Gateway Visalia
Marriage is Sacred.
Matthew 5:27-32 Pastor Lance Ainsworth January 13th & 16th, 2025 Marriage is Sacred.
Locations & Times
GateWay Church
1100 S Sowell St, Visalia, CA 93277, USA
Thursday 6:45 PM
Sunday 8:30 AM
Sunday 10:00 AM
Sunday 11:30 AM
Introduction:
Matthew 5:27-32
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
7th Commandment – You shall not commit adultery
“look” – present participle, keep on looking.
The grass is greener where you water it.
The grass is greener where you water it.
29 If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
Legalism does not cure a heart of lust.
Job made a covenant with his eyes. (Job 31)
Job made a covenant with his eyes. (Job 31)
31 “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Marriage is sacred. (Matt. 19:3-9)
Genesis 2:18-25 NASB
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 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.”
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 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.”
24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
3 Takeaways
1. Value marriage deeply.
2. Destroy lust before it destroys you.
3. Singleness is not a curse.
2. Destroy lust before it destroys you.
3. Singleness is not a curse.
Numbers 6:24-26 NASB
24 The Lord bless you, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’
24 The Lord bless you, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’
The Way
Pastor Lance Ainsworth, Matthew 5:27-32
February 13
Marriage is Sacred.
Prayer Requests:
Group Discussion: Who in your life has been a great example of a Godly marriage? Why?
Read Aloud: Matt. 5:27-32
1. The New Testament is clear that no amount of good works or sin prevention will earn our salvation. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, Christ alone. (Eph. 2:1-10) Yet Jesus urges us to fight the sin of lust, “for it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.” How do we reconcile the gracious reality of salvation with the necessity of fighting sin?
2. What radical and practical steps might you need to take in order to fight against lust?
3. How would you summarize our culture’s general view on marriage and divorce? What are a few ways in which Jesus’ vision differs?
4. What can currently married men and women do to cultivate faithfulness in marriage? What might repentance to God and a spouse look like for someone who has failed to uphold Jesus’ standard at this point?
Pastor Lance Ainsworth, Matthew 5:27-32
February 13
Marriage is Sacred.
Prayer Requests:
Group Discussion: Who in your life has been a great example of a Godly marriage? Why?
Read Aloud: Matt. 5:27-32
1. The New Testament is clear that no amount of good works or sin prevention will earn our salvation. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, Christ alone. (Eph. 2:1-10) Yet Jesus urges us to fight the sin of lust, “for it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.” How do we reconcile the gracious reality of salvation with the necessity of fighting sin?
2. What radical and practical steps might you need to take in order to fight against lust?
3. How would you summarize our culture’s general view on marriage and divorce? What are a few ways in which Jesus’ vision differs?
4. What can currently married men and women do to cultivate faithfulness in marriage? What might repentance to God and a spouse look like for someone who has failed to uphold Jesus’ standard at this point?