Taught by Chris and Kerri-Sue Adams, 2/24/2007

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Chris and Kerri-Sue Adams teach on having a heavenly marriage

Heavenly Marriages - Outline

Learn how to have a great and godly relationship with your spouse. Maybe your marriage stinks and you don’t know how to avoid divorce. Or perhaps you’ve lost that lovin’ feeling, or maybe you have an awesome marriage but you want to make sure it stays that way. If any of these statements apply, then grab your partner (gently) and listen in: this marriage lesson is for you.

Heavenly marriages need to hold to God’s standard.

Romans 10:1-4
There is a right way to have a relationship with God. Are we going to submit to God’s standard for your marriage? Know the righteousness of God in your marriage. You can be zealous to have a great marriage but if it is not based on God’s knowledge, it will be full of ignorance.

Romans 8:5-9 Life Through the Spirit
You must submit your mind to what the Spirit desires for your marriage. Otherwise you can’t please God because you’ll be hostile to God (v. 7). Ask your spouse: “Do you feel like I am setting my mind on what the Spirit desires for our marriage?”

Romans 10:4
What is our faith like for our marriage. Do you believe you and your spouse can change? If you don’t believe God can change your marriage, you are a practical atheist. Repent of this lack of faith. Jesus disciples your lack of faith.

Ephesians 5:21-33
The way Jesus feeds and cares for the church is the way we need to treat our spouse. Do you wash your wife with the word? It’s not just reading it to her, it’s putting it into practice. Ask your wife: “Do you feel that I wash you with the word?” Putting the word into practice will make your marriage radiant.

Titus 2:3-5
Women must train women to be great wives so the word will not be maligned.

What is the one thing you need to change in your marriage? Ask your spouse.

Ephesians 4:20-24
Put off your old self. If you are a Christian, you were taught this. Repentance = joy. It is your responsibility to get help with your marriage.

Obey the Standard

Luke 9:23-25
Must deny your own needs to make your marriage work. Self denial is connecting emotionally even when you don’t feel like it. Will you do what is best for the marriage? If you demand fairness in your marriage, you enter into a legalistic and loveless emptiness.

Proverbs 19:11
Overlook your spouse’s offenses. You must practice patience to do this. Pride hurts your marriage. Pride just covers up fear and hurt. Don’t detach. Get help to strengthen your communication.

1 Corinthians 13:11
Put childish ways behind you. Be mature in your marriage, not controlling. Trust God. If your spouse is detaching, you can use gentle humor to pull your spouse back in. Immaturity can be severe. Get help to overcome this.

2 Corinthians 12:9
Boast about your weaknesses so Christ’s power will rest on you. Otherwise your pride will take control and you won’t have Christ’s power on you. Be humble and admit your sin. When you are misunderstood by your spouse, trust God. Submit your fear to God. This takes awesome faith. Celebrate the good communication that happens.

Protect the Standard

Romans 6:17
Remember the form of teaching.

Philippians 3:17
Take note of the pattern of teaching. Are you imitating? Do you have discipling in your marriage? We need it.

1 Corinthians 4:17
Imitation is part of discipling.

Confess your sin to God and other disciples. Use your experience (even bad ones) to help others (2 Corinthians 1:4) with the comfort you have received.

Ephesians 6:10-13
Recognize that the battle is between Satan and you, not between a man and his wife. Your marriage is a target… it’s under attack. But if you put on the full armor of God in humility, obeying and protecting God’s standard, you will have a heavenly marriage.

A few excerpts from the book “21 Days to a Great Marriage” by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend were read during this sermon.

Heavenly Communication

Matthew 5:3-10 Beatitudes
When we are poor in spirit and persecuted for righteousness, we have the kingdom of heaven. That’s also how to have a heavenly marriage. Great marriages reflect God’s glory and love.

Matthew 5:4
Mourners will be comforted and blessed. Make time to talk about your feelings, even the deep ones. When you mourn over your sin that put Jesus on the cross, it is easier to have mercy on others. That’s having better communication.

Matthew 5:5
The meek have self control

Matthew 5:6
Seeking after righteousness must be individual. Don’t seek after your spouse’s righteousness over your own. Pray through your spouse’s strengths. You have to have the faith that you and your spouse can change. God loves your spouse more than you do.

Ephesians 4:29
Let there be no unwholesome talk in your marriage.

Matthew 5:7 Be merciful.

Ephesians 2:8-9
Grace is not earned, it’s a gift.

1 Peter 4:10
Express God’s grace to your spouse.

Matthew 5:9
Do you want to be right or a peacemaker? Our tone to our spouse (and others) must be merciful, gentle and faithful. A great marriage with great communication is heavenly bound.

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