What is Marriage?

Our culture today has gotten away from God's plan for marriage. We seem to think that our way is better than God's.

The protection of marriage and defense against unbiblical divorce is rooted in the worship of God.

Divorce was never part of the original plan. But because of sin, and its ability to blind peoples hearts, divorce has become the new normal.

If you want make your marriage work you have to be willing to sacrifice for each other. God knew we needed two genders in order to have a companion. When you leave your father and mother and cleave to one another you become ONE FLESH. It's not just talking about the physical part of a marriage. We cannot look at our lives as an individual. We must always have a "WE" outlook for all aspects of life. How "WE" spend our money. How "WE" plan vacation. We are not free to focus only on ourselves. Every decision we make from now on will affect our spouse, we are no longer two people, but ONE FLESH.

Do you live that way? Do you think about your spouse when you make decisions? Do you consider your spouse before spending money? Marriage is something bigger than just your happiness.

It's not all about YOU! It's not just about your comfort and happiness. 

God knew what He was doing when he made you and your spouse. He had a bigger plan that we couldn't see. There was not one surprise in all of this. 

We seem to always view life from a horizontal perspective "what is comfortable for ME". Instead of viewing life from a vertical perspective. Never a good idea.

God knows that we will feel weak and incapable of loving our spouse. He knows we will fail and struggle to forgive. The purpose of the marriage relationship is to force us to lean on Him for grace and redemption.

The problem in marriages that end in divorce is they have failed to worship God first and foremost.
Divorce is permissible in God's eyes in the case of adultery or the abandonment of an unbelieving spouse.

The hope for marriage is to worship God as your Savior not just your lawgiver. His grace is sufficient and is made perfect in our weakness. 

What it means to be Great?

We live in a culture that gets greatness all wrong. We are not great because we are famous or we are good at sports. We are not great because we are popular or beautiful. Those things do not define greatness.

Our culture is obsessed with celebrities. We have a twisted definition of greatness. We need to learn what the Biblical meaning of greatness really is.

Mark 9:34-35 "But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."

All of us have been affected by sin. It is the ultimate human disease. None of us are able to deliver ourselves. Sin is not just behavior, its a matter of the heart. We cannot defeat sin because we cannot escape our flesh. So God made a way by sending his Son to die for our sins. There was no other way.

We are all guilty and unable, but God is Holy and Willing...Yet we all try to minimize the gravity of our condition. We are all so good and explaining away our sin. Blame it on being too busy or too tired. 

We can only celebrate the cross when we are ready to admit how desperate we are. The gospel is bad news before it becomes good news. It forces us to face the reality of sin in order to understand the glory of GRACE.

Sin fills us with a desire for our greatness. Sin makes it all about us. One of the most seductive idols Is the idol of self. That is why it feels so good to tell the best story. That is why it feels so good to win an argument. That is why it feels so good to drive a better car than your neighbor. That is why it feels so good to step over someone to climb the ladder of success. Sin causes us to put ourselves in the center of our world. We all do it!

Spending money we don't have on something to make us happy. Yelling at our children and walking away. We have all done it this week. Maybe even today.

Jesus came so we wouldn't live for ourselves. Greatness isn't about power, position, performance and possessions. Greatness is an attitude of the heart.

"But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." James 4:6

Greatness is attached to servanthood. We should live for the Greatness of God!

He motivates me to live for him instead of myself. Are you living as a Servant or a King?

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