Mar. 19, 2023

Love & Marriage   Ephesians 5:21-33

1. Submit to Each Other.

Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (FEAR of Christ, RESPECT for Christ, to HONOR Christ)

Ephesians 5:22-24 ²² Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ 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. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Genesis 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” 

Genesis 3:6 …she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Genesis 3:16–19 ¹⁶ To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” ¹⁷ To Adam he said… through painful toil you will eat food… ¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food…”

2. As unto the Lord.

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

3. as Christ Loved the Church. 

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. 

4. As their own bodies.

Ephesians 5:28-29 ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. 

He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church. 

5. Love & Respect.

MEMORY VERSE:   Ephesians 5:33 Each one (Husbands) of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. 

- “Love & Respect” by Emerson Eggerichs

The Energizing Cycle: 

When she feels LOVED she acts with RESPECT →

When he feels RESPECTED he acts with LOVE → etc.

The Crazy Cycle:

Without LOVE she acts without RESPECT →

Without RESPECT he acts without LOVE → etc.

RICK WARREN:

Hollywood’s formula for marriage: 

- Find the Right Person. 

- Fall in Love. 

- Fix all your hopes and dreams on that one person forever. 

- If failure occurs, repeat steps 1-3 as often as necessary. 

God’s formula for marriage: 

- Instead of Finding the Right Person, Become the Right Person. 

- Instead of Falling in Love, Walk in Love. 

- Love is the Choice to be “Other” Centered Instead of “Self” Centered. 

- Fix your Hope on God, and Honor Him through your Relationship. 

- If Failure Occurs, Repeat steps 1-3.