Dr. Péter Hack’s preaching summary 07.08.2022

According to the Bible, it is not complete silence that glorifies God. The sound of joy and happiness comes from the dwelling place of the righteous and the word of God also reveals that we are free to rejoice every day in Him. God’s word introduces the relationship between Jesus and the Church as the relationship between the Bridegroom and the Bride.

John the Baptist confessed that he is not Christ, but Jesus is, so it is not needed for the disciples to compete during baptism. He has said that Jesus is the Bridegroom.

When they asked Jesus why his disciples did not fast, he answered that it was because the Bridegroom was still with them, but after he would depart, they would fast as well.

Fasting is a very useful spiritual action, during which the fulfilment of a legal need, the access to nutrition is withheld. Jesus has also revealed it about himself that he was the Bridegroom, who had engaged the Church, though, he was leaving, he was to come back for the Bride.

Not only the Church, but also Israel is engaged to God. We can only be united with Christ If we are waiting for him as Brides.

According to the practice of the Orthodox Jews, the contribution of the fathers was needed, for boys to be married. It is consistent with the fact that Jesus himself did not know the time of his return for the Bride, only the Father knew.

The body has a role in the marriage as well, and the Word calls the immaculate marriage bed righteous. Nowadays, sexuality in the world is all about the satisfaction of the body’s desires.  It is thought-provoking that the infiltration of the Church by sexual sins can be felt. Marriage should not be based on physical but on spiritual principles.

Revelation and covenant should be the foundations of marriage, which does not mean that love is not needed, but that love should be rooted in eternity.

A negative example in the Bible of carnal desire is the case of Amnon and Tamar. The son of David wanted Tamar, who happened to be his stepsister, so upon the advice of a friend he lured her into a trap and raped her, then immediately loathed her, because the relationship was not based on an alliance.

Engagement is a promise, which refers to that both parties keep themselves from sexual sins until marriage. This is important because the sexual relationship results in a permanent mark in the lives of both parties.

Marriages based on the Bible survive at a much higher rate than other marriages because the essence of these marriages is alliance and loyalty. This is why it is not desire that is the most important feature of a youngster is, but loyalty. This has to be learned. Just as the need for sleep and food are legal desires so is the sexual desire, but the will of God is, that it must only be fulfilled in marriage.

Sexual abstinence means maintaining cleanliness until the alliance-based relationship. By this, the parties of the engagement prove for each other, that it was not just carnal desire that caused them to initiate the engagement.

In the world, the more partner someone had, the more successful one is regarded. However, in the Bible, this is not the sign of success, but that the given person is wreck. Getting to know each other happens during the marriage, this is why it is not good expecting to know each other completely before marriage. Those people who marry in these days will be entirely different people, because they polish each other. It is the Anointment of the Holy Spirit that makes this polishing process flawless and painless.

The bridegroom rightfully sets expectations for the bride. Jesus said that the people who love him, know and keep his commandments, and here commandments essentially means expectations. As a bride, the best way to wait for the bridegroom is to be in a daily contact with him.

This is way Jesus said that it was better for the disciples that he left, because he was to send the Holy Spirit, who guaranties this daily contact with Him. It is worth waiting for Him and thus become the part of the Bride, the real Church as it is being adorned and made ready by filling up the lamps with oil which refers to the fact that He will come in the darkest hour.

Whoever has the Holy Spirit in him is waiting for the return of the Bridegroom. At the wedding, the hope that it was worthwhile to keep ourselves clean for that day is fulfilled, so just like that we must remain holy and wait for the coming of Jesus Christ.

Verses spoken:

Revelation 19:6-9, 21:9-10, 22:17
John 3:28-31, 14:1-3
Mark 2:18-20
Isaiah 62:5, 61:10
Ezekiel 16:5-14

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