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Series–#3- "What Is The Church?"

The Church- A Wife

Text: Rev 21:9-10

9 ¶ And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.

There is an Old Testament verse I am going to apply to the church in Isa.54:5 which says, "Thy Maker is thy Husband."

Introduction:

In this heavenly scene of Rev. 21, we are introducted to the bride, the Lamb’s wife. Of course we all know who "The Lamb" referred to in verse 21 is. It is a refererence to the "Lamb slain before the foundation of the word," who was introduced in due time–none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s pre-ordained Lamb.

The Lamb is enough to demand our attention. He is the altogether lovely one to His bride, because he bore the sins of His bride on Calvary’s cross. He is the lovliest of the lovely, the wisest of the wise, the strongest among the strong. All of heaven worships and adores who He is, and bows before his authority and resplendent majesty and glory.

When John was told that he would be shown the bride, the wife of the Lamb, he is carried by the Spirit of God to a high mountain. Then, John saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. It shines and glows with the glory and eternal brightness of Holy God. It is a dazzling and glorious place where the saints, the church, the wife of the Lord Jesus Christ dwells. The city here is called the bride, because it is the church, the wife of the Lord Jesus Christ, that will dwell within its walls and gates.

There in that city God will wipe away every tear from His bride and the former things of the earth will have passed away. All things will be new in the eternal order, when the Wife, the church, will be with her heavenly bridegroom forever and ever, worlds without end.

The Lamb will be forever with his wife, His bride, the church, in the most glorious place that has ever touched the imagination of man. I am looking forward to being with my Heavenly Bridegroom eternally, in endless time. Heaven will not be heaven because of what we left behind( troubles, trials, and heartaches), but because of who we will be with, our blessed and wonderful Lord Jesus.

This term "wife" speaks of the spiritual union that exists between Christ and His church. I believe the church of Christ, all of those who have been saved in this age of grace, will make up the church "in the forever" that we will soon know and experience.

Let’s consider how the church is likened unto a wife.

I. SERIOUS CONTRACT

A- Observation

A wife is one who has made a serious contract with a man to be married to him for the rest of their lives. Marriage is a serious thing and is not to be entered into lightly or frivilously. It is a life-time committment. It is not a "try it and see if you like it" proposition. People that get married should plan to stay married. If both parties had that kind of mentality marriages would last.

I believe my wife meant what she said when she stood at the marriage alter and said she would take me for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. She meant business that day we were married. It was a solemn agreement that we would give ourselves to one another for the rest of our earthly lives.

B- Application

The church or the saved, have a solemn contract with the Lord

Jesus Christ.

Romans 7:1-4 speaks about it.

1 ¶ Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Note:

The figure of the marriage bond is given to show the believer’s relation to the legal principle. Sanctification by grace delivers from the legal principle by the death of the believer and by the marriage of the believer. Who dies according to these verses in Romans? Is it the law? Is it Christ? Is it the believer? Christ died die but His death is not what is mainly emphacised here, but the believer’s death in union with Him. When the believer "dies" it is not law that governs Him, but Christ, because he has been brought into and made a part of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, or the church, the Lamb’s wife.

 When Jesus died he did something very wonderful:

Col 2:14 -- "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."

Question:

If we died, how can we be married? Dead people normally don’t get married. In our union with the resurrected Christ, He has gotten a bride through death and resurrection. When we savingly believe, we are married to the risen Christ. That means we share in His past triumphs, His present life, and His future glory! God the Father has taken the hand of His Son, and united them permanently, as is the bond of husband and wife!

II. FULL GIVING

A. Observation

When a woman is married to a husband, she gives herself to him, and he gives himself to her. They consent to take each other just as they are and to meet the other person’s needs in every way possible.

Some say marriage is a 50/50 proposition. No, that is far from the truth. It is a 100%/100% proposition. It is the man giving all and the woman giving all. That giving 100% must never stop; if it does a marriage is headed for deep trouble.

The reason so many marriages go on the rocks and are dashed to pieces is because one tries to give 100% and the other partner does not do his or her part. If the bride will give herself as she should to her husband, he will in turn give himself completely to the bride.

 B. Application

In the spiritual relationship between Christ and His Wife, the giving part is never lacking from the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives his very best and His all for us. He did it at Calvary and has continued to do so since the day we were saved by grace and became His wife.

We ought to give ourselves to the Lord because of what He has done for us. In 2 Cor.8:5 the Bible says, "They gave themselves to the Lord." That is what we are to do as the wife of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Someone made this observation:

When we date we start giving candy and flowers. When they are engaged there are diamonds and personal things, but when you do marry, the best thing that you can give to the person you marry is to give them youself, wholly, completely and entirely.

What does it mean to give ourselves completely to the Lord?

We give Him our time, our talents, all we have, am, or all I can do to glorify His magnificent name.

III. COMPLETE LOYALTY

A. Observation

One of Israel’s mains sins was going after other gods.

De 31:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go [to be] among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. {sleep: Heb. lie down}

When you get married you have one marriage partner, and you are to be loyal to that person. You have pledged it with the marriage vows and should practice it. Leaving all others, we cling to our husband or wife. You are obligated to be "true" to the person to which you commit yourself in marriage.

Are we true to our mates? Or do we just SAY we are?

About a third (39 percent of men, 27 percent of women) of USA TODAY readers responding to a living in the USA survey say they've had an extramarital affair.

"My guess is more of them had an affair and didn't admit it," says Fred Humphrey, past president of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Major studies on extramarital affairs conducted in the '40s indicated that at least 50 percent of married men in the USA and 26 percent of married women had affairs by the time they hit 40. Some researchers think the number of women having affairs is rising -- possibly approaching 50 percent.

Experts say extramarital affairs rarely have happy endings. Humphrey points out that about half of married couples either divorce or separate when one spouse learns of the other's affair. Others anguish over trying to salvage the relationship.

"Learning about it results in instant pain and anger," he says. "Then there will always be a barrier, to some extent.

Heb. 13:14 says, "Marriage is honorable in all and in the bed undefiled, but adulters and whoremongers, God will judge."

B. Application:

We should be faithful to the one to which we are spiritually married.

1. Trust Him completely for salvation.

2. Say no to sin, for sin rivals our affection for the Lord.

3. Deny our self, and never let our own desires come above our loyalty to our Heavenly Husband, Christ our Lord.

You should want the Lord to always be able to count on you whether on the job, at school, or wherever you may be, to be faithful to Him and to His righteous and holy cause.

A. Observation

The Bible teaches that the woman is to be in submission to the husband out of reverence and respect.

Eph 5:22 says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."

Eph. 5:23 states, "The husband is the head of the wife."

Eph. 5:33 declares, "The wife see that she reverence her husband."

1 Cor. 14:34 says, "Let your women keep silence in the churches." They are not to dominate over the male-leadership in the church.

The woman’s role is one of submission to the Lord and to His church.

Note:

The women’s liberation movement continues to move on in our society, supposedly freeing women. No, if a woman is not in her proper place Biblically, she can never know the fulfillment of life she could know otherwise.

We live in a day where in some church situations, the women run the church, run the deacons, run the pastor ; God never intended things be done that way.

The man is to be the head of the house. It is not that he will not consider what His wife says, but He is to make the final decision.

B. Application

How does the "wife" of the Lord Jesus Christ practice this in daily life?

1. Show Christ submission-

"Submission"= to put yourself under the authority of another.

If you are under, what the one above you desires is that which must go.

Illustration:

I found that out in four years of military service, especially in boot camp. It was not so much what I wanted that mattered, but what my superiors above me desired. I put myself under the authority of those above me in the Navy, because I had to, once I had signed up.

We should put ourselves under the authority of Christ because we love Him and we just want to do so.

2. Show Christ reverence-

When Paul uses the word "reverence" in Eph. 5:33, it comes from a word that means " to fear or be afraid." It has the idea that since God has said what He has in His word about the woman submitting, she should be afraid to not submit to her husband. He is to be recognized as the one with final authority.

The Father has committed all judgment unto the son (Jn.5:22).

V. INTENSE STRIVING

A. Observation

A wife in a marital relationship is to live to please her husband.

The Bible in speaking of a wife in relation to her husband says,

"She that is married careth how she may please her husband."

(1 Cor. 7:34).

A man is hard to please often times, but the wife just keep on trying and seek to do that which gratifies him.

"Please" to accomodate one’s self to the opinions, desires, and interests of others.

When a wife wants to please a husband she will try to be interested in what he is interested, his opinions and desires will be what she seeks to serve, that is if he is the right kind of man.

B. Application

We should always live so as to please the Lord Jesus Christ.

Col 1:10- "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."

I want God to be so pleased that as he looks at me, He can gladly and proudly say, "There is one of my sons." Or for God as a husband to look at you and me and say that is a part of my bride, my wife.

If you displease the Lord, it does not matter who else you please.

When a wife marries a husband, she has an interest legally in his estate. She has a legal right to what is his.

That is one reason why so many do not consider marriage after their life-time partner dies. That person will get a part of the estate, that means less that the children will have. It holds some people back from a second marriage.

B. Application

That is so with believers. Because of our union with him, we become joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, "All things we made by Him and for Him"(Col 1:16.)

People around the world are living on land that we own because we are part of the "wife" of Christ.

My Heavenly Husband, the Lord Jesus owns everything.

VII. INTIMATE COMMUNION

A. Observation

 The Bible says of two who marry, "They are no more twain, but one flesh" (Matt. 19:6). Two become one in marriage, one physically, one emotionally, one socially, and in so many other ways.

B. Application

The Bible says, "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit"( 1 Cor. 6:17).

When the Bible says of "two becoming one flesh" it has reference to Christ and His church, according to Eph. 5:31. Both body and soul belong to the Lord, the soul goes to be with Him at death, later, Christ will raise our vile bodies and fashion them like unto His glorious body.

That is why the Lord Jesus feels with us in our suffering. We are one with him. He is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Heb. 4:15), as our Heavenly High Priest.

VIII. WONDERFUL SATISFACTION

A. Observation

A wife who has a good husband should be overtaken in a sense or security, sweetness, peace, and joy in the marriage state.

She feels secure because of who her husband is. Her husband is better to her than ten or twenty sons would be. She is satisfied with him, if there were no one else.

B. Application

The church has a special affection toward it’s husband. He is so special to them. "Unto us who believe, he is precious"(1 Pet.2:7). A wife loves her husband in such a special way that she loves no one else upon the earth. They share so many things together.

Christ is more than mother, father, daughter, brother or sister.

He is the fairest of ten thousand and the Lily of the Valleys.

The Psalmist said in Ps 73:25, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee."

The Lord is not always satisfied with me, but I am satisfied with Him. He is all I need, want, and desire and more!!

Note:

You don’t need to try to find something better when you have the best! We have that in Christ!

A. Observation

When a loving wife sees her husband offended or angry with her, when she has greatly troubled him, she is never satisfied until he is satisfied again, and things are brought back to where they once were.

If you offend the one you love, you want to get it right.

B. Application

If we offend Christ by our sin and wrong doing, then we are not satisfied until we get at His feet and ask His forgiveness for what we have done wrong.

Isa 63:15 ¶ Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where [is] thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?

Isa 64:9 Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we [are] all thy people.

X. SPIRITUAL SECURITY

A. Observation

When a wife marries a husband, and she is in debt, as soon as she is married her husband legally is also responsible for her debts.

It is his portion to help satisfy and pay what she owes to her debtors and creditors.

B. Application

We had a debt to the law we could not pay, so when we married Christ, he pays off all of our debts.

That is what Calvary is about. Jesus paid my debt for sin some 2,000 years ago at Calvary. He stands between wrath and justice. He keeps us from being imprisoned in hell, because of non-payment of our debts. When we married Jesus, all of our debts were paid in full. The sin debt, the debt to the law, it was all paid for through the spotless, sinless blood of Christ.

A. Observation

If a woman is married to a prince, or a king, she becomes a queen and has honor and dignity because of her husband. All of her needs are provided for in life. She does not have to work a public job.

Ills.

Wife of senator or congressman.

B. Application

We have been raised to "heavenly heights" through the honor and dignity of our Heavenly Bridegroom. In heavenly places now in Christ. Our Husband is the "Potentate of All Potentates."

He is the "King of all Kings" and the "Lord of All Lords."

A. Observation

A wife gives forth children to her husband.

B. Application

The church is to be fruitful for Jesus and produce spiritual children.

A.Observation

A Wife has an opportunity to know her husbands mind.

B. Application

Prov. 30:14 tells us the "Secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.

God reveals the things of God to us through the Spirit.

CONCLUSION:

One of the greatest things is that we cannot lose our husband. Some of you wives have gone to the cemetary and had to see you husband’s body planted in the ground but not so with the Lord Jesus. He died once and thats it. He will never appear in the obituary column. He ever lives!

We should show that we are happily married to Christ.

We must be true to Him.

We better not tamper in a wrong way with the church, she is the wife of the Lord Jesus. You don’t abuse a man’s wife.

SERMON FROM DR. TOM WALKER
ZION HILL BAPTIST--MARION, NC--USA

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