1. Who Can Be Married? Matthew 19:4-6

2. Who Can Be Married? There has been so much debate in our country over the last few years on the issue of marriage Just this week the Supreme Court ruled that marriage could not be defined as only between a man and a woman

3. Who Can Be Married? What started out as a mission by 3.5% of our population has quickly gained a great deal of support and momentum Celebrities including movie stars, rock stars, and sports figures have thrown in their support

4. Who Can Be Married? Many political leaders have thrown in their support of gay marriage as well Now we even have seen churches and religious groups telling us that they too now support homosexual unions It’s easy to understand how some might be confused on this issue

5. Who Can Be Married? Who decides who can be married? Just as this country went to the highest courts, we too must go to the highest court God sits upon that throne and has given His Son Jesus all authority (Matt. 28:18)

6. In The Beginning… From the very beginning, God had a specific plan in mind for marriage Genesis 1:27-28 God made male and female for a reason “Be fruitful and multiply”

7. In The Beginning… Genesis 2 gives us a closer look into God’s decision to create Eve specifically for Adam Vs. 18-25 God made Adam a helper, so He created Eve for that purpose as well

8. In The Beginning… Notice the specific language… “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (v. 24) God always intended for marriage to be between a man and a woman

9. Sodom & Gomorrah We do not have to go very far to see this perversion acted out God told Abraham in Genesis 18 that he would destroy Sodom & Gomorrah “because the outcry against S&G is great, and because their sin is very grave” (Gen. 18:20)

10. Sodom & Gomorrah Two angels traveled to Sodom and wished to stay in the open square Lot “insisted strongly” that they instead stay with him (vs. 2-3) The men of the city surrounded Lot’s house demanding that the angels come out that they might “know them” (vs. 4-5)

11. Sodom & Gomorrah Lot urges them not to “do so wickedly!” (v. 7) Some say that the sin here was no homosexuality, but gang rape Lot then offers his 2 virgin daughters (v. 8) which proves the sin was not gang rape

12. Sodom & Gomorrah Others argue that the sin was perhaps the inhospitality of the Sodomites Wouldn’t “getting to know them” be a hospitable action? Jude 1:7 – “…having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh…”

13. Law Of Moses God further states His displeasure of this sin by speaking of it in the law He gave to Moses and the COI Leviticus 18:22 – “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination” This sin was punished by death (v. 29)

14. Law Of Moses Leviticus 20:13 – “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death” This was part of the moral law God had given which is repeated in the NT

15. Sin Of The Benjamites Judges 19 reveals a situation similar to what took place in Genesis 19 in Sodom A man and his concubine traveled to Gibeah to spend the night on their journey He was taken in by a citizen

16. Sin Of The Benjamites Vs. 22-25 ▫“do not act so wickedly” ▫“do not commit this outrage” ▫“do not do such a vile thing” “No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up from the land of Egypt”