“A Maturing Marriage”
Song of Solomon 7:1-8:4
Sermon Series: “GodLoveSex”
Introduction: Satan is attacking marriages. He wants to destroy our families. He is also certainly attacking in the area of sexuality. In a marriage relationship, sex is often a barometer of the health of the relationship. The relationship is the thermostat and it is the thermometer.
Can we covenant together today to make it a priority to grow our marriages into everything they can be? Can we make a covenant together to submit our sexuality to the Lordship of Christ and be everything we can be for and with our spouse in this way?
Main Idea: A maturing marriage is one in which there is a growing, intimate, and passionate relationship that spills over and produces a growing, intimate, and passionate sex life.
What does it take to have this type of maturing marriage?
1. We resolve conflict instead of allowing it to linger and fester (ch. 5-6).
2. We make the relationship a priority. In this section, we see them prioritizing each other. They are pursuing each other. They are making time for each other.
3. We make the effort to really get to know each other. Their knowledge of each other had certainly increased since the beginning of the book. Solomon was a master of paying attention to the details, and we can certainly learn from his example.
4. We serve each other. They were focused on the other spouse and meeting her/his needs. He was verbally generous, and she was visually generous. This should be at the heart of a Christian marriage because we are following the example of Jesus as we do this (Mark 10:45). Remember this:
Selfish/Selfish=Disaster
Selfish/Servant=Abuse
Servant/Servant=Christ-honoring, joyful marriage
5. We build each other up with our words. Solomon and the Shulamite were building each other up instead of tearing each other down (Ephesians 4:29).
6. We have healthy communication. We are open and honest. We really listen to each other. We communicate our thoughts, feeling, needs, and desires. We receive what our spouse says to us. We make time to communicate.
7. We have an exclusive commitment to and focus on each other (v. 10). We are becoming more and more committed to each other. We have eyes for only each other.
Conclusion: Are we willing to do what it takes spiritually and practically to have a maturing marriage instead of a declining marriage?
