INTRO
What is sixty years worth? The last sixty years have paid tribute to the election of ten U.S. Presidents. Yuri Gagarin, sixty years ago, rocketed into history as the first human to travel beyond the clouds, and to orbit around the earth for nearly two hours. Sixty years is the span of my life, plus eighteen more. Sixty is equivalent to three times the number of years my wife and I’ve been married, with still three more to go.
On this note, sixty years celebrates the first, diamond anniversary: a tribute to those who’ve made an enduring commitment to honor the covenant of time-honored marriage. Ray and June, we thank you for honoring the covenant of marriage for sixty years. We thank you for showing future generations how to honor with courage, your commitment to the one who has no beginning and no end.
This morning, we’re going to look at what the Bible has to say about honoring the covenant of marriage. So, with that, please bookmark Genesis 2:24-25. However, before we dig into God’s Word, lets understand why it’s important to first honor the one who has no beginning and no end.
WE HONOR THAT WHICH HAS NO BEGINNING AND NO END
Two books in the Bible “bookend” and speak directly to the One who has no beginning and no end. Those books are Genesis and Revelation: Consider the intentionality of the Biblical writers, and the Spirit of God who inspired them.
The Bible’s opening sentence declares, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Now, from that point, there’s a whole lot of text that speaks to the eternal nature of God, and his invitation for us to join with him in an endless covenant of love. Then, right near the end — eight verses to be precise, in Revelation 22: 13 —God repeats his claim, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. God is the one and only who has no beginning and no end. He is the lord of beginnings and the lord of that which will never end.
I noticed something awesome the other day when putting this message together. The verb “honoring” — that which we’re speaking about today —ends with R-I-N-G. These rings, these ancient symbols, we place onto our fingers on our wedding days, pays tribute and honors the One and Only Eternal God who has no beginning and no end.
I got to thinking about how rings are made. Consider the gold and silver that’s poured into the molds forming the endless circle-like rings we adorn upon our hands. That metal has to come from the earth —like from the very mines surrounding our lives. Once mined, the ore needs to be smelted and refined. And after it’s processed, it is again melted so it can be formed into something new, which symbolically has no starting point and no end.
I thought a little bit more about all of this. Like the gold and silver in our rings, God creates us; he forms us from stuff of this earth. He mines us from the dirt and debris from this sinful and fallen world, and then once extracted from the world, he refines us until we are pure and undefiled in his sight (Psalm 66:10). Purifying us, God willfully molds us into the design he desires for the benefit of his kingdom, and our lives. (Romans 9:20) When we allow our spouse to place the ring onto our finger, we’re intentionally honoring the One who created us, and who’s molding us to live in everlasting marriage with him (Revelation 22:17)
Still, our adoration should not begin, nor should it end, by only honoring God’s Holy name. In honoring him, it is fitting we remain steadfastly courageous to our commitment to that which he first ordained —the covenant of marriage. Let’s take a look at that. Let’s READ GENESIS 2:22-25 again.
WE HONOR THAT WHICH GOD ORDAINED
Verse twenty-four is explicit; and it’s worth our time to look at the language Moses used — through the inspiration of Holy Spirit — that defines the covenant of marriage for which our rings honor. Verse 24 says, “For this reason, man... will be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Four important words in this sentence define the mode and reasons God established the covenant of marriage. Marriage is (#1) a man being (#2) united or joined to (#3) a woman —Moses used the word wife —for (#4) to become one flesh —or to put it more practically —for the procreation of our species.
Now, be comforted and know that I’m not going to make you blush or embarrassed by talking about sexual intimacy this morning. Still, the underlying basis for the long-standing covenant of marriage is for the establishment and continuation of the human race in godly love and relationship, with the express intent of giving birth and raising godly children.
Now, I know that young folks usually don’t get hitched these days to only have children. Still, we have many friends who —from sometime in their engagement — talked about having children, and the number of children they desired as that. I remember my sister-in-law and her husband mentioning, before they married, they wanted to have four kids.
Additionally though, we get married because we love our mates and want to spend our lives with one another. Of course, God intended for that too. Ray and June, your marriage is a living testimony to the ways in which we’re to honor marriage —especially in this day-and-age when lots of folks trivialize traditional marriage. Loving our spouses and spending our lives together is a large part of what marriage is about. But, that’s not all it’s about, even though some disagree.
Love notwithstanding, the chief reason God ordained marriage is because it is the means for which a godly society is held together. However, if we decide to remove the traditional formula from the equation of marriage, well what then is purpose of marriage? Many nowadays are asking this question .
There’s a loud and vicious minority within our country who wholeheartedly disagree with the fundamental tenants of tradition marriage; and some are waging an all out satanic war against the timeless beliefs most us value. Some of the people I just described are unbelievers. However — and more dangerous — are those who claim they’re followers of Christ, but still doing the same.
In waging this war, those who are diligently seeking to redefine the sanctity of marriage dishonor God and the long-held definition of marriage. Some lack commitment to societal cohesion. And in their warring intrepidation, some berate those of us, who with the honor, courage and commitment, choose to stand for God, and the values and institutions he ordains.
WE HONOR TIMELESS TRADITONS AND VALUES
The United States Navy drilled three words into my head during my nine-year service: honor, courage, and commitment. Yet, this past month, the U.S. Navy lacked the courage to remain committed to the millennia-old definition of marriage for which humanity has honored for over six thousand years.
On April 13, the Navy issued a memorandum authorizing its chaplains to quote “…officiate same-sex, civil marriages.” The term “same-sex” (which is only a PC way of saying homosexuality,) and the term “marriage” —that which God first defined (before our country) as the union of man and woman—cannot cohabitate; they cannot be united. That which God decried as sin cannot dwell with that which God created and ordained in righteousness. We are to love the sinner, but hate the sin.
Homosexuality is a sin. It might not be politically correct for me to utter these words. Yet, as an under-shepherd of Jesus Christ, I am called to preach the full gospel of God in truth and love — and not that which is grace only. That means I must preach, and we must believe, that when the word of God declares that same-sex unions are sinful, well then, than it is wrong — despite what our culture is trying to persuade us to believe, as it attempts to dismantle the covenant of godly marriage.
The Apostle Paul, in writing to Timothy, urged him to make a stand against false teachers. One message I believe Paul was trying to tell him was that these false teachers were trying to persuade their hearers that sexual relations outside traditional marriage were okay. Ya know, nothing is new under the sun, is it?
Twice, Paul urged him to speak out against the false teachers who proclaimed a different doctrine, which steered people away from the truths of God’s Holy Word. Paul said the law is good, and is intended not for the righteous, but rather for “… immoral men and homosexuals, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching….” (1 Tim 1:10).
Now, many with the lesbian and gay community have chosen to disregard biblical authority and inerrancy, and the age-old understanding of marriage. And within our country, that’s their prerogative. However, it is not honoring for a Christian, Navy chaplain — who’s been entrusted with the FULL Gospel of God’s Holy Word — to disregard Paul’s words.
I’ll be honest, it’s taking me courage to speak these words. I risk a future commission by speaking the truth — which needs to be spoken. Regardless of this, I must postulate: the admiralty demonstrated a lack of courage to stand up for traditional values.
The Navy’s actions were nothing short of dishonorable. Their actions showed a lack commitment to the ways and truths of God, and the Constitution of the United States for which they swore to defend. Now, thankfully, 55 members of Congress demanded a retraction. The Navy capitulated — but only temporally, until such time that some would have the laws in our country defining traditional marriage fully dismantled. If we allow actions such as these to continue, further ramifications will ensue.
However, know that God’s definition of marriage will not change. God, his character, and his word is unchangeable. What humanity has honored as marriage for six thousand years will not change, just because some say otherwise. Marriage is the coming together of man and woman, to live together in love, and to bring into our world children who will continue to honor God’s established ways in love.
God is calling us to continue honoring marriage such as many of you have done and are doing. But we must also stand up for the whole Gospel of God and fight for traditional marriage. We need to be men, women, and children who act honorably, who have the courage to stand up to the false doctrines of human carnality, and who are committed to living godly lives. Saint Peter said: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” Let us hear this in close.
What is sixty more years to bring? Most of us will be gone from this place. Yet, for our children, grandchildren, and those they bring into this world, what is going to be the legacy for them in sixty more years? Will our government, will people, and Christian followers still honor traditional, Christian marriage; or will be marriage be forever marred by those who mock God’s holy word?
The things we do and say today will affect those, who sixty years from now, will look back at us say, thank you for honoring marriage and passing on God’s values, which has no beginning and no end. And with that end, I say, truly, truly and amen. God bless us all who honor the one and only, and his established, covenant of marriage. Let us pray.
