“I Take You…” (Part 2 of 2)

Getting married an exciting time.

Life is also an emotional life, but marriage is not all about passion or romance today on Truth for Life will find out why the bows we make on our wedding day are far more important than whatever feelings we may share Alastair Meg is concluding the message title. I take you he's teaching today from Malachi chapter 2 verses 10 through six. Covenant actually this is what sets covenant is a mutual agreement between two or more people to do or refrain from doing certain things.

Therefore, in a marriage covenant and a woman commit themselves to each other for life and on the basis of solemn values, they become one and it is in that context that all of the benefits of manager to be enjoying now if you don't get it by defining it in those times. Let me help you to get it by defining it antithetic. Let's say what marriage isn't. Let's let's look at very quickly and for un-biblical alternative views of marriage convention to be adopted a consequence to be absorbed or a convenience simply to be arranged at kind of annual renewable contract the same way you reproduce your your drivers license go-getter and you picture to go get a new license you good for another three years. See around and if possible put into it a free agency clause so that every two or three years to get a chance to split. You know, without any kind of liability is all you had a prenuptial agreement. Why because you haven't got covenant you are confident you don't need a prenuptial agreement to the prenuptial agreement, you go home find it and burn it and see if you regard marriage is a convention. As a consequence, as a convenience, and of course you have to surrounded by all kinds of mechanisms in order to safeguard yourself in case he or she doesn't meet your expectations, and consequently when you put all this together. You realize why many people regard marriage is simply a cage to be avoided.

1976 was a long time ago. Now this is for my files. When marriage is just a cage. Jill Tweedy 14 years old at that time writing for the Guardian newspaper rights are very liberated expression of why she regards the notion of a covenantal contract of marriage is being something just completely passé. She says, in my view, the divorce rate is going up for one obvious reason the kind of marriage.

We are expected to support simply doesn't suit as anymore. It falls apart because it is become a sort of antilife structure cage. The expectation that we should live together in a monogamous relationship throughout all of our days go. She says against our deepest nature, stunting our growth making demands upon those that require distorted life's to fulfill so she concludes outside the bonds of Christian marriage. We will I hold learned for the first time what love is all about know we won't.

You may find out what lust is all about what you will find what love is all about.

You may find out what abject selfishness is all about what you won't find out what the nature of self giving love is about planning on getting married we pay attention to planning on running out on what basis.

In an article that I can even quote from because it is so heinous when a fellow called Mark Goldblatt who is a teacher in the fashion Institute of technology, the State University of New York, he describes on the 20th anniversary of MTV. The total filth that we have exported 270 nations of the world, thereby allowing the world to look on and see America must be a great place when they can do all that stuff is what he says in 1993 MTV tackle religion with his hour-long report on the seven deadly sins, sneering celebrities and pimply faced friends joined in on the subject said viewer Tonya sin is kind of like that rod that people beat you over the head with but don't tell me how to live my life unless you walked in my shoes. That sentiment was echoed by rapper Ice-T quotes I don't think anyone else can pass judgment on anyone and tell them they're sinning. Ice-T also just suggested not feeling good about yourself was the biggest sin of all. I see this this is the worldview of people. This is the idea of freedom.

Freedom is being able to completely please myself and had nothing to do with the moral awareness of the unenforceable apartness of society is simply I can do what I like that freedom and as soon as that is that is embraced is freedom and the notions that were now dealing with here in terms of a covenantal relationship with God completely passé. Have you think this is overstating you go for your homework and read Genesis 15 when you get there, you'll discover this dramatic encounter between God and Abraham and there is deep darkness. There is the presence of a bright torch which speaks of the presence of God in the situation and they are cutting animals in half and they're putting on one side and the other side and then the parties in the covenant walk in between these divided animals to say what is that kind of her cake. What is being said is this May I be torn in half.

If I don't fulfill my covenantal obligation to you. That's why the Hebrew doesn't speak about making a covenant it speaks about cutting a covenant and in the cutting and in the day and in the solemn darkness there was the dramatic display imagery which conveyed the most dreadful consequences for failing to keep one's virus and values. It is values they are not feelings, and values that we make in a covenant is not feelings that we shared in the marriage to remember how you felt on the day were married. I can remember everything that I felt that I do know some things I felt. I feel warm now, but not as warm as I felt hundred and three sweaty degrees in suburban Philadelphia. I felt excited. I felt embarrassed because I had a ridiculous tuxedo that Susan had picked out for me. She no longer dresses me as you can see by the and I had a bow tie was so huge that if the windblown they were thought I was a white flight or something.

I just could take off over the building so I was hard. I was embarrassed. I was excited and I just wanted to get out of there from about the beginning when he said we are gathered here in the presence of God is and that's enough. Let's go. That was how I felt. What did I do but I made promises violence that are like edges on the pavement when you're writing your bike to keep you in the things they don't go flying off the site and find a line of my feelings to keep me from going off the sides and still become young couples full of enthusiasm and love, and they tell me pastor bag really so excited.

We wrote our own house as they look in my eyes and tell me if you think I'm excited is a you may have written your own blood reassurance. You're sure not reading them in my marriage ceremony because once bitten twice shy. I've been there done that that goes like this is a seal to the voucher now about to make. Will you give each other the right hand is amazing how couples leave know what's the right hand when they're getting married anyway. They turn in the face one another and then the fellow if you're not careful. He launches often to something like this.

Penelope the first time ever I saw your face. I felt the earth move in my head, I'm going take time out right now son. This is not the honeymoon.

This is the wedding ceremony for goodness sake when sitting here in about 1/2 moving or anything else where you for some values, some back to her worst rich poor sickness how that can is that this is volitional. This is not an emotional. You started out soft on your emotions. You cannot even get out of the limousine for the after the photograph before you're ready to her and she may not even millions of the photographs with you so you can make values. This is confidence Roberta Flack writing your values for goodness sake, there was still a wee folk and temporize that we come up with wonderful words. Okay, tell me some of your one of words I was asking the same thing. Give me a synonym for cherish for cherish that I may give you a cinnamon bun but they can give you a synonym for cherish 10 words later, they can come up with a word. This is good is cherish. Of course that's why it has lasted for 350 years. It's a good word. Leave it alone are some you really ticked because you wrote the Best Buy was overheard in the Western Hemisphere fine, go home and read them yourself. Have a pleasant afternoon. Do not send me a copy. Thank you.

It goes like this. I call upon these persons here present to witness that I Alister do take you, Susan to be my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health to love and to cherish, till death's DuPont is very solemn stuff is I don't sound like a contract to me.

She and marriage.

What we're doing in the covenant of marriage. We are entering into what is essentially a covenant of companionship we're saying I will be your partner throughout life. You will be my companion throughout life and it is as we grow together as companions on the journey of life maintained by the covenantal commitments challenged by the ebb and flow of circumstances tempted by the marauding sites and influences all around as it is by means of that covenant is enabled by God that we stay on the track. As a result of this companionship that men and women become one, intellectually and emotionally and physically even begin some weight cases to look like each other, which is in suitcases distressing prospect, but that's why in a room after all these years you have to have a cellular phone you just you just go and you know what was that about, you know, when you get kicked under the table when your first marriage and why did you take me another 10 you don't have to actually kick you know where it was just below the knee equals X just a little further.equals why do great ones and handling. Let's get out of here in Chavez. We do this over time.

So did you.

Why do I think this way when I feel this way. Why do I act this way because my focus is on fulfilling my mouse not having my needs met in a marriage covenant.

You promise to be the companion to your spouse. I promise to be your companion, even though it goes this way.

In this way, this where this way, you do not enter into a contract whereby if she or he will fill certain requirements written by you and you will continue your side of the bargain. Now it's a confidence and if your focus is there is tremendous freedom to live every day with the prospect of divorce because divorce is not an option is not an option and when I get older losing my hair right. Not so long from now, will you still be sending me a Valentine birthday greetings, if I stay out after 36 holes of golf till 2:45 will you slam the door, will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm 64.

The answer is yes, she may be way down the door with a 30 she is behind the door.

I see promise to be behind the door and I came back door and I promise to come back through its insect's. It's not easy but is straightforward. What is a successful marriage to clumsy stumbling sinners stuck together his loving companions and a sacrificial relationship which takes place in face of life's chaos tried on many of you woke up this morning like Fred Flintstone you know yeah bad moon, they were marrying no hands or ball will begin the day.

That way they regard. I'm in a nondescript, that's fine. Now you began the day this and we begin every day I'm alive. This is depending on how you feel.

Fact is a matter you know your spouse and say you're stuck with me.

You're stuck with me any one of us can make a royal hash of things I just was with the Paul Overstreet were talking together and I hadn't fully realized all the wonderful songs that's that Paul Overstreet had written you. Note that the Randy Travis had forever and ever.

Amen.

He wrote that I won't take less than your love sweet love.

He wrote that he also wrote the song.

Smile on your face lets me know that you need me that it some big hit in the movie Notting Hill is well sung by somebody else.

But he also wrote the Randy Travis song on the other hand, if you remember it was a very clever song. The guy says you know, here I am and I'm out and I'm on a business trip or whatever else it is and that he's in the company of as somebody other than his wife and he says you know, on the one hand, we could spend the evening together without a great deal of difficulty after all and he says, but on the other hand, there's a golden band that reminds me of someone who wouldn't understand. And so while on this hand. We could do this the reason I have to go is on the other. I was on a vice a chain and electronic detection system, a ring is simple, not of feelings, but of a covenant which we break at our own peril to the dreadful impact of all concerned. Is this from a 13-year-old girl your fathers. If your father thinking about leaving your family. I don't believe you truly know in your heart when your child is going through. I may seem to be a normal 13-year-old girl.

I smile on the outside I show a positive attitude, but insight I'm crying out so loud for a normal family life. You see, my father left my mom and me when I was 18 months old probably thought I was too young for the divorce to affect me, but he was wrong.

What happened to the commitment and the promise that he made to my mom and most importantly, to God, I just would like to be a normal kid was so wrong with that I sent in restaurants the last 10 years staring at the complete families around us wondering, wondering what would you like to have a father at home to have a father kissed me good night and listen to my prayers father to be there.

My volleyball games to look at my report cards to meet my teachers or maybe even tell me I love you but all the waitress seizes a smile on my face than my dad know how much he certainly if God gave me one wish and one wish only I would wish for my father to watch me grow up. He wasn't there when I had my birthday's.

He wasn't there for my school events are for my Girl Scout awards programs. He never met any of my teachers never saw report card.

My father got what you want.

He couldn't face the responsibility of me got his freedom. He gambled what he doesn't realize is that he lost his little girl from a 28-year-old lady. I grew up in an unstable non-Christian home.

I had five parents and three sets of siblings. My mother just called me this past Sunday to inform me that she's about to bestow upon the six parent and aforesaid of siblings. I understand the very depths of my being. Why God hates divorce and why we should to no good thing comes from it ever. Divorce is not only stolen from your family, but also the grapes my parents ate with relish, have set my teeth on average divorce answers, no question souls. No problem resolved. No conflict gives no race point restores no dignity and grants no peace.

Divorce cannot be dealt with. Too harshly, especially in the church of Jesus Christ. I bless God that he knows no divorce in the marriage covenant that he is established between himself and his bride. We must teach husbands and wives to honor the covenant they made before God. If for no other reason than the sake of the next generation.

If our wedding vows are grounded in passion or emotion were in trouble. Wedding vows are to be grounded in a lifelong covenant of companionship listing to Alastair big country for life.

Alastair will join us in just a minute to close with prayer. Today's the last day of our series titled, we too are one if you missed any part of this series on marriage or would like to relisten or share these messages with a friend. You can download any or all of the messages for free at Truth for Life.org we have concluded our study of marriage on Monday will begin a study in the book of Ecclesiastes. This is a book that contains a great deal of wisdom about every aspect of life that you'll find it well worth your time to dig into the important lessons in this section of Scripture to help you with that. You want to request a new book were introducing titled living life backward.

This book takes a deep dive into the teaching in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Most of us don't like to think about the reality of death. It's easier to divert our attention to the pressing issues of the moment, but living life backward explains that death is a light God shines on the present to radically change your thinking. The book explains that when death is in full view. We no longer try to control life. We begin to enjoy it as a gift requester copy when you donate today to give simply tap the book image in the mobile app or visit us online at truthforlife.org/donate or if you'd prefer, you can call us at 888-588-7884. Now here's Alastair to close with prayer for God our father. We stand naked before your word if you like Isaiah, we are a people of unclean lips.

We dwell in the midst of others who have unclean lips. We are so easily infiltrated and influenced by the godless mechanistic thinking of the surrounding culture, we read the Bible and it charset send strike sources of dramatic impact some of his Lord have come through the tortuous events that we are seeking to encourage others never to get to and we find ourselves buffeted by recollections. We pray that they may be buried at the cross that Satan will find no foothold as we seek to turn our backs on what is before and press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ, but we unite to pray for us for our own marriages, that we might fulfill the vows that we have made you might save us from sentimentalism and infatuation writing is where our bicycle right off the path and down into the destruction that awaits us on the edges of the concrete pray that you would help us so to train our children that they might find the awesomeness in the solemnity of this on absolutely graphic picture might take things seriously and for our grandchildren and the generations yet unborn. We pray that we may so live so teach, so proclaim the wonder of your covenantal love that until Christ returns. The church may be as a light in a dark place, made a grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest upon the remain with each one of us today and forever on then about being hope you enjoy your weekend and hope you're able to worship with your local church join us Monday will begin a fast-paced study of Ecclesiastes together will learn how to make sense of life in a crazy world Bible teaching of Alastair big is furnished by Truth for Life Learning is for Living