INTRODUCTION:

Listen to this statement...” No Perfect People Allowed” ......When I say that what do you think? When you look at your spouse or family, co-workers, neighbors, friends…do you have an expectation that they are perfect and going to do everything right all the time, as you wish? I bet not. So why do we make critical comments that lack grace on stuff? We are NOT perfect. Jesus was the only Winner when it comes to perfection. So why this statement of “No Perfect People Allowed” .... Because we are talking about Marriage and The Church to wrap up our What We Believe Series. And both, marriage and the church are made up of imperfect people. But the good news is Jesus is the head of both, and He is perfect and is perfecting us through a sanctification process. Are we willing participants in the process?

Why have we spent 6 weeks going over these statements you may ask?

What we believe molds us and motivates us and defines us.

These belief statements, while they are specifically put together as a public statement for our 7 Creeks Church- they are the foundation we are building our church upon. These belief statements are our public declaration of faith. They are the foundation of everything we do as a church and everything we teach as a church.

Marriage and Family:

We believe marriage is the exclusive, comprehensive, and “one flesh” union of one man and one woman, intrinsically ordered for the revelation of God, for the joy of man and woman, and for procreation and biological family, and in furtherance of the moral, spiritual, and public good of binding father, mother, and child. (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-9; Mark 10:5-9; Ephesians 5:31-33)

You probably heard some of these before but let's look at the scripture support:

Genesis 1:27-28 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

We spoke about this when we talked about Humanity, but one of the charges to us both male and female, being made in the image of God, we are to populate the earth. Be fruitful and increase in number!

Genesis 2:18-24 - Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman,

because she was taken out of Man.”

Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

The creation of woman here. Beautiful story of how man and woman have a close and unique relationship...the creation of woman as a suitable companion for man and establish the institution of marriage, emphasizing the unity and partnership between husband and wife.

Matthew 19:4-9 - He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.

Ah, Jesus...talking to the Pharisees...Jesus speaks directly to the sanctity of marriage, the unity (there is that word again, unity) of husband and wife, and the seriousness of divorce.

Mark 10:5-9 - And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Jesus' teaching on the permanence and sacredness of marriage, underscoring that it was intended to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman

Ephesians 5:31-33 - Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

These verses highlight the deep connection and unity in marriage and draw the parallel to the relationship between Christ and the Church. They also provide practical guidance for a loving and respectful marital relationship.

Alright! There’s Marriage but how do we tie that into the Church and what we believe? Well, I am glad you asked!

The Church:

We believe that the Church is a unique organism composed of people from every tribe, language, people, and nation who have placed their faith in Christ alone as Savior. The Church began on the day of Pentecost and will continue its distinct purpose until Christ’s return. We believe that the Church exists in both a universal aspect, as the Body of Christ, and in a local assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. The local church has the twofold purpose of the edification of believers and the evangelization of the unsaved. We practice water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper, which we believe to be a memorial of Christ’s death. Both are open to all believers. (Matt. 28:19-20, Acts 2:1-4, 42-47, 1 Cor. 11:23-28, 1 Cor. 12:13, Eph. 4:7, 1 Thess. 4:13-17, Heb. 13:17, Rev. 5:9-10, 7:9).

Let’s talk about a few of these…

Unique Organism: Living breathing...The Church is a living, dynamic body made up of people from every background who have faith in Christ.

Universality: The Church includes believers in Jesus Christ from all over the world, even right here in our little corner, transcending cultural, linguistic, and national boundaries.

Day of Pentecost: The Church's "beginning", or kickstart is traced to the day of Pentecost, an event in the New Testament when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and around 3000 people converted, or came to faith, followed shortly afterward by 5000.

Continuing Purpose: The Church's mission will persist until the return of Christ. We still have work to do in His name. Let’s get it.

Dual Aspect: The Church exists both universally (as the Body of Christ) and locally (as individual assemblies of believers). Our little "church" is part of the Big "Church".

Got Purpose?

Edification of Believers: Building up and strengthening the faith of its members.

Evangelization of the Unsaved: Spreading the message of the Gospel to those who have not yet believed. Go and share the good news.

Water Baptism by Immersion: This symbolizes a believer's faith and initiation into the Christian community. Full water submersion as the reflection of Jesus’ burial and resurrection…and the new life of the Believer. This is a public act celebrating a personal decision to believe and follow Jesus.

Lord’s Supper (Communion): This practice serves as a memorial of Jesus' death and is open to all believers…we can add more here but as we know it's a sermon in itself.

Now let’s look at the scripture support:

Matthew 28:19-20 - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

A mission statement, a command to all Christians to spread the Gospel and make disciples of believers worldwide. ALL Believers, no one is off the hook here if you read it. We are all called to spread the Gospel. But fear not, if that makes you nervous…Why? We also have this reminder of Jesus' enduring presence and support, even until the end of the age.

Acts 2:1-4 - When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The kickstart of the Holy Spirit within the believers. The transformative power of the Holy Spirit and mark the beginning of the apostles' mission to spread the message of Jesus to the world. The most famous startup organization that lives and breathes and only increases in numbers…how about that! It's a mission that is going on right here and right now, in this room!

Acts 2:42-47 - And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Our community's dedication to faith, fellowship, sharing, and worship, leading to growth and a positive impact on those around us. You guys are rock stars at this, but we can always reach a little further to each other, to our community and the surrounding areas. Never cease meeting together and building one another up, caring for one another, meeting needs within the Body.

1 Cor. 11:23-28 - For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

These verses highlight the significance of the Lord's Supper as a sacred practice that commemorates Jesus's sacrifice, reinforces the new covenant, and calls believers to reflect on their faith and conduct.

1 Cor. 12:13 - For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Unity. 1 Corinthians 12:13 underscores the unity and inclusiveness of the Christian community, where all believers, regardless of their differences, are brought together by the Holy Spirit into one body, the body of Christ.

Eph. 4:7 - But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Each Christian has been given grace and spiritual gifts uniquely tailored to them by Christ. These gifts are meant to serve the unity and growth of the Christian community.

1 Thess. 4:13-17 - But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

These verses offer hope and assurance to Christians about the return of Jesus and the resurrection of believers, emphasizing the eternal unity and presence with the Lord.

Heb. 13:17 - Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Here we read the importance of a harmonious relationship between believers and their spiritual leaders, where mutual respect and responsibility lead to a thriving Christian community.

Rev. 5:9-10 - And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

We see the celebration of the worthiness of Jesus Christ to open the scroll (which contains God's plans for the future) due to his sacrificial death that brought redemption to people from all over the world. They also highlight the elevated status and roles of the redeemed as a kingdom and priests serving God and reigning with Him.

Revelation 7:9 - After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

A statement of the inclusion and diversity of God's kingdom, showing people from all walks of life united in worship. The white robes symbolize purity and righteousness, and the palm branches are associated with victory and peace.

Conclusion:

Let me tie marriage and the Church together before we look at some questions. Both marriage and the church embody a covenant relationship. In marriage, a couple commits to each other in a sacred bond, mirroring the church's commitment to Christ and its members. Marriage is built on selfless love and sacrifice, just like Christ's sacrificial love is the foundation of the church. Marriage seeks to unite two individuals into one entity, symbolizing unity and oneness. Just like the church strives for unity among its members, fostering a collective sense of identity and purpose. Both marriage and the church focus on nurturing and growth. In a marriage, husband and wife support each other’s personal and spiritual growth. The church is committed to nurturing the spiritual development of its members, encouraging them to live out their faith.

Finally, marriage creates a family unit, providing a sense of belonging and support. The church functions as a larger family, offering community, support, and accountability to its members. Living and breathing together.

A common comment or question as we wrap up…

I love Jesus but hate religion: why would I need church?

There are a couple things to cover in this question and I believe it is important. Many of us can find a time where we have been hurt by “the church or a church” and that hurt can run deep and be anything from gossip to emotional or even physical abuse. There is ZERO excuse for any of it as it does NOT reflect the love of Jesus and His plan for the church. But chances are someone who hurt you is also a broken, deprived sinner like the rest of us, it just hit personally. What we do with that hurt is where faith comes in to allow forgiveness and healing. There is a lot of “church hurt” out there and lots of healing is needed…which leads me into “hating religion”.

I guess that gives a solid foundation for not wanting to be part of something that hurts people, but when it comes to church and needing it, it really comes back to a relationship with Jesus and being in a worship atmosphere with others around you who know or are seeking Jesus.

Think of it this way… It’s pretty hard to love Jesus and not love the church. I’m not talking about loving an organizational structure or programs, but the church for who she is as God’s people and the bride of Christ.

For Further Thought and Study

There is much we can learn on both of these topics in Eph 5:22-33. Read through it and come up with at 5-10 principles or truths as it relates to Marriage and/or The Church

This We Believe - Week 6

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