Jesus Speaks On Divorce

The Great Commission

Part 7 – Sermon on the Mount – Divorce

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith – www.PS127.org

WELCOME

INTRODUCTION TO SERMON

† The Sermon on the Mount – The Beatitudes

† We are the Salt, staying pure with God’s Holy Word

† We are the Light, showing that Word to the World

† Jesus and the Law

† Jesus and Anger

† Christian Relationships

† Adultery

I. INTRODUCTION

Jesus began His sermon with describing the characteristics of a Christ follower.

He then explained that those who are Christ followers belong to the Kingdom of Heaven, and that they are to stay pure (keep the Word of God pure) for they are the salt of the earth.

He also explained that they are the light of the world as well, which is the good fruit that naturally comes from us because we have the Holy Spirit in us.

Jesus also explains that He did not come to abolish the Law, but in actuality He came to tighten it back up to where it was originally intended to be.

Man had loosened the law of God to a point that it was no longer effective.

Jesus said in Mark 7:13 – “… you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.”

Traditions that loosen the commands over time.

To the point where the commands mean nothing anymore because they have been loosened to the point where man thinks he is justified with God.

SCRIPTURE READING

Matthew 5:31 – 32

“31 "It has been said, ’Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”

II. THE LAW

a. You have heard it said…

Deuteronomy 24:1-4

“1 If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, 2 and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, 3 and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, 4 then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD. Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.”

1. Define displeasing…

2. If you divorce her and she marries again, if he dies or divorces her you cannot marry her again.

b. The Command

The Jews had perverted the law on marriage that was given by God, loosening the meaning to the point that they were giving letters of divorce because they didn’t find their wives pleasing any longer…

Loosening God’s Word.

They would divorce, remarry, divorce and marry again at their whim.

This takes the value of covenant away, and destroys the entire point of the marriage commitment.

In fact, before they were allowed to divorce, many found their demise in the fields at the hands or hired killers.

c. Why God hates Divorce

Marriage is a covenant between two people with God in which the two become ONE and the promise is not to be broken.

Marriage represents the promise of God.

Jesus is the Groom and the Body of Christ, Christ followers here on earth are the bride.

Groom = Jesus

Bride = Christ Followers

Covenantal agreement = accepted at Communion

Preparing a place = Jesus went to prepare that place

Taking the Bride = Rapture

Wedding Feast of 7 days = Wedding feast of 7 years (during tribulation)

Revealing of the Bride after 7 days = 2nd coming in Glory with us by His side!

Marriage was to teach people of God’s covenant and commitment.

Man loosened to the point the Word was nullified. It meant nothing.

III. JESUS TIGHTENS THE LAW

a. But I say

Matthew 5:32

“32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces (LIT – PUTS AWAY) his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”

Jesus does not repeat the word divorce He used in verse 31.

The word Jesus uses in verse 32 is the Greek word for leaving or letting go.

So Jesus isn’t talking about actual divorce, but if you even leave, abandon or tell your spouse to go.

UNLESS Jesus says for Porneia (where we get the word porn from) which means adultery, sexual sin, idolatry, etc…

Then you have caused THEM to become an adulterer.