23-1001a Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(1:22) Good morning. (1:26) I’m going to first be in 1 Corinthians, the 11th chapter. (1:37) But before I do that, I’m going to tell you that my lesson is going to be on submitting.

(1:54) This is a word that some people dislike. They have a way about them that they want things (2:10) their way. And so they will refuse to give in to somebody else who wants something.

(2:30) They don’t want to yield to that person’s wishes. (2:36) But according to Webster’s online dictionary, (2:42) submit is defined as to yield to one’s person through the power of another. (2:55) Some are unwilling to do that.

There is another word that (3:06) is a synonym to submitting. It’s subjecting. (3:15) And according to Webster’s online dictionary, it says to be obedient, (3:24) submissive.

That’s a form of the word submit. To submit, make accountable. (3:35) As I said, some people want to do things their way instead of doing what another may want.

(3:43) And in this case, we’re going to talk about what God wants. (3:50) And you know, when we do not submit to someone else’s authority, when we know that they do have (4:01) authority, there’s going to be disruption. When there’s disruption, there can be division.

(4:15) And so we’re going to look at this word submit. And as I was trying to (4:26) look at different passages that deal with submit or a form of the word, (4:34) this passage came across, and then I decided to read it. And I’m going to read (4:48) 1 Corinthians 11, 1 through 3. Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ.

(5:02) Now, I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I (5:13) deliver them to you. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of (5:25) woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Do you know there is order in what God wills (5:38) and in how God does things? There is order.

Now, I’m going to begin with the last (5:55) thing that is stated here, that the head of Christ is God. And then we’re going to look at (6:10) the head of every man is Christ. And then lastly, we’re going to look at the head of woman is man.

(6:20) Now, this is how God orders these things. Now, God being the head of Christ, (6:33) naturally this is referring to God as the Father. Now, sometimes God can refer to Christ, (6:50) could refer to the Holy Spirit.

But in this case, God, since we’ve got Christ mentioned, (7:00) is the Father. Now, in the 2 Corinthians passage that was read in your hearing, (7:11) God is the Father, and God is the one who is spoken of as our Father, or should be spoken of (7:25) as our Father. And He becomes our Father when we obey what He wants us to.

(7:39) Now, in the reading, first of all, we need to understand that there needs to be agreement (7:49) with God. But there cannot be agreement with God and agreement with His temple (8:02) if we’re going to worship idols. And then He speaks of us or the Christians or the church (8:14) as the temple of the living God, as God has said.

And this is, He’s quoting scripture now. (8:25) This first one is taken out of, in the Old Testament, where God promised His people, (8:37) I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (8:48) Again, He is quoting from Isaiah 52, 11, where He says, Come out from among them and be separate, (9:03) says the Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a father to you, (9:13) and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. (9:21) Now, in the Gospel of John, in the first chapter, it says that we have the power (9:32) to become children of God, according to the will of God.

Now, in the Old Testament, (9:45) when the Israelites were born to their parents, they are automatically (9:56) born as children of God. But now we have the power to become children of God. (10:05) So, in Galatians 3, 26 through 29, For you are all sons of God, or children of God, (10:20) through faith in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (10:31) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, (10:39) for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, (10:51) heirs according to the promise.

You see, we become children of God through faith, but (11:01) it says that through faith, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (11:12) When we obey that command, when we obey that, that is reenacting the death, the birth, (11:22) and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This shows to the world that Christ died (11:30) and was raised.

But it also means to us that if we have a sinful nature to us, or we’re in sin, (11:47) that when we are baptized, that sin is washed away, not by the water, but through the blood (11:57) of Jesus Christ that was shed. We become obedient to the gospel, and that is how we become children (12:09) of God. Now, it says that God is the head of Christ.

Now John 8, I’m going to spend some time (12:28) in a little bit here in John, but in John 8, verses 28 and 29, (12:43) we’ve got Jesus saying to the people, (12:50) then Jesus said to them, when you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, (13:01) and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I speak these things, (13:13) and he who sent me is with me, and the Father has not left me alone, (13:21) for I always do those things that please him. Now, the thing that I want to point out here (13:34) is that Jesus is pointing out that he’s not alone, that the things that he’s doing and saying (13:45) are as his Father wants. And he said, I do not stand alone.

(13:54) Further, in this chapter, even before this, in verse 13 of chapter 8, the Pharisees (14:04) accused him of bearing witness of himself, and saying, your witness is not true. (14:15) And then Jesus answered and said to them, even if I bear witness of myself, (14:23) my witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, (14:30) but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. If you judge, or rather, (14:40) you judge according to the flesh, I judge no one, and yet if I do judge, my judgment is true, (14:54) for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.

(15:01) It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. (15:08) I am one who bears witness of myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness of me. (15:20) So there, the Father is with him, and he is with the Father because he does what the Father says.

(15:32) He submits to his Father. Jesus didn’t think that submitting to his Father was an awful thing. (15:45) Jesus obeyed his Father.

It is the Father’s will that Jesus died. (15:58) Well, you know, Jesus knew that he was going to die. He told his disciples that.

He also told (16:09) them at the same time that he told them that he was going to die, that on the third day he would (16:15) rise. They didn’t really understand the things that he was saying to them. They couldn’t grasp (16:24) the fact of those things that he was telling them.

They thought that Jesus was going to be the one (16:36) that’s going to, in their minds, overthrow the Roman government. He was going to free them of (16:46) the Romans. They couldn’t understand the fact that he’s going to die for them.

But notice this. (16:57) He willingly laid his life down. Now, in John 10, verses 17 and 18, Jesus says, (17:11) Therefore my Father loves me, because I laid down my life that I may take it again.

(17:21) No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to take it again. (17:35) He said, I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. (17:40) This command I have received from my Father.

Jesus is knowing that he is going to die. (17:50) Jesus is knowing that that’s what he’s going to do. But notice this.

He said, I willingly, (18:01) he willingly went. And even when he knew that his time was up, he just (18:11) smitted himself right into the hands of all those servants. And it wasn’t because those, (18:19) they outnumbered him.

It was because he needed to fulfill his Father’s will. He needed to fulfill (18:29) the Word. And even in the Old Testament, there was prophecy concerning his death.

(18:38) And they told of his death. But then in the reading that is from Philippians 2, (18:51) we want to see this, that about the mind of Jesus. You know, he’s writing to the Philippians, (19:12) and it’s telling them about looking out for another, looking out for others, (19:22) and not only for those things that are ours.

Now certainly we have our own personal (19:32) things that apply only to us. But then there are others that need, that may need help, (19:41) that may need us to bear their burdens. So he said, let this mind be in you, (19:50) which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, (19:57) did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (20:10) but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and counting in the (20:20) likeness of men.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient (20:32) to the point of death, even the death of the cross. You see, some people have the opinion (20:41) that when Christ was born, that that’s when Christ originated. And people’s got that idea.

(20:55) But Christ has always existed, if we really read the Bible. But we also know that he (21:05) was with God, and he is God. But he did not think that being in the form of God, (21:18) something to hold on to.

But he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, (21:28) and counting in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, (21:38) he humbled himself. I believe there’s some versions that will say he emptied himself (21:48) and became obedient to the point of death.

Isn’t that what we’ve noticed (21:56) through the scriptures that we went through? That he did what his Father wanted, all the way (22:04) to the cross. And because Jesus did no sin, when he died upon the cross, (22:16) and when he was buried in the grave, the grave could not hold him. (22:22) Because he did not sin, and he was not guilty of anything that made him guilty and made him (22:34) subject to die.

He died pure and righteous. And he’s the only one that did so. He did no sin.

(22:48) We are told that he did not sin, even though he was reviled. He didn’t revile back. (22:56) And he became sin, even though he did not sin, for us.

He arose from the grave. (23:07) Yes. Mark 16, 16 says he is risen.

I heard, I read where someone was telling some things (23:23) that was happening in this account in Mark about how they gathered together and whatever. (23:33) But these things were not the most important thing in that chapter. (23:42) The most important thing that happened was he is risen.

(23:56) Now after Christ arose from the grave, (24:02) we find out that about Christ, we’re told that the head of man is Christ. (24:18) Now there are some that just do not really subject themselves to the authority of Christ. (24:28) And whether they realize it or not, he has the authority.

Whether they recognize it or not, (24:38) he has the authority. We’re going to get into that in just a minute. But in Matthew 3, (24:50) we have the account that Jesus came to John the Baptist, and he wanted John the Baptist to baptize (25:02) him.

But at first John says, I need to be baptized of you. He recognized who Jesus is. (25:17) But Jesus answered and said to him, permit it to be so.

For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill (25:30) all righteousness that he allowed him. When he had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately (25:42) from the water. And behold, the heavens were opened to him.

And he saw the Spirit of God (25:51) descending like a dove and alighting upon him. And suddenly a voice from heaven saying, (26:01) this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. We find this stated also in Matthew 17, (26:19) one through five, when Jesus and his disciples were upon the mountain.

And that is (26:33) Peter, James, and John were up on the mountain of transfiguration. (26:41) That Jesus was transfigured, and Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him. (26:52) And then Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here.

If you wish, (27:01) let us make here three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. (27:08) While they were still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And suddenly a voice (27:17) came out of the cloud saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

Just like you said (27:26) at Jesus' baptism. But add something here. Hear him.

Jesus is the one that is to be heard. (27:48) Because, well, they were under the law of Moses at this time. And Elijah is a great prophet, (27:59) but God is wanting them to know that it is Jesus that they are to hear.

(28:10) In Matthew 28 and verse 18, Jesus is telling his disciples, and this is after Jesus arose, (28:22) all authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth. So Jesus has all authority. (28:35) And you know, if he has authority, then we must submit to him.

Some people just don’t want to (28:44) submit to God. They don’t want to submit to Christ. They don’t want to submit to anyone or (28:54) anything that has authority.

They think they have their own authority, their own God. (29:04) And some will not submit to Christ. And for those that won’t submit to Christ, (29:14) John has a warning, or Jesus has a warning.

It is in John 12, 44 through 50, but I’m going to (29:30) read verse 48 of John 12. He who rejects me (29:41) and does not receive my word hath that which judges him. The word that I have spoken (29:52) will judge him in the last day.

Now, people may not like some of the things that are in (30:04) that. They may not like Jesus. They may not want to submit to his authority.

(30:12) But one day they’re going to be judged according to those things that he has spoken. (30:19) The word is going to judge us, and we need to be ready. We need to submit.

We need to obey it. (30:36) A lot of times they will holler loud and long, you’re talking about words. (30:44) No, I’m talking about obeying.

Obeying means that we do. God wants us to do. (30:58) Means we ought to obey him.

Jesus did. Jesus was submissive. He obeyed God, his Father.

(31:12) We ought to. We ought to obey him. We ought to be submissive.

(31:22) But one of these days we’re going to have him, or we’re going to be (31:28) facing our judge, and what he’s going to judge us is according to the word. (31:34) Will we not learn to submit ourselves to what God says? Are you subject in any way (31:44) to the gospel invitation, or do you want to extend that invitation to you? (31:50) If you need to respond to Christ by appearing humane and baptism, we urge you to do so. (32:00) And anything else that you want to be made known to the church, let it be known.

(32:07) We will pray for you. Why not do so now while we stand and sing?