Danger Signs of Marital Erosion, Part 1

From Chuck Swindoll erosion knew it. No one predicted cracks brought on by character flaw begin to take their toll in her life. Compromise here off-color statement. There and before you know it, but life what's standing tall and strong begins to weaken confinement collapse erosion relationship.

Without deliberate effort without persistence and protection, even a healthy marriage faces the danger of erosion today on Insight for living trust when all invites us to scrutinize our most cherished relationships to ensure that we use extra measures to fight against the natural demise.

He's teaching from a passage in first Samuel we find a real life illustration effect will take several minutes to carefully read the text before his message began in the process. Chuck exposes what he calls the danger signs of marital erosion. You will observe as you grow through the Christian life that worship is always directed away from you and toward God.

That explains why in churches that have this figured out where the theology of worship has been thought through. It is not an entertainment kind of ministry is a ministry design to turn our attention away from ourselves and even away from those who minister as gifted as they may be to play these instruments and sing these great songs, all of it is designed not to entertain you or me but to focus really refocus our attention away from the sounds and noises in the drag of our culture and get our minds set straight again. It is all about God.

It is not about us is not about you.

The focus is on him and Charles Wesley understood that that may explain why he left in his legacy.

Some 7000 hymns a number of which are still some today there still extent their still in use are still a part of our hymnody as the one we just sang and to give you courage and encouragement.

Young mothers who are still bearing children and you find yourself with more than you expected. Charles was, I think 17 in a family of 19 were all please this, she didn't give up with the 15th saying that's enough were grateful that she continue to have those young and Charles's brother John gets more of the attention nowadays, but Charles has left his songs to be sung right to this day, our worship would be incomplete without the reading of the Scriptures and I invite you to turn to a section that you probably not been in in a while. It's not one of the better-known when you begin in Genesis you work your way through the books of Moses and then you have a couple of books of history, Joshua and Judges and right there, wrapped in those historical books is the work of Samuel, first and second book of Samuel, followed by the Kings and then the Chronicles. This is usually where we stopped reading when we decide were going to read through the Bible in January 1 we get to all the big cats away that well maybe God can pronounce those words but somehow I can't get through them. But here we find housed some of the great truths for our times. Though they occurred in just centuries. Centuries ago to become acquainted with the family of Eli a family that eroded right before his eyes. When you refer you several sections of first Samuel chapter 1 verse nine then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.

She greatly distressed prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. She made a vow and said, oh Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me and not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a son that I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life in a razor shall never come on his head.

17 then Eli answered and said go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you grant your petition that you have asked of him.

She said let your maidservant find favor in your sight, so the woman went her way and ate in her face was no longer sad.

Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah and okay not have relations with Hannah, his wife, and the Lord remembered her came about in due time. After Hannah had conceived that she gave birth to a son, and she named him Sean Valeo. It means asked of God. And she named him that because I have asked him of the Lord. Chapter 2 verse 11 then Al Qaeda went to his home at Ramah, but the boy that is Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest. Now the sons of Eli were worthless. Men they did not know the Lord. Chapter 3 verse 10 then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times. Samuel, Samuel. Samuel said, speak, for your servant is listening.

Lord said to Samuel, behold, I'm about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle in that day. I will carry out against Eli all that I've spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end, for I've told him that I'm about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew because his sons brought a curse on themselves. And he did not rebuke them.

Finally, chapter 4 verse 15. Now Eli was 98 years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see the man said to Eli.

I am the one who came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today and he said how did things go. My son and the one who brought the news replied Israel has fled before the Philistines and there.

There has also been a great slaughter among the people in your two sons also often the infant house or did the ark of God take came about when he mentioned the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate and his neck was broken and he died for. He was old and heavy. Thus, he judged Israel 40 years.

Some of the hardest work we do in worship is prayer.

And today, though, I'm normally the one who leads in a time of pastoral prayer today is a good opportunity for you to represent your needs as a believer who is a priest every believer in our era is a priest before God we no longer go through a priest to reach our God. We know the Lord in our hearts were able to go before his throne boldly and trust him with our need. So let's bow together is a great moment for you to unburden your heart clear your mind, release your anxieties expressed to him your concerns intercede on behalf of others. We have brought our praise today. Our father in song and and we have certainly listened as you have spoken to us in your word. Now we express to you our petition just as Hannah asked specifically, we as well ask specifically, we pray that you will meet needs that are deep and bring comfort and even encouragement in the midst of grief we have received for those who sit alongside and stand alongside those they love whose lives are leaning away.

The disease is taking its toll and the report from the physician is bleak. We pray that you will bring a ray of hope and encouragement that you will get them through the difficulty of this day in the darkness of this night help them. Our father as they release their loved ones to you for your better purpose in your providential plan watch over us as a people are father were helpless, we would carry no weapons.

We aren't big enough to fight the masses. We often don't even know where the attack will come from. Certainly we do not know where the adversary will strike next so we place ourselves behind your shield our strength in our defender minister this day here and in places beyond here for your word is proclaimed to give it freedom and effectiveness.

May it make its mark in our lives speak directly to each one of us today and made may it penetrate beneath the veneer of all rationalizations may we take it personally and as a result, respond now. Our father, our worship continues as we give to you, may it not be a perfunctory act not just another religious event may this time of giving continue our worship as we refocus ourselves on you. Your plan, your will and the progress of your work.

Watch over this church. As these funds are used. May they be used wisely and well, now we give gratefully and generously joyfully in the name of Jesus, our Savior and everyone set a man erosion is a treacherous thing. Probably because you don't know what's going on when all the while it is eating away disintegrating destroying slowly, silently, subtly, is a little Township up north that took pride in up in a brand-new red brick building. They had anticipated for quite some time. It was designed to house the police department and the fire department and diffuse city offices as well as the meeting room for the citizens of that particular Township finally got billed excellent, architected, designed it didn't engineered it to a superb craftsman had watched over the building of it didn't, and even the subcontractors come from the area and they were all there for the parade and the ribbon-cutting occasion where they celebrated the completion of their brand-new red brick building the Township building of that community. A couple of months passed and someone noticed as she was pulling down the window in her office one afternoon it wouldn't close.

It wasn't long before the talk at the water fountain was the their window didn't close either doors seem to jar in dragged they were no longer able to lock the building at night.

Ominous cracks began to appear on the brick wall outside up to stories and finally some of the bricks began to fall.

Building had to be condemned to the shock of the citizens and the dismay of the taxpayers.

How the world could this have happened. Good architect excellent crew builders all the right foundation plans in place was wrong.

A study was made and they found that mining had been taking place some distance away, and subterranean blasts part of the mining project had begun to weaken the subsurface beneath where the building set, and in fact it was slowly sinking erosion. Nobody knew it. No one could predict, and what happens in the building can happen.

Also in the life we begin well by coming first to the cross and we come to our Savior and acknowledge that there's nothing in ourselves, we can bring in is only by his grace that were able to approach him and take his offer of eternal life by faith we start our life with him by-and-by in the process of time, cracks brought on by character flaws that are unsuspected and undetected by others. Widen begin to take their toll in our lives.

The compromise here and off-color statement. There some contamination from here and before you know it, like in the case of King Saul, that life once standing tall and strong begins to weaken and finally collapse erosion. What did happen in the building and what can happen in life can occur in a family of every couple begins at an altar or before the justice of the peace and they stand and say all the right words there called or violence. We had a lovely wedding here just yesterday afternoon one of our own staff members marries a lovely young lady was a part of our insight for living ministry. It was just perfect. They said all the right things in several times my wife would squeeze my hand, maybe to remind me. That's what we said way back there and I know just heard.

We all felt warm all over.

It was all just so good. Starts like that but does the bride and groom were reminded yesterday. Don't don't in this relationship. Don't let that happen. Don't give up on why would the minister say that because he understands erosion, dizziness, the whole time factor. The demands and deadlines life being what it is.

Before you know it. Both are busy at their work engaged even in ministry little slip here little slide there in a long, children have always found it interesting that brides and grooms and husbands and wives who think their lives are somehow difficult and in having struggle think they think maybe having a child will help.

That's the first step toward erosion.

When you begin the process of rearing the children and all. And then there's not one there's two and then there are two. Therefore, another hard to support their friends and their no schooling and there's always stuff of life and before you know it, you've lost touch and like that old folk song the cats in the cradle. It's gotten to be just like me erosion. You may be surprised to know that that's not a new phenomenon. It's happened since time immemorial. My Bible is open to an ancient book filled with the stories of what we would call ancient people who live very relevant lives. Here is a very responsible man rearing, not just two sons of his own, but no one adopted son, whom the Lord brought to the mother in a very special way. As we just read the things begin not to be unraveled it, it occurred to me that there are erosion verses in the Bible. Listen to a few. It was said of Samson.

In Judges 1620, he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. How could you not know the Lord is departed from you, but if you live the life Samson and live lived in the latter part of his time you you can understand erosion. He had gotten so used to operating without the Lord's power. It was all about Samson José of the prophet administered to a wayward group of people known as the people of Israel in the northern kingdom, and on one occasion, the Lord gave José of the prophet. A word to give to the people you so that when you reap the whirlwind. That's an erosion's Hosea 87 is so the wind meaning what you're already moving in the wrong direction. And the more you move the more rapid the wind and the more the wind, the deeper the decline until you have eroded. As you find yourself now. Jeremiah said similar words to the people of Judah. If you have run with the footman and they have made you tired, what would you do when the cavalry comes and if in a time of peace.

You trusted and couldn't make it.

What would you do in the swelling of the jungle of the Jordan, if your walk is beginning to erode. When days are peaceful. What would you do would jungle fighting, it's and you gotta find yourself defending and you too weak to fight.

Probably the most familiar erosion verses from Paul's pin be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man sows, what, that shall he also reap you so to the flesh. The next verse says you will from the flesh reap corruption that's an erosion verse. Eli did not know that it was eroding me you didn't know at the time if silent it's it's it's it's slow with subtle, there were no blast of trumpets. There was there. It was not a voice from heaven announced he would just daddy just busy about his work laboring over the affairs of the tabernacle. In fact, he did it for 40 years, not only as a priest but as a judge means little to us today. Since were not led so much by judges, but in those days the nation was led by judges.

That's where the book just before Samuel gets its name.

A list of judges who were the authority of the people over the people. So Eli has a double job. The high priest, not just any priest, and believing judge so he's dealing with religious affairs and civic affairs and political affairs and the demands of this the deadlines of that before you know it. These boys sorta raise themselves.

We say not. My hope is wet your appetite to join us.

All week long because Chuck Swindoll will go much deeper on this topic.

This is insight for living and where in the final stretch of his eight part series that concludes this coming Friday is called marriage from surviving to thriving and to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insightworld.org. The Scriptures are filled with the kind of counsel and advice we heard today is like nothing surpasses the wisdom offered in the Bible ever husbands and wives is so important to consult the author of marriage.

Along those lines, I remind you Chuck is written a book that dovetails with our current teaching series is more than 200 pages in length, and it's also called marriage from surviving to thriving. Many of use this book in their small group Bible study or book club and it's also a thoughtful gift for young couple who needs encouragement as well.

Chuck's book on marriage is available for purchase when you call us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or visit us online@insight.org/offer these daily programs are made possible because people like you give generous gift entry or support people all over our country and even around the world are learning to place their trust in God. For example, I was encouraged to read a recent note that read I started listening to Pastor Chuck when I was in prison and now seven years later I'm clean and living my best life. Thank you. Pastor Chuck and insight for living well is one who financially supports insight for living, you play a significant role in providing this daily program to men and women like this one who found a new life to thank you for putting this nonprofit ministry to give a contribution today online go to insight.org/donate or call us listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 join is when Chuck Swindoll continues the danger signs of marital erosion Tuesday on insight for living. The preceding message danger signs of marital erosion was copyrighted in 2005, 2006 and 2022 and the seven recording was copyrighted in 2022 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited