Welcome! www.SunsetChurchofChrist.net Bibles and copies of sermons are available Please silence your cell phones Sunday Bible Classes 9:30 AM Worship 10:30 AM 5:30 PM Wednesday Bible Classes 7:00 PM www.SunsetChurchofChrist.net

Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, Psalm 107:22 Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, And tell of His works with joyful singing. Hymns Invitation Red Songbook - Supplemental

Studying Genesis Genesis 2: Creating Marriage

In the Beginning Genesis 2 steps back to the 6th day - Geography was completely different - Likely nothing killed to eat yet (1:29-30) - God formed man from dust - Out of the ground He formed all life (2:9,19) The Garden of Eden The Garden of Eden was a literal place that seems to have been lost after the flood. The river which watered it is extinct. It is unclear how the Trees within existed.

Man’s First Test The naming of creatures - No help-meet found The creation of Woman - From his side

Man’s First Test Adam Eve The naming of creatures - No helpmeet found The creation of Woman - From his side Adam Blood/Red/Dirt/Man Eve Life/Mother

Lessons on Marriage God creates marriage Marriage is one man, one woman, one life God established intimacy in marriage God knew what He was doing to create marriage

God Creates Marriage It is God who “marries” people - NOT the preacher or a church - NOT the government or a license Marriage is a purpose and intent - To live as husband and wife - A public declaration of that intention God creates marriage – this means that what men may call marriage, God may not (just like church, etc). Marriage is not just living together; otherwise fornication would not be a sin. It is about intent and purpose

Marriage is ONE man, ONE woman, ONE flesh A legal, natural definition that excludes: Polygamy Divorce Fornication Incest Homosexual relationships What God created defines marriage and what it is not

Law of Moses “tolerated” some of these things Marriage is ONE man, ONE woman, ONE flesh A legal, natural definition that excludes: Polygamy Divorce Fornication Incest Homosexual relationships Law of Moses “tolerated” some of these things

Marriage is ONE man, ONE woman, ONE flesh This is restated as Jesus’ Law of Marriage Matthew 19:1-11 Mt 19:3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?" 4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 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'? 6 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." 7 They *said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY?" 8 He *said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." 10 The disciples *said to Him, "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry." 11 But He said to them, "Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.

God Seeks Intimacy in Marriage Marriage should be different that any relationship “Two become one” in a carnal and spiritual sense Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4 Important point – intimacy in marriage is sacred, not “dirty”. When something is sacred, taking it apart from where it belongs profanes it

God Knew What He Was Doing Today many question the value of marriage If I want to "be with" a man and he with me, why can't we just agree to be together and that's that? Why all of the vows, rings, stigma, government involvement and harsh rules? Marriage is a business. It's not about love or emotional connection...it's about feeling like you can rightfully own another person. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/maybe-its-just-me/201008/why-get-married-the-value-commitment

God Knew What He Was Doing Today many question the value of marriage But intimate relationships without marriage fail: - Lack of commitment to something - Lack of confidence in home - The bloom will fall for the rose to grow https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/maybe-its-just-me/201008/why-get-married-the-value-commitment

When Adam Saw Eve There is excitement when Adam saw Eve 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.“ Genesis 2:23 The days are clearly established in Genesis as the night/day we know. In fact, it is repeated throughout the text, specifying that the day is a solar day. There is NOTHING that could be construed any other way

When Adam Saw Eve There is excitement when Adam saw Eve Creating marriage made ALL THINGS good The days are clearly established in Genesis as the night/day we know. In fact, it is repeated throughout the text, specifying that the day is a solar day. There is NOTHING that could be construed any other way

As Christ Loved the Church The covenant relationship of God and Man Entered when we: Believe and Confess Jesus as Lord Turn away from sin Be baptized into Christ Trying to rationalize human logic and divine action is impossible. We are called to believe in extraordinary things, beyond our understanding