Scripture Reading:

• Ephesians 5:21-6:9.
• Read passage as a whole.

Main Points:

• Christ-centered household flows into Christ-centered church and community.
• Build on Christ’s foundation with His patterns and plans.
• Overflow God’s love, service, and message into relationships.

Understanding the Passage:

• Not just a to-do list or set of rules.
• Foundation and overflow are key concepts.
• The Holy Spirit’s role in understanding these verses.

Context of Ephesians:

• Paul’s continuation of living a Spirit-filled life.
• Marriage, parenting, and work relationships as part of Spirit-filled living.
• Importance of the Holy Spirit in relationships.

Worldly Views of Marriage:

• Marrying for security and social status.
• Marrying for love and passion.
• Both views are self-focused.

Christian Marriage and Relationships:

• “The only way to the marriage and relationships Paul describes is through a
  Reveal Answer
  with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.”
• “3 major foundational elements of the Christian marriage and household relationships:
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  ,
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  ,
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  .”

Plan:

• “Our PLAN or
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  for godly relationships is found in Christ’s relationship with us, his bride, the church.”

Power Source:

• “Our POWER SOURCE in godly relationships is found in the
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  .”

Purpose:

• “Our PURPOSE in godly relationships is to see our person as God
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• to surround, protect, and support them in their God-given role, working together to advance the gospel.”

Structural Analogy:

• Plan: “The Plan is then the blueprints and design for the building.”
• Power Source: “The Power Source is then the foundation that the entire building is built upon.”
• Purpose: “The Purpose is the intended function of the building.”

Detailed Instructions:

• “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
• “…out of reverence for Christ”, “…as to the Lord”, “just as Christ…”
• Christ’s example of sacrificial love.
• Wives: “Wives are to
  Reveal Answer
  and
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  .”
• Husbands: “Husbands are to
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  ,
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  , and
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  for their wives.”
• Children: “Children are to
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  and
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  their parents.”
• Fathers: “Fathers are to
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  and
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  their children in God’s word.”
• Slaves/Employees: “Slaves are to
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  ,
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  ,
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  , and
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  ”
• Masters/Employers: “Masters are to show their servants the
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  and service.”

Role of Submission:

• Misconceptions about submission.
• Submission in the context of mutual respect and love.
• God is a God of
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  , not
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  .
• Paul’s military term for submission.
• Submission as an active, supportive role.
• Trust in the husband’s submission to God.
• Submission doesn’t equal
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  .

Husbands’ Role:

• “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church.”
• Husbands to love, care, and sacrifice for their wives.

Power and Foundation:

• “The
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  God gives us tells us who to follow (Jesus) and how to follow him.”
• “The
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  to follow that plan comes through the Holy Spirit, living inside of us.”
• Ecclesiastes 4:12: “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back to back and conquer. THREE are even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken.”

Building Analogy:

• Christ as the cornerstone.
• Ephesians 2:19-22: “God is building a home. He is using us all…with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together.”
• Importance of a solid foundation in building.
• “The
  Reveal Answer
  of our marriage relationship (that overflows into every other relationship) is to see our spouse as God sees and intends them to be - to surround, protect, and support them in their God-given roles, working together to advance the gospel.”

No matter what it is, our work, through the Holy Spirit living inside of us, can and will draw others to Jesus when we do all things as if we are working for the Lord. Everything we do, it’s all for His glory and expansion of His Kingdom.

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