Christ Centered Relationships Pt 1

we're going to do something a little different than the next couple times I speak this is wife Lisa and she's um I said tall decent old to me yes but we're we're going to do a series on a christ-centered relationships and I thought you know what better than me instructing the women and you know how to become great wives and mothers it just feels awkward to do that you know it seemed more biblical you know and tight as it talks about how the older women are to instruct the younger women and since my wife is so old we thought oh no you know it's just this principle of those who are I mean to me I just see her as this model of a godly wife godly mother and thought you know what it'd be so much better for her to do some of the teaching to the women on this issue so it's kind of fun we had a good time for service she was pretty nervous I still my stomach hurts so um I just sit down we're gonna wrist it down and and teach it was uh which is uncomfortable for me little thing I can stand all right I'll stand for a little while it was just weird I was like I got up here and she was fine I got all nervous um but I think it's because I was sitting down and I don't know how to teach sitting down um we got this I I got this idea because about a month or so ago Lisa and I were on a talk show where we talked about relationships and when we were all done I just thought you know there really aren't a lot of couples talking about christ-centered relationships in fact I'm not sure I've ever heard a couple talk about christ-centered relationships I've heard couples talk about how to have a happy marriage and Christ is one point in that outline but I don't believe that's biblical um to say here's 10 keys to having a happy marriage and one of them is having Jesus at the center you know it's what I read in Scripture is everything is about God everything is about Jesus and marriage comes under that in fact there can even become an idolatry that takes place with marriage where we put marriage above God and and yet will feel very self-righteous in doing so and yet that's not the teaching of Scripture and I just I just realized there aren't that many happy marriages you know when you look around and at the same time there's even fewer christ-centered marriages because just just understand that what we're talking about over the next few weeks is not that the goal is not to have a happy marriage because you can have a happy marriage and still come to the end of your life and realize you didn't please God right the idea is having a Christ centered marriage and in having Christ at the center I really believe that one of the byproducts of that is a fulfilled marriage and a happy marriage and yet the truth is there's a lot of this stuff we are not saying to the married people a lot of this is because I want to talk to those of you who are single because I think we just have a warped understanding of marriage and going into it we want to make sure you have a biblical perspective on that because there are some here who you think that I you know when you're single sometimes you think oh man once I get married then I'll be happy and I just got to go do you talk to many married couples you know um it's you know but then there's there's others and I think this is the growing number is those of you who are single and you're looking at marriage and going I don't want any part of that because I don't know that I've ever seen a marriage that I want to be a part of and and that's sad to me because God instituted marriage this is something he created and he meant for it to be something so beautiful and I believe it can be and I believe it has been in our lives but one of the one of the main things is this idea of of putting Christ at the center and before I even get into it or we get into it is I just want to remind you of what I spoke about the last time I spoke and sorry I've been gone so much I just this has been one the craziest summers and I don't want it to be like this ever again but um last time I spoke I talked about the power of God and it's something that I think we don't speak about enough in the Christian Church and therefore we have a lot of people that feel defeated or weak and yet that's not a good representation of our God we talked about the power that's available to us and what was so cool was the week after that I had a couple of college students speak that was awesome wasn't it I mean it was just so cool to hear a college student standing up and teaching the Word of God you're going man they're doing that in their 20s I just I just praise God for the future but if you remember Andrew also talked about power and the resurrection power and and then after that last week Matt Moore again talked about power and and the power we ought to have as image bearers of Jesus Christ and it's about the strength and power and I just think sometimes we can come in here and think about ourselves and already feel defeated like well I could never be a great husband I could never be a great father because it was never modeled to me or I never got to experience her because this this and this and we're already defeating ourselves rather than really believing that the power that's that's in us and available to us and so don't you talk for a little bit now I I love messages about the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives I feel like every time I hear it it's like you've been outside on a hot day and you go to get that cold drink of water that's what it's like when I hear about you know the very spirit that raised Christ from the dead is living inside of you that power is available to you and you have strength when you are weak and I think for us as women because we can be so emotionally based and so feelings oriented there's a lot of times we don't feel very strong or we don't feel like we can really tackle this problem that seems so big in front of us or even this marriage that we are involved in but just that reminder just going back to that simple truth but profound truth that the very spirit that raised Christ from the dead is living inside of you and I shared a verse I was reading this week that I read in a whole way it was Ephesians three you guys have heard it before but to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask her imagine but the point the part that stuck out to me was according to his great power that's at work within you you know we we we struggle so much with wanting to muster up our own strength or our own abilities but God is saying I am able to do immeasurably more than anything you could ask her imagine because of my great power that's at work within you I don't know about you but I need that reminder every day of my life I feel like I could have it I do have scripture up on my wall at home but I feel like maybe that's one of the ones I should add to it because I need that daily constant reminder you know they always say that children learn by repetition no I think we all need to learn by repetition it's the same truths that we need to come back to and believing in the power of the Holy Spirit is essential she's good huh so I got her up here I I want to I want to teach a passage today that I've never heard taught in a marriage seminar and it may even seem weird to be talking about this passage but I really believe we've got to get this and it's actually out of first Corinthians 7 when Paul is addressing those who are single and and Paul was referring to his own singleness and he says in 1st Corinthians 7 we'll put it up on the screen he says this he goes what I mean brothers is that the time is short from now on those who have wives should live as if they had none it's weird verse huh especially when you're talking about relationships um those who mourn as if they did not those who are happy as if they were not those who buy something as if it were not theirs to keep those who use the things of the world as if not engrossed in them for this world in its present form is passing away guys we've got to get this passage I know it's a weird one to talk about here but it's it's this idea that Paul saying look this life is short he uses this phrase that time is short Jesus uses the phrase the time is drawing near or the time is at hand and in Paul's wording is the time is short and the word short here is literally the word contracted it's like there's this period of time that God has set any saying look it's not going to be like this okay we're not going to be sitting here at Cornerstone Church Simi Valley forever the time is short its contracting the writing's on the wall your life is going to end and this is this is talking about you know post resurrection and and just in the in the sense that you know Christ could come at any moment okay so he says so right now marriage isn't everything there's something bigger than that okay we don't have time people say well how come you and Lisa don't fight very much I'm like I don't have time to fight okay we've got something to do here on this earth and I can't sit here and go well four years ago you hurt my feelings you know I just I'm sorry but you know what I I can't do that I can't sit here and and and think about oh you did this to me you did that to me there's there's something bigger and we've got to get that you've got to get this is is is God is bigger than your marriage this this calling that we have in life to display and model Jesus Christ to a dying world is bigger than you having a happy marriage and when you get that then the happy marriage becomes a byproduct of that but it's his idea he's saying look II I know you're married and you just want to you know be all about your family and that's so easy to do and we can almost even make that into a good Christian thing to do is all family first it's like no there's this mission first and and my marriage is a part of that and comes under that and he says you know what the time is short and so if you guys are he goes because I don't even have time to celebrate you know something great happened good let's have a little supper but I got to move on there's more to life because those who mourn I can't sit here I don't have time to be depressed you know because my life is going to be over any moment and you guys it's between service ah and we need to stop and pray for this because um just between service someone just told me about Greg Laurie who heads up the Harvest Crusade his son got in a car accident Thursday night and died as son was 32 his wife's pregnant got kids he was heading to the church helping to get ready for this big evangelistic crusade called the Harvest Crusade you've probably heard of and that's taken place in a couple weeks and he just said you know I think it'd be good for church to pray for Greg and pray for the family his son's name is written down somewhere so anyone know his son's name Christopher okay you're right 33 years old just Riverside County so I yeah I'm just trying to put myself in in Greg's shoes you know in a in a couple weeks there'll be thousands and thousands of people in a stadium waiting to hear him speak and and I try to put myself in his shoes you know I don't even I can't even fathom but that's what this verse is talking about you what life is short and so cool that he know he was on his way serving the Lord and now he's standing before him okay so when you read these verses and I know I talk about this stuff a lot it's just the reality of right now Chris Laurie is in the presence of God forever it's massive what else matters and that's why it's like okay I know some of you guys are finding out gala let's we got to pull this together because there's something bigger going on here but can we just pray for a great does anyone know Greg lorries wife's name what's that Kathy and then what about Chris's wife Brittany Wow all right let's let's pray Father lift up Brittany to you right now I just cannot even imagine she's pregnant as a mom and losing her husband a couple that serving you for Greg and Kathy got what a powerful man of God he's been many of the people in this room have been impacted by his ministry in his life and thousands more about to listen to him speak in a couple of weeks if he can even do it I just I pray that they would um somehow feel literally feel the effect of our prayers right now and that your Holy Spirit would comfort them with comfort that I would not know how to offer thank you for their ministry their love for you and God it's just that coincidental that we're on this passage it says we don't there's just this this task at hand and his mission you've given us this life you've given us to share with the world even as we heard about Brad going the ends of the earth to go and share this good news lord I just pray that you give Greg that same type of strength or if there's someone else is supposed to take his place for this time then so be it God we just want you to be honored in it all so comfort Brittany Kathy Greg I think do that Chris is standing with you I can't imagine what he's experiencing right now what an absolute rush God and we can't wait for that day in Jesus name Amen um anything to say sure don't you say something well that's a hard thing to follow up on oh you know let me say something okay when you can think about it for a while but um you know that passage that we just read it says because could you put it back on there I think that last phrase this world that last phrase this world in its present form is passing away it got to understand that you got to get this okay this is more important than your marriage whatever Alice is understanding this world in its present form this world as we know it as we have it it's not going to be like this forever in fact it's passing away the time is near its contracted it's going to happen you got to catch this marriage Lisa and I are not going to be married forever we'll be married as long as wrong is earth but then our marriage ends do you understand that marriage is not eternal in heaven Lisa and I will not be married the Bible says that very clear I think it's Matthew 22 verse 30 ish that Jesus addresses that and says look in the resurrection there's not going to be marriage and and I know that's I'll be honest there's part of that that's really weird to me and a little bit sad for some of you you're excited about that but but but uh I've heard um I've heard people say well if we're not married in heaven I don't know why when I get go there I'm saying then you don't get it the idea is God has prepared this way of life for us and when we see him we are not going to be thinking about the things of this earth I promise you you will not be thinking about the house you left behind you will not even be thinking about the marriage you left behind it is a treasure so great and to come into the presence of God is so far beyond anything of this earth that Paul says look you've gotta get that otherwise you're not going to understand God's design for marriage because even marriage itself is going to pass away and we've got to see something that's greater than that that's why we've entitled a series Christ centered relationships because Christ has to be the forefront of everything because we understand that marriage isn't forever and it's a it's a blessing from God and thank God for it but there's bigger things there's bigger things in life and when you get that there's one bigger thing in life and when you get that that's when it all comes together and makes sense and so I don't know if you've ever been referred to as high maintenance as a woman maybe you know a high maintenance woman but I thought that that's what this scripture is saying to me there's there's no room for being a high maintenance woman you know having a lot of expectations and needs and desires for our husband that really were meant only for God to fulfill in us we're to be so satisfied in our relationship with God that we are not constantly feeling disappointed and disenchanted and frustrated that our husbands are just not following along with this these ideas in our mind of what we think they're supposed to be to us and do for us and and I just think it's a real dangerous road to travel down for us ladies that we can let our play out all these scenarios become really jealous over girlfriends who seem to have husbands that are so much more attentive or so much more productive or I don't know what it is for you but you know constantly looking at what your husband is not rather than saying you know what for some of you even for some of you your marriage is so good you're actually looking at your husband as one of your greatest joys and your greatest blessing when when really what stood out to me was the word temporary like this this is a temporary blessing they thought that I won't be married to Francis is sad to me as well because I do enjoy him and love him but it really challenges my heart whether or not I really love God most whether my first love is for Christ our first love is not to be for our husbands it's to be and I've even heard so many people they like to UM they like to do that God first and then your husband and then your fan then that that I think we just need to forget all that and just say God we need to love God and everything else will flow out of that we need to love God with all of our heart or soul or mind or strength and and for those of you who are in a really difficult marriage that that is your hope that you're I'm think can I read Colossians 3 right now am i taking - yes you may thank you there's a biblical model of submission right thank you master since then you have this is Colossians 3 verse 1 since then you have been raised with Christ set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God set your minds on things above not on earthly things for you died I love that phrase for you died in your life it's now hidden with Christ in God and when Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with him in glory we have to wrap our minds around that truth this is not life our life is hidden away with God that's true life right now yes God has put us here on the earth for a very short temporary time and he is going to use marriage in your life as one of the ways that he can display his love to the world and he can use marriage as one of the refining and sanctifying processes I mean those of you who have been married know that you were just smacked with your own selfishness once you got married right you can attest to it it is a very sanctifying process to be married and to to recognize your own selfishness in your sinfulness so we can't forget that God is is in process with us and that he is using marriage to refine us and we can't forget our theology I loved what Matt said last week that was so profound when he was deciding whether or not he wanted to travel to Iraq with his family and he said you don't really challenge my theology do I really believe what God says and for us as women we have to say do I really believe that God is working all circumstances out for his glory do I really believe that God will supply all of my needs do I really believe that God has put me in this marriage and that he will do with it what he wants and that he will refine me in the process I mean that's the truth of Scripture and that's what we constantly have to go back to or otherwise left to our own devices we are just down the wrong paths of emotions and feelings and heartaches and sorrow so we have to get back to the truth yeah it's like that you know that how that verse ends is like when when Christ who is who is your life appears then you'll appear with him in glory well we've got to look forward to that day you know it's like wow Christ is going to appear at any time and I'm going to be in glory with him and that should be our joy that should be our hope beyond you know the the marriage relationship I think sometimes we put too much hope into this other person rather than that hope in Christ I gave Delos tration last service it's it's it's like it's like if I had a scuba tank up here and we were underwater which we're not but let's just imagine and and it's like there's this one tank and we're fighting for the oxygen like I feel like that's what so many marriages look like it's we're trying to grab this life from the other person and you're fighting from it and yet what God's desire is is that I get so much life directly from him I've got my own tank okay God fills me up he gives me life I found a fulfillment in Jesus Christ and so I don't need someone to give me life I don't need air from Lisa like I'm dying over here save me rescue me and she's not over there gone come on my needs aren't being met you know she's got her life from God you know and when and this hope of when Christ appears man I am set this is so good and so now rather than both of us trying to fight for air from one another it's like we both got more than enough I've got my little tank you know plenty of air from my relationship with God my fulfillment she's got her tank in her relationship with God plenty of fulfillment there and now we just cruise through life together not fighting over anything in fact we got air to give to other people and so now we just swim around look at fish you know it's just uh you know and and and I just think too often when we go you know what I need her to to give me that's what so many issues are is you don't found contentment in relationship with God and so now you're hoping that your wife or your husband will make you content or make you happy when in reality only Christ can do that and you're going to kill each other if you're trying to get air from one another and survive from one another and it's one things I was told when I was getting married they said you know those who are most ready for marriage or those who need it the least there's a contentment that they could find in Christ and that doesn't mean that there's not a desire to get married or whatever else because I was certainly in me and but it's this his idea of you know but I I found life in Christ I don't need someone to give me life so um let me say one more thing about that verse that we just read about the time being short and I don't mean this to be disrespectful but I thought about this I I really have about whether or not I should say this and I need to because I'm not I'm not just a pastor to those who are younger than me but as a pastor of this church I am called the pastor those who are even older than I am and to be respectful but nonetheless to share the Word of God with you and there is something that is shocking to me and it's for those of you who are older you know that are in your 60s 70s and beyond that even and I'll read these passages about life in its present form passing away and and I see couples in the 50 60 70 s that are still living for this earth and I think to myself because even last year when I turned 40 that freaked me out it just did I just thought wow you know I can't believe I'm here you know and I know 50 is going to be right around the corner 60 70 I land on I'm already going man I got it I got to think about wrapping this thing you know and I'm going to stand before God anymore I'm already thinking that and I would think that age 6070 that you're the last thing you'd be consumed with is making her house look a little bit nicer and having a nice retirement I would think that your minds it would be Wow any day I'm coming in the presence of God and it's not time to make my life more comfortable for these last few years but it's time to say you know what let me start living a pretty radical life because if I've been living in pretty comfortable life I'm about to stand before God and let me really live for the end now let me really live to about the to be about the fame of Jesus Christ in his glory and to care for the poor and the care for those who are needy and to be an example of Christ of the world because there's something a lot bigger than than this life here on earth and I again I don't I don't mean that to be disrespectful but I would just say you want those who who are older you really need to take the stuff to heart and and realize maybe you've been taught something else your whole life and right now you're just your eyes are being open to scripture because it is very easy in our American Christianity to just hear that oh it's all about you and God will help you have a happy marriage God it's not about that it's just about God and let me come under that and then be about his purpose and his mission there's no time you know for all these other things like he says you know those of you who just purchased something you don't have time to sit like you're going to enjoy that thing forever and it's not time to go I look at my car look at what I have look at this look at that it's not have time for this times passing away time short time is contract at the time is near the time is at hand and those who are elderly man it's really at hand you know is what I'm saying and I'm going man would you take the word of God literally and seriously and start realizing that we just prayed for 30 year old 32 year 33 year old guy you know it's just you don't know and there's not a security of oh but I'm serving God so it was Chris you know so was that guy you know I got a live for attorney this is bigger than that in in the next next verse there in in first Corinthians 7 he says I would like you to be free from concern and that's why he's saying to the singles he's saying look he says an unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs how we can please the Lord but a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world how he can please his wife next verse and his interests are divided an unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit but a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world how she can please her husband I am saying this for your own good not to restrict you but that you may live in a right way an undivided devotion to the Lord okay Paul's talking to those who were single he's saying man sometimes people think wow I'm single I'm cursed or whatever Alice and Paul saying man that might be the greatest thing because it goes you know in marriage there's there's a lot of issues there's a lot of things that can get you divided and distracted and you lose focus of this mission and so Paul's saying arm Paul is single and because man I'm not my interests are defined I'm just totally devoted to the Lord and he says if you can pull that off that's a great way to live because you're not divided and and yet he goes for those who are married he explains that you know what art our goal is still to be undivided in our devotion to the Lord that's why he says you know what live as though you're not now that doesn't mean that I ignore my wife or whatever else because obviously Ephesians 5 which we'll talk about the next time we speak has to do with the way that I love her and how I model Christ to the world but he's just the point of this passage is there is something bigger and if you can do this better if you can please God better and reflect him better as a single person than do that if you can do it better as a married person then do that just do whatever you need to do but we don't have time to sit around and cry sit around and and rejoice sit around and look at the things that we created sit around and just talk about our marriage there's something bigger going on and this whole idea of undivided devotion to the Lord for me personally I've been more I believe that I've been able to be more devoted and less divided by being married those who knew me before I was married know that I wasn't that great at ministry and every ministry I touched really fell apart to be honest with you and there was something and honestly my heart was divided I would be preaching at camps as a single guy and I'm looking at my Bible then looking up seeing if there's a ring on that finger you know hey talk to her afterwards maybe she needs some counseling you know and you know it's just you know that's just that I'm just being honest with you you know it's just like it was us going nuts you know I mean it was divided you know and and there was a sense in which man I got married and it was like my devotion to the Lord it would even clarify things even more and and I shared this last service um but it's it's like you can't understand the story of cornerstone church even for those who don't know we were married maybe three weeks or so when I look at my new bride and I go you know we've never talked about this and I haven't even really thought about this before but I really believe God wants me to start a church and I know he didn't really bargain for that getting married to me and I I wasn't ready for that but I really believe it's what God wants us to do and and that means that I don't make any money any money like you know I don't take a salary I got to get something nobody was going to show up you know and so you may have to work more or something like that and I don't know we'll figure this thing out I'll get another job if I have to but you know it's weird to tell your new bride hey I'm not going to make any money and I remember her saying and and then just throwing the whole thought out of you're gonna be a pastor's wife and that means and and everything goes with that and and for her to look at me and say you know when I married you I believed that God would lead me through you and that he would lead our family through you and so if you believe that this is what God wants you to do then I will stand behind you 100% and you know what that feels like for a man to hear those words that I had never heard before in my life someone that was willing to stand by my side regardless and this thing's flops it flops we'll figure it out I believe in you and and and I say that because I don't believe that I could be doing everything I'm doing right now without Lisa and I also get extremely sad for a lot of my friends who went to school with me and had dreams like me and yet they married someone that kept them from all of those things and they're being held back men and women and and I almost feel guilty telling them about my wife and saying well actually I've got a lot of better for me once I got married and I say that to those you who are single to really these are things that we did talk through beforehand and thinking through okay how committed are you to this how big of it doesn't matter that you just call yourself a Christian are you really committed to Jesus because I'm telling you it's it's an awful difficult thing and and I get so sad with some of my friends is they're they're depressed you know and I got to keep encouraging them and go man you know what but you're in it now and so you got to stick it out let's fight this thing through but I show this for those you who are single you know you got to think through ahead of time are we after the same thing do we both want God to be number one in our lives so to share a little bit yeah I feel like for me for us as women it becomes such a battle of of our thoughts and our heart a battle in our mind because I think how you think about something is obviously going to directly affect how you act towards something or someone and that's why right thinking is so important and scriptural biblical thinking is so important because the message that you hear from just about anywhere you look in the world and sometimes even within the Christian world the message is always about you to be concerned about you and and to be thinking about what you deserve and what you need and what you are longing for and desiring and that you should go for those things and you should get those things because you deserve them and that is not the truth I was I was praying last night for us and this message and just thinking about us as women and what we need I felt like the Lord just said the more inward you focus the more miserable you will be and I thought yeah that's it Lord I mean that sums it up the more inward you focus the more miserable you will become if you are if all you can think of is your constant disappointments and frustrations like I talked about all the expectations that your husband is not meeting you are going to be so miserable because focusing on yourself is nowhere in here know where it says die to yourself you are dead you now have life in Christ now you are his you may be married but you are a servant of God you are his child you're a child of God who happens to be married you're a child of God who is happens to be single you're a child of God you are his that's your life that's your hope that's where everything is that you need you know we sing these songs God you are more than enough for me and every time I sing it it's like Jim was encouraging us last week wow really really do I believe that can I sing that you're more than enough for me because I want to make a lot about Francis and what he's doing and not doing and what he's saying and not saying how he's acting so I think for us we just really have to to realize that the battle is going on inside our mind in our heart it is a battle of our mind and heart and so that's why we have to be so committed to the truth yeah you were talking last service about unbiblical messages we hear mm-hmm go for it oh okay like I'm prompting right there oh okay we'll get better next service yeah I don't know how he does this four times wow you have a great man I do the last verse yes when he says I'm saying this for your own good not to restrict you but that you may live in a right way and undivided devotion to the Lord so so for me knowing that our battle is kind of in the heart in the mind immediately was I was writing just little thoughts and notes and I'm thinking well yeah Lord how how do we live devoted to you when when we're so easily distracted and and there is so much in front of us every day that we we have to get done maybe you've got kids or or you don't you got a job I don't know there's our time is divided our focus gets divided and I thought one of the the biggest things that we've got to watch out for is outside influences you know what's what's coming in and I I used his illustration with the scuba tank you know that he talked about we each have our own tank for our oxygen our own walk with God if you fill that tank up with something other than the truth of God's Word if you've got a lot of input that is coming from the world's wisdom which is in direct opposition to everything that God calls us to live by if you fill it up with the wrong stuff you are going to sink really quickly it's so important that we are watching the magazines that we read and pick up and flip through it's really important that we are watching who we watch on television ladies if Oprah is sitting in your living room I think you just need to turn it off I'm sorry she is not she is not gonna lead you to the truth she is gonna pull you down and so are a lot of those other ladies and those fun oh it's fun and it's I just like to laugh I know they have good recipes well I don't care if there's if there's stuff in there that's going to take you down and tell you the exact opposite of what the scripture tells you then don't do it yeah it's and it's not even just those secular sources I mean you can go in the Christian bookstore and pick up books that are absolutely unbiblical in their view of marriage and that that's why it's like you know I totally suck I think we really need to talk about this because you know when I read scripture and I'm a pretty simple minded guy just read through them and that isn't what this book says you know there's obvious teaching in here and this teaching is not about this life and about your best life now it's about your best life later it's about when Christ comes and about what that's going to be like and so some of these things about hey you deserve this that person wasn't fair to you you don't want to be a doormat you'd only be this you don't to be that oh no you sure because according this book Jesus sure look kind of like a doormat when he was nailed to the cross and spit on and everything else and yet it's just this whole know you fight for your rights and and here's the thing I mean I understand the logic behind it all I of course I understand that human logic but let me ask you this question if Jesus Christ used that type of logic would he have gone to the cross if Jesus Christ used the logic of hey look at what all those people have done to you if God used that type of logic with you would you be saved right now what if God says well look at these people look at what they're doing to me I give him these committee they don't pay any of it no what does God do he goes beyond that logic he goes you know what I'm going to show them this type of love that they've never seen before even though they're offending me like crazy right now I mean I just want to destroy them all instead I'm going to love them not only my love them I'm going to show them the greatest love ever I'm gonna demonstrate a love I'm gonna put on display I'm gonna my own son you go down there and I'll let them spit on my son I'm gonna let them torture my son I'm gonna let them nail my son to a cross and this is Jesus Jesus leaving the comforts of heaven and it says for the joy set before me because you know I'll suffer all of that I'm going to suffer all that for their sake and and we're here we're sitting in this room with joy and everything else why because the sacrifice that Jesus made he came down and died on the cross for all of our sins so that we could be forgiven okay that's not a logical type of love that's not the type of love you're going to read about in the magazines that's that's like a supernatural sacrificing suffering type of love and then he says to us it's a crazy love really is what it is which is a great title for a book it's this idea of available at Barnes & Noble's for $13.99 it's this idea of it's it but it is I want us to get that through our minds and just kind of wrap up with this is God's love for me was absolutely insane he did not think about what was fair he just loved loved loved forgave forgave forgave sacrifice sacrifice suffered suffer suffered and I thank God for that and my job on this first like Matt preached about last week is to be an image bearer of Jesus Christ not to show the world a guy who's fair and says hey if she does that to me this is what I do to her you know and she know I'm here to be like Christ and I understand the logic of the world does make sense but I'm saying if Jesus followed that type of logic he wouldn't have gone to the cross and he wouldn't love me right now but as it stands Jesus Christ is crazy about me despite everything I've done he's forgiven me over and over again and so in the same way my first priority in marriage is to give that picture to the world of regardless of what Lisa does and and you guys see her and you you know and obviously she's a great wife but she ain't perfect and and and I'm less perfect and there are those times when you just go you know what it's not about fairness it's not about what I owe her and she owes me it's about being like Christ which means I'm going to love in spite in spite of this in spite of that and I really don't have time to fight about these things because time is running out and I'm going to be before the Lord and he's not going to ask did you have a happy marriage you know what she fair to you did you do this to show you that it's just like did you show the world a picture of me and and I want to show the world that by by my marriage and that's bigger than my marriage last dance that's just the last thing I wanted to say for those of you who are you know you come into the room maybe as a woman without your husband and you hear about christ-centered relationships and you immediately feel that twinge in your heart because you think well I can't have a christ-centered relationship because there's only half of us here and I just want to say that you can have a christ-centered heart and that is what God is asking of you is to have a christ-centered heart and you can honor God in your marriage even when you are married to a man who does not believe you are his ambassador to your husband and I I don't know what that feels like but I I can assume that it can be very tiring at times but again that's when we go back to our theology you have got to fill your mind with the truth of Scripture you do have a Spirit of God inside of you he has put you here for a reason you can be Christ ambassador to this man so do not lose heart yeah I know there's a sense of misery and that whole idea of here's this person you love and you can't share the most important thing with them you know and for some of you you chose that because you you knew the Lord and you chose to marry someone who didn't love the Lord or know the Lord and and so that's some of the consequence of our sin and yet for others of you it's it's because you came to the Lord later in life and you were married as you know people didn't know Jesus and suddenly you fell in love with Jesus and he didn't or she didn't and it's just a very very difficult road and that's why I said you know what Lisa it's go you know what it is something where you have to work on your own heart and know that this is something that you have to suffer through and work through and pray for your husband or your wife or whatever else but again you can get that life you need that whole oxygen tank example more than anyone else because you realize okay I really do need to get all from God and if that's you today and you say you know what I've never really given my life to Jesus I've never really made him first in my life I have idolized marriage or family or whatever else and it wasn't that I really fell in love with God I mean once you understand baptism really is like a marriage ceremony to Jesus Christ at that time when you publicly confessed I'm dying I'm done with my old life I'm going to rise again I'm going to join myself with Jesus Christ for better for worse for richer for poorer you know it's forever and if you've never made that decision that's where it all starts I don't even know how to begin counseling you in your marriage if you're not right in your relationship with God and because like I said biblically marriage is such a small piece of the puzzle the overarching truth is this life is about bringing glory to God and I thank God I have a wife that stands with me and we do that together in life and that's what we need to be showing in this church those of us who are married is that you know what as much as we love our marriage and our family there's something even bigger than that far bigger than that and that's the message I don't hear from from marriage seminars or whatever else and I believe it's the message that the world is lacking and then we need to put on display so the worship team is going to come up right now and I want to pray for us and if there's anyone that needs prayer or you want to get baptized give your life to the Lord there'll be people up by the prayer room to pray with you during the worship time but let's pray father I thank you that you created marriage I think it's wonderful I think it's awesome I think I know I've just had so much enjoyment and I don't know what life would be like without without Lisa and yet God I also know that there's so many people here who are consumed with marriage either because it's so awful right now for them or because it's so good that it's become their Idol and God I just ask that we would learn to put you in your rightful place I pray that your word just as we spoke it and just taught at 1st Corinthians 7 and out of Colossians and out of Ephesians that these passages would come to life and that we would listen to these things more than we listen to the messages of the world the magazine's we read or the celebrities we hear from God and we'd be about your word I just pray for everyone in this room that we'd have wisdom even as we read through books that are written by Christians that we make sure it really does square with what your word says so right now Lord would you heal marriages feel hearts empower and encourage through your spirit even as we worship you in Jesus name Amen

Channel: Chester Yee

Views: 921,360

Rating: 4.8841071 out of 5

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Id: ihRmM0aVADU

Length: 51min 46sec (3106 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 23 2011