Series: What God Brings Together. Lesson 4: A Christian Cant Do That!

You may be fed up and sick and tired of being sick and tired, but I implore you, to allow yourself and your marriage to push past this season of despair. Although many theological scholars, pastors, and saints have discussed this very subject, disagreeing on the interpretations of scripture, and the basis of his explanation; I am here to tell you it doesnt matter whether it is or isnt. Divorce is and will always be a controversial topic, but I challenge you to ponder this thought. If divorce is acceptable in Gods eyes, what would it mean to decide to stay, despite having a valid and lawful out? Tonights lesson, A Christian Cant Do That; Will assist you in rethinking your current marital dilemmas, seeing how God can use the very thorn in your side, to draw you and your spouse closer together and to him. 1. Meditation Mark 10: 1-16 The Pharisees came and asked Him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? testing Him. And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you? They said, Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her. And Jesus answered and said to them, Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation, God made them make and female, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall be come one flesh, so then they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate. Additional references Matthew 19: 3-12 * In this scripture we witness a very candid discussion, between Jesus Christ and some local Pharisees on the issue of divorce. They are asking about the legality of the act and if it is not indeed permitted, why then are instructions given by Moses, to secure a divorce certificate. Earlier in our series we posed a question, which was more food for thought. What if God

meant marriage to be a tool used to attain holiness, instead of happiness? Within the union of marriage, you are faced with plenty of opportunities to show unconditional love, respectful honor, faithfulness, and forgiveness. These are fruits of the spirit, traits which we are expected to possess as children of God. Through the cultivation of these gifts, we can function despite the annoying, and often times painful thorns of marriage. *Tell Death Do Us Part In the story of Lazarus we encounter a very familiar aspect of life, death. When we experience hurt within our marriage, whatever the source, inevitably we experience lost. This can be lost of communication, loss of companionship, loss of affection, loss of respect even. All of these things can eventually lead to the death of a marriage Story Summary: Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were friends of Jesus. When Lazarus fell ill, his sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." When Jesus heard the news, he waited two more days before going to Lazarus' hometown of Bethany. Jesus knew that he would do a great miracle for God's glory and, therefore, he was not in a hurry. When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. When Martha discovered that Jesus was on his way, she went out to meet him. Lord, she said, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Jesus told Martha, Your brother will rise again, But Martha thought he was talking about the final resurrection of the dead. Then Jesus said these important words: I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die, Martha met Jesus she was grieving with strong emotion over her brothers death. The Jews with her were also weeping and mourning. Deeply moved by their grief, Jesus wept with them. Jesus then went to the tomb of Lazarus with Mary, Martha and the rest of the mourners. There he asked them to remove the stone that covered the hillside burial place. Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed to his Father, closing with these words: Lazarus, come out! When Lazarus came out of the tomb, Jesus told the people to remove his grave clothes. As a result of this incredible miracle, many people put their faith in Jesus. From this story we can gain some very important insight to marriage.

1. The Spectators Martha was concerned when her brother died; she thought all hope was lost. However Jesus was not. He knew the master plan, and that this tragedy would ultimately be a testament to others on Gods healing and life jolting virtue. When your marriage is in trouble others know it. They will prescribe all types of solutions, recommend counseling, panic at the very onset of trouble. They will presume the worst and if you are not careful, you and your spouse may begin to act out the very actions spoken by those around you. Although they are concerned, and have the best intentions at hear, and other times not so much, be sure to be listening to the authentic voice of God. He is the only one who truly knows what is best for you and your marriage. 2. The illness precedes the death It was no secret that Lazarus was sick. The scripture said that he was ill. This was the reason that his sisters sent word to Jesus. The rings true for marriages. Marriages dont just fall apart; they die from undiagnosed or simply ignored conditions. 3. Want in Waiting When Martha sent for Jesus, she expected him to come rushing to her brothers bed side. She brought to his attention that this was not just anyone, but someone that Jesus loved. As Christians we sometimes feel that our self-proclaimed status, as children of God, entitles our problems to skyrocket to the top of Gods to do list. However, just as Jesus knew Lazaruss fate, he also knows the fate of our marital circumstances, and our lives. He is not reactive. He simply is. No matter what the circumstance, he is aware of your situation, and is concerned. However, he does not and will not always run to your rescue at a moments notice. This period of waiting is time for your life to be a testament to others. Be prayerful, fast, pray and most certainly wait on him. Even when you feel that your marriage is at the brink of death, know that God cares, he hears your petitions, and has planned the outcome that will align the goals for your marriage with his ultimate purpose for your life.

4. Death is a requirement of Resurrection Just as with natural sickness, some catch their sicknesses early on, others must endure extensive therapy, costly prescriptions, with slow and tedious recovery, and others unfortunately face and endure death. Marriage is no different. If you feel your marriage is over, you are already divorced and think all hope is lost, think again. Just as Jesus revived Lazarus after four days in the tomb, what makes you think he cant restore a broken heart, wounded feelings and a dead marriage? Self -work: Endure Your Lazarus Experience Your task is to simply be still. Dont complain, dont make any brash moves, release your anger, and accept your current condition. It doesnt matter if you are considering divorce, separated, or the papers or signed and ink dried! God can resurrect your marriage. If he has truly been asked to be a part of your life, and welcomed into your heart he can soften the heart, help you to speak life into your marriage, and love past the hurt.