04-22-12 AM - Marriage and the Kingdom

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Ephesians 5:1; 10; 21-33

1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 

10 and find out what pleases the Lord.                                                                                                        

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord 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. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 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, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 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." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. 

1. THE KINGDOM

The Kingdom of God is a spiritual entity w/ a physical expression.                                                                                    

Luke 17:21 says the kingdom of God is within you.                            

Matt. 6:33 Tells us that the first thing we are to seek is the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.                                                                                

Rom. 8:27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. 

2. THE CULTURE                                                                      

The Bible says “As a man thinks in His heart so is he”.                           

George Orwell said “During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act” 

The flesh is the manifestation of carnal or worldly principles.          

“marriages you wouldn’t expect are being challenged”

Eph. 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.                  

Eph. 5:22-23 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 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.

husbands love your wives (the weaker vessel) as Christ loved the Church)

Submission is coming under authority for the common good or completion of a relationship.                                                                                                                     

3. THE “CRAZY CYCLE”

“Don’t change your partner change yourself”.                                   

“well I’m not the problem”