This video, "15 Marriage & Divorce Part #1," is a sermon from Pastor Steve Yater focusing on the biblical perspectives of marriage and divorce, primarily drawing from the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 7.
The speaker begins by recapping the context of the book of 1 Corinthians, highlighting the morally corrupt city of Corinth and the church's struggle with various sins, including sexual immorality (0:44-2:57). He emphasizes that many in the Corinthian church were saved out of this lifestyle and still faced struggles and questions (3:20-3:30).
The sermon addresses Paul's reasons for writing to the Corinthians, including divisions within the church (3:37-4:20) and the church's overlooking of sexual immorality (4:23-4:52). The speaker then transitions to Paul's responses to questions about marriage and singleness in 1 Corinthians 7, stating that it's better to remain single if one can do so without sinning, but to marry if there is a natural desire for a relationship (5:00-5:50).
A significant portion of the sermon defines marriage as a covenant between one biological man, one biological woman, and God, intended for a lifetime as "one flesh" (6:46-7:37). The speaker references Genesis 2:18-24, highlighting God's institution of marriage (7:40-9:07). He also emphasizes the honorable nature of marriage (9:23-9:41) and the importance of not defiling the marriage bed (9:44-9:59).
The sermon also covers the concept of being "unequally yoked" with unbelievers (10:29-11:11) and stresses that marriage works best when both husband and wife are living Christ-honoring lives, marked by submission to Christ and to one another (11:15-13:00).
The speaker then delves into the terms "unmarried" (referring to those previously divorced or single but not virgins) and "widow" (13:35-14:15). He discusses Paul's encouragement for the unmarried, divorced, and widowed to remain single if they have the gift of singleness, but to marry if they cannot exercise self-control (16:21-17:11).
A key section addresses marriage between a believer and an unbeliever, particularly when one spouse comes to know Christ (18:02-18:13). The speaker explains that Paul's instructions to the married echo Jesus' teachings on divorce, emphasizing that divorce is not the go-to option and reconciliation should always be the main goal (28:36-30:09).
The sermon further elaborates on Paul's teaching that if an unbelieving spouse is willing to live with the believing spouse, they should not divorce (30:28-32:26). The unbelieving spouse is "sanctified" (set apart) by the believer, offering a unique opportunity for them to witness a changed life (32:32-33:57). However, if the unbeliever chooses to depart, the believing spouse is not under bondage and is free to remarry (34:01-34:59). The speaker stresses that God calls believers to peace, even in messy divorce situations (35:03-36:15).
Finally, the sermon encourages believing spouses to stay with their unbelieving partners if possible, as their influence could lead the unbeliever to faith (36:18-37:00). The speaker concludes by reiterating that marriage is broken in three ways: death, sexual immorality, and abandonment by an unbelieving spouse, always emphasizing reconciliation as the primary goal (47:03-48:15). He reminds listeners that when they come to know Christ, their past sins are forgiven, and they are free in Christ, though they may still live with the consequences of past actions (48:32-50:08).
