Greg Laurie - Family Matters (07/14/2017)
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Pastor Greg Laurie delivers a powerful message on "Family Matters" from Proverbs 22, outlining six biblical keys to a lasting marriage and godly parenting. He warns against cultural shifts undermining the family, stresses leaving and cleaving, mutual submission, Spirit-filled living, sacrificial love, respect, and clear communication, while urging parents to train children in God's ways to leave a godly legacy that echoes through generations.
Family Matters – The Crisis in Marriage Today
Here we are in Proverbs 22. The title of the message is "Family Matters". I told you this story before but bear with me. It is a story of a husband and wife who were married for 60 years. That is quite a feat in this day and age. And the announcement was made they were going to have a party. A celebration. Someone down at the local newspaper heard about it and they dispatched a reporter to talk to the couple and try to find out what the secret to a long marriage happened.
So the reporter sat down with the husband and said, Sir, tell me what is the secret to being married for 60 years? The man said, Well, it goes back to our honeymoon. My wife and I went to the Grand Canyon. We were riding those little donkeys on one of the paths. And my wife was right in front of me. And let me tell you, I didn't really know her all that well. We hadn't known each other that long before we got married.
Well anyway, she is on the donkey in front of mine. And her donkey sort of stumbled. And I noticed her leaning forward and saying to the donkey, the donkey is there, that is once. And I thought, that is once. What does that mean? So we went a little bit further. Her donkey stumbled again. She leaned forward and said, That is twice. Then we went a little bit further. The donkey stumbled a third time. She reaches into her purse, pulls out a handgun, holds it up to the donkey's head. Fires. The donkey drops dead right on the spot.
And I said, That is horrible. That is awful. How could you do that to the donkey? And my wife said to me, That is once. So that is the secret to a long marriage right there. Thank you and God bless.
Well that is a joke. And one I have probably told too many times. But there is no question that marriage and family is under attack in our country today. Battered by high rates of divorce and cohabitation, unwed childbearing, fatherlessness, and the push for same-sex marriage in civil unions brings marriage to a state of crisis in our country.
One study estimated that divorce and unwed childbearing cost taxpayers $112 billion a year. This is a national problem. And it has been said that a family can survive without a nation, but a nation cannot survive without the family.
Cultural Experiments vs. God's Design for Marriage
We have been engaged in our country in recent years in a massive social experiment. Let's just see how much we can change what marriage really is. Let's see if we can just push the boundaries a little bit further. And now we are seeing the repercussions of that in culture in general.
So listen. Shifting culture has nothing to say about a successful marriage. If you follow cultural clues, your marriage may be doomed. We have to come back to the Word of God, the only authoritative source on this and any other topic.
So this is my last message in this series. And it is sort of a flyover of what I have said in the last five messages. So if you missed one or more of those messages, you will get some of the main points. And then we will bring it to a conclusion.
So let's start with point number one. Because I am going to identify for you six keys to a successful and lasting marriage.
Six Biblical Keys to a Lasting Marriage
Number one, there must be a leaving and a cleaving. Remember that Jesus was asked about the topic of marriage and divorce. And he said in Matthew 19:5, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife and the two shall become one flesh. Leaving and cleaving, two operative words.
And I am amazed at how many marriages have not gotten this down. And listen folks, this is marriage 101. If you don't get this worked out, you are going to have problems throughout your marriage.
First there is a leaving. And the phrase that is used here, a son leaving his father and mother, implies that the closest relationship outside of a marriage is specified here. That of a son to his parents. Meaning that if it is necessary to leave your father and mother, that certainly all lesser ties must be broken, changed, or left behind.
Broken, changed, or left behind. You are still a child to your parents. You are still a sibling. You are still a friend. But now a new family has developed in time. If God blesses you with children too.
So there must be the leaving. There is a change in your relationships. And number two, there is a cleaving. And the word cleave is a word that speaks of being glued together, not stuck together. And it also in verb form speaks of holding on to one another.
So it is the idea that you are holding on to each other. Listen, your best friend should be your spouse. So start there.
Mutual Submission and Spirit-Filled Living
Number two, a successful marriage requires that husband and wife must submit to each other. They must submit to each other. Ephesians 5:21 says that we are to submit one to another in the fear of God.
Before a word is said about wives submitting to their husbands, both husbands and wives are to submit one to another. But what does that mean? Well it is a military word and it means to rank beneath or to rank under.
In the military you have a chain of command. You have officers or those of higher rank that are over you. So you are to put that other person above you. Notice this is before it said that a wife should submit to her husband. It says wives and husbands should submit one to another.
Put the needs of your mate above your own. That is what it is saying. A husband's submission to his wife does not mean that he abdicates his responsibility of leadership in the home. But he helps her to bear her burdens. He is always ready to meet her needs and sacrifice his own desires for what will help fulfill those needs.
And she is willing to do the same for him. It is the idea of holding one another up. Wives are to submit to the leadership of the husband. Husbands are to bow to the needs of their wives.
Number three. To have a successful marriage you must be filled with the Holy Spirit. You must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:17 says don't be drunk with wine where there is excess but be filled with the Holy Spirit. Speaking to herself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
We have the power given to us from God to do what he has called us to do. And I will be honest with you. There is no way that I can do what the Bible tells me to do without the power of the Holy Spirit.
No way I can love my wife as Christ loves the church. Are you kidding me? Talk about a tall order. There is no way that a woman can submit to the leadership of her husband without the power of the Spirit. We need this power.
And by the way in the Greek it is implied that it is done over and over again. In other words be constantly be being filled with the Holy Spirit again and again and again.
So when you get up in the morning you might just say Lord fill me with the Holy Spirit. Help me to be the husband, the wife, the parent you have called me to be. And keep asking for that power.
Husbands – Love as Christ Loves the Church
Number four. To have a successful marriage the husband must love his wife as Christ loves the church. Ephesians 5:25 says Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.
Now that is not easy. But this is what God requires. I want you to notice that the man is called to take point here. Because in many marriages spiritually men are passive at best and actually working against the marriage at worst.
In far too many Christian homes the woman is the spiritual leader. It is the woman the wife that says Let's go to church. It is the wife that says Let's remember to pray before the meal. It is the wife that says Let's read the Bible to our children. It is the wife that says No, let's not do that.
It is not the husband being the godly leader the Lord has called him to be. Thank God for the wives picking up the slack. But my question is Husbands are you doing your part?
And you know this really talks about expressing love. Women are far more social than men. They get together and they start talking. Guys kind of look at each other especially if they have never met.
I am amazed that two girls who have never met can become immediately best friends or so it would seem. Guys are kind of looking at each other. And another thing you know when girls are you are with friends maybe in a restaurant and one girl says I am going to go to the restroom. Who wants to go with me. And all these girls go in the restroom together.
We don't do that as guys. We would never ask the question. In fact we might even be embarrassed if we see each other in the restroom. You don't want to be in there too long with each other.
So the idea is that it is easier for a woman generally speaking to express affection. To show affection. Girls will hug each other. Love you. Love you. Guys are like. Love you bro. Can I get them. Sort of sideways hug. Right.
But the idea is that we feel it. Men are just as full of emotion as women are. We just express it differently. So here is something. Love your wife as Christ loved the church. Don't just think it. Show it. And even better. Say it.
Proverbs 31 says her children call her blessed and her husband praises her. Listen. Husbands brag on your wives. In front of your kids. In front of your friends. Hey do it in front of complete strangers. Let me tell you about my wife. She is the greatest wife ever.
That is something we should do. Compliment her. As a great theologian Bruno Mars points out in a song. When I was your man. Quote. Too young. Too dumb to realize. I should have brought you flowers and held your hand. Should have given you all of my hours when I had the chance. Take you to every party when all you wanted to do was dance. Now my baby is dancing with another man.
Wake up guys. Show affection to your wife. Tell her you love her. Verbalize it.
Wives – Respect and Submit to Your Husband
Number five. To have a successful marriage a wife must respect and submit to her husband. The wife must respect and submit to her husband.
Now this is very interesting. First Peter 3 says, Wives be submissive to your own husbands even if some do not obey the word. They without a word will be won by the conduct of the wife when they observe your chaste and respectful conduct.
Then Ephesians 5:33 says, Let the wife see that she respects her husband. It is interesting that God doesn't tell the husband specifically to respect his wife. He tells the wife specifically to respect her husband.
That is not to say a husband should not respect the wife. What it is to say is God tells you in a very specific way to do this. Maybe it is because it is not done enough. Maybe men are not loving their wife as much as they ought to. And maybe women are not respecting their men like they ought to.
Just as a husband is to love his wife even if she does not respect and submit to him. A wife is to respect her husband even if he does not love her as she wants.
So show respect to that man. It is important for you to say to him, I appreciate the sacrifices you make for this family. I appreciate the love that you show to us. I appreciate all that you do.
A man needs respect. A woman needs to be nurtured. And told she is loved. A man needs to be respected. Make sure you do that.
Because sometimes women are disrespecting their man. And sometimes they do it publicly. This husband of mine. Let me tell you what a loser he is. That is disrespectful. And that is unbiblical. And this will undermine your marriage.
See the relationship of Jesus Christ to God the Father is the same with marriage. Though the husband and wife are equal in their standing before God. In order for the family to function in Harmony. The woman with no loss of dignity takes the place of submission to the headship of the husband.
This models the way that God loves the church. And the church loves God. And the husband is a God given responsibility to provide for, protect, and lead just as the Lord does the church. So the wife submits graciously to the servant leadership the husband provides just as the church submits to the headship of Christ.
Respect Him and submit to Him. Some girls will say, Well I don't agree with that. Well then you are wrong. How do you like that? Because this is what the Bible teaches about the roles of husbands and wives.
Well I think the Bible is wrong. No. You are wrong. See. Because look at how it has worked out in our culture as we have abandoned these roles and done it our own way.
I was watching a television interviewer talk to a pastor a while back. And the interviewer said, Pastor don't you think it is time to bring the Bible kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century? And the pastor amazingly did not respond to that.
And I wanted to jump through the television screen. And I wanted to say to the interviewer, No sir. It is time to bring culture kicking and screaming back to what the Bible teaches. Because that is where the problems are coming from.
The Bible is a source of truth. Someone asked me a while ago, Greg what do you do when you come to a verse in the Bible you don't agree with? I actually kind of laughed when I heard that. I said change your opinion because you are wrong.
What do you mean you don't agree with it? Either we are going to accept the Bible as a source of truth on marriage and family and every other topic or we are not going to. But you can't pick and choose what parts of the Bible you agree with or what fits with culture.
You have to develop a biblical worldview where you see things through a scriptural lens. It is how you view life.
Constant Communication – The Key to Resolving Conflict
Number six. To have a successful marriage communication must be constant. In a survey that was taken among divorced couples they were asked why did their marriage fail. Eighty six percent said deficient communication.
This is why when I talk to couples who want to get married I ask them if they have had a fight yet. And understand when I say a fight I don't mean a physical altercation. It should never come to that. I mean verbal disagreement. That is going to happen.
And if you haven't had one yet go have one soon. Because you need to learn how to resolve conflicts because conflicts will arise. So you need to learn how to fight fair.
You know when there are certain boxing matches as an example there are rules. A round lasts so long. There are certain things you can and cannot do to your opponent.
And when you sit down with your wife or your husband you are having a disagreement. What you want to do is first hear them out. The Bible says in James 1:19 let every man be quick to listen. Slow to speak. Slow to rap.
Proverbs 18:13 only a fool answers a matter before he has heard it. So you get into these things and you are interrupting one another. Talking over one another. Yelling over one another. That is counterproductive.
Sit down and say all right. Tell me why you are upset. Tell me what the issue is. And shut up and listen. Just listen. And you might learn something.
First of all you might realize that there is a misunderstanding that you can now hopefully sort out. And then again they may make a point that you see is actually valid. And you could see how they would understand what you had done or perceive what you had done. You did not mean it that way. But it came off a certain way. And say I am sorry. I did not realize that. I will not do that again.
But have a calm conversation. When it starts to escalate. And you are raising your voice. And you feel the anger starting to boil up. That is where you need to stop. Sometimes literally if necessary you walk out of the room.
But if it is coming I am going to throw something. Or yell something. No. You do not want it to go there. That is why Ephesians 4:31 says get rid of bitterness and rage and anger and harsh words and slander. As well as other types of evil behavior.
Instead be kind to one another. Tender hearted. Forgiving one another. Just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ruth Graham once said, A successful marriage is made up of two good forgivers.
Learn to forgive. Have your disagreement. Now forgive. And never fight in front of the kids. Just do not do that. In fact don't fight in front of people in general.
Have you ever had that happen. You are out with a couple and they start having an argument in front of you. It is like stop. Do I really have to sit here and listen to this.
I mean if it is in front of a pastor and he is helping you sort through things. Fine. But in front of friends out to dinner and you guys are going at it with each other. You have to learn to resolve these things.
But the objective is not to win. It is to resolve. Fight to resolve the conflict. Not to win. If you go into it to win you lose even if you win.
Raising Children – Training Up in the Lord
Now let's shift gears. And let's go from marriage to the family. We touched on this a little bit in our last message when I talked about parenting. Ephesians 6. For you fathers do not provoke your children to wrath but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
How do you provoke a child to wrath? One way is by favoring one child over another. Showing favoritism. Don't do that. Another way is by never complimenting or affirming them up.
Now we have a job to do as parents. Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. It doesn't say beat them down. Why do we need to bring them up? Because their sinful nature brings them down. And our job is to point them to Jesus.
Listen to this parent. If you do not proactively take an active interest in your child's physical as well as spiritual welfare someone else will. And it usually is not good.
Let me repeat that. If you do not proactively take an interest in your child's physical as well as spiritual welfare someone else will. And it will usually not be good.
Don't leave it to the public school system to teach your child values. Don't leave it to media to teach your child what right and wrong are. Listen mom, dad, that is your job. To teach them. To lead them. To guide them. To train them in the way that they should go.
If you don't do it the Bible says in Proverbs 29:15 a child left to himself will bring shame to his mother.
Let's go now to our text. Proverbs 22:6. A well known verse. An oft quoted verse. And usually quoted when the child is going astray. We say, well train up a child on the way he should go when he is old. He will not depart from it.
And I think that is a great verse to quote when a child goes astray. But here is the question I want to ask you. Have you done your part? Have you actually trained up the child in the way that they should go? Do you understand what that means?
The Amplified Bible puts it this way. Train up a child in the way he should go. And in keeping with his individual gift or bent, when he is old he will not depart from it. Every child is different.
The New Living Translation puts it this way. Direct your child into the right path. And when they are older they will not leave it.
What does it mean to train up? One way this phrase can be translated is to create a thirst in. Create a spiritual thirst in the life of your child. How do you do that? By having a walk with God that is attractive. Having a relationship with the Lord that they would aspire to. They want to know God like you know God.
Create a thirst in. But then it is interesting because another way in verb form it is translated is to break a horse. A horse is a beautiful creature. A powerful animal. And they go through a breaking process where they learn to submit to the will of the rider.
I like to ride horses. But I far rather riding things with horse power. Because there is an off button. And I can push it and it stops. Horses have a mind all their own.
I know this because I have had some horses take off and they would not stop when I wanted them to. I heard a story about a preacher that got himself a horse. And he thought he would be real spiritual. And instead of using the normal words to command the horse he would use spiritual words.
For instance instead of saying giddy up he would say praise the Lord. And he taught the horse. And whenever he said praise the Lord the horse took off in a full gallop. And instead of saying whoa he said I will say amen. Amen. The horse would stop.
This is great. Praise the Lord. Off he would go. Amen. The horse would stop. And he loved to show this off to all of his friends.
One day he was out fooling around and the horse just took off running. And he couldn't remember his stop word. Oh, what is that stop word? Hallelujah! Horse is still running. Glory to God! Horse is still running. Oh, what is that word? What is that word? And he is coming right to the edge of a cliff. Amen! The horse stops. The little rocks are going over the side. The horse stops right there. He is looking over the side. Praise the Lord.
So to train up a child is to create a thirst in them for the things of God by example. By modeling it. By showing them what it is to be a real Christian. And secondly to break a horse. The implication being you put parameters in place.
There are absolutes in your home. There are things a child can do and things a child cannot do. That means sometimes punishment. As much as it is important to love our kids and hug our kids and tell them how much we love our kids, we also, if we love them, must discipline our kids.
When I was in military school, you remember that little video we showed last time on etiquette as my little granddaughter Lucy said, I went to military school. Well, I was in military school a couple of times. Once when I was a very small boy. When I was a little bit older. But I did not like it. I will be honest with you.
We had to wear little uniforms. I actually Googled the name of my military school last night. It was Southern California Military Academy. It was on Signal Hill in Long Beach. It is no longer there. I blew it up. No, I did not. It actually was a fine school. It really was.
But I did not want to go there because I wanted to be with my mom. You know, so I was just a little boy. But I will tell you what. I learned discipline in that school. And when you messed up they disciplined you. And guess what. I was getting A's and B's and I was on the honor roll.
So one day my mom took me out of military school and put me in public school. I went from A's and B's to D's and F's. And I spent most of my time in the principal's office because I was in trouble for mouthing off in class or doing something obnoxious.
Here is my point. I thrived in an environment where I was disciplined. And that needs to be there. And if you don't discipline your children you don't love them. When you discipline your children you actually reflect God's character.
Say, well I thought God was love. He is love. And because He is love He disciplines us. The Lord says whom He loves He will discipline. Hebrews 12 says our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in His holiness.
No discipline is enjoyable. Well it is happening. It is painful. But afterwards there is a quiet harvest of right living for those that are trained in this way. Yes. Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
The Bible tells the story of Eli the priest who did not discipline his wayward sons. And God dealt harshly with him as a result. 1 Samuel 3 says, The Lord said to Samuel, I am going to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears it tingle.
At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family from beginning to end. For I told him I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about. His sons made themselves contemptible and he failed to restrain them.
Have you ever seen someone's kids running amok? You wonder why these kids so horrible and disrespectful. Then you meet their parents and you say, Now I get it. Because that is the way they were raised. Or not raised. They are a reflection of the way that they were brought up.
Have you ever been out in the public and seen someone's kids just coming unhinged and they are screaming or they are disrespectful to their mom or dad. And you felt like you wanted to intervene. You can't do that. You would like to discipline their kids. You definitely can't do that.
Now that is only for you to discipline your kids you see. That is your responsibility as a parent.
So because God loves us He disciplines us. And if you can go out as a child of God and do things that are sinful and not feel any remorse or guilt that would be a cause for great concern.
I think when your conscience is working and you feel guilt when you have done something wrong and God even makes it hard for you to disobey you should rejoice because He is showing you how much He loves you.
If you can go and sin with abandon without any concern that would indicate to me you are not even God's child whom the Lord loves. He disciplines the scripture says.
And Eli didn't take care of his sons. You see the sin of the father was passed to the children. And this happens to all of us today. We see this in multiple generations.
You know the Bible says the sins of the parents are visited on the children. I have heard some people have sort of a mystical interpretation of that and think there is some kind of a generational curse and you need to bind it. That is crazy. That is not what it is.
It is simply saying this. That if you live in a sinful way that very easily can be passed on to your kids. Because they will imitate what they see at home for better or for worse.
So there can be a Godly legacy passed down. And there can also be an ungodly. Sorry to make you the ungodly. But here you are. Godly. Ungodly. Ungodly. No. Forget it. Ungodly. You get what I am saying.
But there can be a Godly legacy you pass on and an ungodly legacy you pass on. We all know that kids raised in alcoholic homes are far more likely to become alcoholics themselves. We know kids raised in abusive homes often become abusers.
Studies have shown that kids from divorced homes are more likely to drop out of school. Are actually more susceptible to sickness. Have a higher risk of strokes. A propensity for crime. And even die earlier than those that come from intact families.
And those from divorced homes are far more likely to get divorced themselves. Because they often marry mates who are also from divorced homes. And when they do that they are three times more likely to divorce than those that marry mates from non-divorced homes.
So then the cycle repeats itself again and again and again and again. And it becomes a problem For an entire country like we are seeing right now.
So what do we want to do? Is find that balance. You can go overboard in the praise and affirmation department and never discipline. And then you can go overboard in the discipline department and never bring enough of the affirmation and praise and support.
We have to find the balance in all things. You know a trend nowadays is, I want to be my child's friend. Not their parent. I want to be their best friend. They don't need you to be their best friend. They need you to be their parent.
Because only you can do that. Only you can be mom or dad. They may not like it now. But trust me. They will thank you later for being a parent. And doing what a parent ought to do.
You can stop clapping now. Thank you.
The Legacy We Leave – Godly or Ungodly
Here is an interesting thing. In other words, if these things were in play, the child would not be a delinquent. If these things were not in play, 90% chance the child would be a delinquent.
Here are their findings. Number one, the father's firm, fair, and consistent discipline. That is what we have been talking about. If this is in a home, according to this extensive study, there will not be delinquency.
Number two, the mother's supervision and companionship during the day. Number three, the parents demonstrated affection for each other and for the children. Number four, the family spending time together in activities.
We are all participating. Wait. Haven't I read this somewhere before? Oh right. I read that in the Bible. That is what the Bible told me to do. And now the sociologists are catching up with the Scripture.
So here is the bottom line. What is our goal as a parent? To make a child in my image? No. My job is to point them to God. And lead them to Christ. And get them safely to heaven.
After our son Christopher went to be with the Lord, we had a conference planned at our church called Preach the Word. And my son actually did the poster design. He was a very talented graphic artist as I have told you before.
And so I had in our own church here some of the finest preachers in America. John MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll, Jack Graham, James Merritt, James McDonald, Bob Coy. The list goes on. All these great men of God.
And so this was really in almost the immediate aftermath of our son dying. And I was hurting. And I needed help. I needed counsel. I needed prayer.
And so here were these great men of God. So I took each one into my office separately. And just effectively said, You know, what would you say to me? And each one ministered with great compassion. And offered very helpful things that I carried in my heart. And helped me through this difficulty.
And many of those things I have shared with others. Because I didn't want to keep it to myself. But John MacArthur actually gave me the most cut and dried response of all. And in many ways it maybe was the best.
He said, Greg, your job as a parent is to bring your child to Christ and get them safely to heaven. You have done your job. And I thought, well, okay. And then I thought, yeah, okay. I mean not that I am happy about what happened. I obviously wanted to spend many more years with him. But just knowing that, yeah, he is safely in heaven.
So that is all of our job. Because we are passing a legacy on. James Merritt in his book, What God Wants Every Dad To Know wrote, quote, Fatherhood is more than conceiving, feeding, clothing, educating, and sending children out on their own. Dads have the responsibility of preparing their children for the eternal destiny of meeting God. End quote.
I agree with that. That is our job. We are passing on a legacy.
When David was on his deathbed, he called his son Solomon in. Solomon was going to carry on his reign as king. Here is what David said in 1 Chronicles 28:9. As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with a loyal heart and a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you. But if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
Bottom line, son, daughter, know God. That is the legacy I am passing on to you.
Having lived sixty years on this earth, I have seen many generations. My grandparents generation. My parents generation. My j-j-j-generation. That is a quote of a Who song, remember? Talking about my j-j-generation. Okay. My children. Most of you missed it. Hans got it. Oh Hans just woke up. It was the Who. Anyway.
My children's generation. Hans is Who? And then my grand... I just blew everything I am saying because I am messing around. Okay.
So I have seen all these generations. My grandparents. My parents. Mine. My children. And my grandchildren. And here is what I have seen. It is things we do today impact us later in life. And they impact our children and our grandchildren and our great grandchildren.
Listen to this. The choices of time are binding in eternity. Not just during life here on earth. But in eternity. You are leaving a legacy. The question is, is it a godly or an ungodly legacy?
I want to close with the stories of two men briefly. Max Jukes and Jonathan Edwards. How many of you have heard of Max Jukes? Raise your hand. Max Jukes. You really? Okay. How many of you have heard of Jonathan Edwards? Raise your hand. Okay. Quite a few of you.
Max Jukes lived in New York. He did not believe in Jesus Christ. He did not raise his children in the way of the Lord. He refused to take his kids to church even when they asked to go.
Well there are 1,026 known descendants of Max Jukes the nonbeliever. 300 were sent to prison for an average term of 13 years. 190 were prostitutes. 680 were alcoholics. His family has cost well over a half a million dollars from society. And he made no contribution whatsoever.
Contrast the life of Max Jukes to Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards lived in the same state and the same time as Jukes did. Jonathan Edwards, of course, was a pastor and an educator. He was known to study 13 hours a day.
Despite his busy schedule of study, writing, teaching, and pastoring, he made it a habit to come home and spend an hour each day with his children. He also made sure his kids were in church every Sunday.
He has 929 known descendants. Among those descendants, 430 became ministers. 86 became university professors. 13 became university presidents. 75 authored good books. Seven were elected to the United States Congress. And one was the Vice President of the United States.
And Edwards' family never cost the state one cent. Yeah. Family matters. It matters. And we are leaving a legacy for your wife, or your life rather, and for those that follow you by your actions and by your words. That will affect generations to come.
She, Spurgeon, said, A good character is the best tombstone. Those that loved you and were helped by you will remember you. So carve your name on hearts and not on marble.
We need to think about our legacy. You know when someone dies, an obituary is placed in the newspaper. And it usually goes along the lines of the name of the person, the date of their birth, perhaps where they were born, and the date of their death.
Usually there is not a lot of information about how they died. And then it will say they are survived by, right? And then we will list the members of their family.
I have never read an obituary that said, They made this much money in life. Or they were so attractive. It doesn't talk about things like that. Those things that we have spent so much of our time focused on.
It talks about their life. Maybe some good thing that they did. How they were remembered. And then their descendants or those that were connected to them are mentioned.
We are leaving a legacy. Socrates the philosopher once said, Could I climb to the highest place in Athens, I would lift my voice and proclaim, Fellow citizens, why do you turn and scrape every stone to gather wealth and take so little care of your children, to whom one day you must relinquish it all? End quote.
Wow. That is pretty insightful. Socrates had it right. We need to think about the legacy we are leaving.
Communion – Remembering Christ's Sacrifice for the Family of God
So let's shift gears now. Because now we are going to receive the elements of communion. Let's talk about a different family. The family of God.
Communion is a fulfillment of what the Passover pointed to. The Passover was instituted by God for the Jewish people to commemorate their deliverance when God's judgment came upon the land of Egypt on all the firstborn because of the Pharaoh's disobedience.
The Jews were to take a lamb, slay it, apply the blood over their doorposts, over the doorway of their house on the top and on the left and the right. And hence the term Passover because God's judgment passed over them.
Passover was a family event and is a family event for Jews today. And Jesus celebrated the Passover. And He had one last Passover celebration with His disciples. We call it the Last Supper. It was a new family. The family of God. His boys. That had dedicated their life to following Him and others. Who were present.
And He said with great desire I wanted to have this Passover with you. Passover with you. And then He took bread and He broke it. And He said take this bread and eat it. For this is my body which is broken for you.
Then He took that goblet and He said drink this cup in remembrance of me. That was a symbol of His shed blood. This was a family celebration. Reminding us that communion is for family only.
You say what do you mean family? I mean the family of God. And how does one become a member of the family of God? By believing in Jesus Christ. The Bible says for as many as received Him He gave them the power to become sons of God.
So if you want to be a son of God. A daughter of God. You receive Christ into your life. And so if you have done that you are welcome to join us in this communion celebration.
But listen. If you have not done that you do not want to receive the elements of communion. Why? Because they represent the broken body and the shed blood of our Lord. And to receive these elements without believing in the one that they represent is, according to Scripture, eating and drinking judgment to yourself.
So you do not want to do that. There might be some that have joined us here that have been prodigal sons or daughters. You have been with the family for a while. Well this would be a great time to rededicate your life to Christ.
Because the Bible also says when we receive the elements of communion that we are to examine ourselves. To ask ourselves the question, am I right with God? Am I where I need to be spiritually?
So if you are a prodigal and you need to come back. Or if you are someone who has never believed in Jesus. I am going to give you an opportunity to do that right now as we receive communion.
So let us bow our heads. Father thank You for Your Word to us. And thank You for the death of Jesus on the cross. And His resurrection from the dead. And the promise that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
And I pray for any here who may not yet know You Lord. Help them to see their need for Jesus Christ. And help them to come to You now we pray.
Now while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we are praying. How many of you would say today, Greg, I am not sure if I am a Christian. I don't know that Christ is living in me. But I want Him to. I want to believe in Jesus right now. I am ready to say yes to Him. I want to invite Him into my life and be forgiven of all of my sins.
If that is your desire. If you want Jesus Christ to come into your life right now. Would you just stand to your feet. And I am going to lead you in a prayer right here. Just stand to your feet if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life. Just stand up. Wherever you hear me or see me. Stand up.
Here at Harvest in the main sanctuary. Anyone watching the video screen. Stand to your feet right now. And I am going to lead you in a prayer of asking Christ to come into your life.
Just stand up. God bless you that are standing. Just stand up. And I will lead you in this simple prayer before we receive communion together. You don't have that hope of heaven. You don't have that assurance that you are right with God. But you want to be. You want your guilt taken away. You stand up.
I am going to lead you in a prayer. Anybody else? Stand now. God bless you that are standing. God bless you. Anybody else? Stand up now. God bless you. And you. God bless you.
There might be a few more of you that need to stand. They are at Harvest Orange County. Stand up. Out in the amphitheater. Here at Harvest Riverside. In the court building. Stand to your feet.
I am going to lead you in a prayer. Maybe there are some prodigal sons or daughters. You know you have been living in a way that is not right before God. You know you have been doing things that are displeasing to God. And the fact of the matter is, is the Lord has disciplined you because He loves you.
Maybe even here today you have been reminded that you are a child of God and you need to get back home again. If you need to rededicate your life to Jesus I want you to stand to your feet right now. You prodigal sons and daughters. Stand up wherever you are.
And I am going to lead you in this prayer with these other folks. Anybody else? Stand now. God bless you that are standing. You need to return home to the Lord. Stand up. God bless you. Anybody else? Stand now. One final moment and then we are going to pray. Just stand now. God bless you.
Don't be ashamed. You are among family and friends today. Anybody else? In this final moment stand now. God bless you.
Alright. Now all of you that are standing I am going to lead you in a prayer. And I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me. Again as I pray you pray this out loud after me. Pray this after me now if you would.
Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner. But you died on the cross for my sin. And paid the price for every wrong I have done. I turn from that sin. I repent of it now. I commit my life to Jesus Christ. I choose to follow you Lord from this moment forward. Thank you for calling me. And accepting me. And forgiving me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.