The Knight

14 Aug 2011

John Sweetman

What women want in a man

- sincerity
-showing emotions
-cuddling
-spontaneity
-adoration
-confidence
-bad boy
-maturity
-respect
-sincerity
-romance
-challenge
-humour
-attention
-money
-ambition
-generosity
-loyalty
-cooking skills
-being a gentleman

*Nobody's perfect and can't fulfill all the criteria
*Women are looking for a knight
Ephesians 5:25-28: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Description of a knight

*Some must have doubt a single man (Paul) giving this advice
*The Bible is just not a whole book of ideas. It came with different authors which God particularly inspired- so it is not Paul who said this but God- the creator which is giving us the best advice
*Old Testiment- Israel being the bride and God being the bridegroom which created controversy
*New Testiment- we are like the bride

*Paul's argument Ephesians 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
*So what did God (bridegroom) do to the church (bride)?

Love

*Jesus love the people
*In english, we got one word which defines love but may have different meanings
*Its otherwise in Greek
*God's meaning of love here is that he will give everything and keep us

Gave Himself

*He had incredible power, he was worshiped and adored but gave up everything and surrender for us

Cleansing Her

*We have a huge problem; selfishness, sinful, and brokenness in us makes us separated from God
*We can't be good enough for God but he cleansed us only through God that we can be pure, cleansed so that we can have a relationship with Him

Made us holy

*God's intention is not to make us clean but to change and to grow a little bit more like Jesus
*He encourages us if we make baby steps to grow like him

Present her

*One day, we will be pure and just like how He intended us to be
*In our desperation, He gave His life for us just like a knight
*We hear him through His word and know Him but have not seen Him until we come down the isle and walk into His arms
*He likes and wants to sacrifice Himself for us
*That is the idea how husbands should treat wives

*Its easy to act like a knight when we have just fallen in love not long ago but it gets difficult as time pass by

Role of a husband

1. Committing - agape (love)
2. Giving yourself
3. Affirming beauty- not just physically alone
4. Encouraging- all that she was meant to be

*A bride does not make herself beautiful, its the bridegroom's (God or husband's) job
Ephesians 5:28-30: In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body.

*We know how to look after ourselves
*As you look after yourself, so you have to look after your wife asking her needs and agenda
*Wives are a commitment for a lifetime

Ephesians 5:31-32: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

*It is unfair and beyond our ability but this is our responsibility and core for it is what God wants us to do
*If knights really gave themselves to princesses, not only would they be beautiful but their relationship would improve as well
*Divorce rates among Christians are almost the same rate as non-christians
*This should not be the case because we should have "Jesus stamp" on it
*Being a knight have to be voluntary

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**