Hope for Hurting Marriages, Part 2

strength you're the breath sure well let's turn in our Bibles now to Ephesians chapter 5 r in our series ever calling hope for hurting hearts last week we did hope for hurting marriages part one today it's hope for hurting marriages part two and next Sunday we're going to talk about prodigal children hope for prodigal if you have a child that you've raised in the way of the Lord and they've gone astray I want to offer you hope from God's Word and how they can come back to faith and if you're raising your children and nothing like that has happened because they're only three there's not many three-year-old prodigal Zout there well we'll share some principles hopefully that will help you keep them close to home and close to the Lord but today we're going to talk about hurting marriages let's pray together father we ask your blessing now on this time of Bible study and I pray for every marriage it is represented here I pray that you will help them listen very carefully with the desire to apply what your word says I pray that these marriages represented would not only endure but that they would flourish that they would be stronger than they've ever been before and I pray for any single people listening Lord that these will be helpful things for them to learn as they prepare to take the most important step of their life next to following you so we commit this time a Bible study to you now in Jesus name we pray amen hey also good morning to harvest Orange County well I want to tell you a story about a couple John and Christi they met in high school and became friends first then they started dating then they went steady and eventually they graduated from high school and John proposed and Christi accepted and the wedding day finally came John could hardly believe his good fortune as his beautiful bride made her way down that aisle meanwhile Christi she was kind of hoping for a prince but John was the next best thing and they went up to the front stood in front of the pastor they repeated those sacred vows it was almost surreal like this can't actually be happening but it was they were officially pronounced man and wife and off they went to their honeymoon well they didn't have a lot of money they had a little rented apartment the first piece of furniture came from Ikea they didn't need fancy meals but they were together they studied the Bible together they prayed together they went to church together they were inseparable you could not even say John without saying Christi they were like one person it was fantastic well now we fast forward ten years John's been very successful he's worked very hard and his career has taken off they have a very nice home that Christie is working also on the side to help make the house payment they have two children a boy and a girl and things are going reasonably well but there's a little bit of tension they're not communicating as much as they used to they're spending more time apart not because they have to but because they've chosen to because far too often it always turns into an argument and it usually revolves around money they've worked so hard for this nice house but ironically they've neglected their home Christie's in the best shape of our life she's going to the gym four days a week John couldn't fit in that wedding tuxedo was his life depended on it I'm also a John just heard of cute new secretary and he's spending a lot of time with and Christine she's kind of attracted to her trainer down at the gym and the inevitable split is starting to take place and they're spending more and more time apart finally Mary says I'm leaving you excuse me Christie there is no Mary this isn't it's just not a Mormon marriage this is a only one wide sorry so Christy she says to uh John I'm leaving you she's kind of hoping that he had stopped her but he doesn't and weeks turned into months and now year is passed and they decide they're going to get a divorce they get all lawyered up but they make a promise to each other this is going to be a civil divorce we've been friends for so long and besides we're always fighting we might as well get divorced this marriage is over with but it doesn't stay civil for long and pretty soon civility gives way to anger and anger to resentment and resentment to bitterness and their best friend has now become their worst enemy you've heard this story before this is not a true story so if you're John and Christie or John and Mary it says not directed to you in particular but this is a composite story drawn from many stories and I've heard over the years of how marriages start to unravel it happens far too often to quote the theologian Freddie Mercury another one bites the dust see my tables great come on you know this is how it goes in the real world people can't stay together forever especially if the love is gone think of it this way it's sort of like training your car in on the new model and that's just the way it happens well I suggest to you that is not the way it has to happen I believe you can have love that will last you for a lifetime now I can that's going to plug for that that's good I can speak to this with some authority because my wife have and I have been married for 37 years but I should add that we did the math thank you that was my wife clapping there no but we did the math the other day and realized we were off by a year we've actually been married 38 years and so time flies when you're having a good time but you know you might say well you guys are just different you're like freaks or something I don't know what's wrong with you well you know let me say this that there are no more opposite people than Greg and Kathy I we see everything differently Kathy is very neat and I'm fairly messy she likes weird food like Indian food in Thai food I like hamburgers and burritos thank you she's usually late I'm usually early she's always in a rush I excuse me I'm always in a rush and she's pretty laid-back but we're different you know it's like that old song says let's call the whole thing off you say either I say either you say neither I say neither either either neither neither let's call the whole thing off right you say potato I say potato you say tomato I say that's right potato potato tomato tomahto let's call the whole thing off but then at the end of the song it says but oh if we ever part it might break my heart you see you put two people together they're going to have differences but wasn't it those very differences that initially attracted you wasn't it the fact that he wasn't like you and she wasn't like you and so you were drawn to them initially but now somehow those differences have become irreconcilable what I'm saying to you is you can get through any rough patch that you are in in your marriage today Timothy Keller wrote a book called the meaning of marriage and he pointed this out and I quote all surveys tell us that the number of people who say they are very happy in their marriage is high around 61 to 62 percent so so much for the mythology of half of the marriages end in divorce and the other half aren't happy well it may be that 50% of most American marriages to end up in divorce but the fact is most married people are happy today and listen to this interesting statistic studies have found the two-thirds of those unhappy marriages out there will become happy within five years if the people stay married and do not get divorced isn't that fascinating so whatever you're going through if you could just somehow press on if you could just somehow hold your course I think things could improve that is why I've called this message hope for hurting marriages part two the things I'm going to share with you are not new nor are they revolutionary but I assure you they work it really comes down to this do you want a marriage that will last a lifetime I mean do you really want it and how bad do you want it are you willing to really apply yourself toward it you can turn your marriage into a classic some years ago I used to own a 1957 Bel Air convertible this was a killer car I got an amazing deal on it and it was in perfect condition and I loved to drive that car everything was original on it excuse me all the numbers matched I mean it was fantastic but sorry I keep clearing my throat I'm now going to take your drink of water so we'll stop clearing our throat and so I hope I'm better but the problem with my 1957 bill our convertible was the color I liked it but no one else did it was called tropical turquoise now I don't know if you've seen this color I'm looking for someone that might be wearing it today but no one would dare this gentleman here in the shortest serve would you stand up on the turquoise shirt yeah that man right there that's pretty close that's pretty close no sir not you your Blues tonight since the man back here sir stand up again the guy with the glasses yeah you're the that's that's the color right there that's it okay thank you why would you wear that color no I I like the color see and that was the color of my car so I went driving around my wife wouldn't drive with me she says I feel like we're in a parade I don't want to drive in that car I would take my son up from surfing they'd say dad could you not pick me up in that car the only one who would drive with me in the car was the dog so me and the dog went cruising you know not quite what I was hoping for but wherever it would golf I'd pull over to get cast someone would inevitably come up to me and say what year is it in fact I knew they were going to ask it before they even came to me I just say 1957 1957 you know and why did people say that because it was amazing to see such a gorgeous car still on the road you just don't see many classics like that anymore well the same can be true of your marriage you know when you've been married 30 40 50 years in this day and age are so many divorces that's pretty unusual some home Alaska Kathy and I how long have you been married and we'll say 38 years and the look at Kathleen think what was she like nine when you married her so but you know that's fantastic in your marriage can turn into a classic - now before we see what the Word of God says let me mention this there is nothing that this culture or this world is offering that is going to help you're hurting marriage for the most part the culture is to a large degree hostile toward the family today so we need to look to God's Word certainly not to Hollywood I was a saw plane of movie on the plane the other day called Crazy Stupid Love his Hollywood's version of how love should go what a mess - story of a married couple wife's named Emily husband is named Cal and Emily's unfaithful to Cal and so Cal goes out and tries to you know hook up with some woman so he's hanging out down at the bar but I guess he's pretty outdated in his clothes and so there's this gigolo it hangs around the bar his name is Jacob and he's really effective at scoring with women so he kind of gives a Cal a makeover and and teaches him his gigolo ways I'm pretty soon cow starting to score with the women as well meanwhile Emily hears about this and she's somewhat distraught she wishes she could get back together with Cal because this fling she had with this other guy isn't quite working out well meanwhile Jacob the gigolo meets a girl that's different from all the other girls he picks up and he decides he's in love with her well it turns out that that girl named Hannah is the daughter of Cal and Emily well Cal knowing the ways of Jacob the gigolo doesn't want him to marry his daughter so he's opposed to it oh one thing I forgot to mention was Callen Emily's son is in love with the babysitter but the babysitter's in love with Cal you see so this so anyway so Cal and Emily are working on getting their marriage back together and they go to a parent-teacher meeting for their son named Robbie who's in love with his babysitter and it turns out that teacher is one of the girls that Cal hooked up with and the bar and that doesn't go crazy stupid love they should call it crazy stupid lust because it has nothing to do with love so forget what the culture says all right what does God's Word say that's what we're going to find the answers listen I have never met a couple who were divorcing who are doing what we are about to read I'm going to repeat that listen now I have never met a couple who were forcing who were doing the things that we are about to read but every couple I know who divorced was not doing what we will read now reading these words alone will not save your marriage you must act on them you must do them and they are doable by the power of the Holy Spirit these words are currents they don't need to be updated or refreshed they don't need to be rewritten to align with what is politically correct they just need to be implemented because these are God's words on how a marriage should work and specifically God's word on the role of the husband and the wife so let's start with men Ephesians 5 verse 25 husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her and he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word that he might present her to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that she should be holy and without blemish so on husbands to love their own wives as their own bodies he that loves his wife loves himself for no one ever yet heeded his own flesh but he nourishes and cherishes it just as the Lord does the church we're members of his body of his flesh and of his bones for this reason shall a man leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his wife as his own self and let the wife see that she respects her husband now four times in eight verses men are simply told to love their wives but how are we to love our wives Paul says as Christ loves the church you say well Greg that's a tall order well yes it is but listen to this most men are not doing this today and if they would start doing it I think it would transform their marriages heard a story about a couple that went in to see the pastor they're on the verge of a divorce they effectively wanted the pastor to agree that divorce was an acceptable resolution to their problems and as they sat down in the pastor listened for a while he turned to the husband and he said you know what the Bible says that you are to love your wife as Christ loves the church husband says oh I could never do that that that's too high I could never attain to such a thing pastor said all right if you can't do that let's lower it a level the Bible says you're supposed to love your neighbor as yourself again the husband says I can't even do that that's too high of a level pastor finally says all right fine the Bible says love your enemies begin there listen guys there's no getting off the hook here you are to love your wife but what does he mean when he says love well Paul uses that Greek word agape a word that is used more often than any other word in the New Testament for love it is the word that is used in first Corinthians 13 that we'll look at in a moment where it's broken out and define it is a word that is used in John 3:16 when it says for God so agape the world it is the word that is used to describe God himself when it says God is love this is a supernatural love that can only be experienced by the Christian the Bible says that this love agape is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit it's the fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22 so if you're a Christian you should be manifesting this love let me put it another way the non-believer does not have access to this love why is this important because the Christian has the clear advantage in the marriage so don't tell me that you as two Christians can't work this out don't tell me that you have irreconcilable differences are you telling me that Christ is not living in you and your spouse are you telling me that God could not intervene and help you are you telling me that your situation is hopeless listen to this God has picked one symbol if you will to a lost world to visibly show his love for the church and the church's love for him and guess what it is it's the Christian marriage he says world check this out you see the way that husband loves his wife that's how I love the church Hey look at this you see the way that wife submits to her husband that's the way my church submits to me so can you see now when a Christian couple breaks up with their so-called irreconcilable differences what a horrible testimony that is how important it is for us to apply ourselves even when our partner is not lovable because they won't always be in this excellent book love life for every married couple doctor Edie wheat writes of following and I quote even in the best of marriages unlovable traits will show up in both partners and in every marriage sooner or later Anita Rises that can be met only by unconditional love agape is the kind of love we need in these situations this love has the capacity to persist in the face of rejection and continue where there is no human response at all it can leap over walls that would stop any human love cold it has never deflected by unlovable behavior and gives gladly to the undeserving without totaling the cost to the relationship of husband and wife which would otherwise lie at the mercy of fluctuating emotions in human upheavals agape love impart stability and a permanence it is rooted in the eternal agape is the divine solution for marriages populated by imperfect human beings end quote listen we don't need a crazy stupid love we need God's eternal love what is it well let's look at this definition in first Corinthians 13 keep a marker here in Ephesians 5 and we're going to go over to Corinthians for a moment and we'll come back to Ephesians again here in 1st Corinthians 13 Paul doesn't define love as much as he shows us what love does and every time you read the word love here it is a word agape first Corinthians 13:4 loves suffers long and is kind love does not envy it does not parade itself but it's not puffed up it does not behave rudely does not seek its own it's not provoked it thinks no evil but rejoices in iniquity does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth excuse me there it bears all things that believes all things it hopes all things it endures all things a more modern translation of the same verse goes as follows love never gives up love cares more for others and for self love doesn't want what it doesn't have love doesn't have a swelled head it doesn't force itself on others it isn't always me first love doesn't fly off the handle love doesn't keep score of the sins of others love doesn't revel when others grovel love puts up with anything and it trucks God's always and it always looks for the best love keeps going to the end okay so here's my question guys husbands listen now are you loving your wife that way because that is the kind of love scripture tells us that we should have now realistically I think we would all say we're falling short I mean I would be the first to say oh I don't always love my wife that way if you want to feel bad take off the name love and insert your name in its place Greg suffers long in this kind Greg never envies Greg is never rude Greg has never provoked well it's just not working at all now is it but I'll tell you a name that does work put Jesus in there and it fits perfectly first Corinthians 13 is a portrait of Jesus but I want you to notice that this is what we should aspire to this is not something that is abstract or passive it is active it is functioning love doesn't just feel patient it practices patience it doesn't just have kind feelings it does kind things love is only love when it acts first John 3:18 says let us not love in Word or tongue but in deed and in truth this is the love we should have so don't say to me we've tried everything because you haven't tried this because if you were trying this your marriage wouldn't be in trouble a lot of times people will go and get counseling I think that's a good thing to do if you get the right counseling you want biblical counseling sometimes we will go to a psychologist or a psychiatrist or sometimes even to a minister who will not give them proper biblical counseling in fact they might actually be giving them the wrong advice and in addition to that prescribe antidepressants to them so I have a way for you to save your money and stay off drugs try loving one another the way God tells you to do it that's it just try it try it for a week just a week I'm going to do everything I can to love my wife this way for the next week if it doesn't work I'll give you your money back I heard a story of a drunk man who was searching under a streetlight for his wallet someone asked him did you lose your wallet near here he says no I lost it two blocks over that way he said why aren't you looking over there there's no streetlight my best imitation of a drunk guy there doesn't do any good to look for something if you look in the wrong place the right place is the Word of God so God gives it to us right here so what does he tell us number one if you really love your wife you'll be patient with her if you love her you'll be patient with her love is patient or literally long tempered the word is common in the New Testament and is used almost exclusively of being patient with people rather than circumstances or events you're patient with her well she isn't being what I want her to be patient you wait for God's timing and you cut her some slack number two if you really love your wife you'll show kindness and tenderness to her verse four love is kind just as patience will take anything from others kindness will give anything to others my husband loves his wife like this she will respond appropriately why do we love God today because he won us over with his love the Bible says we love Him because He first loved us our love is a response to his love the scripture says it's the goodness or kindness of God that brings us to repentance so you talk about a wife not doing her part hey husband why don't you do your part you're the initiator you're the spiritual leader isagen's if you did your part in most cases she would do hers now there could be some exceptions of this and there are but generally I'm telling you if you would love her as you ought to she would respond in kind but your kind are you kind your wife sometimes we show more kindness to a complete stranger than we do to the one who is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones here's a way to assure your kindness just tell her how much you appreciate her when's the last time you told your wife how much you loved her or how beautiful she was I know you think those things you know you're looking to wash she looks great today say it idiot say it verbalize it's hard cuz guys come on now you need to know girls we do think these thoughts we think how much we love you how wonderful you are we just don't express it we're not as verbal as women are I mean you know just look at the way two men have a conversation you know they sit down the day with hey how's it going it's going pretty well what you been doing you know one guy talks and next guy talks put two girls together they talked together endlessly and I mean if you get a table of six women it's like they don't come up for air they're all talking but here's what's amazing they understand one another they're like connected these women all the guys are going I don't know what's happening I'm scared it's like all these mysterious little feminine things oh does that make sense studies have revealed that women speak an average of fifty thousand words a day and a man speaks half that many 25,000 I would suggest you men a hug and a kiss would go a long way simple as it sounds you know some German researchers spent a lot of money on a project to try to find the secret to a long life and success you know what they discovered they said it's a kiss they said if you kiss your wife every morning when you leave for work you'll live longer and be more successful in life they said the good morning kissers miss less work because of sickness and earned twenty to thirty percent more money than the non kissers something to think about if you love your wife you will not boast a bit but you'll just do it love does not parade itself and verse four what that means is it doesn't talk about all that it does do you know how much I do for you do you know how hard I work for you do you know the Sun yeah yeah well yeah I think she probably knows why don't you just not boast about those things just do it if you really love your wife you'll treat her with respect verse five love does not behave rudely don't be hearts with her respect her don't tear her down you know when you're in public with your wife you should build her up in proverbs 31 we have a description of the virtuous woman it says our husband praises her I think it's a great thing when a husband praises his wife in front of their children your mother let me tell you about your mother sees the bath she's that great you know you praise her what if you don't feel it lie baby lie no I'm just kidding but when you're wrong with friends you tongue my wife on you you talk about her you're proud of her don't ever tear her down let me tell you the stupid things she did the other day now if you have a critical word for her save it for later but I can't understand as couples that fight in front of other people you ever had that up and go out to dinner with someone they get into an argument you're like okay having some fun now even worse couples that fight in front of their children and then ask the kids to take sigh take a side who's right here mommy your daddy you choose that it's a horrible thing to do to your children love is kind and love will treat the spouse with respect number 5 if you love your wife you'll not be harsh with her love is not provoked verse 5 which means aroused to anger you know you're going to have times who you disagree but when it turns into a shouting match you've gone too far that's never productive Ephesians 4:26 says don't let the Sun go down on your wrath don't ever go to bed angry at each other heard about a husband and wife that decided to put this principle in to practice and they never throughout their entire 30 years of marriage ever went to bed mad at each other someone has a husband how did that work Isis it was ok but it's hard sometimes sitting up all night you know so number six if you really love your wife you'll always believe the best not the worst about her you'll believe the best not the worst about her verse five love thinks no evil or takes it into account it's a bookkeeping term it means to calculate or enter into a ledger so this is when you're having a disagreement and you say well I remember 20 years ago you said what 20 years ago you remember it well I haven't written right here you're supposed to forgive and you're supposed to forget I like the statement of Ruth Graham when she said a successful marriage is made up of two forgivers forgive her or forgive him God will give you this love now I know that some of you ladies are saying Greg this is good why don't you stop now let's pray and go home well in all fairness I got to get to you girls - all right go back to Ephesians 5 the men are clapping thank you guys Ephesians 5 again verse 22 wives submit to your own husband's as to the Lord for the husband is a head of the wife as Christ as the head of the church and as a savior of the body therefore as the church is subject to Christ let the wives be to their own husband's in everything now before we break down what this means let's remember an earlier statement here in Ephesians 5 we already touched on in our last message that says in verse 21 submitting one to another in the fear of God because some people choke in the word submit I don't like submit I don't do submission really actually you do you do it every day you submit when you get in your car and you obey the lights and the signs you're submitting when a police officer tells you to come over to him you submit to the authority when the government demands too much taxes we submit and pay them when you have a job and you have an employer you submit you have a teacher who tells you to do an assignment you submit we're all submitting in life so don't tell me you don't do submission you do you're under Authority and you're perhaps and authority over somebody else that's just the way that society works well God has an order in the Christian family and what it says that you should submit one to another it means to get an order under something that's a military term that means to rank under okay so if you have an officer over you you salute them they have that authority over you but notice it says submit to one another before it says anything about wives submitting to husbands it says submit to each other what does that mean it means it's a partnership and it means that you have your mates interests in mind and you want to do whatever you can to lift them up and to build them up you are their number one fan and they are yours they know you're always in their corner and you know they're always in yours that's the idea of submitting we're holding one another up we're building one another up but now we come to the role of wife in particular a loving wife will submit to the servant leadership of her husband hopefully the husband is doing his part can I make a suggestion stop reading each other's mail and by that I mean husband stop quoting the verse about wives to your wife and wives stop quoting the verse about husbands to your husband husband why don't you just focus on your part and do what you're supposed to do and why is why don't you just do the same where the verses God has given to you don't tell him you're supposed to do this so your hate you know just do your part do your part and watch what happens yes you are to submit to the leadership of your husband no understand this verse is not implying that a man is better than a woman he isn't nor is a woman better than a man they're just different that's all when God calls a woman to submit to the leadership of the man it says not saying that the woman is any less than the man fact of the matter is is when it comes to our relationship with God we have equal access the Bible tells us in the book of Galatians 3 verse 28 in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek slave nor free female yet though there is no difference between men and women and the nature of their salvation or sending before God there is a principle of authority in the family and if you struggle with this idea of the men being the spiritual leader or head consider the words of Paul in first Corinthians 11:3 says I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of woman this man and the head of Christ is God now what does that mean when the Bible says the head of Christ is God is God the Father better than God the Son no they are co-equal their ecole eternal the Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit the Bible is saying that God the Father is a head of Christ not in essence or in nature but in function see when Jesus came to this earth though he was God he humbled himself and laid aside his privileges and took upon himself the form of a servant and submitted to the will of the Father right remember him in Gethsemane nevertheless not my will but yours be done he submitted to that authority not because the authority of God the Father was greater than God the Son but because it was a structure so Paul draws upon this and then applies it to the marriage all right so this is a position the man is a spiritual leader the woman submits to that leadership however let me say to you guys any guy that does not seek his wife's input on the decisions of life is an idiot your partners I can't think of hardly any time in a 38 years of marriage when I've said we're going to do this I'm there in or the home and no I always talk about it with my wife and I value her input I value her wisdom I listened very carefully to it and we usually come to a decision together but there is an authority structure in proverbs 31 again we read that the husband has full confidence in his wife she speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is in her tongue a wise man will listen to his wise what is the motive of sufficient submission well you do it is under the Lord verse 20 to submit to your husband's as to the Lord you know maybe sometimes you don't want to submit to that authority you'd do it to the Lord and then under the Lord this is true of life in general I mean take your job and you have an employer you have your boss and maybe you have a great boss and maybe you don't have such a great boss he's sort of like Michael on the office or something you know and and you don't always want to do with that boss or that employer wants you to do well do it is unto the Lord Colossians 3:23 says whatever you do work at it with all of your heart as working for the Lord so don't work is under the Paycheck or work to please the boss salmon's can do this for God's glory I want to do the best job I could possibly do if I work it in and Out Burger I'm just an act as though this burger double-double animal style was just ordered by Jesus Christ so what I do a good job on his burger hey this song I'm going to play I'm going to play it and so Jesus Christ were listening hey this report I'm filling out I'm going to write it out as though Jesus Christ himself would read it hey this husband that I'm married to I'm going to make this meal as though I were making it for the Lord I'm going to do all of this as unto the Lord you say well now Greg this wait a second are there limits to submission there's a wife do whatever her husband asks no matter what well there are limits to submission Colossians 3:18 says wives be subject to your husband as it is fit in the Lord if your husband would ever ask you to do something that is unbiblical you are not required to submit let's just say that you have a non-christian husband and he says I no longer want you to go to church to read the Bible or pray because I'm the head of the home you say okay honey I'll just submit now you say I won't you know what I love you but I'm I'm gonna go to church and I'm going to read the Bible I'm gonna pray it's like the Apostle said we must obey God and not men but those are pretty unusual circumstances listen there is hope today for your failing marriage you need to come to God and need to ask to help you but listen don't just pray for a miracle and wait just send the miracle Lord send the miracle he's already given you everything you need you know he's giving you the power he's giving you the resources and he's giving you the direction the question is are you going to just start doing it don't wait for some surge of emotional love to come over you just start doing what is right start loving start doing the practical thing start showing kindness even if you don't feel like it just start doing it you watch how God can change a marriage in Ephesians or rather the book of Revelation there is a message to the Church of Ephesus that were drifting away and so Jesus gave them his prescription for restoration he said in revelation 2:5 remember for more you will fallen repent and do the first works quickly so the way to get right with God are remember repent and repeat I think we can apply that to marriage too first remember it used to be better than it is now right oh yeah really good so tell me about it well we had a great time together we love to go out and we love to do this and we love to do that ones the last time you did any of those things like took your wife out to their well it's been a long time you know once you remember why don't you repent and what I mean is change your direction start doing the things you used to do repeat get back to those things again and watch what God can do listen your marriage is a picture to this culture of the love of God for the church and the love of the church for God don't let it break down and destroy your testimony God can heal your hurting marriage if will let them yeah let me close by saying that what I've said now to married couples I want to say to everybody and move beyond the subject of marriage for a moment how do I get right with God well again as I said God showed his love toward us by sending the son Jesus Christ to die on the cross in our place for our sin and Jesus submitted to the will of the Father and bore your sin and my sin on the cross and then he rose again from the dead and the same Jesus that lived and died and rose is here with us right now and he is standing at the door of your life and he's knocking he may be single you may be married whatever your status and he will forgive you of your sin if you will turn to him and ask for his forgiveness so we're going to close now and I'm going to give you an opportunity to commit your life to Christ and then we'll commit our marriages to Christ as well so let's all bow our heads our prayer for you would father I pray for any here now that do not yet know you lord help them to see their need for Jesus Christ help them to find the forgiveness that you offer by believing in you now we would pray now all the heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and were praying together if you would like Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sin if you would like to know that when you die you will go to heaven if you would like your guilt taken away or if you've fallen away from the Lord and you want to come back to him again today would you lift your hand up wherever you are and I'd like to pray for you you want Christ to come in your life you want to come back to the Lord lift your hand up I'll pray for you god bless you just lift your hand up I bless you wherever you're sitting lift it up god bless you you up in the balcony lift your hand god bless you guys up there outside in the amphitheater just lift your hand if you would up there in the court building at harvest Orange County raise your hand up let me pray for you now you want to make this commitment or recommitment to Christ god bless each one now I'm going to ask all of you that have lifted your hand if you would please to stand to your feet and I'm going to lead you in a prayer of commitment to Jesus just stand to your feet I'm going to lead you in a prayer that's right just stand up others are standing so you'll be one among many god bless each one of you standing just stand up wherever you are outside in the amphitheater stand to your feet and the court buildings stand up harvest Orange County stand up I'm going to lead you in a prayer a prayer of commitment of Christ anybody else stand now if you need to make this commitment god bless you anybody else one final moment stand now wherever you are wherever you see me stand up God will hear your prayer doesn't matter if I see you the Lord sees you this is between you and him one final moment stand now if you want to make this commitment a recommitment of Jesus god bless you all right all of you that are standing I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me this is where you're asking Jesus Christ to come into your life again as I pray pray this out loud right now pray now if you would Lord Jesus I know I'm a sinner but you died on the cross for my sin and he rose again from the dead I choose to follow you Lord from this moment forward be my savior be my Lord be my God thank you for calling me and accepting me and forgiving me and now lord I pray for every marriage represented here especially for those that are fracturing that are unraveling that are falling apart I pray Lord that you will extend your hand to each one and that this marriage would be saved and that this marriage would not only endure but it would last a lifetime and that it would indeed flourish Lord help every man here to take to heart what we've learned in Scripture and start doing it help every woman here Lord to do her part as well and we pray that you will bless our families and our children we commit ourselves to you now in Jesus name we pray amen amen god bless you guys that prayed that prayer

Channel: Pastor Greg Laurie

Views: 59,200

Keywords: Greg Laurie, Church, Jesus, Marriages, wife, husband, bible study, Bible, family, teach, learn, discipline, love, respect, difference, patient, kind, kutless, kids, example, submit, express, emotions, agape, uncoditional, imperfect, crazy, stupid, 1 Corinthians 13, boast, endure, fail

Id: jERnjDkGP3w

Length: 48min 5sec (2885 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 16 2012