Podcast: Play in new window | Download (39.3MB)
Subscribe: RSS
I was told long ago that false expectations (leading to unmet expectations) is one of the leading causes of divorce. Engagement is rich in love; dreams of a life lived together in harmony and joy! But after the ceremony fades and old habits return many begin to second guess their marital vows. I am thankful for Gary Thomas’s work, “The Sacred Marriage”. In it Thomas posits that marriage is not first about happiness, but holiness. There’s a perspective change! The tragic spread of the prosperity Gospel (the offspring of Simon Magus who sought the Holy Spirit for profit) has led to much spiritual wreckage. People are being led to come to Jesus for financial relief, earthly treasure and worldly comfort. They want a happier life. It must be an odd discovery to cling to Jesus for wealth, comfort and bliss only to find that He was poor, despised and finally led like a lamb to slaughter. To cling to Jesus is to cling to the cross so much so that we carry it ourselves. With that discovery comes many questions. If Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, why did he suffer so? And why should his followers be marked by suffering? This Sermon was preached by Clay Thompson at St Jude’s Anglican Church in Huntersville, NC on November 24th, 2019.
