How many of you all are married? Woo-woo. How many, how many of you all don't respond to this please. Look to the person next to you and say don't raise your hand. But how many of you are oh I'm married (boring sounding)? Ah how many of you are not married? I've been set free! Ah whether you're married or not married um ah this is gonna hopefully enlighten you to what marriage and relationship is all about to a whole nother level. It, it is blowing my mind. So I want you to pay close attention. Please take notes. Go home and listen to the sermon again. Look up these terms that I give you online. God has incredibly designed to some amazing stuff. So I just want to alert you.
Therefore next week we're gonna talk about the opposite. We're gonna talk about the affects of sleeping around, the affects of pornography on the brain and how it will damage/destroy your relationship to be, your ability to be in relationship. There are a lot of you in here right now who are watching pornography. There are a lot of you in here right now who are in relationship with something while watching pornography and there's a wall between you. We're gonna talk about that wall. We're gonna talk about how to rewire your brain so you can have relationship. If your brain is not rewired because it's been destroyed through sleeping around, pornography, whatever ah you'll never have the bond that God wanted you to have and created you to have. That's next week so I want to warn you, when I say warn you be thinking about someone you can bring. 1 out of every 2 guys watches pornography. 1 out of every 6 women and so it's more prevalent to you now.
We had a debate here on pornography here ah a few months ago. We had the #1 porn star in American history Ryan Jeremy here on a Friday night I believe it was and all these people were like - Why would you bring that in the church? It's already in the church. Duh! So ah we want to bring it out into the light. Ok? So ah I'm so excited. It's gonna set some of you all free and hopefully it's gonna heal some of you all's marriages or heal all the marriages that need healing. Ok? Amen?
Are you all funky fresh ready? Tell the person next to you I'm funky fresh ready. Honey what does funky fresh mean? It means you smell good. yes funky fresh.
Lord thank you so much for your faithfulness. Thank you so much for your goodness and I pray you bless us today and I pray we are all funky fresh ready. Amen, amen!
Let's see your bibles, let's see your bibles, say word. One more time say woooooord. Let's see your pens, lesson plan, lesson plan. Let's turn to, let's turn to Genesis 2, Genesis 2. If you are a visitor we are continuing our series called Wired for Love. Genesis 2, the first page of the whole bible.
When my daughter was 4 or 5 or so she was in the, in our ah family playing and we had, they had a, we had a big bucket with all of their dolls and toys in it and she reached in the bucket and grabbed Ken, Barbie and Ken and she said - Daddy, this is my man. Now at the time someone gave us a black Ken, they got black Ken. He had a little ripples here, a 6 pack, a little Jerry curl. Barbie had a weave, real long hair. So she said - Daddy this is my man. And of course as the dad I'm thinking - I'm her man. She's only like 5 years old. What does, what does that mean? Where, what do you mean you got a man already? So I went down into the toy box like you know when she went to bed I went into the thing and got the Ken out. We had a little chat. I says - So Ken you dating my daughter and he's like (frozen pose). I said - You got a job? He's like (frozen pose). Did you, did you, you got a degree? You're gonna, how you gonna support her? He wasn't saying anything, he was just standing there frozen. So I took all his clothes off and unhooked all his limbs: his head, his arms, his legs. She came down the next day - Daddy Ken is dead. What happened to Ken? This really happened by the way. All the stories I tell you are true except the ones you think are not.
But her desire to have a man and have a relationship is a God given desire. But what is that desire. We always seem to be attracted to have this love thing or this sex thing but what is it that God put in us that we are pursuing? Because God designed us for something and He put a desire in us to have that something. But what is it?
Let's read chapter 2. It says verse 15 - Lord God took the man, 2:15, the Lord God took the man, this is Adam, and put him in the garden of Eden, Eden to tend and keep it and the Lord God commanded the man saying - Of every tree in the garden you may eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in that day you eat you will die. Everyone say die.
Let me preface. I believe the bible's God's word and I believe that this story is true and that there really was a man named Adam and matter of fact Jesus Christ is the 2nd Adam, and there was a woman named Eve and God put the man in the garden. There was no sin, no death and there was nothing wrong except 1 thing we're gonna see in a minute and God says - I want you to work and if you do what I tell you to do you will live. If you don't do what I tell you to do you will die. Even in paradise there are rules. You will never live a rule less life. Ever, even in heaven. There are rules always, guidelines, right and wrong. God created it that way.
And then it says in verse 18 - The Lord said - It is not good, everyone say not good... Two weeks ago when we started this series we said that when God created everything, everything was good except 1 thing, before sin by the way. After God's creation everything was good except 1 thing and look what it says right here. It is not good that man be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him or suitable for him. Everyone say helper suitable. Suitable for what? This is the million dollar question.
So here's Adam all by himself in the garden. There's no sin. All the animals are created. Everything's perfect. There's the sun and the moon, the fish, the birds, the bees and God says - It's not good that Adam be by himself so what I'm going to do is I'm going to fix that problem and I'm gonna create something that is suitable for him. But suitable for what? Suitable to fulfill a purpose, His created purpose.
Anytime you make something you make it for a purpose. Everything in this room, everything you wear, everything you own was created by someone for a specific purpose. Every tree is for a specific purpose. All the green plants by the way give you the oxygen you breathe. They were created for a purpose. That's 1 of the purposes. There's more plants under the ocean than above the ocean. There's more oxygen comes from the ocean than above the ocean. God created it for a purpose. That's 1 of the purposes. Nothing is purpose less as far as God's creation.
So He says - I'm gonna create this thing for a purpose, and look what it says. It says - Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, the bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them and whatever Adam called these living creature that was its name. He gave name, let me paraphrase and get it quicker. God brought him a gorilla. He said - Lord that's a gorilla, but that ain't suitable for a brother. Brought him a giraffe - The neck's too long. I can't handle that. Brought him an elephant - Nose too big. He just drags it on the ground. So God you got anything better? And God says - Exactly so here's what he said.
It says in verse 21 - The Lord caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and he slept and He took out the rib, closed the rib in its place and the rib which the Lord God made He made into a woman. Everyone say woman. Woman is a wombed man. Womens have wombs and everything necessary to support the purpose of the womb. Oh the other reason that ah a woman's named a woman is because when Adam saw her he went - Whoa man, that's what I'm talking about God. After seeing a gorilla and a giraffe and the elephant he was like- That's what I'm talking about. You're feeling me, you're feeling me Lord.
Verse 23 - Adam said - This is now bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh. She shall be called wooooo-man because she was taken from the man. Therefore man shall leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife. They shall be one flesh. Everyone say one flesh. They were both naked and the man and his wife and they were not ashamed.
#1 in your notes-God wired men and women for many things. We're gonna talk about 3 and #1-That God wired, men and women are compatibly wired to develop a safe haven for each other. If your marriage is on the rocks it's because you don't have a safe haven. Now in every relationship, every relationship there are, there are 2 roles that are fulfilled by the 2 people in the relationship. 1 is the gate keeper. Everyone say gate keeper and 1 is a nurturer. Say nurturer.
The gate keeper is the protector of the city. I want you to imagine a city and to get into the city you have gate. That is how you got into the city. If you watch these old medieval ah, ah movies there's, there's a wall around the city and there's a gate. The only way into the city was in the gate. Sometimes they tried to jump over but they would go through the gate. They would pound on the gate, you know throw fire and try to burn it down and the gate keeper was the guy at the gate all bowed up. I'm protecting the city. I'm gonna protect what comes in and out of this city. I'm gonna make sure we got food, that we got security, that everyone's safe, everyone's comfortable.
There's a gate keeper in every relationship. In every one of your relationships, every relationship you ever have or see, no matter who's in the relationship somebody is supposed to be the gate keeper. In general God has created the man to be the gate keeper in testosterone. Testosterone is drive: I'm gonna protect. I'm gonna war. I'm gonna take initiative. I'm make decision. It doesn't mean women don't make decision at all! It don't mean women don't got some of this neither. Jack you up, keep/take care of the baby bah-bah-bah-bah-bop.
But in every relationship there's a gate keeper and in every relationship there's also a nurturer. Everyone say nurturer. That's someone who's caring for the city, caring for the people in the city.
Now God has in general the man, sometimes the woman has to both. By the way single moms are bomb. They have to do both. Unfortunately if they, if they're in that situation and they have to do both but God said - I'm gonna put a gate keeper and I'm gonna put a nurturer. The gate keeper's gonna protect. The nurturer's gonna develop a relationship.
Now if you remember I was talking the brain. The brain has the right or your right my left, your right brain. Left brain, right brain is more the hearing now, the feeling of right now. Left brain is problem solving and facts. God says - I'm gonna balance the family. I'm gonna have a gate keeper who's gonna protect and that's fellas for the most part that's your role. If your family is in destruction and in disarray you're the gate keeper. You're not over your wife that's your role. It's a different role. You're not over your wife.
Matter of fact when God created Adam and Eve He says - I'm gonna create Adam and Eve and I'm gonna give you both dominion over the world. He never gave man dominion over man. Or person dominion over another person. That's called slavery. We have dominion over environments. My job is not to control any of you or control my staff. My, my job is to insure the environment of the Rock Church fulfills God's intent. So we got to get the right people to fulfill that environment. When someone threatens the environment we got to deal with that accordingly. Same thing in your family. The parents, the, the, the mother and the father are controlling an environment not only for each other but for the children. We'll get to in a minute.
So the guy he's the gate keeper. He's protecting the family. Everything's cool. The nurturer is nurturing the family. It doesn't mean the father doesn't nurture. It doesn't mean the mother doesn't protect because you come after a mother's baby she'll jack you up. 1-I believe 1 of the most dangerous people on the planet are women with baby strollers cuz they'll jack you up. Rightfully so, that's their baby. I mean they're dangerous. You don't mess with a woman with a baby stroller. Matter of fact women with baby strollers got juice. They could just walk you anywhere and go - Baby. Everyone gets out of the way. Ok? Ok.
So when a woman, when a man the gate keeper and the woman the nurturer which is most, the case most of the time when they fulfill their role guess what? You have a safe haven. A safe haven is an environment where both persons in the relationship feel safe. They feel safe to love. Love is an act of faith. Love is an act of faith where you take your heart, and your dreams, and your passion and you give them to someone else. That's an act of faith hoping that they will not break your heart. But I would imagine many of us in here have had our heart broken. Can I get an amen? Because you took a step of faith and it failed because the person let you down. It's a step of faith. It's not a guarantee. And so a safe haven is an environment where you could take your heart and with that person each other you both know you have each other's back. You both know you have each other's best interest in mind. You both know you're gonna treat each other as you would treat yourself and it's safe and you could make a mistake and that person will not beat you down for it. This is what God created.
Turn real quick, we're gonna come back to Genesis. Turn to Ephesians 5 all the way in the New Testament Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5 and we'll just read this very briefly and to describe this safe haven. I want you to be thinking about either the relationship you're in or the relationship you want. Because I want to tell you gentle, ladies and gentlemen the relationship that God wants you to have is a relationship where you are completely safe within that relationship. If you can't be safe with your spouse, if you can't be safe with someone you love, where're you ever gonna be safe? God wants you to be protected and nurtured. Matter of fact when you have a gate keeper and a nurturer guess what kids need? A gate keeper and a nurturer. They're gonna be safe, why they want someone who they know can beat up the boogie man. Literally. Someone's got to protect me as a child and know that if someone comes to get us somebody's gonna get em and I also need to know I'm loved. It doesn't mean the dad doesn't love the kid. It doesn't mean the mom doesn't protect but there is a, there is a balance in roles here.
And look what it says in chapter 15, chapter 5 of Ephesians, chapter 5. Here are some characteristics of a gate keeper. Ah 1-Each person in the relationship gives the other the respect they would give God. Look at verse 22. Verse 22 it says - Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord for a husband is head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He's the Savior of the body. Therefore just as the church is subject to Christ so let wives be subject to their own husbands and husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. In a safe haven relationship the husband and wife respect each other as they would God.
Now when it says wives submit to your husbands don't get hung up on that. Look at the verse, look at verse 25 that the husband is supposed to love the wife as Christ loved the church. What does that mean? Everyone say die. So ladies if you, you submit the brother's got to die. Don't get hung up on I got to submit on my husband. He's supposed to die insuring the safe haven is there. He's supposed to lay his life down for his family. Not put you under his thumb. Ever! A safe haven is also when each person looks out for the best interest of the other person. Make it so the other person is really close to God. If you know your spouse is looking out for your best interest in trying to get you closer to God, not trying to get you to do what they want. That's a safe haven. When I walk in my house, when I know my wife wants for me what God wants for me not what she wants for me and vise a versa.
Look what it says in verse 26. It says - That he the husband might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the word, of the water by the word that he might present her to himself a glorious church without spot or wrinkle any such thing but that she should he holy and without blemish. Another aspect of this safe haven is that each person in the relationship would treat the other person just like they would treat themselves.
In other words when I'm hungry I should assume my wife's hungry. When I'm sleepy I should assume my wife's sleepy. When I'm cranky I should assume my wife knows she made me cranky. No! That's a, I was just joking, I'm just joking. I'm just seeing if you all are paying attention.
Verse, look what it says in the next verse. Husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. When his body's tired his wife's body should be tired. He who loves his wife loves himself. Well no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes it and cherishes it just as the Lord does the church for we are members of His body and His flesh and His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the 2 shall become 1 flesh.
God says - Here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna create a gate keeper and a nurturer and you guys are gonna balance each other and you're gonna fulfill complimentary, complimentarily roles in the relationship to create this environment for each other and for your children. This is what God wants. Any relationship that doesn't work you can point it right back to that. It ain't happening. Someone's not safe. Someone's trying to make it safe by making it by trying to force the other person to do what you intuitively know they should do to create this environment that you don't know what it is but you just don't feel comfortable. You end up driving them away because you don't know how to communicate I'm not safe. You know how, don't know how to communicate you need to do this to make me safe. You need to do this to make me feel nurtured. You need to do this to make me feel loved. A lot of guys are, are against their wife. It's not because they, guys want respect and women want love. That's why Ephesians says love your wife, respect your husband. Women have a high level of oxytocin. Oxytocin is a bonding nurturing hormone. They're nurturers. Men have testosterone. I want respect. I want hug. I want respect. You know what happens? Is the women says - Well I'll give you a hug, I'll give you what you want if you give me what I want. Instead of saying - We're gonna work together and we're gonna nurture each other and created this environment where respect and love is abun/in abundance. We're both sharing it.
#2 in your, oh go back to Genesis if you will. Genesis 2. Men and women are… Genesis 2.
#2 in your notes-Men and women are compatibly wired for lifelong oneness. God created a man and a woman to be one. Remember He took the woman out of the man. You ever go to the park you see little kids in the park and something happens and the little kid runs right back to mom. Dad's like - What about me? And you say - I, if you're a dad, I came out of mom. I'm going back to where I came from. I'm going back to where I spent 9 months cuddled up in a warm nice place, right here. God took a woman out of the man and God says - Now I'm going to create you so you can go back and be one again. Ha! God took the woman out of the man - I'm going to create you so you can go back and be one again.
I was doing a, um a video, a sex education video for teenagers a long time ago and 1 of my first questions of these teenagers was - Does anybody here know what sex is? And they gave you know all these answers blah-blah-blah-blah-blah like no, no, no, no, no, no.
Let's look at Genesis 2, Genesis 2. It says - Therefore man shall leave his father, verse 24, Genesis 2:24 - Therefore man shall leave his father, be joined to his wife, and they shall be 1 flesh. Everyone say 1 flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife and they were not ashamed. If you want a definition of sex here's it is shameless oneness. God made a man and a woman and He designed them compatibly and suitable that they could become 1 flesh spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally.
Sex involves all of your senses and your whole being and we often think of sex as pleasure. Sex is pleasurable but it's bigger than that. Sex is about bonding. Everyone say bonding. And this is something that many people miss and this is what we're gonna talk about next week why relationships are destroyed. Sex is about bonding. It's about oneness.
Now women have a hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin is a bonding hormone. When women breast feed the oxytocin levels which are already higher than men, it goes even higher and bonds into the baby. When, men and women hug for 10 seconds or more the oxytocin in the man goes up. Here that's why you see brothers that will do this. You didn't know that huh? It's like -Hey bro, bah-bop, alright hey. 1 second, 1 second. And you see women, they're just all - Hi! Some of you all could reach for having ___ would you? That's true. Men have basoprecin which is also a bonding hormone but it's not as high as oxytocin in women. The thing about oxytocin and basoprecin is glue. It bonds people. I want you to think of and here's a man, his testosterone driven. Testosterone is drive, initiative, protect, fight. It's not nurture. No I want to fight. That's why guys hit each other all the time. You see guys - Hey what's up man? They bounce each other. It's testosterone you know bham chest bump. You don't see women you know - Hey what's up? Girl what's up dog?
But there's a thing called dopamine we talked about it last week. Dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is pleasure drug in your brain. It's actually also secreted when you use cocaine. And dopamine is very in much involved in aeros love. We talked about last week. Please get the tape from last week. We talked about what love is in and the different kinds of love and how God weans us from this erotic love to agape love aeros philao agape. But the dopamine in our brain is one of the things that makes sex very pleasurable. It makes love very pleasurable both in the man and the woman. The man wants to be nurtured. The woman wants to be nurtured. Sex is about pleasure and bonding. Everyone say pleasure, say bonding. The man is more concerned with the pleasure and the woman is more concerned with the bonding. Two different motivations. Ladies wake up call, two different motivations. The man is about pleasure for the most part and the woman's about bonding. Ironically when a man and woman come together and they are one the man's oxytocin goes up and enables him to bond to his wife.
You have a, um this is your rights, this is my left. So your right brain is about feeling and emotion right now. Your left brain is about facts, problem solving and when a man and a woman, when people have intimate relations it is a pleasurable thing but it is also a bonding issue and what happens is your right brain and your left brain, 1 is pleasure and 1 is facts. They, as those neurons fire together and as you are developing memories with this person you actually are wiring your, your neurons that fire together - I'm having pleasure and I'm bonding. They actually wire together and so when you're with that person you are having, you are having pleasure and you are bonding at the same time. Next week we're gonna talk about when that doesn't happen and you just go after pleasure. Just gonna give you a hint on that one cuz that's gonna mess you up.
So what happens is you have this, when you have this experience with this person a physical imprint on your brain is of that person. In other words their smell, their touch, their, their sound, their feel, their voice, all the memories that you have of that person is physically imprinted on your brain and then when you're with that person and you're having pleasure, in your pleasure your right brain is connecting to that memory of that person, the facts of that person. They're on your brain 1. That's why when people have sex and they break up they can't get them out of their head because they're literally in their head. God says - I created you to be one and I created you where you can have your imprint of that person on your brain and, and, and by the way I also created sex to be so pleasurable I want you to pursue it with that person. I want you, I'm gonna drive you back to your wife. I'm gonna drive you back to your husband and I'm gonna imprint them on your brain where, where you think about them you memorize them, you feel them.
Matter of fact God gave us what we call mirror neurons. Everyone say mirror neurons and a lot of these terms are in your notes. You can look it up on Google, whatever you want but a mirror, say, everyone say mirror neuron. Mirror neurons are the bomb! Mirror neurons are neurons in your brain that enable you to look at someone and not only mimic their behavior but also mimic their feelings to enter their inner world. That, you can look at somebody and you can actually feel and mirror the same thing. God says - I'm not only gonna, I'm not only gonna make you one in, in physically I'm gonna make you one emotionally.
Fellas you know when you look at your wife and the wife you look at your husband and you know what they're feeling and not only do you know what they're feeling you can feel it with them. God says - I created you to be one in every, every way you can imagine and one eternally.
Next week we're gonna talk about this. Here's the imprint of your spouse in your brain and here's the pleasure ah neurons and they're trying, and they're connecting it to the memories of this person and then all of the sudden you put another image on there and you have another person and your right brain goes - I don't know who that is. Oh-ho! Ooh.
#3 in your notes-
Oh by the way did you know that humans are the only species God created that can have intimate relations face to face? Why? Oneness and you can look at the person and share hearts together. God says - I created you like no other, like no other.
#3, #3 in your notes-Men and women are compatibly wide as a salvation metaphor. In other words this is comical to me. You'll know why in a minute. Here's what God says - I’m gonna create a man who's the groom. I'm gonna create a woman who's the bride and you guys are gonna be able to be one physically. I'm gonna put you, I'm, you're gonna be able to have each other on your brain. You're gonna be able to seek each other, you're gonna know each other, be able to look at each other. You're gonna be one person. And guess what? It's gonna be really good because sex I'm gonna connect to your pleasure system and it's gonna be the best feeling you ever had. Can I get an amen? And if you're single don't be saying amen!
But this oneness is not about your pleasure. It's not about your relationship only. It's bigger than that. It has a spiritual implications. This symbol of a man and a woman supposed to be coming one is an image of salvation. Everyone say salvation because Jesus is the groom and the church is the bride and guess what? It's a blood covenant. Everyone say blood covenant.
How do you become saved? You ask Christ to forgive you of your sin and us as a church are united to Christ the groom, the church the bride united to the church to the groom because of His shed blood. Everyone say blood covenant. If you want to look it up I got the notes, I got the biblical address in your bible Deuteronomy 22 you can look it up later.
But when a man married a woman in the Old Testament and the man accused the woman of not being a virgin he would go to her father and say - Your woman, your daughter's not a virgin. I want, you know I don't want her. And the father says - You're defaming my daughter. She's a virgin. And they would say - Prove it. And they would bring the evidence of virginity it was blood cuz if she was a virgin she was sealed shut and when the constipated the marriage/consummated the marriage she would bleed and they would bring the evidence that she was a virgin by the blood. Everyone say blood. It's a blood covenant. So when a man and a woman get married according to God's perfect plan and they would be united as one, she would bleed. It was a blood covenant. When the bride or you as an individual part of the church are united to Christ it's a blood covenant.
The other thing it says in your notes it says that sex like salvation is a one flesh union. We already talked about that. The man and woman shall leave their father and mother and be joined as one. Last week we talked about John 17. Jesus said - Father, my prayer is that as you and I are one so they would be one. When Christ comes into your heart you and Him are joined as one. It's a relationship. He's the groom. We are the bride. It's a relationship, oneness. God says - I'm gonna create a man and I'm gonna create a suitable mate so the suitable mate can not only be one, the suitable mate can, their oneness can be consummated in blood just like my oneness with the church is consummated on blood and this oneness is gonna be, and they can be one just like I am one with my church.
So the way we love each other is the way God, we're supposed to love God. It's the same thing. It's all coordinated, co-or-dinated. Watch this, God's organized. You can't, this is not an accident.
3C-sex like salvation is a life giving union. Sex like salvation is a life giving union. In other words He told Adam and Eve - Be fruitful and multiply. Be fruitful and multiply. When you and I are joined with Jesus Christ, guess what happens? We're supposed to make disciples. We receive life. We receive life and then we're able to be used by God that others may receive life. It's life giving.
Matter of fact one of the ways you, well the way you know something is wrong or right in our society where people say ah truth is relative. Truth is absolute and how do you know. Truth brings life. Sin brings death. Right bring life. Wrong brings death. Well I don't, I want to sleep around whoever I want. Ok you can do that but it's wrong. How you gonna know? Death will follow you. I'm gonna be faithful to my wife. Is that right? Life will follow you. And, and life at least in this your relationship will be alive. Your love will be alive. There will be a safe haven where you both grow. There's life. Ok?
Ah and last, last one 3D-Turn to Revelation 19. Hmm. This may challenge some of you alls theology. I don't know that I ever read this anywhere so it's something I just kind of figured out so I could be completely wrong but I am holding onto what I'm getting ready to tell you because it is the bomb. It says in 3D-Marriage is compatible with the celebration in heaven. Now that's not the part I'm talking about. You'll know in a minute what I'm talking about.
Look what it says in verse 5 of chapter 19. It says - The voice came from the throne saying - Praise our God all you His servants and those who fear Him both small and great.
Verse 6 - I heard as it were a voice of great multitude of sound of many waters and the sound of many/mighty thundering saying - Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Omnipotent means omni potent all powerful.
Verse 7 - Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory for the marriage, say marriage, the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife, say wife, is ready and has made herself ready. When God created Adam and He says - It is not good that man be alone. I need to create somebody else or something else. He had thee end in mind, a marriage. I had to create something that could be married to him. I had to create a wife. And all throughout the bible Old and New Testament God is the husband and His people are His bride all throughout the whole bible Old and New Testament. Why? Cuz in thee end He knew His Son was gonna get married.
Look what it says at first, it says verse 8 - To her the church was granted to be arraigned in fine linen, clean and bright for the linen are the righteous acts of the saints. All your righteous deeds will be rewarded and one of the things that are gonna be rewarded with are righteous garments, robes of righteousness. You have that coming to you.
But look what it says in verse 9, He said - Blessed are those who called, call, who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Lamb is Jesus Christ the Lamb that was slain. When He was getting baptized John the Baptist says - Thus the Lamb of God. In the Old Testament when they went through, when they went through ah, when the, when the Jews were enslaved in Egypt they had to take a lamb and kill the lamb and put the lamb's blood on the door so the angel of death would pass over their house, Passover. All the way in the Old Testament and why? Cuz God knew all the way in the end Jesus would be the lamb that was slain that was married to a bride. That's why He created Eve. It's all coordinated. God is the bomb! Someone say God is the bomb.
Now you may say that's a whole bunch of coincidences but that, that's pretty good if that's a whole bunch of coincidences. And by the way the guys who wrote the bible are 40 different authors over a 1600 year period on 3 different continents. They didn't know each other. They didn't get in a room and say figure all this out.
And look what it says. Verse 9 - Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb and He said - These are true sayings of God.
Now here's the part I'm, that I kind of just want to throw in there for good measure. I want to try to talk in code so pay attention. When you're intimate your intimacy has a happy ending. Are we on the same page? And that happy ending, many times God is called upon. Are you following me? Yes or no? I’m talking in code. How is that? I mean where'd that come from? Your right temporal lobe, this part of your brain processes many things but 3 different things your right temporal lobe, right temporal lobe processes is music/worship, 2 God experience, and 3 the happy ending. I want you to think about this for a minute. Same place of your brain. It's all associated with worship and God and happy endings. God says - I want you to think about this. You guys are my bride. Just think about when you get married and you go on your honeymoon and technically it's your first time and you have an incredible experience and you say - This is the best thing ever, and God said - That's the way I created it because I want you to know that when you and your bride are one there's nothing better than that and I want you to be faithful to her and faithful to him because that's the, that's why I made it so incredible. Are you following me? Are you following me?
But that is only a metaphor, a foreshadowing of when the church meets the husband in heaven. Imagine if our worship in heaven is one constant happy ending. I'll say it differently cuz I don't think you're getting me here. I wonder, and it's really, it's not even a stretch to believe this that our, at the best physical experience and feeling we have now is now a happy ending. God says - That's what you all have down there. The best experience you're ever gonna have in heaven is when you and your bride are together and you're worshiping me. It's gonna be incredible.
So when, when God says - I want you to be one and when God created this thing that we call sex He says - I'm just giving you a foreshadow of what oneness with your Savior is all about. The church and the bride.
Now the devil knows all that and the devil does everything he can to pervert that. My challenge to you is for you to protect it with all that you have because it is very special. Can I get an amen?
Lord we thank you so much for your faithfulness. We thank you so much for your goodness. And Lord I pray, I pray for our marriages. I pray for the relationships in this church and I pray that people who are struggling would contact the church so we can help their marriages, created safe haven, that we can help people be pure and holy before you, and they can protect the special gift you have given us of oneness. Thank you for being good to us. Thank you for being faithful to us and Lord I also pray for the ministry faire that you would encourage people to go out and volunteer because it's not just about us being happy with each other. It's about us sharing the life you've given us with our city and our world. In Jesus' name, Amen!
