Marriage: A Reflection of the Triune God

Introduction

Well, good morning!

If you have a Bible and I hope that you do…open ‘em up with me Ephesians chapter 5.

This morning, we’re starting a new, 4 week sermon series discussing the family and the Bible’s blueprint when it comes to the home. We’re gonna talk about things like marriage…family worship…our responsibility when it comes to education…and then we’ll end it all by talking about our legacy…And then after this series, we’ll walk through the book of Ecclesiastes together, which’ll lead us straight into the third part of Genesis. This’ll be our last topical series before we get back into some books of the Bible.

And so, family…I don’t think there’s a single person in this room this morning that would argue the importance of the family. Now we may have some differences on things like marriage…Is divorce permitted? Are there reasons God allows for divorce?…Maybe we have differences on things like family worship or education…Is it the parents responsibility to lead families in worship? Is there a more biblical option when it comes to education?…Maybe we have different ideas on what kind of legacy we wanna leave behind, right?

Listen, I’ve titled this sermon series, “Family Matters,”…and over the next few weeks I wanna look at what the Bible absolutely, 100% says when it comes to the design of the family unit.

A church…because it was setup to model the family…its only ever gonna be as strong as our individual families. And if we’re gonna grow corporately…we have to grow personally within our individuals homes. We have to grow as husbands and fathers…we have grow as wives and mothers…we have to grow as children. There’s a purpose for everything that God does…and I really believe that over the next couple of weeks, you’re either gonna be challenged to dig into Scripture…to study some of these things for yourself…or it’s gonna challenge how you practice some of these things in your own life.

Now again…we’re not gonna see eye-to-eye on everything I bring up during this series…Please understand I’m not singling anyone out…these aren’t messages directed to your personal situation…We’re gonna explore Scripture together, with the purposes of growing together so that we might more fully act out the role God’s designed for each of us. My purpose, its not to hurt your feelings…its to speak truth into your life. Amen?

When we talk about the idea of family, a lot of times…we kind of separate that from the life of the church…and what happens is we create this world where there’s two realities…there’s our personal families and then there’s our faith families, right? And a lot of times those two things, they’re at constant odds with one another.

Listen, I wanna make a bold statement before we get started…as believers, we stand on the Word of God, right? And for those reasons, we’re against things like homosexuality or abortion. Homosexuality, it attacks the very image of God…its rebellion against what God created and against what He deemed good. Abortion, it attacks the sanity of life…Listen, when we fail to practice in a way that God ordained for us within the family unit…in the same ways, we’re rebelling against the very image of God. And listen to me…God hates family dysfunction the same as He hates homosexuality and abortion because both distort His image. One’s not greater than the other.

You see, the family…its not just some social structure…its not just some cultural tradition…the family, its sacred. It was God’s idea from the very beginning. And at its best, I want you understand…over the next several weeks…God created the family unit with the purpose of reflecting the beauty, and the unity, and the love of a triune God. Just as the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one and just as they exist in perfect unity and relationship with one another…we were created individually and we were created within our family context to mirror that divine connection in the home.

And so, why does family matter so much? Because it’s one of the clearest ways the world sees who God is…a singular God, who exist in three persons. And our marriages, our parenting…our interactions with one another within these family units…they’re all meant to give the next generation a living picture of God’s love, and God’s faithfulness, and God’s grace.

And so, as we come to this first sermon today…I wanna build the foundation for the rest of the series…We’re gonna talk about marriage. Family begins with marriage, right? Adam was created…it wasn’t good for man to be alone…and so, God took parts of Adam and made Eve…the two became one flesh…and they were fruitful and multiplied…Genesis chapter 2.

In a world that so often misrepresents and undervalues the marriage relationship…Scripture calls us to something much higher…a marriage that reflects the oneness…the faithfulness…the sacrificial love…the divine purpose of the Trinity.

I don’t know about you…but when I got married…it humbled me…it continues to humble me. It forces me to look beyond myself…to care about more than just myself. My love and my commit, my purpose in life…its to lift up the other. And marriage…its just sanctifying. That’s part of its purpose in our lives.

In America, culture tells us its about our happiness…about our pleasures…about what we want as individuals. It’s why divorce rates are through the roof, even within the church…marriage is no longer about the things the Bible lays out for us…Its become an opinionated thing…It’s become a temporary thing for some…It’s become a relationship that’s built on contingencies…, “I’ll promise these these vows til death do us part…unless you do these things,” right? A lot of times, marriage…again, even within the church…its become more of a burden than it is a privilege, or a blessing. Less and less people are getting married…or they’re waiting until “they have life figured out” to get married.

Guys, don’t think for a second that marriage isn’t a core biblical foundation…a biblical foundation that’s absolutely spelled out in the Bible. There aren’t any grey areas when it comes to things like marriage or divorce…And don’t think for a second, there isn’t a real enemy that’s attacking the very core of the family.

Marriage…the doctrine of marriage…the practice of marriage…its a crucial thing for us to affirm…and its a crucial thing for us to act out as believers. Other than the person and work of Jesus, for me…there is no other piece of theology more important in our lives as believers today. Our families…what we believe…how we function in ‘em…it gives the rest of the world a picture of God and His purpose.

And so, if you’re there with this morning in Ephesians chapter 5…we’re gonna talk about the idea of marriage. If you would, stand with me as we read this passage together. Starting in verse 22. It says this:

Ephesians 5:22–33 ESV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Thank you, you can be seated.

[Prayer]

If you’re taking notes…I have three points for us this morning…number 1, Marriage reflects the triune God…number 2, Marriage demonstrates the sacrificial love of God…and then number 3, Marriage brings glory to God.

And so, with that…let’s dive into this first point together.

I. Marriage Reflects the Triune God (vv. 22-24)

Marriage reflects the triune God.

Let’s read the first couple of verses again. Verse 22:

Ephesians 5:22–24 ESV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Now typically, when we come to this passage, we’re specifically laying out kind of what it looks like to be a husband…to be a wife. We use this a lot times to talk about our roles within the marriage. In fact, if you were here about 3 years ago…we walked through the Book of Ephesians and we spent about 3 weeks really breaking down this passage for husbands and wives. We’ll talk about that a little bit today…but the purpose of looking at this passage…its mainly to show us the responsibility we have as husbands and wives when it comes to the image it represents…and it’s to show everyone else why marriage should be held to such high standards. Right?

And so, we come to Ephesians…Paul’s the author here…the church of Ephesus is the recipient. And the purpose of Paul writing, it was to show believers that their identity, its in Christ…and because of that, they’re called to live out their life all for the glory of God. You could really break this letter up into second sections…1.) who you are in Christ…the first three chapters…and then 2.) how we’re to live in light of that identity…the last 3 chapters. And the purpose of the application piece…its for us to grow more into the likeness of Christ, so that we can experience Jesus’s presence more as believers, and so that we might proclaim the gospel more with our words and with our life. Paul’s point, throughout this letter…its to show his reader that we have the ability to reflect God to others.

And listen, as we come chapter 5…that’s his point. He says in verse 1:

Ephesians 5:1 ESV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

And then he goes into all kinds of examples…He says:

Ephesians 5:2–14 ESV

…walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

And then listen, you get all the way down to verse 22 (where we’re at) and he uses the marriage relationship as another example of what he’s talking about. He’s charging us, to be a reflection of God…and not just any God…but he’s charging us to be a reflection of the triune God.

In the Trinity, we see this perfect union and love among the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, right? Each person of God, they’re fully God…and yet they relate to one another in distinct roles. The Father orchestrates…The Son submits to the Father…not out of inferiority…but out of a loving relationship…out of a shared mission. And then of course, the Holy Spirit, he convicts, He draws, he inspires, illuminates…I mean there’s a ton the Holy Spirit does for the glory of God. But listen, none of the order diminishes each person’s divinity…instead, what it does, it displays more fully the beauty of divine unity through a loving union.

Guys, pay attention to these first couple verses in our passage. In the same way as the Trinity, marriage reflects the same things…and as a result, when performed properly, it displays the triune God. Paul, he says, “Wives submit to your husbands, as to the Lord,” right? I mean isn’t that a picture of Christ and what He does in relationship with the Father? He’s not submitting because the Father is somehow greater. He’s submitting, again, because of His love for the Father…His trust…His union. Submission’s not about dominance or control…its about reflecting the harmony and self-giving love we see from God through His triune relationship with Himself.

Paul says husbands…they’re the head of their wife…in the same ways Jesus is the head of the church. Guys, in our church family…we’re in a marriage relationship…we, as believers, we’re the bride of Christ…and Christ, He’s the husband. But listen, more than that…Christ, for us, He actually takes on a role very much like the Father. He’s our head…He’s guiding us, directing us…And it’s His name that’s exulted and magnified. And so, through the husband…not only do you see a picture of Christ…but we get to see a picture of the Father. Because as Jesus says, “Me and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

Guys, the point of this passage…Paul’s showing us that when husbands and wives walk in this pattern…marriage, it becomes a living illustration of God’s relational nature. In fact, I would say, its the greatest testimony we can give as believers.

Genesis 1:26 and 27, it says:

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

He says, “Let us [the trine God] let us make man, in our [plural] image.” And then He shows us what that full image looks like, its male and female together.

The word used for “man” in this text…its the word “Adam,” which is both singular and plural. Meaning, the fullness of God’s image, its only realized in the union of a male and female. That’s why God says in Genesis chapter 2, verse 18, “Its not good for man [singular] to be alone.”

And so, God puts man to sleep and He takes from the man’s side a rib bone…and with that rib bone, he crafts the woman. Notice the woman didn’t come from the dirt like man…but also, the woman wasn’t created by the man himself…she simply came from the man…she was a part of him…And notice, she came from his side…she was of equal worth…equal value (also handcrafted by God Himself). But listen, pay attention to how God created mankind.

Man was created first, in His likeness…and then from man, He created woman…and through the both of them…He created children. It’s a picture of the Trinity. We see it in the way that we were created…we see it in the roles we were given…Man was called to lead his wife…while woman was called to be her husbands helper…to be submissive. And children…if you know your Bibles…we’re called in Psalm 127 to shoot them out “like arrows,” right? They’re to go out just like the Spirit of God goes out to do God’s will. The marriage and the family, they’re reflections of a triune God.

And so, listen…if that’s true…if that’s God design for marriage…then the one flesh union we see in Genesis 2:24 or Ephesians 5:31:

Ephesians 5:31 ESV

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

If that’s God’s design and intentions for our marriage relations…to be a reflection…then it shows us that our marriage relationships, they’re permanent, they’re exclusive covenant relationships. They’re aren’t grounds for breaking these relationships.

Jesus says in Mark 10, in response to the Pharisees trying to justify divorce, He says:

Mark 10:7–9 ESV

‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh [Again, like the Trinity, right?]. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Matthew 5…a lot of times that’s used to condone divorce. Jesus says in verse 31 and 32:

Matthew 5:31–32 ESV

“It was also said [past tense, meaning Old Testament], ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce [so during Moses time].’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife [so present tense], except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Listen, this isn’t an excuse to bail on your commitments…He’s saying…if you divorce your spouse for anything other than sexual immorality, you’re making them adulators…because there’s no doubt they’ll chose to be with someone else…its not good for man to be alone, right? But if you divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality, well then they’re already adulators…He’s not justifying it, He’s making a statement about adultery…and He’s actually making it harder, just He like does with anger and lust and oaths. This isn’t any different. We’re called as husbands and wives to commit to one another just as God commits to Himself and commits to us, regardless of what we do. This relationship, it not built on contingencies. That’s why He tells Hosea to marry Gomer, regardless of her actions as an adulator…again, it was to be a reflection.

Now, listen to me…I recognize that some of us have been through divorce…we’ve experienced the ugliness of that…and I want you to know, there’s grace in the gospel…But as believers today, you should hold marriage to a high standard (in the same ways you do identity or life concerning the issues of homosexuality or abortion) because of what it represents…because of what it reflects.

Listen, there’s nothing I could do that would cause my wife to leave me (and I would say the same for me concerning her)…I believe that… I think she believes that. And I’m not saying there’s nothing I could do that wouldn’t bring hurt or pain…or there’s nothing that wouldn’t be hard to walk through…but my wife would never leave because of something I’ve done. And its not because she loves me more than anything else…its because she loves Jesus more than anything. And listen to me…because of that, it gives me security…it brings my kids security…it causes me to really think about my actions. And as a result, my wife and I, we give our kids this amazing picture of God.

Our marriages, and how we act within ‘em…they speak to the next generation about the God we serve. …either positively or negatively…and what we believe about marriage…it directly impacts what the next generation will believe about God…because you’re their first picture of God…and that’s the way God intended it to be.

Which moves us into the next point…and I promise I’ll be a little faster with these last two points.

II. Marriage Demonstrates the Sacrificial Love of God (vv. 25-30)

Marriage demonstrates the sacrificial love of God…Listen, our marriages, they’re not just a reflection of God’s nature…they’re also a reflection of God’s character.

Look at this next section of verses. Verse 25:

Ephesians 5:25–30 ESV

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

Listen, I want you to think…for just a moment…about what we know about God…about the love modeled within the Trinity of God. We see its not static, right? Its dynamic, its eternal…self giving. The Father loves the Son, the Son responds in perfect obedience (doing the will of the Father). And the Spirit, He proceeds from that love, binding them in this perfect unity. Through God’s own example…we see what purity at its most holy looks like…what eternal giving and receiving looks like.

Well, look at these verses again. Paul tells husbands to reflect that same kind of love, right? A Christ-like, sacrificial, sanctifying kind of love. Just as Christ laid down His life for His bride (the Church)…husbands, you’re called to lay down your life for your wife. That’s sacrificial, right? It’s you looking past your own desires…your own wants…its you looking past what you think is best for you. Its lifting your wife up, exulting her…regardless of whether or not you think she deserves that…because marriage, its more than yourself. Marriage forces us to look past ourselves and to look at the other’s needs and the other’s wants. That’s what sacrificial love is. That’s why I tell those I marry, in pre-marital counseling…the greatest words you’ll say to each other on the wedding day, its not “I love you,” its “I commit to you.” “I’m choosing, despite what’s best for me…I’m choosing you in all situations, especially when its hard!” That’s what Christ did and that’s what Christ does for us, right?

But more than that…a husband’s love, its to be sanctifying. I’ve said this many times before, “But your wife, she should be closer to Jesus today because she married you.” Your love, it should cause her to become more holy…more righteous. Mainly, because it models the love of God. You’re giving her a picture of God by the way you love her. We see that with Christ and the church…but also, we see that within the Trinity. God is good, right? (Psalm 100, verse 5). Why would He be anything else when He has this perfect kind of relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Spirit? A relationship, where each person seeks to serve the other, to look out for the other’s best interest.

And then we see Paul tell husbands to love their wife as their own bodies. Love her, just as much, or more, than you love yourself. Do you see how marriage is a self-denying kind of union? A union meant to get you past yourself?…That’s why its possible for the Father to give His only Son for us…Its why its possible for Jesus to willing go to the cross and experience separation and death…because a righteous union, a holy relationship, its about more than just yourself.

Listen, I hear it all the time, “But pastor, I think you’re wrong. I think God wants me to be happy. He wouldn’t want me to be miserable all the time. My husband wronged me…my wife hurt me.” Guys, I’m afraid we live in a culture where we just don’t believe in the truth of the Bible anymore…we believe in our emotions, in our feelings, our beliefs, opinions…God doesn’t call you to be happy. He calls to be righteous…to be holy…and as a result of that, you will be joyful…but its only when you start to realize its not about you. And that’s what marriage is meant to highlight. It’s a great privilege and blessing…but pay attention, its also a tool used by God to sanctify you…to get you past yourself.

And wives, this isn’t just directed to husbands. In the same ways he’s called to love you sacrificially, you’re called to submit to him. Even when he might be wrong…even when you might have all the right answers. Why? Because its not about you.

Marriage, its a picture…a reflection…not just in nature…but it reflects the very character of God…how He interacts within the Trinity…how He interacts with us as a result. Just as the Trinity is marked by mutual indwelling and harmony, marriage (in the same ways) its marked by selfless love, the more it reflects the very heart of God.

And so, does your roles and does your marriage reflect that? Like, what kind of story does your love for each other tell? Is it one of truth about how God is…about His character? Do your kids see the character of God through the ways you love each other? Is that a motivation for you?

What about this…I know some of you, you’re sitting there and you’re thinking, well none of this applies to me? What about in your other relationships? Does that same kind of sacrificial love tell the testimony of God’s grace in our lives? Remember as a church, we’re all in the same marriage relationship, right?…and so, do you treat people here at FBC in the same way, with that same kind of sacrificial love?

When another brother or sister is walking through some difficult things in their own marriages, do you point them to the truth of God’s Word? Do you remind them of the reflection marriage presents?

Guys, the standards we place on marriage…because of the reflection its meant to give…its has to be the same standards God places on Himself. And so, if your standard of marriage is lesser…then I want you to understand, you’re giving the next generation a lesser picture of God.

Does your marriage…do your other relationships, do they all reflect God’s character? That’s the second point.

III. Marriage Brings Glory to God (vv. 31-33)

The final point this morning…marriage, its meant to bring glory to God.

A second ago, I mentioned that marriage isn’t about yourself, right? It goes beyond just the two of you. And in the same ways, our marriage relationship within the church, its goes beyond just the 120+ of us here this morning. These relationships that God calls us to, its not about us…its all about the glory of God!

Look at these last couple of verses with me again:

Ephesians 5:31–33 ESV

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

And so, Paul…he’s saying here…our marriage relationship, its more than just husband and wife, right? He’s saying, it refers to Christ and the church. Our marriages, they’re a reflection of the union we now have with Jesus.

He says this “one flesh” union, its a mystery that points to God’s relationship with us. And listen, more than that…it’s echoing the unity we find in the Trinity.

Again, Genesis 1:27

Genesis 1:27 ESV

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

And Genesis 2:24

Genesis 2:24 ESV

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

When we look at Genesis 1, us being made in the image of God, as individuals…it was for us to reflect God to the rest of creation. That was the purpose of God making us like that. He cares about His glory. And listen, the purpose of man and woman…or as Paul says, husband and wife…the purpose of them coming together, its to become one flesh, and its not for themselves…God certainly uses it in our lives, we benefit from our marriage relationships…but the purpose of our lives, the purpose of our marriages, its all for the glory of God.

And listen, this is important because when you see your life and when you see your marriages through that lens…when you acknowledge that purpose…it changes the kind of weight you place in things like identity and relationships…And listen, it causes you to steward those things well…because we care about the glory of God.

Guys, I know I’ve said this before…but we have this bad habit of just making everything about us, right? Like our salvation for instance…we think Jesus did it for our happiness…No, Jesus did it for the glory of the Father. In the garden He doesn’t say, “Not my will be done but for the love of the people.” No, He says, “Not my will, but your’s be done.” He’s saying, “I care about your glory…I’m making that my focus!”

Guys, taking on the heart of Christ…adopting His attitude or mindset (Philippians 2:5), its caring about the glory of God above everything else. That’s why so many Christians before us have been able to suffer or give their lives…because they care about the glory of God.

And so, do you see the means God’s given you to bring Him glory. And listen, this isn’t just about marriage…your gifts, your resources, your time, your relationships, everything…its been given to you so that you might bring Him glory.

A couple of years ago we memorized Matthew 28:19 through 20…you remember that?

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

That’s our mission…that’s our marching orders, right?

I want you to listen to me, this Great Commission charge, it starts in the home. It starts in your individual family units as husbands and wives…it trickles down to your kids. We see that in our memorize verse this year if you were to read the entire passage. And together, as husbands and wives and children…we give a perfect picture of a triune God to a lost world…and we’re motivated by the glory of God.

Guys, this has always been the heart of God. That’s the purpose in creating us in His image. That’s the purpose of marriage and parenting. That’s the purpose in our salvation…to bring God glory!

Are you motivated by glory of God?

Closing

Listen, in closing…I wanna speak to the the parents and grandparents for just a moment. As husbands and wives…you have the first and greatest impact on the next generation. What they think of God…how they view God’s nature and God’s character, its directly tied to what you believe about marriage and its directly tied to how you act that out in the home.

Do you have and do you practice a high view of marriage?

Listen, there’s nothing more encouraging than to see two imperfect people coming together, struggling through life together, hurting each other from time to time along the way…there’s nothing more encouraging than seeing sinful people spend 50 or 60 or more years together in holy matrimony.

Actually, you know what, let’s do something really quick…if you’ve been married for more than 50 years would you stand up?

Listen, you wanna know what a perfect marriage is? I’ll tell you what a perfect marriage is…it’s an imperfect husband and an imperfect wife…who absolutely refuse to give up on one another.

What an amazing testimony!…Was it easy? No way! But was it worth it? Amen!

Thank you, you can be seated.

Guys, what you think of marriage, it impacts gospel advancement.

But listen, for everybody else…how are you encouraging our couples here at the church? Are you encouraging faithfulness? Are you encouraging perseverance regardless of what they’re walking through? Is marriage worth the fight when it gets hard? Do you have a high view of marriage?

What about when it comes to younger couples? Are we encouraging them to get married?

Listen, there’s this idea in our culture today where we wanna test drive everything, right? We wanna make sure we’re gonna like sex with this person or we’re gonna like living with that person. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I test drove a car and kept it for 60 years. We should be encouraging faithfulness…commitment…perseverance…because marriage is so important to the kingdom of God!

Do you care about God’s glory in that way?

And listen, maybe you’re not married and you think this has nothing to do with you, but how you view marriage…the standard you give it…that’s how you’ll practice this marriage relationship within the church. Either you’ll fight it out when things get hard or when someone’s hurts you…or you’ll bail because, in your mind, you’re the only one that matters in this relationship.

And so, I’ll end with this question…do you care about the things God’s given you to advance His kingdom.

Every head bowed and every eye closed.

What in your life…what in your marriages need to change this morning? How can you better reflect the image of God through the roles He’s given you? Can you be more sacrificial…can you be more submissive? Can you be more encouraging to other brothers and sisters here in our church?

I mean, outside of marriage, what in your life needs to be used more for the glory of God? Is that your mindset in how you live and serve?

And so, I want you to take some time this morning…just search your heart and see if anything needs to change…if there’s any repentance that needs to happen.

But listen, if you’re here this morning and you haven’t turned to Jesus in repentance and faith, I’d be wrong without giving you the message of the gospel.

The purpose of everything I’ve mentioned today…the image we’re created in…the sacrificial love we’re able to demonstrate through our marriages…the glory of God…all of that’s important because God created you with the purposes of relationship with Him. All of these other things, they’re just a reflection of that.

And so, the gospel message…the Bad part of the gospel, its that every single one of us, we’re all sinners…we all fall short of God’s glory. And as a result of that, we’re separated from God…and every one of us, we’ll all experience a very real death because of that sin. That’s our nature…that’s our choice. And listen, the Worst part of the gospel, its that no matter what you do, there’s nothing you’ll be able to do about that problem on your own.

Which is why Jesus came…its why He died in our place…its why He took on our sin. The God of the universe took on flesh…He became man in order to die for man’s sin. That’s the good news of the gospel. And the best part of that, salvation, its its all a free gift. You’ll never be good enough because sin’s real…and because it has real power over you. But when you turn to Jesus…when you acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior…the Bible says, “You will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

And when you do that…you get to enter into this supernatural marriage relationship where Jesus is the perfect husband. He cares for you…He loves you…He nourishes…He sanctifies you…He’s the perfect husband.

And so listen, if that’s you this morning…that’s what I want you to do as we close. Repent and believe in gospel of Jesus Christ!

And so listen, the praise team’s gonna play…I’m gonna be down front. Whoever you are, whatever’s on your heart, you to take this time…and I’ll close us in just a moment!

[Prayer]