A reminder to consider others Please: Turn off your cell phone or set to vibrate only Turn off sound to all electronic devices Use the nursery or cry room if your child is fussy Get up during the preaching only if absolutely necessary (please sit in back if you must leave early)

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Earthly pleasures vainly call me, I Would Be Like Jesus # 561 Earthly pleasures vainly call me, I would be like Jesus; James Rowe / Bentley D. Ackley © Public Domain ARR UBP – CCLI License No. 378119

Nothing worldly shall enthrall me, I would be like Jesus.

Be like Jesus - this my song, In the home and in the throng; Be like Jesus all day long, I would be like Jesus.

He has broken every fetter, That my soul may serve Him better, I would be like Jesus; That my soul may serve Him better, I would be like Jesus.

Be like Jesus - this my song, In the home and in the throng; Be like Jesus all day long, I would be like Jesus.

All the way from earth to glory, Telling o’er and o’er the story, I would be like Jesus; Telling o’er and o’er the story, I would be like Jesus.

Be like Jesus - this my song, In the home and in the throng; Be like Jesus all day long, I would be like Jesus.

That in heaven He may meet me, That His words, “Well done,” I would be like Jesus; That His words, “Well done,” may greet me I would be like Jesus.

Be like Jesus - this my song, In the home and in the throng; Be like Jesus all day long, I would be like Jesus.

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

A reminder - Please: Turn off your cell phone or set to vibrate only Turn off sound to all electronic devices Use the nursery or cry room if your child is fussy Get up during the preaching only if absolutely necessary (please sit in back if you must leave early)

War on the Family We are in the midst of a social, political and moral civil war between the Judeo-Christian ethic and secularism The family - its value, definition & even existence - is a major front in this war The “pro-choice” movement is part of feminism’s anti-family thrust

War on the Family The greatest threat to traditional marriage - and thus society - is the dissolution of marriage Economic factors and selfishness delay marriage

Unwed Mothers Unwed motherhood and the promotion of single parenting delays and even blocks marriage “Shotgun weddings” or adoption were the solutions to unwed pregnancies in the past

Unwed Mothers Welfare for unwed mothers removed the necessity of financial support from the father Abortion as a “woman’s right to privacy” removed the father’s sense of responsibility for the baby

Unwed Mothers Unwed motherhood is now normal: The average age for a first birth is 8 months earlier than a first marriage ~40% of all births in the U.S. 45% of single mothers have never married

Single Parent Families Single parents need help and encouragement regardless of what caused their very difficult situation Radically higher rate of poverty - 40.9% - increases vulnerability to: hunger utility cutoffs homelessness

Single Parent Families Their children have higher rates of: drug abuse behavior problems dropping out crime prison suicide

Single Parent Families Single parents need help. Avoid becoming a single parent by: Keep sexual activity confined to marriage. Stay married

Divorce The most serious factor in destroying marriage - about 41% of first marriages end in divorce There are rare cases in which separation is warranted – but our society has made divorce easy for any reason

Divorce Divorce itself is expensive The standard of living for women and children decline by an average of 73% The personal costs are high: Death of a Marriage by Pat Conroy

Divorce Children increase the pain because they tie you to the ex-spouse and the pain they suffer increases your own

Divorce “Trial marriage” fails to avoid divorce: 45% of those who cohabit do not marry It increases divorce rate by 50% Only 12% have marriages lasting 10 years or more The woman is more likely to be abused Children more likely to have problems

Divorce Children of divorce have higher rates of problems with: behavior health school drugs abuse suicide

Divorce Divorce rarely solves problems - it just creates new, more complex problems. God hates it - Malachi 2:16

The Teaching of the Scribes Matthew 5:31 Deuteronomy 24:1-4 Not a command, recommendation or prohibition, but a series of conditional statements that are restrictions It restricted divorce to one stated reason of disfavor in his eyes due to some indecency found in her

The Teaching of the Scribes Matthew 5:31 It required a certificate that protected the woman from false accusations Divorce and remarriage resulted in defilement - Deut. 24:4 The Pharisees twisted what Moses said into a command to divorce - See Matthew 19:7

The Teaching of the Scribes Matthew 5:31 The Scribes following Rabbi Hillel circumvented Moses and allowed divorce for any reason Our society is similar, but No-Fault Divorce has removed protection, increased divorce and therefore pain

The Teaching of the Scribes Matthew 5:31 The certificate of divorce was important, but getting the legal work done does not make you righteous

The Teaching of Jesus Matthew 5:32 Jesus follows up His teaching about lust and adultery to declare that unrighteous divorce multiplies adultery The Scribes regulated marriage to a legal relationship and our society has done the same thing

The Teaching of Jesus Matthew 5:32 Romantic feelings, not commitment, have become the basis to form or break such “marriages” God established marriage in Genesis 2:20-24 Central to marriage is the man cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh : cleave = glued

The Teaching of Jesus Matthew 5:32 Death was the penalty given to those who break that bond by adultery, incest and sexual perversions Having the legal work done in an unrighteous divorce does not mean the marriage is over in God’s eyes Unrighteous divorce results in multiplied adultery

The Teaching of Jesus Matthew 5:32 Jesus’ point is the contrast between the teaching of the self-righteous and true righteousness The self-righteous manipulate the law for their own benefit, true righteousness wants God’s will at any cost

The Teaching of Jesus Matthew 5:32 God and God alone sets the standards of righteousness, decides right from wrong and determines morality

Conclusions God hates divorce (Malachi 2:15-16) Divorce occurs because of hardness of heart (Matthew 19), but the grounds for righteous divorce is strict Unrighteous divorce is sin and has consequences, but God can forgive it - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Conclusions If you are already divorced and remarried, you cannot unscamble the egg - 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 God can take a vessel filthy with sin, clean it and make it a useful treasure for His kingdom

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Built firm upon the Savior, and Counselor and Guide: A Christian Home # 451 O give us homes Built firm upon the Savior, Where Christ is Head and Counselor and Guide: © 1965 Sinspiration Music / Breikopf & Hartell, Wiesbden ARR UBP – CCLI License No. 378119

is taught His love and favor to Christ, the Crucified: Where every child is taught His love and favor And gives his heart to Christ, the Crucified:

tho’ his footsteps waver, How sweet to know that, tho’ his footsteps waver, His faithful Lord is walking by his side!

with godly fathers, mothers, their hope and trust in Him Verse 2 O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers, Who always place their hope and trust in Him

Whose tender patience turmoil never bothers Whose calm and courage trouble cannot dim

finds joy in serving others, Tho’ days be dark and grim A home where each finds joy in serving others, And love still shines, Tho’ days be dark and grim

Where Christ is Lord & Master, the precious hymns still sung; Verse 3 O give us homes Where Christ is Lord & Master, The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung;

Where pray’r comes first in peace or in disaster, And praise is natural speech to every tongue

before a faith that’s vaster, Where mountains move before a faith that’s vaster, And Christ sufficient is for old and young

our homes are Thine forever! Their problems, toil, and care; Verse 4 O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever! We trust to Thee Their problems, toil, and care;

Their bonds of love No enemy can sever If Thou are always Lord and Master there:

Our hearts & homes to share Be Thou the center Of our least endeavor Be Thou our guest, Our hearts & homes to share

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ