Due to technical difficulties there is no audio sermon file for 11/28/2010.
Recap of the sermon from November 28th (Ephesians 5:22-24):
1. God’s desire for the marriage relationship is expressed in the word “oneness.” 3. Genesis 2:25 is symbolic of the beauty and innocence of this one-flesh relationship. Adam and Eve’s nakedness without shame is symbolic of their total transparency and total ease with each other. There is no distrust, no fear, no potential for evil or exploitation. There is no defensiveness, no need to win at all costs.
2. The essence of the Fall in Genesis 3 was separation. That is what death is, and the Fall brought death into the world. There is now separation and alienation where there was once harmony. Mankind is separated from God and from each other. The Fall brought about estrangement in our relationships especially that of marriage.
3. The goal of Ephesians 5 is to reestablish the creation order, to restore proper Biblical roles, enabled by the power of the Spirit, as Christians yield to the control of the Spirit in their lives..
4. Roles are not demeaning as illustrated by 1 Corinthians 11:3 where God the Son is under the headship of God the Father.
5. The model for the leadership a man is to exercise in marriage is Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus exercise of headship is loving, self-giving, gentle and caring. It is not “harsh, tyrannical, or selfish.” “The chief threat in submitting to another person is the fear of being manipulated or mistreated by that person” (Richard J. Ericksen). Factors that make submission difficult: a woman who has difficulty trusting other people (perhaps based on issues from the past such as a distant or absent father); or when a husband’s leadership is selfish.
