THE BEAUTY OF MARRIAGE

THE BEAUTY OF MARRIAGE

 

Hello, friends. I welcome you to today’s broadcast. I trust you’re being blessed by the messages on this platform. recall that I made an announcement last week concerning an important program we have captioned, “Church, Awake!” “Church Awake!” I did say that it is a revival and evangelistic program to be held at our Headquarter Church, 73 Azikiwe Road Umuahia Abia State. The date of the program is Friday November 22nd and Saturday November 23rd, and will terminate on Sunday 24th November, during the morning service.  It is going to be a dynamic service. I also announced that our main speaker is a known person, Barrister Emeka Nwankpa,  a former Chairman of Council of Abia State University, and The Chairman, Board of Trustees of Interfaces for Nigeria and Interfaces for Africa against. I am specially inviting inviting you to this program, because I believe GOD will breathe in us the breath of GOD, and we shall come alive, a great army of The Master.

 

Today’s message is in line with the former message which we had last week, and it is titled, The Beauty of Marriage.

 

THE BEAUTY OF MARRIAGE

 

And we will take our test from Ephesians 5:22-33

 

Ephesians 5:22-33

 

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Let us pray.

 

PRAYER

 

Heavenly FATHER, The FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU made marriage to be beautiful, but invariably there are variations in our time. We plead with YOU, Mighty FATHER, that through this message YOU will speak to someone, YOU will speak to some couples whose marriages have not met YOUR standard, so that they will receive healing, they will receive restoration. The cracked areas of their marriage will be repaired to the glory of YOUR Holy Name – And they will enjoy the very institution YOU established…We pray in JESUS Mighty Name. Amen!

 

There are three institutions GOD established. Remember we are talking of the beauty of marriage. GOD established three institutions, one of them is marriage and family, the second is, The Church, and the third is government. Marriage is the Foundation of all of them. I want to address some people today on the beauty and purpose of marriage. Marriage is one of the most powerful covenants in the world today. It has the power to bring untold joy, happiness, peace, contentment, companionship, intimacy and love to us. No other human relationship can go as deeply as marriage relationship.

On the other hand, marriage can also bring more pain, more headache, more isolation, more frustration, heartache, more grief and more sorrow than any other human relationship. Some married people will tell you, sometimes marriage doesn’t end up the way that you had wanted. But that is not a reason to avoid marrying. Rather it’s just a reason to make sure you have the proper attitude – you learn the proper attitude: an expectation of marriage.

 

There are cultural expectations. That is the second thing I want address. We often fall victim to cultural expectations. In marriage that far exceeds anything GOD ever created it to be we look to marriage to be the end-all of happiness and purpose in life. We expect our spouse to be the one to be completely perfect: put together – to completely submit their needs and wants to ours, to assist us in the achievement of our goals, all the while filling us with the love, purpose and fulfillment we have yet to be able to find. We expect our spouses to give us what only CHRIST can give.

Let me tell you my sister, your spouse may be good-looking, but he’s not JESUS. He may let you down one day. He’s going to make mistakes. If you’re looking for him to complete you, you will be surely disappointed. Only JESUS can give you the happiness and purpose that you are looking for.

 

I also want to also address the brothers. Your wife is an incredible person: very beautiful, that’s why you were attracted to her. But she’s not JESUS. She’s going to make mistakes. She’s going to show her imperfection. Only CHRIST can give the hope and purpose that you ultimately crave. Do not set your spouses or potential spouses up with expectations that only JESUS can fulfill. if you do so, you have created a roadmap to failure.

 

Let me now address the purpose of marriage as a third subject.

Marriage is not about finding the one person who will make you complete and take all your problems and loneliness away. Marriage is about happiness, companionship, oneness and procreation. But ultimately marriage is about GOD. GOD created marriage to give us a living picture of CHRIST’s love for the church. Our text, in The Book of Ephesians says, Husbands love your wives as CHRIST loved the church; it also says, Wives, submit to your husbands. Marriage ultimately is a spiritual endeavor. Without CHRIST’s help, every step of the way we will fail. If CHRIST is not in your marriage, every step of the way you will fail. One servant of GOD called Josh Daffern says, “When you pursue marriage solely as a means to be happy, you will ultimately be disappointed. But if you are approach marriage with the idea that it’s about making you holy than making you happy you will discover the true meaning of marriage.” One thing marriage is great for is, showing your fault, your selfish tendencies, your impatience, your intolerance: the little parts of you that you can hide from everyone else except your spouse.

Two people married will be struggling as imperfect human beings working on their marriage to be a success. They will realize their dependence on GOD to succeed as they continually invite GOD into their marriage to change each of them. Remark the word, to change any of the spouses – I mean to change you into the husband or wife you need to be. You will experience HIS presence in ways you never thought possible. The natural thing is to expect one person to change. But the issue is that, both require to change.  When that happens you will begin to be a better husband or wife; you will begin to look more like JESUS –  and in the process you will discover the deeper joy and purpose that you’ve been looking for all along. Marriage, when done and lived GOD’s way, is the most beautiful experience in the world. Divorce is not an option. Separation will hurt you and hurt the next generation. Rule it out from day one; because it is not of GOD.

 

Let us pray.

 

PRAYER

 

Heavenly FATHER, when you instituted marriage and family YOU instituted a beautiful thing. YOU never had a mind to create problem, headache, heartache to people you have created. I Pray, Almighty FATHER, rather that YOUR People will return to YOU The Great Founder of marriage and family. And use the manual which YOU have developed for its success…make our marriages work. Create happiness in a world that is troubled.  This is our prayer…in JESUS Mighty Name. Amen! 

 

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