Revelation 19:6-9 | WCF 24 Of Marriage & Divorce: From Heaven He Came and Sought Her

Intro: It is our habit to preach through books of the bible, and to once a quarter preach the topic of a chapter of the confession, the Insert you have is a copy of the WCF and we won’t be able to to address everything. Marriage is a complex topic and the bible has a lot to say, for the sake of brevity, you have the insert and scriptures there. If you want more frank discussions, let’s talk, but I am seeking to be prudent in a large group setting…Marriage is a theme that runs throughout the entire bible. It is created by God to ultimately teach us about Christ and the church.This is very similar two Calvin’s two knowledge, knowledge of God, and knowledge of Man [expand]And so as we understand Christ and the Church we understand marriage better, and as we know marriage better, we understand Christ and the Church. Similarly as we understand the gospel, the problem of sin and the renewal of grace and forgiveness in Christ we understand how much has both gone wrong in human relationships while maintaining hope for restoration in our relationships…Read: Revelation 19:6-9[6] Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. [7] Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; [8] it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.[9] And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”Prayer of Illumination#1 Marriage: The Picture becomes the Reality in Jesus#2 Marriage as Created, Broken, Restored#3 Marriage, Divorce, and the Westminster Confession#4 Marriage Displayed Richly in Protestant Weddings#1 Revelation vividly shows the fulfillment of what Marriage was created to be: A picture of Christ and his redeemed, his restored bride, the Church.· God in creation ordains marriage for our joy, for our good, but it has an aim, a final purpose: Glorifying God, for Christ being the Bridegroom, who lays down his very life in order to redeem us to himself to be his bride. Christ, the bridegroom who left heaven to reclaim us when we were wandering…· Revelation 19 is the culmination of the theme of Hosea where we are faithless we were unworthy but Jesus pursues us, he loves us, he brings us back, and restores us.· He makes us ready by the work of the Holy Spirit symbolized in baptism in renewing and cleansing us as we have been hearing about in Mark. And in Heaven Jesus says, we neither marry nor are given in marriage instead the type the shadow of marriage gives way to a glorious and joyful reality that Jesus has made us whole again, he has removed the stains, the falling short of sin, and HE has made his Bride—Holy, clothed in bright , fine, and pure linens when She once was not.· He has by his grace justified, sanctified, made her ready to indeed have done well, been the excellent bride with righteous deeds…But this is not always the case, this is by grace, by restoration.Today I will speak plainly and fairly rapidly on the nature of marriage, how it goes wrong, but in your life if you have fallen short as we all do in many ways, remember Revelation 19. The end of the story about marriage: Christ and the Church, ruined sinners reclaimed, and made whole.So, the end of history is a wedding feast. What about the beginning?#2 Marriage as Created: God’s Creational Order & Good Design for Marriage - Gen. 1:26-28, 2:19, and 2:21-24, Heb. 13:4, and some Eph. 5.Genesis 1 Teaches Our Unique value as humans beings made in God’s imageVerse 27 says, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.There is [slowly] a singular humankind with two sexes: male and female. And God blesses them with the creation mandate verse 28 - We are created with dominion over creation with stewardship and care overthe creatures, not equal ontologically to them. We were created for fellowship with God, a thinking, moral reasoning, and purposeful relationship of our bodies, mind, heart, soul, loves to be in harmony with our God creation as the image of God male and female.And God created marriage uniquely for God imaging human beings he created male and female.Further, Gen. 2:18, “It is not good that the man should be alone; God will make him a helper fit for him.”So God creates Eve from Adam – bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.a. Adam and Eve were fitting complements, counterparts, and matches both physically and spiritually.b. They are the same as humans and wonderfully different as male and female. This is the first marriage – Whose design is blessed by our Lord Jesus. In Matt. 19 v. 24.Verse 24 says, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast, hold fast[clinging, both by oaths and forming a new and distinct household] and so hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.Hebrews 13:4 Let marriage be held in honor among all!Chad Van Dixhoorn Helpfully reminds us that “Marriage is not invented by culture; it is established by creation…Marriage is a lifelong commitment… Marriage is for one man and one woman... Marriage should be public with Oaths.What is the goal of marriage? [2x] The goal of something helps us know when something has happened that harms the definition and goal, Chad VanDixhoorn again helpfully says, Marriage is for mutual support, companionship, reproduction of the human race, church growth, and the promotion of sexual purity.· Our culture understands mutual support and companionship (perhaps childishly “in sickness & in health for rich and for poor]· But our culture challenges the third…Reproduction of the Human Race, marriage is not just for Disney romance & friendship – marriage is to form a growing family unit. 28And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth …” TO Adam & Eve, to Noah as well. We can both say this is good…· …While recognizing we live in a fallen world and biblical stories such as Abraham and Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, and others shows the Lord still loves & cares for us when the fall impacts us here.· And yet Mal. 2:15 says marriage is for Godly offspring, both physical descendants, and by God’s grace, in the church as a covenant community, we have spiritual offspring, extended family. The passing on of the faith ordinarily happens through Mothers & Fathers raising their children in the covenant community, where we have spiritual Mothers & Fathers.· Last Marriage is for the Promotion of Purity– Christians have a very high view of the goodness of marriage and a sober view of the body & heart temptations of singleness for most people.· But Some are gifted in this area for greater labor to the Lord with a lifelong calling to singleness. Some only a season of singleness.One additional reason for marriage is relational safety· Marriage is like a fence, that when leapt over or removed, makes men, women, and children more vulnerable in their homes and society.· Do not leap the fence and ignore biblical wisdom, the warning signs, when you don’t know why they are there. A Christian society knows marriage protects men, women, and children from the effects of the fall.· And has greatly promoted women’s and children’s safety compared to pagan societies and our post-sexual revolution society.· With Marriage defined and these goals stated, we can more easily see how sinful choices distort marriage.I am going to use the word “disordered” to mean NOT “according to God’s good creational design and order” against God’s designs and goals for marriage.1) First, a Disordered Time – that is 1 man and 1 woman, but prior to public oaths of commitment and fidelity, without the necessary safeguards for the husband and wife and the possibly resulting children.a. It is unwise, not how God intended us to create a new home or household because it is without the vows that would guard that new home, that new family unit.b. God’s design is for a new couple, a new home, and a new family to all follow after the security of the marriage covenant, after these vows have been taken in the presence of the community.c. We’ll hear those vows later2) Second, A Disordered Number – such as in polygamy, simply does not match Genesis or Jesus’ statements for God’s design.3) Third, A Disordered Samenessa. That is failure to find a God-designed complementary pair, male and femaleb. This unnaturally rejects the possibility of being fruitful and multiplying, of being a fit helper, rejects God’s good design, and is inherently physically harmful.4) Fourth, a disordered faitha. The bible is quite clear that believers should only marry in the Lord, 1 Cor. 7:39, and 2 Cor. 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers for what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness or what fellowship has light with darkness….Romance can exist with an unbeliever…But living, walking, and raising children for 30 years in a healthy community is destroyed by mismatched marriages…b. Do not sacrifice for the sake of infatuation, a crush, a cute boy or girl, 30 years of a partner who will walk with you through joy and hardship, with the help of Jesus, Holy Spirit, and the Church community. Marriage is hard enough—Marry a churchman or churchwoman. Christ’s bride is the church, your spouse should love Christ’s bride.Let us with Jesus and the entire witness of scripture commit ourselves to God’s good creational design that “marriage is a lifelong, exclusive, publicly recognized, and [intimate] bond between a man and a woman.” And. As a society resist any departure whether small or large, from this design.Let us do this knowing that God can redeem our lives and situations when are relationships are broken and fallen. That is the promise of the gospel.Remember Rev. 19, ultimately, marriage points to our savior Jesus who came for his bride the church, while we were enemies trapped in sin and darkness, the church is redeemed by Christ not…in a beautiful white dress….but tattered garments, that he exchanges for his righteous garments “he lays down his life for his bride the church” and clothes her, makes her holy, and brings her to a heavenly Home.#3 Marriage, Divorce, and the Westminster ConfessionThe bible and our confession upholds a high view of the sacredness of marriage.You’ll notice we have already covered paragraphs 1-3, paragraph 5 was for a day when breaking off an engagement was a more serious, even legal matter…And further gives permission for remarriage of the innocent party if there are biblical grounds for divorce which paragraph 6 defines as: adultery or willful desertion quote, “as can no way be remedied by the church, or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage: wherein, a public and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed; and the persons concerned in it not left to their own wills, and discretion, in their own case.”Why? The beginning of paragraph 6 warns that we are good at coming up with excuses. Especially in a no-fault divorce society.· There are many caveats that can be made here, if you are ever in danger, in physical danger the police and the officers of the church are meant to be protectors of the abused.· In non-abusive situations, but still struggling marriages counseling, and attempts to restore the health of a marriage need to be pursued…· And the church is what? A place of shame for past failures? No! The place of sewing on the scarlet A, scarlet D. By No Means! The Church is a hospital for sinners.There may be earthly consequences there may be ramifications for our past. But for those who name their sins, repent of their sins, there is restoration and freedom from the power of guilt and shame.Revelation 19:6 again, says “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. [7] Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.No matter our past, we know our future!…These things being true, we should cherish, guard, and apply every form of biblical wisdom, to guard, support, and sustain healthy marriages in our churches. But we are in need of Christ to do this.One way for this is quite simply for marriage to be celebrated as a wondrous and beautiful thing for our families and us. [rejecting poor statistics…]So we are going to remember….Together by seeing the beauty of the traditional protestant church wedding ceremony.So This Is my abbreviated wedding ceremony.#4 Marriage Displayed Richly in Protestant WeddingsIn a traditional confessional protestant wedding after the guests have arrived, we frame it with prayer, we call upon witnesses, we ask about the intention of the couple, we are instructed by scripture, the couple is charged with what they are doing, and vows are exchanged… Here is an abbreviated version of a wedding service…it teaches so much about marriage…no volunteers from the congregation to pretend to be the couple getting married….Unless we are doing a spontaneous wedding this morning?Weddings are done in the presence of God it is why gathering in the church is so good, we thank God as our Heavenly Father our creator who is the most holy, most wise architect of the universe and indeed of holy matrimony, we ask him in Christ’s name as a Christian wedding to bless of our worship and the covenant vows made before witnesses.Christian weddings are between believers; they are trinitarian in their prayer.The Purpose should be clear to all the witnesses, not just “guests” “witnesses”: Dearly beloved, we are assembled here in the presence of God, to join this man and this woman in holy marriage, which is instituted of God, regulated by His commandments, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and to be held in honor among all men. Let us therefore reverently remember that God has established and sanctified marriage for the welfare and happiness of mankind… these vows ultimately are made here today in the sight of our creator God, who instituted marriage from the very beginning.Our Saviour has declared that a man shall forsake his father and mother and cleave unto his wife. By his apostles, He has instructed those who enter into this relation to cherish a mutual esteem and love; to bear with each other’s infirmities and weaknesses; to comfort each other in sickness, trouble, and sorrow; in honesty and industry to provide for each other and for their household in temporal things; to pray for and encourage each other in the things which pertain to God; and to live together as heirs of the grace of life.[Weddings next have a question of intention] The question of intent before we get to vows we need to be clear what we are doing. Do you understand To be married is to live with her after God’s commandments in the holy estate of marriage? And do you promise to love her, honour and cherish her, so long as you both shall live?The same asked of the bride but to love, cherish, and obey him, so long as you both shall live?Traditionally there is The Giving Away of the Bride.Who gives this woman to be married to this man?(generally “her mother and I”) …This is fitting, and appropriate to the family order, even if there are exceptions certainly.We won’t redo all of 1 Peter’s teaching on Husbands and Wives, but I recommend the two books one on dating and one on marriage in the table in the back for just wisdom and advice for how to date and do marriage well. With clear expectations.Next there is a wedding homily. This can be on many texts but very fitting is Ephesians 5, the section that tells us the picture of Husbands in marriage that corresponds to the Church…Here is part of what I say…skipping the wives part. You have Eph. 5 in your bulletin…Ephesians 5:22-33. is God’s universal and for all ages beautiful explanation of husbands and wives duties to each other and how it fulfills marriage as created, overcomes marriage as fallen, and gets us to a restored and consummated picture of Christ and the Church in Revelation 19.Eph. 5:22-3325 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for herAnd verse 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.Husbands, you are called to Love your beloved, as Christ loved the Church. How? By giving himself up for her. This is not merely Hollywood romantic love, this is Biblical, Resolute love that seeks her good. That is, it is an unconditional love.This means, As you wake up each day, your decision to love has already been steadfastly fixed and declared in your marriage vows, and they ought to be daily renewed in acts of love that flow from a steadfast foundation of freely- entered commitments. How wonderful that your love given in marriage is NOT conditioned on performance. Instead, Christ’s love for his bride the Church is freely given and shown in dying for you – dying for you when you were a spiritually impoverished, poor, and needy sinner. Therefore their will never be a day when Christ decides that you are no longer worthy of his love.i. …And I unpack that some more…Further, This is the mystery that marriage signified from creation itself: Husbands leave and forsake all and are physically united and given only to their bride, even as Christ spiritually unites us to himself and to none other.May it be said that the different households and extended families of our church are a refuge of life & love in this world….I do have instructions for the bride….But I close with these words for the witnesses of a wedding– in verse 32 Paul says he speaks concerning Christ and the church2. Attending a wedding Witnessing s marriage is a wonderful reminder of what Christ has done for his bride, the Church:3. He left heaven on a mission to a people dead in sin, enslaved in the kingdom of darkness. – And apart from faith in Jesus – That is, all of us.4. But while each of us was unlovely, unlovable, enemies, in love with sin and darkness, He died in order to redeem us.5. He brought us into the family of God and made us clean in Him, we have a seat reserved for us the great wedding feast of the Lamb where God’s people as a whole are the bride and Christ the Husband.6. Praise God that every marriage is a reflection of the gospel’s good news; Even if that image is held up for us in fallen and fallible human beings. That is why weddings are fittingly a worship service. While we rejoice with the bride and groom for their marriage, we rejoice most of all that their marriage gets to reflect, in small shadow, – Christ and the Church.And the very wedding vows we take the traditional ones, not the modern ones whose promises don’t follow the meaning and weight of marriage.these vows fit the definition and gravity of marriage. Vows that last through the storms and doldrums of life.Here is what I say as we approach the Exchange of Marriage Vows.Marriage is a covenant, and thus it involves public vows, promises before God and these witnesses. Vows are not to be entered into lightly, but with gravity and dependence on the Lord in the fulfillment of them.The Husband promises: I, take you, my beloved // to be my wedded wife // and I do promise and covenant // before God and these witnesses // to be your loving and faithful husband // for rich or for poor // in sickness and in health // in plenty and in want // in joy and in sorrow // as long as we both shall live.And the bride exchanges the same vow,Because the vows are before God we go straight to God in prayer asking for his blessing upon the marriage.It is fitting that a minister of the gospel pronounces the marriage…the new husband and wife are publicly pronounced that is definitely and distinctly and publicly marked out. And before all it is declared: “Whom, therefore, God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”And they are presented as a new family unit. And even some of the silly things like the kiss are not so silly, as it is a token of God’s blessing of the goodness of the joys of marriage a celebration of it. As the husband is invited to kiss his bride,And that brings us back to what all this represents, the bride and bridegroom at their the wedding party, the wedding feast….Which our closing hymn speaks ofThe church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord; she is his new creation by water and the Word: from heav’n he came and sought her to be his holy bride; with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.PrayerBenediction This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com