Stop Dating the Church

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Stop Dating the Church
Sermon Series
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Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns
and the purple robe. And Pilate said, Behold
the Man! Therefore, when the chief priests and
officers saw Him, they cried out, saying,
Crucify Him, crucify Him! Pilate said to them,
You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no
fault in Him. Yet, The voices of these men and
of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave
sentence that it should be as they requested. -
John 195-6 Luke 2323-24
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Stop Dating the Church
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How to spot a Church-Dater?
They attend irregularly They are usually
me-centered They are independent They are
uninvolved They tend to be critical
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God wants more for you.
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Bride
Isa. 624-5 Hosea 219-20 Ephesians
522-32 Revelation 196-9 Revelation 211-2
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• Christ Church
• We wed at baptism
• We are engaged or betrothed to Jesus, but
  separated for now
• At a future date He will come and claim His bride

• Marriage feast will be spread in heaven
• He will take us home to live with Him

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I will betroth you to Me forever Yes, I will
betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice,
in lovingkindness and mercy I will betroth you
to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the
Lord. - Hosea 219-20
Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed
undefiled but fornicators and adulterers God
will judge. - Hebrews 134
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Traditional Wedding Vows
I, (Groom), do take thee, (Bride), to be my
life-long companion in marriage. I promise before
God and these witnesses to be a loving and
devoted husband. I will provide for you and
protect you. I will give you honor and always
endeavor to meet your needs. I will remain with
you for richer for poorer, in sickness and
health, in good times and bad. And I will keep
myself pure, remaining faithful to you, until
death shall separate us.
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Traditional Wedding Vows
I (Bride), do take thee, (Groom), to be my
life-long companion in marriage. I promise before
God and these witnesses that I will be a loving
and devoted wife. I will submit to you and always
treat you with respect. I will give you honor and
always endeavor to meet your needs. I will remain
with you for richer for poorer, in sickness and
health, in good times and bad. And I will keep
myself pure, remaining faithful to you, until
death shall separate us.
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Marriage in Todays Culture
Lack of Commitment
So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together, let not
man separate. - Matthew 196
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Marriage in Todays Culture
Low Expectations
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with
the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a
graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all
times and always be enraptured with her love. -
Proverbs 518-19
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Marriage in Todays Culture
Lack of Cooperation
Let each one of you in particular so love his
own wife as himself, and let the wife see that
she respects her husband. - Ephesians 533
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We Need To Be Passionately Committed To The Church
Show Tell Others
Sacrificial Giving
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We Need To Raise Our Expectations Of The Church
Critical to Spiritual Success
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We Need To Get Involved In The Church
Find a Ministry
Attend
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Stop Dating the Church
God wants more for you.