Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily devotional as we continue in our God Vision for the Church series. Today we consider that the church, as the bride of Christ, is to love and obey Jesus.
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‘Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.’ (Ephesians 5:22-24)
In 1912 Ida and Isidor Straus set out to cross the Atlantic. They were among the wealthiest passengers on board the Titanic. When the ship struck the iceberg and began sinking, chaos ensued as passengers rushed to lifeboats. Isidor, as a VIP, refused to take a place on a lifeboat along with women and children, preferring to give his place for them; and his wife, Ida, when offered a seat along with them refused to leave her husband’s side. Though she was urged repeatedly to board a lifeboat, she simply could not imagine life without Isidor. According to eyewitnesses, she said, “I will not be separated from my husband. As we have lived, so will we die—together.” Despite the chance to save herself, Ida chose to stay with Isidor, and the couple was last seen standing arm in arm on the deck of the Titanic as the ship went down into the freezing waters of the Atlantic.
Paul, in this text, likens the relationship between a wife and her husband to the relationship between Jesus and His church. Yes, this is to inform how a wife and husband are to relate but it also informs how we, the bride of Christ (including those who are single), are to relate to Jesus - our husband. As His bride, the church is to love and obey Jesus. I know this seems very basic, but we need to be constantly reminded of the basics - at least I do!
The church’s love for Jesus is to be above all other loves. He is our priority and our relationship with Him takes precedence over all things. In fact, to relate it to our text, neither the wife nor husband should love and follow one another into anything that compromises their devotion and obedience to Christ! Jesus speaks to us with this challenge:
‘Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.’ (Matthew 10:37-39)
We love many people and things in our lives, but nothing is to be above our love for Christ.
Response
Today we’ve reflected on the truth that the church, as the bride of Christ, is to love and obey Jesus above all things. We heard of the account of a wife choosing death rather than leave her husband; can you and I say that we are faithful to Christ? Are we seeking to love and obey Him as our priority? Paul writes this:
‘I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.’ (1 Corinthians 11:2-3)
Are we jealous for Christ? Like the Ephesian church in the book of Revelation are we busy doing good things but having lost our first love?
Let’s pray together as we finish:
“Lord Jesus, I thank you for your perfect love for me and your church. Forgive me and help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Today, I choose to put you above all other loves in my life. Amen.”
Community Group Notes
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Our message on Sunday from our God’s Vision for the Church series was on how the church is The Bride of Christ. As such she is to receive Jesus’ love, Love Jesus and love the church which is so loved by Christ.
Please read Ephesians 5:22-33 and discuss:
Did God speak to you about anything from Sunday’s message?
As important as what this text says about marriage is, in this study, I want us to focus on what it says about the church’s relationship to Jesus; what does this say to us about the church’s relationship to Jesus?
As His bride, what does this say to us about Jesus’ love for us?
What does this say about how we are to love Jesus?
What does this say about how we are to love the church - the bride of Christ?
SIV - How will our seeking to live as the bride of Christ help us to reach our community for Christ?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend some time together talking and praying about who and how you are seeking to bring your community to Jesus.
Let’s pra
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