INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE # 1
Men, how many of us still look like we did when we first caught, attracted our spouses?
I know that we look in the mirror and think we still look great. Not all of us do.
What makes husband attractive to his wife? The physical appearance sometimes gets the relationship started, but is that where it ends?
What is it that will make a man irresistible to his wife? What can we do to keep our wives happy with us? What about pleasing God also!
I have been told a lot of money can make a man more attractive. What about going to the gym all the time?
I think there is more to it than money and looks. At least I hope so. Looks are great, but if we are missing some other items, the looks will only go so far. God has called the husband to treat his wife in a special way!
Last week we looked at the responsibilities a Christian wife has toward her husband, and what she can do to help win a lost husband to Christ.
Today we will shift our focus over to the husband. In the passage for the wife, Peter wrote 6 verses, for the man there is just one. I pondered this, then I come to the conclusion that us men can only handle a little at a time.
Peter has told us how to deal with unsaved masters/employers, how wives can win their unsaved husbands. Now we turn to how a husband can win over his unsaved wife.
In the context of the time, women were more or less the property of the husband.
The husband held all the power. If his wife was not a Christian, he could demand that his wife become a Christian, but Peter is going to share a better way.
As with last week, this message seems a bit focused on the husband, but I feel there is something for everyone in this passage. We can learn some things that will help us to better deal with people and see how we can better reach lost people.
For the single man, I hope you will start to get a feel for how you should treat your future wife and for the single woman, that you will see how a man should treat you.
Let us read 1 Peter 3:7 together today as we look to see what God says concerning what a husband can do in order to win his wife to Jesus. In this we will also see how we can be irresistible to our wives!
SLIDE #2
1 Peter 3:7(ESV) 7Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you£ of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. A man who displays an understanding heart will be irresistible.
Throughout this whole section, Peter has been telling us how we should keep our behavior excellent. Peter has spoken to us concerning our behavior among the lost.
If Christians are to maintain an excellent testimony in this unbelieving world, they must live blamelessly in the four major arenas of God-ordained social interaction that Peter addresses: the society (1 Pet. 2:13-17), the workplace (1 Pet. 2:18-25), the family (1 Pet. 3:1-7), and the church (1 Pet. 3:8-9).
Now we see the phrase “in the same way.”
This specifically is written to Christian husbands whose wives are not yet saved. In each of the other scenarios, we see the issue of yielding our will for the benefit of winning other people.
Now it is time for the husband to step up to the plate and do what is best for his unsaved wife. The husband is called to exhibit winsome behavior toward his wife.
As we look at this, we are all called to do that which will help us reach others for Jesus, even it means we will have to give up some of our personal rights at times.
The husband is told to live with their wives in an understanding way.
This phrase literally says to “live together according to knowledge.”
The “knowledge” here can refer to a few areas. One of them calls us to live with our wives with and knowledge of the biblical view on marriage.
Last week when we were looking at the wives response to the husband, it is easy for the husband to go caveman and think he is the dictator of the house.
SLIDE #4
Ephesians 5:25(ESV) 25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Jesus laid His life down for the church.
Husbands can make it much easier on the wife to do what she is called to do if she knows he will never take advantage of her, that he loves her so much that he would lay his life down for her.
In part to live in an understanding way means that we know how marriage is supposed to work and we are doing all we can to demonstrate that knowledge in our relationship with our wife.
Another aspect of this “knowledge” we are supposed to live with is knowing the needs, desires, gifts, and abilities of our wife.
Many of the women who are unfaithful are unfaithful because the husband is not meeting her emotional needs. Bringing home a fist full of money each week is not the extent of the husband’s duty to his wife. We need to know our wives and do all we can to take care of them.
What is this issue with the woman being called “weaker” in this verse? The last issue concerning the knowledge we are to demonstrate is that we are to understand that the woman is weaker.
Weaker? How? This does not imply the woman is mentally or emotionally weaker than a man. The word for weaker deals with physical strength. This is generally true.
I have read that this word “weaker” was used of fine china. It meant it was precious and something you dare not just toss around.
If this is true then the husband is encouraged to handle his wife with care and he is to treat her special.
Another explanation given is this. The woman may be considered to be in a weaker position because of her role as a wife. By marrying she has voluntarily accepted a position where she submits herself to her husband. She could be putting herself in a vulnerable position. Therefore; the husband is encouraged not to take advantage of her.
Men, we need to know our wives, we need to understand that men and women are totally different and we must realize our wives are a precious blessing from God!
When we are trying to reach people for Christ, having an understanding heart toward them will go a long way in helping us to reach them.
We must understand a person who does not know Jesus cannot be held to the same standard as one who is saved. We need to know where people are at before we can truly guide them to where they need to be.
When we are able to live with our wives in an understanding way, we will be on the road to being irresistible!
SLIDE #5
II. A man who shows honor toward his wife will be irresistible.
showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel
The passage tells the husband to SHOW his wife honor. This is an issue of respect and an understanding that in God’s eyes, men and women are equal, with equal reward. The only difference is roles.
The roles given by God to husbands are wives are in no way to belittle one sex or make one sex superior to the other.
SLIDE #6
Galatians 3:28(ESV) 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave£ nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
It would be easy for a man given what God has said about submission to think less of his wife than he should.
How does a husband show honor to his wife?
The word “show” means to “assign to, or to portion off”. It is a deliberate and purposeful channeling of honor to the wife.
There are many ways to show honor, one of them that may fit the analogy of scripture is to “honor” includes taking care of her financially. Analogy of scripture means that you let the bible define a word by the other uses.
SLIDE #7
1 Timothy 5:17(ESV) 17Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
This would indicate the husband is called to support and provide for her.
I can see a spiritual sense to this also. If your wife is not saved, continual honor of her would go a long way in influencing her to be saved.
If she is saved, then we are to encourage her to be strong in the Lord and do all we can to encourage continued spiritual growth.
Respectful behavior would be another way to show honor. Some men will treat their wives terribly, in ways they would NEVER think of treating their boss at work. They speak to their wives in a demeaning way. Once again, in ways they would never speak to their boss.
The way we act and react towards our wives shows them how much we honor them. How we speak to them or about them shows them how much we honor them.
Remember, this verse tells the husband to SHOW her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life.
We can tell her whatever we want to tell her, what matters is what we do. It is like the man who beats his wife and then tells her he loves her. What does the word love mean when you are getting your teeth knocked out?
This principle is valid for all of us as we try to lead people to Jesus. We must show people respect and honor as a person no matter where they are at.
You will not reach a person you treat with disrespect.
A man who shows his wife honor will be on the road to irresistibility!
SLIDE #8
III. A man who is a man of prayer will be irresistible.
Treating a wife in a bad way will have negative effects in the life of the husband.
This part of the verse implies the man will be a man of prayer. If I am at odds with my wife, or if I am not treating her with the respect and dignity that she deserves as a woman and a fellow heir of the grace of Jesus, then my prayer life will be hindered.
In the context of the saved husband and the unsaved wife, the prayer life of the husband is most likely the subject here.
If you are at odds with your spouse, it is hard to pray for them.
The word “hinder” means to cut into to or to interrupt. Peter is saying that if we do not follow his path on this issue, our prayer life will be affected.
Domestic relationships can have a profound impact on the spiritual life and fellowship with God.
If your wife is not saved, I hope you are praying for her EVERY day. This principle is valid for all of us. Are you praying for people you want to see saved?
Are you at odds with someone? It is hard to pray for them isn’t it?
Husbands, we have a lot of responsibilities, prayer will make those responsibilities much easier to carry out!
A praying man is a man a wife cannot resist!
CONCLUSION
God loves people so much, he wants to see them all saved. The only way that can happen is if we all do our best to show the love of Jesus to people we know and to be the best example of Christ we can be.
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are taking on the life God wants us to live.
Husbands, are we loss the hair, physic, the athleticism. This is depressing! Our wives will be attracted to a man who understands them, honors them and prays for them!
Are you ready for Jesus?
