Sermon On The Mount

1
Sermon On The Mount

• Lesson 7 Marriage and Divorce
• (Mt. 527-32)

2
Background

• Sexual life in the Greco-Roman world was lawless
  chaos.
• J.J. Chapman says it was an age when shame seems
  to have vanished from the earth.
• Greek culture never had shame in pre-martial and
  extra-martial relationships.
• Demosthenes We keep mistresses for pleasure,
  concubines for the day to day needs of the body,
  but we have wives in order to produce children
  legitimately and to have a trustworthy guardian
  of our homes.
• Solon was the first to legalize prostitution and
  state brothels. The profits were used to erect
  temples to the gods.
• In Rome, women were married to be divorced and
  divorced to be married.
• Innocence and virginity were virtually
  non-existent.
• Incest and homosexuality were common and
  widespread.
• Gibbons Of the first fifteen Emperors,
  Claudius was the only one whose taste in love was
  entirely correct.
• Christianity introduced chastity into a pagan
  world.

3
Today

• Gnosticism continues! It advocates that the body
  was bad and it did not matter what one does with
  it.
• Divorce rates are continuing to increase with no
  end in sight
• 1870 3, 1930 20, 1950 25, 2004 50,
  2010 ?
• Sexual sins are rising in popularity adultery,
  fornication, homosexuality, perverts, etc.
• We have some serious problems and implications.
• We can not neglect the subject of marriage and
  divorce any longer. We must know what Jesus is
  teaching!
• This is not a popular subject, but we must
  understand the doctrine and principles of God.

4
Introduction

• We are beginning to repeat history.
• Greek art and art today (I.e pornography, etc.)
• State sponsored brothels provide tax revenue in
  Nevada.
• Homosexuality marriages are now legal in
  Massachusetts.
• Virginity and Chastity are not as common in high
  schools.
• We are going from worse-to-better-to-bad.
• The doctrine of Jesus is not popular even among
  religious groups who have changed their
  positions.
• This is not an exhaustive study.
• We want to focus on the doctrine and principles,
  not hypothetical situations.

5
Adultery In The Old Law

• What did the Old Law say?
• You have heard it said to those of old, You
  shall not commit adultery. (Mt. 527)
• You shall not commit adultery. (Ex. 2014 Dt.
  518)
• Laws of sexual immorality are addressed in the
  Old Law along with severe consequences (Dt.
  2213-30 Lev. 18).
• Divorce had become commonplace and divorce was
  allowed for any reason (I.e. adultery, burn
  dinner, etc).
• Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for
  just any reason?Moses, because of the hardness
  of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your
  wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
  (Mt. 193, 9)
• You were guiltless as long as you did not commit
  the act.

6
Jesus Says

• The thought process behind the act makes a person
  guilty of adultery.
• But I say unto you that whoever looks at a woman
  to lust for her has already committed adultery
  with her in his heart. (Mt. 528)
• Sin must be cut off at its lowest level DESIRE
  (Jm. 114-15).
• The vice is the intent!
• Adultery originates from the heart (Mt.
  1518-19).
• Unchaste imaginations, desires, and intentions
  are guilty of sin. having eyes full of
  adultery and that cannot cease from sin,
  beguiling unstable souls. They have a heart
  trained in covetous practices (II Pt. 214)
• From the heart, we plan, pursue and desire.

7
Preventing Adultery

• Our body is an instrument of outward action.
• We must maim ourselves from forbidden areas and
  blind ourselves from evil eyes.
• Adult books, movies, dancing, drinking, immodest
  dress, petting, flattering words, flirting eyes,
  etc.
• Flee from sin like Joseph (Ge. 399)
• Abstain from every form of evil. (I Th. 522)
• We can abstain from sexual immorality in
  marriage.
• but if they cannot exercise self-control, let
  them marry. For it is better to marry than to
  burn with passion. (I Co. 79)
• Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed
  undefiled but fornicators and adulterers God
  will judge. (Hb. 134)
• What can we learn from Solomon? (Pr. 5-7)
• Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor
  let her allure you with her eyelids. (Pr. 625)
• For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and
  her mouth is smoother than oil. (Pr. 53)

8
Lessons To Learn

• It is better to lose the dearest thing in life
  than to lose ones self.
• Fleshly desires must be put to death put to
  death your members which are on earth
  fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire,
  and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Col. 35)
• Sexual immorality is not be named among the
  saints But fornication and all uncleanness or
  covetousness, let it not even be named among the
  saints. (Ep. 53)
• Watch out for the lust of the flesh, lust of the
  eyes and the pride of life. (I Jh. 215)
• We should deprive ourselves of earthly advantage
  rather than stay on a hell-bound path.
• The terrors of hell and the joy of heaven should
  motivate us.
• A physical operation cant cure the mind from
  thinking of sex with another person.

9
Divorce In The Old Law

• Divorce in the Old Law
• Furthermore it has been said, Whoever divorces
  his wife, let him give him a certificate of
  divorce. (Mt. 531 197)
• Why was a certificate of divorce permitted by
  Moses?
• Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts,
  permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the
  beginning it was not so. (Mt. 199)
• Divorce was permitted for anything unseemly/any
  cause Is it lawful for a man to divorce his
  wife for just any reason? (Mt. 193)
• Divorce did not make a person adulterous, but it
  was a disgrace satisfied by another marriage
  which made her adulterous.

10
Gods Position

• For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates
  divorce. (Mal. 214-16)
• Immorality and adultery were forbidden (Ex.
  2014). Specific regulations and consequences
  were given.
• Sex permitted only in marriage Marriage is
  honorable among all, and the bed undefiled (Hb.
  134)
• Sex makes us one flesh Or do you not know that
  he who is joined to a harlot is one body with
  her? For the two shall become one flesh. (I Co.
  616)
• What was the intent from the beginning?
• Have you not read that He who made them at the
  beginning made them male and female, and said,
  For this reason a man shall leave his father and
  mother and be joined to his wife, and the two
  shall become one flesh? So then, they are no
  longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God
  has joined together, let not man separate. (Mt.
  194-6)
• Gods law was established before the law of Moses!

11
Mans Position

• Celebacy was never commanded, but some religions
  advocate this doctrine forbidding to marry (I
  Tm. 43)
• Mans philosophies may sound good, but dead wrong
  such as
• Try living together first and see if marriage
  would work out (a.k.a. bed then web).
• Irreconcilable differences or divorce for any
  cause is acceptable in society and legalized.
• Oral sex is not the same as the actual act of
  intercourse.
• Man and man, woman and woman are legal. They
  cant help it that they were born that way.
• It is okay to look at the menu as long as you
  dont buy.
• What is you position?

12
Lessons To Learn

• Gods view of marriage has always been one man,
  one woman for life. (Mt. 194-6) Why cant you
  divorce for any reason? Because
• It is one man for one woman.
• Leaving and cleaving (glued) takes place.
• The two become one flesh (physically, emotionally
  and spiritually).
• God has joined them together.
• God ordained marriage as a divine institution and
  joins man and woman together.
• The exception clause is that we can divorce if
  our mate has committed sexual immorality (Mt.
  532 199)
• But I say unto you that whoever divorces his
  wife except sexual immorality causes her to
  commit adultery and whoever marries a woman
  divorced commits adultery.
• If you marry in haste, then you will repent in
  leisure.

13
Lessons To Learn

• A lack of chastity breaks the marriage bond.
• Man cant break what God has put together -
  Therefore, what God has joined together, let not
  man separate.
• Man can marry an adulterer, but it is sin in the
  eyes of God whoever marries a woman divorced
  commits adultery.
• God will judge but fornicators and adulterers
  God will judge.
• We can commit whoredoms in our heart - whoever
  looks at a woman to lust for her has already
  committed adultery with her in his heart.
• Feeding our minds on garbage will affect our
  minds and thoughts which drive our actions (I.e.
  sexual messages, TV shows, movies, commercials,
  conversations, books, etc.)
• What we put in our heart will come out in our
  words and deeds! (Mt. 1518-19)

14
Lessons To Learn

• No one who respects authority of Christ can take
  advantage of civil legislation permitting divorce
  for any cause or irreconcilable differences.
• Religious groups tolerate and permit many
  different views and opinions.
• Governments permit divorce for various reasons
  and different marriage partner arrangements.
• Individuals differ and change views based on
  situation ethics.
• Paul chastised the Corinthian church for
  tolerating a member who was living with his
  fathers wife (I Co. 5).
• Jesus and the woman who had five husbands (Jh.
  417).
• John spoke out and told Herod that it was not
  lawful for him to have a relationship with his
  brothers wife (Mk. 616-20). John was beheaded!
• We ought to obey God rather than man. However,
  taking Gods position will not be popular or well
  received.

15
Lessons To Learn

• Adulterous fruit on society, homes, nations, and
  people is a hideous evil and is very damaging.
• Gibbons cites the destruction of marriage (I.e.
  high divorce rate) and the home as the 1 reason
  for the fall of the Roman empire.
• The home is the basic unit of nations.
• Our culture is forcing us to accept and tolerate
  diversity.
• Divorce results in broken homes, children in
  distress, emotional disturbances, one parent
  family, financial burdens, etc.
• The fruit of divorce includes criminals acts,
  suicide, emotionally treatment, drug addiction,
  alcoholism, drop-outs, immorality, etc.
• Family abuse breeds family abuseDivorce breeds
  divorceetc.

16
The Exception Clause

• But I say unto you that whoever divorces his
  wife except sexual immorality causes her to
  commit adultery and whoever marries a woman
  divorced commits adultery.
• Applies to all married people whoever
• The woman or man who puts away his wife and
  marries another commits adultery.
• The put away person who marries another commits
  adultery.
• The third party who marries the put away person
  commits adultery.
• The only exception for divorce is sexual
  immorality.
• Jesus law is now binding no matter what we or the
  world may think! LISTEN TO JESUS.

17
Consequences of Sexual Sins

• It separates a person from God.
• The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping
  watch on the evil and the good. (Pr. 153)
• Now the works of the flesh are evident, which
  are adultery, fornication uncleanness,
  licentiousnessand the likethose who practice
  such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
  (Ga. 519-21)
• It endangers the physical body such as aids, etc.
• men leaving the natural use of the woman,
  burned in their lust for for one another, men
  with men committing what is shameful, and
  receiving in themselves the penalty of their
  error which was due. (Ro. 127)
• It damages the emotions.
• When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my
  groaning all the day long. For day and night
  Your hand was heavy upon me my vitality was
  turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledge
  my sin to You (Ps. 323-5)
• It damages and destroys marriage (I.e. home,
  children, etc.).

18
Summary

• History is repeating itself in our society today.
• Our thoughts and desires are linked to the
  outward action.
• We must get evil thoughts out of our mind. Sin
  starts with DESIRE!
• Jesus raises the bar and says it is sin to lust
  after a woman in your heart. It is the same as
  committing adultery.
• What God thinks about divorce is what matters!
  It does not matter what we, the world or others
  think.
• There is only one reason for divorce is sexual
  immorality.