02/16/2019 "Restoring the Image of God" | Pastor Dwayne Lemon

[Music] [Music] good morning Oh are there kids in the church good morning oh there we go I thought there weren't any kids happy Sabbath well welcome to Mentone those who are the city we well our story today is more of like a interesting fact actually have you seen a pronghorn Horn you seen it okay well I learned something new about this pronghorn so this problem is actually a North American antelope it's referred to it as the North American antelope but interestingly it's not an antelope but that's how its referred to well see I don't know if you can see but it has like a horn but they always argue whether it's a horn or an antler what do you think it is horn or antler raise your hand if you think it's a horn horn okay antler well it's actually both yeah so because it it actually has it's made of boats and usually if it's a horn it's curved but it doesn't branched but an antler it would branch and it actually does both well it's actually the second fastest land mammal do you know which one is the first that's right wow I'm impressed guys yes it's cheetah but even though it's only second it actually can last longer it can run longer like long distances than a cheetah so but there's one feature that I loved about this pronghorn actually can you guess what part of the pronghorn I liked the most that's really unique I'll show you something it's ice interestingly yeah ice yeah exactly interestingly the pronghorns vision is about it can see 320 degrees so so if we're I'm gonna copy you guys so if we're facing this way right and you want to turn and you want to see that book test more window over there okay so try try to copy me so try to turn your head but you can't move your body can't move your body you stretch it can you see no what about on the left side can you see no not-not-not upwards you have to go sideways sideways you can see oh ok so you might have that 320 degree vision then but anyway I thought it was so interesting that well the difference is that the pronghorn sees that way all around without turning the head it's just straight like this and they see it all the way over there right and it's amazing I thought it was amazing and then you know how far it can actually see it can actually see about 3 4 miles away and if you if you've heard of Saturn the scholar said that it's vision is about 10 times vision which means that on a clear night it can actually see the rings of Saturn which is another planet so we live in Earth and there's another planet called Saturn and it can actually see it and it brought me to this verse isn't that just awesome to have those kind of eyes so far right well there's this verse that I found that I thought was appropriate for this pronghorn it's found in psalm 119 818 it said open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from your law and so my prayer is that we will all try to study we will all study our Bibles and pray everyday and God will open our eyes to see his wondrous you know grace and love and his law and we will apply in our lives and share it to others and someday very soon we will not just see the rings of the Saturn but we will actually see Jesus in the clouds of heaven so who wants to pray so always afraid you want okay let's bow our heads Jesus thank you for the Sabbath and wonderful day you gave us amen amen you make up [Music] [Music] right praise the Lord truly this is one of the most glorious occasions in ministry is when work has been put forward in seeking to save that which was lost and when we see an individual respond to the call of the gospel we are told in Luke 15 and verse 7 that all heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents and so we know for sure that all heaven is rejoicing today sister Bridget has made her decision and responded to the call of Jesus and we want to especially acknowledge I do not know the specific individuals who was involved in working with sister Bridget to help her to get to this point but I just want to let you know that heaven truly acknowledges the efforts and the labors of those who helped make this occasion a possibility may God's richest blessings be upon every soul that was part of the seed sowing that ultimately produced this harvest and we want to praise the Lord for that my understanding is that you had a special song or scripture that you wanted read was that already done ok what scripture was that sister Bridget that she wanted read ok so at this time sister Mary will go ahead and share that with us Bridget's favourite scripture is in Jeremiah 29 verses 1112 enters 13 and it says for I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end then shall ye call upon me and he shall go and pray unto me and I will hear can you and ye shall seek me and find me when I shall search for me with all your heart praise God were there any other preliminary steps before we begin with the baptism that was it alright at this time then sister Bridget I'm gonna ask you to go ahead and take this hand rest it right here okay we are very grateful for this wonderful glorious occasion we know that all heaven is already rejoicing and sister Bridget it is an absolute privilege as a servant of God that I now baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit may you be faithful even unto death and you shall receive your crown of life let the church say Amen again good morning went in church today scripture reading is going to be from Luke 4 verse 18 the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted to proclaim Liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord happy Sabbath search family as far as possible let us bow before our Lord and our maker in prayer [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] mighty God one who is so far Lord but you are so near just when we need you most Lord we thank you Lord for your many blessings Lord that we have received throughout this day and also throughout the year Lord Lord we want to lift up unity and Lord we pray Lord for a closer walk with you well we want to remember those who are not here who are not able to make it we want to remember the different for every quest that are written in the bulletin Lord we also have things that we are dealing with person Lord and we want to put them before you or yes your word tell us that you even careful of that we can cast our cares upon you Lord we feel grateful or that you are here and we pray Lord for your presence we want to pray for the Speaker of the aisle all that you that your Holy Spirit would surely anoint him Lord and look that he will have to speak the words of life that we need at this time we thank you in the name of Jesus amen [Music] happy Sabbath Church may this song be for God's honor and glory [Music] to crawl this world the coldest heart the TAS wound the start me the better night's we stayed here my Eve breaks and falls apart but we know [Music] we're good so amazing it may be I'm fulfill it maybe I'm restored but with anything that shattered is laid before the Lord just watch and see it will not be unredeemed for every choice and I left a shame that never came for every bow that's someone broke and every lie that gave up hope we live in the shadow of the fall but the Cross says these are all places where grace is Sunnah be [Music] amazing it may be unfulfilled it made me unrestored but with anything that shattered is laid before the Lord just watch and see it will not be [Music] places where grace is gonna be so amazing it may be unfulfilled it may be I'm restored but you never know the miracles the father has in store just watch and see it will not be just watch and see it will not be [Music] okay I tried this in the first service let's try it in the second how many of you know who this young man is okay so there's a percentage of that okay let's fill it the gap and I'm sure there is much more that you could tell but Dewayne lemon is an ordained elder in Adventist Church he is the director of pth ministries a Bible based ministry of preaching teaching and healing he is also the co-director of a Missionary Training School in New Hampshire called Toccoa missions elder laments greatest desire is to help people have a real dynamic and fully consecrated life in Jesus now brother lemon didn't come here by himself he came here with his beautiful wife of 22 years almost Alexandria and they came from the state of Massachusetts which has very different weather than us so imagine when we left our home this morning and I said oh it's kind of brisk this morning it's very different for him this was like summertime anyway welcome to Wayne women well let me go ahead and say happy Sabbath to everyone it was requested by one of the brethren behind me that the screen here if it's at all possible for it to be turned on considering that we're going to be doing presentation where there's slides and they will not be able to see it from where they are sitting so my hope is that we will be able to have it on the screen as well for those who are sitting behind me so that they can receive the blessing it is privileged for my wife Alexandra and I to be here with you all it's a very short trip but nevertheless it's a very sweet one and it's truly an honor to be here with God's people and to talk about my favorite subject which is the family in the last days and there's a reason for that because what we may or may not realize that one of Satan's most mightiest attacks against the church is to attack the families within the church because as long as the families are broken you will never have a repaired church and so God has a message that is designed to meet the heart needs of every member of the household and then through that as we receive healing then we can see a great work of revival and Reformation take place amongst God's church and so we're gonna be talking today about restoring the image of God restoring the image of God and as we prepare our hearts to go through this study I believe the best way to do that is upon our knees and so I'm going to kneel to offer a word of Prayer and I'd like to invite you to kneel with me if you can kneel let's kneel together if you cannot kneel just valley ahead reverently but we want to go before the Lord and ask him to prepare our hearts to receive the word so let us pray together Heavenly Father it was early this morning that my young friend my young sister in your daughter was telling that children's story and helping them to understand that even things that seemed impossible with men are possible with God lord I stand in agreement with my sister Lord I believe that many of us have gotten to a place as it relates to our homes and even our marriages that we have bought into the atmosphere of even this world of simply being tolerant but not truly having loved one to another and this is not your plan and Lord I'm praying that every in in this room whose heart has been broken through disappointment betrayal unforgiveness bitterness anger and resentment that the healing balm of Jesus will do a miracle in those precious hearts and that by your grace that which has been torn apart will be mended and brought back together and held together not by might nor by power but by your spirit and so father we ask for his presence to come in our mist even at this time and may you show us wondrous things out of your word is our prayer that we ask in Jesus name Amen I want to invite you to turn your Bibles with me to the book of Genesis chapter 1 we're going to the book of Genesis chapter 1 we're gonna look at the original plan in Genesis chapter 1 the Bible says something and I would imagine that in our study today I will be going over things that many of you have read before studied before perhaps you even have much deeper insights than I myself have I'm not interested in being the deepest guy I just want to simply be faithful to what I know to be true and so my hope and my prayer is that you will not look at a single verse with the mindset of a know-it-all but as we learned this morning I want you to look at every verse in the mindset of a student I want you to ask God and I encourage you to ask God help me to be teachable help me to hear the word and by your grace to follow it faithfully and so it is that we're in Genesis chapter 1 now the Bible says something in Genesis 1 and verse 26 that we would do well to consider it's a text of Scripture I imagine most of us have at least heard if not read if not deeply studied before the Bible says in Genesis 1 and verse 26 if you're there please say Amen it says let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth verse 27 so God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him male and female he created them now we know that that last portion of the verse was not necessarily applicable in the immediate phase of God bringing mankind into the world we know this to be so because in Genesis 2 we find that Adam was alone so even though it is true that the Bible says male and female created he them he did not do it simultaneously first there was the man he was alone then God brought in the woman is that clear so far all right that's easy enough now here's the point in looking at this verse I thought it was interesting that the Bible says that when God made man he made him in two things His image and likeness that means in God's purpose please don't miss this in God's purpose of creating man when God made man man was to reflect both a physiology as well as a mindset of God that is very clear image and likeness there was something about man that would speak to the very being of God and also the mind of God that's why the Bible differentiates image and likeness this was God's will when God made man man was called to reflect his image and likeness is that clear all right now I thought that this was very interesting Adam is alone go to Genesis chapter 2 Adam is alone now let's notice what the Bible says here in Genesis 2 verse 18 the Bible then says and the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone I will make him a what I'll make him help me for him now was Adam alone or was Adam lonely the Bible does not say it is not good that man should be lonely therefore let me make him a help me is that what the Bible says no the Bible says it was not good for man to be what alone now I want you to watch this because man we're gonna get into some good study here I hope you got your Bible and I hope you got your pen and paper out the Lord wants to bless you alright and I am most especially speaking to the husbands and wives in this room now we know there's a lot of prospective husbands and wives in this room as well so pay close attention God made it crystal clear not good for man to be alone what is the difference between being alone and being lonely I want you to think about that this is very this is very good I'm actually doing premarital counseling right now the Bible states why God created marriage you're reading it the Bible says it was not good for man to be alone it did not say it is not good for man to be lonely so what I'm asking right now is what is the difference between being alone and being lonely say that again brother June excellent brother June said one is physical the other one is emotional I could be in a room with all of you there's at least what 200 or more whatever amount of people in this room right now I could be right around all of you and feel completely lonely even though I'm around all of you because lonely is an emotional state but it is when I am by myself I can be completely happy healthy and holy but be alone being alone is simply a physical condition but it speaks to emotional stability Adam was not lonely in other words marriage was never meant to be done because we're feeling lonely that breaks the eden model the eden model is that people should not get married because they're lonely because you know it's amazing there are a lot of people today that are married and still feeling very lonely you understand that so marriage clearly does not solve the problem of loneliness that's an emotional negative condition God wants to solve that but we must understand that is something a husband or wife cannot solve so you never get married because you're lonely that is not what the Bible teaches the Bible said it was not good for the man to be alone now I want to understand why why was it not good for the man to be alone because he was there's nothing in scripture that speaks to Adams emotional instability I firmly believe that Adam was created healthy happy and holy firmly believe then I have the scriptures to back it up if you'd like we could study at this afternoon this afternoon we get into the nuts and bolts about being a husband being a wife and what the Word of God says now I'll say this you're looking at me right now in st. man listen you you you just came out of your mother's womb how you gonna tell me about marriage well here's the deal yes this May 25 does make 22 years I've been married for my bride from my side I do have some experience in marriage but more than that more than that once a man no longer gives his own personal counsel but when a man gives counsel from the Word of God he is now giving ancient instruction he's given instruction that's older than all of us combined in this room do you follow that that's why Jesus was thirty three and a half years old but he was the wisest man that walked on this planet it was because he was speaking ancient words he was speaking the oldest words that ever came into existence when he taught on merits he taught what the scripture says you remember in Matthew 19 when they came to Jesus and was asking about divorce and when they came to him and asked him about divorce Jesus says have you not read Jesus immediately bat went back to the ancient words he went back to the blueprint and so that's what we're doing we're studying the blueprint in the beginning God's desire was that man would perfectly reflect his image and likeness at a certain point in man's existence God says it's not good for man to be alone I'm gonna make him a help meet now go to Genesis 5 let's watch the rest of this study in Genesis the fifth chapter Eve is very much on the scene now and I like what the Bible says here because we're gonna gain a lesson we're gonna gain a a very nice lesson from the Word of God in Genesis chapter 5 when you get there please say Amen I want you to watch verses 1 & 2 now here's what the Bible says Genesis 5:1 and 2 this is the book of the generations of Adam in the day that God created man in the likeness of God made he him verse 2 male and female created he them and blessed them and called their name Adam called their name Adam I thought that was interesting they called their name Adam in the day that they were created when you look up the word Adam when it says their name the Bible is very clear the word Adam simply means what mankind that word in its actual Hebrew language mankind's right there mankind there you go mankind that was what God made okay so when God made Adam or call their name Adam is because both Adam and Eve made up mankind simple enough their name is Adam now that's kind of like when I get married to my wife and they say we present to you mr. and mrs. Dwayne lemon we're sharing the same name even though we're different people you get that this is what's going on with God so there was something about Adam and Eve that they two combined presented to the world in a most beautiful way the image of God the likeness of God my brothers and my sisters marriage if somebody would have say what is the great purpose of marriage the Bible is very clear marriage was made to give the most perfect reflection of the image of God marriage was made to reflect God it was to make God no I want you to think about that because there are very few people who say I want to get married because my desire is through my covenant with my wife of my husband we will perfectly reflect the image of God how many people have you met that when they got married they said that's our goal how many people do you know that are going through major struggles in their marriage don't raise your hand could it be one of the great reasons that we're having so much struggle in our marriage or in our marriages is because we've never understood or we perhaps forgot the very purpose of marriage marriage is truly holy and it's designed to reflect to the world and for the husband and wife to reflect to each other the image of God let's talk about it how does marriage reveal the image of God how does it really do that I'm gonna go through six no five lessons with you how does marriage reveal the image of God I want to talk about this with us because in gospel medical missionary work this I am very thankful my wife and I were praying my children as well we were praying and asking the Lord for wisdom every five every five years or so we do a one-month Training School where we go through gospel ministry medical missionary work and how to get the publications containing present truth out to the people and every five years we do a training that we really walk through very meticulously how to do gospel ministry how to do medical missionary work etc and we always choose a location this year the Lord has blessed that our location is going to be Southern California we're going to do a one month training is going to be from June 15 to July 14 you'll hear more about it when an individual learns about medical missionary work you will understand very quickly that the Bible says the curse causeless shall not come what that simply means is that a curse never comes without a cause easy enough the curse causeless shall not come a curse never comes without a cause so when there's a problem in a marriage when there's a problem in the home the goal is not to address the symptom the goal is to ascertain the cause does that make sense ascertain the cause what's the root problem what's the issue you cannot fix a marriage if you don't know what a fixed marriage looks like you understand that if you do not have a proper model from the mind of God this is what a fixed marriage looks like this is what a healthy marriage looks like if you don't know what that is you're gonna go with what you saw on TV or you're gonna go with what you saw in your own home and God help you if you had a poor example in your home and we're gonna go with what we think is right of which the Bible says there's a way that seems right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death proverbs 14:12 so in other words we don't want to lean to our own understanding to know this is what a good marriage looks like we need to be as we learned early this morning teachable we got to be willing to let God show us let him speak and let all the earth remain silent before him so this is what we're gonna do we're gonna let God teach us from his word so that's the master way that he teaches he's gonna show us from his word this is how a marriage can reflect the image of God for the Bible is clear in the beginning of time God said let us make man in our image the purpose of God creating man was to reflect his image and likeness but it says male and female created he them to reflect his image and likeness the context of that male and female was the husband and the wife coming together it was marriage so that means that marriage was not about you it was really about God marriage was designed to reflect the image of God this was supposed to be the number one thing that we focus on when we are preparing for marriage very quick story I was helping to conduct a marriage just a couple of weeks ago and I remember that when I was there it was with a couple that I had the privilege of preparing for marriage we went several months how long we went several months before they got married to do premarital counseling how long some people's premarital counseling goes several weeks some people's premarital counseling just goes several days but how long was ours several months we wanted to cover everything from mental physical spiritual social financial and the list goes on we covered every dynamic of humanity to make sure you will not become another statistic now I thought it was very interesting because you'll find that there's certain things about marriage that's very sacred and very private one of them is the exchange of intimacy so there's a lot of stuff that happens in a marriage there's none of your business and it's none of my business okay there's a lot of things that happens in marriage one of them is the exchange of love tokens the exchange of love tokens you know sometimes when you kiss and hug and grab and do all these things some of those things are meant for one place in one place only and it's certainly out of the presence of the masses now they're people who have a tendency to bring their habits into a marriage and we saw this at this wedding so I remember counseling with them I said now keep in mind I said remember we went to the Word of God we looked at what does the word of God say in relation to the exchanging of love tokens and how it is to be done etc cetera cetera so they got it they understood well there's this thing that people have a habit to do I wish I had an example of it but I can't do it they'll take a glass and they'll take a fork and they'll take the glass and the fork and they'll go ding-ding-ding-ding ding-ding-ding-ding and all of a sudden you hear like a thousand glasses dignity dignity and the glasses will not stop until something happened what has to happen the husband and wife have to kiss so the first time they did it you know thing ding ding ding ding ding ding next thing you know the husband and wife just come to each other and they just no give a nice little kiss little exchange of token nice and innocent but people were there whoa yeah and they start getting all wild about it and as they started doing all that stuff they wanted to see more ding ding ding ding ding so now they did like a thousand of these ding ding ding things all throughout the the ceremony or all throughout the you know time after the ceremony and what happened is the husband and wife started to succumb to the masses so they they started getting a little deeper and deeper into their exchanging of love tokens and that's the kind of pressure that people can put on you and so I remember at one point I just walked up to them and I said hey I went to them and I said did you say that you wanted this wedding to be a witness to some of your worldly friends I said isn't that what you said you wanted they said yes I said so when they slam on their glasses and get you to practically swallow each other I said are they influencing you are you influencing them because you said you wanted this wedding to be a holy witness to them and immediately they said thank you you are right and they began to turn it right back around we have a tendency to allow our marriages and even how we go about the celebration of our wedding ceremonies funerals and marriages were both designed to be a witness to the people who attend and we forget so easily that marriage was designed for a holy purpose to reflect the image of God to those who know him not and so when we go through these steps that we're about to go through right now I want to remind you that your marriage was more than just what you can do and what she can do and what he can do it was designed that whoever be holds us that they will see something that speaks to the very mind character and personality of our Lord Jesus Christ and so as we go through our study let's begin with lesson 1 what is one of the first lessons that God wanted to make marriage to show or reflect his very image this one I love love God is love and the only way watch this the only way love is effectual it must have an object to lavish itself upon the Bible says God so loved he gave isn't that right if God is just loved and he just loved on himself there's something about his character that he would not get across to all of his created beings and so love cannot be effectual unless it has an object of which you can lavish itself upon this is why God says is not good for man to be alone God knew a perfect reflection of my character is not only having a man but having a woman because when God sets up that man that man has the best privilege in the world that man has an opportunity to demonstrate the love of God by pouring out love upon that woman that he covenant to love and to cherish and to have and to hold in sickness and in health for better for worse for richer or for poorer till death do they part you see go to the book of Ephesians chapter 5 let's notice what the Bible says first lesson that God wants us to understand God is love and love is not effectual if it does not have an object to lavish itself upon law means nothing if it cannot be expressed do you follow that love means nothing if you if it cannot be expressed family it makes no sense for a husband to ignore his wife overlooked his wife disregard his wife disrespect his wife and at the end of the day say I love you those words become immediately meaningless it no longer has an effect so love must have an object to lavish itself upon the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 5 notice what it says in Ephesians 5 if you're there please say Amen in Ephesians 5 notice what the Bible says in verse 25 it feeds 5 and verse 25 now watch this it says husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and what gave himself word so again love always gives there's no question to that so love becomes in effectual if there's no object that it can lavish itself upon are you following that now watch what happens don't worry about the order of the verses just pay attention to the concept the husband is called to love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself now go back to verse 22 same book and same chapter verse 22 in verse 22 now notice what the Bible says here the Bible says wives do what submit yourselves unto your own husband's as unto the Lord for the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church and he is the savior of the body so the husband represents who Christ the wife represents who the church now the Bible says in 1st John for the church loved him because he first loved her is that right is that listen alright let's go to 1st John for 1st John we're looking at chapter 4 verse 19 in 1st John chapter 4 and verse 19 we that's the church we gots people it says we love him why because he first loved us did you follow that so the Bible is very clear the church the church's love towards God is it an initiation or is it a response it's a response so again the husband as he loves his wife the wife will respond with submission does that make sense is that biblical now watch this God designed that when that was done it was supposed to reflect something wonderful you see where to Eve come from Eve came from Adams what came from his side but specifically what's the word to Bible use rib one of the great purposes of the rib cage is to protect the heart isn't that right that's one of the great purpose of the rib cage got it it protects that vital organ the lungs but it also protects the heart yes all right a lesson from physiology the rib was designed to protect the heart the wife represents the rib that's what she came from the wife was called to protect the husband's heart not to hurt his heart the wife was called to protect the husband's heart not to hurt his heart and when the wife protects the husband's heart rather than hurts the husband's heart it was beautifully designed to present something about God because the church was called to protect the heart of God not break the heart of God you see when you read Psalm 69 and verse 20 the Bible says reproach this is a messianic Psalm Psalm 69 20 it says reproach has broken my heart you say what is reproach proverbs 14 and verse 34 the Bible says righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people what was it that killed Jesus it was our sins our sins broke his heart and killed him God says if the marriage covenant was properly understood the husband loves on the wife the wife responds through submission and she helps protect his heart rather than hurt his heart and what that would do is give a beautiful imagery of the relation between Christ and the church because we are called as a church to protect the heart of God not to break it the first lesson that God wants us to understand my brothers and sisters is that God is love and love must have an object to lavish itself upon and when we lavish God's love on that spouse that spouse responds with love submission and it creates a sacred circle look at this the Bible says very clearly you read it in Ephesians 5 and verse 25 husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it the Bible also says in Titus 2 verses 3 to 5 the aged women likewise that they be in behavior as becometh holiness not false accusers not given to much wine teachers of good things that they may teach the young women to be sober and to do what else and to love their husbands to love their children to be discreet chaste keepers at home good obedient to their own husband's that the Word of God be not blasphemed designed that marriage was supposed to reflect his image and God is love and love is not effectual if it does not have an object to lavish itself upon God in gospel order says husbands I'm calling you to love on your wives in the context of giving sacrificing and what will happen it says the wife will return that love and gives submission and it will create a beautiful example of who God is that's lesson number 1 lesson number 2 what else do we learn about what else do we learn about how marriage can reflect the image of God the Bible says this the Godhead you see it took more than one person to be involved in creation the Bible says let us make man in our image in marriage it takes more than one person to procreate a child yet they are what one not in person but in thought words and actions this is why it was never in God's plan for men and women to say I don't ever want to get married but I want a child let me go ahead and get somebody's sperm and mix it with my egg and then I'll go ahead and have a child independent of any other man figure or whatever in my life that literally damages the very image of God those type of steps and those type of procedures are not God's original plan I'm not getting into sickness and all these other things there are many things that sickness has changed as a result of the fact that there's a disease I'm talking about when we're dealing with those who are healthy happy and holy there's nothing hindering them from reflecting the image of God but choice in marriage the same way that there is a godhead more than one individual yet they are one in thought in Word in purpose God says in marriage it was supposed to be the same thing notice the Bible makes it very clear in 1st John 5 and verse 7 for there are three that bear record in heaven the father the word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one in like manner the Bible says in Matthew 19 and verse 5 and Jesus said for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall become what one flesh literally the same way that you have one God but manifests through multiple persons is the same way that you can have a husband and wife that are 1:1 in unity one in thought one in ideal one in purpose yet two distinct beings in like manner was to be a reflection of who God is and God gave this example again through the Blessed gift of marriage not only that listen up the intimate nature of God in creation the only way a child can be born there must be the sperm and the egg that meets and produces the child this requires an intimate closeness between the husband and the wife marriage was supposed to demonstrate to the world that God is an intimate God God is not one that wants to stay aloof you see the deist position was a position of God did create but after that he kind of left us on our own and left us when to cruise-control we kind of just do our own things but the Bible teaches differently God is an intimate God God's desire is that he wants to be one with us the Bible says let us make us the sanctuary that we might dwell among them that's God's desire and so it is when you study the scripture in Song of Solomon chapter 3 and verse 4 the Bible says I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house and into the chambers of her that has conceived me it was a oneness love that brought about communion and connection not only that but in Revelation 3 and verse 20 behold I stand at the door and knock If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come into him and sup with him and he with me again Jesus's desire is to come into us to be one with us to commune with us it's not enough to just make us and then leave us on our own to function as automations God desires an intimate connection you know one of the great challenges in marriage today is that a lot of husbands and wives have either lost or perverted intimacy they say pervert intimacy by saying it's just sexual relations and that's the only intimacy they have well that won't work very long at all and most women can say amen to that but not only that some relationships between men and women have absolutely no intimacy whatsoever there's no more talking to each other finding out how was your day finding out what are your interests getting to each other and saying what are some of your goals in life that you haven't accomplished and how can I help you accomplish it having a oneness a union a pressing together it was God's desire that when he made man and when he made that gift of marriage that it was supposed to be a reflection of who he is you see we're living in a time where the world is forgetting who God is there's a reason why today everybody's making up their own rules they're beginning to think that God is so aloof to this affairs of humanity that we might as well go ahead and create an idol what at the end of the day really is an idol it's an image of God we make up that's an idol I understand that when we think of an idol we think of this we think of an object something you can touch and bend it break it or whatever yes this is a form of an idol - but some of us can make up an idol in our minds to say this is the God that I choose to worship you can make up an image of God that actually can stand an agreement even with our sinful evil behaviors so idolatry is manifesting yourself in many different ways and it can even manifest itself even amongst God's remnant people and so what God wants us to understand is that it's imperative that the images of these idols will be crushed and that the image of God will be properly reflected and can you imagine God designed your marriage was supposed to be the means of helping to get that done yours and my marriage was supposed to reflect the image of God and God is intimate there's no way that you can have a successful marriage and not have communion it's just not going to happen and so what God is trying to show us is this was the original plan lesson John 17:21 the Bible says that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I envy that they also may be one in us and what notice what it says that the world may believe that thou has sent me God has made it the way that the world will believe that he has truly sent his son is when they can see oneness amongst the family of God and primarily God wanted this to be demonstrated in our marriages lesson number four faithfulness to a covenant faithfulness to a covenant the relationship between the husband and wife is exclusive and faithful in good times and bad so it is that our God has made an exclusive and faithful covenant with his people in good times and in bad and if you don't believe that all you got to do is go back to the Book of Jeremiah Jeremiah is one of the most powerful books to see the deep covenant that God has made with his people for God himself said in Jeremiah 3 and verse 8 and I saw when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not but went and played the harlot also God said I had every right to write a bill of divorcement God says Judah cheated on me Israel cheated on me God says I had every right to literally write them a bill of divorcement and cut them off but the question is what did God do about it right there later on later on down Jeremiah 3 and verse 14 god says turn o backsliding Israel say turn over backsliding children say at the Lord for I am married unto you and I will take you 1 of a city and two of a family and I will bring you to Zion God says I have a right to cut you off God says you did commit adultery on me God says I legally have a right to write you a bill of divorcement but he says but whenever I consult my love for you God says when I just think about how much I love you God says how can I let you go you cheated on God but he says but I'm still married unto you turn and come back to me you see in marriage God designed that people would come to understand what it means to keep from presidents to vice presidents to people in government no one seems to know what it is to honor a covenant anymore they make every promise Under the Sun I'll be this president to you I promise I'll do this for you if you elect me and the list goes on politics is one of the biggest jokes in humanity today and they play on the mind of ignorant people we vote these people in and we don't understand that as fast as they made their promise they'll break it and we have a history of this and what God is trying to show us is that truly the arms of flesh will fail us people don't know what it means to keep a covenant anymore and have you looked at the statistics of divorce if you look at the statistics of divorce starting with the world and then even worse taking a look at the church you see that it seems like no one seems to understand what it means to be a covenant it's almost like we were dishonest in all honesty it's like we were dishonest straight up we were lying when we made that statement I promise to cherish you to love you to have and to hold for better or for worse in sickness and in health we said that this is how powerful emotions are we're so caught up into the moment of what happens after we say I do and everybody leaves and now I get to be with her one-on-one I get to be with him one-on-one we get to have and do everything we wanted to do etc etc with God's blessings and we move on and sometimes there's no more than a year like John the Baptist we start saying are you the one I should I look for another I mean it's really deep it's very deep but but the most shocking factor about this this type of mentality these type of words are coming out of the mouths and coming out of the minds of people who have grossly deceived themselves in thinking that they are preparing to meet their God we actually think that we can hold bitterness anger and resentment towards our own spouses withhold love withhold intimacy withhold service withhold so much we think that we can do all of that come to church fake smiles fake happy Sabbath's fake everything and we actually believe we're on our way to heaven I mean it's almost like Satan sits back and says boy did we demons we did good and deceiving the remnant people of God on this one they actually think they're on their way to heaven go to Matthew chapter 6 look at what the Bible says Matthew Lee's sixth chapter and we'll talk about this this afternoon but Matthew these six chapter I just want you to see what the Word of God says because we have to understand that this is not a game this is very serious in Matthew the sixth chapter I want you to see what the Bible says just in verses 14 and 15 in Matthew 6 verses 14 and 15 the Bible says this for if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses now somebody says oh I forgive you well wait a minute go to Matthew 18 when we say no I forgive him I forgive my husband I forgive my wife I forgive my children I forgive my parents etc God says well just remember something about forgiveness in Matthew 18 look at what it says in verse 35 in Matthew the eighteenth chapter right there in the 35th verse the Bible says so likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you if ye what are those next three words from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses God is not asking for an external outward statement of forgiveness while maintaining bitterness anger resentment and possibly even hatred in our hearts the Bible says then you still don't understand for the Word of God declares that this must be something in your heart the word forgiveness comes from a word called Ferguson it means it means to give something true forgiveness always give something it doesn't just pardon a pass it gives something in replacement of the wrongdoing that's why when God forgives us he gives us his righteousness you get that you read that in Romans 3 and 25 the Bible makes it clear when God forgives you of your sins that's why first John 1:9 if we confess our sins God is faithful and just watch to forgive us and to cleanse us from what all unrighteousness question if God removes all unrighteousness from you what are you you are righteous why because he gave you his righteousness in return do you see that forgiveness is not just a removing of a wrong but it's giving something in replacement this is what God says so when you and I forgive somebody it's not enough that we just use empty words I forgive you God says okay now give them kindness now give them grace now give them mercy God says I want you to give something towards them now and so there's a lot of us that we're saying we forgave people but it's not from the heart because we are still vexed we are still upset and that's why we literally can say to a husband or wife I forgive you and still go through the house and walk and you're passing each other like ships through a night you know at best you might get a honk that's what ships do um yeah just give a honk when they pass each other through the night some of y'all just give it honks to each other you know hey good night you know hey how you doing just keep walking keep it moving and what God is saying is is that that's not forgiveness so what the Lord is trying to show us is that when we when God makes a covenant God is serious about that thing you see when the Bible says in John 3:16 for God so loved the what the world right the world does not spill it out right it doesn't spill it out clearly romans five let's spell it out a little bit more for God so loved the world so let's watch this Romans five when we look at Romans the fifth chapter I'm gonna add some words to this idea of the world that I'm trusting is going to help us in Romans chapter 5 notice what it says in verse eight Romans 5 and verse eight the Bible says but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet what sinners Christ died for us so when the Bible says God so loved the world it's actually saying God so loved what sinners that Christ died for us now go down to verse 10 maybe the word sinners still doesn't make it strong enough so here goes verse 10 verse 10 says for if when we were what enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life so that means that God didn't just die for the world God didn't just die for sinners God died for his enemies he's saying that's what you were and that's what I was before we even said Lord I'm sorry for doing what I did he still demonstrated his love do you get that so what God is trying to say is why are you so conditional with your spouse if your spouse sinned against you does that give us the right to break the Covenant if you deem your spouse your enemy does that give you the right to break your covenant and the problem is is that we can hear this because I know right now this is intellectual I'm talking to your intellect I'm just speaking to your mind and I'm just trying to make sense but this thing got to go from our head to our heart it I want you to hear me good on this listen to me carefully I would never encourage somebody to live in sin I would never encourage somebody to go into the world but what I do want to do is be so clear with the principles of the gospel that you do not misunderstand it if you are harboring bitterness anger resentment towards your spouse if you are conditional in your love towards your spouse if you find it easy to break the very covenants that you promised on the day you got married it doesn't matter if it was fifty years ago five years ago or five minutes ago if you and I are doing that and you are still in that position right now you are literally on your way to hell while you think you're going to heaven what God wants to do is he wants to sober us to the reality of our need to repent to come back to him and say Lord I have not loved my spouse's you have called me to love them I have not cherished them I have not honored them I have not such as such I am acknowledging my sins I am seeing that I am wholly selfish I am seeing that I'm very very much about my pain and my sufferings this is why it was so important for Jesus to go through pain and suffering he wanted you to see this is what I went through for my wife I have marvelous Zechariah 13 and verse 6 when the Bible says what are those wounds in your hands and I mean Jesus could have said so many things he said oh these wounds that's from those losers that I died for I mean he couldn't he would have been a hundred percent righteous if he would have said that he's asked for them losers I died for that's for those wastes of nothing that I died for that's for those wretched miserable poor blind and naked sinners that I died for but he didn't say anything like that he said oh these these are the wounds that I received in the house of my friends I mean like that's supposed to do something to your heart you would still call me your friend even after I just literally stabbed you in your back I put thorns in your head I broke your heart and not only that you get disgusted by you know not just murderers but we get disgusted by serial killers right because they murder multiple people and stuff like that what makes you a lot different from being a serial killer every time we every time we sin we crucify the Son of God afresh every time that's Hebrews 6 6 that's desire of Ages page 300 you can read it I mean literally every time we choose to sin every time we're tempted and we play with the sin no I'm not gonna mess with you and that sin is like come on come over here now I'm not gonna mess with you I'm not gonna mess with you and eventually the sin cut says look come over here come pray with me for a while all right let me do it and we go in and we sin and we enjoy every bit of it and then we go back to God maybe with tears Lord forgive me and God says I'm a covenant-keeping god he says let the fitt let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and to our God and He will abundantly pardon he will have mercy God is a covenant-keeping god and god said marriage was supposed to reflect that do you know how much of a horrible witness it is when a secular judge says okay the next case we're gonna deal with this blank and blank coming from the seventh-day Adventist Church that's why you read 1st Corinthians chapter 6 and Paul says don't bring our stuff before the secular world God says we have enough power that we can solve problems ourselves without taking our dirt and putting it before the people marriage was supposed to reflect the image of God and this lesson right here is God is a covenant-keeping god and god says that's what I wanted the marriages of my people to be different from the rest of the folks I wanted it to reflect a covenant-keeping god lesson number 5 marriage was called to represent holiness the Bible says marriage is for the purpose of practicing holiness and holiness is wholeness in Christ the Bible says in 1st Peter 1:16 be holy for I am holy the Bible says in Colossians 2 and verse 10 and you are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power the word complete is synonymous to whole holiness is wholeness it's a total restoration meant to physical spiritual marriage was supposed to represent holiness that's why God made it there's supposed to be a reflection of who he is he's holy and those who get married under his name marriage was supposed to reflect and teach and symbolize holiness wholeness you see the Bible says it very clearly again folks the Bible says and the very God of peace sanctify you how holy and I pray God your whole spirit soul and body be preserved how blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ this is what God wants for you and for me John 5 and 14 afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple and said unto Him behold thou art made whole sin no more part of being whole is victory over sin that's part of the concept of being whole God said marriage was supposed to represent how through a covenant and union with God mankind can have victory over their percent mints that wife helps her husband to get victory that husband helps her white brothers and says I mean that that's marriage when a husband sees that wife struggling with sin he doesn't leave her on her own he doesn't just get on a look at you you fallen in sin again that husband goes as far as Jesus went how can I serve you that I can help you to get victory over these besetting sins that's what husband does that's what Christ did for the church jesus said what can I do that I can help Jesus I'll give any and I'll give everything I'll do whatever it takes that I can help you overcome one of the worst things that a husband can do is assist his wife in indulging in sin it breaks the marriage covenant there is no way now you know that there's sin and diet there's sin and dress and there's sin and many other things if I love my wife I'm gonna do everything possible to keep her healthy gentlemen I'm sorry to inform you something's wrong with your love when you assist your wife in indulgences that you know one day will kill her I take this thing very seriously the day that I was in surgery you remember I was here just days before my surgery and that day that I went into surgery I went in there for five hours brothers and sisters and my family and another family were in the waiting room and I remember that that nurse would always walk by and every time the nurse walks by everybody's reading or doing whatever and they look up because they want to find it there's a nurse have any news and the nurse would say nothing yet everything's going okay such and such and they just keep going everybody's waiting the anxiety you're trying to keep it at bay but it's hard because the one you love is in that surgical room and my brothers and my sisters that nurse came to the room that nurse came to the room and the nurse had no news for my family the nurse of your husband's fine oh no in fact the nurse said your husband's surgery is completed he's in recovery he's they're taking him up to CCU right now the surgery went great but that nurse had to tell that other family something completely different my wife went up to go ahead and see me but left my children in the room and that nurse had to tell that family I'm so sorry but in the surgery your wife and your mother died they began to burst into tears and cry and all these other things and my son jaw red my oldest son he went over to comfort that family and started to pray with them bless his heart and I remember well after we got out of the hospital and we were reflecting and I told my children and we knew a few things about this person who was there she's very obese and all these other things and you know I said you see our problem is when when it's pizza night we're not thinking what I'm doing right now I might pay for this a year later that's exactly what more than likely this woman was going through you know it was a bypass surgery and so on arteries getting clogged up do you know that that is extremely easy to avoid do you know it's very easy to avoid getting clogged up arteries that's actually easy but what happened is you know indulging and the whole family covenants it together yep let's all indulge together and they didn't understand that one day they're gonna have to meet those days of indulgence and that was a day it was meant Harvard University says over 80% of cardiac deaths are preventable yet it's the number one killer how could something that's so preventable be the number one thing that's killing everybody worldwide that just speaks to how on discipline we are and I'm supposed to be a man that loves my wife and I'm gonna go ahead and assist her in doing things that's gonna make her sick and ultimately me and my children have to mourn her loss something is wrong with that love true holiness is wholeness part of wholeness is not just being spiritually sound and mentally sound is being physically sound which means as a husband I'm gonna do everything possible to protect my bride from getting unnecessarily sick and any man that functions like that understands a little bit more of what it means when marriage is meant for a holy purpose because holiness is wholeness and the Bible says wholeness is also inclusive of sinning no more if I see my bride sinning if my wife sees me sinning that is not the time for her to stay silent that is not the time for me to stay silent in the name of I don't want no arguments granted I should know how to come to my wife lovingly huh amen but I really am NOT helping my wife I'm not helping her when I know that she's doing things that I know the Grim Reaper is gonna come and eventually make up for this stuff it's gonna happen it's going to happen you're not Superman you're not superwoman listen God is grace God is very gracious but I know too many gospel workers in recent years that have dropped dead and then when you talk with their surviving spouses he always went to bed late he never drank enough water he and somebody said water will kill somebody listen one at one in one mighty gospel worker died because of dehydration he was mighty and he died be hydration it's real so what I'm saying is is that true marriage is meant for holiness I must do what I can to protect my bride if I see sin happening in my home I want to help my wife be whole so I'm not gonna assist her in sin I'm gonna do everything possible to call her from sin part of wholeness Luke 8 and verse 35 and 36 then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid they also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devil's was healed so being in your right mind and being healed the word healed right there to make whole I must do everything possible to assist my wife in making sure she's always in her right mind I want to do everything that I can to help her to help encourage her to right thinking if I see my wife going in a direction of wrong thinking that is my call and my job as a husband as a deliverer as a savior in my home that I need to go to my bride and be able to say honey what's going on so on that's my moment for intimacy what's happening dear what's on your heart how can I help you when she says leave me alone I don't want to go through this what did Jesus do when we told him to leave us alone did he just leave us alone no he kept pursuing us didn't he you see I hope we're getting is God is really trying to show us marriage was always supposed to represent the image of God always number one God says love the home of God's people should be a home of so much exchange an exchange of love constantly what can I do to lavish you with more and more the love of God it should be something we study something we longed for something we seek how can I do that marriage the Bible makes it very clear the God had three distinct persons but yet in oneness marriage two distinct persons but a oneness oneness and purpose one person is not saying put him into public school the other one know in Christian education know all my brothers and sisters marriage was supposed to be a oneness a unity yes we're two distinct people but we're unified in thought we're unified in words we're unified in our actions it can't and the wife striving for holiness supposed to be one marriage intimacy intimacy husband's understanding what relationship survives without taking time to enter into the mind of the other how are you feeling what are you going through what's life like what are your strengths what are your weaknesses what is it you long for what is it you struggle with how can I help this this thing represents the image of God covenant God says no matter what you go through there are certain things that are not to even be discussed not even in your heart God says when you make a covenant you stick with it through the thick through the thin through the bad through the good you stick with it why because when you do it it's more than just you and your spouse God says you're reflecting me and number five you just saw it holiness marriage was supposed to be an atmosphere an environment where I am constantly encouraging the mental the physical and the spiritual development of the one whom I pledge to love till death do I part build him up strengthen them never agree in tearing each other down the chief way God seeks to reveal himself in these last days my brothers and sisters through the things of nature and the deepest and tenderest earthly ties that human hearts can know he that is God has sought to reveal himself to us the tenderest earthly tie that human hearts can know is marriage God says that's how we were supposed to know God that wife when she looks at her husband she says he reminds me so much of everything I read about Jesus that husband when he looks at his vice as men she she responds to me just as God called the church to respond to Christ my wife reminds me of God this was supposed to be the witness marriages witness this was the witness that we were supposed to show each other this is ideal and you know why it's so important my brothers and sisters what is Satan's chief target for erasing God's image in mankind you think Satan wants to get rid of God's image you think Satan is doing everything possible to destroy the image of God in humanity what do you think is his chief target its marriage it is not a wonder that our homes that was supposed to be a reflection of heaven have become a reflection of hell an enemy have done this it is the devil that says I will do everything possible to make sure you do not reflect the image of God yes ignore your wife come to church and preach and teach and do all sorts of stuff but keep ignoring your wife keep neglecting your children keep neglecting your husband every time you get together promise me that you'll fight at least three times in the day if not more and we have stood in full agreement with there with a devil we've been tricked we've been duped we've been bamboozled and we've been hoodwinked we have been literally on the side of Satan and we didn't even realize it and brothers and sisters it's not just our homes it's the world at large that he's destroying you see right now marriage is being corrupted today we have common-law marriages a common-law marriage is an arrangement where two people who are not married live together in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term a permanent basis this is a perversion Satan says make this as acceptable as possible why because his goal is to destroy the image of God this has become widely accepted people today are living with each other having sexual relations with each other and they're not even married then making up their own rules remember they are practicing idolatry creating an image of God in their own minds they are the ones now they say what's right and wrong not God it's not just that you have this one polygyny and polyandry a man has more than one wife and a woman has more than one husband today this is another way the very image of God is being perverted throughout our land probably the one today that especially in Southern California we see a lot of it Hollywood well here it is that one is called open marriage it allows extramarital affairs for both the spouses and both of them have the option of maintaining outside relationships beyond the marriage terms today this is super popular they can actually mess around with other people as long as you come home to mama doesn't matter open marriage these are the perversions that are going out there and if this was not enough Satan says I'm gonna destroy the whole picture of what God originally created and now he has the same species entering into a covenant and going to a church and having misguided ministers endorsed it and they don't understand they are assisting in literally destroying the image of God they're literally destroying the image of God we owe it to all of these communities open marriage common-law marriage polygyny and polyandry certainly gay marriage we owe it to that community to show them what the image of God really looks like you see the church can make a lot of noise the church can say oh this is sin this is an abomination but they're gonna say well how's the statistics in your church how's your marriage is doing you fighting so much for heterosexual marriages but at the end of the day your marriages are more broken than gay marriages kind of shut you up quick doesn't it you see the goal of God is not for us to start going to the law and go into the land and start just simply say no no we're gonna fight for heterosexual marriages we need to get back to allowing marriage to reflect what it was always called to reflect and that is the image of God you see show the people something better you have no idea how powerful it is when you can show a man and when you can show a woman something better that's what makes them say all right I'll listen to you but if all you do is fight fight fight no we want to get rid of this know we want our heterosexual marriages back we want this and we want that and then you fight and even if you get it but just divorce statistics are still the same your separation statistics are still the same you can keep quiet about the drama in your home but you still come into church totally and thoroughly separated one from another God says what really have you accomplished the image of God must be restored and it's I would think that this was bad two months after gay marriage was legalized in the United States of America immediately the next group came up same-sex couples study it just two months after gay marriage and two in 2015 summer of 2015 once it became legalized all throughout the United States of America the next group came up and say hey who says that it has to be two again we we have been given something called ice Alf we're supposed to see the deeper layer this is not just destroying the fabric of society this is doing something worse it's almost completely eradicating the image of God we're fighting against each other and living false happy marriages then you got common-law then you got polygyny polyandry then you got open marriage then you got gay marriage then you got the throw poles and now you got people even saying I want to marry my pet you got people literally saying I want to marry my pet people fighting for this then on top of that you know the next group coming up and they're gonna have the hardest battle for sure but they're gaining ground you know the next group paedophilia this thing it's natural I have a natural attraction for young boys and young girls and if you can be natural and have an attraction man to mana you could be natural and have an attraction woman to woman who's to say that it's not natural for me to be attracted to an 8 year old a 10 year old and the list goes on and the devil just sits back and he says to his demonic friends we have created a masterpiece we have almost wholly erased the image of God in this world that's why God is asking today who's gonna be my Nehemiah's God says who is gonna be my Nehemiah's when you study that life of that man Neha Meyer my brothers and sisters he is one that left a worthy example for us to follow we are told an inspiration we need Nehemiah's in this age of the world who shall arouse the people to see how far from God they are because of the transgression of his law Nehemiah was a reformer a great man raised up for an important time as he came in contact with evil and every kind of opposition fresh courage and zeal were aroused his energy and determination inspired the people of Jerusalem and strength and courage took the place of feebleness and discouragement his holy purpose his high hope his cheerful consecration to the work he were contagious the people caught the enthusiasm of their leader and in his fear each man became a nehemiah and helped to make stronger the hand and heart of his neighbor here is a lesson for ministers of the present day my brothers and sisters I dare to be by God's grace in Nehemiah God has called us to do a great work and I'm gonna leave you with this right here this is our last text of reading we clothes my brothers and sisters go with me to Nehemiah 13 we need Neha Maya's watch what Nehemiah did in Nehemiah the thirteenth chapter I want you to watch how the Bible concludes and the question is will you be in Nehemiah in helping to restore the image of God the Bible says in Nehemiah chapter 13 and I want you to go ahead and consider verses 15 to 21 to things that Nehemiah was called to restore in Nehemiah 13 verses 15 through 21 I'll read 15 you do 16 I'll do 17 you do 18 and we'll take it down to 21 notice what the Bible says Nehemiah 13 starting at verse 15 and it says in those days so I and Judah some treading wine presses on the Sabbath and bringing in shey's and lading asses has also wine grapes and figs and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said unto them what evil thing is this that you do and profane the Sabbath day and it came to pass that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath I commanded that the gates should be shut and charged that they should not be open till after the Sabbath and some of my servants said I at the gates that there should not be no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day together verse 21 then I testified against them and said unto them why logy about the wall if you do so again I will lay hands on you from that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath notice that Nehemiah was doing a work by putting the sacredness of the Sabbath back to where it belonged there were people that were profaning it nehemiah stood up against it and Nehemiah put his heart put his life out on the line to lift up the standard of the holy Sabbath day back to where it belongs do you believe we need to do such a work now watch this now verses 23 to 30 again I'll do 23 you do 24 I'll do 25 you do 26 watch this in verse 23 the Bible says in those days also I saw Jews that had married wives of Ashdod of Amon and of Moab and I contended with them and curse them and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair and made them swear by God saying ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons nor take their daughters unto your sons or for yourselves shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives remember them oh my god because they have defiled the priesthood and the Covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites together thus cleanse I them from all strangers and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites everyone in his business did you notice that Nehemiah did a reformatory work with marriage he saw those perverted marriages that were taking place and he called him out for what they were and dis and dis called him out for sin and what he did was he called them back to righteousness to do that which was holy right and just in the eyes of God as it relates to the marriage covenant Nehemiah did a work of restoring the very twins that began in the beginning of time those two holy twins the Sabbath and marriage they both existed before even sin touched this planet and in these last days God is calling for nehemiah's that will once again do a work not only of restoring the Sabbath day but restoring the marriage because what's the point if we were to baptize everybody here in Mentone and the adjacent cities and then they come in just to see a bunch of broken marriages God says you want to do a true restoration work God says not only must you and I learn how to truly remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy but we must understand and come back to the blueprint of biblical marriage we must allow marriage to reflect the image of God as God designed in anyone who partners with God in this work god says there goes truly and indeed my last day nehemiah's and so if you are willing if you're willing in these last moments of Earth's history to be a nehemiah some of you can be a nehemiah by allowing God to restore your home your home may be broken your home may be battered and it may be bruised but it is not utterly defeated there are some of us that we can still have a chance that our home that feels and smells and tastes so much like hell on earth can become a heaven on earth but it's gonna require a complete and absolute a total surrender to God we must be willing to let him restore that image within us and that's we're gonna talk about this afternoon what are some practical ways that God can do this but my brothers and sisters everything starts with a willing heart and so I'm not here to expose your business I don't want you to stand as it relates to yes I have a broken marriage please pray for me that God will fix my marriage but what I would say is this if you're willing to become this is a safe appeal without exposing undue business and this applies to both single and to married if you are willing to covenant with God that by His grace you will be a last day Nehemiah that you are willing to say Lord whether I'm a messenger or I'm one who's in the experience whichever way I am willing to be God's last-day Nehemiah that by his grace I will be an instrument in his hands both to restore the Sabbath back to its sanctity but to restore marriage back to its thanked it's sanctity and it may be by my proclamation but for those of us who are married praise the Lord it can also be by our demonstration if you are willing to covenant with God to this end I want to invite you to please stand to your feet with me and you will find that as you stand Christ stands with you the Lord will bless you beyond your expectations you will have experiences that you will praise God for the remainder of your days for his desire is to demonstrate the power of the gospel and he wants to do it in you and in me let us pray together our loving father we are so thankful we praise your God we're in a tremendous battle we are fighting against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places but I am thankful that geez has already told us that we can be of good cheer for he has overcome the world and Lord as we remain hid in Christ the power that he had to defeat the devil can be the power that we will have and Lord I am asking that you will help us to truly meditate upon these principles that marriage was created to reflect the image of God Lord I pray that you will help us to consider these five simple points and ask ourselves where am i strong where am i weak and do all that we can to maintain the strong and to strengthen the weak and lord I pray that by your grace as we overcome these weaknesses may we find our homes and our hearts whole for this is the will of God thank you Father for hearing our prayer more importantly thank you for answering it before we ask it all in Jesus name let everyone say Amen let's just say one verse of our closing hymn you can stay standing or stand back up 421 we'll just sing one verse [Music] [Music] thy name [Music] [Music] let us pray father in heaven thank you again for allowing your spirit to speak so forcefully to our hearts Lord I pray please help us that we might truly help one another and that we can overcome as Christ overcame remind us that we can do all things through Christ who will be our strength we ask in Jesus name Amen may be seated [Music]

Channel: Mentone Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Views: 16,307

Rating: 4.8044443 out of 5

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Id: PhiN9VvROxk

Length: 109min 52sec (6592 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 16 2019