Jesus and Divorce

Throwing world. I fear that marriage is another disposable item is marriage doesn't work, and often it doesn't get another and another is the country-western song things, says I'm going to keep on falling in love to get it right divorces. So we woven into the fabric of our culture know that marriages are easily dissolved by what's called no-fault divorce, you may have seen the sign on I 77. Life is short, get a divorce by cynical attorney looking for business like the sharks don't put up with this and get a divorce.

In a culture of low commitment, coupled with the philosophy of I deserve to be happy. Many people brought many couples rather than working through the problems choose divorce God wants me happy, and if I'm unhappy in my marriage and if my wife, my husband is no longer fulfilling my needs and particularly if I met someone else was much more exciting.

I'm going to end this marriage and enter another is not largely our society here in the West United States.

I want this again to open our Bibles to Matthew chapter 19 here is our Lord Jesus speaking 2000 years ago, but this is God's living word. As we reminded ourselves a couple of weeks.

Subject is Jesus and divorce. Start this message is not an exhaustive treatment of the biblical teaching on divorce and I realize this is a tough message tough for me to preach tough for many of you to hear. But this is the word of God. This is the second in the series on Jesus teaching on marriage and gender last week. We thought of Jesus on marriage from Matthew 19.

I was thinking of Jesus and divorce. Lord willing. Next week will think of Jesus and the Gay debates, let's read our Bibles open our Bibles and rates from Matthew chapter 19 and I'm going to read the first nine verses first of all, Matthew 19 verse one now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan on large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause he answered, have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh walked out for God has joined together, let no man separate said to him, why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send it away. He said to them, because of your hardness of heart, Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.

Now that you have it, the teaching of Jesus contrasted with secular society.

First of all, as we look at the subject of Jesus teaching on divorce I we want to think of how the Pharisees viewed divorce by the time of the Lord. The Pharisees view on divorce notice that they again try to trap Jesus verse three. They asked him they tested him. They're trying him. Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause that's the question of a trying to trap him this question of divorce, we understand, was hotly debated by the rabbis at the time of Jesus, so this controversial question posed by the parties. The diversity was designed to trap Jesus. They thought it through.

They knew the Old Testament law then you're the teaching of Moses on the subject and then you that Moses allowed a man to divorce his wife if he find some indecency in her eye. Let's look at that text to their Bibles injured on me. Chapter 24 is the Facebook in the Old Testament that encourage her to come with your Bibles and even more importantly to open them. Here is the Old Testament. And this is the Scripture that the Pharisees are relying on trying to trap Jesus is the deferring to this passage which we know as you that on May 24 limited the first four verses Deuteronomy 24 when a man takes a wife and manes. Her if then she finds no favor in his eyes because your surveys yes find some indecency in her, and here I set a certificate of divorce and puts it in that hand and sends her right of his house and she departed side of his house and if she goes in becomes another man's wife, and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her right of his house out of the latter man dies who took her to be his wife is a woman who's been divorced twice or widowed. The second time that her former husband first husband who sent her away may not take her again to be his wife after she has been defiled for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance interesting passage. So here is the debate of the time of Jesus.

What does the law mean what did Moses mean when he said we have it translated and there English Bibles from the original Hebrew some indecency in her that the rabbis loved to have such debates as lawyers love to debate these things.

What did actually mean I don't take two main views represented by two leading rabbis, rabbis, Shema interpreted some indecency in her buddy buddy strictly in their view. This view, sexual immorality, by the wife was the only ground of divorce under the Old Testament law, adultery, desire, death, although it seemed that adulterers were rarely executed, but it was a serious offense. One of the 10 commands. You shall not commit adultery. So Rabbi Shammai says now when Moses is writing that you can put away your life if you find some indecency in her, he's referring to sexual immorality. She's had sex with another man, and in that case, man, you are entitled to put it away.

The followers of another by Rabbi Hillel had a more liberal interpretation on divorce hello said certainly immorality was a ground for divorce, but are also other grounds in which you could put your wife away under the heading that you would find some indecency in her, what were these examples well burning your meal who wants to be married to a woman who's always buttoning your grade sodium hotdog are.

If you find some obnoxious and defective physical features in her such as bad breath such as excessive sweating, such as being loud, so man if you were married to the kind of life that bunch of grits for breakfast and sweats a lot is not bad breath and is very loud.

You are well place to put this woman away. Why would you marry that woman in the first place but that is not the point. The thought of this woman bad breath, sweating, loud can't even cook your dinner. I mean how can you expect a man to put up with that which interpretation do you think was more popular with the man restrict your or the like. Here the liberal view remember them and make the rules and the more liberal view was the more popular you in fact one rabbi after the Lord splitting from 5235 A.D. Rabbi Akbar even permitted divorce the husband find a more attractive woman so that easy to get a divorce and that you not under the Mosaic law go back to the teaching of the law and the sends leaving aside these interpretations by that by the rabbis of the day under the Mosaic law. It is clear and the Lord is saying this that divorce was a concession but it wasn't a command in the Mosaic law is what I did. Deuteronomy chapter 24 the first four verses various procedures had to be followed you're going to put away your life.

Get the paper right to get the paperwork right to the lawyers and business. In other words, a divorce certificate had to be granted, which was a public declaration that the relationship was ended. This is a divorce certificate. There you are goodbye going come back. Deuteronomy 24 was regulating divorce, but was not commanding. It know what was Moses saying or saying something you think that it is important for man divorce his wife as he find some indecency in her, however, you may interpret that the man divorce his wife, who then moderate someone else and who then was divorced by the second husband or that second husband died the first husband is prohibited from reminding her. So this law prohibited a remarriage to the first wife after the intervening marriage together was Moses as an abomination thought is what in the been defiled to the sexual intercourse with someone you want to bring her back is what the law was saying under the Mosaic law. Notice what Jesus says that state Jesus knows the teaching of Deuteronomy chapter 24 of these led notice what he saying because of the your hardness of heart, Moses allowed you to divorce your wives from the beginning it was not so.

We seen that expression from the beginning before didn't wait.

Verse eight have you not read says Jesus do not know your Bibles, that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female. Interesting.

Notice the high view that Jesus has of Scripture was a concession, but from the beginning it wasn't so. God's plan is that marriage is a permanent and exclusive relationship. That's how God ordained that from the beginning.

As we saw last week I think is very very interesting that our Lord Jesus the master teacher. He's not drawn into the rabbinical debates to debate what some indecency means and he doesn't answer their question directly, rather he doesn't deal with the Mosaic concession but to God's plan for mileage from the beginning God never ever commands divorce. Divorce is not part of God's plan for mileage from the beginning, we saw the text in Genesis 2, last week from the beginning. It is one man, and Jesus quotes Genesis 224 in Matthew 17 it is a man who leaves father and mother cleaves to his wife to become one flesh. God's plan for mileage please hear from the beginning is that the marriage bond is indissoluble unit. Is this what Jesus said verse six.

I think we need to hear this Calvary church was therefore God has joined together, let not man separate notice who's doing the joining not just the man and the woman what God has joined together, let not man separate hulking Jim, let not man put it asunder.

Here is a man and a woman.

They come together. There is a leaving and there's a cleaving and that is one flesh marriage is the teaching from the beginning.

Divorce then is not tailing up parts what God has joined together, it is a violation of what God ordains. No wonder some of you know this from experience and great heartbreak. No wonder divorce is such a traumatic and painful experience.

I've never been divorce, but I've met many, many, many people have sat in my study who's spoken with me and told me of the tremendous pain and heartache through being divorce notice. Jesus says in verse five, a man leaves his father and mother households fast to his wife. The old King James cleaves to his wife holds fast to his wife that holding fast emphasizes not only love for your spouse for their commitment. Our strong commitment to loyalty and faithfulness. Our society talks a lot about love and did marriages and weddings with greater emphasis on love and rightly so. Of course there is.

But that is less emphasis is the on the holding fast on the commitments on the pledge of love and loyalty last week as I had the privilege of leading three couples as they are dedicated their children to the Lord and why could they not do so, does God bless them, were wonderful thing to do and something we encourage or calibrate before they did that. I asked the are you reaffirming your vows not only of love, but of loyalty and faithfulness to understand many people you made the commitment of loyalty. You made of Waterloo before God of faithfulness and the marriage rose at least all the ones that I've had a hard not. I feel I'm not. I hope, but I will I do take you to be my lawfully wedded wife and I do commit to a life of loyalty and faithfulness.

Marriage is result is a divine covenant were a beautiful institution.

Yes, God has given us is not thought-out by us.

This is God's plan for his children.

One man one woman making a lifelong commitment before God. You say, but John you don't know my wife or my husband possibly know but I know no marriage is perfect.

I know that when you matter your matting a sinful person and Judah. Sinful person and of course there's adjustments. Of course that are trials of courses or difficulties, but Christian marriage. Paul says in Ephesians 5 is to be a beautiful picture of Christ and his church beautiful picture of Christ and Mr. Pierce, Christian marriage, love to love someone and to be loved by his them and to know that they've made this commitment of loyalty where there is mutual respect where that is forgiveness and where there is joy always bothers me when couples say as whether marriage this it will I'm working on it, you know, mileage is not meant to be like digging a ditch on working on. Yes, there are things to work on but God gives us mileage for of joy. Mileage is a wonderful thing. I hope there's laughter in your relationship all there's laughter in your home, not silliness, but the joy of the Lord.

Notice Jesus teaching on divorce. Jesus reaffirms God's plan for mileage from the beginning and he accepts that from creation.

There is only one type of sexual union permitted by God. Jeremy one type of sexual union permitted by God will think of the gay debate next week but let me remind you singles divorce without people that the sexual relationship is within mileage, not before your moderate, not outside your marriage, but with in marriage and rather than broaden the grounds for divorce which some people today would say well you know the Old Testament, God was an angry kind of products are then but now in the New Testament, Jesus is all about love.

And if you love each other and not harming other people go ahead and do what you want. Jesus doesn't do rather than broaden the grounds for divorce.

Jesus narrows them. Jesus unambiguously states that divorce and remarriage is unlawful.

It's going against God's teaching and amounts to adultery. You say come on John that's pretty tough only as tough as the Bible verse nine.

Read again with me. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. We also saw it in chapter 5 of Matthew number way back then Matthew five verse 31 it was also said he's referring to Deuteronomy 24 whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife except on the grounds of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery, then it is divorce is a breaking of what God has joined his own wonderful thing that the privilege of doing it of leading a couple who stand here in marriage so wonderful thing to think that not only are they expressing their love for each other in the sense that the easy part. There also expressing a lifelong commitment of loyalty and faithfulness to that person and God and Jesus is saying it's God who joins us together what God has joined together, I thought that I wonder how gracious of God that are singles here in your you want to get married.

That is a good desire and engine a bit worried about who you going to marry, don't.

Don't worry about it. You walk humbly live a life to the glory of God and God is well able to bring into your life.

The person that you should marry in the wonder of my heritage is this the dog knows the kind of husband. The kind of wife you need 20 1314 years ahead number.

Good night.

We never thought of how it would be for your moderate Twinkie or fast for two years meant that's for all people. Women are Twinkies, not thinking that far ahead. And Britney tells me I'd I don't believe her, but she tells me if she knew I was going to be a pastor. She would have married me.

She thought she was going about a wealthy lawyer for the rest of her life in the wonderful that God knew that I needed how I need. Believe me, how I need a godly wife, so that when I come to Calvary church I come.

The Lord publishes unpaid MOC next because you should be paid.

Absolutely not what he or she is. She functions as my wife with a tremendous impact in this congregation, and the dog knew that in the dog knows what you need brother what you need sister years from now and God brings us together in the wonderful marriage I say to you my people if you divorce and remarry going against God, you're committing adultery, divorce is a break from God's pattern and purposes what that for God has joined together – six let not man separate. So we must strongly reject the view that you're not happy if you're not fulfilled in your marriage. What if you fall in love with someone else. Divorce is a good option.

How is it, can we in good faith make a stand against gay marriage, same-sex marriage, or transgender is him and make us strong statement against that and disregard the teaching on divorce, brothers and sisters we can do that.

We accept all of the teaching of Scripture and God has brought you together with your husband wife yes you may have struggles. Yes, there may be difficulties. But remember, God has brought you together and God will give you. I assure you all of the help. All of the wisdom all of the grace that you need so that your mileage is truly a mileage in the Lord but you say there's an exception is an interesting but just lawyers wills with a look for the loophole. What I know that's true but in my case is in a way out. I hope you don't view that way.

But there is an exception. Did you notice related in Matthew five verse 32 and related in verse nine overpasses. Matthew nine I say to you, whoever divorces his wife is the exception. Except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery in these passages.

Matthew five and Matthew 19 Jesus is given the is giving an exception to the rule that the marriage bond is in the soluble, broken only by death. What is the exception translated in our Bible thing was on the Russian as sexual immorality is a translation of the Greek word for nail, from which we get the word pornography right you civil what is put nail what is Jesus saying but he says if you divorce your wife and marry another you commit adultery with exception for nail. What does that mean we'll put Leah's destructive immoral sexual acts which includes adultery, homosexuality, prostitution, incest, pedophilia, some of these horrible situations. Why is that, think of what manages a man leaves his mother for the mother, father, father and mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. The one flesh belongs is violated by sexual unfaithfulness.

Sexual immorality strikes at the very heart of the sacred marriage covenant. It is not only a Satan against God is a sin against husband or wife you say well should there be forgiveness. Yes, the Bible and in the story of Hosea in the Old Testament gives us a beautiful example of an adulterous wife being forgiven uncertainly God's grace and God's forgiveness are far greater than any sin. But if that immorality is not repented of. If it's so flagrant that the offended party cannot resume marital relations. The individual may let me emphasize may pursue divorce.

Jesus is not commanding divorce in the circumstances, but divorce is permitted in the circumstances, but is not prescribed by some argue if you look at verse nine. Some argue that the phrase, except for sexual immorality modifies the verb divorce, but not the bad marries another, so that are those that have the view that if your wife or your husband commit sexual immorality. Put nail that you are allowed and permitted by Jesus to divorce your spouse, but you're not permitted to remarry. You have W was in common is a Roman Catholic. You and the Roman Catholic Church under their theology when mileage is a sacraments. Roman Catholics don't permit you notice by the minute they don't permit divorce and remarriage for any reason whatsoever, of course, they have their loopholes can I say that kindly annulments that had he can get over. It's amazing the deviousness of the human heart is if we want to know something will try every manager to trying get out of it.

Now the mower accepted interpretation.

The view of Calvary church. My view that for the correct view is it a very humbling this is. I believe the correct interpretation that repeated motor holiday by husband or wife allows the spouse not only to divorce but also to the married wise that the sacred marriage covenant has been violated, not we may think that strange because today our society so sexualized isn't it. We tend to think of the modality as well that just what goes on but think of it from God's view, God put together this man and this woman in the sacred covenants of holy matrimony, and it is violated when the man or woman goes outside of the marriage and commits adultery. Mark and Luke and then accounts don't mention exception clause is a modality I believe was a well-recognized ground for divorce.

Therefore, the exception with them is implied. No divorce is never good, but it is allied with there's been sexual immorality you contemplating divorce contemplating remarriage message to give very serious and prayerful consideration to your actions obtain godly counsel if you're a follower of Jesus. Remember this your primary commitment is not your personal happiness can anything that whether you're single mandate window divorced our primary commitment is to Jesus Christ. He is to be my first love and to love him with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength and if I do that I am to obey his commandments not let me summarize this with the biblical grounds for divorce. Number one sexual immorality is receiving where there is an unrepentant sexual immorality. When the injured party is done all that he or she can to affect reconciliation divorce and remarriage may be allowed choosing to forgive the mirror choosing to forgive the sexual immorality and continuing the marriage is a powerful display of God's faithfulness and grace we sign. I know God is able. I know that God can do the impossible, and over the years. I rejoice and praise God of knowing couples where that has been acts of betrayal where there has been adultery where there has been a violation of the marriage bond and where there has been forgiveness not only forgiveness and reconciliation and that couple have gone on to display the grace of God than the love of God in a marriage in the Lord and I know many couples where there's been forgiveness and reconciliation. That's God's way, but it isn't always possible.

Sometimes parts of heart. The hardness of the heart others, a second-round for divorce and it is abandonment. You turn to first Corinthians 7 want to do this very quickly. Were going to break bread this morning.

These are shoes, subjects, and I in a sense apologize for racing through them, but they leave it for your consideration as you study the text of Scripture abandonment. First Corinthians 7 verse 10 is Paul to the married I give this charge shall die, but the Lord, the wife should not separate from her husband that lives do not separate from your husband's but if she does, she should remain unmarried hotels be reconciled to her husband and the husband should not divorce his wife you you leave. For some reason can't remarry and be reconciled. Verse 12 to the rest I say not the Lord that if any brother has a wife was an unbeliever. Notice the condition here. Here is a believer mate to an unbeliever and she consents to live with him he should not divorce or so you're married, you came to Christ, your husband, your wife is still an unbeliever that is not grounds for divorcing them know you stay with them. Paul is saying if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he consents to live with her she should not divorce him pretty clear to understand verse 14. It is for the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his life on the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband.

Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holding.

Think of a Christian woman married to the unbeliever because of her testimony because of the her display of Christ that home is becoming sanctified verse for 15 here's the other exception.

But if the unbelieving partner separates.

Let it be so. Mrs. Smith is married to Mr. Smith who is an unbeliever. He leaves Mrs. Smith is the let it be. In such case, the brother or sister. The believing spouse is not enslaved God has called you to peace for how do you know wife, whether you will save your husband or how do you know husband whether you will save your life. So here's a situation where the unbelieving spouse leaves the believing spouse notice very very important. It is the unbeliever who initiates the separation not the believer. I've known over the years. People admire it and unbeliever unbeliever is very difficult does want them to come to church than the one them to read the Bible. That is, and that is not justification for leaving them. First Peter three says that the wife resides in unbeliever, even without the words can impact a husband and possibly lead him to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

So it's the unbelieving spouse who initiates the divorce, separation and divorce, not the believing spouse in that case, the believing spouse doesn't find it is going to do what he wants and then there's the divorce and where there has been a divorce.

She is then free to read married so these two exceptions, immorality and abandonment flow from the violation of marriage number I said last week that the most important verse in the Bible about marriages.

Genesis 224 believing that cleaving the one flesh where there has been violated section modality for the husband of been violated, not leaving.

Divorce is allowed to say well I think there should be more guns.

Verse 10 Matthew 19 Rome was finished. The disciples said to him, if such is the case of a man with his wife is better not to marry you and analyze pretty tough okay and the that I make a mistake and I get mandate to this person while my really settled with her for the rest of my life using like guys but you don't get married because your only exception. She's a believer is a morality because you get fed up with her because you burned your toast on Sunday morning. Verse 11 he said to them, not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given for that genetics who have been so from birth and there are eunuchs who have been UNIX made eunuchs by men and that are eunuchs who have been made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. But the one who is able to receive this receive it. Three kinds of people who don't have intimate sexual intercourse that are people who were born because of some the formative unable to perform the sexual act. There are those of the nurses I did not since I did who are made eunuchs by men. The castrated and there are others who, for their devotion to Christ and for the sake of the kingdom of God receive this and say I'm going to be single you know in our society really done and single people. We don't do that Calvary and some of you are rather silly sometimes and you want to act as a matchmaker, even when sometimes people are separated even before.

Sometimes people are divorced.

I've had a Calvary church. Some of you trying to match make someone please don't do that love God, to act as you can introduce someone I'm not saying that the love God, to act like dogs to join the person because some singles, some people are single for the sake of the kingdom of heaven perhaps have never met someone that they feel that they could make that lifelong commitment to perhaps they feel that God has called them, but have simply divorced but have since been married and they say no I'm never going to remarry. My mother was like that when life she was just 15 when my father died. He was 10 years older than my mother lived till she was 94 and it's not that we were the thought it was wrong for my mother to remarry, but you will have ring and in her view, the thought of marrying someone else was just unthinkable. That's unusual. She said you didn't criticize or judge those who reminded but for her out of her love for her husband's a note of the devotion to Christ. She decided she was not going to remarry and we had. If we affirm that there are people like that we should look down and then we should either hold them in high esteem verse at the end of verse 10 – 12. Rather, let the one who is able to receive this receive it. You say well I have blunders. John them already divorce and remarriage and I didn't have biblical grounds for my divorce whether my to do. Should I go back to my first spouse, absolutely no God's grace.

Please hear me God's grace becomes operative at the point of your repentance and confession divorce. Contrary to what some people may imply divorce is not an unforgivable sin. Hear me, it's a serious sin that it's made of nonbiblical drawings like all Senate must be reprinted that must become fast, but is not unforgivable.

You must repent, you must claim forgiveness and ask you have you done that.

The wonder of the gospel is this and I say this over and over again in the state today is replete with because which one of us would want to judge someone else but him who is without sin, take up the stolen rights. There is always more grace in our Lord Jesus Christ, than the sin you blown it. Welcome to the human race. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No, we do not minimize the sin is a grievous sin. I am warning you not to commit that sin. But if you have committed that sin claim, the forgiveness of God. And just as a side of the beginning of the service you are welcome at Calvary church.

God's forgiveness is extended to us all say well I divorce for nonbiblical guidance what my to do to either reconcile with your spouse or to see single you say that's hard. John yes it may be hard it's hard for single people is hard for people in a difficult marriage. It's hard for many, many situations in life are the very heart of what it means to follow Jesus Christ.

I am to deny self, take up my cross and follow Christ.

He is my first priority. Just living for Christ in these areas, particularly in the areas of her sexuality is hard following crisis costly for all of us know when to say myself and my fellow pastors and elders were available to give any counsel in these difficult things. If you're a wife was. I said last week was being abused by your husband's man, can I speak to, do not abuse your life. By that I mean not only are you not to hit your wife. What kind of man are you that we do that or hit your children, but don't abuse them verbally, don't swear don't show to don't use phone County case at I met on Friday with the executive committee. We thought of Paul's words in Ephesians 4 letter words are to give grace to those who hear men be gracious to your life.

Yes, you burned your toast would be gracious to be kind to be kind to your children bring joy of the Lord into your home and acknowledge that you do sinful person in your wife's a sinful person and your children are sinful person but God's grace is always greater than our sin usage on my mom manages above a mess. What must I do, Abraham Lincoln says when you're lost in life.

Do as you would if lost in the forestry's trace your steps go back to your first love, humble yourself in the mighty hand of God. Get down on your knees. Yes, tonight with your husband or your wife and confession of sin and repented your arms run one another and ask God for his help in his grace and I will tell you God will not fail and with God nothing is possible you're feeling unloved. In your marriage you and happy misunderstood, but does not entitle you to end your marriage is a sig. on your knees and pray for God's help, his grace and his love when as God's Spirit to renew your love for Christ to pour his grace into your heart.

Were going to sing before we break bread a little him that we all know so well. We usually think of it as the sinner coming to Christ on this sent me died in that you don't know Christ use it to come to Christ but is also an invitation to all of us to come with toss about with many conflict. Many of that fighting findings and fears within without excess thousand and were going to say Lamb of God.

I father humbleness is a difficult subject, take your word father word of truth and apply it to our hearts as we break bread, no mere hearts overflow with you. Love that deep, deep love of Jesus that you commanded your love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and we know say Lamb of God become I come in his name we pray