Bible Text: Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:13 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | God crea\u00adted mar\u00adria\u00adge as a gift for us humans. What are the chal\u00adlenges of mar\u00adria\u00adge? And what do man and woman do to make a mar\u00adria\u00adge last \u2013 until death do us part? What is the posi\u00adti\u00adon of hus\u00adband and wife in the Chris\u00adti\u00adan com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty? The\u00adre are mar\u00adria\u00adge cour\u00adses las\u00adting seve\u00adral weeks. A cou\u00adple is pre\u00adpared for mar\u00adria\u00adge in seve\u00adral mee\u00adtings. And now I am sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to pre\u00adsent a ser\u00admon in 25 minu\u00adtes that appeals to as many as pos\u00adsi\u00adble and enri\u00adches and chan\u00adges marriages?!
\nTo begin, I will do a brief review of the crea\u00adti\u00adon of man and woman; then a few thoughts on the topic: Mar\u00adria\u00adge accor\u00adding to the heart of God. Then we will ask our\u00adsel\u00adves two ques\u00adti\u00adons: What are the chal\u00adlenges of mar\u00adria\u00adge? And: What do man and woman do to make a mar\u00adria\u00adge last \u2013 until death do them part? Final\u00adly, some facts from Paul on the posi\u00adti\u00adon of the man and the woman in the church.<\/p>\n
Basis \tThe fact that today more than every third mar\u00adria\u00adge fails and is dis\u00adsol\u00adved is unsett\u00adling. In addi\u00adti\u00adon, many have alre\u00ada\u00addy had a fai\u00adled relationship. At some point, the ques\u00adti\u00adon also comes up: \u00abCan I mana\u00adge to be with one and the same part\u00adner for at least half a cen\u00adtu\u00adry?\u00bb That\u2019s infi\u00adni\u00adte! One is afraid of that. And inde\u00aded, many mar\u00adria\u00adges are still divorced when the child\u00adren have left home. But I am all the more plea\u00adsed by the fact that, despi\u00adte ever\u00ady\u00adthing, more young peo\u00adp\u00adle want to get mar\u00adried again and start a family. \tHow do you expe\u00adri\u00adence the coexis\u00adtence of men and women in ever\u00ady\u00adday life, in socie\u00adty, at work and in the community? Bible Text: Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:13 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Bern\u00adhard Hohl | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | God crea\u00adted mar\u00adria\u00adge as a gift for us humans. What are the chal\u00adlenges of mar\u00adria\u00adge? And what do man and woman do to make a mar\u00adria\u00adge last \u2013 until death do us part? What is the posi\u00adti\u00adon of hus\u00adband and wife\u2026?<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[35],"wpfc_sermon_series":[53],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-bernhard-hohl","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-willkommen-daheim","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-2562","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\n\u00abAnd God crea\u00adted man in His own image, in the image of God He crea\u00adted him; and crea\u00adted them male and fema\u00adle\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 1:27 LU<\/span>). God crea\u00adted us human beings to be his coun\u00adter\u00adpart. One could also say into his pre\u00adsence. We are to be like him, as beings with free will and power of decis\u00adi\u00adon. \u00abThen the LORD<\/span> God made man of dust from the ground and brea\u00adthed into his nostrils the breath of life. And so man beca\u00adme a living being\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 2:7 LU<\/span>). So it was\u00adn\u2019t that God snap\u00adped his fin\u00adgers and then the man stood befo\u00adre him! He for\u00admed him from head to toe! The\u00adre was no detail miss\u00ading, even the six-packs were the\u00adre! Then God goes on and builds the woman. \u00abAnd the LORD<\/span> God said, It is not good that the man should be alo\u00adne; I will make him a help meet for him\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 2:18 LU<\/span>). \u00abI will make him a help meet for him\u00bb can be misun\u00adders\u00adtood twice: The woman is not abo\u00adve the man in the sen\u00adse of \u00abOh the poor man in need of help needs a strong woman on his side\u00bb; and on the other hand, neither is the man meant to degra\u00adde the woman in gene\u00adral to a hel\u00adper. The per\u00adfec\u00adtion of the two human beings crea\u00adted by God lies in their togetherness!
\n\u00abThen the LORD<\/span> God cau\u00adsed a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he fell asleep. And he took one of his ribs, and clo\u00adsed up the place with fle\u00adsh. And the LORD<\/span> God built a woman from the rib which he took from the man, and brought her to him\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 2:21\u201322 LU<\/span>). In this descrip\u00adti\u00adon, a few things are remar\u00adkab\u00adle: the woman is crea\u00adted from a part of the man! This in its\u00adelf links the two dif\u00adfe\u00adrent beings tog\u00ade\u00adther. God for\u00admed the man very well and built the woman very well and also for\u00admed her inge\u00adnious\u00adly! On this basis, we hold the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing: God inten\u00added man and woman to be two dif\u00adfe\u00adrent sexes, in two dif\u00adfe\u00adrent body shapes. Men are dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from women, they are built dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly accor\u00adding to their respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties and tasks and endo\u00adwed with dif\u00adfe\u00adrent gifts. Both man and woman are equal and wort\u00adhy of God to be his image. Both are crea\u00adted to be a coun\u00adter\u00adpart to each other. They com\u00adple\u00adment each other in a way that could not be bet\u00adter. What has been sta\u00adted in this way appli\u00ades in prin\u00adci\u00adple to the coexis\u00adtence of men and women in gene\u00adral in ever\u00ady\u00adday life, in the work\u00adplace and in socie\u00adty. On this basis, I would like to say to all of you, dear men and women: You are very valuable, whe\u00adther sin\u00adgle, mar\u00adried, wido\u00adwed or divorced! You are all inva\u00adluable, also here in the con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon. You women are good for us men, you men are good for the women here, wit\u00adhout one or the other group we would be miss\u00ading very, very much!
\nMar\u00adria\u00adge after the heart of God
\nGod did not lea\u00adve the crea\u00adted cou\u00adple to them\u00adsel\u00adves, not even after the Fall. He comes back into the gar\u00adden and wants to see how they are doing! I am con\u00advin\u00adced that God is inte\u00adres\u00adted in how you are doing in your mar\u00adria\u00adges! Becau\u00adse mar\u00adria\u00adge was his idea! That\u2019s why he cares about your mar\u00adria\u00adges! Even at the crea\u00adti\u00adon of man and woman, God had the fami\u00adly in focus. Hence his com\u00admand: \u00abBe fruitful and mul\u00adti\u00adply, and rep\u00adle\u00adnish the earth and sub\u00addue it\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 1:28 LU<\/span>). Mar\u00adria\u00adge is pro\u00adfound\u00adly life-giving! I don\u2019t just mean that in terms of child\u00adbea\u00adring! As a cou\u00adple you care for each other. Both part\u00adners help each other to deve\u00adlop and grow. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, mar\u00adria\u00adge has been deva\u00adlued more and more in recent years. And it is visi\u00adbly beco\u00adming less and less valued. Peo\u00adp\u00adle have more and more respect for a mar\u00adria\u00adge coven\u00adant, for two reasons:<\/p>\n
\n\tThe very high expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons of mar\u00adria\u00adge are also unsett\u00adling. Life is sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to offer us so much. Influen\u00adced by the media, we are never desi\u00adre\u00adless. After all, the spou\u00adse should satis\u00adfy my needs. And then I have my own inte\u00adrests and lei\u00adsu\u00adre acti\u00advi\u00adties that I also want to hold on to. And abo\u00adve all, the\u00adre is the pres\u00adsu\u00adre of the job, of work.<\/p>\n
\nWhat are the chal\u00adlenges of a suc\u00adcessful Chris\u00adti\u00adan marriage?
\na) It takes years to get to know each other real\u00adly well. Beha\u00adviou\u00adral pat\u00adterns or habits that are new to you \u2013 both posi\u00adti\u00adve and nega\u00adti\u00adve \u2013 crop up in your part\u00adner from time to time. It\u2019s important to talk about it! Talk and talk again \u2013 and never give up. Never give up on each other! If some\u00adthing is bothe\u00adring you about your part\u00adner, take it upon yours\u00adelf to work on it. Do it on the basis of gra\u00adti\u00adtu\u00adde and give thanks again and again for all the good things you have alre\u00ada\u00addy expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced as a cou\u00adple. Giving thanks not only makes the pro\u00adblems smal\u00adler, but helps work through things that want to come bet\u00adween you like a wedge. Plea\u00adse never spon\u00adge over them or sweep them under the car\u00adpet. Other\u00adwi\u00adse you will crea\u00adte insur\u00admoun\u00adta\u00adble moun\u00adta\u00adins. And if the two of you can\u2019t get things under con\u00adtrol, seek help as soon as possible.
\nb) A com\u00admon spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal life! Men, hand on heart: Do you know if your wives ever read the Bible in their dai\u00adly lives? Do you women have any idea if and when your hus\u00adbands pray? \u00abNo, no idea!\u00bb If that is your ans\u00adwer, then ask them today, and at the same time ask them if you should not dare to start a Bible rea\u00adding and pray\u00ader time tog\u00ade\u00adther again!
\nc) Ano\u00adther chall\u00adenge of mar\u00adried cou\u00adples is to have a ful\u00adfil\u00adling sex life over the years. We live in a time when sex is no lon\u00adger taboo. Sexua\u00adli\u00adty is an omni\u00adpre\u00adsent topic. It is being hyped up by the media. That influen\u00adces it. And yet mar\u00adried cou\u00adples today still find it dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to talk open\u00adly and honest\u00adly about the most inti\u00adma\u00adte moments of their mar\u00adria\u00adge with their part\u00adner. Here, too, it is not pos\u00adsi\u00adble wit\u00adhout tal\u00adking to each other.
\nd) The hus\u00adband, like the wife, both will come across peo\u00adp\u00adle from time to time who have exact\u00adly the qua\u00adli\u00adties and advan\u00adta\u00adges that his spou\u00adse does not have. The\u00adre is a gre\u00adat dan\u00adger that the devil will sow secret desi\u00adres in your heart that will fer\u00adment the\u00adre. When the flir\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon beco\u00admes a fire and the alarm bells light up, it is often alre\u00ada\u00addy too late!
\nWhat Jesus says about this is cle\u00adar\u00adly under\u00adstan\u00adda\u00adble: \u00abWhoe\u00adver looks at a woman to lust after her has alre\u00ada\u00addy com\u00admit\u00adted adul\u00adtery with her in his heart\u00bb (Matthew 5:28 LU<\/span>). The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre: \u00abPre\u00advent the begin\u00adnings! The only thing that helps is a life\u00adtime of gre\u00adat open\u00adness. Sec\u00adre\u00adcy can quick\u00adly beco\u00adme sinis\u00adter! If you can talk honest\u00adly and open\u00adly about your fee\u00adlings towards the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte sex with your part\u00adner, you take away any chan\u00adce of adul\u00adtery. If a man open\u00adly tells his wife that this or that woman fasci\u00adna\u00adtes him, he takes away the power of tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon and this frees him to be careful and keep his distance from this woman. Con\u00adver\u00adse\u00adly, if your wife open\u00adly enthu\u00adses about the qua\u00adli\u00adties and beau\u00adties of ano\u00adther man, then sec\u00adre\u00adcy has no chan\u00adce \u2013 but lis\u00adten careful\u00adly, may\u00adbe you can impro\u00adve some\u00adthing about yours\u00adelf! Both part\u00adners have to be careful that they do not want to press their coun\u00adter\u00adpart into the pro\u00adfi\u00adle of a dream man or woman.
\nWhat do man and woman do to make a mar\u00adria\u00adge last \u2013 until death do them part?
\na) When the par\u00adents both edu\u00adca\u00adte their child\u00adren; both take respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty for school mat\u00adters; and both tell the child\u00adren Bible sto\u00adries and pray with them.
\nb) Aim stub\u00adborn\u00adly to cele\u00adbra\u00adte time as a cou\u00adple again and again. Plan mar\u00adria\u00adge evenings and orga\u00adni\u00adse ear\u00adly, weekends and holi\u00addays that you spend just the two of you.
\nc) Mutu\u00adal fri\u00adends. Good rela\u00adti\u00adonships with fami\u00adlies who\u00adse child\u00adren are around the same age as yours. Good rela\u00adti\u00adonships with sin\u00adgles, sin\u00adgle par\u00adents and widows.
\nd) Par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adti\u00adon in the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. Plan tog\u00ade\u00adther, who could help whe\u00adre and when? May\u00adbe even a joint coope\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon in music, in a choir or theat\u00adre group will open up!
\ne) The pha\u00adse of gro\u00adwing older must be well pre\u00adpared by a cou\u00adple. What do we do when the child\u00adren have left home? Plan tog\u00ade\u00adther. Talk about wis\u00adhes and dreams, give each other the free\u00addom for your own hob\u00adby, e.g. edu\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon (atten\u00adding lec\u00adtures), games and sports, rea\u00adding. Ros\u00adma\u00adrie and I sing tog\u00ade\u00adther in a gos\u00adpel choir; with fri\u00adends I like to play p\u00e9tan\u00adque, ten\u00adnis and foot\u00adball matches are more my per\u00adso\u00adnal TV<\/span> programmes.
\ne) Always accept yours\u00adelf, even if your body is get\u00adting older, your memo\u00adry some\u00adti\u00admes lets you down or a health pro\u00adblem gets in the way.
\nPosi\u00adti\u00adon of the man and the woman in the community
\nOn Chris\u00adti\u00adan mar\u00adria\u00adge, Paul\u2019s remarks in Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans, chap\u00adter 5, are valuable: \u00abOut of respect for Christ, wil\u00adlingly sub\u00admit to one ano\u00adther\u2026 \u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 5:21 NL<\/span>). Befo\u00adre Paul addres\u00adses the wives, he empha\u00adsi\u00ads\u00ades that we should all sub\u00admit to one ano\u00adther. What does this mean? Take the other per\u00adson serious\u00adly, his or her thin\u00adking, his or her fee\u00adling, his or her being like this \u2013 even if ever\u00ady\u00adthing is com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from your way! We are dif\u00adfe\u00adrent and that is good. We were crea\u00adted to com\u00adple\u00adment each other. To sub\u00admit to one ano\u00adther means to respect the other more than ones\u00adelf. Paul now ins\u00adtructs the wives to sub\u00admit to their hus\u00adbands: \u00abWives, sub\u00admit your\u00adsel\u00adves to your hus\u00adbands, as you sub\u00admit your\u00adsel\u00adves to the Lord. For the hus\u00adband is the head of his wife, just as Christ is the head of his body \u2013 the church \u2013 for which he gave his life to save her. Just as the church sub\u00admits to Christ, you wives should also sub\u00admit to your hus\u00adbands in ever\u00ady\u00adthing!\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 5:22\u201324 NL<\/span>) That\u2019s strong! They can\u2019t do that and they don\u2019t want to! But let\u2019s just keep the com\u00adpa\u00adri\u00adson: Christ as the head of the church thinks and cares for the church so that it can reach the goal and deve\u00adlop in a glo\u00adrious way. The con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon must lis\u00adten to Jesus and stay con\u00adnec\u00adted to him.
\nSub\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon would thus be for the woman: she enjoys that the man takes care of her, she lis\u00adtens to her hus\u00adband, respects him, tri\u00ades to under\u00adstand him and stays con\u00adnec\u00adted to him. Most argu\u00adments often dis\u00adre\u00adgard this aspect; one only wants to assert ones\u00adelf against the man and be right.
\nAnd now to the hus\u00adbands: \u00abAnd you, hus\u00adbands love your wives with the same love with which Christ also loved the church\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 5:25 NL<\/span>). This is even stron\u00adger. Now it is alre\u00ada\u00addy Jesus whom they are to take as an exam\u00adp\u00adle. Here, too, one could say: \u00abThey can\u2019t do that! That\u2019s the ham\u00admer! Now I would have to ask the wives: Do you feel some\u00adthing of this super\u00adna\u00adtu\u00adral, divi\u00adne love of your hus\u00adbands? Paul also has ano\u00adther com\u00adpa\u00adri\u00adson in store for the men: \u00abIn the same way, hus\u00adbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man also loves hims\u00adelf when he loves his wife. No one hates his own body, but lovin\u00adg\u00adly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, that is, for the church. And we belong to his body\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 5:28\u201330 NL<\/span>). A wife who is so loved and so hono\u00adu\u00adred lis\u00adtens wil\u00adlingly to her hus\u00adband and gives love back. The love that hus\u00adbands give to their wives comes back to them. Such a mar\u00adria\u00adge coven\u00adant is mark\u00aded by for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness, by the wil\u00adling\u00adness to start over and mark\u00aded by trust in God, who always gives us what we need for our spou\u00adse. Paul con\u00adcludes this pas\u00adsa\u00adge from chap\u00adter 5 with a rei\u00adte\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon: \u00abThe\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre I say again that every hus\u00adband should love his wife as he loves hims\u00adelf, and that the wife should respect and esteem her hus\u00adband\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 5:33 NL<\/span>). Healt\u00adhy mar\u00adria\u00adges are a bles\u00adsing from God. They are the foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon for a healt\u00adhy church and a healt\u00adhy nation.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 13:13<\/p>\n
\n\tDo the women pre\u00adsent expe\u00adri\u00adence app\u00adre\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon or humi\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon in ever\u00ady\u00adday life?
\n\tIs the cry for women\u2019s quo\u00adtas jus\u00adti\u00adfied, and if so, when?
\n\tCan indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adals or cou\u00adples share what has beco\u00adme important and valuable to them in the sermon?
\n\tCan you add any\u00adthing to the two ques\u00adti\u00adons: what is important for a suc\u00adcessful mar\u00adria\u00adge and what is hel\u00adpful for a las\u00adting, faithful long-term relationship?
\n\tWhat more could the church do for sin\u00adgles, sin\u00adgle par\u00adents, divorced peo\u00adp\u00adle, widows?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"