Husbands love your wives

Relationships part 2, Husbands love your wives.
Ephesians 5:25-33

Intro… God said to Adam, "I am going to make you a helper, a companion. What would you like your companion to be like?" Adam replied, "Well I want someone that is humorous, witty, intelligent, compassionate, caring, loving, trusting, polite, generous and beautiful."

God paused a moment after Adam's wish list and told Adam that a companion like that 'would cost him an arm and a leg.' Adam seemed a little dejected and then brightly replied: "What can I get for a Rib?"

• Today I want to talk to the men about being Super Dads/husbands.
• Part 2 of our series on relationships…last week…
• Women, wives, women who want to be wives…hold your men to these Biblical standards!

Text: Ephesians 5:25-33

Big Picture: Men, young men, boys, husbands, future husbands, men who want to be better husbands, guys who are considering the possibility of being a husband someday… love your wives.

v. 25-28 Love your wives (simple and straightforward)
• Just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
• What did Christ do for the church? He died for her.
• Husbands are you willing to die (to yourself) for your wives?
• Is she that much of a priority to you?
• Does she come above any other woman in your life? Even your mother?
• Colossians 3:19, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”

How are we to love our wives?
• As we love ourselves. V. 29
• Not all of us are in great shape physically, but think about the other things that you do that you love, things that make you feel good about yourself. (recreation, tech stuff, mechanical, work, books…etc.)
• Just as you are going to make that a priority in your life, (loving yourself) love your wife in the same way.
• Paul devotes twice as many words to telling husbands to love their wives than telling wives to submit to their husbands. (Next week’s topic.)
• I’ve always said that in these passages on marriage, the husband has a much greater responsibility.
• V. 26 Just as through baptism we are prepared for entrance into the church, in the Near East, brides were prepared for marriage by a ceremonial bath.
• It is God’s word that cleanses us. John 17:17, Titus 3:5
• So when we love our wives as Christ loved the church, then we are building them up spiritually.

v. 23 Lead your wives
• This may not be politically correct, but it is Biblically correct!
• And here we are talking primarily about being a spiritual leader.
• Men, it’s your job to be the head of the home. Lead, guide, give direction. Set the course, make decisions.
• Unlike most bumbling husbands on TV…(Al Bundy, John Goodman, Jim Belushi, etc.)
• 1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
• “Weaker partner,” yes women may lack some of the physical advantages of a man, but in the new life that we are both heirs to, we’re equals.
• Check list: Initiate prayer with your wife, make church a priority, lead by example, be the spiritual leader in your family.

v. 29 Nurture your wives (in the things of Christ).
• “Feeding” and caring for her. We to need make our wives well-being of primary importance. Anticipate her needs.
• Not so much feeding her with food, instead, feeding her emotional needs and spiritual needs.
• We nurture our wives spiritually by following the guidelines above in point #2, “Lead your wives.”
• Active listening, “Really, how did that make you feel?”
• I said it last week, chivalry (gallant or distinguished gentlemen) never gets old. Most women love to be nurtured, loved and taken care of.
• I always remind husbands that they can tell their wives 10 times a day that she is pretty, looks good etc. and she’ll say, “tell me again.”


v. 31-33 Be committed to your wives.
• Besides the grace and power of God, you know what makes a marriage last? Flat-out commitment!
• Marriage vows never get old. Maybe you need to review them.
• Sometimes that commitment needs to be revisited.
• Commitment is the engine that pulls the train of marriage.
• Like the church (us) and our relationship to Christ, marriage is a holy union, a biblical living symbol, a precious relationship that needs tender self-sacrificing care from the husband and wife.

Conclusion:
• I’m overwhelmed by these standards! Every man in this room should be!
• We are seeing each week that God’s standard for human relationships is set high.