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WHAT?! Me Submit to Someone Else?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsIn stark contrast to a world that resists being told no and finds submission repugnant, God is creating a Family of sons and daughters who will submit to Him and to each other, to serve Him, praise Him, and reign with Him in His Kingdom forever. Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ is a principle that must be understood in its context as a continuation and introduction of broader teachings, linking the call to be filled with the Spirit. This submission is only possible for those filled with the Holy Spirit, as the world neither can nor will submit in this way. A person filled with wine asserts themselves without restraint, lacking control, while those filled with the Spirit manifest a different character in their relationships, showing fellowship, happiness, and joy in worship and dealings with one another. Submitting to one another means being subject to each other, akin to soldiers in a regiment under authority, no longer acting as individuals but as part of an organized whole, voluntarily yielding personal control. Negatively, this submission requires avoiding thoughtlessness, selfishness, self-centeredness, individualism, self-assertion, opinionated behavior, and dictatorial tendencies, all of which stem from self and cause clashes and disputes. Positively, it involves having enlightened understanding, recognizing personal shortcomings, and realizing that all abilities and gifts come from God, thus eliminating pride and boasting. It means seeing oneself as part of the body of Christ, prioritizing the unity and good of the whole over personal rights, and being ready to listen, learn, suffer, and even endure injustice for the sake of the cause. This submission is to be done in the fear of Christ, a motive that governs all Christian living, distinguishing it from mere worldly conformity or imitation. It is not just about doing good for its own sake but because Christ has taught it, to show gratitude to Him, to glorify His name, and to avoid disappointing or grieving Him. This fear operates within the realm of love, a powerful force that motivates actions beyond personal capability, driven by the desire to reflect His love and to live as a light to the world. In personal relationships, whether between wives and husbands, children and parents, or servants and masters, there is no need for contention when submission is practiced in this spirit. While standing firm on fundamental truths, Christians must submit to one another in matters of opinion or uncertainty, holding views with humility, love, and the fruit of the Spirit, ensuring peaceful and loving interactions that glorify God in the church and homes.
Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part One)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsWives are admonished to submit to their husbands, children to their parents, servants to their overseers, and we all are admonished to submit to one another.
Self-Government and Responsibility (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe need free moral agency to be transformed into God's image. Unless one has God's Spirit, he cannot exercise the internal control to be subject to the way of God.
Seeking God's Will (Part One): Holiness
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughDetermining the will of God is difficult to do unless we know the character of God. Holiness is the foundation for all of the other traits of God.
Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part Four)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod established the order of family relationships, creating Eve after Adam, not as a slave, but as a companion, prefiguring Christ and His Church.
Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part Two)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe husband is charged to exercise love to his wife, actually a more demanding task than submitting, carrying more instructions than the command to submit.
Counting the Cost of Humility
Sermonette by Bill OnisickEven as several grandiose building projects have terminated because of cost overruns, so must we carefully count the cost of our spiritual building project.
Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part Three)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsIn the order of creation, the husband was designated as the leader. From the Garden of Eden to the present, there have been problems with this arrangement.
Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part Twelve)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsAs husband and wife are commanded to become one flesh, members of the Bride of Christ become spiritually unified through the indwelling of God's Spirit.
Parenting (Part 2): Fathers
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPatriarchy is family organization with the father having ultimate authority. The husband's role, grounded in love, must not be abusive or domineering.
Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part Nine)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe marriage relationship and the family structure provide a workshop to learn the intricacies of the God-plane relationship between Christ and the church.
Government (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe ministry's authority consists of teaching, edifying, and equipping the members for sainthood, but not to wield dictatorial power over their lives.
God and Self-Government
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe New Covenant, wherein God writes His law on the heart and gives His Spirit, empowers God's people to obey without the need for external control.
What's Wrong With 'Here Comes the Groom'?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsRadical feminism has tried to empower one gender by disabling and marginalizing the other gender, creating a pathological, dysfunctional society.
Unity (Part 7): Ephesians 4 (D)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughBecause of our lack of self-discipline and willingness to guard the truth, we have allowed our theological base to deteriorate under the persuasion of the world.
Husbands, Love Your Wives
Sermon by Mark SchindlerGratitude must be cultivated with expressions of thanksgiving in marriage, avoiding the pitfalls of materialism, entitlement, victimhood, and narcissism.
Wonderful Women
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsAccording to God's vision of the institution of marriage, when man and wife follow the rule of submission and sacrificial love, patriarchy is a blessing.