1. Faith in the Crosshairs 1 Peter Serve, Pt. 4 (1 Peter 3:7)

2. Review Submission to human authority for the Lord's sake…

3. Context Covenant: Karat Berit- "to cut a covenant" "May this happen to me if I break this covenant"

4. Context A covenant involves the whole person, binding 2 parties together in permanent and unconditional unity

5. Covenants take priority over every other human relationship Headship and mutual submission mark human covenant relationships

6. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way

7. Likewise as what?

8. Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands- 3:1 How? − …respectful and pure conduct − …beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit

9. Be subject= hypotassomenai- a continuing attitude of willful subordination of one’s desires, wants and needs to another

10. Important: Submission is mutual Likewise

11. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way How? − …live with − …understanding way − …showing honor

12. …Understanding way= gnosis- special knowledge, experientially-learned knowledge, deep insight

13. A man’s God-given task is to study and know his wife completely, then provide for her according to her needs

14. Redskins vs. the Cowboys? Jeff Burton vs. Jeff Gordon?

15. She…He… Is not feeling loved, but is afraid to ask him for fear that his answer wouldn’t be genuine Thinks things are just fine Asks him to help her with gardening instead of going fishing Wants to know why he can’t help her tomorrow instead Is not interested in gardening- she just wants to know she’s more important than fishing buddies He’s angry that she complains all the time

16. A husband’s # 1 job is to continually seek out and understand his wife, then serve her according to her particular needs Supercedes work, hobbies, sports…

17. …for the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church…Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy- Eph. 5:25 Headship- Involves responsibility, not rights. Action rather than expectation. Sacrifice

18. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy- Eph. 5:25 Just as- in the same way, to the same degree

19. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy- Eph. 5:25 When Jesus loved the church, was the church loveable? What was his response? Why?

20. …live with your wives in an understanding way… “be at home + with”- fully involved in all matters of family life

21. “Haven’t I given you many material things??”

22. “Sure- you’ve given me everything but yourself” “Sure- you’ve given me everything but yourself” She needs emotional connection in order to feel secure. A real man is strong enough to be vulnerable with his wife

23. …showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life… Porcelain vase- protect Heirs- equal in God's sight

24. Honor= Great respect and value Honor= Great respect and value

25. A real man honors and values his wife, protecting and serving her as a co-equal partner in the marriage  If he has to pull the headship card, he’s already lost

26. …heirs with you… Marriages centered on Jesus include: Repentance Repentance Humility Humility Serving Serving Otherwise, both partners are incompatible

27. …so that your prayers may not be hindered- vs. 7

28. A man who won’t respect and honor his wife is wasting his breath praying for anything other than repentance

29. A covenant partner who follows Jesus and does what is right will experience the full strength and blessings of God as he or she serves in love (vs. 9-12)

30. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil" - vs. 12

31. Takeaways: Do I seek to know my wife as a priority of my life? And to serve her according to her needs? If not, will I confess that as sin and begin knowing her?

32. Takeaways: Am I involved in all areas of my home life? Would my wife describe me as a spiritual leader, a man of God? If not, what needs to change? Will I?