The Greatest of These is Love

In marriage, two become one.The hard part is deciding which one.

Opening Questions

How did you and your spouse meet?

What activities do you enjoy together?

We’re supposed to complete our spouse,not finish them off.

Wives, submit yourselves to yourown husbands as you do to the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wifeas Christ is the head of the church,his body, of which he is the Savior.

Now as the church submits to Christ,so also wives should submit totheir husbands in everything.

(Ephesians 5:22-24)

Husbands, love your wives,just as Christ loved the church

and gave himself up for herto make her holy, cleansing her by thewashing with water through the word,

and to present her to himselfas a radiant church,

without stain or wrinkle or blemish,but holy and blameless.

(Ephesians 5:25-27)

In this same way, husbands ought tolove their wives as their own bodies.He who loves his wife loves himself.

After all, no one ever hated his own bodybut they feed and care for their body,

just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body.

(Ephesians 5:29-30)

“For this reason a man will leave his fatherand mother and be united to his wife,and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I amtalking about Christ and the church.However, each one of you also must

love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

(Ephesians 5:31-33)

Chiasmus

A B

A B

All for one and…Ask not what your

country can do for you…

People don’t care how much you know until…

I’m stuck on Band-Aid…If you can’t be with the

one you love, honey…Whoever exalts himself

will be humbled but…

B A

Noah and his sons (Gen 6:10)All life on earth (6:13:a)Curse on earth (6:13:b)Flood announced (6:7)Ark (6:14-16)All living creatures (6:17–20 )Food (6:21)Animals (7:2–3)Entering the Ark (7:13–16)Waters increase (7:17–20)God remembers Noah (8:1)Waters decrease (8:13–14)Exiting the Ark (8:15–19)Animals (9:2,3)Food (9:3,4)All living creatures (9:10a)Ark (9:10b)No more floods (9:11)Blessing on earth (9:12–17)All life on earth (9:16)Noah and his sons (9:18,19a)

Noah and his sons (Gen 6:10)All life on earth (6:13:a)

Curse on earth (6:13:b)Flood announced (6:7)

Ark (6:14-16)All living creatures (6:17–20 )

Food (6:21)Animals (7:2–3)

Entering the Ark (7:13–16)Waters increase (7:17–20)

God remembers Noah (8:1)

Waters decrease (8:13–14)Exiting the Ark (8:15–19)

Animals (9:2,3)Food (9:3,4)

All living creatures (9:10a)Ark (9:10b)

No more floods (9:11)Blessing on earth (9:12–17)

All life on earth (9:16)Noah and his sons (9:18,19a)

Noah and his sons (Gen 6:10)All life on earth (6:13:a)

Curse on earth (6:13:b)Flood announced (6:7)

Ark (6:14-16)All living creatures (6:17–20 )

Food (6:21)Animals (7:2–3)

Entering the Ark (7:13–16)Waters increase (7:17–20)

God remembers Noah (8:1)

Waters decrease (8:13–14)Exiting the Ark (8:15–19)

Animals (9:2,3)Food (9:3,4)

All living creatures (9:10a)Ark (9:10b)

No more floods (9:11)Blessing on earth (9:12–17)

All life on earth (9:16)Noah and his sons (9:18,19a)

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the LordFor the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of the churchHe himself is the Savior of the bodyBut as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbandsHusbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the churchThat He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the wordThat he might present to himself the church in all her gloryShe would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkleSo husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodiesNo one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the churchBecause we are members of his bodyFor this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two become one fleshThis mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the churchNevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife even as himselfAnd the wife is to respect her husband

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the LordFor the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of

the churchHe himself is the Savior of the body

But as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbands

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church

That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the word

That he might present to himself the church in all her glory

She would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkle

So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies

No one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the church

Because we are members of his bodyFor this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two

become one fleshThis mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the

churchNevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife

even as himselfAnd the wife is to respect her husband

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the LordFor the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of

the churchHe himself is the Savior of the body

But as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbands

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church

That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the word

That he might present to himself the church in all her glory

She would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkle

So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies

No one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the church

Because we are members of his bodyFor this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two

become one fleshThis mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the

churchNevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife

even as himselfAnd the wife is to respect her husband

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the LordFor the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of

the churchHe himself is the Savior of the body

But as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbands

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church

That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the word

That he might present to himself the church in all her glory

She would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkle

So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies

No one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the church

Because we are members of his bodyFor this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two

become one fleshThis mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the

churchNevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife

even as himselfAnd the wife is to respect her husband

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the LordFor the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of

the churchHe himself is the Savior of the body

But as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbands

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church

That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the word

That he might present to himself the church in all her glory

She would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkle

So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies

No one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the church

Because we are members of his bodyFor this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two

become one fleshThis mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the

churchNevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife

even as himselfAnd the wife is to respect her husband

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the LordFor the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of

the churchHe himself is the Savior of the body

But as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbands

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church

That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the word

That he might present to himself the church in all her glory

She would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkle

So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies

No one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the church

Because we are members of his bodyFor this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two

become one fleshThis mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the

churchNevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife

even as himselfAnd the wife is to respect her husband

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the LordFor the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of

the churchHe himself is the Savior of the body

But as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbands

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church

That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the word

That he might present to himself the church in all her glory

She would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkle

So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies

No one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the church

Because we are members of his bodyFor this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two

become one fleshThis mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the

churchNevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife

even as himselfAnd the wife is to respect her husband

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the LordFor the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of

the churchHe himself is the Savior of the body

But as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbands

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church

That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the word

That he might present to himself the church in all her glory

She would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkle

So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies

No one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the church

Because we are members of his bodyFor this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two

become one fleshThis mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the

churchNevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife

even as himselfAnd the wife is to respect her husband

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the LordFor the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of

the churchHe himself is the Savior of the body

But as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbands

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church

That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the word

That he might present to himself the church in all her glory

She would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkle

So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies

No one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the church

Because we are members of his bodyFor this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two

become one fleshThis mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the

churchNevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife

even as himselfAnd the wife is to respect her husband

Submit to one another out ofreverence for Christ.

(Ephesians 5:21)

ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις ἐν

φόβῳ Χριστοῦαἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν

ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ

Submitting to one another in reverence of Christ.The wives to their own husbands as to the Lordhupó = under + tasso = arrange

ὑποτασσόμενοι

ἰδίοιςi d i o t

own husbands as to

Halftime Questions

What are your favorite love songs?

What are your favorite romantic movies?

To make your marriage sizzle • With loving in your cup…When you’re wrong, admit it • When you’re right, shut up

Husbands, love your wives,

just as Christ loved the church.

(Ephesians 5:25)

Wives, submit yourselves to yourown husbands as

you do to the Lord.

(Ephesians 5:22)

Husbands, love your wives,

just as Christ loved the church.

(Ephesians 5:25)

Wives, submit yourselves to yourown husbands as

you do to the Lord.

(Ephesians 5:22)

†

Give, and it will be given to you.With the measure you use,it will be measured to you.

Whatever you do,work at it with all your heart,

as working for the Lord!

(Luke 6:38, Colossians 3:23)

Wives, submit yourselvesto your own husbands so that,if any of them do not believe,

they may be won over without wordsby the behavior of their wives,

when they see the purityand reverence of your lives.

(1 Peter 3:1-2)

Husbands, in the same waybe considerate as you live

with your wives,and treat them with respect

as the weaker partnerand as heirs with you

of the gracious gift of life.

(1 Peter 3:7)

Husbands, in the same way

The wife does not haveauthority over her own bodybut yields it to her husband.

In the same way,the husband does not haveauthority over his own body

but yields it to his wife.

(1 Corinthians 7:4)

You are not your own;you were bought at a price.

Therefore honor Godwith your bodies.

(1 Corinthians 6:20)

Honor one another above yourselves.

None of you should seek his own good,but the good of others.

Humbly value others above yourselves,not looking to your own interestsbut to the interests of the others.

(Romans 12:10, 1 Corinthians 10:24, Philippians 2:3-4)

Your attitude should be the sameas that of Christ Jesus:

Who being in the very nature God,did not consider equality with God

a thing to be grasped,But made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,being made in the likeness of man,He humbled Himself and became

obedient to death: even death on a cross!

(Philippians 2:5-8)

The bride belongs to the groom.The friend who attends the groom

waits and listens for him,and is full of joy

when he hears the groom's voice.That joy is mine,

and it is now complete.

(John 3:29)

Jesus answered,“How can the guests of the groom fast

while he is with them?The time will come whenthe groom will be taken

from them; then they will fast.

(Matthew 9:15)

Let us rejoice and be gladand give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lambhas come, and his bridehas made herself ready.

Fine linen, bright and clean,was given her to wear.

(Fine linen stands for the righteousacts of God’s holy people.)

(Revelation 19:7-8)

Closing Questions

As the perfect groom,how did Christ love the church?

How can we as a churchbecome a better bride?

My mom is tough. She buried three husbands.And two of them were just napping. (Rita Rudner)