Sermon Tone Analysis

Ephesians 5:22–33

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.

He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Marriage is like twirling a baton, turning handsprings or eating with chopsticks.

It looks easy until you try it.

Looking for a gift or just a unique way to say "I love you?"

What do you give when his dresser is full of cologne and you're both on diets?

When she thinks flowers die too soon, and you've already spent next month's paycheck?

Here are 21 great inexpensive ways to tell the love of your life just how much you care.

1. Make a homemade card with a picture of the two of you on the cover.

Get ideas for a verse by spending a few minutes browsing through a card shop.

2. Write a poem.

It doesn't have to rhyme.

3. Send a love letter listing the reasons "Why I love you so much."

4. Pledge your love for a lifetime.

Write it on calligraphy or design it on a desktop computer and print it out on parchment paper and have it framed.

5. Plan a surprise lunch, complete with picnic basket, sparkling grape juice and goblets.

6. Bake a giant cookie and write "I love you" with heart shaped redhots or frosting.

(Don't worry about the calories, it's not for eating!)

7. Make a coupon book and include coupons for a back rub, a compromise when about to lose an argument, a listening ear when needed, and doing the dishes when the other cooks.

8. Kidnap the car for a thorough washing and detailing.

9. Design your personal crest combining symbols that are meaningful to both of you.

10.

Compose a love song.

11.

Arrange for someone to sing a favorite love song to you and your love when you're together.

12.

Call a radio station and have them announce a love message from you and make sure your love is listening at the right time.

13.

Make a big sign such as: "I Love You, Kristi.

Love, Joe" and put it in front of your house or her apartment complex for the world to see.

14.

Buy favorite fruits that aren't in season, like a basket of strawberries or blueberries.

15.

Hide little love notes in the car, a coat pocket, or desk.

16.

Place a love message in your social media feed.

17.

Florist flowers aren't the only way to say "I love you."

Pluck a single flower and write a message about how its beauty reminds you of your love.

For greater impact, have it delivered at work.

18. Prepare a surprise candle light gourmet low-calorie dinner for two.

19.

Write the story of the growth of your relationship from your perspective, sharing your emotions and your joys.

What a treasure!

20.

Make a paperweight from a smooth stone, paint it, and write a special love message on it.

21.

Promise to change a habit that your love has been wanting you to change.

This passage gives us three eternal truths about Biblical marriage.

Counter Culture

The typical marriage of the Greco-Roman culture was marked by the patriarchal leadership of the husband and the required submission of the wife.

Paul is telling the husband and wife to work as equals, willingly fulfilling each of their responsibilities in mutual love for God and each other.

Paul quotes Gen 2:24 in verse 31.

Culture in 2022 states that a union between any two individuals regardless of biological gender as being a lawful marriage.

A Christian cannot expect the culture to agree with the Biblical definition of any institution.

Furthermore, a christian’s primary is to preach Christ to society and pray for Christ to be made known in their society.

For you to have a Biblical marriage, you must understand that it will be Counter Culture.

Conforms to Christ

The Biblical marriage must have something to aim for.

In your marriage, what are your goals?

Do you desire to be happy, fulfilled, challenged, comfortable, or just grow old together and die?

The speaker at our woman's club was lecturing on marriage and asked the audience how many of us wanted to "mother" our husbands.

One member in the back row raised her hand.

"You do want to mother your husband?" the speaker asked.

"Mother?" the woman echoed.

"I thought you said smother."

Marriage was designed by God to be an example to the world of the relationship between the church and Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:15

15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?

shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot?

God forbid.

Colossians 1:18

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

The wife’s example of loving submission should be the church.

The husbands example of loving his wife is Christ.

The relationship goals of husband and wife should be to treat each other the way Christ treats the church.

Together we conform to Christ.

Continues Confidently

2.3 million couples get married every year.

630,000 divorces every year.

45 percent of those who get married end in divorce.

The Christian denominational group that is most likely to see divorce are Baptists.

Specifically Fundamental Baptists.

Gallup Polls state that this is strange since Baptists are the most likely to say that divorce is morally wrong.-https://news.gallup.com/poll/6592/future-marriage-part-iii.aspx

I would love to say that Bible believing people are more likely to continue their marriages in confidence, but the reality is that atheists are less likely to divorce and more likely to work issues out than so called Bible believing people.

Ignore the numbers Focus on Christ.