I’m a Christian, and sometimes a teacher/preacher.

This sermon discusses what is better than and greater than Jesus.

Bigger Than Jesus

In 1966, John Lennon said that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.

There’s a riddle that goes:

What is greater than God,
and worse than the devil?
The rich need it,
the poor have it,
and if you eat it, you’ll die?
(click here for the answer)

Discussion Questions

• What are some of the biggest (most important) things in your life?
• If you could rearrange your priorities, what would you change?

Apostle Miracles

The Apostles were doing amazing things before they had received the Holy Spirit.

Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. (Matthew 10:1)

They drove out many demons and healed many sick people. (Mark 6:13)

John, don’t be such a tattletale.

But the Twelve didn’t have a corner on the market.

John said, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” Jesus answered, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a miracle in my name can say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:38-40)

The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two. “Heal the sick there and tell them the kingdom of God has come.” The seventy-two returned with joy saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” (Luke 10:1,9,17)

Your shadow is a confirmation that light has traveled nearly 93 million miles unobstructed, only to be deprived of reaching the ground in the final few feet thanks to you.

After Christ died, rose, and ascended, they upped their game.

The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. (Acts 5:12)

Even Peter’s shadow got into the act. People lined up just to get close enough to Peter that his shadow would touch them.

People brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. (Acts 5:15)

Paul’s groupies did Peter one better by sending Paul’s used handkerchiefs away to cure people. Paul didn’t even need to be in the neighborhood.

When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched Paul’s skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled. (Acts 19:12)

Well, I guess as long as they got a referral from their primary physicians, and their insurance covered it…

They even rose the dead back to life.

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha; she was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. (Acts 9:36-41)

But not everyone on the receiving end of an Apostle’s miracle was happy about it.

“You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” Immediately, darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. (Acts 13:11)

A man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.
Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things. (Acts 5:1-10)

But that was just the beginning.

Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)

Whoever believes will do even greater things.

Even greater things.

We as believers can do even greater things than those.

Discussion Questions

• What miracles has God performed in your life?
• What great things can we do in Jesus’ name?

Better Than Jesus

Jesus repeatedly told his followers that he wouldn’t be with them forever, but that it would be worth it.

Jesus said, “If I go, I will prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:3)

It would have been amazing to be one of Jesus’ original followers, and to know him personally when he walked the earth as a man.

But there’s something even better than that.

Jesus told them, “It is best for you that I go away. Because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

It is best for you that I go. There is something better than God walking along alongside us after all — and that’s to have God inside us.

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” (John 14:16)

“The Spirit of truth will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” (John 16:14)

“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

Sort of like being a person of interest in a murder investigation, if television crime dramas are to be believed.

“I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” (Luke 24:49)

Jesus knew that the Spirit was so important that He didn’t want the apostles to even leave town until the Spirit had come.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has the powers of God, but takes up residence inside our own hearts.

He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:22-23)

Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. This love surpasses knowledge. You will be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Galatians 5:6, Ephesians 3:9)

The Spirit can bestow us with many gifts.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is encouraging, then encourage; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is leading, lead diligently; if it is mercy, do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:6-8)

To one the Spirit gives wisdom, to another knowledge, to another faith, to another healing, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another discernment, to another speaking in different tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:8-10)

The Spirits help us in many ways:

• Knows all things (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)
• Prays for us (Romans 8:26-27)
• Guides us (John 14:16-17, 26)
• Decides for us (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
• Lives with us and in us (John 14:16-17)
• Fills us with living water (John 7:37-39)
• Shows Jesus to us (John 15:26)
• Produces holiness in us (Galatians 5:16-25)
• Transforms us (2 Corinthians 3:18)
• Gives us gifts (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Co 12)
• Grieves for our sin (Ephesians 4:30)

But it’s not a free ride. As that last item shows, the downside is that we can hurt his feelings.

Discussion Questions

• What spiritual gifts do you have, and how do you use them?
• What are some ways that the Holy Spirit worked through you?

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I’m a Christian, and sometimes a teacher/preacher.

This sermon is my take on the Ephesians advice about marriage.

Biblical Marriage

“Wives submit to your husbands” has been a highly disputed (and often misused) piece of scripture throughout the centuries.

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 Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church — for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:22-33)

This passage in Ephesians is written using a literary device known as a chiasm.

A chiasm uses a reversed repeating pattern. Instead of A B A B, a chiasm uses A B B A (crossing the last line so that the arrows form an X, the Greek letter chi).

Finish These Chiasms

• All for one and…
• Ask not what your country can do for you…
• People don’t care how much you know until…
• I’m stuck on Band-Aid…
• If you can’t be with the one you love, honey…
• Whoever exalts himself will be humbled but…

A Noah Chiasm

Noah and his sons (Gen 6:10)
___All life on earth (6:13:a)
______Curse on earth (6:13:b)
_________Flood announced (6:7)
____________Ark (6:14-16)
_______________All living creatures (6:17–20)
__________________Food (6:21)
_____________________Animals (7:2–3)
________________________Entering the Ark (7:13–16)
___________________________Waters increase (7:17–20)
______________________________God remembers Noah (8:1)
___________________________Waters decrease (8:13–14)
________________________Exiting the Ark (8:15–19)
_____________________Animals (9:2,3)
__________________Food (9:3,4)
_______________All living creatures (9:10a)
____________Ark (9:10b)
_________No more floods (9:11)
______Blessing on earth (9:12–17)
___All life on earth (9:16)
Noah and his sons (9:18,19a)

The bracketing verses repeat the same topics (Noah and his sons appears at the top and the bottom), but sometimes negate them (waters increase / waters decrease), yet still complete the pairing.

An Ephesians Chiasm

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord
___For the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of the church
______He himself is the Savior of the body
_________But as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbands
____________Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church
_______________That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the word
__________________That he might present to himself the church in all her glory
_______________She would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkle
____________So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies
_________No one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the church
______Because we are members of his body
___For this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two become one flesh
______This mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the church
___Nevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife even as himself
And the wife is to respect her husband

The chiasmus verse (the “centers” of the x) is the crux of the passage; the theme that ties together the entire thought.

That he might present to himself the church in all her glory
This mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the church

In this example, Paul wrote two chiasmus verses. He must have gotten an A+ on his essay test. (Or an aleph plus.)

So, wives should submit to their husbands because husbands are the head because Christ is the head who makes the church holy because he loves us so that He and His pure bride can give themselves to each other.

Submit to One Another

The Ephesians chiasm is prefaced by this verse:

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Submit is translated from the Greek ὑποτασσόμενοι (hupotasso) which has two meanings.

• Military – to subordinate
• Civilian – to cooperate

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church

Looking at the two commands for submitting and loving, each comes with the same qualifier – as.

Give, and it will be given to you. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Luke 6:38)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord! (Colossians 3:23)

Do you want your spouse to give more of themself to you? Give more first.

Wives, submit yourselvesto your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. (1 Peter 3:1-2)

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life. (1 Peter 3:7)

Submission isn’t one-way here. Peter exhorts husbands to submit in the same way as he’d just outlined above.
Christ saves us from what we deserve. The only cost is who we were.

The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. (1 Corinthians 7:4)

You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

Putting others first in marriage shouldn’t come as a surprise. We’re commanded to do the same to others.

Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)

None of you should seek his own good, but the good of others. (1 Corinthians 10:24)

Humbly value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but to the interests of the others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, But made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in the likeness of man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death: even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:3-8)

The Church is the Bride

“Wives submit to your husbands” can be taken a step further in our spiritual lives.

The church is several times referred to as the bride of Christ.

The bride belongs to the groom. The friend who attends the groom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the groom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. (John 3:29)

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the groom fast while he is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken from them; then they will fast.” (Matthew 9:15)

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) (Revelation 19:7-8)

Study Questions

As the perfect groom, how did Christ love the church?

How can we as a church become a better bride?

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