Calvary Vero Home Groups

Sermon-Based Discussion

Week of 05/05/24

Mark 10:6-9

INTRODUCTION:  What Makes a Good Marriage?

God created four institutions to be the building blocks of society: marriage, family, government and the Church. In today’s sermon, we read how the Pharisees question Jesus on the subject of marriage and Jesus has a few things to say on the subject.

Note: As we discuss marriage this evening, there are principles here that a believer can apply to their life whether they are married or unmarried.

Read Mark 10:6-9 Jesus Talks About Marriage

Jesus quotes from Genesis chapters 1 & 2.

  1. According to Mark 10:6-7, when did God create marriage?

  2. How does God describe this idea of marriage? Mark 10:8

  3. Becoming “one flesh” carries the idea of a deep intimate connection that is not meant to be easily broken. The earthly husband and wife relationship is a picture of Jesus’ relationship with us, His Bride. How do we become that bride according to Galatians 2:20?

  4. What does Jesus further add about the marriage relationship? Mark 10:9

  5. When you become a believer, you are in Christ and He says, “I give [you] eternal life, and [you] shall never perish; no one will snatch [you] out of my hand.” Marriage signifies the beautiful perfect unity in our relationship with Christ. God has joined us with Jesus and no man can change that.

  6. Read Ephesians 5:25-27. When a husband and wife love and respect each other according to Ephesians 5, and each lays down their life for the other, we represent Christ. Read John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” In what ways can a husband or wife lay down their life for each other?

David and Michal - A Marriage That Fell Apart

Pastor Jim discussed the story of David and Michal today. Read 2 Samuel 6:16

  1. What did Michal feel about David at this point in their married life?

Before their marriage, David and Michal were devoted to each other. Saul agreed to give Michal to David in marriage if David killed 100 Philistines. To show his devotion, David killed 200 hundred Philistines.

David and Michal let three things derail them from having a good marriage:

1    First, they allowed culture instead of scripture to shape their marriage. At the time that Michal “despised” David, he had seven wives. He followed the culture's norms, instead of what God said he should do (Deuteronomy 17:17 - “Neither shall he [the king] multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away.”) Instead of following culture, or what our parents have done, how can we follow scripture to have a good marriage?

2.   Second, David and Michal compromised. To trick Saul’s soldiers, they hid a large image, (the original translation is a “false image” I Samuel 19:13) in David’s bed when in reality David had escaped. Why did they have a false image in their home? How would this have distracted from their relationship with the Lord? What are some things that you have observed in marriage that are areas of compromise? What are some things that we can do to guard and protect our marriages?

3    The third thing that led to a weakened marriage was unrealistic expectations. Michal had unrealistic expectations of her life with Davd. When David and his family escaped to the wilderness because Saul wanted to kill him, Michal chose not to go. She was accustomed to palace living and living in the wilderness was too much. Have you seen marriages fall apart because life became too hard and husband and wife decided not to walk through hard times together? How can we stick together during hard times instead of letting a wedge come between us?

CONCLUSION:  As David fought Goliath, God was moving behind the scenes. Remember that God is always working on our behalf in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. Ephesians 3:20 says, “[God] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”. The same power that raised Christ from the dead works in us (Ephesians 1:19-20).

As we close, reflect on God’s working behind the scenes by reading Psalm 18:6-17

If you are not married, these principles of staying committed to the Lord, not compromising in your walk with the Lord, and not having unrealistic expectations are still necessary in the life of every believer.

In every stage of our walk with the Lord, let’s be careful not to provide a platform for any person to just complain about their marriage. Let’s always encourage restoration and solutions, and most importantly point people to Jesus who is The Solution to all of life’s issues!