WEBVTT 00:00:01.250 --> 00:00:06.169 Let us pray for the blessing of the preaching 00:00:06.169 --> 00:00:10.789 of His Word. Our God and our Father, thank you 00:00:10.789 --> 00:00:14.470 for sending the Spirit to give us life and to 00:00:14.470 --> 00:00:16.710 empower us for the call you have given us to 00:00:16.710 --> 00:00:18.929 carry out your words of life to the ends of the 00:00:18.929 --> 00:00:22.109 earth. Please allow the words of my mouth and 00:00:22.109 --> 00:00:24.750 the meditations of all our hearts to be acceptable 00:00:24.750 --> 00:00:28.030 in your sight. O Lord, our rock and nearest kinsman 00:00:28.030 --> 00:00:31.940 and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen. 00:00:35.259 --> 00:00:38.399 So we'll be reading two Psalms. I know you're 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:42.039 very familiar with the second one, for we sing 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:46.299 it every time there is a baptism. Psalm 127, 00:00:46.299 --> 00:00:49.560 it was written by Solomon, very likely, so was 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:54.259 Psalm 128. These are understood as the household 00:00:54.259 --> 00:00:59.420 Psalms. Psalm 127, a song of a sense of Solomon. 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:03.299 Unless Yahweh builds the house, they labor in 00:01:03.299 --> 00:01:06.140 vain who build it. Unless Yahweh guards the city, 00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:09.879 the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain 00:01:09.879 --> 00:01:12.939 for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to 00:01:12.939 --> 00:01:16.319 eat the bread of sorrows, for so he gives his 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:19.859 beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage 00:01:19.859 --> 00:01:23.750 from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward. 00:01:23.849 --> 00:01:26.030 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are 00:01:26.030 --> 00:01:28.909 the children of one's youth. Happy is the man 00:01:28.909 --> 00:01:31.730 whose quiver is full of them. They shall not 00:01:31.730 --> 00:01:34.730 be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies 00:01:34.730 --> 00:01:40.629 in the gate. Psalm 128, a song of assents. Blessed 00:01:40.629 --> 00:01:43.689 is everyone who fears Yahweh, who walks in His 00:01:43.689 --> 00:01:46.629 ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you 00:01:46.629 --> 00:01:49.310 shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:53.159 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:55.420 very heart of your house. Your children like 00:01:55.420 --> 00:01:58.879 olive plants all around your table. Behold thus 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:02.480 shall the man be blessed who fears Yahweh. Yahweh 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:06.280 bless you out of Zion and may you see the good 00:02:06.280 --> 00:02:09.539 of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Yes, 00:02:09.539 --> 00:02:13.080 may you see your children's children. Peace be 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:16.219 upon Israel. These are the words of Almighty 00:02:16.219 --> 00:02:22.389 God. Receive them in your hearts. There are three 00:02:22.389 --> 00:02:24.930 things I want you to think about and use as your 00:02:24.930 --> 00:02:27.169 lens here this morning. These three things are, 00:02:27.509 --> 00:02:31.949 we are builders of the house of God. We are builders 00:02:31.949 --> 00:02:38.389 of the house of God. This next one is probably 00:02:38.389 --> 00:02:41.990 going to be a little shocking. Marriage is easy 00:02:41.990 --> 00:02:47.490 or you are doing it wrong. Marriage is easy or 00:02:47.490 --> 00:02:52.759 you are doing it wrong. And finally, follow God's 00:02:52.759 --> 00:02:56.860 blueprint for marriage. Follow God's blueprint 00:02:56.860 --> 00:03:03.879 for marriage. Now, this is part of our continuing 00:03:03.879 --> 00:03:06.560 series of foundations for the summer. If you've 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:10.819 missed the ones prior to, perhaps today, if you 00:03:10.819 --> 00:03:13.580 go back on another time and listen to them just 00:03:13.580 --> 00:03:16.400 to continue on in this process. But every sermon 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:19.500 this summer is building on the previous ones. 00:03:22.969 --> 00:03:25.830 The whole of the mission that was given to mankind 00:03:25.830 --> 00:03:29.729 is to build the house of God first in worship 00:03:29.729 --> 00:03:33.509 and then to the very ends of the earth Dearly 00:03:33.509 --> 00:03:37.789 beloved you are saints because of the work of 00:03:37.789 --> 00:03:42.280 Jesus Christ on your behalf We are no longer 00:03:42.280 --> 00:03:44.819 in bondage to sin and so as it says in Romans 00:03:44.819 --> 00:03:48.219 chapter 6 beginning of verse 12 Therefore do 00:03:48.219 --> 00:03:51.180 not let sin reign in your mortal body That you 00:03:51.180 --> 00:03:54.120 should obey its lusts and do not present your 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:56.860 members as instruments of unrighteousness To 00:03:56.860 --> 00:04:00.439 sin but present yourselves to God as being alive 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:04.039 from the dead your members as instruments of 00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:07.620 righteousness to God For sin shall not have dominion 00:04:07.620 --> 00:04:10.750 over you for you are not under the law but under 00:04:10.750 --> 00:04:14.270 the grace. Now we know this, you've read this, 00:04:14.310 --> 00:04:16.250 you've heard this, you know you're no longer 00:04:16.250 --> 00:04:21.629 in bondage to sin. And Paul tells the Roman church, 00:04:22.029 --> 00:04:24.050 hey, you're no longer under bondage of sin, so 00:04:24.050 --> 00:04:29.129 act like it. The difficulty for us is not just 00:04:29.129 --> 00:04:33.709 mortifying our sin, but obeying God. You know, 00:04:33.730 --> 00:04:36.170 a lot of times our focus becomes on, I can't 00:04:36.170 --> 00:04:37.850 do this, I can't do that, I'm gonna beat that 00:04:37.850 --> 00:04:43.009 all down. and we neglect what God has been telling 00:04:43.009 --> 00:04:48.129 us to do. Now it is true that we must stop doing 00:04:48.129 --> 00:04:52.110 sinful things, but this is best found in doing 00:04:52.110 --> 00:04:56.430 the things that please and glorify God. We are 00:04:56.430 --> 00:04:59.449 to take the new life granted to us in Jesus by 00:04:59.449 --> 00:05:03.470 the power of the Spirit and become disciples. 00:05:04.410 --> 00:05:09.029 We are to learn intellectually. how to be disciples, 00:05:09.709 --> 00:05:13.149 but then put into practice being disciples by 00:05:13.149 --> 00:05:16.569 living a Christian life with other Christians 00:05:16.569 --> 00:05:22.490 and most certainly our wives, husbands, and children. 00:05:24.269 --> 00:05:27.089 There's a general mission to build the house 00:05:27.089 --> 00:05:32.069 of God by the specific mission in building Christian 00:05:32.069 --> 00:05:36.730 God -fearing households. lives centered on worship 00:05:36.730 --> 00:05:40.129 and rooted in the mission of our household to 00:05:40.129 --> 00:05:45.230 the glory of God and the benefit of others. Now 00:05:45.230 --> 00:05:47.889 this leads to the questions of what plans do 00:05:47.889 --> 00:05:52.389 we use to build with? What materials do we use? 00:05:52.970 --> 00:05:56.029 And what skills and tools do we already have? 00:05:57.509 --> 00:06:00.920 This reminds me of a time when my children I'd 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:03.740 attempted to take a basic multi -level treehouse. 00:06:03.819 --> 00:06:07.000 I know it doesn't sound basic, but we had built 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:09.819 a treehouse for them, my father -in -law and 00:06:09.819 --> 00:06:15.100 I. And we had made just this lower platform below 00:06:15.100 --> 00:06:18.620 the main one, mostly as like a ladder, a way 00:06:18.620 --> 00:06:23.740 up, right? And my children decided that they 00:06:23.740 --> 00:06:27.639 wanted to make it better. And so they went and 00:06:27.639 --> 00:06:30.519 got some tools and some scrap wood from my workshop 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:34.139 and began to build. I came home from work and 00:06:34.139 --> 00:06:37.180 saw the work that they had done and was very 00:06:37.180 --> 00:06:41.740 pleased. I was very pleased in their motivations 00:06:41.740 --> 00:06:45.620 and their efforts. But upon inspection, I found 00:06:45.620 --> 00:06:48.399 that although they had a good foundation, the 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:53.060 additions were not safe or sturdy. Things didn't 00:06:53.060 --> 00:06:56.730 quite fit right. The nails were bent. are not 00:06:56.730 --> 00:07:03.389 really nailed in at all. You see, even though 00:07:03.389 --> 00:07:09.689 they had improved that tree house, danger lurked 00:07:09.689 --> 00:07:15.430 everywhere. Perhaps for the older children who 00:07:15.430 --> 00:07:18.490 were the builders, they might have known of certain 00:07:18.490 --> 00:07:20.670 dangers. You know how that is? Well, I don't 00:07:20.670 --> 00:07:24.689 think I quite got that, but you know. They're 00:07:24.689 --> 00:07:26.930 warning their little brothers and sisters. You 00:07:26.930 --> 00:07:29.209 know how that is if you have children of multiple 00:07:29.209 --> 00:07:33.089 ages. But somehow the little ones don't remember. 00:07:34.889 --> 00:07:37.569 And so they, as younger children, would simply 00:07:37.569 --> 00:07:42.149 be susceptible to constant dangers. As their 00:07:42.149 --> 00:07:44.829 father, I inspected the situation, brought out 00:07:44.829 --> 00:07:47.850 the proper tools, the correct fasteners, and 00:07:47.850 --> 00:07:51.529 materials to make the tree house both safe and 00:07:51.529 --> 00:07:54.860 beautiful. The children did not have the right 00:07:54.860 --> 00:07:58.459 plan, although their motives were right. They 00:07:58.459 --> 00:08:01.120 didn't have the right materials or the tools 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:07.860 or the experience. Many people today are struggling 00:08:07.860 --> 00:08:10.420 in their marriage or don't even want to be married 00:08:10.420 --> 00:08:14.480 at all or have children because they don't know 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:18.519 who they are, what they are for, and how to do 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:21.839 what they are made for, what they are made for. 00:08:22.189 --> 00:08:25.569 And even if they know what they're made for, 00:08:25.870 --> 00:08:30.209 like my children, they don't know how to do it. 00:08:30.550 --> 00:08:34.330 They don't know what materials to use. Like children 00:08:34.330 --> 00:08:37.889 being brought in to build houses, to build a 00:08:37.889 --> 00:08:41.629 city, in the end, the city may have shelters, 00:08:42.149 --> 00:08:45.409 but they are not ready to withstand the winds, 00:08:46.190 --> 00:08:51.500 earthquakes, fires, rains. or even the changing 00:08:51.500 --> 00:08:57.039 of the seasons, let alone be the glorious city, 00:08:57.080 --> 00:09:01.299 the city of God, the place where His temple resides. 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:05.399 We need to understand God's plans, materials, 00:09:05.539 --> 00:09:08.500 and tools for marriage before we can develop 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:11.820 the skills to be a master builder. You know what? 00:09:12.019 --> 00:09:14.340 If you grow up in the home of a master builder, 00:09:15.159 --> 00:09:17.299 guess what happens? You learn some of those skills 00:09:17.299 --> 00:09:20.470 by just being around. Well, and usually because 00:09:20.470 --> 00:09:22.809 dad says, here, do this, pick up that, watch 00:09:22.809 --> 00:09:25.269 me while I do that. One day when you get older, 00:09:25.789 --> 00:09:28.429 your hope is saying, I want you to take that 00:09:28.429 --> 00:09:31.809 circular saw and cut that. Did you measure it 00:09:31.809 --> 00:09:36.830 twice? Did you mark it off? In very much the 00:09:36.830 --> 00:09:41.710 same way, that apprenticing is what happens in 00:09:41.710 --> 00:09:43.610 our households. Now, all of us grew up under 00:09:43.610 --> 00:09:45.509 different kinds of circumstances, right? Some 00:09:45.509 --> 00:09:48.700 of us. with Christian families that set a pretty 00:09:48.700 --> 00:09:52.320 good example, yet not perfect. Others of us had 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:55.179 a, it was kind of bumpy. Christianity might have 00:09:55.179 --> 00:09:56.980 been around, but it was kind of bumpy. And then 00:09:56.980 --> 00:10:00.039 there's others who may have grown up in absolutely 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:07.000 a family devoid of Christian truth. People having 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:09.820 varying degrees of both good and bad examples. 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:15.179 And here's what happened. As you got older, Then 00:10:15.179 --> 00:10:18.980 enters other examples and ideas to challenge 00:10:18.980 --> 00:10:23.779 what you have seen and experienced. Some for 00:10:23.779 --> 00:10:30.220 good and many for evil. You've noticed that many 00:10:30.220 --> 00:10:32.960 of our modern buildings, I'm trying to get us 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:34.740 somewhere here, but many of our modern buildings, 00:10:34.919 --> 00:10:36.899 and this is particularly noticeable when you 00:10:36.899 --> 00:10:39.379 go to DC. If you look at all of the buildings 00:10:39.379 --> 00:10:44.320 built from the 30s, Before, from the 1930s and 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:48.059 before, they are all spectacular in their architecture. 00:10:48.740 --> 00:10:51.960 There's a lot of, one could say, gratuitous beauty 00:10:51.960 --> 00:10:58.740 in architecture. Built well, with wonderful materials. 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:02.960 And yet, you find everything built from 1960 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:10.600 forward. It is all about utility. It's all about 00:11:10.600 --> 00:11:17.789 no beauty. and just using it. In the very same 00:11:17.789 --> 00:11:24.750 way, these things come true in households. We 00:11:24.750 --> 00:11:30.070 have abandoned the art of the beautiful and the 00:11:30.070 --> 00:11:36.049 useful design. And instead of using durable materials, 00:11:36.909 --> 00:11:40.279 we turn to the practical and inexpensive. and 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:44.340 simply the utility of something. This is ungodly. 00:11:44.620 --> 00:11:47.679 This is an ungodly and androgynous way of thinking 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:49.860 and living. Now, sometimes practically speaking, 00:11:50.220 --> 00:11:52.039 sometimes you build what you can afford to build 00:11:52.039 --> 00:11:58.120 at the moment, right? But instead of working 00:11:58.120 --> 00:12:01.720 towards the end of the wonderful, beautiful things 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:04.440 that God has created, we just want to make everything 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:07.519 about, what is the practical use? Can it be used 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:11.389 for this? It is androgynous in its thinking. 00:12:13.809 --> 00:12:15.990 And so too, in the families, we have the same 00:12:15.990 --> 00:12:19.009 thing. It's an androgynous way. We talked about 00:12:19.009 --> 00:12:22.210 this last week, right? Where male and female 00:12:22.210 --> 00:12:24.330 are considered to be interchangeable in everything. 00:12:25.909 --> 00:12:28.649 And so in our marriages and families, men become 00:12:28.649 --> 00:12:31.269 feminine in words and behaviors, and women become 00:12:31.269 --> 00:12:34.990 masculine in words and actions without regard 00:12:34.990 --> 00:12:39.389 to what God has designed and made them for. So 00:12:39.389 --> 00:12:44.009 durability and beauty doesn't exist in those 00:12:44.009 --> 00:12:47.750 circumstances. So marriages have become hard 00:12:47.750 --> 00:12:55.210 trials without joy, peace, or love. God has so 00:12:55.210 --> 00:12:58.269 graciously given us the revealed word in the 00:12:58.269 --> 00:13:01.649 Bible to teach and model what we were made for 00:13:01.649 --> 00:13:05.590 and what we are to do. Dearly beloved, we need 00:13:05.590 --> 00:13:10.000 to stop using the blueprints materials and methods 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:14.679 of the pagan, God -hating world, and embrace 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:18.460 His loving, gracious, and victorious blueprints, 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:24.340 materials, and methods. In our passage today, 00:13:24.419 --> 00:13:27.279 God reminds us that unless Yahweh builds the 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:29.279 house, and remember, why do I say Yahweh when 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:32.759 it says, Lord, that is the proper word? And it 00:13:32.759 --> 00:13:36.500 reminds us of the covenant God who keeps His 00:13:36.500 --> 00:13:44.409 promises. His faithfulness to us He says this 00:13:44.409 --> 00:13:46.889 unless Yahweh builds a house they labor in vain 00:13:46.889 --> 00:13:49.830 who build it unless Yahweh guards the city The 00:13:49.830 --> 00:13:52.730 watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for 00:13:52.730 --> 00:13:56.629 you to rise up early To sit up late to eat the 00:13:56.629 --> 00:14:02.070 bread of sorrows For so he gives his beloved 00:14:02.070 --> 00:14:06.269 sleep All efforts to build a house not centered 00:14:06.269 --> 00:14:11.570 on God and His design plans are doomed to fail. 00:14:12.629 --> 00:14:14.909 Notice that the labor and guarding done by God 00:14:14.909 --> 00:14:17.889 is the same charge that God gave the first Adam 00:14:17.889 --> 00:14:24.929 in the garden. Man made in His image is to guard 00:14:24.929 --> 00:14:27.750 and labor in the way that God has commanded. 00:14:27.950 --> 00:14:31.149 Otherwise, we are working against His design 00:14:31.149 --> 00:14:36.240 and all our efforts. are in vain. But if we trust 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:39.679 God and do good according to the scriptures, 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:46.580 even when we sleep, God is making us prosper. 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:50.960 That's what that line's about, that God gives 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:57.019 sleep, right? He's making us prosper, even when 00:14:57.019 --> 00:15:01.139 we rest. God then tells us that children are 00:15:01.139 --> 00:15:05.490 a heritage from the Lord. Children are a wonderful 00:15:05.490 --> 00:15:08.490 reward, especially children from our youth. Now, 00:15:08.629 --> 00:15:12.769 I do understand this. By God's providence, sometimes 00:15:12.769 --> 00:15:16.009 there is barrenness. Sometimes by circumstances 00:15:16.009 --> 00:15:19.389 outside of our control. And that is a particular 00:15:19.389 --> 00:15:22.230 hardship. And it's one we should take up with 00:15:22.230 --> 00:15:24.669 the Lord and is one that we should trust Him 00:15:24.669 --> 00:15:30.529 in. But men and women are designed to build households 00:15:30.529 --> 00:15:34.879 with children. And children from our youth are 00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:37.399 especially a blessing. Now for many of you, you 00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:39.220 have young children. A handful of you have adult 00:15:39.220 --> 00:15:42.419 children. But I can tell you, by the mercies 00:15:42.419 --> 00:15:44.580 of God, what a wonderful thing it is to consider 00:15:44.580 --> 00:15:48.620 your children, that quiver full, wonderful arrows 00:15:48.620 --> 00:15:54.039 shot out to extend the kingdom of heaven everywhere 00:15:54.039 --> 00:16:02.720 that they are. You see, what is God's blueprint. 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:05.600 As we studied last week, we are made male and 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:09.440 female. We came to understand that it is God's 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:13.600 design for us to be male and female. And together 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:17.519 in marriage, we have been given a mission, but 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:20.100 our callings as men and women are different, 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:24.860 but are essential to each other. The Bible takes 00:16:24.860 --> 00:16:29.000 the position that there is a God -given normative 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:35.179 masculine behavior. Trust God and do good Right 00:16:35.179 --> 00:16:40.559 good men fear God not other men and not their 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:45.659 wives Psalm 128 begins with blessed is everyone 00:16:45.659 --> 00:16:49.500 now that everyone there is better translated 00:16:49.500 --> 00:16:55.179 as man or husband because it's a masculine noun 00:16:55.179 --> 00:17:00.700 and so blessed is the man who fears the Lord 00:17:00.700 --> 00:17:04.970 meaning that man who walks in God's ways, and 00:17:04.970 --> 00:17:08.750 he is submitting to God in his word, not just 00:17:08.750 --> 00:17:13.130 internal thoughts or piety, but in every area 00:17:13.130 --> 00:17:17.690 of their lives. Hear what it says in 1 Kings 00:17:17.690 --> 00:17:20.710 chapter 2, beginning in verse 1, it says this, 00:17:21.130 --> 00:17:23.950 now the days of David drew near that he should 00:17:23.950 --> 00:17:27.089 die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 00:17:28.109 --> 00:17:32.730 I go the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, 00:17:33.230 --> 00:17:36.069 and prove yourself a man." And he's going to 00:17:36.069 --> 00:17:37.690 explain a little bit about what that is here 00:17:37.690 --> 00:17:39.549 in a minute to Solomon, but it's really important 00:17:39.549 --> 00:17:43.829 to understand that there's a way that a man should 00:17:43.829 --> 00:17:46.470 act. The Bible makes that assumption because 00:17:46.470 --> 00:17:49.309 God designed it this way and has given us categories 00:17:49.309 --> 00:17:53.630 for this. He says this, and keep the charge of 00:17:53.630 --> 00:17:56.930 Yahweh your God to walk in His ways, to keep 00:17:56.930 --> 00:17:59.269 His statutes, His commandments, His judgments. 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:02.619 and his testimonies, as it is written in the 00:18:02.619 --> 00:18:05.420 law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that 00:18:05.420 --> 00:18:10.640 you do and wherever you turn." And so Solomon, 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:13.019 he's a house builder. Now this is a really important 00:18:13.019 --> 00:18:16.740 distinction. We know that King David, as important 00:18:16.740 --> 00:18:22.319 as he is to the story of God, carries a sword. 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:26.380 And Solomon is told to be a house builder. Remember, 00:18:26.980 --> 00:18:28.799 David couldn't be the builder of the temple. 00:18:29.150 --> 00:18:34.089 by God's design. He said, be a builder of God's 00:18:34.089 --> 00:18:37.230 house. Now it's important. I think we live in 00:18:37.230 --> 00:18:38.849 a time. I just want to make this distinction. 00:18:38.970 --> 00:18:41.869 We'll talk about this in some coming weeks. We're 00:18:41.869 --> 00:18:44.230 at a stage where we need to be like Nehemiah. 00:18:44.230 --> 00:18:46.650 We're building the temple. We're building up 00:18:46.650 --> 00:18:50.190 the walls. We're building up the church by our 00:18:50.190 --> 00:18:52.109 household. So we need to have a sword in one 00:18:52.109 --> 00:18:56.170 hand and a trowel in another. It's not just about 00:18:56.170 --> 00:19:00.859 war. It is about building. The household of God 00:19:00.859 --> 00:19:08.819 both in our church and in our homes Now masculinity 00:19:08.819 --> 00:19:13.000 can certainly be abused But evil men are not 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:16.359 to become the reason to change God's design and 00:19:16.359 --> 00:19:20.559 blueprint As one commentator puts it marriage 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:25.200 should be easy Husbands and wives are designed 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:30.039 for each other If we have the wrong or divided 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:34.000 mission or the wrong person is assigned for the 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:38.299 task, we have strife and difficulty and therefore 00:19:38.299 --> 00:19:45.200 no unity. We were designed to come together and 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:47.140 I hope all you young people out there listen 00:19:47.140 --> 00:19:49.119 too. Boys and girls listen, this is important. 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:52.019 You're supposed to be looking one day to find 00:19:52.019 --> 00:19:56.140 a godly husband or godly wife. This is relevant. 00:19:56.329 --> 00:20:01.170 to every person in here. And you might say, I'm 00:20:01.170 --> 00:20:04.750 old and I don't have a spouse anymore. Well, 00:20:04.750 --> 00:20:09.950 now you are to pray. You are to teach these things 00:20:09.950 --> 00:20:13.529 that God's Word teaches. You have a mission too. 00:20:14.410 --> 00:20:18.609 But in the mission that we have, we need to understand 00:20:18.609 --> 00:20:20.950 that if we are not following God's blueprint, 00:20:21.509 --> 00:20:24.250 if we are not receiving the teaching of God's 00:20:24.250 --> 00:20:28.349 Word, what happens is, The people with the right 00:20:28.349 --> 00:20:33.069 giftings are doing the wrong things. And we end 00:20:33.069 --> 00:20:36.450 up divided on so many different things. Let me 00:20:36.450 --> 00:20:41.390 ask you this question. Is your marriage easy 00:20:41.390 --> 00:20:46.869 or hard? To be honest, I think for most of us, 00:20:46.930 --> 00:20:51.809 we need to say it's hard sometimes. It's hard. 00:20:53.779 --> 00:20:55.779 And you know what you have? What do you hear? 00:20:55.859 --> 00:20:57.700 You get people together and they'll say, oh yeah, 00:20:57.740 --> 00:20:59.059 you're getting married great. You know, this 00:20:59.059 --> 00:21:03.380 is really hard. It's really hard. You know why 00:21:03.380 --> 00:21:09.640 it's hard? One, we don't rejoice in the distinctives 00:21:09.640 --> 00:21:12.920 that God has given us as men and women. And two, 00:21:13.539 --> 00:21:16.680 we don't follow his blueprint. So even though 00:21:16.680 --> 00:21:19.240 he's given us his word and he's given us the 00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:23.440 foundation of the work of Jesus. and he has given 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:27.740 us the example of Jesus to his bride, we push 00:21:27.740 --> 00:21:32.440 back against it. We push back. And so what happens 00:21:32.440 --> 00:21:39.359 is the strife is in our house instead of us pulling 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:43.000 together against the difficulties that are sure 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:50.690 to come. Consider the reformer Martin Luther, 00:21:50.730 --> 00:21:53.029 he put it this way, there is no greater comfort 00:21:53.029 --> 00:21:56.849 outside of the gospel of Jesus Christ than marriage. 00:21:58.150 --> 00:22:01.369 He considered marriage the sweetest of blessings 00:22:01.369 --> 00:22:04.869 appointed by God. Do you feel like your marriage 00:22:04.869 --> 00:22:10.170 is a sweet appointment from God? And Luther's, 00:22:10.210 --> 00:22:12.470 and this is what we have to understand, you know, 00:22:12.509 --> 00:22:15.869 oh, this great Luther, right? Out of all this 00:22:15.869 --> 00:22:19.319 faith. You know what? By God's providence, Luther 00:22:19.319 --> 00:22:22.599 had a lot of hardships. He had a lot of difficulties. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:25.380 People were literally seeking to kill him. And 00:22:25.380 --> 00:22:30.500 at every turn, things were difficult. And yes, 00:22:30.940 --> 00:22:34.200 God blessed him with a wife. And it was a wonderful, 00:22:34.259 --> 00:22:38.099 wonderful blessing. You see, Martin understood 00:22:38.099 --> 00:22:40.980 that marriage was designed to bring peace and 00:22:40.980 --> 00:22:46.650 joy to tackle the hardships and trials. our call 00:22:46.650 --> 00:22:49.289 and we're to do it together to transform the 00:22:49.289 --> 00:22:52.269 world to the glory of God, you know, you guys 00:22:52.269 --> 00:22:55.529 probably Watch anybody watch any soccer in the 00:22:55.529 --> 00:22:59.289 last month or so Right, right. Tell me about 00:22:59.289 --> 00:23:03.130 the Norwegians. What did they do? They talked 00:23:03.130 --> 00:23:05.549 about they would get out there and they were 00:23:05.549 --> 00:23:07.750 I think there's 11 players on the field So they're 00:23:07.750 --> 00:23:10.950 like the 12th man and what were they doing? They 00:23:10.950 --> 00:23:12.490 were getting together. They put their arms out 00:23:12.490 --> 00:23:15.730 there anybody know what they did rule Right? 00:23:16.150 --> 00:23:19.309 Row. Right? You see, what happens is, if you 00:23:19.309 --> 00:23:21.190 got one person with an oar and they're going, 00:23:21.710 --> 00:23:25.569 and this person's going this way, right? You're 00:23:25.569 --> 00:23:29.750 not unified. And the strife is in the boat. Now 00:23:29.750 --> 00:23:34.849 row together. The trials of life are to be expected. 00:23:35.769 --> 00:23:39.509 And it is a blessing as you address them together. 00:23:42.289 --> 00:23:45.069 People of God, we are better in marriage than 00:23:45.069 --> 00:23:48.589 alone. If our marriage becomes a trial, then 00:23:48.589 --> 00:23:50.869 marriage becomes the roadblock to the mission 00:23:50.869 --> 00:23:54.710 to build the house of God and every other trial 00:23:54.710 --> 00:23:58.789 and challenge in life. So we must follow the 00:23:58.789 --> 00:24:00.990 scriptures, the blueprint for the household, 00:24:01.049 --> 00:24:04.390 and therefore God's house. This includes husbands, 00:24:04.569 --> 00:24:07.230 wives, and children, and even the promise of 00:24:07.230 --> 00:24:11.069 the joys of grandchildren one day. Now scripture 00:24:11.069 --> 00:24:15.299 teaches us that the husband has responsibility, 00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:21.920 and authority. Again, looking at Psalm 128, picking 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:25.039 up at verse 2, notice how many times you or your 00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:29.940 shows up. So what is the subject? The man, right? 00:24:30.119 --> 00:24:33.880 The blessed man. And it says this, it's speaking 00:24:33.880 --> 00:24:37.940 of husbands, when you eat the labor of your hands, 00:24:37.980 --> 00:24:41.519 so his labor, you shall be happy, and it shall 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:46.279 be well with you. your wife shall be like a fruitful 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:50.680 vine in the very heart of your house your children 00:24:50.680 --> 00:24:57.460 like olive plants all around your table behold 00:24:57.460 --> 00:25:02.619 thus shall the man be blessed and who is that 00:25:02.619 --> 00:25:05.460 who fears Yahweh now here's the first order of 00:25:05.460 --> 00:25:10.180 things ladies if you have fear about your husband's 00:25:10.180 --> 00:25:14.500 authority Gentlemen, here it is. You are subject 00:25:14.500 --> 00:25:18.160 to Christ Jesus. You are subject to His representatives 00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:20.980 on the earth, and that is the elders. You are 00:25:20.980 --> 00:25:25.319 subject to God's Word. That is your response. 00:25:25.859 --> 00:25:33.799 That is your call. Now, you need to understand 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:40.460 that the order of things is God the Father, God 00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:44.490 the Son. the husband, the wife. And obviously, 00:25:44.710 --> 00:25:47.250 as I mentioned before, God's representatives 00:25:47.250 --> 00:25:51.970 on earth for the Son are the elders. For many 00:25:51.970 --> 00:25:55.089 today who are coming to their senses, recognize 00:25:55.089 --> 00:25:57.190 that men should take responsibility for their 00:25:57.190 --> 00:25:59.069 households. Of course, this was always known, 00:25:59.509 --> 00:26:02.809 but there's this huge push over the last 75 years 00:26:02.809 --> 00:26:06.390 to throw that out. But for these people that 00:26:06.390 --> 00:26:08.950 are recognizing it, they desire for someone to 00:26:08.950 --> 00:26:12.430 be responsible. But they reject the other half 00:26:12.430 --> 00:26:15.869 of God's design and it is the authority granted 00:26:15.869 --> 00:26:19.390 in that responsibility God is saying that husbands 00:26:19.390 --> 00:26:24.049 your household is your responsibility because 00:26:24.049 --> 00:26:28.109 It is also under your authority Plain and simple 00:26:28.109 --> 00:26:33.450 you must fear God. So as Joshua declared in Joshua 00:26:33.450 --> 00:26:36.690 chapter 24 pay attention now to this pattern 00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:40.920 beginning in verse 14, now therefore fear Yahweh 00:26:40.920 --> 00:26:44.420 serve him in sincerity and truth put away the 00:26:44.420 --> 00:26:46.579 gods which your father served on the other side 00:26:46.579 --> 00:26:49.680 of the river and in Egypt serve Yahweh and if 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:53.779 it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh choose for 00:26:53.779 --> 00:26:56.579 yourselves this day whom you will serve whether 00:26:56.579 --> 00:26:58.779 the gods which your father served that were on 00:26:58.779 --> 00:27:01.599 the other side of the river or the gods of the 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:05.160 Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for 00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:08.220 me and my house, we will serve Yahweh." So first 00:27:08.220 --> 00:27:12.619 of all, he declares this. For me and my house, 00:27:12.900 --> 00:27:15.740 we're serving God. So that means that you make 00:27:15.740 --> 00:27:18.880 decisions that are about serving God, about your 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:21.079 wife, your children, your money, your activities, 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:24.119 and most importantly, where you are on Sunday 00:27:24.119 --> 00:27:31.680 mornings. That's your decision. Make it so. Husbands, 00:27:31.700 --> 00:27:36.079 fear God and put away all the gods, idols, and 00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:38.400 blueprints that your father served on the other 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:42.700 side of the river. They're there. Take both responsibility 00:27:42.700 --> 00:27:45.559 and authority in your household, fearing God 00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:49.480 both in the final judgment and now here on earth. 00:27:50.859 --> 00:27:54.460 Men, are you listening? You will lift up your 00:27:54.460 --> 00:27:59.740 household as a tribute offering to God. I want 00:27:59.740 --> 00:28:04.140 to pause right there. I know for me that's a 00:28:04.140 --> 00:28:06.259 fearful thing outside the work of Jesus Christ 00:28:06.259 --> 00:28:14.539 and the power of the Spirit. Will God receive 00:28:14.539 --> 00:28:17.680 this offering seeing that you have transformed 00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:20.839 it so that God's will in heaven is done here 00:28:20.839 --> 00:28:27.480 on earth in your household? Fear God above every 00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:32.930 person. including your wife and children. You 00:28:32.930 --> 00:28:35.430 have authority and you are responsible whether 00:28:35.430 --> 00:28:39.109 you act like it or not. The entirety of Numbers 00:28:39.109 --> 00:28:41.309 chapter 30 shows this in great detail. We're 00:28:41.309 --> 00:28:44.049 not going to read all that, don't worry. I put 00:28:44.049 --> 00:28:46.230 it in your notes I sent out last night, so go 00:28:46.230 --> 00:28:49.009 and read it yourself. But you are responsible 00:28:49.009 --> 00:28:51.970 for your wives or daughters vows and commitments 00:28:51.970 --> 00:28:55.829 on the day in which you hear it. If you do nothing 00:28:55.829 --> 00:28:59.450 on the day that you hear of it, you condone and 00:28:59.450 --> 00:29:04.170 affirm their vow. So you have it whether you 00:29:04.170 --> 00:29:07.450 speak to it or not. Once you know it, you are 00:29:07.450 --> 00:29:11.690 responsible for it. Too many men fear their wives 00:29:11.690 --> 00:29:14.930 and abdicate and defer to their wives in all 00:29:14.930 --> 00:29:17.809 things. Ladies and gentlemen, one of the great 00:29:17.809 --> 00:29:26.410 enemies of our day is niceness. Niceness is flattery 00:29:26.410 --> 00:29:30.200 meant to sue the woman by lies and deceit. And 00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:34.339 frankly, everybody, to sue them by lies and deceit. 00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:41.079 I did a little study through the scriptures. 00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:43.859 I had to go to several translations in order 00:29:43.859 --> 00:29:47.839 to do it, but the word nice only shows up four 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:51.559 times. And every time, it's terrible flattery 00:29:51.559 --> 00:29:56.660 to deceive people. Not acting as a man, that 00:29:56.660 --> 00:30:01.700 is, acting passive, abdicating, always destroys 00:30:01.700 --> 00:30:05.960 marriages. As one commentator puts it, niceness 00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:10.180 by a man breeds in our wives disrespect, nagging, 00:30:10.440 --> 00:30:15.279 and a controlling and conspiring heart. This 00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:19.140 spirals into increasing unlovability by the wife, 00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:24.240 a bad man. and an ungodly man provides for and 00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:28.119 nourishes an ungodly and bad wife who in turn 00:30:28.119 --> 00:30:33.200 takes her gifts of multiplying to wickedness 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:38.460 and corrupted femininity. A dominant wife and 00:30:38.460 --> 00:30:42.400 a passive husband means there is no single unified 00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:47.039 mission and this leads to a bad marriage, a hard 00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:50.819 marriage. Turning to Ephesians 5, which we'll 00:30:50.819 --> 00:30:53.859 study in more detail in the weeks to come, teaches 00:30:53.859 --> 00:30:59.920 God's design and actions of which we are to do 00:30:59.920 --> 00:31:03.059 what? Abandon the gods of our pagan and weak 00:31:03.059 --> 00:31:07.339 fathers and the idols of our age and embrace 00:31:07.339 --> 00:31:11.480 God's blueprint. It says this, wives submit to 00:31:11.480 --> 00:31:13.619 your own husbands as to the Lord, for the husband 00:31:13.619 --> 00:31:16.549 is the head of the wife. As also, Christ is the 00:31:16.549 --> 00:31:18.470 head of the church and he is the savior of the 00:31:18.470 --> 00:31:21.049 body. Therefore, just as the church is subject 00:31:21.049 --> 00:31:23.589 to Christ, so let wives be to their own husbands 00:31:23.589 --> 00:31:27.450 and everything. Husbands, love your wives. Just 00:31:27.450 --> 00:31:29.430 as Christ also loved the church and gave himself 00:31:29.430 --> 00:31:32.150 for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her 00:31:32.150 --> 00:31:34.250 with the washing of the water of the word, that 00:31:34.250 --> 00:31:38.109 he might present her to himself a glorious church, 00:31:38.170 --> 00:31:40.529 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, 00:31:40.950 --> 00:31:43.789 but that she should be holy and without blemish. 00:31:44.029 --> 00:31:47.609 Drop it down to verse 33. Nevertheless, let each 00:31:47.609 --> 00:31:50.210 one of you in particular so love his own wife 00:31:50.210 --> 00:31:53.450 as himself and let the wife see that she respects 00:31:53.450 --> 00:31:58.569 her husband. God's blueprint in the very way 00:31:58.569 --> 00:32:02.130 is carried out in the very way that you have 00:32:02.130 --> 00:32:06.549 been designed by God. Wives, submit to your husbands. 00:32:07.029 --> 00:32:11.150 This is being subject to, meaning you must respect 00:32:11.150 --> 00:32:16.539 and honor your husbands. disrespect, contempt, 00:32:17.160 --> 00:32:21.680 gossip, or undermining your husband in front 00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:27.220 of others, especially your children, is tearing 00:32:27.220 --> 00:32:31.859 down your marriage. Proverbs 14 .1 tells us, 00:32:32.099 --> 00:32:34.299 the wise woman builds her house, but the foolish 00:32:34.299 --> 00:32:38.299 pulls it down with her hands. Husbands, you must 00:32:38.299 --> 00:32:42.460 love and cherish. Love means to provide and guard. 00:32:43.099 --> 00:32:47.640 and take responsibility and authority. Feed love 00:32:47.640 --> 00:32:52.240 to your wife. Wives, feed respect to your husbands. 00:32:53.720 --> 00:32:56.420 A wife is given to nurture and glorify in your 00:32:56.420 --> 00:32:58.759 household. She's at the heart and center, this 00:32:58.759 --> 00:33:04.460 Psalm tells us. Respect and obey. If your children, 00:33:04.500 --> 00:33:06.539 do you ever wonder why your children don't respect 00:33:06.539 --> 00:33:10.779 and obey you? Is it because you do not respect 00:33:10.779 --> 00:33:15.730 and obey God? and your husband. Wives, you cannot 00:33:15.730 --> 00:33:19.950 outsource love and fruitfulness. You cannot expect 00:33:19.950 --> 00:33:22.269 others to do what you are called to do in your 00:33:22.269 --> 00:33:25.609 household. And there will be more to come in 00:33:25.609 --> 00:33:29.250 the coming weeks. God has created each one of 00:33:29.250 --> 00:33:35.569 you as a man and as a woman. So men follow Christ 00:33:35.569 --> 00:33:41.940 like a man. Women follow Christ as a woman. Men, 00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:44.500 you are to provide and guard. Women, you are 00:33:44.500 --> 00:33:47.720 to nurture and glorify. As we build the house 00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:50.259 of God, let us remember that it all flows out 00:33:50.259 --> 00:33:54.519 of worship. Look at the last two verses of Psalm 00:33:54.519 --> 00:33:58.799 128. Yahweh bless you out of Zion. What is Zion? 00:33:58.839 --> 00:34:03.720 That is the place where the temple resides. So 00:34:03.720 --> 00:34:06.680 now the psalmist is telling that blessed man 00:34:06.680 --> 00:34:09.559 with his wife and his children, the one that 00:34:09.559 --> 00:34:14.309 fears God. and follows his word. God is going 00:34:14.309 --> 00:34:18.090 to bless you out of what? The temple, out of 00:34:18.090 --> 00:34:21.530 worship together. And you may see the good of 00:34:21.530 --> 00:34:25.769 Jerusalem. That is the city of God. And when 00:34:25.769 --> 00:34:29.170 will this happen? All the days of your life. 00:34:29.909 --> 00:34:34.550 Yes, may you see your children's children. Peace 00:34:34.550 --> 00:34:39.110 be upon Israel. So that peace is for the covenant 00:34:39.110 --> 00:34:42.440 people of God. in our households. So we have 00:34:42.440 --> 00:34:47.659 what? The temple. We have the city. So we have 00:34:47.659 --> 00:34:50.239 Zion. We have the city of Jerusalem. And we have 00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:53.579 the land of Israel. This progression starts in 00:34:53.579 --> 00:34:57.500 worship, right? Goes to the glorious nature of 00:34:57.500 --> 00:35:00.539 the Christian fellowship together. And then finally 00:35:00.539 --> 00:35:04.320 goes out to the land in our households. And peace 00:35:04.320 --> 00:35:09.400 will be with us. Fearing God is trusting God's 00:35:09.400 --> 00:35:12.579 blueprint. It begins with worship with God's 00:35:12.579 --> 00:35:17.519 people on the Lord's Day, even on vacation. Or, 00:35:17.900 --> 00:35:20.239 guess what? If it doesn't start with fear of 00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:23.980 the Lord and worship, all our efforts are to 00:35:23.980 --> 00:35:29.840 no avail. Your foundation is Jesus. Trust God 00:35:29.840 --> 00:35:32.639 and do good according to His Word. You are called 00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:35.179 to take dominion by standing at your assigned 00:35:35.179 --> 00:35:40.590 post and being fruitful. Fear God and follow 00:35:40.590 --> 00:35:44.090 his blueprint have no fear of being able to do 00:35:44.090 --> 00:35:46.969 this Because right now how many guys are feeling 00:35:46.969 --> 00:35:48.769 like you're on top of the world coming through 00:35:48.769 --> 00:35:52.429 this sermon All right, I got both hands down 00:35:52.429 --> 00:35:57.510 too But I'm not relying on myself I am relying 00:35:57.510 --> 00:36:00.510 on Jesus Christ and his wonderful promise of 00:36:00.510 --> 00:36:03.710 sending the spirit to enable us to do what? To 00:36:03.710 --> 00:36:08.170 be obedient to be joyful to carry out His design 00:36:08.170 --> 00:36:14.610 and call for us God keeps his word to his church 00:36:14.610 --> 00:36:17.690 for the sake of Jesus. Here's 2nd Corinthians 00:36:17.690 --> 00:36:21.409 chapter 1 For all the promises of God in him 00:36:21.409 --> 00:36:25.889 and that is Jesus our yes and in him Amen to 00:36:25.889 --> 00:36:29.750 the glory of God through us Now he who establishes 00:36:29.750 --> 00:36:33.010 us with you in Christ and has anointed us is 00:36:33.010 --> 00:36:37.070 God who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit 00:36:37.070 --> 00:36:41.250 in our hearts as a guarantee. Praise God for 00:36:41.250 --> 00:36:44.349 His faithfulness to His covenant promises to 00:36:44.349 --> 00:36:48.909 us. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank You 00:36:48.909 --> 00:36:51.949 for Your wonderful design and purposes in creation, 00:36:52.530 --> 00:36:55.230 even as men and women. We thank You for Your 00:36:55.230 --> 00:36:58.639 love for us. Christ Jesus to deliver us from 00:36:58.639 --> 00:37:01.780 our sins in a new life to transform the world 00:37:01.780 --> 00:37:05.000 to your glory Help us we pray to joyfully obey 00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:08.159 your holy word in our marriages Submitting to 00:37:08.159 --> 00:37:11.659 our calls as husbands and wives with all abandoned 00:37:11.659 --> 00:37:15.599 To the gods and idols of this world We ask all 00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:18.239 this for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord who 00:37:18.239 --> 00:37:21.320 reigns with you and the Holy Spirit world without 00:37:21.320 --> 00:37:26.440 end amen Let us continue our worship by the giving 00:37:26.440 --> 00:38:10.030 of our tithes and offerings. Heavenly Father, 00:38:10.610 --> 00:38:14.809 we bring forth our tithes and offerings to you 00:38:14.809 --> 00:38:17.449 as a tribute offering for all of the things that 00:38:17.449 --> 00:38:19.530 we have done in our households this week, whether 00:38:19.530 --> 00:38:23.369 it be work or whether it be in our families. 00:38:24.050 --> 00:38:26.150 All of the things we do, this is representative 00:38:26.150 --> 00:38:30.869 of it. Please use these gifts for your glory 00:38:30.869 --> 00:38:33.130 and for service in your kingdom. Blessed be God 00:38:33.130 --> 00:38:34.730 forever and ever. Amen.