My natural bent tends to be toward understanding the end purpose or goal in any situation.
Understanding the purpose helps me focus on the process of obtaining the purpose of any goal.
Example: A shoe Factory
As we approach the passage today, my thinking will be the same, Goal and Purpose, then the Process!
Mal 2:13-16
13 Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord's altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn't accept them with pleasure. 14 You cry out, "Why doesn't the Lord accept my worship?" I'll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.15 Didn't the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. 16 "For I hate divorce!" says the Lord, the God of Israel. "To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty," says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. "So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife." NLT
What is the goal and purpose of marriage?
- Godly children!
- It’s not so you won't feel bad about have sex outside of marriage or shacking up!
Why does God want Godly children?
Matt 5:13-16
13 "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. 14 "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. 15 If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. 16 Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand — shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (The Message)
- If we do not raise godly children, then God's goodness will not be on display for the world to see!
- They may be good children, but not godly children!
What is the difference between good and/or godly children?
- One is outward and the other is inward!
- Outward lifestyles distort the Motives or Intentions
- Outward lifestyles, takes away from a child genuineness
- Outward lifestyles masks a child’s true identity
- The sad thing is it takes years to recover, if ever!
- Constantly trying to meet unrealistic societal standards for success, beauty, and behavior causes Kids to live under significant pressure, leading to higher risks of anxiety, stress, and depression.
- This cause a kid to think they have top perform to be loved!
- A godly kid is a "good kid" with a deeper, divine purpose, led by a relationship with the Holy Spirit rather than societal or parental opinions.
- Living with a deeper divine purpose helps kids align their unique gift and passions with this journey called life!
- A godly kid will impact the world instead of the world impacting them!
- It will help them to realize that they are not “1 in a million”, they were created with purpose in the mind of God, they are “World Changers”!
Research suggests that in the past millennials had shift toward a “more accepting, less demanding god” because of the religious formalism of their parents, coming from the belief know as: (GenX and Baby Boomers)
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD)
Moralistic: Belief in a God who gives rules (like "be nice"), but these are often interpreted loosely and focus on outward behavior
Therapeutic: The main purpose of life is happiness, feeling good, and self-improvement; God is there to help with personal problems and provide comfort
Deistic: God created the world but is largely uninvolved in daily life, acting more like a distant parent or cosmic butler, not an active participant
- MTD took God’s purposes and callings out of the picture and caused society to be the god of their own world!
Relativism: the teaching that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute.
- That was the lie implanted in mankind from the beginning!
Gen 3:1-5
3 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?" 2 "Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman replied. 3 "It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, 'You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'" 4 "You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman. 5 "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." NLT
- There is another shift in our culture today, because this generation is now understanding that God is not about formalism or outward performance, rather, relationship!
- Churches that recognize this are growing!
- They are learning another definition of success!
- Knowing "why" helps them know “how” to deal with life's challenges.
- God is more interested in the heart than our outer appearance!
Luke 18:9-14
9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." NLT
- That’s why God will take a degenerate change his heart and turn the world upside down!
Conclusions: Godly Children, World Changes is goal of God for marriage, not societal puppets!!!! God Knows that a performance driven life is a hard life to live, it’s a never-ending cycle!
Next week we will learn more on process of raising godly children!
