A Thriving Marriage
Today we are exploring a thriving marriage with Pastor Brian!
What is marriage for?
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
The first reason God created marriage: Friendship
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18
This is interesting since the account of genesis shows how God speaks of how good His creation is over and over again.
Something is missing… You were created for companionship.
You were created to know and be known.
God created marriage for gardening!
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:15
Every marriage needs a sense of calling.
God created another person as a helper to cultivate and be on mission with.
Helper is not derogatory in any way! Hebrew word for helper is Ezer and is the same word used in Psalm 118 speaking of God as our helper. Same word here is used as military reinforcements!
The word “suitable” in this scripture is: and equal corresponding completing piece.
God created marriage for sexual intimacy.
And the man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed. Genesis 2:25
One of the first stories in scripture is a love story.
Adam and Eve were nakes and unashamed.
God created sexual intimacy to be enjoyed and explored in the context of marriage.
God created marriage for family
God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
Make babies, build a family.
More that one way to do this.
More than one way for family to be expressed especially for those that are not able to have children or those that don’t feel called to be parents to children. You are still called to build families.
Marriage was created for Re-Creation
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20
Re-Creation is a nice way of saying marriage is where you go to kill your old self.
You will be made into a new person and more deeply formed into the likeness of Christ.
Many people get married to be happy.
We make promises to our spouses like, “I will always make you happy.”
Impossible.
3 Pit Falls plaguing marriages today
We enter into marriages for the wrong reasons.
We ask the wrong questions.
Judge the wrong person.
