Actions Speak Louder than Words - Lesson 6 - ... with our Spouse

Introduction

Actions speak louder than words in our ministry.
We are to be a lighthouse.
Does a lighthouse run around beating people up.
Does a lighthouse go around telling everyone else all the good they do.

A lighthouse stands firm.
A lighthouse does it’s job and does it well.
Quite often a lighthouse will go unnoticed
until the lighthouse is not doing it’s job.

No one ever thanks the lighthouse.
The lighthouse may be compared to other lighthouses.
One might be taller, or thinner or better looking.

Some might have better locations.
Some prominent and some in less used places.
They remain constant on beautiful sunny days,
And are expected to be just as constant on those foggy stormy days.

A lighthouse could have the brightest flame burning in it,
But the windows are so dirty that the light barely gives off an orange glow.
The lighthouse can be the most spectacular display
And most photographed on that beautiful sunny day.

But in the dark there is no evidence that it is there.
Where are you on that lighthouse scale?





Husbands and Wives

Story of the three men eating lunch on the roof.

‘Oh yeah well if you did this for me maybe I would do that with you.’
‘If you stopped doing that, maybe I wouldn’t do this to you.’
‘How do you like it when I do it to you.’

‘You never listen to me anyway.’
‘You only point out the negative.’
‘You don’t see all the good.’
‘Maybe if you were more like him or her.’
‘You’re just like you’re mother.’
‘You’re worst than your father.’
‘You never…’
‘You always.’

Why are we so worried about how we are treated.
What do we tell our children when they say,
‘It’s not fair.’

It’s not fair.
Life is not fair.
Do you expect more out of your children or from the neighbor children?
So what should the Lord expect from you.

James 4:17, ‘Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’

Should I give the men a list of things they are not doing for their wives
and they know they should be doing or can you men volunteer some.

Women, I offer the same question to you.

Class input





Genesis 2:18, ‘And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.’

Why are we beating each other up.
If we are not beating each other up
Why are we not lifting each other up.
Either we are on the same team or we are not.
Team mates can disagree.

Story of the correction officers and disagree.

Your thoughts





Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, ‘Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.’

What advice do you have for us here…





1Corinthians 7:3, ‘Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.’

Kindness, compassion, generosity, goodwill

Malevolence, wickedness, malice ill will, evil

We make excuses and justifications for this one.
When we don’t put the Lord first in our lives we are commiting spiritual adultery.

What are we doing when we do not put our wives second in our lives?





Ephesians 5:22-23, ‘Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.’


Ephesians 5:25, ‘Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;’


Ephesians 5:28, ‘So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.’


Conclusion

I want you to be a bright shining lighthouse.
One that others know they can go to in times of trouble.
I don’t want you to be the best lighthouse in the world.
I want you to be the best possible lighthouse you can be.

That is also what the Lord wants.
You deserve that.
And more importantly your spouse deserves that.
And others who you don’t think are paying attention,
Are looking to you.

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