For some time I have desired to preach on the
subject of marriage. I've been planning for it
for several months and I would like to begin
this today. I probably will be giving two or
three sermons on it. And today we're going to
be looking at the institution of marriage from
the book of Genesis chapter one and also chapter
two. The institution of marriage. We're going
to begin in Genesis chapter one. Looking at verse
26 through 28. created man in his own image.
In the image of God, he created him. Male and
female, he created them. Then God blessed them,
and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply,
fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over
the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air,
and over every living thing that moves on the
earth. Verse 31, and God saw everything that
he had made and indeed it was very good. So the
evening and the morning were the sixth day. And
now we're turned over to chapter two and beginning
in verse 18. And the Lord God said, it is not
good that man should be alone. I will make him
a helper comparable to him. Out of the ground,
the Lord God formed every beast of the field
and every bird of the air and brought them to
Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever
Adam called each living creature, that was its
name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to all
birds of the air, and to every beast of the field.
But for Adam, there was not found a helper comparable
to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep
to fall on Adam, and he slept. And he took one
of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place.
Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from
man, he made into a woman, and he brought her
to the man. And Adam said, this is now bone of
my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be
called woman because she was taken out of man.
Therefore, A man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife and they shall become
one flesh. And they were both naked, the man
and his wife, and were not ashamed. Let's pray.
Father, as we look into your word today, we realize
how much is here and of the blessing of reading
it as we read at this time of creation. Father
we confess that we come to you in weakness as
we look in this subject for truly it is so great
and so vast We pray father that we might be able
to draw from it the lessons that you have for
us today Please be with us and strengthen us
Lord as we look into your word and we ask in
Jesus name. Amen There are three great institutions
ordained by Almighty God our Creator These are
divinely ordained structures in order to maintain
order, to build community, and to reflect God's
design for human society and flourishing their
prosperity. Each is its own type of government
with the establishment of the sovereign, the
order of authority, the ethics of what to do
and what not to do, with commitments for blessing
of obedience, and curses for disobedience, and
they each contain succession plans how to pass
it on to the next generation. Each one of these
great institutions has its own purpose and it
is ordained by God himself. The three great institutions
of which I speak are the family, the church,
and the state. The family, the church, and the
state. The family's purpose is it is the foundational
unit of society. It is established by God to
provide love and support and moral guidance.
It begins with a marriage in the creation account
here of which we just read in Genesis 1 and 2
and it includes the requirement to bear and to
raise children in a nurturing environment. Its
role, it serves as this primary setting for procreation,
for education, and for passing down story and
truth and values and history. The biblical basis
for it we find in Genesis 1, Genesis 2, Ephesians
5, Ephesians 6, as well as other passages of
scripture. It gives instructions of being fruitful
on instructions for marriage and for parents
and for children. The second institution is the
church. The church is the spiritual institution
where believers gather together to worship God,
to grow in faith, and to spread the gospel. It
is the body of Christ, and it is God's holy temple
unifying people under God's authority. Provides
instruction, spiritual guidance, community, and
accountability, equipping each of us to live
according to God's will. In it, we observe the
sacraments of the Lord's Supper and Baptism.
We have fellowship one with another. It is the
household of God and is built on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus being the
chief cornerstone. And in this, again, we see
the biblical basis for it all throughout the
New Testament, also seeing the people of God
in the Old as well. We see it in Matthew chapter
16 and verse 18, in Acts chapter two, in the
early church community, and in Ephesians chapter
two, in Paul giving instructions about the temple,
a dwelling place of God in the spirit. And then
lastly, in the great institutions, that of the
state or civil government. The purpose is that
the state is instituted to maintain order and
justice and peace in society. It is a means to
restrain evil and to promote the common good,
even in a fallen world. The government enforces
laws, it protects citizens, and it upholds justice.
And Christians are to pray and respect the authority
as they are under God's sovereignty. We see this
institution in Genesis chapter 9 verse 5 and
6 after the flood. We see instructions given
in Romans chapter 13 verses 1 and through 7 as
well as 1st Peter 2 13 through 17. But of these
three, marriage and the family are the oldest.
It is the oldest institution. It is started on
the 6th. day of creation, when God created man
in his own image, male and female. Marriage predates
both the church and the state in its institution.
And this shows us, this gives us an understanding
of its great importance in God's economy. Without
marriage and the family, there would be no church
and there would be no need for civil government.
The family and marriage is the building block
of everything else of the great institutions.
Now, as a result of the fall, each of these institutions
is under attack by the evil one. He seeks to
destroy and to devour, to upset God's order and
to come and to stand against it, and he inspires
hatred and wickedness and all sorts of evil.
While each one of these can be glorious and well
done, each one can also be operated with tyranny,
with authoritarianism, with abuse, or with neglect,
dereliction of duty, and abandonment. We see
examples of both categories all around us. We
are called as God's people to work for renewal
and for reformation as we live in the time and
the place of God's choosing and his sovereignty.
We need to accept and embrace God's sovereignty.
He has made from one blood every nation of men
to dwell on all the face of the earth and has
determined our pre -appointed times and the boundaries
of our dwellings. In other words, God has placed
you in such a time as this, right here, right
now. Let us not complain about it. God chose
to place you in this time because you are His
offspring and in Him you and I live and we move
and we have our being. Today we're going to the
beginning, the foundation of marriage and the
family. So from the Genesis account, I'd like
to look at three main headings. First is the
transcendent nature of marriage. Second, the
otherness of marriage. And thirdly, God's purposes
for marriage. I want to look at these three headings
and consider what God has to say. I will tell
you right up front, there is no way in one sermon
that I can be exhaustive in this. This is a deep
and a vast and wonderful. So I'm hoping today
to give you some and hopefully it will whet your
appetite for more in both your own studies and
in the next few sermons. So in the beginning,
on the sixth day, and before the fall, God created
man, Adam, and then Eve, his wife. In Genesis
one, we have the content in the created order
as it was done on various days, day one, day
two, and on through day six until the seventh
day God rested. So on day six, Genesis one tells
us that God created man. in his own image. This
is something that is not said of the animals
or of anything else. Man is special. Mankind
was created in the image of God. We bear an imprint
of godness about us. Not that we are gods in
like God is, but we bear his imprint in a way
that the animals do not. God created man first
of all in In this is given in Genesis chapter
1 and then in verse 27 This phrase again is repeated.
It is showing the great importance that we understand
this So God created man in his own image in the
image of God created him in other words God says
it and then he says it again. And so this is
very important for us to understand Now after
creating male and female God blesses them and
he gives the very first command to mankind. Now
surely we must think the first command that's
given to the very first created human beings
must be very important. We would think that in
looking at it. And so what is this? Verse 28,
chapter one, as soon as they were created it
says, God bless them and God said to him listen
to all the action verbs in here be fruitful and
multiply fill the earth and subdue it have dominion
over the fish of the sea over the birds of the
air and over every living thing that moves on
the face of the earth five different action verbs
right there in chapter 1 and verse 28 Now the
overview from Genesis 1 is that the God, the
triune God, is the creator. That is, he is the
prime mover. That is, this is his plan and his
idea. The creation of man and woman with the
command to be fruitful and multiply is given
before the fall. It is before the fall. Marriage
and sex being one flesh in a covenantal union
between a man and a woman is not a result of
the fall. Marriage precedes the fall. It is before.
Therefore, it is not dirty, it is not unclean,
not shameful, but it is a good thing in God's
good earth. Because God is the creator, he is
the author, he is the designer, and he is the
lawgiver, and he gives it his stamp of not only
approval, but of his design and command. And
from this comes fruitfulness in multiplication,
bringing forth children who also bear the image
of God. How amazing and wonderful is that? Can
you think of that? Just Stop and think of that
for a minute, that you as husband and wife, you
bear the image of God, you can come together
and you can have children that also are image
bearers of God. Isn't that amazing when you stop
and really think about it? We're just so used
to it. We don't really capture the glory of it,
but God also as the creator fences it. with his
law. Marriage is not to be other than between
male and female, where the sexual and the covenantal
relationship is within marriage. Not only is
this lawful, but it is commanded. But outside
of marriage, the same act between male and female
is forbidden. The apostle in Hebrews chapter
13 says, marriage is honorable among all and
the bed is undefiled. But fornicators and adulterers,
God will judge. Clearly showing the importance
of marriage. The same act, the same coming together
within marriage is commanded. and it is an undefiled
outside of marriage, it is forbidden. It is an
adulterous or fornicating relationship. How is
it when children, what is the best way when children
are cared for and flourish? Indeed. Not only
is it commanded in this way, but study after
study has also shown it that when children are
born into a family with a father and a mother
in union, that is their best way to thrive, to
grow and to flourish. Now at the end of the book
of Judges, that is the time period in Israel
after the land was settled in the time of Joshua
and those who succeeded him, God's people or
the children of Israel are characterized in this
manner. Judges chapter 21 verse 25. In those
days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did
what was right in their own eyes. This is the
same temptation, the same thought and idea that
we hear so much in the news today or in people
expressing themselves on social media, various
statements such as my body, my choice. Nobody
is going to tell me what to do. My body, my rules.
The poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley ends
with these words, I am the master of my of my
fate. I am the captain of my soul. But this is
completely contrary to the very first word of
holy writ the immortal words of Genesis 1 verse
1 in the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth the Creator sets the standard the Creator
makes the rules He governs the guidelines and
he sets the fences and so God gives the history
and the standards In chapter one, he speaks in
a broad sweep over the days of creation. And
then in chapter two, Moses by the Holy Spirit
zooms in on day number six, and he explains in
much greater detail what happened on day six.
So Genesis one, the big overview. Genesis two,
we get a much closer look at day six. So woven
all through this is the understanding. It is
the framework. It is the demonstration of God
as sovereign creator who is overall and above
all and the enduring transcendent nature of marriage
as we considered in the sermon today. Your marriage
doesn't belong to you. God has ordained it. God
brings about it. brings it about and God sets
the standards for it. It is his idea. It is not
simply a good idea that we might have. It's not
a social construct that man invented and it cannot
be forsaken or cast aside like an old relic or
a vestige of the dusty past and a forgotten artifact
of history. No, it proceeds from God himself
who makes and keeps covenant and commands mankind
to keep covenant with himself and with each other.
Marriage is for all times and in all places as
long as time continues and it is good. It is
also a great mystery that speaks of Christ. and
the Church, the Bride of Christ, it signifies
to us the mystical union that is between Christ
and His Church. Marriage is transcendent. It
comes from God. Number two, we want to look at
the otherness of marriage. The otherness. In
Genesis 2, as I mentioned, we get a restatement
and an explanation of the acts of the Creator.
This is the history of the heavens and the earth
when they were created in the day that the Lord
God made the earth in the heavens before any
plant of the field was in the earth and before
any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord
God had not caused it to rain on the earth and
there was no man to till the ground but a mist
went up from the earth and watered the whole
face of the ground. This is in chapter two, verse
four through six. So there are three notable
things about the earth. otherness of marriage.
And what I mean about the otherness of marriage
is that when God created man, He made them similar,
but other also. They're, they're, you're not
the same. There's male and there's female and
we can't confuse it. and that is ordained by
God. This is one of the great tragedies of the
transgender movement is that it's actually a
rebellion against our Creator saying, I don't
want to be the way you made me. That is what
it really is. So there is an otherness of marriage
and we want to look at some of that and see how
it works together. So the first thing, the first
notable thing is that it is not good God says,
for man to be alone. Now, let's take a closer
look at this. Day one of creation, God creates
light. It ends with, and God saw the light that
it was good, and God divided the light from the
darkness. Day three, God called the earth, the
dry land earth, and the gathering together of
the waters he called seas. What does it say?
And God saw that it was good. And again, in verse
10, the earth brought forth grass and the herb
and yield seed and the tree. How does it end?
And God saw that it was good. Day four, and God
saw that it was good. Day five, and God saw that
it was good. But before the end of the sixth
day, When God looked over and he saw everything
that he had made and indeed it was very good.
But we have a problem because there's something
that God said was not good. For the first time
in all of the good that was happening God says
it is not good. And what is this? It is not good
that man should be alone. God is looking at creation.
And he says, good, good, good, good, not good.
So let's dig into this a little bit further because
we need to understand why is this not good? Now
God begins by first of all, putting the man after
he was created into the garden of Eden. He commands
him to tend it and to keep it. And after God
gives the command and he gives the law that man
can eat of every tree in the garden except for
one. He is not to eat of the tree of knowledge
of good and evil. That's in Genesis two in verse
17. And then he goes and says, it is not good
that man should be alone. But he continues it
saying, I'm going to make him a help. I will
make a helper for him or a help me depending
on your choice. In other words, I'm going to
make someone who is other than him and yet like
him and who will compliment him. One who is a
helper to him. Now, why was this not good? Well,
first of all, it is true. Man needs a companion.
We need companionship. God created us that way.
We really do need companionship. But there's
a second other big one in here. And that is that
man can't be fruitful and multiply by himself.
If everyone was men, we'd die out in one generation.
I think of that. kind of crazy statement during
some of the heyday of feminism. I think it was
in the 60s, but I believe it was Gloria Steinem.
I didn't research it here that a woman needs
a man like a fish needs a bicycle, is what she
said. This is completely contrary to this, for
again, if there were no men, if there were no
women, we would all die out. Just like that,
within one generation. So it is not good because
man cannot be fruitful and multiply without a
woman. But furthermore, in drilling down into
it, man was created to need a woman. He was created
to need a woman, not only just to be fruitful
and to multiply, but also... to be what God had
called him to be. We men cannot fulfill the dominion
mandate of God that is given here unless we have
a woman by our side. And I'm not saying again,
and we're going to get into singleness at the
end and how to look at that. And I'm speaking
here in wide sweeping terms. If you're here and
you're a man and you don't have a wife yet, or
vice versa, then I'm not saying that you can't
work out in God's plan, not at all. But in looking
at the whole scope of things, men need help to
be what God calls them to be, because they cannot
fully fulfill the dominion command that God gives
them. without a wife. It's the way God made the
world. And we need to accept that and understand
it. So men, unless you've been called to singleness,
either by God's design physiologically, or for
the kingdom of heaven's sake, as Jesus speaks
in Matthew 19 verse 12, and Paul in first Corinthians
seven, it is not good for you to be alone. It
is good and acceptable before God for you to
get prepared for the responsibility and then
to seek a wife, one who compliments you, one
who helps you. Proverbs 18 and verse 22, he who
finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor
from the Lord. It's a wonderful verse. God shows
Adam the need for a wife first by bringing all
the animals to him for him to name them. Now
the word naming there in Hebrew suggests more
than just giving them a label, just hanging a
title on them. But it reflects essence or identity.
So Adam's task likely involves recognizing patterns
or distinctions among creatures somewhat akin
maybe to an early taxonomy, a classification.
This was a deliberate and thoughtful process.
But at the same time, though we don't have record
of it where it says it, Surely Adam noticed that
for every animal and every bird, there's a male
and a female. There's a mama, there's a daddy.
There's a male elephant and a female elephant.
There's a crocodile and there's two of them.
One's a male and one's a female or an alligator
or a bird. And on as he goes through all of the
different animals and he sees this, but there
is nothing suitable. for him. So we read verse
20, there was not found a helper comparable to
him. We use animals and beasts to help with some
of our burdens. We're glad for animals. Back
in the days before tractors, men would use horses
or oxen to plow the fields or to turn the soil.
They help, but it's not in the same way. Man
needs a helper for him. And so the Lord decided
to remedy this. The Lord God says in verse 21,
caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and he slept
and he took one of his ribs and closed up the
flesh in his place. Then the rib which the Lord
God had taken from man, he made into a woman
and he brought her to the man. We can only imagine
what Adam's first thought was when he woke up
out of his sleep and he saw someone that was
like him and yet other than him. Jeff brought
out as we were studying that one of his dad's
favorite passages is that Adam looked up and
he said, whoa, man, or woman. So I think it's
a play on words, but it's a great thought. It's
a great thought. And truly, I'm quite sure that
he was astounded and blessed. And of course,
the scripture says, Adam looks at her and says,
now this, this is bone of my bones and flesh
of my flesh. She will be called woman because
she was taken out of man. This is the perfect
compliment, the perfect coming together. Woman
created. out of the side of man. And so recognizing
the otherness of your spouse and loving and embracing
that otherness is a key to a happy marriage.
Man, you don't want to be married to someone
who's just like you. You need someone who can
compliment you, who is other than you, someone
who can help you, someone who can fit together
well with you, but at the same time, someone
who will think a little bit differently than
you do, who will have some different ideas and
passions, and you come together and it fits together
just like two pieces of a puzzle. That's the
way it is to be. Someone other than you. Here's
a couple ways, because loving and embracing that
otherness is a key to a happy marriage. So ladies,
your husband thinks differently than you do.
Here's a few ways. Couple, and of course, you
all know that already, right? It's like, yeah,
right. Okay, so your husband or your men, generally
speaking again, can focus, they can compartmentalize.
They're generally much more of a risk taker than
what you are. And within them is an innate desire
to protect and provide, to take bullets or to
take arrows, to shield and protect. That is something
that is given by God. So they think differently
than you do. But men, your wife does not also
think like you do. And you might think, well,
although the normal way of thinking is to think
like men. I mean, after all, that's the way it
ought to be. But no, God has given you in...
your compliment in a way, someone who thinks
differently. You think like a male, you think
that is normal, but that is not normal for her.
She generally is a much better multitasker. She
can keep a whole number of things going on in
her mind at one time and keep tabs on all of
them. That is very difficult for us to do. But
for women, it just comes that way. In fact, It
is so ingrained in them that they often can't
relax until they know, okay, this is done and
now this is taken care of and this is taken care
of, now I can relax. That's the way it is. And
that's not a bug, it's a feature. Okay, God made
them that way for a purpose. Receive it, welcome
it, delight in the difference that God has given
to you and don't think. Oh, if she were just
more like me. No, God made them differently for,
God made each of you. And same goes for the woman.
Don't look and think, oh, if he would just be
more this or that, like I would want to be. Now
that's, we all need to grow. And yes, we men.
Sometimes we need to learn to be more caring.
We need to be more understanding. That's often
one of our weaknesses, where we're not that way
as much. A woman being the natural nurturer and
comforter and one who comes and puts arms around
and helps through. We men, we need to learn from
that. We need to learn how to care for others.
But we also understand that we're simply made
different. Accept that this is one of the keys
to a happy marriage so and then lastly on the
otherness is God also created you different in
that ladies wives you are the glory of your husband
and The man is the glory of Christ This is from
first Corinthians chapter 11 verse 7 through
9 Paul says here, by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, I want to remind you of this, because
this sometimes can come a little bit hard when
we look at it in our egalitarian society where
we try to create saneness out of everyone. Here's
what he says, for a man indeed ought not to cover
his head, that's the subject matter at hand in
that portion of 1 Corinthians 11, but he says,
since he, that is the man, is the image and glory
of God. But woman is the glory of man for man
is not from woman but woman from man Nor was
man created for the woman but woman for the man
Now this does not mean ladies that you're not
creating the image of God because you are But
what but what he's saying here is that there's
something special that you have you are the glory
of your husband and thus you are to be glorious.
Now when we get to Ephesians chapter five in
the next week or thereafter, we're going to look
at how we men are to do that, how we're to help
our wives to be glorious, and it comes by leading
and serving, by blessing. and being faithful
even as Jesus was to the church. So I'm just
giving you a little bit of a glimpse. You can
be thinking about that in the future. But again,
this is pointing to Jesus in the church because
Paul even says that as I speak about marriage,
I'm speaking of this glorious mystery of Christ
in the church. As we're going through this, we
are going to be reminded of Christ in the church
even as we discuss marriage. It's a great mystery
and yet it's unfolded for us some in scripture.
So anyhow, woman, you're the glory of your husband.
You were created for him. But men, don't you
be stuck up about this. Don't you get proud about
this because, Paul says, you were born of a woman.
You wouldn't exist if it wouldn't be for a woman.
So don't you be proud about this in any way.
okay and thinking oh I am the glory of Christ
and my wife she's my glory no no no no it is
true she is your glory and you need to act with
to to her in that kind of a way where you bless
her and you build her up and you wash her with
the word and you do all of these wonderful things
that we're going to get into but you don't be
stuck up and proud about it because without woman
you wouldn't exist again first Corinthians 11
verse 11 and 12 nevertheless Neither is man independent
of woman, nor woman independent of man in the
Lord. For as woman came from man, even so man
also comes through woman, but all things are
from God." And so both are under God, all things
are under God, and each of you answers to God
directly. But a woman's glory is different, it's
other than a man's. And so there again, we look
at the otherness. So we've looked here at a few
places where otherness, let's now... wrap this
up with looking at God's purpose for marriage.
So why does God, why did God create marriage
in the first place? Why aren't we like the animals?
The animals, I mean, there's a few types of animals
that stay true to just one that were male and
a female, but in most cases, it's not that way.
It's free for the taking. And it's not a covenantal
relationship at all. It is simply a physical
response. Of course, it's an instinct that God
has given to them. We are not that way. God has
designed and given us purpose. for marriage.
So let's look at a few of these purposes. Well,
first of all, God said, and we already talked
about this, it is not good that man should be
alone. And so consequently, we conclude that
one of the purposes for marriage is companionship.
It's a oneness, it's a covenantal union that
reflects the unity of Jesus and the church. In
the wonderful expression of the vows in the Book
of Common Prayer that is just so well put. It
is listed this way that marriage was ordained
for the mutual society, help and comfort that
the one ought to have of the other both in prosperity
and in adversity. We need companionship and help
through the good times through the bad times.
So that's one. But the second one is marriage
is required for fruitfulness and procreation.
We see this right in the Genesis account. So
what is the command? We are to fill the earth.
Now in this, it is given that we are to fill
the earth with worshipers of God. And we see
this woven throughout the scripture. I don't
have the time for it today, but we can go to
Deuteronomy chapter six. And we see that God
commands us to have children and to teach them
the ways of God. In Psalm 78, we tell them stories
to remind them how the people of God have failed
in the past. And where God did great deeds for
them, why? So that they can tell it to the next
generation and they can rise up and they will
tell it to their next generation. Who will then
rise up and tell it to their generation? That's
part of the glories of God. And so marriage is
required for fruitfulness and procreation. This
is the direct command that was given to Adam,
to Eve, and to their descendants. And then it
was again restated to Noah in Genesis 9 after
the flood, when all of the earth was wiped out
except for eight people, and they come out of
the ark. And what does God say? Be fruitful and
multiply. This is your command. Now go do it.
Unless God sovereignly closes the womb, it is
expected by God and by his people that marriage
should bring forth children for the glory of
God and for his kingdom. Children are a gift
of God. This is one of the reasons why. Homosexuality
is so unnatural and sinful and why God hates
it and forbids it. It is a direct attack on the
command to be fruitful and to multiply. It militates
against that. Next then, or the third reason
why God, or God's purpose, the third purpose
is that a wife is a help to the man. That is,
she is a help to him, to his mission, and to
his dominion. So, I wanna unpack this a little
bit because it is so needed in our generation.
Men, you are given a mission by God. You, together
with your wife, are created for mission and dominion.
God has given you responsibilities. He's given
you abilities. He has given you calling. And
what I mean by mission is you know that God has
placed you for a purpose and what that purpose
is you want to set out to do it with all of your
heart and your wife is to help you with that
mission. She is to help you with it. Now, let
me quickly say, do not be afraid of the word
dominion. Obviously, that word can be used sometimes
as a pejorative or something that is, you know,
that person is just really arrogant. No, no,
there's a biblical usage to this word. It's a
direct command of God to mankind in Genesis 1.
It is again implied in Genesis 9. It is spoken
of in Psalm 8, which we'll read in a minute.
And even the Great Commission flows out of this.
Because what are we to do? What is the great
mission of God that is given? We are to fill
the earth with worshipers. We are to preach the
gospel of Christ. We are to go forth. We're to
baptize the nations. We're to teach them all
things so that the earth would be filled with
worshipers of God. So the Great Commission actually
flows out of this mandate or some call it the
cultural mandate that's given in Genesis 1. So
how do we start with this? Well, we start with
the mission for a faithful household. Go read
Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 78, as I just referred
to, and then develop additional missions as God
gives you opportunity. A wife is given to you
to help you, to aid you, to manage that household
in your mission. This is why again, Proverbs
18 22, he who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains a favor from the Lord. Also Proverbs
12 verse four, an excellent wife is a crown to
her husband. She is a crown to... you, she blesses
you, she aids you, she helps you with the effectiveness
of the mission. An excellent wife is the crown
of her husband, but she who causes shame is like
rottenness in his bones. Proverbs 5 verse 19,
let your wife be, let her be as a loving hind
and a pleasant row or dear to you. Value her
wisdom, her love, her insight and her thought.
So Adam and Eve were placed within the Garden
of Eden. They were to work it. They were to till
it. They were to care for it. They were to be
productive. Work is not a result of the fall.
It is what we were created to do. Man was created
to work, to be productive. It is not a result
of the fall. Now it was made more difficult by
the fall, but it's not a result of the fall.
We are given this by God and He has given us
strength. He has placed us by His sovereign will
to carry out this dominion over the works and
the creation of God. And this can take place
in many different ways. When we think of the
creativity that is unleashed through faithful
men looking into God's Word, loving and serving
Him, building their households and then becoming
creative in so many ways. Can you imagine the
first man who actually figured out how to make
steel? I mean, so you get iron out of the ground,
and then all the process that you have to do
just in order to do that, or brass, or other
things, or to craft a musical instrument, to
come and put something together that's going
to make music and sound pleasing. All of that
comes out of this creative mission that God has
given to mankind. Listen to what Psalm 8 says.
Psalm 8. Oh, Lord, our Lord. How excellent is
your name in all the earth. You have set your
glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of
babes and nursing infants, you have ordained
strength because of your enemies, that you might
silence the enemy in the avenger. When I consider
your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon
and the stars which you have ordained, what is
man? That you are mindful of him, and the son
of man, that you visit him for you have made
him a little lower than the angels you have crowned
him with glory and honor you have made him to
have dominion over the works of your hands you
have put all things under his feet all sheep
and oxen even the beasts of the field the birds
of the air and the fish of the sea that pass
through the pass of the sea oh lord our lord
how excellent is your name in all the earth.
This is what God has given to you, to you, to
you, to you. So, how do we do this? Well men,
build lasting households, churches, and names
that are worthy of remembrance. You can build
households that will stand for generations. You
can help to build churches that endure. You can
have a name that carries weight and gravitas.
You may be called to build a business for the
glory of God and the blessing of his people with
employment, with tithes, with service. One of
the problems that create disconnected and missionless
households is that so many households in our
in the world today, but especially in our own
country, that all households are just glorified
hotels. Every person has their own goals and
their adrift. It's a place to grab a bite and
to sleep and to watch TV. Our households have
become consumeristic, a place that is not productive,
but where we kick back, relax, and we consume
food, drink, and media. We read Proverbs 31 today
and look at how the household functioned. Look
at what the virtuous woman looked like. It was
anything but like this type of consumeristic
household that I just spoke of. This church congregation
is new. We're only about two years old, but with
the help of God, We are laying foundations that
we pray and hope will affect this community for
many years to come. And so, brothers, let us
rise, let us build labor together with us by
being faithful in worship, by putting sin to
death in walking with God, by developing your
gifts, by building rightly ordered households
that are the living stones of a lasting church,
of a community, of a state, of a country, and
a civilization. and a culture. Seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be added to you. This is one
of the purposes for marriage. Fourth, marriage
is a help against sin. It's better to marry than
to burn, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7 verse 9.
He says if they cannot exercise self -control,
let them marry, for it is better to marry than
to burn with passion. Again, the Book of Common
Prayer puts it this way, it was ordained for
a remedy against sin and to avoid fornication
that such persons as have not the gift of continency
might marry and keep themselves undefiled members
of Christ's body. Lastly then, the purpose for
marriage is that marriage is a living illustration
of Jesus and his church, his bride. In union
one with another, in the loving leadership of
the husband, in the submission of the wife, in
the sanctification of the wife by the Word, in
the wife being glorious and holy. All of these
are an illustration of the relationship between
Jesus and the Church. And we'll see that more
in Ephesians 5 as we look at that. Five purposes
for marriage and there may be more, but that's
what I have for you today. Let's look at a couple
final applications. What about singles? If you're
single here, I don't want you to be thinking
that I'm preaching against you because I'm not.
But I am lifting up the standard of what God
has here. And if the Lord has something for you,
then rejoice in it and prepare for you. Prepare
for it. Be content. Be content with where God
has you, but at the same time, be useful in Christ's
kingdom. And pray. If you're yearning for marriage,
then pray for a spouse that God would prepare
you and your spouse. Prepare and grow in maturity.
Remember that marriage is the norm, but there
are exceptions. Number one, in God's providence,
and number two, as Jesus spoke of eunuchs for
the kingdom's sake. So I hope that today you
will be encouraged by this and not just overwhelmed
and says well, what use is for me in the kingdom?
No, there is much good that you can do as I have
just given here. Be useful in Christ's kingdom.
Lastly, what if my marriage is not like this?
What if I'm just really falling short and failing
in my marriage? What if this just looks like
it's just so far out of reach? How can this be?
Because our marriage is full of bickering or
we're just not united in purpose together. Or
we go our separate ways and we're just not together
in this. What can I do? If that is you this morning,
I give you these short encouragements. Number
one. for a marriage like this. Ask God for it.
If you're struggling, first of all, pray and
ask God for it. Matthew chapter seven. Hear the
promise of God in verse seven and eight. Ask
and it shall be given you. Seek and you will
find. Knock and it shall be opened to you for
everyone who asks receives and he who finds seeks
finds and to him who knocks it shall be opened.
Matthew 7 and verse 11, if you then being evil
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your father who's in heaven
give good things to those who ask him? So the
first thing is that I hope today and in the future
to kindle within you a desire for a wonderful,
holy, gracious, powerful marriage. That is God's
plan. Ask God for it. Seek Him about it. Number
two, be quick to repent of whatever sins are
besetting to you. Deal with the sins with your
own sins. Don't point the finger at the other
and say it's his problem or it's her problem.
Yes, they have problems for sure, but so do you.
So be quick to repent of whatever your besetting
sins are. Maybe it's laziness or carelessness
or lack of vision or of treating your wife or
your husband badly or being demeaning to them.
We're going to look at this further again in
Ephesians 5 with practical steps on how to be
a faithful and loving head and a faithful glorious
wife and thus reflect the relationship of Jesus
and the church. Thankfully, There are also many
good books. There are audio books. There are
podcasts and articles that can give you encouragement,
can give you advice on how to develop this and
how to work for it. There's a lot of great insight.
Feel free to ask me for some resources that will
help. But fourthly, what can you do? Believe.
Believe the gospel. It is Jesus who saves. It
is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you and so
trust in Christ. Don't fight the sovereignty
of God with where he has you at this time, but
look to Christ. Repent of your sins and look
to Jesus. Because he can change you. He can change
your spouse. And by the power of the Holy Spirit,
there is hope through the gospel. And so, trust
and believe in the gospel over and over and over.
Teach the gospel to yourself. Go to the Word
of God and read it and believe it by the power
with faith in Jesus. So, trust and believe the
gospel. And lastly, without a vision, People
perish. Have a vision for a marriage. You pray
for it. You ask God for it. You be quick to repent
of whatever sins have been besetting. You believe
the gospel. Listen to good podcasts or good sermons.
Read books, articles that will encourage you.
But have a vision. Have a vision for it and do
not perish. Pray about it and start seeking for
wisdom. This is my encouragement to you today.
I hope that it has been a blessing. In the name
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen. Let's pray.