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[0:00] The following message is given by Walt Alexander, lead pastor of Trinity Grace Church in Athens, Tennessee.! For more information about Trinity Grace, please visit us at TrinityGraceAthens.com.

[0:13] Ephesians chapter 5 verse 22, this is the word of the Lord. Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord.

[0:24] For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now, as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

[0:43] Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

[1:07] In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own body. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

[1:29] Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

[1:41] However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

[1:52] This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Well, many say behind every great man is a great woman, and I, of course, agree.

[2:03] In fact, in the 1830s, the well-known French writer, Alex de Tocqueville, came to America to see how democracy worked. When he returned home, he wrote the classic book, Democracy in America, and helped explain what is going on in America to help found democracy in France.

[2:24] And he said, at the end of this book, 600 pages, Now that I am drawing to the close of this work, in which I have spoken of so many things done by the Americans, if asked to what the singular prosperity and growing strength of that people ought mainly to be attributed, I should reply to the superiority of their women.

[2:48] Come on. According to him, the decisive factor of America's success was not its founding fathers. Or its constitution, or its checks and balances, or its system of courts, but are women.

[3:05] He goes on to say, Nowhere have I seen women occupying a loftier position than in the Americas. Interestingly, a first century reader of the New Testament would have been similarly struck by the lofty position to which women are placed.

[3:26] In a patriarchal society in which men were educated, held power, led in politics, owned property, had the right to marry and divorce women as they pleased, Jesus repeatedly treats women differently.

[3:40] Jesus treats women with kindness, compassion, dignity, and respect. Jesus does not look down on women. He doesn't look past them regardless of who they were, regardless of what they've done.

[3:58] Jesus calls women to occupy important places in the unfolding of his salvation. We think of Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene, Phoebe, Priscilla, and more.

[4:09] In fact, many say one of the most important reasons in which we believe the resurrection is true is because in all four Gospels, the first eyewitnesses were women.

[4:21] No first century author would make that up because women's testimony or testimony of a woman was not accepted in court.

[4:33] So what's going on when Jesus mentions women? Christianity elevates and esteems women highly.

[4:43] Christianity says man is not more intelligent or wise or noble or virtuous or important. Man is not more worthy of respect or of salvation.

[4:56] Man and woman are created in the image of God, both heirs of the grace of God undeservingly through Jesus Christ.

[5:07] Christianity shows stunning respect for women and shocking liberation to them. But Christianity stops short of overturning all differences and distinctions between men and women.

[5:24] Christianity does not say a woman can be anything a man can be. Christianity does not say a woman can do anything a man can do.

[5:36] The differences between man and woman are fundamental and foundational. That means they shape everything about what we do.

[5:48] But the differences are purposeful as well. Nowhere are the differences more clearly and more beautifully seen than or displayed than in Christian marriage.

[6:01] In this section of the book of Ephesians, the epistle to Ephesians, Paul is calling us to be filled with the Spirit. He calls us to be filled singing and addressing one another.

[6:13] And Psalms end spiritual songs singing and making melody to the Lord with all our hearts. And then he turns to these foundational structures. And how we're to be filled with the Spirit there.

[6:26] The relationships between wives and husbands. Children and parents. Employees and employers. The gospel and the Spirit of God do not overturn the structures of the first century society.

[6:41] And they don't overturn the structures, or at least the biblical ones, of our own. Rather, the gospel calls us to turn from self-interest and serve the Lord Jesus Christ in every relationship into which he has called us, even the ones where we submit and serve.

[6:59] So this morning on this Mother's Day, we're going to study what it means to be a Spirit-filled wife. What does a Spirit-filled wife look like? No doubt, just like every person is unique, the Spirit is going to display his work in unique ways.

[7:16] But there are marks in this text that are going to, or should mark, every woman who's filled with the Spirit. In a word, where we're going is, let every wife adorn the gospel and build up her marriage by supporting, respecting, and following her husband in all she does.

[7:36] Let every wife adorn the gospel and build up her marriage by supporting, respecting, and following her husband in all she does. Now I realize, considering the subject and the text, you might be tempted to tune me out right away.

[7:50] What can I say? Happy Mother's Day. Hold the applause. Now for some of us, some of you, this is a hard text because of the home in which you grew up, where these truths were mishandled, where the truth of leadership, headship, and submission were mishandled.

[8:16] Well, there's so many things I'd like to say to you that I don't have time to now, but I pray you'll give a listen. Some of you, you grew up in a home where these truths were opposed.

[8:27] Don't let anyone tell me a woman can't do what a man can do. Such that the Word of God was snuffed out at the start. For all of us, we've been profoundly shaped by feminism.

[8:41] Regardless of whether you've read some of the feminist works, it's shaped what you think a woman can do far more than you realize.

[8:52] But these truths are biblical, and I believe vital for our confused culture. That's why we proclaim them regardless of opposition. But I don't stand here as anything other than a pastor, your pastor.

[9:07] I want to proclaim these things to you because I love you, and I believe they're good. And God's Word is good.

[9:19] So let's take up the Word. Point one, submission is not to be coerced, but to be willing and voluntary. Submission is not to be coerced, but willing and voluntary.

[9:32] Preaching on a subject like this is like walking through a minefield. So I included in all the main points a negative that it's kind of trying to rule out to let the truth of the Scripture stand in contrast.

[9:45] So submission is not to be coerced, but to be willing and voluntary. This first point focuses on verse 22 and on the what of submission. What is submission?

[9:55] When we say submit, what do we mean? What is the Scripture calling for? We see the command there. In verse 22, it says, Wives, submit to your own husbands.

[10:06] The word submit occurs in verse 21 and is assumed here. It's used 38 times in the New Testament and always refers to ordered relationship.

[10:17] The idea is a structured relationship in which one party relates to the other party by submission, and the road never goes the other direction. It refers to demons submit, most often refers to demons submitting to Jesus Christ, or not most often, but very commonly, demons submitting to Jesus Christ, believers submitting to God, being subject to God, citizens to rulers, servants to masters, children to parents, but most often, it refers to all things being in subjection to Jesus Christ.

[10:50] We know that from 1 Corinthians 15 and Hebrews 2, all things have been put under his feet into subjection to him. But the second most common use of this word submit in the New Testament is in, every time it talks about, a wife's relation to her husband.

[11:12] So 1 Peter 3 says, Wives, be subject to your own husband, same word. So even if some do not obey the word, they may be one without a word.

[11:25] For this is how the holy women of God, hoped in God, used to adorn themselves by submitting to their own husbands. Colossians 3, Wives, submit to your husbands as is fitting in the Lord.

[11:40] In our passage, verse 22, Wives, submit to your own husbands. Verse 24, twice as the church submits to Christ. Also wives should submit in everything to their own husbands.

[11:54] It's striking that in every passage of New Testament Scripture where it addresses a wife's relationship to her husband, it includes this category of submission and never requires the husband to submit.

[12:10] So what is submit? What does it mean to submit? Well, the idea, I believe, is it's the proper response to authority? Now there's no doubt we've been in cases where there's bad authority, but the answer to bad authority, so you might have grown up in the home with bad authority, the answer to bad authority is not no authority, but good authority.

[12:30] That's what the New Testament says. So what is the response? I think in these words that Kevin DeYoung uses, submitting, or supporting, respecting, and following. That's the response it's looking for when this word is used throughout the New Testament, supporting, respecting, and following, and it means the same thing for a wife in Christian marriage.

[12:51] Now many balk at such a notion. It can't possibly mean that. Submission's outdated, out of fashion. Perhaps so, but we must not use a barometer to make up our theology.

[13:04] More importantly, even if it is outdated and out of fashion, the command is clear. We must admit our trouble with this is not because it's unclear. Our trouble is with what is clear, a command to submit.

[13:20] But several things bring submission into focus, like a camera in this verse. First, the command is focused on wives. You see that? Paul addresses wives first and foremost.

[13:32] It's a command for the wife to be submissive. It is addressed to her. Now there are examples in the first century and before of household codes like this.

[13:43] Aristotle and other places there are examples like this. But in none of those household codes is the person under subjection addressed as a category.

[13:54] But in this one, the Apostle Paul addresses the wife by her title, addresses her specifically. The idea is the command for the wife to submit is to be voluntary and willing.

[14:08] It's not a command for the husband to keep his wife submissive. That's unbiblical. The command is for a godly wife to voluntarily and willingly submit.

[14:25] For that reason, a godly husband will not say do this, do that. But a godly husband will say let's do this, let's do that, encouraging her to obey the command of God.

[14:37] The command is limited. It says, submit to your own husband. The command is not for women to submit to every man everywhere but to submit to one man, to her own husband.

[14:49] Just as the Apostle says in verse 28, husbands should love their own wife. There is a love that you promised to give to your wife the day you're married that you will not give to anyone else the same thing in this role of supporting, respecting, and following.

[15:06] So it's limited. Submit to your own husband but the command is also clarified. Submit to your husband as to the Lord. Now we know as we've seen throughout Ephesians this reference is the Lord Jesus Christ.

[15:21] Now some say this command no longer applies. There is no longer slave or free, male or female, all are one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3, right? The gospel brings down those differences but that's not what this verse says.

[15:35] The gospel does not nullify this command. It clarifies it. The gospel does not say wives you must no longer submit. The gospel says in all your submission, in all your supporting, respecting, and following your husband, you are serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

[15:53] Do you see? Completely transforms it the same way. Look down in verse 6, chapter 6, verse 5 when he's addressing slaves.

[16:05] He says, slaves obey your earthly masters, fear and trembling as you would Christ, not by way of eye service as people pleasers but as servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man.

[16:21] That's the idea. Submission, or the gospel does not throw out these commands but instead says in and through all the obedience to this command, you are serving the Lord Jesus Christ, rendering him a service.

[16:37] So submission in marriage is willing and voluntary, a willing support, respect, and following. There's an order to marriage. There's an order to this relationship that God has for us.

[16:53] And so, focus wives on submitting to your husbands. Focus on supporting, respecting, and following him.

[17:06] Wives, support your husbands. This is recovering some of what was going on, the purpose of woman back in the garden. God made you a helper, perfectly fit for him.

[17:18] Sometimes it may not feel like it but you are the one most equipped to help him fulfill his calling. That's what Adam needed, you know, when he's, when the, the word said it was not good for Adam to be alone, for man to be alone.

[17:32] He was not mainly needing a lover. Not mainly meaning a partner, a teammate. You know, all those things are kind of wonderful but most importantly he needs someone to help him fulfill the calling of God to be fruitful and multiply and that's what you're doing when you support your husband.

[17:49] Make him fruitful in his calling. Everything in his life may be going to pot but if he has your support he has more than enough. Wives, respect your husbands.

[18:01] There's few greater things you can give your husband than your respect. Listen when he talks. Seek his perspective. Talk well of him to your children and to your friends when he's not around.

[18:17] follow your husband. That's included in that word. A disposition to respond to his initiative to make it easy for him to lead.

[18:30] Don't be afraid to express your opinion. It's fine for you to do so but don't be always expressing your opinion. I must say my wife has helped me so much over the years by the way she has followed me.

[18:44] My wife never prayed to be a pastor's wife. You know there's some people out there that do that. She never did. Thank God she agreed to be my wife but then I became a pastor and it got complicated quick.

[18:58] So many of the dreams for her life or what she thought life was going to bring her have not come because of that. I asked her to follow me to Maryland and to Knoxville back for a handful of years and to follow me here seven years ago.

[19:15] So many times her just saying I'll follow you. At the end of the day uprooting her again and again from so many relationships because she wants to follow me.

[19:28] So don't make your husband ask for submission. That's the idea. Support him. Respect him. Follow him. You know one of the things I've really been affected by the past couple months I've been reading two big volumes on Charles Spurgeon his autobiography.

[19:42] I just finished it this week and Spurgeon had a long happy marriage to his wife Susanna. When they began dating she went with him to the church where he was to preach.

[19:53] They walked together. They talked about holding hands making their way getting a little physical early but you know making their way to the church together. As usual a crowd gathers around Spurgeon.

[20:06] You know in his day wildly famous he preaches and the crowd gathers around him afterwards so much so that he completely forgot about Susanna.

[20:18] His date for the night he completely forgot about her. She walked home alone. To his credit when he remembered Spurgeon ran home to her house and said where's Susie?

[20:32] Where's Susie? Where's Susie? But before he got there she told her mother everything and her mother said you must never never hinder him by trying to put yourself first in his heart.

[20:48] She's convicted and it's hard to exaggerate the significance she gave in pushing Spurgeon to put Christ first in his heart and come alongside him.

[21:00] You know in our days Spurgeon is famous with everybody Baptists, Presbyterians we're all we all love Spurgeon. In his day he was popular in some ways but often despised.

[21:15] You know he was mockingly called the boy preacher that was a derisive term. He was despised for the great crowds he was gathering that's the way it usually happens.

[21:27] someone blessed by God and despised by many. Susanna was a significant help during those days she reminded him of truth she reminded him of his Savior who faced opposition she prayed for him she came alongside him during one season she printed up or wrote up Matthew 5 11 and 12 blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account rejoice and be glad your reward be great in heaven so she printed that up framed it put it in his bedroom so he would see it she said I don't know how many days his eyes read those words another time they were he was in this busy season overwhelmed she kind of made a chain you know sometimes we make a paper chain for when we want to go somewhere and we're really excited well she made a chain for him for when he was going to get some rest when they were going to go on vacation and he said when she first made it it was a hundred and some odd days it filled the dining room table and guests would come in and think what is going on it's messy but he loved it because it reminded him of his wife helping him direct his heart that's what you get to do don't put yourself first push your husband to the Lord and support respect and follow him as he follows the Lord point two submission is not to be conditional but to be based upon the divine order submission is not to be conditional but based upon the divine order this second point focuses on the why of submission and that's exactly how the text breaks out in verse 23 why should a wife submit why is the command not reciprocal you know he submits sometimes

[23:12] I submit sometimes why not that that's what our culture says that's what it says the best marriage is but that's not the way this text says it look in verse 23 after saying wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord for that's a purpose clause the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church so the wife should submit to her husband because the husband is her head the head of the wife now commenting on this verse Spurgeon said humorously according to the apostle the husband is the head of the wife don't you try to be the head young lady but you be the neck you can turn the head whichever way you like to a groom he once said my friend don't you begin to feel proud because Paul says the husband is the head of the wife Solomon says a virtuous woman is his crown and the crown is on top of the head but what does it mean to be the head in both uses of this word in Ephesians which is how you do exegetical study it refers to rule and authority we remember this in chapter 1 verse 22 when it says

[24:22] Jesus Christ was exalted far above all rule and authority and power and dominion above every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come and he gave him as head over all things to the church this idea of ruler as this place of authority over all power and authority so headship refers to authority also chapter 4 verse 15 it says we're growing up in every way into the head so this idea that Jesus is the head he's in heaven we are the body we're on earth but also in which he gives life to our body leadership to us we grow up in every way into him who is the head such that we give follow his direction and leadership and so the word refers to rule and authority here as well we see that also in verse 33 when it says wives respect your husband it really means wives fear your husband so it's it's it's it's it's relating to authority we see it also in the structure of these household codes and so headship refers to authority and not anything else

[25:35] I would argue and it's based upon divine order it's based upon the order of creation again and again when the bible teaches the differences and distinctions between man and woman it returns to the creation order man was made first woman second you can see that first corinthians 11 first timothy 2 man was made from the ground woman from man man was not made for woman woman was made for man in the garden we see it woman was created to be a helper fit for him the helper idea affirms this authority is helper demeaning is it a statement of inferiority no helpers use more of the living God than it is for a woman in the bible the differences and distinctions are not about first place and second place but about divine order and design you don't hammer nails with an iphone so too you a woman is to walk and live in a certain way but it's also about the order of redemption look at the way this verse continues look at verse 23 get your eyes on it for the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church his body and is himself its savior the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the body of the church his body he gives life's direction and leadership to the church it continues he unlike the husband is a savior for the church a husband does not save his wife but all of this means that far from doing away with the divine order of creation the divine order of creation is deepened and strengthened by redemption more precisely the command here to submit is to reverse the curse and reestablish the design of God in the garden as we said the divine design and order was for a woman to be a helper fit but sin corrupted it woman's desire was for the man to overtake him

[27:46] Genesis 3 16 man began to treat his wife with harshness she began to try to control him and so God commands the wife to submit in order to reverse the effects of the curse to resist the temptation to control manage manipulate and lead their husband there may be no greater temptation for a wife than the temptation to control now we say happy wife happy life perhaps it's true but why is it because a wife at times can still grab at the reins is it because she keeps playing hard to get is it because she views support as a good to be purchased respect as a reward to be earned is it because it's a way for her to maintain control I think in our culture yes happy wife happy life is ungodly at times even if it's a helpful description because it's based on the divine order submission is not to be conditional do you see it's supposed to be disconnected from the conditions of the relationship

[29:17] I know this is hard stuff but it's I think faithful the scripture headship is stated as a fact a reality that never changes Christ never goes in and out of headship and so too your husband doesn't either and so your your response to this should not be based on your husband's mental capacity spiritual maturity arm strength or past performance it should not even be based on his love even the ungodly love those who love them is what Jesus says what's all this mean your submission is to be unconditional you must not wait until your husband deserves to be supported you must not wait until he deserves to be respected you must not wait until he deserves to be followed it will never happen you look for when he deserves it and you'll always find him lacking after all would you want your husband to wait until he finds you to be worthy so how do we think about does this command to submit always apply if it's not conditional then that means it always applies what about a husband who's not a believer though you must not join him in ungodliness though you must walk differently as a child of light you can support and respect him as the husband

[30:42] God has given you and thank him whenever he does walk in selfishness one of the most fascinating writings from the first century is about wives that are born again and continue to serve even though their husbands are Greeks and they do not love God so how do you honor in this relationship it's a complex question but it's still one that needs to be answered and thought through what about a husband who's physically abusive does this say just submit if a husband hits you you should run because that's the effective ripping apart of the commitment that marriage upholds and so you should run you should protect yourself and your children you should seek help for your marriage and pray for his repentance what about a husband who's failed in some significant way a husband who's served himself a husband who's made work too important indulge lust in deep and horrible ways a husband who's squandered finances invested in the wrong thing though he may lose your trust he must not lose your respect it's difficult to navigate at times what about a husband who just needs to change now every one of you is married to a husband that needs to change and he's married to someone who needs to change too we all need to change the command to submit does not mean you no longer encourage exhort help and pray for your husband to change it's not about you acquiescing to him being a jerk some days a week that's not what the scripture is commanding rather the command to submit means you no longer try to change him yourself that's a fearful thing for a wife that quits trying to fix you and starts praying for you because that's when it's going to start coming down you know the little lord and the heart of the king is like a stream of many waters in his hands you want your husband to change you want him to change go and pray for him here is what you must see in all this the command to submit is a call to trust will you trust

[33:12] God to lead your husband to lead you will you trust this is not arbitrary that God is not a God of randomness that God has done this in a purposeful way the safety and comfort you want will not be found in taking matters into your own hands the safety and comfort want and trusting God and following his design point three submission is not to be selective but to be sought in everything submission is not to be selective but sought in everything the third point focuses on the how how where how does submission work how does it look look in verse 24 and kind of a summarizing statement now as the church submits to Christ also wives should submit in everything to their husbands the focus is on the church in verse 23 the focus was on Christ you know the husband is to look at

[34:14] Christ he's like Christ in the relationship and now the focus is on the church as the church submits to Christ you notice that the sequence is reversed and the last we heard about the husband first and then Christ and his role now we read of the church first and then our role the idea is the wife is meant to learn about submission by watching the way the church supports respects and follows Christ according to the book of Ephesians the wife is meant to see!

[34:50] how her husband honors Christ and thanks him for his blessing respects and honors Christ's rule pursues and welcomes Christ's presence receives and employs Christ's gifts looks to and follows Christ's lead throughout the book of Ephesians it is as if the church cannot get its eyes off of Christ that's not going to be fulfilled perfectly but it is to be the image of a wife to take in that that's the way a wife is to submit to her husband what does that mean in marriage and Paul applies that to marriage saying the wife should submit in everything so submission is not to be selective you know I tell people I can be a Christian when I plan to you know

[35:51] I can selectively be a Christian sometimes in my life but but not all the time like when somebody cuts me off on the road or drive slow in the left lane being a Christian is a different demand we can do the same thing with submission you know I'll have these things I'll talk to him about but not the other things you know and so it must not be now obviously when everything says everything it does the wife is not called to submit to her husband in any of the sins forbidden in the book of Ephesians or in any other part of scripture the wife must not submit to her husband in sin of any kind the wife must not submit to her husband in anything harmful to herself or her children the wife must not become an unthinking doormat doing whatever her husband wants to do that's not what it means we must the wife must continue to walk carefully consider carefully how she walked not as unwise but as wise the point is there should be no part of her life purposefully hidden from her husband and his leadership there should be no part of a wife's life in which her husband's leadership guidance counsel and correction are unwelcome there should be no doors where the wife post keep out there should be no restricted areas no separate bank accounts except for extraordinary circumstances no hidden places the idea is submission is not to be selective it's meant to shape every area of your life in the first century you'd wear a head covering to let everyone know you are a person committed to a man in this century you take someone's last name often it's a way of saying regardless of where

[37:52] I am or what I'm doing I'm always defined by this relationship to my husband and my responsibility to him to follow him and so there's a similar thing going on here submission not to be selective selecting according to what we want but instead of disposition to follow and to seek his advice counsel correction and so on many times this works out in the home and decision making where are we going to live what house are we going to buy what car are we going to drive how are we going to spend our extra money how are we going to school the kids those are the decisions that keep parents up at night right they are decisions where decision making gets tough but because because submission is not to be coerced a husband should not say we're going to do this or that get in line none of those decisions should be made without hearing a wife's questions concerns desires and perspectives otherwise it's just coercion and it's ungodly but when it comes to some of these decisions which we've come to a handful of time in our married life there comes a time where there's not a consensus and someone needs to make a decision at those times that's when you want your husband to make the decision you say to him and this is a great thing to say as a wife it's on you pal and then you promise not to throw it in his face you know because sometimes those decisions come back but it's on you

[39:34] I was talking to a husband this week that says his wife they love that mean they love the deliberation phase the wonderful communication but then at a certain point she says his wife just says to him I'm fine with whatever you choose and it's like reverse psychology he says because he's suddenly thrown back to the mat you know praying and fasting and asking the Lord for direction that's exactly what you want don't hold on to what you think you want call him to that that's what you want you want a man that's bowed down on his knees not one bowed down before you you want to push him towards the Lord in everything that every wife adorned the gospel built up her marriage by supporting respecting and following her husband what's it all for what's it all for in the the player

[40:39] Alice in Wonderland which I haven't watched in a long time but Alice is lost and afraid in the wonderland and she asked the Cheshire cat will you please tell me which way I ought to go the Cheshire cat replied well that depends a good deal on where you want to go Alice said it doesn't really matter the Cheshire cat smiled and said well that doesn't really matter either and it doesn't matter which way you go ladies if you want your marriage to look like everyone else's in the world then it doesn't really matter which way you go but your marriage was designed to point to something to someone to the gospel to the relationship between Christ and the church the world is watching your kids are watching a marriage forged in self-interest just tells everything watching don't let anyone stand in the way of you that's all it says and you wonder why our culture has a hard time with this reality but a marriage forged in self-denial and laying down our lives and following

[41:53] God's good design tells everyone watching there's something greater to live for there's something greater than self-interest there's one who who did not count his own did not count the glory of God as something to be held on to as something to be grasped but instead emptied himself by becoming a servant and so we follow him in these roles such that he receives all the glory and honor and I believe the fruit will rise up and bless the Lord and you think about this in this passage if you think about the fruit of the church following the Lord it's breathtaking now we all know from reading the scriptures it never went well when the church did everything right in their own eyes it never went well judges was a massive disaster but running through this passage the wonderful fruit of the church following her Lord disciples being built up this disciple making factory gifts being displayed graces being enjoyed praise to

[42:55] God well there's a similar thing that goes on when the order of God is represented in the home little disciples pop up and start fearing the Lord and see that there's something better than what I want my culture says to me nothing should tell me tell me what is true for me I got to decide that but that's not what you're saying when you stand for something different so let us do it ladies adorn the gospel build up your marriage by supporting respecting and following your husband in all that he does and all that you do for the glory of Christ let us pray father in heaven we thank you for the word of God heaven and earth will pass away but not one word from your holy scriptures will ever pass away Lord it's so easy to build our houses on the things of shifting sand but we want to build our house on the rock on the word of

[44:01]  God that is living and active sharper than any two edged sword that is authoritative inerrant infallible sufficient for every generation Lord I pray that anything helpful would be applied anything unhelpful would be forgotten Lord I pray that you would raise up in our midst spirit filled women even more so than you already have who love these things for the honor of Christ we pray in Jesus name amen you've been listening to a message given by Walt Alexander lead pastor of Trinity Grace Church in Athens Tennessee for more information about Trinity Grace please visit us at trinitygraceathens.com trinity