Christ Over Culture (5)
Notes
Transcript
The Gospel And Marriage
The Gospel And Marriage
Same with our conversation about abortion, we realized definitions make a difference.
For abortion - the definition of ‘human’ changed everything when it came to the view and we realized people have a very wide definition.
Now - we need to define Marriage.
How does someone define marriage?
This answer lies at the base of the moral position of the world. (Not just America, but truly the world)
For many years - culture defined marriage as the ‘exclusive, permanent union of a man & a woman.’
Just over 20 years ago, politicians voted to defend the definition of marriage as we knew it by passing the “Defense Of Marriage Act.”
But, then June 2013 happened, the supreme court did away with certian parts of the marriage defense bill.
By doing this, they cleared the path for the term ‘marriage’ to be redefined in society.
States began defining their own definition of marriage. (some allowing same-sex marriage)
June 2015, the supreme court officially ‘legalized’ same-sex marriage across the entire US. Requiring ALL states issue licenses and recognize same-sex marriages.
By looking at statistics, we are able to see how the world (the US) has moved away from ‘traditional marriages.’
Lifelong marriages between a man and a woman are on the decline.
As of 2024, less than half of all American households are made up of ‘traditional married couples.’
Everyone in society seems to be making up their own definition that culture has to agree with, the downside is that this forces Christians to faces a bunch of questions.
The reality is that Christians need to have answers for these questions, and the sad reality is that most Christians do not.
Is marriage truly important in the first place?
What is the problem with redefining marriage?
Are we as Christians really going to say it is wrong for two men or two women to marry each other?
Is it wrong or hateful to deny two men or two women the right to love each other in this way?
In order to answer these questions, we must first come up with an answer to this?
Is marriage a tradition to changing with the times?
or
Is marriage an institution that was ordained to be consistent through all time?
To find an answer to this, let’s take a look at the gospel for the answer.
What did God say about marriage?
What does it mean for Christians who live in a culture that has the opposing view from the Bible?
How do we put Christ over culture when it comes to marriage?
God Created Male and Female.
God Created Male and Female.
Culture says sexuality (male, female, non-binary, etc…) are all equal and are a choice for anyone (no matter how you were when you were born)
Culture says that they all have differences but since everyone is created equal, why not let people choose for same-sex marriage?
What does God say about it?
Start at the beginning.
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Humans are made in the ‘image of God’ and we share some of the same qualities. (but not all)
Here are some qualities that we don’t share.
Us vs. God
Finite ————————————Infinite
Human ———————————Divine
Flesh————————————Spirit
Qualities we do share.
Morality
Intellectual
Relational
Humans…
Have the power to reason.
Been designed to love.
Have the ability to speak.
Make moral decisions.
When humans were created, God blessed them which began a relationship with the only creation who resembles Him.
God created male & female equal in dignity before God and other people. (race doesn’t matter)
What does equal dignity mean for how we understand sexuality?
From the beginning all the way to the end of scripture, man & woman both share the worth of being created in the image of God.
There is no male or female superiority ot dominance.
You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
By God’s design, neither male or female is better than the other.
God has disgust/hatred when men or women are used/abused as objects instead of treated as His creation.
No male or female should feel inferrior by their nature of being created male or female.
Both are beautifully and equally created by God.
But - Not created equally.
Equal dignity does not eliminate distinctions.
God created male and female uniquely for a reason.
Right after God blessed them. He gave them a command.
God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
That command would have been impossible if God created them male & male or female & female.
God’s design enables humans to be fruitful and multiply.
Imagine the scene at the beginning. As each animal walked by, Adam assigned a name to them.
There was more to this than just naming the animals.
As each walked by and was assigned a nameAdam saw that none were like him and he truly felt alone.
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
God made a helper for him. One who would complement him but who is also equal to him.
The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
This is what formed the institution of marriage between man & woman
two people molded in the image of God designed to compliment the other.
Christ and the Church
Christ and the Church
God designed marriage for a purpose, however - the purpose was not revealed till after Calvary.
This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
God’s intent was to illustrate His love for people.
Culture views marriage as a means of self-fulfillment accompanied by sexual satisfaction.
According to culture, a person’s goal is to find a mate/partner who will compliment them.
By this view, marriage is an end to itself. Sexual satisfaction is the celebration of that end.
But God aimed to give the world an illustration of the gospel through marriage.
Marriage, according to Ephesians 5 shows both Christ and the Church.
A picture painted by God to show His love for everyone.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
How does God portray this through marriage?
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
God designs husbands to be a relfection of Christ’s love for the church, and God designs wives to be a reflection of the churches love for Christ in the way they relate to their husbands.
Does scripture really say - The husband is the head of the wife & wives should submit to their husbands?
Culture argues this non-stop.
Yes! - However, this must happen according to scripture.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Christ is the head, he gave everything for the church.
He is responsible for her beauty.
He laid down His rights and life for her.
This is who God designed the husband to be.
A man who gives everything for his wife out of love.
A man who takes responsibility for her & is willing to lay down his life & rights for her.
Through the picture of a Christian husbands love for his wife, people would see a picture of Christ’s love for the church.
Wives submit?
But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
Culture claims this means submission!
This is NOT what God claims.
God made it clear men & women are created with equal dignity, value and worth.
Submission here does not mean to lower the value of anyones life, instead, to yield to another in love.
This type of submission is designed by God & is good.
Example - I am a dad, my children and joy are in a position of submission to me.
Thier submission to me does NOT imply that I am better, superior or worth more than them. It implies they have trust for my love for them.
Everyone submits to someone through love.
Look At The Trinity
Look At The Trinity
God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
All 3 are equally divine.
All 3 are fully God.
None are superior to the other.
Yet, Jesus submits to the Father.
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.
saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
Another description of this relationship.
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
The Son gladly submits to the Father because of the Fathers love for the Son and the Son’s love for the Father.
Here is the meaning of the church submitting to Christ.
Jesus loves, leads, serves, protects and provides for us & we submit to Him through our relationship with Him.
As a portrait through marriage, God shows the world that He loves them and that He can be trusted to lead and protect them.
Marriage was designed by God to show the world the gospel.
Putting Christ Over Culture In Marriage
Putting Christ Over Culture In Marriage
Personal action is the starting point.
It begins with us - we need to realize not a single marriage is perfect while it is on earth.
Show grace to each other in marriage.
Culture simply calls for divorce when someone messes up.
God calls for love and grace.
Jesus loves us so much that when we mess up, He doesn’t disown us or kick us to the curb, instead, He loves us and covers us with grace.
(when we do this, we are showing that God is able to redeem and reconcile the most important relationships.)
Love
Love
God commands husbands to love their wives.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
4 times in 9 verses husbands are commanded to love their wives.
But how are we supposed to love them?
Unselfishly.
Culture tells us to defend ourselves, assert ourselves and draw attention to ourselves.
Bible tells us to sacrifice ourselves for our wives.
Headship is not an opportunity to control our wives, but instead a responsibility to die for them out of love.
Husbands can’t love their wives based on what we get from them or their attributes.
(this is how the world defines marriage)
As characteristics fade, so does the love.
Husbands should love their wives not because of who they are, but because of who God is.
God loves them deeply and we have the responsibility to reflect that love.
Husbands have the responsibility for the spiritual health of both their wife and their marriage.
Illustration of captian of the ship illustration. Both the captive and sailor are guilty.
Through marriage, we are representing Christ to a horrible world.
If husbands are harsh to their wives, we are claiming God is cruel and harsh to his people.
If we ignore our wives, we are showing the world that Christ wants nothing to do with His people.
If we leave our wives, we are showing the world that Christ deserts His people.
Wives, Respect Your Husbands
Wives, Respect Your Husbands
Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
Husbands are commanded to love - Wives are commanded to respect.
Both should love and respect.
God created each with a unique need to be loved (wife) and respected (husband)
Wives need to view their position in a marriage as a complimentary, not competitive role.
Yield your relationship in love because you are representing the churches relationship to Christ.
If wives disrespect their husbands, you show the church has no respect for Christ.
If you do not pursue your husband, you show that Christ is not worth following.
If you sleep around (affair) on your husband, you show that Christ is not satisfying for His people.
As A Christian, What Do I Do?
As A Christian, What Do I Do?
If you are single
80% of church going protestants who are currently dating are having sex.
Don’t sleep around. (Don’t be part of the 80%)
If this is you, STOP!
God designed marriage to share the gospel.
If you do things out of order - sex - dating - marriage, you are undermining the gospel. you claim to believe while mocking the God you claim to worship.
Whether you are single for a season or a lifetime, remain single for undivided devotion to the world.
Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.
Conclusion
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter what culture decides or allows.
The Word of God never changes.
The only true marriage biblically is the ‘exclusive, permanent union of a man and a woman.’
Even though we are living in days that culture has proven to be so bad, it simply means that the light of the gospel will shine brighter than ever before.
As a Christian, can you be confident in marriage the way it was designed?
By a means ‘other than the Bible says so.”
Marriage has been around since the beginning of time.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Jesus affirms the foundational reality of marriage in God’s creation in Matthew 19:1-12.
Marriage will be around at the end times as well.
it will look different, but stil there.
Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,
“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”
Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ ” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”
Next steps
Next steps
Prayer
Participate
proclaim
