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This is the seventh message in the series,

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Understanding Marriage, from Ephesians chapter 5.

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The title of this teaching is, The Shared

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Life.

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Let's join our teacher, Pastor David Guzik, speaking

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at Calvary Chapel of Simi Valley.

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The text before us is Ephesians chapter 5,

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beginning at verse 25.

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I'll read through the whole text and then

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we'll take a look and examine some of

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the prominent themes.

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We're not able this morning to really go

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phrase by phrase and make a careful examination

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of everything in the text.

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We'll have to save that for this week

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and the next and even beyond two weeks

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after today, but this morning we can take

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a look at some of the major themes

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in this passage.

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Ephesians chapter 5, verse 25.

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Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also

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loved the church and gave himself for it,

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that he might sanctify and cleanse it with

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the washing of water by the word, that

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he might present it to himself a glorious

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church, not having spot or wrinkle or any

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such thing, but that it should be holy

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and without blemish.

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So husbands ought to love their own wives

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as their own bodies.

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He who loves his wife loves himself.

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For no one ever hated his own flesh

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but nourishes and cherishes it just as the

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Lord does the church.

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For we are members of his body, of

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his flesh and of his bones.

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For this reason a man shall leave his

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father and mother and be joined to his

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wife and the two shall become one flesh.

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This is a great mystery but I speak

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concerning Christ and the church.

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This is an amazing passage from the book

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of Ephesians speaking to us about marriage and

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most specifically the husband's role and duty in

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the marital relationship.

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What I think is significant about this is

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that it's so different than what we usually

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read in books or hear in many teachings

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about marriage today.

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As I've had the opportunity to read a

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lot of books that you might find in

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a Christian bookstore or messages that you might

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read from Christian ministries regarding marriage today, many

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of them seem to ignore what I think

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are the most important foundational aspects for a

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Christian marriage.

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In other words, they're filled with great advice.

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Have a date night every week.

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Be nicer to each other.

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Develop communication skills and all those things are

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wonderful and necessary for a healthy marriage.

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But they're not the foundation for a really

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Christian marriage.

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The foundation for a Christian marriage is found

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for us in this text right here.

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Maybe we should remember the context by which

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Paul comes to this topic.

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He's been talking to us in the broader

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context of life in the spirit.

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What does it mean to have the spirit

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of God in your life and to live

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a life that's really dominated by the Holy

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Spirit?

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The first thing he mentioned was in verse

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19.

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He said a life in the spirit will

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be a life dominated by praise.

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You'll want to worship God.

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He secondly says in verse 20 that life

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in the spirit will be dominated by attitude

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of thanksgiving.

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You'll have a gratitude in your heart towards

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the Lord.

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Then he says in verse 21 that life

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in the spirit will be marked by a

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heart of submission and a mutual submission one

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to another.

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And then he begins in the marital relationship

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to describe a relationship in which there's a

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special duty for submission.

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And he brings up the place of submission

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that wives have in the marital relationship.

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That's in verses 22, 23 and 24.

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And we spoke about this in previous weeks.

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I'd recommend the tape to you if you'd

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like to hear some of that teaching in

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greater depth.

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But Paul knows that you can't speak to

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the wives about what they need to focus

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on without also speaking to the husbands.

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Otherwise, somebody would get the idea that that

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marriage is just a one way street and

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that only one partner has the obligations.

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Only one partner has the responsibilities.

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Paul doesn't want anybody to be left with

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that impression.

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And so, yes, he spoke to the wife

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because the general context was submission.

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But after dealing with the wives, then he

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focuses in on the husbands.

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And in verse 25, he says, Husbands, love

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your wives.

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That's challenging enough in and of itself, especially

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when we took a look last week at

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what it means to love.

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I mean, it's not just the kind of

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love that the world talks about.

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He's not talking about that the romantic violins

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playing in the background and the beautiful music

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and and all just the very emotional kind

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of love.

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That love is wonderful and precious and it

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has its place in the marital relationship.

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But what Paul's talking about is a kind

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of love described by the ancient Greek word

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agape.

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And it has at its root a self

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-sacrifice, a self-giving.

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And he says, Now, listen, husbands, love your

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wives.

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But now Paul takes it in the next

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few words in verse 25 and lifts it

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up to an entirely different level.

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Look at it there.

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It's amazing.

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He says, verse 25, Husbands, love your wives,

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just as Christ also loved the church and

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gave himself for it.

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Those words, words which should haunt every man,

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every husband here this morning, are those words

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just as.

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In other words, he says, here's a pattern

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for you.

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Here's an example.

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Jesus has a relationship with his people, with

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the church.

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And just as Jesus loves the church, husbands,

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that's how you're supposed to love your wives.

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He's saying this is an illustration.

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Here's a picture of relationship, the relationship between

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Jesus and his people.

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And I want your marriage to illustrate that

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relationship.

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It's a staggering thing.

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This takes the marriage relationship and utterly transforms

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it.

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It makes the Christian marriage completely different.

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Paul didn't write.

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Now, you two start getting along or have

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a date night every week or or now

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you'll both have to give a little bit

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more and be nicer to each other.

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All of those things might be great.

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It would be an improvement in marriage for

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probably many of us.

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But they don't come close to fulfilling the

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high place that God has for the Christian

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marriage.

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You see what Paul is saying?

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He's saying, listen, here's your relationship to where

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it is.

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And and here's where you're at with yourself.

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You see your deficiencies, your faults, your failures.

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You're critical towards one another.

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Both of you, you're standing on your own

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rights.

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You condemn and you quarrel and and you're

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separate.

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You may live together, but you're separate under

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the same roof.

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And why?

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Because you have not remembered your own relationship

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with Jesus Christ and use that as the

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model upon which to build your marital relationship.

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You see, there's many things you can do

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in the marital relationship, good things, sort of

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the list of handy hints to improve your

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marriage, wonderful things.

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But you need to get back to that

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foundation.

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You need to look at the relationship between

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Jesus and his church, and you need to

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let that be the model.

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Let that be your example for the marital

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relationship.

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And so that's why he says in verse

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twenty five, Husbands, love your wives.

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This is Christ.

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Also love the church and gave himself for

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it.

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You see those words just as in verse

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twenty eight.

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He says so husbands ought to love his

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own wives.

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In other words, so after the pattern of

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Jesus.

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And then in verse twenty nine, he says,

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for no one ever hated his own flesh,

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but nourishes and cherishes it just as the

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Lord does the church.

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Here you go again.

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The just as stated for us again, there's

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a pattern given to us, a pattern for

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the husband's love to the wife and a

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pattern for the entire marriage relationship.

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You know what I think is amazing about

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this passage is this is a passage which

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more than many passages in the Bible teaches

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us on two different tracks, because first of

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all, it teaches us about the marital relationship.

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It says here, let me teach you about

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the marital relationship by showing you the relationship

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between Jesus and the church.

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But as it shows us the relationship between

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Jesus and the church, it teaches us about

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that as well.

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See, there's something for everybody to grab hold

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of this morning.

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Maybe you're married.

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Maybe you're not married.

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Maybe you'll never be married.

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Yet this message has application to you because

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you need to have, if you don't already,

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a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

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And this tells you what kind of relationship

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Jesus wants to have with you.

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You see, many people have distant and cold

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and separate lives, kind of marriages, and that's

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the kind of relationship they have with Jesus

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Christ as well.

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He doesn't want it to be that way

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on either scene.

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Look at it, first of all, how he

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describes the attitude that Jesus has towards the

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church.

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That's our pattern.

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Verse twenty five.

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What's he say?

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Husbands love your wives just as Christ also

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loved the church.

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Jesus loves the church.

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He loves his people.

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Now, when you think of God's people together

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before standing before Jesus and you can think

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of yourself as an individual or yourself as

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the great company of believers, they're standing before

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God.

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When you think of that and think of

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Jesus's love towards the church, we know why

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Jesus loves the church, right?

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It's because the church is so perfect.

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It's because the church is so committed to

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him and never fails him and never lets

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him down.

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It's because the church individual Christians are in

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perfect submission to the Lord Jesus.

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And and we know that that's the reason

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why.

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Right?

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Well, of course not.

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Why does he love the church?

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He loves the church despite the church's failings,

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despite the church's sins.

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You see, this is love given to the

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undeserving.

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Now, husbands, here's where it gets challenging.

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That's your pattern for loving your wife.

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You've been standing back thinking you've been justified

279
00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,100
in having a hardened attitude towards your wife.

280
00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:56,480
Why?

281
00:09:56,740 --> 00:09:58,160
Well, because she deserves it.

282
00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:00,040
I mean, look at it.

283
00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:01,520
Look at how she is right.

284
00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:03,280
You could go on and on and on.

285
00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:05,420
And of course, you begin to exaggerate and

286
00:10:05,420 --> 00:10:06,140
create things.

287
00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:06,960
But let's say you're not.

288
00:10:07,020 --> 00:10:08,120
Let's say you're totally on the mark.

289
00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,160
Let's say the wife is totally undeserving of

290
00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:11,800
your love.

291
00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:13,580
God would look you square in the eye

292
00:10:13,580 --> 00:10:15,940
this morning and say, so what?

293
00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,600
Love her as Jesus loves the church.

294
00:10:22,060 --> 00:10:23,800
That really doesn't give us any ground to

295
00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:24,700
stand on, does it?

296
00:10:25,460 --> 00:10:27,320
It doesn't give us any ground to excuse,

297
00:10:27,980 --> 00:10:31,340
to justify hardness of heart or bitterness towards

298
00:10:31,340 --> 00:10:31,900
our wives.

299
00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:32,900
No, none at all.

300
00:10:33,660 --> 00:10:36,320
They could be the most undeserving wives in

301
00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:37,660
the world where they could have a contest

302
00:10:37,660 --> 00:10:40,500
for undeserving wives and they could be the

303
00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:41,020
champion.

304
00:10:43,100 --> 00:10:44,540
It's irrelevant, isn't it?

305
00:10:45,260 --> 00:10:49,560
Because the church is undeserving of the love

306
00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:51,760
of Jesus Christ, yet he gives it just

307
00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:52,240
the same.

308
00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,120
We have to completely remove this idea of

309
00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:56,100
deserving from it.

310
00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,220
It also shows us that God wants marriages

311
00:10:59,220 --> 00:11:00,920
to be full of love, doesn't it?

312
00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:03,760
The loveless marriage doesn't please God.

313
00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:05,520
It doesn't fulfill his purpose.

314
00:11:06,260 --> 00:11:08,560
God wants marriages to be full of love,

315
00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,580
full of that compassion, full of that care

316
00:11:10,580 --> 00:11:11,400
one for another.

317
00:11:12,220 --> 00:11:13,660
It also shows us that the love that

318
00:11:13,660 --> 00:11:16,380
Jesus has towards the church is love that's

319
00:11:16,380 --> 00:11:17,360
given first.

320
00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:20,180
It gives first in the initiative.

321
00:11:21,340 --> 00:11:23,400
Husbands may be standing back and saying, well,

322
00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:25,780
I'm ready to love my wife as soon

323
00:11:25,780 --> 00:11:27,220
as she softens up a bit, as soon

324
00:11:27,220 --> 00:11:28,480
as she changes her attitude.

325
00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:30,600
No, you go in there and you take

326
00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:31,540
the initiative, husband.

327
00:11:32,540 --> 00:11:34,360
What does the Bible say about our love

328
00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:35,760
relationship with Jesus Christ?

329
00:11:35,860 --> 00:11:39,460
It says we love him because he first

330
00:11:39,460 --> 00:11:40,260
loved us.

331
00:11:40,260 --> 00:11:41,960
So, husband, get out there and take the

332
00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,040
initiative and demonstrate love towards your wife.

333
00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:45,860
And I know what you're thinking.

334
00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,520
You're saying, well, listen, I've tried to do

335
00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:49,360
that and that love has been rejected.

336
00:11:50,460 --> 00:11:52,100
I've tried to do things and she's thrown

337
00:11:52,100 --> 00:11:53,220
it back in my face.

338
00:11:53,340 --> 00:11:54,780
We'll go back to the love of Jesus

339
00:11:54,780 --> 00:11:55,500
for his church.

340
00:11:55,900 --> 00:11:58,520
Don't we as Christians sometimes reject the love

341
00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:00,140
of Jesus as it's offered to us?

342
00:12:00,680 --> 00:12:02,580
You know, we sing that song sometimes.

343
00:12:02,740 --> 00:12:04,300
It's a beautiful song in the chorus to

344
00:12:04,300 --> 00:12:07,300
it goes, oh, Lord, I receive your love

345
00:12:07,300 --> 00:12:09,820
because we need to receive the love of

346
00:12:09,820 --> 00:12:10,560
Jesus, don't we?

347
00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,320
And sometimes, as it were, Jesus is trying

348
00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,100
to pour out his love upon us and

349
00:12:15,100 --> 00:12:17,360
we're pushing it away for whatever reason.

350
00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:19,400
Sometimes we're just in a bad mood.

351
00:12:19,780 --> 00:12:21,960
Sometimes we demand to feel worthy of his

352
00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:23,300
love before we'll receive it.

353
00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,580
And sometimes we do all those things and

354
00:12:25,580 --> 00:12:28,340
we need to consciously receive the love of

355
00:12:28,340 --> 00:12:28,700
Jesus.

356
00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,440
But even when we reject his love, he

357
00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:32,900
still brings it forth, doesn't he?

358
00:12:33,500 --> 00:12:34,500
He still brings it out.

359
00:12:36,420 --> 00:12:38,320
This is high ground for us to walk

360
00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:38,780
on, right?

361
00:12:39,460 --> 00:12:40,800
I don't know if there's a man here

362
00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:42,420
among us who can say, well, yes, I

363
00:12:42,420 --> 00:12:42,940
live all this.

364
00:12:43,020 --> 00:12:44,140
Can we go on to something else?

365
00:12:44,340 --> 00:12:45,920
I filled all these check marks.

366
00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:49,380
No, this is very high ground for us

367
00:12:49,380 --> 00:12:51,140
to achieve, but certainly it's the ground that

368
00:12:51,140 --> 00:12:52,160
the Lord calls us to.

369
00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,540
You see, it's not only attitude that's described

370
00:12:56,540 --> 00:12:57,340
in verse 25.

371
00:12:57,540 --> 00:12:59,600
Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also

372
00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:00,240
loved the church.

373
00:13:00,780 --> 00:13:03,180
No, if I could say, and just from

374
00:13:03,180 --> 00:13:05,900
a, you know, sort of a selfish male

375
00:13:05,900 --> 00:13:08,140
perspective, it gets worse in the end part

376
00:13:08,140 --> 00:13:10,640
of verse 25, where he won't relegate it,

377
00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:12,220
just the attitude of attitude.

378
00:13:12,740 --> 00:13:14,500
He says it has to do with action.

379
00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:15,760
Look at it there, verse 25.

380
00:13:16,620 --> 00:13:18,860
Husband, love your wives as Christ also loved

381
00:13:18,860 --> 00:13:21,940
the church and gave himself for it.

382
00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,500
That's Jesus's action towards the church.

383
00:13:26,220 --> 00:13:28,480
Oh, how we wish that the love could

384
00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,320
just be, you know, the feeling in our

385
00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:32,700
heart or a kindness that we show here

386
00:13:32,700 --> 00:13:33,040
and there.

387
00:13:33,140 --> 00:13:35,520
No, but what agape love is all about

388
00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,180
is about self-sacrificing love.

389
00:13:39,060 --> 00:13:40,340
This is what the world, this is what

390
00:13:40,340 --> 00:13:43,420
our popular culture doesn't understand at all.

391
00:13:44,260 --> 00:13:46,840
You know, when, when our popular culture speaks

392
00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,440
about love and they speak about love so

393
00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:51,540
much in the movies and in the songs

394
00:13:51,540 --> 00:13:54,000
and in television programs, everything that you think

395
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,160
the popular culture is, they're experts on love,

396
00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:56,460
right?

397
00:13:57,260 --> 00:13:58,980
Everybody knows all about love for all.

398
00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:00,580
They talk about it for all.

399
00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:02,160
They seem to understand it for all that,

400
00:14:02,260 --> 00:14:03,780
but they don't understand anything about love.

401
00:14:04,780 --> 00:14:06,860
They'll talk about love and how wonderful the

402
00:14:06,860 --> 00:14:07,960
love is and this and that.

403
00:14:08,020 --> 00:14:09,320
And the next thing, the love is gone.

404
00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,280
It's disappeared because they don't know anything about

405
00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:12,680
love.

406
00:14:13,300 --> 00:14:15,120
They don't understand love as it is in

407
00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:18,260
agape love and that is self-sacrificing love.

408
00:14:19,340 --> 00:14:21,320
But Jesus knew what it was to sacrifice.

409
00:14:21,580 --> 00:14:24,620
He said, verse 25, he gave himself for

410
00:14:24,620 --> 00:14:24,780
it.

411
00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:26,240
That's what love really is.

412
00:14:26,300 --> 00:14:27,900
That's how it acts out in the marital

413
00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:28,460
relationship.

414
00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:31,400
When the husband will deny himself, will sacrifice

415
00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:35,060
himself with a self-sacrificing love for the

416
00:14:35,060 --> 00:14:35,860
sake of his wife.

417
00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:37,900
Do you want to see how this worked

418
00:14:37,900 --> 00:14:39,240
out in the life of Jesus?

419
00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:41,960
Well, keep a finger there in Ephesians chapter

420
00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,940
five, turn ahead just a few pages in

421
00:14:44,940 --> 00:14:46,660
your Bible to Philippians chapter two.

422
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,620
Philippians is the book immediately after Ephesians.

423
00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,400
And in Philippians chapter two, verses five through

424
00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:57,920
eight, we find this dramatic statement from the

425
00:14:57,920 --> 00:14:59,860
pen of the apostle Paul, where he says,

426
00:15:00,220 --> 00:15:02,500
let this mind be in you, which was

427
00:15:02,500 --> 00:15:05,440
also in Christ Jesus, who being in the

428
00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:07,620
form of God did not consider it robbery

429
00:15:07,620 --> 00:15:10,540
to be equal with God, but made himself

430
00:15:10,540 --> 00:15:13,380
of no reputation, taking the form of a

431
00:15:13,380 --> 00:15:16,080
bond servant and coming in the likeness of

432
00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,600
men and being found in appearance as a

433
00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:18,820
man.

434
00:15:18,940 --> 00:15:21,800
He humbled himself and became obedient to the

435
00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,180
point of death, even the death of the

436
00:15:24,180 --> 00:15:24,720
cross.

437
00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:27,680
Well, how about that for a pattern for

438
00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:28,160
husbands?

439
00:15:29,060 --> 00:15:29,820
You see that?

440
00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:30,720
Take a look at it there.

441
00:15:30,860 --> 00:15:33,600
Verse five again of Philippians chapter two, let

442
00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,080
this mind be in you, which was also

443
00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:37,880
in Christ Jesus, who being in the form

444
00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:39,620
of God did not consider it robbery to

445
00:15:39,620 --> 00:15:41,460
be equal with God, but made himself of

446
00:15:41,460 --> 00:15:42,260
no reputation.

447
00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:43,920
In other words, he lowered himself.

448
00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:47,840
Husbands, you need to get off your high

449
00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:49,900
horse and get down on the same level

450
00:15:49,900 --> 00:15:51,900
as your wife and be there as her

451
00:15:51,900 --> 00:15:52,280
partner.

452
00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:54,380
That's what Jesus did.

453
00:15:54,860 --> 00:15:56,820
He left the glory of heaven to come

454
00:15:56,820 --> 00:15:59,060
and let go of all of his reputation,

455
00:15:59,220 --> 00:16:00,620
all of his status and come in to

456
00:16:00,620 --> 00:16:03,480
be right there next to his bride, who

457
00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:04,780
he would take unto himself.

458
00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:07,380
And then if you notice, he took the

459
00:16:07,380 --> 00:16:08,480
form of a bond servant.

460
00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:09,860
That's how he came.

461
00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:12,200
Not as a Lord to say, Hey, everybody

462
00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:12,700
obey me.

463
00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:13,680
Everybody serve me.

464
00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:15,140
No, he came to serve instead.

465
00:16:16,220 --> 00:16:18,180
And then he humbled himself and he was

466
00:16:18,180 --> 00:16:20,280
obedient to God, even to the point of

467
00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:21,460
death, the death of the cross.

468
00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,720
That's a self-sacrificing love described in the

469
00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:25,680
strongest of terms.

470
00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:27,740
That's what it means for a husband to

471
00:16:27,740 --> 00:16:30,900
love his wife as Christ loved the church.

472
00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,180
It's not a matter of just warm feelings.

473
00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,220
It's a matter of self-sacrificing love.

474
00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:39,380
You see, the focus of Jesus was on

475
00:16:39,380 --> 00:16:39,900
the church.

476
00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:41,720
It was for the church that he did

477
00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:42,200
what he did.

478
00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:43,300
It wasn't for himself.

479
00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:45,000
He was buying her.

480
00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:46,220
He was purchasing her.

481
00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,460
He was thinking of nobody but the church.

482
00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:50,600
It was not thinking about himself.

483
00:16:50,780 --> 00:16:52,360
He was thinking of her.

484
00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:54,220
And that's what husbands need to be able

485
00:16:54,220 --> 00:16:55,640
to communicate to their wives.

486
00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:57,260
I'm thinking of you.

487
00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:59,500
I'm caring for you.

488
00:17:01,810 --> 00:17:03,130
And when we read all this and we

489
00:17:03,130 --> 00:17:05,109
think about the depths of love that Jesus

490
00:17:05,109 --> 00:17:07,390
showed, and this is the pattern for husbands,

491
00:17:07,510 --> 00:17:09,190
I wouldn't blame a few husbands out there

492
00:17:09,190 --> 00:17:11,810
for sort of thinking, man, this is a

493
00:17:11,810 --> 00:17:12,470
raw deal.

494
00:17:14,270 --> 00:17:15,650
I mean, I thought it was going pretty

495
00:17:15,650 --> 00:17:17,369
good when we were in verse 22 of

496
00:17:17,369 --> 00:17:20,349
Ephesians chapter five, where it said, wives submit

497
00:17:20,349 --> 00:17:22,050
to your own husbands as to the Lord.

498
00:17:22,589 --> 00:17:24,849
I was saying, Amen, right along with that

499
00:17:24,849 --> 00:17:25,170
one.

500
00:17:26,630 --> 00:17:27,890
And that was right.

501
00:17:28,010 --> 00:17:28,530
That was good.

502
00:17:28,650 --> 00:17:29,950
And then in verse 23, it says that

503
00:17:29,950 --> 00:17:31,270
the husband's the head of the wife.

504
00:17:31,370 --> 00:17:31,810
Well, yes.

505
00:17:31,890 --> 00:17:33,130
Amen, the husband says.

506
00:17:33,490 --> 00:17:34,950
See, I'm the head, right?

507
00:17:36,430 --> 00:17:37,630
That's what the husband's thing is.

508
00:17:37,670 --> 00:17:39,330
I thought God said I was the head

509
00:17:39,330 --> 00:17:39,970
of the home.

510
00:17:40,550 --> 00:17:41,510
Well, you are the head.

511
00:17:42,450 --> 00:17:44,310
Well, I thought God said that my wife

512
00:17:44,310 --> 00:17:45,870
was supposed to submit to me.

513
00:17:46,330 --> 00:17:47,970
She is supposed to submit to you.

514
00:17:48,590 --> 00:17:50,650
Then why do I have to lay down

515
00:17:50,650 --> 00:17:52,210
my life and sacrifice?

516
00:17:52,850 --> 00:17:55,050
Why do I have to humble myself and

517
00:17:55,050 --> 00:17:57,910
give away my high minded reputation and be

518
00:17:57,910 --> 00:17:58,450
a servant?

519
00:17:58,690 --> 00:18:00,470
I thought I was in charge.

520
00:18:01,850 --> 00:18:03,350
Well, you see, there's only one answer to

521
00:18:03,350 --> 00:18:03,890
that husband.

522
00:18:05,050 --> 00:18:09,410
You understand headship and submission in a very

523
00:18:09,410 --> 00:18:10,830
worldly way.

524
00:18:11,670 --> 00:18:14,510
You don't understand it in a godly way

525
00:18:14,510 --> 00:18:15,090
at all.

526
00:18:15,790 --> 00:18:20,230
You see, worldly headship says I'm your head,

527
00:18:20,530 --> 00:18:22,310
so you have to take your orders from

528
00:18:22,310 --> 00:18:24,230
me and do whatever I want you to

529
00:18:24,230 --> 00:18:24,570
do.

530
00:18:25,570 --> 00:18:28,930
Godly headship says I am your head, so

531
00:18:28,930 --> 00:18:31,570
I must care for you and serve you.

532
00:18:33,330 --> 00:18:36,390
Worldly submission says you must submit to me.

533
00:18:36,570 --> 00:18:38,250
So here are the things I want you

534
00:18:38,250 --> 00:18:39,010
to do for me.

535
00:18:40,050 --> 00:18:43,050
Godly submission says you must submit to me,

536
00:18:43,250 --> 00:18:46,470
so I am accountable before God for you.

537
00:18:46,870 --> 00:18:48,790
I must care for you and serve you.

538
00:18:49,350 --> 00:18:50,130
You see the difference?

539
00:18:51,570 --> 00:18:54,370
And this is not the height of romantic

540
00:18:54,370 --> 00:18:56,010
love as the world knows it.

541
00:18:56,870 --> 00:18:58,350
No, no, this is a different kind of

542
00:18:58,350 --> 00:18:59,630
love than the world knows.

543
00:19:00,450 --> 00:19:02,650
You know, the world knows romantic love based

544
00:19:02,650 --> 00:19:05,470
on looks and image and the ability to

545
00:19:05,470 --> 00:19:08,530
be suave and cool and wonderful and all

546
00:19:08,530 --> 00:19:10,170
these great romantic things.

547
00:19:11,150 --> 00:19:14,290
Look, the problem with that is that some

548
00:19:14,290 --> 00:19:16,770
men aren't really capable of it, are they?

549
00:19:17,490 --> 00:19:19,490
I mean, they try their best, but they're

550
00:19:19,490 --> 00:19:20,950
never going to match up with the image

551
00:19:20,950 --> 00:19:22,830
of the fellow on the TV who has

552
00:19:22,830 --> 00:19:25,110
especially all the special lighting and the cameras

553
00:19:25,110 --> 00:19:26,690
and the makeup person and all that.

554
00:19:26,910 --> 00:19:28,410
And, you know, they can put the music

555
00:19:28,410 --> 00:19:30,290
in the background and music doesn't follow you

556
00:19:30,290 --> 00:19:31,350
around everywhere you go.

557
00:19:32,350 --> 00:19:34,030
And, you know, look at the car he

558
00:19:34,030 --> 00:19:36,250
drives and the restaurant he takes the woman

559
00:19:36,250 --> 00:19:36,510
to.

560
00:19:36,610 --> 00:19:37,890
And good heavens, you know that?

561
00:19:38,170 --> 00:19:39,770
And they're never showing him pay the bill

562
00:19:39,770 --> 00:19:40,750
and all that business.

563
00:19:41,910 --> 00:19:44,870
You know, we just can't match this worldly

564
00:19:44,870 --> 00:19:46,950
image of romance that's presented to us.

565
00:19:47,050 --> 00:19:48,430
You can't live up to it.

566
00:19:49,990 --> 00:19:52,630
But friends, every one of us as men

567
00:19:52,630 --> 00:19:55,170
can fulfill this role of sacrificial love.

568
00:19:55,990 --> 00:19:56,910
Doesn't matter how you look.

569
00:19:57,370 --> 00:19:58,650
Isn't that refreshing for us men?

570
00:19:59,430 --> 00:20:01,570
You don't have to worry about how you

571
00:20:01,570 --> 00:20:02,530
look or any of those things.

572
00:20:02,630 --> 00:20:03,690
That's irrelevant to this.

573
00:20:04,130 --> 00:20:05,950
Every one of us as men can fulfill

574
00:20:05,950 --> 00:20:09,350
this role of having a self-sacrificing love

575
00:20:09,350 --> 00:20:10,170
towards our wife.

576
00:20:10,790 --> 00:20:13,330
We can fulfill this role that Jesus speaks

577
00:20:13,330 --> 00:20:13,610
about.

578
00:20:14,890 --> 00:20:18,010
Now, there's several ways that this love expresses

579
00:20:18,010 --> 00:20:18,530
itself.

580
00:20:18,670 --> 00:20:20,510
It expresses itself, first of all, in the

581
00:20:20,510 --> 00:20:22,550
way that Jesus chose his bride.

582
00:20:23,230 --> 00:20:24,590
And that's what we need to do as

583
00:20:24,590 --> 00:20:25,330
husbands, right?

584
00:20:25,950 --> 00:20:28,010
Express to our wives that they're chosen.

585
00:20:28,650 --> 00:20:30,750
I mean, that's what Jesus did when he

586
00:20:30,750 --> 00:20:32,610
saw us, when he put his affection upon

587
00:20:32,610 --> 00:20:32,850
us.

588
00:20:33,070 --> 00:20:34,030
He chose us.

589
00:20:34,710 --> 00:20:37,090
Do you understand that Jesus chose you before

590
00:20:37,090 --> 00:20:37,990
you chose him?

591
00:20:39,190 --> 00:20:41,310
He spoke to your heart before you ever

592
00:20:41,310 --> 00:20:43,030
answered back to his heart.

593
00:20:43,990 --> 00:20:45,250
And that's how it is in the marital

594
00:20:45,250 --> 00:20:45,870
relationship.

595
00:20:46,010 --> 00:20:48,490
A husband, he sets his affection on one

596
00:20:48,490 --> 00:20:50,910
woman and he says, I choose you.

597
00:20:51,730 --> 00:20:53,610
One woman out of every other woman on

598
00:20:53,610 --> 00:20:54,030
this earth.

599
00:20:54,190 --> 00:20:55,750
He says, I choose you.

600
00:20:55,890 --> 00:20:57,530
It doesn't say I choose you and you

601
00:20:57,530 --> 00:20:57,950
and you.

602
00:20:58,070 --> 00:20:58,710
No, it's one.

603
00:20:58,810 --> 00:20:59,550
I choose you.

604
00:21:00,630 --> 00:21:02,570
And when the husband does that choosing, the

605
00:21:02,570 --> 00:21:04,650
husband and the wife both, they're no longer

606
00:21:04,650 --> 00:21:06,030
free to do some of the things they

607
00:21:06,030 --> 00:21:06,650
did before.

608
00:21:07,430 --> 00:21:08,970
The wife is to live for the husband

609
00:21:08,970 --> 00:21:10,530
and the husband's to live for the wife.

610
00:21:10,870 --> 00:21:12,430
The husband's not to look at other women

611
00:21:12,430 --> 00:21:15,030
because the bride, his bride is the one

612
00:21:15,030 --> 00:21:15,810
that he selected.

613
00:21:16,290 --> 00:21:18,430
He separated her unto himself.

614
00:21:18,810 --> 00:21:20,570
That's how Jesus looks at the church.

615
00:21:20,690 --> 00:21:22,770
That's how husbands must look at their wives.

616
00:21:23,770 --> 00:21:26,030
Any way that a husband can communicate to

617
00:21:26,030 --> 00:21:28,490
his wife, I choose you.

618
00:21:29,530 --> 00:21:30,370
He needs to communicate.

619
00:21:31,990 --> 00:21:34,450
Jesus demonstrated his love to his bride in

620
00:21:34,450 --> 00:21:37,270
a significant once for all time action.

621
00:21:37,410 --> 00:21:38,570
And that was when he died on the

622
00:21:38,570 --> 00:21:38,950
cross.

623
00:21:39,210 --> 00:21:40,590
As husbands, we do the same thing.

624
00:21:40,690 --> 00:21:42,490
You could call it the marriage ceremony, right?

625
00:21:42,830 --> 00:21:44,270
That's why weddings are important.

626
00:21:44,370 --> 00:21:45,790
That's why marriage ceremonies are important.

627
00:21:46,090 --> 00:21:48,090
It's a time of declaration where the husband

628
00:21:48,090 --> 00:21:49,830
says, hey, I'm not ashamed.

629
00:21:49,930 --> 00:21:50,870
I'll say it publicly.

630
00:21:50,970 --> 00:21:52,130
I'll say it before witnesses.

631
00:21:52,570 --> 00:21:54,390
This is the woman I've chosen.

632
00:21:55,490 --> 00:21:57,290
By the way, that's why marriages are important

633
00:21:57,290 --> 00:21:58,930
and marriage ceremonies are important.

634
00:21:59,910 --> 00:22:01,770
Some people want to duck the legality of

635
00:22:01,770 --> 00:22:03,450
marriage and just say, well, we'll be married

636
00:22:03,450 --> 00:22:04,170
before God.

637
00:22:04,270 --> 00:22:05,110
No, that doesn't count.

638
00:22:05,990 --> 00:22:07,550
They say, well, what if we were on

639
00:22:07,550 --> 00:22:11,130
a desert island and there was no law

640
00:22:11,130 --> 00:22:13,370
courts or there was no pastor to marry

641
00:22:13,370 --> 00:22:13,790
us?

642
00:22:14,250 --> 00:22:15,350
And I say, well, then fine.

643
00:22:15,430 --> 00:22:16,750
You can be married before God when you're

644
00:22:16,750 --> 00:22:19,470
on the desert island, but you're not on

645
00:22:19,470 --> 00:22:20,670
a desert island right now.

646
00:22:20,950 --> 00:22:23,170
You live in Ventura County, California, and there's

647
00:22:23,170 --> 00:22:24,330
a way you can get a marriage life.

648
00:22:24,470 --> 00:22:25,990
We'll fix it all up for you.

649
00:22:27,030 --> 00:22:29,150
You can leave the desert island scenario for

650
00:22:29,150 --> 00:22:29,930
the desert island.

651
00:22:31,230 --> 00:22:32,610
But right now there's a way that you

652
00:22:32,610 --> 00:22:34,470
can declare just as Jesus declared.

653
00:22:34,850 --> 00:22:36,150
I choose this woman.

654
00:22:37,010 --> 00:22:38,310
I choose her to be mine.

655
00:22:39,450 --> 00:22:41,530
And Jesus also cherishes his bride.

656
00:22:41,870 --> 00:22:43,670
If you notice in verse 29 of Ephesians

657
00:22:43,670 --> 00:22:45,970
chapter five, Paul writes, he says, no one

658
00:22:45,970 --> 00:22:47,890
ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and

659
00:22:47,890 --> 00:22:50,650
cherishes it just as the Lord does the

660
00:22:50,650 --> 00:22:50,970
church.

661
00:22:51,010 --> 00:22:53,410
A husband must cherish his wife as Jesus

662
00:22:53,410 --> 00:22:54,710
cherishes his bride.

663
00:22:55,110 --> 00:22:56,470
You know that that word cherishes.

664
00:22:56,670 --> 00:22:59,390
It really has the idea of an affectionate

665
00:22:59,390 --> 00:22:59,990
care.

666
00:23:00,270 --> 00:23:02,370
It means that he cares for, he looks

667
00:23:02,370 --> 00:23:04,410
after, he guards his wife.

668
00:23:05,490 --> 00:23:07,030
And that's the sort of affectionate care that

669
00:23:07,030 --> 00:23:09,710
a husband should be given to the wife.

670
00:23:10,810 --> 00:23:14,090
You see, this is the true understanding of

671
00:23:14,090 --> 00:23:16,830
the marital relationship that a husband should have

672
00:23:16,830 --> 00:23:17,650
towards his wife.

673
00:23:18,830 --> 00:23:21,250
Now, there's another great aspect that I'd like

674
00:23:21,250 --> 00:23:22,790
to touch on in the last few minutes

675
00:23:22,790 --> 00:23:23,950
that we're here together with.

676
00:23:24,430 --> 00:23:25,890
Really, there's so much more that we need

677
00:23:25,890 --> 00:23:27,990
to talk about regarding this passage, and we

678
00:23:27,990 --> 00:23:30,250
will talk about it in next week and

679
00:23:30,250 --> 00:23:31,010
in the week after.

680
00:23:31,830 --> 00:23:32,950
But what I want to talk about is

681
00:23:32,950 --> 00:23:35,110
how this reflects for us in the marital

682
00:23:35,110 --> 00:23:38,950
relationship what Jesus shares with his bride.

683
00:23:39,830 --> 00:23:41,470
You see, this is really, again, a teaching

684
00:23:41,470 --> 00:23:42,470
on two tracks.

685
00:23:42,590 --> 00:23:44,130
It shows us the glory of the Christian

686
00:23:44,130 --> 00:23:46,510
marriage, but it also shows us the glory

687
00:23:46,510 --> 00:23:48,050
of the Christian life.

688
00:23:48,890 --> 00:23:50,450
And I think it's often because we don't

689
00:23:50,450 --> 00:23:52,770
appreciate one that we don't appreciate the other.

690
00:23:53,630 --> 00:23:56,170
And one of the fundamental truths of the

691
00:23:56,170 --> 00:23:58,230
Christian life is that it must be lived

692
00:23:58,230 --> 00:24:01,550
as a shared life, as a life shared

693
00:24:01,550 --> 00:24:02,770
with Jesus Christ.

694
00:24:03,470 --> 00:24:06,330
We should all understand that together, because sometimes

695
00:24:06,330 --> 00:24:07,670
we don't.

696
00:24:08,230 --> 00:24:13,770
Sometimes people accept Jesus, but they don't want

697
00:24:13,770 --> 00:24:15,690
to share Jesus's life.

698
00:24:17,190 --> 00:24:19,090
They accept Jesus in the way that you

699
00:24:19,090 --> 00:24:23,030
might accept a soda pop.

700
00:24:24,250 --> 00:24:26,650
Now, you see the advertisements on television for

701
00:24:26,650 --> 00:24:29,150
this soda pop or that soda pop, and

702
00:24:29,150 --> 00:24:30,830
they say, take this soda pop, and they

703
00:24:30,830 --> 00:24:32,310
show all the people, and they're all having

704
00:24:32,310 --> 00:24:32,890
fun.

705
00:24:33,190 --> 00:24:34,290
Wow, are they having fun.

706
00:24:34,590 --> 00:24:36,670
More fun than people should be allowed to

707
00:24:36,670 --> 00:24:37,430
have, they're having.

708
00:24:37,430 --> 00:24:40,030
And oh, look, they're just so happy.

709
00:24:40,370 --> 00:24:41,310
And the whole message is this.

710
00:24:41,570 --> 00:24:44,010
If you accept this soda pop, if you

711
00:24:44,010 --> 00:24:45,910
take it, look at what it will add

712
00:24:45,910 --> 00:24:46,730
to your life.

713
00:24:47,350 --> 00:24:50,490
Now, you're not expected to live your life

714
00:24:50,490 --> 00:24:51,610
around that soda pop.

715
00:24:52,130 --> 00:24:53,490
You're just expected to buy it.

716
00:24:53,710 --> 00:24:55,530
You buy it, it'll add something to your

717
00:24:55,530 --> 00:24:55,830
life.

718
00:24:56,790 --> 00:24:57,630
You know, that's the way a lot of

719
00:24:57,630 --> 00:24:58,490
people approach Jesus.

720
00:24:59,330 --> 00:25:00,270
I'll accept Jesus.

721
00:25:00,430 --> 00:25:02,910
I'll come to him, and he'll add something

722
00:25:02,910 --> 00:25:04,350
wonderful to my life.

723
00:25:05,270 --> 00:25:07,230
But live my life around him?

724
00:25:07,630 --> 00:25:09,110
Share my life with his?

725
00:25:09,170 --> 00:25:10,250
No, what are you talking about?

726
00:25:11,490 --> 00:25:13,510
You see, Jesus wants to go far, far

727
00:25:13,510 --> 00:25:15,690
beyond just this idea of coming into our

728
00:25:15,690 --> 00:25:17,610
life to add something good.

729
00:25:17,950 --> 00:25:20,170
He wants to share his life with us.

730
00:25:20,510 --> 00:25:22,410
He says in the word, he says, I

731
00:25:22,410 --> 00:25:24,690
in you and you in me.

732
00:25:24,870 --> 00:25:27,170
This idea of a shared life with Jesus

733
00:25:27,170 --> 00:25:28,510
Christ is very powerful.

734
00:25:29,110 --> 00:25:32,230
Now, it's powerful as it is in the

735
00:25:32,230 --> 00:25:34,890
Christian life, but it's also powerful as it

736
00:25:34,890 --> 00:25:38,170
relates to the married life, because what Jesus

737
00:25:38,170 --> 00:25:40,990
shares with his bride relates to marriage.

738
00:25:42,470 --> 00:25:44,390
You see, as we illustrate this, we need

739
00:25:44,390 --> 00:25:46,810
to remember that husbands must take the initiative

740
00:25:46,810 --> 00:25:48,190
in this shared life.

741
00:25:49,350 --> 00:25:50,050
Some don't.

742
00:25:50,810 --> 00:25:52,770
You see, what some husbands communicate to their

743
00:25:52,770 --> 00:25:56,090
wives is, listen, wife, I'll live my life

744
00:25:56,090 --> 00:25:57,370
and you live yours.

745
00:25:58,050 --> 00:25:59,170
I mean, I want us to get along

746
00:25:59,170 --> 00:25:59,770
just fine.

747
00:26:00,470 --> 00:26:02,290
I want us to enjoy each other's company

748
00:26:02,290 --> 00:26:02,650
and all.

749
00:26:03,190 --> 00:26:04,030
I'll be nice to you.

750
00:26:04,110 --> 00:26:05,110
You be nice to me.

751
00:26:05,710 --> 00:26:07,070
But your life is yours.

752
00:26:07,490 --> 00:26:08,750
My life is mine.

753
00:26:09,250 --> 00:26:10,370
That's how it's going to be.

754
00:26:10,790 --> 00:26:12,270
Now, let me ask you, could you imagine

755
00:26:12,270 --> 00:26:14,450
Jesus speaking to his people that way?

756
00:26:15,170 --> 00:26:16,750
It's incomprehensible, isn't it?

757
00:26:17,310 --> 00:26:18,770
Jesus looks to his people and he says,

758
00:26:18,910 --> 00:26:20,810
I want you to share my life.

759
00:26:21,010 --> 00:26:21,870
Here's my life.

760
00:26:21,910 --> 00:26:23,070
I want you to share in it.

761
00:26:23,250 --> 00:26:25,370
Come, come be a part of my life.

762
00:26:26,030 --> 00:26:27,870
The things that I want to accomplish, I

763
00:26:27,870 --> 00:26:30,110
want you to be there accomplishing them with

764
00:26:30,110 --> 00:26:30,310
me.

765
00:26:30,770 --> 00:26:32,330
My goals, my aspirations.

766
00:26:32,710 --> 00:26:34,830
I want you to take and come to

767
00:26:34,830 --> 00:26:35,770
share my life.

768
00:26:35,830 --> 00:26:37,150
That's what Jesus says to his people.

769
00:26:37,430 --> 00:26:38,770
That's what the husband needs to say to

770
00:26:38,770 --> 00:26:39,230
his wife.

771
00:26:40,470 --> 00:26:41,870
And again, it also means that the wives

772
00:26:41,870 --> 00:26:44,130
must respond to the shared life.

773
00:26:44,450 --> 00:26:44,830
Some don't.

774
00:26:46,190 --> 00:26:47,910
Some look to the husband and they say,

775
00:26:47,990 --> 00:26:49,930
well, look, you can come share my life.

776
00:26:50,700 --> 00:26:52,910
The husband says, well, no, no, that's not

777
00:26:52,910 --> 00:26:53,690
the pattern here.

778
00:26:54,610 --> 00:26:57,290
And some wives don't, just as some Christians

779
00:26:57,290 --> 00:26:59,310
show little interest in a shared life with

780
00:26:59,310 --> 00:26:59,690
Jesus.

781
00:27:00,470 --> 00:27:02,230
I mean, for some Christians, their idea of

782
00:27:02,230 --> 00:27:04,610
the Christian life is that Jesus is there

783
00:27:04,610 --> 00:27:08,050
to help them live their lives, that the

784
00:27:08,050 --> 00:27:10,490
main job of Jesus is to support them

785
00:27:10,490 --> 00:27:12,530
and help them fulfill their own agenda.

786
00:27:12,890 --> 00:27:15,290
But Jesus says, come to me and share

787
00:27:15,290 --> 00:27:16,150
my life.

788
00:27:16,810 --> 00:27:18,830
So the wife must come into the husband

789
00:27:18,830 --> 00:27:20,190
and share his life.

790
00:27:20,330 --> 00:27:21,990
And he needs to have that care and

791
00:27:21,990 --> 00:27:23,370
that concern for his wife.

792
00:27:24,550 --> 00:27:26,050
And you see how this works out in

793
00:27:26,050 --> 00:27:27,830
the relationship with Jesus and his bride.

794
00:27:28,830 --> 00:27:30,470
I mean, Jesus, first of all, he shares

795
00:27:30,470 --> 00:27:32,330
his name with his bride, doesn't he?

796
00:27:32,910 --> 00:27:34,070
He gives us his name.

797
00:27:34,930 --> 00:27:36,210
And so we do the same thing in

798
00:27:36,210 --> 00:27:37,050
our marriages, right?

799
00:27:37,110 --> 00:27:39,550
In a marriage ceremony that the wife takes

800
00:27:39,550 --> 00:27:40,810
on the name of the husband.

801
00:27:41,670 --> 00:27:44,090
He put his name upon us as believers.

802
00:27:44,410 --> 00:27:46,530
Well, there's no greater compliment than can be

803
00:27:46,530 --> 00:27:46,990
paid.

804
00:27:47,530 --> 00:27:48,990
And in the same way, when a woman

805
00:27:48,990 --> 00:27:50,830
gets married, she gives up her name and

806
00:27:50,830 --> 00:27:52,290
she takes on the name of her husband.

807
00:27:52,930 --> 00:27:53,630
It's biblical.

808
00:27:53,770 --> 00:27:54,970
It's a custom of the whole world.

809
00:27:55,290 --> 00:27:57,790
It teaches us that the relationship between the

810
00:27:57,790 --> 00:28:00,270
husband and the wife, it follows this pattern.

811
00:28:02,070 --> 00:28:04,910
See here, Jesus gives us his name, but

812
00:28:04,910 --> 00:28:06,250
more than that, far more than that, in

813
00:28:06,250 --> 00:28:07,910
the broadest kind of way, you can say

814
00:28:07,910 --> 00:28:11,370
that Jesus shares his life with his bride.

815
00:28:11,930 --> 00:28:14,350
So husbands, we have to share our life

816
00:28:14,350 --> 00:28:15,190
with our wife.

817
00:28:16,290 --> 00:28:19,090
When a man marries a woman, he no

818
00:28:19,090 --> 00:28:21,230
longer is to live just unto himself.

819
00:28:21,510 --> 00:28:23,850
He's invited this woman to come in and

820
00:28:23,850 --> 00:28:25,550
share his life.

821
00:28:25,910 --> 00:28:28,190
And so Jesus shares his life with his

822
00:28:28,190 --> 00:28:28,590
people.

823
00:28:29,670 --> 00:28:31,790
Now, husbands, let's be very honest here.

824
00:28:31,850 --> 00:28:33,250
There may be some men out here.

825
00:28:33,370 --> 00:28:35,770
Let me speak, first of all, to a

826
00:28:35,770 --> 00:28:37,170
single man here, perhaps.

827
00:28:37,170 --> 00:28:39,430
And you as a single man, you're saying,

828
00:28:39,770 --> 00:28:40,230
you know what?

829
00:28:40,550 --> 00:28:42,510
I don't know what I want some woman

830
00:28:42,510 --> 00:28:43,370
to share my life.

831
00:28:44,190 --> 00:28:45,910
I like living my life the way I

832
00:28:45,910 --> 00:28:47,790
want to live it and only being concerned

833
00:28:47,790 --> 00:28:49,470
about myself and thinking about that.

834
00:28:49,630 --> 00:28:50,890
And I can think of a lot of

835
00:28:50,890 --> 00:28:52,710
good things that a woman could add to

836
00:28:52,710 --> 00:28:54,790
my life, but I'm really not interested in

837
00:28:54,790 --> 00:28:56,970
living a shared life with another woman.

838
00:28:57,230 --> 00:28:58,490
Well, let me say you're not ready to

839
00:28:58,490 --> 00:28:58,890
get married.

840
00:28:59,690 --> 00:29:00,130
You're not.

841
00:29:01,690 --> 00:29:03,810
Of course, well, a woman could add some

842
00:29:03,810 --> 00:29:04,790
wonderful things to my life.

843
00:29:04,830 --> 00:29:06,150
No, that's not what we're talking about.

844
00:29:06,870 --> 00:29:08,450
We're talking about living a shared life.

845
00:29:09,630 --> 00:29:12,050
And you, if you're already married, husbands, if

846
00:29:12,050 --> 00:29:13,210
you're there, this is the fact of the

847
00:29:13,210 --> 00:29:13,350
matter.

848
00:29:13,430 --> 00:29:15,530
This is what God calls you to, to

849
00:29:15,530 --> 00:29:17,490
have this mind in you, to go and

850
00:29:17,490 --> 00:29:20,670
live your life and in sharing and companionship.

851
00:29:21,310 --> 00:29:22,950
And a husband must never forget that he

852
00:29:22,950 --> 00:29:24,930
shares his life with his wife.

853
00:29:26,070 --> 00:29:27,690
And one example you could give, let's say

854
00:29:27,690 --> 00:29:29,650
if a man feels called to the mission

855
00:29:29,650 --> 00:29:31,770
field, that he doesn't consider, doesn't even think

856
00:29:31,770 --> 00:29:33,570
about what his wife thinks or feels.

857
00:29:34,350 --> 00:29:37,090
A man has no right to isolate himself

858
00:29:37,090 --> 00:29:39,130
over a matter like that from his wife.

859
00:29:39,770 --> 00:29:41,130
I mean, the two are one flesh.

860
00:29:41,470 --> 00:29:42,570
God has made them together.

861
00:29:42,650 --> 00:29:45,210
One, he has to consider his wife's view.

862
00:29:45,850 --> 00:29:48,450
It's a very poor Christian who says, I

863
00:29:48,450 --> 00:29:50,630
feel called to a particular work and it

864
00:29:50,630 --> 00:29:52,170
doesn't matter what my wife says.

865
00:29:52,190 --> 00:29:52,950
It does matter.

866
00:29:53,990 --> 00:29:55,670
You share a life together.

867
00:29:55,770 --> 00:29:56,790
That's how God has made it.

868
00:29:56,790 --> 00:29:59,650
Not only do they share a life, Jesus

869
00:29:59,650 --> 00:30:02,390
shares his dignity, his great, his glorious position

870
00:30:02,390 --> 00:30:03,010
with his bride.

871
00:30:03,710 --> 00:30:06,310
Whatever honor, whatever position we have, we share

872
00:30:06,310 --> 00:30:07,230
it with our wives.

873
00:30:08,110 --> 00:30:10,590
I take a man and he accomplishes things

874
00:30:10,590 --> 00:30:13,150
and he gets compliments or awards or credit

875
00:30:13,150 --> 00:30:13,490
to this.

876
00:30:13,790 --> 00:30:15,190
He has every reason in the world as

877
00:30:15,190 --> 00:30:17,330
a Christian man in a Christian marriage to

878
00:30:17,330 --> 00:30:19,130
genuinely look at his wife and say, well,

879
00:30:19,210 --> 00:30:20,730
she has deserved it too.

880
00:30:21,550 --> 00:30:22,750
It's her honor as well.

881
00:30:22,810 --> 00:30:23,730
It's not just my honor.

882
00:30:23,870 --> 00:30:24,370
It's her honor.

883
00:30:24,750 --> 00:30:25,910
It's not just my glory.

884
00:30:26,050 --> 00:30:26,730
It's her glory.

885
00:30:27,110 --> 00:30:28,330
It belongs to her as well.

886
00:30:28,630 --> 00:30:32,270
Now, somebody might objectively and quite objectively analyze

887
00:30:32,270 --> 00:30:34,110
the situation, come along and say, well, you

888
00:30:34,110 --> 00:30:35,330
know, she doesn't deserve that honor.

889
00:30:36,190 --> 00:30:37,130
She didn't do it.

890
00:30:37,310 --> 00:30:37,930
He did it.

891
00:30:38,790 --> 00:30:40,350
How can you say she deserves the honor?

892
00:30:40,470 --> 00:30:40,730
She does.

893
00:30:40,890 --> 00:30:41,950
She deserves the glory.

894
00:30:42,990 --> 00:30:44,570
Well, first of all, the answers that are

895
00:30:44,570 --> 00:30:44,950
twofold.

896
00:30:45,050 --> 00:30:47,310
First of all, she did contribute in ways

897
00:30:47,310 --> 00:30:48,330
that you can't imagine.

898
00:30:49,030 --> 00:30:49,890
I mean, even if she didn't have a

899
00:30:49,890 --> 00:30:52,390
hand in the actual work, she certainly supported

900
00:30:52,390 --> 00:30:53,610
and helped in many other ways.

901
00:30:54,090 --> 00:30:56,510
But the larger issue simply is this, is

902
00:30:56,510 --> 00:30:58,510
that this is given completely apart from the

903
00:30:58,510 --> 00:30:59,390
question of deserving.

904
00:31:00,370 --> 00:31:02,410
I mean, when Jesus gives us his glory,

905
00:31:02,570 --> 00:31:05,110
his honor, when Jesus gives us those things,

906
00:31:05,230 --> 00:31:06,270
do we deserve it?

907
00:31:06,690 --> 00:31:08,550
Is he waiting for us to deserve it?

908
00:31:08,650 --> 00:31:10,890
It's completely irrelevant to the issue, isn't it?

909
00:31:11,970 --> 00:31:13,150
And so the fact of the matter is

910
00:31:13,150 --> 00:31:14,990
it doesn't matter if she deserves it or

911
00:31:14,990 --> 00:31:15,310
not.

912
00:31:15,630 --> 00:31:16,790
She's your wife.

913
00:31:17,490 --> 00:31:19,670
She should share in the glory and the

914
00:31:19,670 --> 00:31:21,590
honor and whatever dignity you receive.

915
00:31:21,910 --> 00:31:24,150
She should share in it just because she

916
00:31:24,150 --> 00:31:26,510
is your wife and you share these things

917
00:31:26,510 --> 00:31:27,930
together as a couple.

918
00:31:29,370 --> 00:31:33,730
Jesus also shares his plans, his heart with

919
00:31:33,730 --> 00:31:34,310
his bride.

920
00:31:34,870 --> 00:31:36,330
You know, he's revealed it to him as

921
00:31:36,330 --> 00:31:37,470
a word, hasn't he?

922
00:31:37,470 --> 00:31:39,030
He's told us what the future will hold

923
00:31:39,030 --> 00:31:40,950
and told us about his return, about the

924
00:31:40,950 --> 00:31:42,290
coming glory that will come.

925
00:31:42,530 --> 00:31:43,830
And this is how it is in a

926
00:31:43,830 --> 00:31:45,090
healthy marriage relationship.

927
00:31:45,490 --> 00:31:48,150
The husband tells his wife everything and she

928
00:31:48,150 --> 00:31:50,930
knows every secret, every desire, every ambition, every

929
00:31:50,930 --> 00:31:53,410
hope, every project that ever enters in his

930
00:31:53,410 --> 00:31:53,850
mind.

931
00:31:54,310 --> 00:31:55,350
She's one with him.

932
00:31:56,870 --> 00:31:58,670
Husbands say, well, you know, I can't live

933
00:31:58,670 --> 00:32:01,490
that kind of open life before my wife.

934
00:32:02,510 --> 00:32:03,450
There's no way.

935
00:32:03,990 --> 00:32:05,830
I mean, knowing who I am, knowing who

936
00:32:05,830 --> 00:32:07,210
she is, it would never work.

937
00:32:08,490 --> 00:32:10,070
Can I say that this is what God

938
00:32:10,070 --> 00:32:11,710
wants to accomplish in your marriage?

939
00:32:12,490 --> 00:32:14,130
You look at your marriage right now and

940
00:32:14,130 --> 00:32:15,150
you say, boy, this isn't there.

941
00:32:15,210 --> 00:32:16,210
I don't know if it can ever be

942
00:32:16,210 --> 00:32:16,430
there.

943
00:32:16,430 --> 00:32:18,090
You say, well, listen, this is what Jesus

944
00:32:18,090 --> 00:32:19,830
Christ wants to accomplish in my life.

945
00:32:20,550 --> 00:32:22,990
He wants you and your wife to have

946
00:32:22,990 --> 00:32:25,910
a completely shared life where there are no

947
00:32:25,910 --> 00:32:29,270
secrets, where there is nothing hidden, where you

948
00:32:29,270 --> 00:32:30,750
can be completely open.

949
00:32:30,910 --> 00:32:32,610
Or as I could take the terminology from

950
00:32:32,610 --> 00:32:36,490
the book of Genesis, naked and unashamed, naked

951
00:32:36,490 --> 00:32:38,950
in the sense there's nothing covering, nothing, nothing

952
00:32:38,950 --> 00:32:39,270
here.

953
00:32:39,370 --> 00:32:40,870
No, it's all out in the open.

954
00:32:41,430 --> 00:32:44,630
And yet you're completely unashamed because she's one

955
00:32:44,630 --> 00:32:45,090
with him.

956
00:32:45,870 --> 00:32:48,090
So he'll tell her things that he wouldn't

957
00:32:48,090 --> 00:32:50,230
say to anybody else and she shares everything

958
00:32:50,230 --> 00:32:52,130
and there's nothing kept back, nothing hidden.

959
00:32:52,450 --> 00:32:54,690
That should be the relationship between husband and

960
00:32:54,690 --> 00:32:55,050
wife.

961
00:32:56,250 --> 00:32:58,290
Might I say as well, it should be

962
00:32:58,290 --> 00:33:01,670
the relationship between Jesus and his church, shouldn't

963
00:33:01,670 --> 00:33:01,810
it?

964
00:33:03,070 --> 00:33:04,910
You've been trying to hide things from your

965
00:33:04,910 --> 00:33:05,810
Lord, haven't you?

966
00:33:06,690 --> 00:33:08,590
Now, we all know how foolish it is

967
00:33:08,590 --> 00:33:10,230
to try to hide things from our wives

968
00:33:10,230 --> 00:33:12,270
because they find out, don't they?

969
00:33:13,450 --> 00:33:15,530
How much more foolish is it to try

970
00:33:15,530 --> 00:33:17,030
to hide things from our Saviour?

971
00:33:17,570 --> 00:33:18,630
He knows it already.

972
00:33:19,310 --> 00:33:21,170
It's not a matter of he will find

973
00:33:21,170 --> 00:33:21,430
out.

974
00:33:21,590 --> 00:33:22,750
He has found out.

975
00:33:23,350 --> 00:33:24,130
He knows it.

976
00:33:25,130 --> 00:33:27,370
So why do you keep that secret thing

977
00:33:27,370 --> 00:33:28,730
locked up in your heart?

978
00:33:30,190 --> 00:33:32,130
Why do you continue in that secret sin

979
00:33:32,130 --> 00:33:35,070
thinking that nobody sees when all along the

980
00:33:35,070 --> 00:33:35,790
Lord God sees?

981
00:33:36,890 --> 00:33:38,870
Why don't you let the Lord shine the

982
00:33:38,870 --> 00:33:41,030
light of his truth and his love upon?

983
00:33:42,470 --> 00:33:43,790
See, that's how it should work in the

984
00:33:43,790 --> 00:33:46,270
marriage and that's how it should also work

985
00:33:46,270 --> 00:33:49,250
in the relationship between a believer and his

986
00:33:49,250 --> 00:33:49,530
Lord.

987
00:33:50,690 --> 00:33:52,450
You see, a wife worthy of the name,

988
00:33:52,530 --> 00:33:54,510
she doesn't need to be encouraged to take

989
00:33:54,510 --> 00:33:55,990
an interest in her husband's affairs.

990
00:33:56,410 --> 00:33:58,530
She counts it as her greatest privilege to

991
00:33:58,530 --> 00:33:59,170
help her husband.

992
00:33:59,530 --> 00:34:02,030
She's vitally interested in everything that he does

993
00:34:02,030 --> 00:34:04,030
and she wants it to succeed.

994
00:34:04,850 --> 00:34:06,350
That's how it is between the bride of

995
00:34:06,350 --> 00:34:08,610
Christ and Jesus and that's how it is

996
00:34:08,610 --> 00:34:11,389
between a healthy relationship between husband and wife.

997
00:34:12,710 --> 00:34:14,909
It's not only glory, it's not only plans,

998
00:34:15,030 --> 00:34:16,050
it's not only all of that.

999
00:34:17,510 --> 00:34:19,370
You know, there's another thing that Jesus shares

1000
00:34:19,370 --> 00:34:23,170
with his bride and that's his problems and

1001
00:34:23,170 --> 00:34:23,989
his sufferings.

1002
00:34:25,550 --> 00:34:27,110
You know, the Bible says that we have

1003
00:34:27,110 --> 00:34:28,790
the fellowship of his sufferings.

1004
00:34:29,630 --> 00:34:30,889
Now, that's a hard thing for us to

1005
00:34:30,889 --> 00:34:31,630
swallow, isn't it?

1006
00:34:32,170 --> 00:34:34,469
We'll share his glory, we'll share his exaltation,

1007
00:34:34,610 --> 00:34:36,429
we'll share his name, we'll share all those

1008
00:34:36,429 --> 00:34:38,610
wonderful things, but to share in his sufferings,

1009
00:34:38,650 --> 00:34:40,250
well, I don't know about that, but that's

1010
00:34:40,250 --> 00:34:41,650
what it is to live in the Christian

1011
00:34:41,650 --> 00:34:44,130
life and that's how it is in a

1012
00:34:44,130 --> 00:34:45,270
healthy marriage as well.

1013
00:34:45,530 --> 00:34:47,750
A wife worthy of the name suffers when

1014
00:34:47,750 --> 00:34:48,610
her husband suffers.

1015
00:34:49,070 --> 00:34:50,969
She suffers in her heart when she sees

1016
00:34:50,969 --> 00:34:51,610
him suffering.

1017
00:34:51,949 --> 00:34:53,790
She shares it with him, she bears it

1018
00:34:53,790 --> 00:34:56,550
with him and so the apostle Paul would

1019
00:34:56,550 --> 00:34:59,710
do in his relationship with Jesus and that's

1020
00:34:59,710 --> 00:35:01,610
how it is with the healthy relationship between

1021
00:35:01,610 --> 00:35:03,830
a husband and a wife as well.

1022
00:35:05,150 --> 00:35:08,670
Friends, Jesus Christ has a glorious destiny, a

1023
00:35:08,670 --> 00:35:10,590
glorious future, a glorious prospect.

1024
00:35:10,950 --> 00:35:12,750
That's how it should be in the relationship

1025
00:35:12,750 --> 00:35:15,250
between the believer and his Lord and the

1026
00:35:15,250 --> 00:35:16,490
husband and the wife.

1027
00:35:17,090 --> 00:35:18,890
We share in his future.

1028
00:35:20,370 --> 00:35:23,590
We recognize the glorious future that Jesus has

1029
00:35:23,590 --> 00:35:24,290
called us to.

1030
00:35:25,170 --> 00:35:26,890
I just want to say shame on us.

1031
00:35:27,870 --> 00:35:30,710
Shame on us for our weakness, our helplessness,

1032
00:35:30,810 --> 00:35:33,110
our complaining, our laziness.

1033
00:35:33,870 --> 00:35:36,350
The way sometimes we half envy the world

1034
00:35:36,350 --> 00:35:38,690
and the so-called riches or the so

1035
00:35:38,690 --> 00:35:41,130
-called love that they have, the so-called

1036
00:35:41,130 --> 00:35:42,190
wonderful life.

1037
00:35:42,330 --> 00:35:45,590
The world's passing away, it's under condemnation, but

1038
00:35:45,590 --> 00:35:47,610
you and I have a glorious future to

1039
00:35:47,610 --> 00:35:48,330
look forward to.

1040
00:35:49,110 --> 00:35:51,690
Every wife, she wants to marry a husband

1041
00:35:51,690 --> 00:35:53,270
who has a great future, right?

1042
00:35:54,310 --> 00:35:56,190
The husband says, well, honey, you know, we're

1043
00:35:56,190 --> 00:35:57,830
going to get married and, you know, in

1044
00:35:57,830 --> 00:35:58,950
a few years we're going to be on

1045
00:35:58,950 --> 00:36:01,810
the street and I would have a job

1046
00:36:01,810 --> 00:36:03,590
and we'll be disheveled and, you know, I

1047
00:36:03,590 --> 00:36:05,870
know a nice few soup kitchens down in

1048
00:36:05,870 --> 00:36:07,930
town and we can share those together and

1049
00:36:07,930 --> 00:36:08,930
you go on and on.

1050
00:36:09,090 --> 00:36:10,910
Well, that doesn't sound very appetizing to the

1051
00:36:10,910 --> 00:36:11,670
wife, does it?

1052
00:36:13,390 --> 00:36:15,390
Believer, I've got glorious news for you.

1053
00:36:15,470 --> 00:36:18,390
Your husband, Jesus Christ, has a tremendous future

1054
00:36:18,390 --> 00:36:20,650
and you get to share in it with

1055
00:36:20,650 --> 00:36:20,890
him.

1056
00:36:21,570 --> 00:36:22,110
There you go.

1057
00:36:22,530 --> 00:36:25,090
You have that glorious future with him.

1058
00:36:26,010 --> 00:36:27,830
You see, that's the destiny that he spoke

1059
00:36:27,830 --> 00:36:29,450
about here in verse 27.

1060
00:36:29,670 --> 00:36:32,110
And let's conclude with this verse and I

1061
00:36:32,110 --> 00:36:32,990
almost apologize.

1062
00:36:33,210 --> 00:36:35,610
It's a very incomplete understanding that we have

1063
00:36:35,610 --> 00:36:36,130
this passage.

1064
00:36:36,210 --> 00:36:37,990
We'll have to string it together over a

1065
00:36:37,990 --> 00:36:40,190
few weeks here, but let's conclude with this

1066
00:36:40,190 --> 00:36:42,390
thought from verse 27, where he says that

1067
00:36:42,390 --> 00:36:44,390
he might present it to himself a glorious

1068
00:36:44,390 --> 00:36:46,870
church, not having spot or wrinkle or any

1069
00:36:46,870 --> 00:36:48,710
such thing, but that should be holy and

1070
00:36:48,710 --> 00:36:49,550
without blemish.

1071
00:36:51,370 --> 00:36:53,730
We're aware of this, aren't we, that a

1072
00:36:53,730 --> 00:36:56,090
couple, husbands and wives, as the years go

1073
00:36:56,090 --> 00:37:00,090
on, the spots and the blemishes increase, they

1074
00:37:00,090 --> 00:37:00,850
don't decrease.

1075
00:37:02,170 --> 00:37:03,510
But that's not how it is with the

1076
00:37:03,510 --> 00:37:05,410
relationship between Jesus and his bride.

1077
00:37:06,550 --> 00:37:08,770
As Jesus and his bride, as the believer

1078
00:37:08,770 --> 00:37:11,350
and their Lord grow closer and closer together,

1079
00:37:11,550 --> 00:37:14,450
the wrinkles diminish, the spots diminish.

1080
00:37:15,210 --> 00:37:17,030
No, they're not by any kind of age,

1081
00:37:17,110 --> 00:37:19,010
any kind of blemish, any imperfection.

1082
00:37:19,190 --> 00:37:21,130
And on that day, when we stand before

1083
00:37:21,130 --> 00:37:24,010
the Lord on that wedding day, our preparation

1084
00:37:24,010 --> 00:37:27,170
will be perfected and he'll present us all

1085
00:37:27,170 --> 00:37:29,630
to himself with all the angels, with all

1086
00:37:29,630 --> 00:37:32,290
the potentates of heaven looking on and they'll

1087
00:37:32,290 --> 00:37:34,030
scrutinize us and examine us.

1088
00:37:34,110 --> 00:37:35,530
And we, as the bride of Christ, will

1089
00:37:35,530 --> 00:37:37,310
be checked over from head to foot.

1090
00:37:37,350 --> 00:37:38,990
There won't be a single wrinkle, a single

1091
00:37:38,990 --> 00:37:41,410
spot will be imperfection before the Lord.

1092
00:37:42,790 --> 00:37:44,990
And that's the glorious destiny that he calls

1093
00:37:44,990 --> 00:37:45,410
us to.

1094
00:37:46,850 --> 00:37:48,710
So I don't know where to end this

1095
00:37:48,710 --> 00:37:49,110
message.

1096
00:37:50,210 --> 00:37:51,810
I don't know if I should end it

1097
00:37:51,810 --> 00:37:53,450
with the exhortation to the husbands.

1098
00:37:53,610 --> 00:37:55,630
Husbands, you have this picture in front of

1099
00:37:55,630 --> 00:37:56,110
you, don't you?

1100
00:37:56,450 --> 00:37:58,330
This is how you must love your wives.

1101
00:37:58,630 --> 00:38:01,030
This is the shared life you must live

1102
00:38:01,030 --> 00:38:01,490
with them.

1103
00:38:01,610 --> 00:38:02,390
I could end it there.

1104
00:38:03,650 --> 00:38:06,410
Or I could end it with believer, this

1105
00:38:06,410 --> 00:38:08,790
is the shared life that Jesus Christ wants

1106
00:38:08,790 --> 00:38:09,570
to have with you.

1107
00:38:10,290 --> 00:38:12,490
And look at the glorious destiny you have

1108
00:38:12,490 --> 00:38:13,650
in this shared life.

1109
00:38:14,950 --> 00:38:16,570
Well, let's leave it with that, shall we?

1110
00:38:17,630 --> 00:38:19,350
I mean, how should you feel knowing that

1111
00:38:19,350 --> 00:38:20,690
that's your destiny as a believer?

1112
00:38:21,110 --> 00:38:22,110
I'll tell you how you should feel.

1113
00:38:23,250 --> 00:38:28,650
You meet a engaged woman before her wedding.

1114
00:38:29,610 --> 00:38:30,750
And how does she feel?

1115
00:38:31,870 --> 00:38:34,250
Well, first of all, she's incredibly stressed because

1116
00:38:34,250 --> 00:38:35,550
she has to make all the arrangements with

1117
00:38:35,550 --> 00:38:37,370
the flowers and the photographer and the food

1118
00:38:37,370 --> 00:38:38,330
and all the arrangements.

1119
00:38:38,590 --> 00:38:39,810
But let's say we could wipe all of

1120
00:38:39,810 --> 00:38:41,950
that away because I assure you, Jesus is

1121
00:38:41,950 --> 00:38:43,830
not going to bother you with the flower

1122
00:38:43,830 --> 00:38:46,090
arrangements for your wedding day with him.

1123
00:38:46,990 --> 00:38:49,010
That day when you're united with Jesus Christ,

1124
00:38:49,070 --> 00:38:50,350
you don't have to worry about the photographer,

1125
00:38:50,550 --> 00:38:51,170
the catering.

1126
00:38:51,210 --> 00:38:52,250
He has it all arranged.

1127
00:38:53,450 --> 00:38:55,370
So if you were to eliminate all of

1128
00:38:55,370 --> 00:38:58,070
that from the scene, how does that engage

1129
00:38:58,070 --> 00:38:58,490
woman feel?

1130
00:38:58,590 --> 00:39:00,150
She's excited, isn't she?

1131
00:39:01,210 --> 00:39:06,490
She's almost dreamily excited with this prospect of

1132
00:39:06,490 --> 00:39:09,550
the wedding day and being joined to that

1133
00:39:09,550 --> 00:39:11,710
person that she'll share her life with forever.

1134
00:39:13,190 --> 00:39:15,090
Isn't that how believers should have that attitude

1135
00:39:15,090 --> 00:39:15,770
towards the Lord?

1136
00:39:16,850 --> 00:39:21,150
Have almost a dreamy excitement about being joined

1137
00:39:21,150 --> 00:39:23,310
together with that one that we're espoused to

1138
00:39:23,310 --> 00:39:26,230
being ready for that shared life that will

1139
00:39:26,230 --> 00:39:27,930
continue on for eternity.

1140
00:39:28,430 --> 00:39:30,110
And so here's my simple question for you

1141
00:39:30,110 --> 00:39:31,010
to conclude with.

1142
00:39:32,030 --> 00:39:33,150
Have you lost that?

1143
00:39:34,950 --> 00:39:36,730
Maybe at one time you had that side

1144
00:39:36,730 --> 00:39:39,210
of excitement, you look forward to that time,

1145
00:39:39,310 --> 00:39:42,270
you had this passionate expectation and desire to

1146
00:39:42,270 --> 00:39:44,430
be united with Jesus Christ and to live

1147
00:39:44,430 --> 00:39:45,390
with him in that way.

1148
00:39:45,750 --> 00:39:48,390
Maybe at one time you had that and

1149
00:39:48,390 --> 00:39:49,310
you don't have it anymore.

1150
00:39:50,310 --> 00:39:51,350
Shouldn't be that way.

1151
00:39:52,130 --> 00:39:55,470
You know, if it's real, it's true, then

1152
00:39:55,470 --> 00:39:56,970
you should be excited about it.

1153
00:39:58,330 --> 00:40:01,370
If you ran across a bride who was

1154
00:40:01,370 --> 00:40:06,330
completely unenthused about her wedding day, I hear

1155
00:40:06,330 --> 00:40:07,270
you're getting married in a month.

1156
00:40:07,430 --> 00:40:07,690
Yeah.

1157
00:40:07,910 --> 00:40:08,230
Yeah.

1158
00:40:08,870 --> 00:40:10,130
Well, you're excited, aren't you?

1159
00:40:10,310 --> 00:40:13,410
Well, you know, you'd think something's wrong, wouldn't

1160
00:40:13,410 --> 00:40:13,570
you?

1161
00:40:14,490 --> 00:40:16,210
You'd wonder about that marriage.

1162
00:40:16,330 --> 00:40:18,090
You'd say something's wrong with the relationship.

1163
00:40:19,170 --> 00:40:22,110
And honestly, now, if there's not an excitement

1164
00:40:22,110 --> 00:40:24,870
in your heart that rises up when you

1165
00:40:24,870 --> 00:40:27,930
consider your coming union with Jesus Christ, there's

1166
00:40:27,930 --> 00:40:30,090
something wrong with the relationship.

1167
00:40:31,610 --> 00:40:32,850
Today's the day to get it right.

1168
00:40:33,530 --> 00:40:34,370
Why not set it right?

1169
00:40:35,170 --> 00:40:36,550
And let's ask the Lord to do that

1170
00:40:36,550 --> 00:40:37,570
work in our heart right now.

1171
00:40:37,630 --> 00:40:38,070
Let's pray.

1172
00:40:39,290 --> 00:40:41,490
Father, I pray this morning and first of

1173
00:40:41,490 --> 00:40:42,970
all, I pray for myself and all the

1174
00:40:42,970 --> 00:40:43,750
husbands here.

1175
00:40:45,990 --> 00:40:47,850
It's so easy for us, Lord, to be

1176
00:40:47,850 --> 00:40:53,430
essentially selfish and to live a life separate

1177
00:40:53,430 --> 00:40:54,310
from our wives.

1178
00:40:54,430 --> 00:40:56,770
But Lord, we we want to follow the

1179
00:40:56,770 --> 00:40:59,450
pattern of Jesus and live a shared life

1180
00:40:59,450 --> 00:41:00,310
with our bride.

1181
00:41:01,850 --> 00:41:05,030
In everything that it means, God, forgive us

1182
00:41:05,030 --> 00:41:06,710
for not living up to that ideal, but

1183
00:41:06,710 --> 00:41:09,970
Lord, press us on to fulfill it in

1184
00:41:09,970 --> 00:41:11,430
the fullness of what it means.

1185
00:41:13,900 --> 00:41:16,560
Father, give us a passion for bringing this

1186
00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:17,120
to pass.

1187
00:41:18,740 --> 00:41:20,460
Do it as a work by your spirit

1188
00:41:20,460 --> 00:41:21,040
in our hearts.

1189
00:41:21,180 --> 00:41:23,860
But Father, I pray also not only for

1190
00:41:23,860 --> 00:41:26,040
the husbands, but for everybody here this morning

1191
00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:33,920
who has perhaps lost that excited expectation being

1192
00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:35,000
united with Jesus.

1193
00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:37,800
Lord, maybe they never had it, maybe they

1194
00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:39,140
had it at one time and now it's

1195
00:41:39,140 --> 00:41:39,540
gone.

1196
00:41:40,540 --> 00:41:42,380
Whatever that place, I pray that you would

1197
00:41:43,940 --> 00:41:45,960
restore it right now, even as I pray.

1198
00:41:46,940 --> 00:41:48,640
Even as they pray out to you, Lord,

1199
00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:52,540
agreeing with my prayer, that you'd give us

1200
00:41:52,540 --> 00:41:58,550
all that appropriate, excited expectation that coming day

1201
00:41:58,550 --> 00:42:00,270
of union with you and when that shared

1202
00:42:00,270 --> 00:42:02,790
life that we enjoy right now with Jesus,

1203
00:42:02,910 --> 00:42:04,870
in part, will one day be perfect.

1204
00:42:06,900 --> 00:42:08,800
We thank you for it, Lord, in Jesus'

1205
00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:09,180
name.

1206
00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:19,740
from Calvary Chapel of Simi Valley, call us

1207
00:42:19,740 --> 00:42:25,420
at 805-527-0199 or look us up

1208
00:42:25,420 --> 00:42:28,800
on the internet at calvarychapel.com slash simi

1209
00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:29,060
valley