The Imperfect Bride (4 of 4)
Series: Under Construction
Jeff Strite
Ephesians 5:21-32
OPEN: At the 1st church I served, there was a man named Frank who was ... difficult. He was a hardworking man with a wife and 4 kids, but he could be a hard man to get to know. His wife and kids came to church... but he didn't. I'd go over to his house to visit once in a while trying to talk to him about Jesus and church, but it was never a comfortable situation because, as I sat at their dining room table with he and his wife, he'd constantly berate his wife - right in front of her. He'd tell me his wife was ugly, she was a poor housekeeper, she was stupid and he said she lied all the time.
(PAUSE) Now... is that any way a husband to treat his wife? Of course not... but that's what HE did!
Now, by contrast Ephesians 5:25-30 teaches: ''Husbands, love your wives, as CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, JUST AS CHRIST DOES THE CHURCH, because we are members of his body.''
Ephesians is telling us that a bride should be treated gently. She should be loved and nourished and cherished.
Now what's intriguing about this passage in Ephesians is that it also tells us that the CHURCH is the BRIDE OF CHRIST. We're told that a husband ought to treat his wife the same way Christ treats HIS bride. And just in case you missed his point, Paul spells it out for us - ''This mystery is profound, but I am saying it refers to Christ and the church.'' Ephesians 5:32
Christ is the husband... the church is His bride. So when Jesus looks at a church He sees somethin ...
Series: Under Construction
Jeff Strite
Ephesians 5:21-32
OPEN: At the 1st church I served, there was a man named Frank who was ... difficult. He was a hardworking man with a wife and 4 kids, but he could be a hard man to get to know. His wife and kids came to church... but he didn't. I'd go over to his house to visit once in a while trying to talk to him about Jesus and church, but it was never a comfortable situation because, as I sat at their dining room table with he and his wife, he'd constantly berate his wife - right in front of her. He'd tell me his wife was ugly, she was a poor housekeeper, she was stupid and he said she lied all the time.
(PAUSE) Now... is that any way a husband to treat his wife? Of course not... but that's what HE did!
Now, by contrast Ephesians 5:25-30 teaches: ''Husbands, love your wives, as CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, JUST AS CHRIST DOES THE CHURCH, because we are members of his body.''
Ephesians is telling us that a bride should be treated gently. She should be loved and nourished and cherished.
Now what's intriguing about this passage in Ephesians is that it also tells us that the CHURCH is the BRIDE OF CHRIST. We're told that a husband ought to treat his wife the same way Christ treats HIS bride. And just in case you missed his point, Paul spells it out for us - ''This mystery is profound, but I am saying it refers to Christ and the church.'' Ephesians 5:32
Christ is the husband... the church is His bride. So when Jesus looks at a church He sees somethin ...
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