COVENANT MARRIAGE …

I CORINTHIANS 7:10-16

 

THE PASSAGE IS SO CLEAR … WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT?

 

WHAT IS MARRIAGE?

 

MARRIAGE AND THE CULTURE

   A CONTRACT…

   AN EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO ANOTHER PERSON

   A SECULAR SALVATION

   PERSONAL FULFILLMENT

   CONSUMPTION

   RIGHTS

   HAPPINESS

 

“LIFE HAS COME TO BE SEEN AS THE FRUIT OF THE FREEDOM OF THE INDIVIDUAL TO CHOOSE THE LIFE THAT MOST FULFILLS HIM OR HER PERSONALLY. INSTEAD OF FINDING MEANING THROUGH SELF-DENIAL, THROUGH GIVING UP OF ONE’S FREEDOM AND BINDING ONESELF TO THE DESIRES OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, MARRIAGE IS REDEFINED AS FINDING EMOTIONAL AND SEXUAL FULFILLMENT AND ACTUALIZATION.”

~THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE

 

HOW DO WE SHED SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND MOVE TOWARD THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH THAT JESUS GAVE US?

 

MARRIAGE AND CHRISTIANITY

 

COVENANT…

   WHOLE LIFE UNION

   A PICTURE OF SALVATION

   HOLINESS NOT JUST HAPPINESS

 

COMMITMENT...

 

MARRIAGE PREACHES THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD,

 

WE WILL NEVER REACH MATURITY WITHOUT KEEPING OUR SACRED COMMITMENT,

 

“ADULTRY BEGINS A BREAKDOWN OF ORDER THAT THREATENS THE ENTIRE SOCIETY, FOR HOW CAN WE TRUST EACH OTHER IF WE CANNOT TRUST EACH OTHER IN OUR MOST INTIMATE COMMITMENTS? CULTURE THAT ACCEPTS ADULTRY, ACCEPTS WITHIN ITSELF A POISION PILL FOR EVERY OTHER RELATIONSHIP, A TOXIC SUBSTANCE THAT THREATENS EVERY OTHER COMMITMENT.”

~WORDS OF FIRE

 

DIVORCE DESTROYS CULTURE IT DOES NOT RENEW IT,

 

“GOD INTENDED MARRIAGE TO BE A SIGN OF THE KIND OF LOVE RELATIONSHIP WE WANTS WITH US.”

~PHILIP YANCEY, RUMORS OF ANOTHER WORLD

 

“WHEN I WITNESS THE END OF A MARRIAGE BECAUSE ONE OF THE SPOUSES IS GRIPPED BY PASSION FOR SOMEONE ELSE I AM AS SAD AS AT THE DEATH OF A CHILD.”

~JACKIE WOLFE

 

MARRIAGE AND THE NON-CHRISTIAN, 12-15

   WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU ARE MARRIED TO AN UNBELIEVER …

   RESTORATION AND BROKENNESS,

 

APPLICATION:

   WE MUST GIVE REALISTIC EXPECTATION OF WHAT MARRIAGE IS LIKE…

   THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN EVER REALLY FULFILL US IS JESUS…

 

“FEW OF US LIVE WITH OVER SEXED SUPER MODELS. INSTEAD, WE LIVE WITH ORDINARY PEOPLE, MEN AND WOMEN WHO GET BAD BREATH, BODY ODER AND UNRULY HAIR. WHO MINISTRATE AND EXPERIENCE OCCASIONAL IMPOTENCE AND OCCASIONALLY PEE ON THE SEAT AND HAVE BAD MOODS AND EMBARRAS IS IN PUBLIC. WE PAY MORE ATTENTION TO OUR CHILDREN NEEDS THAN OUR OWN … WE LIVE WITH PEOPLE WHO REQUIRE COMPASSION, TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING AND AN ENDLESS SUPPLU OF FORGIVENESS. “