Brothers and sisters,
Happy Monday to all! We had a great day on Sunday as we gathered to worship. Yesterday morning, we looked at what Jesus taught in Matthew 19 about the permanence of marriage. We thought about some of the reasons and purposes for marriage from this passage. We learned that marriage was created and designed by God to be permanent. We learned that marriage is complementary, that God created male and female to complement each other in a marriage. This is the only kind of marriage God recognizes because God alone created and designed it to be this way. We learned that marriage is to be lifelong until one or the other partners dies. We learned that marriage is exclusive where one man marries one woman and the two become one flesh. All sexual activity outside of marriage is contrary to God’s design. We saw that marriage is nuclear where we leave father and mother and God’s creates a new unit that is to be the primary unit of society. It is more important than any other social relationship. We learned that marriage is the be the primary vehicle through which children are raised. God’s best for children is to be raised in a home where there is a father and a mother who are committed to each other for life. And we learned that marriage is not for everyone. There are those who are called to be single either for a long period of life or for their entire lives. God’s people must never treat them as second-class citizens but help them in their single lives to live holy lives for the glory of God. As the Apostle Paul lived a single life for the glory of God, there are many who are also called to a single life and this is a beautiful expression of whole-hearted devotion to God. We also learned that if there has been a divorce in our past, we are to realize God forgives because of Jesus’ death on the cross. We may have to live with some of the consequences of a failed marriage, but we do not have to live with the guilt of a failed marriage because “the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.” We are today to live our lives for the glory of God, whether we are single, married or remarried. For all who are now married, marriage at times will be hard, and we will have to work and sacrifice to make it better. But it is worth it to have a godly marriage and home. God intends one man become one flesh with one woman in marriage until death alone destroys this union.
We also had a great time of worship on Sunday evening at our hymn sing. We spent almost an hour and forty-five minutes singing hymns and choruses and sharing testimonies about God’s faithfulness in our lives. It was a time with no real plan or structure but simply worship and sharing. And it was wonderful! We plan on having more of these times in the future.
The ladies Bible study of Philippians has two more sessions. Ladies, if you have missed a session or even a few sessions, don’t let that stop you from joining the ladies as they finish this study on the next two Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM. If you have any questions, contact Carla.
Love being your pastor!
Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church