Why Marriage Matters to God
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- Опубліковано 1 гру 2022
- What does the Bible say about the importance of marriage? Is it really important for Christians to teach and embrace natural marriage? This video is a sermon I recently delivered at Shoreline Church in San Clemente for Father's Day.
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Really good, Sean! I am single and don't have any plans to get married. But I found your point about the last thing happening in the Bible was the marriage supper of the Lamb to Jesus who was single while he was on this earth. It puts things in an eternal perspective that all Christians will get married some day - its just that the greatest wedding we can experience is getting married to Christ. I've been to some of my friends weddings and it's always such a wonderful experience to see their love for each other. I'm glad that I will be able to experience this love in the second coming!
Thanks for sharing!
I love my wife, even today close to 8 years after she died in February of 2015 after 41 1/2 years of marriage. While there were feelings, good and bad, love isn't a feeling, it's a commitment to someone that results in action for them over your own desires. We had that.
Amen. Thanks for sharing and sorry for your loss.
Amen. Thanks for sharing and sorry for your loss.
Amen. Thanks for sharing and sorry for your loss.
Amen. Thanks for sharing and sorry for your loss.
Amen. Thanks for sharing and sorry for your loss.
I am in my car. I was just driving on the freeway and pulled off at an exit in order to listen to a video. I chose this one. I started playing it and heard him mention the school he teaches at. I looked up where it is, and it was 3 minutes away from me, off the same exit. Crazy coincidence. Seems like it should be a sign but I don’t know what it could be, so it might just be a crazy coincidence haha. Who knows
That’s crazy!
Our 18 year marriage has been a struggle but I thought our foundation was solid. Crushingly, it is likely to end in divorce in the next few months. I did not see that her foundation was "progressing" and now we no longer have that shared foundation in the Lord. I wish I could have spoken to my younger self and stress to him to stay plugged in and love his wife as Christ loves the Church, exactly what Sean has said here. That said, my hope is that there will be at least one person who will hear/read this message and take it deeply to heart. Sean, I appreciate this message more than ever as my wife and I go through this. It is almost unbearable but we have good God who is faithful and ever present. Thank you for not only this message but much of what you have had on your channel. I have been blessed by it and have learned so much.
Marty, I am SO SORRY to hear this and my heart breaks. Thank you for taking the time to watch and share your experience. I wish I could fix it for you.
@@SeanMcDowell Thank you for the heartfelt words.
how are you doing these days?
Dude that hits home for me it'll be 18 this Aug for me and we have had our ups and downs too. I've been close to divorce several times. Sorry you're going through that. It's a very difficult thing for me to even imagine getting divorced, I would be devastated if it actually happened. I hope things are better.
Great message Sean! I've been gifted with the gift of singleness. Praise the Lord! Because I love being alone with God
Oh my! I was not expecting this sermon to hit me as hard as it did. This was just so so beautiful. Thank you, Sean.
This is amazing and so important. Thank you, Sean!
What a great sermon!
Such an informative video! Thank you for this!
I’m glad to hear it’s helpful.
So nice to hear you preach!! Love it. More of this!
Hello, I’m Raymond watching from Jacksonville FL. I was recently introduced to this show by an old friend of mine. I really don't mind being your friend and knowing you more. It’s always nice meeting and knowing new people all over the world. if you dont mind me asking? tell me something about yourself.
@@raymonddoxon6484 I'm sorry but I do not give out personal information to strangers on UA-cam.
Wow! the way you discussed marriage really reached the depth of my soul. ❤ how encouraging
Awesome!
Great talk !
This is beautiful❤
Timely lesson.
Good talk, thank you! (just a note, Numbers 7 is the longest in the Pentateuch - 89 verses. I only know this because I'm teaching on this section and was working on it today)
Thanks!
I wish I would have understood the meaning of being equally yoked. It's never to late for God to intervine to make my long term marriage a marriage.
What does it mean ?
As to the most important reason to marry, what about love--romantic love (not infatuation)? What makes a lomg-term friendship work is friendship itself. When my wife and I married, we were marrying our best friemds--each other. All other possible reasons are secondary to that. The spiritual symbolism of it is informative, but we did not marry to illustrate a theological doctrine. We married for love.
I’m so excited for this!!!! Thank you in advance Sean!!
What’d you think?
@@SeanMcDowell I loved it! Especially how you spoke so clearly that the greatest reason for a marriage is to embody God’s unfailing love to the church! I LOVE THAT.
After almost a lifetime of hearing messages about singleness being better than marriage (all based on one chapter in the entire Bible), I posted a video last week on my Instagram expressing my thoughts.
I’m 35 and single and laid down marriage with an open hand to God, but the great push for singleness did not sit well with my spirit. I haven’t yet done research to see if single people historically accomplish more things than married people. And I don’t know if when I get married, my impact will diminish. But I’m a big supporter of marriages.
Your message also made remember that there will be a great wedding feast in heaven when the church meets her bridegroom! So God loves marriages very much!!😄 Thank you so very much for this.
@@chloeannshaw My wife and I were married on 1st Corinthians 7:7, but if you look at that verse, Paul is suggesting that as many as are called to can remain single. So be blessed. The only one you have to share your decision making with is Jesus. If you were married your husband would share in that. In some ways you were blessed more than me. Never forget that.
@@rockandsandapologetics7254 Thank you for your encouragement. I don’t know all about your life so I can’t confirm that I am more blessed. If we consider the beatitudes, we all have a chance at receiving many blessings :).
@@chloeannshaw There's another thing I think of, Fanny Crosby, writer of over 8,000 hymns and tunes, was asked by a friend why she didn't pray for God to heal her of her blindness. (She was blinded by a quack during her first year of life). Her answer was, "When I receive my sight the first person I am going to see is my precious Lord and Savior." Now, there is someone who had her priorities straight, and since she has passed on she has received that glorified body, including perfect eyesight to behold Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
We are in that ministry. We call out and expose divorce and remarriage adultery
Amen hallelujah
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Sorry Sean, I know that this is not a biology or zoology teaching, but I could not let your camel story go without comment. Camels do not “store water in their humps”, they store fat for energy . It’s an easy mistake to make, however, you are a respected teacher and people listen to what you say. They do drink a lot of water in one go but it’s not all collected in the hump or humps ( there are two types of camels- some have one hump ).
Camels can go about a week without water, but several months without food.
These people are science denying fools..... Of course they don't understand shit about biology.
Most preachers should add the don't worry about it god will break Covent for you card. Or stayin adultery god will forgive that lifestyle. According to most pastors there must be ten ways or more to break a marriage.
❤️
Is it also incumbent on us to remember 1 Corinthians 13:13 and Matthew 7:21 and pay more or equal attention to our own flaws than concentrating on our neighbors? Is the marriage issue low hanging fruit that accomplishes less than other issues?
I totally agree, but as I argue in the video, marriage is anything but low hanging fruit. It’s God’s primary illustration of His love for the church.
@@SeanMcDowell in my opinion- ministers unintentionally live somewhat in isolation not seeing the results of their sermons which many times critique people other than themselves and their congregation. In my opinion - Outside the church walls most Christians almost never try to apply the harder commands of God such as Loving one another. Hence, if most Christians r actually refusing to prioritize love and sacrifice first maybe that is the predominant reason that in the last 50 years people who describe themselves as Christian has decreased from 90% to 64% per Pew Research. I hope u respond because I have biblical counter points that I think one should consider but I will wait to see whether u do
@@SeanMcDowelldef. low hanging fruit: persuades with little effort. LGBT % in USA approximately 3.5 %. 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10: “… Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor greedy, nor drunkards, nor revivers, nor swindlers war inherit the kingdom of God.” Without a thorough discussion of all of the above how can one “… rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction …” (2 Timothy 4-2) the homosexual so much more than the rest of us sinners? Does not James 3:6 apply to all of us? When one points out 1 flaw so much without strong condemnation of others does he sow discord among brothers (proverbs 6:16-19)? Does 1 Corinthians 5:11 suggest that we should pay some attention to fellow believers and our own actions at least as much as non-believers and crusade against all sin not just a minority (3.5%) such as homosexuals? Isn’t love kind ( 1 Corinthians 13) and greater than faith? I should also add that maybe, no probably, my biggest flaw is that, in my opinion, I do not love enough and for me to make this debate without noting this would be disrespectful to the one who loves me the most
I don't believe in a God and I am grateful I escaped the Mind Prison of Christianity. But let's be clear...if there is a God I am grateful as well. That's the real point! None of us really know anything about a God and any claim otherwise is just pretense. I am grateful that the brain I was given by a God or through evolution and reproduction was able to overcome the brainwashing of my youth. I am grateful that I don't believe in resurrections, demons, devils or eternal torture. I am grateful that I can accept and be empathetic to those who are not like myself. I have no problems with immigrants (illegal or otherwise), Transgender, Homosexual, Muslim, Mormon, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, People of Color, Albinos or Wiccan. I am grateful that I can see that once you can become comfortable forcing your beliefs upon others...is the moment when your beliefs start to divert from idiosyncratic to a group think that can embrace evil entities like the Trump-Republican-Jesus Taliban. A group think that embraces Fox news as they demonize the LBGT community as this real world consequence leads to murder and harm. A group think that denies the science of climate change and vaccines that helps lead the world to a more dangerous place. A group think that forces raped women and children to give birth even though they actually believe the majority of those born will burn in eternal suffering. I am grateful that I can see the beauty in science and truth and I am grateful that I can face my life with bravery, courage and not the fear of the unknown and death.
A marriage worth defending would be one between willing, age appropriate people wishing to commit themselves to a lasting relationship together. Period.
According to your own opinion
@@apracity7672 yes, my opinion, based upon common sense, reason and love.
@@monkkeygawd your definition opens the door to incest, homosexuality and polygamy. Thats not love
@@apracity7672 gay marriage is certainly acceptable between consenting adults.
@@monkkeygawd not according to common sense, reason, natural law and moral considerations
Lots of secular straight people get married and it has nothing to do with the Bible or a symbolic relationship with God. And Christian’s don’t seem to have a problem with this, why can’t gay people have a secular marriage as well? I don’t see this as a defense of Christian marriage, it’s not being threatened, really it’s an attack on secular people being able to have marriages that they define differently than the church. Marriage is older than Christianity and Judaism, and has meant different things and had different norms in different cultures (from property exchange, alliance formation, arranged patriarchal marriages, to choosing your own partner based on romantic attraction). So it doesn’t make sense for Christian’s to try and copy right this term and force one definition on our culture.
I also find it ironic that so much of the Old Testament or even the new is interpreted as prescriptive vs. descriptive or cultural vs. universal teachings without objective criteria for which is which. I think how Christian’s interpret which passages we can ignore and which we can’t says a lot about who they are as people.
I just hope Sean isn’t encouraging people to vote against gay marriage or restricting others rights. We need separation of church and state.
I hope he is encouraging people to vote against gay "marriage". It's not marriage if it's not between a man and woman.
@@User_Happy35 it’s not the Christian definition of marriage. But Christian’s don’t have some unique authority to define words and enforce their definition on the general population. I think you’d understand if Muslims were trying to define words in a way you didn’t like and instead of just keeping it in their mosque they were trying to vote it into law.
@@User_Happy35 I’d actually really like to hear your perspective on why you’d have a problem with a secular gay marriage?
Many straight people in the US get married who are not Christian’s, and they’re marriage isn’t defined by any of the things a Christian marriage would. I understand you’d have an issue with Christian’s having a gay marriage, but a secular marriage is really a different thing. Why attack non religious citizens rights and make them get married under a Christian worldview when they aren’t Christian?
This message, of course, is a sermon for Christians. But I’m honored when anyone watches! I do make a case for natural marriage apart from the scriptures in my book Same-Sex marriage. The heart of the question is “What is marriage?” We have to answer that before we can talk about rights.
@@SeanMcDowell thanks for your reply Sean. I think when we try to answer that question “what is marriage” we will find that Christian’s and secular people will disagree. I hope we can make room in this country for both definitions. I do understand historically (not all) but the majority of these relationships we call marriages have been between men and women, but in our country the secular definition has been extended to others as well. I hope you understand that gay marriage isn’t harming or taking anything away from straight marriages or Christian marriages.
What, marriage "matters to God"? Well, then, let him get married, preferably to a strong-willed woman, and then have him tell us how it went. And, if it went well, he should tell us how he pulled it off... before commanding us to get married and stay married!
I married a strong-willed woman, and it is troublesome at times. Learning over time to strive to be humble, selfless, and sacrificial to one’s bride is hard but utterly worthwhile. Marriage is a basket of hornets at times - a fulsome blessing at other times. With perspective, even the hornet years are a blessing because He sees you through them and He uses that time to build you into the man He wishes you to be. I’m still a sinful mess this side of eternity and many of my selfish acts have brought to fruition our hard times, but His grace sees me forward in the walk. Of late, I’ve gained much peace and strength through literally kneeling in prayer each morning (in the bathroom, where privacy is afforded) and quietly seeking Jesus’s blessing on our marriage. Praying for my wife is a wonderful way to start my day. I often sense God answering these prayers and I experience the changes to the good over time. God is good! A strong-willed woman - if a fellow believer - is not strong enough to overcome God’s will. Seek and pray for His will to overcome both your will’s. That’s my experience. 30 years married.
Is Jesus your husband?
Very short answer is: yes, but with deeper meaning. When I was a new Christian, this idea that Jesus spoke of scandalized me because I was still very earth-bound in my thinking. With time I understood that Jesus means to be betrothed to His Church, the fellowship of believers. It’s not a carnal thing, associated with sexuality but instead devotion, sacrificial love, and the covenant between the parties : man and wife, and Christ and His Church. I’m now 33 years a Christian, and perhaps in 5 more years (God willing) I’ll have a deeper understanding of this mystery. Regardless, it’s a beautiful doctrine. But for many, including my younger self, it rings of scandal. Many Christian doctrines are quickly assimilated, others take time, study, and illumination. This one is the latter type for me.
Yes, in the spiritual sense.
@@lark8356 so you follow Jesus like he's your husband. How can you criticize other people in the same sex relationship?
@@vladislavbarbarii2089 why would you use the spiritual sense if you weren't okay with the real thing?
@@37view37 yeah it's kind of hard to say you're against same-sex marriage when you're in a relationship with a dude.
marriage doesn't matter to an imaginary being. It only matters to those who want everyone to obey their baseless nonsense and who are simply selfish.
What makes you think they want obedience and are selfish?
what about committing yourself to one person for your life is selfish?
@@MrSturdystratus "what about committing yourself to one person for your life is selfish?"
if that's what you like, it isn't selfish. But if you love many, or love someone of same or different gender, then no one has to care what some sad little christians think marriage "ought" to mean.
and you sad little people only want the benefits of marriage to apply to you. That's how you are selfish.
@@yesenia3816 "What makes you think they want obedience and are selfish?"
oh dear, what makes me think that conservative christians want obedience? Oh just the repeated attempts to put their lies into laws. And those who want the benefits of marriage to only apply to them and no one else.
@@velkyn1 Such as?
Praying with your hand in your pocket?! I don't think that's right :(
@@hydepark1382 I think it's showing disrespect - it's common sense.
@@hydepark1382 You are right, there is no law Thou shalt not keep your hands in the pockets during prayer, but when you pray, you are talking to the almighty King of the whole universe! You would not stand in front of a human royalty with your hands in the pockets would you? Most likely not, and during the prayer you are standing in front of the King of Kings! What would you think of a man who keeps his hand in a pocket during his wedding ceremony? He could, but would you say that it's ok? Certain things are just disrespectful. I only hope that at some point you will understand that.
@@hydepark1382 True. There is no commandment that forbids to keep hand in the pocket during prayer, so yes it is only my opinion based on my culture. I strongly feel that it's not right but there are no verses in the Bible to support my position.
@@hydepark1382 God bless you too :)