Part 2 - How to Present Biblical/Expository Sermons

2 Timothy 4:1-2 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word...."

Review
Yesterday we began consider the different ways one can deliver and present God's Word in a preaching (or teaching) situation. This current series of blogs should not be thought of as just for preachers. Anyone who listens to sermons can learn what to look for when hearing a Biblical sermon from God's Word. Many of the principles outlined in this current series of blogs are useful in personal study and application of God's Word. We looked yesterday at different types of expository or Biblical sermons: namely theme sermons and pyramid sermons. Today we continue looking at more different ways in which to present God's Word.
1. “Logic Building Sermons”

In a logic building sermon the material of the message is presented to show the listener the given logic of the passage. Often preachers will employ what is called a "syllogism", which is a logical argument that begins with a general statement (a major Premise), a specific related statement (a minor premise) and then a logical conclusion that proves the logic of both. Below is a sample sermon:

-Example: Help people see the logic of the Gospel-Title: “Why Jesus alone is the sinner’s substitute
-Text: Various Scriptures, mostly 1 Corinthians 15
Major Premise: Anyone who dies in their sins awaits judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)

Minor Premise: Jesus was born, died and raised from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Therefore: Jesus proves He is a sinless man and capable of representing you

Thus the major and minor premises could be the first two points of the sermon, followed by the "therefore" being the final point and conclusion.

2. “Twin Sermons”
Twin sermons are so-named because of their simple two-point structure.  Normally in a twin sermon the amount of time spent in each part is about the same, thus lending further to the name "twin sermon".  Personally this type of expository sermon is among my favorite types to preach because of its simplicity and relative ease to deliver.  Below are suggestions for how you may deliver such a sermon:

-(Point 1) First part of sermon may present a problem 
-(Point 2) Second part may bring a solution 

Example: “Healing an Unhealthy Christian Faith”

3 John 9-11; 2 Peter 1:4-11
1.Marks of an unhealthy Christian Faith. 3 John 9-11
- Resists vs 9
- Rebels vs 10
- Rotten vs 11
2.Healing by maintaining a healthy Christian faith. 2 Peter 1:4-11

Note: If you start out negative, try to end positive. But only do so if you can find a corresponding text

3. “Question Sermons” This type of sermon begins with a question. Question sermons have the advantage of placing the listener in the position to respond directly to the preaching in their minds or with their responses. Questions open up dialogue and/or a two way street between the preacher's voice and the listener's mind. Below is a sample of what such a sermon would look like:

Example: “What did Christ Accomplish?” 1 Peter 3:18 

Point #1 - What did He do? He died for sins 

Point #2 - Whom did he die for? Sinners

Point #3 - Why did He die? To bring us to God

Point #4 - How was it successful? He raised 

Point #5 - When do you receive what He did? 

There are several other suggested ways we could consider in presenting a Biblical, expository sermon.  However let me close with some suggestions for you and I to improve in our presentation of God's Word as preachers and teachers.

Suggestions for growing in our Sermon presentation

1.Listen to other preachers
2.Listen to or watch your sermons
3.Note nervous habits
4.If using humor, utilize your illustrations, not the text

Part 1 - How to present Biblical/expository sermons

2 Timothy 4:1-2 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word...."

Introduction
Last week I had written some posts on the subject of sermon preparation. For the convenience of the reader I have listed their links in case anyone wants to reference them for review:
1.  http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2013/10/introductory-thoughts-on-preaching.html
2.  http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2013/10/preparing-biblical-sermon-method-for.html
3.  http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2013/10/preparing-biblical-sermon-illustrations.html

The Lord blessed me to have the opportunity to participate and deliver a session at a recent Baptist association Pastor's conference on the subject of "The Preacher's Preparation, Presentation and Invitation". Having looked at sermon preparation last week, we will now look this week at some ways in which to present or preach the scriptures to an audience.

Some thoughts on what expository preaching is all about
Let me say from the get-go that all true Biblical preaching is "expository" preaching.  When I say "expository", I am simply referring to the responsibility of preaching to "expose" the people to the text or to "explain" the text well enough to convey the meaning intended by the Holy Spirit through the original author. If someone is not making it their aim to explain the text as originally communicated by the Holy Spirit through the Biblical author - then it is not exposition and certainly not Biblical preaching. 

As one preacher of the past once said: "A lecture or talk can be given next week, next month or next year, but a sermon must be delivered now." What the quote is expressing is the urgency that attends the preaching task.  Hearers of sermons also have the urgency of preaching placed upon them in the sense of needing to apply what has been preached.   

Different methods for presenting expository sermons
With that introduction, I want us now to consider different ways in which Biblical sermons or "expository sermons" can be delivered.  Though "verse by verse" exposition is the most common way, yet there are various methods by which the delivery of God's words can be "packaged" or "delivered" by the preacher or the hearer.  We will look at a couple today and some more tomorrow.  May these tips prove helpful to those who aim to preach or teach God's word.  

1.“Theme” Sermons
The preacher may use a major Biblical theme from which to work off of in His sermon.  These types of sermons are great for introducing a congregation to a teaching of scripture. Below is a sample of how such a sermon would be structured.

-Sermon Subject – Ex: Christ-Theme of Subject- Ex:Christ’s Eternal Deity
-Divide theme by its “characteristics” or “facets” or “advantages” or “practical applications” 

-Example Passage: Col 1:15-19
Point #1 Christ is Eternal Creator Col 1:15-17
Point #2 Christ is Eternally the Savior Col 1:18Point #3 Christ is Eternal with the Father Col 1:19

2. “Pyramid Sermons” 
In a pyramid sermon, the preacher starts off with an idea or heading, adding onto that idea or heading in the next point.  In the subsequent points that follow, the preacher keeps on adding on more and more ideas until the sermon arrives at the fully stated idea.  The reason why such a sermon is called "a pyramid sermon" is because when you look at the points and the structure of the sermon, the shape of it resembles a "pyramid".  John L. Benson in his 1967 book: "Homiletics", is the author from whence I gleaned this particular sermon structure. Below is a sample sermon I preached a while ago utilizing this method:

-Main theme: Overview of New Testament 
-Title: “Christ, the focus of the N.T” 
-Purpose of the sermon: to demonstrate how Jesus Christ is the focal point of the New Testament, and how He should be the focal point of our lives. 

                     Point #1 Christ portrayed = Gospels 
                Point #2 He is Portrayed, preached = Acts
         Point #3 Portrayed, preached, explained = Epistles
Point #4 Portrayed,preached,explained,prominent = Revelation

More tomorrow....

Proclaiming the Gospel amidst demonic & human conflict

Matthew 24:37-39 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

In today's post we will be interested in particular scriptures that help us diagnose our culture and the warfare that ensues between the demonic realm, human beings and the Gospel.  As you read in the opening passage above, Jesus refers back to the days of Noah in Genesis 5-9 to compare what it was going to be like in the time proceeding His soon return.  As we have pointed out in past blogs, there is no question we are living in the "last days", being that authors such as the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 1:1-2 referred to his own time as the last days.  Understanding how the realms of the fallen angels and men operate and conflict can help us better understand what is at stake in Christ's command for His church to fulfill the great commission.  The title of today's post give us the direction and order for the headings will follow in tracing out the text of Genesis 5-6.

1. The Gospel must be testified among men. Genesis 5

According to Genesis 4:25  "To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord." From Adam's to Noah would span ten generations and a line of 1656 years of unbroken witness of the Gospel.  As you read the accounts of the men listed in Genesis 5, their ages and the repeated pattern of "so and so dying" serves to underscore God's scarlet thread of redemption, as well as the need for such redemption.  The names of each of these pre-flood patriarchs is remarkable in its own right - since when put together tell the story of the Gospel:

Name                                Meaning

Adam (Gen 5:1)              The Lord of the blood

Seth (Gen 5:3)                Appointed one

Enosh (Gen 5:9)             Incurable wound

Kenan (Gen 5:12)         Possession, apprehend

Mahalel (Gen 5:15)       Praise of God

Jared (Gen 5:18)          Bend down, descend

Enoch (Gen 5:21)         Dedicate

Methusaleh (Gen 5:25)   Year it was sent

Lamech (Gen 5:28)         Powerful

Noah (Gen 5:29)           Rest or rest at a table

Now when you take all of these men and put there names together, here is the result:

The Lord who created blood chose to be appointed because mankind had an incurable wound called sin.  He laid hold to what he was appointed to and with the praise of God descended down to earth and walked in perfect obedience to the Father.  Then in the year for which it was sent He worked a powerful salvation to give rest to all who believe on Him. 

That dear friend is the Gospel, planned by God and embedded in the lives and even the names of the men He chose to use and to redeem for His name sake.  The Gospel's witness never ceased shining, despite the fact that the world grew more and more dim.  Noah's father Lamech indicates just how desperate that age was in Genesis 5:29 "Now he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the Lord has cursed.”  As Jesus Himself states in Matthew 24:36-41, our day today will be like Noah's time, with the need more than ever to shine the Gospel light. The Gospel must be testified among men. When we come to Genesis 6, we see what will be the first mention of the demonic realm in redemptive history, and thus our second heading in these chapters....

2. The Gospel conflicts with the demonic realm colliding with men

Genesis 6:1-2 makes this interesting statement: "Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose."  Who were these "sons of God" and "daughters of men"? Undoubtedly much ink has been spilled over the exact identification.  To compound the difficulty of this passage in Genesis, we read these words in Genesis 6:4 "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown."  The term "nephilim" also merits attention along with the phrases "sons of God" and "daughters of men" in arriving at the main point of this text.

1. Identifying "the sons of God"

A quick survey of the Bible reveals the following truths about this particular designation: Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Psalm 29:1 and 89:6 all use this phrase to refer to beings in the angelic realm.  Other passages such as Psalm 82:6; Luke 20:36 and John 10:34 ascribe human authorities with this title to show God's delegated authority behind their office. We know full well that angelic beings, fallen or unfallen, cannot procreate (Matthew 22:28-30).  Thus in attempting to nail down the exact identity of these "sons of God" requires further study of the two other terms in this text.1

2. Identifying the daughters of men

We can say without reservation that these women were fully human.  Most able commentators have identified these women as ungodly descendants of Seth, which in having studied Genesis 5 is certainly plausible but not necessary to conclude.  

3. Identifying the Nephilim

The third phrase "nephilim" occurs in only one other place in scripture - Numbers 13:33 "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”  The term "nephilim" comes from two Hebrew words: "niphal" meaning "fallen" and the plural suffix "im", which when combined together gives us the meaning "fallen ones".  According to Genesis 6:4 "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown." These "fallen ones" were the offspring of the combined efforts of the "sons of God" and "daughters of men".  So the question is: "who are the son's of God".  With the picture before us, I would suggest the following interpretation: that an ungodly line of men (ungodly descendants of Seth perhaps or rulers or despots) were possessed by fallen angels to cohabitate with another line of ungodly women (line of Seth perhaps), with God's judgment resulting in a mutated race of Giants.  

Such judgments of God occur throughout the Old Testament, as evidenced by the conflicts such beings had with people like the Israelites in Numbers 13 and King David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.  

The Gospel light needed to shine amidst the dark conflict between the realm of demons and the realm of men.  In Genesis 6:1-4 we see what happens when Satan, through these fallen angelic beings and wicked men collide.  Genesis 6:5-8 records the outcome of God seeing the great wickedness and violence of man, and thus the need for the Gospel light to shine more brightly. Which leads to our final thought...

The Gospel needs communicated to break the demonic darkness of men

1 John 5:19-20 indicates that despite the world lying in the grip of satanic darkness, the Gospel light must shine forth through us who know the true God and eternal life. Noah was used of God to shine forth the Gospel light. According to 1 Peter 3:18-20, Noah preached the Gospel of righteousness as he built the Ark. The fallen angelic spirits that had possessed the men of that day to cohabitate with the daughters of men is what prompted the judgment of God. (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) Noah had been given 120 years, a time frame which only God knew. (Genesis 6:3; Matthew 24:36-37) As a result of Noah's faithfulness, eight souls entered into that Ark as saved people and through the waters they sailed - evidencing the salvation of God that had been wrought in their hearts. As Peter indicates in 1 Peter 3:19-20, Jesus Christ in the course of His death, burial and resurrection proclaimed the Gospel victory in the face of those fallen angelic beings who are now chained in darkness, awaiting final judgment. (2 Peter 2:4) 

These observations serve to drive home this closing thought: that Jesus Christ has guaranteed the victory of His Gospel despite the darkness and despite what men may say. Would it be that God would use us in these last days leading up to His Son's return to tell as many people as possible about how Jesus can deliver them from the darkness of this fallen world and their fallen human condition.

Endnotes
1. Many able commentators such as Merrill Unger, R.A Torrey and Charles Ryrie believe these beings to be angelic creatures. Other able scholars such as Keil, C.I Scofield and Scroggie view the "sons of God" to be Apostate Sethites. My own position is a combination of these two views, since I see the Biblical evidence leading slightly in both directions.

Increasing Christian Spiritual Hunger - 1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2:1-2 "Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."

Introduction

Psalm 34:8 states - "O taste and see that the Lord is good;How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" To taste is to experience, to engage and interact with God for the aim of enjoying Him. The imagery of food is used to describe how the believer in their faith-walk takes in Christ by faith and feeds off of Him as their food, their delight and their deeds. In John 6:47-51 Jesus says:  "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” The question before us today in this blog is: "How can you and I increase our spiritual Christian hunger?" Peter in 1 Peter 2 will help us answer this question in the following manner:

A. Digest God's words.             1 Peter 2:1-3

B. Delight in union with Christ.  1 Peter 2:4-10

                                                1 Peter 2:21-25

C. Do what the Lord says.       1 Peter 2:11-20 

If you and I are going to increase our Christian spiritual hunger, we first of all must....

Digest God's words.     1 Peter 2:1-3

In our English text we see Peter emphasizing his conclusion first and his initial thought last.  This is a common trait among the New Testament authors and is a common characteristic of the original language in which those authors wrote.  In order for us to want to digest God's words, we had to have already experienced the new birth.  Whenever you read 1 Peter 2:1-3 in reverse order, you can see with crystal clarity Peter's main point about digesting God's words.

1). Spiritual taste buds are needed to eat God's words.  1 Peter 2:3

1 Peter 2:3 "if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."

2). Saved people have spiritual taste buds to crave God's words. 1 Peter 2:2

If we have tasted the kindness of the Lord, then according to 1 Peter 2:2 "like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,"

3). Saved people, with spiritual taste buds, should reject the junk food of sin.

1 Peter 2:1 "Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander". 

So in order to increase Christian spiritual hunger, we need to digest God's words, but notice secondly...

Delight in your union with Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-10, 21-25

We read of the phrase or idea of "in Christ" in over 100 places in the New Testament. What ever Christ accomplished and experienced in His crucifixion and resurrection is credited to us and experienced by us.  In two spots in 1 Peter 2 we find out who we are and Whose we are by virtue of our connection with Christ in His resurrection/ascension in 1 Peter 2:4-10 and His crucifixion in 1 Peter 2:21-25. By noting our true spiritual union with Christ, we can increase even more our spiritual hunger for Christ and His word. 

In 1 Peter 2:4 we see Jesus described as the living and precious stone, with believers in union with Him being described as precious living stones by God in 1 Peter 2:5. When Peter then says that Christ, the precious stone was rejected by men, it actually explains why we as Christians sometimes experience rejection as well.  In Christ, my identity in union with Him means that He, not my circumstances and not people determine how I carry myself through this life. Christ as the chosen one of God, the anointed one, means that every individual Christian is chosen in Him prior to their birth or before any action they do or don't do.  By virtue of the fact that the Father saw every believer in Christ means the Father chose to love and call that person unto Himself for Jesus' sake. Again, everything Jesus is or experienced in His humanity, the Christian in union with him will by position and experience be able to undergo as the Father develops the believer through trials and triumphs.

In 1 Peter 2:21 we see that God has called every Christian with the purpose of following in Jesus' steps.  Our identity and union in Jesus Christ is both a victorious identity and a crucified identity.  I am ruling and reigning with Christ spiritually (Ephesians 2:6-8) and am also crucified with Him and to the world. (Galatians 2:20; 6:14) This is why the Christian, over time, learns to hunger more and more to return to and seek after the Overseer of their souls.  Christian spiritual hunger is increased by digesting on God's words and delighting in their union with Jesus Christ but notice finally how else spiritual hunger is increased........

Doing what the Lord says.  1 Peter 2:11-20

Jesus says these words in John 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”  In 1 Peter 2 we find nine commands given by the Lord through Peter that can tell us real quick how hungry we are for Him:

1. Abstain from fleshly lusts.  (1 Peter 2:11)

2. Keep your behavior excellent. (2:12)

3. Submit yourselves to every authority. (2:13)

4. Acts as free men. (2:16)

5. Honor all people. (2:17)

6. Love the brotherhood. (2:17)

7. Fear God. (2:17)

8. Honor the King. (2:17)

9. Servants, be submissive. (2:18)

Now when you look at those commands, any one of them are difficult if not impossible to perform - unless of course you have tasted and digested God's Words and are delighting in your union with Christ.  Though we are saved by grace apart from the law, nevertheless our salvation is one that is not lawless.  The hungry lion has no issue having to chase down his meal, and likewise the Christian should have no issue doing the bidding of His Master - the Lord Jesus Christ. 

We have a saying around our household - "slow obedience is no obedience". Immediate obedience translates into increasing spiritual hunger to do more of God and to know God all the more.  May you and I believer increase Christian spiritual hunger by digesting God's words, delighting in our union with Christ and doing His will. 

P2 - Defining and declaring God's marriage standard in an anti-marriage culture

Ephesians 5:31-33 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Review:
In yesterday's blog I made this statement regarding God's marriage standard: Every generation of God's people is called to define and declare once again God's standard of marriage from His Word. We considered yesterday the definition of Biblical marriage along three lines: biologically, practically and doctrinally. Biologically marriage is between one man and one woman. Period. Practically marriage is when a man and woman make a marital covenant between themselves a before God in accordance to the pattern set in Genesis 2:22-25.  Doctrinally or theologically, marriage pictures the relationship between God and His people and more specifically communicates the Gospel that explains how God went about in the sending of His Son to pay the purchase price for His bride - the church. 

We know that 1 Timothy 4:3 predicts the following about how marriage will be regarded prior to Christ's return: "men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth."1  In today's blog I want us to consider ways in which we can declare God's marriage standard in light of the increasing pressure by the secular world (and sadly, in increasing measure by the church world) to promote same-sex unions.  We will be working from the standpoint of the three-fold Biblical definition of marriage we explored in yesterday's post. 

Declaring God's Marriage Standard
Declaring God's marriage standard entails explain what marriage is and what marriage is not.  To explain what something is not is to explain it negatively and to explain what something is is to explain it positively.  The Bible's description of marriage is both described positively (husband and wife are one flesh = Matthew 19:5) and negatively (no longer two, but one flesh = Matthew 19:6). At issue specifically in our culture is the subject of what is called "same-sex marriage". We have seen in recent years Christian denominations soften their stances against same-sex unions and in some cases, heartily endorse such unions or even advocate people in leadership positions who are engaging in such activity. My question is - can one be biblical and at the same time endorse same-sex unions as a viable option for people? What do we tell people about what the Bible says? 

God's Marriage standard defined negatively - God's marriage standard has no room for same-sex unions 
If we take the Bible's three-fold way of defining marriage: biological, practical and doctrinal, we will discover that homosexual and lesbian unions do not fit in God's master plan of marriage.

1. Same-sex unions are not biologically viable options for people
Author and Pastor Timothy Keller makes this powerful point: "The Bible says sex is for a man and a woman inside marriage to nurture and maintain a long-term, permanent relationship of marriage, which means polygamy, which means sex outside marriage and homosexuality are considered violations of God's will and are violations and violations of our own design. So the Bible is saying that you are missing out when you do those things. The Bible's teaching on homosexuality would be then that you are going against your own design and are missing out on the best that God has for you."2 Same sex unions make no sense biologically because they offer no way in which to advance the human species and thus proof that homosexuality and lesbianism are choices people make rather than those people being "born" with such orientations. God has defined marriage biologically in passages such as Genesis 1:26-28; 2:22-25 and Jesus remarks in Matthew 19:5-7.

2. Same-sex unions are not Biblical practical options for people
Whenever you look at all of the practical instructions given about marriage in the Bible (from relating to parents, to in-laws and children), not one time do you see instructions that include same-sex unions. We use the term "unions" rather than marriage because Biblically speaking, same-sex marriage has no meaning and thus is not a practically useful concept. If anything, same-sex unions in the Bible are always viewed negatively, rather than positively in scripture. (compare Genesis 19:1-38; Leviticus 19:9-37; 20:10-21; Romans 1:18-31)

3. Same-sex unions are not Biblically theological options for people
As we have seen already, biologically and practically speaking, homosexuality and lebianism has no place in the Biblical concept of marriage.  What then it the realm of doctrine.  Can a same-sex union communicate the Gospel? No. Why? Ephesians 4:31-33 most clearly spells out what human relationship alone pictures Christ redeeming His church - namely one man, one woman in marriage.  Any other arrangement does not communicate the Gospel and thus the reason why Scripturally speaking, same-sex unions are immoral and in conflict with the central tenets of the Christian faith.

God's Marriage standard declare positively - God's Christian marriage standard endorses God's will for human relationships and proclaims the Gospel to all types of people
We have already spent some time explaining what marriage is by the three-fold biological, practical and doctrinal definitions.  What can we do to declare God's marriage standard positively in such a way that will tell same-sex advocates and non-same sex advocates alike that Jesus died for their sins and that they need to repent, believe and be saved from God's wrath to come?

1.  The same redemption to all sinners is available to homosexuals.
The SBC position statement on homosexuality is the best statement I have found that can guide us on this point: "We affirm God's plan for marriage and sexual intimacy – one man, and one woman, for life. Homosexuality is not a "valid alternative lifestyle." The Bible condemns it as sin. It is not, however, unforgivable sin. The same redemption available to all sinners is available to homosexuals. They, too, may become new creations in Christ." 3 Marriage, as we have labored to show, pictures Christ having come to provide redemption and coming again to rescue His bride - the church. The Gospel message ought to be central in our dealings with same-sex advocates - being that in affirming the Gospel, we are affirming marriage. 

2. Focus specifically on declaring what marriage is
A portion of Article 18 (XVIII) in The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 states the following about marriage: "Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race."4

3. Live the standard, promote your own Christian marriage as an example of why God's marriage standard is the only standard
The best and most effective way to drive home the point about God's marriage standard is to simply live out what the Bible teaches.  We must of course never cease in declaring what that standard is.  However if Christian married couples in our churches don't make an effort to prove to the world that the Gospel makes a difference in life and marriage, then what can we expect when people increase cynicism about marriage? If we can demonstrate marriage to be what God designed it to be, all other arrangements will be shown to be inadequate and sinful imitations of God's only and original design for life-long love, trust and nurture - namely marriage. 



Endnotes:
1. Quite literally in the original language, those who "forbid" marriage will try to "stand in the away or make it difficult" for those who want to get married or who advocate such.  In Paul's letter to Timothy, the church of which he was pastoring was located in a city where all sorts of practices and relationships were being promoted.  Temple prostitution was the norm and the Roman and Greek practices of polygamy or having mistresses would had been accepted in that culture.  What Paul is saying is that such opposition to God's marriage standard of one man/one woman in marital covenant will grow worse and more pronounced as the time for Christ's return approaches. 

2. Timothy Keller. The Reason for God - Conversations on Faith and Life. Zondervan. 2010. DVD series: session three - what gives God the right to tell me how to live my life?

3. http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/pssexuality.asp

4. http://sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp#v

P1 Defining & Declaring God's Marriage Standard

Genesis 2:22-25 "The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."

Introduction: Marriage - God's fire line and standard

This week I watched a short video of a farmer plowing a fire line around a 30 acre plot in his field that had caught on fire. As that farmer worked out that fire line, the flames at times shot higher and higher, threatening to swallow his rig. The farmer stayed firm to his task and with the help of fire fighters prevented the loss of his entire field. As we continue on into the 21st century, the church has been appointed by Christ to carry forth His gospel.  One of the ways we do that is by defining and declaring God's fire line of marriage.  Marriage is the fire-line that, in the realm of human relationships, can hold at bay the raging fires of increasing immorality and rabid anti-Christian rhetoric.

The Christian's responsibility is to define and declare once again God's marriage standard

Every generation of God's people is called to define and declare once again God's standard of marriage from His Word. Moses was moved by God to write Genesis to equip God's people about what constitutes a true redemptive identity in general and among other subjects, marriage in particular. In a world where practices such a polygamy and homosexuality were practice and encouraged, Genesis functioned and still operates as a Divinely inspired resource for God's marriage standard. Likewise roughly 30 places, incorporating roughly 100 verses throughout God's Word deal with subjects related to marriage. By the time of the New Testament, Jesus Himself had to both define and declare the marriage standard. The Apostle Paul did the same throughout his letters - with perhaps the most notable example being Ephesians 5:22-33. In considering both Genesis 1-2 and Ephesians 5, I would like to consider in today's post God's marriage standard, and how you and I as Christians must both define and declare this Divine fire-line that maintains a righteous standard in our culture and a powerful picture of the Gospel in both the culture and our churches. 

The relationship between marriage, government and God's people 

The God-given standard of marriage functions in concert with two other God-given institutions: government and God's people. In the scriptures three institutions are ordained by God in the following order: Marriage (or family), Government and God's people (Israel Old Testament and the Church New Testament). God's people in both parts of our Bibles function to proclaim the light of God's truth from His word and to be testimony of God's redemptive work. (Genesis 12:1-7; Matthew 28:18-20)

The Biblical teaching on the role of government is explained in the following quote from the Baptist Faith & Message 2000: "God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends."1 Government then serves the needs of people in general and should provide a level playing field for all institutions so that the church can freely practice and promote the Gospel.  

What makes marriage so vital to the service of the other two institutions is what we noted earlier: marriage maintains a righteous standard in our culture and a powerful picture of the Gospel in both the culture and our churches. How does the Bible (and thus how should we as 21st century Christians) define God's marriage standard and then secondly, what should we declare about this standard? 

Defining God's Marriage Standard. 

Whenever you look at scriptures that deal with all the issues surrounding Biblical marriage, God defines marriage in a three-fold manner: biologically, practically and theologically.

1. Defining marriage biologically. 

First of all, marriage is defined biologically as a covenant made before God between one man and one woman. (Genesis 1:26-28) The main point of marriage, at least in the biological sense, is to propagate the human species and to produce Godly offspring. (Malachi 2:15) The Southern Baptist Entity: "The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission" writes: "Beyond the clear scriptural statements regarding fornication, cohabitation presents another breach of biblical ethics. God established the sexual relationship between a man and a woman in Genesis 2 as a sign of the covenant of marriage."2  Not only does such a statement apply to the unbiblical practices of fornication (sex outside of marriage) and co-habitation, but also other un-biblical practices such as same-sex unions. The SBC position statement on contrasting God's marriage standard to that of same-sex unions states: "We affirm God's plan for marriage and sexual intimacy – one man, and one woman, for life. Homosexuality is not a "valid alternative lifestyle." The Bible condemns it as sin. It is not, however, unforgivable sin. The same redemption available to all sinners is available to homosexuals. They, too, may become new creations in Christ." 3 Thus biologically, the Bible's definition of true marriage has been and still remains exclusive: one man and one woman in covenant with one another and with God in a lifetime commitment to one another in holy matrimony.

2. Defining marriage practically

When we say practically, we are asking the question: how does God in His Word depict marriage in its daily, lived out reality? Genesis 2:22-25 records for us the first original wedding ceremony.  Practically speaking, God brought the woman he had fashioned out of the man's side to the man. (Genesis 2:22) Next we see Adam making statements concerning he and his wife being one flesh, the type of language that is used in covenants. (Genesis 2:22; 2 Samuel 5:1-5)  Thirdly we see the exclusivity of the marriage relationship over against the parent/child relationship of each spouse in Genesis 2:24. Then finally we see the fact that both the man and his wife were naked, indicating not only physical intimacy but in the meaning of the Hebrew word, unhindered communication. (Genesis 2:25) Included in this practical definition of marriage are the necessary foundations of communication, companionship and the clarity that makes for any good marriage.  Throughout this practical description of the marriage relationship, we see no reference to the two people being either the same sex or both people engaging in such intimacy beyond the covenant context of God, the husband and the wife. All other forms of human intimate relationships (polygamy, homosexuality, pre-marital sex, adultery) are human corruptions and lie outside the Biblical standard of marriage. 

3. Defining marriage theologically

Ephesians 5:31-33 gives us the clearest doctrinal meaning of marriage found in scripture: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband."  The other two ways of describing marriage (biological and practical) are used in this text to point us to the ultimate meaning of marriage intended by God from the beginning - to picture His relationship with His people.  Marriage by its very nature carries much rich doctrinal truth: the Gospel message that Christ came to be the Savior of all men, especially believers. (1 Timothy 4:10) Jesus came to purchase His church, which is His bride ordained by His Father from before the foundation of the world. (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:22-33)  To uphold any other standard than God's marriage standard of one man, one woman in covenant marital union with Him is to proclaim another message which is alien to the Gospel.   

Having explored God's definition of marriage biologically, practically and theologically, we will consider further tomorrow the responsibility we have to truthfully and lovingly declare God's marriage standard in both the church and to the culture.

More tomorrow...........

Endnotes:

1. See the entire Baptist Faith & Message 2000 and its remarks on "Religious Liberty - Article 17 (XVII) at http://www.sbc.org/bfm/bfm2000.asp#xv

2.  - See more at: http://erlc.com/article/cohabitation-in-the-church

3. http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/pssexuality.asp