Sermon Notes

March 31, 2017

And Then We Were One


Adapted from And Then We Were One, Chapter 14
By Jentezen Franklin

Is marriage still a good idea? There are a lot of people who don’t think it is any more, and that’s sad. The movies you see today seem to have taken the position that marriage really isn’t the best option, whereas living together is commonplace. You know the scenario: the married guys are out and about, they see an old friend they haven’t seen in awhile, and they ask him, “Are you single?” He says, “Yes,” and they all give him high fives as if to say, “Lucky you!”

 

Far too many people today, and historically, believe it’s not a big deal if you get divorced. They’ve adopted the mindset, “Try it, and if it doesn’t work out, you can divorce and marry somebody else.” But Jesus taught that you don’t get divorced because you’re not getting along. Today, I want to reaffirm that marriage is not going to go away. Marriage is not just a good idea; it’s a God idea!

           

I recently read these astonishing statistics:

 

  • 70% of men will cheat on their wives.
  • 60% of women will cheat on their husbands.
  • 50% of every marriage will end in divorce – that’s one out of two!

 

What if you saw on the news a warning that said, “Due to hazardous conditions, 50% of the cars on the highway will have a crash tomorrow morning.” Would you at least take some precautions? Would you maybe NOT do your makeup in the rear view mirror as you drive? Or would you make sure not to text while you are driving? Or would you at least put your seatbelt on? I think you would! And yet, we hear statistics like this – one out of two marriages end in divorce, and we convince ourselves “It could never happen to me.” We take few precautions to protect our relationship. We fail to invest time in nurturing and building our love for one another. Little by little we allow things to come between us—separating us more and more—and before you know it, you’re growing apart rather than together.

 

You hear that excuse for divorce often, “We’ve just grown apart.” If you don’t choose to grow together, inevitably you are going to grow separately. Over the course of 10, 20, 30 years, you will change. Choosing to make God your focus and keeping your faith at the forefront of your marriage, will keep you growing on the same path.

           

If you want your marriage to grow closer, then start growing closer to the Lord. It is literally a spiritual law that the closer you both draw to the Lord in the spiritual realm; the closer you are drawing to each other.

           

Are you praying daily? Do you read your Bible? Do you have a prayer place and a prayer time that you have set aside to spend time with the Lord? Are you praying together as a couple? Are you in God’s house on a regular basis? Are you connecting with other believers in meaningful and authentic ways? These are the disciplines of the faith. I would love to tell you that all you need to do is go through your day and not worry about all these questions. But the fact is, relationships take work. Are you willing to do these simple daily tasks? God promises when we put Him first, everything else will be added. Put Him first in your marriage -- both of you -- and you will beat the odds!

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