Sunday Morning Worship Service June 14, 2020

Well, good morning good to see you on this Lord's Day What a wonderful day it is outside and what a wonderful day to be gathered together to worship our

Lord together it has been it's been a interesting week and couple of weeks hasn't it actually been an interesting three months, but anyway, most recently

Events going on in our country. I'll say a few words about that in just a moment, but I think on your

Order service sheet. There are some announcements there. If not, I have some for you this week

Chris and I are going to be on a little break for a few days and I still be doing the daily devotions

But there it's like the summertime Television schedule as it used to be back in network days.

Everything's a rerun. So If you've caught those every day, you will have seen these before if you haven't then you might see something you haven't seen so Please encourage you to go ahead and turn into those daily devotionals

Monday through Friday This week there will not be the midweek Livestream service, so please note that and then next

Lord's Day Gordon Taylor will speak in the morning service So look forward to his message.

He'll be next Sunday's Father's Day So he'll be sharing with us a Father's Day message and then the following Wednesday so a week from this

Wednesday night will begin we'll resume the regular midweek service schedule seven o 'clock here on site and we will we will no longer be doing the

Wednesday night on live stream After June 21st, and then

I think I have on here the calendar for resuming some activities beginning

Sunday, July 12th We'll resume having an attended nursery Just in the morning service.

We'll resume Children's Church and Resume the Sunday evening service at six o 'clock beginning

July 12th Sunday school still Putting that a month out after that particular time so Please note those those dates

So as I mentioned the last couple of weeks have been really, you know kind of really distressing for us as a nation to watch a lot of the unrest and the civil disobedience the

No, that's that's too kind of a word the anarchy that's been going on and especially some of the attitudes expressed

Toward law enforcement and so forth. I I want to share this this morning And if this isn't a political thing it is it is a

I think it's a spiritual issue what's going on with the attitudes and Behaviors expressed toward law enforcement is a spiritual matter at the root of it

Someone shared this and I just want to pass it on it's entitled enough is enough It's not the police who need to be retrained.

It's the public We have grown into a mouthy cell phone wielding vulgar uncivil society with no personal responsibility and the attitude of it's the other person's fault you owe me a

Society we're grown or where children grow up with no boundaries or knowledge or concern for civil society and personal responsibility

When an officer says put your hands up then put your hands up don't reach for something in your pocket your lap your seat

There's plenty of reason for a police officer to feel threatened. There have been multiple assaults and ambushes on police officers lately

Comply with requests from the officer have your day in court. Don't mouth off or fight or refuse to comply that escalates the situation

Police officers are are our sons and daughters fathers and mothers brothers and sisters

They're black white brown all colors all ethnicities all faiths male and female

They are us They see the worst side of humanity the raped children

The bloody mangled bodies of traffic victims the bruised and battered victims of domestic violence homicide victims body parts day after day

They work holidays while we have festive meals with our families. They miss school events with their kids birthdays

Anniversaries all those special occasions that we take for granted They work in all types of weather under dangerous conditions for relatively low pay

They have extensive training, but they are human When there are numerous attacks on them, they become hyper vigilant for a reason they have become targets when a police officer encounters any person any

Person whether at a traffic stop a street confrontation an arrest whatever

That situation has the potential to become life -threatening You mr. And mrs.

Miss civilian also have the responsibility of keeping this situation from getting out of control

Many law enforcement officers are veterans They've been in service to this nation most of their lives whether on the battlefield or protecting us here at home

They are the only thing that stands between us and anarchy in the streets if you want to protect your child

Teach them respect and I say to that. Amen We've gathered together today to worship the

Lord We're going to in a little bit commemorate the Lord's table together When you came in,

I hope you picked up one of these little communion cups and let me just encourage you before we actually begin the

The Lord's table itself, there's there's two parts to these things Most of you already realized that but I do understand that the top layer can be kind of tricky to get off So what

I did on mine is I just already have kind of peeled back that top layer So that when it comes time to partake of the wafer, it's very easy to get that out

So let me encourage it to do that Psalm 34 verse 3 says

Oh Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together

Jim's gonna come and lead us in that opening hymn number 22. Oh magnify the

Lord Jim And again, take your hymnals if you would and turn to number 22.

Oh Magnify the Lord let us all stand together as we do magnify the Lord in song Number 22 sing all three verses together.

Let's stand together, please Oh Father we do.

Thank you. Oh God for this opportunity to assemble in your house Thank you for the rock upon which it stands that is

Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior our mighty God Thank you father that we can lift up our songs and our praise unto you and anticipate

The Word of God that which you Given to us and we pray for the this service

We just ask your blessing upon it every aspect of it in Jesus name. We pray. Amen Thank you may be seated

Our psalm reading this morning want to turn to psalm 22 The psalm and the following hymn will prepare our hearts for the

Lord's table psalm 22 and Reverse one and then drop down to verse 11

So psalm 22 follow along in your copy of Scripture as a psalmist writes prophetically here

My God my God why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of the words of my roaring?

verse 11 Be not far from me for trouble is near for there is none to help

Many bulls have compassed me strong bulls of bastion have beset me round They gaped upon me with their mouths as a ravening and a roaring lion.

I Am poured out like water, but all my bones are out of joint My heart is like wax

It is melted in the midst of my bowels My strength is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws and thou has brought me into the dust of death

For dogs have compassed me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet.

I May tell all my bones they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture

But be not thou far from me. Oh Lord. Oh my strength haste thee to help me

Lord at his blessing to the reading of this his word Jim next him is

On page 250 and your hymnals 250 Beneath the cross of Jesus sing all three verses together

When we think about what our Savior did for us on the cross where our where does our mind go do we see the very

Form of one dying there on the tree. What do we see? the the

Lord instituted One of the one of the two ordinances for the church we call it the

Lord's Supper or the communion table and in that Institution he gave us what we should be looking at.

He gave us these elements to partake of the the bread and the wine and Those elements seeing those elements are to remind us they are to take our minds eye to the cross to see the body of Jesus as it is broken for us and To see the blood of Jesus as it is spilled for us

So as we partake of these elements this morning We must allow our minds our minds.

I to go back there to remember He gave us that ordinance for that purpose so let's have a word of prayer and then as as we partake

I will share a few thoughts part portions of a poem and Organ will play just to cause just to help us to reflect on what our

Savior has done And so our Father we come before you today with our hearts and our minds attentive to the cross

We are reminded today of what our Savior did in our behalf and we pray that as we reflect our hearts would be warmed blessed humbled

But also anticipating when our faith is made sight and this we pray in Jesus name.

Amen So on that night in which the Lord was betrayed They were gathered together at the table and The Lord took that loaf of bread

He said this is my body which is broken for you take and eat the poet writes

Turn thy lustful gaze away from earth's sin and vain display

Turn and look on Calvary where a cross was raised for thee

See the gentle hands are nailed see The feet by spike impaled

See the brow the thorns have torn Twas for thee his anguish born

So as he said, this is my body which is broken for you.

Well, it continues Look behold the crimson tide flowing from his pierced side

Look and know to cleanse thy guilt was his blood and mercy spilt

No, it was thy soul. He sought Pardoned us for thee he wrought

Look my heart amazed to see how he loved and died for thee so after the cup the

Lord or after the bread the Lord took the cup and he Passed it around to the disciples and he said

Drinky all of it. So our father and our

God Our minds see today, but also imperfectly

Clouded through the centuries that have passed Incapable of really comprehending all that took place on that gruesome day and Yet by partaking even of these elements as As Jesus our

Savior Applied them to his own body and to his own blood We get a sense of what he endured in our behalf

Of what he gave that we might live We thank you and praise you for the power of the cross

This we pray in Jesus name. Amen All right, Jim's gonna come and lead us in our next hymn

It's on the back of your sheet there the power of the cross Jim Thank You pastor power of the cross

Number well, it's numbered 59, but it's on the back of your sheet all four verses together

Let's all stand please if you would sing power of the cross We're gonna pray together today as a church family

Before we before we pray and share some requests. Let me just mention after Normally traditionally after the

Lord's table we receive a benevolence offering Pass the plates to receive that.

Well, we're not passing plates these days. So there is a plate set up As you leave that you can you have a benevolence offering to give today you can place it there so our missionary of the week this week is

Scott will acquit with the pastoral enrichment program arm of Baptist admissions and pray for Scott as he hopefully prepares to be able to travel again and get to These countries where there are no seminaries and Scott and his ministry is able to train pastors

We also want to pray for Bob Klein Bob will begin radiation treatment tomorrow the result of the that extended testing on the biopsy came back that he was not the nature of his cancer was not the kind that would

The new treatment would be effective on so he'll be beginning that tomorrow so pray for Bob and for Jerry as Bob goes through this so that God will give him grace and to deal with All that goes with that And then we also want to pray for the family of Axton a few several weeks ago

Now we asked you to pray for this little five -year -old boy Had a form of brain cancer and he passed away the other day.

So we want to pray for Axton's family and then let's do pray for our nation and its crisis pray for pray for justice pray for restoration of law and order pray for righteousness

Pray for revival pray for repentance and Pray for revival pray for the

Lord to use all of this unrest to highlight the sinfulness of the human soul that's one of the things that does not want to be acknowledged in all of this, isn't it that man is inherently sinful and sinful people are going to do sinful things and so That that reality needs to slap us in the face as a nation

If we will come to the place where we admit and acknowledge. Yes, we are sinners all of us

That is that takes us far down the road to be able being able to actually deal with that sinfulness

So let's pray together and ask God to work in these things. Shall we? So again our

Father and our God we are we are grateful today that We can assemble in this place and worship the one

Who truly has the answer to these? problems and these crises in our nation

Father I pray that you would cause our nation thousands and thousands in our nation

To turn to your word and to find there the reality behind all of the chaos and the mayhem the reality of human sinfulness the sinfulness of the human heart that leads to violence that leads to brutality that leads to injustice and all of the hatefulness and The destructiveness that we're seeing

Played out in our television screens every day The father

I pray that you would bring our nation to its knees not for it to be destroyed But for it to be revived.

I Pray that through this national crisis That thousands would come to Christ that there would be an understanding of the value and the importance and the necessity of righteousness of righteous rules and laws and of just execution of those laws

Bring us to that place again, we pray Father we do pray for Bob Klein today and pray for your sustaining grace in his life

Encourage him. I pray as he begins this radiation treatment that his body would be able to handle it and That many of the negative side effects would be avoided

I pray for Jerry continue to encourage her heart and strengthen her as she cares for and is burdened over the the need of her husband we pray for Axton's family and ask that you would give comfort and Sustaining grace for this family and the death of their little boy

Our hearts grieve for them today father we pray for Scott will acquit and the ministry of pastoral enrichment program

Pray that he might soon be able to get back to the field of of service we're in training national pastors in other lands,

I Pray that you would use him Effectively. Thank you for providing full support for him at this point and I just pray that you would bless him as he prepares and all these for all these different opportunities of teaching ministry use

Scott we pray a Father as we open your word today and we look into what you have for us.

I pray that you would speak to our hearts Encourage and challenge us with this vital need for the family this we pray in Jesus name

Amen And would you take your Bibles and turn to Ephesians chapter 5?

Ephesians chapter 5 It is almost incredible to believe that it was three months ago

Since we were in the book of Ephesians It was on March 15th

That preached the last message that we preached in this series on Ephesians So consequently, we'll have to do a little bit of review, but very quickly

I trust this morning But I think as we look at our world and our nation by all accounts

It seems very evident that the family in Western civilization is in trouble

I I'm personally convinced that a significant root of the problems that we're seeing played out for us in living color on CNN and Fox News and whatever news channel you might happen to watch

That those the root of those problems Especially in urban areas is the breakdown of the family

It's evident in several key statistics and let me just share them with you. I The divorce rate

Globally globally worldwide the divorce rates doubled from 1970 to 2008

In the United States, there are 2 .9 divorces for every 1 ,000 persons in most recent statistics

Regarding marriage rates while the divorce rates are higher than they have ever been I do understand that there's been a leveling off and even a decline in divorce rates, but that coincides with The fact that marriage rates are lowest than they've ever been in record since they've been recording it in 150 years of Recording marriages in the u .s.

We now stand at the lowest rate of all time And while marriage rates have declined

Cohabitation rates have increased in 1968 1968 so back in that previous era of Terrible civil unrest 1 tenth of 1 percent 1 tenth of 1 percent of 18 to 24 24 year olds

Let live together without being married Those aged 25 to 34.

It rose all the way up to 2 tenths of 1 percent and now in 2018 50 years later 9 .4

percent of 18 to 24 year olds and almost 15 percent of 25 to 34 year olds live together without being married and Correspondingly Single -parent households have also increased dramatically in 2019 in the

United States alone 23 % 1 almost a 1 in 4 children were were raised are being raised in single -parent households

In the United States, that's three times greater than the national the global average of 7 %

It's even worse in some of our minority communities the african -american community 68 % of all children are in single -parent households in The Latino community, it's 41 %

And so when you see these statistics and they are just like You know black and white

Statistics, they're cold. They're they're they're calloused, aren't they? But when you see those statistics and then you look at what's going on in our world

Do you have to you have to come to the conclusion? There's some kind of a connection there

There's got to be some kind of a connection So I have an interesting detail the other day

I shared in the Friday devotional a little bit of the life of William Bradford and what he went through William Bradford who came across on the

Mayflower and the first governor of the Plymouth colony the Plymouth plantation

William Bradford shortly after he was born his dad died and When he was two years old his mother remarried

But when or when he was four years old his mother remarried and then when she remarried for some reason

She sent him to live with his grandfather Within two years his grandfather died and so he's shuffled back to his mother shortly after he shuffled back to his mother his mother died and Now he's an orphan at six years almost seven years of age

And so he's sent to live with a couple of uncles who were never married and had no children so here he was alone as a child living with a couple of uncles and That's how he grew up.

And when he was in it when he was a young teenager he came to know Christ and got connected with a

Separatist congregation in England that is a non Church of England congregation in England in in his in his play in the area where his uncles were living and and he said

William Bradford said that he felt he felt like he listen get this. He finally found a family

He finally found a family now the point is this when you think about the

The problems of the family the breakdown of the family in the United States and then you see Correspondingly all of the mayhem and and look at who is participating crises you find that so many of these people are there like in a big a big club there if I can use the term they have found a family, but it just a dysfunctional family a terribly messed up family and They wreak their mayhem accordingly

Why the breakdown? Why the breakdown? Well the short answer

I think which also provides us With a corrective if we can get to a short answer of the breakdown that we can hopefully get to a corrective but the short answer

I think is that the is that the marriage manual Written by the creator of marriage and the creator of the family has pretty much been jettisoned for a quote more enlightened approach

But it's an enlightenment That has led us into familial darkness, hasn't it?

The corrective then is to get the manual out and look at what the manual has to say about the family and One of the key passages the sections in the scripture that tells us that helps us understand what

God has to say about the family Is found in Ephesians 5 in the first few verses of chapter 6

Now let's set this in its context in the context of this passage you go all the way back to chapter 4 verse 1

Paul has been writing to the church at Ephesus and encouraging the Christians there to walk worthy of our calling as Christians and what does that look like?

verse 2 of chapter 4 It has look it looks like having a humble attitude Toward others within the church in verses 3 through 6.

It has to do with maintaining the unity of the church walking worthy in verses 7 through 16

Involves appreciating and here is here is a unique Lighthouse opportunity for the church.

It has to do with appreciating and employing the diversity of gifts in the church

It has to do with avoiding the old path of the pre -conversion life We see that in verses 17 through 21 of chapter 4

It has to do with walking worthy as a follower of Christ has to do with properly

Being properly outfitted with Christ likeness in this world in chapter 5 verses 1 to 7

Walking worthy of our vocation as Christians has to do with traveling with the right

Partners along the journey and in verses 8 through 17. It has to do with having our eyes wide open to who we are strangers and pilgrims in this world who we are children of light as he says in verses 8 and following and We need to walk as children as light of light and also need to have our eyes wide open as to where we are

Where are we? We are in a time and place where the days are evil

Now in chapter 5 verse 18 through chapter 6 verse 9

Paul exhorts us that the worthy walk is marked by submissiveness submission

This is clear in verses 18 through 21 where we need to be and we need to employ mutual

Submission in the church verse 21 submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God and Then he picks up with a family

So let's read together verses 18 through 24 this morning and we'll

Confine our remarks to this particular section Verse 18. He says be not drunk with wine.

We're in his excess but be filled with the Spirit Speaking 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 to one 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 this passage

It's going to go on through the end of the chapter is Referring to and talks about the mutual submission that is the responsibility in the home and in the marriage relationship between husbands and wives

But it's not the kind of submission that is a slavish submission. I Don't know how many of you saw

The image which was really distressing of the

Couple of really bully tight -looking black guys who had a white woman kneeling down before them and Telling her that she needed to kiss their feet and she did so That is slavish

Submission that is absolutely not not What Paul is talking about when he talks about the mutual submission that must be must be a part of the marriage relationship

What Calvin puts it this way. He says where love reigns where love reigns

Mutual services or mutual submission will be rendered but without rendering this loving mutual service the marriage crumbles

When everybody's living for himself and everybody is marked by selfishness and having to have their own way the marriage crumbles and when the marriage crumbles the family fragments and society deteriorates

So it's really important that we get marriage, right and allow us to allow ourselves to be transformed by What God has to say about the relationship that he designed between husbands and wife wives this beginning of this exhortation this passage on the family

Begins with Paul's call for Christ like submission Christ like submission now, what do we mean by submission?

we're talking about submission in the New Testament for in the New Testament context as Ian Hamilton defines it.

He says New Testament submission is the voluntary yielding in love Pursuing the interests of others not your own no matter how noble It's a voluntary yielding in love

Pursuing the interests of the others. This is the mindset of Jesus, isn't it? Remember what Philippians chapter 2 tells us in verses 5 through 8

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus and then it goes on to describe his mindset.

What did he do? He he humbled himself and became a man. He took him upon himself the form of a

Made in the likeness of men and he became obedient even unto death and across death at that the picture of humble loving submission

But this is also the mindset that's prescribed for every one of us who named the name of Christ Paul before talking about the the humility the humble submission that Christ exhibited

He tells us as his father's Christ followers. He says let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus so that's the nature of the definition of New Testament submission a

Voluntary yielding in love and it is this kind of submission that needs to be practiced in the home

Again, Ian Hamilton. He says this He says the great issue in family life is not how parents relate to children

Or how children relate to parents? It does often seem to be the big emphasis doesn't it how parents relate to children and children relate to parents?

That's important. But the big issue the great issue issue is How wives relate to their husbands and how husbands relate to their wives?

Elizabeth Elliot mentioned further that expands upon that idea

She says the greatest good a father can do for his children is to love their mother

The greatest good a mother can do for her children is to love their father So we're going to talk about that love that fathers need to have for their mothers and mothers need to have for their fathers

This week and then two weeks from now. We'll do the rest of it But this morning I want us to consider how does a mother?

Show her love for the children's father How does she do that?

Paul answers it at the beginning of verse 22 wives and literally he says this wives to your own husbands

Words submit is understood it. It's implied. It's inserted there But he's following right on verse 21 where it says submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of God.

So wives Here's how you show love for your husbands by submitting to your husbands

How do you do that? what that involves is submitting to the Submitting to the appointed headship of the family and that is the husband

This is a principle that's rooted in Scripture. So look at for example at 1st

Timothy chapter 2 in 1st Timothy chapter 2 Paul deals with this matter of the relationship between husbands and wives and men and women within the church in the church context and in 1st

Timothy 2 Verses 11 to 13. He says I do not permit a woman to teach or to usurp authority over the man

But to be in silence and we could talk about that, but we'll do that another time But then look at his explanation.

Here's the basis for that Exhortation for Adam was first formed then Eve But Adam was not deceived but the woman

Was deceived and in the transgression Adam was first formed then Eve. What Paul does is appeals to the created order and that serves as the basis or the root for this call to Biblical submission of the wife to the husband and it should be pointed out and it must be emphasized

That this has absolutely nothing to do with birth with worth or value or importance or intelligence or anything like that whatsoever as if the wife has to submit because the bible says all men are superior to all women and And therefore all women as a woman.

I am inferior to my husband He's got to be smarter and all the rest is no that's not what this is talking talking about.

It's not what it's calling for remember the new testament concept of submission is a voluntary yielding in love

A voluntary yielding in love So this principle then gets practiced in everyday life in this way

In the first place it's carried out voluntarily a voluntary yielding in love

Now by the way, because it is to be a voluntary yielding in love When that doesn't occur husbands

Don't demand it Don't demand it You don't go to your wife and say woman

Do as I say You know That that doesn't accomplish anything that doesn't that doesn't enhance the relationship whatsoever.

There may be occasions where rare occasions where There should be or there may need to be a gentle loving reminder of the distinctive roles in the marriage relationship

There may be those kinds of times But there is never there is never I I shouldn't use never but I I really can't think of a time when it is appropriate for a man to be

Demanding submission like he's got to keep his wife Under his thumb. No the submission that is called for here is a voluntary submission

On the part of the wife toward her husband. It also is to be carried out wholeheartedly

Wholeheartedly that is not with a sigh or a resignation. This is you know You know throw her eyes up and all that kind of stuff and her hands.

I was okay Well, I gotta do it because after all i'm the wife I'm reading a

For my birthday. My uh, my sister got me the biography of ulysses grant

By the way, did you know ulysses s grant is not really named ulysses s grant his birth name was

Hiram ulysses grant And his initials were hug. He got relentlessly

Battered by his peers in school So he quit calling himself hiram and he just called himself ulysses grant and then somewhere along the way the s got

Added in there and he he told his wife one day. He said I I don't even know what my middle name is.

I I have an s in my name and I don't know what it is And he didn't but anyway ulysses grant's parents

Were the kind where the dad was one of these You know really kind of a ruthless authoritarian kind of a guy

And his mom hardly ever spoke She hardly ever showed any emotion no great expressions of love but no real

Anger or anything like she she was this almost Lacking affect, you know what?

I mean? She just she just kind of went along with everything Not exactly a healthy marriage either right this was a 150 60 years ago

No, a wholehearted submission is the kind that is not simply a resignation.

It's not a sigh but it's there is a there is a sense of Understanding the importance and the value of what

I am doing involuntarily involuntarily yielding in love to my spouse

Then I would also point out that in practicing this principle in everyday life, it's carried out singly so verse 22 says

Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands So clearly clearly what paul is not talking about here is a a kind of a universal subjugation of women to men as if women are inferior to men not at all in fact if you take the the teaching of scripture as a whole you find that christianity elevates the

The view of women in any in any society almost any society Well, that's not what he's talking about paul says this this this

Voluntary yielding in love is to be Carried out to one's own husband

Not to men in general And then it's to be carried out thoroughly verse 24

Paul says as the church is subject unto christ. He'll let the wives be to their own husbands in everything in everything

Well, what about Right, isn't that what isn't that what always comes after that statement in everything?

Well, what about? Okay, let's do some whatabouts Okay, what about if my husband asks me to do something that is unbiblical or if he makes a decision and expects me to go

Along with something that clearly violates the scripture. What do I do? What you do is you say?

We ought to obey god rather than men You know and sometimes Admittedly, sometimes a husband will make an unbiblical unscriptural decision a decision that violates what god has clearly revealed and the wife has has has no say in it and she has to she has to and the family has to suffer the consequences of his unbiblical behavior his unbiblical choice

And it's not that she can rebel against it or anything else but There there she's kind of stuck

But what i'm talking about when we're talking about this voluntary yielding in love What about when the husband asks me to do something or demand something of me that is clearly unbiblical, what do

I do? You say no Because you ought to obey god rather than men

Well, what about if it's what about if what if what he's asking me to do is unreasonable?

Do you know who martin lloyd jones is Martin lloyd jones is a incredible preacher pastor of westminster chapel in london

His wife bethann Was asked that very question. What do I do if my husband asked me to do something unreasonable?

For example, she was asked what if my husband wakes me up at three o 'clock in the morning demanding

I fetch him ice cream Am I to get up and get up and go get it? And her reply was yeah

Yeah There's someone over here who really loves ice cream and it's maybe this one hits a little too close to home over here.

I I don't know But anyway, what bethann? Lloyd jones said to that question was yes

Get up and get it And then she said And then phone the doctor because clearly he is not a well man

Yeah Yeah Now by the way in a couple of weeks i'll talk to unreasonable men

And I don't think there are very many of them. I don't I don't know of any of them in our congregation But anyway, we'll bring that up But yeah, uh, what if it is something unreasonable?

It's something that's unreasonable and it's not illegal Voluntarily yielding in love

Matthew henry, uh comments on this husband -wife relationship in this way and I think

Understanding this imagery and I think it's a good one. It's often used in marriage, uh ceremony wedding ceremonies

Understanding this description and the relationship that it it illustrates Will do away with the unreasonable demandedness of some men and will

Help a wife understand what paul is getting at here in this call for submission

Henry wrote this He said the woman was made of a rib out of the side of adam

Not made out of his head to rule over him Nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him

Uh But out of his side to be equal with him under his arm to be protected

And near his heart to be loved I think that's excellent

I don't think i've ever read a better description of the kind of relationship that exists between a biblical married married couple

Than that right there So, how does a woman How does a woman? love her husband by being

Submitted to him. I think secondly by accepting that submission as a part of her obedience to christ verse 22 says wives submit yourselves your own husband as unto the lord as unto the lord so The idea is this this is something that the all wise lord has commanded he has directed and so She accepts that She accepts it as an obedience to the lord and in so doing she provides a christ -like example doesn't she because christ lived himself under the headship of his father

We read of that in first corinthians 11 verse 3 if you want to write that down and look it up in your uh in your spare time, but christ existed

The father sent the son into the world to be the savior of sinners and so by Submitting to the headship of the household

The wife is expressing a christ -like attitude As christ submitted to the head of the household of the trinity if you will

Well, she also recognizes that what the husband What's going on in this relationship and this dynamic?

Of the headship of the husband and the wife as voluntarily yielding in love

What's also going on is that she recognizes that christ is at work even through her husband

In other words the point is it's as if the direction Is coming from jesus through her husband

Let me show this in another way In colossians chapter 3 turn over a few pages in your bible to colossians 3 verses 23 and 24

Paul is writing to A different set of individuals in this case. He's writing to servants who have masters

But he says to them in verse 23 Whatever you do do it heartily as to the lord.

There's that same phrase do it as to the lord And not unto men and then he goes on to explain

He says knowing that of the lord you shall receive the inherit the reward of the inheritance for Here it is.

You serve the lord christ So the godly wife

Who who wants to follow the creator the marriage the creator of marriage is his manual she realizes that in in my

Voluntarily yielding in love to my husband I am doing this as unto christ.

I am serving christ. I I am not so much Serving my husband quote unquote as I am serving christ

I'm doing it as unto the lord And then finally in verse 24 back in our text ephesians 5 verse 24

How does she carry out this loving of her husband through voluntarily yielding or submission

She does so by mirror mirroring an ecclesiastical relationship

What I mean by that is what we read in verse 24 Therefore as the church is subject to christ

So let the wives be to their husbands and everything As the church is subject to christ

How is the church to be subject to christ Does christ want us?

to grovel in slavish fear Is that what he's calling for no, you know better than that what christ wants of us and ian hamilton does a good job of of laying this out for us ask

Asking and answering the question. How is the church to submit to christ? It is submissed.

It is to submit to christ out of love to him who richly loved us how do we submit to christ we submit to christ out of love to him because of the

The great love for with which he had for us We commemorated that love just a few minutes ago, right?

This great love that christ had for us. Well, how do we submit to him out of love?

for that great love that he Well the application of that in the marriage relationship,

I think Is that wives will submit to the leadership? the leadership of their husband because She loves him

She loves him and that in itself meets a a god -given need in a man's nature

This is brought out by the way in verse 33 Where it says so let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself to the husband

And then to the wife he says And the wife see that she reverence her husband

And paul in concluding that whole passage is is summarizing. Here's what the other partner needs from you

Husbands show love for your wife. We'll get to that in a couple of weeks wives Show reverence for your husband

That's what he needs That's what he longs for that kind of respect that kind of loving respect out of love

How does the church submit to christ does so with confidence? with confidence that That christ will never

Ask of the church something that is outside of What is best for that church for the church?

Christ is never going to ask the church to do something that will destroy the church. It's not his not his heart

It's not his desire And in This kind of a relationship that paul is describing here in this passage

According to the creator's manual for marriage the wife a godly wife can

Offer this voluntary yielding in love to her husband easily readily

When she is confident That what the husband is asking or the decision that the husband is making is being made

Out of a desire for what is best For the relationship for the home for the family for their marriage or for whatever

Admittedly, this all breaks down doesn't it? When there is a suspicion of selfishness

I think the benefit of the doubt and I encourage wives in this way give the benefit of the doubt

That your man your husband isn't merely being selfish That he's trying to fulfill his responsibility and if you can't

Be confident of that Then question it Ask about it

Is this? Is this decision being made because you really believe it's the best thing for?

Us the best thing for our family the best thing for our children the best thing for our financial situation.

Is it? Is that? Or or is this just really something you want

There's not anything wrong with having that kind of a conversation When you're convinced

You give the benefit of the doubt that this is in the Best interest your husband is trying to do what is best in his making of this decision then enter into that submissive spirit with confidence

How does christ want the church to submit to him? with spiritual direction and the idea here is that The lord never asks the church to do something that is contrary to his revealed will the his revealed will so when when we submit to christ we are submitting to That which god has revealed for us to do we use our minds.

We use our heads We are guided by the word So the application

Of this to the marriage relationship is that your husband makes a decision

That requires your response What is your response

And why do you respond in that particular way Is the husband given?

understanding given insight into the decision Discussed it talked about it said this is what

I think we need to do and this is why Well with that kind of direction

What do you do? How do you respond? Do you respond with a reluctant compliance?

Is that how christ would have us respond to his word? Do you respond with a flagrant rejection?

Again would christ have us respond in such a way do you respond with a Convenient forgetfulness

Or do you respond with a cheerful acceptance of that which

Has been given the decision that has been made How do you respond?

so this whole matter of submission is not a Popular one. It's not one that is held up as being virtuous in our day

But I think when we understand the nature Of what paul is getting at here of voluntary yielding in love

And the relationship is one that is built upon that kind of That kind of an affinity and affection

A commitment to one another then Voluntary yielding in love is really not a difficult thing when you get down to it.

Is it? There may be someone here today whose first step of voluntary yielding in love would be to voluntary voluntarily yield to christ there may be some who

Maybe someone here who who has never Never repented of your sin

And submitted to christ's call to turn from your sin and to trust him as your savior.

There's the starting point of every good godly loving relationship

I implore you to start there today and I encourage Husbands love your wives wives

See that you reverence your husband Let's pray Our father in our god We thank you for the very practical instruction and insight from your word in the most commonplace and in and essential relationships and the planet and the marriage relationship

I pray that our desire and our passion would be to be like christ And his relationship to the church and the church's relationship to him

And this we pray in jesus name. Amen Would you take your hymnal and turn to number?

375 375 we want to sing just the third stanza song oh to be like thee 375

And let's stand together as we sing. Shall we? Oh to be like Thee lord.

I am coming Now to receive Thy wisdom divine

All that I am And have I am bringing

Lord from this moment All shall be thine

Oh to be like thee Oh to be like thee blessed redeemer

Pure as thou are Thy sweetness

And now may the lord bless you and keep you May he make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you

May the lord lift up his countenance upon you And give you peace As we pray in the name of jesus our loving savior amen