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Sermon #4178

Things that are God's

A Sermon on Ephesians 6:5-9

Originally preached June 12, 1960

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Scripture

Ephesians 6:5-9 ESV KJV
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, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not …

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Sermon Description

Many Christians see Christianity simply as a way to change the world through politics and social work. They insist that the role of the church is to pronounce a judgment on every current world event. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:5–9 titled “Things That are God’s,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones showing that while the church should have much to say on current events, its primary responsibility is the proclamation of God’s word. It is only there that the deepest and most central problems in the world can be addressed. According to the Bible, everything else is just symptomatic of humanity’s fallen and sinful nature. This is why the gospel is so important; it alone addresses humanity’s relationship to sin and to God and gives the answer in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the church moves away from the gospel as the central message and heart of Christianity, it soon becomes like every other human institution and society. But when the church proclaims Scripture as God’s revelation to sinners and the hope of salvation that is contained within, it brings a new message that is wholly different from any other that the world has to offer. It proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ as the hope for all sinners who will repent and believe.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon examines Ephesians 6:5-9 which deals with the relationship between servants and masters. The passage specifically refers to slaves and masters, not hired servants.
  2. The sermon acknowledges this is a controversial topic as many criticize the Bible and Christianity for not condemning slavery. However, the sermon argues the Bible is more concerned with one's relationship to God above all else.
  3. The sermon lists several other biblical passages that deal with one's relationship to authority and government including Matthew 22:15-21, Matthew 17:24-27, Romans 13, Philemon, and 1 Peter 2:13-18.
  4. The sermon notes there are few direct teachings on slavery and authority in the Bible. The Bible is primarily concerned with one's relationship to God.
  5. The sermon says this life is secondary to the afterlife according to the Bible. Christians are "strangers and pilgrims" passing through this temporary life.
  6. The sermon argues the church should focus on one's relationship to God and how to act in various circumstances, not try to change circumstances themselves. The early church did not protest slavery.
  7. The sermon says some Christians wrongly believe they should withdraw from the world and not vote or participate in politics. But the Bible teaches Christians should participate in the world while keeping it in the proper perspective.
  8. The sermon concludes by saying Christians must put their relationship to God first above all else. If they view this life as temporary and secondary, they will have the proper perspective to address issues like slavery and authority. But if they do not have this eternal perspective, their conclusions will likely be wrong.

The Book of Ephesians

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.