1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000 Welcome to Bible at the Beach. Glad you can join us. We'll be in Ephesians chapter 6 verses 1 through 9 today. 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:12,000 I always pray, Lord, give me the eyes to see what you want to say. Give me the ears to hear what I need to hear. 3 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,000 Give me the heart and the courage to change the things in my life that I need to change. 4 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:21,000 And in that spirit, let's read Ephesians chapter 6 verses 1 through 9. It says, 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:28,000 Children, I want you to be wise, listen to your parents and do what they tell you, and the Lord will help you. 6 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Now what's going on here? Well, life is a lot easier when you start with the foundation of humility. 7 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:43,000 Humility is a presupposition. It's a foundation of foundation, a way of thinking. 8 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:49,000 It goes a little bit like this. I don't know everything. 9 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:56,000 That's the presupposition of humility. And so it's easier if you learn a younger age, hey, I don't know. 10 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:02,000 I don't know everything. And so I'm in a process of learning and I'm in a process of growing. 11 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:10,000 Now, how do you distinguish between, you know, humility and wisdom? 12 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:20,000 Well, as you practice humility, you actually get wiser because a humble person can learn from the mistakes of others, 13 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:28,000 can learn from the lessons of others, and can learn from the life of others. That's how wisdom is accumulated. 14 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:35,000 The stupid person makes all the mistakes themselves without learning anything from anyone. 15 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:40,000 Now, have I been stupid in my life? More times than I can count. 16 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:47,000 The wisdom that I've gained in my life has come through using these wonderful instruments on both sides of my head. 17 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:54,000 They're called ears. And to the degree that I listen and I learn, I usually do really, really well. 18 00:01:54,000 --> 00:02:02,000 To the degree that I don't use these two God-given gifts, these ears on the side of my head to listen and learn, I don't do very well. 19 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:08,000 So really, humility is the foundation for actually doing well in life. 20 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:16,000 This isn't about hierarchy. This isn't about rules. And this isn't about dominance. 21 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:24,000 This is about gaining a strategic advantage in life because you learn to listen and you learn to learn. 22 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:32,000 And then through that, you actually develop critical thinking. And as you get older, you develop better and better critical thinking. 23 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:38,000 Critical thinking allows you to distinguish between what's right and what's false. 24 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:45,000 And so humility is the foundation of critical thinking. It's much easier if as parents you teach this to your kids. 25 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:51,000 Versus them thinking that they know everything and they learn not to listen. They learn not to use their ears. 26 00:02:51,000 --> 00:03:01,000 And then they think they know everything. And then the life in front of them is just going to be filled with mistake after mistake without any reflection, without actually doing very well. 27 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:08,000 So that's what's going on here. God's trying to teach us from the beginning to be humble, to listen, and to learn. 28 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:13,000 He says, For the commandment, honor your father and mother was the first of the Ten Commandments with the promise attached. 29 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,000 You will prosper and live a long, full life if you honor your parents. 30 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:27,000 And again, what was going on here is the presupposition of humility, listening, learning, and critical thinking. 31 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:33,000 And without that, life is much harder and it's much more difficult. 32 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:42,000 He says, Fathers don't exasperate your children, but raise them up with loving discipline and counsel that brings the revelation of the Lord. 33 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:49,000 So what he's saying to fathers here is not to exasperate your kids. How do you exasperate your kids? 34 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:54,000 You exasperate your kids when you tell them to do something without explaining why. 35 00:03:54,000 --> 00:04:02,000 The stupidest thing that you can do as a parent is say to a child, because I told you so, without some explanation. 36 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:08,000 Now if a kid's being obstinate and stubborn or a little bit funny and they're needling you by saying, well, why, well, why, well, why? 37 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:13,000 Well, then there's a there's a place to say, you know, because I told you so. 38 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,000 However, usually parents, fathers in particular, get there too quick. 39 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:24,000 Children need to be taught, here's why you do something, here's why you don't do something. 40 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,000 That is the counsel that he's talking about here. 41 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:35,000 He's saying you you clarify to them, this is why you do something, this is why you don't do something. 42 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:43,000 That's discipline. And then in that process comes insight that is then passed along to the child. 43 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,000 Tell them why you do something, why you don't do something. 44 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:52,000 Here's the insight to it. And it says literally here, that's what brings the revelation of the Lord. 45 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:59,000 So a child's job is to listen and learn and a parent's job is to teach and explain and give counsel 46 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:07,000 and to explain things as to why things happen in life the way that they do, why things happen the way that they do. 47 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:16,000 He says in verse five, those who are employed should listen to their employers and obey their instructions with great respect and honor. 48 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:21,000 What's going on here? Always give it instructions for how things are supposed to function in the workplace. 49 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:26,000 By the way, if you're an employee and you think you know everything, go start your own company. 50 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:32,000 But if you're going to choose to work for someone else, then again you need to listen and you need to learn. 51 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:39,000 You need to accumulate those lessons and then in the right time go out and do your own thing. 52 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:46,000 What's disrespectful is to choose to work for someone and then act like the boss. 53 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:51,000 Well, you're not the boss. If you want to be the boss, go start your own company. It's pretty simple. 54 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:58,000 Again, humility. If you choose to work for someone, choose to have the humility to bless them, 55 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:06,000 bless their company and bless their business until you get the courage to go start your own company. 56 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,000 It says serve them with humility in your hearts as though you were working for the master. 57 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:15,000 So again, all of these themes, they're not themes about hierarchy. 58 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:24,000 They're themes about humility, kids learning from parents, parents teaching their children, employees working for employers. 59 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,000 There's a presupposition of humility that Paul's trying to teach here. 60 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,000 He says in verse 6, always do what is right and not only when others are watching. 61 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:37,000 Basic integrity, basic integrities, who am I when no one's looking? 62 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:43,000 A person with integrity operates like this. I expect this out of myself. 63 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,000 I expect this out of others. It's very simple. 64 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:51,000 If you expect this out of others and this out of yourself, you don't have integrity. 65 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:55,000 And it'll be just a matter of time before people don't have any respect for you. 66 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:02,000 A wise person, a person with integrity expects this out of themselves personally and then whatever with everybody else. 67 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:10,000 They just hold themselves to high godly standards on a consistent basis so that you may please Christ as his servants by doing his will. 68 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:14,000 Serve your employers wholeheartedly and with love. By the way, you reap what you sow. 69 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:22,000 If you think you're going to give a half effort to an employer, then you're going to go start your own company and then someone's going to turn around and give you that effort. 70 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,000 No, no, no, no. That's not how it works. You reap what you sow. 71 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:33,000 You have to give a hundred percent when you work for someone, then maybe someday the favor will be returned to you. 72 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:40,000 So you're doing it unto God, but you're also doing it because you want to reap what you sow in your life. 73 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:45,000 Be assured that anything that you do is beautiful and excellent. You'll be repaid by the Lord. 74 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:54,000 Sometimes you're repaid your value on earth. Sometimes you're not. Sometimes you're not. 75 00:07:54,000 --> 00:08:03,000 So God, God has an excellent scorecard by which he dishes out his reimbursement. 76 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:10,000 Be assured that anything that you do is beautiful and excellent will be repaid by the Lord, whether you are an employee or an employer. 77 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:19,000 And to the caretakers of the flock, if you're a pastor, I say, do what is right with your people by forgiving them when they offend you. 78 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,000 For you know there is a master in heaven that shows no favoritism. 79 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:27,000 Now, if you're a pastor, if you're a shepherd, are people going to do things that are offensive to you? 80 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:34,000 All the time. I was just riding my bicycle over here to video. Nice, quiet, beautiful day. 81 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:41,000 Had a truck cut me off, pull me over, say a bunch of disrespectful things to me that I didn't deserve. 82 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:49,000 I didn't do anything wrong. And what did I do? Nothing. Kept riding my bike. 83 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:57,000 You don't have to be a shepherd, a pastor, a leader, whatever you want to call yourself for five minutes to not have to learn how to be kind, 84 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:03,000 how to be quiet, how to not respond, how to pray for and how to bless others. 85 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:08,000 It's a part of every day life when you're leading other people. 86 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:13,000 Again, you have to keep your standard here and let other people determine what their standards. 87 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:17,000 Just make sure that you expect way more out of yourself than you do for others. 88 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:22,000 Over time, that'll be what other people respect about you. 89 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:30,000 So because God shows no favoritism. So all of this is based in humility, learning, working for an audience of one. 90 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:39,000 Just some good old fashioned work ethic and some really deep wise lessons in here today about humility and wisdom. 91 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:43,000 So I hope this has blessed you today. Thanks so much for joining Bible at the Beach. 92 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:47,000 Until next time, I hope you have a beautiful day.