Sermon Tone Analysis

Happy Father’s day to the dads out there.

I know it is Fathers day but today we are going to talk about a Christian husband and his love for his wife.

And since it is Fathers day…this is a gift for the children here...because I truly believe in our day and time one of the best gifts we Fathers can give to our children…is to show them this kind of love for our wife.

This morning it may also at first glance seem like we are taking a small step out of our series on the church…but not really.

This is huge for the church as well.

John Chrysostom, an important Early Church Father, about 400 AD said this about God’s design for the church, family, and the role of marriage between one man and one woman in God’s overarching plan for society...

"The love of husband and wife is the force that holds society together."

It is no wonder then that one of the most fierce and most constant attacks from the enemy upon the church and in society is an attack on marriage.

And as you all know very well...this is as important now as ever...

We as God’s people must get this right.

We as the Church must get this right.

We whom are dads must get this right.

And those who are called to lead the Church as elders/pastors must get this right.

As we will see in a few weeks…one of the first qualifications listed for being an elder is to love your wife…and manage your own household.

God has ordained marriage…Marriage is God’s idea…not ours...

And the relationship between man and woman is at the pinnacle of God’s act of creation...just before He declares everything He made to be very good He tells us this.,,,

The creation of man and woman and the relationship of man and woman...Husband and Wife…was a display of God’s glory in creation…on full display…and God said...

Then in Genesis 2 we getmore detail of this sixth day...

And we also see that whent he creative wisdom of God in His ceation of man and woman…and His putting the love and care of woman by man at the center of His plan for creation…when that is disordered and not trusted and obeyed significantly…and even generationally...impacts society…the family…and the church.

This is seen in the fall.

Before creating woman God gives man this command...

So a command given…in a world of Yes…everything we needed right there for us for our joy and pleasures…one protective no given to man…and then…the creation of woman.

Perfect…right?

This sounds awesome.

The enemy sees a way in…to mess with God’s plan for creation…the plan for man and woman…perfectly united…living marriage in the way God had designed them to live…but the question arises...

Had the man instructed His wife with the command given Him by God? Was he lovingly leading her and caring for her and protecting her?

If the love of husband and wife is created by God as a display of His love and care for us....the church...

Then it will be constantly under attack…because when disordered…the force that can take a society down.

So the serpent puts this to the test…and asks the woman if she knows the command given by God to man.

And with her husband with her…the serpent attacks and decieves…and the fall…and then the excuses…and the breaking of relationship…first and most importantly between man and God…then man and woman…and then soon after…their family and culture and society and kingdoms and nations...

And of course…we know the answer....

The answer is the Gospel…God provides the solution...

Jesus comes to save God’s people…to a world crying out with the psalmist in Psalm 80 7.

God has done this…for us…in Christ Jesus.

And…

We have the message of reconciliation…the Gospel of salvation…the only way for anyone to be returned to God and be saved....given to us the church.

And based on how the attack came upon God’s creative plan for man and woman and marriage...it should be no surprise to us that a large and visible part of that message of reconciliation would be for us to be a display of God’s love…and the gospel…andthe Church in the way we honor and trust God in His crative plan for man and woman and family…as seen in our marriages.

In the midst of the fall of culture and the attack on the wisdom of the God of Genesis 1…we have this message of reconsiliation…we are the answer…we have been given the message that the world needs…therefore...

With that turn with me to Ephesians 5.

Ephesians 5 tells a husband he must love his wife as Jesus Christ loves his church.

So before we look at how a husband does that....and the power of that in the church and inthe world…we need to answer a quetion...

How are we loved by our great Savior…How does Jesus love us…the church?

Let’s look at 5 ways these verses tell us that Jesus loves us and apply those to husbands…and then empower us as the church.

Christ Loves the Church with Sacrificial Love

Jesus’s life was a life of sacrifice…and the ultimate sacrifice in the history of the universe…was God as man…perfect man…in the ultimate act of sacrifice…giving His very life for the sake of his church.

He sacrificed himself to the pain and loss and shame and punishment of the cross so that we would not have to.

He willingly placed Himself under the wrath of God so that we would never need to face it.

He sacrificed everything for us by name…He specifically for you…put Himself on the cross...There is no sacrifice that could ever be greater than this.

1. Therefore Husband...Love Your Wife with a Sacrificial Love

Husband let me ask you the obvious question and then a not so obvious question that arises from this verse...

The obvious question...

Would you die for your wife?

If someone was holding you and your wife hostage and said, “One of you needs to die”

I’m betting you men would say...“Take me, I will save her.”

The less obvious question from this verse...will you live for her?

This sacrificial love is not only a potential one time deal...

This is primarily a way to show the world the sacrificial love Jesus displayed for you on the cross…by daily dying to yourself for the woman God has chosen for you.

Ultimately, will you live more for her good than for your own?

Are you willing to sacrifice for her…your time....your preferences…

Will you lead Her when you would rather just stand by…or follow?

Will you give her your life?

Do you see this as not a burden…but a God given honor?

And will you sacrifice for her not simply out of duty…but like Christ did....will you...

Men…love your wife sacrificially for the joy God has set before you.

2. Christ Loves the Church with a Sanctifying Love

The point and purpose of Christ’s sacrifice was not simply to get us to heaven someday...

But our sanctification.

Jesus reconciles us to the Father by empowering us with His Spirit leading to our becoming more like Him.

In our devotion to God.

In our love for God.

In our obedience to God.

In our hatred of Sin.

This verse tells us that Jesus sanctifies us by setting us apart to live for God and serve God.

We were going our own way, living for the world, the flesh, and ultimately the devil.

And while still in our sin...Jesus Christ came to us, saved us, and specifically for you if you are saved…He called your name....He set us apart to serve God.

Christ loves his church and sanctifies us to the live for the purpose you were created…to live in true joy for the glory of God.

2. Therefore Husbands...Love Your Wife with a Sanctifying Love

Jesus died so that he could set apart his bride the church for service to God.

Husband your wife exists first for God.

Yes, amen and hallelujah...she has been set apart to you, given to you....but primarily so you can help her be more set apart to God.

Your wife exists to bring glory to God by doing good to others.

This means as husbands we need to be committed to leading her and helping her to do this.

It’s your task to help her unleash her gifts, her talents, her passions, her interests in doing good to others and bringing glory to God…and living as partof the Church…for the love of Jesus…and the spread of the gospel.

Love her with a sanctifying love, a love that helps her live set apart to do what God calls her to do and to be who God calls her to be.

3. Christ Loves the Church with a Purifying Love

Jesus not only sets us apart to God’s purposes, but he also gives us what we need to accomplish those purposes.

So what does He give us...what do we need?

Purity!

Holiness!

He equips us by purifying us from our sin.

We are saved as people with sinful desires, sinful habits, sinful selfishness, living in sin and for self...

And Jesus purifies us.

He gives us new desires, new habits, and new joy, new wants, new minds.

And this is not a one-time act but one that goes on every day as we take hold of his power of His Spirit to put sin to death and come alive to righteousness…as we become like and live more for Jesus…not by our power or for our glory but by His power and for His glory.

3. Therefore Husbands...Love Your Wife with a Purifying Love

The wife is called to submit because the husband is commanded to lead...

And a primary part of that leadership is leading, guiding, and assisting her along the path to holiness.

This obviously puts a call on us men to grow in holiness ourselves first.

We need to identify our own sin and put it to death.

We lead the way in holiness, to lead the way in love, in character, in worship, in repentance, in maturity.