God of All Love Ephesians 5:21-33

Weddings (yearly)2.3 million Weddings (cost)$72 billion (US) Wedding (costliest)$110 million Honeymoons (cost)$8 billion (US) Divorces (yearly)920,000 Divorces (cost)$112 billion (US) Deaths from Divorces14,850

Ephesians 5:1-20 Divisions Our New Life in Christ New Words New Thoughts New Actions

Marriage is more about Salvation and Sanctification Than Sensation and Satisfaction Principle

Ephesians 5:21-33 Divisions 21-24Leading 25-30Loving 31-33Leaving

21-24Leading Divisions

Principle For he who is least among you all he is the greatest Luke 9:48

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. Ephesians 5

Our submission to others Is a reflection and outworking Of our submission to Christ Principle

23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior Ephesians 5

24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything Ephesians 5

Submission involves putting oneself completely and unconditionally at the service of the other s well being and happiness Principle

Application Questions Do you have marriage troubles? Do you love Jesus First? Do you live for Jesus First? Is your life submitted to Jesus First? Is Jesus your life First?

Application Prayer I Adore You as the Master Designer of my life I Confess I have rebelled and disobeyed You Thank You for giving me new life by Your Spirit I Pray for Help to surrender, sacrifice & serve

25-30Loving Divisions

Love is a call to die to oneself, a lifelong practice of giving not only all you have, but all you are. Principle

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word Ephesians 5

27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Ephesians 5

28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself Ephesians 5

29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church Ephesians 5

The measure of our love for God Is to love Him without measure Principle

Application Questions Is your wife more like Christ because she is married to you? Do you sanctify her or hold her back? How will you nourish & cherish her?

Application Prayer I Adore You God of Unending & Unfailing Love I Confess my pride, my love of self & the world Thanks for giving all I need for life & holiness I Pray for my life to inspire & purify others in love

31-33Leaving Divisions

31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh Ephesians 5

32 This is a profound mysterybut I am talking about Christ and the church. Ephesians 5

Principle A couples hearts must be so hidden in God that they have to seek Him to find each other.

Application Questions Does your marriage reflect the oneness & love Christ has for His church? What are you willing to change to deepen your oneness with Jesus?

Application Prayer I Adore You my God of Infinite Worth I Confess my being discontent & divisive Thanks for Your Infilling & Indwelling Presence I Pray for holy & absolute oneness with You

Ephesians 5:21-33 Divisions 21-24Lead and Submit 25-30Love and Respect 31-33Leave and Cleave

Philippians 2:5-8 Christ Jesus, Who, being in very nature God, made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross!

Vow - Men I take you to be my wedded wife. With deepest joy I receive you into my life that together we may be one. As is Christ to His body, the church, so I will be to you a loving and faithful husband. Always will I perform my headship over you even as Christ does over me, knowing that His Lordship is one of the holiest desires for my life.

Vow - Men I promise you my deepest love, my fullest devotion, my tenderest care. I promise I will live first unto God rather than others. I promise that I will lead our lives into a life of faith and hope in Christ Jesus. Ever honoring God's guidance by His spirit through the Word, And so throughout life, no matter what may lie ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful husband

Vow - Women I take you to be my wedded husband. With deepest joy I come into my new life with you. As you have pledged to me your life and love, so I too happily give you my life, and in confidence submit myself to your headship as to the Lord. As is the church in her relationship to Christ, so I will be to you.

Vow - Women I will live first unto our God and then unto you, loving you, obeying you, caring for you and ever seeking to please you. God has prepared me for you and so I will ever strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage you. Therefore, throughout life, no matter what may be ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as an obedient and faithful wife.

Nothing bad can ever result from obeying God Principle

God of All Love Ephesians 5:21-33