Sermon: Hebrews 13:4
Why Does God Care About My Bedroom Furniture?
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Introduction: The Castle Worth Defending
Marriage is the most important building block of society. It produces happier people, honors God, and builds strong churches. Today we rebuild the castle of marriage—so the innocent are protected and God is glorified.
The Text: Two Commands, One Terrifying Warning
Hebrews 13:4
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”
- Command #1 – Hold marriage in honor (among ALL).
- Command #2 – Keep the marriage bed pure.
- Warning – God Himself will judge fornicators and adulterers.
Ephesians 5:5 reinforces the stakes: the sexually immoral have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Good news: Every sin laid at the cross is forgiven.
Bad news: Those who indulge in these sins prove themselves unbelievers and risk a seared conscience that never repents.
The Big Picture: The Marriage Bed Is the Keep of the Castle
Imagine the marriage bed in the tallest tower of a mighty castle. Our job? Build defenses so strong that no enemy ever reaches it.
Defense Layer 1: Fill the Moat
(Worldly attitudes & premarital sexual immorality)
The moat stops the enemy before they even reach the walls. Today’s moat is dangerously low.
Why sexual license is destroying us
- 56% of children born out of wedlock → fatherless homes → prisons full
- Women are pressured and unprotected in a “consent-only” culture
- Cranked-up emotions blind people to red flags
- Premarital fidelity trains you for lifelong marital fidelity
How to raise the moat
- Teach the beauty of God’s covenant design (start talking to kids at age 10–12)
- Tell adult children you disapprove of moving in together—lovingly, firmly
- Avoid media that normalizes the wrong story
- Create social pressure that makes God’s way the obvious way
Defense Layer 2: Pull Up the Drawbridge
(Minimize unnecessary separate travel)
- More nights apart = higher risk
- Choose lower pay over a lonely mansion
- If travel is required: iron-clad accountability plans
- Convicted today? Repent. It’s never too late to come into the light.
Defense Layer 3: Lock the Gates of the Internet
- Pornography = adultery of the heart (Matthew 5:28)
- Old “friends” on social media are kindling for affairs
- Solution: total transparency—shared accounts, open phones, no secrets
Defense Layer 4: Deepen Emotional Intimacy
- Time + honesty + burden-sharing = unbreakable oneness
- Withholding chips away until the marriage crumbles
- If something needs to be said today, say it. The counselor’s office is better than the divorce court.
Defense Layer 5: Keep the Fire Burning
(Satisfaction in the marriage bed)
- The marital act is covenant renewal: “I’m still completely yours.”
- Schedule it. Protect it. Enjoy it as God intended.
- A satisfied spouse is the strongest wall against temptation.
A Word to Singles: Honor Marriage Too
- You are fully valuable in Christ—Jesus and Paul were single!
- BUT delaying marriage for no reason has hurt a generation
- Church, let’s stop treating singleness as the default and start matchmaking again
- Everyone: at least consider marriage unless God has clearly given the gift of celibacy
The Children Inside the Castle
When the walls fall, the weakest suffer.
[Photo of preacher as a child with his parents]
My parents weren’t perfect, but they stayed. That castle gave me safety.
Let’s build castles our kids and grandkids will thank us for.
Conclusion: Why Does God Care About Your Bedroom Furniture?
Because He cares about:
- Your heart
- Your spouse
- Your children
- Your grandchildren
- His glory in the world
Let marriage be held in honor among all. Let the marriage bed be undefiled.
Closing Prayer
Oh Lord, You are faithful and just. Your judgments seem hard, but sin is harder.
Heal every wounded heart today.
Meet the brokenhearted with mercy.
Rebuild the castle through the blood of Jesus.
Amen.