MARRIAGE, A HEAVENLY TREASURE
THE FOUNDATION
Gen 1:27-28
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.
Gen 2:19
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
The word meet means in front of
The word help means treasure
God designed marriage for you to have a treasure in front of you
Jesus is the true treasure in front of us.
John 3:28
'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom.
Rev 19:7
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Throughout our lives we are being prepared to be the bride of Christ.
The entire body of believers is the bride of Christ.
When I was young, I didn’t feel like I needed any help.
I thought I was capable of doing it all by myself.
Having got much older, I know I need a HELP MEET.
When I am driving I need my wife’s extra pair of eyes.
My hearing is not as good as it use to be, so I need an extra
set of ears.
I forget stuff so I need to be reminded by my HELP MEET
Our one true HELP MEET IS JESUS
He is in front of us, beside us and in us all the time.
There is a song that says,, “he is all over me”.
Jesus never takes a break from us.
He is the bridegroom and while we are on earth we are His
HELP MEET
According to an article by John Piper
Marriage exists to magnify the truth and worth and beauty and greatness of God; God does not exist to magnify marriage.
God created marriage in His own image and His own likeness.
The job of the bride is to glorify the bridegroom.
Let’s look at some ways we can glorify the bridegroom. What we learn from the bridegroom we can apply to our families?
FAITH PLEASES THE BRIDEGROOM
Heb 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews gives us four requirements to please God
1. You cannot be the bride of Christ without faith.
2. You must believe the bridegroom exists.
3. You must earnestly seek Him.
4. You must believe He will reward you.
Marriage and family reaches it’s highest when God is glorified to
The highest. WHEN GOD IS FIRST
John 12:32-33
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
I want to discuss the rewards of being the bride of Christ. When
We understand the treasure in Christ we want mind being His bride.
KNOWLEDGE
The first reward is knowledge. Knowledge is useful information about
The bridegroom.
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Definition
Knowledge makes us aware or gives us perception.
Wisdom is administration or prudence
Stated another way, wisdom is the administration of knowledge
The knowledge we need is the truth.
John 8:31-32
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Notice, the bride is a disciple of Christ
FREEDOM
One of the rewards of being the bride of Christ is freedom.
We are free from the lies and deception of the devil.
We are free to pursue the righteousness of God.
We are free from the wrath of God.
We are free from the worries of life.
Since we know the truth, we know how to administer the Truth which is wisdom.
Deut 4:5-6
See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations.
GRACE
God’s grace is an unmerited treasure of marriage.
1 Cor 3:10
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder,
and someone else is building on it.
Marriage and family is built on the foundation of Grace
Grace is God’s divine favor.
Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
Eph 3:7-8
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me
through the working of his power.
MERCY IS A TREASURE OF MARRIAGE
Definition
mercy: that of God toward sinners, Titus 3:5
eleos, eleous,
mercy; kindness or good will toward the miserable and afflicted, joined
with a desire to relieve them.
Ex 33:19-20
And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord , in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Luke 1:50
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
JOY
Another treasure of marriage is joy
Ps 16:11
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
John 15:10-12
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have
obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you
this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be
complete.
PEACE
Peace is a treasure of marriage
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the
world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Phil 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
PROTECTION
Our protection is a treasure of marriage
Ps 91:14
Because he loves me," says the Lord , "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
Ps 37:23
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord : and he delighteth in his
way.
A TREASURE OF MARRIAGE IS PROVISIONS
Col 4:1
Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you
know that you also have a Master in heaven.
Matt 7:7-8
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the
door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who
seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
SALVATION IS A TREASURE OF MARRIAGE
Titus 2:13-14
Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all
wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own,
eager to do what is good.
Matt 13:44
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man
found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had
and bought that field.
REWARD FOR SERVICE IS A TREASURE
Mark 9:41
I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name
because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
Mark 10:29-30
Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or
mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail
to receive a hundred times as much in this present age
Col 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,
not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance
from the Lord as a reward.
Can any human marriage approach the divine marriage to Jesus?
I think not. But we can strive be like our role model for marriage.
SUMMARY
THE TREASURES OF BEING THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
1. FAITH
2. KNOWLEDGE
3. WISDOM
4. FREEDOM
5. GRACE
6. MERCY
7. JOY
8. PEACE
9. PROTECTION
10. PROVISIONS
11. SALVATION
When you think about your own marriage and your own
Family, how much of this will you apply? Will it make
A difference?
Rev. M. Mitchell
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