Marriage was not the government’s idea. It’s not even the church’s idea. Marriage is God’s idea.
Sermon Title: LOVE FOR A LIFETIME
Scripture Text: GENESIS 2:18-24 (NIV)
Sermon Series: FAMILY PORTRAIT: GOD’S DESIGN FOR A HEALTHY HOME
Sermon Notes:
GENESIS 2:18-24 NIV
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.
21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.
22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Getting married is easy; staying married is hard.
What is God’s blueprint for marriage? What pattern has he laid out when he brought together the first man and woman?
MARRIAGE AS A COVENANT
GENESIS 2:18 NIV
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
GENESIS 2:22 NIV
22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The only person you should consider marrying is the person you believe God has brought to you.
2 CORINTHIANS 6:14 NIV
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Marriage is a sacred covenant between two people and God.
PROVERBS 2:16-17 NIV
16 It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God.
MALACHI 2:14 NIV
14 You ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
Covenants are based on relationship.
MATTHEW 19:6 NIV
6 “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
MARRIAGE AS A CHANGE OF COMMITMENT
GENESIS 2:24 NIV
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
When you get married, husband, she’s to be first in your life, and wife, he’s to be first in your life.
“Leaving” is choosing to break off, with the intention never to resume.
MARRIAGE IS ABOUT CLEAVING
GENESIS 2:24 NIV
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
GENESIS 2:24 ESV
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
In the Bible, the term “one flesh” is only used of the marriage relationship.
Both leaving and cleaving in God’s design are acts of choice and commitment, not of feelings and emotions.
PROMISE – Covenant
PRIORITY- Change of commitment
PERMANENCE – Cleaving
MATTHEW 19:5-6 NIV
5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[a]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”