Preparing for Worship // June 18, 2017

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It’s almost impossible to get on social media without seeing a post (or several) about the LBGT debate. I remember one time when a friend posted an article on Facebook in support of same-sex marriage with the comment, “Don’t they deserve love, as well?” This is a pretty common argument for same-sex marriage, especially among liberal Christians. It is argued that opposing same-sex marriage opposes their right to love and be loved. While this certainly reveals a wrong belief about the morality of homosexuality, the heart of this argument is actually a wrong view of marriage in general, one which every one of us buys into on one level or another. The view that underlies the comment that this person made was the belief that in order to be truly loved, in order to be truly satisfied and live a full life, you have to get married.

There are few things that our culture values more than marriage. There are also few things that our culture profanes more than marriage. Ironically, same-sex marriage, rising divorce rates, and the prevalence of pre-marital sex are all the result of an over-valuing of marriage. Paul Miller says, “We set ourselves up for failure by overloading love with far more than it can bear. Married love as a source of life crashes on the rocks of human depravity” (A Loving Life, 38). We are sinning in the area of marriage precisely because we have placed a high value on marriage while separating it from the only source that can sustain it. Marriage has been placed in the position where God should be.

Marriage will not satisfy you. Only God can satisfy you. Marriage will not make you feel loved. Only God can love you the way that you want to be loved. Only God loves you with a perfect love that never ends. People will always fail you. People are selfish, needy, and consumed by their own desires. This means that you are selfish, needy, and consumed by your own desires. Marriage will not satisfy you because apart from Christ it will never be anything more than two people using each other for their own desires. Only by your marriage to Christ can your sinful desires be changed. Only by your marriage to Christ, as He strips away your sin and selfishness, can we find the joy and contentment that we think marriage will bring. Look to Christ, the only spouse who can truly wash you clean and make you whole.

THE WORD

Scripture: Matthew 19:1-15
Sermon: For Better, For Worse According to Jesus

SONGS

Forever (Chris Tomlin)
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The Sands of Time Are Sinking (Phillip Palmertree)
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Great is Thy Faithfulness (Traditional)
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Song of Preparation: Rock of Ages (Traditional)
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Song for the Supper: Communion Hymn (Hiram Ring)
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Song of Response: You Never Let Go (Matt Redman)
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