Introduction:
1. The statistics say that 50% of all marriages end in divorce. But it does not have to be.
2. The challenge-Make it work.
3. What is needed?
I. Love.
A. The bedrock of the marriage is love (Eph. 5:28; Tit. 2:4).
B. True love: 1. As viewed in movies. 2. To a child. 3. As men see it. 4. As God sees it (1 Cor. 13:4-8).
C. Includes according to Chapman in his book Five Love Languages: words of affection, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.
D. Gen. 29:20.
II. Longsuffering.
A. Can we expect perfection? (Rom. 3:23; Ps. 14:3).
B. We need patience. Marriage is much like a ticking time bomb. It is going to explode from time to time. However, marriage is a marathon and not a sprint.
C. The beauty of patience (Prov. 14:29; 15:18; Col. 1:11; 2 Pet. 1:5).
D. Ecc. 7:8. Just like God (Ps. 86:15).
III. Laughter.
A. When to laugh. Things you do, say, happen out of ordinary, etc.
B. Need for laughter. It is good for us. It helps us overcome stress, fight infection.
C. (Prov. 17:22; Ecc. 3:4).
IV. Labor.
A. Nothing in life that is worth having comes easy. Friends that are not maintained soon become acquaintances or memories.
B. Marriage takes work. 1. Reason difference in backgrounds, emotions, and opinions. It takes self-control (Prov. 14:17), Kindness (Prov. 19:22), unselfishness (1 Cor. 10:24), gentleness and approachable (Ja. 3:17). 2. God intended marriage to last for a lifetime (Mt. 19:1-9).
C. So we must grit our teeth, turn the other cheek, smile, be kind, grovel, etc.
Entered on 8/9/2009
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