Sermons

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Series: General
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Additional file: 2014-02-09 Bride of Christ - Alan Yeater.docx


S.R. Ephesians 5:22-33

Introduction

  1. National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14)
  2. Role Models:
  3. Bride Pictures:
    1. (Isaiah 61:10; 62:5; Jeremiah. 2:2-3a; Ezekiel 16:8b-13)
  1. Bride of Christ (Eph. 5:22-27)
    1. Desires:
      1. Love – sacrifice, protection and provision of the bridegroom,
      2. Relationship – exclusive – only one for me.
      3. Redemption – pay the price to purchase the bride
      4. Cleansing – purifying
      5. Holiness – blamelessness – no spot or wrinkle
      6. Share in glory (success of the bridegroom is the success of the bride)
    2. Qualities developed:
      1. Love – and respect of the bride based upon His provision and protection
      2. Relationship – exclusive – only one for me. (John 3:29)
      3. Redemption – pay the ransom price to purchase the bride
        1. (Eph. 2:1) “dead in sins” (Isa. 61:10)
      4. Cleansing – purifying – holiness - based upon who we are in Him
        1. Eph. 5:26; Rev. 19:
        2. Blameless - no spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:27; 1:4, 2:4-5)
      5. Share in glory (Glory of the Father and Bridegroom shared with the Bride)
        1. (Eph. 3:8- 10; 5:27)
      6. Eph. 4:17-24 Who we were before and after we met the bridegroom.
  2. Christ, the Bridegroom (Eph. 5:25- 33)
    1. Desires:
      1. Love His own wife – He chooses her
      2. Relationship – exclusive
      3. Redemption – ability to rescue
      4. Clean and pure and holy bride
      5. Provision – ability to provide for her needs
      6. Respect of his bride.
    2. Qualities developed
      1. Love His own wife - choice (Eph. 5:25) “Loved and gave Himself up for her”
      2. Relationship – exclusive (2 Cor. 11:2)
        1. “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.”
      3. Redemption – ability to rescue
        1. Kinsman – Redeemer: Boaz – rescued Ruth
        2. Christ rescued the struggling (Ezekiel 16:1-7)
        3. (Acts 20:28) “which he bought with his own blood.”
      4. Clean and pure - ability to cleanse her was predicated upon his own purity.
        1. (1 Pt. 2:22) "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
        2. (1 Peter 1:15-16) “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, … "Be holy, for I am holy."
      5. Provision – ability to provide for needs
        1. Nourish (Eph. 3:20-21) “He is able to do…
        2. Cherish (Eph. 5:29) Gk. thalpo - “to keep warm, foster with tender care”
      6. Respect of his bride.
        1. Bridegroom cannot force that submission and obedience.
        2. He can, however model that quality in relationship with His Father.
          1. John 4:34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.”
          2. Heb. 5:8-9 “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
        3. (Eph. 5:21-22, 33) Submission is the gift of the Bride to her Husband
  3.  Bride and Bridegroom – What Do You Want?
    1. Do you want for you what God wants for you?
      1. Love – sacrifice, protect and provide for his bride
      2. Relationship – exclusive – only one for me
      3. Redemption – pay the price to purchase the bride
      4. Cleansing – purifying
      5. Holiness – blamelessness – no spot or wrinkle
      6. Share in glory (success of the bridegroom is the success of the bride)
  4. We can return to our “young love, first love.”  (Jeremiah 2:2-3a)