Sermon Tone Analysis

”I’ve been looking forward to this Session!”

Steve’s Weekly Schedule - saw a few weeks on God’s grace in Submission.

Interesting.

Last time -Christian conduct toward the government and what submission looks like there.

This week - in the home.

Caught your attention.

I will be there!

Submission in the Home is not the only thing covered in chapter 3. God’s Grace in Suffering too.

Aren’t you interested in suffering?

I am going to hit both topics!

Book covers topics well.

Add a little bit based on my experience in general discipleship cases like helping a couple prepare for marriage but also experiences with intense discipleship efforts for hurting marriages.

2 huge topics (Christian Conduct for Wife /Husband AND suffering).

I’ve got 20-25 minutes.

Move fast.

Buckle up! Gonna be interesting too because I am on pain medicine.

First up, Peters words to Husbands and wives.

1 Peter 3:1-21

1 Peter 3:1-2 “Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.”

1 peter 3:7 “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”

Wait a minute rob.

Peter has 6 verses written about women.

More than men.

So WIVES should be our focus tonight!

There is a reason Peter used more words.

Under Roman law, the husband and father had absolute authority over all members of his household, including his wife.

She had no protection… when a wife came to Christ, she felt valued like never before … and a wife who demanded her rights as a free woman in Christ … was putting her marriage and life in danger.

Peter had more to say because he they needed guidance and encouragement.

Some of you are like ‘I get the historical context, I still want to focus on the role of a wife.

… I’ve been waiting for this night I bet the Women were saying the same thing last night … ‘let’s talk about the husbands’

Here’s the thing.

It is so easy to approach a text with our purposes in mind.

Filter things trying to confirm our beliefs/desires.

We end up approaching Scripture with our end in mind NOT God’s.

You and I think of ‘ME’ so naturally.

Especially in our marriage.

What do I want, How do I feel … natural.

We ME as our motivation we end up with incorrect views on passages like this - like woman are to submit to all men, or a wife is blindly obey her husband or woman are inferior to men (wrong, wrong wrong).

You can’t talk about the roles in marriage without first looking at the purpose of marriage.

Marriage - with God’s End in Mind

God created marriage not man (Gen 2:18-25)

As a society, we give authority to the one who created (author, engineer - design, lawyer - drafted the case).

People come to you as the authority.

Study Genesis 2 and other passages on marriage like Matt 19 and you see

God Determined - something was missing in displaying His glory so He

God Created - and the reality of marriage happened at the hands of God.

God Assembled -the covenant of marriage with the 2 becoming 1 and Him fiercely guarding the most precious of all relationships, marriage.

But

But Why Marriage?

What is its purpose?

Glory to God in all things (Col 1:16-18, 1 Cor 10:31, 1 Cor 6:19-20, 1 Peter 4:11 (everything exists to bring glory to God.

Marriage is unique relationship with a specific purpose.

When I do weddings I like to remind the couple of this special purpose

Ephesians 5. See Paul speaking to specific roles.

Ephesians 5:21-27, 22- Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.(3

verses) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

I continue to read to the couple 3 more verses on Paul’s instruction to HUSBANDS (6 total) then I read what paul says next

32–33 “This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

Your Marriage is a Window for the World to see God’s Redeeming Love.

Paul is pointing out that marriage is a visible illustration of the invisible relationship between Christ and His Bride the church (Jesus is the head of all believers).

Jesus gave up heaven to obey and submit to God the father bringing glory to him.

A Christ like marriage requires a shift in heart.

From “I GET” to “I DISPLAY” God’s redeeming love through my marriage.

Christian Conduct in a Marriage - Both are to submit

v21 Ephesians 5:21 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

The Apostle Peter is call husbands and wives to do the same in chapter 3. says v1 & 7 ’in the same way’ referring back to 2:13 … submit yourself for the Lord’s sake to

Want to know how to be a husband?

Study Jesus, Follow Jesus, Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

Paul said v25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”

PICTURE: Jesus standing holding your wife.

He is bloodied but she is resting, comforted and flourishing in the arms of Jesus.

You are to

love your wife as your own body - v28

love your wife as you love yourself - v33

love your wife without bitterness or grumbling (Col 3:19)

lover her in an understanding way showing honor (1 Pe 3:7)

original words having a meaning much deeper than we think - considering her with knowledge of her needs, desires, gifts.

valuing her as an image bearer, treating with dignity and acting to help her flourish and grow in Christ.

HOW in the WORLD : Eph 5:18 filled with the Spirit.”

we need the new creation and power of God.

In Christ, you can.

DON’T IMITATE culture and Hollywood view of marriage … all about ” I GET”.

That not only leads to trouble in our marriages, it doesn’t love our wives for who they are in God’s eyes … it loves them for what we can get from them.

BUT most importantly it fails to bring glory to God and fails to display Christ’s redeeming love to the world.

IMITATE JESUS: Just as Christ was submissive and obedient to God’s will, so a Christian husband and wife should follow His example.

He’ll give you the grace to do it!

As God gives you grace to submit at home He gives it to you in suffering.

Which is another element you are talking about tonight.

Christian Conduct in Suffering

Who loves pain?

Who runs towards it?

We want to avoid it!

Peter v8 starts talking suffering and God’s Grace in Suffering and what Christian Conduct in Suffering.

Odd thought isn’t it?

How should we respond to suffering as a Christian?

I think this is the hardest concept.

We just want the suffering to go away!