This week was the final week of our Make and Multiply series, and we turned our attention to families—an area of significant need in today’s culture. The brokenness we see in the world around us—fatherlessness, divorce, and generational poverty—can often be traced back to a rejection of God’s design for the family. Yet, the gospel has the power to heal and restore what is broken. The big idea of this sermon was: The gospel creates new families.
God’s Word offers us a blueprint for family life, one that provides clear roles for husbands, wives, and children. These roles reflect His design for human flourishing, and they serve as a picture of the gospel itself. When we pattern our families after the gospel, we not only experience blessing but also point others to Christ.
Marriage: A Picture of the Gospel
Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 5:22-33 draws a beautiful parallel between marriage and the relationship between Christ and the Church. Wives are called to submit to their husbands as the Church submits to Christ, and husbands are called to love their wives sacrificially, just as Christ loved the Church.
Jesus won us over by giving His life for us, pursuing us even when we were lost in sin. Marriage is meant to reflect and reenact this beautiful truth—a reflection of the gospel in our everyday lives. Yet, this can be challenging. In a world marred by sin, wives may struggle to follow their husband’s leadership, and husbands may neglect the call to lead sacrificially, prioritizing their own comfort over their family’s spiritual health.
For wives, it’s important to understand that submission doesn’t mean inferior. Just as all of us submit in different areas of life—whether to employers, government, or church leadership—wives are called to voluntarily follow their husbands in spiritual matters and family direction.
For husbands, the call is equally weighty. Husbands win over a wife in a similar way that Jesus wins over the Church. This means leading through service, sacrifice, and love. Husbands are called to prioritize their wife’s spiritual growth, setting her up for flourishing and holiness.
For both husbands and wives, I ask you this today: Is your marriage reflecting God’s design? Is there a commitment in the marriage to play your part?
Parenting: Shaping the Next Generation
Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 6:1-4 turns to children and parents. Children are called to obey their parents, a command that comes with a promise. For children, there is a general blessing in your life that comes from a posture of obedience to your parents. For parents, especially fathers, the command is to avoid provoking their children to anger while raising them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Parents are shaping the trajectory of their children’s lives. What are you driving them toward? Academic success? Athletic achievement? Or a love for God and His Church? Provoke children to love and good deeds by setting the trajectory of how they relate to the Church.
This means prioritizing church involvement, even when it’s inconvenient. It means teaching them to love the Word of God and modeling Christlike behavior in your own life. Children aren’t naturally inclined toward obedience—it’s something that must be taught and modeled.
The Gospel as Our Foundation
At the heart of Paul’s teaching is the gospel itself, and at the heart of the gospel is this: Jesus sacrificed Himself for a people who were not following Him. This is both our motivation and our model for marriage and parenting.
In marriage, husbands and wives can look to the gospel for the strength to fulfill their roles. Husbands can lead sacrificially because Christ has already modeled this for them. Wives can follow their husbands’ leadership because they are ultimately following Christ. Parents can point their children to the gospel, knowing that it is the power of God for salvation.
Application: Pattern Your Family After the Gospel
The challenge for all of us is to ask, “What does my family reflect?” If examining your own life is convicting or tough, you need not despair. God gives us grace for each day, and tomorrow is a chance to begin anew. Regardless of where you are at right now, you can apply this teaching, take a step, and begin to pattern your family after the gospel. Husbands, take a step to lead sacrificially and prioritize your wife’s spiritual growth. Wives, take a step to support your husband in his leadership. Parents, set the trajectory for your children by teaching them to love God and His Church.
In our culture, families are in absolute crisis. Cultural confusion about gender, marriage, and parenting has led to devastating consequences: fatherlessness, divorce, and generational poverty. Yet, the Church has an opportunity to shine a light on God’s design for the family, offering hope and healing to a broken world.
At Mercy Hill, we believe God wants to restore marriages, bring joy through biblical roles, and raise children who flourish in the Lord’s admonition. As we finish the Deeper Initiative, we are poised to see God work through our families in powerful ways. Let’s hold the line on God’s design for the family, bring healing to those around us, and finish strong in our commitment to His mission.
-Andrew Hopper, Lead Pastor
