THAT SHE REVERENCE HER HUSBAND

Ephesians 5:22-33

Sunday Evening Sermon

August 23, 1998

Fair Avenue Baptist Church

I want us to take a few minutes tonight and look at VERSE 33.  I know this is not going to be a popular subject, but it is the Bible.

And I know it will not be popular with some of the women here in our church, but it is the Bible.  And then, there are some LADIES who will have no trouble with Scripture.

Since I started the Sunday afternoon class for the men, I thought it only right to spend some time on the women.

VERSE 33 is a verse that demands our attention, especially here at the end of the 20th century.

“...And the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

That’s a pretty potent verse, wouldn’t you say?

I looked up that word “reverence” to find the definition.

Are you ready for this?

I’m not sure you are.  I’m sure that Patricia Ireland and the National Organization of Women is not ready for this.

Reverence - venerate, meaning respect with fear and reverence

Reverence - treat with deference, yield due to respect and submission

Reverence - treat with reverential obedience

Reverence - to feel respect for

Reverence - respect, obedience, honor

How many men would say that these definitions describe your wife?

Of course, we have to go back to VERSE 22 and the word “submit.”

Submit - yield, retire

Submit - be in subjection

So, wives, submit to your husband

yield to your husband

be in subjection to your husband.

Powerful, isn’t it?

But it gets better!

“...the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

Wives, respect your husbands with fear and reverence,

Wives, treat your husbands with deference,

defer to HIS decision, not yours,

Some of you are squirming,

Wives, yield to your husbands due to respect and submission,

YIELD...

You’re not smiling,

Wives, treat your husbands with reverential obedience,

Obedience ... it’s even hard to say, much less do,

It’s tough, isn’t it?

Wives, feel respect for your husbands,

You look a little tense,

Wives, obey your husbands,

Wives, honor your husbands,

Pow - er - ful !

Genesis 18:12, “Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, Afer I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

The word “lord” means “master, strong.”

Sarah called her husband “lord” meaning “master and strong.”

“Lord”

Let that sink in a little bit.

Then to I Peter 3:6, “Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.”

First, notice Sara “obeyed” Abraham,

Second, she called him “lord.”

No obey if no reverence,

No obey if no respect,

No obey if no honor,

No obey if no yield,

No obey if no subjection,

And lastly, notice it is unconditional.

Sarah, through her example, AND the recording of Scripture,

that she obeyed,

she called him lord,

and it was unconditional.

No where does it she was to obey or respect or defer or honor IF he did this or that.

It just says DO IT!

Too many women today totally disregard this passage of Scripture and get mad and offended.

Too many women today excuse this verse like they do so many others.

Too many women today try to come up with any kind of loophole to avoid this verse.

“Well, I would IF my husband ....”

No IF’s

“Well, I might IF my husband ....”

No IF’s

“Well, preacher, you don’t understand.”

NO, you don’t understand.

I close with Titus 2:3-5 where the Word of God,

the Bible,

the Holy Scriptures,

teaches us the DOCTRINE,

that’s right, the DOCTRINE,

that the older women are to teach the younger women several things,

VERSE 3 - to LOVE their husbands,

VERSE 5 - to be OBEDIENT to their husbands,

No conditions,

JUST DO IT!

And just for good measure, look at VERSE ONE, “But speak thou the things which become sound DOCTRINE.”

I just think it is time for Christian women to become Biblical women!

I just think it is time for Christian women to obey Scripture.

And it is most certainly time for Christian women to raise a new generation of young women that are Scriptural.

Women who will REVERENCE their husbands,

Women who will RESPECT their husbands,

Women who will DEFER and YIELD to their husbands,

Women who will HONOR their husbands,

Women who will be in SUBJECTION to their husbands,

Women who will OBEY their husbands,

with no strings attached!

Just do it because that is what God says.

And it definitely possible that we can raise a new generation of godly young ladies.