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Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP210410S
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00:20 This is the air I breathe
00:28 This is the air I breathe 00:34 Your holy presence 00:40 It's living in me 00:51 This is my daily bread 00:58 This is my daily bread 01:04 Your very word 01:10 Spoken to me 01:17 And I 01:25 I'm desperate for you 01:33 And I 01:40 I'm lost without you 01:51 This is the air I breathe 01:59 This is the air I breathe 02:05 Your holy presence 02:11 Living in me 02:21 This is my daily bread 02:29 This is my daily bread 02:35 Your very word 02:41 Spoken to me 02:48 And I 02:56 I'm desperate for you 03:04 And I 03:11 I'm lost without you 03:19 And I 03:27 I'm desperate for you 03:35 And I 03:42 I'm lost without you 03:51 I'm lost without you 04:11 We fall down 04:14 We lay our crowns 04:17 At the feet of Jesus 04:24 The greatness of His mercy and love 04:30 At the feet of Jesus 04:35 And we cry 04:38 Holy, holy, holy 04:42 And we cry 04:44 Holy, holy, holy 04:49 And we cry 04:51 Holy, holy, holy 04:57 Is the Lamb 05:11 We fall down 05:14 We lay our crowns 05:17 At the feet of Jesus 05:24 The greatness of His mercy and love 05:30 At the feet of Jesus 05:35 And we cry 05:37 Holy, holy, holy 05:42 And we cry 05:44 Holy, holy, holy 05:49 And we cry 05:51 Holy, holy, holy 05:56 Is the Lamb 06:05 And we cry 06:07 Holy, holy, holy 06:13 Is the Lamb 06:39 Here I am 06:42 Down on my knees again 06:46 Surrendering all 06:50 Surrendering all 06:55 And find me here 06:58 Lord as You draw me near 07:02 I'm desperate for You 07:06 I'm desperate for You 07:10 I surrender 07:28 Drench my soul 07:31 As mercy and grace unfold 07:35 I hunger and thirst 07:39 I hunger and thirst 07:44 With arms stretched wide 07:48 I know You hear my cry 07:52 Speak to me now 07:56 Speak to me now 08:01 I surrender 08:05 I surrender 08:10 I want to know You more 08:14 I want to know You more 08:18 I surrender 08:23 I surrender 08:27 I want to know You more 08:31 I want to know You more 08:53 Like a rushing wind 08:57 Jesus breathe within 09:02 Lord have Your way 09:03 Lord have Your way in me 09:11 Like a mighty storm 09:15 Stir within my soul 09:19 Lord have Your way 09:21 Lord have Your way in me 09:28 Like a rushing wind 09:33 Jesus breathe within 09:37 Lord have Your way 09:39 Lord have Your way in me 09:46 Like a mighty storm 09:51 Stir within my soul 09:55 Lord have Your way 09:57 Lord have Your way in me 10:09 I surrender 10:14 I surrender 10:18 I want to know You more 10:23 I want to know You more 10:28 I surrender 10:33 I surrender 10:38 I want to know You more 10:43 I want to know You more 10:52 I surrender all 11:00 I surrender all 11:08 All to Thee 11:12 My blessed Savior 11:18 I surrender all 11:30 October 22nd, 1844, 11:35 anticipating the return of Jesus Christ to the earth, 11:39 the Baptist preacher William Miller 11:41 had studied Scripture and concluded 11:44 that Christ would return on that date to this world. 11:49 Local church historian, Dr. Brian Strayer says, 11:53 "When midnight passed on that frigid Tuesday, 11:56 October 22nd, 1844, 11:59 and Christ had not come 12:02 thousands of William Miller's followers 12:05 like Hiram Edson wept and wept 12:09 until the day dawn. 12:10 Hundreds more felt diluted. 12:13 They gave up their faith in the Second Advent 12:15 or forsook Christianity altogether. 12:19 Scores embraced celibacy by joining the shakers, 12:22 dozens of others set new dates for Christ return. 12:26 But while Miller acknowledged his error regarding the date, 12:30 his 35 years of intense Bible study had brought him 12:34 to the point where in his words 12:37 I found in Jesus a friend, 12:42 and although twice disappointed, he said, 12:45 I am not yet cast down or discouraged. 12:48 And my hope in the coming of Christ 12:51 is as strong as ever. 12:53 I have fixed my eyes, my mind upon another time. 12:59 And here, I mean to stand until God gives me more light. 13:03 And that is today, today, today, 13:09 until He comes. 13:24 I have fixed my mind 13:29 On another time 13:34 On another 13:38 Time 13:42 And here I mean 13:45 To stand until 13:50 God gives me 13:53 More light 13:57 And that is 14:02 Today, today 14:05 Today until 14:09 He comes 14:13 I have fixed my mind 14:17 On another time 14:22 On another time 14:34 I have set my course 14:36 On the narrow way 14:41 On the narrow way 14:47 For I know the time 14:50 Is close at hand 14:54 For which I watch and pray 15:00 And that is 15:04 Today, today 15:07 Today until 15:11 He comes 15:14 I have set my course 15:18 On the narrow way 15:22 On the narrow way 15:29 Even so Lord come quickly 15:36 This is my fervent prayer 15:42 For I've caught a glimpse of glory 15:49 And I'm longing to be there 16:09 When shall the Son of Man appear 16:16 The trumpet sound its blast 16:22 And Christ descend 16:27 in glorious fire 16:30 With all the saints amassed 16:35 We'll rise with those 16:40 Who sleep no more 16:43 To meet Him in the air 16:49 When shall 16:51 The Son of Man appear 17:06 The Son of Man 17:09 Appear 17:13 The Son of Man appear 17:19 This he's my favorite friend 17:25 For I've caught a glimpse of glory 17:31 And I'm longing to be there 18:08 I have fixed my mind 18:14 On another 18:19 Time 18:28 On another 18:39 Time 18:56 Let's pray. 18:57 Oh, God, what's that prayer 19:01 that ends all of Holy Scripture 19:04 even so come Lord Jesus, please. 19:09 But don't come if the people we love, 19:15 if our own hearts aren't ready. 19:18 You're giving us that time. 19:21 And all we have is today. 19:23 And today and today at the moments 19:26 we wrap up worship with right now, 19:29 equip us and prepare us for our Lord Jesus. 19:33 In His name, we pray. 19:35 Amen. 19:38 Once upon a time, there was a group of men. 19:41 I don't wanna call them smarty pants 19:42 because that doesn't sound very respectful. 19:44 But you know, the kind of people 19:46 I'm talking about, the know-it-alls, 19:49 they're called Pharisees. 19:51 One day, they accosted the young teacher, 19:53 preacher, Jesus of Nazareth. 19:56 They said, we have a question for you. 19:58 It was a trap. 20:00 It was about marriage, marriage, Martin Luther, 20:05 the great Protestant reformer 20:08 reminds me of something he wrote once 20:10 when he was contemplating preaching on marriage. 20:13 And I'll put his words on the screen here. 20:15 How I dread preaching on the estate of marriage. 20:19 Give me any other subject, not this one please. 20:22 The lax authority of both the spiritual 20:24 and temporal swords, 20:25 that would be the church and the state. 20:27 So these two authorities, church and state. 20:29 The lax authority has given rise 20:30 to so many dreadful abuses 20:33 and false situations 20:35 that I would much prefer neither to look into the matter 20:38 nor to hear of it. 20:39 But timidity is no help in an emergency. 20:43 So I must proceed. 20:44 I must try to instruct poor bewildered consciences 20:49 and take up the matter boldly. 20:52 Well, it's a whole lot easier today 20:54 to preach about marriage. 20:55 You know why? 20:56 Because this book begins with a marriage 20:58 and this book ends with a marriage. 21:01 You have the marriage of Adam and Eve in the beginning, 21:03 and you have the marriage of the lamb at the end. 21:05 So it's not so hard because everything in between 21:06 the two marriages is all about marriage. 21:11 So it's not so tough. 21:13 They did a survey of the American public in 2018, 21:15 it was called the American political 21:17 and social behavior survey. 21:19 Listen to this, two out of three Americans, all right. 21:22 Two-thirds of Americans who responded disagreed 21:25 with the opinion that marriage is an outdated institution. 21:31 That's pretty good. 21:32 Two-thirds of Americans are saying, 21:33 no, no, this is still viable. 21:35 Marriage is still viable. 21:37 I'm not abandoning it. 21:40 So the Pharisees, 21:42 these wise guys Pharisees can walk in up. 21:44 And by the way, they're out to kill Jesus. 21:45 And in a few weeks from when they raise this question, 21:48 they'll have accomplished their agenda. 21:50 He'll be dead. 21:53 They ask Him about marriage. 21:54 Well, it really wasn't about marriage. 21:56 They asked him about divorce, 21:57 but Jesus takes their question 21:59 on divorce, flips it around. 22:01 He says, "Let me tell you about marriage." 22:05 And two-thirds of Americans 22:06 ought to be pretty happy with His response. 22:09 Open your Bible if you brought it with you today, 22:11 or you got it on your device to Matthew Chapter 19. 22:14 So the first gospel of the New Testament, 22:16 Matthew Chapter 19. 22:18 Take a look. 22:20 Take a look for yourself, Matthew Chapter 19. 22:24 And we're gonna drop down and begin 22:25 right up near the top of the chapter. 22:28 We're gonna begin in verse 3. 22:31 Now I've got it in the NIV here, 22:32 but I'm gonna put the message. 22:33 You ever read the message. 22:35 Boy, sometimes you wanna fresh reading, 22:36 just pull it out. 22:38 And so let's, let's read this and keep your Bible open, 22:40 but we'll read it in the message. 22:42 "One day the Pharisees were badgering Jesus: 22:45 'Is it legal for a man 22:47 to divorce his wife for any reason?" 22:49 Pause button. Do you know what? 22:51 That is a terribly male chauvinistic kind of question. 22:55 There's not a word about the woman. 22:57 Hey, come on. 22:58 Can we man divorce our wives for any reason at all? 23:03 And the NIV adds, NIV adds. 23:06 When they translate this, 23:09 they say, for any and every reason, 23:14 chauvinist, but Jesus catches them by surprise. 23:18 They wanna know about divorce. 23:20 He says, "Let me tell you about marriage." 23:22 So He goes on "Jesus, answering them said, 23:25 'Haven't you read in your Bible 23:27 that the Creator originally made 23:29 man and woman 23:31 for each other, male and female?'" 23:39 Yeah. I read that in the Bible. 23:41 Jesus just simply dials up 23:43 the beginning book of the Old Testament, 23:45 it was the only Bible He had back then. 23:47 And there it is, Genesis 1:27, 23:49 "Male and female created He them." 23:53 So Jesus grabs that line. 23:55 He says, "Wait a minute, wait a minute. 23:56 Marriage is not about the man. 23:58 Marriage is not about the woman. 24:00 Marriage is about both the man and the woman. 24:02 Marriage is all about the couple." 24:07 Frederick Dale Bruner in his... 24:10 For me, terribly inspiring commentary 24:14 writes this in response to that. 24:17 "If God had supremely intended solitary life, 24:21 God would have created humans one by one." 24:25 Well, that makes sense to me. 24:26 If God had intended polygamous life, 24:28 God would have created one man and several women. 24:32 If God had intended homosexual life, 24:34 God would have made them two men or two women. 24:37 Keep reading. 24:39 "But that God intended monogamous heterosexual life 24:42 is shown by God's creation of one man and one woman. 24:46 Then by immediately commanding the two of them to reproduce." 24:51 'Cause He says right after Genesis 1, 24:53 "Be fruitful and multiply." 24:55 "God showed that He honored their sexual union 24:59 and that this union is good and it is His will." 25:05 But Jesus isn't through yet. 25:07 Pick it up again. 25:08 Verse 4, "And He answered, 'Haven't you read in your Bible 25:10 that the Creator originally made man and woman 25:12 for each other, male and female? 25:14 And because of this, a man leaves 25:16 his father and mother, 25:17 and is firmly bonded to his wife becoming one flesh, 25:22 no longer two bodies but one. 25:25 Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, 25:28 no one should desecrate 25:30 His art by cutting them apart." 25:35 Now everybody knows the story about God, 25:37 the Creator, putting Adam to sleep, right? 25:39 A little bit of anesthesia there 25:40 and he's sound asleep. 25:42 And then what does He do? 25:43 He doesn't go to his foot. He doesn't go to his crown. 25:44 He takes it right out of the side. 25:46 He removes that rib and out of that rib, 25:49 the beautiful form of Adam's life companion. 25:55 Now Jacques Doukhan reminds us of that story 25:59 and then writes this. 26:01 This is good, Jacques Doukhan 26:03 in his groundbreaking commentary on Genesis. 26:07 "The divine removal of man's rib 26:09 and creation of the woman 26:10 grounds the special and unique connection 26:13 between man and woman, 26:15 a bond so powerful and exclusive 26:19 that it will not tolerate, 26:21 that it will tolerate no other connection, 26:24 not even that with parents." 26:27 Now, look, I've been while... 26:28 I've been around for a while 26:30 and I've known parents, my own parents. 26:31 I know myself as a parent, 26:32 but I'm concerned when I see a parent. 26:34 No, I'm serious. 26:35 When I see a parent, it could be a father, 26:36 it could be a mother 26:38 hovering over a young adult or even an adult child 26:41 who is married still attempting to exert authority 26:45 over that grownup child, 26:46 or to constantly intervene in the circumstances 26:49 and details of that child's life. 26:50 Mom and dad, time out, back off. 26:56 The man leaves his father and mother. 26:58 How does Doukhan put it? 27:00 This bond is so powerful and exclusive 27:02 that it will tolerate no other connection, 27:05 not even that with parents. 27:09 Huh. 27:14 Bruner goes on. 27:16 The joining... 27:17 And I like this. 27:18 "The joining of a man and a woman is so profound 27:22 that the joining creates a third reality in the world: 27:26 one flesh marriage." 27:29 So God, in the beginning, God created man, 27:31 in the beginning, God created woman 27:32 and He created a third. 27:35 In the beginning, God created man and woman 27:37 as a one flesh, they are ice. 27:39 They are separate, a separate creation. 27:43 My, oh, my. 27:45 And that's why, by the way, 27:47 you'll have the Apostle Paul arguing, 27:49 why you should not have sex with a prostitute. 27:54 Why you should not have sex with a wife 27:56 who is not your wife. 27:58 Why you should not have sex with the husband 28:00 who is not your husband. 28:03 Paul's making the point right here, put it on. 28:06 I love it in the message. 28:07 Again, here's 1 Corinthians 6:16, 28:10 "There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. 28:15 Sex is as much spiritual mystery 28:17 as physical fact. 28:19 As written in Scripture, 'The two become one.'" 28:22 The very line that Jesus accesses with the Pharisees, 28:25 Paul says, guess what? 28:26 I go to that same line too, the two become one. 28:31 A one flesh marriage is a new creation, 28:34 never existed before. 28:37 My. 28:41 "The Apostle Paul argues against sexual promiscuity 28:44 from this creation rooted truth." 28:47 This is something, "Physical union brings 28:49 metaphysical communion, 28:53 sexual intercourse delivers a spiritual interconnection 28:57 so deep that it should be entered 29:00 only where there are," what? 29:02 What? 29:03 "Strong undergirding foundations of spiritual faith 29:07 and biblical marriage." 29:09 Take a look at those two ingredients. 29:10 You wanna have sex with somebody. 29:12 You gotta have those two. 29:13 You want it to be a happy sex? 29:14 You want it to be a fulfilling sex. 29:16 Of course, you do. 29:17 It has to... You have to have those two. 29:19 You got to have a foundation of spiritual faith 29:21 and a foundation of a biblical marriage. 29:24 Then sex works. 29:26 If you don't have those two, I'm gonna tell you 29:28 if you're just hooking up, I'm telling you, 29:32 you are playing with dynamite 29:33 where the fuse is already lighted. 29:37 And when that thing goes off, 29:38 it blows everybody to smithereens. 29:40 Nobody gets out of that sexual relationship unscathed. 29:45 It's a big deal, a very big deal. 29:52 Wow. 29:54 Outside of those two foundations, 29:56 spiritual faith, and biblical marriage, 30:01 don't do it. 30:02 Don't let him sweet talk you girl. 30:04 Don't believe him. He's not right. 30:07 He's lying to you. He's using you. 30:10 That's all he's doing. 30:14 Yeah, Dwight, but Dwight, what about same sex marriage? 30:18 Ooh, there's a subject. 30:20 Same sex marriage. Glad you asked. 30:22 Two weeks from today right now, two weeks from now, 30:26 title of the little homily will be the Pope 30:29 and same sex marriage. 30:31 We're not gonna duck it out if this is a series, 30:33 little short five-part series on marriage. 30:36 We're not gonna duck that. 30:38 We'll come do it two weeks from today, 30:39 you'll be right here. 30:41 We'll talk about it together, you and me. 30:42 And oh, by the way, don't miss one week from today, 30:45 Pastor Rodney has already mentioned this. 30:47 My new friends, David and Beverly Sedlacek. 30:50 They are family life 30:51 and marriage specialist therapists. 30:54 And they're gonna be in the pulpit together 30:56 and we're gonna hear it like it is. 30:59 Next week, don't be anywhere right here, 31:01 you're gonna get blessed. 31:02 All right. 31:05 It's very interesting by the way 31:06 that when Jesus speaks to these Pharisees 31:08 here in Matthew, 19:6, 31:10 Matthew uses a most unusual word. 31:13 So this is from the NIV now. 31:15 "So they, the man and woman, are no longer two, 31:18 but one flesh." 31:20 Now watch this. 31:21 "Therefore, what God has joined together, 31:26 let no one separate." 31:29 What God has joined together. 31:31 Here's how it really should read. 31:35 You remember a few days before this incident 31:40 with the Pharisees, 31:41 Jesus speaks this most beautiful. 31:44 You can do it out loud with me this most beautiful promise. 31:46 In Matthew chapter 11:28, "Come unto me, 31:48 come to me all you who labor and are" what? 31:51 "Heavy burdened and I will give you rest." 31:54 Now I want you to notice the next line. 31:55 So this is that five star promise of Jesus. 31:58 The next line in verse 29, "Take My yoke," 32:01 see that word yoke, 32:03 "Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me 32:05 for My yoke is easy and My burden is light. 32:10 The same word here for a yoke 32:13 and it's a noun is used as a verb in Matthew 19:6. 32:17 So we could actually read Matthew 19:6 this way, 32:20 "Therefore what God has yoked together, 32:23 let no one separate." 32:25 Do you know why oxen have yolks? 32:29 Because it's too much to pull for just one guy. 32:33 When you put a yoke on an oxen, it's good news for the oxen 32:37 because somebody is going to come up real close 32:39 bumping shoulders, 32:40 and we're gonna do this together. 32:43 So that when Jesus says, when Jesus says 32:46 what God has yoked together, 32:48 He's describing that glorious benefit, 32:51 a very special somebody shoulder to shoulder, 32:54 a heart to heart, life to life for the rest of your life. 32:58 You're gonna be bumping into each other the whole way. 33:00 Why? Because you're yoked together. 33:04 That's the deal about marriage. 33:06 God yokes you together. 33:08 You don't have to wander through life and hook up here 33:10 and date there and never know. 33:13 You can get yoked up. 33:16 Therefore, what God has yoked together, 33:17 let no one separate. 33:21 Wow. 33:22 Jesus says, "Take My yoke upon you." 33:26 Wait a minute, if Jesus says, 33:28 take My yoke upon you and God says, 33:29 I'm gonna yoke you two together. 33:31 If you two together are yoked and you're yoked to Jesus, 33:34 you had the best of every world on this planet 33:38 because you have what, what Bruner. 33:39 And I'm so grateful. I have never seen this before. 33:42 Never, never, never till Bruner. 33:44 Show this to me. 33:45 I'm so grateful that he revealed this 33:47 when there is a threefold yoke, 33:50 you and her, you and him and Jesus. 33:54 When there is a threefold yoke, 33:56 that is, when there is a discipled to Jesus couple, 34:00 they both are yoked, or this is really the best, 34:03 when they are both yoked to Jesus, 34:05 the prospects are downright exciting. 34:09 Man, it doesn't get any better than that. 34:13 That's why people are serious about, hey, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo. 34:15 Make sure that 34:16 whoever you're marrying is yoked to Jesus. 34:19 That's a good deal. 34:21 Why? Because then you got the threefold. 34:23 You got everything pulling for you now. 34:26 Don't get yoked up. No, no, no, no. Hold On. 34:27 Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. 34:30 Share the same yoke with Jesus. 34:34 But the problem is, I don't mind telling you, 34:36 Christian marriage is in trouble today. 34:38 And by the way, 34:39 it's not just Christian marriage. 34:40 Marriages are in trouble today. 34:42 According to the sociologist, Mark Regnerus. 34:46 And we met him last week in his new book, 34:47 The Future of Christian Marriage. 34:49 And I wanna say it again for a reason, 34:50 the book is published, the sociologist's book 34:53 and teaches at a university of Texas, Austin. 34:56 The book is published by the Oxford University Press. 34:59 And I make the point 35:00 because some people tend to this. 35:01 Oh, is it Christian research? 35:03 Nothing, nothing to it. 35:05 We have a whole campus full of Christian researchers. 35:07 And guess what? 35:09 Researchers, there is something 35:10 very significant to what you do. 35:12 Oxford University Press comes along 35:13 and says, are you kidding? 35:15 That is great research. 35:16 And we will put our name on the research. 35:19 So don't go bad mouthing,... 35:22 well, it's just a Christian researcher 35:25 Regnerus, this will be 35:30 This will startle you these numbers. 35:31 Look at this, "As recently as 1970, okay, 35:35 80% of Americans between the ages of 25 35:38 and 34 were married. 35:39 So the young people, 35:41 the young adults who are here right now 35:42 are generally in that range, around 25. 35:44 We'll go down to 18 in college, throw the teens in as well. 35:47 But this is just talking about this age bracket, 25 to 34, 35:51 80% of them back in 1970 were married. 35:54 Now watch this. 35:55 But by 2015, that 80% 35:58 had shrunk to only 40% 36:01 with no sign of recovery or even leveling off. 36:04 Never married young Americans now 36:07 notably outnumber their married counterparts. 36:12 So don't feel bad if you're not married. 36:14 You outnumber those in your age, 36:17 demographic slice who are married. 36:19 That's not bad or evil, but what's going on. 36:23 What's going on is marriage postponement... 36:26 Now I need you to really follow this, 36:28 marriage postpone... 36:29 What are you talking about marriage postponing? 36:31 Well, that means the mean age in marriage 36:35 is rising in nearly all these 15 countries. 36:37 He studied 15 countries. 36:38 Now mean age means 36:40 half of the marriages began at this age, 36:42 above that age and half are below it. 36:45 So the mean age in marriage is rising 36:47 in nearly all of these countries. 36:49 By 2014, 2016 women in numerous countries 36:53 displayed a mean age 36:54 at first marriage of over 30. 36:58 It's going up. 36:59 Now by the way, and these are his words. 37:01 "Thirty is the age at which women's fertility 37:03 tends to begin a slow decline 37:05 and is generally a popular benchmark 37:07 in the minds of many women." 37:09 I need to get married right around 30. 37:10 I mean, you know, please, he goes on. 37:13 "In most countries in the table, 37:15 those 15, the average age at marriage climbed 37:18 at least three or four years in just two decades," 37:21 up, up, up, up. 37:25 Well, so here's what the story is. 37:28 "What did I learn? 37:29 In short, marital delay matters. 37:32 Postponement drags down marriage rates 37:35 in all regions of the world." 37:39 They're less and less people getting married. 37:41 That's his point. 37:43 Again, we ask the question, well, what's going on here. 37:46 There's a fascinating conclusion 37:47 that some of these sociologists have made 37:49 and Regnarus agrees with them. 37:52 And that is we have moved as a culture for a marriage 37:55 as a foundation for life 37:57 to marriage as a capstone to life. 38:00 Now you say, Dwight, what you're talking about. 38:02 Well, here's what he's talking about. 38:03 When you build a building, you got to have a foundation. 38:05 Everybody knows that, you got to have 38:07 a good strong foundation. 38:08 Then you can build on that foundation. 38:10 That's the way it used to be. 38:12 But sometimes you want a capstone. 38:15 What's a capstone? 38:16 That's what goes on the top. 38:17 So when they built this church, the steeple went last. 38:19 That would be the capstone. 38:21 It could be a gab... 38:22 A beautiful gabled window right at the top, 38:24 near the top of your roof. 38:25 And you put that in last, whoa, it's a cherry on top. 38:29 And what the sociologists are saying 38:31 is we're moving from marriage as a foundation, 38:33 hey girl, you and me, we're gonna do this together. 38:35 I don't have much, you don't have much, 38:37 but the two of us would love and a little bit of initiative, 38:39 we can do it. 38:40 We can conquer the world together. 38:42 We can, let's go. 38:45 Marriage begun that way and marriage, 38:47 hey, I'm not ready for getting married yet, man, 38:49 I got to get a PhD. And then I got to work for one. 38:51 I got to invest in the stock market. 38:53 I got to have a little nest day ready to go, 38:56 and then I'll be ready... 38:58 That's what's happened to... 38:59 That's what's happening to marriages. 39:01 Everybody's waiting for the capstone 39:03 and you put it on top. 39:06 What's that mean? 39:07 Keep reading, "Most no longer think of marriage 39:09 as a formative institution, 39:11 but rather as the institution they enter 39:12 once they think they are fully formed." 39:14 And last, I'm ready. Hallelujah. 39:16 I think I'll get married. 39:18 Increasing numbers of Christians 39:19 think the same way. 39:20 Yep. 39:22 When marriage was considered 39:23 foundational to the adult life course, 39:25 what happened? 39:27 More people entered into matrimony 39:29 and did so earlier than they do today. 39:30 Typically, by several years, keep reading. 39:33 "There was an emphasis on building something, 39:35 a family, a household, 39:36 perhaps a career financial success. 39:38 Foundational marriages were commonly characterized by love, 39:42 but were intended to be practical, 39:43 two people taking shelter together 39:46 and celebrating what achievements 39:47 they can muster as a team, 39:50 even if their roles were distinctive 39:52 and they often were." 39:53 One more line. 39:55 "The shift has gone largely unnoticed 39:57 over the past half century." 40:00 What's everybody talking about here? 40:03 Well, you have parents now advising children. 40:05 Hey, honey, honey, do slow down, slow down. 40:07 You don't wanna.. 40:08 You don't want to just marry that boy, 40:11 you gotta, you gotta finish school first. 40:13 And when you're finished school, 40:14 then you get a good job. 40:16 Listen, you don't just take the first one 40:17 that comes along either. 40:19 Look around for a while. 40:20 Now parents are well-meaning 40:21 when they give this kind of counsel. 40:23 But guess what goes into the brain 40:24 of the young, young adult? 40:25 Well, I mean, this is high risk stuff. 40:27 Oh, you're right. I better not go in it. 40:30 And they become paralyzed by this idea 40:32 of taking too bigger risk. 40:35 "As a result many Christian young adults sense that 40:37 putting oneself in the trust of another person, 40:39 whoa, it's foolish, it's risky. 40:41 Many choose to wait out the risk, 40:43 sometimes for years to see how our relationship 40:47 will fair before committing." 40:50 Wow, is this a big deal? 40:54 Man, here comes the megaphone now. 40:56 This is a big deal. Here comes the megaphone. 40:57 "I cannot overemphasize how monumental, 41:01 how consequential, and how subtle this shift is. 41:04 Marriage is morphing away 41:06 from being a populist institution 41:08 in which most of the world's adults 41:09 participated to becoming an elite voluntary consumption, 41:14 oriented, and oft-temporary arrangement." 41:21 And then this stunning conclusion, 41:23 this is what blew me out of the water. 41:25 "The more that marriage is repackaged 41:27 and sold in the West as a capstone 41:31 rather than a foundation, the higher up the social ladder 41:34 marriage keeps climbing." 41:36 Keep reading. 41:37 Today, these, the italics are mine. 41:39 "Today marriage increasingly appears 41:42 as an upper middle-class symbol. 41:47 Marriage need no longer be a foundation. 41:50 In fact, marriage isn't necessary, 41:52 but it is still desired." 41:53 What's going on in here? I'll tell you what's going on. 41:56 Have you heard of these destination weddings? 41:58 Come on you girls have, I know. 41:59 Destination weddings, man, 42:01 you hope you never get invited to one of those 42:02 because they don't pay for your way. 42:05 Trust me if, unless you're a preacher. 42:08 If... 42:09 And that's just a little hint, 42:11 but if you're getting married in Tahiti, 42:13 man, you gotta buy the ticket. 42:15 You gotta get your own hotel room. 42:17 Why don't we just do this at the house or in the church? 42:20 But anyway, they have these destination weddings, 42:22 but here's what's happened. 42:23 Our culture has turned destination weddings 42:26 into destination marriages. 42:29 And it only comes when you're all ready 42:32 and you have everything in place 42:34 and you have that portfolio 42:36 and you have that good job and you had two cars. 42:39 And then capstone mistake. 42:43 I'm gonna show you something. 42:45 We got a lot of social justice people here. 42:47 What's that mean? 42:48 People that are conscious about, 42:50 conscientious about is this social justice. 42:52 Should I be speaking up? 42:53 I'm gonna give you a reason to start speaking up right now. 42:56 Listen to this. 42:57 Our market-driven capitalistic focus 43:01 on life has rendered marriage in his glittering, 43:05 online depictions 43:06 as beyond the reach of entire swaths 43:09 of social racial and economic groups. 43:14 We've turned it into this destination marriage, 43:17 and you have to have everything in place 43:19 and then you can get married 43:21 and there are people looking at each other. 43:22 And they're saying, I know, that's what they say. 43:25 That's what they say on the screen. 43:27 But no, I can't afford this. 43:29 And you know, what's happening? 43:31 People are cohabiting, cohabitation. 43:33 They're living together. 43:35 Wow. I can't afford it. 43:36 Honey, I can't, we can't have that kind of a wedding. 43:39 We're not even talking wedding now. 43:41 Marriage is just too expensive. 43:44 This is a socioeconomic racial social justice issue. 43:48 Sure, it is. 43:50 We've out-priced marriage 43:54 to average Americans. 43:57 And that is a big deal. 43:59 Why, who gave us right to do that? 44:01 Who gave us the right when God created 44:03 it as a foundation for human life and success and love? 44:07 And we've turned into it as a capstone, 44:09 maybe by the time you're 40, you'll be ready, maybe by 45. 44:13 Who gave us the right to do that? 44:15 And so the numbers are dropping Post-moment 44:19 the ages are getting higher and higher. 44:22 Wait. Wow. 44:25 In the words of Christopher Lasch, 44:29 his book Haven in a Heartless World, 44:31 "The sanctity of the home is a sham 44:34 in a world dominated by giant corporations." 44:37 Welcome to America today. 44:39 I don't care what your economic ideology happens to be. 44:43 This is a world now dominated by giant corporations. 44:47 If you shop at Amazon, 44:48 you shop at a giant, giant, giant corporation. 44:52 If you stop by Walmart on the way home, trust me, 44:55 we're in a world now. 44:56 And it has created, 44:58 the sanctity to the home is a shame. 45:01 What's going on here? 45:03 What's going on? 45:04 I submit, let me go back as I skipped one. 45:09 "There is something corrosive to marriage and family 45:11 in the current economic age. 45:14 I submit that it is the intrusion 45:15 of market mentality into our homes, 45:18 our marriages, and even our bedrooms. 45:21 The West has allowed economic considerations 45:23 to co-op, colonize 45:25 and direct our most intimate relationships, 45:27 husband and wife and parent to child. 45:29 How so? Here are a few ways I see it happening 45:33 in the United States right now." 45:35 And see if you don't agree, 45:36 here they come from the sociologist. 45:39 Number one, the notion, oh, I thought this was something. 45:41 "The notion of a Sabbath day of rest is a distant memory. 45:45 It cuts into corporate profits." 45:47 And I'm sorry, we can't give you that time. 45:50 It's happening all over this country. 45:52 You're working a blue-collar job 45:56 in McDonald's, you're gonna get this. 45:59 You're not gonna get it especially little break. 46:02 It'd be wealthy enough to be able to dictate 46:04 your own terms, is what's happening. 46:07 There's another one. 46:09 "We have fewer children so we... 46:11 We tell ourselves, "So we can invest more in them. 46:15 And by the way, 46:16 having fewer children in the context 46:18 of small families, children naturally 46:19 learn to be served rather than to serve. 46:21 That's what's happening. You got two kids. 46:24 There's nobody else competing for attention now. 46:29 The child says, no, I'm not gonna go get that. 46:31 Bring it to me. Garceau come over here. 46:34 I need some help, waiter, come on, 46:36 while, of all the girl kid. 46:38 Where'd you get that? 46:40 Your kid, you don't have many to meet yet. 46:43 Gotta take care of me. 46:45 Yeah, the implications are enormous. 46:49 Keep reading. 46:50 "We work too many hours, 46:51 convinced we're doing it for our families." 46:53 You know, I'm doing it for the kids 46:54 and we're putting money away now. 46:56 Good night, when does this rat race stop? 46:58 It doesn't. 47:00 "We are strategic about providing opportunities 47:02 for our children to get ahead of others." 47:03 We're gonna get better. 47:05 We're gonna get into a better school. 47:06 We're gonna get our kids there and this whole getting into 47:08 Ivy League schools business. 47:09 What was that? 47:10 Parents competing with each other 47:12 to get their kids 47:13 where they thought they deserved to be. 47:15 We've done it to ourselves. 47:16 "We become suckers for ad driven social media, 47:18 which fosters dissatisfaction." 47:21 I'm not happy with the way I look. 47:23 I'm not happy with the way I shop. 47:24 I'm not happy with the way I dress. 47:25 I'm not happy with anything. 47:27 Why? Because I saw that and I've been told. 47:31 Oh, man, Here's a good one. 47:34 "With few friends, we have to pay lots of money 47:37 in order to be listened to." 47:40 Take a while to get that. 47:43 They're called psychologists and psychiatrists. 47:46 Nobody listens to you now, everybody's too busy. 47:50 So you paid a man, paid a woman. 47:52 So she'd just sit there and listen 47:54 what you've been longing for all along. 47:56 One more. 47:58 "We've created a lucrative industry 48:00 by outsourcing the care of our own parents." 48:05 It's happened, hasn't it? He concludes. 48:08 "These are not shocking observations. 48:10 I'm guilty of most of them," 48:12 He writes. 48:14 Most of us are also guilty. 48:19 Aren't we? Oh, we are. 48:24 So what did Jesus say about marriage? 48:28 "Haven't you read,' He replied that at the beginning, 48:30 the Creator made them male and female. 48:33 And He said, 'For this reason, 48:35 a man will leave his father and mother 48:37 and be united to his wife, and wow, 48:39 the two of them will become one flesh.'" 48:41 Really? 48:42 So they are no longer two, they're one flesh. 48:45 Therefore, what God has joined together, 48:49 let no one separate. 48:51 Let no corporate agenda, let no rat race for more money. 48:56 Let nothing, let no human being, 48:59 let nothing come between you and her 49:05 that nothing separates you. 49:09 I want to end with a story. 49:11 It's told by the business executive 49:13 and leadership guru, Fred Smith. 49:15 And I'm reading here. 49:17 One of my treasured memories, he writes, 49:21 comes from a donut shop in 49:23 Grand Saline, Texas. 49:27 There was a young farm couple 49:29 sitting at the table next to mine. 49:30 He was wearing overall. 49:32 She was dressed in a gingham outfit 49:36 and after finishing their donuts, 49:37 he got up to pay the bill. 49:39 But I noticed she did not follow him out. 49:45 And then he came back to her after he had paid the bill 49:48 and he stood right in front of her 49:50 and she put her arms around his neck 49:55 and he stooped down and lifted her up. 49:59 And when he lifted her up, 50:01 she was wearing a full body brace. 50:09 He backed out the front door, carrying her, 50:13 heading toward his pickup truck. 50:16 And everybody in that donut shop 50:20 was silent and watching. 50:24 As he opened the door 50:26 and gently placed her inside, 50:30 nobody said a word 50:34 until a waitress remarked almost reverently. 50:38 He took his vows seriously. 50:44 Hmm, that's what Jesus point is. 50:50 Jesus takes your vows seriously. 50:55 Marriage is gift to the human race. 51:03 What God has yoked together, 51:07 let no one, no one, no one take apart. 51:13 It's time we all said amen to that kind of a marriage. 51:17 What do you say? 51:18 Amen. Amen. 51:20 Amen, whether you're young or aged, amen. 51:23 Good for you, Jesus, for standing up for us. 51:28 Amen. 51:31 Let's go to your connect card real quick here. 51:33 And then I wanna pray with you. 51:35 My next step today. 51:37 Put it on the screen for you. 51:40 With two out of three Americans, 51:44 I agree 51:46 that marriage is not an outdated institution, 51:48 and I will do all in my power 51:50 to preserve the marriages of others 51:52 and or my own marriage. 51:53 Boy, count me in check, check, check. 51:58 Please pray for me in my marriage. 52:00 I want to tell you something. 52:02 If you put a check mark there 52:03 and you can put an email address 52:04 on the other side or right above it, 52:07 put an email address there. 52:09 We will pray for you by name, by name. 52:12 We don't need any details. We'll pray for you by name. 52:16 Box number three, 52:17 I would like to get married someday. 52:19 Please pray, my marriage will be a threefold yoke 52:22 with my partner and with Jesus. 52:24 Put a check mark there, we'll pray for you in advance. 52:26 Why not? 52:28 You'll be ready when the day comes, 52:30 I promise. 52:32 Yeah. 52:34 Why not His gift to us? 52:37 I wanna pray with you right now. 52:38 Oh, God, what You have yoked together, 52:44 let no one take it apart. 52:49 Teach us to value marriage as Jesus did. 52:54 And please be with that young man, 52:55 be with that young woman 52:57 contemplating marriage, put Your arms around them 53:02 and please be with that not so young man in that, 53:04 not so young woman contemplating giving up 53:10 on their marriage, put Your arms around them. 53:14 Oh Jesus, if anyone can save marriage, 53:17 it's gotta be You. 53:19 So would You please wrap Your nail scarred arms around 53:22 all of us right now 53:24 and hold us tight 53:28 as we journey on with You, 53:31 we pray in Your name. 53:34 Amen. 53:35 Amen. 53:58 There is beauty all around 54:03 When there's love at home 54:08 There is joy in every sound 54:13 When there's love at home 54:17 Peace and plenty here abide 54:22 Smiling fair on every side 54:28 Time doth softly, sweetly glide 54:32 When there's love at home 54:38 Love at home 54:42 Love at home 54:48 Time doth softly, sweetly glide 54:53 When there's love at home 55:00 Kindly heaven smiles above 55:05 When there's love at home 55:09 All the earth is filled with love 55:14 When there's love at home 55:19 Sweeter sings the brooklet by 55:24 Brighter beams the azure sky 55:29 O, there's One who smiles on high 55:34 When there's love at home 55:40 Love at home 55:45 Love at home 55:50 Time doth softly, sweetly glide 55:55 When there's love at home 56:01 Jesus, make me wholly Thine 56:06 Then there's love at home 56:11 May Thy sacrifice be mine 56:16 Then there's love at home 56:21 Safely from all harm I'll rest 56:26 With no sinful care distressed 56:31 Thro' Thy tender mercy blessed 56:36 When there's love at home 56:41 Love at home 56:46 Love at home 56:52 Time doth softly, sweetly glide 56:57 When there's love at home 57:08 We've been really blessed by the financial support 57:10 that comes from our viewers. 57:11 We've made a conscious decision 57:13 not to continually appeal to you for that support. 57:16 The fact is, as everyone in the industry will tell you 57:19 we're needing to make constant upgrades 57:21 to our technology. 57:23 So if God has blessed you and you'd like to 57:24 further the work of this ministry, 57:26 we invite you to partner with us. 57:28 Not a single penny of your donation will go to me. 57:30 Every bit of your gift goes to the mission 57:33 of blessing your community and our world. 57:35 You can donate on our website, 57:37 new perceptions.tv or call the number. 57:40 You know, the number 877-HIS-WILL. 57:42 Again that number is 877, the two words HIS-WILL. 57:47 And may the God who has blessed you 57:48 continue to pour into your life, 57:50 the gifts of His joy and His hope. 57:53 Thank you. 57:54 And I'm looking forward to seeing you right here, 57:56 again, next time. |
Revised 2021-04-29