Trust And Marriage Series

Trust Busters Sermon #1: Trust and Marriage

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon Series Introduction

Some people are just waiting to see the People of God live their faith in a manner that establishes its validity. They want to see it work before they embrace it. And some issues go far in building or destroying that confidence. When these issues are handled with wisdom, compassion and obedience, trust is established. When they are handled in a selfish and carnal manner, trust is eroded.

That gives some insight into Jesus’ final words in Mark 9. “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Have you ever noticed that there are certain topics that you can talk to people about and others will immediately close them off, shut them down, and bring out hyper-sensitivity? Some such topics are politics, child-rearing, their money, their private life, and their marriage. Those are, for most people, off-limits. I understand fully.

The rub comes when we begin to think that those issues are off-limits to God as well. They aren’t. Whether we like it or not he stands in judgment with approval or correction. His assessment is sovereign and the wise among us will humbly and submissively listen to God’s words on these issues.

Chapter 10 of Mark tackles some of these tough topics – God cares enough to address them. All these teachings are prone to be watered down by modern readers. We dare not because our words and actions must not hinder anyone from coming to the Lord. You will discover that there is someone / something is each part of this chapter that produces hindrance.

Mk 10:1 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.

Mk 10:2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

Mk 10:3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

Mk 10:4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

Mk 10:5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied.

Mk 10:6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’

Mk 10:7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,

Mk 10:8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one.

Mk 10:9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Mk 10:10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.

Mk 10:11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.

Mk 10:12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

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Some of you here today are dreading this sermon. You are going through a divorce even as we speak. Some of you are feeling your hearts leap from your chest. You have wept, prayed, grieved, fasted, and avoided what is transpiring in your life but, yet, here you are facing a divorce.

May I put you at ease? What I am going to do today is offer you God’s Word and God’s Word is given to us from a posture of grace.

Before we go further we should pray – for you. I want to pray for God to give you a spirit of openness to His Word and that you would sense His presence affirming truth today. I want to pray that the truth will set you free this morning too.

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Marriage and divorce was a hot topic in Jesus day.

• It had political ramifications … John the Baptist lost his head over this very issue.

• It had cultural ramifications … Jewish men in particular thought women were property and they could do what they wanted with them and to them.

• It had religious ramifications … It was a significant topic of debate. Two Rabbis had polarized the community by taking diametrically opposing views on the topic. One (Hillel) said that a man could divorce his wife (property) for something as trite and burning a meal.

Aren’t you glad marriage is not a hot topic today? Uh huh … we know better. It is still at the forefront of politics, society, and religion.

• This very week polygamy has been in the news as Warren Jeffs, head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, goes to trial.

• This very week “gay marriage” has been in the news as Idaho’s Supreme Court ruled that it is constitutional.