Tag Archives: Ephesians

Discipling Marriages to Christ

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Ephesians 5:15-21

 1. Wives are to reveal the church submitted to Christ 5:22-24

  1. Submit in a similar way you submit to the Lord 5:22
  2. Submit for one reason – God gave the role of leadership to the man 5:23
  3. Thus, like the church is submitted to Christ 5:24
  4. Application

  2. Husbands are to die for their wives to reveal Christ dying for the church 5:25-29

  1. Love – die for – your wife  how? 5:25
  2. Christ is working to sanctify and to cleanse with the washing of the Word 5:26
  3. Christ is preparing the church for himself – a glorious church 5:27
  4. Love your wife, like you already love yourself.5:28-29

3. Marriage reveals Christ’s relationship with the Church 5:30-33

  1. Members of the Body look out for each other and take care of each other 5:30
  2. As “one flesh” in picture, marriage is one flesh in all aspects 5:31
  3. Marriage is to reveal Christ and the church 5:32
  4. Admonition of love and respect 5:33

SO WHAT?

  • The purpose of marriage is to reveal the relationship between Christ at the church. The Lord Jesus has and does reveal His love, provision and protection for the church. The picture is how the church is to respond to Him.
  • The priority is not getting wives to submit to their husbands, but for husbands to love their wives, SO THAT wives will have a reason to submit to their husbands. But, as husbands are learning to do the command to love their wife, wives are commanded by God to submit to their own husband. The key is that they are one flesh, so when one misses the mark, the other is graciously believing the best and humbling self to Christ’s command.
  • Both parties must continue to learn their role throughout life, because as we change, we are tempted to become independent from each other and violate the “one flesh” picture. Better to honor God and fulfill your role, than throw off that role because of your partner’s failure. That doesn’t mean you become a rug, but you consider your spouse as a brother or sister in Christ and get church leadership involved to pray, counsel and nurture back to oneness.

NOW WHAT?

  • Teach your daughters to marry a noble man, who is going to be able to lead them spiritually, in grace, tenderness and with servant leadership. Marriage is not about me (self), but about Christ Jesus, the Lord.
  • Teach your sons self-control and godliness, so that they will be able to model Christ’s work of sanctifying the marriage in holiness to God’s picture of Christ and the church.
  • Teach both the principles of humility, orientation to authority and obedience to God’s will, walking in love, light and wisdom.

Five Cycles of Divine Discipline

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Ephesians 4/Leviticus 26

  1. The cycles of discipline are based on the principle that Jesus Christ controls history directly, indirectly, and permissively. 

    a. He controls history directly through the function of His own divine essence. He created, He caused plagues, He moved a star into position, etc.
    b. He controls history indirectly through the function of the laws of divine establishment. Beginning in Gen. 9:6, man was responsible for laws of divine establishment
    c. He controls history permissively through permitting nations to use their own volition to destroy themselves. He permissively allows us to make decisions, some empowered by the Holy Spirit and some done in the flesh based on our own wants and desires.

  2. History Administered by God – Dispensations
    a. Israel was an agricultural economy – long before industrialization
    b. This applies directly to Israel – not to other nations. Trends should be warnings.
  3. The Five Cycles of Discipline for Israel Lev 26
    a. The first cycle of discipline, Lev 26:14-17
    i. The Law is composed of three parts
    ii. Description of the first cycleb. The second cycle of discipline, Lev 26:18-20

    c. Third cycle of discipline Lev 26:21-22

    d. Fourth cycle of discipline Lev 26:23-26

    e. Fifth cycle of discipline Lev 26:27-39 amplified in Deut 28:49-67

  4. God warned a specific generation? Hebrews: 5 warning judgments

Hebrews 2:1-4
Hebrews 3:7-4:13
Hebrews 5:11-6:12
Hebrews 10:19-39
Hebrews 12:14-29

5. God declares to us what the end times will be like in our dispensation 2 Tim. 3:1-5

SO WHAT?

  • God was clear, because He wanted Israel to understand there were consequences to choices. God would bless their socks off or provide divine discipline to restore them to His love.
  • God loved Israel because of His choice, but the experience of that love was dependent on their response to Him.
  • God will re-gather Israel to wait for the coming triumphant Messiah – the Lord Jesus Christ.

NOW WHAT?

  • What has God made clear to you? Are you responding well to Him? How are/is your devotions, prayer, fellowship, raising godly children, helping to raise godly grandchildren?
  • Leave the world behind you. There is NOTHING in the world that even remotely compares to what you will see or experience in heaven. All that matters now is reaching people for Christ and multiplying disciple-makers to the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • God is giving you options of choosing to bond to this world or helping people look forward potentially to their home in heaven.

Are you ready?

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When I lived in Minnesota in 1989, we had 14 inches of rain.  The rain cascaded down the neighbor’s yard into our window wells and that poured into our basement.  We were fortunate it only rose to about four inches on the basement floor.  I can’t imagine what the 25 inches in Florida this week would have been like!

Every once in a while I think about the woods we live in and wonder if it ever caught fire if I would get out the chain saw as quick as possible and drop several trees to keep the fire away from the house.  I can’t imagine what living in the Waldo Canyon of Colorado Springs would be like where hundreds lost their homes due to 65 mph winds and triple digit temperature.

Are you ready?  Are you ready for the circumstances of life to stand your ground spiritually?  You won’t know what the enemy might throw at you.  We fight not against flesh and blood, but against unseen forces (Eph. 6:12).  Unseen.  You all know that means you can’t see them and may not know what kind of ploy the demonic realm may be hurtling your way!  Are you ready?

You can only be ready 1) if you are equipped with God’s word to stand firm with the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:13-18); 2) if you are being equipped with God’s word to stand against the trickery of man and deceitful scheming (Eph. 4:12-14); and 3) if you are filled with God’s Spirit – totally dependent on His leading, empowerment and strength (Zech 4:6).

We live in unusual times and we must be ready.  There is little time to waste.  No one in Florida or Colorado knew what they’d be facing this week.  What are you going to face next week?  Are you preparing this week so you will stand firm?