[1] #316, Honor Marriage, Pastor David McIntosh, Sunday 06-22-2008

Text: Matthew 19:4-6

INTRODUCTION

• We are focusing our attention this month on the Christian home.
• We first looked at honoring our parents, last week turning our hearts to children and today we are going to look at marriage.
• Remember, 19 out of 20 families have no type of worship experience together outside of church.
• The foundational relationship for all of mankind, not just the spiritual health of the family, is the husband, wife relationship.

TRANSITION:

Jesus said, “Haven’t you read…that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” -Matthew 19: 4-6-

“THE TWO WILL BECOME ONE FLESH. SO THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO BUT ONE.” -Jesus Christ- (describes the covenant between the three)

• “In marriage each one willingly offers all he has to the other.”
• “Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.” -Malachi 2:15-16-

HONOR MARRIAGE

Invite Tatiana to come and we will share together for the next few minutes.

Before we begin, let me say that what we are going to share next is what we have learned and are learning even today about how the Word of God applies to marriages and is the source of a dynamic marriage for the lord.

EXPOSING THE ENEMY OF MARRIAGE

1. Because God created marriage between a man and a woman and loves marriage, the enemy hates marriage.
2. Marriage is the picture of Jesus and the Church (the enemy hates both) and marriage is the plan God created & designed for godly offspring (the enemy hates godly offspring as well).
3. So, the enemy will take God’s design for marriage and make-up a counterfeit and sell it to couples so they choose it over God’s design.
4. God’s design is shared in 1 Corinthians 11:3 – “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
5. God speaks to us, protects us, teaches us and leads us from inside of His Perfect Design.
6. The enemy’s desire is for husbands and wives to work outside of this design.
7. This picture describes our RESPONSIBILITY to God. (show 1 Cor. 11:3)
8. This picture describes our RELATIONSHIP to God (Galatians 3: 28-29; 1 Peter 3:7)
   1. Gal. 3:28,29 – “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (value of our God designed role)
   2. 1 Peter 3:7 – “Husbands, dwell with them (wives) according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life.”
9. This is a test of our virtue (responsibility); this is picture of our value (relationship).
10. The roles of male, female, husband & wife are still our responsibility; but through the finished work of Jesus Christ all people are of equal value, have equal access to Jesus, can achieve great things for the Lord and have the potential to store up treasure in heaven equally! To that I say Amen!

THE CHALLENGE

It was challenge to me not to mix these two up in my mind. God says to renew our minds. Ladies/wives we need to understand our responsibilities and challenges that God had given us in His design.

1. Respect Him: Ephesians 5:33b – “and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”
   1. One way to respect your husband is to ask him your spiritual questions.
   2. Realize that God will use him (saved or unsaved) to give you guidance. (1 Cor. 14:35)
2. Accept Him: Confidence that God is working through him (Romans 8:28)
3. Be Grateful for Him: (1 Thess. 5:18- “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”) HERE’S HOW
   1. Giving expectations to God and taking them off your husband.
   2. Learning contentment with Godliness (Col. 3:1) growing character
4. Influence Him: Gain influence by not rehearsing past failures but by demonstrating present faithfulness in these areas:
   1. Genuine love; loyalty; servant’s heart; asking forgiveness
   2. Work on goals together with your husband
   3. Influence him by LIVING IN THE NOW LADIES!! LOVE IN THE NOW!!

HUSBANDS: We to need to understand our challenge in the responsibility that is given to us in God’s design.

1. Husbands need to understand that they are not on the top of the chain of command. As the wife is under the husband, so is the husband under Christ. We need to look up for our direction & answers.
2. We are given the responsibility to be spiritual leaders. Our wives need to experience us actually leading spiritually. This means four things:
   1. Regular times in God’s Word
   2. Faithfulness in prayer
   3. Regular church attendance
   4. Discussion of spiritual matters, followed by searching the scriptures for God’s answer.
3. Our wives need to know that they are meeting vital needs in our lives that no one else can meet. (sharing our fears, goals, heart)
4. Our wives need to know that we will listen to hear their heart. They need to know that we are making efforts to understand them.
   1. But honey, do you UNDERSTAND what I mean?
   2. Do you UNDERSTAND what I am trying to say?
   3. If our wives don’t think we will even try to understand them they will get discouraged, then lose hope, that leads to depression.

BEACH STORY

WE NEED EACH OTHER TO SUCCEED! (Genesis 2:18)

1. Husbands: It is not good for man to be alone. (thought life, work, heart, dreams)
2. Wife: I will make a helper