1 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,120 As you know, we're teaching through the Book of Colossians. 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,600 Once we finish Colossians, we'll be teaching through the Book of 3 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:21,320 Revelation on Sunday mornings. Colossians chapter 3, verse 12 4 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,760 to 19, we're in today. The title of this morning's 5 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:31,400 message is The Greatest Battlefield and the longest war 6 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:35,640 in history. There have been some great 7 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:40,720 battles over history. We have the Battle of Hastings 8 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:50,480 1066, the Battle of Waterloo 1815, the Battle of the Bulge 9 00:00:51,640 --> 00:01:01,360 194544 to 45 when Germany's last pitch to try and save themselves 10 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:07,400 from invasion. Just a few to mention most of us 11 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,840 are familiar with, but the greatest and longest battle that 12 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:16,560 has been going on since Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden 13 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,360 of Eden is the Battle of the Home. 14 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,920 Within the Battle of the Home, there are a number of conflicts, 15 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,800 not just one battlefield, number of battlegrounds. 16 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,280 We have the battle of marriage itself doesn't start off that 17 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,600 way. On the day that a couple weds, 18 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,840 the last thing that they have on their mind is that they're going 19 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:46,440 to have dissent. We have the next is children 20 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:50,360 come or a child comes. For those that are able to have 21 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:59,240 children comes the battled parenthood, raising kids and in 22 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:04,440 amongst all of that in the home is the battle of relationships 23 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:09,560 between the whole family. This morning when I deal with 24 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:14,760 just one in depth the core battleground, the others will 25 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:24,240 get to, but importantly and often just covered over glossed 26 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,880 over leading up to the battlefield. 27 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,600 We want to take a reconnaissance before any great battle. 28 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,840 Jesus says before any king goes to war he counts the cost. 29 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,880 How do I have enough soldiers? Do I have enough, you know, 30 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:43,680 bullets and weapons and arrows back in those days and things 31 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,240 like that. And so we examine the strength 32 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:54,640 of those in the battle. We view this stores, their 33 00:02:54,640 --> 00:03:00,720 skills, their training, their abilities, and especially what 34 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,680 sort of support do they have for the conflict, for the struggle, 35 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:13,840 and especially in this conflict in home and in battles too, how 36 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:19,320 they address for the battle. When Yaniv was with us and 37 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:23,120 Israel was attacked in October and Jews from all over the world 38 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,560 decided to fly to Israel to fight for the freedom of the 39 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:32,000 nation, he said thousands arrived, but we didn't have 40 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,240 enough uniforms, we didn't have enough guns, we didn't have 41 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:41,080 enough boots, helmets. It was they were caught short 42 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,560 and you need to be dressed to go to battle. 43 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:54,400 Paul so far in Chapters 1-2 and most of chapter 3 now has taught 44 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,680 us what to throw away what we don't need. 45 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,960 When you go to battle, the last thing you need is is stuff that 46 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,760 you don't need. He tells us to cast off. 47 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:10,240 We looked on it on Wednesday. He actually says execute the 48 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:19,320 word, execute necrosis, put to death, finish, finalise. 49 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:25,600 Anything that will hinder our walk with God, that will hinder 50 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:30,080 us having a victorious walk with God, anything that would make us 51 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:35,280 weak in the struggle. And we need to be fully 52 00:04:35,280 --> 00:04:42,200 cognizant of the strengths that we have, the weapons that we 53 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:48,920 have, which will ensure victory. It says back in verse 8, let's 54 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:56,000 go there, Ephesians 3, verse 8. We'll get to 12 and 19 shortly. 55 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:02,880 But now you yourselves, I used to think, and I still do that. 56 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,800 It's poor, poor English when you go me personally, or how else 57 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:12,240 can it be you personally? But here in the in the Bible, it 58 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:19,280 says, but now you yourselves are to put off all these. 59 00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:25,080 That means it's possible for us to put these things off. 60 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,880 It means we don't have to get someone to do it for us. 61 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:31,960 Now we are able, we have the strength. 62 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:36,360 Satan no longer has the control over us in these areas. 63 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:41,280 We are able to now just go, no, now we are able to make a 64 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:43,920 choice. Now we're able to put these 65 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:45,800 things off. What are they? 66 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,560 He knows anger, but anger we'll study that. 67 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,920 Don't worry. Anger is a God given emotion, 68 00:05:53,920 --> 00:06:02,560 isn't it malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your 69 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:07,480 mouth. Then verse 9, do not lie to one 70 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:14,360 another, since because you have put off the old man. 71 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:16,280 The old man's dead. The old man was a liar. 72 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:23,240 The old you used to lie with his deeds, verse 10 and have put on 73 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:29,280 the new man. 2 Corinthians 517 Anyone who's received Christ is 74 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:32,600 a new creature. In Christ all things have passed 75 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:33,920 away. Behold, all things have become 76 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,680 new. We put on a new man who is 77 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:39,640 renewed. How is it renewed? 78 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:46,360 Now we have some brains, knowledge, knowledge according 79 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,200 to the image of Christ. We know how to live now. 80 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,000 We know how to live right now because the Bible tells us in 81 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:57,000 the Gospels and all through from Genesis to Revelation, the story 82 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,080 is about Jesus Christ. When we get to the Book of 83 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,800 Revelation, it's the unveiling. This is who he is. 84 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:08,320 And so we now see Him, how he acted, what He did, and where to 85 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:15,560 imitate Him who created Him, where there is neither Greek nor 86 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,600 Jews, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, 87 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:23,200 Scythian, slave nor free. But Christ is all, He's 88 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:28,960 everything that we need. And in all, in other words, He 89 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:37,160 is everything in our marriage, He is everything in our home, He 90 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,200 is everything in our life. Is that? 91 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:41,840 Can you say that? Amen to that yourself. 92 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,960 Can you say as a couple he is everything in our marriage? 93 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:50,840 Can you say as an individual, he's everything in my life? 94 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:56,400 Can you say when you're sitting with your family at home, he is 95 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:01,600 everything in this home? The truth is quite clear to you. 96 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:07,400 How you answer them? Let's look at the first one. 97 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,520 Put off anger. This word in the Greek means 98 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,960 resentful bitterness. It's not just the not just being 99 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,000 angry because you can have a righteous anger. 100 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,560 We have a righteous anger at the way the Jews are being 101 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,360 mistreated against anti semitism. 102 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,240 We have a righteous anger that says abortion is wrong. 103 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:34,440 This is anger that is a resentful bitterness. 104 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:39,520 This is an angry person or persona constantly. 105 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,000 That's just who I am. No, it's not. 106 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:46,080 If you're a Christian that's dead, you can't say that. 107 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:48,240 That's just who I am. That's just how I am. 108 00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:53,120 No, if you're a Christian, that's not who you are. 109 00:08:53,120 --> 00:09:01,840 Now instead, the Bible says we are to be slow to anger for the 110 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,040 anger of man. And we all know this, don't we? 111 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:09,240 When you fly off the handle, are your words and your actions and 112 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,840 your deeds the right thing to do? 113 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:14,880 Never. They never are. 114 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:22,560 The anger of a man does not achieve the righteousness of 115 00:09:22,560 --> 00:09:28,360 God. Proverbs 1632 says He that is 116 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,400 slow of anger. Slow to anger is better than the 117 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:37,760 mighty, and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a 118 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,480 city. A man that is slow to anger is 119 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:42,080 better than the greatest soldier. 120 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,640 A man that is slow to anger is better than the greatest 121 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:52,600 commander of battles. Malice. 122 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,840 The word here, malice means someone who is bent on doing 123 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:04,560 harm to others. In this context, it is harm 124 00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:10,200 caused by evil speech. Today it's all about trolls, 125 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:16,640 isn't it on social media and we would call that and the Bible is 126 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:18,240 big against it. Gossip. 127 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:23,000 Gossip in a church is horrific. It's probably the one of the 128 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:31,720 most vile things that you could ever be is a gossiper as a 129 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:35,880 husband and wife in this context, good rule, Pastor Tom 130 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:42,600 Whitaker told us. Never, never, never speak 131 00:10:42,680 --> 00:10:49,240 publicly in a derisive way about your spouse. 132 00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:52,360 You know, today we have people gathered together and they go, 133 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,720 you know, they're sitting together and with their friends 134 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:58,640 they go, yeah, he, he's useless. He just can't. 135 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,080 She, she's just always off with the fairies. 136 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:08,720 That's can't do that, can't do that. 137 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:14,240 It's wrong, sinful. It's malice, blasphemy. 138 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,640 And in this case, in this context, it is slander against 139 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,640 people. It's saying something about 140 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:27,720 people that is not right, but it also blasphemes God at the same 141 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,280 time. When we slam to someone else, 142 00:11:30,560 --> 00:11:32,960 how is that? How does it blasphemy God at the 143 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:37,680 same time in as much that God created man and woman? 144 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:45,160 Matthew 522, Jesus says anyone who says Raqqa or you fool such 145 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:51,000 a person, Jesus says is guilty enough to go into fiery hell. 146 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:58,680 Man, think of that Matthew 522. Then it says filthy language. 147 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:05,600 This is called mouth abuse. Jesus warned us that every 148 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:11,600 careless word that we speak will render and account for it in the 149 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:16,000 day of judgement. Jesus said Matthew 1236. 150 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:22,080 But I say to you that for every idle word, that's what we 151 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:26,080 shouldn't be saying. Every idle word men may speak, 152 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:31,480 they will give account of it. So it's being written down in 153 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:37,040 the day of judgement. For by your words you will be 154 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:42,880 justified, or by your words you'll be condemned. 155 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:46,760 It says then do not lie to one another. 156 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:51,760 When Christians lie, we are copying Satan, not God. 157 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:54,280 He's Satan is the father of all lies. 158 00:12:55,440 --> 00:13:01,320 We Christians of all people are to speak the truth to one 159 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:03,400 another. Then it says verse 12, let's get 160 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,440 to it. Therefore, based on all these 161 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:12,560 things that you put off now, so now we have what a Christian 162 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:17,760 husband and wife are they've they've taken their old junk 163 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:23,560 clothes off and now they're to be dressed for home dress for 164 00:13:23,560 --> 00:13:26,240 their marriage. I'm not talking about the 165 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,360 wedding, talking about their marriage. 166 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:35,960 Therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, holy means 167 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,360 you're set apart, beloved means God loves you. 168 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:43,200 Now put on. So this is we put off, we 169 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:47,480 execute, we put to death. Now we go to the wardrobe and 170 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,000 God says, here's the wardrobe. This is what I made you. 171 00:13:50,200 --> 00:14:00,360 Now put these on. Put on tender mercies, kindness. 172 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:02,720 This is what goes into a marriage. 173 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:14,520 Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long 174 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:21,320 suffering, bearing with one another, and the beautiful thing 175 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,760 about marriage besides long suffering, bearing one another, 176 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:31,120 and forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint 177 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:39,280 against another, even as Christ forgave you, notice it says so 178 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:44,800 you also must do it's a command. If you receive Christ's gift 179 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:48,560 forgiveness, then by a command you are to give forgiveness on. 180 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:56,480 But above all these things wrapped around these things, the 181 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:01,880 outer garment, put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 182 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:08,800 Verse 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to 183 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:13,160 which also you were called into one body, and be thankful, verse 184 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:19,480 16 that the word of Christ dwell in you richly. 185 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:24,680 That means overflowing, abundant, full in all wisdom, 186 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:30,080 teaching and admonishing one another. 187 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:36,240 How Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, You know, it says all 188 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:41,200 this in Ephesians 5 before it gets to the husband and wife 189 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:44,760 part again, that spiritual songs, submitting to one 190 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:46,920 another, being filled with the Spirit, not with wine, 191 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:50,600 admonishing one another. And psalms and hymns and 192 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,760 spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the 193 00:15:54,760 --> 00:16:02,400 Lord, verse 17 And whatever you do in Word or deed. 194 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,720 So anything that you do, I don't care whether you're surfing, 195 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:10,240 playing golf, washing the dishes, mowing the lawn, putting 196 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:18,080 out the laundry, whatever you do in Word or deed do all in the 197 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,080 name of the Lord Jesus. It changes the way you live. 198 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,600 Giving thanks to God the Father through him. 199 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,760 You've heard the saying, wearing a Sunday best. 200 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:35,720 In the old days it was that way. You know, when kids my age were 201 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:37,720 going to school, we never wore shoes. 202 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:39,360 Primary school, there were no shoes. 203 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:43,600 You wore shoes for playing cricket and you wore shoes for 204 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,840 playing football, otherwise barefoot. 205 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:52,280 And so when you went to church, you put shoes on sandals or 206 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:55,880 phones or something. And it was done back in those 207 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:57,360 days. And then the young girls would 208 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:02,480 wear white gloves and hats, dress men would actually put on 209 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,760 a suit, go to church Sunday best. 210 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,960 Paul describes what a husband and wife should dress like at 211 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,480 home if they're followers of Christ. 212 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:20,560 And here is their clothing. Here's your wardrobe. 213 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:27,440 Put on the bowels of mercies. Wear kindness, humbleness of 214 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:33,800 mine, meekness, long suffering, forbearing one another, 215 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,920 forgiving, charity, love. Then it said, let the peace of 216 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:41,760 God rule. That means dominate in your 217 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:43,600 hearts. Oh, it's all right, you've got 218 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:45,440 the peace of God no matter what's happening. 219 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:49,320 You have the peace of God that's dominating your home. 220 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:56,040 Your heart says be thankful, be in the word of God. 221 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:01,120 If your Bible is picked up and taken to church, not opened 222 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:07,320 either any other time, give it to someone who will read it who 223 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:14,840 wants one be in the word of God and it will give you wisdom. 224 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,360 You know, people often want to talk have counselling about 225 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:22,720 things and here's the way that someone should anyone a 226 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,440 Christian should counsel any other Christian. 227 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,720 It should be what is it? This is the problem. 228 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,040 OK, here's what the Bible says about that problem. 229 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:34,800 Go and read that because I don't know what to do. 230 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:39,080 You don't know what to do. God's the only one who knows the 231 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:44,080 mind of God and then abide it. If it says this or there's the 232 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:48,720 counsel, go and do it. But my opinion about anything, 233 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:54,040 you should I should never give my opinion about anything. 234 00:18:54,720 --> 00:19:01,360 My counselling should only ever be if this is the situation. 235 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:03,480 Here's what the Bible says about the matter. 236 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:12,560 Now your choice by it or disappear. 237 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:25,450 Believe it or rebel against it. Worship God and exhort and 238 00:19:25,450 --> 00:19:30,720 encourage one another. In other words, live for God 239 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:34,520 totally. This is a Christian marriage. 240 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:36,680 That's the description of a Christian marriage. 241 00:19:38,120 --> 00:19:45,320 This is the prerequisite before proceeding to the part where 242 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:48,040 we're going to talk about husbands and wives, that the 243 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,400 word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. 244 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,640 Verse 16 teaching and admonishing one another, Psalms, 245 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:57,240 hymns, spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the 246 00:19:57,240 --> 00:19:59,880 Lord. The word dwell there means 247 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:03,480 fullness. We could easily call the verses 248 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:07,920 in Colossians from chapter 318 on to chapter 4 verse one, the 249 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:11,960 Christ full life. Remember there used to be a show 250 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,120 on TV some of you might remember called full house. 251 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:20,960 Well, the Christ full House of the Christian family is what 252 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,360 Paul's talking about. This morning we'll look at the 253 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:29,000 exhortation to Christian or believing husbands and wives. 254 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:34,040 We'll look at the exhortation to Christian or believing husbands 255 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:38,880 and wives. Verse 18, Wives, submit to your 256 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:43,640 own husbands as is fitting in the Lord. 257 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,480 Husbands. Verse 19, love your wives. 258 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:53,760 Do not be bitter toward them. So what is the relationship to 259 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,240 be between a Christian husband and a Christian wife? 260 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:04,120 How are each to live as believers within the home and 261 00:21:04,120 --> 00:21:11,880 experience there the fullness, the richness of God that He 262 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,160 intends them, that He wants us to have? 263 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:20,400 Or God created the institution of marriage and the world has 264 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:26,760 attempted to dismantle, to destroy marriage as God 265 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,880 originally intended between a man and a woman, husband and 266 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:36,120 wife to be for life. The world set out to degrade it 267 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:41,920 to a purely legal document that anyone can marry anyone now, and 268 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:46,760 they have attempted to change the very DNA of what marriage is 269 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,160 as God created it to be in the book of Genesis. 270 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,400 So let's look at wives. First of all, ladies, before 271 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:59,920 gentlemen, submit to your own husbands as is fitting in the 272 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:03,560 Lord. Now under Jewish law at this 273 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:12,000 time, if you're a wife, she was the possession of the husband 274 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:17,520 like, like he owned a camel, a donkey, and he owned his wife. 275 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:23,240 Same thing, chattel. She had no legal rights. 276 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:30,880 Now a husband could divorce his wife, but the wife had no rights 277 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,320 whatsoever to do the same. That's why there was a thing 278 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:40,200 called a dowry. Under the Greek tradition, the 279 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,600 wife lived a life of complete seclusion. 280 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,640 She was never to be seen on the streets alone. 281 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,400 She could not even go to the market alone. 282 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:57,040 She lived in a separate section of the house. 283 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:01,840 She did not join the men even for meals. 284 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:06,560 Yet the husband could live and do as he pleased. 285 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:13,280 When Jesus Christ came, he brought great change. 286 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:18,880 You know, the women's liberation movement, you know, hammers the 287 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:23,400 Bible, patriarchal and all this sort of stuff and carries on 288 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:28,000 about it. But they don't realise if they 289 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,720 only open their eyes, that everywhere that Christianity has 290 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:35,520 gone, it has set free women. And we'll look at the countries 291 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,840 of the world, even today, everywhere that the gospel is 292 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:42,760 gone and Christianity has has been accepted, the women have 293 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:47,000 been liberated. He is the greatest woman's 294 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,160 Liberator in the history of the world. 295 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:55,320 Paul tells us in this 2 verses that both the husband and the 296 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,520 wife have duty. So it's not just, well, the 297 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:04,600 husband lives as he pleases. No, the wife and the husband now 298 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:09,080 have tasks they need to fulfil and be admonished. 299 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,520 Admonished in the Lord. How could the Christian wife 300 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:18,320 live in the fullness of Christ, says it wives. 301 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:23,480 And here's the key part. Submit to your own husbands. 302 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:30,240 And here's the qualifications as is fitting in the Lord now in 303 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:32,280 the moment. And I've done a lot of marriages 304 00:24:32,360 --> 00:24:35,960 and marriages and people want to talk about their vows. 305 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:39,560 They don't even do anything. But I'm not having any business 306 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:42,080 about submission. I will not have that. 307 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,040 Well, great. Then this is off to a good 308 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:48,280 start. It really is. 309 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:53,600 And the moment you say something like this, because of our 310 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:57,040 cultural thinking and the and the pressure upon it, all of us 311 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:01,120 today, we even think they'll. Yeah, it's a it's a bit archaic, 312 00:25:01,120 --> 00:25:03,920 isn't it, Keith? Well, I've submit to your 313 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:07,120 husbands as it's fitting in the Lord. 314 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:13,920 Such a statement like this in today's society ignites a fire 315 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:18,160 the moment something like that is spoken or aired. 316 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,840 But remember, let me stop here right now. 317 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:31,200 This is the word of God and you can't go well, sorry, this is 318 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:33,920 the word of God. This is it. 319 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:41,600 This is the word of God. It's God's design, he says. 320 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,560 This is how it works. This is how we're expecting God. 321 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:47,240 How can that be right? Because you don't know, you're 322 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,760 arguing with God. You don't even know how to do 323 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,720 his shoes on. And we're arguing with God about 324 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:55,280 what? What respect and submission is. 325 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:02,280 It's God's design. He knows the best design for 326 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:07,000 fullness in a marriage. Yes, there are TS and CS terms 327 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,880 and conditions. Yes, there are qualifications 328 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,120 for this called submission. Absolutely. 329 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:19,200 It does not mean the submission that you are a doormat. 330 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:27,120 That's not what it means. Nor does it mean you are to be 331 00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:36,000 servile or a slave does not mean that it's a charge for Christian 332 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:39,800 wives who are living as believers of Christ. 333 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:44,080 It is done. How is it done? 334 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:48,080 Notice the the the couple of words after as is fitting in the 335 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,280 Lord. It is done how? 336 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:56,400 As an act of worship. Just like you sing in church, 337 00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:00,880 your submission at home is done as an act of worship to God. 338 00:27:02,360 --> 00:27:06,440 And that can change the whole picture because the reason 339 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,280 you're submitting is because you want to be a blessing to God. 340 00:27:09,360 --> 00:27:10,680 This is what God's asked you to do. 341 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:15,080 Well, I'll do this because I love God and he'll sort out the 342 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:20,680 rest of the stuff. It's not a matter of you either 343 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:27,560 being inferior or superiority, but it's a recognition of your 344 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:30,600 specific role. God says this is how marriage 345 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:35,920 works, here's your task, wives, if you do this, this is your 346 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:40,680 rank, this is your role, this is the why, This is your order, 347 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:44,080 this is your responsibility. It's like in the Army you have 348 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:48,400 privates, sergeants, senior sergeants, commissioned 349 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:49,760 officers. Then it goes up. 350 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:51,840 Colonels, generals and so forth and so on. 351 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:57,440 They're all equal. They're just men or women, but 352 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:00,680 they're people of rank. You have a rank and then the 353 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,840 home. This is the rank. 354 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:07,040 This is the role of rank. It's not about, Oh well, you, 355 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:15,800 this is all you can do. No, it's a recognition of the 356 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:18,800 differences of husband and wives. 357 00:28:19,360 --> 00:28:22,440 Wives, importantly, let your husband. 358 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:26,040 Here's the task for you to do. Be the leader. 359 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:31,320 Well, he doesn't lead. Just step back. 360 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,200 He's got to let him be the leader. 361 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:36,640 Say, hey, what are we going to do? 362 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:39,960 What? What are well, what if you no, 363 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:43,160 no, what are we going to do? What do we do? 364 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:49,160 Let him grow in God's grace with your support. 365 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:53,360 Encourage him in that role. You make the decision. 366 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:57,040 You pray about it, we'll go with what you say with as you seek 367 00:28:57,040 --> 00:29:03,760 the Lord, let him make a few mistakes in the process. 368 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:11,400 Husbands, husbands verse 19 love your wives. 369 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:16,160 That's the task. How do not be bitter toward 370 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:24,960 them. Husbands are commanded by God to 371 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:28,240 love their wives. There's no choice in the matter. 372 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:30,720 You're going to get married. Here's the command. 373 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:34,640 Love your wife. God says you will love your 374 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:36,000 wife. It's a command. 375 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:43,240 This love is not Eros love. This is not phileo love. 376 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:46,960 They're involved, but they have their own place. 377 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:53,600 This is agape love. This is how you to love, which 378 00:29:53,600 --> 00:30:00,840 means unceasing care and loving service for your wife's entire 379 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:07,040 well being. In Ephesians 5 it says verse 25, 380 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,160 Husbands love your wives. It's a command. 381 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:16,280 How just as Christ also loved the church, what did he do and 382 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:20,640 gave himself for her. So their husbands is the 383 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:23,920 command. Here's the how that's Christ did 384 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:26,360 it. And here's the what gave himself 385 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:31,400 for her that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing 386 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,640 of water by the word. That's the word of God, that he 387 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:39,640 might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot 388 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:44,080 or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and 389 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:48,160 without blemish. So here's the that's the exempt 390 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:52,720 so husbands, or to love their own wives as their own bodies. 391 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:57,600 He who loves his wife loves himself. 392 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,080 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and 393 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,920 cherishes it, just as the Lord does the Church. 394 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:11,960 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of His bones. 395 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:17,680 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, 396 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:23,680 change of duties and responsibilities, and be joined 397 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:29,480 to his wife, significant change. And the two husband and wife 398 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:33,720 shall become one flesh. This is, this is significant. 399 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:37,320 What this means here, this is a great mystery, but I speak 400 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,640 Christ concerning Christ and the Church. 401 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:45,360 Nevertheless, Paul repeats that each one of you in particular so 402 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,680 love his own wife as himself. How many times has he told us? 403 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:51,840 And let the wife see that she respects her husband. 404 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,720 The husband's love, Paul says, is to mirror. 405 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:00,360 It's to imitate Christ's love for his church. 406 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:02,200 How much does Christ love his church? 407 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:05,560 You know that he gave himself for her? 408 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:10,200 Hardly. God's command to husbands is 409 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:15,520 only fulfilled when a husband loves his wife in the same 410 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,920 manner. But let's define what that looks 411 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:20,680 like because we talk about it a lot. 412 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:25,040 This love, this manner of loving is divine, defined. 413 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:29,600 And there's a word called incarnational to spring off 414 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,840 Incarnate. In its simplest terms, 415 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:37,400 incarnational means being embodied in a physical form, 416 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:39,640 doesn't it? Christ became embodied in the 417 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:44,920 body of a man, especially a human, or taking on a particular 418 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:46,760 form of state. Or what's this got to do with 419 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:50,520 husbands and wives? Genesis 224 Therefore a man 420 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:53,880 shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his 421 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:56,800 wife, and they shall become one flesh. 422 00:32:57,280 --> 00:32:59,840 Something unique happens in marriage. 423 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:07,160 It's a mutual incarnation. So husbands, verse 28 of 424 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,960 Ephesians ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. 425 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:16,960 A husband is to incarnational or Incarnate himself into their 426 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:18,320 wives. What does that mean? 427 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:25,400 That means this they are to be so enamoured with them that they 428 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:30,560 will understand their emotions as well as you understand your 429 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:34,320 own emotions. Get it? 430 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:40,240 Because you're no longer living for yourself, you're now living 431 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:48,000 to give your life for your wife as if they were your own. 432 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:56,840 You learn how she thinks her mental process as if you were 433 00:33:56,840 --> 00:34:01,720 one. You're on the same page because 434 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:05,120 you are in marriage. God enables this. 435 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:11,840 It is possible to love your spouse as your own body. 436 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:19,360 How to be so connected so you understand and sense her world. 437 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:21,920 When you see her, you understand what she's going through. 438 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:24,320 You know when someone says something, you know how that's 439 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:28,239 going to work. As you understand and know 440 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:34,000 yourself, you understand and know who, OK, how do you achieve 441 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:35,679 this? Is this possible? 442 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:44,600 It's pretty simple. One, by working to spend time 443 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:47,120 together, you get to know one another. 444 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:53,120 The big problem that we face I think in WA especially, and I 445 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:56,239 know many of you and some of you are fly in, fly out situations 446 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:58,560 in your way and different jobs are in the Army and the Navy. 447 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:04,040 And that has a toll. It has a toll on the home 448 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:09,440 because then you have to really work on when you were together 449 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:13,960 again to work on spending time together. 450 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,320 And I'm not being just going to the shop together or down the 451 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:20,360 garage together. It's by working to spend time 452 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:23,600 together it means to like one another. 453 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:27,760 That's why you want to spend time together. 454 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:35,200 Time together is one of the most powerful means to achieve this 455 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:39,880 incarnation. Another major component to a 456 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:45,640 husband being 1 flesh and his wife practically is by listening 457 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:47,600 to her. I remember Helen, she had some 458 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:48,960 stats. I should have got him off her. 459 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,080 She did on a Tuesday morning. She was talking to the ladies 460 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:59,520 about how what one thing that wise wish number one their 461 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:04,960 husbands did listen. It was the top. 462 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:09,640 Someone said marriage is sometimes the dialogue of the 463 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:13,680 death. No one's listening. 464 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:25,080 Even the famous Harvard Business Review documented that 65% of an 465 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:31,160 executive's time, the best executive should be spent 466 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:39,200 listening, Proverbs 1813 says. Spouting off before listening to 467 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:42,680 the facts is both shameful and foolish. 468 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:51,120 So incarnational love, the one flesh has three things for the 469 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:56,320 husband spends time, listens, gives himself. 470 00:36:57,560 --> 00:36:59,520 This is what Jesus did, isn't it? 471 00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:03,840 Look at the life of Christ. He would just sit. 472 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:06,520 He meant I have. You know those three years He 473 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:08,240 was just sit and listening, wasn't he? 474 00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:15,760 He would come to me and unload. He showed us how to love by His 475 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:18,920 love for the church. This is how Jesus lived. 476 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:22,320 But the greatest task for the husband is not only 477 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:26,960 incarnational. And lastly, it is sacrificial 478 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:35,520 because Jesus died for us, marriage is really the funeral 479 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:39,800 of our individual lives to change for the other person. 480 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:41,960 It's both a wedding and a funeral. 481 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:46,960 What did Jesus do? Philippians tells us He left 482 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:49,120 heaven for us. Think about that. 483 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:56,960 He left heaven for us, got up and changed his garments. 484 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:04,920 He put on the body of a man for us, laid aside his glory. 485 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:14,760 He became a servant for us, the king of kings, and he suffered 486 00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:22,200 and died for us. This is marriage for a husband. 487 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:25,760 And guys, don't worry, this is the hardest message because my 488 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:38,760 wife's sitting in the front yard because she knows for a husband, 489 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:48,960 it's daily dying, daily dying. This is where your hand either 490 00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:53,640 opens the door for blessing by your daily dying or you open the 491 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:58,000 door for the breakdown. Come and just destroy my home 492 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:01,200 and my marriage. Then you have the hand on the 493 00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:09,720 door. It's it's that choice men that 494 00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:13,960 you make at that moment when a decision comes your way and 495 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:17,320 it's, well, we have the opportunity or I can go and you 496 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:21,000 know, it's that moment because you know what, it's like you're 497 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:24,480 standing on the precipice. I'm going to, I know this is not 498 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:26,440 probably the right, but I'm going to go and do this. 499 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:36,760 It's at that moment you either bring the blessing or you just 500 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:37,600 go. Oh, thank you. 501 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:45,080 The added blessing for a husband who dies to his selfishness is 502 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:52,320 twofold, because there's more to this than just a marriage for 503 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:57,760 you as a husband, if you die daily, you know what you learn? 504 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:00,080 You learn to live for Christ each day. 505 00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:06,120 You become a better believer or godly each day as an individual. 506 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:13,600 Secondly, you learn to give love to your wife that she can see is 507 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:17,360 actually real. Really loves me. 508 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,680 I know because he had a choice but he he didn't. 509 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:28,240 I understand this type of husband's love brings elevation 510 00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:34,080 to the wings of your wife and exalts her and results in a 511 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,760 blessed marriage which brings heaven in the home. 512 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:43,120 Christian husbands, how can you reach and bless your wife as her 513 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:46,640 brother in Christ? Because you are her brother in 514 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:52,560 Christ. Practically, this is what we 515 00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:59,240 must do 1 You must pray for her constantly. 516 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:04,280 Anyone, anyone. If you're a Christian and you 517 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:06,200 don't pray, it means you don't love anybody. 518 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:10,440 If you're a big praying person, it means you love the people you 519 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:15,200 pray for. Prayer is a sign of how much 520 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:19,400 we've we really realise we've been forgiven and understand the 521 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:23,520 wonderful love of God. Prayer is how we ventilate out 522 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:26,760 that love that we've received for others. 523 00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:34,480 So you pray for her constantly. Secondly, you intercede for her 524 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:38,600 in prayer because you know her better. 525 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:42,480 God has enabled that in you. You are one flesh. 526 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:48,320 You know her more intimately than anyone else on the planet. 527 00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:56,000 But if we are failing to love our wives, men, God says this. 528 00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:00,440 I'll hinder your prayers. Don't bother praying. 529 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:05,480 So you might be doing all the other stuff and you're not 530 00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:08,560 loving your wife. God says pray as much as you 531 00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:13,600 like man. It's not happening and that's 532 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:18,560 what he says. Husbands likewise dwell with him 533 00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:20,840 with understanding, giving honour to the wife as to the 534 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:25,000 weaker vessel, as being heirs together. 1 flesh of the grace 535 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:28,600 of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. 536 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:34,520 If we are failing to live our wives, our prayers will be 537 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:36,680 hindered. The Bible says your prayers will 538 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:47,560 be extinct or pathetic at best. So your wife needs detailed 539 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:51,560 prayer, does she not? You know her upbringing. 540 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:57,920 You know the things that she's been through as a child, as a 541 00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:01,320 before you got married and you knew him and you have to know 542 00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:05,520 him. You know more, but also now you 543 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:08,720 know how busy and complex her life is. 544 00:43:09,240 --> 00:43:12,520 Men, we take a lot for granted. I mean, every Sunday I get up, 545 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:15,720 Helen cooked my breakfast, I get my clothes ready, she gets 546 00:43:15,720 --> 00:43:17,920 everything done around the house and I go off early. 547 00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:21,160 She did that when we had the little kids too. 548 00:43:22,720 --> 00:43:25,080 I'd be getting up doing stuff, get my notes together. 549 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:27,920 Helen's getting all the kids ready, get them all dressed, all 550 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:31,080 shower, all clean, all clothed and off they go. 551 00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:38,400 How busy and complex is her life as your wife? 552 00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:40,320 She's looking after you. You're a slob. 553 00:43:43,720 --> 00:43:47,360 Secondly, she's your children's mother. 554 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:52,600 She's caring for your kids all the time. 555 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:57,160 Thirdly, she's the keeper of the house. 556 00:43:57,320 --> 00:44:02,360 You go off and come home, bed's made, washing's done, tea's 557 00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:06,200 ready to be eaten. I've had a tough I'll be mowing 558 00:44:06,200 --> 00:44:13,520 the lawn fair bit, especially since it's fake grass. 559 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:21,520 Marriage can be the greatest, longest and most hurtful battle 560 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:26,280 on earth. OK, it can be a marriage made in 561 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:29,880 heaven, God tells us how to make it, or it can be hell in your 562 00:44:29,880 --> 00:44:37,160 heart. 2 simple radical calls. One for the wife, one for the 563 00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:41,760 husband. Submission, sacrificial love 564 00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:48,120 both unto the Lord and both of them must have on their wardrobe 565 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:53,200 that we talked about. You got to be dressed that God 566 00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:57,560 designed for us to wear, not your slovenly old way of living. 567 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:01,560 You got to be dressed right around the house. 568 00:45:03,160 --> 00:45:07,440 The 2GO together. They are the two halves of a 569 00:45:07,440 --> 00:45:10,640 whole Christian marriage. Both must go together. 570 00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:18,280 A husband is a fool who demands submission of his wife, yet he 571 00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:23,360 is not radically loving her equally. 572 00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:31,000 It is ridiculous logic for a wife who is not submissive to to 573 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:36,320 demand such love. Your home, your marriage can be 574 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:42,000 a consistent battleground with tragic fatalities and wounded 575 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:48,760 souls, or a piece of heaven on earth, but it doesn't happen by 576 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:54,480 itself. God created it, He knows how it 577 00:45:54,480 --> 00:46:00,040 works, He is there to help. And you and I, all of us 578 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:06,000 husbands and wives, can rely upon Him and call upon Him 579 00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:07,240 everyday.