Embracing Marriage: A Divine Covenant of Gratitude
Summary
In our gathering today, we focused on the profound significance of marriage as a divine institution and the importance of gratitude in our spiritual journey. We began by acknowledging the necessity of prayer in aligning ourselves with God's plans for our lives, particularly in the context of marriage. Marriage is not just a union of two individuals but a sacred covenant that includes God, making it unbreakable when centered on Him. We emphasized the need to be intentional in our gratitude, recognizing the blessings we have received and acknowledging God's hand in our lives. This intentional gratitude is crucial because it aligns our hearts with God's nature, which desires acknowledgment and praise.
We explored the biblical foundation of marriage, referencing Matthew 19, where Jesus speaks about the original intent of marriage as a lifelong union. Despite cultural shifts and the hardness of human hearts that have led to allowances like divorce, God's original plan remains unchanged. Marriage is meant to be a safe haven, a place where both physical and spiritual children can grow and thrive. This understanding calls us to be proactive and intentional in upholding the sanctity of marriage, fighting for its truth and purpose as revealed in God's Word.
Furthermore, we delved into the mystery of marriage as a reflection of Christ's relationship with the Church, as described in Ephesians. This profound mystery highlights that our marriages are not just personal relationships but are meant to be a model of Christ's love and commitment to His Church. This perspective challenges us to align our marriages with God's will, making them a testimony of His kingdom on earth.
In our prayer time, we focused on the spiritual battle that often surrounds God's plans for our lives, including marriage. We acknowledged that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces, and thus, we must persevere in prayer, trusting in God's strength and guidance. We also prayed for anything that might hinder us from following God more closely, recognizing that deeper intimacy with Him is essential for fulfilling His plans for our lives.
Key Takeaways:
1. Intentional Gratitude: Being intentional in our gratitude aligns us with God's nature, which desires acknowledgment and praise. Recognizing and thanking God for His blessings helps us remain humble and aware of His continuous work in our lives. [01:57]
2. God's Unchanging Plan for Marriage: Despite cultural shifts and human failings, God's original plan for marriage as a lifelong union remains unchanged. This calls us to be proactive in upholding the sanctity of marriage, fighting for its truth and purpose as revealed in God's Word. [11:33]
3. Marriage as a Reflection of Christ and the Church: Our marriages are meant to model Christ's love and commitment to His Church. This profound mystery challenges us to align our marriages with God's will, making them a testimony of His kingdom on earth. [32:42]
4. Spiritual Warfare in God's Plans: We must recognize that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. Perseverance in prayer is essential, trusting in God's strength and guidance to overcome obstacles and fulfill His plans for our lives. [40:44]
5. Following God More Closely: Anything that hinders us from following God more closely must be removed. Deeper intimacy with Him is essential for fulfilling His plans for our lives, including finding and nurturing a godly marriage. [53:32]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:57] - The Importance of Gratitude
- [08:35] - Prayer and Thanksgiving
- [11:33] - God's Original Plan for Marriage
- [13:28] - The Hardness of Heart and Divorce
- [23:36] - The Role of Prayer in Marriage
- [30:40] - Ephesians and the Mystery of Marriage
- [32:42] - Marriage as a Model of Christ and the Church
- [37:12] - Aligning with God's Plan
- [40:44] - Spiritual Warfare and Perseverance
- [42:02] - Recognizing Our True Enemy
- [53:32] - Following God More Closely
- [54:58] - The Mission of Marriage
- [57:11] - Declaring Faith in God's Plan
- [58:36] - Communion and Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 19:2-9
2. Ephesians 5:22-32
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Observation Questions:
1. In Matthew 19, what question do the Pharisees ask Jesus, and how does He respond regarding the original intent of marriage? [11:33]
2. According to Ephesians 5, how is the relationship between a husband and wife compared to Christ and the Church? [32:42]
3. What reasons does Jesus give for Moses allowing divorce, and how does this contrast with God's original plan for marriage? [13:28]
4. How does the sermon describe the role of gratitude in our spiritual lives, and what examples were given to illustrate this? [01:57]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of marriage as a divine institution challenge modern cultural views on marriage and divorce? [11:33]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that intentional gratitude can impact our relationship with God and others? [01:57]
3. How might understanding marriage as a reflection of Christ's relationship with the Church influence the way one approaches their own marriage? [32:42]
4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of prayer in overcoming spiritual battles related to marriage and other aspects of life? [40:44]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current level of gratitude. How can you be more intentional in recognizing and thanking God for His blessings in your life? [01:57]
2. Considering God's unchanging plan for marriage, how can you actively uphold the sanctity of marriage in your own life or community? [11:33]
3. If you are married, how can you and your spouse work together to model Christ's love and commitment to the Church? If you are not married, how can you prepare yourself for such a relationship? [32:42]
4. Identify a spiritual battle you are currently facing. How can you incorporate prayer into your strategy to overcome it, trusting in God's strength and guidance? [40:44]
5. What steps can you take to remove any obstacles that hinder you from following God more closely, especially in the context of relationships? [53:32]
6. How can you create a "safe haven" in your home or community where both physical and spiritual growth can thrive, as described in the sermon? [13:28]
7. Reflect on the cultural messages you receive about marriage. How can you align your understanding and actions with God's original intent for marriage? [11:33]
Devotional
I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:
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Day 1: Aligning Our Hearts with Gratitude
In our spiritual journey, intentional gratitude is essential as it aligns our hearts with God's nature, which desires acknowledgment and praise. By recognizing and thanking God for His blessings, we remain humble and aware of His continuous work in our lives. This practice of gratitude is not just about saying "thank you" but involves a deep recognition of God's presence and provision in every aspect of our lives. It is a conscious effort to see beyond our circumstances and acknowledge the divine orchestration at play. [01:57]
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16, ESV)
Reflection: What are three specific blessings in your life today that you can thank God for, and how can you express this gratitude in a tangible way?
Day 2: Upholding the Sanctity of Marriage
God's original plan for marriage as a lifelong union remains unchanged despite cultural shifts and human failings. This calls us to be proactive in upholding the sanctity of marriage, fighting for its truth and purpose as revealed in God's Word. Marriage is not merely a social contract but a divine covenant that reflects God's unwavering commitment to us. It is a sacred space where love, trust, and faithfulness are nurtured, providing a foundation for both physical and spiritual growth. [11:33]
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you actively support and uphold the sanctity of marriage in your own life or in the lives of those around you?
Day 3: Reflecting Christ's Love in Marriage
Our marriages are meant to model Christ's love and commitment to His Church. This profound mystery challenges us to align our marriages with God's will, making them a testimony of His kingdom on earth. By viewing marriage as a reflection of Christ's relationship with the Church, we are called to embody selfless love, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment. This perspective transforms marriage from a personal relationship into a divine mission, where each partner is called to reflect the love and grace of Christ. [32:42]
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." (Ephesians 5:25, ESV)
Reflection: How can you demonstrate Christ-like love and commitment in your marriage or relationships today?
Day 4: Engaging in Spiritual Warfare
We must recognize that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. Perseverance in prayer is essential, trusting in God's strength and guidance to overcome obstacles and fulfill His plans for our lives. Spiritual warfare is a reality that requires vigilance and a deep reliance on God's power. By engaging in persistent prayer, we align ourselves with God's purposes and draw upon His strength to navigate the challenges we face. [40:44]
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12, ESV)
Reflection: What spiritual battles are you currently facing, and how can you commit to persevering in prayer to seek God's strength and guidance?
Day 5: Removing Hindrances to Follow God Closely
Anything that hinders us from following God more closely must be removed. Deeper intimacy with Him is essential for fulfilling His plans for our lives, including finding and nurturing a godly marriage. This involves a willingness to examine our lives and identify anything that distracts or detracts from our relationship with God. By removing these hindrances, we open ourselves to a deeper connection with Him, allowing His plans to unfold in our lives. [53:32]
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1, ESV)
Reflection: What is one specific hindrance in your life that you need to remove to follow God more closely, and what steps can you take today to address it?
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Quotes
Here are the selected quotes with timestamps:
"We're going to spend a couple of minutes just thanking God for what we already have. But I want to say up front that I'm excited to be here. And I want to echo your hearing that I'm a great supporter of marriage. I'm a great supporter of what God is doing in bringing two lives together to create a union that is on purpose for God. I believe it's better than one. I believe two is always better than one." [00:01:34] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"And third, when you add God to it. It's unbreakable. So I'm expecting great things to happen this evening. And I just want you to be as hopeful and as believing as I am. In fact, better than I am. And let's trust God to do something. So first of all, we'll spend a couple of minutes just thanking God. I want us to thank God intentionally. I might use that word a few times this evening. But what I mean by intentionally is that there is something about us, our humanity, where if we're not careful, we come ungrateful. We're ungrateful for the things that we already have, because we're in pursuit of certain things that we don't have." [00:02:34] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"That's not what I want. What I want is for a man to leave his father and mother and to be joined to his wife and the two become one and create another family. And that is why he says that the latter part of verse 8, he says, from the beginning, it was, wasn't so. In other words, for him, for, for that to be divorced was not so. So I, my, I will say, so what was so, what was so is that a man should leave his father and mother and create another family, another place, another safe place, another place where physical children can be brought up, where spiritual children can be brought up, a safe haven, a shelter, a huge tree where birds of the nest can come and hide. And they know that they're safe. That's what God wants. That's God's plan." [00:15:29] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"than just um my feelings or what i want those are commendable but they're not strong enough they usually don't hold on to the end of time they usually don't fight to the end of the race but once you know something is god's will then you can fight for it forever okay yeah you want it you you feel like you want it oh your mind is telling you you want it the culture is telling you you want it but more importantly it is god's will right okay um and and and this okay i'm going to kind of point you in another direction and think about it when you know it's god's will when you know it's god's will what happens to you is it it's a stronger voice than the voice and it's a stronger voice than the voice of a person's will and it's a stronger voice than the voice of a person's will voice than the culture because culture changes actually i'm telling you now if you're not seeing it culture is changing and culture is telling us now or telling a generation that's coming after that marriage is not important that marriage is just something that well you don't need it so culture is changing but if you don't know what the word of god says you just flow with what they're all saying right but once you know what god's was that you just arrest yourself that no that's nonsense this is what god says and if this is what god says i must fight for it so we're here to pray and we're here to fight so here's um another thought that i want to leave with you before actually i want to start praying in a minute um naturally i'm going to stop i want us to pray a little bit and then if i come back to my points i'll come back to my point so let's let's pray around that for a couple of minutes all right okay so i don't end up making it a preaching session so praying session so so what we're saying is that marriage is god's will and it's a general statement i made there but you're not an exception this applies to you so you i want you to see this that this is god's will for you and when we are praying now because um uh okay is everybody else is everybody breaking up on so i just got a text saying that the connection was breaking can everybody hear me i just need to know you can still hear me can you hear me can you hear me okay we can hear you can hear me okay now we can hear you" [00:20:37] (137 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"and it just happened it doesn't exist there's no margin for that it one of it takes its root in either good or evil or god or the devil is one or two but my point is we need to accept that we have an enemy and that's the that's the one we are fighting against no my grandmother is not my enemy or my father's sister's uncle's sister and we don't have a problem with them right if they we have a problem with the forces that are backing them and if they if they are wise they step out of the way if they don't they'll get run over with the devils that were attacked but if we recognize who our enemies and and actually what is that there's a case for saying that is the people that god has big plans for that the enemy brings out all of his artillery for so actually so what we should do is roll up our sleeves and say no not me um we don't give up we don't give up where i come from my people are not like that so so what i'll then do is i said no no i recognize that there's an enemy but i'm fighting and i'm going to fight in jesus name and i'm not going to give up right i'm not going as long as there is breath in me i'm going to fight so here's what i something i want us to do that i started out with and then we'll pray a little bit more oh i don't know where you are in your journey now because people are you know people have uh different uh points in their journey but god's answer to the problem is the same right you're not going to give up you're not going to give up you can you can ask as many wise as you um like but i've learned from the word of an experience that there's some wise that you ask even if god told you the answer you're not going to accept it won't satisfy you knowing why it's not always the answer the word of god is the answer we are where we are i might not be able to explain it i was reading something to some people in our church um the rich young ruler um which of your procedures is that what must what should i do to inherit eternal life right and then jesus says oh but you uh you know the commandment why are you asking me this question right this is a this thou shalt not uh lie thou shalt not do thou shalt not commit adultery you know all the commandments then the rich young ruler says all these things i have done from my youth" [00:42:52] (147 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"because if he if what you're doing is you're going around and saying yeah but i did this but i've lived a straight life all my life i've done this i've done that i've done this i don't know but look at what my life is somebody down the road has never obeyed any of the commandments they've moved on their mind that after they've done this no you can do all the commandments you may still not have eternal life so jesus then looks at the guy and says okay you've raised a good point i'm not going to argue you on that okay you have done this since you were a kid so but this is what i need you to do you give up all your stuff that you might have treasure in heaven now if you are religious you think that the what he's saying there is that it is the giving up of the stuff that is going to give you eternal life but i don't think that's what he's saying i think what he's saying is your stuff is getting in the way of what you need to do to obtain eternal life so let's give it up because then you can think freely and then follow me so actually he's making the point that actually in order to get past to get eternal life you're not going to need to follow me less because in following the 10 commandments up until that time he is following him that that is the following him up until that time but what he's saying to him is that no you're going to need to follow me more so everything that is in the way oh no i've just found my prayer point now everything that is in the way of me following close because when you don't have eternal life you don't follow him less you follow him more you follow him more you you go deeper you don't go lesser you go deeper in and anything that's in the way of deeper you just you you throw it away no no he will get his goods later all that stuff that is given in fact heaven is the safest place because later when you want to tap into it you can go and get it back if you leave it here muffed and russ will eat it up but if you put it in there we can come back and get it after he has obtained eternal life but in order to get that eternal life he has to follow him and he has to follow him deeper so here's our next prayer point lord we want to pray anything that is in the way anything that is in the way anything everything that is in the way that is hindering us following deeper because jesus is the one that knows where he is jesus is the one that knows where she is jesus is the one that knows what you need to do where you need to go so i need to follow him closer in order to find him on her or her so let's pray that father in the name of jesus let me hear you let me hear you when we pray father in the name of jesus we are open we open our heights" [00:45:53] (176 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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