0:00:00.715,0:00:05.351 I want to read to you the first words 0:00:05.351,0:00:09.527 in the Bible concerning marriage. 0:00:09.527,0:00:13.197 This is found in Genesis 2:21. 0:00:13.197,0:00:17.617 "So the Lord God 0:00:17.617,0:00:21.953 caused a deep sleep 0:00:21.953,0:00:26.112 to fall upon the man." 0:00:26.112,0:00:32.980 This is not myth. 0:00:32.980,0:00:37.028 This is what God did. 0:00:37.028,0:00:42.597 Our Lord called this Word - [br]the Word of God - 0:00:42.597,0:00:44.250 He called it truth. 0:00:44.250,0:00:45.702 This is truth. 0:00:45.702,0:00:51.337 These first chapters of Genesis, 0:00:51.337,0:00:54.854 they are truth. 0:00:54.854,0:00:56.702 Back in the beginning, "the Lord God 0:00:56.702,0:01:00.067 caused a deep sleep to fall on the man. 0:01:00.067,0:01:03.526 While he slept, took one of his ribs 0:01:03.526,0:01:08.087 and closed up its place with flesh. 0:01:08.087,0:01:11.958 And the rib that the Lord God had taken 0:01:11.958,0:01:16.335 from the man, He made into a woman 0:01:16.335,0:01:22.570 and brought her to the man. 0:01:22.570,0:01:25.007 Then the man said, 'This at last 0:01:25.007,0:01:27.948 is bone of my bones, 0:01:27.948,0:01:32.057 and flesh of my flesh. 0:01:32.057,0:01:34.430 She shall be called woman 0:01:34.430,0:01:40.464 because she was taken out of man.' 0:01:40.464,0:01:43.192 Therefore..." 0:01:43.192,0:01:44.865 So far you have: 0:01:44.865,0:01:49.522 the woman has been created. 0:01:49.522,0:01:51.310 But here are the first words - 0:01:51.310,0:01:53.637 although the word "marriage" is not 0:01:53.637,0:01:55.375 in this verse, 0:01:55.375,0:01:58.821 here's where we first see it. 0:01:58.821,0:02:02.565 Genesis 2:24 "Therefore, a man 0:02:02.565,0:02:07.484 shall leave his father and his mother 0:02:07.484,0:02:12.999 and hold fast to his wife, 0:02:12.999,0:02:19.241 and they shall become one flesh." 0:02:19.241,0:02:25.783 Those are the first words on marriage. 0:02:25.783,0:02:30.511 But here's what's remarkable. 0:02:30.511,0:02:34.920 You go forward thousands of years, 0:02:34.920,0:02:37.902 and here comes a man. 0:02:37.902,0:02:41.406 We know him as the Apostle Paul. 0:02:41.406,0:02:43.186 You know why he was an apostle? 0:02:43.186,0:02:48.182 Because the Lord Jesus [br]Christ made him that. 0:02:48.182,0:02:53.791 This man speaking as he was being led 0:02:53.791,0:02:57.929 by the Spirit of God under inspiration, 0:02:57.929,0:03:02.457 he quotes this exact verse 0:03:02.457,0:03:06.752 in Ephesians 5. 0:03:06.752,0:03:10.333 Listen to this: Ephesians 5:31. 0:03:10.333,0:03:13.796 "Therefore a man shall leave [br]his father and mother 0:03:13.796,0:03:15.940 and hold fast to his wife, 0:03:15.940,0:03:19.523 and the two shall become one flesh." 0:03:19.523,0:03:23.023 Same words right out of Genesis 2:24. 0:03:23.023,0:03:25.476 He quotes in Ephesians 5 0:03:25.476,0:03:27.643 thousands of years later 0:03:27.643,0:03:33.943 to Gentile Christians at Ephesus. 0:03:33.943,0:03:35.583 And you know what? 0:03:35.583,0:03:38.698 He doesn't finish that by saying, 0:03:38.698,0:03:40.095 Ephesians, there you have it. 0:03:40.095,0:03:43.675 Those are the first words on marriage. 0:03:43.675,0:03:46.580 That's the classic text [br]that you want to go to 0:03:46.580,0:03:48.549 when you want to figure out what marriage 0:03:48.549,0:03:51.043 between a man and a [br]woman ought to look like. 0:03:51.043,0:03:52.956 That's not what he says. 0:03:52.956,0:03:54.353 You know what he says? 0:03:54.353,0:03:55.405 A lot of you do. 0:03:55.405,0:03:58.458 Some of you don't. 0:03:58.458,0:04:01.023 This is what he says. 0:04:01.023,0:04:07.226 "This mystery is profound, 0:04:07.226,0:04:10.157 and I am saying that it refers 0:04:10.157,0:04:13.966 to Christ and the church." 0:04:13.966,0:04:18.928 It's like, really, Paul? 0:04:18.928,0:04:22.785 That has to do with Christ? 0:04:22.785,0:04:25.003 He goes back and he finds this text 0:04:25.003,0:04:28.045 that doesn't say anything about Christ. 0:04:28.045,0:04:29.598 It has to do with a man 0:04:29.598,0:04:31.211 leaving his father and his mother 0:04:31.211,0:04:33.417 and clinging, holding fast, to a wife, 0:04:33.417,0:04:38.672 and Paul being led [br]under inspiration of God - 0:04:38.672,0:04:42.079 He's speaking the very truth of God - 0:04:42.079,0:04:43.802 he says, you know what? 0:04:43.802,0:04:46.420 You know what this really has to do with? 0:04:46.420,0:04:49.485 It has to do with Christ. 0:04:49.485,0:04:53.640 It has to do with Christ and the church. 0:04:53.640,0:04:56.075 I mean, have you ever noticed? 0:04:56.075,0:04:58.482 Not just the Apostle Paul,[br]but all over the place. 0:04:58.482,0:05:01.288 It's interesting. Paul, no matter [br]what he's talking about, 0:05:01.288,0:05:03.052 he ended up at Christ. 0:05:03.052,0:05:04.780 Have you ever noticed that? 0:05:04.780,0:05:08.296 And yet Christ Himself came along, 0:05:08.296,0:05:10.872 and remember on the road to Emmaus? 0:05:10.872,0:05:12.916 He's got these two men 0:05:12.916,0:05:15.472 and He opens up Scripture, 0:05:15.472,0:05:21.189 and He just says, "it's all about Me." 0:05:21.189,0:05:23.779 You know what's amazing? 0:05:23.779,0:05:27.669 Is everything points to Christ. 0:05:27.669,0:05:30.612 Everything is for Christ. 0:05:30.612,0:05:32.719 Everything. 0:05:32.719,0:05:36.568 You go into Scripture, and it says 0:05:36.568,0:05:40.832 that through Him everything was created. 0:05:40.832,0:05:42.581 It's for Him. 0:05:42.581,0:05:43.994 It's by Him. 0:05:43.994,0:05:45.324 It's through Him. 0:05:45.324,0:05:49.082 There's nothing made that [br]was not made by Him. 0:05:49.082,0:05:51.388 I was out walking yesterday [br]and I was looking - 0:05:51.388,0:05:52.715 I was looking at the trees 0:05:52.715,0:05:53.743 and I was thinking, 0:05:53.743,0:05:57.934 the trees lose their leaves and look dead. 0:05:57.934,0:05:59.963 And then the spring comes, 0:05:59.963,0:06:03.238 and there they are again. 0:06:03.238,0:06:06.556 Something dead coming to life. 0:06:06.556,0:06:09.667 That's a picture of the resurrection. 0:06:09.667,0:06:12.347 And then you can look over [br]and you can see the sun. 0:06:12.347,0:06:14.615 The sun rises. 0:06:14.615,0:06:17.813 Jesus says, "I'm the light of the world." 0:06:17.813,0:06:21.318 Every day, every season 0:06:21.318,0:06:23.838 of fall and winter and spring, 0:06:23.838,0:06:26.928 we get a picture of Christ [br]coming out of the grave. 0:06:26.928,0:06:29.973 Every day as the sun rises. 0:06:29.973,0:06:31.922 Christ came into this world and He said, 0:06:31.922,0:06:35.747 "I am the light of the world." 0:06:35.747,0:06:38.555 It says light came into the world. 0:06:38.555,0:06:40.612 It came into the midst of the darkness. 0:06:40.612,0:06:42.412 Every night, we have darkness, 0:06:42.412,0:06:44.400 and every day, that sun breaks forth 0:06:44.400,0:06:45.983 over the Eastern horizon. 0:06:45.983,0:06:47.908 And it's a picture - all of it - 0:06:47.908,0:06:50.365 it's declaring the glory of the Lord. 0:06:50.365,0:06:52.565 We're told in Scripture [br]that you can go out 0:06:52.565,0:06:58.711 and you can look at the sky and the stars. 0:06:58.711,0:07:01.223 That's the glory of Christ. 0:07:01.223,0:07:04.578 That's His handiwork. 0:07:04.578,0:07:05.876 As I was walking along, 0:07:05.876,0:07:06.878 I look from the trees 0:07:06.878,0:07:08.532 and I look over to the river - 0:07:08.532,0:07:09.673 the San Antonio River - 0:07:09.673,0:07:11.903 and I'm thinking water. 0:07:11.903,0:07:15.063 It's not just like the authors [br]of Scripture came along 0:07:15.063,0:07:16.951 or Christ came along and He said, 0:07:16.951,0:07:19.673 "Hm, where can I [br]find good illustrations?" 0:07:19.673,0:07:21.079 You have to recognize, 0:07:21.079,0:07:24.346 He created everything [br]the way He created it 0:07:24.346,0:07:26.907 to put His glory on display. 0:07:26.907,0:07:29.937 It's all about Him and it's all for Him. 0:07:29.937,0:07:31.331 It's not just second hand. 0:07:31.331,0:07:33.681 Everything, including marriage. 0:07:33.681,0:07:35.409 I look over at the San Antonio River 0:07:35.409,0:07:37.026 and I'm thinking water. 0:07:37.026,0:07:39.170 Does water take us back to Christ? 0:07:39.170,0:07:42.663 He's talking about living water. 0:07:42.663,0:07:44.399 He has the water of life. 0:07:44.399,0:07:45.994 He says, "If you're thirsty, 0:07:45.994,0:07:47.248 you come unto Me." 0:07:47.248,0:07:51.054 Literally everywhere that we look. 0:07:51.054,0:07:52.615 You look at the church, 0:07:52.615,0:07:53.983 and you look at Scripture. 0:07:53.983,0:07:56.347 It says Jesus Christ is [br]the Head of the church. 0:07:56.347,0:07:57.699 You look at governments. 0:07:57.699,0:07:59.598 And what does Scripture say? 0:07:59.598,0:08:03.166 I mean, it talks about all thrones 0:08:03.166,0:08:05.496 and power and dominion, 0:08:05.496,0:08:07.503 rulers and authorities - 0:08:07.503,0:08:08.964 they were created by Him 0:08:08.964,0:08:10.257 and they're for Him, 0:08:10.257,0:08:12.386 and He rules over all of them. 0:08:12.386,0:08:13.841 He rules in the church. 0:08:13.841,0:08:15.214 He's the Head of the church. 0:08:15.214,0:08:17.544 He rules over all the [br]governments of this world. 0:08:17.544,0:08:19.979 They're on His shoulders, right? 0:08:19.979,0:08:22.080 We have this Wonderful Counselor, 0:08:22.080,0:08:25.720 and He comes. 0:08:25.720,0:08:28.918 He rules the nations with a rod of iron. 0:08:28.918,0:08:30.287 He is in control. 0:08:30.287,0:08:32.128 Everywhere we look. 0:08:32.128,0:08:33.972 You go into the church and you see 0:08:33.972,0:08:36.346 that they're in this book. 0:08:36.346,0:08:39.550 And yet, this book is a book of truth, 0:08:39.550,0:08:41.656 and Jesus came into the world and said, 0:08:41.656,0:08:44.024 "I am the Truth." 0:08:44.024,0:08:46.018 He tells those two on the road to Emmaus, 0:08:46.018,0:08:48.242 "The Scriptures - they're all about Me." 0:08:48.242,0:08:50.630 And you know what's interesting? 0:08:50.630,0:08:55.448 I was watching something the other day 0:08:55.448,0:08:57.459 and they had the camera 0:08:57.459,0:08:59.389 pointed in a certain direction 0:08:59.389,0:09:02.395 and different people were walking by, 0:09:02.395,0:09:05.128 but I noticed there were couples. 0:09:05.128,0:09:06.630 That's not uncommon to see. 0:09:06.630,0:09:08.664 You know, if you went [br]down to San Antonio, 0:09:08.664,0:09:10.481 this is Fiesta Week, and you looked, 0:09:10.481,0:09:13.691 you would see couples. 0:09:13.691,0:09:15.839 What are we supposed to see in that? 0:09:15.839,0:09:19.189 When you see a man and a woman, 0:09:19.189,0:09:20.861 and they're married, 0:09:20.861,0:09:24.582 Paul says the profound [br]mystery of all of this 0:09:24.582,0:09:28.409 is it's got to do with Christ. 0:09:28.409,0:09:31.193 You see a man and a woman -[br]they're going to walk up here. 0:09:31.193,0:09:32.989 You know what we're supposed to see? 0:09:32.989,0:09:34.531 We're supposed to see Christ. 0:09:34.531,0:09:35.649 Christ. 0:09:35.649,0:09:39.870 Every couple - the man [br]is a picture of Christ. 0:09:39.870,0:09:41.439 And what Paul is dealing with 0:09:41.439,0:09:44.538 is that the husband ought to love. 0:09:44.538,0:09:47.618 I mean, if there's anything that [br]we ought to see in a couple, 0:09:47.618,0:09:49.663 it is the love of Christ. 0:09:49.663,0:09:50.574 Think about that. 0:09:50.574,0:09:53.188 He's to love her like [br]Christ loved the church. 0:09:53.188,0:09:54.482 There is the emblem. 0:09:54.482,0:09:56.578 Every couple in this world. 0:09:56.578,0:09:57.597 Isn't it amazing? 0:09:57.597,0:09:58.923 We walk through life 0:09:58.923,0:10:00.184 and everywhere we look, 0:10:00.184,0:10:02.035 where we see a married couple, 0:10:02.035,0:10:04.442 God wants us to see Christ. 0:10:04.442,0:10:06.768 I mean, you can look at [br]the trees and the leaves 0:10:06.768,0:10:08.005 and the water and the sun, 0:10:08.005,0:10:10.807 but also here, it's like [br]God has surrounded us 0:10:10.807,0:10:13.704 with all of these pictures of Christ. 0:10:13.704,0:10:15.193 He is everywhere. 0:10:15.193,0:10:17.970 And in this, I mean, if [br]there's any demonstration 0:10:17.970,0:10:20.854 in this of Christ, 0:10:20.854,0:10:23.806 it's His love. 0:10:23.806,0:10:28.109 I mean, think about the love of Christ. 0:10:28.109,0:10:31.242 I'll tell you one thing about [br]his love for this woman, 0:10:31.242,0:10:36.716 would you all say it's special? 0:10:36.716,0:10:39.265 Like really special? 0:10:39.265,0:10:42.184 Like he doesn't even want [br]to look at any other woman. 0:10:42.184,0:10:44.161 He wants to gaze in her face. 0:10:44.161,0:10:45.590 That's the way Christ is. 0:10:45.590,0:10:47.495 His love is special. 0:10:47.495,0:10:49.947 It says that he is to love her 0:10:49.947,0:10:51.867 like Christ has loved everybody? 0:10:51.867,0:10:53.044 No. 0:10:53.044,0:10:57.047 Like Christ loves the church. 0:10:57.047,0:10:59.247 Oh, what special love! 0:10:59.247,0:11:00.320 And you know what? 0:11:00.320,0:11:02.447 You've got these dry theologians out there 0:11:02.447,0:11:04.084 that want to tell you that love, 0:11:04.084,0:11:05.770 there's no feeling. 0:11:05.770,0:11:08.235 What garbage is that? 0:11:08.235,0:11:13.368 "It's a commitment." 0:11:13.368,0:11:16.148 "You do right for the one you love." 0:11:16.148,0:11:18.714 "You take care of them 0:11:18.714,0:11:20.678 and you provide for them." 0:11:20.678,0:11:22.741 "There are certain rules and regulations 0:11:22.741,0:11:24.165 that guide love." 0:11:24.165,0:11:25.950 That's all a bunch of garbage. 0:11:25.950,0:11:29.969 I'm not saying that there isn't a place 0:11:29.969,0:11:34.099 for love to do right by that person; 0:11:34.099,0:11:36.757 for love to give oneself. 0:11:36.757,0:11:39.116 But we all know it. 0:11:39.116,0:11:40.591 The thing we like about love 0:11:40.591,0:11:42.254 is the delight of it. 0:11:42.254,0:11:44.305 And don't we find that in Scripture? 0:11:44.305,0:11:47.031 You find that Christ comes along, 0:11:47.031,0:11:50.411 and He talks about the delight [br]that He has for His people. 0:11:50.411,0:11:52.460 He's crying out to His Father, 0:11:52.460,0:11:56.191 "Father, I want them to be where I am." 0:11:56.191,0:11:59.938 "I want them to behold My glory." 0:11:59.938,0:12:01.400 And you know the thing about 0:12:01.400,0:12:05.258 the love that Christ has for the church? 0:12:05.258,0:12:09.862 Dorothy's already beautiful. 0:12:09.862,0:12:12.874 But, Christ, He takes the ugly. 0:12:12.874,0:12:15.559 He loves the ugly. 0:12:15.559,0:12:17.004 But have you ever noticed, 0:12:17.004,0:12:20.439 He doesn't intend to keep His bride ugly. 0:12:20.439,0:12:22.360 He loves them beautiful. 0:12:22.360,0:12:25.015 Isn't that what we find [br]there in Ephesians 5? 0:12:25.015,0:12:29.613 No spot. No wrinkle. No blemish. 0:12:29.613,0:12:31.160 You go to the Song of Solomon, 0:12:31.160,0:12:34.435 which is a picture of Christ's [br]relationship to His church, 0:12:34.435,0:12:36.713 and He looks at His bride and He says, 0:12:36.713,0:12:41.207 "You are altogether beautiful." 0:12:41.207,0:12:46.645 He loves His church beautiful. 0:12:46.645,0:12:48.139 He loved. 0:12:48.139,0:12:50.962 He loved. Oh, He loved sacrificially! 0:12:50.962,0:12:54.180 What love He gave! 0:12:54.180,0:12:56.419 He gave in His love. 0:12:56.419,0:12:58.041 His love was very giving. 0:12:58.041,0:13:00.495 He put it all on the altar for His bride. 0:13:00.495,0:13:02.250 Did He not? 0:13:02.250,0:13:04.431 I mean, you think about that. 0:13:04.431,0:13:13.207 I was reading in Luke 12. 0:13:13.207,0:13:16.795 He's just talking about His distress. 0:13:16.795,0:13:19.737 He's anticipating the coming of the cross, 0:13:19.737,0:13:22.330 and He's saying, "Great is My distress." 0:13:22.330,0:13:24.144 He says I've got this cup to drink, 0:13:24.144,0:13:26.434 or I've got this baptism [br]to be baptized with, 0:13:26.434,0:13:28.879 and great is My distress 0:13:28.879,0:13:30.976 until this is accomplished. 0:13:30.976,0:13:33.037 I mean, Christ walked through this world 0:13:33.037,0:13:34.851 under great stress. Why? 0:13:34.851,0:13:36.722 He was looking towards the cross. 0:13:36.722,0:13:38.352 What was the cross all about? 0:13:38.352,0:13:41.009 The cross was all about paying the payment 0:13:41.009,0:13:42.501 that was needed to be paid 0:13:42.501,0:13:44.801 to make that bride beautiful. 0:13:44.801,0:13:47.871 Altogether lovely. 0:13:47.871,0:13:50.812 Great distress. 0:13:50.812,0:13:56.438 He said that His soul, 0:13:56.438,0:13:59.167 brethren, His soul was full of sorrow. 0:13:59.167,0:14:00.917 He was there in the garden. 0:14:00.917,0:14:03.417 He sweat as it were great drops of blood. 0:14:03.417,0:14:05.669 He was under incredible sorrow. Why? 0:14:05.669,0:14:07.967 Because He was going to become sin 0:14:07.967,0:14:12.828 for the sake of His bride. 0:14:12.828,0:14:17.902 His love. Have we ever seen such love? 0:14:17.902,0:14:20.062 I mean, I was trying to think about Him. 0:14:20.062,0:14:22.134 The distress that He would have been 0:14:22.134,0:14:25.460 feeling in His soul. 0:14:25.460,0:14:28.289 Having to become sin. 0:14:28.289,0:14:31.215 Having a bride, and He has to become sin. 0:14:31.215,0:14:34.179 He has to be alienated from His Father; 0:14:34.179,0:14:36.147 forsaken of His Father. 0:14:36.147,0:14:38.584 He has to become sin. 0:14:38.584,0:14:40.165 He has to be crushed. 0:14:40.165,0:14:42.937 He has to bear the wrath of God 0:14:42.937,0:14:44.771 in the place of His people. 0:14:44.771,0:14:46.913 What was that like? 0:14:46.913,0:14:48.895 What horrors before Him! 0:14:48.895,0:14:52.037 And yet for that joy that was before Him, 0:14:52.037,0:14:53.635 He endured that suffering. 0:14:53.635,0:14:57.803 He went to that cross. 0:14:57.803,0:15:01.083 And I'll tell you, 0:15:01.083,0:15:05.130 this King - He's purchased a queen. 0:15:05.130,0:15:08.519 And He means to take [br]that queen home with Him. 0:15:08.519,0:15:09.973 He means to. 0:15:09.973,0:15:11.684 And the time is short. 0:15:11.684,0:15:13.681 This is an emblem. 0:15:13.681,0:15:15.700 This is an emblem of a great hope. 0:15:15.700,0:15:17.729 Oh, can you imagine it? 0:15:17.729,0:15:19.951 Can you imagine when death takes hold 0:15:19.951,0:15:20.854 of the Christian? 0:15:20.854,0:15:22.820 Or when Christ comes? 0:15:22.820,0:15:25.753 And He comes to claim His bride. 0:15:25.753,0:15:31.170 And Paul talks about a pure virgin 0:15:31.170,0:15:34.554 that he wants betrothed to Christ. 0:15:34.554,0:15:37.038 And Christ comes and takes 0:15:37.038,0:15:40.995 a pure virgin made beautiful. 0:15:40.995,0:15:42.848 No spot. No wrinkle. 0:15:42.848,0:15:44.034 Can you imagine? 0:15:44.034,0:15:45.636 How many of us in this room? 0:15:45.636,0:15:46.793 That's going to be us! 0:15:46.793,0:15:48.281 Can you imagine the first time? 0:15:48.281,0:15:49.837 There's going to come that time. 0:15:49.837,0:15:56.406 You altogether in your beauty. 0:15:56.406,0:15:58.958 We're going to be like Him. 0:15:58.958,0:16:01.688 We're going to see Him as He is. 0:16:01.688,0:16:03.909 He says, "Father, I desire that they 0:16:03.909,0:16:06.846 be where I am that they [br]may behold My glory." 0:16:06.846,0:16:08.119 We're going to be there. 0:16:08.119,0:16:10.273 And what John says - 1 John 3 - 0:16:10.273,0:16:11.932 we're going to behold that glory. 0:16:11.932,0:16:14.959 We're going to see Him [br]in all of His beauty. 0:16:14.959,0:16:18.691 And we're going to be like Him. 0:16:18.691,0:16:20.708 And there is going to be that first moment 0:16:20.708,0:16:24.012 where there is going to be the eye contact 0:16:24.012,0:16:28.304 with the One who so loved us 0:16:28.304,0:16:30.527 that He gave His life. 0:16:30.527,0:16:33.061 He became that sin offering. 0:16:33.061,0:16:35.928 He took my sin and bore it on Him. 0:16:35.928,0:16:38.546 My shame was laid on Him. 0:16:38.546,0:16:39.676 And there He is. 0:16:39.676,0:16:43.148 Can you imagine the first eye contact 0:16:43.148,0:16:45.095 with our Beloved? 0:16:45.095,0:16:47.587 With Him who bought us. 0:16:47.587,0:16:48.982 What you're seeing here, 0:16:48.982,0:16:50.903 it points to that. 0:16:50.903,0:16:52.412 What glory! 0:16:52.412,0:16:59.623 What hope we have as Christians! 0:16:59.623,0:17:03.520 Well, you two would like [br]to get married, wouldn't you? 0:17:03.520,0:17:04.816 Why don't you come back up 0:17:04.816,0:17:06.662 and we'll do that.