Honest question to Preachers

How often do you preach on Marriage & Divorce?

If this Sunday God told you it's time to bring order to my church.. .and he told you to adress the young people about the value of marriage.. could you comfortably say the following words to your youth?

"Children, think long and hard before marriage... pray and fast and seek godly counsel because our God only allows for ONE COVENANT OF MARRIAGE... he only recognizes marriage for a lifetime.... do not enter it lightly.. because it is Gods most sacred institution" Also children if you choose wrong... you will reap the seeds of that bad choice for a lifetime..... and those seeds produce a lonely life.... so as your Pastor I beg of you WAIT FOR MARRIAGE....... there is no 2nd guessing... its for a lifetime"

Man could you imagine how the divorce epidemic would stop if our preachers could preach like that again,, how we could salvage the next generation of Christians........

but...... if they do not hear it and see it they like their parents will continue the pattern,, they will marry on a trial basis to see how it works out.... I TELL YOU MEN OF GOD.. it's somebodys fault... somebody will answer to God for this stain of remarriages in Gods Holy Church

So,, could you preach the above sermon this weekend without fear of repercussions?

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

How often do you preach on Marriage & Divorce?

If this Sunday God told you it's time to bring order to my church.. .and he told you to adress the young people about the value of marriage.. could you comfortably say the following words to your youth?

"Children, think long and hard before marriage... pray and fast and seek godly counsel because our God only allows for ONE COVENANT OF MARRIAGE... he only recognizes marriage for a lifetime.... do not enter it lightly.. because it is Gods most sacred institution" Also children if you choose wrong... you will reap the seeds of that bad choice for a lifetime..... and those seeds produce a lonely life.... so as your Pastor I beg of you WAIT FOR MARRIAGE....... there is no 2nd guessing... its for a lifetime"

Man could you imagine how the divorce epidemic would stop if our preachers could preach like that again,, how we could salvage the next generation of Christians........

but...... if they do not hear it and see it they like their parents will continue the pattern,, they will marry on a trial basis to see how it works out.... I TELL YOU MEN OF GOD.. it's somebodys fault... somebody will answer to God for this stain of remarriages in Gods Holy Church

So,, could you preach the above sermon this weekend without fear of repercussions?

So basically you saying it is best to simply NOT get married. After that paragraph, who would want to even risk it?

Better to just put the very idea of marriage in the closet along with all the other incomplete things in life.... and go watch some TV.

Oh No brother...... you stand there as their Pastor as a living example of how beatiful the right choice can be.. as your lovely wife stands by your side and your children call both of you blessed... oh its a beautiful thing

but of course if you cant be that example I could understand why you couldn't preach it.. and thus my whole point has just been made why remarried people should not be leading the flock of God

[Sam]

I think the "divorce" battle is lost as far as the church is concerned.

50 years ago at a UPC where I was a part of the membership we had:

1. a woman who was not allowed to testify or take any active part because she and a lover had run her husband off and then they later married one another.

2. Her lover had later been baptized but did not receive the Holy Ghost. He had married her and because their little affair happened before he got baptized he was OK as a "member" of the church

3. That woman's husband had left after being run off by his wife and her lover but if he would show up he could be OK because his wife had committed adultery.

4. Our SS supt. had been raised in the church and had been divorced and remarried but that was OK because it happened before he had received the Holy Ghost baptism.

5. A couple had divorced. He wanted to get married so the pastor asked his ex-wife to sign a paper saying she had been unfaithful so the man's marriage would be OK. She refused, married someone else and went to another OP church where she and her new husband were both OK. The former husband got married and was "OK" in the church.

6. One couple split up (he had an affair with his sister-in-law) and when his wife asked about how she could divorce him she was advised that she didn't need to "prove" adultery because "we don't do that any more."

And there were various folks who had been divorced at different times. Each case was individual. The pastor taught that "judgment begins at the house of God" so whatever happened before you became part of the church didn't count. He also taught that adultery only allowed the "innocent" one to divorce and remarry. Of course you don't know what went on in and out of the bedroom for all those folks but there were a lot of second marriages.

[Sam]

I think it's about time preachers and church members quit worrying about how many marriages and divorces people have gone through, and who is the "guilty" party, and who is the "innocent" party, and whether a person was "in church" or "out of church" when they went through their latest marriage/divorce or not.

God's "Plan A" was one man and one woman till death.
When that didn't work, He provided "Plan B" which allowed for divorce.
Jesus reiterated that Plan A was God's original plan but He is very forgiving when it comes to sin (and that would include marriage/divorce).

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

Oh No brother...... you stand there as their Pastor as a living example of how beatiful the right choice can be.. as your lovely wife stands by your side and your children call both of you blessed... oh its a beautiful thing

but of course if you cant be that example I could understand why you couldn't preach it.. and thus my whole point has just been made why remarried people should not be leading the flock of God

Honestly, I do agree with you overall, except I have seen far more meddling AFTER the wedding than before. Granted, some of it may have taken place before in the form of pre-marital counciling classes where I shudder to think what was taught.

While the decision to marry is a serious one I do not believe that the couples need a wagging finger of warning in their face telling them again and again how series things are (which they ARE) and how they "better not divorce". It would seem that that would do nothing but jinx the marriage from the start.

I also don't believe that ADULTS getting married need anyone's permission but their own. It is strongly advisable to have the parents onboard the idea for obvious reasons, as well as the pastor, but neither is required and certainly you don't need to ask the latter -where as you may want to ask the former since it still is a relatively traditional thing to do.

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Honestly, I do agree with you overall, except I have seen far more meddling AFTER the wedding than before. Granted, some of it may have taken place before in the form of pre-marital counciling classes where I shudder to think what was taught.

While the decision to marry is a serious one I do not believe that the couples need a wagging finger of warning in their face telling them again and again how series things are (which they ARE) and how they "better not divorce". It would seem that that would do nothing but jinx the marriage from the start.

I also don't believe that ADULTS getting married need anyone's permission but their own. It is strongly advisable to have the parents onboard the idea for obvious reasons, as well as the pastor, but neither is required and certainly you don't need to ask the latter -where as you may want to ask the former since it still is a relatively traditional thing to do.

Their is safety in the multitude of counsel... I believe thats in the book

[Steve Epley]

I do NOT believe in divorce and remarriage IN the Church period.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

I do NOT believe in divorce and remarriage IN the Church period.

I think the point trying to be made is preventing it in the first place rather then what to do when confronted with it. Letting couples know how serious marriage is before the wedding, which I agree 100% with. I just think it needs to be done in a way as to not scare the new couple to death and make them think they are entering a new hell on earth.

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

I do NOT believe in divorce and remarriage IN the Church period.

Its awesome to hear it Elder...... I'm glad we can stand on that issue in Unity.. you know I even disagree with Bro. Branham on divorce and remarriage.. he allowed for it if the man married an unmarried woman....

But I am glad to know you stand for truth in Divorce & Remarriage

It pains me Bro. Eply because you know my grandmothers situation.. but her remarriage has brought untold amounts of pain to the families involved... and she would have been much more effective as a single lady,, travelling and singing and loving her family.....

I use to feel bad at Elder Boyd for his stand against her marriage.. after they were so close.. but now I understand he was simply standing for scripture...

Blessings