Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / Ephesians 5:18 - 33 - 2/15/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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Ephesians 5:18 - 33 - 2/15/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
• 0:15
  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  All right. If you will take your Bible,
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  turn with me to the book of Ephesians.
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  Ephesians chapter 5.
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  And uh just with the events,
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  everything's been going on. Wedding
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  yesterday, marriage conference coming
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  up. I just had it on my mind. It was
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  actually the next place we was going to
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  go in Sunday school. And so we're going
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  to look here at that this morning.
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  Ephesians chapter 5. And we'll begin
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  reading in verse number 22.
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  And uh
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  some very very deep truths in this. I
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  think a lot of misconceptions been made
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  about these verses. Um a lot of things
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  have been said uh concerning the ranks
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  of men and women and their different uh
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  authorities that they have. Uh that's
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  caused some people to be hurt over that.
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  And I'm not saying in the church, but
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  I'm just saying collectively. Um, bad
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  teaching brings about trouble,
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  >> right?
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  >> And, uh, if you need if you don't
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  rightly divide the Bible, um, you're
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  going to be in a mess. And so, I want to
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  try to do that this morning. Not going
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  to try I'm try going to try not to get
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  too u deep into this this morning. Just
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  being Sunday school, I want to give you
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  the truths of it here. What Lord's put
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  on my heart and u, I'm trying to reel
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  myself in, I guess you would say. I like
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  I get in this stuff and I I will uh I
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  kind of like to scuba dive sometimes and
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  just swim around a little bit. But uh uh
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  I want to make sure that we're uh giving
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  you something that'll be beneficial to
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  you. And uh you know there's a lot of
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  men sometimes they get up and they
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  stroke their ego just by telling you how
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  much they know and how big words they
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  can use when they talk. And I don't ever
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  want to be guilty of that. And I want to
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  make sure it's understandable. And uh I
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  think it was Billy Kelly said that uh
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  God he's not uh he's not one of those
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  kind of people that puts the cookie jar
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  on the top shelf where the young onions
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  can't get to it, but he puts it on the
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  bottom. Amen. And I want to make sure we
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  do that and make sure it's
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  understandable. And uh if you don't get
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  anything out of it, I've not done my
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  job. And I don't want to be a sounding
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  brass and a tinkling symbol. So you pray
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  for me, the Lord will help me. Ephesians
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  5 verse number 20. Let's look verse
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  number uh verse number 18. and just look
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  back there. Been several weeks since we
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  dealt with this. I'll review a little
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  bit and then we'll go forward here in
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  the text. Ephesians 5 verse number 18.
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  The Bible says, "And be not drunk with
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  wine wherein is excess, but be filled
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  with the spirit. Speak to yourselves in
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  psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
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  singing and making melody in your heart
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  to the Lord, giving thanks always for
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  all things unto God and the Father in
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  the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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  submitting yourselves one to another in
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  the fear of God. Wives, submit
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  yourselves unto your own husbands as
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  unto the Lord. For the husband is the
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  head of the wife, even as Christ is the
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  head of the church, and he is the savior
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  of the body. Therefore, as the church is
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  subject unto Christ, so let the wives be
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  to their own husbands in everything.
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  Husbands, love your wives, even as
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  Christ also loved the church and gave
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  himself for it, that he might sanctify
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  and cleanse it with the washing of water
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  by the word, that he might present it to
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  himself a glorious church, not having
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  spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but
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  that it should be holy and without
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  blemish.
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  So ought men to love their wives as
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  their own bodies. He that loveth his
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  wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet
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  hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and
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  cherisheth it, even as the Lord the
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  church. For we are members of his body,
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  of his flesh, and of his bones. For this
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  cause shall a man leave his father and
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  mother, shall be joined unto his wife,
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  and they too shall be one flesh. This is
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  a great mystery, but I speak concerning
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  Christ in the church. Nevertheless, let
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  every one of you in particular so love
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  his wife even as himself and the wife
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  see that she reverence her husband.
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  Father, thank you for this time that
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  we've gathered around the word of God.
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  Thank you for uh the truth that's
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  invested here. And Lord, this is
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  life-changing stuff if we'll apply it.
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  And so God, I pray, Father, that you
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  will help us to be obedient to you. um
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  Lord, not consider uh our flesh this
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  morning, but God, that we would
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  surrender our flesh and submit to the
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  will of God, uh your design, your
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  purpose. You orchestrated it this way
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  for a reason. And so, God, I pray you
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  help us to represent you well. And God,
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  I ask you that you would give us uh eyes
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  of wisdom, spiritual eyes to see the
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  truths that are invested here today.
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  Well, thank you for what you do because
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  you're worthy of all glory and honor and
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  power. And we ask you to help us now. We
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  ask it in Jesus name. Amen.
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  this text this morning. Uh, of course,
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  it's been attacked by the world in which
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  we live. They don't like this, uh, this
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  illustration that's used here. But I
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  tell you what, it's precious to me. And
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  the reason I say that is is because it
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  lets me know about my standing with
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  Christ. And I've learned some more about
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  that since my wife and I have been
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  married. Going on be going on five
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  years, March the 6th, we we've been
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  married. and uh I've learned a little
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  bit uh more about the love of Christ for
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  myself uh being married to her and it's
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  taught me some things about that and I'm
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  not here to give you my own example but
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  I'll say this experience brings about
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  some help uh for understanding of the
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  scripture and I was reading this uh this
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  morning just looking back over my notes
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  here thinking about this text and
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  there's no coincidence that this is
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  connected to spirituality in this text
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  you notice what he leads up to here in
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  the text he mentions being filled with
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  the spirit. In verse number 18, he gives
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  them the instructions of how to be
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  filled with the spirit in verses 19 down
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  through verse number 21. And then he's
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  further giving those instructions. And
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  so this is really this morning. This is
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  not an option. It's it's a requirement.
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  And I was reading this, thinking about
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  this text and where I wanted to go with
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  this. I want to give you the reasoning
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  behind this. Okay? And uh there has been
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  a change. All right? The original order
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  between man and woman in the garden was
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  there was an equal authority that was
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  present there. Now I I want to deal with
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  that here for just a minute. And I want
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  to say this, okay? Man is not greater
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  than woman.
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  >> Right?
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  >> Woman is not greater than man.
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  >> We are created equal in the Lord Jesus
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  Christ. There's neither male nor female,
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  bond nor free. And you know the list in
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  there. All those that come to Christ in
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  salvation, they are the children of God
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  by faith. And so it's not a question of
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  equality. That's what the world wants to
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  make it a question of, but that's not
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  what the question is here. Um, it's a
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  question of submission and authority and
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  protection is what it is. And I notice
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  in this text, verse number 21, I pointed
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  this out last time that he he leads off
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  in verse 21, dealing with universal
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  submission. Notice that verse 21,
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  submitting yourselves one to another in
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  the fear of God. And I made this
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  statement. And I said that you'll never
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  submit to each other until you're
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  submitted to God. Because you notice uh
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  the terminology that's used in this
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  text. The only way that you could submit
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  to another person is in submission to
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  the Lord. Now you say, "Well, what does
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  that mean?" Well, that means if you're
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  submitted to the Lord, the only time
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  you'll be commanded to submit to another
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  person is when it's proper,
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  >> right?
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  >> And I want to deal with that here in
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  just a minute in the marriage
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  relationship. Okay? And men have taken
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  this out of context and they deal with
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  this and say that, you know, there's a
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  uh they have a supremacy about them that
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  they're to be in authority constantly.
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  But that's not the truth. Okay? There
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  are things that disqualify a man from
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  his authority. Just like a pastor, if he
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  was to commit a sin uh that causes him
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  to lose lose his headship, that
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  authority would be removed from him.
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  Well, if a husband does that very same
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  thing, his authority is removed. If a
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  husband becomes drunk, full of alcohol,
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  his wife is not commanded to obey his
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  authority.
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  >> Right?
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  >> I know we don't like that, but that's
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  the truth. Okay?
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  >> When there's intoxication, when there's
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  an impairment, something otherworldly
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  controlling them, uh, that authority
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  becomes invalid. And you say, "Well, how
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  does that apply?" Well, let me just put
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  it this way. It's really not even that.
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  If it becomes sinful,
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  >> when we we talk to children, deal with
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  them, you know, they're always to obey
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  their parents. But when their obedience
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  becomes sinful, they're no longer
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  required to obey that,
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  >> right?
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  >> And uh I know that's that's we don't
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  like that, but it's the truth. Okay? And
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  so notice this. I I'll get into the text
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  here. Verse 22, he leads off with the
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  wives. And I I think there's a reason
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  for that. I'll say more about that in a
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  minute. He says in verse 22, "Wives,
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  submit yourselves unto your own husbands
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  as unto the Lord." So there's an
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  admonition here. And just like in verse
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  21, it's conditional. There in verse
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  number 21, he says we're to submit
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  yourselves one to another in the fear of
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  God. Our submission to each other is
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  dependent upon our reverence for the
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  Lord. And so if you don't fear the Lord,
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  you're not going to submit yourself one
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  to another. In verse 22, the Bible says,
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  "Submit yourselves unto your own
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  husbands as unto the Lord." And so what
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  this does is is lays out number one the
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  reason. What what is the reason that
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  wives are to submit to their own
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  husbands? Well, turn with me to the book
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  of Genesis, chapter number three.
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  Genesis, chapter number three,
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  verse number 16.
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  This is a a fact of scripture. All
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  right? And the reason I said there's
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  been a change is because it was not
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  orchestrated this way in the beginning.
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  I've said this before at the church, and
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  it should be no surprise to us when the
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  Bible says in Genesis 1 that God made
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  man in the image of himself. We made in
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  the image of God. But because of sin,
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  that image is tarnished. All right? And
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  so what I want you to understand is is
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  God the Father, God the Son, and God the
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  Holy Spirit are all co-equal and
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  co-eternal. Well, we were made in the
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  image of God. And so we were made to be
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  that same way. All of God's uh creation,
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  all of the people that he created were
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  made to be equal in that way. But notice
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  what happens here in the text. Verse
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  number 16, Genesis 3, the Bible says uh
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  here, of course, this is the curse uh
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  that is given here because of sin in the
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  garden. Eve is taken of the fruit. She
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  was deceived by the serpent. Adam comes,
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  chooses his wife uh over the Lord and he
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  willfully sins against the Lord. And and
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  the Bible said verse number 16, unto the
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  woman, God said, I will greatly multiply
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  thy sorrow in thy conception. In sorrow
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  thou shalt bring forth children. Notice
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  this last phrase, and thy desire shall
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  be to thy husband, and he shall rule
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  over thee. So one of the first
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  principles that took place in scripture
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  uh it deals with the authority of the
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  man and his wife. It deals with that uh
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  headship. Now layman Strauss said this.
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  All right. I would never be bold enough
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  to say this but I I want you to listen
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  to what he said. All right. He said the
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  woman because of her greater
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  trustfulness is controlled by her heart
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  more than her head. And he said so thus
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  man was made the one to be in rule. You
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  see, in the garden, Eve was deceived and
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  Adam was in the transgression. Eve was
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  deceived by the serpent. Adam was not
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  deceived. And so, he willfully,
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  presumptuously sinned against the Lord
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  in partaking of the fruit. Why was that?
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  Because he loved his wife,
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  >> right,
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  >> more than he loved God. All right? And
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  so, he was not deceived. Eve was
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  deceived. Adam made the willful choice
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  to sin against the Lord. And so the
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  reason for this submission here is
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  because of the sinful state in which we
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  live. Now here's the reason. You say,
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  "Preacher, well that that puts a damper
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  on the woman." Well, let me just remind
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  you what scripture says about marriage.
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  All right? After sin as well. The Bible
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  says, "He that findeth a wife findeth a
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  good thing.
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  >> And two are better than one because they
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  have good reward for their labor." The
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  Bible says. You say, "What do you mean
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  by that?" Well, just as the man is to
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  protect the woman, the woman has a duty
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  to take care of her husband.
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  >> And so in in sin where we are in sin, it
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  it gives us a requirement for that
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  spiritual aid. It's not a it's not a a
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  hierarchy type deal in the marriage.
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  See, that's our problem. We have the
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  wrong mindset about it. Okay? We're to
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  assist each other. But this is the
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  reason why this was made, this is given
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  in the scripture. You can look before
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  that. We know that Eve was taken out of
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  the rib of Adam. You know, you've heard
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  it said she wasn't taken out of the foot
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  so Adam could trample on her and she
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  wasn't taken out of his head so that she
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  could be over him, but she was taken out
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  of the rib so she could be by his side.
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  She's an helpmate for him to be close to
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  him. And the Bible says in verse 22,
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  wives, submit yourselves under your own
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  husband. So there's the reason that's
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  given in Genesis 3. But then there's a
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  revelation concerning this in the New
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  Testament. I want I want you to listen
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  to what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy
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  chapter number two.
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  1 Timothy chapter 2
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  verse number 11.
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  I'm going to get to the men. Okay,
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  ladies don't fall out with me. All
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  right. 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse
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  number 11. Let's let's let's look back
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  at verse number nine here and just do a
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  overview of this. In like manner also
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  that women adorn themselves in modest
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  apparel with shamef faceness and
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  sobriety, not with broaded hair or gold
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  or pearls or costly array, but which
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  becometh women professing godliness, but
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  with good works. Let the woman learn in
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  subject silence with all subjection. But
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  I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to
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  assert authority over the man, but to be
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  in silence. For Adam was firstborn, then
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  Eve, and Adam was not deceived. But the
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  woman being deceived was in the
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  transgression. Notwithstanding, ye, she
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  shall be saved in childbearing, if they
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  continue in faith and charity and
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  holiness with sobriety. Now, I know that
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  text has a lot in it, and I'm not going
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  to deal with all of that right at this
• 14:47
  point in time. But basically, in
• 14:49
  essence, what I wanted you to see is
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  this is people want to take the Old
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  Testament laws concerning women and
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  separate that from the New Testament
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  from the day of grace.
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  >> What you're going to find is that stuff
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  carries over.
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  >> The principles that were introduced in
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  the Old Testament are revealed in the
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  New Testament likewise. And what that
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  means is is all of that text reveals
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  right there is is basically this that a
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  woman is not to do anything to draw
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  attention unnecessary attention unto
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  herself by her dress by her attitude by
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  the way in which she carries herself.
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  And the reason why that a woman is not
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  to teach is because the way that a man's
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  mind operates. All right, not going to
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  go any into that any further but you you
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  can read between the lines there. Okay,
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  we need to understand that when we come
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  to the scripture, there's a reason why
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  things are laid out the way that they
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  are. You say, "Preacher, well, I know
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  women that can teach better than men." I
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  do, too. Amen. Amen. My mama's one of
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  them. My wife is one of them. Amen. I
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  listen to them talk sometimes and I want
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  to crawl in a hole. Amen. And best
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  Christians I've ever been around. But
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  here's what I'm saying. They know their
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  place.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> They know their place. I didn't put them
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  there.
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  >> My daddy don't put my mama there. They
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  have made that decision for themselves.
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  Okay? And let me say this to you ladies
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  here this morning. Nobody can make you
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  submit.
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  >> Nobody can put you in your place. That's
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  what we hear in the world today. Well,
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  they they've they've pushed me down.
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  They've silenced me. No, that's not the
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  way it is. Okay? Here's here's the thing
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  you got to remember. All right? Nobody
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  can take that from you. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> They take it from you if you allow them
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  to. All right? I feel like we've missed
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  that in this day and time. All right?
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  Now, I know that there's circumstances
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  and you know the exceptions to that.
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  Okay, I understand. But you you you get
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  what I'm saying. All right, for us who
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  are in good marriages this morning,
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  we're not going to force that upon you.
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  So, the reason there's the revelation
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  that's given in 1 Timothy 2 11-14
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  and then there's the requirement in
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  verse 22. He says, "Submit yourselves
• 16:54
  unto your own husbands as unto the
• 16:57
  Lord." Now, what's the requirement here?
• 16:59
  This the requirement's not on the wife.
• 17:01
  Now the wife is is said is she's told to
• 17:03
  submit. But you notice that phrase there
• 17:07
  as unto the Lord. So that has several
• 17:10
  different meanings. Okay? So if you are
• 17:12
  going to submit to your husband, first
• 17:14
  of all, that means you have to be
• 17:16
  submitted to the Lord.
• 17:17
  >> Right?
• 17:18
  >> Because you'll never truly submit to
• 17:19
  godly leadership in your life without
• 17:21
  submitting to God's leadership
• 17:24
  >> in your life. Don't miss what I said.
• 17:26
  You will never submit to godly
• 17:28
  leadership in your life without having
• 17:30
  first submitted to God's leadership in
• 17:34
  your life. But I'll say this as well.
• 17:36
  All right. It goes further than that.
• 17:39
  This requirement here goes upon the man
• 17:41
  that his leadership must be godly.
• 17:45
  >> You're right. Come on.
• 17:48
  >> If we're to submit to our own hus if a
• 17:51
  wife is to submit to her own husband as
• 17:52
  unto the Lord, that means his leadership
• 17:54
  has to be godly.
• 17:56
  >> Right?
• 17:56
  >> Wouldn't it? It's not that we submit
• 17:58
  unto them blindly.
• 18:01
  >> You're never commanded as a wife to
• 18:03
  submit to them blindly to do things that
• 18:05
  are unpleasing or displeasing to the
• 18:07
  Lord or sinful or things of that nature.
• 18:10
  Now, we understand this morning the
• 18:12
  scripture deals with all the topics of
• 18:14
  of the intimate things between a man and
• 18:16
  a woman. And that's not what I'm talking
• 18:18
  about. I'm talking about in matters of
• 18:19
  life.
• 18:20
  >> Yes.
• 18:21
  >> If he is not godly,
• 18:23
  if he does not operate in a realm of
• 18:25
  righteousness, that submission is not
• 18:27
  possible.
• 18:29
  >> Our submission is first of all unto the
• 18:31
  Lord. And so, let me say this to you
• 18:33
  ladies. Until you submit to the Lord,
• 18:35
  you will never submit to your husband.
• 18:37
  All right? The way that you should.
• 18:39
  Okay? And so there is the requirement
• 18:41
  here in this text. I got some quotes
• 18:44
  here. I highlighted in a commentary
• 18:47
  here. I I I read this this morning. I
• 18:49
  thought this was good. It says, "Even as
• 18:52
  our loyalty and allegiance can be
• 18:54
  sustained to one God only, so with every
• 18:57
  wife to her own husband." Notice that in
• 18:59
  the verse. Wives, submit yourselves unto
• 19:01
  your own
• 19:04
  husbands.
• 19:04
  >> Right? in uh as unto the Lord. Just as
• 19:08
  you know the Bible teach Jesus said you
• 19:10
  cannot worship God and mammon. You can't
• 19:12
  serve two masters. There's only a wife
• 19:14
  is to be submissive to her husband. Now
• 19:16
  in this day and time, the work world,
• 19:18
  women are having to do things that they
• 19:20
  were never designed to do. You're
• 19:21
  >> right.
• 19:25
  >> And men in the workplace lording over
• 19:27
  women at times can be very cruel.
• 19:30
  >> Remember, you are only to submit to one
• 19:32
  man. That's your husband.
• 19:36
  Amen.
• 19:39
  >> Submit yourselves unto your own husbands
• 19:41
  as unto the Lord. Verse 23, there is the
• 19:45
  uh the faith that is mentioned in verse
• 19:47
  22 required here to operate this way.
• 19:49
  You're not going to do this if you're
• 19:50
  not saved. Let me I should have said
• 19:52
  that first. Amen. If you're not born
• 19:53
  again, this is not going to be a part of
• 19:55
  your life. But in verse 23, there's the
• 19:57
  figure that he mentions here. He says,
• 19:59
  "For the husband is the head of the
• 20:01
  wife, even as Christ is the head of the
• 20:02
  church, and he is the savior of the
• 20:05
  body." And so this this reveals to us
• 20:08
  here the union of the marriage. It was
• 20:10
  ordained in the beginning. You've heard
• 20:12
  me say this before. Before uh the church
• 20:14
  was ever orchestrated, before government
• 20:16
  was ever given, before even the law was
• 20:19
  written down and pinned uh and given to
• 20:21
  Moses, God orchestrated the marriage.
• 20:23
  That's the oldest uh u union that's been
• 20:28
  made. There's no other relationship.
• 20:29
  Before there was children and parents,
• 20:31
  there was a husband and wife. And it's
• 20:33
  the most sacred thing in the world that
• 20:36
  you have today. And so you've heard it
• 20:38
  said, "As goes the home, so goes the
• 20:39
  church." There's a reason why this is
• 20:41
  necessity because this is what how we
• 20:44
  represent the Lord. And he says in verse
• 20:48
  23, for the husband is the head of the
• 20:51
  wife. Now, of course, we know that this
• 20:54
  has to do with his God-given authority.
• 20:56
  And like I said, there are things that
• 20:58
  disqualify him from this, but we must
• 21:01
  remember that this is the way that God
• 21:02
  designed it. Now, I want to say this as
• 21:05
  well. Some of the most godly women that
• 21:08
  I've ever been around in my life had
• 21:10
  husbands who were not saved or either
• 21:11
  they they either were not saved or out
• 21:13
  of the will of God.
• 21:15
  >> But here's what I've seen about all
• 21:16
  those women, godly women. You know what
• 21:19
  they did to those husbands? They
• 21:21
  submitted unto them as far as they
• 21:22
  could. Yes,
• 21:24
  >> they did as much as they could for them
• 21:27
  within the bounds of scripture.
• 21:29
  >> I've seen it time and time again. I know
• 21:31
  a lady I was actually I just saw her on
• 21:33
  yesterday and she she's told the story
• 21:35
  before. She's uh elderly lady. She was
• 21:38
  married I guess probably over 50 years I
• 21:41
  guess. But her husband died lost without
• 21:43
  God prayed for him her whole life. And
• 21:46
  uh she tell tell told the story, you
• 21:48
  know, she she don't glory in this, but
• 21:50
  she and she would never tell this to a
• 21:51
  congregation, but I she told this to my
• 21:53
  mom and dad. She said, "I prayed for him
• 21:55
  for years, and she said, "I did my best
• 21:57
  to live with him because that vow that I
• 22:00
  made to him was before God."
• 22:03
  >> The world says give up.
• 22:05
  >> The world says quit. Now look, here's
• 22:08
  the thing about it. You can't do nothing
• 22:09
  about what somebody else does,
• 22:11
  >> but you can honor your end of the deal.
• 22:14
  >> Amen. If they leave and you and you
• 22:16
  can't do anything about that, that's not
• 22:18
  on you. All right, here's the thing
• 22:20
  about it, okay? As long as they're
• 22:22
  around, you got to make sure that you're
• 22:23
  doing what God told you to do. And God's
• 22:25
  blessed that woman. And she'll tell you
• 22:27
  this. She said, "I live with him my
• 22:28
  whole life." She said, "It was
• 22:29
  miserable." And she said, "Here's the
• 22:31
  reason why I married out of the will of
• 22:32
  God."
• 22:34
  >> She said, "But that vow was made before
• 22:37
  God,
• 22:37
  >> right?
• 22:38
  >> And he didn't leave, and so I didn't
• 22:41
  leave." She stayed married to him her
• 22:43
  whole life. Her children, they're
• 22:46
  suffering for it because none of them
• 22:47
  are saved. They don't go to church. And
• 22:48
  she prays for them all the time. What
• 22:51
  I'm trying to make to you out of that is
• 22:53
  this is that she submitted as far as she
• 22:55
  could
• 22:56
  >> in order to keep that together. And like
• 22:58
  I said, there's some things that are out
• 23:00
  of your hands,
• 23:01
  >> right?
• 23:02
  >> I mean, we we know that this morning. We
• 23:04
  don't have to be foolish in that this
• 23:06
  morning. But there we are to submit to
• 23:08
  the extent because the husband is the
• 23:11
  head of the wife. Let me say this to you
• 23:12
  this morning, ladies. If your husband is
• 23:14
  not saved, that does not make him any
• 23:16
  less the head.
• 23:20
  I know, I know that's that's hard. But
• 23:22
  let me tell you, it does not if he is
• 23:24
  not saved, if he is not in church, if
• 23:27
  he's not faithful, he is still your
• 23:29
  husband,
• 23:30
  >> right?
• 23:31
  >> And he is still the head. And it's still
• 23:32
  right for you to submit to him as far as
• 23:35
  you can.
• 23:37
  That's honorable.
• 23:39
  Paul talks about in Corinthians that the
• 23:40
  unbelieving husband, the unbelieving
• 23:42
  spouse is sanctified by the belief of
• 23:44
  the other. It doesn't mean that they're
• 23:45
  saved. What that means is is that means
• 23:48
  it gives them an opportunity.
• 23:51
  >> You're being a witness. You're being a
• 23:52
  light to them. All right? And that
• 23:55
  sanctification, if you have a believing
• 23:57
  spouse, that's going to inevitably keep
• 23:58
  that other spouse from doing some things
• 24:00
  that they would otherwise do. You're
• 24:02
  >> right.
• 24:02
  >> They weren't there. Wouldn't you say
• 24:03
  that this morning? There's so much
• 24:05
  there's so much in this. Okay? And I'm
• 24:07
  trying just to trying not to Here's the
• 24:10
  thing about it. Sin has made a mess,
• 24:12
  >> right?
• 24:12
  >> What God made. We know that this
• 24:14
  morning. And that's why I have to deal
• 24:16
  with this in this manner because we know
• 24:19
  that there there are limits to these
• 24:20
  things. But but let me say again, as
• 24:22
  long if they are your husband, they are
• 24:25
  the head
• 24:27
  and you have to submit to them as far as
• 24:30
  the Lord commands you to. And if you're
• 24:32
  saved, the spirit of God will give you
• 24:33
  wisdom
• 24:34
  >> for that. Verse 23, for the husband is
• 24:37
  the head of the wife, even as Christ is
• 24:40
  the head of the church. Now, what do we
• 24:42
  know about Christ? And uh layman Strauss
• 24:44
  said this. He had he did a devotional
• 24:46
  thought on this text and I thought it
• 24:47
  was amazing. He said, "Adam and Eve in
• 24:50
  the garden. God, you know, he put Adam
• 24:52
  to sleep. First anesthetic." Amen. And
• 24:54
  uh put him out and took his rib out.
• 24:57
  Amen. And made Eve. Ain't that right?
• 24:59
  That's what happened. He took that rib
• 25:01
  out and made Eve. But he said, you know,
• 25:04
  Christ and the church, he said on
• 25:05
  Calvar's cross when that soldier pierced
• 25:07
  his side. The Bible says it forth with
• 25:10
  came throughout blood and water. That
• 25:12
  was that was Christ making the church
• 25:14
  >> because it was that water that brought
• 25:15
  our washing and that blood that brought
• 25:17
  our redemption. And out of that, the
• 25:20
  church was born and he is the head. What
• 25:21
  did he say there in Ephesians chapter
• 25:24
  number one verse number 22? He put all
• 25:26
  things under his feet and gave him to be
• 25:28
  the head. Notice that again. Over all
• 25:30
  things to the church. A husband in his
• 25:34
  proper place is is the head so he can
• 25:36
  bless his wife.
• 25:39
  >> You're right.
• 25:40
  >> Not so he can just be a lord over her
• 25:42
  and tell her what to do.
• 25:43
  >> Right.
• 25:44
  >> But so he can bless her. So he can be
• 25:46
  the one to provide her needs. Amen.
• 25:50
  >> Notice that in verse 23. Even as Christ
• 25:53
  is the head of the church. I want your
• 25:54
  Bible saying he is the savior of the
• 25:57
  body. That means he's the preserver of
• 25:58
  life.
• 25:59
  >> Right?
• 26:00
  >> The husband without the husband and the
• 26:02
  wife there are no children.
• 26:05
  >> You think about this Christ without the
• 26:07
  church there's no fruit.
• 26:09
  >> The church without Christ there's no
• 26:11
  fruit. Amen.
• 26:13
  >> And so the emphasis here is in this
• 26:15
  figure to show us the authority that the
• 26:18
  husband possesses. Now just like Christ,
• 26:20
  the husband is to be a gentleman. He's
• 26:23
  never to force his opinion on his wife.
• 26:25
  Right?
• 26:26
  >> Jesus has never forced us to do
• 26:28
  anything.
• 26:29
  >> Amen.
• 26:29
  >> He invites us and he invites us out of
• 26:33
  that authority from his higher standing.
• 26:36
  I remember this. He knows more. Amen.
• 26:39
  Husbands don't always know more. Matter
• 26:40
  of fact, most time they don't.
• 26:42
  >> You're right.
• 26:42
  >> But Christ does.
• 26:44
  >> And so, you know what he does? He stands
• 26:46
  higher and says, "Come up here where I
• 26:48
  am. I want to bless you." And so as he
• 26:53
  is the head, he is the savior of the
• 26:55
  body. In verse 24, there's the figure in
• 26:57
  23. But then there's the command to
• 26:59
  follow. In verse 24, therefore, as the
• 27:02
  church is subject unto Christ, as the
• 27:04
  operation of it, the order of it, the
• 27:07
  organization of it, everything that goes
• 27:09
  on in the church is subject unto Christ.
• 27:12
  The Bible says in verse 24, "So let the
• 27:15
  wives be to their own husbands in
• 27:18
  everything."
• 27:20
  Now notice Colossians chapter 3. Okay?
• 27:23
  You say, "Preacher, I just don't see a
• 27:25
  clause in there where a husband
• 27:26
  disqualifies himself." Well, notice
• 27:29
  verse number 18. Colossians 3. Okay? And
• 27:31
  I hate that I have to emphasize this.
• 27:33
  All right? But I I know where we live at
• 27:35
  in this day and time. Okay? Listen to
• 27:37
  Colossians 3 and verse number 18.
• 27:40
  All right? Mark this in your Bible if
• 27:42
  you need this verse to go back to.
• 27:44
  Listen to what he says. Wives, submit
• 27:47
  yourselves unto your own husbands. And
• 27:49
  what's that last phrase?
• 27:51
  As it is fit in the Lord.
• 27:57
  There's some things that are right, but
• 28:00
  there comes a point when it's not
• 28:01
  fitting anymore.
• 28:02
  >> Right?
• 28:02
  >> And I'm not saying by the time when when
• 28:04
  when something that's right to a point,
• 28:06
  then it becomes wrong. That's what I'm
• 28:08
  saying. It does not mean that it's right
• 28:10
  to submit to them to a place where if
• 28:12
  they're telling you to rob a bank, you
• 28:14
  go with them and help. Amen. I promise
• 28:16
  you if you do that, you'll get locked up
• 28:18
  the same way that they do. Amen.
• 28:20
  >> You say, "Preacher, that's a childish
• 28:22
  mind." I'm trying to explain the truth
• 28:23
  to you, though.
• 28:25
  >> As it's fit.
• 28:27
  And here's the thing about it. You will
• 28:29
  give an account to God on where you draw
• 28:30
  that line.
• 28:31
  >> You're right.
• 28:32
  >> On what's fit and what's not. See, here
• 28:35
  in the text, the Bible says verse number
• 28:37
  24, "Therefore, as the church is subject
• 28:40
  unto Christ, so let the wives be to
• 28:42
  their own husbands in everything." That
• 28:43
  means every facet of life just as the
• 28:45
  church operates under the blanket of
• 28:47
  authority of Christ. That means
• 28:50
  everything that we do must first go
• 28:52
  through his guideline.
• 28:54
  We we follow his rule book. We we
• 28:56
  operate in the realm of his spirit the
• 28:59
  same way the home is to operate that
• 29:01
  way.
• 29:01
  >> Right?
• 29:02
  >> There should be nothing done in the home
• 29:03
  that the husband doesn't know about.
• 29:06
  >> Let me say this to you mothers. Don't
• 29:08
  ever do things for your children. you
• 29:11
  know, allow your children to have
• 29:12
  something and not consult your husband,
• 29:15
  >> right?
• 29:17
  >> I mean, I I I've seen seen it time and
• 29:19
  time again. Make sure there's a joint
• 29:21
  leadership there.
• 29:22
  >> Amen.
• 29:23
  >> And I understand, like I said, I
• 29:24
  understand not every situation can work
• 29:26
  that way. You got to make sure you're
• 29:28
  doing doing what God tells you to. But
• 29:30
  but the basis of the leadership of the
• 29:32
  scripture is is that he is the authority
• 29:34
  and he has the final say. That's what
• 29:37
  God said. That's not what I said. Notice
• 29:39
  this.
• 29:41
  There is the the faith, the figure, the
• 29:43
  command to follow. Notice the favor in
• 29:45
  verse 25. All right? And I'll I'll deal
• 29:47
  more with this on next week. Just
• 29:49
  precursor. And those of you that are
• 29:51
  going on the marriage conference, you'll
• 29:52
  get double triple dose of this. All
• 29:54
  right? And uh I'm looking forward to
• 29:57
  brother Seth dealing with this. But
• 29:59
  notice verse 25. Husbands, love your
• 30:01
  wives even as Christ also loved the
• 30:03
  church and gave herself gave himself for
• 30:06
  it. So this favor is seen here in the
• 30:09
  text. Now, of course, verse 25 deals
• 30:11
  number one with an expression. All
• 30:13
  right? Husbands, love your wives. All
• 30:16
  right? First of all, that expression is
• 30:19
  inward. All right? You know whether or
• 30:20
  not you love God. Okay? And you know
• 30:23
  whether or not in your heart you love
• 30:25
  your wife.
• 30:26
  >> But out of that inward desire towards
• 30:28
  your wife, there ought to be an outward
• 30:30
  expression of love. We cannot expect you
• 30:33
  if if if we were to look at somebody and
• 30:36
  somebody tell us that they love God but
• 30:37
  then their life completely contradict
• 30:39
  that. What would we say about them? Say
• 30:43
  they're not telling the truth. Right?
• 30:45
  >> Well, if you tell your wife you love
• 30:47
  her, you need to do things to express
• 30:49
  that.
• 30:52
  >> You're right.
• 30:52
  >> Why is it so quiet? Amen. You ought you
• 30:54
  ought to do things in order to express
• 30:57
  that love to her. Because the thing is
• 30:59
  is, you know, she can read your mind at
• 31:01
  times, but she can't always.
• 31:02
  >> Amen.
• 31:03
  >> Amen. And you can't read her mind at
• 31:05
  all. God help you. Amen.
• 31:08
  >> And so, you're called to express that.
• 31:11
  Look at it again. Husbands, love your
• 31:13
  wives. In your heart, you you we know
• 31:15
  this morning, just like it is with the
• 31:18
  men, there's going to be some that that
• 31:20
  you know, they're not going to receive
• 31:21
  love. Well,
• 31:23
  >> let me say this about that. Most of the
• 31:25
  time, it's not their fault. Right?
• 31:28
  >> Most time has to do with mom and dad. It
• 31:30
  didn't love them the way they should
• 31:31
  have been loved. Didn't treat them
• 31:32
  right.
• 31:34
  >> But let me say this, that does not
• 31:35
  denote the command to love.
• 31:38
  >> Regardless of how they respond.
• 31:41
  Now, when I when I think about
• 31:45
  the deal with the wife and the husband,
• 31:47
  it's more conditional than it is with
• 31:48
  the man. I think a man's to love his
• 31:50
  wife regardless.
• 31:52
  >> You're right. Right?
• 31:54
  >> I I don't think you're to I don't think
• 31:56
  you're to stop. You're
• 31:57
  >> right.
• 31:58
  >> I understand situations, circumstances,
• 32:00
  all of that. I get that. But let me ask
• 32:02
  you this. Did Christ
• 32:04
  >> was there a condition in his love?
• 32:06
  You're
• 32:06
  >> right.
• 32:07
  >> You say, "Preacher, well, my wife ought
• 32:09
  to love me." Yes, she should. But it's a
• 32:10
  Bible command for you to love your wife.
• 32:12
  >> You're right.
• 32:14
  >> She'll love you if you'll love her the
• 32:16
  way that you should. Amen. That's And
• 32:18
  you say, "Preacher, well, that's not
• 32:20
  always the case." Well, nine times out
• 32:21
  of 10, it is.
• 32:25
  They're made to submit. A wife is will
• 32:28
  be forgiving to a fault. You're
• 32:30
  >> right.
• 32:32
  >> When she loves her husband the way that
• 32:33
  she should. And if you love her the way
• 32:35
  that you should, the expression will be
• 32:38
  clear. Verse 25, there's the expression,
• 32:41
  there's the exaction of verse 25, even
• 32:44
  as Christ also loved the church. So as
• 32:46
  Jesus loved the church, I know this is
• 32:48
  nothing new to you. It's a good reminder
• 32:50
  though. He as Jesus loved the church.
• 32:54
  There is the example in verse 25. He
• 32:57
  gave himself for it. The wife is called
• 33:00
  to submit. The husband is called to die.
• 33:02
  >> You're right.
• 33:05
  >> If it requires death in order to love
• 33:08
  your wife, let me say it does.
• 33:10
  >> You're right.
• 33:11
  >> Say, "What is that?" Well, it's death to
• 33:13
  self, number one.
• 33:16
  >> And that's not a it's not a bad thing,
• 33:18
  >> right? That's not that's not something
• 33:20
  that we should turn away from because
• 33:22
  it's not desirable. I'll tell you, the
• 33:24
  flesh is going to turn turn its nose up
• 33:26
  at it many times. But I'll say this, if
• 33:29
  you love Christ, you ought to love your
• 33:30
  wife.
• 33:32
  >> If you say you're saved, you ought to
• 33:33
  love your wife.
• 33:35
  >> And he says here, the example is that
• 33:37
  Christ gave himself for the church. The
• 33:40
  expression of his love.
• 33:42
  Let me think, let me say this to you.
• 33:44
  Before there was ever a soul that was in
• 33:46
  the church, Christ died for the church.
• 33:48
  You're right.
• 33:49
  >> And I was I remember, you know, men
• 33:52
  telling me this and about preaching even
• 33:54
  about my wife. You know, you know, make
• 33:56
  sure you're the husband you should be
• 33:58
  before I I was trying to be the husband
• 34:00
  I should be before I ever met my wife. I
• 34:02
  remember people telling me that be the
• 34:04
  man that you know God would want you to
• 34:06
  be for some young lady somewhere before
• 34:08
  she gets there.
• 34:09
  >> You're right.
• 34:11
  >> You ought not have to change in order to
• 34:13
  get married.
• 34:14
  >> That goes both ways. Amen. You ought not
• 34:17
  live a freelance lifestyle up until you
• 34:19
  get married and then you get married
• 34:21
  then you all of a sudden got to reel it
• 34:22
  back in. You know that's not the way it
• 34:24
  works,
• 34:24
  >> right?
• 34:25
  >> And the world doesn't like that. They'll
• 34:27
  they'll go out on the night before their
• 34:29
  wedding and do unspeakable things.
• 34:31
  You're
• 34:31
  >> right.
• 34:31
  >> That's not the way God designed it. God
• 34:35
  designed it. We live the same character
• 34:36
  before that we do during.
• 34:38
  >> Let me say this. And after.
• 34:40
  >> You're right.
• 34:42
  >> The example is that he gave himself for
• 34:44
  it. Verse 26. What's the purpose of it?
• 34:47
  That he might sanctify and cleanse it
• 34:48
  with the washing of water by the word.
• 34:51
  Now, here's what we all know. When we
• 34:52
  when when when you, a husband and a
• 34:54
  wife, get married, there's imperfections
• 34:57
  >> on both sides. Now, the the church with
• 35:00
  Christ, there was no imperfections in
• 35:01
  him.
• 35:02
  >> Let me say this. His perfection is what
• 35:05
  causes us to be sanctified. We're
• 35:07
  getting closer to him each and every
• 35:09
  day. Yeah.
• 35:10
  >> And so here's what marriage here's how
• 35:11
  marriage puts in that picture in your
• 35:14
  relationship. As you live together, the
• 35:16
  longer that you grow, the more you ought
• 35:17
  to love one another and the the more the
• 35:20
  operation of that love should be pure.
• 35:23
  >> It shouldn't, you know, when you first
• 35:25
  get married, you do things to
• 35:26
  reciprocate, don't you? You do things
• 35:29
  and maybe you know, if I do this, I'll
• 35:30
  get something in return.
• 35:32
  >> Good.
• 35:33
  >> But you know what? As that thing goes
• 35:34
  on, you know what you find yourself
• 35:36
  doing? You love more just doing for the
• 35:39
  other one than you do getting something
• 35:41
  in return.
• 35:44
  >> And that's part of all I mean when you
• 35:46
  get married, you know, you got a puppy
• 35:48
  love and all of that stuff, you know, at
• 35:50
  first
• 35:51
  and I think it can stay around.
• 35:54
  >> I think it can. Amen. I'm 5 years in. I
• 35:56
  love her more now than I ever have.
• 35:58
  >> Right.
• 35:59
  >> But what I'll say about this is is I
• 36:01
  find more enjoyment not in what she does
• 36:02
  for me, but what I can do for her.
• 36:05
  >> That's the way Christ is. You see his
• 36:07
  joy, you remember what he said? Hebrews
• 36:08
  12 said, "For for the joy that was set
• 36:10
  before him endured the cross." What was
• 36:13
  the joy was his bride? It was the church
• 36:17
  knowing that one day he would be in
• 36:18
  constant communion and fellowship with
• 36:20
  her in heaven. That was the joy. It
• 36:23
  wasn't it wasn't for himself.
• 36:26
  It wasn't selfish. He wanted us to come
• 36:28
  to him.
• 36:30
  >> And that's why he's a gentleman. If you
• 36:32
  if you love your wife the s the way that
• 36:34
  you say you do, you won't be forceful.
• 36:35
  You'll be faithful and gentle
• 36:38
  and out of that your relationship will
• 36:41
  be cleansed. Notice that verse 26, what
• 36:43
  does the cleansing? Verse 26, that he
• 36:46
  might sanctify and cleanse it with a
• 36:48
  washing of water by the word. Now,
• 36:50
  that's for the church, but that's for
• 36:51
  the marriage, too. Don't miss the
• 36:53
  application there. What's going to draw
• 36:55
  you two together is the word of God,
• 36:57
  >> right?
• 36:58
  >> That's what's going to create closeness.
• 36:59
  And when a marriage leaves the word of
• 37:01
  God collectively, inevitably, their
• 37:03
  marriage is going to begin to separate.
• 37:04
  And I'm not talking about divorce, but
• 37:06
  I'm talking about the closeness.
• 37:09
  Marriage is designed to operate on terms
• 37:11
  of the scripture.
• 37:13
  >> It's designed to operate on terms of the
• 37:15
  scripture and on terms of the spirit of
• 37:16
  God. It requires the spirit of God to
• 37:18
  have a god centered marriage and to
• 37:20
  enjoy it.
• 37:23
  >> Notice this, I'll be done. Verse 27.
• 37:26
  that he might present to himself a
• 37:28
  glorious church, not having spot or
• 37:30
  wrinkle or any such thing, that it
• 37:32
  should be holy and without blemish.
• 37:38
  I'm not going to deal with that just
• 37:39
  yet, but I will say this.
• 37:43
  Joyce Rogers, Adrien Rogers,
• 37:47
  some I guess it's he died in 2004.
• 37:50
  And there's a clip going around on the
• 37:52
  internet right now of him talking about
• 37:53
  his wife. I never seen the man cry on
• 37:55
  any message. If you I've never seen him
• 37:58
  cry in any sermon, but on on that clip
• 38:01
  going around of him talking about Miss
• 38:02
  Joyce, he weeps like a baby standing in
• 38:04
  the pool pit. And Miss Joyce Rogers some
• 38:08
  20 years after he passed away, somebody
• 38:11
  asked her said, "Do you said, "Do you
• 38:13
  remember his flaws?" She said, "Do you
• 38:15
  remember like anything about him? It was
• 38:16
  just different like anything that was
• 38:18
  wrong." And she said, 'You know, she
• 38:20
  said, "I'm sure that he had flaws." She
• 38:22
  said, "But I really can't remember any."
• 38:25
  >> And you know what that is? That's the
• 38:26
  example of a marriage where two people
• 38:28
  came together and you know what they
• 38:29
  did? They chose to love one another
• 38:31
  because that's what love is.
• 38:32
  >> It's a choice. Amen. It's not a feeling.
• 38:35
  >> I wish I could I wish we could put that
• 38:37
  on a loudspeaker for every young person
• 38:39
  in this country to hear.
• 38:40
  >> You choose to love.
• 38:42
  >> That's right.
• 38:44
  >> You choose to. Christ chose to love us.
• 38:46
  >> Amen. And John said this way in first
• 38:49
  John, I believe it's chapter number four
• 38:51
  and verse number 19. We love him because
• 38:53
  he first loved us.
• 38:56
  >> And so you choose to love and out of
• 38:58
  that what creates the longer that you
• 39:00
  love the closer it gets. And I like
• 39:03
  this. I like the more perfect it can be.
• 39:05
  >> Amen.
• 39:06
  >> I thought it was perfect. Me and Abby
• 39:08
  got married and I found out you know
• 39:10
  what it just gets better.
• 39:12
  >> So it obviously wasn't perfect, but I
• 39:14
  ain't stopped thinking that. Amen.
• 39:17
  I want I want our young people to have
• 39:18
  that.
• 39:20
  >> And let me say this. I and I know that
• 39:23
  you know my my family is full of it.
• 39:25
  We've got it here this morning. I know
• 39:26
  there's there's things trouble people
• 39:28
  sin and mistakes happen and all of that.
• 39:31
  But let your children know that it can
• 39:33
  be.
• 39:35
  >> Don't discourage them.
• 39:38
  >> You've got a young lady or young man
• 39:39
  that's going to get married. Don't tell
• 39:41
  them, "Well, make the best of it."
• 39:45
  If that's what you have to do, then you
• 39:46
  ought not get married.
• 39:47
  >> You're right.
• 39:48
  >> You ought to marry somebody you love.
• 39:50
  You ought to marry who God tells you to
• 39:51
  marry. Amen.
• 39:53
  >> And u and out of that, you can enjoy it
• 39:56
  and it'd be a blessing to you. And uh
• 40:00
  but I am thankful. My my mom and daddy
• 40:03
  told me this. You turn that live stream
• 40:05
  off. We'll be done. Mom and dad told me
• 40:07
  this.
• 40:08
  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 40:10
  We'd love it if you join us in person
• 40:12
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 40:14
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 40:17
  2988
• 40:19
  Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 40:21
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 40:24
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 40:26
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 40:29
  worship at 6:00 p.m. and Wednesday
• 40:31
  evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
• 40:34
  information, visit us at
• 40:36
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 40:38
  Thanks again for tuning in.