January 9, 2011
Morning Service

Matt. 19:1-15

 

Review:

1.                  In chapter 18 the Lord taught on Humility, the parable of the lost sheep, how to deal with offences,and instructions about forgiveness.

2.                  Ever since the sermon on the mount, which is found in Matt. Chapters 5, 6, 7, Jesus has going about healing, and answering the criticism of the religious leaders.  Now He returns to direct teaching on certain subjects. 

 

Today we see what the Lord teaches us concerning Divorce.  As we have just left offences, and forgiveness teaching, there is certainly a lot of each in a divorce.  A lot of offences, and maybe not enough forgiveness.

Remember what the Lord said, “why do you call me Lord, and do not the things I tell you to do?”

 

Let’s recognize that Satan is the number one instigator here.  But remember he can only suggest, lies, pervert, and deceive you.  The final decision is ours, and unless you are totally sold out to God, with him being first in your lives, and I mean both in the marriage, you only have a 50% chance of staying together.  The vows we take at our wedding said, “till death do us part.”

 

I know fully well that many in the church have been victims of this rampant event.  Is that to say you can’t function in the body?  Absolutely not!  Again remember what Jesus said concerning sin, “all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.” 

 

With this in mind let’s look at some modern day statistics concerning divorce.

 

Concerning divorce today.  The survey I looked at,  Sweden was number one at 54.9%, U.S.A was 7th at 45.8%, and India was the lowest at 1.1%.

In the U.S.A.

 

Now let’s see what Jesus teaches us on this subject:

 

Mat 19:1-15 KJVR  And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan;  (2)  And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.  (3)  The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 

·                     In the first place why would you even ask that question, or consider it?  Of course, satan.

·                     The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; 

·                     Remember our marriage is like our marriage to Christ.  We are His Bride, and He expects faithfulness from us.  He expects us to be a help meet to Him.  Our love for Him should be so, that we would desire to meet His every need.  That should be the attitude of each of us in our marriage, thinking of the needs of the other.

Let’s see how Jesus answers them:

(4)  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,  (5)  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh 

·                     Gen 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.   We should be as one, with our main goal being that of following God’s teachings.

·                     On Wednesday evening Bible study we have seen this very thing.  Abraham and Sarah;  Isaac and Rebecca; Jacob with Leah, and Rachael.

·                     One thing we might think about is that they did not have all the temptations that we have today.  That’s true, they only had one choice to make, but it is the same as ours today, walk closely with God, or the ways of following the lust of they eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.  The same for us today.

 

(6)  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

·                     God’s Word is what makes man and woman one flesh.

·                     Paul said this concerning marriage relationships;  Read Eph. 5:22-33.

 

(7)  They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away  (8)  He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 

·                     Your heart has no love, tenderness, gentleness, or forgiveness.   No abiding Holy Spirit there.

(9)  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. 

·                     One reason for divorce, fornication.  However, if the Holy Spirit abides in the wedding, they will do all they can to reconcile.  Christ has saved many marriages by His abiding presence in one of the parties involved. 

·                     The Apostle Paul addresses this issue in I Cor. 7; 

1Co 7:10-11 KJVR  And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:  (11)  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

·                     Paul has more to say on this matter, but we won’t stay there today.

 

(10)  His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.  (11)  But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.  (12)  For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. 

·                     Jesus tells them that there were some who were able to receive that saying and to remain in an unmarried state. Some were so born; some were made such by the cruelty of men; and there were some who voluntarily abstained from marriage for the kingdom of heaven’s sake - that is, that they might devote themselves entirely to the proper business of religion.

(13)  Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.  (14)  But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.  (15)  And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

·                     This is a lesson for all of us, never turn away the children, the helpless, the hurting, those in need.  We all must have the opportunity to receive Christ into our lives, to receive eternal life. 

·                     Pro 22:6 KJVR  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The more children are under the teaching of the Word, the sooner they will want to come to Jesus.  We will not keep them from this, but then we have the responsibility of seeing that they are taught the Word of God.

 

Our prayer this morning would be “Almighty God, many of Your children have been deceived by satan.  We ask that You give us the desire in our hearts to understand his workings, and fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we might possess the knowledge, and desire to follow you more closely, and have victory over satan.”  Amen.