Marriage And Divorce Series

Marriage And Divorce

Matthew 5:31,32; 19:1-12

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,

Yes, in the beginning God created everything… and He created it out of nothing.

LIKE – really think about that for a moment.

How great is our good.

Now, in Genesis Chapter 2… we read that on day six…

Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed…to work it and take care of it…

BUT LISTEN – even though Adam ‘seemed’ to have everything that he needed… food, water…

A - paradise to live in and a purpose to live for (to work and take care of the garden). Despite all of that, God said in verse 18…

“It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18)

AND THEN – we read…

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.

Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

MGCC – at the very beginning of human history.

God instituted marriage, instituted the family.

AND YES – Adam and Eve became a family in Genesis chapter 2 before they had their children.

UNDERSTAND – a family is formed when a man and woman are united on their wedding day.

“When are you going to start your family…”

We already did. We already are.

The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Genesis 2:7,8,15,18-25

Prayer

OKAY MGCC – so we are in this verse by verse study of the Gospel of Matthew.

AND MAN – this has been such a great study.

LIKE – even though I have been doing this Jesus thing for 42+ years… and this Pastor thing for 30+ years.

I have learned so many new and awesome things these last 20 weeks in Matthew.

NOW – where we are currently, in this journey,

is unpacking Jesus radical manifesto about what life in His Kingdom is all about.

(aka ‘also known as’ The Sermon on The Mount).

A more powerful, penetrating and richer conversation than we could ever have imagine, that Jesus shared on a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

AND UNDERSTAND – what Jesus is basically saying in His Manifesto is… “Hey, here is what life in my kingdom is all about…”

• It’s about being a certain kind of people… it’s about, the poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful…

• It’s about having impact in the world, by being the ‘salt’ of the earth and the ‘light’ of the world, AND…

• It’s about living out a life that is distinct, that is different than those in the world.

AND – last week we saw that in Jesus Kingdom, it so much deeper that not committing outward acts like murder and adultery… but about getting control of the anger and lust that often can reside inside of us.

YEAH MGCC – as I said last week living in His Kingdom is about… being, having and living!

NOW BEFORE – we dive down deep into our conversation for this morning… and what Jesus says about…

‘Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage’

I want to remind you of a few of the things that we need to keep in mind as we strive to understand what Jesus is actually saying in His Kingdom Manifesto.

• Let’s not be those who ‘loosen’ or ‘relaxes’ what God has already said and bound.

“Anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven…” (Matthew 5:19)