Ephesians 5:18 - 33 - 2/15/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

Welcome to the podcast of Meadows

Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North

Carolina. We're so glad you joined us

today. If you enjoy today's message, be

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with your friends. Now, let's join

Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from

God.

All right. If you will take your Bible,

turn with me to the book of Ephesians.

Ephesians chapter 5.

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

And uh just with the events,

everything's been going on. Wedding

yesterday, marriage conference coming

up. I just had it on my mind. It was

actually the next place we was going to

go in Sunday school. And so we're going

to look here at that this morning.

Ephesians chapter 5. And we'll begin

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

reading in verse number 22.

And uh

some very very deep truths in this. I

think a lot of misconceptions been made

about these verses. Um a lot of things

have been said uh concerning the ranks

of men and women and their different uh

authorities that they have. Uh that's

caused some people to be hurt over that.

And I'm not saying in the church, but

I'm just saying collectively. Um, bad

teaching brings about trouble,

>> right?

>> And, uh, if you need if you don't

rightly divide the Bible, um, you're

going to be in a mess. And so, I want to

try to do that this morning. Not going

to try I'm try going to try not to get

too u deep into this this morning. Just

being Sunday school, I want to give you

the truths of it here. What Lord's put

on my heart and u, I'm trying to reel

myself in, I guess you would say. I like

I get in this stuff and I I will uh I

kind of like to scuba dive sometimes and

just swim around a little bit. But uh uh

I want to make sure that we're uh giving

you something that'll be beneficial to

you. And uh you know there's a lot of

men sometimes they get up and they

stroke their ego just by telling you how

much they know and how big words they

can use when they talk. And I don't ever

want to be guilty of that. And I want to

make sure it's understandable. And uh I

think it was Billy Kelly said that uh

God he's not uh he's not one of those

kind of people that puts the cookie jar

on the top shelf where the young onions

can't get to it, but he puts it on the

bottom. Amen. And I want to make sure we

do that and make sure it's

understandable. And uh if you don't get

anything out of it, I've not done my

job. And I don't want to be a sounding

brass and a tinkling symbol. So you pray

for me, the Lord will help me. Ephesians

5 verse number 20. Let's look verse

number uh verse number 18. and just look

back there. Been several weeks since we

dealt with this. I'll review a little

bit and then we'll go forward here in

the text. Ephesians 5 verse number 18.

The Bible says, "And be not drunk with

wine wherein is excess, but be filled

with the spirit. Speak to yourselves in

psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody in your heart

to the Lord, giving thanks always for

all things unto God and the Father in

the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

submitting yourselves one to another in

the fear of God. Wives, submit

yourselves unto your own husbands as

unto the Lord. For the husband is the

head of the wife, even as Christ is the

head of the church, and he is the savior

of the body. Therefore, as the church is

subject unto Christ, so let the wives be

to their own husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, even as

Christ also loved the church and gave

himself for it, that he might sanctify

and cleanse it with the washing of water

by the word, that he might present it to

himself a glorious church, not having

spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but

that it should be holy and without

blemish.

So ought men to love their wives as

their own bodies. He that loveth his

wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet

hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and

cherisheth it, even as the Lord the

church. For we are members of his body,

of his flesh, and of his bones. For this

cause shall a man leave his father and

mother, shall be joined unto his wife,

and they too shall be one flesh. This is

a great mystery, but I speak concerning

Christ in the church. Nevertheless, let

every one of you in particular so love

his wife even as himself and the wife

see that she reverence her husband.

Father, thank you for this time that

we've gathered around the word of God.

Thank you for uh the truth that's

invested here. And Lord, this is

life-changing stuff if we'll apply it.

And so God, I pray, Father, that you

will help us to be obedient to you. um

Lord, not consider uh our flesh this

morning, but God, that we would

surrender our flesh and submit to the

will of God, uh your design, your

purpose. You orchestrated it this way

for a reason. And so, God, I pray you

help us to represent you well. And God,

I ask you that you would give us uh eyes

of wisdom, spiritual eyes to see the

truths that are invested here today.

Well, thank you for what you do because

you're worthy of all glory and honor and

power. And we ask you to help us now. We

ask it in Jesus name. Amen.

this text this morning. Uh, of course,

it's been attacked by the world in which

we live. They don't like this, uh, this

illustration that's used here. But I

tell you what, it's precious to me. And

the reason I say that is is because it

lets me know about my standing with

Christ. And I've learned some more about

that since my wife and I have been

married. Going on be going on five

years, March the 6th, we we've been

married. and uh I've learned a little

bit uh more about the love of Christ for

myself uh being married to her and it's

taught me some things about that and I'm

not here to give you my own example but

I'll say this experience brings about

some help uh for understanding of the

scripture and I was reading this uh this

morning just looking back over my notes

here thinking about this text and

there's no coincidence that this is

connected to spirituality in this text

you notice what he leads up to here in

the text he mentions being filled with

the spirit. In verse number 18, he gives

them the instructions of how to be

filled with the spirit in verses 19 down

through verse number 21. And then he's

further giving those instructions. And

so this is really this morning. This is

not an option. It's it's a requirement.

And I was reading this, thinking about

this text and where I wanted to go with

this. I want to give you the reasoning

behind this. Okay? And uh there has been

a change. All right? The original order

between man and woman in the garden was

there was an equal authority that was

present there. Now I I want to deal with

that here for just a minute. And I want

to say this, okay? Man is not greater

than woman.

>> Right?

>> Woman is not greater than man.

>> We are created equal in the Lord Jesus

Christ. There's neither male nor female,

bond nor free. And you know the list in

there. All those that come to Christ in

salvation, they are the children of God

by faith. And so it's not a question of

equality. That's what the world wants to

make it a question of, but that's not

what the question is here. Um, it's a

question of submission and authority and

protection is what it is. And I notice

in this text, verse number 21, I pointed

this out last time that he he leads off

in verse 21, dealing with universal

submission. Notice that verse 21,

submitting yourselves one to another in

the fear of God. And I made this

statement. And I said that you'll never

submit to each other until you're

submitted to God. Because you notice uh

the terminology that's used in this

text. The only way that you could submit

to another person is in submission to

the Lord. Now you say, "Well, what does

that mean?" Well, that means if you're

submitted to the Lord, the only time

you'll be commanded to submit to another

person is when it's proper,

>> right?

>> And I want to deal with that here in

just a minute in the marriage

relationship. Okay? And men have taken

this out of context and they deal with

this and say that, you know, there's a

uh they have a supremacy about them that

they're to be in authority constantly.

But that's not the truth. Okay? There

are things that disqualify a man from

his authority. Just like a pastor, if he

was to commit a sin uh that causes him

to lose lose his headship, that

authority would be removed from him.

Well, if a husband does that very same

thing, his authority is removed. If a

husband becomes drunk, full of alcohol,

his wife is not commanded to obey his

authority.

>> Right?

>> I know we don't like that, but that's

the truth. Okay?

>> When there's intoxication, when there's

an impairment, something otherworldly

controlling them, uh, that authority

becomes invalid. And you say, "Well, how

does that apply?" Well, let me just put

it this way. It's really not even that.

If it becomes sinful,

>> when we we talk to children, deal with

them, you know, they're always to obey

their parents. But when their obedience

becomes sinful, they're no longer

required to obey that,

>> right?

>> And uh I know that's that's we don't

like that, but it's the truth. Okay? And

so notice this. I I'll get into the text

here. Verse 22, he leads off with the

wives. And I I think there's a reason

for that. I'll say more about that in a

minute. He says in verse 22, "Wives,

submit yourselves unto your own husbands

as unto the Lord." So there's an

admonition here. And just like in verse

21, it's conditional. There in verse

number 21, he says we're to submit

yourselves one to another in the fear of

God. Our submission to each other is

dependent upon our reverence for the

Lord. And so if you don't fear the Lord,

you're not going to submit yourself one

to another. In verse 22, the Bible says,

"Submit yourselves unto your own

husbands as unto the Lord." And so what

this does is is lays out number one the

reason. What what is the reason that

wives are to submit to their own

husbands? Well, turn with me to the book

of Genesis, chapter number three.

Genesis, chapter number three,

verse number 16.

This is a a fact of scripture. All

right? And the reason I said there's

been a change is because it was not

orchestrated this way in the beginning.

I've said this before at the church, and

it should be no surprise to us when the

Bible says in Genesis 1 that God made

man in the image of himself. We made in

the image of God. But because of sin,

that image is tarnished. All right? And

so what I want you to understand is is

God the Father, God the Son, and God the

Holy Spirit are all co-equal and

co-eternal. Well, we were made in the

image of God. And so we were made to be

that same way. All of God's uh creation,

all of the people that he created were

made to be equal in that way. But notice

what happens here in the text. Verse

number 16, Genesis 3, the Bible says uh

here, of course, this is the curse uh

that is given here because of sin in the

garden. Eve is taken of the fruit. She

was deceived by the serpent. Adam comes,

chooses his wife uh over the Lord and he

willfully sins against the Lord. And and

the Bible said verse number 16, unto the

woman, God said, I will greatly multiply

thy sorrow in thy conception. In sorrow

thou shalt bring forth children. Notice

this last phrase, and thy desire shall

be to thy husband, and he shall rule

over thee. So one of the first

principles that took place in scripture

uh it deals with the authority of the

man and his wife. It deals with that uh

headship. Now layman Strauss said this.

All right. I would never be bold enough

to say this but I I want you to listen

to what he said. All right. He said the

woman because of her greater

trustfulness is controlled by her heart

more than her head. And he said so thus

man was made the one to be in rule. You

see, in the garden, Eve was deceived and

Adam was in the transgression. Eve was

deceived by the serpent. Adam was not

deceived. And so, he willfully,

presumptuously sinned against the Lord

in partaking of the fruit. Why was that?

Because he loved his wife,

>> right,

>> more than he loved God. All right? And

so, he was not deceived. Eve was

deceived. Adam made the willful choice

to sin against the Lord. And so the

reason for this submission here is

because of the sinful state in which we

live. Now here's the reason. You say,

"Preacher, well that that puts a damper

on the woman." Well, let me just remind

you what scripture says about marriage.

All right? After sin as well. The Bible

says, "He that findeth a wife findeth a

good thing.

>> And two are better than one because they

have good reward for their labor." The

Bible says. You say, "What do you mean

by that?" Well, just as the man is to

protect the woman, the woman has a duty

to take care of her husband.

>> And so in in sin where we are in sin, it

it gives us a requirement for that

spiritual aid. It's not a it's not a a

hierarchy type deal in the marriage.

See, that's our problem. We have the

wrong mindset about it. Okay? We're to

assist each other. But this is the

reason why this was made, this is given

in the scripture. You can look before

that. We know that Eve was taken out of

the rib of Adam. You know, you've heard

it said she wasn't taken out of the foot

so Adam could trample on her and she

wasn't taken out of his head so that she

could be over him, but she was taken out

of the rib so she could be by his side.

She's an helpmate for him to be close to

him. And the Bible says in verse 22,

wives, submit yourselves under your own

husband. So there's the reason that's

given in Genesis 3. But then there's a

revelation concerning this in the New

Testament. I want I want you to listen

to what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy

chapter number two.

1 Timothy chapter 2

1 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

verse number 11.

I'm going to get to the men. Okay,

ladies don't fall out with me. All

right. 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse

1 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

number 11. Let's let's let's look back

at verse number nine here and just do a

overview of this. In like manner also

that women adorn themselves in modest

apparel with shamef faceness and

sobriety, not with broaded hair or gold

or pearls or costly array, but which

becometh women professing godliness, but

with good works. Let the woman learn in

subject silence with all subjection. But

I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to

assert authority over the man, but to be

in silence. For Adam was firstborn, then

Eve, and Adam was not deceived. But the

woman being deceived was in the

transgression. Notwithstanding, ye, she

shall be saved in childbearing, if they

continue in faith and charity and

holiness with sobriety. Now, I know that

text has a lot in it, and I'm not going

to deal with all of that right at this

point in time. But basically, in

essence, what I wanted you to see is

this is people want to take the Old

Testament laws concerning women and

separate that from the New Testament

from the day of grace.

>> What you're going to find is that stuff

carries over.

>> The principles that were introduced in

the Old Testament are revealed in the

New Testament likewise. And what that

means is is all of that text reveals

right there is is basically this that a

woman is not to do anything to draw

attention unnecessary attention unto

herself by her dress by her attitude by

the way in which she carries herself.

And the reason why that a woman is not

to teach is because the way that a man's

mind operates. All right, not going to

go any into that any further but you you

can read between the lines there. Okay,

we need to understand that when we come

to the scripture, there's a reason why

things are laid out the way that they

are. You say, "Preacher, well, I know

women that can teach better than men." I

do, too. Amen. Amen. My mama's one of

them. My wife is one of them. Amen. I

listen to them talk sometimes and I want

to crawl in a hole. Amen. And best

Christians I've ever been around. But

here's what I'm saying. They know their

place.

>> You're right.

>> They know their place. I didn't put them

there.

>> My daddy don't put my mama there. They

have made that decision for themselves.

Okay? And let me say this to you ladies

here this morning. Nobody can make you

submit.

>> Nobody can put you in your place. That's

what we hear in the world today. Well,

they they've they've pushed me down.

They've silenced me. No, that's not the

way it is. Okay? Here's here's the thing

you got to remember. All right? Nobody

can take that from you. You're

>> right.

>> They take it from you if you allow them

to. All right? I feel like we've missed

that in this day and time. All right?

Now, I know that there's circumstances

and you know the exceptions to that.

Okay, I understand. But you you you get

what I'm saying. All right, for us who

are in good marriages this morning,

we're not going to force that upon you.

So, the reason there's the revelation

that's given in 1 Timothy 2 11-14

and then there's the requirement in

verse 22. He says, "Submit yourselves

unto your own husbands as unto the

Lord." Now, what's the requirement here?

This the requirement's not on the wife.

Now the wife is is said is she's told to

submit. But you notice that phrase there

as unto the Lord. So that has several

different meanings. Okay? So if you are

going to submit to your husband, first

of all, that means you have to be

submitted to the Lord.

>> Right?

>> Because you'll never truly submit to

godly leadership in your life without

submitting to God's leadership

>> in your life. Don't miss what I said.

You will never submit to godly

leadership in your life without having

first submitted to God's leadership in

your life. But I'll say this as well.

All right. It goes further than that.

This requirement here goes upon the man

that his leadership must be godly.

>> You're right. Come on.

>> If we're to submit to our own hus if a

wife is to submit to her own husband as

unto the Lord, that means his leadership

has to be godly.

>> Right?

>> Wouldn't it? It's not that we submit

unto them blindly.

>> You're never commanded as a wife to

submit to them blindly to do things that

are unpleasing or displeasing to the

Lord or sinful or things of that nature.

Now, we understand this morning the

scripture deals with all the topics of

of the intimate things between a man and

a woman. And that's not what I'm talking

about. I'm talking about in matters of

life.

>> Yes.

>> If he is not godly,

if he does not operate in a realm of

righteousness, that submission is not

possible.

>> Our submission is first of all unto the

Lord. And so, let me say this to you

ladies. Until you submit to the Lord,

you will never submit to your husband.

All right? The way that you should.

Okay? And so there is the requirement

here in this text. I got some quotes

here. I highlighted in a commentary

here. I I I read this this morning. I

thought this was good. It says, "Even as

our loyalty and allegiance can be

sustained to one God only, so with every

wife to her own husband." Notice that in

the verse. Wives, submit yourselves unto

your own

husbands.

>> Right? in uh as unto the Lord. Just as

you know the Bible teach Jesus said you

cannot worship God and mammon. You can't

serve two masters. There's only a wife

is to be submissive to her husband. Now

in this day and time, the work world,

women are having to do things that they

were never designed to do. You're

>> right.

>> And men in the workplace lording over

women at times can be very cruel.

>> Remember, you are only to submit to one

man. That's your husband.

Amen.

>> Submit yourselves unto your own husbands

as unto the Lord. Verse 23, there is the

uh the faith that is mentioned in verse

22 required here to operate this way.

You're not going to do this if you're

not saved. Let me I should have said

that first. Amen. If you're not born

again, this is not going to be a part of

your life. But in verse 23, there's the

figure that he mentions here. He says,

"For the husband is the head of the

wife, even as Christ is the head of the

church, and he is the savior of the

body." And so this this reveals to us

here the union of the marriage. It was

ordained in the beginning. You've heard

me say this before. Before uh the church

was ever orchestrated, before government

was ever given, before even the law was

written down and pinned uh and given to

Moses, God orchestrated the marriage.

That's the oldest uh u union that's been

made. There's no other relationship.

Before there was children and parents,

there was a husband and wife. And it's

the most sacred thing in the world that

you have today. And so you've heard it

said, "As goes the home, so goes the

church." There's a reason why this is

necessity because this is what how we

represent the Lord. And he says in verse

23, for the husband is the head of the

wife. Now, of course, we know that this

has to do with his God-given authority.

And like I said, there are things that

disqualify him from this, but we must

remember that this is the way that God

designed it. Now, I want to say this as

well. Some of the most godly women that

I've ever been around in my life had

husbands who were not saved or either

they they either were not saved or out

of the will of God.

>> But here's what I've seen about all

those women, godly women. You know what

they did to those husbands? They

submitted unto them as far as they

could. Yes,

>> they did as much as they could for them

within the bounds of scripture.

>> I've seen it time and time again. I know

a lady I was actually I just saw her on

yesterday and she she's told the story

before. She's uh elderly lady. She was

married I guess probably over 50 years I

guess. But her husband died lost without

God prayed for him her whole life. And

uh she tell tell told the story, you

know, she she don't glory in this, but

she and she would never tell this to a

congregation, but I she told this to my

mom and dad. She said, "I prayed for him

for years, and she said, "I did my best

to live with him because that vow that I

made to him was before God."

>> The world says give up.

>> The world says quit. Now look, here's

the thing about it. You can't do nothing

about what somebody else does,

>> but you can honor your end of the deal.

>> Amen. If they leave and you and you

can't do anything about that, that's not

on you. All right, here's the thing

about it, okay? As long as they're

around, you got to make sure that you're

doing what God told you to do. And God's

blessed that woman. And she'll tell you

this. She said, "I live with him my

whole life." She said, "It was

miserable." And she said, "Here's the

reason why I married out of the will of

God."

>> She said, "But that vow was made before

God,

>> right?

>> And he didn't leave, and so I didn't

leave." She stayed married to him her

whole life. Her children, they're

suffering for it because none of them

are saved. They don't go to church. And

she prays for them all the time. What

I'm trying to make to you out of that is

this is that she submitted as far as she

could

>> in order to keep that together. And like

I said, there's some things that are out

of your hands,

>> right?

>> I mean, we we know that this morning. We

don't have to be foolish in that this

morning. But there we are to submit to

the extent because the husband is the

head of the wife. Let me say this to you

this morning, ladies. If your husband is

not saved, that does not make him any

less the head.

I know, I know that's that's hard. But

let me tell you, it does not if he is

not saved, if he is not in church, if

he's not faithful, he is still your

husband,

>> right?

>> And he is still the head. And it's still

right for you to submit to him as far as

you can.

That's honorable.

Paul talks about in Corinthians that the

unbelieving husband, the unbelieving

spouse is sanctified by the belief of

the other. It doesn't mean that they're

saved. What that means is is that means

it gives them an opportunity.

>> You're being a witness. You're being a

light to them. All right? And that

sanctification, if you have a believing

spouse, that's going to inevitably keep

that other spouse from doing some things

that they would otherwise do. You're

>> right.

>> They weren't there. Wouldn't you say

that this morning? There's so much

there's so much in this. Okay? And I'm

trying just to trying not to Here's the

thing about it. Sin has made a mess,

>> right?

>> What God made. We know that this

morning. And that's why I have to deal

with this in this manner because we know

that there there are limits to these

things. But but let me say again, as

long if they are your husband, they are

the head

and you have to submit to them as far as

the Lord commands you to. And if you're

saved, the spirit of God will give you

wisdom

>> for that. Verse 23, for the husband is

the head of the wife, even as Christ is

the head of the church. Now, what do we

know about Christ? And uh layman Strauss

said this. He had he did a devotional

thought on this text and I thought it

was amazing. He said, "Adam and Eve in

the garden. God, you know, he put Adam

to sleep. First anesthetic." Amen. And

uh put him out and took his rib out.

Amen. And made Eve. Ain't that right?

That's what happened. He took that rib

out and made Eve. But he said, you know,

Christ and the church, he said on

Calvar's cross when that soldier pierced

his side. The Bible says it forth with

came throughout blood and water. That

was that was Christ making the church

>> because it was that water that brought

our washing and that blood that brought

our redemption. And out of that, the

church was born and he is the head. What

did he say there in Ephesians chapter

number one verse number 22? He put all

things under his feet and gave him to be

the head. Notice that again. Over all

things to the church. A husband in his

proper place is is the head so he can

bless his wife.

>> You're right.

>> Not so he can just be a lord over her

and tell her what to do.

>> Right.

>> But so he can bless her. So he can be

the one to provide her needs. Amen.

>> Notice that in verse 23. Even as Christ

is the head of the church. I want your

Bible saying he is the savior of the

body. That means he's the preserver of

life.

>> Right?

>> The husband without the husband and the

wife there are no children.

>> You think about this Christ without the

church there's no fruit.

>> The church without Christ there's no

fruit. Amen.

>> And so the emphasis here is in this

figure to show us the authority that the

husband possesses. Now just like Christ,

the husband is to be a gentleman. He's

never to force his opinion on his wife.

Right?

>> Jesus has never forced us to do

anything.

>> Amen.

>> He invites us and he invites us out of

that authority from his higher standing.

I remember this. He knows more. Amen.

Husbands don't always know more. Matter

of fact, most time they don't.

>> You're right.

>> But Christ does.

>> And so, you know what he does? He stands

higher and says, "Come up here where I

am. I want to bless you." And so as he

is the head, he is the savior of the

body. In verse 24, there's the figure in

23. But then there's the command to

follow. In verse 24, therefore, as the

church is subject unto Christ, as the

operation of it, the order of it, the

organization of it, everything that goes

on in the church is subject unto Christ.

The Bible says in verse 24, "So let the

wives be to their own husbands in

everything."

Now notice Colossians chapter 3. Okay?

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

You say, "Preacher, I just don't see a

clause in there where a husband

disqualifies himself." Well, notice

verse number 18. Colossians 3. Okay? And

I hate that I have to emphasize this.

All right? But I I know where we live at

in this day and time. Okay? Listen to

Colossians 3 and verse number 18.

All right? Mark this in your Bible if

you need this verse to go back to.

Listen to what he says. Wives, submit

yourselves unto your own husbands. And

what's that last phrase?

As it is fit in the Lord.

There's some things that are right, but

there comes a point when it's not

fitting anymore.

>> Right?

>> And I'm not saying by the time when when

when something that's right to a point,

then it becomes wrong. That's what I'm

saying. It does not mean that it's right

to submit to them to a place where if

they're telling you to rob a bank, you

go with them and help. Amen. I promise

you if you do that, you'll get locked up

the same way that they do. Amen.

>> You say, "Preacher, that's a childish

mind." I'm trying to explain the truth

to you, though.

>> As it's fit.

And here's the thing about it. You will

give an account to God on where you draw

that line.

>> You're right.

>> On what's fit and what's not. See, here

in the text, the Bible says verse number

24, "Therefore, as the church is subject

unto Christ, so let the wives be to

their own husbands in everything." That

means every facet of life just as the

church operates under the blanket of

authority of Christ. That means

everything that we do must first go

through his guideline.

We we follow his rule book. We we

operate in the realm of his spirit the

same way the home is to operate that

way.

>> Right?

>> There should be nothing done in the home

that the husband doesn't know about.

>> Let me say this to you mothers. Don't

ever do things for your children. you

know, allow your children to have

something and not consult your husband,

>> right?

>> I mean, I I I've seen seen it time and

time again. Make sure there's a joint

leadership there.

>> Amen.

>> And I understand, like I said, I

understand not every situation can work

that way. You got to make sure you're

doing doing what God tells you to. But

but the basis of the leadership of the

scripture is is that he is the authority

and he has the final say. That's what

God said. That's not what I said. Notice

this.

There is the the faith, the figure, the

command to follow. Notice the favor in

verse 25. All right? And I'll I'll deal

more with this on next week. Just

precursor. And those of you that are

going on the marriage conference, you'll

get double triple dose of this. All

right? And uh I'm looking forward to

brother Seth dealing with this. But

notice verse 25. Husbands, love your

wives even as Christ also loved the

church and gave herself gave himself for

it. So this favor is seen here in the

text. Now, of course, verse 25 deals

number one with an expression. All

right? Husbands, love your wives. All

right? First of all, that expression is

inward. All right? You know whether or

not you love God. Okay? And you know

whether or not in your heart you love

your wife.

>> But out of that inward desire towards

your wife, there ought to be an outward

expression of love. We cannot expect you

if if if we were to look at somebody and

somebody tell us that they love God but

then their life completely contradict

that. What would we say about them? Say

they're not telling the truth. Right?

>> Well, if you tell your wife you love

her, you need to do things to express

that.

>> You're right.

>> Why is it so quiet? Amen. You ought you

ought to do things in order to express

that love to her. Because the thing is

is, you know, she can read your mind at

times, but she can't always.

>> Amen.

>> Amen. And you can't read her mind at

all. God help you. Amen.

>> And so, you're called to express that.

Look at it again. Husbands, love your

wives. In your heart, you you we know

this morning, just like it is with the

men, there's going to be some that that

you know, they're not going to receive

love. Well,

>> let me say this about that. Most of the

time, it's not their fault. Right?

>> Most time has to do with mom and dad. It

didn't love them the way they should

have been loved. Didn't treat them

right.

>> But let me say this, that does not

denote the command to love.

>> Regardless of how they respond.

Now, when I when I think about

the deal with the wife and the husband,

it's more conditional than it is with

the man. I think a man's to love his

wife regardless.

>> You're right. Right?

>> I I don't think you're to I don't think

you're to stop. You're

>> right.

>> I understand situations, circumstances,

all of that. I get that. But let me ask

you this. Did Christ

>> was there a condition in his love?

You're

>> right.

>> You say, "Preacher, well, my wife ought

to love me." Yes, she should. But it's a

Bible command for you to love your wife.

>> You're right.

>> She'll love you if you'll love her the

way that you should. Amen. That's And

you say, "Preacher, well, that's not

always the case." Well, nine times out

of 10, it is.

They're made to submit. A wife is will

be forgiving to a fault. You're

>> right.

>> When she loves her husband the way that

she should. And if you love her the way

that you should, the expression will be

clear. Verse 25, there's the expression,

there's the exaction of verse 25, even

as Christ also loved the church. So as

Jesus loved the church, I know this is

nothing new to you. It's a good reminder

though. He as Jesus loved the church.

There is the example in verse 25. He

gave himself for it. The wife is called

to submit. The husband is called to die.

>> You're right.

>> If it requires death in order to love

your wife, let me say it does.

>> You're right.

>> Say, "What is that?" Well, it's death to

self, number one.

>> And that's not a it's not a bad thing,

>> right? That's not that's not something

that we should turn away from because

it's not desirable. I'll tell you, the

flesh is going to turn turn its nose up

at it many times. But I'll say this, if

you love Christ, you ought to love your

wife.

>> If you say you're saved, you ought to

love your wife.

>> And he says here, the example is that

Christ gave himself for the church. The

expression of his love.

Let me think, let me say this to you.

Before there was ever a soul that was in

the church, Christ died for the church.

You're right.

>> And I was I remember, you know, men

telling me this and about preaching even

about my wife. You know, you know, make

sure you're the husband you should be

before I I was trying to be the husband

I should be before I ever met my wife. I

remember people telling me that be the

man that you know God would want you to

be for some young lady somewhere before

she gets there.

>> You're right.

>> You ought not have to change in order to

get married.

>> That goes both ways. Amen. You ought not

live a freelance lifestyle up until you

get married and then you get married

then you all of a sudden got to reel it

back in. You know that's not the way it

works,

>> right?

>> And the world doesn't like that. They'll

they'll go out on the night before their

wedding and do unspeakable things.

You're

>> right.

>> That's not the way God designed it. God

designed it. We live the same character

before that we do during.

>> Let me say this. And after.

>> You're right.

>> The example is that he gave himself for

it. Verse 26. What's the purpose of it?

That he might sanctify and cleanse it

with the washing of water by the word.

Now, here's what we all know. When we

when when when you, a husband and a

wife, get married, there's imperfections

>> on both sides. Now, the the church with

Christ, there was no imperfections in

him.

>> Let me say this. His perfection is what

causes us to be sanctified. We're

getting closer to him each and every

day. Yeah.

>> And so here's what marriage here's how

marriage puts in that picture in your

relationship. As you live together, the

longer that you grow, the more you ought

to love one another and the the more the

operation of that love should be pure.

>> It shouldn't, you know, when you first

get married, you do things to

reciprocate, don't you? You do things

and maybe you know, if I do this, I'll

get something in return.

>> Good.

>> But you know what? As that thing goes

on, you know what you find yourself

doing? You love more just doing for the

other one than you do getting something

in return.

>> And that's part of all I mean when you

get married, you know, you got a puppy

love and all of that stuff, you know, at

first

and I think it can stay around.

>> I think it can. Amen. I'm 5 years in. I

love her more now than I ever have.

>> Right.

>> But what I'll say about this is is I

find more enjoyment not in what she does

for me, but what I can do for her.

>> That's the way Christ is. You see his

joy, you remember what he said? Hebrews

12 said, "For for the joy that was set

before him endured the cross." What was

the joy was his bride? It was the church

knowing that one day he would be in

constant communion and fellowship with

her in heaven. That was the joy. It

wasn't it wasn't for himself.

It wasn't selfish. He wanted us to come

to him.

>> And that's why he's a gentleman. If you

if you love your wife the s the way that

you say you do, you won't be forceful.

You'll be faithful and gentle

and out of that your relationship will

be cleansed. Notice that verse 26, what

does the cleansing? Verse 26, that he

might sanctify and cleanse it with a

washing of water by the word. Now,

that's for the church, but that's for

the marriage, too. Don't miss the

application there. What's going to draw

you two together is the word of God,

>> right?

>> That's what's going to create closeness.

And when a marriage leaves the word of

God collectively, inevitably, their

marriage is going to begin to separate.

And I'm not talking about divorce, but

I'm talking about the closeness.

Marriage is designed to operate on terms

of the scripture.

>> It's designed to operate on terms of the

scripture and on terms of the spirit of

God. It requires the spirit of God to

have a god centered marriage and to

enjoy it.

>> Notice this, I'll be done. Verse 27.

that he might present to himself a

glorious church, not having spot or

wrinkle or any such thing, that it

should be holy and without blemish.

I'm not going to deal with that just

yet, but I will say this.

Joyce Rogers, Adrien Rogers,

some I guess it's he died in 2004.

And there's a clip going around on the

internet right now of him talking about

his wife. I never seen the man cry on

any message. If you I've never seen him

cry in any sermon, but on on that clip

going around of him talking about Miss

Joyce, he weeps like a baby standing in

the pool pit. And Miss Joyce Rogers some

20 years after he passed away, somebody

asked her said, "Do you said, "Do you

remember his flaws?" She said, "Do you

remember like anything about him? It was

just different like anything that was

wrong." And she said, 'You know, she

said, "I'm sure that he had flaws." She

said, "But I really can't remember any."

>> And you know what that is? That's the

example of a marriage where two people

came together and you know what they

did? They chose to love one another

because that's what love is.

>> It's a choice. Amen. It's not a feeling.

>> I wish I could I wish we could put that

on a loudspeaker for every young person

in this country to hear.

>> You choose to love.

>> That's right.

>> You choose to. Christ chose to love us.

>> Amen. And John said this way in first

John, I believe it's chapter number four

and verse number 19. We love him because

he first loved us.

>> And so you choose to love and out of

that what creates the longer that you

love the closer it gets. And I like

this. I like the more perfect it can be.

>> Amen.

>> I thought it was perfect. Me and Abby

got married and I found out you know

what it just gets better.

>> So it obviously wasn't perfect, but I

ain't stopped thinking that. Amen.

I want I want our young people to have

that.

>> And let me say this. I and I know that

you know my my family is full of it.

We've got it here this morning. I know

there's there's things trouble people

sin and mistakes happen and all of that.

But let your children know that it can

be.

>> Don't discourage them.

>> You've got a young lady or young man

that's going to get married. Don't tell

them, "Well, make the best of it."

If that's what you have to do, then you

ought not get married.

>> You're right.

>> You ought to marry somebody you love.

You ought to marry who God tells you to

marry. Amen.

>> And u and out of that, you can enjoy it

and it'd be a blessing to you. And uh

but I am thankful. My my mom and daddy

told me this. You turn that live stream

off. We'll be done. Mom and dad told me

this.

>> Thank you for joining our service today.

We'd love it if you join us in person

the next time you are able at Meadows

Baptist Church. Our physical address is

2988

Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North

Carolina. Our service times are Sunday

school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning

worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening

worship at 6:00 p.m. and Wednesday

evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more

information, visit us at

meadowsbaptisturch.com.

Thanks again for tuning in.