Sermon Central
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The Purpose And Design Of Marriage Series
Contributed by Duane Smith on May 20, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: The purpose of this message is to outline God’s purpose and design for the family and to encourage the church to return to our godly foundation.
THE BIBLICAL FAMILY: The Purpose & Design of Marriage
Gen 2:18-25
INTRODUCTION:
A. Psalm 127:1 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
1. Like never before in the history of America, our families are under attack.
2. And so the institution of marriage, which establishes the family, has become a big target.
3. If you change the make-up and order of the family which is the basic unit of society and the church you change the direction of the nation.
4. Therefore the family is of critical importance.
B. We often fear terrorism, crime, or a major disease and yet are complacent when it comes to our families.
1. Why are our families splintering? Why is the divorce rate at 50%?
a. Consider this, families falling apart is not new.
b. We see Satan attacking the home and the family way back in the Garden of Eden.
c. There we see Adam & Eve disobeying God & then their son Cain getting angry and killing his brother Abel.
d. The Christian has three enemies the Bible speaks about - The World system, our old fleshly nature, and Satan himself.
e. Satan is out to destroy us, our children and our home.
1) God tells us in Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
2) With this in mind, Andreas Kostenberger writes in God, Marriage and Family, Ultimately, we human beings, whether we realize it or not, are involved in a cosmic spiritual battle that pits God against Satan, with marriage and the family serving as a key area in which spiritual and cultural battles are fought.
2. How’s your family this morning?
a. Strong, vibrant, standing in good relationships with love?
b. Or is it filled with anger, yelling, crying and desperation?
3. Our families today are under attack like never before, it’s time to reclaim our homes for Christ.
4. And it is battle we cannot afford to loose – the stakes are high.
C. When it comes to the subject of the family many today are shallow, surface Christians, not knowing God’s Word and ignorant of our adversaries’ devices or deceived and walking in pride blind to the truth.
1. Living a facade, a double agent lifestyle, trying to look good on the outside while their homes disintegrate.
2. They become discouraged, defeated and confused, not knowing what to do.
3. My desire is that this series on the family will help to eradicate that!
4. So we will start at the beginning: Genesis 2:18-25 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. [19] And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. [20] And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. [21] And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; [22] And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. [23] And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. [24] Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. [25] And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
a. Beginning with this passage I want to look at two things
1) God’s Purpose for Marriage
2) God’s Design of Marriage
b. May God give us insight into this critical issue that is at the foundation of our churches & nations and grant us the wisdom and strength to stand for what is biblically right.
PRAY
Lets begin by taking a look at
I. GOD’S PURPOSE FOR MARRIAGE: Gen 2:18-23
A. Lets read Genesis 2:18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
1. You don’t like that translation! OK
a. Amplified Bible: Now the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.
