The Talk of Men: 14 Jan 2011

14 Jan 2011

Please read Todd's prayer requests and pray today. Today is transplant day.

Reading: Ephesians 5

Again, I direct you back to the audio sermon files at http://fm.thevillagechurch.net/sermons starting 12 Aug 2007, in the 3-week sermon series "The Role of Men".

I began reading this passage in verses 22 and 25, but then looked back to the beginning of the chapter, and immediately stopped short. Yesterday we were talking about courageous love, love that not only risks a loving action, but endures with this love [Thank you Brian].
To relate this to Pastor David's sermon on Sunday, if in talking about this kind of love yesterday, we would be focusing on looking outward. This passage today strikes deeply inward.

Verse 3 is one TALL order:
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

In my experience, guys (I fully included here) are overtly guilty in the area discussed in verse 4. However, as we read further into this chapter, I fully believe that Paul is scaling up in his challenges. First, is this personal purity area. Second, Paul challenges us to live as children of light (verse 9-11) and to understand what the Lord's will is (verse 17). Instead of living in and doing evil deeds, Paul says that we are supposed to expose them and bring them to light. Now, I don't think that Paul intends for us to expose others' sins by "outing" them on a public blog or in front of the church, but rather for one man to sharpen another, just as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). But remember, Paul is still talking to both men and women here, this is not exclusive for us males to be doing. It isn't until verse 25 that Paul addresses the men specifically.

I think that it is no coincidence that Paul only spends 3 verses on the women, and then spend 8-9 verses on the men. As head of the household, there is much more call on the man. And this is where I think it gets really hard. Specifically, Paul commands the women to submit to their husbands. Paul commands the men to die (love your wife as Christ loved the church: What did he do for the church?). What does he mean? Well, how can you die?

Ways to die:
Die (physically), though through the movies we worship, we should be familiar and already comfortable with (Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, etc).
Die to the world.
Die to sin (might be considered the same as the previous).
Die to yourself.
While you may be called to do the first, I think this is the one we shouldn't be seeking out. :) However, step 1 is to die to the world. If we are a Christian, we have already begun the process. But in referring to our wives, I think we are dying ourselves. This is the hardest for me: To be strong, to stand firm, to put my wants and needs behind my wife's needs, all day, every day, and to not cry about it in the process.

My thoughts and questions:
Why is it so dang hard to love her in her love language when I am not feeling like doing it? Why is it sometimes easier to change the oil (something I also don't like doing) than to buy flowers when I am not feeling loved myself?

Do I know my wife's needs? Could I name them? If someone asked me what she needs me to do for her to feel love, would I be able to tell them? Would I be able to say that I regularly do those things?

What are other ways that I should be "dying to myself"?


Changing the subject....


Prayer Requests:
That God would prepare Todd's body for his transplant TODAY.
That God would strengthen Jen, as she is taking care of most of the things at home, while visiting Todd in the hospital.
Pray for a boring and uneventful day.
Pray for the donor cells to completely take over Todd's body.
See Todd's Blog, specifically "T-1: Thankful!".