Paul's Epistles - Ephesians - Part 11:
Instructions for a Christian Household
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
SERMON INTRODUCTION
In Paul’s 35 years of ministry, since his
conversion in Damascus, we have recorded in the Holy Bible many of his
epistles, or letters.
Paul’s first journey took place from 33AD
(the year of his conversion), through 46AD, leaving Damascus in 38AD.
Paul’s 2nd journey began in
50AD, four years later; during this time he wrote 1st and 2nd
Thessalonians, and Galatians, with his second journey ending in 54AD.
Paul’s 3rd journey began in
55AD and lasted until 58AD where he found himself imprisoned in Judea from
58-60AD. During his 3rd journey Paul wrote 1st and 2nd
Corinthians, and Romans. We have no record of writings from Paul during his
prison time between 58-60AD in Judea.
After his release from Judea, Paul
traveled on his voyage to Rome from 60-61AD, writing Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians and Philemon, and finding himself in a Roman prison in 63AD.
Released soon after his incarceration,
Paul then writes the epistles Hebrews, 1st Timothy, Titus and his
final letter before his death 2 Timothy, which was written from a Roman prison
he was placed in during 66-68AD.
Though the bible does not tell us when or
how Paul died, it is believed by scholars that he was beheaded in 68AD in May
or June.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE Ephesians 5:21-33
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves
to your own husbands as you
do 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.
25 Husbands, love your
wives, just as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her 26 to make
her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the
word, 27 and to
present her to himself as a
radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and
blameless. 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
their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the
church— 30 for we
are members of his body.31 “For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is
a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However,
each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must
respect her husband.
Paul explains how the Body of
Believer’s are to live as Spiritually Mature, and many need to Instructions for
a Christian Household.
The
message of this epistle to the church is “The Church, The Body of Christ”.
We have seen Paul
explain over the last few weeks what Spiritual Immaturity looks like, and what
Spiritual Maturity looks like, as well as how we are to always walk in love.
This is the foundation
of the next teaching, instructions for having a Christian Household.
A. You
must be Spiritually Mature
B. You
must walk in love
If you
are Spiritually Mature, and walking in Love, you will;
C.
Walk in
the way of Love as Christ and the Apostles did
D.
Abstain
from sexual immorality, impurity and greed
E.
Thanksgiving
will proceed from your mouth
F.
You
will be careful how you live, discovering what pleases the Lord
G.
You will not become
drunk, or indulge in sensual pleasures rather be filled with the Spirit of God,
making music in your heart, and singing praise and thanks to God the Father for
everything, in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.
To be Spiritually Mature
you must;
·
Be gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love.
·
Make every effort to keep unity of the Spirit through the bond of
peace.
·
And not behave Spiritually immature;
o
Self-centered
o
Cry a lot especially when you think your needs are not being met
o
Causing (metaphorically speaking) messes and not cleaning them up
o
Impatient
o
Do not cooperate
o
Cannot submit to others
o
Cannot understand deep things
o
Are unable to apologize and resist sharing
o
Explosive, go off at just about anything
o
Expecting everything from others and nothing but excuses for
yourself
These things MUST be the
foundation of a Christian Household if you are to try and apply Paul’s next
teaching.
You CANNOT be
spiritually immature, not walking in love, or living to gratify the lusts of
your flesh and expect to have a Christian Household; Why? Because the
foundation is broke.
Paul first says, “Submit
to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Reverence means a deep
respect. In other words, “Because of your deep respect for Christ, submit to
one another as you have been instructed to.”
I. WIVES,
SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO YOUR OWN HUSBANDS AS YOU DO TO THE LORD
a. For the husband
is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church
i. His body, of which he is the savior
ii. Of which, he died for
b. As the church
submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything
c. Being the
Spiritual Head
i. What if we are unequally yoked?
1. 1 Corinthians 7:15: "Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him
leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God
has called us to peace."
2. We are to try and live as an example in hopes of
converting, however, if he leaves, let him.
3. We are instructed to live in peace, whether we stay
with them, or they want to leave.
ii. As far as obeying a non-believer, we must keep
peace, but only submit within the realm of obedience to Christ.
iii. You must respect your husband, but you do not need
to obey ungodly directions.
II. HUSBANDS,
LOVE YOUR WIVES, JUST AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR HER
a. To make her
Holy
i. Cleansing her by the washing with water (Holy Spirit) through the Word
1. Men, you need to be in the Word, so that through
the Word, the Holy Spirit can lift up, encourage, strengthen and keep your wife
strong and holy.
ii. Some husbands give nothing up for their wives
iii. We must be willing to give everything up for them
b. And present her
to himself as a radiant church
i. Without stain, or wrinkle, or any other blemish
ii. But holy and blameless
iii. Perfect because Christ says she is
c. In this same
way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies
i. He who loves his wife, loves himself
1. For you are one flesh!
ii. You feed and care for your body, just as Christ
does the church
1. Are you feeding and caring for your wife?
2. Feeding her body and spirit?
iii. A man that doesn’t provide…
1. I Timothy 5:8 “Anyone who does not
provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied
the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
III. FOR
THIS REASON (Marriage)
a. A man will
leave his father and mother and be united to his wife
i. And the two will become one flesh
ii. Leaving the father and mother!
1. Not just moving out, but becoming the Spiritual
Head and the one responsible for a new Christian family.
2. Your father doesn’t rule your house
3. Your mother doesn’t rule your house
4. Stop being a mama’s boy
5. It is time to be a man of God
b. This is a
profound mystery
i. Speaking of Christ and the church
1. Jesus uses marriage to describe the covenant of
Salvation
2. We accept the covenant (contract) of Christ’s, the
New Testament, through Communion, just as a marriage
3. We become one with the body of Christ, just as a
husband and wife become one
ii. This is why keeping marriage is sacred
1. It represents Christ and Salvation
2. To pervert marriage is to pervert God’s promise
iii. That’s why you cannot vote for any candidate that
is pro-any marriage other than what God sets forth.
iv. They are legislating and legalizing sin, and you
cannot have any part in helping others to sin…God WILL hold you accountable to
how you vote and exercise your freedom.
1. 1 Corinthians 8:9 “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your
rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”
2. God will hold you accountable
3. Matthew 18:6 "If anyone causes one of these little
ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have
a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the
sea.”
c. Each of you
also MUST love his wife as he loves himself and the wife MUST respect her
husband
CONCLUSION – THE INSTRUCTIONS TO HUSBANDS AND WIVES
wives –
·
Submit to your
husband’s as spiritual head of the house as to the Lord
·
Respect your
husband
Husbands -
·
Love your wives as
Christ loved the church
·
Give yourself up for her
·
Cleanse her with the
Holy Spirit through the Word
·
Present her as a radiant
church
·
Holy and blameless
·
Love your wife as your
own body
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