17-6-10, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Eubanks Greene Wedding
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 2,170 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
It’s not good for man to be alone
In the beginning, God made the world. Best and brightest of His creation was man. He made man to rule the earth as His faithful steward. God looked at His creation and declared good, with one exception. God declared that it was not good for man to be alone ().
Why? Man was incomplete. God designed him to need help. Obviously, humanity needs God’s help, yet God made man to need earthly help too.
In the account, God looked at all the animals and He made, but there was no suitable helper. Therefore, God again created, but not something totally new. He used part of man to make a new creature who would be the perfect complement. God made woman to be man’s helpmate.
In marriage, there is a special expression of community. Husband and wife help each other to thrive in a unique way.
Two are better than one.
explains several ways a husband and wife help each other.
God made us to live in community with one another. All of us have people in our lives who help us. Yet, marriage is a special expression of this community. It is dear to the heart of God.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
A husband and wife can do more together than either can do alone.
This is true in many ways. A single draft horse can pull 8,000 lbs. Yet, two working in tandem can pull, not just 16,000 lbs., but 24,000 lbs.
In marriage, husbands and wives bring out the potential in one another. When they set their minds to a common purpose, and when they work as a team, they can do more and get further.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
Another way spouses help each other is through encouragement and support during failures.
We will all have failures. Risk is a part of life and falling is part of the learning process.
Without others to lend us their strength when we are weak, we can stay down longer than we should.
Solomon expresses here that the beauty of a marriage partner is he or she can pick you up, dust you off, and help you to recover faster from a fall.
11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?
Solomon shares another benefit. Not only do we lend our strength to our spouses, we lend warmth. On the surface, this is obvious. Husbands and wives can keep each other warm on cold winter days (watch out for frozen toes however).
Yet, we can take this also to mean more than just physical warmth. When we walk together, spouses share emotional warmth with each other. A kind word, an encouragement at the end of the day, these can overcome the negative things we tell ourselves when we are discouraged. Such warmth from our spouse keeps our hearts from getting cold because it reminds us we are loved.
12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
E
This next observation reveals that two are better than one because your partner has your back in a fight. We live in a world of trouble. I can guarantee we will all face conflict. When a husband and wife face it together, they can more easily overcome.
Lastly, Solomon moves away from talking about twos and talks about three- a threefol
When we fight a common enemy we form deep-seated bonds. Just think of army buddies who saw combat together. Fighting for each other is vital in a marriage. Your spouse has to know you are on his or her side.
Three is better than two when the third is the Lord.
Lastly, Solomon moves away from talking about twos and talks about three- a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
You remember I said earlier that God made man in need of earthly help. This does not preclude that God made man in need of His help. Even thought husbands and wives fulfill God’s plan as they help each other, no marriage can thrive independent of God’s help.
God gives help in times of both spiritual and physical weakness. God can help us in ways that a spouse never can. For example, only God could make a way for us to be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. Our spouses can’t save us spiritually.
God’s design is that a couple will form with Him an alliance of three. This arrangement will never fail.
A couple does this when they recognize their need for the Lord and make Him the focus in their marriage.
As each spouse focuses on the Lord, God uses this devotion to draw them closer together. Think of two outfielders catching a pop-fly. As they go toward the ball, they go toward one another.
Placing their marriage in the hands of the Lord and seeking Him, spouses will thrive all the more.
Gary and Kelli, God bless you in this marriage! Be for each other and help each other. More than anything, seek the Lord together, and you will prosper in all you do.
Amen.