Marriage Advise from the Bachelor - pt1

1 Cor 7:1-6

I have found that one of the quickest ways to be asked to leave a church is to give your views on this passage. Marriage, divorce and remarriage is one of most hotly debated doctrinal teachings in the church. No matter what view you take, you are going to offend someone. Both sides will say their view is the correct scriptural interpretation. My desire today isn’t to offend you, but to honestly look at what Paul has to say here about several different marital issues.

PRAYER

I. Is Marriage For Me?

A. Not everyone needs to be married … or single

1. As we begin to look at this text, we see Paul urges people to be celibate as Christians, Why?

2. There are several possible reasons

a) first, without a family, a person can totally commit themselves to sharing the gospel wherever they need to go.

b) READ vs 32-35

(1) When I was single, I could pick up and move on a moment’s notice and it didn’t bother me at all.

(2) Now, with a wife and family I have to consider school and other issues that effect each member of my family.

(3) So many churches want only a married man as a minister, but a single man has no other commitment to keep him from giving all he has to the church he is working with.

c) second, there was persecution.

(1) At Corinth it wasn’t too bad, but that wasn’t the case everywhere.

(2) What happens to a family if one of them is killed or imprisoned?

B. Paul was a realist who understood most could not live like he did.

1. I lived single for 28 years, and I have been married for 10.

2. Let me tell you, for me, married life is MUCH better.

3. I am one of those who need to be married.

II. Marriage Advice

A. Much is made of what does the Bible say about bad marriages.

1. Most of the NT teaching on marriage problems is found right here in this chapter.

2. In fact so much that I will extend this discussion through next week to deal with marriage issues in greater detail.

3. It’s interesting to note that when Paul talks about sexual relations, it isn’t in the context of procreation.

a) sex is more for intimacy than for procreation.

b) Paul tells married couples not to deprive one another why? so they won’t be tempted to commit adultery.

c) The only time they should cease to have a regular relationship is for prayer.

B. The danger of singleness

1. Paul pushes not getting married if you can live single, but makes it clear that if sexual temptation is hard on you, get married.

2. In our world today, people are maturing younger and younger and getting married older and older.

3. It’s the perfect equation for sexual sin.

4. We need to teach our young people at home and at church why they need to remain pure until marriage.

a) If we don’t, I guarantee their friends and the schools will.

b) My daughters have already told me that their friends have talked a little about sex and they are quite young!

c) Don’t fool yourself into thinking that your children’s friends aren’t talking to them about sex.

d) The only ones they probably are not talking to about this issue is their parents!

e) That’s why I think parents need deal honestly with this issue as soon as they see the issues coming up.

f) I think the church needs to deal properly with this issue and re-enforce parents teaching and God’s teaching about sexuality.

g) Where do you want your children gaining their knowledge of marital relations in a God controlled environment of home and church or who know with friends and acquaintances?

5. We should also encourage our young people to get married when they find a good Christian young person.

a) Waiting until they finish college, get a better job, or whatever can put them in a situation that will only lead to sin.

b) No matter how deep your faith is, if you are with someone whom you love with all your heart long enough before marriage, you’ll end up sinning in a sexual nature.

c) Going back to Paul talking about sexuality being for intimacy is what this is all about.

d) Sexual intimacy deepens all aspects of intimacy in a marriage relationship and our bodies and minds will desire that closeness with someone we love deeply.

C. Uncomfortable subject

1. This is an uncomfortable topic to preach on and even more so on a Sunday morning.

2. However, the more I thought about it, the more I felt convicted that we need to deal with this issue up front.

3. We have had too many “mistakes” when we didn’t deal with sexuality upfront and as God would want us to.

4. We have had too many of our young people believe that as long as we don’t go all the way or don’t get caught, we are okay.

a) We need to teach purity,

b) We need to teach that sex is great when it is done in relationship that God ordains.

c) We need to teach how to have good pure marriages.

5. Uncomfortable yes, absolutely necessary, yes