Bible Text: Ephesians 5:21-33 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Marriage Matters
God’s Blueprint
God is our Architect and He knows what is best for us
Man is a sinner and in rebellion against God’s design
A Believer in Jesus ought to be a humble servant committed to the authority of God’s Word and Will
Proverbs 12:14 There is a way that seems right unto man but the end thereof are the ways of death.
The BASIC MARITAL Design for Husbands and Wives
Ephesians 5:22-24 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.
The Give and Take Principle
The Golden Rule for couples
Do unto your other as your other needs
Submission
Honoring one another
A gift of relational serving
A team that covers, protects and willingly submits
Trusting those God has placed as leaders
Respecting one another
Honor
Ephesians 5:23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.
Being the head of your wife means you honor your wife
1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
Love One Another
Phileo: friendship that is caring, cherishing, bonding, committed
Storge: serving by doing, commitment to our families/friends
Epithtmia: physical, sexual desire, and passionate emotion(s)
Eros: romantic behavior that bonds two people together
Agape: unconditional caring, kindness and commitment
Holiness
Ephesians 5:26 …that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word
Sanctify: our commitment to obey the Lord as seen in our purity, morality and ethics; to be set apart as holy
Cleanse: make clean, remove, purify. To remove the impurities of the body, heart, mind and soul
Washing of water: a baptism, a bath, immersion, transformation and change
Presentation
Ephesians 5:27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
Christ removes the SPOTS: a stain or blemish, a disgrace
Christ irons out the WRINKLES:  fold in paper, a wrinkle
Christ clears up our BLEMISHES: a flaw or blot, i.e. shame
Love
Ephesians 5:28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself
Care
Ephesians 5:29-30 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body.
Unity
Ephesians 5:31 As the Scriptures say, a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
Mystery
Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one
Love and Respect
Ephesians 5:33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband
Husband’s Job Description:
Godly Loving Reassurance: Ephesians 5:23
Servant Leader: Ephesians 5:25 (1 Corinthians 11:3)
Christlikeness: Ephesians 5:25-26 (Mark 16:17-18)
Protector: Ephesians 5:26-28
Uncompromising morals: Ephesians 5:27 (2 Corinthians 10:5-6)
Provider: Ephesians 5:28-29 (1 Timothy 5:8)
United (team): Ephesians 5:31 (James 4:7 and 5:16)
Wife’s Job Description:
Loving Support (submission): Ephesians 5:22
Helper (compliment): Ephesians 5:24 (Prov. 31:10-12; Titus 2:3-5)
Christlikeness: Ephesians 5:25-26 (1 John 4:19-21)
Manager of the home: Proverbs 31:13-27
Companion to husband: 1 Corinthians 7:3-5
United (team): Ephesians 5:31
Respect her husband: Ephesians 5:33