BIBLICAL SUBMISSION

Romans 10:3

SUBMISSION, WHAT AN IMPORTANT THING. IN OUR TEXT, BECAUSE A PERSON FAILED TO SUBMIT THEY DIED AND WENT TO HELL.

SUBMIT -- WE USE THESE WORDS OFTEN IN THE PLACE OF SUBMIT: SURRENDER, RELINQUISH, COMPLY, OBEY... put under 6, be subject unto 6, be subject to 5, submit (one's) self unto 5, submit (one's) self to 3, be in subjection unto 2, put in subjection under 1, 40 TIMES IT IS USED.

1. THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS... to subordinate, to subject, to subject one's self, obey, to submit to one's control, to yield to one's admonition or advice, to obey, be subject

2. A Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden".

SUBMISSION IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR, IT IS A DISCIPLINE... ONE THAT IS UNFORTUNATLY BEING NEGLECTED. WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT HONORS INDIVIDUALISM AND GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN, STANDING AGAINST THE ESTABLISHMENT. WE LOVE TO BE INDEPENDENT, IN FACT THIS IS AN INDEPENDENT BAPTIST CHURCH. YET IN SOME WAYS THESE IDEALS ARE AGAINST THE DISCIPLINE OF BIBLICLAL SUBMISSION.

There was no independence in our Lord, the great characteristic of his life was submission to his Father. Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

In the Bible the Lord is depicted by the Lamb and the Lion
The Lamb says: simplicity, meekness, white fleece, smallness, innocence, purity, helplessness, submission to sacrifice. The Lion says: strength, size, golden mane, grandeur, courage, untamed power. How paradoxical that both images speak of Christ! Neither is a perfect image; each symbolizes different characteristics of the same infinite Person.

I.) SUBMITTING TO GOD

A. W. Tozer SAID, "The man who surrenders to Christ exchanges a cruel slave driver for a kind and gentle Master whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light."

SOMETIMES IT TAKES BREAKING IN ORDER TO TEACH US TO SUBMIT AND SURRENDER TO GOD. THINK ABOUT THIS: It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume--it is a BROKEN PETER WHO PREACHES AT PENTICOST. ARE WILLING TO SUBMIT TO THIS?

Stanley Jones SAID, "If you don't surrender to Christ, you surrender to chaos."

William Booth, THE FOUNDER OF THE SALVATION ARMY SAID, "The greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender."

THE WAY YOU DRESS, TALK, LOOK, ALL SHOW SUBJECTION OR A LACK OF IT.

ILL. DENNIS RODMAN SUBMISSION? OR REBELLION? PUT YOUR NAME IN THERE!!

1. Mini skirts… long hair on the men.. and the short hair on women
2. Bell Bottoms… sideways hats
3. Baggy Britches… showing the underwear
4. Ear Rings.. and nose rings, and tongue rings.. tatooing.. Rebellion!

II. SUBMITTING TO EACH OTHER

Sin has four characteristics: self-sufficiency instead of faith; self-will instead of submission; self-seeking instead of benevolence; self-righteousness instead of humility.

Forget yourself for others, and others will not forget you.

For the family to work this must take place… the reason so many families have problems is because so many have the it's my way or the highway mentality..

III. WIVES SUBMITTING TO THEIR HUSBANDS

The verb "submit" is in the middle voice. Literally, it means "place yourself in submission." In that moment as a new believer, I believe I stumbled on an important truth of what submission isn't. Submission isn't sitting down on the outside while you're standing up on the inside.

GOD HONORS THIS, AND MAY I SAY IF YOU DON'T DO THIS YOU ARE IN DANGER OF TWO THINGS:

A. FIRST, YOU'LL HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT WILL LEARN A POOR EXAMPLE OF WHAT A WIFE SHOULD BE; WHEN THEIR HOME IS IN CHAOS AND YOUR GRANDCHILDREN ARE LIVING IN A MESS YOU'LL BE PARTLY TO BLAME.

B. SECOND, YOUR SON WILL PROBABLY MARRY SOME GIRL THAT WON'T SUBMIT TO HIM. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN. (sowing and reaping)

Christianity Today did an extensive study of battered Christian women, and they found that two-thirds of these women believe that it was their Christian responsibility to endure their husbands' violence and that in so doing they would be expressing a commitment both to God and to their husbands. Fifty-five percent noted that their husbands had said that if they would only be more submissive, then the violence would stop. And one-third of these women believed their husbands, believing that their submission was the key to resolving domestic violence. That is a lie. If you have a husband who is beating up on you, let me know. We'll fix that problem.

IV. Submitting to the Spirit instead of the Flesh

You have two natures. Unfortunately one of those will always take you the wrong way. It says go the easy way. Do what you feel like. It's easy to pinpoint homes like this.

The kids grow up under-motivated. Under achievers. Can't count on them… How'd they get that way? They grew up in homes where Mom and Dad always did what they felt like doing.

"you deserve a break today" IS THE MENTALITY OF SO MANY BELIEVERS…

LISTEN TO VINCE LOMBARDI.........

"I've never known a man worth his salt who, in the long run, deep down in his heart, did not appreciate the grind and the discipline. There is something in good men that truly yearns for and needs discipline."

V. SUBMITTING TO SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY

1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

SOME ONE HAS WELL SAID, "THE BEST OF MEN ARE STILL MEN AT BEST". THIS IS SO TRUE BUT DOES THAT GRANT US THE MINISTRY OF MAKING SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THE FAILINGS OF THE MEN OF GOD?

SOME OF HAVE SAID, "I DON'T WANT MY KIDS TO THINK THAT THE PREACHER IS SOME GOD, HE'S JUST A MAN LIKE THE REST OF US. I DON'T WANT MY FAMILY TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN A MAN!" SO THEY'VE MADE IT THEIR MINISTRY TO ROAST THE PREACHER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. SADLY THOUGH, NOW THE PREACHER HAS BEEN SO WORN OUT AND HUMANIZED THAT HE CAN NO LONGER BE THEIR PASTOR, THEIR SPIRITUAL LEADER.

VI. SUBMITTING TO THOSE WHO ARE OLDER

VII. SUBMITTING TO GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY

VIII. SERVANTS ARE TO SUBMIT TO MASTERS