The Discipline of Faithfulness
By Brother Michael W. Larsen
30 July 2006
Adult Education Hour
Genesis 2:22-24
Introduction
This week we will finish what we started last week This week we will look at the discipline of faithfulness. It takes discipline to be successful in all areas of life. The successful Olympian is disciplines to practice routinely. The professional musician painfully works on the details of every song so it is perfect in not just the notes but the proper expression as well.
The professional salesmen studies to know his products and how they fit in the market. In fact the successful salesperson studies the competition as well and knows the strengths and weaknesses of both his product and the competition’s product. They practice their story even in front of a camera to learn where they must improve. They are disciplined and set goals to make new contacts every day or week. They prospect their area systematically making follow up calls on a routine. When I speak to the sales people making the real big money in our company year after year they are like disciplined machines. I am talking about the ones making 200 and 300 thousand per year! It is not luck! They do not just hope they land a big deal like the lottery! They put in the systematic effort day in and day out.
The mediocre sales people squander their time and hope the pone rings. They complain about how hard it is and how they have been given a bad territory!
The successful manager is disciplines as well. They will keep a calendar to plan their activity. They will plan to evaluate the performance of their department regularly setting goals for their people. They will be disciplined in giving consistant feedback to their people, both positive and negative.
The list could go on and on about people become successful at what they do. Well, as Christians the same applies. It takes discipline to live the successful Christian life. If we are to live for the Lord successfully we must be disciplined in our lives so as to remain faithful and to not be transformed into the thinking of this world but to have our minds “stayed on Him” and His thinking. Otherwise we leave our “first love” and seek after another, which is idolatry and adultery. God’s relationship to His people in the Old Testament Show us clearly that God requires us to keep His statutes or we suffer the consequences of His judgment. He also made the same offer then that he makes to us today.
2 Ch 7:14
What is one of God’s statutes that relate the area of relationships?
& The definition of marriage – Are you faithful to God’s definition?
1) Homosexuality - Excluded
Marriage is intended to be between one man and one woman.
The foundation for marriage is established in Genesis. God made one woman for one man.
Gen 2:22 – 24 God established the marriage covenant for his creation. Marriage is not a man made legal arrangement but a God established covenantal bond that is entered into by the “one flesh” union. The purpose of which is to;
· Show Christ’s relationship to his church,
· Complete the man by providing the necessary “helpmeet” for him to accomplish his God given purpose
· Be the foundational relationship for the family.
Marriage is no small deal!
You may say, “How do we know that the event in Genesis is the pattern for all marriage? Look at verse 24 again.
Did Adam and Eve “leave their father and mother” and cling to each other? No. They did not have a mother did they? We have a mother and father and when we reach adulthood and get married we “leave and cleave”. Verse 24 is instructive for all future marriage relationships.
Mark 10:2 –8 Jesus referred to this passage in Genesis as instructive for the current day discussion on marriage. Yes, the scripture gives us a very clear picture of marriage. Have you disciplined your mind to be faithful to it?
Only a sinful wicked mankind would attempt to ignore, deny or distort the critical foundational relationship of marriage.
That is exactly what is happening in our country at this very moment. God denying sexual perverts are attempting to have marriage “redefined” from the definition given by God from the foundation of the world. They are attempting to do this through lawsuits in every state. So far an attempt for a constitutional amendment to protect the definition of marriage failed to pass in Congress leaving it up to the States. It is amazing that we would even be discussing the preposterous idea of same sex marriage but you are witnessing it in your lifetime. It is happening on our watch! We need to pray for revival and cry out to God and stand for the truth!
The authors of the Constitution would be shocked I am sure to hear that we have to add the definition of marriage to the constitution to keep a small special interests group from using our laws to push their agenda to justify sin.
Wicked people are using loopholes in our laws to destroy America from the foundations just like terrorists and criminals use our freedom and liberties to exploit us.
We must be disciplined in our thinking to keep the faith and not be complacent on this issue. Homosexual marriage is not acceptable. By definition it is excluded from being a marriage.
This is not an exhaustive study on this particular sin, however, there is so much pressure on our citizenry to accept this as normal so it is important to discuss. Even “churches” are ordaining sexually deviant pastors and women. This has been a gradual slide since they left believing the Word of God, began to redefine the Bible, and then ultimately full-blown apostasy.
Gen 18:20,23
Duet 23:17,18
1 Kings 22-26
1 Kings 15:11,12
1 Cor 6:9 & 11
1 Tim 1:9&10
Lev 18:22
Rom 1:20-32
2) Bestiality - Excluded
Another sinful act that is excluded in marriage. Adam could not find a suitable helpmeet from the animal kingdom. I view same sex unions identical to this sin. Completely ridiculous! You say did God have to tell man not to do this? YES!
You may be thinking that this whole discussion is ridiculous but I say once you redefine marriage from God’s definition, anything is possible. God’s definition is the only absolute there is. If we continue down the road and allow marriage to be redefined then someday people in our country will be marrying their dog or cat! Sounds crazy but when we leave the guidelines created by God we are crazy! Animals are right now being re-defined as people to a degree, (animal rights, health insurance, $5,000 spine operations, cancer treatments, burial plots or cremation, clothing, health spa’s, doggy daycare, etc.)
You say yeah but marriage to an animal?
Don’t forget (cannibalism, burning their children in the arms of a statue,… What seems more shocking? Cannibalism in the scripture is discussed in the context of God judging a nation for sin so severe that they eat their own children to survive. But Godless tribes and societies have eaten the flesh of their enemies even though food was plenteous! (Read Lev chapter 26 and apply it to America and read Jude and head the warning and be instructed to fight for God’s truth)
3) Polygamy - What about the Old Testament Saints?
Ploygamy was instituted by man not God.
The Genesis account only has one man given one woman as his helpmeet. Christ has only one bride and marriage is a picture of that relationship. Christ is faithful to his bride and a husband must be faithful to his bride as well. This understanding explains why an Elder or Pastor or Deacon, must only have one wife. 1 Tim 3:2, Tit 1:6 They represent the leadership of the church and polygamy is forbidden. That clearly tells me that divorce and remarriage also excludes a person from those leadership positions in the church.
Deu 17:17 To the King to be
Mat 10:2-8 Jesus emphasizing 1 man and 1 woman
2 Sam 12;8 Seems to be allowed by God for David to care for Saul’s wives. God was clearly angered by David’s greed, covetousness, adultery, and murder in the Bathsheba case more then he was with Polygamy alone.
Ex 21:10 Polygamy was tolerated in this case but not promoted
There are lots of problems with it, Favoritism by Jacob for Rachel over Leah, Jealousy in several cases that lead to terrible problems. Women were ultimately Solomon’s downfall. 1 Kings 11
n Friendships and social functioning – Are you disciplined?
Infidelity in marriage goes beyond merely being physically involved with a person other than one’s spouse. There is also mental and emotional infidelity. That is defined as any inappropriate intimacy between a man or woman and any person other than his or her spouse.
The biblical standard is that we provide devoted attention to our spouses. This certainly
extends to the sexual, but it doesn’t end there.
No person should have an intimate personal relationship with a person of the opposite sex
that is not his spouse or some immediate relative.
Couples should be diligent and disciplined about functioning socially as a couple to avoid developing those relationships.
· Christmas party down the street
· Company picnic
· Work related or even ministry related travel can create a temptation to bond
· PTA events or other recreational associations can be a place of temptation.
It will take discipline on your part to build the walls of protection. It may not always be possible to do these activities together but as much as possible you should. When not together you need to be aware of the wiles of the devil, which wants to destroy your marriage.
Husbands and wives should also be diligent in not developing inappropriate relationships at work. One of the most destructive things that happened to marriage in America was the custom of both spouses working. This has magnified the temptation 100 fold!
· You both now spend more waking hours with other people than you do your spouse.
· Wife begins to find the security and fulfillment in her career that was supposed to come from her husband. She becomes the “helpmeet” to her boss instead of the helpmeet to her husband. This has lead to many affairs. Many!
· Other men are in a position to give the wife the attention she craves without the protection of Godly Jealousy by her husband. She is exposed and unprotected!
· Plays well to the hand of Satan desiring to create “independence” in the married partners versus developing a strong dependence on each other.
Be aware of folly as well as sin.. Don’t play with sin by flirting or imagining things. It will take mental and physical discipline to not add fuel to the fire.
Build walls of protection around your marriage
· Never be alone with a person of the opposite sex
o My previous Pastor was very diligent with this rule. If he saw a lady church member broke on the side of the road, and he was alone, he would pull over, give her his car to go get help and he would wait at the car. Or he would leave her there and go get help but he would never pick you up ladies. (He would announce his policy from the pulpit occasionally so nobody would get offended if it happened to them) This policy protected his marriage and the church. There could never be an accusation that Pastor was scene with another women. NEVER. Pastors who are slack in this area can get involved in sexual immorality, which is Satan’s goal.
· Don’t go to lunch alone with a person of the opposite sex
· Don’t discuss intimate family details with a person of the opposite sex
· Don’t discuss your marriage problems with a person of the opposite sex
o This very dangerous. That person has marriage trouble also and you begin to consol each other. This makes you think you are alike and understand each other. Bonding occurs and you are history!
While most of these inappropriate relationships don’t lead to physical infidelity, other
forms of intimacy can grow in a dangerous and sinful way.
Faithfulness to your spouse is a discipline. The culture will not help us in this. We must be vigilant and depend on the Lord.
Heb 13:4 Yes marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled. Enjoy each other as God has given your spouse to you. Keep reasonable expectations and protect your marriage relationship.