What Would God Say To Earl & Betty, Bob & Wanda About Marriage? Series

God Speaks On Marriage Series

"What Would God Say to Betty & Earl, Bob & Wanda?"

Ruth 1.16-17 NAS

February 22, 2004 Chester’s FBC, Chester, IL Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A Little Connie came home from preschool having heard the story of Snow White for the very first time.

a She retold the story as the father paid half-price attention. At the end of the story, Connie asked her father, "Daddy, do you know what happened after the prince kissed Snow White?" "They lived happily ever after.", dad answered.

b "No they didn’t!" Connie snapped back. "They got married!"

*Connie got it didn’t she! Getting married is not always living happily ever after.

Marriage is not a joke. Marriage is hard work.

B Today, we will conclude our God speaks on marriage series with What would God say to Betty & Earl, and Bob & Wanda?

a These two couples in our church have over 106 years between them collectively!

How did they do it?

b Ruth 1.16-17 tells us how.

Context:

Naomi and her family had fled to Moab due to a famine in their home country Israel.

Ruth (a Moabite) had married Naomi’s son and then he died. Leaving Ruth a widow. Naomi is going to return to Israel and Ruth is going with her.

16 But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me."

C (ETS) Ruth made a life long commitment of loyality.

a (ESS) Marriages that stand the test of time are products of loyalty.

b (Obj.) I want you to learn what makes a commitment of loyalty.

c (Probing Question) How loyal are you being to the people you have committed yourself to?

T.S.: Let’s look @ two people that we must be committed to in order to have a committed loyalty in our marriages.

I The first person we must commit to in our marriage is . . .God.

Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. v. 16b

A Ruth left everything, everyone she ever held cherished to be with the one she cherished the most.

a Moab is located east of the dead sea (see map)

The gods in the ANE were believed to only have power in their home territory.

The god over the territory of Moab was Chemosh. Chemosh worship was Ruth’s background.

b Ruth wants to go with Naomi back to Israel (a place she has never seen), and Naomi tries to talk her out of going.

Naomi: My people are commanded to observe 113 precepts.

Ruth answered: "Your people shall be my people."

Naomi: My people are commanded to worship no other God than the YHWH, the living God of Israel.

Ruth answered: "Your God shall be my God."

Ruth’s commitment is rooted into the God that Naomi was committed to.

(They shared the same faith in the same God.)

B God wants Christians to marry Christians.

14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Cor. 6.14 (NAS)

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: . . .2 Cor 6:14 (KJV)

a Common mistake: "I love them!"

It doesn’t matter what they believe or

whether their Christians or

whether they go to church or

if they love God.

We’ll work out the "church thing" later.

b God objects to Christians marrying non-Christians for two major reasons.

1 Theological. (v. 16a Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; . . .)

a Christians have God dwelling in them. Their body is a temple.

b A husband & wife are ONE flesh. If one is a non-Christian and one is Christian . . .your trying to mix oil & water.

(IL.) Equivalent of us starting next Sunday, you come to church, but were going to sing nothing but Beatle songs in worship. Open with "Come Together" followed by "Love Me Do", instead of a sermon we’ll watch an episode of "Everybody loves Raymond", and then we’ll close with "Let It Be." We’ll pray just say we did something religious.

Some of you would come unglued! Preacher, we didn’t build this church to have all these pagan things brought into it! EXACTELY!!!

God didn’t establish marriage for a Christian to bring a non-believer into it.

2 Practical (v.15a Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? . . .)