Preparing Our Family for Growth—Sermon
Kowloon International Baptist Church - Dr. James "Butch" Tanner's sermon titled "Preparing Our Family for Growth" Ephesians 5:22-33 delivered on 25 June 2023. Please visit us at: www.hkkibc.org
Sermon Notes:
Ephesians 5:22–33
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
When couples are getting married, they want their life together to be happy and fulfilling. It doesn’t take long after the marriage to understand that there is a lot of work to be done to produce a good growing climate for that marriage. Over the next four weeks, we are going to look at how we can improve our lives, marriages, and families. We want to establish an environment that allows our families to flourish. It will take intentional work and preparation to provide the biblical framework for a successful family.
To flourish in growth
1. We need to be under the proper authority, v. 22-25.
1 Corinthians 11:3, Psalm 37:5, Proverbs 16:3, Isaiah 26:4, Galatians 3:28, 1 Peter 3:1
2. We need a love that is singular and sacrificial, v.25, 31.
Ephesians 5:25, Genesis 2:24, Mark 10:8–9, Malachi 2:16a, Colossians 3:19
3. We need a love that is personal and caring, v.28, 33.
Ephesians 5:28, 33, 1 Peter 3:7
4. We need a love that will nourish and cherish, v.29.
Ephesians 5:29, 4:15–16, Romans 5:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, 1 John 4:11