Bible Text: Ephesians 5:22-33 | Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: Ephesians, The Christian Home

1. “The husband is head of the wife—true, Paul said that; but he also said that a husband must love the wife as Christ loved the church, with a love which never exercises a tyranny of control but which is ready to make any sacrifice for her good.”  (Wm. Barclay)

2.  Men are directed to love their wife with an agape type love.  A love that is deliberate, of the will, concerning itself with the well-being of the one loved (passion and affection will follow this kind of love).  It is not selfish or self-serving.  It is patient and protecting.

3.  The model for a man’s love for his wife is Jesus Christ and His sacrificial love for the church.

4.  Jesus is both the example for love and for the exercise of authority.  In Matthew 20:20-28 Jesus set the standard for leadership when he called for servant style leadership.  Tony Dungy in his book The Mentor Leader illustrates this kind of leadership:  “The principal focus of service-directed leadership must be on a point beyond ourselves.  Such leadership must be other directed and other inspired.  Mentor leadership must be grounded in and springing from an emphasis on service as its primary focus.  Mentor leaders desire to help those they are privileged to lead to be better in whatever roles and responsibilities they have.  Truly serving others requires putting ourselves and our desires aside while looking for ways and opportunities to do what is best for others.”