Open—R. Thonney, M. Payette, T. Roach
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Am I an object, Lord beloved?
But you want to divide my heart with thee, which was, I heard a demon flawed in answer to like constancy 46 of the appendix.
For you, this would be all in my heart and feeling.
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I don't want to take too much time, brethren, but I do have something that I trust is of the Lord and start with a verse in Psalm 11.
Kind of, uh, in conjunction with what our brother gave in his address about building.
Psalm 11, verse 3.
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold, His eyelids try. The children of men just like to speak on the question of foundations. Extremely important part of building is foundation work.
Foundations, it's interesting, are not part of the building that are very visible.
Often almost completely invisible.
But extremely important. You're going to make a building.
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You don't have good foundation. You may use good material in the building itself, but the building will not last. How important then to get the foundation right?
As we were reading in Ezra, when they were relaying the foundation of the temple, it had been broken up. When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple, the foundations were broken up.
And so they had to be relayed, and when they were relayed, it caused real joy to those who were younger.
And it caused weeping in those who were older, who had known the 1St house on its glory. Both emotions were proper in their place.
But what I have learned to enjoy, brethren, and we come to the building of God in the New Testament.
The foundation is the Lord Jesus Himself.
We read that verse in First Corinthians Three other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, that is Jesus Christ? How important to know where we stand, where we rest our souls?
He is that rock when he says in Matthew chapter 16, upon this rock I will build my church. He's not talking about Peter if we know.
He's talking about the his own glorious person, the Son of Man and the Son of the living God.
That's where we rest and if you're not there, you're not on the foundation, there's not going to be any firmness to your life and testimony.
****.
You know, in the New Testament, ruin has come into the public testimony just like it did in the Old Testament. But there's one difference and I'd like to read it in First Timothy or Second Timothy chapter 2. That has been such a tremendous.
Bulwark to my own life and faith.
Second Timothy chapter 2 and verse.
Well, we'll read from verse 19, but just to go before, he's been talking in verse 17 about two men who had taught.
False doctrine about the resurrection. And he says they overthrew the faith of some. But notice what it says in verse 19. This is what's been such a consolation to my own soul. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure.
Not a consolation, brethren, the ruin may be ever so great, but the foundation is there.
It's never been destroyed, it's never been broken up.
Thank God for that.
Sometimes, I say, maybe we have to dig down through the rubble of our own thoughts to get where the foundation actually is.
Really get into the word, search the scriptures, find out where we do stand.
On issues of our life, both individually and collectively.
The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His, and let everyone that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.
Two parts, one God's side.
In the present ruin of condition, ruin condition of the public testimony, who is the Lord's who isn't? That's for the Lord to determine. The Lord knows them that are His, and we can leave that with Him. But there is a part of our own responsibility. What is that? If you name the name of the Lord, do not connect that name with iniquity in any form, moral, ecclesiastical, or doctrinal.
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Don't connect it with iniquity.
Very important parts associated with the question of the foundation. I'd like to go back to Ephesians chapter 2.
To show one other point in connection with the foundation.
Little bit.
Of a detail that perhaps can be helpful.
Connection with the building.
Ephesians chapter 2 and we'll read from verse 19. Now therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God.
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
Whom all the buildings fitly framed together growth and to unholy temple in the Lord.
In whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation of God.
Through the Spirit. So here we have that the foundation is called the foundation of the apostles and prophets.
Because God used the New Testament apostles and prophets to lay the foundation, the groundwork where the church was to be built. And so we have the New Testament Scriptures and upon that we are grounded. This is the foundation in Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone, the reference point in connection with this foundation.
But it's interesting that it puts it as the foundation of the apostles and prophets and I.
Want to encourage the younger brothers and sisters too.
And all of us of the importance of getting.
An understanding of New Testament truth.
Paul says to Timothy, maybe we should read it in not to lose this place in Ephesians in chapter one of Second Timothy.
Hold fast the form of sound words, verse 13.
Or have an outline of sound words.
Do you have an outline of Scripture? I want to encourage you young brothers to read the scriptures and get an understanding of New Testament truth. It will make you steady in times where everything is shaking as it is today. So important to have that.
I have been very encouraged in Latin America, younger brothers that seem to have really gotten a hold of the truth of God as to the church. It just thrills me to see the way the Lord is using them because they have found rock solid groundwork where to build. And I just want to say young brothers, you don't have to apologize for anything that is written here.
Because it will stand firm at all times.
This foundation of God standeth sure, and so it's called the foundation of the apostles and prophets.
Loop, for example, I don't think, I don't believe it's called an apostle certainly was a prophet because he gave us the book not only of Luke but of Acts, which tells us a lot about church truth.
There were others too who were not apostles, perhaps James and Jude. They were half brothers of the Lord been suggested. They were not apostles and yet they were prophets. They gave us scriptures that are very important to understanding our times.
So we need to have an understanding of these books. I don't say you have to understand every single detail. Have an outline. You know how it is. When you're gonna build a house, you get the plans out in front of you.
And you know where the doors are gonna go, you know where the windows are gonna go. You have that outline in your mind as you start building. It's important. And so he's an outline of Scripture. What is the book of Romans about? What does it deal with? How about First Corinthians? What does that deal with when you have an outline that you know where to go when there are questions on certain issues?
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So the Lord encourage you to get an outline.
Let's say see younger brothers sometimes really getting serious and understanding the New Testament scriptures. I thank God when I see that they're going to be a help in times of need.
Here it says in these verses we read in Ephesians 2.
Verse 21 Whom all the buildings fitly framed together.
Grow us into an holy temple in the Lord that's looking into the future. We're growing towards this point.
But verse 22 is present in whom also ye are builded together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit. In other words, the Spirit of God dwells in the House of God.
Every true believer is a stone, a living stone in this spiritual house.
And the Spirit of God dwells in US. And I want to stop to reflect on that a minute because.
Sometimes I wonder if we really realize.
Realize properly.
The reason that the Spirit of God is here on earth.
Now in the Church of God.
Says in chapter 16 of chapter John's Gospel that is that here to guide us into all truth. You know, we need to cultivate young people and older ones too, a sensitivity in our souls of the presence and power of the Spirit of God in us to guide us.
I have to confess that OFT times I have quenched the spirit when he told me perhaps to open my mouth. Sometimes I quench the spirit by talking too much too. That happens.
And I probably am more guilty of that than the other, but I say we need to be sensitive in our souls of His presence and power in our midst to guide us. We sit down in the Lord's presence. We should sit down, you younger brothers, just as much as the older brothers.
With the attitude.
Lord, I know You're here in our midst and You're here to guide us by Your Holy Spirit and to be sensitive as to how He may lead you and use you, maybe in praying, maybe in offering a word of praise to the Lord Lord's Day morning.
Maybe in asking a question in a reading meeting, sometimes questions are very helpful in opening up a subject, but whatever it is to be.
Have that sensitivity in our souls.
I do believe, brethren, that there are many of us that come to our public meetings and sit down almost with the attitude. I have to say this because this was my attitude many years of my life. I'm not opening my mouth tonight. Doesn't matter what might happen, I'm gonna just keep my mouth shut.
Don't do that.
Be in the Lord's presence in exercise of heart.
How important that is to realize the body of Christ is a living Organism here in this world. And I must say I have so enjoyed being amongst our Latin brethren. Not that I don't enjoy being here too. I enjoy it.
Same body, brethren, same spirit.
But I get the feeling sometimes, especially on the Lord's Day morning and a breaking of bread meeting, when it seems like we leave it up to two or three or four brothers to take all the part.
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Brethren, are we quenching the Spirit of God? He dwells in us, not just a certain quantity of brothers.
He dwells in this awe when it comes to a question of prayer and praise.
It's not a question of gift, the question of priesthood, and you are all priests. The Old Testament, a person was a priest if he was born into Aaron's family. The New Testament, you are a priest. If you are born into the family of God, you're a priest. Do you exercise your priesthood? That's an important point. Spirit of God dwells in US, and he desires to use us.
Must say, being amongst the Latin brethren, sometimes they go to the other extreme brethren, they kind of stumble over each other and getting up on Lord's Day morning to have praised the Lord.
Sometimes two of them speak at the same time.
Your brother that gets up on his feet to praise the Lord generally praises the Lord 1St and then maybe a brother is giving out to him at the same time has to wait till after and we sing to him. Well, they need instruction too as to the fact that the Spirit of God guides in an orderly way.
But I wonder sometimes which is the lesser of the two evils rather than that or what we witness sometimes in our meetings up here. I just want to encourage us. Brother God by his Holy Spirit dwells in the Church.
Not only in US individually, that's true, but in US collectively, and it should be evident.
1St Corinthians 12 We don't have time to go to it now because I want to leave time for others.
In First Corinthians 12, it's a question not so much of the gifts, but out of the manifestation of the Spirit which is shown in the activity of the gifts in the body of Christ.
God dwells in US, brethren. Is it evident?
The living God.
Dwells in us by his spirit. He's not limited.
By our thoughts, but may the Lord give us sensitivity and exercise in His presence.
Lord help us.
Matthew chapter 87. Rather, we had this morning or this afternoon.
And verse 24 we read a bit down about the wise man building his house upon the rock.
I'd like to reach few verses before.
Verse 21.
Not everyone that said unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter is the Kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord.
Have we not prophesied in our name?
And in thy name have cast out devils, And in thy name done many wonderful works.
And then will I profess unto them.
I never knew you.
Depart from me.
Eat at work. Iniquity.
These ones here.
At vendors.
They had done things.
Have we not?
Have we not?
Have we not?
The Lord doesn't have to dig to see the origin and the foundation.
That they were wrong.
But we learned that they were not.
On the Foundation.
Which is the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is the will of the Father which is in heaven? The will of the Father is that we believe on Him that He sent.
And now we have no other foundation than the person of the Lord Jesus.
And they did not have that foundation. You know, we live in a world today where many men are known for their great activity for the Lord, and the Lord knows them that are his. And we can be thankful for every minister of the gospel, every minister of the truth of God that is used of him to edify the body of Christ in love wherever they are.
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But there are those that we are warned about here.
We'll do things in his name.
And yet I'm not on the foundation.
That should be a help to us. They're ones that, uh.
That there's so much confusion that can affect the weaker ones that we would not go by a man's reputation.
We would go by what a man says about the Lord Jesus, how he speaks of him, not how he what he does for him, but how he speaks of the Lord Jesus.
It says as her brother was bringing before us the foundation of God. I'd like to turn to some verses in Galatians chapter 5 for a few moments.
Verse 22.
5 and 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy, peace, long-suffering and gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
The fruit of the Spirit of God.
Manifest in the lives of those that are His.
God glorified in mortal bodies like you and I have by the manifestation of this character of the Lord Jesus in our lives.
If you allow me, the fruit of the Spirit is love. What kind of love?
The love of God.
The love of God and joy by yourself and myself, because that foundation is not a piece of rock. That foundation is a person who loves and who loves you and loved me.
A God who sheds his love in your heart by His Spirit. And that's the quality of the love. It's the love of God.
We love because he first loved us.
Joy. What joy? It's the joy of God.
God makes you happy. God has you shared in His joy.
So what we have in the Book of Joy, Philippians.
And then the piece, what kind of piece? Peace with God, of course, starts with peace with God. In Romans chapter 5. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, which those men in Matthew 7 did not have.
But it's also the peace of God that passeth all understanding, the love of God.
The joy of God, the peace of God, and all the other manifestations of the Lord Jesus, all the character of God, the long-suffering of God, gentleness of God, goodness of God, faithfulness. It's faith in the English, but really I believe the thought is faithfulness, the faithfulness of God.
And so on. But I'd like to spend just a few moments on the theme of the joy of God and thinking of the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know it says.
The third official of John John says I have no greater joy than I hear, but that my children walk in the truth.
So John could hear of the children walking in the troop, but the Lord can see his own walking in the tube, and we can give him joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength. What a privilege, dear one, that we, these small creatures, before such a great God can bring joy to his heart. And I'd just like to spend a few months to consider quickly.
Some aspects of the Lord's Joy. Psalm 16.
Verse 11.
You know, just some of the perfect servant. This is the Lord Jesus.
In obedience on the earth to please his Father and to bring about his purposes and verse 11. Speaking of human resurrection, Thou would show me the path of life in thy presence is fullness of joy. At the right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
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Think of the Lord's joy.
As he entered the glory, having finished his course after accomplishing the work of lacrosse.
Being before the Father, the joy that was set before him, many aspects to that, the joy of the Lord and entering into the Father's presence.
Having given the Father all that He requires to bring the vilest of sinners and all the vile sinners of this world into the presence of a thrice holy God, on the basis of His work and faith in Him, what a joy for Him. You can rejoice in the Lord always. We can rejoice with the Lord also says in Hebrews chapter 12, before the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.
Song of Solomon.
Chapter 3.
There's 11.
Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon.
But the Quran were with his mother crowned him.
In the day of his disposal, and the day of the gladness or joy of his heart.
Think of the joy we're going to have when we see the Lord Jesus face to face.
Thank you, Joy. He's going to have.
When he sees all his own.
And the perfection he has brought them into.
In the full enjoyment of who he is.
And when he's done, surely we can grieve at how little his people know him and know about him and know what they have in him.
But in every measure that God has revealed to us, those treasures that we were speaking about, the gold, the silver, the precious stones, all those things that he's given us to know about the Lord Jesus, the body of his person and His work and all that we have in him.
What a subject for our joy, and to think that there's a time coming when you will see the fullness of the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. So when he comes with clouds and presents the church to himself, what a joy for him.
But you know, we do sites sometimes too, of our Lord's special heart in connection with the people of Israel.
They've been set aside for a time.
There's a time coming when he was going to rejoice over them with seeing.
Not in a greater joy that he rejoices over you and me, or will rejoice.
For this that would belong to him now we can enter into and enjoy together. And I see this in this verse 11 of Song of Solomon chapter 3.
To think of that love of the Lord Jesus.
For his people.
So you and I are different. We're indifferent to his name. I've last seen his name before I knew him.
Well, you didn't walk in the streets of my corner where I lived. I never heard this. This course is I never saw any of his miracles. I never saw him, period.
But the Lord Jesus was manifest to these people. He was in their streets. He fed them. He healed them.
He preached to them.
And he heard them say, Away with him, crucify him. We will not have this man to reign over us.
I know we breathe the heart of the Lord many times, but perhaps we can enter a little bit into.
What a grievance to his heart.
To receive such promised people he was so close to and manifesting grace and patience and long-suffering to them.
To be dusted.
And to think about time coming.
When this very pupil is going to weep.
Every family apart gonna be weeping because it's when he's gonna be revealed to their hearts. And in this verse of Song of Solomon, go forth, ye daughters of Zion, it speaks, I believe, of the other cities around Jerusalem. And behold, King Solomon.
With the crown wherewith his mother crown him.
I believe the mother.
Several scriptures speaks of Israel. Isaac was comforted because of his mother's death.
When he had Rebecca as his wife.
So the mother might say when he came and they crowned him all right.
They crowned him with a crown of thorns, and they spit in his face.
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When they rejected him, I can't enter into what this must have meant to his heart of love.
There's a day coming when this very nation is very people is going to own them as the true Messiah and King, and they're going to crown him, and he's going to rejoice in that day and the day of his espousals and the day of the gladness of his heart. I believe this speaks of the restoration of the Lord Jesus to his people, Israel as their King, as the King of the Jews.
Well, dear ones, these things are.
This beautiful book for us to rejoice in the Lord always and to rejoice with the Lord when we speak on foundation brother read the verse and Mark, he said it says there about digging, digging deep. No, sometimes we carry a lot of rubble with us and we let many, many things interfere in our vision as Christians and we lose sight of what it's all about. It's all about one person.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
You know him as your savior. You're one of His.
It haunted him that we need to build on his person, on his finished work. We can rest on that. Nothing can change the foundation of God. Nothing can alter. We built on that foundation. You're on that foundation today. You're safe forever. If you're not, you can be doing, doing, doing.
But when you are measured, you will be found not to be on the foundation like these workers of iniquity. In Matthew Chapter 7 they spoke about what they did for the Lord, but they never entered into what the Lord.
Did.
For you and me.
In uh Matthew 16 it talks about the Lord Jesus. He says I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Satan is trying, the gates of hell are trying to tear down the church, but it will not prevail.
I want to read a verse in Ephesians chapter 5.
Christ paid an awful lot for the church. It cost him a tremendous amount and it says here in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 25. Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. He gave himself for the church.
He gave everything he had.
That verse that was read earlier.
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Are the foundations being broken down in our lives? Our brother mentioned about moral and doctrinal and ecclesiastical evil coming in and, and, uh, he, he warned us about building with those things on God's church.
But yet somehow spiritual lethargy comes in.
And what causes that?
Let's go back to Ephesians 5.
And verse 25, starting at the beginning of the verse, Husbands, love your wives.
Even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it.
It brings in our marriages.
The marriage relationship.
What you are in your home.
Is what you are in the assembly.
And if our marriages are being broken down?
It's going to weaken the assembly.
As I look around.
I see a lot of young families.
I see some who are not yet married, but there's interests.
But as you get ready to get married, and if you are already married, you will know that two people have different ideas and different expectations. And in your marriage, perhaps your father is the one who takes out the trash. And as a woman, you expect your husband to take out the trash. And if it doesn't happen, your expectations are destroyed.
And if if your husband or your wife does not live up to your expectations.
You're offended and you're hurt.
And marriage is a very difficult thing. It doesn't have to be, but sometimes it is. There's struggles in a marriage.
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And if you don't understand the differences between a man and a woman.
Your life is going to be very difficult.
Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 33.
Nevertheless, that everyone of you in particular so love his wife.
Even as himself and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Men who are dressed first, it says love your wife.
If your wife knows that she that that you love her, she'll be happy.
And you'll see by your actions and your comments that you make that you love her.
Ladies, the last part of the verse talks about reverence your husband.
You need that's respect. You need to give your husband respect. And if your husband knows that, you respect him.
If you respect his thoughts.
And you respect his work.
And you respect his decisions?
Your husband should be happy.
Unless he is selfish.
Or perverted.
This love in this respect, it's unconditional.
The Lord Jesus loved the church. He gave himself for it.
Did we deserve it? No.
Does your wife deserve to be loved by you?
Does your husband deserve to be respected by you?
This verse doesn't address whether you deserve it or not.
If your wife does not respect you, what are you to do?
It says.
Let everyone of you in particular so love his wife.
That's the response.
And if your husband doesn't show you love?
What is your response?
It should be a response of respect.
But that's not always the way it works out, because when we have.
Difficulties or differences of opinions in our marriages.
Sometimes.
You may expect your husband to just know how to react or to say things just right and he doesn't do it and it can make you angry.
And you get feelings of malice in your heart. It's possible, it happens.
50% of marriages end up in divorce and there's a reason.
Because of expectations that are not met.
Let's go to Matthew chapter.
19.
And verse five, you know what you are right now.
In your life before you are married, that is what you're going to be when you're in your marriage. And so if you want to know what your husband is going to be like after you're married, look at him now.
Is he selfish?
What is he like?
He will be more of that as he gets older.
Except by the grace of God it works on him. But Matthew 19 verse five and six.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife. And they twain shall be one flesh, Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder, we're told to cleave to our wives.
That means to hold on to don't let anybody disturb that marriage relationship. Don't let anybody get in and break you asunder, and even you yourself.
Don't do anything that would cause that marriage to break up. Sometimes a husband and wife get married, but they don't really leave their parents. This verse says to leave your parents and that means more than just moving out of the house. You need to break your your ties to your mother and your father. They have no more authority over you. If you go to Ephesians chapter 6, it says children obey your parents. When you are married, you are no more a child. You do not obey your parents. Now you establish your own family circle and.
Man is the head of that and you are responsible now for everything that goes on in your marriage. It it is not your parents or your in laws, they should break their you don't break the ties completely. But as far as authority and responsibility, they have no more authority over you and so don't let your parents or your relatives control decisions because.
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It will cause you the husband and wife, it will cause arguments among you and they will break down your relatives can break down your one mind and and you're supposed to be cleaving to one another and they'll disturb the love that you have for one another because your wife will want to do what her parents say. She always has done that and now she's under your authority and you will want to obey your parents and it just you need to be your own unit and cleave 1 to another.
And another thing that happens sometimes is that when things aren't going smoothly in a marriage that we complain to our friends or relatives every time our husband or wife does something that maybe we don't like and.
Don't let anyone get inside your marriage and give you bad advice and and disturb your one body of marriage, it says in our verse.
They are no more twain, but one flesh.
And so.
Don't be telling others about what happened, what your husband or your wife does. Now there are ex exceptions to that, but we'll get into that right now. Umm and then that verse that we had in Ephesians 5, verse 33. Umm Nevertheless, every one of you in particular so love his wife.
Even as himself and see and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Now let's go over to Genesis chapter 29.
And verse 34, this is Leah, Jacob and Leah, she was having another child. And in this, in this, uh, instance, Jacob had married Leah, who was forced to marry her and he didn't really love her. There was no communication between the two. And, and uh, in verse 34, so Leah conceived again and bear a son and said, now this time will my husband be joined to me because I have borne him three sons. Therefore was his name called Levi.
And so.
Leah She was hoping that there would be a closeness of communication with her husband.
Husbands, your wife is no different. Your wife wants to be joined to you. She wants to be joined in an intimate communion with you. Intimate means a connection of thoughts, a sharing of thoughts and ideas, and your your wife wants to be one with you in thoughts and ideas, and so she wants you to be close to her, to stay near to her.
Jacob and Leah, they had a troublesome marriage and at one time, one time God said in the Garden of Eden to to the woman, she said the desire of the woman will be towards her husband and so.
Our wives, their desire is towards us. So towards the man. She wants to give you respect. She wants to give you the place of responsibility. But sometimes as men, we get lacks and we oh, whatever you say, whatever you want to do. And we don't take our responsibility in the marriage seriously and and be a leader in the in the home as the head of the of the unit. And so Leah, she desired to be close to have that intimacy of fellowship.
With Jacob.
So we need to stay close to our wives so we can connect with them emotionally to our wife. A wife needs to be intimately and emotionally attached to her, to her husband. And if we're not aware of that as men, we we become self focused on what we are doing and we forget about what our wife needs and our wife wants and we make sure that she takes care of everything that I am and everything that I want. Let's go to 1St Corinthians 11.
1St Corinthians 11 and verse 11. Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man in the Lord.
I know as our busy lives we're not always together all the time.
Maybe meals aren't eaten together.
Maybe you don't walk together, but this this verse says the woman is not without the man and the man is not without the woman. So it's important for us to be a family unit together. You eat together. I know the man has to go into out into the working world, but you do come home and you can sit down and you can eat together. You can read together you can walk together you can sit together you can make decisions together and you can make talk about the children and how you're gonna spend the money and who's responsible for this and that and so there's.
The husband and wife, they are not independent one of another. They're to cleave to to one another and and they.
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Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man. And so we should operate together. There needs to be a closeness. The wife needs to be close. She needs to have affection. She needs to be touched and not only sexually, but she needs to be touched at other times too. And she needs affection and and to hold her hand or to give her a hug or or a smile. Spend time together getting to know one another and communicating on on an equal.
Equal level.
And you need to treat your wife in a way that lets her know that she is valuable to you and that you appreciate her opinions.
Christ gave himself for the Church.
He let us know.
That we are valuable to him and that's how we need to be with our wives. To let them know that they are valuable to us. Go to First Peter 3.
OK in verse 7.
First Peter 37 Likewise ye husbands dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.
According to knowledge.
You need to understand your wife.
God has put the husband in a position as head in the relationship.
Now, I know some people think that head means that you're the king and that whatever you say, that's the law. And we and we rule with the an iron fist and keep our lives under our thumbs. That's not what it means to be the head. To be the head means to be a leader.
The head needs to know what the needs and the wants and the desires of the people who are following him are. He needs to know their strengths and their weaknesses so he can lead them. And so the husband needs to know his wife. You need to know what are her concerns, what are her needs, what are her desires, what are her problems? But we always get it turned around. And now you make sure you take care of my needs. You make sure you know what my concerns are and you toe the line and you do what I say.
And what kind of marriage relationship do we have?
And we try to mold our wives to be something that God did not intend them to be, and then after they become what we force them into, we don't like them anymore.
A leader must understand.
A head is a leader. You must understand your wife.
And you need to listen to her and I, I can stand up here and say these things, but I'm speaking. I'm speaking to myself too.
We need to sympathize with our wives. What are her problems? What are her concerns?
Christ loved the church.
And gave himself for it. And we were to emulate that.
Now the end of the verse says, Give verse 7, giving honor to the wife as unto the weaker vessel.
So in, uh, in Malawi, the, some of the men, they came to me with this version because the women, they carry the big heavy loads on their head and they do a lot of the work in the garden and they're stronger than most of the men. And they came to me with this verse and said, now what does this first mean that the woman is the weaker vessel And it's kind of a challenge, but what does that mean that she's the weaker vessel? She's more vulnerable than you are.
You see?
As the head, as the leader, you are responsible for all the decisions that are made.
Every decision you make.
It affects your wife. Whether it's good or bad, it affects your wife.
You see a woman as a as a girl, she's grown up under the authority of her parents, her father, her mother. And she does whatever they tell her to do. And she gets to know what life is like under her parents. And all of a sudden she's taken out and now she's responsible to you and you are responsible to her. That's a big step. And that can be scary.
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She's subject to you physically to provide for her.
When God created created marriage, he took Adam, put him to sleep, and took a rib out from his side.
Right next to his heart.
Right next to his heart. That's where our love comes from. And so God intended that a man loves his wife.
And it's under his arm.
And so that's where our arms are there to protect, our arms are there to provide for our wife. And notice that the Lord didn't take a bone from the foot of Adam so he could walk all over his wife.
Neither did he take the bone from his head so the woman could rule over the man, but he took the the bone from the side so they can walk along together.
The husband is also responsible for his wife emotionally.
To know her concerns and her needs.
And to consider her ideas.
Husbands.
Our verse here says.
Give honor to the wife. So husbands, we need to honor our wives. Provide for them, protect them and love them. Create an atmosphere where they can blossom and grow into who God made them and wants them to be. Let's go to 1St Corinthians 7.
Verse one.
Now concerning the things whereof you wrote unto me, It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
It's good for a man not to touch a woman.
This isn't talking about holding hands.
This is talking about fornication.
But it's good to realize that fornication.
It starts somewhere else.
Starts with a look.
Maybe it starts by touching the hand?
So you need to be careful.
It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
But yet in society today.
The woman is.
Made out to be a sex object.
And so when a man goes into marriage quite often.
The man's idea of a woman is a sex object.
And he doesn't treat her as a person.
And he lived selfishly.
And thinks only of himself. But yet we are to love our wives even as ourselves. We treat ourselves good.
We need to treat our wives good also. Verse two. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication that every man have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband.
Of his own wife.
Verse three. Let the husband render unto the wife do benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
Benevolence is kindness.
Are you kind to your wife?
Do you look out for her Good?
What about the wife? Do you? How do you treat your husband?
You see when when marriage gets out of order.
We stopped being kind to one another.
And then we say, well, she doesn't love me, she doesn't respect me, so I'm not going to love her.
And then she says, well, if you don't love me, I'm not gonna respect you. And it gets goes into a vicious circle.
And it's hard to get out.
And so we need to render benevolence one to another.
Verse four, The wife has not power over her own body but the husband. Likewise also the husband has no power over of his own body but the wife.
In other words, you don't belong to yourself. You now belong to your husband. You now belong to your wife.
You don't belong to another woman.
You have your own way.
And you need to reserve your body for her.
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Don't give your body to someone else.
With the Internet today.
Many people give their bodies.
Two.
Other women.
With ***********.
As I look around.
I don't know who of you are guilty.
But young men?
Sometimes the idea is that when you get married.
You can just put that away. You won't. It won't bother you anymore and marriage will solve your problems.
But it won't.
When it becomes a part of you.
You can't get rid of it.
And marriage won't satisfy your perverted lust.
And it will destroy your life.
We're we're told in First Corinthians 11 and it says let a man examine himself and so let him eat. So if you are at the Lord's Table, you need to examine yourself daily and when something starts to get a hold of you.
No matter what it is.
You need to confess that and put it away, otherwise it's going to grow into something that's going to destroy you and eventually the assembly will need to get involved and to put you away as a wicked person, because sin doesn't just stay little.
It grows and it becomes a habit and it will destroy you.
You don't belong to anybody else. You need to save your body for your husband. You need to save your body for your wife.
Verse 5.
The fraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come together again that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. And so here.
The husband or the wife is not to withhold themselves.
From their husband or their wife.
But God does give a reason.
For not coming together in that way.
It says for prayer and fasting.
I ask you.
Have you ever prayed?
I'm I'm sure everyone can say yes.
But then I ask you again, have you ever fasted?
Why not?
Is fasting something old fashioned? Something they only did in the Old Testament? Something they only did under the law?
Do we really care about what God's view is, what God's ways are? Or do we only care about ourselves?
Fasting.
I think it shows dependence on the Lord. Prayer shows dependence on the Lord and if we're giving ourselves to prayer and fasting.
Included in that.
Is a a time of separation from our husband or our wife? And so I say these things because.
When the family breaks down.
And the man who is part of that breakdown when he is part of the assembly.
And he is responsible perhaps in the assembly, he takes part in the assembly. He's a he's a help there. And God has put everyone in the body to be one members one of another.
And when the when the marriage breaks down, that weakness comes into the assembly.
And we see people sitting in the assembly who never take part.
And I know God has different gifts for different ones, and he's maybe not going to use everyone publicly.
But the Lord wants your heart.
He wants your worship.
He wants your praise. He wants your body.
Glorify therefore God in your body.
We say #318 three, 180 Lamb of God still keep us close, because I hear the sky is only there in safety.
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