Marty Sloan – Living the Dream

Letters Series Part 7 – Our journey toward His desired outcome

10 14 09 HT PM

Ephesians 5:25-27 NKJV

Tonight we continue our journey through the book of Ephesians.

God has a desired outcome for your life!  Lets read His purpose!

Ephesians 5:25 NKJV

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

Ephesians 5:26

that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

Ephesians 5:27

that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Every believer should embrace vs 27 as a desired outcome for your life. We are all on the journey or spot and wrinkle removal ☺

The fifth chapter of Ephesians is broken down into four parts containing a key word for each – all four of these parts contain key words that place us on the right path in our Journey toward His desired outcome!  Last week we covered the first two – tonight we will cover the next two.  As a refresher, here are the four keys to the right path toward His desired outcome.

Keywords:

1. Love

2. Light

3. Wisdom

4. Submission

Key word #3 – Wisdom – Let’s look at how we are to walk in wisdom.

Ephesians 5:15 NKJV

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

Ephesians 5:16

redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:17

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:18

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Ephesians 5:19

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

Ephesians 5:20

giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 5:21

submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Key word in this passage is “circumspectly” – which means “cautiously”

It appears in this context that the seperation of the fool and the wise man is how they walk out their days. Cautiously vs. Carelessly.

The apostle cautions them particularly against the use of wine, and the revelry which attends its use, and exhorts them rather to engage in the exercises to which the Holy Spirit would prompt them, and to the services of praise and thanksgiving.

Many use this verse as a talking point against drunkenness or wine – and certainly that is mentioned, but lets take it higher in our application to the overall use of our time in general.  Its seems to me that is the greater discussion here. As a believer be careful about chastising those who drink while you sit and waist your time ☺ !

1. You walk in wisdom by how you spend your time

Table talk: What is the difference in spending your time cautiously vs. carelessly?

Pause – Ed Huie sharing the on the Issachar Anointing – Understanding the time!

2. You walk in wisdom by knowing the will of God

Our human behavior – reveals our knowledge of His will. Do you know the will of God for your life –

• The Bible makes various referrals to “the will of God”

o When it comes to conduct posses your own vessel

1 Thessalonians 4:3 NKJV

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

1 Thessalonians 4:4

That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

3. You walk in wisdom by being “filled” with the Spirit (a continual process)

• Psalms – Scriptural

• Hymns – human inspired lyrics

• Spiritual songs – impromptu utterneces from your heart

All of this is applied in the context of our interaction with other believers and each one of us seeing ourselves as a source of strength to them.

As a believer in route to the state of being spotless and wrinkle free our assignment is to always search for the highest meaning that moves our life forward.

Key word # 4 – We have saved the best for last – Submission ☺

Ephesians 5:21 NKJV

submitting to one another in the fear of ◙ God.

Ephesians 5:22

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:23

For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

Ephesians 5:24

Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

Ephesians 5:26

that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

Ephesians 5:27

that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5:28

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

Ephesians 5:29

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

Ephesians 5:30

For we are members of His body, ◙ of His flesh and of His bones.

Ephesians 5:31

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ◙

Ephesians 5:32

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5:33

Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Table Talk: When you hear the word submission, what is the first picture in your mind

Thayer Definition: Submission –

1) to arrange under, to subordinate

2) to subject, put in subjection

3) to subject one’s self, obey

4) to submit to one’s control

5) to yield to one’s admonition or advice

6) to obey, be subject

• Who is our model

Philippians 2:8 NKJV

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Tonight – let me show you a new picture of the word submission – (Show a pic of Jesus on the cross here)

• Why the struggle -

Submission gone south – the Garden of Eden and the human nature.

Genesis 2:15 NKJV

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

Genesis 2:16

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;

Genesis 2:17

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis 3:6 NKJV

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Genesis 3:7

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

What’s the big deal –

• Understanding submission is the KEY to Godly relationships!

• This is both for you and God as well as other believers!

If we cannot submit to one another, we will struggle to submit to God.

What’s the application –

• Relationship

o Human

o Heavenly

Submission in relationship cannot be demanded.. submission is rightly deciding a persons proper role in any given relationship.  Submission is something given – not taken.