When A Man Loves A Woman

WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN

EPHESIANS 5:25-33

(From song recorded by Percy Sledge & Michael Bolton)

Let me start this message by saying that I have discovered that there are a lot of men and women who really don’t know what to expect when a man loves a woman… Many of us have an idea based on what society tells us, but in the text. Paul helps us see what really takes place when a man loves a woman… (Question: Anybody in herein love…? Are there any married folk in the house who are in love…?) I need to ask, because when I look at the text, I discover that there are a lot of folks (especially women) who are looking for love in all the wrong places… And as a result, they are finding love in fake and fictitious people… When we examine the text, Paul allows us to see (1) What type of love it is when a man loves a woman and (2) Who exemplifies this kind of love, when a man loves a woman…

In the Greek, there are four words that explain love:

1. Eros Love: It is that sensual and sexual love… Makes your palms sweat, affectionate love, the kind that makes your heart go pitter-pat; It’s that romantic kind of love that when he comes through the door/ she steps in the place; your heart skips a beat… That’s not the kind of love that Paul’s talking about… But if you are married there ought to be some romance in your marriage… There ought to be some quiet time, when the kids are sleep, the dog is in out for the night… There ought to be some time for you to cuddle and tell her how she makes you feel… How you’ve been waiting for this moment all day…

But that’s not the kind of love Paul is talking about, because that kind of love is a fickled love… (Why) Because sometimes you do and she doesn’t… Sometimes the hustle and bustle of life will cause you not to feel romantic… (Eros love…)

2. Phileos Love: Where we get the word Philadelphia. It is a friendship kind of love… But that’s not the kind of love Paul is talking about either, because there are sometimes when friends will fall out…! There are some friends of yours (or so you thought) that you fell out with or they fell out with you! They’ve moved, left no forwarding address and even changed their number… But Paul isn’t describing that kind of fickled friendship love (Phileos love…)

3. Surgase Love: Family love… Those with biological connection to you… But Paul’s not talking about that kind of love either, because if the truth be told, you’ve got some kinfolk that if it were up to you, you wouldn’t claim them… You’ve got some cousins that when they show up, you want to just run and hide… But because they’re biologically tied to you, you put up with them… And since we’re being honest, there are some marriages that only because they have been going so long… (Cheaper to keep her… Surgase love…)

But that’s not what Paul is talking about here… Paul is trying to show us that when a man loves a woman, it ought to be an

4. Agape Love: A love that looks beyond your faults and sees my needs… A love that gives (commends) itself toward me… (Why?) Because Paul tells me that, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…”

(Trying to say…) When a man loves a woman, he ought to love her not with an Eros Love, not with Phileos Love, not with Surgase Love, but with an Agape Love…

So what happens… When A Man Loves A Woman…? IOW, what kind of love is it that’s demonstrated… When A Man Loves A Woman…? What is Paul trying to get us to see in this text…? When I look at Paul’s letter, the first thing I see concerning the example of When A Man Loves A Woman, is that it is…

I. A SACRIFICING LOVE (V 25)

(Text…) Husbands: Comes form the Greek word, which means a male species… It sets one apart from being immature… It’s a Sacrificing Love that can only be done by a man… ‘Love Your Wife…’ Notice that he uses the word ‘your…’ a personal pronoun… It doesn’t say love women, but love your wife…! Too many men are loving women and not loving their own wife…! Brothers get mad and say, “Preachers get all the sugar from the women…” But if you would love your wife, maybe she would stop running to the preacher for attention…! We’ll compliment every women we she, but talk about our own like she’s a dog… (What does make you…?) But the text says…