The Bible says “God wants all men to be saved and come to a

knowledge of the truth,” 1 Timothy 2:4.

We welcome you today to The Gospel of Christ program. In this

series of lessons, we're going to be discussing the great subject of

salvation. And friend, how good it is to know that the God of heaven wants

all men to be saved! 2 Peter 3:9 the Bible says that ‘The Lord is not slow

concerning His promises, as some men count slowness, but He's long

suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but all should come

to a knowledge of the truth.’ God wants everybody to be saved. Jesus has

delayed or is slow in His coming in that God wants to give all men time to

repent. And so today, we're going to think about God's plan for salvation.

Let's then think about God's plan for salvation. The scripture says, in

Titus 1:2, of Christians that they are ‘living in hope of eternal life, which

God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.’ Salvation began in the

mind of God before the world was created, before the first second on the

clock of time ticked; God had already formulated and made a plan of

salvation to save mankind.

Listen to the words of 2 Timothy 1:9. “Of God, who has saved us and

called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to

His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began but has now been revealed by the appearing of our savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” God set that plan in motion before time began, and it is now revealed in the Lord and savior Jesus Christ. And friend, as you think about God's plan to save man, God's plan to save me and you, that plan is motivated, what brings that plan out in the mind of God and the heart of God is His love for each and every one of us.

Why does God want to save man? Because the God of heaven is love, 1 John 4:8. That love is so beautifully illustrated in the scriptures. When you think about God's love, think about passages like these. 1 John 3:1 John says ‘behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we can be called children of God.’ What a privilege it is to be taken from being in sin and a child of the devil and become a child of God. What caused that? The love of God. Think about the beautiful verse of John 3:16. “God so loved the world He gave.” Gave what? “His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” You think of passages like Romans 8:39. ‘Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.’ And then, you think about God's plan directly connected to that love. ‘While we were still without strength, in due time,’ or as some versions say, ‘at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone might dare to die. ‘But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,’ Romans 5:6-8. It's that love of God that motivates God to want to send His son and to save man from sin. Listen to the words of 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. “The love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus, that if one died for all, then all died. And He died for all that they who live should no longer live for themselves but live for Him who died for them and rose again.” That that love is what ought to motivate Christians. It should motivate people to become children of God.

When I think about God's plan of salvation in heaven from eternity and the magnitude and the wonder of that plan, I can't help but think of 2 Corinthians 8:9. Paul said it this way. Listen to these beautiful words. “You

know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor that we through His poverty might be made rich.” Look at God's plan. Look at what Christ did. Look at what He left and all that He faced and suffered. Why did He do that? So that one day we could live in heaven with God.

Now, as we think today about this plan and about the unfolding of that plan that's motivated by God's great love, let's realize that this plan is very clearly illustrated for us in the sacrificial death of God's son for our sins. How did the plan of God begin to unfold? What's directly related and connected to that plan?

Friend, we can't separate the fact that God sent His son to be the sacrifice for our sins from God's eternal plan for man. Think about what Jesus gave up, but you also have to think about what He sacrificed here on this Earth so that we could have the hope of heaven. Do you remember 1 Peter 2:24? The Bible says, “Christ, he himself, bore our sins in his own body that we, having died to sin, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes we are healed.” Referencing back, no doubt, to Isaiah 53:4, he was bruised for our iniquities. ‘The chastisement for our peace was upon him.’ ‘By his stripes we are healed.’ What made salvation available? Friend, the sacrifice of Jesus is key and integral to that great sacrifice or to that great plan of salvation. If Jesus had not left heaven, if he'd not come to this Earth, if he hadn't went to the cross and died for each one of us, there'd be no salvation.

When you think about these words, we have to understand how God put that plan into action of His own free will. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that we know God's salvation. We know His sacrifice and that though He gave up so much. He was willing to do that for each and every one of us to be saved. And so we see, although Christ committed no sin of Himself, He made Him (God made Christ) who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf. There's the idea. God loved each and every one of us so much that He sent His son to be the offering for our sin.

As John saw Jesus approaching, he's in the area of Galilee, Judea, he sees Jesus approaching, here's the first thought that comes to John's mind: “Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. We're not redeemed by corruptible things, like silver and gold, from the aimless conduct handed down by tradition from our fathers- but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without spot and blemish, he was foreordained before the foundations of the world but was manifest in these last times for us,” 1 Peter 1:18-20.

When you think about that great sacrifice, and you think about the plan of God, think about Jesus as an integral part in that plan. Think about what He suffered for each one of us. Take your mind back to Calvary, to Golgotha, to the trial, and to the crucifixion. He was mocked, beaten, and spit upon. They brought that whip across the back of Jesus numerous times. They struck Him on the head that had a crown of thorns on it with a reed. They said, "If you're the son of God, call down angels." As it were, "Come down from the cross." His hands and His feet were nailed to a cruel cross, and He hung suspended between heaven and Earth for me and you. Friend, that's the love of God. That's the plan of God in the salvation, and the sacrifice of Jesus that makes salvation available. Jesus tasted death for every man, Hebrews 2:9. He is the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice for our sins but not for our alone- for the sins of the whole world, 1 John 2:1-2.

As we think about God's plan from eternity for salvation, I want you to think about the wonder and the splendor, the beauty of forgiveness that is related to that plan. What makes this plan of Jesus' sacrifice so wonderful and so great? Friend, because of His sacrifice, every sin, every word that I've spoken that wasn't right, every deed that I've done that I know I shouldn't have done, every thought that has entered my mind that was not according to the will of God-every one of those-the Bible teaches, can be completely removed.

It's that sin that separates man from God, Isaiah 59:1-2. “The Lord's ear's not heavy that it cannot hear His arm's not shortened that He cannot save.” What's the problem, then? “Your sins and your iniquities have separated you from your God.” What is it that's going to remove sin and

make it possible? Obedience to the gospel and the sacrifice of Jesus promises us we can be forgiven of our sins. I love the words of Psalm 103:10-12. The Bible says the ‘Lord's not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.’ If I have obeyed the gospel, if I've submitted to God's plan then, I've not got what I deserved for sin. ‘If you, oh Lord, were to mark iniquities, who could stand?’ Listen to this, though- ‘But there is forgiveness with you, that you may be feared’ Psalm 130:4-5. God says in Hebrews 8:12-13, "I'll be merciful to their sins and their lawless deeds I'll remember no more." Micah said ‘God will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea,’ Micah 7:18-19.

Let me remind you of it in this way. From the words of Jesus, as you think about the beauty and the splendor of forgiveness, think about Jesus as he institutes the Lord's Supper. In Matthew 26:28, Jesus took that fruit of the vine and He said to His disciples, "Do this in remembrance of me," and he said, "This is my blood of the new covenant, shed for many for the forgiveness, for the removal of sins." Peter stands up with the 11 for the very first time, preaches the good news of Jesus Christ. "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ,” Acts 2:36. They realized the sin problem and they cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" And here's the answer. Listen to the beauty of it. "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins."

Thank God that a plan has been made. Jesus is the sacrifice that was made and by obedience to God's plan of salvation. I can be forgiven of every sin that I might have committed.

We also see in God's plan of salvation from eternity. That plan has been revealed to us in the words of the Bible. How would I know about Christ? How would I know about His great sacrifice? How would I know about the beauty and the wonder of forgiveness that comes from obedience to the gospel? I'd never know that if it weren't revealed in the Bible, the words of God. Thank God for His message of salvation that has been recorded in the words that we have in the Bible. The Bible is not man's opinions. These are not people 2,000 years ago and their ideas. This

book, the Bible, is the words of God, who created the whole world. That's what the Bible says. 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17 says ‘all scripture is given by inspiration of God, is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Peter 1:3 says that, according to God's divine power, ‘He has given to us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him.’

When I read the Bible, when I study God's word, it has everything I need to be saved. When Matthew wrote or when John wrote or when Isaiah wrote or when Paul wrote, they weren't writing their own ideas or thoughts. They were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Listen to a couple of passages with me. 2 Peter 1:19-21 the Bible says, ‘Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.’ It wasn't of their own origin. The Holy Spirit of God was the force behind these men. When they spoke or wrote, what they spoke and wrote down was the word of God. Now, I know that's the case. 1 Corinthians 14:37 says Paul said ‘if any man thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I write to you,’ listen to this now, Paul said, ‘the things that I write to you, these are the commandments of God.’ It wasn’t Paul’s ideas. These are commandments of God. The Bible is not of human invention, human origin, or human ideas. These are the words of almighty God.

And friend, the Bible is truth. It's all truth that we need on matters of salvation. Jesus prayed to the father in John 17:17, "Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth." Jesus had already told us the importance of truth in John 8:32. "You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free." And friends, Psalm 119:160 says ‘the entirety of God's word is truth.’ It's the word of God that makes it possible for us to be saved. ‘I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ,’ Paul said. Why not? ‘It's the power of God unto salvation.’ James, the half-brother of the Lord, told Christians to ‘receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls,’ 1 Peter 1:25. We're born again by the word of God, which lives and abides forever. That's the power and efficacy of the mighty word that we have recorded in the Bible. As you think about God's divine plan of salvation, it's integral to see the sacrifice of Jesus is key to that being available. That

sacrifice offers man the forgiveness of every sin he's committed by obedience to the gospel, and that message of Jesus and forgiveness is recorded for every one of us right here in the Bible.

But friend, here's the good news as well: This sacrifice, the forgiveness of sins, God's plan of salvation being recorded in the Bible- if I will submit to that, if I will obey it and if I will live my life by the word of God every day, now friend, God's eternal plan of salvation assures every person that they can live in heaven with God for eternity.

I want you to think about some of the beautiful passages that illustrate the reward of a Christian life. Matthew 25:46 Jesus said, "The righteous will go away into eternal life." Don't you want to live with God? Don't you want to be in heaven one day with the saints of old? Wouldn’t you love to be free from the sin, the heartache, and the pain that we face today? When you think about the beauty of heaven, Jesus illustrated it in Matthew 6:9. Jesus taught His followers to pray ‘our father who art in heaven.’ What makes heaven great? God. The father's in heaven. If God's in heaven and God is our father, how wonderful that's going to be!

I'm reminded of the promise Jesus made to His disciples in John 14:1. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. Were it not so, I would have told you." And then he said this. "I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also." Where did Jesus go? He went to the right hand of the father. Hebrews 1:4 and 5, and Jesus says, "I'm going to come again," known as the second coming of Christ, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. When He comes again, He's going to receive the kingdom to the father, 1 Corinthians 15:24-26. I have that promise of living with God in heaven for all eternity.

I love the words of Hebrews 4:9. “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” As you think about God's plan, what does that plan require of each one of us? As I think about the great sacrifice that was made, the marvelous love of God, how every sin can be forgiven and I think

about the word of God and living in heaven, what does God require of each person to do what's right in his sight?

Well friend, the Bible teaches that we must obey our God. We must submit to and obey what God teaches us in his word. John 14:15 Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." If I don't do what God says, then friend, we say this as kindly and lovingly as we know how, if you're not doing what Christ says and you're not doing what God says and you're not following the Bible, you don't love God. Not the way Jesus said. John 15:14, Jesus said, "You're my friends if you do whatever I ask." Think about the words of Christ in Matthew 7:21. Jesus said, "It's not everybody that looks up into heaven and says, 'Lord, Lord,' that's going there but he who does the will of my father in heaven."

To be pleasing to God and to respond properly to the eternal plan of God of salvation, I've got to do what God says. Jesus asked this question to the hypocrites and to the religious elite of his day. "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" Can I call Jesus my Lord and then not follow what he asks or do what he says? No, that's a misunderstanding of what Lord means. If Jesus is our Lord, Acts 2:36 that means we recognize He's the master. We recognize He's the one over us. And if that's the case, then I must submit to and follow the teaching of Jesus Christ. This is why the Bible says, in Hebrews 5:8-9, that ‘Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.’

We ask you today as you think about, in your own heart and in your own mind, as you think about God's eternal plan to save mankind, we ask you kindly to think about whether you have obeyed the words of the Bible, the commands of Jesus and the voice of God.

What must a person do to obey God's eternal plan of salvation? The Bible doesn't make it difficult. I've got to hear the message of salvation. ‘Faith comes by hearing.’ That word faith is kind of the idea of belief or trust. ‘Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,’ Romans 10:17. Without hearing, there can be no faith. Hearing is essential. Once I've heard the message, am I willing to believe in Jesus? In Acts chapter

eight, when Philip is teaching the Ethiopian eunuch the gospel, Acts 8:34-38, they come to certain water, and he's been teaching about Christ. “Here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? If you believe with all your heart, you may.” Do you believe that Jesus is God's son? Would you be willing to repent, turn from sin and turn to God? Jesus said in Luke 13:3, "Unless you repent, you'll all likewise perish." Would you confess the name of Jesus before men? Romans 10:10 says ‘with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.’ Then just as they did, the very first time the gospel is preached, would you be baptized to be saved and in order to have your sins washed away?

There are a lot of people who teach that you're saved and then you're baptized later. That's not what Jesus said and it's not what Peter said. Jesus said in Mark 16:16, "He that believes and is baptized will be saved. He that does not believe shall be condemned." Peter, on the very first sermon, on Pentecost said, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins."

Have you obeyed the gospel? Have you become a child of God? We want you to know today that God wants you to be saved, 1 Timothy 2:4. He wants you to come to a knowledge of His truth and live with Him in heaven for all eternity.

God's made salvation available. He has done His part and made that available for everybody. I have to respond properly in obedience to the gospel. God loves you; we love you and want nothing more from you than for you to go to heaven.

That's our motivation today. We're talking about, we're thinking about, we're setting out before us what the Bible says on salvation, because we love men and women's souls, and we want you to go to heaven.

If you've never obeyed the gospel, we urge you to do that. Your soul is the most important possession you have. Accept God's offer of salvation, and obey the gospel while you have time and opportunity.

Study Questions for:

“Salvation: Lesson 1”

1. According to 1 Timothy 2:4, what does God want?

2. According to 2 Peter 3:9, why is God long-suffering?

3. According to Titus 1:2, what are Christians living in hope of?

4. According to 2 Timothy 1:9, who abolished death?

5. According to 1 John 4:8, what is God?

6. According to 1 Peter 2:24, who bore our sins?

7. According to Hebrews 2:9, what did Jesus do for every man?

8. According to Isaiah 59:1-2, what separates man from God?

9. What does Psalm 103:10-12 say about how God deals with us?

10. According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, where does the scripture come from?

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not forbid them for of such is the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 19:14.

Welcome to our truth series. The truth concerning abortion, is such a vitally important topic to the church, the United States of America, and worldwide. Every day young, innocent children are being put to death; and we've labeled that as something that is not even life. God doesn't see it that way.

The United States of America, our country, was founded up on biblical principles. Andrew Jackson, one the founding fathers of our country, once said, “The Bible is the rock on which our republic rests.” The principles of God and Christianity were the foundation and were fundamental to the founding of the United States of America. Later Ronald Reagan, one of our great presidents said, “Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible.”

We have a country that was founded on biblical principles, founded upon God and His word and His truth. We have a country that is also at war with God when it comes to abortion.

January 22, 1973 was a dark day in the United States of America the Roe v. Wade case legalized abortion. The definition was made that the word ‘person’ as used in the 14th amendment, does not include the unborn. Since that time 55 million babies have been aborted in law. Lives have been lost and untold harm has been done to children and women across this great United States of America.

What does God say about the subject of abortion and how should we, as Christians feel on a subject like this? In other areas we deem things valuable, and yet sometimes we don't value human life like we ought to. For example, bald eagles and their eggs are protected by both state and federal laws. In fact, violators face the penalties up to $25,000 or fines in prison between one and five years. In fact, if you break a bald eagle egg you can get five years in prison, but you can abort a human fetus and get governmental approval. Does that make sense? The bald eagle is a great symbol of American freedom and what United States of America stands for, but a person can be fined $20,000 or get five years in prison for breaking a bald eagle egg. However nothing is done if we abort a fetus. What's of more value a bald eagle, that doesn't have a soul, or a human being, that has a soul and that will one day live somewhere forever? There are inconsistencies that often occur when we deal with things like this.

Realize that God and His word must have the final say on this subject. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 that ‘God is able to cast down the imagination and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.’ The Bible says in Ephesians 5:11 that ‘Christians are to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; rather we are to expose or reprove those teachings.’ I’ve got to look to God's wisdom; I've got to stand behind what God says and never let our country shape what might be right or wrong.

Let's begin by asking this question: Abortion - is that just woman's right or is it murder? Are we talking about the right of a woman to choose to get rid of a baby, or is that some heinous morally repulsive crime that we know of as murder? Our terminology is very critical. Is this a choice? Are we talking about women's rights? Are we talking about freedom when we deal with things like this? What's the real issue?

The real issue is this: Is abortion the taking of innocent human life? Is a fetus is an unborn child, a human being? Do a few millimeters of skin separate one from being life and nonlife human and nonhuman? When do the Scriptures teach that human life actually begins?

We can know even from the earliest stages, whether it be seven or eight or ten weeks, you have a human body inside the womb where all body systems are present. At eight weeks old a baby grips instruments, can suck its thumbs. At ten weeks, the structure of the human body is completely formed, even that young. At twelve weeks old, it curls its toes, it makes a fist, it opens its mouth, and on and on. The human body begins to

develop and from the very earliest days it is a human. It shows the same signs that I show of life and of being human and not getting caught up in the evolutionary ideas that so many humanists want us to think of. From conception, a baby only develops and grows. All it needs is nourishment and time to become an adult.

From the earliest stages there's nothing that separates it from us today, only just of a few millimeters of skin. CS Lovett once said, “Aside from the moral issue, it has been my experience that abortion solves the problem with the least amount of bad side effect.” Is that really true? “In the surgeon's scalpel removes the tissue,” CS Lovett said, “and God's forgiveness removes the guilt feelings.” Is that really what the Scriptures teach? Is it just mere tissue? Are we talking about just something that is nonlife, just skin? Is it a child or is it a choice? Is it something that we all have to deal with and think about?

A baby can feel pain in the womb that's been aptly shown through various studies. It's sensitive to touch, to light, to noise, and all the things that we face as well.

The scientific evidence is really not what concerns us the most. What does the Bible say? When we think about the subject of abortion, we want to know “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah 37:17. What does the Scripture say?

A few passages show that there is no distinction in the Scripture between a fetus and a child. They are one and the same in the Bible. For example, Matthew 1:18 says that ‘Mary was with child.’ That same word child is also used to discuss a woman who had a baby, who had not given

birth yet. Whether it is in the womb or whether it is born, it's the same word there. There's no distinction made in Scripture for that.

Another example is the word babe or brephos. Luke 1:41,”When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb.” Here we've got the example of the same word used. Does that sound like nonlife? Of course not! It was life. “You shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothing,” Luke 2:12. The same Greek word, brephos is used to describe a woman who is pregnant with the child and an infant child. No difference is made in the Scripture. Babe in the womb and out the only difference is its location, size, and development. A few millimeters of skin does not separate life from nonlife.

Psalm 139:13-16, the Bible says, “You formed my inward parts you covered me in my mother's womb I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” David said, ‘you formed my inward parts you covered me in my mother's womb.’ Does he sound like he's talking about nonlife? David realized his life in the womb was the same out of it. We cannot find that distinction made anywhere in the Scripture. Again Psalm 139 verses13:16, "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth." God was behind that process, although he was made in secret, although that was not seen, it's still a human being or a person. David said, “Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed. And in your book they are all written, the days fashioned for me when as yet there was none of them.” My substance, my days, David is speaking as an individual about his life inside the womb. There is no distinction made for that in Scripture.

Other passages clearly show that abortion is indeed something that is wrong. Exodus 21 is a clear example showing that God does not condone abortion and the life inside the womb is just as valuable as life outside the womb. Exodus 21:22-25, the Scripture says, “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished according as the woman's husband imposes on him; he shall pay as the judges determined. But if any harm follow you shall give, life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”

Imagine the context in your mind, let's say we've got two men who are angry at each other and they decide to fight and this one man, who's fighting with the other, his wife gets in the way and she gets punched in the stomach. What happens to that baby? If the baby lives, then the judges could impose a fine on the man who hit her, but if that woman was punched in the stomach, if she got hurt something happen to the baby "life for life." The life of that full-blown full-grown, adult male was to be forfeited for the life of that unborn child. It doesn't matter in God's sight whether it's in the womb or outside the womb, the life of a full-blown full-grown adult male is just as important as the life of an unborn child in the eyes of God. That's why God says life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe, whatever happens to one the equivalent should happen to the other because there is no separation in the mind of God.

A lesser known passage is Amos 1:13, “Thus says the Lord for three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their territory.” Now friend, as we think about this, here's

what we ask you to consider: Is it a sin to have an abortion, is that something that is a violation of God's will? Amos 1:13, "For three transgressions yes and for four, God says I'm bringing all my judgment on these people." What did they do? They ripped open the women with children to enlarge their borders. What are they were they doing there? They're basically causing their enemies women to abort their children so that their enemy wouldn't grow and they could grow. They were forcing abortions to enlarge their own size and decrease the size of their enemies. Regardless of the case God called those abortions transgression or sin.

The taking of a life, whether that is inside the womb or whether that's outside, it is murder either way in the eyes of Almighty God. We need to realize that this is something God hates. God does not approve of, nor does he want babies to be killed. Proverbs 6:16-17, the last part of that, of all the things the Lord hates the Bible says, “The Lord hates hands that shed innocent blood.”

In our news media lately, Planned Parenthood has come under attack for all the ungodly and heinous things they've been doing related to abortion and the things that go on with that. Videos have come out that's been made known. Public outcry is increased the governments of local states are getting involved and rightly so. Look at the harm being done to innocent children, look at the blood that's being shed just because maybe some man or some woman had a good time and found out they were pregnant and didn't want that baby. And so now let's put the baby to death. Well is that really the state our country is at? Is that really where we are as a people that we can't take the responsibility for our actions and thus abortion has become so popular with so many Christians today?

There are some things that every Christian for sure ought to realize. Number one: God Himself does not condone abortion. Abortion in the eyes of God is something that is absolutely not what God wants. God doesn't want Christians to take the life of an unborn child. Just like murder is wrong what if I go out on the street and shoot somebody, or if I were to go down the street and kill somebody that would be wrong. A little bit of skin doesn't separate life from nonlife. Where do we get that idea when did we decide, Roe v. Wade put it into action, but when did we decide that in the womb is different than out of the womb. Maybe it's because we've not seen it. Maybe it's because we haven't touched it, it's not tangible, and we don't have to maybe think about it as much. That doesn't make it right in the sight of God. As a Christian, I first must realize this is not acceptable in the sight of our God.

As a child of God, I must do my part to teach and encourage others about the sanctity of every human life. Do we not realize that Genesis 2:7 speaks directly to God's creation of man the Lord God "breathed into man the breath of life; man became a living soul." No difference in the womb and out of the womb, Matthew 1:18 "she was with child". An infant child later that had already been born, the same terminology is used, regardless of if it's in the womb or not, that child has a spirit or soul that's been formed by God. That life is special and unique because it's made in the image of Almighty God and we need to promote and to let people know the sanctity of every human being and its life. I've been created and you've been created to honor and glorify God, to do everything possible with my life to lift up His name. That's why we're here and part of that is to tell of his creation how wonderful that is.

As a child of God, I need to encourage people that abortion is not the best option; it's not an option at all. There are good options to think about. For example, let's say that a young couple gets involved in a sexual relationship and that relationship produces a child and neither one of them are really ready. They should've thought that before, don't get me wrong. But is abortion the only alternative? Why not choose adoption every time over abortion. Accept responsibility for your actions, that's what people really need to do before I enter into sexual relations. It's only for a man and a wife, Hebrews 13:4. If someone violates God's law and entered into that, and then they're not ready for that, friend, there's another alternative. There are thousands if not hundreds of thousands of parents around this world who would be glad to adopt children. They're looking for, they're waiting for, and they're longing for, someone to give them a child. They may not be able to have them on their own. They may be medically or physically unable to do that and yet what a great alternative that would be as a child of God.

As Christians we've been way too quiet in not letting our government, on every level know how we feel. Other areas, the abortion activists, the homosexual movement, whatever it may be, they've been very vocal in what they said and they've got that message out well. Christians need to step up and be just as vocal and let people know how we feel. We need to say what God says in the Bible on the subject of abortion: that a life is a life, whether it's in the womb or out of the womb, that Christians need to honor and accept that fact and that our government is one day going to be responsible to Almighty God for its decisions. Our governmental leaders will stand before God and give an account for the decisions that they've

made. God's message about abortion is very plain and clear.

Now let's take that just a step further as it relates to the state and local a governmental level. Christians need desperately to stand up and let their voices be heard when it comes to matters of voting. In Tennessee and other places there have been other recently ballots the provisions on the ballot promoting or not promoting but doing away with some of the abortion laws restricting those peeling back some of that. As Christians we need to vote against those ungodly measures vote that those things would not be accepted and would not be right in the sight of our God. Think about this, put yourself in this situation: what it your parents had decided to have an abortion? How would that make you feel? Well you wouldn’t have experienced life, the joy of life, the sadness would express that you wouldn't be here today, and I wouldn't be here today. What if that was the case? We've got to personalize this and not just say see this in the abstract this is personal this is something that we each need to think about it. God's message's very plain and clear that we do not at all need to let abortion be an issue that is unsettled. We need to stand up and let our voices be heard on these issues because every life is indeed important to Almighty God.

How does abortion affect women? You know it's put off as though it's a woman's choice, it's woman's right, it's something that you can slip in and out of be done with, and there be no consequences. That's just not the case. The trauma, the heart ache, the guilt, the sin, that one feels it's not easy, in and out, take care of the situation, be done with it at all idea. The consequences of that, the guilt of it, stay with one for a very long time. If you're going to deal with that, why not go ahead and accept the responsibility, stand up and take responsibility for your actions. Don't let

children be put to death over senseless things like these.

Remember God hates hands that shed innocent blood (Proverbs 6:6-9). As always God's message about salvation though does indeed deal with the sin problem, if one is willing to repent of it. Have you have you heard the message about Jesus and his plan of salvation? If so, are you willing to change your life and turn to Christ? In Luke 13:3 Jesus said, "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

Can someone who's never obeyed the gospel be forgiven of sin, even such sin as abortion? Absolutely! If they're willing to hear the gospel and repent of things in their life that are wrong.

Would you make the good confession that Jesus is indeed the Christ the Son the living God? Having made that confession, would you be immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins? Jesus said, "He that believes and is baptized will be saved; he that does not believe shall be condemned."

On the great day of Pentecost, in Acts 2 when Peter stood up for the first time and proclaimed God's message of love, mercy, and grace to a lost and dying world, he said, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly God's made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ." They got the message, for the Bible says they were cut to the heart and they cried out, "Men and brethren what shall we do?" The answer was, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." "Those who gladly received his word that day were baptized", Acts 2:40-42 says, “Then the Lord added to the church daily those who were being

saved.”

If one's never obeyed the gospel, why not do that? Why not take the opportunity to have your sins washed away and become a Christian? Let each Christian stand firmly on God's truth that abortion is a simple action that we must not participate in and that we absolutely must let our voices be heard on for the sake of human lives.

Study Questions for: “Truth Series: Abortion”

1. In Matthew 19:14, who did Jesus want to come to him?

2. What are we to have no fellowship with according to Ephesians 5:11?

3. According to Psalm 139:13-16, how are we made?

4. How does Exodus 21:22-25 show life is valuable in the womb?

5. What did they do that was wrong in Amos 1:13?

6. According to Proverbs 6:16-17, what does the Lord hate?

7. According to Luke 13:3, what will happen if you don’t repent?

8. In Acts 2, what did the ones who gladly received the word do?

9. Who was added to the church in Acts 2?

10. In Matthew 1:18, what does it call the baby in Mary’s womb?

The wise Solomon said, “Wine is a mocker and strong drink is a brawler and whoever is lead astray by it is not wise,” Proverbs 20:1.

Welcome to our truth series. In this lesson specifically we're dealing with God's truth on the subject of alcohol. How many of us know someone in our immediate family that has an alcohol problem? How many of us may know friends or family whose marriages have been broken up because of alcohol or whose lives are in shambles because somebody had an alcohol-related problem? This is a subject that we need God's truth about in our lives and in our word.

Let's realize that alcohol is an important subject mainly because it is a biblical subject. Whatever God says on the subject we need to listen and be prepared to accept. The Scripture says, ‘we’ve got to prove all things, hold fast that which is good,’ Thessalonians 5:21.

When we study what God says about alcohol, we go to the Scripture as our source; our lives need to be changed because of that. We need to think about this important topic because it is a moral and ethical topic. Moral, means it causes one to be right or wrong; ethically means it may cause us to make choices when one’s under the influence that we naturally might not do without alcohol. This being a moral, right or wrong, subject we desperately need to see what God has to say on this. We need to study this biblical subject because there is a lot of confusion over alcohol. Even among Christians, there's a lot of confusion, yet, “God is not the author of confusion.”

We need to realize this is a topic that we desperately need to hear about, because it's relevant topic due to the danger of alcohol. Did you know that three out of every ten homes are affected by alcohol? Did you know that multitudes of marriages break up every year because of alcohol? Domestic violence cases are induced many times by alcohol or drugs? It affects the home greatly. There are estimated to be over 100 million Americans who have an alcohol-related problem. A survey done by the Gallup poll said that 64% of our population says they have drunk or still do drink alcohol. What does God say for the child of God concerning alcohol?

Scriptures clearly teach that a Christian should not drink or use alcohol, and should abstain from those things. There are biblical reasons as to why such is the case. First, the Scripture teaches that alcohol has the ability to distort one's perception of what's right and wrong or what's real and what's not real. In Isaiah 28:7 the Scripture says, “They also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink or out of the way; the priest and the profit have erred through intoxicating drink, they are

swallowed up by wine, they are out of the way through intoxicating drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.” They err in that they don't know what is really what they're seeing. Their judgments are not as clear as they ought to be.

In Proverbs 23:33, the Bible says of one under the influence, “Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things.” Why is alcohol something I should stay away from? It causes me to err in vision, stumble in judgment, and I may see or perceive things that really aren't that way. If I am to be sober, Mark 13:35-38, I’m to be watchful; I’m to be ready. Alcohol only deters my ability to do that. Surely a Christian should abstain from anything that's going to do that.

Secondly, a Christian should abstain from alcohol because it has the ability to weaken one's moral of alertness or awareness. In Genesis 9, Noah has come off of the ark, he builds a vineyard, from that vineyard he makes wine, he drinks of that, and as result the Bible says he that becomes drunk. What happened to Noah? The Bible says, “Someone uncovered his nakedness and there was a curse placed upon Canaan and his family because of that.” Would Noah have allowed that to happen, had he not been drunk and unable to respond? No he wouldn't have.

In Genesis chapter 19:32, the Bible talks about Lot and his two daughters. The daughters want to have husbands and children. There are no men in that area to have relations with, so they concoct this plan. They say let's get our father drunk and, in essence, let's have relations with him. He wouldn't have done that had he not been drunk, but they got him drunk and they went through with that plan. Why did they have to get him drunk to

do that? They knew that that sin and ungodliness would not have been tolerated by Lot had he not been under the influence.

Alcohol has the ability to affect one's moral awareness and to keep us from really being the kind of people God wants us to be. In Isaiah 5:11-12, the Bible says, “Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may follow intoxicating drink, who continued until night, till wine inflames them! The harp and the strings, the tambourine and the flute, and wine are in their feasts, but they do not regard the work of the Lord, nor consider the operation of His hands.” These people are under the influence. They're not thinking about God and His things.

Why else should a Christian abstain from alcohol? We alluded to this a little bit, but alcohol, it impairs my ability to make good decisions. Now do you remember two priests by the names of Nadab and Abihu? Two men who offered a strange fire to God and as a result of that ungodly sacrifice and their strange fire, God consumed them with fire. What led them to make that bad decision? In Leviticus 10:9, the Bible says, “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It should be a statute forever throughout your generations that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, between unclean and clean, that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord spoke to them by the hand of Moses.” What's God here doing? He’s saying Nadab and Abihu, they made a bad decision, likely affected by alcohol. God says, don't drink wine, and continue in verse 10, “That you may teach the children.” Leviticus 10:11, “teach the children of Israel all the statutes.” Alcohol affected their ability to make good decisions. God said I don’t want you using that anymore.

We understand this today, if you’re operating big machinery, on the side it will have a sign that says do not use alcohol in operating this. It impairs one's decision-making ability. If as a Christian, I'm going to be held accountable for my decisions, for my actions and choices, why would I want to put anything in my body that I may not be able to distinguish good and evil, holy and unholy, right and wrong? As a Christian, I need to be sure that I stay away from things like unto that.

Alcohol is something that a Christian should abstain from because it can and does cause physical sickness. Whether it is cirrhosis of the liver, whether it is some type of heart problem or stomach problem, the use of alcohol is known to cause physical problems. In Proverbs 23:20, there's a man who under the influence had problems with alcohol, “Do not mix with winebibbers, or with gluttonous eaters of meat; for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.” Proverbs 23:29, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints?” Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine.”

A Christian should stay away from alcohol because it's hurtful and harmful to the body. Medical science has proven it; it's not something that a Christian ought to partake in. Alcohol has the ability to take away one's intelligence. It is not something that will help me to be sharper it's not something that would help me to draw closer to God. It's actually something that would help me to be less ready to take on the world and all the challenges that are out there. In Hosea 4:11, the Bible says, “Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart.” They make me their master. They

take away my ability to make good decisions and use my intellect for the things that God wants me to use them for.

Alcohol, in the Bible, is defined as the great destroyer of mankind. It has done nothing but bring problems to mankind and all those who use it had a host of problems that go along with that. Habakkuk 2:5 says, “Indeed because he transgresses or sins by wine he is a proud man he does not stay at home because he enlarges his desire is hell and he is like death and cannot be satisfied he gathers to himself all nations and heaps up for himself all people.” Sin is what separates us from God. In Isaiah 59:1-2, the Bible says, “Because he transgresses by wine.” Bringing wine or alcohol in my body greatly increases my risk; lowers my moral awareness, and has the ability to cause me to sin when I'm under its influence. If I realize the damning effects of sin and that alcohol can contribute to that I wouldn’t want have anything to do with it.

In the Bible, men are actually condemned for giving other men alcohol to drink. Not only is it wrong for me to drink it, it's wrong for me to give it to others and contribute to their drunkenness. In Habakkuk 2:15, the Scripture says, “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle even to make him drunk that you may look on his wickedness.” Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor. Not only is it wrong to drink it is wrong to contribute to and give it to others so that they can become drunk and their lower their moral awareness, just as in this context, might be turned the wrong way.

Drunkenness is something we must avoid because it might cause one to be unprepared for the Lord's return. In Luke 12:45 and Luke 21:34, there's the idea of the Lord coming back and some weren’t ready, some were drunk, some weren’t sober and alert they were rather drunk when he came they weren’t ready for it. What if the Lord came while you were under the influence? If Jesus came would you want him to see you holding a beer? The Lord returned in you were drunk or tipsy, is that something you would want to be happening at the Lord's coming? Would you really be ready and watchful at his coming if one is drunk?

The Bible clearly teaches Christians not to walk in drunkenness. Romans 13:13 “Do not walk in drunkenness; do not be of the night, the writer will say, “for those things are of evil, not of God.” What about a drunken lifestyle? It’s not for Christian, not somebody who's trying to follow Christ, the drunken lifestyle, the drunkard that's not what's pleasing to Almighty God.

Does the Bible teach that a Christian ought to be sober? It clearly does. 1 Peter 5:8 is a passage talking about spiritual sobriety, so that I could fight the devil the Scripture says, “Be sober, be vigilant for your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Now that Greek word for sober literally means complete and total abstinence from any kind of inebriant or anything that would make me drunk. In that context that the writer’s talking about spiritual sobriety, but if wine and alcohol have the ability to affect my decision-making and my moral choices; can I be spiritually sober and physically a little tipsy? The two just don't go hand-in-hand, so the sober spiritually requires me to be sober physically as well, because the two are naturally entwined together.

Be sober, that's God's command.

If someone asks where the passage in the Bible that says do not be drunk is, it’s right here, God says in Ephesians 5:18, “Do not be drunken with wine, where it is dissipation, rather be filled with the spirit.” Where’s the Bible say it's wrong to be drunk? Right here, clearly, plainly God says, “Do not be drunken with wine, where it is dissipation.” The idea of dissipation is that we’re just kind of moving away from God, from his commands, from his teaching we’re dissipating. That's the idea and so the Scriptures clearly teach drunkenness: that's not something that God desires of his people.

1 Timothy 5:23, Paul says to Timothy, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and for your frequent infirmities.” Now in Paul and Timothy's day and age they knew that alcohol, a little wine might settle the stomach, they knew that. Here's the point: Timothy wanted to be such a good example, 1 Timothy 4:12, “Be an example to the believers.” He wanted to be such a good example that although he and Paul both knew this in their day and age Paul, as an apostle, had to write and command him use a little wine. This is okay medically for you to use it. Not to get drunk, that’s not what we’re talking about. He’s not talking about overdosing, that’s not the idea. One might take a little cough syrup that’d be the idea of settling one’s stomach. Paul had actually command Timothy to do that even though he knew it. Why? Timothy went so far as to abstain from it even when it might’ve been helpful medically for him to use that. Do you see the extent Timothy took that? The Bible does teach a Christian ought to be sober.

What does the Bible then say about social drinking? Drunkenness is wrong, but is it okay for a Christian to go out occasionally, socially in a restaurant and have a beer or a margarita? What’s Bible teach about that? Again we want to let God's truth be the answer. Here's what we know, in the Bible social drinking is not authorized by God. A lot of people will ask where the passage is in the Bible where God says it's wrong. The Christian does not say show me where it's wrong, the Christian says show me where it's right. You cannot find that in the Bible. This is what God says, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” If whatever I do in word or deed action or speech is to be authorized by Christ, where is the authority for that in the Bible? 1 Corinthians 4:6 says we’re not to go beyond what's written. Can you stay within the pages of God's holy word and authorize social drinking? Where is that passage at?

Social drinking has the ability to ruin my Christian influence. People who study the Bible, Christians who live by the Word of God are aware of these passages, are aware of the evil of alcohol and if I go involved in something like that socially and people say that, that has the ability to affect my way to reach people, my Christian influence. The Bible says in Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.”

Now you take this for an instance or for an illustration, let's say that you're driving down the road; you pass a bar and I'm coming out the door. Would you turn and say, ‘There went Ben, what a great Christian influence he’s being.” I doubt that would be what you say. You'd have a lot of questions wouldn’t you? 1 Peter 2:21, the Bible says we're to follow in the

footsteps of Jesus. Can you follow Jesus to the bar? Can you follow the footsteps of Jesus and socially drink?

Some will say at the wedding in Cana in John 2, Jesus created 120-160 gallons of wine to people who had already drunk well. If He did you better close your Bible, go home, and throw your Christianity away. In Habakkuk two verse fifteen, the Scripture says, “Do not give wine to your neighbor, making him drunk.” If Jesus is perfect, and He is (Hebrews 4:15); and if the Bible says one is not to contribute to somebody else's drunkenness, and in John 2 they had already drunk well, either Jesus violated the law or he didn’t make alcoholic wine. If you study the word wine in the New Testament and Old, it’s dependent on the context. The Greek word oinos can mean grapes that have been freshly squeezed or it can mean alcoholic. Let's not assume that it’s referring to alcoholic wine. The master at the house said it best, “You’ve saved the best for last.” You saved the freshest for last is the idea. Are we going to say Jesus got people drunk? Not and be in accordance with the law of God.

Thirdly a person shouldn’t drink socially because they should abstain from every appearance of evil. Is drunkenness and alcohol associated with evil? You bet it is. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, “Abstain from every form of evil.” A Christian shouldn’t drink socially because it's associated with worldliness (James 4:4). Drinking might be a stumbling block to a new Christian, because it's spiritually dangerous. How can you be involved in things like that and really say that we’re putting the kingdom of God first in our lives? What does the Bible teach? Like with sexual lust the Bible teaches abstinence is best, in 1 Peter 2:11, the Scripture says, “I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust which war

against the soul.” Is alcohol fleshly lust? You bet it is. It makes one feel good in his flesh, it makes one feel good in their mind. It is a fleshly lust and what does the Bible say? Here's God's word, “Abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul.”

On behalf of our nation, on behalf of Lord's Church, and on behalf of families everywhere, we plead with you; accept God's truth as it relates to alcohol.

God does not want Christians to be drunk, He wants them to be alert, to be sober, to be ready, to fight the good fight of faith; to run the race, and God doesn't want people running the race stumbling and drunk. That’s not the way God wants it. God wants us to run with endurance the race is set before us looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

Let's let God's word be the final say about alcohol and completely abstain from this evil, ungodly lust.

Study Questions for: “Truth Series: Alcohol”

1. In Proverbs 20:1, what does it say about a person who’s lead astray by wine or strong drink?

2. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:21, what should we hold fast to?

3. According to Isaiah 28:7, what does drinking lead to?

4. What do people under the influence experience according to Proverbs 23:33?

5. Why should we be sober and ready according to Mark 13:35?

6. What happens to Noah because of his weakened moral awareness in Genesis 9?

7. According to Genesis 19:32, to get Lot to go along with his daughters’ sinful plan, what had to happen?

8. In Leviticus 10:9, what are they told to do?

9. What does Hosea 4:11 say about wine?

10. What does 1 Peter 5:8 command us to be?

In 1 Corinthians 6:12, the apostle Paul said, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

Welcome to our study of the truth about gambling. What do the Scriptures teach about the subject of gambling? Is it okay to go down to the local casino or gambling hall and gamble, play the slots, and play the lottery? What does the Bible say for Christians about things related to gambling?

What exactly is gambling? How do we define gambling? Gambling is defined as a game of luck or chance where money or something of equal value is either gained or lost at others expense. Gambling requires three things. You have luck or chance, not skill, not work; just pure luck or chance. Then you've got something that is exchanged, gained, or lost, money or something of value. Then you have something gained or lost at

others’ expense: what you win somebody else loses, what you lose somebody else wins. It is taking from others’ losses to have your winnings. It's a game of luck or chance where you're basically taking others' losses for one's profit.

Realize that gambling is a serious problem in the United States of America. Did you know that there are at least 12 million Americans who are compulsive gamblers? Gamblers Anonymous reports that there are at least 12 million compulsive gamblers. It is a serious addiction and problem in the United States of America. In fact, Dallas Morning News reported that the average compulsive gambler has debts exceeding $80,000. Can't we see that gambling in and of it statistically does not pay off?

The chance of actually winning is very low. For example, the chances of winning Megabucks Lottery are one in 49,836,032. The odds of winning the Texas Match 5+ are one in 47 million. Those are astronomical figures; if I said you've got a one in 50 million chance those aren’t very good chances. Did you know that your chance of getting struck by lightning is seven times greater than it is winning $1 million in the state lottery?

Gambling is also associated with other problems and moral issues in life. Did you know that crime rates in casino communities are 84% higher than the national average? People are addicted to gambling, and when you get addicted to it, you have to get the money to feed that addiction, and so one may steal from others.

There is more money spent on gambling than on elementary and secondary education in United States of America. Did you know that

Americans gamble more money each year than they spend on groceries? More money is thrown away than people actually spend on groceries for their families in United States of America. Now those are the statistics those things help us to see it is a problem, the odds are not very good, and other problems are compounded by gambling.

What does the Bible say? “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah 37:17. “What does the Scripture say?” Romans 4:3, on this subject? Realize there is no authority for gambling in the Bible. We shouldn’t come to the Scripture and say well the Bible doesn't say it's wrong, therefore I can do it. That's not the way we approach it. If we take that approach, a whole lot of things will be licensed that are not right in the Bible; not right morally.

For example, where in the Bible does it say do not inject heroin into your arms? You read your Bible and you can't find that, but does God tell us to take care of the body? Does God tell us not to be drunk? Does God tell us what he wants us to do? I shouldn’t approach the Bible saying well let's go to it and see if God condemns it, that's the reverse problem. We need to say, where does God authorize it? Where in the Bible does God approve of the action of gambling for the Christian? Where's the Scripture that says it's okay, it is good for a Christian to gamble? The main problem is God doesn't authorize it. There's no authority for gambling in the Bible.

Must a Christian have authority for everything he does in life? Absolutely, Colossians 3:17, the Bible says, “Whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father

through Him.” We approach the Bible, and we see that we are told whatever we do, and then he specifies that, word or deed. I'm to do all in the name of, Acts 4:7, which means by the authority of Jesus. Therefore, where's the authority for gambling? Where's the passage that says it’s acceptable? Where does God teach in Scripture that is an authorized way to make money, to gain profit, to live? You just don't find that in the Bible. God never permits Christians to gamble.

Realize that gambling is just not good stewardship. I'm to be up a good steward of that which God's given me and blessed me with. I'm to make sure that I do my best to give back and do good things in my community. In Luke 12:42, Jesus says, “And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make him ruler over his household, to give them the portion of their food in due season?” Who’s that faithful and wise steward? I’m to be a good steward, 1 Peter 4:10. What's a steward? A steward is a manager of something God's given him. If I’m to be a good steward, to use it wisely, to do good things, and to help others, does that fit with the idea of gambling? I'm to be a good steward of my money. What God has blessed me with I’m to use wisely, I am to do good, I'm to help Him, to take care my family, I'm to give back to God, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. Is gambling being a good steward of your money? Your chances are slim to none of winning. How could you be a good steward by basically throwing that money away?

I'm to be a good steward of my talents and my time. If one is consuming his talents in his time with things such as gambling am I really using those things to the glory and the honor of my God? We must let

those things stay at the forefront that God wants us to be good stewards and gambling does not make me a good steward.

What else is wrong with the subject of gambling? Jesus said in Matthew 7:12, “Therefore whatever you want men to do, you do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets.” We've labeled it as the Golden Rule. Whatever I want somebody to do to me, I would do to them. Would you want somebody to beat you out of your paycheck? Would you want somebody to win your mortgage payment or your grocery money? Would you want somebody to take the money that you will you feed your kids with? Would you want somebody to win those things from you? Of course not. I work hard for my money; you worked hard for yours. I want to use it to the best of my ability, and I don't want somebody doing that to me. Therefore I must not do that to someone else. What I win, what somebody wins at the gambling tables; a whole host of people are losing. And mortgage payments, car payments, children are not being fed; there's a whole Domino Effect to that.

Combine this with this idea, a lawyer came to Jesus, and he asked Him the question, “Good teacher what's the greatest commandment?” Jesus responded by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Then Jesus followed up by saying, “And the second like unto it is, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If I take my neighbor’s money, if I went over and stole from my neighbor, took his wallet, took his money out of it, would I be following that command? If I go to the gambling table and all in the name of fun take his mortgage payment, take his money, am I really loving my neighbor like a ought to love them?

It's really not loving and following the Golden Rule like the Bible teaches us that we ought to do.

Another reason gambling violates the Scriptures is it causes one to be addicted to something God has not told us to be addicted to. In 2001 Minnesota Department of Mental Health reported this, gross revenues from gambling were 68.7 billion, more money than Americans spent on music, movies, spectator sports, video games, and theme parks combined. There is an addiction in that. The National Council of Problem Gambling reported in March 2003 that over 80% of US adults have reported gambling at least once in the past year. National Institute of Mental Health concluded there are 4.2 million Americans who were addicted to gambling 60% of whom have yearly incomes under $25,000. Here you've got people living below poverty level going out and trying to gamble. What is gambling? Someone once rightly said, gambling is a tax on the poor. That’s really what it comes down to, people who can't afford it try to find an easy way out, looking maybe to have that dream come true, and they’re spending money they may not have. They’re involved in an addiction which is not right and not according to the Scripture.

What does the Scripture teach about the idea of addiction? 1 Corinthians 6:12, the apostle Paul said, “All things are lawful for me all, not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Should a Christian be addicted to certain things? Whether it is drugs, whether it is alcohol, whether it is tobacco, whether be pornography, whether be gambling, should I let that rule and have power over me? Absolutely not. It causes an addiction. Galatians 5:23, the Bible

teaches us of the fruits of the spirit. One of those is self-control. 2 Peter 1:6, I’m to add to my faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control. If I have a gambling problem, we’ve already shown that a host of people do, I don't have the self-control that God wants me to. I am actually under the power of gambling. What I think about, the actions that I do when I go to my job; my family suffers because of it. Gambling causes one to have an unholy or ungodly or addiction to those things.

Now is a Christian to be under something? You bet he is. Under the power of Christ. Romans 6:17-18, “God be thanked that though you were the slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine, which we’re delivered, and having been set free from sin, we became slaves, servants of Christ.” I'm under the power of Christ, He has authority over my life, He is the one who ought to be in control, and therefore I need to let Him and His word lead me in these types of actions.

Could gambling ruin my Christian example? Now let me just mention it to you this way. Let's say that the town in which you live has a huge casino right by the main road, has a huge casino, big flashing lights; money signs flickering everywhere. You drive by that, and you see me or you see your local preacher coming out of there. What would you say? What a great example, look at him. He's following Christ. What a great example he's being. Let's all go follow him now. No, I doubt that's what you'd say. You’d wonder what's the preacher coming out of the casino for, what's he doing in the gambling hall? I thought that wasn't something we should do. Well can it ruin just a Christian’s example? The Bible teaches, 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, the Christian should not be in the world. God says, “Come out from among

them, and be ye separate,” says Lord, “I’ll be your God; you shall be my people.” I am to come out of the world, not be like the world. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” You see somebody coming out of the casino, the gambling hall; you don't say what a great light he's being for the Lord. No that’s probably not what you're thinking. 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul told Timothy, “Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in spirit and in purity.”

Whether it is drinking, whether it is drugs, whether it is revelry, I’m to abstain from that those things. I'm to be an example in everything I do. 1 Thessalonians 5:22, the Bible says, “Abstain from every appearance of evil.” The gambling hall, the casino the things that go on there, would you associate that with holiness and God? Or would you associate that with evil, sin, and the devil? We realize it’d be associated with that which is evil. I am to abstain from every form or appearance of evil, therefore I shouldn't allow my Christian example be marred by going to places and participating in things like unto that.

Christians should not gamble because it has the potential to lead to dishonesty and deceit. A U.S. News & World Report analysis found crime rates in cities where there were casinos were 84% higher. There is a moral sin problem that goes along with that. Focus on the Family reports an extreme example, where a church secretary stole $186,000 from the church to fund her lottery obsession. Does it cause problems? Can it lead to dishonesty and deceit? Does it lead to other problems, crime, stealing, theft, drugs? You bet it does. We've all seen this, we know this. There are

cities that like Las Vegas that have to deal with this day and night. The homeless, the poor, the sick, those who think they’re going to hit it big in gambling, that’s not God's way.

How does God teach us to make money if gambling is not right? We’re to have authority for all that we do. A Christian can make money in one of three ways. I can make money by working for it. 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “If a man won't work, neither shall he eat.” How do you eat, how do you make money? By working; good, old-fashioned, hard labor and work is how one earns a living. The Bible teaches that a Christian can also make money by selling lands or goods and trading or selling that for money. Acts 4:34, Ananias and Sapphira had land, they sold it, and they made money off of it. They didn't do the right thing with that. Barnabas had land. He sold it, and laid the money at the apostles’ feet. One is authorized to sell land or goods and make money off of that as well.

A Christian could trade something for money or other goods. Genesis 34:10, there was the trading that went on there between the early patriarchs, where they traded cattle, land, and goods for money or other goods. Let's say that somebody had some land and they needed something else whether it was cattle or goods or a home, whatever it may be, an equal trade would also be authorized in the Bible. You could work for it, you can sell land, you can trade for something of value, but what you don't find in the Scriptures, as it relates to gambling is it's never an authorized way to make money to earn a living. That's not authorized by God.

I want to emphasize to you the great damage gambling can do to families. Gambling has been shown time and time again to destroy the family. In Illinois a review of the state's gaming records reveal that in a fourteen month period, seventy-two children were found abandoned on gambling premises. What would make somebody abandon their child at a casino? An addiction. In Louisiana and South Carolina children actually died after being locked in hot cars for hours while their caretakers gamble. An Illinois mother was sentenced to prison for suffocating her infant daughter in order to collect insurance money for gambling. In gambling communities, spousal abuse and divorce rates skyrocket. Think about marriages that have suffered because finances were in shambles over gambling; think about children, homes, mortgage payments, cars. All was lost, because somebody had an addiction. How that naturally affects the family.

How does one overcome or prevent a gambling problem? Realize this; Ed McMahon probably is just not coming. The pie-in-the-sky, Publishers Clearing House, dream: buy a lottery ticket and I’m going to win $1 million, the chances of that are so slim that I need to just get rid of that idea. I'm paying something; I’m not going to receive. It's a dream; it's not going to win. I need to do away with that very idea that that's how I can exist and survive and hit it big. Realize this; if you're a Christian in this life, you have treasure beyond measure. As a child of God I have heaven as my home, I have God's family as my family, I have the riches of all spiritual blessings in Christ, I've got more now as a Christian than I could ever have if I even won the lottery.

Learn to be content with what you have. 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Paul said to Timothy, “Godliness with contentment is great gain, we brought nothing into this world, it's certain we can take nothing out, having food and clothing be content with these.” Learn to be content. You know if you can learn to be content you can be happy in whatever state you're in as long as you're a Christian and you have Christ and your sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus. A lot of problem is, people don't have that, and they've yet to learn what true contentment is all about. We ask you today, have you obeyed the gospel? Are you a Christian? If maybe you've been searching for something to fill that void, I can promise you Christ can do that. You can be complete in Christ, Colossians 2:9-10.

Have you heard the message of this book, that Jesus is the son of God? Do you believe that with all your heart? Are willing to change your life and repent? Would you confess His name before men? Would you do what Jesus said? “He that believes and is baptized will be saved,” Mark 16:16. Let's not be addicted to gambling, let's turn our lives over to Christ, and live every day for Him.

Study Questions for: “Truth Series: Gambling”

1. According to 1 Corinthians 6:12, are all things helpful?

2. 1 Corinthians 6:12 tell us we shall not be brought under what?

3. How should we do things according to Colossians 3:17?

4. What doe s1 Peter 4:10 tell us to do?

5. How are we to treat others according to Matthew 7:12?

6. What fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:23) is not being followed when we allow something like gambling to consume our life?

7. Who are we to be servants of according to Romans 6:17-18?

8. According to 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, are we to fit in with this world?

9. What are we to show men according to Matthew 5:16?

10. According to 1 Timothy 4:12, what are we to be?

The writer of the book of Hebrews said, “It is appointed a man once to die and then the judgment.” And after that judgment, the Scripture teaches we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done: good or evil.

The fact remains that one day I will leave this life. One day you will leave this life and will stand before the Almighty throne of God. And we will either hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant, or depart from me you worker of iniquity.” We invite you today to study, as we think about the truth about Heaven and Hell.

Today we think about a very sobering and a very serious subject. Friend it is the case that I am one day going to leave this life. You’re one day going to leave this life. James 4:14 says that may be sooner than later. “What is your life? It's but a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” The Scripture teaches at best, I've got 70 maybe 80 years upon this earth if I'm lucky, Psalm 90:10-12. That time will fly by before we know. What am I doing and what are you doing to prepare for the other side?

Friend do we realize that's what life is all about? Someone has rightly said that this Earth is just simply a vail of soul making. I am here for my one chance to get right with God and to make sure that I can live with

Him in that beautiful place called heaven.

Today we want to elaborate from the Scriptures. We want think about: What does the Bible say about that place called Hell, a place of destruction? So that I can be discouraged from doing things that will lead me there. And what does God say about that beautiful place called Heaven? So that I can be encouraged to live right and enjoy the beauty and splendor of that place called heaven with Jesus, with God, and with all the saints of old.

Let's direct our attention to that place in the Bible that we know of as Hell. We live in a world today that doesn't like to mention or think about the idea of Hell, but to fail to think about Hell is to fail to put a pivotal part of encouragement in my Christian walk. What we mean by that is, if I never think about Hell and the consequences of bad decisions, I'm more prone to make those. But if I'm cognizant there is a place called Hell, if I don't live right and do right, there is a very serious reality that I can go there. That encourages me not to do the things that will lead to that place.

And so, I want to take today a brief journey with a man in the Bible who went to a horrible place in Hades, known as torment, which is indicative of what hell itself will be like. What's that going to be like? Notice in your Bible Luke 16:19. ‘There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day, with a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate desiring to be fed from the crumbs ,with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.’

“So it was that the beggar died and was carried by angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried and being in torments in Hades he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom; he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in these flames.’ Abraham said, ‘Son remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he's comforted and you’re tormented. And besides all this between us and you there's a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to bask from here to there cannot. Nor can those from there to here pastimes. Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore father that you would send him to my father's house for I have five brothers that he may testify to them; lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him,

‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’’’

What do we know about the rich man and his journey to that place we think of as Hell? We know that for him and for those who go there, Hell is a place of horrible torment. Listen to Luke 16:23 the Bible says, “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.’ This man awoke, and he was in horrible torment. Can you imagine the idea of torment? When we talk about torment, we’re talking about unbearable pain. We’re talking about that which creates mental, spiritual, psychological habit in one's life. Imagine being so sick that you wished for death but always living. Imagine having so much pain that you long for the day it would go away and that day and that moment in time, continuing forever. Friend that’s the idea of torment, unbearable pain and anguish and heart ache for all eternity. Who would go to a place like that if they could help it?

Secondly as we think about this man and his journey to torment, the Bible teaches us that it was a place of unquenchable fire. Notice Luke 16:24 again the Bible says, “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham have mercy on me, send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in these flames.’”

When I think of torment and I think of the anguish this man was the in, can you imagine it being so bad that you’re just looking for one drop of water? I have been pretty thirsty before. I’ve wanted a glass of water or a drink of water, but one drop of water? That's the extent of torment this man was in. Can you imagine being in the fire of hell for all eternity? Now someone says, ‘Well how can God call someone to be on fire for eternity but not be burned up?’ Well number one, God the creator of fire and of mankind has that power. But he’s shown us that before the Bible, has he not?

In Exodus 3 Moses looked up and he saw a burning bush, but the bush was not consumed; it was on fire but never burned up. Daniel’s three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fire. The men who through them in were consumed by the fire, and they themselves were not. God, who has power over fire, has the ability to cause one to

suffer in that fire for eternity.

Now listen carefully, does God want that? Absolutely not! Here's what God wants, God wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth, 1 Timothy 2:4. “God is not slow about His son's coming as some men count slowness, but he is long-suffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God doesn't want somebody, that’s not what he longs for; he's not enjoying that idea. But for there to be a reward, there was also be punishment. For there to be right, there must also be the justice of those who have done wrong for justice to occur. God indeed wants people to be saved.

Now as we think about this man, who went to this horrible place of torment, I want to illustrate one of the worst things this man had to face. This man had recognition in Hell. What a horrible thing it was for him to remember! Hell is a place of mental recognition. Listen to Luke 16:25 indeed the Bible says, ‘But Abraham said, “Son remember.” Listen to that word, “Son remember in your lifetime you received your good things and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted and you are tormented.” What two words echo out of that verse that remind us of the horrible nature of hell? “Son remember.” In hell my memory will not be erased. In hell I will remember what I should've done, could have done, what I thought I wanted to but did not do. I think that theme song in Hell that will be so horribly, ‘If only I had… I could have done…’ Wouldn’t that be horrible?

Friend listen carefully, I understand the torment; I understand the fire. And I understand how horrible that will be. But if a child of God is lost, I think this might be one the greatest things, most horrible things, about Hell. The very fact that I was a Christian, the very fact that my sin had been washed in the blood of Jesus, that I had the grace and mercy of God, and I gave all that up for temporal, carnal, mundane worldly things and let sin take that from me. If a child of God is lost, how horrible would it be for them to be lost in Hell ever remembering at one time, they were saved. Friend you'd be hard-pressed to find anything more horrible and tormenting than that idea.

As we think about Hell, let's also realize this, the Scriptures teach that Hell is a place of eternal separation from God, from that which is good, from others of done right, and from those things which are Holy. Listen

again to Luke 16:26 the Bible says as Lazarus is seeking for someone to come over and given him a drink of water, or as he seeking someone to go back and teach his brothers, Abraham says, “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from their pass to us.”

What about when we get to the other side, any making changes then and crossing back over? Once this life ends my fate is set. Once this life ends there are no more chances to go to the other side. If I awake in torment, I cannot cross over to Paradise. If I awake in paradise, and you wouldn’t want to, you can’t cross to the other either Abraham said. It's eternal separation. Imagine that being separated forever from God, from good, from Jesus, from holy and right people- being with forever the devil, the demons, the ungodly, the immoral, those who are carnal and worldly minded of this world.

You know when we think about the eternal nature of it; sometimes it's hard for us to really grasp that idea. Let me use a couple of illustrations. Let's say that someone had done something in this life, some heinous crime, and they were given a life sentence without parole. Now even that has a glimmer of hope, does it not? Even without parole, it has a glimmer of hope; because a person may still turn to the Bible, may change their ways, and there is a day coming when they will pass from this life. And they can steal mend their ways and get to Heaven. Even a life sentence in jail has hope of something, on another day, being the day of their demise. Friend when we talk about eternity, there's no day of hope. There's no glimmer. There's no sunshine spot anywhere in that, it's all darkness and veiled by the fact that there will be no other chances. And so let's realize Hell is a horrible place of eternal separation from God and from those who have lived right and done right in this life.

But now, let's think about the other side of that equation. Let's think about Lazarus and the rich man. And how Lazarus, although he didn't have much in this life, he was a poor beggar. He was eating crumbs from the rich man's table, the dogs licked his sores, and he didn’t have hardly anything in this life. Yet on the other side, he had at all.

Friend we want to encourage today by noticing and by thinking about the beauty of that place called Heaven.

What will it be like? What encourages me to live right, to follow Jesus, to the fight the fight every day against sin and Satan? Oh it’s that beautiful place called Heaven. What’s Heaven going to be like? Heaven is a beautiful place of rest. Do you ever get tired in this life? DO you ever get hot? Do you sometimes just think I really need to rest? I need to sit down in the easy chair and take it easy for a while. I just need to relax. Heaven is a place of spiritual rest.

Listen to Hebrews 4:9 the Bible says, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” Rest from what? Rest from our labors, 1Corinthians 15:58-59. Rest from the fight and the struggle against sin and Satan- all that will cease to exist. Rest, in the sense that we are in the safety and the shelter of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Rest from our cares, worries, and our burdens. Real rest can only be found in that beautiful place called Heaven.

When we think about Heaven let's also realize this, in Heaven there is the absence of evil. That's one of the things that makes Heaven so wonderful. Listen to Revelation 21:4. The Bible says, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” You know when I think about this verse and all the absences that will make Heaven great, think about some of these things that won't be there. There will be no more tears. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

When I think about this image, I think about an illustration from my own life. One of my grandmothers, on my dad’s side, was a woman from a different era. She grew up working in the home. Every morning when she got up, she put an apron on and worked in the kitchen. She worked in the house and helped the family. I can remember we would go and stay with her certain times. And I can especially remember times when we might fall down or bump our knee or get a scrape somewhere. She would always take us up in her arms, so lovingly, so tenderly; and she would take that apron and wipe every tear out of our eyes.

What a picture of comfort, security, and hope! “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” And listen to this, here's some the absences, “There will be no more death.” You'll never have to weep or go to a funeral

again. Now look at this, “No sorrow.” You’ll never have to be sad anymore. “No more crying, no more pain, all the former things have passed away.” Look at how wonderful Heaven will be because of what won't be there! The very things that break our heart, the very things that bring us sadness and turmoil and difficulty-in Heaven those things will not exceed!

What else makes Heaven great?

Friend this is the top thing. And if the rest of this were never told, this is all we would need. What makes Heaven great? Heaven will be great simply because God is there.

I used to think that it was the streets of gold, the pearly gates, the river of life, the tree that is of eternal life. Those things used to appeal to me so much. All the jewels, the diamonds, and as I read those things I used to think that's what makes Heaven great.

That's not what makes Heaven great. God is what will make Heaven great. Listen to the words of Jesus; this is what makes Heaven great. Matthew 6:9, “And in this manner, therefore pray ‘Our father who is in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name.’” What makes Heaven great? God is there. God is the source of all love, 1 John 4:8. He is the God of light as the book of 1 John teaches. He's that which we long to be, to conform ourselves to, and He’s everything that is representative of good, holy, right, and perfect. If God's there, friend Heaven indeed is a place every child of God should want to go.

But then we also mention this about heaven. What else will make Heaven great? Heaven will be great, because everything I suffer in this life, the Bible teaches; Heaven will be worth it all. This is a passage that has often encouraged me as a Christian. I want you notice what Romans 8:18 says. Paul said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed unto us.”

What’s that passage say? Heaven will be worth it all. The sufferings that I face, the trials and tribulations, the cares of this world, the worry and anxiety that we all sometimes have, they don't even begin to compare! They're not a drop in the bucket compared to how wonderful Heaven is going to be! Heaven truly will be worth it all. The sickness, the sin, the sorrow, the heartache, the struggles that we face, fighting the good fight

every day, it's all going to be worth it on the other side in Heaven.

Friend I'll assure you, if you follow the Bible, if you live your life according to the teaching of Christ, if you obey the gospel become a Christian, continue to walk in the light, remain faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10, Heaven will truly be worth it all.

But friend let's also realize this, if one chooses or is tempted to follow Satan, and follows down the path of sin and lives the life of immorality and ungodliness and remains in that lifestyle, he is lost. I can assure you there would be nothing worse than being lost in Hell forever.

Friend I believe this with all my heart, if we can just get a small taste, a small glimpse of how horrible Hell is and is really going to be, nobody would want to go there. We would do everything possible not to go there. And in that same vain, if I could just get a small taste, just a brief glimpse of the wonder and the beauty of heaven, every person living would do whatever it took to get to that beautiful place.

But friend only the individual can make that decision for themselves. The Bible does say, “It’s appointed a man once to die and then the judgment.” I'm not designed to live forever nor are you. The sad reality is one day I'm going to leave this life and so are you. When I leave this life, I will meet my maker. I will return to God. And based on obedience to the Gospel and the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I'll either hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joys of your Lord.” Or I'll hear the words, “Depart from me you worker of iniquity, I never knew you.”

Friend we ask you today to consider seriously your eternal state. If it all came down right now, where would you spend eternity?

Maybe you're not sure. Friend we want you to know today what you need to do to be sure. Jesus said in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free.” You can know truth and that truth can make you free from sin.

What must a person do to be saved and become a Christian on the one and only road to Heaven?

First you've got to hear God's word. The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God,” Romans 10:17. I have to realize this book is God's message on salvation. And it and only it has the words of eternal life, John 6:68. Once I've heard the word I have to believe it. Jesus said in John 8:24, “Unless you believe that I'm He, you will surely die in your sins.” Having believed in Jesus, I must be willing to change my life and repent. Acts 3:19 Peter preached, “Repent and turn that your sins may be blotted out.” I've got to turn from sin and turn to God. Having repented of sin the Bible teaches one must confess Jesus as Lord as son of God. Jesus said so plainly in Matthew 10:32-33, “If you won’t confess me before men neither will I confess you before the Father who is in Heaven, but if you will confess me before men I will confess you before the Father who is in Heaven.”

Have you made that great confession? I believe Jesus is the Christ the Son the living God. And if you've done all that, if you heard the word, you believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, you wanted to make that good confession, have you done what Jesus said to be saved concerning baptism? Jesus said it so plainly, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved. He that does not believe shall be condemned.” Jesus said you have to believe and be baptized to be saved, Mark 16:16.

When the first gospel sermon was preached in Acts 2, Peter stood up with the 1. The Jews cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do? We realize we killed our Messiah. What do we need to do to be saved?” “Repent and be baptized every one of you in name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.” Jesus said in John 3:5, “Unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.” And then once I've obeyed the gospel, I've got to do my best to walk in the light, 1 John 1:7.

I've got to be faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10. I have got to change my life and walk in newness of life and try every day to follow His will and do what He wants me to do to. I need to repent when I find things in my life that are not right.

And so friend, our prayer, encouragement, and hope for you is that you will go to Heaven.

God wants all men to be saved. We want you to be saved. If you've never obeyed the gospel, won’t you become a Christian today?

If as a Christian, maybe your life is not right. Make that right. Take the time to make sure today you're right with God, before eternity comes for each one of us.

Study Questions for: “Truth Series: Heaven and Hell”

1. What does James 4:14 say about how long life on Earth lasts?

2. What did the rich man beg for in Luke 16?

3. In Luke 16, why didn’t Abraham send someone to worn the rich man’s family about the place of torment?

4. According to Luke 16:26, what was the afterlife like for Lazarus? What reason did Abraham give for this?

5. According to Luke 16:26, once someone dies will they be able to cross over to different places?

6. What will Heaven be for the people of God according to Hebrews 4:9?

7. According to Revelation 21:4, what will not be in Heaven?

8. How long must we be faithful according to Revelation 2:10?

9. What does Mark 16:16 tell us?

10. What does Paul say in Romans 8:18 about his present sufferings?

In June 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States of America took up the case about homosexuality and gay marriage. A majority on that Supreme Court ruled that homosexuality is now legal in all states in the United States of America. What does God say about such a far-reaching and morally important decision?

The Lord's church and the God of heaven want every person involved in homosexuality to go to heaven. We want them to be saved; we love them. But, you cannot be saved and remain in that ungodly state.

Is homosexuality authorized by God? Regardless of what the Supreme Court of the United States of America may say, what does the divine court of God say?

We love those who are involved in this problem. We want them to go

to heaven; we’re not mad or angry personally at them. Although the sin makes God and Christians angry, we want them to go to heaven. We want to love them and help them see God's way.

Our emphasis in this lesson is simply upon the Bible. It doesn't matter what popular opinion says. It doesn't matter what you think and what I think. It doesn't matter what society wants. It doesn't matter what the Supreme Court of the United States of America says is right or wrong. The only thing that matters and will affect our eternal destiny is what this book says. Is there any word from the Lord on this subject?

Let's begin by realizing that every person is a creation of Almighty God. In Genesis 1:27, the Bible tells us that the Lord God made man in His own image. God, Genesis 1:27, male and female He made them. I’m made in the image of God. I’m made with the Spirit of God. God put my spirit in me, and God made male and female. God did not make male and male and female and female. That’s not the way God did it. God did not make Adam and Steve. God made Adam and Eve. One man, one woman, that's the way God made His creation. And that is the natural way the propagating of the human earth, the human race, was to survive in this life.

There are multiple passages that will clearly show that homosexuality and the homosexual lifestyle is contrary to the teaching of this book and that lifestyle does not please the God of heaven.

Let's go back to the origin of the family. What did God do when He

originated the family? In Genesis 2:24, the Bible says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they the two shall become one flesh.” Well what's the reason for that? Earlier in Genesis, God was looking for a companion for man, “not good for man to be alone,” Genesis 2:18, “I'll make a helper comparable to him, a companion.” The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall and Adam, God took one of Adam’s ribs, and from that rib he made woman. When Adam saw her he said, “She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.”

God created woman out of man and for man. For that reason, ‘man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.’ When the originator and author of mankind created the home, the family, and marriage, how did he do it? One man, one woman for life.

Man is to leave father and mother, not father and father and mother and mother. Man is to leave father and mother, be joined to his wife, not his husband, be joined to his wife and the two are to become one flesh.

From the very beginning of time, with God's perfect and original plan for the home, there is no indication that homosexuality ever was right with God. It wasn't by the things God said and taught here about His family and His home. We know that homosexuality is not right for a Christian.

We understand that our media, the world in which we live in, certain

political groups and parties, are just heavily promoting this homosexual agenda. You can turn on the television and it seems like everything you see has something to do with homosexuality. Homosexuality is being pushed down our throats by the media. People are trying to force this issue on us in so many ways.

It is heavily promoted and pushed our media today, but again I'm not concerned with what political parties or groups, popularity, or the media wants us to do. I want to know what does the God of heaven say on this subject.

Let's direct our attention to another passage in the Bible teaching homosexuality is a sin. The Bible says in Genesis 19:5, “And they called to Lot,” these men of the city called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”

God sent two angels, two men to the family, to the family of Lot to warn them to get out of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot encourages them to stay. They come into his home. And this is the city the wickedness that cause the city be destroyed: The people of that town heard there were new people in town at Lot’s house. And so the men of that city came to that house. And they said, ‘Where are these new people? Bring them out so that we can have sex with them.’

If you ever wonder why Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed, read

this verse and it doesn't take long to figure it out. Why did God call this city wicked and immoral? And why was it destroyed? Homosexuality was running rampant in Sodom and Gomorrah, and God does not at all approve of that.

Those are principles and those are examples, but where does the Bible say God doesn't approve of homosexuality?

In Leviticus 18:22, notice the specific language of the Bible, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination.” Where's the verse in the Bible that says homosexuality is wrong? In the Old Testament it’s right here. God says, “Do not lie with a man,” and lie indicates sexual relations. Do not have sexual relations with a man as with a woman it's an abomination. God hates it, and God clearly commands one not to do it.

How serious is God about that? Let's see. In Leviticus 20:13 the Scripture says, “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination, they shall surely be put to death, their blood shall be upon the them.” How did God feel about people who broke His law and lived in homosexuality? God said, “They shall be put to death.” God knew it was a crime against Him, a crime against humanity, and it was contrary to His will. And they suffered the consequences because of that.

In the Old Testament God was not at all happy with these actions. Let

me give you another sad example, from the book of Judges. Judges is about a dark time in the history of Israel. In Judges 17:6 and Judges 21:25 it says that in those days there was no king in Israel. It was a society of anarchy; every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Judges 19:22-23 says, “As they were enjoying themselves, suddenly certain men of the city heard, perverted men, and surrounded the house and beat on the door. They spoke to the master of the house the old man saying, ‘Bring out the man who came to your house that we may know him carnally,’ but the man, the master of the house went out to them and said to them, ‘No, my brethren I beg you do not act so wickedly, seeing this man has come into my house, do not commit this outrage.’”

A stranger comes to town and their first thought is, ‘Let's go over and have homosexual sex with him.’ They come to that man's house. They beat on the door, but the man wouldn’t send him out. He said, ‘I'm not sending him out; don't do this wickedness. Don't commit this outrage.’

How is it thought of? Homosexuality was thought of as wickedness and an outrage. It was never ever approved by God.

Another passage in the Old Testament is 1 Kings 15:12, the Scripture says, “And he banished the perverted persons from the land and removed all the idols that his father had made.” If you look in your Bible and especially in the footnotes, you'll see there that the Hebrew word for perverted person, it says those practicing sodomy, homosexuality, as a religious prostitution. What? What were these perverted persons? They were a group of homosexual people who got together and had homosexual

sex as part of their religion and part of their way of life. And Asa, approved by God, banished those people from the land. He got rid of them.

But notice this, the word that was chosen to describe that was perverted persons, someone involved in homosexual activity. The Bible describes that as a pervert. We think of a pervert maybe as a peeping Tom, or maybe as somebody who wants to have sex with a child. But, homosexuality, a person involved in that, is just as much a pervert as someone who does other heinous sexual crimes that are contrary to the will of God.

That's the Old Testament. Those passages might say something about it, but today were living under the New Testament.

What does Jesus say about homosexuality? I actually heard someone say, Jesus never says anything against homosexuality; therefore he had no problem with it.

Jesus directly spoke to what marriage was, who it was between, and all the way back to the origin. He solidified and put His foundational firm agreement upon God's command. Matthew 19:4-6, they come to Jesus and they’ve got this question: Can a man divorce his wife for any reason? Jesus said, “From the beginning it was not so,” and He quotes from Genesis 2:20, “For this reason a man, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother be the joined together the two shall become one flesh.” What God has joined together let not man separate. Did Jesus say anything about marriage and the home? In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus put His stamp of

approval on the fact that marriage was between one man and one woman.

One man, one woman and that is Jesus’ word on what marriage is. Marriage is between a man and a woman; not man and a man or a woman and a woman according to the words of Jesus.

The men who wrote the Bible were Disciples of Christ. They were under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and under the control of God, 2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Then rest of the New Testament shows what God, Jesus, His apostles, and Christians are to believe about homosexuality.

This verse clearly teaches it is a sin in the New Testament age for someone to be involved in homosexuality. The verse, Romans 1:26-28, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions, for even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature, likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust for one another, men with men, and committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” How does God describe homosexuality? Here's what He says: It is a vile, filthy, or disgusting passion; it is unnatural are against nature. Against nature is that's not the way things God design things to work.

If everybody were homosexual what would happen to the human race in one generation? There would be no human race in one generation. It just doesn't work with men and men and women with women. It is against

nature. It is vile and disgusting God says. Men with men committing that which is shameful, it is something that ought to be ashamed.

Israel got to a point where they could no longer blush, and we’re almost to that point in our society, where homosexuality doesn't bother us and isn’t shameful like it ought to be. God says it's vile, unnatural, shameful, and a penalty deserving of punishment. It’s an error; it's a mistake. It's a sin deserving of punishment. What’s that mean?

Let's direct our attention to another passage which helps us to see exactly what that penalty is. The Bible teaches among other sins, that those who continue in a homosexual lifestyle, live in it, practice in it, and die in it, will not go to heaven. That’s specifically what the Bible says. Notice 1 Corinthians 6:9, “Do you not know, that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, these people are not a part, cannot be a part of God's kingdom, will not go to heaven. Do not be deceived neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God, and such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

What did Paul, what did God and the Holy Spirit say here? The God of heaven said, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The people he lists are living in unrighteous lives, and they will not go

to heaven. Idolaters, adultery, revelry, drunkenness, fornication, immorality, but don't miss this, homosexuals, and sodomites, if they continue in that lifestyle, will not go to heaven. It is unrighteous, and they will not into the kingdom of God.

Where’s the Bible teach you have to come out of that to go to heaven? “And such were some of you,” 1 Corinthians 6:11.

As we initially said, we want to be plain. We want to clearly say what the Bible says on this matter. There is so much confusion that there's no need whatsoever to beat around the bush.

We want people to know you can come out of that. You can be washed and become clean. You can put that behind you. God loves you, and we love you. We want people involved in that go to heaven. But you can't continue in it, and think to yourself ‘God says it's okay; I can live this way and Jesus will be okay with it.’ The Bible has clearly said in the New Testament that’s just not the case.

Does the Bible and the New Testament anywhere else teach homosexuality is contrary to the will of God? It absolutely does.

In 1 Timothy 1:9-10 the Bible says, “Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for man slayers, for fornicators, for sodomites (the word homosexuality), for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there

is anything other it is contrary to sound doctrine.” Lawless, unholy, ungodly, immoral, a host of people are mentioned there. Murderers, immoral people, and sodomy are ungodly and unholy. And it's not living according to the teaching of the New Testament.

Jude 1:7 also teaches that homosexuality is not according to the will of God and it says, “As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in similar manners of these, having given themselves over a sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

We mentioned that passage earlier, and do you remember what happened? What was that strange flesh that they went after, immorality, in Sodom and Gomorrah? Well they said to the men who came, ‘bring out to us that we can know them carnally.’ That's the reference here. And Jude says those people involved in that homosexual activity, are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. They're going to be lost, because of their immoral homosexual activity.

One objection that we often hear is that they can't help it. They’re just born that way. The Bible doesn't teach that. Genesis 1:26 God said, ‘Let us make man in our image.’ If I’m made in the image of God, and God created one man and one woman for life, I’m not created to be homosexual. That's not the way God made me. There is no scientific evidence to support that either. No one is born that way.

Simon LeVay helped map the human genome and DNA. He said, “It's

important to stress what I didn't find. I did not prove that homosexuality is genetic or find a genetic cause for being gay. I did not show that gay men are born that way, the most common mistake people make interpreting my work. Nor did I locate a gay center in the brain.” This is signed by LeVay, Homosexuality: The Innate-immutable Argument Finds No Science in the Bible by Jeffrey Robinson, Shirley Cox, and Byrd Dean.

What did he say? I helped in mapping the human genome; I didn’t find a gay gene. You cannot find that gay center in the brain. It's not built into our DNA. God says you’re not born that way. Science says we found no proof you’re born that way. The evidence is not there.

Homosexuality is contrary to the will of God.

If you're involved in that we want you to know the God of heaven loves you, and we love you.

But you cannot remain in that action and be right. You've got to leave that behind, repent and turn to God. Our hope and prayer is that you will do that if you're involved in homosexuality.

Study Questions for: “Truth Series: Homosexuality”

1. According to Genesis 2:24, who shall become one flesh?

2. What does Leviticus 18:22 command?

3. What were the people practicing homosexuality called in the Bible according to 1 Kings 15:12?

4. How is homosexuality described in Romans 1:26-28?

5. Who will not inherit the Kingdom of God according to 1 Corinthians 6:9?

6. What does it say about homosexuality in 1 Corinthians 6:9?

7. According to 1 Corinthians 6:11, must you come out of that sin to go to heaven?

8. How was homosexuality viewed in 1Timothy 1:9-10?

9. According to Jude 1:7, who is suffering in the eternal fire?

10. According to Genesis 1:26, whose image are we made in? So, are people born homosexual?

In the early days of mankind, God said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Welcome to our study of the truth about marriage. Marriage is indeed a very serious and important topic. We look across the state of marriages in the United States of America today, and many marriages are ending in divorce. Many people are choosing not to marry. They are opting not to have to deal with divorce and the heart ache that goes along with that.

Today we will be thinking about what God has to say that will help and be profitable to every marriage that's willing to follow God's word. As we think today about the subject of marriage, what an important topic! Marriages need to put God at the center to really succeed.

We begin by asking: What can married couples do to make their

marriage really one that will glorify God?

First, we suggest from the Scriptures that for marriage to be what God wants it to be, you have to understand the purpose of marriage. What's marriage all about? Why did God create marriage for His creation?

Marriage is to provide needed companionship. No one wants to be alone. God created Adam, and then God created all the animals, and all the other things in the days of creation. God saw that it was not good for man to be alone. He made a helper comparable to him. What's marriage about? It gives us needed companionship. God knew what Adam needed. God knows that man and woman need each other. They need the strength. They need to lean on one another. They need to not face life as a loner, but rather to have the companionship, the help, the strength, and to heirs of life, 1 Peter 3:7, together. It gives needed companionship.

Secondly marriage is designed to propagate the human race. Genesis 1:26-28, God said, “Let us make man in our image.’” God made man in the image of Himself. He told man to, “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” When God created man, He created him with a desire, with a need, to fill the earth. We have a need to reproduce and propagate the human race. As we think about marriage, that is the proper scope for sexual relations and reproduction. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

We then think about another purpose of marriage that I believe is

often left out, and it should be right up at the top of the list with other purposes of marriage. God created marriage, and He created man a woman to be a helpmate. He created her to be a helper. Genesis 2:18, “God saw it was not good for man to be alone. He made a helper comparable to him.” While we help one another in various levels, don't miss the fact that God created man and woman to help one another get to Heaven. God created the marriage arrangements, and God created man and woman to complement and help one another.

As we think about the purposes of marriage and that being to truly strive to do what we can to help each other get to heaven, let's realize if that's the case we need to be ask ourselves a very serious questions about those who we may be considering for marriage. You want to know, is the person whom I am considering someone will help me get to Heaven? Are they someone who will encourage me in my spiritual walk? Will they help me to be a better student of the Bible? Will they help me to pray more? Will they help me to draw near to God? When we bring children into this marriage arrangement, will they do everything possible to help them learn got about God, become Christians, and go to Heaven?

Right at the top of the list, I'm looking for someone God wants. I need someone who will help me get to Heaven, a helper in that daily walk with Christ. A helper will help me face the challenges, enjoy the good times, and be there dependably during the difficult times. The Bible also teaches that as part of the joy of marriage, we have the privilege of the sexual relation, which is designed to prevent immorality, 1 Corinthians 7:1-5. ‘It is better to marry than the burn.’ You've got passions; I have passions. We all

have desires that we were innately built with by God. And in and of themselves and in the right scope, those are things that are pure and right and holy. Where is that area that's approved by God? Again, it's marriage. “The bed is undefiled,” Hebrews 13:4. And so marriage, part of it is to enjoy that relationship, to fulfill those desires, and it is the right and holy place that God has helped us to do that and told us how to fulfill that desire.

Now friend as we think about the purpose of marriage, let's also realize it is to help one another developed spiritually, 1 Peter 3:7.Our goal should be to help each other mature spiritually. Ephesians 5:21-31, you've got husbands who are to be head of the home, and you have wives who are seen as the Queen the home. She's to be in submission the husband. The husband is to be the spiritual leader in the home and to think not of himself, but of others and their spiritual growth and development. 1 Peter 3:7, ‘we’re to be joint heirs of the grace of God together.’ I want to help my wife; I want my wife to help me to grow spiritually, to know the Lord better and to develop a spiritual mindset to not think about things of this world, but to truly think on the things of God and focus on what He wants me to do in this life.

If we’re going to succeed in marriage, not only must we come to the Bible and let it tell us what the purposes of marriage are, we've got to let God and the Bible be the standard in our marriages.

Why do so many marriages breakup? What causes people to lose focus and lose interest and not really have the kind of marriage that they

should have?

One of the key reasons is that we don't let God and the Bible have first place in our marriage.

The Bible clearly teaches God should be the foundation of every marriage. Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it.” The psalmist said in Psalm 34:3, ‘Let us exalt His name together,’ that's the idea. God's has got to be at the center. We've got to strive together in marriage to put God first.

Now listen carefully, when we talk about God and the Bible being our main priority being the center of marriage holding it together, that means He has to come before our own wants and desires. It means God has to be more important than money, worldliness, our jobs, and our recreation. In every decision, I need to put God at the forefront, let Him be the guide in my marriage, and His word be the standard. Husbands and wives should make it their goal in life to help each other be more Godly. They are to strive to improve their knowledge of God's word. They should study together and pray together.

When critical decisions are going to be made in the home, we need to let God's word have free reign in our marriages. We need ask, “What does the Bible say on the subject? Is there any word from the Lord that will relate to this that we’re dealing with in our marriage?” Jeremiah 37:17, “What does the Scripture say?” is the question we want to ask, Romans 4:3. You want to study the Bible together in marriage. The Bible says, “Study to show yourself approved in the God a workman who does not need to be

ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.” Who better to study the word of God with, than the one you've chosen to help you get to Heaven? Husbands and wives need to pray together and pray for each other. James 5:16 says, “The effective fervent pray of a righteous man overcomes much.” “Men ought always to pray,” 1 Timothy 2:8. I should pray that I'll be a better husband, a better father, that my wife will be an encouragement to us, that we’ll all strive together to really have a home that will glorify and honor God. And to bring prayer into that equation, what power and strength that brings. We come boldly to the throne of grace that we might find grace and mercy to help in time of need.

Here's a principle that relates to letting God and the Bible be the standard in marriage, if God's going to be first and if His word is going to be the standard, then I have to put God before anybody else in my family. That means God has to come before my spouse. God has to come before my children and my family. It doesn't have to be that way, but if we’re working together, God should be right there with them. But when things aren't like they should be, maybe someone has a Christian/non-Christian relationship or maybe people are not following the word of God in the home like they should, how do I look at that? God has to come first. Matthew 10:37 Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

As we talk about God in the home, let's also realize that for marriages and homes to be what God wants them to, the standard for living in the home has got to be God's word. I love the words of Joshua 24:15.

Joshua said, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” What kind of principles did Joshua teach? In our home God and His word must be the standard of living. God sets the tone on our lifestyle. God sets the tone for our morality. His word is the guide that we follow. And when we have questions, whether they be moral or questions about the home, or disciplinary action, whatever it may be the will and the word of God need to be the standard.

Matters related to the home must be decided by this book. The Bible says in Jeremiah 31:17 that God's word is that source that we look to. Jeremiah 37:17, “Is there any word from the Lord?” is asked. What does this book say on the subject, the matter, that we're dealing with? John 2:5 we want to remember the statement that Mary made. Mary as she is giving instructions to some of the servants, she turns them and said, “Whatever he, Jesus, says to you, do it.” Can you find better advice than that? Whatever Jesus says to us, we want to do it.

And so as it relates to matters the home, let's let God's word make the final decision.

As Christian mates, we have to help one another live up to God and His standards. As parents, we want to make sure that children do what is right according to the Bible. As the Scripture says you want to, “Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, so that they can know God and know His way.”

Friend for marriage to work, you have to be committed to one another. You have to be committed each other. Here are some of those commitments you have to make.

First of all you have to be committed to, leaving father and mother. We’re not saying that you can’t have relationships with your families. But now my main focus and interest is me and my wife; it’s our family. Genesis 2:24, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.” There is the leaving of the old family unit that you were a part of under your father and mother. You’re joined to your wife and now the new arrangement, the new family unit, is made. And we're not going to follow the same decisions we might have. We’re to let God and His word in our family make those decisions. Will many of those be the same? Yes. If going by the word of God, they absolutely will. But we're not going to lean on parent to make those decisions. This is a problem that occurs in marriage. Somebody, when matters may come up or troubles may arise, they turn to mom and dad. They may give some advice, but first to the Bible. Let's build our own family unit based off the word of God and God's teaching. Leaving father and mother and cleaving to one another, to build that wonderful relationship, God wants. And so there's got to be that commitment to leaving father and mother. There has to be a true commitment to the permanency of marriage.

Today marriages sadly are often cast-off like garments that one loses interesting in and changed as though it's a just a suit of clothes. It is

sad. That's not the way God designed marriage. Jesus spoke clearly, “What God has joined together let not man put us under,” Matthew 19:9. God hates divorce, Malachi 2:16.

And so, when we talk about marriage, sometimes we hear at a ceremony, ‘til death do us part.’ Did you know that’s biblical? Romans 7:1-4 marriages should be until death, that's God's design. And thus if my marriage is going to succeed when I enter into that arrangement, I've got say myself ‘this is a commitment that no matter what I make, come good time, come bad time, come difficulty, if I have a lot or have a little, I'm going to make it work. I'm going to overcome the struggles.’ And if you have the mentality that we’re going to do everything possible within our power to make this work, friend your head and shoulders above many in this world who when hard times come, just throw in the towel.

Along those same lines, you also have to be committed to facing the problems of life together, that's what marriage is all about. God saw all that was not good for man to be alone. As we have problems and difficulties, we're to be there for each other. We want to help one another. We want to work together. You don’t have to be alone in this anymore, that's the beauty and the harmony of marriage. It is having somebody to help you in this life.

And of course part of the commitment of marriage is, you've have to be committed to provide for one another. If a man won’t provide for his own, the Bible says he's worse than an infidel or an unbeliever. The man provided. And in Proverbs 31 you also had the virtuous woman, who also

did her share in the home and elsewhere as well. And so, part of the commitment is to take care of one another physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. That is a commitment you have to make.

But you know the key to marriage is it has to really be bound by true love. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13: 13, “Faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these is love.” Ephesians 5:21-31, “Husbands are to love their wives as themselves.” No one ever hated or abused himself is the idea. No one in his right mind harms himself. He loves himself and is going to take care of himself. You are to love your wife and your family in that extent. The Song of Solomon, which is a beautiful love story, shows us the bond of love. Love is to be stronger than death. It's fire flames most vehement flames that many waters cannot quench. The writer said, ‘If a man were to give for love, all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised,’ Song 8:6-7.

And so, let love be the binding agent that brings you together.

Now listen carefully, we’re not talking about lust. When we say the word “love” we’re not talking about sexual attraction. We’re not talking about desire. Those things may have their proper place, but they're not love. True love thinks about others first. True love is self-sacrificing. True love wants to make others happy, take care of them, and wants to see them get to heaven. And while the relationship physically may exist inside that, compared to all the other things related to love, it is indeed a small part of the equation.

Now as we think about marriage, let's also listen to what God has to

say concerning the subject of divorce and remarriage. Friend when God instilled the home in Genesis 2:24, God meant for there to be one man and one woman for life. God said, “For this reason man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two become one flesh.” That's the ideal. That's God's original plan: one man, one woman for life. Staying in that relationship, until death do them part Romans 7:1-4.

God and never wanted divorce to occur. He never wanted multiple marriages and remarriages and divorce. That is not part of God's original plan. One man, one woman for life is God's original plan that He formed.

Now as we know, the Scriptures teach God Himself hates divorce. It feels one's garments with violence the Bible says in Malachi 2:16.

Does Jesus say anything in the New Testament on the subject of divorce?

He absolutely does! I want to direct your attention to the words of Jesus in Matthew 19. I want you notice what the Lord says in Matthew 19:3. “The Pharisees also came to Jesus testing Him and saying to Him, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?’ He answered and said to them, ‘Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. So then, they're no longer two but one flesh, therefore

what God is joined together let not man separate.’ They said to Him, ‘Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and put her away?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.’”

What does Jesus say on the subject of divorce? It is not according to God's original plan. When God brings people together, He wants them to stay together. Even though, because of the heart hardness of the Israelites, God permitted it, it was never a command. “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for fornication and marries another, commits adultery, and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery as well.” Jesus taught that Mark 10, Matthew 5:31-32, and in Matthew 19:1-9.

So what are Jesus’ words on divorce? Keep it together. Make it work. The only scriptural reason for divorce is fornication, sexual immorality. The Greek word porneia, illicit sexual activity outside the marriage bond, and then and only then does the innocent party has a right to remarry.

God has not given 101 reasons for divorce, for marriage, divorce and remarriage. God hasn't done that; He's only given one reason for scriptural divorce. And then, only the innocent party can remarry.

Now as we think about the subject of marriage, let's realize though,

God wants our marriages to be a success. Friend God wants His children to go to Heaven. He created the home, the family, and marriage so that everyone inside that arrangement could prosper, could grow spiritually, could develop into children of God, and ultimately could get to heaven.

And so as we think about marriage, the home, and the family, let's ask some serious questions.

Are we really doing our part to make sure that our marriages are following the word of God? Is God really the center of my marriage, every decision I make, every action I take, everything that I do, by putting God and His will first? And am I doing my part inside the marriage relationship to make sure that I am a good helper? I am striving to help my family and my children get to heaven as God wants me to?

Friend the greatest decision that one can make is to enter into that relationship with Jesus Christ. If you've never become a Christian, as always, God wants you to become a child of His.

If you've heard the word, you believe in Jesus, and are willing to repent of your sins, and confess His name before men, and be immersed, you can become a Christian today.

May God help us to make our marriages that which glorifies Him.

Study Questions for: “Truth Series: Marriage and Divorce”

1. According to 1 Peter 3:7, husbands and wives are heirs to what?

2. Who are we made in the image of according to Genesis 1:26-28?

3. Where are sexual relationships honorable according to Hebrews 13:4?

4. In Genesis 2:18 when God saw that it was not good for man to be alone, what did He do?

5. According to 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, what do the sexual relations of marriage prevent?

6. According to Ephesians 5:21-31, what are husbands to be?

7. According to Ephesians 5:21-31, what are wives to be?

8. What is the question, in Jeremiah 37:17 and Romans 4:3 that we must ask when problems and difficulties arise in our marriages?

9. What does God hate according to Malachi 2:16?

10. According to Matthew 19, what are God’s commands as to who is permitted to get a divorce?

Jesus said, “But I say to you, whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed fornication in his heart,” Matthew 5:28.

Welcome to our study of the truth about pornography. Pornography is a serious problem that we have to face today. With the advent of the Internet, and all the media tools that are out there one can very easily access pornography. What does God's word have the say about the Christian and the viewing of pornography?

Pornography is indeed a serious problem today. A host of marriages every year are broken up because of pornography. One spouse may get involved with someone online, look at pictures online, lose interest in their partner, and problems begin to arise. Every year marriages are broken up because of pornography. Pornography is a serious problem because if your home is like most in United States of America, where Internet or TV comes into it, pornography infiltrates and has the ability to destroy the moral fiber of the home. It's hard to watch television without some form of pornography being shown. If you open up your computer, even if you're casually looking at your email or things that are good in and of themselves, you have to be careful because pornography can pop up and you may not even want it to. Thirdly, pornography is even becoming a problem for computers at churches and universities. They’re having to spend thousands of dollars to protect their computers from getting caught up in the porn industry.

First we want to let this be defined from Scripture. The Greek word for pornography is the word porneia. Porneia literally means, Matthew 19:9, fornication or adultery, and it means illicit sexual activity. Illicit means something that is not licensed or allowed. What type of sexual activity does God condone? Only one, Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage is honorable, the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Pornography, the idea of illicit sexual activity, is any type that occurs outside of the marriage relationship.

Pornography, deals more with sins of the mind, of viewing materials or seeing materials, or maybe some type of over the phone activity. Pornography is a combination of two Greek words it’s the word porneia, for illicit sexual activity, and it’s the word graphos, which means to write. It is the writing, printing, or making of movies related to elicit or unauthorized sexual activity. Are there different types of pornography today? There are there different variations of it. There's what we think of as maybe hard porn like triple-x videos, porn websites, magazines like Hustler or Playboy; hard porn is out there blatant in-your-face. Then there's soft porn, not softer in the sense it is not wrong, but it’s not viewed the same by society. For example, Abercrombie and Fitch catalog is fraught full of pornography, the viewing of the illicit activity or things of that nature, that catalog is full of illicit pictures, maybe even a Walmart flyer with women in their underclothes, or romance novels, or television and its commercials, where one can view or read or their imagination is prompted to look in that way.

The pornography industry is a money generated industry. I suspect you'll be surprised how much money pornography actually generates as an industry. Did you know the revenue from pornography is larger than the revenues of all professional football, baseball, and basketball franchises combined? It exceeds the combined revenue of ABC, CBS, and NBC. Sadly child pornography generates 3 billion annually, and the whole industry generates $12 billion annually. It is indeed a money making industry. Nearly 900 theaters in United States of America show pornographic films, and there are more than 15 thousand adult bookstores and video stores that offer pornographic material. How does that relate to something that I can understand? Adult

bookstores outnumber McDonald's in United States of America by margin of three to one. Is it a money making industry? You bet it is. Is it a serious problem that we have to face today?

For every child of God it indeed is, and this is something we need to be concerned about because pornography is shown to deteriorate and to cause problems with morality. There are many areas that show the association between pornography, and heinous sexual sins such as rape. Michigan State police Detective Darrell Powe found that of the 38,000 sexual assault cases in Michigan between 1956 and 1979 in 41% of those cases, pornographic material was viewed just prior to or during the crime. What was it that led them to want to act that out? Seeing it, viewing it, and wanting that and taking what was on the page and trying to make it reality often leads to those problems. Sherry Hite found that 67% of males who admitted that they had wanted to rape a woman reported reading pornographic magazines. Sociologists Murray Straus and Larry Baron of the University of New Hampshire found that rape rates are highest in states which have sales of sex magazines and lax enforcement of pornography laws. Do you see the correlation there? 86% of convicted rapists admit to regular use of porn and 75% of rapists admit to simulating acts they viewed in pornography. Is pornography something that is good for the moral fiber of our society? Absolutely not.

Did you know that pornography is actually linked to other violent crimes as well? 81% of recent mass murderers admit to using pornography extensively. They had a mind that was devoid of truth; they were filling that with ungodly things, including pornography. The crime rate increases two the seven times wherever pornography is sold. Now friend, you just think about that. You bring in an adult bookstore; you bring in a pornographic theater, what’s going to happen to crime rate? You've got people going over there, viewing that, and being attracted to that. You don't want that in your community. Dr. James Dobson actually interviewed Ted Bundy, one of the nation's most notorious serial killers. On the day before his execution, Ted Bundy said that the most damaging kinds of pornography are those that involve violence and sexual violence, because the wedding of those two forces he said as I know only too well bring about

behavior that is just, just too terrible to describe. When you got violence and pornography and sexual ideas involved and in many of those you do. You're going to have problems like Mr. Bundy himself had.

Why should a Christian abstain from pornography? Not only does it deteriorate one's morality, it pollutes the mind. Think again about the words of Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 5:28, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” It makes my mind unholy. You see, I am to let holiness strive to live in my life, “Without holiness no one can see God,” Hebrews 12:14. Be holy as He who called you is holy, and yet when one is putting in pornography, viewing pornography, watching it reading about it, our mind is not what it ought to be. The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” My mind, my heart that becomes what I live and what I act out and what I think about. If I'm putting ungodly things in my mind, it's going to pollute and degrade one's mind.

Pornography has the ability to lead to lying and dishonesty. Revelation 21:8 the Bible says, “All liars will have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.” What about those who look at pornography? Is that something they’d like to put on the front page of paper? Is that something they’d like put on an application? Or is it something that would lie and deceive about and try to not let others know about? It leads to lying and dishonesty and other things. It's directly related to secrecy and things done in shame and darkness, John 3:19. That is of the devil, that's of sin, and that is not something that a Christian ought to be involved in.

Once you begin to look at pornography that affects your mind in a very evil and dark way. Realize that pornography, as we mentioned, has the ability to destroy and break down marriages. At the 2003 meeting of the American Academy of matrimonial lawyers, two thirds of the 350 divorce lawyers who attended said the Internet played a significant role in divorces in the past year. I can think of marriages, you can think of marriages where, one spouse got to doing something on the Internet, looking at something, talking to somebody, viewing pictures of someone, and before you know it

the marriage is busted up. Pornography has the ability to destroy marriages and homes. A study done by Dolf Zillman of the University of Indiana and Jennings Bryant of the University of Houston revealed that repeat exposure to pornography results in a decreased satisfaction with one's sexual partner, with the partner’s sexuality and with the partner’s sexual curiosity. There was a decrease in the valuation of faithfulness and a major increase in the importance of sex without attachment. What did all that study show? Nothing amazing, it's just that once you begin to look at that you are less satisfied with your partner, and more satisfied with just sex for sex’s sake. Realize that does great harm to the home.

The Bible teaches that married couples should be satisfied with one another. Proverbs 5:19-20, the Bible says, “As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; always be enraptured with her love. For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, and be embraced in the arms of a seductress?” God created marriage to be holy and right and for two married people be satisfied with one another, to be enraptured with one another, to have that relationship. Pornography is destined to break it down. Hebrews 13:4 again says, “Marriage is honorable the bed undefiled, whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Pornography has the ability to destroy marriages because it creates a lack of trust.

I'm to love my spouse; I'm to love her as myself; I'm to put her thoughts and ideas her ways above my ways; I'm to look out for her interest not just my own, Ephesians 5:22-31. When somebody begins to view pornographic material, when they find out that happens, let's say one spouse finds out that the other's been looking at pornography, how's that going to affect the marriage? They’re going to have problems with trust. You're going to be thinking to yourself if it's pornography now, what's it going to be later? If they're looking at these images and thinking these thoughts, what if the opportunity arose where they could fulfill those? It’s a problem that creates trust issues in the marriage, and it does cause one to stray mentally. “Anyone who looks on a woman to lust after her,” Jesus said, “has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Is Jesus saying that's grounds for divorce? That's not even the idea. No more

than hating your brother is actually murder, but you've departed where it counts, in your mind and in your heart you've already began to stray.

Pornography is a terrible, terrible threat to our children. 82% of child molesters admit to imitating the sexual behavior they've seen in pornographic material. Do you see the connection there? Not only that, of the 1400 child sexual molestation cases in Louisville, Kentucky between July 1980 and July 1984, adult pornography was connected with each incident and child pornography with the majority of them. The average age of first exposure to Internet porn now, is anywhere between nine and eleven years old. If you don't think your children aren't being threatened by pornography, you need to wake up. It is a very serious problem, if you've got a tablet, if you've got an iPad, if your child has a phone that can access the Internet, if you've got access to the Internet period your children are indeed threatened by pornography. In fact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children revealed in a June 2005 study that 40% of arrested child molesters, child pornography possessors had both victimized children and were in possession of child pornography. We must realize this is indeed a very serious problem that every child of God has to deal with. Let's realize our children are at threat. Our children are being taken advantage by this industry and we must not let that happen to them.

We need to realize that children ought to be able to keep their innocence, 18 and Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Children are to be viewed as is innocent and pure, ought to be able to enjoy that life without having these kinds of threats up against them.

Realize that pornography has the tendency to lead to sexual promiscuity later. 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee youthful lusts.” 1 Peter 2:11, “Abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul.” When a young person begins to view that action on the Internet, or in a book it makes them want to act that out, and it can lead to, if the opportunity arises, them to fulfill that later in life. Of course there are many other mental health and

psychological disorders that are associated with this.

Why else should a Christian abstain from pornography? Realize that pornography has the ability to erode one's self-control. Listen to 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul said, “I will not be brought under the power of any.” What's Paul getting at? He's not going to let anything rule his life except Christ. One who is addicted, it is an addiction. I've known people; you've known people, who were addicted to viewing pornography. It has the ability to erode our self-control, if I've got to do immoral, ungodly things to go view those things, or to bring that into my mind, I don't have the self-control I ought to have. Here's what the Bible says we should do, “Bring every thought into captivity, to the obedience of Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:5. Can someone who's viewing pornography really fulfill that verse? Is every thought under the obedience of Christ? Romans 13:14, the Bible says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust.” “Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul,” 1 Peter 2:11. “The fruit of the spirit is self-control, Galatians 5:22-24.

Pornography is indeed a violation of God's law because it violates God's purity principle. Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Can you look at and view pornography and think about those actions in your mind and really be pure in heart? 1 Timothy 5:22, the Bible says, “Keep yourself pure.” Are you really keeping yourself pure if you're involved in pornography? Psalm 24:3-4 asks this question, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?” or, “Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” Are we really living pure lives, right lives, lives that are honorable in the sight of God if we're taking those images and thoughts into our mind and our imagination runs wild with it? Surely not.

There are preventative measures that parents and individuals can take against a pornography problem. What do you do to prevent a problem with pornography? First of all don't open Pandora's Box even one time. Don't go there, don't think about it, turn your mind away from it, if the opportunity exists resist it, and just don't go there. Second, you’ve got to realize this is sinful action that has the ability to cost me my soul. If Jesus said you've already committed adultery in your heart, and adultery in the heart would be

contrary to the will of God, I've got a realize pornography is a sin. It is a violation of God's law, it is something that will send me to hell if I don't change my ways. I must realize the serious nature of that.

We offer this advice, and it is counter to most you would hear today, but we would suggest not watching most TV that exists today. Most of our TV that is on today, we're talking about major network shows and programs and movies. Most of it is going to contain material that will not help one's mind to be pure and holy and right. Are we saying everything in that area is wrong? That's not what we're saying, but you know exactly what we’re talking about on the sitcoms and television shows and movies and just imagine that the daytime soap opera shows, how immoral and ungodly they are. Can a Christian look at that without thinking about some of the immoral ungodly things that he should not to think about? According to Sex on TV 4, a Kaiser Family Foundation, did you know that the number of television sexual scenes has almost doubled since 1998? 70% of all shows have some sexual content averaging five sexual scenes per hour compared to 56% and three scenes per hour in 1998? Surely it's only gotten worse even more recently. I'm going to be bombarded with it the more I watch TV.

How do you deal with a pornography problem? Let's say somebody does view porn. You’ve got to come to terms with it and realize I do have a problem. You need to pray about that problem, James 5:16. You need to learn to put your mind to thinking about good and holy and upright things. The Bible teaches that Christians are to deny the flesh and its lust and really we've got to seek help and accountability from those closest us.

If you have Internet a pornography filter is a must. Having a computer without a pornography filter is dangerous in the home and those filters are free of charge. You can go on the Internet and you can find porn blocking filters that will block that in real time, you can download onto your computer, and it won't allow sites to come up if it has ratings that are immoral. If it views that or has viewed that, and someone searches the

web, you can put those in your computer and make sure that your children are indeed protected from those things.

As Christians let's realize this is immoral, this is ungodly. Pornography is not just something that is a part of our culture, it's contrary to this book, it's contrary to holy living, it's contrary to purity of mind, and it's contrary to God's sanctity of marriage. Maybe you've been involved in a pornography problem and maybe that's affected your life.

It's never too late to make that right if you're a child of God; you must but repent of that and ask for forgiveness and pray to God. If you're not a Christian, why not become one? Hear the word, believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, and be immersed in water, and then put good things in your mind so that you can glorify and honor God all the days of your life.

Study Questions for: “Truth Series: Pornography”

1. According to Matthew 5:28, if you lust after someone what have you committed in your heart?

2. According to Hebrews 13:4, what kind of sexual activity does God condone?

3. What must we have to see God according to Hebrews 12:14?

4. According to Proverbs 23:7, what is the result of think ungodly things?

5. What does Revelation 21:8 tell us about lying?

6. What does John 3:19 tell us about things done in darkness?

7. How does Ephesians 5:22-31 tell us to love our spouses?

8. According to 2 Timothy 2:22, what should we flee from?

9. What should we abstain from according to 1 Peter 2:11?

10. According to 2 Corinthians 10:5, what are we to do with our thoughts?

Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free,” John 8:32.

Welcome to our study of the Truth. In this series of lessons we're going to be looking at several topics, and we turn to the Scriptures to determine what God's truth on these subjects is. As we think about truth, there are several things that are important for us to notice.

First let's realize that truth is the most important commodity, the most important possession any civilization can have. The proverb writer said, “Buy the truth, and sell it not,” Proverbs 23:23. Whatever truth cost me, whether it is friends, whether it is family, whether it is a job, whether it is old ways or habits, it’s worth the sacrifice to gain truth. The proverb writer said that we need to buy it and never ever sell the truth.

Think about the value of truth for just a moment. How would you know what two plus two is if there wasn't some standard of truth, if there wasn't a standard for mathematics that everybody knows? Two plus two is

four and that's a truth that can never be debated or denied. If there were no truth what would the world be like? How would we know what's right and what's wrong? How would you know what side of the road to drive on if there wasn't a certain truth or standard? How would you know anything without truth? How would you know you're here? How would you know you exist? How would you know that this is not just some idea that happened or some existential reality? How would we know anything, without truth? Truth is indeed one the most valuable possessions any people can have.

Let’s begin by asking this very simple question that Pilate asked, “What is truth?” John 18:36-38. Let's ask that same question: What is truth? We want to give a fourfold answer to this question that helps us to understand the ideas that we’re talking about. First, God is truth. 2 Chronicles 15:3, the Scripture says that, ‘We serve a God of truth.’ 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul said, that the Thessalonians turned from sin and idols, to God to serve the true and living God. What’s truth? It’s the very idea of God himself, His nature, His character, and His qualities. He is the representation of truth. “It's impossible for God to lie,” Hebrews 6:18. “God does not change,” Malachi 3:6.

Not only is God truth, Jesus Christ, His Son is also truth. Ephesians 4:21, the Scripture records that the truth is in Jesus. In John 14:6, Jesus had just told his disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled.” Yes I'm going away, but don't get discouraged. Here's why, “I'm going to prepare you better place and when I come again, I’ll receive you to myself that you can come there with me,” in essence. Thomas says, “Lord, we don't know where going, how can we know the way?” Jesus said, “I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. No man comes to the Father except by Me.”

The Holy Spirit is truth. John 16:13 says, “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He'll guide you into all truth.” 1 John 5:6, also references the Holy Spirit as the spirit of truth. What is God's Holy Spirit? Naturally it speaks truth because it reveals unto us God and Jesus and God's ultimate plan of salvation.

Along with the Godhead, God's Word is absolute truth. In John 17:17 Jesus, praying to the Father said, “Sanctify them by Your Truth, Your word is truth.” What's truth? God's word. Psalm 119:160 so beautifully illustrates God's truth, “The entirety of your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” How much of this Book is truth? Is part of it fables, part of it men's ideas, part of it written by somebody later? The Scripture says the entirety is, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. Every bit of this book is from God and is absolute truth.

Those four things help us to understand what truth is. They may give us some ideas, but how do you define truth? If I said to you, “Define truth for me,” how what you do that? Here are some words we might use in defining truth. First we would say that truth is something that is right or upright. God's commandments are right and just,” (Psalm 19:8). Psalm 119:128, says that God’s commandments are upright or right in truth. We're talking about that which is right opposed to wrong, opposed to error. God and God's word are right or upright.

We might use the word just in talking about truth. Revelation 15:3 refers to God as a just God. Will not the judge of all the earth do justly? The question was asked in the book in Genesis, and the answer is a resounding yes. God is just, fair, noble, upright, and honorable. Those are all words that can be associated with truth.

We would say the truth is trustworthy. If it's true, I can trust it. I can take it to the bank, I can base my faith on that, and that's what the Bible also says about God and His word. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding acknowledge Him in all your paths and all your ways and He'll direct your path.” God is trustworthy. Job said, in Job 13:15, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” We're talking about something that can be trusted, something we can put our faith in.

Another word we might use to describe truth is that which is perfect or complete. James says, in James 1:25 that we are, to receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save our souls and it is called the perfect law of freedom or liberty. The Greek word for perfect means complete, not lacking, total, everything we need to be right with God. Truth is right, it's just, it's something I can trust, and it is complete and perfect in every way.

Let's think about just how important truth is to our spiritual lives. How important is truth, how important is it that a person know God's truth and understand that? Truth is very important because of modern relativism today. By relativism we mean that one person thinks one thing’s right, another person thinks another things right. Whatever may be right to you may not be right is somebody else, but it's just kind of relative and it changes all the time. That's not what the Bible says. The Bible teaches that truth, especially the truth of God, does not change and is not relative. It’s not something that man constantly needs to be changing constantly. No, that's not what the Bible says. In Jeremiah 7:28, Jeremiah said, “So you shall say to them, ‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off

from their mouth.’” They were doing what everybody else was doing. They were going along with the winds of change and whatever the other nations did. That's what they wanted to do, and God said because of your view of truth it's perished from this nation.

Relativism says everything is subjective. We can know this is not true for several reasons. Is it the case that everything is subject to change? It might be one thing one day and another thing the next day. We don't think like this in any other aspect of life. For example, there are universal standards of truth in science like the law of gravity. How subjective is gravity? How relative is it if you drop a bowling ball today? It's going to land on your toe. If you drop a bowling ball tomorrow, it'll land on your toe, and the next day. The laws of gravity they don't change. Laws of math don't change. There are certain things that are just the same.

Our law, it's going to stay the same, but somehow when we come to religion, people want to say, it's all relative. God's not relative, we've already seen that. His truth is not relative, it's not going to change; and therefore we need to do away with this idea that everything in the religious world is relative. God Himself clearly says He's not a relative or subjective God. God says, “I am God, I change not,” Malachi 3:6.

The Hebrew writer said, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow,” Hebrews 13:8. It’s the same past, present, future. Today, tomorrow, and in the future God, His Son Jesus Christ will be the same. Please understand the word of God is meant to be the one final standard that is not going to change. It's going to stay the same, and it's going to be that which judges us in the last day. How do we know that? Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges

him-the word that I've spoken will judge him in the last day,” John 12:48. When Jesus was here on earth 2000 years ago, when He was preaching and teaching and doing great miracles, that same word He proclaimed then is going to was the standard then and will be the standard for all men on the judgment day. That's not going to change. That standard is going to stay the same. Truth doesn't change because of people; people will change because of truth. Truth doesn't change because a society may do immoral things, a society should change to accept truth. Truth doesn't change because of us; we change to get our lives in line with the truth of God's word.

Why else is truth such an important possession? Truth is important because of man's inability to direct himself spiritually. Jeremiah 10:23, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. What are we talking about there? Jeremiah is talking about how to get right with God, how to live right, and how to help Israel be what they want to be. He's telling Israel, you've got to stop leaning upon your own thinking, you've got a look to God only he can direct your steps. Only God's truth can help us get to Heaven. “There's a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death,” Proverbs 16:25. ‘‘We need to stand in the old paths, and ask for the good way, where the way that’ll lead to Heaven is, it'll direct our soul,” Jeremiah 6:16.

God's word and its ability to direct us, show us how far off base we are. For example, God's word is able to direct us in that it tells us how we got here. In Genesis 1:1 the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” “God created man in his own image,” Genesis 1:27. “The Lord God created man out of the dust of the earth, breathed into

his nostrils the breath of life; man became a living being,” Genesis 2:7. Compare that to the theories of men, theories of evolution and Big Bang theories where somehow many evolved from monkeys or somehow over millions of years ago there was some cosmic explosion and out of nothing we came to exist. God tells us, ‘I created you in my image, you were given a soul and that soul is here to glorify me and one day you will have to give an account of how you've dealt with that.’

It answers questions like: Why am I here? Many people are here for a multitude of reasons. They are living for a multitude of reasons that are just not right. Some are out for lust, pleasure, popularity, pride; and then there's some who simply don't know why they're here. They’re floating through life without real meaning and purpose. God's word and its truth and is able to direct our steps when it comes to our purpose. What's our purpose? Isaiah said, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I've made him,” Isaiah 43:7. Did you get that? God said I created you for MY glory. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether we eat or whether we drink, or whatever we do, we're to do all to the glory of God.”

Solomon searched for the meaning of life. Solomon tried it all, good and bad alike. He went through the whole list of things to find purpose and he said, “All is vanity, like trying to catch the wind.” He came to the right conclusion. What’s life all about? “Fear God, keep his commandments, this is the whole duty of man.”

God will bring every work into judgment including good or bad, whether secret or open and God will judge us because of that. I'm here to fear God and keep his commandments, and only the word of God gives me

that that grand and noble purpose. That is so much more than about me, it's about serving God.

God's truth is so important, because it directs my steps to where I need to go after this life. Only the Bible and only God's truth can send us in the right direction when I leave this life. It's true; all who are in the grave will one day come forth. I’m not going to stay here forever; this earth isn't designed to last forever. One day I'm going to come up out of the grave, and Jesus said, in Matthew 25:46, “The righteous will go into eternal life, and the unrighteous into eternal condemnation.” What book, what truth can help me prepare for the other side? Only the word of God, God's truth can do that.

Truth is so vital and so important because it is the only thing that can set us free from sin. In John 8, Jesus has been discussing with the Jews about their need for him and their need for salvation through him. They've got questions about Abraham and they thought because they were Abraham's children they were going to be right anyway and Jesus corrects that. Jesus says, in John chapter 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Continue with John 8:36, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Not Abraham, not Moses, not the patriarchs, Jesus said, you've got to know the truth to be free. What truth? That He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

You see truth has the marvelous power to free men from the bondage of sin. Paul said in Romans 6:17, “God be thanked though you were the slaves of sin, yet you obeyed draw heart the heart that form of doctrine to which were delivered. And having become separate from sin, we became heirs of righteousness, slaves of righteousness.” Obedience to the truth

sets us free from sin. All of us have to deal with the consequences of sin, in Psalm 38:4, the psalmist said, “My sins have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they're too heavy for me to bear.” All of us have felt that, all of us know the sting of sin, 1 Corinthians 15, yet the gospel has the ability to free us from that. I'm now free to obey Christ and follow his teaching and his doctrine.

Truth is so vitally important because of the abundance of error that's being taught today. John 8:44, the Bible says that the devil is a liar. He's a murderer, he's the father of lies, and there's no truth in him; and friend I assure you he has talked people in the calling good, evil and evil, good. Isaiah 30:10 and Isaiah 5:13, and people are now so confused, because of the mass amount of error that sometimes it's hard to wade through that until we turn to God's truth.

The truth of God is so important because of the mass amount of error today that's being taught on salvation. You can take ten different people and ask them, “What must I do to be saved?” you'll likely get ten different answers. You come to the Bible, you'll get one answer. Here's what you don't find, Billy Graham and Franklin Graham say that all you got to do to be saved is call on the name of Jesus and say the sinner’s prayer. Dear Jesus, I accept you as Lord and Savior come into my heart and save me now. I can't find the sinner’s prayer in the Bible. You can search from Genesis 1:1 to the very end of Revelation and you will not find the sinner’s prayer. It's not in there, not even one time.

What do you find instead? Men and women being told to hear the word, Romans 10:17. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Jesus says, “Unless you believe that I am He you'll surely die in your

sins.” People are commanded to repent or perish, Luke chapter 13:3. People are told that they must confess Jesus to be confessed by Jesus, Matthew 10:32-33. Jesus Christ says baptism is essential to salvation, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved,” Mark 16:16. The apostle Peter says baptism is for the remission of sin, Acts 2:38. Jesus says one must be baptized to get into God's kingdom, which is going to heaven, unless a man is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God, John 3:5. The Scripture clearly says that baptism is for salvation. Meaning you must be baptized to be saved. Where is that at in the Bible? In 1 Peter 3:21, the Bible says, “There is a like figure unto which now does now save us-baptism (not the removal of the filth the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God).”

Did the Bible just say baptism saves us? Clearly and explicitly it did. The Scripture doesn't teach you’ve got to say a sinner’s prayer, but it does teach you’ve got to hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized to be saved.

How do we deal with all the religious error that we’re facing today? All the problems that are occurring, whether it be problems of immorality, salvation, or problems our country is dealing with, how do we deal with those problems?

Here's how, we've got to buy the truth and sell it not. Before you can buy it you’ve got to know what it is, and to know what the truth is you've got to go to the right source. God, His Son, His Holy Spirit, and God's word are absolute truth; that means I've got to do my part to find truth. “I've got to study to show myself approved unto God,” 2 Timothy 2:15. I need to be like those in, noble Bereans, in Acts 17:11 who searched the Scriptures daily to

see if these things are so. I want to know what truth is, I want to our buy that truth because of its value, not because of what’s popular, because that's what God wants me to do regardless of who says or does what. All that matters is, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah 37:17. “What do the Scriptures say?” Romans 4:3.

We hope that each of us have been encouraged to look into God's truth and whatever it teaches to buy into that, knowing that Heaven will be our reward. We encourage you today, if you've never obeyed the gospel or you've never accepted truth, obey God's plan of salvation, and let truth have its full reign in your life.

Study Questions for: “Truth Series: Truth”

1. What will make us free according to John 8:32?

2. According to Proverbs 23:23, what shall we do with the truth?

3. According to 2 Chronicles 15:3, we serve a God of what?

4. What is it impossible for God to do according to Hebrew 6:18?

5. According to Malachi 3:6, does God change?

6. According to Ephesians 4:21, what is in Jesus?

7. According to John 16:13, who is the truth?

8. What is the truth according to John 17:17?

9. According to Hebrews 13:8, does Jesus change?

10. How can we show ourselves approved unto God according to 2 Timothy 2:15?

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it;" Psalm 127:1.

Welcome to our study of 'The Home'. God is the designer the architect and the founder of the home and, as Psalm 127 one suggests, He must be at the center of it for the home to really be what God wants it to be.

In fact, the home takes us all the way back to the early days of creation when, in Genesis 2:24 God said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.” The uniting of husband and wife creates that home unit. It is designed by God and intended to be the foundation of man and woman.

We begin by asking: Why do we need a study of the home?

Well, if one looks around just a little bit, he can tell that there is a dire need for this study. For example: too many times the concept and ideas that are the foundation of the home, instead of being founded upon the Bible, are being framed by society and the media. Too many times society tells us what a home is and what makes a good home and what their idea of a home ought to be. Then of course the media has their part in it, where there's homes now have two men and two women instead of man a woman, where there are homes where the children really aren't what they ought to be and guidelines aren't what God tells us they should be.

We need this study because children, young people, need to hear what a godly home really ought to be. Homes are so different than they used to be 10- 50 years ago. Young people are missing out on what God expects from them and their parents in the home. Then of course, father and mother, children, grandparents, parents, all need to be reminded of what their role in the home ought to be.

We need this study because the biblical concept of the home is definitely being undermined and attacked. Friend, we're living in a day and age where the home no longer contains father and mother and children. It may be two men in today's society it may be two women adopting children. It may be a home where the children are running the household. That's not what God planned and it's definitely being undermined and attacked by society. Here's why it's so important in our study of the home: let's realize souls are also at stake. The home, raised in a godly way and brought up by God's standards, is the perfect environment to rear and shape souls for eternity but today's homes many times are doing just the exact opposite of that.

If our society - listen carefully - if our society and if our nation is going to be that godly nation. The fundamental foundation of any society and nation is the home - a home where people love God, where people look out for others interest, where people are actually concerned about their neighbors and their friends and their family. That's the kind of home where our nation and society can truly flourish and so in this series of lessons will be talking about why there's such a need for godly homes today.

We'll talk about what God says concerning marriage and how important that is to the foundation of every home. We'll look at the devastating effect that divorce and remarriage is having on the home and hopefully give some things that will help with that problem. We'll talk about for young people especially dating, choosing a mate, how to behave oneself in a godly manner, and then of course we'll talk about the roles in the home - husband, wife, father, mother, parents, children. We hope to address all of those things and see what God has to say on this very important subject.

We want to turn our attention as well to building a really strong marriage and how in that marriage, there are at times problems we have to deal with in the home. There's adversity and how does God expect us to

really build a godly home. Then we want to look at some lessons God also has to say about those who may not have a mate, those who may have lost their mate or what does God say about single people in it and how can they glorify God in this day and age as well.

Let's begin by talking about one of the fundamental problems and aspects of the home and that is the home and society. When we talk about society, we're talking about a collection of families and homes may be living in a geographical community area who strive to work together to build up their own homes, their own families, and their community.

Let's realize this first: it's God who created marriage and naturally created the home. “For this reason God said a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. God made man a helper comparable to him,” Genesis 2:18. God, not society, created the home and the family and thus if marriage and the home is going be what God wants it to be and if it's going to have its natural effect in society. Let's recognize God is the author of every home, every family, and every marriage and they must give Him the credit.

In Matthew 19:3-6, Jesus would discuss the subject of divorce and marriage but one of the key things He said about marriage and especially their discussion of divorce was, "From the beginning it was not so." Marriage, the family, its home, has its roots in the beginning of time, in God's creation and thus marriage is the beginning of the home and the family unit. For the family to be what God wants it to be, marriages must be what God wants them to be. Did you know that marriage is one of the first of three institutions that were created by God? We know that in Genesis 2, God created marriage. He created man and woman. He put them together. He formed the family unit. He told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and from that, Adam and Eve had children and their children had children. The family unit was begun by Almighty God. The other two organizations are government.

Did you know that God created the government and is in control of it? In Daniel 4, kings, princes rule by the control and power of God. God puts them in charge, Romans 13:1-2. They're seen simply as God's ministers or servants. Do I always understand why they are put in place, the people that are put in place? No, but I know God has a purpose and a plan in mind. Then of course, that third and highly important unit organization, living

organism, is the Lord's church. Jesus built it Matthew 16:18. He is the head of it, Ephesians 1:22-23 and it is the divine purpose of God. And so, of these three organizations of which all have an effect on the society and the home, marriage, is indeed of supreme importance.

When we think about marriage and the first of these institutions that God created, they all relate to each other in a very unique way. The government is designed by God to enforce His will, to put in place as often we think of, in our own country today. We're a country and nation where it really ought to be one nation under God; where the government is designed to influence and supplement and help the home. When the government plays its role to supplement, to help the home, it plays the role God wants it to. But too many times the government interferes in matters where God has not designed them to.

God laid the foundation of the home. We don't now need the government to redesign that the church. The church is not designed to raise our children. The church is not designed to take the place of the home. Rather homes and families, that are honoring God, ought to be a part of the Lord's church and work together for His greatest cause. It's been said this, "as goes the home so goes the nation." Friend, how true that is.

If we want to be a godly nation, we need to have godly homes that will honor and really give glory to Him. Let me give an example of how the home and whether it stays in keeping with God's laws or not has an effect on society. For example: Gibbons, in his writings on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, noted one especially important reason that Rome fell. He said one reason for the fall of Rome was this: the rapid increase in divorce and the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home.

How could Rome, one of the greatest power houses governmentally speaking in the world, fall so rapidly and so swiftly? The home, marriages, began to be undermined. They began to look more to the government. Homosexuality began to have a rapid increase in society. Families stopped having that closeness. Children no longer respected father and mother. As those things happened, the breakdown in the home led to the breakdown in the government.

Friend, we really we live in a world - let's not fool ourselves - we live in a society and a world where God's word is not reverenced as it used to

be. When people spoke of the Bible in generations before us, there was a great sense of awe and reverence and respect. Today, many times God's word is mocked and laughed at and looked on upon as an outdated book that no longer speaks to society and its needs. Many attributes have contributed to the breakdown in the home but indeed one of those is disrespect for God and His word.

Did you know that statistics today are now showing that marriages are just not as happy as they used to be? Marriage is not held in as high esteem as it was in times past. Divorce is commonplace. Not so much in years before, divorce was looked down upon as disgraceful, distasteful, and something that people ought to be embarrassed about. Today, it's just a problem you can solve with a little bit of cash and move on with your life as though just a little bump in the road. The marriage indeed is breaking down and part of that goes to our view of how we look at God and religion.

For example, a recent study showed that people who are more involved in worship and God and church do indeed have better homes. For example, in the 1972 to 1978 time period, among those who attended church read regularly. Of the least educated in our country at that time, about 32% of the least educated attended church. Those who had a moderate education were about 40%, higher education about 38% attended church. In all areas across the board education wise in the United States in a 1972 to 1978 period, more people were attending church. From 2000 to the present, less people in every group are attending worship regularly. For example, the least educated in our society today, only about 23% in that class actually attend church regularly. Of those who have a moderate education, maybe high school, maybe a little more, about 30% attend church regularly and of those in a higher education platform, only about 34% are attending church regularly. You may be thinking: what does that have to do with anything?

Friend, the more families are in tune with God's will and make themselves availed of opportunities to worship God and study and the more they come together as a family to put God first, the more those families stick closer to God and His teaching.

You know, when we think about the home and society and its effects, one of the problems that is occurring so much today is, instead of family units, you've now just got a host of people who are living together.

Cohabitation, or living together, has become another way of making a family unit. Today, instead of getting married, there's another alternative - just live together and try it out. This wasn't always the case. In fact from 1970, we see that statistics show there were only 523,000 couples who are actually living together. But watch the increase: 1990 we've now got 2.8 million couples living together, in the year 2009 that figure jumped to 6.6 million couples living together. 60% of marriages now proceed by people living together.

Friend is that really what God designed? Did God design for people just a shack up and live together and try it out? One would say that, because of that, people now have the chance to see if they really want to be happy in marriage and it ought to give a great benefit. Did you know people are less happy? There are more divorces and homes are struggling more than ever. Living together is indeed not God's way of dealing with the problem.

Let me give you some more statistics of marriages and divorces per 1000 women ages 15 and older. I want to think about some things that occurred and how and show how there is been a there has been a progression in our society. For example, in 1970 of 1000 women who were either married or divorced in 1970, 76.5 of those 1000 women were married with only 14% of divorces occurred. Bring that up to 1985: of 1000 women being put in a study, 56% now are only being married and 21% divorces. Up to today 2009 to the present, you've now got of 1000 women, 36% of those women being married and 16.4% divorce. Of 36% marriages, you've now got 15% divorce. No doubt cohabitation has led to the decrease in marriages but per capita 36% being married and 16% getting a divorce, that's a statistical analysis of showing that 50%, nearly a staggering 50% of marriages are ending in divorce. What a horrible statistic that is!

Well, let's think about this then: What then are some factors for the home that will lead to a decrease in the likelihood of divorce or what things can help a home stay together? Well, according to a study done, economic stability was right at the top of that list. 30% of homes, the biggest economic stability have a better shot of putting God first. You know my friends, God hates teaches us how to have economic stability, to use our money wisely, to give, to help, to do good, to do not be so materialistic. You know, when we think about the family after marriage, if the people marry who are over 25, there's a 24% chance better chance those people going

to stay together. In fact, if those people had an intact family history, that is that if mother and father love each other and stay together, there's going to be more of a chance of them staying together. Those who have a stable religious affiliation, they have a 14% better chance of staying together. What does all this say God and His principles about the family, about marriage, about homes staying together, about putting Him first? All of that will greatly help God and His people; will greatly help His people to trust Him and to stay true to what He teaches and what we know can help the family.

Well, we ask the question then: What does all this matter? Here's what matters: as Christians, we've got to take steps to ensure that we're pleasing God with our families. Furthermore, we need to strive to be the example that we can be in this world. What can the Christian family do? You can be a godly example of what a real home ought to be like. Matthew 5:16 Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven." We want people to see God in our homes; for our homes to be the example of what they really ought to be. And truly that example can have an impact on the world.

We want to be a home, a godly home is a home where God's pattern is realized and followed. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." A godly home puts God's pattern above all else. We're not concerned with just what's popular. We're not concerned with what society may or may not do. We're concerned with what does God's pattern say. How does God really want us to live? I'm reminded of that great statement by the godly man Joshua. Joshua 24:15, Joshua said, "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" but then he said this, in spite of what others may have been doing, what was popular, the pressure they were receiving, Joshua said, "As for me and my house, we'll serve the Lord."

What's a godly home? A home that puts God's pattern, that puts God before all else in matters of right and wrong. What's a godly home today? It's a home where the Bible is studied and where prayer is offered and where the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is of supreme importance.

Where is Bible study at in our homes today? Do you remember 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show yourself approved unto God." 2 Timothy 3:14-15, as a young person, Timothy was taught by his mother and his

grandmother from childhood the teachings of God. There's a godly example: from very young age, Timothy had a mother and a grandmother who were teaching him God's truth. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 in the Old Testament, God said we're to put His law and His teaching in the home, on the doorposts, as frontlets between our eyes, and every place, so people can see God. What will help our homes today?

Friend, we need homes that really believe this book is from God and are studying it and living it in their lives. Prayer needs to be an integral part of the home. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we're to ‘pray without ceasing.’ We're to come boldly to the throne of grace that we might find mercy and grace to help in time of need. Friend, listen real carefully, there are so many distractions in the home today: Recreation, school, ball, and social clubs, and all the attractions of the world. And in some of those things in and of themselves may not be bad but the thing that still needs to be first is the Lord's church.

Do you remember Matthew 6:33? Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added unto you." Let's get back to putting priorities where they need to be. The church, the Bible, prayer, putting first the kingdom of God, that's what makes a godly home.

What else makes a godly home? Friend, a godly home is homes where each person recognizes their role and responsibility and each person does his heart his part to support the home. For example: husbands are to be the head of the home Ephesians 5:22-29. Wives are to be the Queen of the home, we might say, and be in submission to their husbands again Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3. Children are to obey their parents in the Lord Ephesians 6:1-4. The home is a place where each strives to do their part.

We need men in the home who will stand up and be real leaders. I too many times, parents, in society and media and sitcoms today, are viewed as incompetent and mocked and laughed at. We need parents, fathers who will be real spiritual leaders, mothers who show respect for the home and its role and who put the home first, and children who realize that mother and dad are in authority, that our responsibility is to obey them and in so doing we respect God and His teaching.

Another aspect of a godly home is it's a home where God is reverenced and purity is maintained in our conduct. What do we need in the home today? We need to put God back on the pedestal where He ought to be. God deserves to be honored, to be held up and to be reverenced in the home. He's worthy of honor and praise. You open to Revelation chapters 4 and 5 and in those context that the cry will go out from heaven that the Lamb that God, who's on the throne is worthy of honor and respect and glory. In the home, we need purity to be maintained by all.

Friend, we ask you to think about your own home, to think about the importance that the home plays in society. Are you really happy with where the United States of America direction it's going today? Are you happy with where our morals and our guidelines are? How is your home today? Is God really the focus of your home? Friend, the best thing that each of us can do, to help the shape of our nation and no doubt our home, is to put God back in the center of every home.

Let's realize God founded marriage. He founded the home. The home, the nation, the church, are all designed by God to work together to help people get to heaven but it has to start with each and every one of us. Maybe you've never become a part of the Lords family, friend, that's the greatest thing you could do to help your nation and your home and the church is to become a Christian.

Have you heard the word of God Romans 10:17? Do you believe Jesus is the Christ John 8:24? Are you willing to repent and change your ways Luke 13:3? Have you made that good confession that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God Romans 10:9-10?

And above all, would you be immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins so that you can contact the blood of Jesus Christ? If you've never done those things, we encourage you to.

With a renewed vigor, may each of us, in each of our homes, strive to put God first in all that we say and do.

Study Questions for: “Godly Homes: Lesson 1”

1. Psalm 127:1 “Unless the __________ builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.”

2. According to Genesis 2, who created marriage?

3. In Matthew 19:3-6 when Jesus was discussing divorce, He said “From the ___________________ it was not so.”

4. According to Matthew 5:16, what should we let others see in us?

5. Who should we glorify according to Matthew 5:16?

6. Who did Joshua and his household choose to serve according to Joshua 24:15?

7. According to 2 Timothy 2:15, what should we do to show ourselves approved unto God?

8. In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, where were they to put His law and teaching?

9. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:17, how are we to pray?

10. What must we do according to Luke 13:3?