MARRIAGE IS A THREESOME AFFAIR, FOUR IS UNNECESSARY CROWD
TEXT: (ECCLESIASTES 4: 9- 12)
Marriage is the only institution that best portrays the relationship between Christ & the Church.
If we believe & affirm that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church" we should also in the same breath believe and affirm that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the institution of marriage.
If you love the Church, you should love her, you should love your bride, the wife of your youth.
Marriage is not a supermarket where you go buy yoghurt & come out only to enter another supermarket to buy bread.
In marriage when you enter, the door behind you closes, and it is written in bold statement; "No Exit". You got to make this thing work!
The problem is not what you find inside marriage, the problem is not doing your homework before you said, "I do".
As the marriage handbook says, "Marriage ought not to be entered upon lightly, or unadvisedly but dully considering the reason it was ordained".
I came to announce to you lovely couples, you entered this Marriage-ship, there is no going out. It is already sealing. Is it sealing in the wrong direction?
If yes, it is easier to control and change the direction of the sealing ship, than the ship that is stake at the harbour.
Those who are not married, might not know how to navigate this ship. They are in the delay-ship, we are in the sealing ship!
Marriage is not a one night stand or a test drive.
There is no free trial in marriage.
I got a 3 months free trial with Apple Music. It gives you even lyrics so I could sing along.
After 3 months of free trial I decided not to subscribe.
I divorced Apple Music and decided to subscribe to (marry ) sportify music.
I wasted 3 months of Apple Music time, and resources only to go to bed with sportify.
You think I am a bad guy? Come on, go ahead and judge me!
Marriage is not a free subscription trial. You can't be on free trial for the rest of your life. Breaking hearts, destroying families & creating a culture of fatherless children.
This friends is not a trial, it is till death do us part or the Lord Jesus comes SO HELP ME GOD!
In this sermon "MARRIAGE IS A THREESOME, FOUR IS UNNECESSARY CROWD" I will endeavour by the grace of God to explain the advantage of two is better than one covering;
1. Marriage brings Good reward
2. Marriage is about Lifting each other Up
3. Marriage provides warmth in bed
4. Marriage helps the couple to withstand attacks
I want you to think/imagine a journey. What you go through before you reach your destination.
Marriage is a journey. If you love the destination, but you hate the journey I have news for you, LIFE IS A JOURNEY, enjoy it!
1. MARRIAGE BRINGS GOOD REWARDS (4: 9)
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour"
The beauty about wisdom books is that they give us wisdom on how to live a successful life practically here on earth.
The Proverbs 31 woman portrays a 21st century woman who is not just a homemaker but a co-bread winner with her husband.
In the ancient world the woman just contributed her womb. She brought to the table the womb as a sign of children she will add to this union.
But the 21st Century woman contributes more than just a womb, but contributes in paying bills of the household.
The Proverbs 31 woman is a prophetic piece of wisdom literature that looked into the future and saw a woman President, CEO, farmer, Teacher etc being prudent at her enterprises, maximizing her profits without neglecting her role as a wife & mother.
If you are looking for a house to rent, most estate agents require that your salary is three times your rentals.
But they also accept a combined income of husband and wife. Most people can't afford rentals, but couples combine their incomes to sign a lease agreement.
Two are better than one in that sense.
Two are better than one also means; fellowship, partnership, mutual encouragement between two people.
Marriage has no room for selfish individualism. Yes your have a unique personality from your partner, But God works through diversity not uniformity.
The feeling of being alone, yet married. Isolated but living in a matrimonial home, discouraged & disconnected but sleeping with your spouse in the same bed.
A health marriage provides intimacy not intimidation.
"He who finds a wife finds a good thing & obtains favour from God".
May God prosper our marriages. May God grant us profitable rewards.
2. MARRIAGE IS ABOUT LIFTING EACH OTHER UP
The Gospel of Luke narrates a story of two men traveling to the village of Emmaus sad, disappointed & afraid at the death of Jesus Christ their master.
"And they talked together of the things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so they did not know Him. And He said to them, what kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" (Luke 24: 13-25)
This story speaks to me as a husband & reminds me that during times of discouragement & pain, God has placed a companion, my wife to be a support structure.
In marriage we WIN Together, We Lose Together.
Shared pain as a couple is better than going through pain alone.
If you are truly intimate, and have a shared bond, you will see if your partner is not alright.
I know that persistent question from my wife; "Honey are you okay?
As couples we share our burdens so that we lift each other up!
When your partner is down don't step on them, put sand on them to bury them alive, No!
On this journey you will fall into a pit. I pity you if this happens when you are alone. You might die down there alone.
But if you are two, one will lift the other out of the pit & continue their journey.
Lift each other up! That is Marriage.
3. MARRIAGE PROVIDES WARMTH IN BED (4: 11)
"Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?"
When the cold winters hit us hard, the social media greet us with posts like, "this weather can force you to get marriage".
This single woman atleast understand that marriage provides warmth.
But we then see posts from married people also bemoaning the weather talking about electrical blankets.
Talk to scientists, when the temperatures are too low, clothes won't help but body to body, skin on skin will provide warmth.
You bed is cold because your hearts are cold towards each other. And you go to bed dressed up as if you are about to land in Iceland for an expedition.
How can the two bodies touch it other. How can one skin touch & feel the other skin. And if you wanted some action that night, just the thought of removing clothes puts you off!
The marriage bed should have sparks, flames must be ignited. It can be cold elsewhere in the kitchen or lounge but not in your matrimonial bed.
Enter you matrimonial bed thinking of the words from Genesis;
"The two were naked but not ashamed". When husband & wife are ashamed to see each other naked, maybe it's a sign the snake has entered the garden of marriage.
When your hearts are warm towards each other the wife will not use Muti or products to warm her body to attract her husband.
Couples should be warm towards each other whole day, not just when you need some sex.
4. MARRIAGE HELPS THE COUPLE WITHSTAND DEMONIC ATTACKS (4: 12)
"Though one maybe overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken"
One couple who did some missionary work in Bostwana told us a touching story.
They were sent to pastor in an area where most of the people are mental health patients.
The house was big & furnished and the salary was comfortable, so they moved in the area and spent their first night.
In the night they encountered demonic attacks. It was so intense that they prayed the whole night without sleeping.
In the morning the Pastor's wife opened the kitchen windows and found people waiting outside.
She called her husband & going outside they saw shock on people's faces.
They inquired as to what was wrong, then came the news, in this house pastors die. Six pastors who came to this area all died. You are the 7th we are shocked you survived the first night.
To cut the longer story short this couple spent 3 years in this house & for 3 years they slept in shifts.
When the wife is deep asleep the husband is praying & the other way round.
This couple discovered the power of two in spiritual warfare.
Marriage is a threesome affair, four is unnecessary crowd.
A cord of three strands represents the triune in marriage;
God, the Groom & the Bride.
The braiding of these three strands symbolises the mystical Union of One biological Man, One biological woman & God in marriage!
When we allow God at the centre of our marriage no weapon formed against our marriages will prosper.
A threefold code can not be quickly broken. And what God has put together no one can break it.
We shall encounter obstacles in this journey of marriage. Be assured the Great Yahweh is present in your marriage.
God gave Adam a helper suitable for him.
Because God saw that it was not good for man to be alone.
God wanted to be with Adam but God being Spirit he decided to bring Eve to Adam as his Helper.
In (Psalm 46:1) "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble"
Let me not bore you with Hebrew. But suffice to say "helper" in Genesis & "help" in Psalm comes from the same root.
By implication when the Bible calls a woman "helper" it means God is a very present helper to a man through his wife.
That wife of yours is not your surbodinate, not your slave, not your child, and not an inferior person in this relationship.
God is currently working and helping a man fulfil his God given Purpose through the wife.
As long as this marriage is centred on God, trials will come, danger will rise up, enemies within and without us will charge against us, but victory is on our side because ours is a code of three strands in Jesus Name!
Lawrence Musunte
+27845517018
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