Sermon Tone Analysis

*Divorce & Remarriage: 1 Cor **7:10**-16*

*Maranatha** **Baptist** **Church**.

Sunday Feb. 19~/2006 **10:00 am*

* *

If you do any of *the shopping*, probably the strangest part is at *the checkout*.

(*No offence yvone*).

The magazine section there is perhaps the *strangest collection in print.*

One favourite is the *Hollywood** marriage and divorce scene*.

Some of the comments on the circus include:

·        In Hollywood *they get married early in the morning*.

That way, if it doesn't work out, you *haven't wasted a whole day.*

·        The hardest thing in Hollywood is *to keep the marriage a secret* until the divorce leaks out.

·        I was invited to a Hollywood wedding.

*Traffic* was heavy, so I got there late -- *just in time for the divorce.**

*

·        One Hollywood kid has good reason to be proud: at the *last PTA meeting*, he won the *prize for having the most parents there.**

*

·        One actress is very *sentimental:* she *always gets divorced in the dress her mother was married in.** *

·        A *Hollywood** bride looked around* as the groom put her down after carrying her across the threshold.

Puzzled, the Hollywood bride said, "*This place looks familiar*.

Have we been married before?".

The stars themselves tend to be the most *self-deprecating:*

My wife and I were *happy for twenty years*.

Then we met.

\\ -- Rodney Dangerfield

"My wife loves to shop.

Spends all my money.

One week she was sick *-- three stores went out of business*.

The woman will *bring home anything marked down.*

Last week she brought home an escalator.

She said she lost her purse and all her credit cards were in it.

Did I report them stolen?

No -- the *thief spends less than she does*.

*Take my wife -- please!"* \\ -- Henny Youngman

What is so tragic, is that *life now resembles art.*

The stuff of Hollywood yesteryear now can be seen in *the everyday*.

This week, the supreme court heard a case involving *no-fault spousal support*.

These days it is not uncommon to read of *prenuppual agreements, messy custody battles, haggling over spousal support *and the list goes on and on.

As we have seen over the past weeks, the *situation in **Corinth* was no different.

But the situation was different from *when Jesus taught* on the issue.

When he taught the *Jews, Divorce was rather rare*.

When *Paul dealt with the Greek cities* such as *Athens and Corinth*, and other *Roman cities*, *divorce* *was a frequent thing.

As you recall from our previous studies *some *in **Corinth* were saying it was better to *remain single* to be more spiritual.

*To avoid* what some (*Ascetics) considered sex* *carnal, not spiritual*, and were *divorcing their spouses.

Others* (the *Hedionists*) *lived for pleasure* and would *divorce and remarry on the drop of a hat* with only objective of selfish pleasure.*

*

* *

No one it seems has not been affected by the topic of Marriage and Divorce.

*We *are either the *participants*,  *children or friends of someone* who is or has gone through this process.

*The statistics and effects* from *depression to crime* almost seem meaningless.

*We all seem to know* the technical impact.

*What we need* is the *solution and God’s guidance.*

According to the last *CENSUS DATA FOR Brant* , with a *total population of *almost 120 000, of those 15 and older, about 25 000 have *never been legally married*, just over 50 000 are *legally married and not separated*, just over 4000 are *separated but still legally married* and about equal numbers (7000) are *divorced* and *widowed.

* Therefore in just Brant county, about 11 000 people are *most directly* dealing with the concept or separation and divorce, *not counting* *children, in-laws, congregation members and friends in general.*

* *

I want to make it clear up front that I am not *trying to pick on anyone*.

*If you are divorced or remarried*, it is not *my intent to single you out* or to *embarrass you*.

*I realize *for many *this issue is painful* and this is not *an academic exercise or an intellectual pursuit.*

*It is *a *very* *personal and painful experience* that has *touched your lives*.

I hope we can all have a *greater biblical understanding* and *know how to go forward* as well as *counsel others* and *consider the issue* for those who may encounter the problem, both as a *personal *choice as well as with those they *care about.*

1 Cor.

7 gives a message today with 1) *Guidelines for* Christians *Married to Other Christians *2) Christians *Married to Unbelievers* Who *Want to Stay Married *3) Christians Married *to Unbelievers* Who *Want to Leave*

1) Guidelines for Christians *Married to Other Christians*

1Co 7:10  To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband 1Co 7:11  (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife

*Please turn to Mt. 19*

*In order to establish the background on this issue, I will spend just about all my time on this first point.*

No distinction is made as to the type of marriage involved.

As seen in the last chapter, at least *four marital arrangements were practiced in that day*—ranging from the *common–law* /usus/ to the *noble* /confarreatio/.

*To the married* covers every type.

That *both partners of the marriage in view here* were Christians is clear from Paul’s giving them  *This Charge~/~/instruction* (which he never gave to unbelievers) and from the fact that in verses 12–16 he deals specifically with marriages in which only one partner is a believer.

Lest there be any doubt as to the *source of the teaching here*, the apostle adds, *not I, but the Lord**.

Jesus had taught the truth during His earthly ministry*.

Mat 19:3  And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife *for any cause*?"

Mat 19:4  He answered, "Have you not read that he who *created them from the beginning made them male and female*,

*The Pharisees wanted to see* if Jesus would side with the teachings of *Rabbi Shammai*, who took a very strict view on divorce (divorce only for adultery), or if he would side with *Rabbi Hillel*, who took a very liberal view on divorce (divorce for any reason).

*Jesus* told them *God’s intent for marriage:*

*Quoting Genesis **2:24**, Jesus said,*

Mat 19:5  and said, 'Therefore a man shall *leave *his father and his mother and *hold fast* to his wife, and they shall become *one flesh'*?

Mat 19:6  So they are no longer two but one flesh.

What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

Mat 19:7  They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give *a certificate of divorce* and to send her away?"

Mat 19:8  He said to them, "Because of your *hardness of heart* Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Mat 19:9  And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for *sexual immorality*, and marries another, commits adultery."

*And now back to Chapter 5*

*We have examined the nature of the one flesh.

Adam Clark said on what we have just read that:*

“they should be considered as one body, but also as two souls in one body, with a *complete union* *of interests, and an indissoluble partnership* of life and fortune, *comfort and support*, *desires and inclinations*, *joys and sorrows*.”

* *

Mat 5:31  "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' Mat 5:32  But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, *except on the ground of sexual immorality*, makes her commit adultery.

And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Look back again one book to Malachi chapter 2

·        Do you notice in Mt. 5 that the *only legitimate ground* here is Sexuality immorality.

Mal 2:13  And this second thing you do.

You cover the LORD's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he *no longer regards the offering or accepts it* with favor from your hand.

Mal 2:14  But you say, "Why does he not?"

Because the *LORD was witness* between you and *the wife of your youth*, to whom *you have been faithless*, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

Mal 2:15  Did he not *make them one*, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?

And what was the one God seeking?

Godly offspring.

So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.

Mal 2:16  "For *the man who hates and divorces*, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts.

So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless."

Mal 2:17  You have wearied the LORD with your words.

But you say, "How have we wearied him?"

By saying, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them."

Or by asking, "Where is the God of justice?"

This is *the permissive will of God*: It is God *permitting what he hates.*