House Rules | Part 6

♪ What can wash away my sin ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ Would you sing. ♪ What can break it whole again ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ Come on, sing it again, sing, what can wash. ♪ What can wash away my sin ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ Sing, what can break. ♪ What can make me whole again ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ Sing. ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ As long as it was the blood, it'll hold me in the blood ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ As long as it was the blood, it'll hold me in the blood ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ As long as it was the blood, it'll hold me in the blood ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ As long as it was the blood, it'll hold me in the blood ♪ ♪ Nothing can wash away my sins ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Nothing can make me whole again ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Nothing can wash away my sins ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Nothing can make me whole again ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ As long as it was the blood, it'll hold me in the blood ♪

♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, as long as it was the blood ♪ ♪ As long as it was the blood, it'll hold me in the blood ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, as long as it was the blood ♪ ♪ It'll hold me in the blood, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah, as long as it was the blood ♪ ♪ It'll hold me in the blood, it'll hold me in the blood ♪ ♪ It'll hold me in the blood, it'll hold me in the blood ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ It's never been about performance or perfection ♪ ♪ It's driving poor acceptance, let me tell you ♪ ♪ It's only about the blood, it's never been about deserving or letting ♪ ♪ It's a gift that's really given, let me tell you, sing ♪ ♪ It's only about the blood, does anybody wanna be holy and righteous, purified and forgotten, let me tell you, it's only about the blood, does anybody wanna be worthy, forgiven, justified, redeemed, let me tell you, it's only about the blood ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, Oh, oh, say it with me Heillelujah, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, we've never been alone in this life ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ I know it's not hard for you to call me Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ I know it's not hard for you to call me Lord ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ I know it's not hard for you to call me Lord ♪ ♪ It's never been about performance or profession ♪ ♪ Or striving for acceptance, let me tell you ♪ ♪ It's only about love, it's never been about deserving or earning ♪ ♪ Deserving or earning is the key that's really key, hey ♪ ♪ Let me tell you, it's only about love ♪ ♪ Does anybody wanna be holy and righteous? ♪ ♪ You're a God that's heartless, let me tell you ♪ ♪ It's only about love, does anybody wanna be worthy? ♪

♪ Worthy, forgiving, justifying, believing, let me tell you ♪ ♪ It's only about love, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ I know it was the Lord who hold me in my heart, Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ I know it was the Lord who hold me in my heart, Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ I know it was the Lord who hold me in my heart, Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ There is someone who's got the grace ♪ ♪ Come on if you're standing in victory today ♪ ♪ Come on if you're standing on the rock ♪ ♪ Don't you have something to be grateful for today? ♪ ♪ Say Jireh, you are enough ♪ ♪ Say Jireh, you are enough ♪ ♪ So I will be content in every circumstance ♪ ♪ Say Jireh, you are enough ♪ ♪ Jireh, you are enough ♪ ♪ Jireh, you are enough ♪ ♪ I will be content in every circumstance ♪ ♪ Jireh, you are enough ♪ ♪ Jireh, you are enough ♪ ♪ Say Jireh, you are enough ♪ ♪ So I will be content in every circumstance ♪ ♪ Jireh, you are enough ♪ ♪ Forever enough, always enough, more than enough ♪ ♪ He's forever enough, more than enough, always enough ♪ ♪ He's forever enough, more than enough, always enough ♪ ♪ He's forever enough, more than enough, always enough ♪ ♪ More than enough ♪ ♪ I'm already loved, I'm already chosen ♪ ♪ I know who I am, I know what you've spoken ♪ ♪ I'm already loved, more than I could imagine ♪ ♪ That is enough, say I'm already loved, say ♪

♪ I'm already loved, I'm already chosen ♪ ♪ I know who I am, I know what you've spoken ♪ ♪ I know that You spoke, I'm already loved, I'm already loved ♪ ♪ More than I could imagine, that is enough ♪ ♪ I'm already loved, I'm already loved, I'm already chosen ♪ ♪ I'm already chosen, I know who I am, I know that You spoke it ♪ ♪ I'm already loved, I'm already loved, I'm already chosen ♪ ♪ I'm already loved, I'm already loved, I'm already born again ♪ ♪ I'm already loved, I'm already loved, I'm already chosen ♪ ♪ That is enough, say ♪ ♪ That is enough, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh ♪ ♪ That is enough, that is enough ♪ ♪ Say, that is enough, that is enough, that is enough, that is enough, that is enough, that is enough, that is enough, that is enough ♪ ♪ Cause you are enough, you are enough, I am enough, I am enough, you are enough, you are enough, you are enough, I am enough ♪ ♪ Cause you are enough, you are enough, I am enough, I am enough, you are enough, you are enough, you are enough, you are enough, I am enough, you are enough, I am enough ♪ So I am enough, I am enough ♪ If he dresses in lilies, with beauty and splendor How much more does he, how much more will he clothe you? If he watches over, every sparrow How much more does he love you, how much more? If he dresses in lilies, with beauty and splendor How much more does he clothe you, how much more will he clothe you? If he watches over, every sparrow How much more does he love you, how much more? If he dresses in lilies, with beauty and splendor How much more will he clothe you, how much more? If he watches over, every sparrow How much more does he love you, how much more? How much more does he love you, how much more does he love you?

How much more, how much more Say how much more, how much more Say how much more does he love you, how much more? how much more Say child of, child of You are love How easy Child of, you are love To love me I will be your name In every circumstance Say child of, child of You are love So I will be contested In every circumstance Child of, you are love I know a name That can silence roaring waves I know a name That can empty out a grave I know a name Say, it's the only name that's there I know a name I call you Jesus I call you, I call you believer Risen and reigning in my heart Something comes out of the grave Every time I call you Jesus I call you, I call you Savior Worthy of glory forever

Something comes out of the grave Every time I call you name For I have a King with dominion over death With dominion over death He holds the keys He holds the keys Say in His holy name, God hands In His holy name, God hands For He is the key That has crushed the serpent's head That has crushed the serpent's head See how resurrected great I am I call you Jesus I call you, I call you healer Risen and reigning power Something comes out of the grave Every time I call you Jesus I call you, I call you Savior Worthy of glory forever Something comes out of the grave Every time I call your name Chains break Tribes close away Every time I call your name For I have a King with dominion over death Every time I call your name Chains break Tribes close away Every time I call your name The gates of hell shake

Every time I call your name Somebody lift up your battle cry Somebody lift up your battle cry of praise Come on, say this with me Where all death is now Your stake And where all grave Your face will be Come on, remind yourself today Where all death is now Your stake And where all grave Your victory Where all death is now Your stake And where all grave Your victory Death is called alive In the name of Jesus Death is called alive In the name of Jesus Death is called alive In the name of Jesus Death is called alive In the name I call you Jesus I call you, I call you healer Risen and reigning and God Something comes out of the grave Every time I call you Jesus

I call you, I call you saviour Worthy of glory forever Something comes out of the grave Every time I call your name Chains break, drive away Every time I call your name The gates of hell shake Every time I call your name Death is called alive In the name of Jesus Death is called alive In the name of Jesus Zero in because I got to say a lot in a hurry. So listen quickly The reason we call this house rules, it's like every game again has rules to it and when a creator makes the game They don't just let you make them up as you want to go because the rules are not relative They know in order for the game to work They have to put rules not to ruin the game But to make the game work to make sense to show how you win how you accomplish that's what it does and That's why the rules are there and when somebody says let's just change rules Then you know what happens when people in your family want to do that crazy stuff. You started up arguing Chaos ensues everybody's confused. Nobody wants to play the game or just just give up on life I mean give up on the game give up on the marriage give up on the game So when God puts rules in he does it so that you'll succeed and God is the one that created if you I don't want to call it It's a game, but your life is more important a game if God created our life and he created everything in it Doesn't it stand to reason? That when he created it He gave rules to make it make it succeed and win To protect love to bring real unity to a marriage to bring real peace and purpose into an individual's life

That's why he gives the rules So that's why when we say that these are truths. I'm going to tell you these are truths that are not relative They are for all people for all times Because God didn't give you the principles of his word To be a killjoy because he just says you shouldn't have fun You shouldn't have any joy No, he puts the rules in there so you can experience true joy Real purpose real peace so when he gives you a rule, it's not an opinion and It's just relative so we'll change it. It's not an opinion it in fact brings meaning to life Does it ruin your life it gives it the real sense of purpose and winning and peace and love can somebody say amen to that? And we've been talking about this for families house rules for families from the Word of God And I really want to encourage some of you that you're in your marriage right now You said pastor. You know we really we need some help. We need we need some help So what you really want to win games is you need a great coach? We're watching the NCAA basketball tournament. We're watching this and they're talking about all these coaches You want the best coach right? Because the coach is going to teach you how to play by the rules so you can actually win You can actually accomplish something bring real victory to your life And if you're in your marriage, and you're saying you know pastor We just kind of been struggling, and we just we just don't know what to do and it may be Because you've seen models in your families over the last decades that weren't the model God intended and The reality is is there's a lot of that in our culture you have a sorry Model some of you of what God really intended and you need a coach that will help you really win at this So that's why we have what's called marriage coaching And if you desire that you can go to the website or go to the app go under small groups There's a QR code up there I think and if you want to you just get that QR code and we'll connect you with a Marriage coaching couple that will just help you walk the journey and help you begin to learn how to really make Your purpose in life succeed and your marriage succeed

This is the investment that we want to make in your lives But how many know you got to put yourself under a good coach you do with your kids little league you do with your kids Soccer their hockey their football you want them around great coaches. Why wouldn't you do the same for your own marriage? Let's do something even better for it for your marriage, and you would your own child Amen, how many believe God's gonna let us succeed to show his glory amen So my final message is this my final teaching is this it's love God most If you really want to succeed as a believer first of all single or married love God most If you really want to see your family your marriage function You want to be a son or a daughter that really wants to see the success of God in your life in the full potential? If I could put this whole series down to one statement is just this why don't you just love God most and Everything will get in line. You said what do you mean pastor? The point is is if you'll love God first that means he's the priority if you'll love God first, and you'll love God most Your family will be loved best If you don't want to love your family best, then you go ahead and make God second don't make him a priority But if you'll love him first you'll love him most you'll actually love your family best How many want to love your family best your spouse best your kids best your parents best? Love God first so love God first and your family will never be last What some of you have done is made your family first and put God last and that's why there's still the problem. You got it messed up. My spouse first. No, if you'll love God first, your family will never be last. So the secret to loving your family, listen, the secret to loving your family well is you need to love God more, not less. I'm going to say that again. The secret to loving your husband, your wife, your kids, your own life, the real secret to loving them well is loving God more than them. And when you do that personally, singles, listen to me. When you'll do that personally in your life, love it more than your job, love it more than your beauty, love it more than your money, your 401k. If you really love it best, I will tell you what will happen with your life. If you love God first and most, your things that are seemingly chaos in your life right now will work out. They will. It may be some tough seasons and it may be tough times. Right now you're not even talking to your spouse. You're not even having any physical intimacy anymore. But if both of you will honestly love God first and most, I promise you God will help

you work it out. And he'll even set you up with a great marriage coach that'll help you on the journey. Can somebody say amen? So pastor, how do I love God most as a single person? This is all training for those of you who are single. How do I love God most? So what I'm going to do is I'm going to just give you a little bit of a review of what we've been through. So when I say these statements, some of you just coming in today, you're going to take things out of context. So go back to the series and listen to these things. When I talk to husbands specifically and husbands, wives, and when I speak to children, go back and listen to them so you can hear the whole context of it. But I'm going to give you a review, but it's really how do I love God most? So here we go. Ready? Here's the first thing. A wife loves God by submitting to her husband. Now, if you came for the first time today or you're watching online for the first time, you're having a problem with that. You're having a problem with that. But you got to see the power of what submission does for everybody in the family, including the husband. But this was written by Paul to the believers there because they really needed a lot of help. They're obviously with some high dysfunction in families, and there's a good reason why. So we're going to start in the book of Colossians chapter three, verse 18. And this is the first thing he says to wives. He says, wives, submit yourself to what? Ladies, could you say it? Your husband. Not every man is who you submit. You do not submit yourself to every guy because he's a man. He says to your husband, to your husband, there's some guys you give them an inch. They think they're a ruler. Another cup of coffee and you'll get it. I promise you will get it. But he says, submit yourself to your husbands. Watch this. As is this because it says, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. So have you noticed that God keeps telling and pointing to the model, Jesus Christ. There's always a pointing to the model. I hope I can finish all this. So wives, when he's telling you to submit to your husbands, because this is fitting to the Lord, he's telling you, I have been the example for you on how to do this. So when Paul writes this through the Holy spirit, he's not speaking down to wives and he's not speaking down to women. So the culture has got you thinking that you got a jacked up model, but he is not speaking down to you. What he is showing you is wives. Let's closely single young ladies. When you get married, he's what he's showing you is this is the key to making that man you married into the man you truly desire and want. This is the key into making him into who you really desire and want and really making him who God wants him to be. It is the key to you. So

I don't like, if you want the key to make him into the guy you really want, understand this passage is what he's saying. Because submitting, when God tells the wives to submit, he can't make you submit. He can't make me submit. He can't make me submit. It's a choice. It's an attitude that you say, I submit myself to the Lord and to the one that God has given me as my husband. So when you hear the word submit, you think superiority, I'll never have a voice. No, I told you earlier, submission is not inferiority. Just like someone with authority doesn't make them have to give them superiority just because they have authority does not give them superiority. No more than submission makes you have inferiority. It doesn't do that. In fact, it doesn't mean you don't have Opinion doesn't mean you don't have a voice in the marriage. In fact, if you want your voice and your opinion to matter God is showing you when you submit to the Lord and submit to your husband's lead you actually are going to empower and give what you're saying more power and authority and wait and Make him into the man you really want him to be By following this so what it means is submission if I could put another way means to adapt to adjust and I gave you this Picture so once you review this I gave you this picture of a submarine we think of a submarine it submerges What that's what it's really talking about is wives first of all submerge your mission under God's mission for your life and Under God's mission that God has on your husband's office as a husband Submergent underneath him and here's what happens when God arises When your husband arises as you help him arise and make God arise in that mission you bring everybody up Including yourself to become what God really intended to be and what you really really want There is power in under some understanding submission as Jesus Christ taught it. There's power in it So let me show you this the the Apostle Peter he knew the power and the value of a Wife that understood bringing your mission under God's mission and the mission of your husband to bring both of them up you come up as well He understood the power of a supportive wife. He really I'm telling this guy knew it So this is why you see him writing this Peter the the Apostle writes us in first Peter 3 1 through 2 let follow with me. Just take a look at this. Look what he says to wives He says wives in the same way. Can we say those those words in the same way? So what same ways he talking about you look at the previous chapter he's talking about how Jesus Christ submitted to the Father How Jesus Christ took the suffering on the cross so that as he went under God's mission

He brought you up and now you and I sit in heavenly places because he submitted to the Father So he says if you want an example in the same way like Jesus So he's saying Jesus is not going to ask you or your husband to do anything He wouldn't do himself because he already did it. So he says in the same way like Christ Be submissive to your husband's so that watch this ladies. Listen to this if any of them do not believe the word They may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see the purity and reverence of your lives They're saying is you're submerging under the will of God You love God most and first you'll love your husband the best you'll love him best. He'll never be last He says when you're doing this watch this He says your husband will actually be changed by the power of your submission to Jesus Christ and even to your husband's lead Now he's not asking you to something immoral or on that's ungodly or unbiblical But he says as you do this, you're actually gonna change him into the man God wants and that you really desire Can somebody say amen to this? This is powerful. Let me tell why this is really powerful, especially coming from the Apostle Peter Clement of Alexandria, which was the early church historian in the early church clement of alexandria. He recorded that Peter's wife the Apostle Peter's wife was martyred for her faith in following Jesus. She submitted and she was martyred Now you hear about martyrdom right now what's happening in the Middle East martyrdom people be executed. She was martyred For not rejecting Jesus Christ Clement of Alexandria recorded it In fact, she was martyred before the Apostle Peter was crucified upside down and Clement of Alexandria said he recorded that the Apostle Peter Actually saw his wife being martyred now you think about it guys if Someone is executing your wife for her faith in Jesus Christ because you decided to follow Jesus Christ and she sold out to God Even more than you he had to watch his wife if this is true Clement of Alexandria recorded that means he had to watch his wife set the example of what it meant to follow Jesus Christ He had to watch it and couldn't defend her Terrence and he watched it happen so in all likelihood It was the power and the example of her submission to submerge under Jesus Christ to not deny him

Her husband was calling out and Clement of Alexandria said that Peter Yelled out to her while she was being martyred. Remember the Lord Remember the Lord Remember the Lord, that's what he recorded. So while she is remembering the Lord and she's taking the hit, it actually becomes the example to her man, to her husband. I am submitting to Jesus Christ and just like I'm following Jesus Christ through my submission and I've submitted to your lead, even in ministry, Apostle Peter, I want you to follow God all the way. Her example empowered him to also stand up for God, for Jesus Christ and the testimony. That is the power of submission. My, my, my, my. And that doesn't mean we're all, that doesn't mean you're a floor man or a door man, it empowers your voice to actually change that man is what the disciple Peter is saying, the Apostle Peter is saying. And I love what Ephesians 5.21, the Apostle Paul said, he said, in fact, submit to one another. That's what he said. He's saying that the power of submission, he said, submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. It's you're submerged under Christ, love him first and most, and you will love your husband and your wife better. They'll never be last if you love them first,

love God first and most in everything. In fact, I will just tell you this. Some of us have Satan attacking our marriages and attacking our family. You know what probably needs to happen? More than biting and cursing the devil, it's just submitting. It's interesting that James 4.7 says this, he says, submit yourself therefore then to God, submit to God, submit yourself to God, resist the devil, and what happens? What happens to Satan? He tucks tail and runs because he sees you submitting to God's mission that you both can rise. So I will tell you this. You can't resist Satan if you're resisting God and you're resisting each other as a husband and wife. So if you were resisting each other right now in your marriage, you can't push demons back. You can pray all you want to pray, but if you are resisting others, you cannot resist Satan because you're resisting God. But when you start saying, God, I submit my mission to you, I'm gonna do your will for my life, myself, not my husband, but submit yourself to the Lord, he says, follow God, resist the devil, and Satan will run. If we just kept on reaching out to others, submitting to God and to each other, how many know Satan would not get within two inches of your life or our family's?

Can somebody give God praise in this house? Amen, submit to God. So how do we love God? Wives, love God by submitting to your husbands. Here's the second thing. Are y'all learning anything? All right, here's the second thing. Husbands, he says to the next, he says, husbands, you love God by loving your wife unconditionally. Why unconditionally? Because conditions will change in your marriage. Well, she don't look like she used to. Oh yeah, look at you, Rico Suave. Yeah. You got furniture's disease. Your chest has fallen into your drawers. Oh, but she, you know what you used to be. I'm telling you, conditions change for both of you, but he says, husbands, you cling to her like God clings to the church and dies for her even when he is rejected by his bride and is a sinner, keep loving her. Reach out. He says, husbands, love your wives by loving your wives unconditionally. This is how you love God. Love your wife unconditionally. Him first, you'll love her better. So look what he says in verse 19, the next verse.

He says, husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Love your wives. So he says, love your wives. What does that mean? Y'all know the word, we've already discovered it. If you go back to the series, it means agape love. And the word agape love means unconditional love. It's a sacrificial love. It's not a love that demands anything from them, but it's a giving up and a giving to when you don't receive anything back unconditionally. It means I love you in spite of, it means I don't love you if, it's not I love you because in spite of the conditions changing, I will continue to reach out to you and love you. It's not a temporary thrill because you've had physical intimacy in the expressions of the sexual encounter between the husband and wife. He says, you. go beyond all of that. He said, in fact, if you want to know the truth, he said, when you submit to me, it teaches your wife how to submit to you. So here's the point. Submission cannot be demanded. Submission must be displayed, not demanded. Say it again. Submission must be displayed. So how can she submit to you if you're not submitting to things in the Lord? It makes a challenge for her. You got to show her that even when I don't want to do this, just like Jesus sacrificed in order to get me, I will sacrifice and let my own personal agenda and my own things go by to minister to you. You cannot make your wife submit and she should not be punished if she doesn't submit. It has to be a choice. How are we doing, everybody? You can't make her submit. One guy tried.

He looked at his wife and said, woman, you're going to submit to me or else. He didn't see her for three days. And then the swelling started to go down in his right eye and he could barely begin to see her again. How are we doing, everybody? So the point for you and me as husbands, man, single young men, listen to this. Don't wait till you're married to try to start doing this. Start doing it as a single young man. Put your mission under God. Follow him in every detail, dating, relationship, your money, everything. Start putting it under God and watch him begin to let… You'll see that when you follow the house rules, you'll really start succeeding. Because as a husband submits to God's word, he becomes the model to his wife on this submission. And it actually teaches as the children see mutual submission to God and to each other that this is how I follow God, just the way my mother and father follow God and love each other. So God does not expect you as a husband to submit to the lead of your wife, sir. Let me say that. God does not expect you to submit to the lead of your wife, but he expects you to submit to the needs of your wife. Because what she really desires is she really desires for someone to show leadership. And that doesn't mean you have all the answers. It means you take the initiative to take the family and her into the right direction to follow God as you're following God. You take the initiative to come to church, and don't let her sit there and have to argue about coming. Take the initiative. Don't sit there and bellyache and gripe and wonder why your finances are bad when you're bellyaching and griping. I can't believe we've got to give… We really think we ought to give the church something, don't we? It's not about the church. It's about saying, Lord, I surrender to your lordship. You own everything we have. That is what this is about. It simply shows you own everything, and we do this by returning that portion to you because you own it all. Because as you learn to submit and take the initiative in child discipline, and you're a part of the budget, and you're a part of all these things, and you take initiative, you don't have to have all the answers. Most of the time, Brenda is more spiritual than I am about things. She's more discerning than I am about things. And I listen to what she has to say, but God expects me to take the initiative to lead me and my family in the right direction. Can somebody say amen? So God doesn't expect you to submit to her lead. He expects you to submit. He wants you to submit to the needs of her life. So how do I do that? Just three quick things.

Listen carefully. Listen carefully. Don't interrupt. I know you already have the answer. Yeah, but if we just let her finish. Don't interrupt. Let him finish. Let him finish. Just let them talk. Listen carefully. Lean in and shut up. Sometimes you just got to say that to people. Just let the whole conversation come out. Let it come out. You may be disagreeing. You may already have the answer. Hold your brilliant wisdom until you hear the very end. And say, well, what do you think about this? How about, should we try something like this? Listen carefully to her. Love her intentionally. That means romance her. That means would you call her in the middle of the day, not only just to find out what's for supper. Don't call him when you finally need him to go and go get something from the grocery store on his way home. Call just to be calling for absolute nothing, but to tell him how much you love him and you miss him. Text them, send them one of those real, you know, the little emoji things, you know. Go do the dishes without asking. Go do the laundry without asking. It's the best foreplay you'll ever have in your marriage. I'm serious. You want a romancer? Show her that you care about the things that she does every day on a daily basis and no one says thank you for at least putting bleach in the wipes. Thank you for ironing the clothes. Thank you that our house smells good and the dishes are gone. But be engaged in that and you are romancing her. Well, y'all done gone quiet on me, my goodness. How am I doing? Meet her emotional needs. Meet it. Meet it. When she has a feeling, let her. The feeling may be right and the feeling may be wrong, but let her feelings come out. Let her express every feeling because everything is tied to the emotions.

It all connects for her. Meet her emotions. Brag on her. Tell her how beautiful it is. Tell her how beautiful her outfit is. Just tell her how great she looks. Tell her her hair looks wonderful. Tell her. Brag on her. I promise you the world is beating her down. You can lift her up and she will see that every time. And so for your daughters as well, dad. So this is what Paul does. Paul says, guys, you really need this. So he goes into Ephesians 5, 25, and then in verse 28, and this is what he says. Watch. Paul said he just, he says it again in Ephesians, husbands, you really want to love God most? Love your wife unconditionally, unconditionally. And so he writes this in Ephesians 5, 25, 25. He says for husbands, this means love your wives, 529. Love your wives just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her. So here we go. Like he said to wives, likewise, in the same way he says in the same way, he's saying guys, this is who you follow. This is who you're pleasing first. Husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies for a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body, but feeds and cares. That's all code language.

Take her out to dinner. Cares means go say, come on, I'm taking you out. You go pick you a nice new outfit. Easter's coming up. I want you to go pick. Come on, let's go. Go bring her flowers. Cares for her. That's what it means. Code language for that kind of stuff. How am I doing brethren? Yeah, you're quiet, but that's all right. You better say something. You're going to be taking an Uber home today, so you better start shouting me down. No one hates his own body, but feeds and cares for it. Why? Because people, not your dad, not your buddy at work, not your bowling buddy, not your golf buddy who thinks he knows everything on how to treat a woman. Just as Christ cares for his bride. That's what you follow. Not the model of this world. And the reason he said that is he was introducing the original model of what God intended his romance between him and the bride, the church, because they had a jacked up model from the culture that was around him. The Romans and the Greeks for centuries showed him this is how you treat a woman. And women were subservient to men. They were like doormats. Men had no responsibility. You do what you want. And that was okay in the culture.

He says, no, this is the example. It's not your buddy. It's not the girl at your parent-teacher organization or at your little coffee meetings. It is Jesus Christ is example. And if you'll love Jesus most, you'll love your spouse best. But I'll just promise you the culture has bashed men, trashed women. And when husbands are bashed and wives are trashed, no wonder our children crash. No wonder you see the culture crashing and they're going after them younger and younger and younger and younger, even before they get out of the womb. They crash. But God says, here's the example, the model. And then he says to children, okay, we're coming in for a landing. He says to children, he said, a child, if you want to really love God, you're not married. You're living under your parents' roof. You really want to love God, honor God, love God by honoring your parents and obeying your parents. That's why he says, children, all children always obey your parents for this pleases the Lord. But they can't follow if they have nothing to follow, they can't conform if there's nothing to follow. So what does this mean? Number one, parents, we got to mold this. We have to mold them. We are the model. We're the model of how to follow Jesus Christ. We teach them this. Now, I know some of you have modeled for your kids, dedicated for the Lord, and you had them in church, and you prayed with them, gave them everything, put them in Christian school, did everything, you did everything, and they're not serving Jesus Christ. I do not want Satan browbeating you and putting you in guilt because you did everything you

possibly could do right, and they have rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ. You keep following Jesus because it is a witness to them. They know. At least mom and dad follow Jesus. So don't lose heart because God had two children, and he had them in the perfect environment. He had perfect kids that had no sin and had them in the perfect environment called the Garden of Eden, and both of them rebelled, being in the perfect place, being perfect kids, and they both rebelled against God. So don't you let the enemy browbeat you. You keep standing in the faith that God has a covenant with you, and he's going to reach your kids through that covenant. Amen? I'm just going to tell you. If you want to be pastors, you want to be parents, it's not easy, but you've got a model. You've got a model. That's why Proverbs 22.6, we said it earlier, but I'm going to give a little different take on it. It said, train a child in the way he should go or she should go as well, and when he or she is old, they will not turn from it. And I gave you an explanation that last time. I won't get into it. You can go to that. But one of the word pictures here of this word, train up a child, is actually a word picture of to affect the taste. That's what it means to affect the taste of your child in the way they should go. And as they get older, they'll go back to that thing they tasted of to affect the taste. So the word picture there is that Egyptian midwives, when the child was first born, sometimes they wouldn't attach to the mother in order to gain milk and nourishment. So what they would do is they would affect the taste by taking date syrup or honey, and they would put it on the child's palate or on the child's lip.

And it started the reef. It started the, uh, the sucking reflex because the child had something sweet to taste and started the sucking reflex. And then they would attach it to the mother. So the child would get nourishment. What is saying here is you need to affect the taste of our children so that they want to attach to the things of God whereby they can have the nourishment to grow and be strong men and women of God affect the taste. So that's the reason why this church spends so much money on reaching children. You see the irresistible environment. And now we've got to do the upgrade in there with sound and technology and visual things through next level. Now, the reason why we need the additional, we're almost there, we've got $170,000 to go. And the reason why I asked you to do this above and beyond your regular giving is because I want to keep affecting the taste of your kids and your grandkids. I want them to attach and going, that'll get me to attach. That's not what saves them, but that gets them to attach. So find creative ways, mom and dad. Look at the, there might be a particular movie that you can point them to, to create the spiritual conversations about the things of God. Go find an age appropriate devotional for them because as they change in age, you got to find it. What's appropriate for them. That's the reason why we do with teenagers and we have the life center and we invest that money and we put the right people there is because we know it changes because we want to keep affecting the taste to keep them attaching to the things of God. Some of you may not like the style of music. Sometimes I really don't care about style. I'm concerned about the substance and the spirit of what's in the music.

And the reason I want to do that is because our fastest growing demographic, our 30 year old and younger is the fastest growing demographic in here. I'm affecting, we're affecting the taste by being excellent in the way we present songs and in the spirit of God is which they come. We're affecting the taste. I want to tell parents about something that's really cool. If you have not looked at it yet, go on the website or go on the app. We have one, something that's called right now media. We spend the money and invest for you. It's like the Netflix of Christian discipleship only it's all Christian discipleship and there are creative things in there for your marriage, discipleship for your kids, devotionals, animated things, all every age and stage. It's free for you. We make the cost, we pay the cost for it. Go to right now media and start affecting the taste of your child. Right now you're seeing all these world events constantly go around. Start making them conversations with your children that are age appropriate on how God's word adapts and speaks to the very issue that is going on. Keep creating that taste. And let me tell you the best way to get your kids to love and have a taste for the things of God. You need to be excited about the things of God. You need to be excited about the things of God. So when you gripe about the way somebody preaches or you gripe about a song in front of your kid after we get done having supper, it tells your kid, don't eat at that restaurant again. But when you say, man, I'd felt the. presence of God, and you start lifting your hands in your worship instead of folding your arms because we're not playing Amazing Grace to the sound of the chuckwagon gang, your kid says, I don't need this. They reject it. They reject it. How am I doing everybody? So let them see your enthusiasm to come to

the house of God. Let them see your excitement to get ready on Saturday to get the clothes out. Let them see the excitement of your worship. Let them see the excitement and when you start saying, oh yeah, we're gonna, I hope he doesn't go over too long. You're telling your kids already, you're telling, you're telling them to sign off. This is not the way. This is not the appetite. Don't eat at that restaurant. Are y'all tracking with me? So when you have the hunger for the Word of God and they see you open your Bible and you're studying the Word of God, they hear mom and dad praying in the Spirit. They hear them praying. It's affecting their appetite. What is it that mom and dad have? Why are they so joyful when they come to the house of God? Why is it they're excited to serve God? They're ready to worship and giving. Why? You're affecting their tastes so they attach to the things of God and say, if mom and dad are excited about it, I want to see what that is. The problem is some of us give our kids just enough Christianity to turn them away. Okay. Doctors tell you to vaccinate your children. They recommend you give your child vaccine. Why? To fight off certain diseases. That's what they're telling you to do. And the vaccine, what it does, the best way I can describe it is, they introduce into your body when you get a vaccine, a safe version of a weakened or partial form of that disease that won't harm the person, but it's just enough to teach the body to learn how to fight that disease when it comes. They just introduce a safe version of a weakened or partial form of that disease so that the body builds up a resistance to fight it when the real thing actually comes. But I get concerned about Jesus Christ followers in America and even myself, that we may be doing something spiritually to expose our kids to just enough Christianity that's safe for you. To expose them to just a form or a weakened part, or you weaken a part of the gospel, and you inoculate your kids spiritually with that, and then when the real stuff comes to them, they've built up an immunity because we gave them a partioned, weakened version of Jesus Christ and what real Christianity is. And then when the real thing shows up, they

don't want nothing to do with the church or Christianity. When the real conviction comes, they resist it. When the real worship is present, they reject it. And when sacrifice is finally required of them, they resent it when you ask them for it. So here's my thing. Let's model it. Let's model the joy of the Lord that is our strength. I was glad when they said unto me, let us go. I was glad when they said unto me, let's get into the house of God. Let's hang out with God and God's people. Let's have a joy when we come to the place of God. Let's not see how quick we can get in, how quick we can get out. Won't we like this? Let's get in there and let's do like Joshua. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord with all our strength, all our soul, all our mind. We're going all out for Jesus Christ. Give them that model, not a weakened version or partial form where they actually fight when the real stuff shows up. And when your mom and dad, we're not perfect, but those of you living under your mom and dad's household, when your mom and dad are following the things of the Lord and they ask you to obey, the parents model, but children you must mind. Mind God and mind your mom and dad. And you love God and you honor God by listening to them and obeying their request. I'm gonna talk about something that's unscriptural, ungodly. I'm telling you that when it is right, you honor them. And honor, listen, honor is an inward action. It's an attitude. But obedience is the action, the outward action to the honor that you have inside for the office of mother and father. And when you listen to them, oh. You know what it actually does? When you listen to your parents, you know what it really does? It helps you listen to God. Could it be that some of us can't hear God about our future because we can't even hear the ones that he used to help train us, our own parents? And if we can't even listen to our own parents that we can't see, how can we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, which you cannot see? And actually being obedient to your parents and listening to them and hearing them and obeying them actually gives you the ability to be so attuned to the Holy Spirit, you can start discovering what your real purpose in life and your real calling in life and your real giftings, you can actually get to the place God wants you to be because you're actually listening to the ones that God's using. So am I closing? I am closing.

You've got to love God first, love God most, and the people around you will be loved best, but they will not be if he's not first and he's not the most. Now, I know sometimes some of you have heard this for the first time and you're going, that dude is off his rocker. What is he talking about? That is so antiquated and so archaic, but you're still trying to figure out why all the dysfunction is happening around you and even your own home. And I'll tell you the reason why, you got to get back to the house rules because the house rules actually starts making it work properly. So that's why Jesus keeps introducing to the church, this is the original model. The culture has messed it up. Let me give you this last illustration. How many have ever seen a Bentley before, Bentley car? Let's say you'd never seen a Bentley before. Let's say no one in America has seen a Bentley. 400 grand right there. Yes, 400 grand. That's what that car cost. But let's say one came to America. No one in America has ever heard it, not seen it, never seen it. It's the original. No, this is the first time any of them have seen it. But the first time we get it out in traffic, guess what happens? They're at a stoplight. Someone rear ends the back of that car, the original rear ends it. And then it's driven into the car front and it's front end is smashed. So we got the original. No one's ever seen one before. And we say, Hey, we need to get this thing fixed. It's crashed. It's crashed. We got to go fix it. They said, well, I can't quite remember in my head what it looked like. I tell you what, let's go send it to Bubba's body shop. Bubba, have you ever seen a bent what? So we send the Bentley, the original that no one's ever seen. And we go send it to Bubba, the unknowing for knowledge to fix it. Well, Bubba says, well, I like pickup trucks. I've never seen, but I think a pickup bed look really good. Now listen, I got one that salvage out there. I got this old door. What did they put up there? Yep. There it is. So Bubba is using what he knows and we're sending something damaged and crash. And we keep sending it to Bubba. Who's never seen the original. He's never read the Bible. I mean, the owner's manual, he thinks it's antiquated, archaic. We have no dealerships. There are no churches to hear the word. I mean, we have no body shops that have ever seen it, but we're going to let Bubba work on our marriage and work on my identity. So when they get crashed by Satan and they're rear-ended in their identity, and then there's a culture that slams the brakes on, says, no, you got to go this way.

They crash. And then we say, you guys go fix them. And we get the most jacked up identity and we get the most jacked up identity you have ever seen in your life, because you don't want to live by the one who manufactured and fearfully and wonderfully made the Bentley. You're going to let other people tell you, this is how you ought to be. This is how your marriage ought to work. I'm sorry, but I am not going to risk my life and my destiny with the unknowing who do not consult the word of God, the owner's manual, and don't go to the manufacturer who fearfully and wonderfully made the Bentley. So you may have come in here and your marriage is crashing. You may have come in here and you have listened to yourself and maybe even it's even an identity issue where you're wondering, I don't even know. If I was created a male or a female you may be actually battling that this morning You may be battling some type of sin and i'm telling you what the enemy does Is he hits it and he keeps hitting it and he keeps hitting it and he's hoping that you will go to bubba's body shop To get it fixed And you're rolling along But everybody knows and so do you something's not right So What do we do Let's go to the one who created this thing And let's put it with those who really know the owner's manual And let them start working on our marriage and on our life And when you do even if it's crashed and you're questioning and you're You're angry and you're hurt because of what's happened You keep going to the manufacturer And guess what happens he can take what's crashed And actually start turning it into the original model that it was intended to be And that's why they just those worthy believers just Why did you have to tell them?

Because it was crashing and he says let me show you the original model The creator himself will come down And die for you To show you This is how much he loves you. Let me just one other thing and i'm on i'm on i promise i'm bringing in But I just believe the holy spirit's here right now. I really do Isn't it interesting That you never see satan attack humanity listen he left Adam alone He didn't care if adam was with god And the giraffes and the hippos he didn't care But did you notice the attack On the marriage didn't happen until god brought that woman into the picture And there was a bond a covenant of marriage Then the attack started happening He'd have been fine with just adam and god and the orangutans But when god introduced the picture of the bride Satan knew the glory is going to come out of that because this is actually displaying the character and nature of god Through a husband and a wife and the care of god for his bride And he wanted to destroy the picture of that glory. That's why he keeps crashing it and bashing it and trashing it because He'd have left us alone if it was just adam But when the picture of god's glory came because that marriage is a picture of jesus christ's love for his bride Even when it's in sin Because he wants to restore us To the original model the image of god that is in each of us Is

Have me believe he's not winning with us Or our lives or our marriages or our families. He's not winning with us. The enemy is not winning with us