Going the Distance

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham a little later in the program will tell you how you can get a copy of the book the Christmas code 1st.

His message going the distance to God's word, in turn, would be pleased with the gospel of Matthew.

We live in a throwaway mentality culture we are ready to quit on almost anything if it gets hard.

And yet the Scripture is clear that God has called every one of us to go the disc in our marriage and that's what Matthew 19 is about. No marriage is easy when you put two people together of different backgrounds and different life's been bringing them together merging them together, especially if you don't have Christ is next to impossible. So that is why Jesus said in Matthew 19 as the Pharisees came up and tested him.

They were seeking to trap him regarding the law, the interpretation of the law and ask is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause, and he answered, have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said therefore shall a man leave his mother and father and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer to but one flesh. One plus one equals one in God's mathematics with marriage and what therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. The old King James as we used to quoted in weddings years ago says and what God has joined together, I mean this sounds really powerful, get ready for this. This was this was at your wedding.

Maybe what God has joined together, let no man put asunder me asunder. I get out.

I don't know what that is what it means to separate let no man separate or pull apart. Don't let the world or anything in this will pull your marriage apart because your marriage is a promise to God.

They said to him, why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away and were always looking for loopholes in the law and he said to them, because of your hardness of heart, Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning God's intent. God's pleasure God's plan. God's perfect pattern for life from the beginning, the way God designed it. It was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery that's going the distance. According to Jesus, that when you are married in Christ that it is a lifetime lifelong love that last is not easy without God impossible but with God all things are possible. God will give you this kind of life in this kind of marriage. You may be thinking, my marriage isn't bad is not on the brink but is just boring it's just bland were just empty.

Or maybe you have a really good marriage, but may your marriage not only be a good marriage may be a great merit for the glory of God. The key word here is commitment where we throw around a lot more.

We throw away a lot commitments were not careful we can make commitment about us is what I commits is if we can give and take it back but commitment to God is a matter of yielding our lives giving our lives unconditionally to him. Psalm 37. One of my favorite Psalms. Verse 5 Says Commit Your Way until the Lord, and as we commit our way on to him to his will to his word, we find that we will go the distance. What kind of commitment is this very brief is a commitment number one the purpose to God's purpose in your life. That's why Jesus takes us back to the word back to the truth back to the garden and says this is the design to become one to become one in body and soul and spirit, we have physical life we have psychological life we have spiritual life.

When we know Christ. Therefore, this is a try unit and together in Christ we are one body, soul and spirit. This is a commitment to this purpose to God's design and while many of us have heard this again and again and again and again and again and again is commitment is about being one is about that God is the designer that God has a plan God's will for your marriage. While we think everybody knows that not everybody knows about those listening to me you don't know that you have the idea that your marriage is just that thing you do this is you got married or is a social construct or it is a religious vow that can be broken are is a is a promise to the state or even a promise to one another, but marriage is a promise of vow before God that we would be one that God's love will unite us, which is eternal. I love you with an everlasting love. Therefore, I've continued my faithfulness to you. Jeremiah 31 three when we live with the love of God our faithfulness to him and one another. Continue love is not all about the emotions, though certainly we love to talk about the rekindling and and revitalizing of romancing and and and the excitement of marriage and the thrill of marriage. All of that but to love one another is to act in a loving way towards one another.

Act lovingly, Paul breaks this down for us in Ephesians chapter 5 when he says husbands love your wives enough to die for them, sacrificially, as Christ loved the church and wives, submit yourselves and your husbands as in the Lord lovingly. Respectfully under him. Jesus said it would be different. Male and female he created them to become one, is to bring together the difference that makes the difference to become one is to stay together to stick together and to fulfill our greatest human need and that is for a human relationship, a life partnership permanence. Jesus said marriage is permanent should not be severed or should not be separated, and is a commitment to permanence to leave mother and father and cleave until your wife or your husband leave your mother and father that would include no call your wife mama I she's not your mama not your daddy let you just want to splash cold water all over the romance of your marriage, leave mother and father cleave unto your wife as as one together one flesh. This is why divorce is so devastating is is not just signing papers is not surly. Know giving your letter jacket back is the separating of two lines is the tearing apart of the love that should last. It is the rule ripping of the relationship and of the soul.

No wonder God says in Malachi chapter 2 in verse 16 that God hates divorce why because it is so hurtful. It is so harmful is another message another time to talk about the issues of divorce and in the causes and the reasons and so on. But the fact is less whole. The standard Time anyone in here is been through a divorce and we recognize there are many in this culture have been through and in this church of been through this you would say pastor told the standard high because really you never get over a divorce. You never really get sample there still issues in their kids and there's well all kinds of circumstances and just then the emotional scars that it leaves behind God when I'm smarter than God. God says the Lord Jesus affirms that we are one together for life and it is only because of the hardness of heart, because we don't listen to God that were not sensitive to the work of the spirit that were disobedient to God were going our own way. Or maybe you're the total victim of a divorce. I understand that some people didn't want a divorce and you got divorced anyway. Partner wanted divorce I get all of that but I'm raising the standard high for the students for these Boys and Girls Club.

These young couples and for all of us to say in life.

Any legacy of life. Let us commit together was commit together for one purpose and for permanence sometime today or maybe this week I want you to look at each other's husbands and wives hold one of his hands and say to each other. Divorce is not an option in this household and if you can't say that in mean that been going get some help with the biblical counselor, a pastor who can help you get to the place that you can think in the will say that and mean it honor him with your marriage. Listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message going the distance.

We went help you bring the peace and joy to your heart this Christmas with Dr. Ellis Hawkins 25 day devotional the Christmas code, a longtime friend of Dr. Jack grands Dr. Hawkins invites you to slow down and soak up the sacred meaning of Christmas. The Christmas code is our thanks for your gift today and because today is giving Tuesday generous partners have offered a $10,000 matching grant that doubles whatever you can give to reach more people.

God's word. This giving Tuesday offer is for today only to call now knowing your support will be doubled by the match. Call 1-800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627 can also text the word PowerPoint to 313131 tax PowerPoint 313131. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org chop our E store or give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.Margie. Now let's get back to today's message going the distance clearly is a commitment.

Jesus is dealing with issues of purity and adultery here. Marriage is a pure relationship. This is in direct contrast, of course, to the view that the world takes on human sexuality, sexual activity outside of marriage either before or during marriage is not harmless recreational activity, but rather it is the purity of the purpose of God in your life there's a way that seems right to man but the end thereof is death over and over again we find in the Scriptures. The call to purity in our life, not what your flesh says not what the world says maybe not what your friends say. But God says it very clearly. We give you just a few examples. First Peter 212 11 rather beloved, I urge you to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against the soul. Talk about any term internal Civil War, a war on the soul. Thus, impurity first John three. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself thinking of the hope of the return of Christ. And yes, we all ought to be on tiptoe with expectation of return of Christ. Perhaps today don't get caught up in the next wingnut who comes along and says he's coming a certain date is false teaching. Jesus warned us against Dante rather than setting dates were setting our course to walk impurity. He who has this hope in him purifies himself you really believe that Jesus is coming again and coming soon it will change the way you live your life pulses. The same thing in Titus chapter 2 for the grace of God is appear this is verse 11, bringing salvation for all people training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present waiting for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ about this in first Thessalonians 43 for this is the will of God, your sanctification, that is to become more and more like Christ, by the power of his spirit in you that you abstain from sexual immorality is anything we don't understand about the word abstain same book Thessalonians 1. 523. One of my favorites now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may you be whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

First Corinthians 618 flee from sexual immorality goes on to say verse 20 you're not your own.

Your bot with a price. Therefore glorify God with your body and your soul which belongs to him are here, here it is motivation for purity in our life. Motivation for marriage. Getting together stay together even getting back together, not about us, it's about him to glorify God to glorify God with our lives. First Corinthians 6 again flee sexual immorality glorify God run from temptation and don't leave a forwarding address. Like Joseph, young Joseph when he was seduced by Potiphar's wife. He ran from the road even stay around, discuss it, or pray about it. Talk about it more get out. He put on his PF Flyers and he hall right out of their say was a coward well is courage was strong in his character was intact give the devil stick to hit you with. If you're having problems in your marriage is a really really really really bad idea to discuss it with somebody at your office is also having problems in their marriage. Don't be discussing the problems in your marriage with someone of the opposite sex. Because guess what can happen and does happen again and again and again. If you have problems in your marriage. You discuss it with your husband, your wife a trusted friend, a trusted spiritual friend and advisor and counselor, a pastor, someone who will give you good advice and will not be seducing you along the way that companions corrupt good morals.

Proverbs 1320 whoever walks with the wise becomes wise that the companions of fools will suffer harm students watch the crowd you're running with you showing the people that are your closest friends and advisers. I'll show you the kind of person you will be soon if not already realized the terrible consequences of sexual sin and the reward and the promise and the riches of living life God's way.

I have loved one woman in my life all these years and I am exceedingly happy in our life and our love together.

Number four. Lastly, commitment to priorities Jesus's first Jesus is first in your life. And when Jesus's first year. May will be second Graham knows that she is second in the priorities of my life. But listen to this. She also knows that I love her more and better and stronger longer because of my love for Christ and I can love her with a love that is unlike anything in this world if I first love price is a greater love and when Christ is in control of your life you will be filled with God's spirit in the same passage in which the apostle Paul describes the relationships of marriage between husbands and wives in Ephesians chapter 5 is right in the context of verse 18 which says DE constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit in your life be filled with the Holy Spirit you want to possess and to profess the life of Christ in you, this is by being filled with God's. Marriage is hard work and demands God's power. If you find your marriage is running on low running on empty. You need renewed fuel that fuel is a believer in Christ is the spirit of God, the fruit of the spirit which is love thing about this in your marriage. Love, joy, peace, patient kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. How would that work in your marriage. That's the work of the Holy Spirit as we yield to him.

Your marriage can be renewed got a bad marriage broken marriage to be rebuilt and can be renewed if you have no marriage to be rescued. Even your marriage. There's no one too far from God want to say to those of you who have that stop along the way, is never too late for new beginning. I received a great letter email not long ago from a man by the name of Brooks. He says talk says a few words in opening and he says the Lord is been speaking.

He says you see my Christian walk is been in shambles for a number of years. As a result my marriage to my dear wife was about to go down the drain trip to.

I've been receiving the daily word since around 2008.

The daily word is our devotional that we put out the PowerPoint churches ministry that we write and he's been receiving that from late however there were certain devotionals that stood out more than others in there always seem to be a devotional is all based on the word of God that jumped out of me as God was speaking directly to me. I was struggling with sin and just when I thought there was no escape. One of the daily word devotionals would pull me back from the age. I resisted the will to change to, but looking back on it all it was evidence God is calling me back home he wasn't going to stop calling. Things were coming to a dreadful climax earlier this year when I finally broke down and reach my hand up to God and ask him to please pull me back. I simply couldn't turn away from his calls any longer. Pride can be a horrible obstacle to personal relationship with. I was baptized at a very early age that I wasn't fully appreciative of the enormity of that decision.

So on Sunday, March 27 with my dear wife. Her name here at my side.

I walked down during the invitation and I rededicated my life to Christ and on Good Friday, I had the wonderful privilege of demonstrating my decision through baptism with my wife, my extended family and friends looking on. I felt like a kid on Christmas all day on fraud couldn't keep still. Because of my excitement. It was incredible and a moving service. My wife and I celebrated 14 years of marriage on April 19. I've never met a more devoted and loving wife and her.

She is been by my side through all the storms of my life, we're treating April 22 is our new anniversary in remembrance of our new life in Christ together in him we have a wonderful testimony to chair and were making plans to put pen to paper so that we can beget dedicated and faithful service of our Lord two sharing him if you will give your life unconditionally to Christ's your life generally reborn your marriage can be rebuilt even rescue your home can stand as a household of faith.

You can say with Joshua that saintly old man whose legacy was left behind. As for me and my house we serve. Listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in today's message going the distance we would help you slow down and separate the sacred meaning part of the holiday season, but Dr. OS Hawkins 25 day Christmas devotional the Christmas code. Dr. Ellis Hawkins is a longtime friend of Dr. Graham and in the Christmas code will help me see the birth of Jesus with fresh eyes and rejoice and what really makes this season so special. The Christmas code is our thanks for your gift to help boldly proclaim God's word to PowerPoint today is giving Tuesday and thanks to a $10,000 matching grant gift will be doubled to reach even more people with the gospel. To be sure to request a copy of the Christmas code when you get: 800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 313131 text PowerPoint to three 3131. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store over give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.Margie Pastor what is your PowerPoint for today God's ideal would last a lifetime. It would go the distance. We understand that their imperfections in our lives or problems that exist in marriages and there's much brokenness in people's married lives.

However, God has given us the resources we need his spirit, his word is church to encourage us to keep going even when we feel like quitting is a commitment that we make to one another and to God that endures through good times and bad times, ugly times, awful times, but if you will stay committed to God to his will, if you will look to him and his word and the permanence and the purity of your marriage will stay intact. Stay committed to one another in your marriage. I may be talking to someone right now you're thinking about giving up on your family. Thinking about walking away from your spouse. I just really want to challenge you to seek the help that you need from God. Seek godly Christian counseling. Those who have expertise really not ingest marriage itself, but marriage God's way. If you experience divorce that I can tell you that God can heal the hurt in the brokenness that God will give you forgiveness and grace for every experience in life and that includes divorce some of us grip in an era in which divorce was considered some kind of unpardonable sin. I assure you that God hardens all of us of our sin because of the cross and you can run to him and find forgiveness and grace and healing and hope for your life and a bran new beginning. I believe that if I didn't believe that I would close my Bible and never preach again. So to those of you who find yourself broken in life are broken in marriage or relationship that I want to encourage you to run to the cross and their find your grace and salvation, and renewal in him.

I really want to encourage you to be a part of this PowerPoint family. Thank you for so many who are joining us on Facebook and Twitter and that Jack Graham.org you can find inspiring resources for your life for your marriage for your family for your daily walk with Christ. I want to pray for you. We want to pray for you. In fact, there are people that are standing by right now who will receive your call if you have prayer request. Maybe you have a prayer request regarding your marriage and your family someone is waiting loves you who loves God, who will pray with you and for you. You can also go to our website and leave your prayer request and I promise you we will pray for you. God bless you and again stay strong in Christ. Stay strong in your marriage and God bless you as you live for him and that is remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint will send you a copy of the book, Christmas code as our call 1800-7954 627-187-9546 also text the word PowerPoint 31313 text PowerPoint to 311. The next PowerPoint.

Dr. Graham brings a message about the infallible word of God. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries