Jesus’ Definition of Marriage

Jesus’ Definition of Marriage

The reason we are here as a church is to help people, all people; people of every nation, tribe and language, to meet – know – and follow Jesus. If He is the prophesied one; if he is the Messiah; if He is the fullness of deity dwelling in bodily form that died on the cross for our sins and arose from the grave, then we should receive Him into our lives and follow Him. But how do we follow Jesus into this decision of the Supreme Court on gay marriage?

What would Jesus do?

What would Jesus say?

Key verse:

Matthew 19:1-8, New International Version (NIV)

¹When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 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’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.

1. Jesus’ definition of marriage is that marriage is a covenant relationship between one man and one woman.

2. “Divorce is the dissolution of a marriage.”

3. A good definition of Sin is to miss the mark.

4. Jesus felt sad about this decision.

5. God’s laws are not restrictive but protective.

What should we do as followers of Jesus about this decision?

1. Be prepared to receive the expected refugees of this sexual revolution.

a. Love the sinner hate the sin.

2. Be sober minded that we are on the mission field and this world in not our home.

Some questions to ponder this week:

1. Do you think God approves of gay marriage?

2. Do the laws of God apply to non-believers?

3. How does it make you feel reading God’s response in Romans 1:26, when it says, “God gave them over to shameful lusts”?

4. What roles do God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit play in setting people free and how does the Spirit help us fight our battles?

5. As Christians and believers in the authority of God’s Word, how can we show gay friends, neighbors, family and the community at large the love of Christ and still hold to the truth?