Lesson 17

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RETURN TO THE  SYLLABUS

EPHESIANS 5:22-33
Lesson #17
CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

• Memory verse: Eph 5:27

• Usually we study Eph 5 in light of the marriage relationship. However, Eph 5 is a parallel and that means each side of the parallel has equal value. We spent a lesson discussing the marriage relationship. We are are going to spend this lesson talking about Christ’s relationship to the church.
• Just as the heavier responsibility for the home lies with the husband, the heavier responsibility for the church lies with Christ. However, the relationship between husband and wife; between Christ and the church does not thrive unless both partners are properly operating within their designated roles. Notice the parallels.

The Husband’s RoleChrist’s Role	The Wife’s Role The Role of the Church
	Submission (22)
The head (authority) (23)
The Savior (23)
	Subject to him (24)
Love (25)
Gave himself (25)
Love (28)
Nourish (29)
Cherish (29)
Leave his parents (31)Christ left his place in heaven to come to earth.
Be joined to her (31)
Love (33)	Reverence him (33)
The Purpose:	The Results:
To sanctify her (make her holy) (26)
To cleanse her by the Word (26)
	No spot or wrinkle (27)
	To be holy without blemish (27)

• The pure church: Jude 21-25
  • Spots are defilement from the outside.
  • In other words, from Satan and the world system. (Jam 1:27)
  • Wrinkles are decay from the inside.
  • In other words, apathy, discouragement, murmuring and complaining, etc.
    • Whether from the outside or the inside, the church is cleansed by the Word of God.
    • There is a mutual cycle of sacrificial love and submission that we observed with the husband wife relationship.
    • There is that same cycle with Christ and the church.
    • The tighter the cycle, the closer the church gets to Christ.
      • Adam gave his rib so that he and his wife would be one flesh with Eve submitting herself to Adam.
      • Adam would then love and take care of her as he would his own body, because she was part of his body.
      • Christ gave his life so that He and his believers would be one body, with the church submitting to Christ and His leaders.
  • We usually think of the church as the local building on the corner, but the word church means “called out ones”.
  • This refers to believers that make up both a local organization and a world-wide spiritual organization of believers called “the body of Christ.”
    • It is believers that are born again into this spiritual body of Christ that need to be made perfect by the washing by the water of His Word.
    • It is this process of purification that we call “sanctification”.

• The church’s subjection to Christ:
  • As believers who are a part of the body of Christ, we individually owe Christ our submission.
    • This word “submission” or “subjection” is a military term which means to have troops lined up in order to fight the battle.
    • This is true of the home and the church.
      • The greatest spiritual battles come against the home and the church.
      • Therefore, to win the war in the home, children, mother, and father must be in the proper military order: the father subject to Christ, the mother subject to the father, and the children subject to the parents.
      • To win the war in the church, each believer must be in proper military order: the pastor subject to Christ, the leaders and elders subject to the pastor, the other Christians subject to the leaders and the pastor.
        • We have a good Biblical example of when people are not in their proper order:
          • Moses and the Israelites wandering in the wilderness.
          • Read Exo 16:7-12
            • notice that the murmuring was against Moses and the other leaders, but Moses told the people they were murmuring against God.
            • In other words, leaders are appointed by God.
              • (Num 14:27-30)
              • (Num 16:12-33)
              • (Num 17:1-10)
              • (1Cor 10:10-11)

• God’s answer to a people out of order:
  • The attainment of the promise land was delayed.
    • You will not partake of God’s maximum blessings if your marriage or your church is out of order.
    • A wilderness wandering and frustrated prayer.
    • Your marriage and/or your church will continue to wander in a dry desert without the joy of the Holy Spirit.
  • God removed them.
    • God removed the Israelites from the Promised Land.
    • Persistence in being out of order may result in losing your marriage/or your church relationship.

• The mystery of marriage and the mystery of the church:
  • Paul calls both marriage and the church a mystery. (Eph 5:31-32)
    • What secret ingredients are there in these two institutions that mysteriously make them work successfully?
      • Sacrificial love
      • A submissive attitude
    • Notice that both must be present at the same time, working together.

• If you find your marriage unsuccessful, examine its contents for these two ingredients.
• If you find your church unsuccessful, examine the attitudes of the people for these ingredients.

• Discussion:
  • What can the average Christian do to improve the order in a church and to maintain the 2 mysterious ingredients of unconditional love and a submissive attitude?
  • What did Moses do?

HOMEWORK
EPHESIANS 6:1-9
This is a self-study. Please do not sned homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Eph 5:22-33 Christ and the church
  • Examine your own marriage for the two ingredients.
  • Sacrificial love:
    • Grade the existence of this ingredient in your marriage.

poor    average      excellent

                1 2 3 4      5 6 7          8 9 10

• An attitude of submission:
  • Grade the existence of this ingredient in your marriage.

poor   average excellent

1 2 3 4        5 6 7            8 9 10

• Examine your attitudes and actions toward the church.
  • Look for these two ingredients within you and then grade them.
  • Sacrificial love:

poor average       excellent

1 2 3 4             5 6 7           8 9 10

• An attitude of submission:

poor average      excellent

1 2 3 4            5 6 7           8 9 10

• What will you do this week to improve your marriage?

• What will you do this week to improve your attitudes and relationship toward the church?

• Application for Eph 6:1-9
  • Read Eph 6:1-9
    • Parent/child relationships
      • What are the responsibilities of a parent?

• What are the responsibilities of a child?

• Employer/employee relationships

• How should the relationship function in the workplace?

• Memory verse: Eph 6:4