The emphasis is on two separate beings - the singles, but it doesn’t mean that married people don’t need the sermons. We need to care for our children and brethren who are not married yet.

There are many misconceptions in the world regarding marriage, so we need to understand what the Bible says about form becoming one to two. On Sunday the speaker will talk about preparing to become from two to one.

Why do men need to go from one person to two? We read Genesis 2:20;

‘So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.’

The Bible tells us that it is not good that man should be alone. Adam had no helper and it was not good for him to be alone. Then, God took a rib out of Adam and created Eve, and brought her to the man. Adam was very satisfied with God’s work. We can see that the will of God is for man to have a compatible wife.

Firstly, this helper can help him take care the garden of Eden. She can also have discussions with her husband. This was the first wedding and was instituted by God. God was the introducer in this marriage (though, there was no reproduction then, so it may be attended by animals). The fact that these two people were made of the same person means that they have the same parts and have to walk together. None of these created creatures are compatible and fit for man. We know that animals are different from humans. Between humans, we can communicate deeply. Also, only humans can use language to express complex thoughts and feelings in our hearts. Chinese have a saying, “对牛弹琴”. Try playing the piano to the cow. (The Japanese will tell you that the beef will taste good 😂!) The cow will never know what you’re actually playing.

These days, people love having pets, such as dogs. Dogs are smart and can play with you. Even then, dogs can only understand single words such as “come” and “shake hands”, but try telling it your feelings. There’s no way the dog can comfort and listen to you. Parrots can only repeat words you teach them, and they’re only parrots. Some birds can sing very nice songs. However, in the end they only sing in their language. Would you be able to relate to what the birds sing? At most, people can say that the melody of the bird is nice but this is not a channel of communication. Therefore you see that you cannot find an animal compatible to you.

This generation is getting more complex. Many choose to stay single and alone, unwilling to be married. Why do they say so? This is because they cannot find someone they can communicate with.

We come back to the human world; this world emphasises more on individualism and so men would rather live alone. However, when God created men, He made men to communicate. These people who don’t want to get married replace this void with other things. In Japan, we have the young to middle-aged who face many stress from school and society. As a result, they’re unable to fit into the fast-paced world. A lot of these people live in the virtual reality (VR) and stay at home all day. Even in their middle-aged they stay at home and in this virtual realm they live in their own happiness. The society describes these people as those who eat off their parents. They’re almost 50 years old but they don’t look for jobs, hide in their rooms and stretch their hands out to their parents to ask for things. In this pressure they choose to be alone.

Another type of loners, what do they do? Some of them marry dolls. Indeed, they make serious wordings (/documents) to marry dolls. They’re without life and speech, but you’ll see a man carrying a doll (his wife) to dates and friends are even invited to their ‘wedding’. This doesn’t only happen to singles. There are some married who look for such experiences as well. They lose themselves to something without life.

There’s another type which does not want to interact with lifeless dolls, and announce, “I marry myself”. In this world full of variations, these things happen. You may find this weird at the start but as the frequency of these things increase, others will get used to it and not find it weird. This is something scary in society. Men originally has this desire for a partner but in a human nature that is fallen becomes a twisted desire. This gives men abnormal behaviours, so you’ll see some perverted people stealing undergarments. This is a disease of the heart.

The point is: those who are single, get married. We have to have partners. When God created us, He already built in us a desire for the opposite gender. However due to different factors in society, men can no longer make correct decisions in regard to marriage. This was not the original will of God.

In the process of one becoming two, Christians needs to correctly understand this concept of two persons so that we don’t fall into these wrong behaviours. When we go from one to two, it refers to one male and one female. It is not the homosexual relationship that this society allows, because the Bible tells us clearly that this is against human’s nature and the teachings of the Bible. They may say that we have this tendency from birth but in medical science today there’s no evidence that it is inborn. If you insist that it’s inborn, then we have to ask: from infancy, man knows how to lie and sin. He needs no teaching. However, do we then say that it’s correct? If I like to get angry everyday, can I lose my temper everyday? Can you say that you have an inborn desire to kill?

All the more, you have to be careful. If you know you have this tendency, you must know that it’s not correct and you have to control these desires. Put to death these wrong desires because in the end it’ll cause you to sin and incur the wrath of God.

This world today says, “I’ll do whatever I want”. Christians need to be careful; all these stir up desire in men’s heart. There’s a Japanese drama in the speaker’s time. He was not a preacher then and he watched it. It seemed very moving; this female character had feelings for a man but had sexual relationship with another man. She looked pitiful because she couldn’t make a correct choice. It was a messy relationship. In terms of marriage, there’s no respect.

The Bible tells us that the married men shall be honourable among all - meaning Christians have to be discern to not follow the world. We cannot let these trends carry us away. From one to two must involve men and women.

God created the second person to be a helper. Before the fall of men, God already thought of this. However, does this mean that we don’t need a helper anymore since men has already fallen? Definitely not. We read Ecclesiastes 4:8-12;

8 ‘There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labors, Nor is his eye satisfied with riches. But he never asks, “For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?” This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.
9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.’

This passage doesn’t directly discuss message because v12 talks about a threefold cord. This passage talks when having partners in work to help us, somebody will lift you up when you fall. It can apply to marriage as well. But in terms of a threefold cord - one man, one female, and God, then the marriage is steady. In this relationship of a marriage, there’s a good reward.

The preacher in this book wants to talk about the fact that there is vanity under the sun because some don’t know why they work. They’re so busy until the day they die. In addition, they cannot bring any of these with them. V8 says that this person doesn’t have a son and no one can inherit his work.

Who are you busy for? There are people in this world who are like this - they work and work alone, and don’t know the purpose of their lives. This is why Ecclesiastes also says to enjoy the days of your youth with your spouse because this is God’s gift to you. This goodness from love allows men to have rest from the things of the world. Indeed, husband and wife can comfort one another. Your spouse can give you emotional fulfilment. Only this life married to you can communicate and understand you. You can rear pets, but the understanding of a pet towards humans is limited. You can use material means to fill your life, but it doesn’t fulfil your emotional desires because it doesn’t have life.

The third reason why men should get married is in Genesis 1:28;

‘Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”’

One of the reasons why God created men is for men to multiply because God’s creation requires inheritance. The earth is so huge and if there’s only two, who can inherit God’s creation? The children also help, to enjoy the garden God has given men.

Unfortunately, men sinned and sin entered into the world and men could no longer inherit God’s kingdom. They were under the curse of living life under labour. Even so, the Bible reminds us that with children, it is better. A lot of people think about descendants as something they don’t want to have. This society brings about much stress and some prefer to just be married without children. However, we know that it is a blessing to be fruitful and multiply. We read Genesis 15:2;

‘Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. ‘

Even though God promised Abram that he would have a child, the promise was not fulfilled. Abram asked God, “I don’t have a son, what are you going to give me? The person inheriting my possessions is my servant”. In those days they can give their possession to their closest servant(s) and this was not what Abram wanted. But God knew what he wanted and brought him out to count the stars.

Today, do our descendants also not inherit the kingdom of God? If you don’t get married, you’ll have no chance of having children. If you’re married but have no plans to have children (some have certain reasons), there’s nothing we can do.

Men have the right of choice and God doesn’t force, but we can also see that descendants are a blessing God gives us.

We read Malachi 2:15 for the fourth reason why God wants us to be married;

‘But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.’

The prophet says here that God has the power to create men, but He chose to make a person out of Adam. The purpose of doing so is to seek godly offspring. The verse ends off saying, “And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.’” In terms of having offspring, there’s a responsibility. If we are loyal in our marriage, we’ll have godly offspring. Only when you’re close to our spouse, can you be loyal to God. If you cannot stay loyal to your partner, you will not be loyal to God. On one hand, you already don’t follow God’s word, how can you follow God?

If we deal treacherously with our spouse, our offspring will also be affected. In the future, this child won’t have a correct understanding of marriage and will learn the wrong things. How will he/she then be loyal to God? As we teach our children, all the more parents will be able to see the heart of God. When our children don’t listen to us, we feel sad. When we don’t listen to our Heavenly Father, how do you think He feels?

The history of the Israelites tells us that the descendants are affected by their forefathers. The Israelites were worse from generation to generation because they didn’t listen to God’s word; they married Canaanites and brought these practices into their lives, even the most wise Solomon. In the end, the paganistic practices were brought in.

Solomon built idols and worshipped them, and was no longer loyal to serve God. The wisest person can also do the most unwise thing. If two persons are not built in the Lord, the effect is not on you yourself, but also on your descendants. Why do you want to harm yourself and others?

When we talk about being one person to two, it’s within the church. As Christians, we know this concept is correct. However, Christians in the past and present keeps committing the same mistakes and not listen to God. They seek partners outside of Christ. Why? They will say they can’t find anyone in church and so they look outside. This is not right. We can preach to bring more people in, but we cannot use marriage as a method to do so. This is because preaching is our goal in the first place. Our marriage MUST be in the Lord.

We also know of a testimony. There was a brethren to married outside and was left alone a few years later. His/her spouse had children after with another person. There’s a problem in TJC in that we have much more sisters. Statistically, there are more sisters and lesser brothers. Some brothers are not married because they are picky. Marriage facilitators ask members, “What are your criteria?” and they reply, “As long as it’s in the Lord, it’s fine”. However, ten out of ten of the people recommended are incompatible. It’s good to have reasonable criteria, but unrealistic expectations are not good. Not only the sisters are picky. One sister once told the speaker, “Even though not all our sisters are pretty, their hearts are all beautiful.” Hence, don’t look at just the outer appearance.

(Due to time constraint, the speaker shall continue his sermon on Sunday morning.)