As we come around to the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States of America by the destruction of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center we are moved to pray for the families which were negatively affected by this great tragedy and we as a Church offer continued condolences for these wounded lives that remain in the aftermath of this horrific, barbaric attack on largely non-military people. May God’s grace and favor through Jesus Christ His Son rest on every life in this connection.
Our teacher, Pastor Landis Fisher continues today in our series on Marriage and Family with another installment which he has titled: “God’s Holy Word On The Family”
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Psalms 127:1 – 5 (KJV)
Psa 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Psa 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Psa 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Psa 127:4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Psa 127:5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
New Testament Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:1 – 15 (NASB)
1Co 7:1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
1Co 7:2 But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
1Co 7:3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
1Co 7:4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
1Co 7:5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
1Co 7:6 But this I say by way of concession, not of command.
1Co 7:7 Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.
1Co 7:8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.
1Co 7:9 But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
1Co 7:10 But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband
1Co 7:11 (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.
1Co 7:12 But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.
1Co 7:13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.
1Co 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
1Co 7:15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.
Transforming Power Statements:
1) The human family, meaning one man married to one woman (“till death do you part”) and the fruit of this God ordained relationship; namely children, is the very focal point of God’s original design; and is what God created, and intends to be continued throughout all of time and therefore, is the focal point of the hatred of the devil and everyone deceived by him since the garden of Eden.
2) The Psalmist tells of the necessity of trusting God for everything so that fruitfulness can be the result of the walk of each family, producing a Godly seed to be used as a weapon of righteousness against the oppositions of the devil against the family.
3) The Apostle Paul makes clear every possible fact about marriage and singleness, and gives every God-honoring situation using very few words to the Church at Corinth, yet giving great explanation of what God has ordained from the very beginning and preaches it to be continued in all of time.
