is the slave or the master].

(B) TEXT VERSE:

Colossians 3:23 MSG
Work from the heart for your real Master, for God,

Kolossense 3:23 AOV
En wat julle ook al doen, doen dit van harte soos vir die Here en nie vir mense nie,

(C) INTRODUCTION:

I want to talk to you regarding the power of servanthood in in relationships and I want to focus on the marriage relationship today.

Statistics:
Although one in every two married couples ends up divorced,
Certain categories of marriages have a much higher success rate.
A national survey in America revealed that when two criteria are present:
1. The couple attends church together on regular basis,
2. They pray together at home daily,
there was only one divorce in one thousand marriages!

(D) BOTH PARTNERS MUST BE SERVANTS:

Marriage is a cooperative effort between equal partners.
It’s a diversity of roles within a partnership of equals.
Marriage is a relationship in which both partners are servants.
It is also a relationship where servanthood is a lifestyle.
Marriage is the place where servanthood – as demonstrated by Jesus – must be demonstrated and imparted to the whole family.

Ephesians 5:1 MSG
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior
from their parents.

In Paul’s days woman, children and slaves were to submit to the head of the family
Slaves would submit until they were freed, male children until they became mature and woman and girls for the rest of their lives.

Paul emphasized the equality of all believers

Galatians 3:28 MSG
In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free,
male and female. Among us you are all equal.
That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.

That is why Paul counseled all believers to submit to one another by choice:

Wives to husbands and also husbands to wives.
Slaves to masters and also masters to slaves.
Children to parents and also parents to children.
This kind of mutual submission preserves order and harmony in the family while it releases and increases God’s love and respect among family members.
In doing so we are honoring God.
Our relationships should always be to the honor of God.

Ephesians 5:21 AB
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

(E) MARRIAGE WAS CREATED BY GOD:

Marital Turmoil

It is tragic to realize that in the modern day church of Christ there are constant marital difficulties. This is not the will of God.
Christian mates ought to be among the happiest of people on the face of the planet!
Why should a man and woman who profess to be in love with the Lord continue in misery because of a rocky marital relationship?
The closer husbands and wives walk with Christ the easier and more blessed their lives together will become.

(Demonstrate the tri-angle principle)

In Ephesians 5:23-31; Paul tells us how the relationship between Jesus (the bridegroom) and His church (the bride) should be.
He then continue and says the following in:

Ephesians 5:32 NLT
This is a great mystery,
but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.

Show me a husband and wife who are unfaithful to the Bridegroom,
Jesus, and I will show you a couple in deep trouble in their marriage…
Will a Christian wife nag and complain and bemoan everything,
or will she be a radiant help-meet for the man
with whom she chose to live out her life?

Will a husband come home and make himself comfortable
behind the evening newspaper if he really wants to demonstrate Christian love?

Once a housewife asked her husband
if he minded escorting her out to the garbage can.
He asked why she would make such a silly request.
She replied, “I just want to be able to tell the neighbors
that we go out together once in a while.

“Marriage is a give-and-take proposition, and a wise couple soon realizes that each must give more than was thought during courtship.
Too many mates destroy their families and lives and burden others by supposing they have uncountable problems within their marriages that could not be solved. That is selfish and the love of God is not in operation in such a marriage.

Unselfish Godly love is the key to successful Christian marriages.

(F) MARRIAGE IS A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP:

Malachi 2:14 MSG
…GOD was there as a witness when you spoke your marriage vows to your young bride, and now you’ve broken those vows, broken the faith-bond with your vowed companion, your covenant wife.

Marriage is a covenant between two people.
God made marriage. It is His plan for mankind on this earth.
It is therefore God’s plan that the husband and wife make Him part of their marriage covenant.

Malachi 2:15 MSG
GOD, not you, made marriage.
His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that’s what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don’t cheat on your spouse.

If you don’t have the spirit of marriage within you, how can your marriage be successful?

People who are not born again children of God, can only experience unity of body and soul to a certain extend in their marriage.
They will however never be able to experience total unity of spirit, soul and body
the way God intended.
Therefore their marriage will never reach its full potential in Christ Jesus.

When a husband and wife are joined together in their marriage with one another
and with God, their marriage relationship could explode in a reality of God’s eternal love that cannot be expressed in words.

Then and only then can a super natural level of Christ-like servanthood be reached.
First in marriage then in the family, then in the church, then in the work place and ultimately in our communities.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT
A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

A professional rope maker will tell you that:

The largest number of strands that can all touch one another evenly is three.
If you take away one and leave only two, you weaken the rope.

But if you add an extra strand and make it four, you do not add to the strength of the rope, because all the strands do no longer touch one another, and the strain or pressure is not distributed that evenly anymore.
If you have a rope of three strands, one – or even two – of the strands
may be under pressure and start to fray.
But as long as the third strand holds, the rope will not break.

In the marriage of born again believers, God Himself is that third strand.
The principle that intertwines the strands and holds them together is covenant.

Are you standing in a covenant relationship with God?
Is God part of your marriage covenant?
Is God the third strand of your marriage relationship the way He intended?
Are you setting the Godly example regarding relationship to your children?

Psalm 25:14 NLT
Friendship with the LORD is reserved for those who fear him.
With them he shares the secrets of his covenant.

Renewing of marriage vows:

I hereby renew my marriage vows with my husband/wife.
I call God and all here present today, to be witnesses to this vow.
I declare herewith that you (name) is and will stay my lawful wedded wife/husband, to have and to hold, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, yes in all circumstances to love and cherish till death do us part. I will love and serve you according to God’s holy ordinance by allowing the Holy Spirit to be part of this marriage covenant.