commiting to a spirit filled marriage

intro

title commiting to a spirit filled marriage

pray

Ephesians 5:22–33 (NKJV)

“The danger is that we should think of marriage amongst Christians as essentially the same as it is with everybody else, the only difference being that these two people happen to be Christians whereas the others are not. Now if that is still our conception of marriage then we have considered this great paragraph entirely in vain. Christian marriage, the Christian view of marriage, is something that is essentially different from all views.” (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

Guys

Marriage is a christian institution

Adam and eve were the first to be married as God broght them into covenant relationship

and thats what marriage is

a covenant relationship between a man and a woman and God

today were going to dig into what makes marriage so special

to God

and what it means for us a christians

I want you to be able to see Gods intention in marriage

and understand that marriage is

a wonderful ordinance that is meant to glorify God

too often Christians get married apart from Gods intention

and it leads them into a life of suffering

I always say - its better to be single than with the wrong one

q. What do you think about marriage?

q. What are you looking for in a spouse?

lets dig into these verses and explore the reasons for marriage

and let the word guide us into understanding marriage in a biblical way

so that when it is your season to explore marriage

you will know why God gave it to us

and what it is meant to be

and we can glorify God when we say I do

Ephesians 5:22–24 NKJV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

here we have a landmine

many pastors will avoid preaching on this

not us....

submission is a good thing

lets talk about what this is and what this is not

not - dictatorship

not im your boss and your my slave

many christians have abused this passage to become

king over their wife as a slave

instead of king to their wife as queen

this is however still important

for a wife to submit to her husband

as the leader of their household

a wife is called to submit or follow the lead of her husband

and her husband is to submit to the Lord and follow Him

it goes on to say the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church

so we see a heiarchy of roles

1 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV

But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

roles in family

kids submit to parents, wives submit to husband, husband submits to Jesus , Jesus submits to God the father ...

there is even submission within the God head

trinity - all have the same nature and essance of God

yet the son submits to the father

and the holy spirit submits to the son and the father

does this make the Son Jesus of less value or importance

no… the order of submission is a good thing

John 10:30 NKJV

I and My Father are one.”

Luke 22:42 NKJV

saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Jesus is our great example of submission

Jesus is the leader and head of the church

in the same way the husband takes on this role for His family

this means for you future husbands

take your role seriously

you have the responsibility of leading your family in the ways of God

you will be judged by God in how you led your family

Christ is called the savior of the body in verse 23

and this shows the way He sacrificially loves His bride

Jesus is our leader, our savior, and the one we look to for guidance

in the same way we all submit to Christ as our example and leader

is \the same way wives are to subject themselves to their Husbands

Ladies

!!!!Now do you see how important it is for you to marry a spirit filled man.

could you imagine submitting to someone who was not spiritually fit.

make this your biggest priority ....

find a man worth submitting to…

the wife is called to be submissive as a helper

and this a primary role in the family

but did you think the husbands were going to get off scotch free?

you have a very serious role as well

Ephesians 5:25–29 NKJV

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own 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 the Lord does the church.

Husbands are to love their wives.

your role is to be a servant to your wife

and become one worth submitting to…

1 Peter 3:7 ESV

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

you have a high calling to love your wife like Christ loves the church

Love like Jesus

this is the call for men

but we ought to all strive to love like this

Men you are called to sacrafice your entire being for the well being of your wife

in a christian marriage, she is your everything…

in the same way Jesus dies for us

you die for your wife

you protect her ---- take her side

I remember when my family went after my wife on facebook

I had to stand up to them

if anyone disrespects my wife or threatens her

its game over

she is my crown jewel and its my Job to lift her up, encourage her, protect her

women — find a man who treats you like Jesus treats you

dont ever marry someone who talks down to you

says bad things about you

manipulates you

or treats you anything less than a queen.

you are to be treasured by your husband

in verse 7 it relates christian marriage to the Love Jesus has for us

in that through relationship Christ brings us into a divine love

through the word of God

He cleanses us from sin

and in the same way Husbands must be concerned about the spiritual well being of their wives

Paul goes even as far to say

husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies

in the sense that your wifes well being is the same as your own well being

you are so connected as a husband and wife

that if you neglect your spouse its like neglecting yourself…

you are to take care of your wife in the same manner as you take care of yourself

for even Jesus does this with His bride the church

Jesus takes care of us anf nourishes us

and He leads us in holiness

because we are His body

Jesus loves us as a part of Himself ///...

this is how Husbands are to love their wives … as part of themselves

Ephesians 5:30–33 NKJV

For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

guys

marriage is a picture of the gospel

this is the intention of marriage

keep this in mind for your future spouse

we are literally member of the body of Christ

Jesus lives inside of the christian

we go back to

genesis 2:24

Genesis 2:24 NKJV

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

you become one with your spouse and one with God

this is the beautiful picture of marriage

you become one with your spouse

and this reflects the oneness we have as a church with Christ

Your spouse becomes someone more close

and special than anyone else in the world

this is how it should be with your relationship with Jesus

There is an intamacy and closeness with HIm

that mimics that of our relationship with our spouse

there is a special bond and closeness to where if

Jessica is hurting, I am hurting

we are one flesh

to if Jessica is struggling , I feel it and vice versa

we are close in everything

when we serve christ, we do it together as a team

as one flesh

when she submits and I love her we do it as one flesh

When you get married you carry this oneness into marriage

and now the two have become one with Christ

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NKJV

Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

in marriage we want to maintain a 3 cord bond

as one flesh

illistration

so dear friends

I hope that you see that marriage is

a picture of the Gospel

the bible describes the church as the bride of Christ

as a church wwe have come into a marriage relationship

that points to the unity of becoming one flesh

Jesus is the groom

and the church is the bride

We as christians on earth are created to live this picture out

as Wives submit and follow the lead of their husbands

and as husbands love their wives sacrificially

we are unified with our spouses

in covenant relationship with God

Our christian marriage should be filled with the spirit

and should glorify God to the rest of the world

please consider these things

will you be a spouse that will commit to glorifying God in your marriage

and will you commit to pursing a marriage that will glorify God

so whatever you do ....

do not settle for anyone other than a person who loves God more than they love you....

for this is the safeguard to a healthy spirit filled marriage