TITLE: God’s wedding gifts!
TEXT: Genesis 1:26-31; & 2:
SERIES: Home Health Care
TOPIC: Family
OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, July 6, 2008
PROP.: IF WE WILL BUT FOLLOW GOD’S PLANS FOR FAMILY, WE WILL HARVEST A BOUNTIFUL BLESSING!
INTRODUCTION: Good morning! At this time our Jr. Church age kids are dismissed. Also, please pass the attendance pads down the pew that you’re in.
Think back to: Your wedding day! Three words describe it: Exhilarating. Exciting. Exhausting! So much work. So much preparation. So much time invested! All of it for 45 minutes that you can’t remember except with the help of wedding pictures and one un-fortunate video tape!
In the days leading up to the wedding, you had receptions and parties. All for one purpose. TO GET GIFTS!
This month our focus turns to the family. I am beginning a series called: Home Health Care. I believe each family could use a little care!
I want you to understand that God created the idea of family. He created the reality of family. And when you follow God’s plan for family, some blessings are yours! I call them: Wedding Gifts!
T.S.: In the book of Genesis, we see the gifts that God gives to the family!
This is un-usual. I don’t think I have ever preached or ever heard a one point sermon. But here it is! It has one main point: Are you ready for it?
I. God’s GIFTS to the FAMILY!
There are four of them! These gifts are perfect! These are gifts that only God Himself could give!
A. Created in God’s Image
--It’s good to be human! The human family consists of…HUMANS! Each human in that family is created in God’s image! Animals have instincts…behavior that can’t easily be changed! Even “tame” wild animals can go ‘bad’.
Here are some things to remember:
a. Humans are more valuable than animals
--Even though I’m not in favor of useless animal cruelty, I do understand that humans are ‘worth’ more than animals!
Why?
b. Because Humans are different than animals!
Humans are…
1. Able to love
We are able to communicate love unlike any other created beings!
We can communicate love through:
1. Touch - Through hugs, hand holding. When was the last time fellas, you just simply gave your wife a hug? Or held her hand at a movie?
2. Gift Giving - Extravagant jewelry, to inside simple jokes…Listen! I have a dog. She’s 9 years old and the ONLY gift she has ever given me are in my front yard that I
have to scoop!
3. Encouraging words -
Only in Animated Disney films do animals express love in this way! It’s unique to humans! Why? Because we’re the ONLY ones created in God’s image!!!!
2. Able to reason
--we know right from wrong!
--we are able to solve problems
--We are the only created beings to have this wonderful gift of logic!
3. Able to create
--art able to sculpt and paint!
--songs Write beautiful words put to beautiful music!
--architecture
Gift #2 may not look like a gift…but it is…
B. Great Job!
--ADAMS’S JOB:
Notice in Genesis. God gives man the perfect job.
These were his responsibilities:
--BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY (Genesis 1:28a)
Multiply! Fill the earth! Reproduce! Have sex!
--NAME THE ANIMALS(Genesis 2:19,20)
By his naming the animals…this showed man’s Rule over the animals
You talk about your sweet jobs!
--YOUR JOB:
If you have a job, it’s a gift from God! Your job allows you to afford the things in this world. It is God who gave you the abilities to get the job you have!
Remember when you first got married you thought how in the world are you going to afford it? Or when you first learned your were expecting your first child you thought: there is NO way we can afford this kid! But you did! That’s because God provided you the job! There are 6.8 million unemployed people in this world who would love to have a job that pays what you make!
But also understand, that EVERYONE has something about their job they don’t like! There are things even I don’t like. And I know what you’re thinking: Man, I would love to have your job! Man, you don’t know what you’re TALKING about! There are things I absolutely LOVE! And then there are things I don’t so much love. Just like you. Just like everybody.
But the fact still remains…your job is a gift from God!
ILLUSTRATION: Hate your job? Watch dirty jobs with Mike Rowe on TLC. That will help you appreciate your job!!!!
Some of his jobs include:
Roadkill cleaner
Worm Dung Farmer
Hot tar roofer
Thursday night, I saw Mike Rowe cleaning out storm drains. Crawling down in this very small.
Still hate your job? It could be worse! You could be an armpit smeller for a deodorant company!
Gift #3:
C. Clear Boundaries!
Everything God created has boundaries!
FISH - Swim. Be in the water. You wont be able to walk on the land or breathe air. But that’s ok. The planet is mostly made of water anyway! You have TONS of places to swim and be free!
BIRDS - Fly! Fly in the blue stuff. Not in the blue stuff that is liquid. But the blue stuff that has white fluffies in it. Not in the black stuff. That’s no good. You’ll die.
HUMANS - In the garden of Eden, God gave boundaries! “Do not eat of the tree of life or the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” That was it! They could eat anything else in the garden! Why even give them something that they couldn’t eat? Because without choice, humans are just mindless robots! God didn’t want robotic worship…he want us to choose to do right!
In the family, God has given boundaries.
Do not marry a non-Christian. Husbands, love your wife. Wives, submit to your husbands and show him respect. Kids, honor your father and mother!
Have as much sex as you want to…in marriage! With your wife. With your husband.
The blessing of boundaries - On the surface, boundaries may not look like blessings. But they are! Boundaries were set up for our good!
The reason for boundaries - If you do things the way that God plans for things to be done, you’ll find life works much easier without the consequences and headaches. God has set up boundaries for OUR good! Why does God not want us to marry non-Christians? Is it because non-Christians are bad? No! It’s because when you marry a non-Christian you will fight about your different world-views. You will disagree about how kids are to be raised and disciplined. You may even have different political opinions! Why does God say do not get divorced? Listen. I know no-one sets out to get married so they can get divorced. But whenever a divorce occurs, there will be consequences! Child-support. Step dads, step kids, step moms. Visitation rights. This is why God in his wisdom has set up boundaries. If we stay within the boundaries of God’s plans, we will avoid pain!
But ever since humans were created, we have been trying to push beyond the boundaries!
Take sex for instance: Sex is just ONE area that we are constantly pushing the barriers.
ILLUSTRATION: In the 60’s we saw a shift from God’s design. FREE LOVE WAS INTRODUCED! Have sex whenever with whomever you want. If it feels good, do it! And then it was realized that with that kind of mentality, diseases would spread. STDs were rampant and on the rise. So then our culture has shifted to SAFE SEX. It’s trying to get the FREE LOVE without the consequences. Listen! Listen to me NOW! When you step outside of the boundaries that God has set up there are going to be consequences! You want SAFE SEX? If you ONLY sleep with your wife, you will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER have to worry about disease. That’s God’s plan! And God’s plans are perfect!!!!!!
Well, let’s look at the last gift I have listed for today!
D. The Gift of Togetherness! (Genesis 2:15-20)
As Adam was busy doing his job of naming the animals, and each animal was brought in front of him, two things became apparent to Adam: 1. The platypus is one FREAKY animal! And 2. He was alone! There were two of every kind of animal! There was only ONE human. I believe Adam experienced loneliness! Have you ever been alone? Have you ever just wanted to be around people?
There is a companionship that can not be replaced no matter how many animals you have around you! You need other humans!
God knew this. So he created the most wonderful companion ever! Woman! There is something about this wonderful gift. Men and Women compliment each other so well! This is all because of a wonderful creator who does not make mistakes!
Genesis 2:24 “For this reason, a man will leave his mother and father, and be united to his wife. And the two shall become one flesh.”
What did your parents offer you?
--Security. You knew that you were safe. When everything else was going on around you, you could always count on your parents!
--Unconditional love
And now these things are found in your spouse!
The Bible has much to say about COMPANIONSHIP!
--Two are better than one!
This is the message of the wisest man in the Bible. Eccl. 4:9ff When you get frustrated with your spouse or you think that the grass is greener in THAT field over there…remember: TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE!
Turn to
Ecclesiastes 4:9 - 12
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
In this life, Solomon makes it clear, we need help! For assistance, for protection, for companionship!
Do you remember why God made woman? It was for HELP!
Genesis 2:18
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
AMEN & AMEN!
CONCLUSION: As we conclude our first sermon on the family, I want to read this encouraging statement about marriage…it comes from a former Pastor in Seattle, WA wrote a power statement about marriage… It’s entitled: I AM STANDING UP FOR MY MARRIAGE!
I am standing for the healing of my marriage! I won’t give up, give in, give out, or give over till that healing takes place. I made a vow; I said the words; I gave the pledge; I gave a ring; I took a ring; I gave myself; I trusted God; and said the words and meant the words…in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in good times and in bad; so I’m standing now, and won’t sit down, let down, slow down, calm down, fall down, look down, or be down till the breakdown is torn down! I refuse to put my eyes on outward circumstances; or listen to prophets of doom, or buy into what’s trendy, worldly, popular, convenient, easy, quick, thrifty, or advantageous. Nor will I settle for a cheap imitation of God’s real thing. Nor will I seek to lower God’s standard, twist God’s will, rewrite God’s Word, violate God’s covenant, or accept what god hates, namely divorce. In a world of filth, I will stay pure. Surrounded by lies, I will speak the truth. Where hopelessness abounds, I will hope in God. Where revenge is easier, I will bless instead of curse, and when the odds are stacked against me, I’ll trust in God’s faithfulness. I’m a stander, and I won’t compromise, quarrel, or quit. I have made the choice, set my face, entered the race, believed the Word, and trusted God for all the outcome. I will allow neither the reaction of my spouse, nor the urging of my friends, nor the advice of my loved ones, nor the economic hardship, nor the prompting of the devil to make me let up, slow up, blow up, or give up till my marriage is healed up. AMEN!”
I’ve made copies of this statement for you to take home and hang on your fridge! I want you to fight for your marriage! To put just as much time, effort and energy into your marriage as you did for your wedding!!!
Realize the blessings that are yours through God!
