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EPHESIAN 5:21-33 WIVES

“YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY BABY”

A CIGARETTE COMMERCIAL IN THE 70’S MADE THIS STATEMENT TO WOMEN WHO WERE SMOKING THEIR HUSBANDS CIGARETTES.

THEY COMPARED THE MODERN WOMAN OF THE 70’S WORKING, SUPERVISING MEN AND BRINGING HOME THE BACON. TO THE OUTDATED WOMAN, WHO STAYED AT HOME, TOOK CARE OF HER CHILDREN, MANAGED HER HOME, AND WAS KEPT UNDER THE TYRANNICAL THUMB OF HER HUSBAND.

THEIR IDEA WAS THAT WOMEN HAD ARRIVED AND DESERVED TO HAVE THEIR OWN LIFE, OWN CAR, OWN MONEY & OWN CIGARETTE.

YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY BABY!!!!

THAT IS WHY SO MANY WOMEN HAVE PROBLEMS WHEN THEY HEAR “SUBMIT” YOURSELF TO YOUR HUSBAND

THEY THINK PAUL WAS ON DRUGS WHEN HE WROTE THIS.
HOW COULD GOD ALLOW, EVEN INSPIRE A MAN TO WRITE SUCH THINGS TO WOMEN? HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE A WOMAN. JUST WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?

LET’S GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT;
THE 1ST CENTURY WOMAN

A JEWISH WOMAN – WAS PROPERTY, THAT COULD BE TREATED AS BADLY AS THE HUSBAND WISHED – SHE COULD BE DIVORCED FOR ANY OR NO REASON – AND YET COULD NEVER DIVORCE HER HUSBAND.
A REGULAR DAILY JEWISH PRAYER – “THANK YOU GOD THAT I AM NOT A GENTILE, A SLAVE OR A WOMAN.”

ROMAN WOMAN – DID HAVE THE ABILITY TO DIVORCE HER HUSBAND, BUT PROBABLY DIDN’T HAVE TIME, BECAUSE HE WAS DIVORCING HER SO FAST IT WOULD MAKE HER HEAD SPIN. THERE ARE RECORDS OF ROMAN MEN WHO HAD OVER 30 MARRIAGES.

GREEK WOMAN - THERE WAS NO ALLOWANCE FOR DIVORCE IN GREEK SOCIETY – THEY DIDN’T NEED IT. A 1ST CENTURY GREEK HISTORIAN WROTE -
“WE HAVE WIVES FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEARING US OUR LEGITIMATE CHILDREN AND FOR TAKING CARE OF THEM AND RUNNING OUR HOUSEHOLDS. FOR PLEASURE WE HAVE OUR CORTISANS AND FOR CO-HABITATION WE HAVE OUR CONCUBINES.”

NOW, IMAGINE HOW THE MEN WHO HEARD “HUSBANDS LOVE YOUR WIVES THE WAY GOD LOVES YOU” FELT.

THEY THOUGHT PAUL WAS ON DRUGS!

THIS PASSAGE IS REVOLUTIONARY TO WOMEN. IT IS THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION FOR WOMEN.

THE GREATEST LIBERATOR OF WOMEN OF ALL TIMES IS JESUS CHRIST.

HE TALKED TO WOMEN.
HE HAD FRIENDS WHO WERE WOMEN.
HE INVOLVED WOMEN IN HIS MINISTRY.
THE APOSTLE PAUL SPENT MORE TIME ADDRESSING WOMEN AND WOMEN’S ISSUE THAN ANY OTHER WRITER IN THE BIBLE.

EPHESIANS, I & II COR, GALATIANS, COLOSSIANS, PHILIPPIANS, TITUS, I & II TIMOTHY, ROMANS, ETC…

GOD WANTS THE VERY BEST FOR WOMEN! HE HAS A PLAN FOR YOU AS A WOMAN, AS A WIFE, AS A DAUGHTER. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU.

DO WE EVER QUESTION IF GOD LOVES US, IF HE DIED FOR US, IF WHAT HE HAS FOR WOMEN IS THE SAME AS HE HAS FOR MEN. NO!

THEN WHY DO WE QUESTION GOD’S PLAN FOR A WOMAN.

MEN WERE INSTRUCTED IN THE LAST MESSAGE THAT IT IS TIME FOR THEM TO STEP UP IN LOVE.

MEN STEP UP IN LOVE
MEN STEP UP IN RESPONSIBILITY
MEN STEP UP IN ACCOUNTABILITY

LADIES IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO STEP IN AND BE WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO BE;

GOD IS CALLING YOU TO STEP IN AND BE THE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR YOUR HUSBANDS AND ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD.

???WHAT IS SUBMITTANCE???

1. SUBMITTANCE IS SUPPORTING YOUR HUSBAND AS HE TAKES THE LEAD IN YOUR HOME.
2. SUBMITTANCE IS NOT ADMITTING YOU ARE WEAK, HELPLESS, UNABLE TO FUNCTION.
3. SUBMITTANCE IS NOT AGREEING WITH YOUR HUSBAND ONLY WHEN HE IS RIGHT.
4. SUBMITTANCE IS NOT RELEASING ALL INFLUENCE.

I WILL GUARANTEE YOU THAT WOMEN ARE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FORCE IN THE HOME.

FOOTBALL PLAYER INTERCEPTS & RUNS BACK FOR A TD AND WINS THE SUPERBOWL, HE JERKS OFF HIS HELMET & SAYS “HI DAD!”

IT DOESN’T HAPPEN THAT WAY!

WOMEN YOU ARE THE DRIVING FORCE IN THE HOME, WITH THE KIDS, SUPPORTING YOUR HUSBAND. (I WOULD CONSIDER WOMEN TO BE THE OPERATIONS MANAGER OF THE HOME. JUST TRY IT WITHOUT A WOMAN AND YOU WILL WATCH AS THE OPERATIONS FALL APART AROUND YOU.)

LET’S LOOK & SEE EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SUBMISSIVE WIFE.

I. (VS21-24) WOMEN BE SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR HUSBANDS.

A. SUBMISSION IS VOLUNTARY.

VS 21 SUBMITTING = HUPOTASSO = HUPO-UNDER, TASSO= TO ARRANGE
SUBMITTING AND VOLUNTARILY PLACING YOURSELF IN A SUPPORTTING POSITION. THAT BEGS THE QUESTION, HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS ROLE? WITHOUT SUPPORT ANY INSTITUTION WILL FAIL. JUST AS A HOME WILL CRUMBLE INTO A HEAP WITHOUT THAT SUPPORT TO HOLD IT IN PLACE.

IT DOES NOT SHOW A SUBSERVIANT ROLE. THERE IS EQUALITY, BUT THERE IS VOLUNTARY ALLIGNMENT UNDER.

A TEAM SUBMITS TO A COACH
AN ARMY SUBMITS TO A GENERAL
SUBMITTANCE IS SIMPLY A PART OF LIFE.

B. SUBMISSION IS NOT MANIPULATION.

IT IS NOT ACTING A CERTAIN WAY TO GET RESULTS – SUBMISSION IS SUBMISSION NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OR RESULTS ARE.

NOTE- MANY WOMEN FIND THAT THEY CAN “GET THEIR WAY” IF THEY WILL “SUBMIT.” THIS IS NOT SUBMISSION, IT IS MANIPULATION.

???DOES MY HUSBAND KNOW THAT I SUPPORT HIM EVEN WHEN HE IS WRONG?
???DO MY CHILDREN KNOW THAT I SUPPORT MY HUSBAND, NO MATTER WHAT?
???DO MY FRIENDS/FAMILY KNOW THAT I SUPPORT MY HUSBAND NO MATTER WHAT?

YOUR ROLE IS A ROLE OF SUPPORT – HOLDING HIM UP WHEN NO ONE ELSE WILL.

II. (VS 25-28) WOMEN BE LOVEABLE TO YOUR HUSBANDS.

A HUSBAND IS COMMANDED TO;

A. GIVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS WIFE.
B. SET HIS WIFE APART – TO HIMSELF AS HIS ONE & ONLY LOVE.
C. TO PRESENT YOU BESIDE HIMSELF AS A GIFT FROM GOD
D. CARE FOR YOU WITH THE SAME CARE HE CARES FOR HIMSELF
E. NOURISH & CHERISH YOU
F. TO LOVE YOU WITH A GODLY LOVE THAT WILL NEVER END.

????HOW EASY DO YOU MAKE THAT FOR HIM????

QUESTIONS FOR LADIES TO ASK!

1. AM I EASY TO LOVE?
2. DO I ENCOURAGE HIS LOVE?
3. DO I ACCEPT HIS LOVE?
4. AM I EASY TO LOOK AT?

MEN ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE THEIR WIVES, NO MATTER WHAT THE WIVES ATTITUDE, BUT YOU ARE CALLED TO SUBMIT TO HIM.

PART OF SUBMITTANCE IS BEING LOVEABLE.
III. (VS 33) WOMEN BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR HUSBANDS.

EARL WOODS (TIGER’S DAD) “LOVE IS A GIVEN – RESPECT IS EARNED”

GOD SAYS RESPECT YOUR HUSBAND.

NOT WHEN HE EARNS IT, OR WORKS HARD ENOUGH FOR IT, OR PLEASES YOU ENOUGH, JUST RESPECT HIM, NO MATTER WHAT.

LADIES PLEASE REMEMBER, MEN ARE FOR THE MOST PART, DENSE, HARDHEADED, SLOW TO GET THE PICTURE. HELP HIM OUT.
LET HIM KNOW THAT YOU RESPECT HIM AND SUPPORT HIM.

WHAT CAN I DO TO SHOW MY HUSBAND THAT I RESPECT HIM?
(LADIES PLEASE UNDERSTAND, SOME OF THESE THINGS MAY SEEM TRIVIAL AND EVEN CHILDISH TO YOU, BUT TAKE THEM TO HEART.)

1. TELL HIM HE IS YOUR HERO. (HE WANTS TO BE YOUR SUPERMAN, BATMAN, SPIDERMAN, MILKMAN, ETC…)
2. LET HIM KNOW HE IS SPECIAL, BY DOING LITTLE THINGS THAT HE LOVES.
A. FAVORITE MEAL
B. FAVORITE ACTIVITY
3. DON’T TREAT HIM LIKE HE IS ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN. (DON’T BE HIS MOMMA)
4. DON’T TREAT HIM LIKE YOUR DADDY.
5. PLAN SPECIAL TIMES AWAY WITH JUST HIM.
6. GET READY FOR HIM, JUST AS IF YOU WERE DATING AGAIN.

LADIES GOD IS COMMANDING YOU TO STEP IN AND BE

1. SUPPORTIVE
2. LOVEABLE
3. RESPECTFUL

DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOUR HUSBAND STEPS UP BEFORE YOU STEP IN.

YOU DO WHAT IS RIGHT. DO NOT WAIT ON HIM.

STEP IN, IN SUPPORT AND ANSWER GOD’S CALL TO BE THAT GODLY WIFE, DESCRIBED IN SCRIPTURE.