SM160410/Home Sweet Home

Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners to receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org. The father I pray for every person here every person watching and listening. First I want to pray for married people because I know there are some marriages that are unraveling some are literally on the way the divorce court, where pray Lord you will save those marriages you'll snatch them out of that defeat and get them established on a firm foundation.

Maybe for the first time I'm free now, Lord, also for marriages that whether just struggling hard Lotta difficulties right now. Would you bolster that marriage would you strengthen it if necessary, would you restore it. Now I want to pray for strong marriages would you make them even stronger and even better if I the Lord I pray for anyone who is single, I pray that they will wait upon you to bring the right person into their life that they will not rush ahead of you at all not lag behind you and that they'll remain pure until that day with their joint together so we commit this series to you Lord, because we need help. We know the family is under attack today. We know the home is under attack. So we want to look to your word for answers. Speak to us as we open Scripture we pray in Jesus name, amen.

Artist story about a husband and wife. There were celebrating 25th wedding anniversary, so the husband got them from friends and family that all men I love this woman so much in he said during here because you've given me 25 years of wedded bliss I'm taking you to China. All she was so excited China. She says I've always wanted to go to China that she said if you're doing that for our 25th wedding anniversary. I can't wait to see what you do for our 50th wedding anniversary. The husband said that's what I'll pick you up these of the jokes, people maybe that's why one person said marriages like it three ring circus engagement ring wedding ring and suffering doesn't really have to be that way. Oscar Wilde was quoted to say the world is grown suspicious of anything that looks like happily married life." About this statement from one of the wealthiest men. Whoever lived J. Paul Getty was married many times he said quote I would give my entire fortune for one happy marriage. One happy marriage. That's all he wanted is it even possible gentlewoman and a man fall in love and get married and live happily ever after about that. The fairytales tallest, but like dozen back that up now does it because we look at the divorce rate in our country today. It's roughly a 50% and then if you get married for a second time. The divorce rate jumps up to 60% and then if you go for third marriage arises even higher than 73%. Yet fairytales usually end with the words happily ever after, but maybe we should change it to say happily even after let's be realistic, it can be a happy marriage. It can be a strong marriage.

The reason I called this series home sweet home. As I just love the word home. You know when you're in a long tribute for men. I wanted to go home. Something about the very word home that resonates with us. Think of all the songs that Christmas time that will sing about the home I'll be home for Christmas or there's no place like home for the holidays. Really not about what your house looks like it may actually be an apartment. It may be big and may be small. That's not the point.

It's all it's an important place. It represents a place of security and safety and and dependability. One person wrote home is heaven for beginners and you know when it comes to home.

The most important time if you're building a house is when you lay the foundation first want to get the blueprints right in the tournament of the city and their approved and they come back but you gotta make sure your electricals right in your plumbing is right in your foundation is poured properly because if you get all of that down and then it's not done as it should have been done. You're going to have to tear it up later. I know it's fun to decorate and to choose paint colors in landscaping and the most important part of the house is the foundation and the same is true of marriage. The most important part of it is our foundation so we want to build our marriage on our relationship with God.

Here's what you need to do this culture this world Hollywood. As an example, is not going to tell you how to have a successful marriage.

Knowing seen all these films are: Ron comes romantic comedies and all the songs it'd been written so we look to these celebrities thinking that all I was thinking of a life like there's really I don't know if you would really want that went down to the market yesterday and just grab some of those magazines that are sitting by the counter when you check out a token is strange buying four of them because someone might say Pastor Greg is that how you prepare for a sermon but look how many of these have to do with divorce hears us magazine with Joo Barrymore and her husband. I feel like a failure. Fairytale destroyed twos third marriage gave her the family she never had months of fighting shutters or dream forever and Chloe is sick with worry okay so your star magazine. Tim and Faith divorce papers. Tears find flies and other women hundred and 30 million fortune at state.

She treats Tim like a dog and here's Kim Kardashian have never seen her in the cover of a magazine before Kim's humiliation dumped on her second anniversary divorce papers.

A custody battle for North and St. how she pushed Kanye over the edge and finally we have okay magazine Tom Cruise. After three years apart. Please let me see Surrey. That's his daughter the truth behind their separation. I mean, these are people that you may look to think of how I wish I had their life they can keep a marriage together and I was reading over the lifespan of some of the Hollywood marriages. I don't know if even though this is getting history numbered kid rock married Pamela Anderson their marriage lasted four months. Renée Zellweger married country star Kenny Chesney their marriage last four months. Check this out. Eddie Murphy married Tracy Edmonds.

Their marriage lasted two weeks out of the marriage last two weeks ending that's my morning Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman. Their marriage lasted six days. I may understand that a little enter Nido pop star Sinead O'Connor entered report in the report. Marriage after 16 days so I'm not going to look to culture for cues on how to have a successful marriage but ambulatory reliable source. The word of God, that tells us everything we need to know about how to have a strong and lasting marriage. The Bible tells us everything we need to know about marriage everything we need to know about singleness everything we need to know about life in general I feel someone qualified to address a topic for a few reasons. Number one.

My mom was married and divorced seven times you know that living will that actually unqualified. She doesn't know disqualify Joyce should send the gun qualifies as a word.

I won't know in a way it doesn't because I've seen what divorce looks like. And when people say all the kids are resilient the bounce back.

Let me just tell you from a kids perspective divorce is devastating. If there's any way you can avoid that you do not want to do that to a child. It's even devastating when they're older. You see, so I've seen it up close and personal. I know what it's like to go through divorce after divorce after divorce. Number two, Kathy and I have been married for 42 years, so God is been good to us were very thankful for that. We got married we were determining up a strong and lasting marriage. We've had that by God's blessing number three I been a pastor for over 41 years and I've counseled a lot of couples. Let me say this at the outset, most marriages that I've seen this all did not have to let me say it again. Most marriages that I've seen this all did not have to but they were unwilling to do what the Bible says and the one thing that people often cite as to why there marriage is failing is irreconcilable differences right here that one more time I want to pull what little hair I have left out of my head. Irreconcilable differences give me a break. Kathy and I have had irreconcilable differences for 42 years know seriously she's very neat and I messy she sometimes laid I'm often early. She likes to watch anything on television as long as the people have a British accent and I like sugar mops and mysteries in things like that. She's cute and I'm fat, it's irreconcilable, though always be there. How is it that the very thing that drew us together now was supposedly driving us apart.

I mean, why were you drawn to your husband or your wife. Well, they were probably different than you like that old expression says opposite the truck. Maybe there was something in them that you did not have in your life and you like that, but now that very thing that attracted you to them.

Initially, has turned into this wide chasm gets turned into a problem that cannot be resolved. I disagree I say you recognize there's going to be irreconcilable differences, embrace it and save email a difference. It's okay, that's life. That's the way it works and understand that you can always improve in your marriage. The best husband will always be aware of the fact he could do a much better job. But if, in your smugness you laid the blame at the feet of your mate. That tells me the main problem is you, not them. When I talk with someone and say it's all her fault she this and she that while but you are Ugandan, great, great outfit party nor the problem is you see because we are correct and if we each play a part before I address a marriage just a few words to singles because many of you are single and and I just want to tell you that there are certain advantages to be married Mary and certain disadvantages. And there are certain advantages to being single and certain disadvantages. Here's the thing you need to know when you are married you make a commitment and you want to take that commitment seriously, because were told over and first Corinthians 7. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking to please him. But a married man can do that so well guess to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife Paul is not saying that critically like it's a bad thing to be married, but what he is saying is when you're married you want to think of someone else beside yourself.

Now in for a husband.

He is to think about how to please his wife.

I want us to think about how to please her husband.

That doesn't mean you can't still continue to please the Lord. What it does mean is now you have limitations in your life that you did not have before. When you're single. Your mobile. In many ways you're free so that's good. Use your mobility for God's glory and use your extra time to serve him and grow closer to him and pray about the right person because here's what you don't want to do. You don't want to hook up with a non-believer in this happens far too often and then you end up married to a non-believer and when you're married to a nonbeliever. The Scripture says you should stay with them and I've met people who are not happy in my marriage is not a Christian or she's not a believer. Why did you marry won't you know they told me they were Christian we got married they told you was there any evidence of just because someone says Christian doesn't mean you're a Christian, you know, some guy asked you out whether to invite them to church with you.

You know the incident going out somewhere else with him you I read about a dating service.

It's called just coffee so you can just have a cup of coffee with someone you're not stuck in a whole dinner escapade so you get one look at him and don't like your music. I want to really release small espresso you looking to say here it's great have a copy with how to go, instead of just copy just church so that guy hey would you like to go out with me. Where are you going cover that for, for one, discourage that. So guys if you want to go out with you as a Christian girl are you a Christian will even the way he says it's kinda creepy. I love God really can't tell you what, let's list me to church.

What young age I wanted to kill to coffee yet will coffee at church really good coffee miniature Chillicothe afterwards that'll really narrow the field down a bit. Why should you not be involved with the nonbeliever because second Corinthians 614 says don't be unequally yoked together with nonbelievers for what fellowship does like Wood, darkness, or Christ with Satan.

Another translation puts it this way and I like that that sort of it a paraphrase.

Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong that's not partnership.

That's more is like best friends look dark. This Christ go strolling with the devil to trust and mistrust hold hands well stated no because hers was going to happen. In most cases the believer is not going to pull the nonbeliever up the faith. But the nonbeliever is going to pull the believer down. That's why it's a trap and something we should avoid, listen, single person wait on the Lord and the person that God can bring to you. Maybe you know them already and maybe are going to meet them tomorrow. But whatever the state is you can start praying for them today and pray for wisdom for that right person for that right moment because once you're married now, you enter into a relationship that you want to last a lifetime. James Dobson said, don't marry the person you think you can live with Mary. Only the individual you think you can't live without.

Now I want to give to you the secret of a successful marriage of Kevin Penn what to write this down. You want to have a successful marriage.

Do this to words marry yourself seriously. I didn't work really well for me. Let me explain. As you know my last name is Lori.

Yes, it is a girls name and I didn't enjoy that growing up.

By the way, especially when I was in military school and everyone is addressed by their last name so I was just lowering so when I met Kathy, my wife.

Now she's getting up to girl names Kathy Loring right and people still to this day, I mistakenly call Kathy Loring Mosaic oh hi Greg. Hi Lori and they been Kathy but you get confuse okay whatever. So going back to our wedding day so there him getting ready to be married to my wife by the way she looked beautiful to the classic wedding John on I have the ugliest talks ever meant identifying the photo would show to you all, you found that you found it.

What was that you fit loudly to the photo. I don't like a groomer look like a PIP come on look at how cute you look she does look any different you and she married someone from Duck Dynasty because he could see beneath all of that hair that there was a bald man a bald man in waiting. So there we were in our wedding day in Pastor Chuck Smith your courses with the Lord now married us and he took us to the valves and then will be finally came to the point where he pronounces this man a wife and you kiss the bride is that I now pronounce that Greg and Lori are man and wife.

The name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. So I married myself. That's a secret work very well.

You might try it in our marriage like any other marriages face challenges it faces difficulties and we've gone through storms like any other person is gone through storm the worst storm we've ever faced happened around seven years ago, almost 8, now one Lord called our son Christopher home to heaven's devastating and I have to tell you that many marriages do not survive the death of a child and our marriage did not weaken it actually grew stronger and I'll tell you why. It's because from the very beginning to the present day, our marriage was built on our relationship with Christ and that is a firm foundation that will support you. The hardest of times and that's what you want to keep your marriage relationship built on.

So here's my question for you is your marriage on the rocks is your marriage on the rock of Jesus Christ because of its on him. You'll be okay at the end of the sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave these familiar words. Anyone… My teachings and obeys me is why he is like a person who builds a house on solid rock though the rain comes in torrents in the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it's built on rock. Jesus continues on and says, anyone who hears these teachings of mine and ignores them their fullest and their like a man who builds his house on sand and when the rains come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash notice. Jesus did not say if the rain comes.

But when the rain comes storms will come, hardships will come temptations will come challenges will come health issues will come.

That's $100 we say, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, I commit my love then we should update those valves are some today until a more attractive guy or girl comes along until I get tired of you, or when the marriage gets a little hard.

I would be honest, at least.

But if you've made that commitment to your wife or your husband you need to stand by that commitment because the storms will come and I want to tell you little secret.

One day when your life comes to an end.

If you have the luxury of a deathbed. Here's what's going to matter to you when people are on their deathbed. Three things are important really to faith and family in a distant third is friends, faith, family and friends.

In other words, when a person is on their deathbed.

They don't care anymore.

How much money is in their bank account. Discuss what the guilty little they don't care how beautiful or handsome they are, because that is going to become a nonissue quickly know what they think about his faith and by that I mean they think about their lack of relationship with God. Say amen I wish you went to church more. I wish I was closer to the Lord. I wish to read the Bible more. I've never met a single Christian on their deputy says I wish I didn't go to church all those times I wish I didn't memorize the Scriptures. I wish I partied more you kidding me it's the opposite.

And then it's family often regrets all I wish I was a better husband or wife wish it was a better parent. Yeah those are the things that matter in life. So don't wait until your deathbed to deal with them to deal with them right now. One day the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah. He said your days are numbered. You're going to die.

So get your house in order. Here's my question for you is your house in order. Is your house right is your home right are you being the husband of the wife or the parent or the single God wants you to be. We want to have a strong and flourishing marriage. Far too often people have the board says you know, sort of a trapdoor. Well that doesn't work will just get a divorce read an article the other day that said two thirds of Christians who were interviewed considered divorce. A reasonable solution to a problem marriage.

What a reasonable solution. Every marriage is going to have problems. Listen what log should be padlocked it if you don't believe it. Stay single but once you commit yourself. Commit to that person for life no let me digress for a moment say there are grounds for divorce in the Bible, given to us and will explore those in the future message but let me say and I'm reiterating now. Though there are grounds for divorce. I have found in most cases when divorce happened it could have been avoided. The marriage could have been saved. It was simply a cycle of selfishness. The couple got themselves into our lives look at our text now.

Ephesians chapter 5.

No, I think what we think of this particular chapter, we immediately remember the verses Paul says husbands love your wives as Christ loves the church and gave himself for Edson wives submit in your husband's is on the Lord and so for the will get to those verses. But we don't consider the verses that precede them, and in many ways the verses that precede those passages I just quoted lay the foundation for a strong and happy home sober going to look at those preliminary statements in this particular message Ephesians 5 starting in verse 13, all things are exposed or made manifest by the light for whoever makes manifest is like. Therefore, he says awake you lose sleep and arise from the dead in Christ will give you like see then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, don't be unwise. Understand what the will of the Lord is don't be drunk with wine, which is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. So if you're taking notes or some Takeaway truths.

Some points. Point number one if you want a successful marriage. Shine the light of God's word on it. If you want a successful marriage. Shine the light of God's word on it. Verse 13 all things are exposed to made manifest by the light.

Whatever makes manifest is like you don't, you lose something eternal life why what I'm always losing things in my car you know my wallet drops between the seats are.

I misplaced a burrito from a year ago when were out where it sits and so sometimes out to get a flashlight out a search under all the seats until I find it so light exposes things I heard a story about drunk man who was down in his hands and knees under a streetlight looking for something, someone came up to him said this or what did you lose anything realized my wallet told her he was a drunk man at the drum and there and they said no. Did you lose your wallet here. He said no. I lasted two blocks back. But there's no light there. Okay, that set a very good idea to search for something if you look in the wrong place. I have a little device now II keep in my wallet: tile if you seen those things to little ship little electronic chip and then when you press the button on your phone little little little little sound out so it'll help you find your wallet. I think I need to put tiles and everything now because I'm misplacing things all the time but you need to look for something in the right place in the right place to go is to look at what the Scripture says you know sometimes when marriages are having troubles.

They get counseling and I'm for that. As long as it's biblical counseling. Counseling is not enough. Listen to this.

Just because a person says Zürich Christian counselor doesn't necessarily mean they're giving biblical counsel if all the matters when it said and done, are you getting counsel from the word of God, because I've heard counsel that comes from people who are supposedly giving Christian counseling that frankly is contradictory to what the Bible says so. We need the counsel of God's word.

That's why when I sit a couple down there. Having troubles all as some a couple questions will often start with the you got reversible.

Are you Christians don't always say yes to number two. I'll ask you believe the Bible is the word of God. Again, though, say yes and then thirdly, I'll ask.

Are you willing to obey the word of God.

If you agree with that or not find it difficult or not lecture some people joke because everybody thinks their marital problems are unique but you know they really aren't. And after a while you see, these are similar patterns that happen in people's lives because they disregard the Scripture says they might similarly the second grade. What if you don't agree with what the Bible says simple answer change your opinion because the Bible is right and if you don't agree with it, you're wrong. Sorry to tell you that. But it's the truth. So we want to look to the word of God because it gives us the answers that we need and tells us what to do. Principle number two. We need to wake up, wake up verse 14. Awake you that sleep awaken from spiritual lethargy.

Listen, you can sleepwalk through a marriage. You show me a marriage that strong and vibrant and thriving, and I'll show you a marriage.

The people are giving attention to sort of like starting a fire and we don't know a lot about that urine Southern California. We observe flame logs and gas fireplaces, but in other places in our nation. You know you'll start a fire that will last and you may start with some kindling or some newspapers and some smaller twigs and sites and then get some logs on and then once the fires going to put another log on the fire in the same way of a marriage is strong, especially over up. Of time. It's because they keep putting logs on the fire they cultivate their romance.

They strengthen the marriage the moment you liked always the moment it's going to start weakening you up to constantly be giving attention. You have to be proactive, not merely reactive. What will happen as a marriages neglected the husband neglects his role. The wife neglects hers.

One problem turns into another and it gets worse and worse and worse, now or in the state of crisis, I say go back to the beginning and engage in preventative maintenance strengthen it every day is not unlike your relationship with God. If you neglect the study of Scripture. If you neglect being a part of church if you neglect if you neglect your prayer life. I it's going to affect you spiritually, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even a week from now.

But in time you'll see the effect same is true of marriage. So wake up to that fact number three walk carefully while carefully look at verse 15. See then that you walk circumspectly to an interesting word. It carries the basic meaning of that which is accurate and exact.

It conveys the idea of looking examining and investigating something with great care. Sort of like the kind of attention you would give before signing a contract you want to be very careful before before you put your John Hancock is a C on the contracted initial all those little things that they highlighted because the devil may be in the detail. Susie saw the same way I look at this very carefully and I'm going to be attention to detail to make sure I've done everything I can do, not so much worried about will my spouse is doing or is not doing my doing my part because again I want to emphasize.

We need to strike this word divorce for market vocabulary. Someone once asked Ruth Graham, the wife of Billy Graham.

She had ever considered divorcing billing and she said I've never once considered divorcing him murdering him.

Yes, divorcing him know that was been humorously of course don't get any ideas while carefully conveys the idea of alertness, you know, sometimes he will say all they have a marriage made in heaven. When you think good marriages happen randomly. All is I mean others of a marriage made in hell no you see a marriage. It looks like it was made in heaven.

It's because those people have applied themselves. Number four. Use your time wisely. Use your time wisely. Verse 16 redeeming the time for the days are evil. Redeem makes mean means make the most of your time, or make use of every opportunity take the time to strengthen your marriage and lastly number five to have a successful marriage. You must be filled with the Holy Spirit that have a suspect successful marriage.

You must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 18. Don't be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit, by the way, in the Greek that is a command to not be filled with this power is the cut off your power supply years ago we had a workday or the church and this is when we were first starting so we were painting and trimming hedges and all sorts of things and I'm really bad with tools of any, you know I mentor my mom is very good divorce.

I never had a dad go over the basics with me, like how to tie a tie and how to build something so II this big huge deficiency in that area. If my wife sees a walk in the house with a hammer.

She's alarms I like hardware stores. I love all the cool tools I'm just not very good with them. That's all. So were out here at this work in church and there that they had was a hedge trimmer. You know, and I that will cool you know is plugged in the walls like a man. I'm trimming the dominant. This is fun I like there's and I was really paid attention and I Move and that thing is cut in the closet and it came right to the just stops. I look over the right to look to the left. They just walked off just left about 30 years later, Dennis Davenport was attending our church at that time he was up on the roof working there and he says I want this whole thing.

Greg, I saw everything that I thought will come as a man is. It's a kind of a man who just got his power supply offsets with and you don't want to do that you need the power of the Spirit would you think of when you think of being filled with the spirit. I think sometimes people imagine it should be an emotional experience right and it can be. Sometimes it is always you might go to be filled with the spirit need you going to jump up and down or even a scream really loud will really God's power in God's billing is a practical power. It's not so you can jump client so you can walk straight. Sort of like a fire hose if they lose control of it. It can be dangerous to get killed. Someone would have the grab hold of that firehose and direct the stream of the water in the right direction. They can put out a fire they can save the lives of people. So God gives us his power not to just throw off with no purpose but to do what he is called us to do be filled with the Holy Spirit and by the way, this is an interesting little twist where it says be filled with the spirit, because in the original language, we find that the last clause in the long previous sentence is submitting one to another in the fear of God so in other words, here's another verse should go be filled with the spirit speaking yourself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord submitting one to another in the fear of God's is very important to sometimes why choke on the verse that says wives submit under your husband's is on the Lord you much.

I don't want to submit to my husband or anybody else in the second before God tells wives to submit to their husbands before God tells husbands to love their wives. God says to husband and wives, submit to one another in the fear or the reverence of God. If you're a spiritual person, you'll be a submitting person. Now maybe you think of subservience and slavery, but that's not what submission is in the Bible.

Let me put it another way, if you're really filled with the spirit, you'll think of others over yourself, a spiritual husband will put the needs of his wife above his own spiritual wife will put the needs of her husband, unscriptural husband with the needs of his wife so both of them are putting the other in the first position in military language it means to rank beneath the rank under there's order of ranking in the military and police officers and so forth and you can outrank a person so the idea is you put yourself under that person you want to hold him up you want to support them.

This is not about superiority or inferiority.

It's about sacrifice. It's about obedience, it's not about you it's about your mate. Listen a successful marriage is not so much finding the right person is much as it is being the right person. Stop blaming your mate and be the best husband you can be. Stop blaming him to be the best wife that you can be stop reading each other's mail.

I just do what God tells you to do drives me crazy when I hear wives quote versus about being a good husband of the man in them" versus the reacher own stinking versus doing God tells you to do and you'll be amazed at what will happen. I shouldn't say stinking versus I retract that statement, there's no stinking versus in the Bible, but you get what I was trying to say by that. So we want to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

But what does that mean specifically to adjusting this three word pictures are given to convey well. The idea of what the Bible saying one way that this phrase filled is used is when filling a sale during along any of you like the sale you know how wonderful it is when you turn off the engine, you catch that gust of wind and you're just cruise along fantastic makes life so much easier doesn't it, and the same is true of marriage when he can try to do it on your own due to your own strength but men just let the Holy Spirit fill your sales and help you to do what God has called you to do. It also conveys the idea of permeation back in the first century they would take salt and rub it into me to preserve it before refrigeration so the idea being conveyed as let the Holy Spirit permeate your life you rub it in deeply that the Holy Spirit be deeply embedded inside of you affecting you and what you say and what you think and what you do and finally it conveys the idea of total control. Paul compares the filling of the spirit to drunkenness. Don't be drunk with wine, wherein is excess but be being filled with the Holy Spirit not would still be under the control of the spirits be under the control of the spirit. You know what a person's drunk like the guy looking for his wallet. They're not thinking straight.

They think they're in control, but they aren't. And so the same is true here be under the control of the holy spirit. Let him have control of your life. So put it all together. What does it mean to be filled with the holy spirit beings which are carried along and permeated by and under the control of Jesus Christ to fill yourself with God's word so his thoughts become your thoughts to standards your standards is will your will to be filled with the spirit of walking, thought by thought decision by decision act by act under the Holy Spirit's control. This is true of the Christian life to know we can try so hard to not do this and not to that. Listen to this Galatians 5 says if we sort of the spirit will reap life everlasting. We sort of the flesh will reap corruption so were told walk by this spirit, you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. So if you focus on the positive. It will help you deal with the negative. So I am saying I want to be filled with the spirit under the control of the spirit living by the Council of Scripture, then the other things will all sort themselves out. We need the help of the Holy Spirit we can do this on our own. We need the Holy Spirit's power to be the husbands. God is called us to be. We need the Holy Spirit's power for you girls to be the wives of God is called you to be.

We need the Holy Spirit's power to be the parents.

God is called us to be.

We need his help and singles need the Holy Spirit's power to be the single God has called you to be. Let me just close with this one thought when I say one thought that the preacher's way of saying I'm to go for 20 more minutes and I nodded.

I'm almost done.

Actually, but of all the pictures that God could've chosen to show his love for the world. He chose marriage. Husbands are told. Love your wife as Christ loves the church wives be dear submissive your husband is under the Lord.

So here's what the Lord is saying hey world, a secular culture you want to know much I love my people check out the way the Christian husband loves his wife. Hey nonbelievers you want to see how much my people let me check out the way that Kristin wife loves her husband, can't you see how bad it is now we Christians get a divorce. How it so devastates our witness were telling these people how to live were telling them how to be changed by Jesus, and we can't work out our problems in our own marriages.

It should not be so. God's chosen the marriage is a representation to a lost world, and therefore, when you have a strong marriage you're a powerful witness but again I want to emphasize that. How did God show his love he showed up by sending his son Jesus to die on the cross for us. Talk is cheap. Words are easy to say God put his own son on the cross to die in our place to show how much he loves each and every one of us in our skin closing, married or single, forget about that for a moment you know God mentioned that statement of Isaiah the prophet to King Hezekiah. He said, get your house in order. Tomorrow you're going to die what if God said that to you.

What if this was your last day on earth your house in order. Is your life in order.

Are you ready to meet God. If not you can come into a relationship with with him right now and be forgiven of all of your sin and all of us need that Jesus who died on the cross in your place or mine and absorb God's wrath in our place rose again from the dead and now he stands at the door of our life any nonsense as a full per his voice and open the door he will come in. Have you ever asked Jesus Christ to come in your life. Do you know right now is certainly that you go to heaven when you die, if not would you like to know Christ in a personal way. Would you like your sin forgiven. Would you like a second chance in life.

When a close now with a prayer and I want to give you an opportunity to get right with God. If you need to respond to this invitation as we all pray together atop our heads. If you would please father, thank you for your word to us. Thank you for loving us.

Thank you for sending Jesus to die for us and now we pray for any person, here or anyone watching who does not yet know you, Lord, help them to see their need for Jesus, help them to come to you and believe we pray.

No other heads of God and our eyes are closed and were praying. Listen if you want Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sin if you want to know that you will go to heaven when you die if you need a second chance in life. If you want your guilt taken away, would you raise your hand up right now. Wherever you are and I'll pray for you if you want Christ to come into your life lift your hand up, I reckon see it. Let me pray for you today, bless you wherever you are lifted up. I'll pray for you.

God bless you. God bless you. Anybody else God bless you raise your hand. Now maybe you're watching the screen and I can't see without okay God sees you. Would you take a little step of faith and say yes Lord, I need you raise your hand up wherever you are. God bless you. God bless you. God bless each one of combustion combustion anybody else. Maybe some of you wandered away from your faith. Maybe your marriage is a messenger been a lousy spouse or maybe you're out there is a single person living a morally and you just need to get right with God and be forgiven. You can make a recommitment to Christ right now that your need, would you raise your hand upon me. Pray for you combustion combustion anybody else. God bless.

All right, nominally asked every one of you if you would please if you raise your hand saying you want to make this commitment or recommitment to Christ.

I want you to stand your feet nominally join a prayer just stand your feet right now wherever you are, you raise your hand if you even if you did not, but you want to get right with God stand up to pray together.

Your dream might stand up, stand up wherever you are stand here for you to pray together you that of raise your hand you that haven't you want to commit or recommit your life to Christ and your feet.

You guys watching the screens. Stand your feet nominally join this prayer anybody else.

If you raise your hand. Even if you did not what you want your sin forgiven you want to go to heaven when you die you done things you know are wrong and you need to recommit your life to Christ. Stand up are we going to pray together away one more moment anybody else. By the way, others are standing. See won't be alone away one more moment anybody else stand up now lead you in this prayer. God bless you guys. Anybody else God bless you away one more moment stand now, bless each one of you are you that are standing. I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me again as I pray pray this out loud after me, you stand pray this, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner but I know you're the Savior who died on the cross and shed your blood for every sin I've ever committed. I'm sorry for my sin. I churn from it.

I choose to follow Jesus from this moment forward. Thank you for calling me and accepting me and for giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen. God bless each one of you there. Pray that prayer God bless you guys