1 00:00:02,100 --> 00:00:05,700 This morning, I want to talk about the gospel in marriage 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:11,000 when I had the realization a while back, when I that I needed 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,500 to start teaching, I made the resolution that I needed to 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,300 speak on topics that we're not only beneficial to the 5 00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:23,300 congregation here, but also beneficial to my children and 6 00:00:23,300 --> 00:00:25,800 their future. And Lizzie and eyes. 7 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,900 Children are, are getting older growing quick maturing into some 8 00:00:29,900 --> 00:00:32,700 of the greatest people. I know they've taught me how I 9 00:00:32,700 --> 00:00:34,500 need to be a father that I need to be. 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:36,900 And more importantly, how to be the spiritual leader? 11 00:00:36,900 --> 00:00:40,500 I need to be at the at home. So this morning, I hope that I 12 00:00:40,508 --> 00:00:45,400 can teach something that to the gunk congregation whether you're 13 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,300 married. Whether you're not married 14 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:52,000 preparing for marriage or still in the dating phase of your 15 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:53,900 life. I hope that this has been 16 00:00:53,900 --> 00:00:58,600 official to you in some manner. When I decided to teach on this 17 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,900 topic or the subject, please know that I have nobody in mind 18 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,700 at all whatsoever. When I decided to teach this, I 19 00:01:07,700 --> 00:01:12,400 think this is just beneficial. It's directed to us as a 20 00:01:12,408 --> 00:01:14,400 congregation as a body of Christ. 21 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,300 Understanding what is taught in the Bible. 22 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:19,600 And I'm not going to claim to be an expert on the on the matter 23 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,500 as well. So today we're going to hear and 24 00:01:23,500 --> 00:01:26,300 learn about what Jesus teaches us about marriage and divorce. 25 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:28,400 Jesus. In these passages that we will 26 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,900 consider speaks in a way that is very different from what the 27 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:34,200 world teaches us today. And as a church as a 28 00:01:34,208 --> 00:01:38,300 congregation, we desperately need to hear and heed what Jesus 29 00:01:38,300 --> 00:01:40,200 says and help each other live accordingly. 30 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,500 If we don't talk about Jesus's teaching on marriage and 31 00:01:43,500 --> 00:01:46,000 divorce. We won't be much help to those 32 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,900 around us who may be going through the sad state of 33 00:01:48,900 --> 00:01:50,800 divorce. We won't understand or be able 34 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,900 to help them and sometimes I sadly think that this, if this 35 00:01:54,900 --> 00:01:58,200 happens in the church, we need to be able to be prepared to 36 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:04,900 help those who are in need. Because if we don't it's very 37 00:02:04,900 --> 00:02:07,600 possible that people who could be going through, this could be 38 00:02:07,900 --> 00:02:13,300 in a very very hard struggle feeling alone and maybe even 39 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:16,300 ashamed of the struggle of divorce. 40 00:02:17,300 --> 00:02:21,600 So we as Christians have a responsibility we have multiple 41 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,100 responsibilities and we're going to go over those real quick. 42 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,300 The first one is this we must care for one another with 43 00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:31,200 concern. This is what it means to be 44 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,100 Brothers and Sisters in Christ. We don't just sit here next to 45 00:02:34,108 --> 00:02:38,000 each other in these pews and not acknowledge some of the 46 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,800 hardships that all of us may be going through, that's not what 47 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,400 the church is, we care for each other. 48 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,500 We will look out for each other, we serve and help each other and 49 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:47,800 that's what a family is that's what a family does. 50 00:02:48,700 --> 00:02:53,500 This means that if there is a couple in the congregation, or a 51 00:02:53,500 --> 00:02:55,600 family that is struggling in their Our marriage even 52 00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:00,700 contemplating divorce. We don't isolate or ignore that 53 00:03:00,700 --> 00:03:05,000 struggle. We need to be a church. 54 00:03:05,300 --> 00:03:08,700 Congregation that cares for each other with concern. 55 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,900 Also, secondly, we must encourage each other with the 56 00:03:12,900 --> 00:03:16,100 truth with the gospel. We don't just share our thoughts 57 00:03:16,100 --> 00:03:20,500 and opinions with each other. We share God's word in the 58 00:03:20,500 --> 00:03:23,900 context of our concern. We open the Bible together. 59 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,200 We help each other. See what God says about the 60 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,000 subjects of the topics that we are going through. 61 00:03:30,100 --> 00:03:33,700 You know, our opinions and our thoughts are not what we are 62 00:03:33,700 --> 00:03:36,600 supposed to counseling. We Counsel on the word of God. 63 00:03:38,100 --> 00:03:40,900 Then third also, as we encourage each other with truth. 64 00:03:40,900 --> 00:03:44,600 We must also Comfort one another with love what we're about to 65 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:46,300 talk about in the next few minutes. 66 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,000 Is going to bring all sorts of emotions to the surface. 67 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:58,200 In some people, maybe nobody here, but but please know that 68 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:02,000 even the mention of the word divorce could potentially open a 69 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,900 wound or there may be an open wounds right now as we sit here 70 00:04:05,900 --> 00:04:10,000 and and learn. So I want to be sensitive to all 71 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,500 of that. There are so many emotions that 72 00:04:12,500 --> 00:04:17,300 so many people experience or may be experiencing right now, 73 00:04:17,300 --> 00:04:26,900 whether it be sorrow or loss. Disappointment anger, regret 74 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,300 guilt. Maybe all of the above and may 75 00:04:30,300 --> 00:04:34,400 be so much more. So like I said, before my goal 76 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,000 is to be sensitive today to all of those emotions. 77 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,500 The last thing I want to do is to make wounds worse. 78 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,300 I want to carefully, apply the healing words of the Gospel to 79 00:04:42,300 --> 00:04:45,300 those wounds so that we can see the beautiful transforming. 80 00:04:45,300 --> 00:04:50,400 An internal application of the gospel for marriage and divorce. 81 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,400 I want us to be helped as a congregation, whatever the case 82 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,300 may be. It doesn't have to be the 83 00:04:56,300 --> 00:04:58,300 subject of marriage and sell for divorce. 84 00:04:58,300 --> 00:05:02,600 In itself could be any topic that may affect any of us here. 85 00:05:02,900 --> 00:05:05,000 We want to be a congregation that comes alongside one. 86 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,000 Another with love hope, help strength, and healing that are 87 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,200 found in Jesus alone. We also want to care for 88 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,500 children who are affected by marital struggle. 89 00:05:16,500 --> 00:05:19,500 And divorce, that, that maybe along with it, in such a way 90 00:05:19,500 --> 00:05:23,200 that those children will be drawn to Jesus and not pushed 91 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:28,100 away from Jesus. So I want to say that to every 92 00:05:28,100 --> 00:05:30,800 spouse, you may be struggling in their marriage right now or who 93 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,200 has experienced experienced divorce or to every child who 94 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:38,000 has been affected by divorce to own anyone who has been who has 95 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,100 done anything in marriage that you may be ashamed of or whose 96 00:05:41,100 --> 00:05:44,300 spouse or parent does something that they, maybe you are ashamed 97 00:05:44,300 --> 00:05:48,200 of there's no shame here. In this congregation, we are all 98 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,700 sinners, we've all gone through struggles, we have all sinned. 99 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,600 So we can't be ashamed if we have problems in her life and we 100 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:58,200 need to get some help from fellow brothers and sisters in 101 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:03,800 Christ. None of us are better than one 102 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,200 of the other. So this means that when we hurt 103 00:06:06,300 --> 00:06:09,500 we heard what those who hurt? We weep with those who weep and 104 00:06:09,500 --> 00:06:13,500 we love as Jesus loves. That's what it says in Romans 105 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:17,000 12:15. This is our responsibility 106 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:18,500 before God. And before each other, as a 107 00:06:18,508 --> 00:06:22,200 congregation, in light of this responsibility, our lives are to 108 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:24,500 be a reflection of Jesus love in a world. 109 00:06:24,500 --> 00:06:27,200 Where marital struggle? Struggle and divorce are 110 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:31,000 realities. Quite frankly, every single 111 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,200 marriage is under attack and if we don't think that ours is we 112 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:39,200 are fooling ourselves. There is an adversary who wants 113 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:44,600 to break up what God has designed And the devil is alive 114 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,900 and he's and he's strong, and he knows what to go after. 115 00:06:48,900 --> 00:06:51,300 The Bible, doesn't say to ignore the devil and he will flee from 116 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:53,600 you. He tells you to resist the devil 117 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:58,100 and he will flee from you. So, let's here, let's read. 118 00:06:58,100 --> 00:07:02,200 We're going to go to Matthew 19 and we're going to read verses 1 119 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:08,700 through 12 and it says there, Now it came to pass when Jesus 120 00:07:08,700 --> 00:07:11,400 had finished these sayings that he departed from Galilee and 121 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:14,900 came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan and great 122 00:07:14,900 --> 00:07:17,400 multitudes, followed him and he healed them there. 123 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,100 The Pharisees also came to him, testing him and saying to him. 124 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,600 Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any 125 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:28,700 reason and he answered and said to them, have you not read that? 126 00:07:28,700 --> 00:07:31,700 He who made them at the beginning, made them male and 127 00:07:31,700 --> 00:07:35,700 female and said for this reason a man shall leave his father and 128 00:07:35,700 --> 00:07:38,400 mother and be joined. To his wife and the two shall 129 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,300 become one flesh. So then they are no longer two, 130 00:07:42,300 --> 00:07:46,000 but one flesh, therefore, what God has joined together. 131 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:52,100 Let not man separate then said to him, why then did Moses 132 00:07:52,100 --> 00:07:55,300 command to give a certificate of divorce and to put her away? 133 00:07:55,300 --> 00:07:58,600 And he said to them, Moses, because of the hardness of your 134 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,400 hearts permitted, you to divorce your wives. 135 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:03,000 But from the beginning, it was not. 136 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:06,600 So, and I say to you, whoever divorces his wife? 137 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:10,300 A wife except for sexual immorality and marries another 138 00:08:10,300 --> 00:08:14,200 commits adultery and whoever marries her, who is divorced, 139 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,300 commits adultery, his disciples said to him. 140 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,800 If this is the case of the man with his wife, is it better not 141 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:26,500 to marry. But he said to them, all cannot 142 00:08:26,500 --> 00:08:29,900 accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given 143 00:08:30,100 --> 00:08:32,900 for there are eunuchs who are born from this from their 144 00:08:32,900 --> 00:08:35,100 mother's womb. And there are eunuchs who were 145 00:08:35,100 --> 00:08:38,200 made eunuchs by men. And there are eunuchs who gave 146 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,500 who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of Heaven's 147 00:08:41,500 --> 00:08:44,800 Sake. He who is able to accept it, let 148 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:49,600 him accept it. So we're going to consider three 149 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:54,300 truths that we can find in. These passages today. 150 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:57,700 Truth number one is that God created marriage. 151 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,300 Jesus starts with that truth. And that's a good place to 152 00:09:02,300 --> 00:09:04,100 start. When asked about marriage and 153 00:09:04,100 --> 00:09:06,800 divorce, he says in Verses 4 and 5, have you not read that? 154 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,100 He who made them at the beginning, made them male and 155 00:09:09,100 --> 00:09:12,400 feeble and female. And said for this reason a man 156 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:14,900 shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife 157 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:16,900 and the two shall become one flesh. 158 00:09:16,900 --> 00:09:21,000 So the man and woman are no longer two but they become one 159 00:09:21,100 --> 00:09:22,000 in marriage. Take. 160 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,800 Jesus takes us all the way back to the beginning of the Bible. 161 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,600 In Genesis 1 were God created, man and woman and brings them. 162 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:31,300 Together in his Union that he called marriage. 163 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,700 You know God didn't have to create it this way, as men and 164 00:09:35,700 --> 00:09:38,400 women he didn't have to create marriage in this way. 165 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,200 As one man and one woman coming together as one flesh Union but 166 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:46,900 he did and by doing so God defines marriage from the 167 00:09:46,900 --> 00:09:51,600 beginning for our good. I trust that we all know and 168 00:09:51,700 --> 00:09:56,600 understand that we real, we live in a country that denies that 169 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:02,000 truth for a long, long time. All civilizations have believed 170 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:02,600 that. Mirror. 171 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,400 That marriage is between a man and a woman. 172 00:10:06,500 --> 00:10:10,200 Permanently. But about 25 years ago in this 173 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:16,500 country that was reiterated that definition was reiterated by our 174 00:10:16,500 --> 00:10:18,300 government, and it went across party lines. 175 00:10:18,300 --> 00:10:20,500 It was called the Defense of Marriage Act. 176 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:26,100 But as we all know about six years ago or so that the Supreme 177 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:29,600 Court struck down verbiage in that Defense of Marriage Act 178 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,200 that completely changed. The definition of what marriage 179 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:37,800 is even prominent profession Christian leaders through the 180 00:10:37,808 --> 00:10:42,000 nation. One actually said and I quote, 181 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,800 this is a huge moment when lots of us realize that old the old 182 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:47,400 way of seeing things doesn't work. 183 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:50,300 That's pretty scary thought. When you have someone who 184 00:10:50,300 --> 00:10:55,000 professes to be a Christian leader, says that In our 185 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:59,600 country, even those who are professing to be Christians. 186 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,600 Say that, you know, they say that the old way, the god, that 187 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,000 the way that God defined marriage that doesn't work 188 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,300 anymore, you know? That's pretty audacious. 189 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,400 That's appalling to come along, thousands and thousands of years 190 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:17,000 after God, created and defined marriage, two, thousand years 191 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,500 after Jesus, reate reiterated, the definition. 192 00:11:19,700 --> 00:11:22,200 And then in the last six years, we say that we've discovered 193 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,400 ways that we don't think God's plan. 194 00:11:26,900 --> 00:11:29,300 Especially when somebody says it, while they're a Christian. 195 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:33,400 So from the beginning of creation God has defined 196 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,100 marriage for our good. So let's trust and submit to his 197 00:11:36,100 --> 00:11:39,800 word and see the beauty of God's definition of marriage one man, 198 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:45,100 one woman both masterfully molded in the image of their 199 00:11:45,100 --> 00:11:50,000 maker with equal dignity, equal dignity and complementary roles 200 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,100 coming together to form one flesh. 201 00:11:53,300 --> 00:11:56,900 We don't need any Court of government to define marriage 202 00:11:56,900 --> 00:11:59,900 for us. God has already done that for 203 00:11:59,900 --> 00:12:02,900 us. His definition cannot be 204 00:12:02,900 --> 00:12:08,400 eradicated by a vote by men. The Supreme judge of creation 205 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:12,600 has defined marriage and we will gladly trust it and submit to 206 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:16,200 his word. So not only God has got to find 207 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:20,100 marriage for it, but he designed marriage for the display of the 208 00:12:20,100 --> 00:12:22,500 Gospel. Now. 209 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,500 When we think about this is on a whole nother level that we can 210 00:12:26,500 --> 00:12:31,200 think about marriage. So God's design for marriage as 211 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,100 a marriage between one, man, and one woman is not random at all. 212 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,600 God is not random everything that God has done and got his 213 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:43,200 gave us in this in his book is intentional every single thing. 214 00:12:43,300 --> 00:12:45,800 There's even a song out a Christian song that that's 215 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:50,000 called The Reckless Love of God. God is Not Reckless. 216 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:53,200 God has everything in his design. 217 00:12:54,300 --> 00:12:57,800 And everything is for a design. So we need to understand them. 218 00:12:59,100 --> 00:13:01,400 When God made man and woman he brought them together. 219 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:03,500 Bringing them together a marriage, he's not rolling the 220 00:13:03,500 --> 00:13:07,900 dice or flipping a coin or or making just a whim of a 221 00:13:07,908 --> 00:13:11,900 decision. There is a plan why he created 222 00:13:11,900 --> 00:13:15,300 marriage between man and woman so important. 223 00:13:16,500 --> 00:13:19,600 Some people view marriage is merely means of self-fulfillment 224 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:24,600 or self-satisfaction. Or if we say, you know, we're 225 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,800 trying to find a mate who completes us that view of 226 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:33,900 marriage in and of itself. It is not correct. 227 00:13:34,900 --> 00:13:38,400 The Bible teaches us. That God designs marriage, not 228 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:42,400 as an end but as a means to an end, God designed marriage to be 229 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:44,700 a picture that points to something far. 230 00:13:44,700 --> 00:13:50,600 Greater we read Ephesians 5 verses 31 through 32, it says 231 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:53,500 there for this reason a man shall leave his father and 232 00:13:53,500 --> 00:13:56,400 mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one 233 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,100 flesh. This is a great mystery but I 234 00:13:59,100 --> 00:14:02,600 speak concerning Christ and the church. 235 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,900 Purpose of marriage, is to point us to Christ. 236 00:14:10,700 --> 00:14:13,200 Let's follow the same logic here. 237 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,600 Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church on the canvas of 238 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:20,300 this Earthly World. Ephesians 5:25 says husband's, 239 00:14:20,300 --> 00:14:22,100 love your wives. Just as Christ, also loved the 240 00:14:22,100 --> 00:14:25,200 church and gave himself up for her. 241 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,400 So, a husband is designed by God to be a picture to the world of 242 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:31,300 Christ's love for the church, a selfless. 243 00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:36,300 Sacrificial love also in Ephesians 5 verses 2024. 244 00:14:38,900 --> 00:14:41,700 It says therefore just as the church is subject to Christ. 245 00:14:41,700 --> 00:14:44,800 So let the wives be to their own husband's in everything. 246 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,100 A wife is designed by God to be a picture of the world of the 247 00:14:48,100 --> 00:14:49,600 church. Love churches. 248 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:52,400 Love for Christ. A joyful, submissive love. 249 00:14:53,500 --> 00:14:57,300 When this happens in marriage, we have a Biblical marriage 250 00:14:57,300 --> 00:15:00,400 unity and we're both husband and wife spouses are working 251 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,800 together. The world will see a picture of 252 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,700 the gospel of Christ. Now, when I use the word gospel 253 00:15:07,700 --> 00:15:10,100 today, this morning, I want us to understand. 254 00:15:10,100 --> 00:15:12,500 Of course, what that means, I'm sure most of us here do. 255 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,300 But the gospel is what brings us together today? 256 00:15:17,300 --> 00:15:20,500 You know, we made some people, may wonder why in the world. 257 00:15:20,500 --> 00:15:23,000 Is that church on plans, Road meet every Sunday morning, every 258 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:27,100 Sunday evening and every Wednesday, And what about all 259 00:15:27,100 --> 00:15:29,300 the other congregations across the whole world will? 260 00:15:29,300 --> 00:15:31,700 The answer is the gospel that's the reason why? 261 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,700 The gospel is a good news that everyone of us has been created 262 00:15:35,700 --> 00:15:39,400 by God for a relationship with God and the one true king over 263 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:43,000 all creation. But we have all sinned against 264 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,800 God. Not just in our understanding of 265 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,700 marriage sometimes, but in so many other ways we have sinned 266 00:15:48,700 --> 00:15:51,200 against God. So God has become. 267 00:15:51,500 --> 00:15:54,100 God has also come to us in the person of Jesus. 268 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:57,800 He is long-awaited King in the flesh who came to live a perfect 269 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:02,700 and Powerful life of no sin. Then he laid down his life to 270 00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:08,800 pay the price for our sin. But the good news of the Gospel 271 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:10,800 keeps getting better. Three days later. 272 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:14,300 Jesus rose from the dead. He rose from the grave and 273 00:16:14,300 --> 00:16:17,600 victory over sin and over death, so that anyone anywhere who 274 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,300 obeys the Gospel of Jesus can and will be forgiven from their 275 00:16:21,300 --> 00:16:24,800 sin and brought back into a relationship with God. 276 00:16:25,700 --> 00:16:30,700 As long as we remain faithful to him, So to be a follower of 277 00:16:30,700 --> 00:16:33,400 Jesus means that we need to renounce all other gods and 278 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,100 Idols of her life and believe that Jesus is the son of God and 279 00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:38,700 be baptized for the remission of our sins. 280 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:42,600 I don't want us to miss with this means, God loves you. 281 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,700 And I and desires our relationship with us. 282 00:16:46,500 --> 00:16:51,300 God has made that possible through Jesus and at the end of 283 00:16:51,300 --> 00:16:53,300 our sermon here, we're going to we're going to offer an 284 00:16:53,300 --> 00:16:57,400 invitation for any of those who need to be baptized or 285 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:00,900 confessing the public sins. They need to To, to make to be 286 00:17:00,900 --> 00:17:02,900 reconciled with the right relationship with God. 287 00:17:03,500 --> 00:17:07,000 And when we do that, when we are baptized, we realize that the 288 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:10,200 ultimate meaning of the marriage that is the ultimate meaning of 289 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,099 marriage to show a picture to the world. 290 00:17:13,300 --> 00:17:16,900 Marriage and Mission are connected because God has 291 00:17:16,900 --> 00:17:19,700 designed marriage for the display of the Gospel. 292 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:27,000 So, we need to love. We need to show God's love to 293 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:31,100 the World. By just are simple marriages. 294 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,200 Husband should love his wife by laying down his own life, for 295 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,600 her to lift her up an honor, her, her dignity, and her beauty 296 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:42,100 and we gladly submit to follow Jesus. 297 00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:45,900 Not because we have to but because we want to That's what 298 00:17:45,900 --> 00:17:48,400 how this is. How a wife designed to love her 299 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:52,000 husband, you know, have any of you have any of us met, a wife 300 00:17:52,300 --> 00:17:55,000 who was not willing to completely and utterly, follow 301 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,900 her husband, if her husband shows that he is selfless and 302 00:17:58,900 --> 00:18:01,900 sacrificing to her, a wife is going to do that every single 303 00:18:01,900 --> 00:18:07,800 time. We need to wreck realize that we 304 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:15,900 are representing to the world. What Jesus is so husbands, if we 305 00:18:15,900 --> 00:18:20,000 are harsh with our wives, we will show the world that Jesus 306 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:25,100 is Harsh with his people. If we ignore our wives needs, we 307 00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:28,100 are telling the world that Jesus ignores our needs. 308 00:18:28,700 --> 00:18:32,300 If we are unfaithful to our wives, we are showing the world 309 00:18:32,300 --> 00:18:36,500 that Jesus is unfaithful to us. Ends. 310 00:18:36,500 --> 00:18:39,300 What a picture of Jesus. What picture of Jesus are you 311 00:18:39,300 --> 00:18:42,100 showing the world? On the other side. 312 00:18:42,100 --> 00:18:44,100 Wives, what picture are you showing? 313 00:18:46,100 --> 00:18:48,200 The world. What it means to follow Jesus, 314 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,100 if you disrespect your husband You show the world that Jesus is 315 00:18:53,100 --> 00:18:56,800 not worthy of respect, if you do not pursue your husband, you 316 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:00,900 show the world that Jesus is not worth pursuing, and if you're 317 00:19:00,900 --> 00:19:03,900 unfaithful to your husband, you show the world that Jesus is not 318 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,500 satisfying enough for his people. 319 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,700 So God designed marriage for the display of the Gospel. 320 00:19:10,700 --> 00:19:15,500 So we need to show that to the world marriage by God's 321 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:18,500 definition. And design is so important. 322 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:22,600 This is why Jesus says what he did in Matthew. 19 and 6 it says 323 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:24,800 there, therefore, what God has joined together? 324 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:29,100 Let not man separate. Truth number 2. 325 00:19:30,300 --> 00:19:36,300 God hates divorce. So God created marriage and 326 00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:39,600 whether we want to notice that, he also hates divorce at the 327 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,600 same time. This is Harsh language but this 328 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:47,600 is language that we can read in Malachi 2:16 says therefore the 329 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:52,600 Lord God of Israel says that he hates divorce or covers ones. 330 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:56,500 Garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. 331 00:19:57,700 --> 00:20:02,100 It makes sense, doesn't it? If God created marriage, the 332 00:20:02,100 --> 00:20:05,700 marriage Union to display the gospel. 333 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,100 And his love for the church and the union between Jesus and the 334 00:20:10,100 --> 00:20:14,200 church, it makes sense that God would hate divorce to break up 335 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,500 that Union. So, we need to understand them 336 00:20:18,900 --> 00:20:21,300 So this leads to the question the Pharisees were asking about 337 00:20:21,300 --> 00:20:24,600 Jesus and Moses and the law in the Old Testament. 338 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:29,600 This whole conversation starts. When these teachers asked, is it 339 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:33,200 lawful for a man to divorce ones wife for any reason? 340 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:37,500 We find that in verse 3 of Matthew 19 and Jesus answered by 341 00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:40,200 pointing to God's definition and designed for marriage. 342 00:20:40,500 --> 00:20:43,800 Then in the, in verse 7, the Pharisees point to allowances, 343 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:47,400 for divorce way, back in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 24, 344 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:50,400 where Moses gave, Options for certificates of divorce. 345 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:54,600 But that's when Jesus says, in verse 8 of our reading Moses 346 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,700 because of the hardness of your hearts permitted, you to divorce 347 00:20:57,700 --> 00:20:59,500 your wives. But from the beginning it was 348 00:20:59,500 --> 00:21:04,900 not. So in other words, Divorce was 349 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,300 definitively, not God's original design. 350 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:16,400 Divorce is always a result of sin, always think about it. 351 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,800 If there's no sin in the world, nor what, no hardness in our 352 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,400 hearts, there would be no divorce, but there is sin in the 353 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,900 world. That is a fact. 354 00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:30,600 Marriage is a uniting together of two, Sinners people. 355 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:32,900 Wonder why? So many marriages struggle? 356 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,300 It's because we're Sinners sins in the world. 357 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:40,600 Experts can say that, you know, there are communication problems 358 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,200 or compatibility problems or financial problems or sexual 359 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:49,900 problems were personality problems you know, those those 360 00:21:49,900 --> 00:21:54,000 aren't necessarily The issue but they could be problems in our 361 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:55,900 marriage. But the issue is sin. 362 00:21:56,500 --> 00:22:00,600 The major problem with every marriage is sin in our lives. 363 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:09,200 I don't want to seem too basic about that but I think we tend 364 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,500 to overlook sometimes the Simplicity of the Gospel what 365 00:22:12,500 --> 00:22:17,200 God teaches us. We tend to go over all kinds of 366 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,200 books. We can read books, we can go to 367 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:22,100 conferences. When go to seminars, we can see 368 00:22:22,100 --> 00:22:27,600 experts on marriage yet as long as they try to make things work 369 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:32,300 from an external standpoint. They're going to be basically 370 00:22:32,300 --> 00:22:34,000 putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone. 371 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,500 The healing has to come in from Jesus from what the gospel. 372 00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:41,400 We have to look to the gospel on how to heal broken marriages. 373 00:22:42,700 --> 00:22:47,500 You know, Frank Frank taught on this and somewhat touched on it. 374 00:22:47,500 --> 00:22:49,700 There's a war going on within our hearts, you know, the 375 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:51,700 Christian Warfare that we go through. 376 00:22:51,700 --> 00:22:54,300 Well, this is part of it, you know, the internal battles that 377 00:22:54,300 --> 00:22:58,600 we go through with sin and with the devil this is part of that 378 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,500 spiritual warfare. And that's what Jesus is saying 379 00:23:01,500 --> 00:23:03,200 here. The last place we want to look 380 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:06,100 when it comes to problems in our marriage is within our own 381 00:23:06,100 --> 00:23:11,100 selves. You know if we have a hard heart 382 00:23:11,500 --> 00:23:13,500 we don't want it. It's hard to self-reflect if 383 00:23:13,500 --> 00:23:15,200 we're having issues. You know. 384 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:19,300 So we want to make sure that we go to the Bible and read how to 385 00:23:19,300 --> 00:23:26,500 help our marriages in any way. Well, there are so many 386 00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:30,100 situations where more fall clearly lies on one side than 387 00:23:30,100 --> 00:23:33,300 the other. The fact Still Remains both 388 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:37,600 husband and wife are sinners. Divorce is always reasonable 389 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:44,000 result of sin and divorce. Sometimes in itself is a sin as 390 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:45,400 well. And we're going to, we're going 391 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:49,900 to touch on that here soon. This is true in two ways. 392 00:23:50,700 --> 00:23:52,900 First God, hates divorce and there were only a couple 393 00:23:52,900 --> 00:23:59,100 exception was kept exceptions where it is allowed, and we'll 394 00:23:59,100 --> 00:24:01,900 talk about that in a minute, but on both, but outside of these 395 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:08,600 reasons or exceptions divorce in and of itself is a sin against 396 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:12,500 God outside of those parameters. It's a critical for us to hear 397 00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:16,300 in a country where in culture today, where it is so easy to 398 00:24:16,300 --> 00:24:19,800 get a divorce. All that's needed is a statement 399 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:25,300 of irreconcilable differences. I even learned while putting 400 00:24:25,300 --> 00:24:29,200 this letter this sermon together that that you can get a divorce 401 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:33,100 online or even on an app on your phone with a Pretty Simple Touch 402 00:24:33,100 --> 00:24:36,800 of a couple buttons. It is so readily available and 403 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,700 accessible to the world. It is such a common practice. 404 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:43,300 It's just scary. So this is why we desperately 405 00:24:43,300 --> 00:24:46,900 need to stop and ask why? When and why does God allow 406 00:24:46,900 --> 00:24:49,400 divorce? And yes he does. 407 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:54,400 Then secondly even when God allows divorce, we also needs to 408 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:55,800 be. We need to be careful and be 409 00:24:55,800 --> 00:25:00,100 aware that while there may be some who may or may not be going 410 00:25:00,100 --> 00:25:06,200 through divorce or going through a struggle, that sin during 411 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:10,300 those times can be a lot higher. We can have a lot more 412 00:25:10,300 --> 00:25:14,400 Temptation and when somebody is going through divorce, its 413 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:16,900 strong that The Temptations are strong. 414 00:25:16,900 --> 00:25:18,300 So we need to be sensitive to that. 415 00:25:18,300 --> 00:25:20,500 If there's anybody who may be going through, any type of 416 00:25:20,500 --> 00:25:24,700 struggles, it's very hard to go through a divorce process, even 417 00:25:24,700 --> 00:25:28,600 14 biblical reasons, without committing sin, in the process. 418 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,500 So, we just need to be extremely careful if we're in that 419 00:25:31,500 --> 00:25:36,700 situation. I don't presume to know the 420 00:25:36,700 --> 00:25:44,700 depth of hurt anger or the sense of betrayal and all the other 421 00:25:44,700 --> 00:25:50,100 emotions that go with divorce. I don't presume to know Any of 422 00:25:50,100 --> 00:25:53,300 that? But I don't do no as we 423 00:25:53,300 --> 00:25:57,400 mentioned before that there is an adversary who wants to take 424 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:01,500 those emotions and turn them into malicious speech, and a 425 00:26:01,500 --> 00:26:04,200 deep bitterness that will eat at one soul. 426 00:26:06,100 --> 00:26:09,600 So we need to guard against those Temptations. 427 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:14,600 It's hard to do that, actually. It's impossible to do without 428 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:21,800 Jesus. but Jesus is with us, the one who has betrayed death Who 429 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:26,200 was betrayed to his death. Is with us every step of the 430 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:30,800 way. So, he knows how we feel and he 431 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:34,800 wants to help. Divorce, like we said, is often 432 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:39,100 simple in many ways that brings us to our third truth that we 433 00:26:39,100 --> 00:26:43,600 find and that is that God regulates divorce. 434 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:48,200 So one is divorce non sinful, one does God allow it? 435 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,200 As a result of sin in this world in the hardness of our hearts 436 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,300 Jesus teaches that God regulates divorce. 437 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,600 This means that although divorce was not part of God's design. 438 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:03,700 For marriage has like, we find in Deuteronomy 24, which is 439 00:27:03,700 --> 00:27:07,500 referenced again in Matthew 19 and in 1st Corinthians 7, it 440 00:27:07,500 --> 00:27:11,100 makes it clear that the Bible acknowledges the reality of 441 00:27:11,100 --> 00:27:15,900 divorce itself. These passages God gives us 442 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,800 certain in these passages. God gives us certain regulations 443 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:23,000 concerning divorce. These are regulations and not 444 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,900 suggestions. So we need to understand that 445 00:27:25,900 --> 00:27:28,600 this is not giving us. This is not God, giving us 446 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:32,100 truths that are open to be added or to be taken away from by 447 00:27:32,100 --> 00:27:35,700 congregation by a teacher by an evangelist by councillor, by a 448 00:27:35,700 --> 00:27:38,400 lawyer, or anybody else living here. 449 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:41,600 In this 21st century, this is God's design. 450 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:44,800 God doesn't give suggestions to be considered. 451 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:48,000 He gives us Commandments to be obeyed for our good. 452 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:56,800 In his word God gives us two potential biblical reasons. 453 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:03,500 That one may go through the through the divorce process. 454 00:28:03,500 --> 00:28:06,300 One is here in Matthew 19. The other is in 1st Corinthians 455 00:28:06,300 --> 00:28:09,800 7. So here in Matthew 19. 456 00:28:11,100 --> 00:28:14,100 We have a conversation that Jesus having with the Pharisees 457 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,300 who were trying to trap Jesus. Using a quote from the Old 458 00:28:17,300 --> 00:28:21,400 Testament in Deuteronomy 24. There were, there was different 459 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:25,300 schools of thought in the first century Judaism about what might 460 00:28:25,300 --> 00:28:28,300 be allowed for divorce, one school of thought, believe that 461 00:28:28,300 --> 00:28:31,300 a man could divorce his wife, she had committed any type of 462 00:28:31,300 --> 00:28:35,200 immodest Behavior or sexual immorality and the other school 463 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:39,500 of thought which was more dominant and more prevalent was 464 00:28:39,500 --> 00:28:43,200 saying that divorce was Small. Whenever a wife did anything 465 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:48,300 displeasing to her husband? So they thought that they 466 00:28:48,300 --> 00:28:52,300 thought that if I just didn't like something that Lizzie did 467 00:28:52,300 --> 00:28:54,400 whether it was biblical, you know, a sin or not. 468 00:28:54,400 --> 00:29:00,200 If I just didn't like that, she didn't do whatever it may be the 469 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,300 Jews, Judaism thought that they could divorce on those grounds 470 00:29:03,700 --> 00:29:08,400 and that was not right. So that led to men basically 471 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:11,400 divorcing their rise for wise for any reason that they could 472 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:13,600 find. And I think this is what the 473 00:29:13,608 --> 00:29:16,500 deficiencies were thinking. When they said to Jesus, I saved 474 00:29:16,500 --> 00:29:19,700 and Jesus says to them, I say to you, whoever divorces his wife 475 00:29:19,900 --> 00:29:23,000 except for sexual immorality and marries another commits 476 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,300 adultery. So in Matthew 19, Jesus puts one 477 00:29:26,300 --> 00:29:29,200 puts one. Reason for divorce on the table 478 00:29:29,700 --> 00:29:34,600 and that is adultery which we find in Matthew 19. 479 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:40,500 There's some debate on what that means, because the word for 480 00:29:40,500 --> 00:29:43,300 sexual immorality. That Jesus uses here, it's the 481 00:29:43,300 --> 00:29:48,700 Greek word porneia, which is a word that refers to all kinds of 482 00:29:48,700 --> 00:29:50,800 sexual sin that we can find in the Bible. 483 00:29:50,900 --> 00:29:53,300 But in the context of the passage, where Jesus has 484 00:29:53,300 --> 00:29:57,000 referred to this one flesh, a union of marriage, the picture 485 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:02,900 seems to be of the spouse. Who violates that one flesh 486 00:30:02,900 --> 00:30:05,600 Union. It's a very serious violation, 487 00:30:06,300 --> 00:30:14,400 not only gets the spouse but against God, You know, adultery. 488 00:30:16,100 --> 00:30:20,300 In defiance of God places. Another person within that Union 489 00:30:20,700 --> 00:30:25,800 of one man and one woman adultery demeans shames and 490 00:30:25,808 --> 00:30:31,400 abandons, a husband or wife for selfish gain such sexual 491 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,100 immorality. In Morality Jesus says, is 492 00:30:34,100 --> 00:30:37,700 extremely serious and is grounds for divorce. 493 00:30:38,300 --> 00:30:43,500 Now, Adultery was punishable by stoning in the Old Testament and 494 00:30:43,500 --> 00:30:46,800 we see stern warnings throughout the New Testament and scriptures 495 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,200 against adultery. And I want to take a second here 496 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:57,400 in a couple minutes and and and talk to anybody who may have 497 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:03,800 somehow flirted with adultery thought about adultery or 498 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:08,000 stepped an inch towards adultery or may be on the verge of 499 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:13,100 adultery right now. And yes, that includes viewing 500 00:31:13,100 --> 00:31:17,100 pornography, we need to understand the danger that we 501 00:31:17,100 --> 00:31:20,700 are in. If a adultery is anywhere near 502 00:31:20,700 --> 00:31:23,700 you right now even in the recesses of her mind. 503 00:31:24,300 --> 00:31:26,400 And that ways that you've tried to cover up. 504 00:31:27,500 --> 00:31:32,100 We're going to look at Proverbs chapter 7 and this describes a 505 00:31:32,100 --> 00:31:39,600 man that was wandering and after a woman who was not his wife, it 506 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,200 says beginning in verse 21 of Proverbs. 507 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:47,200 It says, with her enticing speech, she caused him to yield 508 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:51,600 with her flattering lips. She seduced him immediately. 509 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:56,200 He went after her as an ox goes to the slaughter or as a fool to 510 00:31:56,200 --> 00:32:00,500 the correction of the Socks till an arrow struck his liver as a 511 00:32:00,508 --> 00:32:04,100 bird, hastens to the snare. He did not know it would cost 512 00:32:04,100 --> 00:32:06,800 his life. Now, therefore, listen to me, my 513 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:12,100 children, pay attention to the words of my mouth, do not let 514 00:32:12,100 --> 00:32:14,300 your heart. Turn aside to her ways, do not 515 00:32:14,300 --> 00:32:17,600 stray into her paths. For she has cast down many 516 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:21,200 wounded and all who were slain by her were strong men. 517 00:32:21,500 --> 00:32:26,600 Her house is the way to Hell, descending to the chambers of 518 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:29,700 death. Word of God is extremely clear 519 00:32:29,700 --> 00:32:33,900 and if you're flirting with adultery in any way, whatever 520 00:32:33,900 --> 00:32:38,800 that may look like run from it, get away from it. 521 00:32:39,700 --> 00:32:42,700 It says here, we're like a like an ox going to the slaughter. 522 00:32:42,700 --> 00:32:47,600 We're going to our own death. Also Proverbs verse our 6:32 523 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,300 States, whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks 524 00:32:50,300 --> 00:32:55,600 understanding, he does. So he who does so destroys his 525 00:32:55,600 --> 00:33:03,300 own soul, We don't sometimes realize how dumb we can be 526 00:33:03,300 --> 00:33:05,400 sometimes when were flirting with sin. 527 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:10,000 It is a dumb move or walking to our death and were convincing 528 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:11,400 ourselves. Sometimes that's good. 529 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:15,900 We need to run from it, we don't rationalize it, we run, we don't 530 00:33:15,900 --> 00:33:18,700 flirt with it, we flee back in Matthew 19. 531 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:21,100 We need to notice that Jesus does not say when adultery 532 00:33:21,100 --> 00:33:23,700 occurs that divorce is certain or required. 533 00:33:24,100 --> 00:33:27,800 Instead Jesus says, divorce is permit a bubble in this 534 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:31,300 situation, the Pharisees were searching for circumstances in 535 00:33:31,300 --> 00:33:33,300 which it would be possible for them to divorce. 536 00:33:33,300 --> 00:33:35,700 Jesus is saying in his response that we're not looking for 537 00:33:35,700 --> 00:33:39,400 reasons to to divorce, we're longing for reconciliation to 538 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,800 occur. The goal here is not to look at 539 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:45,900 the letter of law for a loophole to allow divorce. 540 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:47,900 We can't do that. That's not how we should look at 541 00:33:47,900 --> 00:33:50,100 the word of God. We don't look for loopholes 542 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:52,600 Jesus and God hates divorce. So we should do. 543 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,700 All we can to keep the union of marriage together, whatever we 544 00:33:56,700 --> 00:33:59,600 can do now. Notice the teaching in Matthew 545 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,900 19 comes right on the heels of the, parable of the unforgiving 546 00:34:02,900 --> 00:34:05,700 servant in Matthew 18, where Jesus taught his disciples to 547 00:34:05,700 --> 00:34:08,900 pray, give extravagantly. So, I think the implication is 548 00:34:08,900 --> 00:34:11,100 clear. We need to all work together. 549 00:34:11,199 --> 00:34:14,699 Toward reconciliation. We need to pray towards 550 00:34:14,699 --> 00:34:18,199 Redemption and restoration, not because it's easy in any manner. 551 00:34:19,100 --> 00:34:23,300 But because that is what God and Jesus want us to do. 552 00:34:23,300 --> 00:34:28,500 They want us to reconcile and do everything we can to save 553 00:34:28,500 --> 00:34:32,699 marriages. It's not to shame anyone or to 554 00:34:32,699 --> 00:34:35,699 make anyone feel guilty who divorces after adultery. 555 00:34:35,699 --> 00:34:37,100 That's not the point of the lesson. 556 00:34:38,500 --> 00:34:43,900 Jesus clear clearly here makes that regulation and he said the 557 00:34:43,900 --> 00:34:47,699 same thing in Matthew 5. So divorce is possible after you 558 00:34:47,707 --> 00:34:50,800 adultery, but it is not inevitable. 559 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,400 Not in any means we can say, you know, we can we can say how can 560 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:59,400 a marriage survived after adultery has been committed. 561 00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:02,100 Well, he answers the gospel to Jesus. 562 00:35:02,300 --> 00:35:06,000 He tells us to forgive, you know, that is, of course, if 563 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:09,800 the, the innocent party is willing to forgive and, or 564 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:11,900 actually they're more commands, forgive regardless. 565 00:35:11,900 --> 00:35:15,000 But if the willing or the innocent party is willing to 566 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:18,200 continue the marriage, they are permitted to do so. 567 00:35:18,900 --> 00:35:24,500 But they are also permitted to go through the divorce if they 568 00:35:24,500 --> 00:35:34,300 want to as well. So, We can only reconcile, our 569 00:35:34,300 --> 00:35:38,500 marriages through the power of Jesus, with his forgiveness and 570 00:35:38,500 --> 00:35:41,300 his care. Even when we are hurt, this is 571 00:35:41,300 --> 00:35:43,100 what Christ did for us on the cross. 572 00:35:45,100 --> 00:35:49,100 He did that for us. You know, if you think about it, 573 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:53,100 we have committed adultery against Jesus by our sins. 574 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:58,300 That's what our sins are. So, we need to be understanding 575 00:35:58,300 --> 00:36:00,900 that Jesus has forgiven us for so many things. 576 00:36:02,700 --> 00:36:05,900 I want to be careful here. There's so many different 577 00:36:05,900 --> 00:36:10,600 circumstances and so many different scenarios that I don't 578 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:14,600 claim to even touch, because there's so many different things 579 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:19,200 that we can look at their circumstances, when one spouse 580 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:22,200 May commit adultery once and realize their sin before God, 581 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,800 and their spouse confess their sin and hate it, and turn from 582 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:27,600 it. And there's also those who you 583 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:32,700 know, perpetually, commit adultery or perpetually, Against 584 00:36:32,700 --> 00:36:36,600 their wives or sorry just because they got caught, you 585 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:38,800 know, that's not that's not turning from sin. 586 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:43,900 So we need to be careful not to speak definitively where Jesus 587 00:36:43,900 --> 00:36:47,900 has not spoken definitively. When it comes to adultery 588 00:36:47,900 --> 00:36:50,300 divorce as possible, but it is not inevitable. 589 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:55,200 Even though we're in Matthew 19, I want to consider another 590 00:36:58,900 --> 00:37:02,500 potential reason for divorce and that is in 1st Corinthians 591 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:06,000 chapter 7. Before I go any further, I want 592 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:10,600 to clarify a couple things. First Corinthians 7 is not a 593 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:14,300 patches that we can use for grounds for divorce. 594 00:37:14,900 --> 00:37:19,000 The only grounds for divorce is adultery in the passage in 1st 595 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:21,700 Corinthians. 7, says dealing with a believing spouse in an 596 00:37:21,700 --> 00:37:24,900 unbelieving spouse just because you have an unbelieving spouse 597 00:37:24,900 --> 00:37:27,100 is not mean that is grounds for divorce. 598 00:37:27,500 --> 00:37:30,700 So we need to understand There's no adultery present, the only 599 00:37:30,700 --> 00:37:32,500 biblical grounds that we have four divorces. 600 00:37:32,500 --> 00:37:34,500 What was described in Matthew 19? 601 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:39,700 And this passage in 1st Corinthians 7 is staying that if 602 00:37:39,700 --> 00:37:42,600 one of the spouses are is an unbeliever in chooses to leave 603 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:45,100 the believing spouse. The believing spouse is free 604 00:37:45,100 --> 00:37:48,300 from the bondage of that marriage. 605 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,700 We cannot divorce based on the fact that a spouse is an 606 00:37:51,700 --> 00:37:56,800 unbeliever that is why it is so important for all those who have 607 00:37:56,800 --> 00:38:00,600 not been married or in the process of being married to make 608 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:05,000 sure that everybody is on the same page with their commitment 609 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:09,400 to Jesus. I was reading some, some facts 610 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:14,600 and some statistics on on the rate of divorce between those 611 00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:19,100 who are unbelievers. Those who are one spouse, maybe 612 00:38:19,100 --> 00:38:21,100 believer, the others not a Believer or they're both, not 613 00:38:21,100 --> 00:38:28,400 believers. The the rate for those who both 614 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:32,300 believe in are committed to Jesus was about 30 to 40 615 00:38:32,300 --> 00:38:34,700 percent. Lower than those who may have 616 00:38:34,700 --> 00:38:37,400 been one a believer in the other not a believer. 617 00:38:38,500 --> 00:38:42,800 So Jesus creates the, the marriage Union, and he 618 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:52,900 strengthens it. it says in verse First Corinthians, Chapter 7 619 00:38:53,100 --> 00:38:56,400 verses 12 through 14. It says there have any brother 620 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:57,900 has a wife. Who does not believe in. 621 00:38:57,900 --> 00:39:01,200 She is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. 622 00:39:01,500 --> 00:39:04,100 And a woman who has a husband, who does not believe, if he is 623 00:39:04,100 --> 00:39:08,000 willing to live with her, let her not divorce him for the 624 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:10,500 unbelieving, husband is Sanctified by the wife and the 625 00:39:10,500 --> 00:39:13,000 unbelieving wife is Sanctified by the husband. 626 00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:16,600 Otherwise, your children would be unclean but now they are 627 00:39:16,700 --> 00:39:21,200 holy, we don't have time to dive into all these passages, but the 628 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:23,800 bottom line, Line is that the believing spouse should not 629 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:28,700 initiate divorce if they are with an unbelieving spouse but 630 00:39:28,700 --> 00:39:33,000 they should stay married working and praying and loving toward 631 00:39:33,100 --> 00:39:35,800 that unbelieving spouse has salvation. 632 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:42,100 But if we look at in verse 15 here but if the unbeliever 633 00:39:42,100 --> 00:39:45,700 departs, let him depart a brother or sister is not under 634 00:39:45,700 --> 00:39:50,100 bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 635 00:39:50,500 --> 00:39:52,700 In other words, if an unbelieving spouse chooses to 636 00:39:52,700 --> 00:39:55,500 abandon a believing spouse, despite that believing spouses 637 00:39:55,500 --> 00:40:01,700 love for them then divorce is possible in that situation. 638 00:40:04,100 --> 00:40:07,000 In other words, don't initiate that kind of divorce. 639 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:11,400 But if the, if it is forced upon you by abandonment from the 640 00:40:11,400 --> 00:40:16,500 unbelieving spouse, God says, let him depart again, that is 641 00:40:16,500 --> 00:40:18,700 what the word of God says here in the Bible. 642 00:40:18,700 --> 00:40:22,900 We have two biblical reasons, we're divorced, may occur, and 643 00:40:22,900 --> 00:40:26,600 that is adultery and abandonment. 644 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:29,600 Any divorce outside of these reasons. 645 00:40:29,900 --> 00:40:33,200 Taught by God's word leads to adultery and remarriage. 646 00:40:33,900 --> 00:40:36,100 So we need to be careful on that too, and we're not going to get 647 00:40:36,100 --> 00:40:40,800 into the remarriage topic this morning that is for another 648 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:45,600 time. So practically speaking, that 649 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:48,000 means that the non adulterous spouse in the first exception 650 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,800 for divorce can remarry according to these passages, but 651 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:54,700 outside of this, a man or room woman is not free to remarry, 652 00:40:54,900 --> 00:40:58,000 such remarriage would be adultery itself. 653 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:02,400 Now, before I move on any further, I want to address one 654 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:08,800 other thing that's not mentioned here, specifically, but we need 655 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:10,900 to talk about and that is abuse in marriage. 656 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:16,800 No spouse or child should be in a home with somebody who 657 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:22,600 jeopardizes their safety. We as a congregation. 658 00:41:24,100 --> 00:41:26,700 If there's somebody who may be going through that situation 659 00:41:26,700 --> 00:41:31,700 right now, please seek somebody out whether it be a brother or 660 00:41:31,700 --> 00:41:37,100 sister here or whether it needs to be the Civil Authorities. 661 00:41:37,300 --> 00:41:41,500 Please do so. We must as all of us. 662 00:41:41,500 --> 00:41:52,200 Take abuse extremely seriously. We must we must Go and help each 663 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:54,100 other that. I mean we touched on it at the 664 00:41:54,107 --> 00:41:57,500 beginning of this sermon year, we need to help those who are in 665 00:41:57,500 --> 00:42:01,600 need. Without going into further 666 00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:05,400 depth, you know, when a spouse continues in abuse, it becomes 667 00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:10,300 clear that that spouse is not actually a follower of Jesus and 668 00:42:10,300 --> 00:42:12,500 that begins to kind of show a picture of Abandonment that we 669 00:42:12,500 --> 00:42:17,500 see in First Corinthians 7. So God. 670 00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:22,600 Creates marriage. God hates divorce, and God 671 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:28,100 regulates divorce. So, I realized that this subject 672 00:42:28,100 --> 00:42:32,200 could bring old and new wounds to the surface. 673 00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:35,400 And I realize the these are even hard work hard words to hear in 674 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:38,700 the Bible, but but we see why God addresses divorce in this 675 00:42:38,700 --> 00:42:41,200 manner. The reason why God is so serious 676 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:44,400 in his word about marriage competent us with each other. 677 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:47,900 It is because God is so serious about his marriage covenant with 678 00:42:47,900 --> 00:42:51,900 us and with his church. That's the seriousness of it. 679 00:42:52,700 --> 00:42:55,000 Particularly if we, if anybody has gone through these 680 00:42:55,000 --> 00:43:00,700 difficulties in marriage for or variety of reasons, know that as 681 00:43:00,700 --> 00:43:03,600 a follower of Christ or a towards a part of the body of 682 00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:08,000 Christ men and women, we are his bride, his body and that is the 683 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:11,400 church, whether you were the offended spouse or even the 684 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:15,100 offending spouse. If you have sinned, there's 685 00:43:15,100 --> 00:43:21,500 still hope in Jesus. We need to be reminded to that. 686 00:43:21,500 --> 00:43:25,400 Jesus is always forgiving and faithful to us. 687 00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:30,100 Even if the marriage covenant are in your life has been broken 688 00:43:30,100 --> 00:43:33,900 in the past because of sin or spouse's in no. 689 00:43:34,300 --> 00:43:37,900 Also know this that the ultimate marriage covenant is still 690 00:43:37,900 --> 00:43:42,000 firmly intact and that is the marriage that Jesus has with his 691 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:46,400 church. Jesus will never commit adultery 692 00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:50,100 against any of us, he will never abandon any of us. 693 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:53,300 No matter what happens in this world. 694 00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,500 He will never abandon us as a follower of Jesus. 695 00:43:58,100 --> 00:44:02,100 The reality is, you me and us his church. 696 00:44:02,900 --> 00:44:06,700 We can count on his love forever and that is another great 697 00:44:06,700 --> 00:44:12,800 picture of the Gospel of Jesus. So what does that mean for our 698 00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:16,000 lives? Knowing that there are all kinds 699 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:20,100 of different circumstances. I just want to start to wrap 700 00:44:20,100 --> 00:44:25,000 things up with a few things that we that we see in God's word. 701 00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:28,800 If you are single a brother or sister, if you were, single 702 00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:32,700 maximize your singleness in the advancement of the Gospel. 703 00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:36,400 It's interesting that in both Matthew 19 and First Corinthians 704 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:40,600 7, we see both Jesus. And Paul commending, singleness 705 00:44:40,600 --> 00:44:44,100 for the spread of the gospel for the spread of the Kingdom. 706 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:48,200 Jesus says in verses 11 and 12 here that singleness for the 707 00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:50,200 sake of the kingdom is a good thing. 708 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:53,900 It's not that marriage is bad, but marriage is not best for all 709 00:44:53,900 --> 00:44:57,600 people, just not the case. Sometimes Jesus wants the most 710 00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:00,500 out of you, no matter what, no matter what situation in Jesus 711 00:45:00,500 --> 00:45:04,100 wants your maximum Jesus wasn't married either and he was the 712 00:45:04,100 --> 00:45:06,800 greatest man that ever lived. He was never married from. 713 00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:08,600 We can we can read the bios of never married. 714 00:45:10,700 --> 00:45:13,700 So if you're single the takeaway from Matthew 19, is that, as 715 00:45:13,700 --> 00:45:17,400 long as you are, single maximize your work for the kingdom of 716 00:45:17,400 --> 00:45:21,500 God, if you are married, love your spouse in a way that 717 00:45:21,500 --> 00:45:25,100 portrays the gospel, let the word of God drive. 718 00:45:25,100 --> 00:45:29,900 You your husband or wife, love your spouse better today than 719 00:45:29,900 --> 00:45:33,200 you ever have in the past this week, do it. 720 00:45:33,500 --> 00:45:37,100 This is the word of God. Love our wives to us, husbands 721 00:45:37,100 --> 00:45:40,900 with sacrificial love. Also, we need to take 722 00:45:40,900 --> 00:45:44,000 responsibility for the glory of Christ in our marriages. 723 00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:47,900 You know, wives respect your husband's and and and honor 724 00:45:47,900 --> 00:45:50,400 Christ through gracious support of his leadership in ways that 725 00:45:50,400 --> 00:45:52,100 shows the world a picture of the Gospel. 726 00:45:53,800 --> 00:45:57,300 There's also marriages that, you know, there may not be adultery 727 00:45:57,700 --> 00:46:00,500 or abandonment in, but there's also some pretty strong 728 00:46:00,500 --> 00:46:05,100 disappointment in marriages. Whether it be from neglect or 729 00:46:05,100 --> 00:46:08,500 disappointment, or the spouse is not taken care of properly. 730 00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:11,300 Well, there's loneliness, we could probably fill in the blank 731 00:46:11,300 --> 00:46:15,800 for whatever description we want to give. and some people get 732 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:18,200 discouraged, I think there's no way that this is God's design 733 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:23,700 for us and it's not that's, you know, There is a better design 734 00:46:23,700 --> 00:46:26,100 and God gives it to us in his word. 735 00:46:26,600 --> 00:46:30,900 So if we have are having issues in our marriage, the answer is 736 00:46:30,900 --> 00:46:33,700 right here for us. It's, it's really clear. 737 00:46:35,700 --> 00:46:41,100 So we want to as Christians. We want to be Christians that 738 00:46:41,100 --> 00:46:43,100 help each other. Love our spouses and way that 739 00:46:43,100 --> 00:46:46,000 portrays the gospel. If we ever find ourselves 740 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:51,700 considering divorce, remember the power of Jesus is Love. 741 00:46:52,100 --> 00:46:56,000 Jesus can heal all things. If we ever start to consider it, 742 00:46:56,000 --> 00:47:00,400 we need to ask ourselves first. Do we have biblical grounds? 743 00:47:01,400 --> 00:47:07,800 if we don't, then we need to urge ourselves to consider how 744 00:47:07,800 --> 00:47:11,300 in the context of your marriage and with the help of brothers 745 00:47:11,300 --> 00:47:14,400 sisters and with the word of God, that that conflict can be 746 00:47:14,408 --> 00:47:18,100 reserved or resolved. Then if there is biblical 747 00:47:18,100 --> 00:47:20,100 grounds for divorce, we still need to consider the 748 00:47:20,100 --> 00:47:22,700 preciousness and power of the Gospel with a view towards 749 00:47:22,700 --> 00:47:26,900 reconciliation in marriage, and if that's possible, and it's 750 00:47:26,900 --> 00:47:30,400 only possible with the power of the Gospel, but the gospel can 751 00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:34,300 even change the hardest of hearts and restore the redeemed. 752 00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:38,300 And even the most difficult circumstances and difficult 753 00:47:38,300 --> 00:47:43,800 marriages. if you're divorced for a Biblical reason, and 754 00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:50,300 single maximize your work for God in your single singleness. 755 00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:56,300 If you were the non adulterous spouse in the first we talked 756 00:47:56,300 --> 00:47:58,600 about in Matthew 19, or the believing spouse. 757 00:47:58,600 --> 00:48:02,200 And the second upset, what we read about in First Corinthians 758 00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:06,600 7, then let God's word encourage you to rest in the singleness. 759 00:48:06,600 --> 00:48:09,100 God has given you at this time in your life if you were 760 00:48:09,100 --> 00:48:13,600 divorced for an unbiblical reason and single You need to 761 00:48:13,607 --> 00:48:17,800 get right with God. He's repent of your sins and 762 00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:21,700 confess them to God. And then work to glorify God 763 00:48:21,700 --> 00:48:26,300 while you are single. Again, there are so many 764 00:48:26,300 --> 00:48:29,400 different circumstances that we cannot begin to touch on. 765 00:48:29,400 --> 00:48:33,800 And I don't, like I said before, I don't claim to understand the 766 00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:38,000 full depths of everything, but I wanted to present these this 767 00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:44,400 morning to to you. And and also to parents, this is 768 00:48:44,400 --> 00:48:47,200 why it's so important to teach our children about the good news 769 00:48:47,200 --> 00:48:50,900 of the gospel and also the flip side of it to the Eternal nice 770 00:48:50,900 --> 00:48:53,200 that we can have for the consequences of our sin. 771 00:48:53,500 --> 00:48:56,800 We need to be teaching in our children about how to prepare 772 00:48:57,000 --> 00:49:01,900 for the future of their life and how to serve God, you know, we 773 00:49:01,900 --> 00:49:08,100 blink and before we know it, We have a 17 year old. 774 00:49:12,700 --> 00:49:19,300 You know our kids are growing so quickly that as parents have to 775 00:49:19,300 --> 00:49:22,300 be intentional on everything that we say. 776 00:49:22,300 --> 00:49:25,400 And everything that we do, we only get one shot. 777 00:49:27,400 --> 00:49:30,800 And it's in a world that is so saturated with unscriptural, 778 00:49:30,800 --> 00:49:33,600 marriages and such a high rate of divorce. 779 00:49:33,600 --> 00:49:38,700 We need to ground our kids in the truth of the Bible and the 780 00:49:38,700 --> 00:49:40,800 plan that God has for them in marriage. 781 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:45,600 We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the 782 00:49:45,600 --> 00:49:51,400 Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you 783 00:49:51,400 --> 00:49:54,600 would like any additional information or you would like to 784 00:49:54,600 --> 00:49:57,600 receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail. 785 00:49:58,300 --> 00:50:02,100 Please email us at info at search of Christ. 786 00:50:02,100 --> 00:50:07,000 Bakersfield.com, our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 787 00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:11,700 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 788 00:50:12,300 --> 00:50:15,800 Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 789 00:50:15,800 --> 00:50:16,700 honored guest.