The Joy of a Christ-Centered Covenant - part ii

Series: A Meaning-Full Marriage

Title: The Joy of a Christ-Centered Covenant - Part ii

Text:

Review:

Starting Points:

(1) Marriage is the institution created by God -

(2) God's created intention is confirmed by Jesus Christ -

(3) The gospel of Christ allows us to understand marriage - ,

Principle: Marriage is the earthly, temporal covenant which illustrates the greater, eternal covenant.

So, what is God like when He is in covenant with His people? What should we be like when we are in covenant with each other?

Proposition: Be merciful within your covenant of marriage.

Proposition: Be merciful within your covenant of marriage.

See God's mercy in Hosea as:

(1) Initiatory (week one)

(2) Intentional (tonight)

(3) Inclusive (next week)

Does mercy mean that we overlook sin?

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Parable of Snake and Mouse

Parable of Snake and Mouse

A man purchased a white mouse to use as food for his pet snake. He dropped the unsuspecting mouse into the snake’s glass cage, where the snake was sleeping in a bed of sawdust. The tiny mouse had a serious problem on his hands. At any moment he could be swallowed alive. Obviously, the mouse needed to come up with a brilliant plan.

What did the terrified creature do? He quickly set up work covering the snake with sawdust chips until it was completely buried. With that, the mouse apparently thought he had solved his problem.

The solution, however, came from outside. The man took pity on the silly little mouse and removed him from the cage. No matter how hard we try to cover or deny our sinful nature, it’s fool’s work. Sin will eventually awake from sleep and shake off its cover. Were it not for the saving grace of the Master’s hand, sin would eat us alive.

Source unknown

Points for tonight:

(1) God's mercy is an attribute that helps to describe God. -

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Bible Doctrine 8. Mercy, Grace, Patience

God’s mercy means God’s goodness toward those in misery and distress.

Comprehensively defining mercy is important:

(a) An oversimplified definition of mercy is that “God’s mercy is withholding punishment from those who deserve it.”

(b) A better understanding of mercy is “an inner tender pity (bowels) that results in outward acts of compassion” - (example of Joseph in )

(2) God is merciful, but there are times where He withholds acts of mercy - ,

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Good for the Sufferer and Spectators

Good for the Sufferer and Spectators

Pain is not good in itself. What is good in any painful experience is, for the sufferer, his submission to the will of God, and, for the spectators, the compassion aroused and the acts of mercy to which it leads.

C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

When the merciful God intentionally withholds activities of mercy, there is always intention.

Why would a merciful God choose to intentionally withhold actions of mercy?

(a) The merciful God intentionally withholds actions of mercy in response to sin ()

(b) The merciful God intentionally withhold actions of mercy with intention of repentance (of the offender) and restoration to covenant faithfulness ()

How can God still be known as merciful, if he chooses to withhold actions of mercy to those in sin?

(3) God is merciful by withholding actions of mercy to people who are in sin.

(a) God understands the deceptiveness of sin () - Sin leads us to believe that we will be satisfied by its’ provision.

(b) God understands the self-destructiveness of sin (),

Is God therefore merciful to leave his creatures in a perpetual state of self-deception and self-destruction? Or is God more merciful to withdraw merciful activity so the consequences of sin would be so evident that it would lead to the repentance and restoration of a relationship?

Summary:

God is merciful. There are times when we see that God withheld his merciful activity. This does not mean that God overlooked sin. Even this intentional withholding of mercy is a merciful act by the merciful God. God did so to provoke his people to return to Himself.

What then does this help us to realize within marriage?

The kind of mercy that God has displayed is one that is intentional, especially as it relates to sin. It is therefore imperative that we, as husbands and wives, be committed to a mercy that wars against sin in our marriages.

Intentional Foul - a foul deliberately committed by a defensive player to stop play, tactically conceding the penalty of having the fouled player attempt the awarded foul shots in return for possession of the ball.

Principally, speaking to the husbands: You must be intentionally committed to the ongoing sanctification of your spouse.

(1) Intentionally seeking the spiritual maturity of your spouse is not optional ()

Two extreme concerns: lording husband & the passive husband

Husbands, are we pursuing her conformity to Christ by lording it over her or by dying for her? - Piper, John. This Momentary Marriage . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Two extreme concerns: irreverent wife & nagging wife

Piper, John. This Momentary Marriage . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

(2) Intentionally seeking the spiritual maturity of your spouse has a clear means ()

Sacrificial love: To the husband, you give yourself for the application of the gospel to your wife.

Submissive reverence: To the wife, you give yourself for the application of the gospel to your husband. -

(3) Intentionally seeking the spiritual maturity o f the spouse has a clear end ()

What then is the intention?

The aim of the godly husband’s desire for change in his wife is conformity to Christ, not conformity to himself. Notice the key words in verses 26–27. Verse 26: “that he [Christ] might sanctify her.” Verse 27: “that he [Christ] might present the church to himself in splendor.” Verse 27 again: “that she might be holy.” These words—sanctify, splendor, holy—imply that our desires for our wives are measured by God’s standard of holiness, not our standard of personal preferences - Piper, John. This Momentary Marriage . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Piper, John. This Momentary Marriage . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

How is showing intentional mercy made possible in our lives?

(1) Showing intentional mercy begins with the mercy you’ve received.

Husbands & Wives, there must be a transparency about the mercy you’ve received -

Begin each day with the gospel mercy that you have received.

Be clear on what this mercy means and what it does not mean.

If not received, you must receive it.

(i) This is an initiating mercy

(ii) This is an intentional mercy (not passive)

(2) Showing intentional mercy is the Lord’s work through submissive spouses.

Husbands & Wives, there must be a spiritual subordination that leads to ongoing sanctification -

You must be under the control of God’s Spirit.

Under this Spirit, you are submitted to the fear of God.

You must be committed to a war against sin. -

(a) you must therefore dwell with your wife according to knowledge -

know her in such a way that you understand the identity struggles and anxieties that she has

know and admit how much you love yourself - ,

(b) you must therefore be willing to step in when you see sin/idolatry beginning to ravage your wife or your husband:

the sin of anxiety, the sin of being under the control of other’s thoughts, the sin of gossip, the sin of being controlled by social media, the sin of bitterness or unforgiveness

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Incomplete Mercy

Incomplete Mercy

In our dealings with those caught in sexual lust, mercy is incomplete unless we do as Jesus did; call it sin. We have winked, giggled, made alibis, or ignored sin all too long. A friend in deed is one who says quietly, but firmly, “What you’re doing friend is sin. It is harmful to you and to others. It is destructive to God’s dream for you.

Source unknown

Thoughts for stepping in with intentional mercy:

the sin of being under the control of other’s thoughts

the sin of gossip

(1) Pray and ask the Lord to remind you how glorious He and his saving & sanctifying work is.

the sin of being controlled by social media

(2) Begin the conversation by acknowledging your sinfulness and imperfection.

(3) Express your love and your concern.

the sin of bitterness or unforgiveness

Thoughts for receiving intentional mercy:

(1) By God’s grace, bring your thoughts under the dominion of Christ. , - “mind”

(2) Believe that God is using your spouse to make you more like Jesus Christ.

It is not just a personal attack.

(3) Remain quiet & listening while your spouse is speaking.

(4) Take time to process and pray about what you’ve heard.

Husbands you step in by dying, and wives you step in with reverence. Both are committed to the mutual edification as brothers/sisters in Christ.

Husbands, are we pursuing her conformity to Christ by lording it over her or by dying for her? When we lead her or even, if necessary, confront her, are we self-exalting or self-denying? Is there contempt or compassion?- Piper, John. This Momentary Marriage . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Wives consider - I don’t think means a wife cannot talk to her husband about her faith. But surely it does mean that there is a kind of speaking that is counterproductive. “Without a word” means, don’t badger him. - Piper, John. This Momentary Marriage . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Piper, John. This Momentary Marriage . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

God is merciful. His mercy is initiatory. His mercy is intentional. What God does and what he withholds has a specific end in mind. It is this kind of mercy that has been extended to us through Jesus Christ. It is this kind of initiatory and intentional mercy that compels us to lovingly address sin and not overlook sin. It is ultimately leading to a grand wedding, which is the real.

The Joy of a Christ-Centered marriage is experienced as we initiate, intentional mercy towards one another - as has been extended to us by God.