TEXT: Doctrinal, Ephesians 5: 22-33
INTRO: This morning we are going to focus on the relationship between the church and the resurrected Christ.
PROLOGUE
The ideal marriage is based on the example of Christ’s relation with the church. Eph. 5: 32, “This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.”
I. THE CHURCH MUST EXIST IN SUBMISSION TO CHRIST. READ 5:22-24
A. Three (3) truths:
- A godly wife should submit to her husband as the church should submit to the Lord. Submit = “to yield oneself to the authority or will of another” ; submission = “the condition of being humble and compliant to the authority or control of another.” Like some wives refuse to submit, so some churches do likewise.
- Christ has gained His authority by saving “the body.” In that time, most women came to marriage out As husbands saved their wives from the dangers of single life in that day, so Christ took all the people of His church from slavery to sin, from the misery of a hateful world, and gave them new life, a chance to seek joy and peace and purpose. Without Christ no one could ever have become children of God and heirs to eternal life and blessings.
- Christ’s authority is exercised in kindness and concern rather than in harsh domination. Christ is
“head of the church.” That means 2 things: a.) It means He is connected to the body in a most intimate way; b.)He is to control the behavior of the body so the body stays healthy.
I Acts 9, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute Me?. . . “Lord, who are You?”. . . “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” 1 Cor. 12:27, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” Col. 1:18, “[Jesus] is the head of the body, the church.”
B. Christ loves the church as He loves Himself. Vss. 28-29, “IChrist] does for the church, since we are members of His body.” ; Gen. 2:23: biblical explanation of the purpose of marriage; “the two will become one flesh.” The church becomes the physical and emotional “body” of Christ working in this world.
C. Christ treated women in a different way than the world and He expected the same in believers.
The church can know Christ always uses His authority for their good and not harm.
II. CHRIST’S LOVE PREPARES THE CHURCH FOR HIS PURPOSE. READ vss. 25-28
- Christ “gave “ Himself for the church. “act of selfless sacrifice.”
- To make her holy: holiness means clean and without sin, able to enter into God’s presence and set aside for His purpose. Without Jesus, the church could never enter into the presence of God.
- To cleanse her by the washing of water by the word: The Scripture is the revelation of God’s will. 3. To present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless: the church was to become the perfect “Bride of Christ.” O.T.(: Jer. 3); N.T.:( Rev. 19, 21).
Easter2:12 tells us, “{Ester received] beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.”
If the church, refuses to be cleansed and beautified by the Holy Spirit, we will become harlots to a selfish world.
III. CHRIST WILL LOVE US AND WE MUST TRULY RESPECT HIM. READ vss.32-33.
A. It is Christ’s responsibility to love the church with agape love. Respect = “to show concern for, to pay special attention to, to hold in high esteem or regard, to refrain from interfering with.”
CONCLUSION
Bad marriages commonly end up in one of three ways:
1.) as a passionless ritual between two lonely partners who have stopped putting effort into the relationship, OR:
2.) As a miserable prison of life where joyless partners struggle in mutual selfishness, OR:
3.) In a divorce that wounds and dishonors everyone involved.
Churches can be dull religious ritual, ongoing selfish conflict, or worldly dishonorable schisms, if they fail to respect and obey the Lord.