Christ Like husband -
| Sermon Outline 11:11
Ted Clarke Title: “Christ like husband equals a Christ like home”
Text: Ephesians 5:23-33
Proposition Statement: Christ’s relationship to the Church serves as a great example to husband & his responsibilities.
Sermon Text:
Into: Good morning & thank you for being here (I guess you had too) When my Wife and I were first married we thought we never have any problems, Then I found out something terrible. My wife was a Packer Fan; well we still kid with each other about the Packers and Viking. By the way - Where do Green Bay packer fans go during a tornado? To Lambeau Field, because they aren’t used to seeing any touchdowns there. When my wife and I were first married we had problems just like anyone else …I found a picture of her and an old boy friend in and I was jealous and angry. If I were to find that picture today I wouldn’t even think about it twice, of course I’d throw is away or burn it, torch it scatter its ashes but our relationship is stronger today then it was then. although at the time I thought I couldn’t love this girl more than I did. But because our marriage has grown from where it was then until now and of course only by Gods grace it will get stronger, but this hasn’t happened by accident. Gentlemen, we need to constantly be working and strengthening out relationship with the Lord first and out family. In 1Tim 3:4 The bible says a preacher should be “One that rules well his own house” with little elaboration. However, The New Testament is not silent on the issues of the home. |
| I believe that this aspect of a preacher’s life can be his greatest asset on this earth or his ultimate demise and ruin. In Ephesians at the end of the book we find that the apostle Paul addresses this topic …while first and foremost citing the example of Christ’s relationship to the Church which serves as a great example to husbands. This is what I’d like to focus our attention on this morning. In Ephesians chapter five we find Christ’s relationship to the Church which serves as a great example to husbands and our responsibilities.
Introduction:
Background:Author? Apostle Paul, ·
Setting? 60 – 62 AD while in Roman prison ·
Audience? Ephesians church or all churches in Asia minor ·
Are their any translation problems? The end of the passage “mystery” ·
What’s the main Idea? Unity of the Church ·
What is the context of the book? First 1/2 theological & 2nd 1/2practical ·
Transition statement: It is the second half of the book which gives us some practical insight to the husband and wife relationship as it pertains to Christ’s relationship to the Church
I. A husband has the responsibility of the finally authority (vs. 23 - 24)
a. “Head”( kejalh -kef a lay ) from (kaptw -kapto) (in the sense of seizing); the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively:--head.
i. Christ's Headship is not entirely identical but an example for practical application (or practice)
ii. Headship is leadership |
| Ill: An elderly pastor’s wife told me once that she has to be her husband Helpmeet not Holy spirit – Your wife is not your person sanctification project.Ill: An elderly pastor was searching his closet for his coat before church one Sunday morning. In the back of the closet, he found a small box containing 3 eggs and 100 $1 bills. He called his wife into the closet to ask her about the box and its contents. Embarrassed, she reluctantly admitted having hidden the box there for their entire 30 years of marriage. Disappointed and hurt, the pastor asked her, "WHY?" The wife replied that she hadn't wanted to hurt his feelings. He asked her how the box could have hurt his feelings. She said that every time during their marriage that he had delivered a poor sermon, she had placed an egg in the box. The pastor felt that 3 poor sermons in 30 years was certainly nothing to feel bad about, so he asked her what the $100 was for. She replied "Each time I’d get a dozen eggs, I’d sell them to the neighbors for $1." We are not going to be perfect preacher, orators, etc. but we are called to be an example II. A Husband has the responsibility of Love and Unity (vs. 25, 28-33) These 2 concepts are joined in the next passage and rightfully soa. Love: men are incapable of loving like Christ’s full Love yet we can Love like we Love ourselves. i. Worldly misconceptions of what love is: Romantic feelings, Physical attraction, Sex, Needing, benefiting, Words, Actions, Being “In Love” |
| b. The husband is the Leader of the wife and home (same as Christ’s over the church) Eph 1:22 & Col. ch 1, 2 reference Christ as the head of the church “and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church,” i. Christ is the “savior of the body” and therefore earned the right by being self sacrificial 1. Leadership is: selflessness, integrity, discernment, guidance, provision 2. Leadership is not – arrogant, imitation, domination, manipulation, oppression Transition statement: Leadership should be most evident is the role of spiritual leader. III. A husband has the responsibility of spiritual maturity (vs. 25 – 27) There is an excursus (excursus)to the flow of the passage because what the thought changes from Christ’s Love to what Christ accomplished by giving his life for the church The Love topic he will address in a moment but lets look at vs. 26 & 27 a. Christ directs the church for spiritual growth i. The objective of Christ was to save and purify (set apart) the church. ii. Christ sets the example for the spiritual maturity of the home Rest on the Husband iii. The husband is to manifest similar desire that she should be prepared to "walk before him in white." This is accomplished by the husbands EXAMPLE |
| The manager tried to brush him aside. Saying "This is a bad elephant. He must die before he kills someone." Insistently the man, asked "Give me two minutes in the cage alone with him and I will prove you are wrong." The manager turned and stared in amazement. "You will be killed," he said. The manager, unwilling to pass up such a dramatic sensational spectacle allowed the man permission to approach the cage. Even if the man were killed, the publicity alone would be worth millions. "All right," he said, "but first you will have to agree to full responsibility and release the circus of any liability." The small man agreed and then removed his coat and hat preparing to enter the cage. A hush fell over the crowd. The door to the cage was unlocked, the man stepped inside, then the door was locked behind him. At the sight of this stranger in his cage the elephant threw back his trunk, let out a might roar, then bent his head preparing to charge. The man stood quite still, a faint smile on his face as he began to talk to the animal. The audience was so quiet that those nearest the cage could hear the man talking but couldn't make out the words; he seemed to be speaking some foreign language. Slowly, as the man continued to talk, the elephant raised his head. Then the crowd heard an almost piteous cry from the elephant as his enormous head began to sway gently from side to side. Smiling, the man walked confidently to the animal and began to stroke the long trunk. All aggression seemed suddenly to have been drained from the elephant. Docile as a pup now he wound his trunk around the man's waist and the two walked slowly around the ring. The astounded audience could bear the silence no longer and broke out in cheers and clapping. After a while the man bade farewell to the elephant and left the cage. “He'll be all right now," he told the manager. "You see, he's an elephant from India and none of you spoke his language. That man was …… |
| Husbands are to imitate Christ who gave himself to suffer on the cross to save the church, so we are to be willing to deny ourselves and to bear toil and trial, that we may promote the happiness of the wife. It is the duty of the husband to toil for her support; to provide for her wants; to deny himself of rest and ease, if necessary, in order to attend on her in sickness; to go before her in danger; to defend her if she is in peril; and to be ready to die to save her. Why should he not be? If a husband has the spirit and self-denial of the Savior, he will regard no sacrifice too great if he may promote the salvation of his family. iv. What encompasses Love: selflessly meting her Physical, Emotional and Spiritual needs. This is the nourishing and cherishingb. Unity i. (vs30) AS Christ is so much a part of us and we are of him their is a Unity which is best conveyed in “communication” One flesh or nothing between.Illustration:There is a story told of many years ago in England of a popular circus elephant. This elephant that was so popular with the public, one day suddenly had a change in the personality. Several times he tried to kill his keeper and when the children came near his cage he would charge toward them as if wanting to trample them to death. It was obvious he would have to be destroyed. The circus owner, a greedy and somewhat cruel man, decided to stage a public execution of the animal. This way, he could sell tickets and try to recoup some of the cost of losing such a valuable property. The day came and the huge circus tent was packed. Nearby stood a ready firing squad with high-powered, as the manager, was about to give the signal to fire, a single voice hollered from the crowed. Out from the mass stepped a short, inconspicuous man wearing a brown derby hat. “There is no need for this," he told the manager quietly. |
| Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936) was a British author and poet, born in India, one of the most popular writers in English, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and best known today for his children's books, including The Jungle Book (1894) Now I am not suggesting that our wives are elephant but that communication is vital to unity ii. Good communication involves: That you speak the same language, Humility, Recognition of accountability to God, Ability to listen(not just waiting to speak), realize communication is more that words, and that it take time and effort. –c. The mystery is the relationship of the church marriage is not a sacrament Transition statement: This mystery of Christ’s relationship to the Church revealed in Ephesians provides a great example to husbands regarding his: responsibility of the finally authority, spiritual maturity, and Love and Unity. Conclusion(recap, no new ideas, ) Repetition is important and the aspect of Love is repeated in vs. 33 love your wife even as you love yourself.I hope these words have been an encouragement, and challenge lets pray |