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A Story of Family
February 23, 2019

The Story of Covenant Love

by Dennis Rouse
The Purpose of Family: To be a reflection of His nature To be an extension of His authority To preserve the culture of His kingdomTop Dating Sites:• Zoosk• eHarmony• Elite Singles• Match.com• Our Time• Silver Singles• OK Cupid• Plenty of Fish• Tinder• HingeFunny Sites:• Spoon Meets Spoon• Pimp My Profile• Single and Sober• Wingman• Farmer
Sermon Notes

The Purpose of Family:

  1. To be a reflection of His nature
  2. To be an extension of His authority
  3. To preserve the culture of His kingdom
    Top Dating Sites:
    • Zoosk
    • eHarmony
    • Elite Singles
    • Match.com
    • Our Time
    • Silver Singles
    • OK Cupid
    • Plenty of Fish
    • Tinder
    • Hinge
    Funny Sites:
    • Spoon Meets Spoon
    • Pimp My Profile
    • Single and Sober
    • Wingman
    • Farmer Wants a Wife
    • Star Trek Dating
    • Ugly Schmucks
    • Clown Dating
    MATTHEW 19:1-6 NIV
    When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and
    went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. Large
    crowds followed him, and he healed them there. Some Pharisees
    came to him to test him. They asked, “IS IT LAWFUL FOR A MAN
    TO DIVORCE HIS WIFE FOR ANY AND EVERY REASON?”
    “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator
    ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will
    leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will
    become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
    THEREFORE WHAT GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER, LET NO ONE
    SEPARATE.”
    Two Competing Value Systems:
    CHRISTIAN: HUMANISTIC:
    Marriage based on covenant Marriage based on feelings
    Meeting other’s’ needs Other person meeting your needs
    Two people becoming one Two people remaining independent
    Goal is to please God Goal is to please self
    Governed by the Word Governed by emotions and opinions
    Committed for life Divorce is an option
    Covenant:
    • Strongest word in the Bible describing both our relationship with
    God and with each other
    • Reflects a solemn agreement between two parties in which
    there is total commitment by each party
    • First truth to enter human consciousness
    • Includes your life, your possessions, your children
    GENESIS 17:1-7 NIV
    When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him
    and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be
    blameless. Then I will make my COVENANT between me and you
    and will greatly increase your numbers.” Abram fell facedown, and
    God said to him, “As for me, this is my COVENANT with you. You will
    be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram;
    your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many
    nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and
    kings will come from you. I will establish my COVENANT as an
    everlasting COVENANT between me and you and your descendants
    after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of
    your descendants after you.”
    “Anyone who chooses to enter a covenant must make a complete
    surrender of self to the one with which they are covenanted. You
    must so love and trust that you are willing to merge separate
    individuality into a dual personality of which God becomes an integral
    part.” — Dr. Henry Clay Trumbull, Expert on Primitive Covenants
    “As high as God is above man, so high are the sanctity, the rights and
    the promise of a marriage covenant above the promise of worldly
    love. It is not your worldly love that sustains marriage but, from now
    on, the marriage covenant that sustains your love.”
    — Dietrich Bonhoeffer (German theologian)
    Covenant Parallels:
    MARRIAGE: JESUS:
    Give of yourself Jesus gave of Himself
    Give something of value (ring) Jesus gave His life
    Exchange of names We adopt His name
    Terms set forth (vows) New covenant terms
    Shedding of blood Jesus shed His blood
    Covenant meal to seal marriage Communion meal
    3 Kinds of Love:

  1. Eros: physical love — found in your body
  2. Phileo: emotional love — found in your soul
  3. Agape: God’s love — found in your spirit
    3 Components of Love:

  1. Passion: the desire that leads to romance, physical closeness, sex
  2. Intimacy: involves closeness, like-mindedness, emotional bonding
  3. Decision: commitment that encompasses short-term decision that
    “we love each other” with long-term commitment to maintain that love
    1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-8 NLT
    Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or
    rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps
    no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but
    rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never
    loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every
    circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and
    special knowledge will become useless. BUT LOVE WILL LAST
    FOREVER!
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