The Mystery of Marriage / Week 7 / The Ultimate Marriage

The Ultimate Marriage

Ephesians 5:32-33 August 1, 2021

I. Introduction:

A. Take a look at this picture and let me know what you see!

1. How many see a young woman – like a model from Paris? How many see an

old woman?

2. If you see the young woman: look at the chin and think of it as a large nose,

and look at the young woman’s ear and think of it as an eye!

3. If you see the old woman: look at the old woman’s nose and think of it as the

left cheek of a face looking away from you, and look at the old woman’s eye

and think of it as an ear on a face looking away from you.

B. This picture reminds me of Ephesians 5:22-33 as there are really two pictures that

play off each other in this section.

1. As we read this section, it keeps going back and forth between the

relationship with Jesus and the church and the husband and wife! Which is it?

2. I have to be honest with you, even for this series I had to be as intentional and

thoughtful as I am with that picture of the woman to be able to see both

pictures clearly and in their proper context!

C. Turn to Ephesians 5:32-33 where he closes this section up and lets us know just

what it is about. Read v 32-33

1. V32 –

a) When he says the mystery is great here, he is not only referring to the

two becoming one in the verse before but to this whole section of the

love and respect relationship.

b) He tells us directly here that in this passage he is mainly speaking about

the relationship between Jesus and the church

2. V33 –

a) Note the first word of v33 - nevertheless = regardless or even in spite of

the fact that he is talking about Jesus and the church

b) Read v33

3. This passage is primarily talking about the love and respect relationship

between Jesus and the church but the husband and wife relationship should

also be one of love and respect.

4. This passage is written to the church, every believer in Jesus Christ married

or not to let us know about Jesus love for us and how we are to respond to

him in his headship and love

D. While our response to Jesus is to be one of submission to everything and

respecting/fearing Him, I want to focus for a few minutes on His love for us

shown in this passage.

1. We see in v25 that His love is a sacrificial love where He gave up His very

life for us to save us so we can have eternal life with Him in a glorious

eternal kingdom and abundant life right now. Read 25

2. We see the end goal of this salvation and love is our sanctification. Even

more specifically, it is a love like a bridal attendant who is getting the bride

ready for her special day when she is presented to her husband. Read v 26-

27

3. Then the third aspect of this love is we see v28-29 talking about husband

loving their wives as their own body by nourishing and cherishing them.

Then he says this at the end. Read v29-30

4. Bottom line, Jesus love is a sacrificial love that saves us from an eternity of

God’s wrath and a life of misery and emptiness. His love helps us become all

that God has created us to be by removing the spots and wrinkles from our

lives; and finally His love is an up-close personal love that cares for every

practical need!

• That is the way that Jesus loves you and His ….

II. Love is transforming

A. I can testify that God in His love for me has turned my life upside down and

inside out all for the good!

B. Turn to Ezekiel 16:4-14 where God talked about the power of His love upon

Israel when He loved her when no one else wanted her! Read

C. Brothers and sisters that is transforming power of the love that God wants to pour

upon you if you will open your heart to receive it

D. Gospel

1. John 3:16

• Let me close with a special word to those who are

III. Single, widowed, divorced!

A. Acknowledge that for most of you if not all of you, you are in a situation you did

not hope for, dream of, or pray for!

1. I know the pain is real and deep and this series has not been easy for you to

listen to.

2. You have desire for companionship and sexual desires – yes, it still is not

good to be alone.

a) I want you to know those desires are normal and there is not something

wrong with you or sinful for having them because God made us as

people who long for and need relationship.

b) Where it can become sinful is when you fulfil those desires in an

ungodly way

B. I want to share with you four practical words of advice for your situation.

1. Reframe or look through a new lens or even give a new title to the book of

your life when it comes to your situation that is more consistent with the truth

of God’s Word!

a) Whether you are married or single God’s goal for your life is to make

you holy not happy He will use your situation to do that

b) According to 1 Corinthians 7 being single keeps you from the extra

troubles that come from being responsible for others and opens

opportunities for you that married people would not have.

(1) Read 7:28

(2) 7:32-34a

c) I would encourage you to sit down with someone and brainstorm about

the troubles that singleness helps you avoid and opportunities that you

can plug into.

(1) Kim and I did that recently with a single friend and it was

interesting with the list we came up. I think Kim was wishing she

were single by the time we were done!

2. Yes, we all need companionship but do not get locked into tunnel vision

where you think the only way that can be met is by being married

a) Listen to Mark 10:28-30 as I read it

b) God can and does meet the need for companionship through friends

c) Illustrate with my target idea

3. Be careful that you are not missing the abundant life that God has for your

life because you are still hanging onto and waiting for your plan for your life

to happen.

a) Abundant life is not dependent upon being married but in knowing and

walking with Jesus.

b) God’s plan for your life, which is good, acceptable and perfect. Read

Romans 12:2

c) Embrace the day to day fulfilment of what God wants to bring in your

life with today’s blessings rather than holding on so tight to the global

desire in your life to be married

C. Finally, I want to ensure every believer in Jesus Christ that someday you will be

married, and you will be married to the best possible mate!

1. Read 2 Corinthians 11:2 – you are engaged

2. Read Revelation 19:7,…9

IV. Communion

A. Listen to Luke 22:15-18

B. As we take communion we often look back at the cross and do it in remembrance

of that but here Jesus tells us communion is designed to also cause us to look

forward to the crown, the reward, the kingdom that time when we will be the

bride of Jesus Christ and will reign with him forever.

C. As you take communion, I encourage you to look forward to that time and talk to

Jesus about whatever He is talking to you about today!