Man was created, and this helpmeet is given to him, and she is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.  We’ll see as we go on, God says, as man takes this woman to himself, he then, now, is whole, and he leaves his father and his mother, and he cleaves to his wife; amen?  There are no relationships that are more sacred or more binding than a husband and a wife.  We are not one with our fathers, we are not one with our mothers, we are not one with our siblings, but we are one with our wives; amen?  It’s interesting how many people don’t always apply that and see that, sometimes, individuals are more comfortable running back to their homes to hear something from Daddy or Momma or whoever it is, and, men, you are to be the one who’s the head of that home; amen?  Ladies, he is the one that you run to for your covering; amen?  So that there would be no schism in the house of God.  Peter says when we get married, and most of you have shared these vows, of the need of that union and that oneness so that our prayers be not hindered; amen?  You remember making that vow?  So, we see the necessity of that union, of that oneness, and it needs to be acknowledged as to how precious of a gift it really is.  So, we see then, that this is God’s intention from the beginning, and we want that in our hearts and in our minds.

In Ephesians, we see that is the general purpose, the heart of God that this union take place, that man would not be alone, that He would be able to draw on that one aspect of His creation that He called very good and make sure that these two pieces are constantly in contact; amen?  Let’s say it in another way.  I’ll say it the same way three times: communication, communication, communication!  Amen?  Now, it seems as if the communicating part of man went to one side a little more than the other.  Men, you have got to develop the skill of communication; amen?  I know it’s death at times to sit there and listen to all those words, but the Bible says you’re to lay your life down for your wife; amen?

Learn discipline.  We talked about discipline a few services ago.  Discipline yourself just like you would take your body, and it says, “No man ever yet hated his own body but loves it (right?), cherishes and ministers to it.”  Learn how to listen to your wife through repetition, through experience, the same way you learn to fish, play golf, sleep on the couch, all of those learned skills.  It is vital to your prayers not being hindered, to your oneness in the Spirit.  Now, when you learn to do it really well, sometimes you can even slip out of the room, go do something, and come back, and they won’t know you were gone.  But let’s look at the Scriptures and see how important this really is, and why, even though it is not something that is natural to us men, it is something that can be acquired through our having made a determination, or as we were teaching in the last series on temperance, to whom you yield your members; amen?

We talked about that discipline, by the reason of use having your senses exercised to discern good and evil.  We see the need of certain disciplines in our lives, disciplines of our flesh that bring spiritual strength to us.  The reason we don’t listen is because we’re out of control, wanting to go serve our flesh, usually.  “I don’t want to hear this; I want to watch the ball game.  I don’t want to hear this; I want to go fishing.  I don’t want to hear this; I’ve got a golf tournament down here.  I’m going to do whatever it is.  I’m going to go look at the new cars that just came out.” I just want to share with you husbands, this will reap some dividends for you, not only with a more peaceful home, but with a home that has more wisdom functioning in it.  And with all of your getting, get wisdom and understanding; amen?