Pastor Mac Hammond | March 13, 2022

Recap:
God created humanity to have dominion here on this earth, but individuals weren’t intended to have dominion alone. God created male and female to come together through marriage to become one flesh. In that union, God’s intended characteristics for humankind unite. Male and female work together to have authority and dominion on this earth. This past weekend, Pastor Mac continued in his series Mysteries of the Kingdom to talk about this mystery of a one-flesh marriage.

Dive Deeper:
The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus about marriage, and he specifically noted that marriage between a male and a female mirrors the relationship with Christ and the church. So what does that mean? Well, the degree to which you become one flesh in your marriage defines the degree to which you can become one flesh with the Lord.

You see, God has a position for male and female within a relationship. Both are equal partners and equally valuable. When a decision comes where both spouses are not in agreement, the husband is ultimately the one whom God has given the final authority in that area. The goal, however, should be that decisions can be agreed upon in unity.

This unified place comes when both spouses choose to love each other without condition. Now, if that feels impossible to you, know that you can bring your spouse up to the level where you wish your spouse would be through your expectation. If you only expect your spouse to act the same way that he or she has always acted, nothing will change. If you, however, choose to pray for your spouse, and then expect your spouse to become all God has called them to be, your spouse will be drawn to become that person.

Remember that choosing to love your spouse without condition is what makes a marriage work well!

Read More:
Genesis 1:27–28 KJV
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 2:20–24 KJV
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Ephesians 5:22–33 KJV
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

 
Discussion Questions:
1. If you are married, how is your marriage right now? If you aren’t married, what qualities does this message encourage you to look for in a spouse?
2. Have you seen how your expectations of the people in your life can set the stage for them to stay where they are or become a better person?
3. What is the difference between equality and submission within a marriage?

Rewatch or catch up on the full sermon with the link below!

Recent Sermon Notes

Releasing the Anointing | Releasing the Anointing

Special guest Dr. James Tan continued his message entitled, “Releasing the Anointing.” He used Hebrews 5:14 as his text: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Dr. James said, “This tells us there is solid food available, but it only belongs to those who are full age.” If there is full age, then that means these is a half age, or partial age, or young age. God’s goal for us is that we grow and mature into “full age.”

THE VISION IMPERATIVE, #5: The Commitment | Mac Hammond

This past weekend, Pastor Mac gave the last message in his series entitled, “The Vision Imperative.” Since it was the last message, that made it “Commitment Sunday.” He talked about commitment being the final step to whatever we need or desire from the Lord. Without commitment, he said, not much is going to happen in your life. Many people avoid commitment and, instead, are always seeking the proverbial “backdoor” of a situation. Pastor Mac said, “You can’t go through life that way. The only blessed person is a committed person.”

THE VISION IMPERATIVE, #4: What It Means to Be Blessed by God | Mac Hammond

Pastor Mac gave his fourth installment in his vision series, “The Vision Imperative.” The whole objective for this year’s vision series is designed for the purpose of setting our sails for the coming year in order to establish our goals and objectives as a local church for what God’s called us to do. And then, individually, you too must sharpen and clarify God’s vision in your own life and how it will fit into the larger vision of the local church. This is the very thing that will cause your life to “Come Alive!” After all, Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish!”

For His Kingdom, 2, Vision 2025 | Mac Hammond

Pastor Mac continued his Vision 2025 series entitled, “The Vision Imperative.” The Word of God tells us that having vision is an absolute imperative to His purposes for our lives. It’s not something we can avoid. And it doesn’t matter what a person of faith you may be, how often you come to church, or how spiritual you think you are, the Word says in Proverbs 19:18 that “without a vision, the people perish.” If you’re a person, then that’s talking about you! You need a vision for your life—a God-given vision.

For His Kingdom, 2, Vision 2025 | Mac Hammond

Pastor Mac’s first message in the vision series for this year was entitled, “The Vision Imperative.” The title underscores the vital importance of vision to your own experience of life. The vision being talked about is God’s vision for your life personally. How do you gain clarity of God’s vision for your life and then the human and financial resources to accomplish that vision?