The History Of Marriage Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• A troubled man came to his lawyer to seek a divorce. The lawyer asked, "Do you have any Grounds? The man replied, "About three acres."The lawyer tried again, "No, I mean do you have a Grudge? The man said, "No, but we have a carport."The lawyer made one last effort: "Are you really sure you want a divorce?" The client replied, "No, I don’t but my wife does. She says we can’t communicate!"

• This subject is not a very comfortable one to talk about. This subject is one that elicits strong emotions in many people because of the way that they have been affected by it.

• Today as we are going to look at the history of marriage so we can grasp what Jesus will share with us in Matthew 5:31-32.

• This examination is a timely on because marriages are falling apart throughout society, including the church.

• According to a 2001 study by George Barna of the Barna research institute; Overall, 33% of all born again individuals who have been married have gone through a divorce, which is statistically identical to the 34% incidence among non-born again adults.

• This message is not a message meant to beat up on people, it is my hope today that if you have been through the ravages of divorce that you will gain comfort in knowing what God says about the subject.

• For the young people here today, I hope that this message may help you to see the seriousness of marriage and that you will choose your future spouse very carefully.

• Lastly, I hope that we all realize that no matter what your situation that God loves you. If you fall on the side that is contrary to God’s will, that there is forgiveness in Jesus.

• SLIDE #2

• Let us begin our examination of marriage by looking at Genesis 2:20-24

• Genesis 2:20-24 ( ESV ) The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

• Let us start by looking at:

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. IN THE BEGINNING. GENESIS 2:20-24

• God desired that man have a suitable helper so he took a rib from Adam and made Eve for him! Adam was excited with this new mate! Our English does not do the passage justice. Adam was one happy man! WOW GOD THANK YOU!

• In verse 24 we see the pattern God lays out, LEAVE-CLEAVE-BECOME.

• “Cleave to” or “to hold fast” carries the idea of firm, permanent attachment, as in gluing. In marriage a man and woman are so closely joined that they become “one flesh,” which involves spiritual as well as physical oneness.

• God shows us that we are to make a new life together and during the course of that effort, we become one inseparable flesh. God intended marriage to be a beautiful thing that makes each person’s life better.

• As God designed it, marriage is to be the welding of two people together into one unit, the blending of two minds, two wills, two sets of emotions, two spirits. It is a bond the Lord intends to be indissoluble as long as both partners are alive.

• The Lord created sex and procreation to be the fullest expression of that oneness, and the intimacies of marriage are not to be shared with any other human being. (MacArthur’s New Testament Commentary Matthew)

• It was not too long before sin perverted the marriage relationship in Genesis 3.

• SLIDE #4

• Now we have trouble in paradise.

II. TROUBLE IN PARADISE.

• Before the services started, the townspeople were sitting in their pews and talking with one another when suddenly the Devil himself appeared at the front of the congregation.

• Everyone started screaming and running for the back door, trampling each other in an effort to get away from evil incarnate. Soon everyone had evacuated except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew, seemingly oblivious to the enemy in front of him.