Christ and the Church
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greeting, thanks for allowing me to be here
[STORY]?
Body
Body
Today, we will be reading a passage that is well known and taught to married couples...
Read Ephesians 5:22-33
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Christ Loves the Church
Christ Loves the Church
Lordship Love
Lordship Love
Read Ephesians 5:22-24
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Understanding the role of the church to Christ helps us understand the role of wives to their husbands.
This is not a new concept that Christ is the head of the church. But what does the word head truly mean?
Read Ephesians 1:22-23
And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Read Colossians 1:18
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
Common Understandings:
Authority
Leadership
Possible Alternative Understandings (Mark Roberts Commentary):
Unity
Source of Growth
Christ does not desire to be a dictator and exert his authority and lordship over us… He desires to be connected with us, grow us, and give us life.
How are we, the church, supposed to submit to Christ?
Read Ephesians 5:18-21
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Sacrificial Love
Sacrificial Love
Read Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world. But who did Jesus die for?
You can’t have His death without His resurrection
Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
This is the crux of the Christian faith.
Husbands, we should be striving to love our wives sacrificially.
Holy Love
Holy Love
Read Ephesians 5:25-27
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Paraphrase verses 28-31 for sake of time
In this passage, we see that sacrificial love, but also a holy love.
As husbands, we are to train our wives in godliness and lead them in the direction of holiness and purity… so that we might present her before God in splendor.
Much as the relation between Husband and Wife, Christ desires the same for the church.
Think back to ancient Israel...
Why did God give His Law?
Not to force them to an impossible regimen, but to show His standard.
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
NLT translation… “glorious standard”
Jesus has come to give us the Law re-imagined.
So that we may appear blameless and holy before the LORD.
Jesus died for us so that God won’t judge us based on our actions and sins, but on the blood of Christ.
Jesus still calls us to work on our holiness… Matthew 5:48, 1 Peter 1:16
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
So why does Jesus want us to be holy?
Because, just like husbands want to present their wife holy and blameless before the LORD… so does Christ with the church.