Marriage God's Way Series

INTRODUCTION

As you can tell from the title of the message, we are going to be looking at a tough subject today – one I prefer NOT to speak on – the relationship between HUSBANDS & WIVES. BUT before we dive in, I want to speak a moment on the attitude we need to bring –

JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS THE WORD OF GOD WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR MARRIAGE?

Does it matter what it says OR have you made up your mind on the success of your marriage?

SPEAKING OF THAT SUCCES-- Listen to the latest statistics…

1970-1994 Divorce rate quadrupled

1995 32% of all couples married ended in divorce.

1998 33% of all couples married ended in divorce tho marriage rate declined by 7%.

2005 38% of all marries ended in divorce – marriage rate declined by 9%

LET’S BE HONEST – WE DON’T HAVE TOO GOOD A TRACK RECORD!

YES – in looking at our text today, you may say, “Come on Pastor, today’s society is different”. YOU ARE RIGHT! We have so much more readily available information about sex and marriage than ever before! YET -- WE HAVE MORE MARITAL PROBLEMS AS WELL AS DIVORCE ever before! You are right – It’s different all right!

… Marriage is a 50/50 proposition –MARRIAGE IS A 100/100 PROPOSITION (– WE DON’T STAND A CHANCE.) Maybe the PROBLEM is the 50/50 mentality!

1. Marriage is ALL ABOUT SACRIFICE – FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST HIMSELF long ago. SUCCESS IS NOT based on WHAT YOU believe …

2. Marriage IS NOT about Balancing Things Out – but instead – ABOUT GIVING EVERYTHING YOU HAVE WITHOUT RESERVATION!

3. GOD HAS ALREADY DETERMINED THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS! The question we need to consider is DO WE CARE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY?

LET’S APPROACH THIS TEXT CAREFULLY – leaving any selfish attitude behind.

1 PETER 3:1-7

I. THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST (Vs. 1a, 7a)

1st to understand is that a in order for ANY MARRIAGE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, IT MUST BE BASED ON THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS CHRIST!

READ VS 1a & VS 7a – ‘in the same manner’ – ‘likewise’

READ 2:21-- As Jesus was “Submissive” to God & His will, so a Christian husband and wife are to follow his example.

EXAMPLE: Learning in life comes by way of imitation. Parents from grandparents; children from parents; Our role model is JESUS who SET THE MARK.

WHAT IS NECESSARY TO “FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE?”

1. Know Him as Savior

2. Daily Submit to Him as Lord

3. Spend constant time in His presence -- His Word, the Church, and Christian Friends

As JESUS followed GOD’s instruction SO WE are to follow HIS EXAMPLE doing the same!

II. WIVES – BE SUBMISSIVE TO YOUR HUSBANDS (Vs. 1-6)

Peter begins by reminding the WIFE of God’s ‘FORMULA FOR SUCCESS’!

READ 1a

‘SUBMISSION’: GRK – “hoop-ot-as’-so” – and means ‘to be subject unto another’

ORIG PHRASE: ‘Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands’

Every place ‘Eph 5.24, Col 3.18, 1 Cor. and here – the same instruction.

As PAUL in Ephesians was talking to both Christian Husband & Wife, here in PETER is talking about a saved spouse to an unsaved spouse.

He GIVES 3 REASONS – EVEN IF THE HUSBAND IS NOT SAVED

1. SUBMISSION is an Instruction from God (Vs. 1a)

God has commanded Submission because, in HIS WISDOM, He knew that in order for any marriage/family to be happy & fulfilling, there must be only one head. We all know that for the sake of order in any situation, there must be ‘headship’. In marriage, that headship has been commanded by God.

But NOT ‘DICTATORSHIP’ BUT rather ‘PARTNERSHIP’ -- God determined long ago that MARRIAGE JOINS TWO TOGETHER AS ONE! No Longer Yours or Mine but OURS (my money, my home, my my my etc.)

Gen. 2:24 ‘for this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife AND THE TWO WILL BECOME ONE FLESH.”

We close the ceremony and ‘what God hath joined together let not man put asunder’ - WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?

2. SUBMISSION is an Opportunity - READ Vs. 1b-2

It is the character and conduct of a wife that will win a husband – not nagging.

Attitudes such as submission, understanding, love, kindness, and patience – Not qualities are manufactured by one’s personality but instead the fruits of the Spirit that only comes from Submission to Christ.

The point here is that in living through the fruit of God’s Spirit, HE is able TO WORK THROUGH US – THAT’S AN OPPORTUNITY – A PRIVILEGE! -- “without words”

MARJORIE GOFF in Goose Creek – Husband Kirston

A Woman Named ‘MONICA’: Monica, the mother of the famous St. Augustine. God used Monica’s witness and prayers to win both her son and her husband to Christ.