1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,480 Can everybody hear me? Yep. I'm all undone at the back. Praise God. 2 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:25,840 Just by way of explanation, we as a church have always been keen to follow the leading 3 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:34,520 of the Holy Spirit. And that's what our aim has always been. But over the last couple 4 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:43,680 of weeks we have been so, I guess it is just, we are being so focused by the Holy Spirit 5 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:49,040 just to be so in tune with what He wants to do in our lives as a church. And over the 6 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:56,360 last couple of weeks you might have felt a lot of silence at times, comes into the church 7 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:01,840 and nothing is happening. Don't think that's because we don't know what to do next. It's 8 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:06,600 because what we are doing is we are trying to really focus in on the Holy Spirit, what 9 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:11,280 do you want to say to the church? What do you want to do in the church? We don't want 10 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:18,000 to be a church of routine. We don't want to be even a church of structure even though 11 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:25,680 God loves structure. We just want to be so keen to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. 12 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:33,000 Because let me tell you, if you're following the world news, which I don't tend to like 13 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:38,600 to do that, but if you're following things that are going on in the world, we are certainly 14 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:47,860 coming into a time of great disruption in the world. And so I reckon it's just paramount 15 00:01:47,860 --> 00:01:52,720 that we listen to the Holy Spirit and do what He wants us to do as a church because we need 16 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:57,640 to be part of the gathering that's going to be done before God comes back, before Jesus 17 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:03,160 comes back. Amen? And that's not going to happen if we're not doing what the Holy Spirit 18 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:11,160 wants us to do. So we're just really mindful that we want to be part of that, what the 19 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:17,160 Holy Spirit wants to do. So if there are times of silence, it just means that we're waiting 20 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:23,320 on God. Lord, what do you want to do? It's not about now we're going to do this and now 21 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:28,720 we're going to do that. It's God, what do you want us to do at this time? Holy Spirit, 22 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:34,240 what do you want us to come into your presence right now at this time? And that's so important. 23 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,480 So don't get all uncomfortable and out of sorts because there's silence. That's a good 24 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:43,760 thing. As long as we're not silent for 50 minutes, that would be not a good thing. But 25 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:49,560 anyway, that's got nothing to do with what I'm going to preach. I just thought I'd use 26 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:58,200 that as an explanation. So today I'm going to talk out of Proverbs 31. All the people 27 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:08,640 said, oh. And I'm going to, the heading of my sermon is Sacrificial Love. So if you want 28 00:03:08,640 --> 00:03:16,080 to put that down as a heading. Now this Proverb 31, I'm going to preach today out of the NLT, 29 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,520 which is the New Living Translation. I just think that it says it a lot better than what 30 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:27,200 the King James Version does. And we're going to preach out of this. And this Proverb is 31 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:38,200 in actually, is in two parts. It's in two parts. And so it's the words of King Lemuel 32 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:45,480 is how it's pronounced, which is meaning devotion to God. That's who he was. And it's the sayings 33 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:52,160 or an oracle that his mother taught him when he was a young king. Now we don't know who 34 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:59,640 this Lemuel was. There's a whole lot of different things, different thesis on who he should 35 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:05,520 be. Some say he was the King of Masses. Some say he was Hezekiah. Some say he was Solomon. 36 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:13,000 No one really knows who he was, but he was a young king. And so his mother said to him 37 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:20,000 while he was a very young king, this is good advice for you to hang on to. And so we'll 38 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:29,040 start here and it says there in verse one, the sayings of King Lemuel contain this message 39 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:35,960 which his mother taught him. Now listen to this. This is so intimate. The first sentence, 40 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:44,840 the first verse is so intimate. It's a woman who just is so in love and so intimate with 41 00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:57,960 her son. And she says this, oh my son, oh son of my womb, oh son of my vows. I mean, 42 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:04,800 she just loves this boy, this young man. She said, oh son of my vows, you are the son of 43 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:14,680 my loving marriage, my husband. You are the result of the intimacy of my husband. Oh son 44 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:23,040 of my vows. Do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings. It is not 45 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:32,400 for kings, oh Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol for if they drink, 46 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:38,800 they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed. Alcohol is for the dying 47 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:46,800 and wine for those in bitter distress. Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember 48 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:55,320 their troubles no more. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Ensure justice 49 00:05:55,320 --> 00:06:02,520 for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless and see that they get 50 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:08,920 justice. So we see the first verses 1 to 9 is talking about this is how you should be 51 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:14,720 as a king to the people. But you know what? This should only not be that. This is how 52 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:21,200 a pastor should be to his church. This is how a leader of life group should be to their 53 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:26,200 life group. This is how a husband should be to their wife. And broke those things, that 54 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:32,840 first 9 verses broken down and saying 1, holiness. Your first thing should be holiness. You should 55 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:40,200 have leader life of holiness. You notice that she's not talking about this guy saying, look, 56 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:45,400 I want you to get a great career and a great education and I want you to make a lot of 57 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,960 money and make sure you're comfortable in your old age and make sure that people do 58 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:55,800 as you say. No, she says exactly opposite of that. Your first point is 1, you should 59 00:06:55,800 --> 00:07:05,960 be holy. You should lead a life of holiness. Secondly, you should, verses 4 to 7, you should 60 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:15,200 lead a life of sobriety. Now, she's actually talking about having too much wine there. 61 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:23,400 But sobriety means sober of spirit, sober of heart. We should not be overindulgent or 62 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:29,960 thinking that we're someone that we're not. And the third comparison in verses 8 to 9 63 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:36,160 is about being a compassionate king. They're the three things that she thought was the 64 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:44,960 most important thing to this young king. Holiness, sobriety and compassion. If you live a life 65 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:49,760 of those three things, you're going to be someone that can lead people, someone that 66 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:55,400 can be so compassionate towards people, not overindulgent. And we've seen this in churches 67 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:00,200 lately. And I've got written here, these verses are filled with solemn warnings against 68 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:09,600 vices to kings and to men who are also susceptible to this. Immorality, overindulgence, unrighteous 69 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:17,840 rule and indifference to those in need. Now, that is a lot of churches, mega churches 70 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:24,320 today. We don't want to be like that. This woman says, you know what, if you rule, if 71 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:31,960 you're a life group, if you're a husband who rules with holiness, sobriety and compassion, 72 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:40,920 you will do well. You will do well. And people will follow you. People will follow your lead. 73 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:46,640 People will see that there's God in you. And that's what we want. She never mentioned good 74 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:52,800 education and any of that, but these are the things that we need to follow. So that's our 75 00:08:52,800 --> 00:09:00,280 first nine verses. So she does this in two things. And then she says, now this is an 76 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:07,440 important thing. You need to find a wife of noble character. You need to be a king of 77 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:16,960 holiness, sobriety, sobriety and compassion. But in order for you to be able to do this, 78 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:21,240 you need someone that's going to walk with you. And you need to have a virtuous woman 79 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:26,320 to walk with you. And this is what I want to talk about today. Now I've never done, 80 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:31,200 believe it or not, a Mother's Day message. This is the first one I've ever done because 81 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:35,080 when I was a young preacher, I never thought it was my place to get up and start telling 82 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:41,320 women, mothers, how they should live their lives. I thought, I've got no idea how they 83 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,800 should live their lives. So I used to get the elder women in the church to get up and 84 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:50,000 preach the messages. And they were good because mothers know what mothers need. So this is 85 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:57,160 my, if you like, my first message today is a Mother's Day message. So I have to tread 86 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:04,840 carefully. You know, I'm not going to get in trouble by all you women. To this day, 87 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:11,800 I'm still scared of women. They bother me. So I'm treading carefully and I'm not trying 88 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:17,060 to point the finger at anybody. I'm not trying to say this is how you live. I'm just simply 89 00:10:17,060 --> 00:10:25,600 referring to what the Bible says. So don't shoot the messenger. Now I was doing some 90 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:36,800 research and this was a pastor's opening message back in 1991 to his church. Now he's got a 91 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:43,520 big church. And I'm going to read this and see if it relates today. This was, remember, 92 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:53,080 this was 35 years ago. And this is how he opened a Mother's Day message. He said, today, 93 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:58,720 when you see a woman in advertising, you see a woman with a briefcase sailing down a crowded 94 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:04,440 street late for work, or you see a woman in tights doing aerobics, or a woman in skimpy 95 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:12,960 bathing suit, half exposed, with little interest in her virtue. And of course, our society 96 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:19,760 today has turned the tables on honouring women. And that's the kind of women our society honours. 97 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:25,120 The women of this particular era, the modern woman, sort of looks like this. She works, 98 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:30,680 she builds her career, she demands equal pay, she refuses to submit to her husband, demanding 99 00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:38,160 equality with him in everything she has an affair or two and a divorce or two. Remember, 100 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:42,560 this is a pastor of a big church. This is his opening words to his congregation on Mother's 101 00:11:42,560 --> 00:11:49,400 Day 35 years ago. She exercises her dependence, she relies on her own resources, doesn't 102 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:55,120 want her husband or children to threaten her personal goals, and often has her own bank 103 00:11:55,120 --> 00:12:01,800 account. She hires a maid or a cleaning service, eats out at least 50% of the time with her 104 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:07,480 family or without them, provides assorted boxes of cold cereal and some leftover coffee 105 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:14,160 as a standard breakfast for her family. Quick frozen meals are the usual dinner fare and 106 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:21,360 expects her husband to do his share of the housework. She is tan, conferred, she's robe 107 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:28,000 sized into a body building shopping machine, living up to the fashion trends. Make sure 108 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:34,120 she can complete in attending getting contest, puts the kids into daycare centre, makes sure 109 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:38,960 every one of them has a TV, radio or boombox, well of course these days it's a laptop, 110 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:44,560 it's not a boombox anymore, in their room so they can be entertained and not bother 111 00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:51,640 her. And while they're exposed to brainwashing of a moral materialistic society, she cultivates 112 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:58,800 her own interests. She is usually opinionated, demands to be heard from an eager to fulfil 113 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:06,560 all her personal ambitions and the world unfortunately applauds her. She can't stay happy and she 114 00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:11,240 usually can't stay married and the kids get into drugs and she doesn't put them on drugs 115 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:21,000 herself. She is a far cry from the excellent woman described in Proverbs 31. There is no 116 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:27,680 difference from that 35 years ago. Women are still that today and you know what, women 117 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:35,480 are in three categories these days. There are the raging feminists and there are the 118 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:40,860 ones in the middle who really don't know, they're just trying to live out in existence 119 00:13:40,860 --> 00:13:47,240 and do the right thing and then down here is the Christian woman who is trying to live 120 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:55,940 by the very best she can live by God's standards. And if you watch any sort of TV or you watch 121 00:13:55,940 --> 00:14:04,240 the socials, this top group here, this feminist group are just demanding that these women, 122 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:09,640 these Christian women change their lives because there's something wrong with them. There was 123 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:17,600 a professor, she's 85 years old now but her name was Professor Vivian Gornick and she 124 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:22,960 was a professor of Illinois University and she once said, she's still writing essays 125 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:27,160 today but she's written several books and she's done a lot of essays, she said one time 126 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:36,360 to her students, remember one thing, a housewife is an illegitimate profession. That's what 127 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:43,520 she was teaching her pupils, a housewife is an illegitimate profession. That was back 128 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:49,680 in the 70s. And so today I'm trying to balance that, see I believe today that the Christian 129 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:59,600 woman is the most maligned, marginalised woman on earth today, the Christian woman. Pastor 130 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,120 was saying last week that he believes that the kids today are under so much pressure 131 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:09,520 and he's right. But the Christian woman is so much under pressure these days to be something 132 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:14,560 that she hears that that's what they want her to be or the middle ground where women 133 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:22,160 just trying to live out their existence. They're not trying for anything special, they're just 134 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:29,480 existing. But you know what, God wants the Christian woman, God wants the Christian mother 135 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:36,440 to excel. Not because they're a can-do woman, no, that's not, no, you hear women preaching 136 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:41,580 at these conferences, yeah you're a can-do woman, you're a can-do woman because God has 137 00:15:41,580 --> 00:15:47,000 made you that way. Not because that's what you've got to become. God has made you that 138 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:52,880 way and what we need to do as women or not me, what you need to do as women is to walk 139 00:15:52,880 --> 00:16:05,640 into that. Walk into what God has already made you. 1 Samuel 6, 7 says this, for the 140 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:11,640 Lord does not see as man sees, for a man looks at the outward appearances but the Lord looks 141 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:18,640 at the heart. Now what we're about to see through these next few verses is that the 142 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:25,000 ideal woman, it's a woman that the mother was saying to the king, look this is an ideal 143 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:31,600 woman. It's probably not even possible to get there but it's the ideal woman, it's not 144 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,960 a real woman, it's the ideal woman, it's a virtuous woman, that's why he said they're 145 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:39,680 hard to find. But you know what I believe that every woman in this church this morning 146 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:46,880 and every woman that's listening online can walk into this under the power of the Holy 147 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:54,800 Spirit, under the name of Jesus and in the word of God can walk into this because this 148 00:16:54,800 --> 00:17:05,000 is who they were created to be. This is who you were created to be and we as men really 149 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:16,040 need to understand that women, you know what mothers are the glue to the family. Mothers 150 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:23,400 are the glue to any family. Without mothers the family you know what they suffer. You 151 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:31,680 say well you know they're just words, no they're not words. Over 53 years of marriage to three 152 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:37,240 different wives and I'm not going into that story, you don't need to know that, I haven't 153 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:43,760 been divorced either so don't think that. But I have recognised the fact that women 154 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:49,760 are the glue to any family. You know what with all the welfare and all that sort of 155 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:58,720 stuff these days a man can sort of get by but a woman is the glue to the family. She's 156 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:03,400 the one that knows how to nurture, she's the one that knows how to edge, she's the one 157 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:09,360 that knows what the children are thinking before the children are doing it because that 158 00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:18,600 is the way that God has made her. That's their DNA and trying to be something else is never 159 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:24,080 going to fit, you're going to be pushing against the waters all the time because that's not 160 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:28,920 the way you were built. These feminists are barking up the wrong tree, they're thinking 161 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:31,240 they're going to achieve this and they're going to achieve that and they're going to 162 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:36,920 achieve something else. They're achieving absolutely nothing. You see them on TV, they 163 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:43,600 are the unhappiest people in the world. And then there's the ones that are in the middle, 164 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:51,800 they've got no idea, they're just trying to get by. But the Christian woman is a special 165 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:59,280 woman and you don't have to achieve anything because that's who you are, you just need 166 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:05,640 to walk in it. Amen? So let's get through this. And it's not something that you're going 167 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:11,560 to be able to perform, it's not something that you're going to be able to do on life 168 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:17,440 group nights or when you're with your friends or on Sunday because you know what, God is 169 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:22,120 looking at your heart. He's not looking at the outward appearance, he's looking at your 170 00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:29,040 heart. In ministry, God looks at our heart. If you're a life group leader, God looks at 171 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:34,160 your heart. If you're a husband, God looks at your heart. He's not interested in all 172 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:40,480 the prefab, he's interested in what's going on in your heart. Are you really surrendered 173 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:54,160 to this thing? So the first verse in verse 10, who can find a virtuous and capable wife? 174 00:19:54,160 --> 00:20:03,520 She is more precious than rubies. Number one, it speaks of a woman, a Christian woman, a 175 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:12,000 loving mother is a woman of dignity. She's a woman of dignity. She knows who she is. 176 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:17,640 She doesn't have to make it up if she's going along. And I was just trying to think through 177 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:22,960 this and think, I know a couple of women of dignity and you wouldn't know who they were 178 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,840 so there's no good me describing them. But you know what, I'm not a monarchist and I'm 179 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:32,160 not a Republican, I think we're under a good system, we should live that way. But I see 180 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:39,720 the Queen was a woman of dignity. From a very early age she knew what her position was and 181 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:46,120 she walked in that no matter what come her way. And there was only one time when she 182 00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:50,720 didn't read the public well was when Diana died but other than that she was a woman, 183 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:56,080 she knew her place. And no one was going to stir her out of that place, no one was going 184 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:01,320 to change her mind if she knew her position in life and she'd done it to the best of 185 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:11,680 her ability. A woman of dignity. And I see Christian women as women of dignity. I see 186 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:17,920 them across the church today, women of dignity. They know who they are. They know who they 187 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:24,440 are in God. They love it. They love being that person that keeps the family together. 188 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:32,400 Their whole ideal in life is to be a woman who secures her family in love. So number 189 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:44,480 one, they're women of dignity. Versus, what's it say there in Proverbs 12, 4, a worthy 190 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:51,800 wife is a crown for her husband but a disgraceful woman is like cancer to his bones. That's 191 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:56,640 a good saying, worthy wife is a crown for her husband but a disgraceful woman is like 192 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:03,320 cancer to his bones. Number two, verses 11 and 12, let's read those. Her husband can 193 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:10,520 trust her and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the 194 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:18,160 days of his life. You know the greatest thing in a marriage is to be able to trust your 195 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:26,920 partner. Many things go on in a marriage over many years and things can fall down, things 196 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:34,760 can rebuild up again. But once you lose trust, it says it's like a cancer to your bones. 197 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:44,000 It's very hard to rebuild that trust. But a husband, a husband who can trust his wife, 198 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:49,360 he can be out and doing what he needs to do and know that he doesn't have to worry about 199 00:22:49,360 --> 00:22:56,520 anything that's going on at home because his wife is trustworthy. He knows that his wife 200 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:00,960 is never going to do him any harm. He knows that his wife is going to look after the kids. 201 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:07,040 His wife's going to look after everything that needs to be done in that family. That's 202 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:12,640 not always been the case with Australian women. You know, I was in the funeral industry for 203 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:17,560 a lot of years and the amount of women that used to come in after their husbands had died 204 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:22,280 and they'd say, I don't know anything about the money, I don't know anything about the 205 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,880 pin numbers, I don't know where any of the money's kept, I don't even know how to pay 206 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:33,600 the electricity bill. This old fashioned thing about, like in the old days the men would 207 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,800 go off to war and they'd lock everything up. They'd lock all the jewelry and everything 208 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:42,280 up so that the women couldn't get to it. It'd be like, you know, I'm going on a trip and 209 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:48,680 I'm going to take all your credit cards. That's not the way to trust, that's not the way to 210 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:54,840 have a wife want to submit to you if you're not going to trust her. The woman is so trustworthy, 211 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:59,840 the woman can look after a family, the woman knows the needs of the family. You know, my 212 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:05,040 mother, after my father died, my mother said to me one day, you know something, she said, 213 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:11,440 I was married for 60 years to this man and I never knew how much money he made per week. 214 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:19,840 That was just the way it was. Never had a clue how much money he made. And we never 215 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,640 knew how much money he's made. So that's different today because everything's electronically 216 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:28,920 put into your bank but in those days you were paid in a pay packet by cash. And he used 217 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:34,800 to just hand it over to mum and she had to make up for the rest. So it says there she 218 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:41,200 brings him no harm all the days of her life. And then number three it says she is a woman 219 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:48,160 of great diligence versus 13 to 19. She finds woolen flax and busily spins it. She is like 220 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:53,160 a merchant ship bringing her food from afar. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast 221 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:59,660 for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls. She goes in to inspect 222 00:24:59,660 --> 00:25:04,400 the field and she buys it and with her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is energetic and 223 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:11,000 strong and hard-working. She makes sure her dealings are profitable. Her lamp burns late 224 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:17,360 into the night. Now she's all about making money. She's all about providing for her family. 225 00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:22,800 Her family is the most important thing in her life under God. Now she's not out there 226 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,480 to build a career. She's not out there worrying about where the glass ceiling is. She's not 227 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:30,960 worried about what I look like in front of other women. She's not worried about what 228 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:35,960 the socials say. She's not worried about what the TV people say. She, her purpose in life 229 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:44,160 is to secure a secure place for her family and she will do what is ever necessary to 230 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:49,280 do that. One of my fondest memories is when I was a young kid I used to go up every holidays 231 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:54,280 up to Mendoor and it's outside Dubbo and we used to go up there like the, I think it was 232 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:59,840 the early holidays, the middle holidays and the Christmas holidays and some of my fondest 233 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:07,280 memories was of a morning dark, as I've always been an early riser, I'd wake up and I could 234 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:12,960 hear Nana rustling in the kitchen. This was while it was still dark. And what she was 235 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:18,320 doing she was stoking the oven with wood and so when we finally all got out of bed you'd 236 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:23,360 go out to the table and in those days breakfast man it was breakfast. So you'd go out and 237 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:28,800 you'd have slices of hot bread that thick and you'd have chops and you'd have tomato 238 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:35,760 and eggs and cereal and that's how they sent their men off to work. She was up before dawn 239 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:41,320 making sure that her family was well fed before they went out for the day. Now she didn't 240 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:49,160 see that as being a slave, she saw that as being part of her sacrifice of love to make 241 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:54,640 sure her family was in a good place, to make sure her family were right for the day so 242 00:26:54,640 --> 00:27:01,880 they could do what they were supposed to do. She was a woman that made sure that everything 243 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:08,680 she'd done was profitable and it says there in verse 24 the way she'd done it, the extra, 244 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:14,360 I mean people today say well you know I've got to go out to work to be able to provide 245 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:20,240 money for the extra mortgage rates, the interest rates that are coming in. That's fine, that's 246 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:29,240 good, do that. But it's not about making yourself a career, it's not about you being something 247 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:39,200 special to your friends, simply you are securing the benefit to your family. That's a good, 248 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:45,280 that's a Proverbs 31 woman and that's when you're going to feel your happiest, that's 249 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:53,240 when you're going to feel most fulfilled. She is a woman of great diligence, she is 250 00:27:53,240 --> 00:28:00,760 a generous woman, verse 20. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms 251 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:06,360 to the needy. She is always on the lookout for someone who is worse off than herself 252 00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:11,440 and someone who wants to help people out, has compassion on someone, someone who will 253 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:18,400 walk with them when they're in need, someone that gives someone a helping hand or a shoulder 254 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:30,440 to cry on. She's a generous person. Verse 25, she is courageous, she is clothed with 255 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:38,240 strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future. She knows her place in 256 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:49,560 God, she just knows who she is in God. Ladies today, just know who you are in God. You don't 257 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:56,480 have to work for this. Once you gave your life to Jesus, you become a daughter of the 258 00:28:56,480 --> 00:29:04,120 Most High God. You don't have to slave for this. This is going to be something that's 259 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:12,480 so very natural to you. Why? Because you're nurturing and looking after your family. You 260 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:23,440 are a virtuous woman. Verse 26, she is a woman of great wisdom. When she speaks, her words 261 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:33,480 are wise and she gives instruction with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household 262 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:41,440 and suffers nothing from laziness. Now we're not talking about being brow-beaten here, 263 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:46,320 we're not talking about someone lording it over you. She does this because she loves 264 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:53,160 her family. She does this because as it says there in the very first verse, oh, and she's 265 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:59,600 talking to us, oh my son, the son of my womb, the son of my vows. She does this because 266 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:11,040 she loves her family so much. That's why she does it. It's a sacrifice, sacrificial love. 267 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:17,800 Not because she has to, not because someone's forcing her, not because someone is ruling 268 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:30,360 it over her, but simply because this is in a Christian woman's DNA. She loves her family. 269 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:38,240 She'll do anything for her family. Number seven, she is a woman of great devotion. First 270 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:49,040 to God and then to her family. Verse 28 to 31, her children stand, listen to this, this 271 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:59,000 is so wonderful. Her children stand and bless her, her husband praises her. There are many 272 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:06,800 virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all. Ladies, you surpass 273 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:17,800 them all. Christian women, you surpass them all. You don't have to worry about what the 274 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:25,120 socials or what the feminist movement's saying. And you can say to those great numbers who 275 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:29,720 are just in the middle not knowing what they really should be doing, you can say, you know 276 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:37,800 what, give your life to Jesus and God will change your heart and give you divine direction 277 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:43,360 for the rest of your days. You might have to go out to work. You might have to be up 278 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:48,640 before dawn and go to bed in the dark. But you know what, it's because you are so in 279 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:56,680 love and so attached and you are such a nurturer to your family that this is not a struggle. 280 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:06,680 It's because you love your people. It's because you love your family. That's what it's because. 281 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:12,880 I've got here men, and this is, I'm going to start on the men now. Men are to create 282 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:23,480 a safe and secure environment under God for women to thrive. Men, we need to stay out 283 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:34,720 of the way of woman's divine rights to her family. Now we're there to be the overall, 284 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:39,960 if you like, functionality of the head of the family, but the wife is so much more in 285 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:45,840 tune with the family that we need to take her guide on these things. We're not to lord 286 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:50,880 it over her, not to rule it over her. We're just to say, you know what, I want to create 287 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:58,280 an environment for you that you might thrive and be the woman under God that God wanted 288 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:10,180 you to be. Do I hear an amen? Now I'm going to finish off this. I don't want to preach 289 00:33:10,180 --> 00:33:15,560 long today because I know it's Mother's Day and people need to do what they need to do. 290 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:22,440 We know about that verse in Ephesians 5.20, it says, you know, women submit yourselves 291 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:30,320 unto the husband and so forth and so forth and so forth. And then it goes on to say, 292 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:34,600 and men love your wives as Christ loved the church. We probably should change that verse 293 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:50,560 around and it should be, I want to love my wife as Christ loved the church. Christ gave 294 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:59,080 his life for the church. He wept over his church. He said to the people, if only I could 295 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:07,760 gather Jerusalem, he said, only I could gather you as chicks and just show you how much I 296 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:13,200 want to love you. You know, the church is the only thing that Jesus ever built. He didn't 297 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:23,600 build any girls, but he built his church. Do we love our wives as Christ loved the church 298 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:33,280 and gave himself for her? We do that. Then the verse is reversed. Then the women will 299 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:41,160 submit to their husbands. You know why? Because they feel security in that. Because they know 300 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:45,720 they can thrive in that. Because they're not going to be lauded over or questioned about 301 00:34:45,720 --> 00:34:51,900 what they're going to do or how they're going to behave. But they can walk in concert with 302 00:34:51,900 --> 00:34:57,800 their husbands, knowing that their husbands aren't just going to rule it over them. And 303 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,680 you know why the husbands aren't going to rule it over them? Because they love them 304 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:04,800 so much and they want to see them thrive. They want to see them be that person that 305 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:10,920 God designed them to be. Not something they have to achieve, but just something they walk 306 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:21,160 in because that's who they are. Sometimes I just think it'd be so good. Well, no, I 307 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:26,360 don't really. It's so good to be a woman. I couldn't stand it really. I thought I just 308 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:32,960 had to say that. I just like being a man. But you know what? When you see a woman thriving 309 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:38,440 in that environment, it just makes you feel so good. And especially if you're part of 310 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:46,800 the reason why she can thrive in that environment. For 50 years I had a certain way of... I 311 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:51,080 thought I used to rule the family and all that sort of thing. And sometimes I make mistakes 312 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:56,600 a lot of the times I make mistakes and then you know you work it out and then you'd be 313 00:35:56,600 --> 00:35:59,640 sort of starting to say, no, we're going to do this now, we're going to do that, we're 314 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:05,600 going to do this. You know what? My prayer lately for the last few years has been this. 315 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:12,200 Lord, don't change my wife, but Lord, change me to be the husband that God wants for her. 316 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:24,320 Now that's a big call for a husband. Lord, you change me to be the husband that God wants 317 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:33,080 for her. You start praying that prayer, men, and start seeing the change in your wife. 318 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:38,560 Now you know what? I might be preaching to a whole lot of guys that have got this whole 319 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:45,240 thing under control and their women just think they're marvelous and they put them up on 320 00:36:45,240 --> 00:36:53,280 heroes. But you know what? For me, I know that to get the very best out of my wife I 321 00:36:53,280 --> 00:37:02,240 need to be the person that God wants me to be for her. And that is to be as a function 322 00:37:02,240 --> 00:37:08,000 to be the head of the family. That is for me to be the person that she comes to when 323 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:14,200 she needs to cry on someone's shoulder, or she needs to offload, or she needs to ask 324 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:24,100 advice of. And for the things that go on outside the home and men at work, they are rulers 325 00:37:24,100 --> 00:37:29,160 of their own kingdom out there. They can do what they need to do out there to be good 326 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:40,160 providers. But this Proverbs woman, this Proverbs 31 woman, is what the Lord is showing this 327 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:45,720 young king that if you have a wife like this, that what she already is, not what she has 328 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:51,200 to work hard for, but what she already just needs, she just has to walk in it. You're 329 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:57,000 going to have such a great helpmate that you are going to be able to do whatever the Lord 330 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:04,720 wants you to do. Do you know that's a fact? That's why women were created out of a man's 331 00:38:04,720 --> 00:38:14,000 side, not to be trampled on or not to be ruled over, but to walk alongside. Church, if only 332 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:21,160 we understood this, and if only the Holy Spirit would get this deep down into our spirit, 333 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:27,480 into our flesh man, that if we'd done this right, if we'd done what the Word of God says, 334 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:33,200 we would have such powerful families, we would be such a powerful witness to people out there 335 00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:39,640 in the world that really are undirectional. They've got no idea where they're going. They've 336 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:42,480 got this thing, they're stabbing at this thing that they think they know it all, they've 337 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:55,320 got no idea. But a family under God who is working under the rules and the wisdom and 338 00:38:55,320 --> 00:39:06,280 the direction of God, the very thing that they're actually made for, we can do great 339 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:18,400 things for God, do great things for God, because there's an even balance. The men, their function 340 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:26,240 is to rule the home as a function. The same in the church, the pastors are no better than 341 00:39:26,240 --> 00:39:32,720 what we are, but their function under God is being given to rule the church. The Holy 342 00:39:32,720 --> 00:39:40,080 Spirit speaks to them and then they speak to the church. It's a function and you honour 343 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:47,200 that function. The same as women should honour the function of the head of the home, which 344 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:54,560 is the husband. But if they don't feel safe and secure, if they don't trust, if they think 345 00:39:54,560 --> 00:40:01,320 that everything they say is going to be scrutinised and told, no, that's not right, I want it 346 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:05,960 done this way, you know what, you're not going to get the best out of your women. You're 347 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:09,440 not going to get the best out of them. You're not going to get the best out of their children 348 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:15,080 because they will take the lead from their mother and then that perpetuates to their 349 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:26,400 family. It's such an important thing and I want everybody to know today, this is not 350 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:33,200 about pulling women down, it's about telling women who they are. They're so great in the 351 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:42,280 sight of God. Men, let us get on board. Let them have their way. Let them be creative, 352 00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:46,520 let their creative juices flow, let them be resourceful, let them be the nurturers, let 353 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:55,280 them be the ones that just know by wisdom. You know, it's a funny thing that wisdom 354 00:40:55,280 --> 00:41:03,760 is personified in the Bible as being a female. That's their mistake because you know why 355 00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:11,080 females are a lot smarter than what we are. I'm not being degrading to men, it's a fact. 356 00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:16,640 They're switched on. We're hunters and gatherers. Get out there, do what we need to do, kill 357 00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:23,040 the sheep, bring it home, hang it up, chop up the chops, get into bed, be intimate, get 358 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:33,560 back out, go back out and hunt the sheep. We're good at that. But we need the women 359 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:37,960 at home that we can just say, you know what, I can go out and do that because I know that 360 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:46,920 the woman, my wife, can take care of everything else. Let's be brave men. Let's start off 361 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:55,160 with this sacrificial love. What's John 3, 16 say? 16 say, for God so loved the world 362 00:41:55,160 --> 00:42:03,520 that he gave his only begotten son. Sacrificial love. Sacrificial love. And what the woman 363 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:15,040 does, what her DNA is, is sacrificial love. And when she walks in that, she is the Proverbs 364 00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:23,720 31 woman. Not because she's got a strain in it, not because she's got to hope that that's 365 00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:28,520 what's going to happen, but she's walking in what she was designed for and that will 366 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:40,000 be a fulfillment to her life. Muso's, could you come up? And Ross is going to close. I'm 367 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:43,160 not going to have an altar call today, and you know why? Because these are things that 368 00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:52,160 you should just ponder on and think about. And I'm just telling you what the Bible says. 369 00:42:52,160 --> 00:42:56,560 And I'm just telling you, I'm just preaching these things because you know what, I've been 370 00:42:56,560 --> 00:43:01,880 around for more than 70 years and I tell you, the world's not getting in better shape, it's 371 00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:07,340 getting in a worse shape. And God's got a plan for our lives. God's got a plan that 372 00:43:07,340 --> 00:43:14,600 we can prosper and do great things if we follow His lead and follow His pattern. So let's 373 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:19,200 just think about that today. You might walk out of here and you won't think any more about 374 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:24,120 it except to say, that guy was just pulling down women. Far from it. I just think that 375 00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:32,880 women are the greatest species on the planet. I love women. I love women. I love the way 376 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:38,360 they just do stuff. I love the way they can put things together. I love the way they can 377 00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:48,480 just multitask. Give me more than two things to do and I'm shot duck. Can't do it. But 378 00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:54,720 women are just, that's who they are. Walk in that women. Don't be pulled down by it. 379 00:43:54,720 --> 00:43:58,640 Don't say that's not me. Don't say I don't want to do that because it's not the way women 380 00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:07,920 are today. Try it and see that the Lord is good. Father we just thank you today Father. 381 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:14,880 I just pray that Lord you will just translate this word by your Holy Spirit into people's 382 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:19,280 lives. I pray Father that Lord they will see that I'm not trying to denigrate or pull down 383 00:44:19,280 --> 00:44:26,560 women. Lord that I am trying to encourage them to be who God created them to be. That 384 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:33,160 they will walk this planet, this time of life in fulfilment dear God. Not wondering about 385 00:44:33,160 --> 00:44:37,280 who they are or what should they be doing but they walk it in fulfilment knowing that 386 00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:45,800 God has destined them to be women, children, daughters of the most high God. So Father 387 00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:51,160 I just give you this time of this word Lord and I pray that Lord you would just minister 388 00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:58,600 to people's hearts through it. I ask it in the name of Jesus and everybody said Amen. 389 00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:06,080 Thanks Kevin for that. That was really good. One thing I really noticed there and I've 390 00:45:06,080 --> 00:45:11,080 really been blessed by is something God's shown me as a husband is to be praying how 391 00:45:11,080 --> 00:45:16,440 can I love my wife? What can I do? And I pray that every day. How can I? And actively looking 392 00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:21,120 for that and that's where it comes from. It's from Him. It's His love throwing through us.