THE ISSUES OF MARRIAGE Part 1
1 Corinthians 7:1-7
I THE DANGER BEFORE MARRIAGE – 7:1
Our society is inundated from so many directions with sights, sounds, and activities, destined to fracture the bulwark of marriage. From attempts to redefine what constitutes a marriage, to shows bent on glorifying extramarital activities. Each show more sordid than the last.
A Our Society
1 In the newspaper – 07/05/2005
a Desperate Housewives
b 15 Emmy nominations
c Under the comedy category – have we now become so desensitized to this type of activity that it ceases to be sinful, and starts to be funny? Who are we kidding?
2 In our sporting events
a Can we forget the clothing malfunction
b Can we forget the TO commercial
B The Ease Of Temptation
1 Pornography is a 57 Billion Dollar Industry
a Put this in perspective
b 216 nations reported their Gross National Product – the amount each nation earned so to speak
c The pornography industry earned more than 169 of those 216 nations – meaning that 47 nations had a higher GNP than the porn industry
d The Us Porn industry alone out produces the GNP of 132 of those 216 nations
2 Porno search accounts for some 68 million daily searches – 25% of all searches done on the internet are pornography related
3 Solicitations
a 89% are made in youth chat rooms
b 20% of the youth respond to them
4 Ages
a Average age of first exposure – 11
b Largest consumer group for porn – 12 to 17 yr olds
5 Exposure
a 80% of teens 15 to 17 yrs old report having multiple hard core exposure
b 90% of 8 to 16 yr olds have viewed porn, MOST while doing homework.
6 Adults
a 40 million regularly visit sites
b 20% of men and 13% of women admit to accessing pornography at work
c in a week 53% of PROMISE KEEPER men viewed pornographic material
d 47% of believers said pornography was a major problem in the home
Is there any wonder that marriage is being attacked today? Is there any wonder that crimes of immorality are increasing?
This is not only an issue today, it was also an issues in Scripture. This is why Paul deals with the area of marriage – its institution, and the responsibilities of those who are married
C The Bible declares that there is to be no sexual activity between those who are not married
Matthew 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
1 Thes. 4:3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
a The term marry in the NIV is better translated, “touch a woman” by the KJV
b Greek society said sexual intimacy was OK, as long as you did not get tied down in marriage
c Paul says in the next verse that marriage is the best deterrent to immorality. This is why he speak of the ….
II THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE – 7:2
In a world where sex is flaunted and worshipped, it is ALMOST impossible to remain pure apart from God’s presence and power
A Scriptures High View Of Marriage
1 Ephes. 5:22-23 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
2 The Bible first talks about marriage as a cleaving. – a joining of the closet union possible.
3 Marriage is a spiritual union on a physical plane, established by God alone -- Matthew 19:6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
a The word joined is the word yoked
b Marriage is a god initiated act
c Marriage finds its full fulfillment through Christ
B God’s Presence And Power In Marriage
1 God was present in the establishment of marriage
2 God is present in the sustaining of marriage
3 The end of our passage tells us that God is responsible for the gift of marriage
III THE RESPONSIBILITIES IN MARRIAGE – 7:3-7
A Marriage Responsibilities Are Continual
1 Marriage begins at the alter, it does not end there
a In verse 3 – the word fulfill is a verb of continual action
1) Job jar is NEVER empty
2) Commitments at the altar are never fulfilled
2 Each husband and each wife have a continual duty towards the other.
a In marriage – I can never stop loving my wife and my wife can never stop loving me.
1) In the marriage relationship love is more than an emotion
2) In the marriage relationship, love is more than a character trait
3) In the marriage relationship, love is more than a feeling
4) In the marriage relationship, love is a command
B Marriage Is A Mutually Dependant Design
1 God designed two to become one flesh
2 Too late to choose singleness after marriage
C What God understood
1 The closer the union, the more precious the union
2 The closer the union, the stronger the union
3 The closer the union, the more loyal the union
4 The closer the union, the more secure the union
What this world needs is to get marriages surrendered to Christ and his power!
D Marriage Withholds Nothing From Each Other
1 I do not have the right to withhold affection and intimacy from my spouse.
2 Closeness is not a weapon
3 Intimacy is not a bargaining tool
4 But closeness and intimacy is a powerful force against the immorality of this world!
5 The relationship of marriage is so important to God that the closeness and intimacy is ONLY to be broken by a devotion to prayer/fasting – a concentrated effort to seek the mind and will of God
6 Even then, Stipulations were placed
a Mutual consent – if God was going to talk to one about the issue, he was going to talk to both about the issue
b Specific Purpose
c Specific time
1) Immorality of the world is powerful
2) Satan has the opportunity to affect the marriage, by affecting the intimacy of the marriage.
3) Remember last week – that sexual immorality, changes us internally
E Marriage Is A Gift
1 Marriage and singleness are gifts form God, not a weighing of benefits
2 All are not equipped to live married
3 All are not equipped to live as singles
I want to invite our married couples up to the front of the church today.
If you need prayer for your marriage, or your family, I want to ask you to come forward, so we can pray for you. Just about everything out there is taking aim at your marriage, from low cut skits, to bare middle, to tight jeans. From radio commercials, to chat lines, to the Internet. It seems that everything revolves around immorality, and the greatest deterrent God has given you is a strong marriage. So, if you want prayer for your marriage today – come on down.
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