A Primer on Marriage

March 25, 2019  ●  19-19

This “primer” on marriage has been taken from five sermons I preached on marriage and relationships at Bethel Baptist Church in Feb-Mar 2019.

I. The BASICS of marriage (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:22-33)
One man and one woman for life
It all begins with an understanding of Matt. 6:33: if we are truly seeking God and his kingdom first, their our marriages will be what God desires them to be.
Wives are to be the picture of respect;
Husbands are to be the picture of love;
Marriage is the picture of the church

  1. God wants to bless your marriage; honor Him with it.
  2. Marriage takes work; be 100% committed to it.
  3. Strong marriages equal strong churches; be part of it.
  4. Satan is after your marriage – protect it!

II. BOUNDARIES in our marriage (Job 38:1-11)
Boundaries PAINT a picture of what a marriage looks like;
Boundaries PRESERVE the marriage;
Boundaries PROTECT the marriage;
Boundaries PROMOTE the marriage

You and your spouse must take responsibility for your marriage.

Use this guideline when determining boundaries;
Boundaries must be;

  1. GROUNDED in a relationship with the Son of God
  2. DEFINED by the Word of God
  3. LED by the Spirit of God

Healthy marriage relationships thrive on two important facts: mutual respect for each other and selfless living with one another.

4 types of boundaries in your marriage:

  1. Faith
  2. Fellowship
  3. Fidelity
  4. Finances

III. The BANDITS of our marriage (Phil. 4:1-7)
Bandits are anything we allow into our lives or marriages that can wreck them.
Bandits that can wreck your marriage:
Disharmony, imbalance, complaining, selfishness, lack of prayer, ungratefulness,

IV. The BOOKS of our marriage (1 Cor. 13:1-13)
Every marriage goes through seasons (books). Here are the five main “books” in our marriages and their corresponding challenges:

  1. New life: the beginning of the marriage after the honeymoon. This “book” has the challenge of KNOWING, learning to live together as husband and wife.
  2. New look: children and all that involves. This “book” has the challenge of GROWING, raising children, juggling jobs and schedules.
  3. New lessons: children growing up and moving out of the house. This “book” has the challenge of GOING – adjusting to children growing up and moving out of the house, college, marriages, etc.
  4. New love: the empty nest, getting reacquainted with your spouse all over again. This “book” has the challenge of FLOWING – learning to just go with it as part of the empty nest. You are on no one’s schedule but your own now.
  5. New location: retirement. This “book” has the challenge of BESTOWING – leaving a legacy of faithfulness for the next generation.

Ask yourself this question about your marriage right now: What kind of marriage legacy do I want to leave my family?
However you answer this question is what you need to be living right now.

V. The BLESSINGS of marriage (Gen. 2:18-25)

  1. BEING (companionship) – sharing life together.
  2. GROWING. Learning more about each other and growing together as you walk together with the Lord through the years.
  3. LEARNING what true love is all about. When we learn that love is about sacrifice, about giving all, then it makes marriage that much more beautiful.
  4. ADDING the extended family.
  5. MODELING faithfulness and God’s plan for the family. Marriage is also a model and picture of the church.

Strong marriages make strong churches – never forget that.