Review: What we believe about God will determine the quality of our marriage Week #2

Transcription

1 Review: What we believe about God will determine the quality of our marriage Week #2 Being a good theologian Lining up the buttons Foundation Bible / Inspired, inerrant, indestructible, preserved for us In the Bible we encounter God as he has ultimately made himself known in the person of Jesus Christ Eph 5:18-33 o Cause and effect, with a bridge o Jesus is the standard o Asks me to love unconditionally, Marcia to respect uncon We believe the Bible to be Inerrant, Inspired, & preserved, And it is weighty enough to speak authoritatively into our lives even if we weren t people of faith. Fountain Gospel, (1 Cor 15:1-6) Of 1 st importance,.death, burial, resurrection Jesus did this over and over,..how? Everything is presentation of, proclamation of or participation in,.gospel Focus The glory of God /2 ideas you may not have considered Displacing weight We believe the Bible to be Inerrant, Inspired, & preserved, And it is weighty enough to speak authoritatively into our lives even if we weren t people of faith. Displacing weight, when God becomes reality more than concept o The big rock, water quake, earth quake, self quake o Is 6, Luke 5, Acts 9 A brilliance / creative transformation Moses in EX. 33 Show me your glory I place you in the cleft of the rock Not aware his face glowed

2 P.2 Chapter #2 Waking up with the Worst of Sinners Dave Harveys example of blowing it and mine (Read His) Example: Marriage counseling with Dave & Krista / Real Until sin is bitter, Marriage cannot be sweet 1Tim 1:15,16 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. 1 Cor. 15:9 Paul says, I am the least of the Apostles. Eph 3:8 Paul says, I am less than the least of all of Gods people. 1 Tim 1:15, 16,,. I just keep getting worse and worse Expound,. o V 15 Here s a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Trustworthy saying,.you can take this to the bank, verily x2 Full acceptance,.so trust deserves our full acceptance o Need to embrace this truth Gospel Flag Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners Christ s activity Acts 10:38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 1 st Jn 3:8b The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil s work. Col.1:13,14 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

3 Of whom I am the worst,.. Question: Two problems,.what happens to people when they become aware of their Sin If we embrace worst sinners, always feel unworthy o Satan, U call yourself a Christian o Feel guilty,..got to do better,.white knuckle o Achievement theology is bad theology o Behavior modification vs. transformation o Saying to God I must help you save me o Can t be maintained, so in our failure we, o Drift, or Slide, out of fellowship, come back and start the whole process again Or we run from him instead of running to Him Or We don t embrace worst sinners but act like one all the time because we think we re saved Fire insurance Do what I want, God s free gift ya know Glad that God recognizes my worth Going to heaven, because I m a good person Paul obviously not getting worse, but as the weight of God s glory lands on Him time and Time again,. o Paul is overwhelmed by God s love and holiness and sees himself for who he really is.depraved sinner But instead of running from God He runs to Him Transforming glory of God reveals our sinproblem Bible assures us, sin is dealt with by Jesus Cross God has placed us in Christ We may not be aware of it

4 Though transformed by the glory of God a battle rages in him and in us Gal. 5:17 The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever [c] you want. Healthy understanding O.T. Scriptures that speak about the fear of the Lord Mk 4:35-41 Crossing Galilee, Furious storm, 20 waves Jesus sleeping on a cushion Don t you care if we drown,..at least help us bale Jesus speaks to storm, says, why are you so afraid. Do you still have no faith They were terrified / Mt account says they worshipped Him Note scriptures: Pro. 28:14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, Ps 130:4 4giveness comes from U there four you are feared o Blessing, forgiveness, not associated w/ fear Ps 34:11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. o This scripture and another in 2 Chr. 26:5, imply that this fear has the connotation of wonder, delight, or even praise. Paul is overwhelmed by God s love and holiness It causes him to fear the Lord Not in the sense of dread but more than respect o Paul is in a state of awe concerning God Let me read from the Book. P. 36,..3 things (whole page) 1. Paul looking inward at own heart a. Not self absorbed, or self centered b. Rightly saying,..look I know myself

5 c. Being honest with self 2. In doing so, he sees his own heart and God s heart, in reality a. We need V 16 as well b. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 3. If you are Paul, what do you do with the strikning realization that a. God is using me chief of sinners to minister to the dispersed. b. And I was God s chosen instrument to disperse them!!! c. Look what god can sovereignly reconcile i. Paul / Saul killed Christians ii. Separated families iii. Wrecked havoc in the church iv. What about those who were friends and family of Stephen, Acts 21:8 Paul is staying w/ Phillip 4. Conclusion: Once I realize I m the worst of sinners, then my spouse is no longer my biggest problem,..i am Book P. 37 The biblical reality of joyful wretches! Note: Without a clear awareness of sin, we will evaluate our conflicts outside of the Biblical story the finished work of JC on the cross thus eliminating any basis for true understanding, true reconciliation, True change. W/O Gospel application our marriages slide toward superficial Conflicts end in partial negotiated settlement o We both agree,..don t go near the Vesuvius button Note: Christ s finished work includes,. The remedy for sin ( Turn to Col 2:13-15) o He forgave us all our sins,..past / present / future o Did it by cancelling law w/ it s regulations Cancelled need for achievement theology The Practical application for our ongoing sinfulness

6 Turn to (2 Cor 10:3-6) Book P. 43 Worst of sinners, best of worlds! Note: We shouldn t end this chapter without appreciating the hidden gift that comes as we see ourselves as the worst of sinners,. o Humility, Pride crushing, vision clearing humility Questions: 1. Read 1 Timothy 1:15 17; how have you experienced the mercy of God in the face of your sin over the last week? 2. Consider the question that so easily boggled my mind: If I love my [spouse], why do I find it so easy to treat [him or her] like I don t? How does the universal answer (a sinner forgiven by grace) to that question affect the way you view your spouse? 3. Which of the following phrases might best describe how you view yourself: Innocent till proven guilty Worse than some, better than others Good days/bad days I m doing the best I can I m the worst of sinners 4. How might your answer to this question affect your approach to God? What about to your marriage? Small Group Discussion 1. If you have worked on the Gospel Application questions above, share some of your answers with your small group. 2. What in this chapter do you find helpful towards understanding the daily battles in your marriage (like the opening illustration)? 3. What does it mean to think of yourself as the worst of sinners? Why do you think it s important to see sin as the worst problem we face in marriage? 4. How does the gospel keep us from fueling condemnation when we acknowledge that we 5. Look through Rob and Sally s story (pp ). Are there things in this story that are familiar to you? How would you try to help them?

7 Chapter 3 / The Fog of War Sin is War,..What can you take away from the intro to chapter 3 Sin is crafty Sin is Alluring Sin betrays us o We must fight the battle with sin or it will overrun us How did the fight get started: your story/ my story Blaming my souse for causing my own sin How to fight: o The Reason, get immediately defensive to a comment that I have misinterpreted o The Reaction, Shut down, passive aggressive attitude designed to punish, make her come crawling to me o The Result, insult, injury, insensitivity, words spoken that were far too cruel and are not easily undone, and can last for days As a forgiven sinner o Who s the chief sinner, I am Examining my own heart We stand forgiven in God s court We are welcomed as righteous in God s house We can approach the fight with an attitude that understands that you need to engage, but also a willingness to help your spouse fight as well. o How is that possible When we understand it s not about who wins but much more about God s glory Look with me once more at the activity of God The Father, The Son, and HS Mk 1:9

8 Gal 2:19-21,..How do these verses help us??? For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! [e] Rom 8:1, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 32.He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died more than that, who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.