Tag Marital Intimacy

1 Corinthians 7:1-5 – “God’s Design for Marriage”

Jon Beck Leave a comment

My sermon notes for Sunday morning, March 20th.  Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:30 on Facebook. We also provide the services through YouTube by Sunday afternoon.  You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

INTRO

  • 7:1-40 is Paul responding to questions about marriage.
  • Today, the matter is still crucial.
  • What is right? What is pleasing to the Lord?
  • What is God’s plan? What does God bless?
  • I am afraid there is not much of a difference from the church and our society when it comes to this matter.
  • His words to Corinth need to be heard and embraced today!

Personal Accountability– vv. 1-2a

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”  But because of the temptation to sexual immorality,

We are accountable before God for what we do with our body

Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit – 1 Cor. 6:19

Sexual Immorality – ANYTHING outside of God’s covenant of Marriage

  • God’s design for the family (THE BEST FOR THE FAMILY)
    • Consider our current culture and the decimation of the family
  • As believers we should embrace and trust in God’s design!
  • Remember Wed night…. God’s Sovereignty and God’s Love
  • He knows what is best…His Will. His Plan.
  • Things will not end well when we take matters into our own hands

Marital Responsibility – vv. 2b-5

each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Marital Union – v. 2

  • One man and one woman
  • A Covenant Relationship
    • Malachi 2:13-14
    • Relationship of 3.
    • Man, Woman, and God
    • Witness… before others

Marital Intimacy – vv. 3-5

  • It is a gift from (not a weapon or tool… to hurt or manipulate.)
    • Should be honored and respected.
    • Should be discussed from a Christian perspective. (if our kids do not hear it from us they will hear it from the world)
  • We are one
    • Physical and Spiritual
    • The spiritual governs the physical.
    • 1 Peter 3:7 (My relationship with my spouse impacts my relationship with the Lord)
    • Remember. We are a temple of the Holy Spirit. (The stewardship of our body is a spiritual matter)

I have heard… “We have a great marriage expect for the intimacy.”

  • This is sad, the intimacy issue is a symptom of something else.

A few things to consider with intimacy

  • It is a gift from the Lord, so therefore it is good
    • It is a spiritual union (the devil takes what God has said is good and turns it into a selfish desire)
  • Embrace that we are created different (different by design)
    • Men and their expectations
    • Women and their expectations
  • Our body is not our own
    • Talk. Communicate the specifics of your relationships.
    • Open, Honest, and Loving
  • Live sacrificially
    • Place the needs of your spouse above yours