In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the importance of building an unshakable home based on the teachings of Jesus. He refers to the parable of the two builders in Matthew 7:24-27 to illustrate the difference between those who hear and do the words of Jesus and those who only hear but do not act on them. The speaker emphasizes the need to reject the passing pleasures of sin and the pursuit of worldly wealth in order to build a godly home. He also highlights the role of mothers in shaping the values and choices of their children, using examples like Timothy's mother and Adam's wife. The ultimate purpose of marriage, according to the speaker, is to have fellowship and companionship, as well as to pass on the message of the gospel to the next generation.

Two weeks ago, I began a series entitled Things That Are Unshakable. We considered an unshakable life. Today, I want to speak on an unshakable home. Let's turn to Matthew chapter 7 and verse 24. In Matthew 7, verse 24, we read of a very well-known parable when Jesus spoke about the two builders. And I want you to notice very clearly, if you haven't noticed it before, the difference between these two builders. Both of them were regular church members, going to church regularly, reading the Bible regularly, listening to God's Word. That was not their problem. The difference was Matthew 7, 24, the one who hears my words and does them, acts on it, is like the man who built his house on a rock. And verse 26, the foolish man also heard the words of Jesus. He was a Christian who respected the Bible, who went to church. He heard the words of Jesus, but he did not do them. So, all of us are listening to the words of the Lord. And we can say this congregation is going to be divided into two. Those who hear and do, who will be unshakable. And those who hear and don't bother about it, or are temporarily moved during the church service, they'll be shaky. And that's the thing the devil wants to do with people. He doesn't bother about how much you get excited in the church service, or how much you understand. So long as you don't practice it in your daily life, he doesn't care how much you increase in knowledge. Please remember this. This is what it means to be built on the rock. Many times we think, well I put my feet on Jesus Christ, I'm on the rock. The rock is very clearly those who hear my word and obey it. So keep that in mind. God's given us this book to teach us how to build an unshakable home. And I want to begin by first speaking to those who are not yet married. Because if you start now, you can prepare for laying that foundation later on when you do get married. And one of the best ways, if you're in your teens, in your early 20s, and there's still a while for you to get married, is for you to spend your spare time studying God's word. Take much time with God's word. Yes, be involved in all the other activities, but don't neglect the word of God. That's got to come as a discipline. Because if you do that, let me give you a promise in 1 John chapter 2 verse 14, written especially for young people. He wants, God wants young people to overcome Satan when they are young. That's one of the reasons he gives you those sexual desires, even when you're 12-13 years old, and he knows you're not going to get married for the next 12-15 years. Why does he do that? And why didn't God give you those desires when you're 25, so that you behave like innocent children till that age? It's because he wants you to be an overcomer before you get married. 1 John 2 verse 14, in the middle it says, I've written unto you young people, because you are strong, because the word of God abides. Now the word abide means dwells permanently. The word of God doesn't just come through your mind and go off, it dwells there. Many people, it doesn't dwell there, it just comes and goes off, abides in you, and the result is you overcome Satan. So that's the thing you need to do when you're young. It'll require choosing your priorities, it may require cutting out certain other things, but it'll be worth it one day when you get married. Once you get married and you have children, you will not have time to read God's word, and this book, you won't have time to study God's word. Once you get married and have children, I'll tell you that, I've seen that from my own life. If you don't study it before you get married and have children, you're not going to be able to get into God's word, and you won't be strong to overcome Satan at that time. And this is the time when you're young, this book contains the manufacturer's instructions for this gadget called marriage. It's a very expensive gadget, more expensive than anything you ever bought in your house. And every expensive gadget you ever bought comes with a little booklet called manufacturer's instructions. And I don't think there's anybody here who's so crazy as to think that you know better than the manufacturer. And it says that don't plug in gadget till you read the book. I'd say the same about your marriage. Don't plug in till you read the book. I was challenged recently reading a letter written by a communist more than 40, 50 years ago, an American communist young man. Billy Graham read this letter out, it's still available on the InterVarsity website. In 1957, in those days communism was rampant, there were young people taken up with this fascinating new philosophy. Today, of course, people have become disillusioned with it, but in those days they were taken up with it. And here was this young man who had been converted, I think, when he went to Mexico or something. And he's writing this letter to his girlfriend, his fiancée, breaking off his engagement and telling her the reason why I have to break off this engagement, because he's become a communist now. And he says, we communists live in virtual poverty. We turn back to the communist party every penny we make above what is absolutely necessary. The reason I'm reading this and why Billy Graham read it 50 years ago was to challenge Christians, say, is your devotion to Christ as strong as this? Do you believe that Christianity is greater than communism, that Christianity is an answer for the world that communism doesn't have? And here's a person misled by a false philosophy, but look at his commitment. And we communists don't have the time or money for many movies or concerts or T-bone steaks or decent homes and new cars. We've been described as fanatics. We are fanatics. Our lives are dominated by one great overshadowing factor, the struggle for world communism. We communists have a philosophy of life which no amount of money can buy. We have a cause to fight for, a definite purpose in life, and we subordinate all our petty personal selves into this great movement of humanity. And if there's one thing which I'm dead in earnest about, and that's the communist cause, because this, in some small way, I can contribute to something that's new and better for mankind. And so the communist cause is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife, my mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it at the daytime and I dream of it at night. Its hold on me grows, and so I cannot carry on a friendship or a love affair or even a conversation without relating it to this force that drives and guides my life. Look at that. Does the devil have more dedicated servants on earth than Jesus Christ? That's why his cause prospers so much. Most Christians are playing with religion. Where are the young people who will say, Lord, I'm going to be different. I'm going to be committed to you. I'm going to put that young communist man to shame by my dedication to you. I believe God's looking for such people like that. I remember the years when I was baptized when I was 21, and I spent the next six years studying God's word and devoting myself to the study of God's word. I'm so thankful for that because it gave me a foundation for all of my life, for my married life and for my ministry. I never knew I'd have a ministry. I was working in the Navy. I never thought God would call me out, but he did. And I would not be here today if I had not spent those early years studying God's word. It's possible, dear young man, woman, that God may have a ministry for you in the future, a fantastic ministry that will have fruit for all eternity, a home that will be a challenge and a blessing to many. But it depends on your preparing for that right now and committing yourself. And I want to say a word also to when you choose a partner. There's a word of God which says in 2 Corinthians 6, 14, if you want to have a rock solid marriage, it says in 2 Corinthians 6, 14, don't be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Don't be bound together with unbelievers. You cannot have a partnership with an unbeliever in marriage and expect to build a godly home. Your home will shake from day one. What does it mean to be a believer? We were all born as children of Adam. We can think of it as a tree. And there was a day in our life when you chose to confess your sin, to turn from it, and to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. It's not because you were better than all the other people in that tree. It's not because we were better. Maybe we were worse sinners, but we made a choice the others didn't make. We trusted that Christ died for us. The thief on the cross was not better than other people in Israel, but he trusted Christ. And that day when we trusted Christ, the Holy Spirit put us into another tree called Jesus Christ. And now when we get married, we got to find someone in this family. That's what the Lord is saying. Don't go by the philosophy of the world which just looks at a pretty face and says, yeah, that's the one I want. Well, the Bible warns us against that in Proverbs chapter 11. Proverbs chapter 11, verse 22, it tells us the danger of going for a pretty face. I don't know whether you've seen this verse. It's the verse I warn all young men about in India. Proverbs 11, 22, as a ring of gold in a pig's nose, that's what beauty is in a woman who doesn't have wisdom. What is beauty? The golden ring. What's that type of woman? Well, you read it there. That's the Holy Spirit saying that. Don't fall in so much in love with the golden ring that you marry the pig. That's what he's saying. He also says in Proverbs 31 and verse 30, beauty is empty. It's a vessel that looks nice. Charm is deceitful and beauty is empty. Proverbs 31, verse 30. That means you look inside. There's nothing there. So don't go for that. Look for that inner beauty, which the Bible says is eternal. I also want to give a word of warning to young ladies, young sisters who are born again. We need to get the values of God's word. These are the manufacturer's instructions for young men, for young women. If you want to build a home, which is unshakable, here's something you got to be careful of when you're single. Song of Solomon chapter 8 and verse 9. The Song of Solomon is a book of a song between a bride and a bridegroom. But this bride has got a younger sister and she's talking about her younger sister here in verse 9 and says here that she could be a wall or a door. Now you know the difference between a wall and a door. You can't go through a wall. You can go right through a door. And this bride is saying this younger sister of mine could be a wall that when boys come up to her, they meet a wall. They can't get through easily because they have that natural reserve that God has given all girls, which the devil in the world tried to break down. And alternately, if she's allowed the devil and the world to break it down, then she becomes like a door, wide open for anybody to walk right in. And then you're in danger. So I tell young girls remember that the young man's foot is always on the accelerator and then you got to put your foot on the brakes. Don't expect him to do that. Otherwise you'll have a collision. And it can be serious. Then I want to say a word before I move on to the actual building of the home. A word to single mothers and older sisters who've not been married, older ladies. God may not have called you, allowed you to be married due to circumstances. Maybe that's his will. Some of the greatest missionaries in the world were single women who gave up marriage to serve the Lord. And so they have great value in God's eyes. Because when God made man, it says in Genesis chapter 1 in verse 27, that God made, created man in his own image, in the image of God. Twice it's mentioned. In the image of God he created him. Genesis 127. And then it says male and female. So the image of God is male and female. There's something in the female, there's something in a woman, in a girl, in a woman of God which a man can never manifest. God, that's why God made them man and woman. There's something of the tenderness and the gentleness and the beauty that there is in God which man just cannot reproduce. And so you must remember as a woman, as a sister, that there's something that God, something of God that you can manifest that no man can ever do. Especially as a mother. And you don't have to be married and produce physical children. There are many single women who've been spiritual mothers to many, many children. I think of someone like Mother Teresa. And many missionaries in India have done a great work and exalted the name of Christ. Marriage was not in God's will for them. In Isaiah 49, when God wants to describe his love for the human race and for Israel, what example on earth do you think he chooses? Isaiah 49 verse 15. Not the love of a father or the love of a husband or the love of a wife. It's the love of a mother. There's no love that he can compare his own love with more than the love of a mother. Isaiah 49 verse 15. He says, can a woman, a mother, forget her nursing child? Yea, they may forget. That's the greatest human love. My love is greater than that. So God is a mother. And though we call him father, there's something in him which is a mother. That's why he made female also in his image. Isaiah 66 verse 13. God says, as one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you. Jesus said, as a hen would gather his little chicks under his wings, so would I like to gather you. There's something of a mother in God which a man can never manifest. And it's very important that women recognize that. There's something in you that God wants to manifest through you. And now to come to the home itself. We need to understand the purpose with which God established the home. Remember, marriage and the home was God's idea. And when he created the earth, when he made the earth in those six days after it had been corrupted, he said, every day he looked at what he had made and he said, it's good. It's good. It's good. It's good six times. It comes in Genesis chapter 1. And then all of a sudden, he says something else. He says, it's not good. It's good. It's good. It's good. It's good. It's not good. And that's when he saw Adam all by himself. He said, it's not good for man to be alone. And then he made a woman for her, for him. And then he said, it's very good. See, that's, that's what happens when there's a really happy marriage ordained by God. From not good, it becomes very good. But Eve knew very well what she was created for. God had told Adam, I want to make a helper for you. See, God could have made Adam and Eve together at the same time, made two lumps of clay and breathed on them and said, okay, you're Adam and Eve, but he didn't do that. And he has a purpose in everything, the way he does things. He made a man alone first, so that when he breathed into him and he opened his eyes, he didn't see Eve. He saw God, teaching him all your life, Adam, you must see me first before you see your wife. See, that's the secret of a happy marriage, where Christ is more important to you than your wife, where he's first in your life, where he's the one you see when you open your eyes. And then he puts him to sleep, takes out a rib from him and goes to another part of the garden and makes a woman. And when she opens her eyes, she doesn't see Adam. She sees God, teaching her, you must see me first in your life before you see your husband. It's only after that, that he introduces her to Adam. That's why he made them separately. And there lies the fundamental principle of married life, that Christ must be between us if we want to be happy. If we really want to have the type of fellowship and companionship and oneness that the Bible wants a husband and wife to have, which is a foundation for a home, there's only one way. Christ must be in the center. We have an industrial glue in India called fevicol, which the carpenters use to put wood together. And I saw an advertisement for that once, where there were these two pieces of wood stuck together with this industrial glue and two elephants trying to pull it apart and they couldn't do it. And I thought what a beautiful picture of marriage that is. That is the type of marriage with demons pulling you aside on either side and Christ is in the middle and it is impossible to separate them. Why do we see so many divorces today? There is only one reason. Christ is not in the middle. People don't see Christ first. Something else is first. Either their wife or their job, usually their own interests, their passions, etc. And then of course it's going to end in divorce. And even if it doesn't end in divorce, it's going to end in homes where husband and wife are just fighting and quarreling and separated from each other. And when husbands and wives are separated from each other, the door is open for the devil to walk right in. And you may be able to, strong enough, you may be strong enough to resist the devil, but he attacks your children and those are the ones he is gunning for. And he gets through because the husband and wife separate, even though they live in the same house. Many homes, the husband and wife are two lonely individuals living in the same roof, glorying in the fact that we haven't divorced. That is not God's will. That's not an unshakable home. It's a home where husband and wife are together and it's very easy to be together. I'll tell you the secret. As soon as you have made a mistake, acknowledge it. Say those words that are some of the most difficult words to come out of our mouth. I am sorry. That was my mistake. How can I set it right? Say those words. Force yourself to say it. Don't be like Adam, who when God asked him, did you eat that tree? He said, the problem is with my wife. And God, don't forget, you gave her to me. So, that's what he said. And point number three, in small letters, I ate it. That was the problem with Adam. As soon as his fellowship with God was broken, his fellowship with his wife was broken too. It's always fellowship between partners breaks when our fellowship with God breaks. When our fellowship with God is right, we will always be quick to acknowledge our fault and take the blame. See, that's the difference between Adam and Christ. I told you about these two trees. When you're in Adam, you're like Adam. You're always looking around for whom to blame, either your wife, or your husband, or your children, or neighbor, or the boss, or the government, or something. But not me. Anybody but me. That's Adam. But then you look at Jesus. Look at him hanging on the cross. No finger pointing to blame anybody. Taking the blame for sins he never committed. Are you in Adam? Or are you in Christ? You know. In the moment when you recognize a problem has arisen, even if you have only five percent of the blame, acknowledge that five percent. There's only one person in the universe who's got zero percent blame, who's not to blame for anything. That's God. And whenever we do not acknowledge error, when we are unwilling to acknowledge error, we are acting like God. That's the problem with many. If we humble ourselves, I'm trying to tell you how we can be together. As soon as you're aware, acknowledge and say, I'm sorry. Restore that fellowship. Be quick to ask forgiveness and be quick to forgive. And when the other partner asks forgiveness, humble yourself. It requires humility to forgive as well. It requires humility to ask forgiveness. It requires humility to forgive. It's the answer to a happy married life. Just humble yourself and stick together. And immediately the gap is closed. The devil will not get an advantage. He'll not be able to come through and attack your children. That's why I said it's very easy. Ask the Lord to cleanse you and ask forgiveness from one another. So now the question comes, if there has been a tension between a husband and wife, the big question, who should ask forgiveness first? Who should take the first step to restore that relationship? The answer is very simple. Whoever is more spiritual. Why do I say that? Because when God and I had a problem, you know who took the first step to restore that? The one who was more spiritual. When God and man had a problem, it was God who took the first step. All the way down, what a price he paid because he wanted. He would never done anything wrong. Wanted desperately to have fellowship with a human race that had only done wrong. Are you following this Jesus or another Jesus? If you're following this Jesus, you'll take the first step. And so when a husband and wife who are both claimed to be born again, have a problem, who should take the first step? The one who's more spiritual. And since you think you're more spiritual, you should be just running into each other's arms. What's the problem? It's the one who's not spiritual who stands stiff. Please remember that in future. That's the way to keep that unity. And look at one of the wonderful blessings of this unity in Matthew chapter 19, 18, sorry. Matthew 18 and verse 19, we read like this. It's one of the most fantastic promises on prayer found in the entire New Testament. Heaven and earth will pass away, but this word will not pass away. Many times Jesus spoke about the possibility of answers to prayer when we pray in Jesus name. But here is a unique promise. It's found only once. Matthew 18, verse 19. If two of you, it's got to have two. For this promise to be fulfilled, you can't do it alone. There are many promises in the Bible you can claim alone, but this one you need two. You've got to either find another fellow believer, or best of all, find your marriage partner, if he's a believer or she's a believer. If two of you agree on earth concerning anything, anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by my Father in heaven. It's a fantastic promise. This is the way to keep the devil out of our homes. This is the way to save our children. And this is the way to bring back your children who have gone astray from the Lord. This is the way to bring them back. Husband and wife united, making sure there's no gap between them, having confessed and settled matters. That's the meaning of agreed. Agreed is a Greek word called symphony, from which we get the English word symphony. It means not just that we agree on this particular request. It's very easy to agree on a particular request. The agreement here spoken of is one where there's no gap. And then we pray together. And I tell you there are very, very few husbands and wives who are in this condition. And only one reason, because of pride. They're separated. But if you determine that you're going to go the way of the cross, you're going to keep Christ in the center, and you're united like this, there's tremendous power when you come together in prayer. Because the next verse says, there Jesus says, I am in the midst. Now Matthew 18, 20, where two or three are gathered together in my name is one of the most misquoted verses in Christendom. Christ is not in the midst. Two people who disagree with each other, Christ is not in the midst, even if they call themselves believers. It's when they are united like this, when everything is settled between them, Christ is in the midst, and they have tremendous authority over Satan. It says in verse 18, what you bind on earth will be bound in the heavenlies, where the demons are. All that confusion that the devil brings into your home and among your children can be bound, can be sorted out, if you and your wife will kneel down before God, keep yourself united, and pray. Now I'm saying that, my wife and I have been married 42 years, and we have done that numerous times. We've been targets of Satan's attack, because I serve the Lord, I and my family, numerous times. The only way we've overcome is by kneeling down and claiming this promise, and say, Lord, fulfill it, and it's always worked. And it'll work in your case, try it out. That's why this unity is so important, and that's why the devil tries his best to break up that unity. As I said, not just in divorce, but in husband and wife that don't live in peace with each other at home. Do you know that Jesus said in Luke chapter 10, when he sent his disciples out, he sent them to different places, and he said, when you go to a home, Luke chapter 10 verse 7, verse 5 to 7, Luke chapter 10 verse 5, whenever you enter a house, first say peace to this house. Luke 10 verse 6, and if a man of peace is there, your peace will rest in that house, rest upon him, but if not, it'll return to you, and stay in that house. Jesus said, when you go to a place preaching, look for a house where there is peace, and you won't find many houses like that. Maybe you'll find one if you're lucky, and if you find one like that, stay there, because that's where God is. So God wants our homes to be homes of peace. It may not be homes of prosperity, that doesn't matter, but homes of peace. It could be a little hut, but if Jesus is there, it's a palace. It's a place of peace. That is how our homes must stand out from all the homes around us. The world is full of darkness, but in the midst of this darkness, God wants these little islands of peace. There are very few on the earth. We've got to add to that number by building homes like that ourselves. Let me turn now to Ephesians chapter 5, more about the manufacturer's instructions on marriage. Now for many people, the manufacturer's instructions reads like this, wives be subject to your own husbands, for the husband is the head of the wife, and every husband likes to read that, but that starts in verse 22, but I want to start one verse earlier, which is where it really begins. Ephesians 5 21. Ephesians 5 21 says, be subject to one another in the reverence of Christ. It's both ways. There is a boundary that God has drawn for a wife, and a husband must not tread into that. There's a boundary God's drawn for the husband. A wife must not tread into that. There's a boundary God's drawn for our children, and as parents, we must not tread into that. You know, even a child has got a dignity because it's a human being. It's made in the image of God. I cannot humiliate a child before others. That's not the way to punish him. That's not God's way. Take him aside and give him a spanking, but don't humiliate him in public. I remember when visitors used to come to my home, and if my children misbehaved, if I punished them right there, it would be a double punishment. Humiliation. So I always say, okay, we'll settle these accounts later, but right now we'll set it aside. There's a boundary that children have. There's a boundary that a wife has. Be subject to one another in reverence for Christ. We're not to be dictators, thinking that everybody in my home is within my boundary. We've got to give space to one another. That's what it's saying here, and recognize that no one is called to be a dictator in the home, neither the husband nor the wife. Functions are different. The husband is called to be the leader, and the wife is called to be the one who produces the babies, which aren't both important. You can't have a home without both fulfilling their function together, and that doesn't apply only to having babies and children, even to taking decisions. How shall a husband and wife arrive at a decision? Exactly like they produce a baby. The husband contributes his part, the wife contributes her part, comes together, and you come to a decision, and that should be as exciting as having a baby. I mean, there's a little pain, but there's pain in giving birth to babies too, but we get over that, and we get excited that there's a baby born. That's the thing, and it should be like that. So you cannot have a baby all by yourself, and it's wrong to try and take a decision all by yourself. Think if when the devil tempted Eve and saying, why don't you eat of that tree? If she had only said, well, I've got a partner, let me just consult him. I'll get back to you, Satan, a little later. What a different story it would have been, but she felt, I don't need to consult anybody. I can take a decision all by myself, and all the confusion in the world started with that. God had put them together, and they were too proud. She was too proud to consult her husband. That's riddled stories written right at the beginning. God has called us, his husband and wife, to do things together, to pray together, to plan things together in things that relate to the home. You don't know how to discuss with your wife things that relate to your office or the church, but things that relate to your home. She's a fellow elder with you in your home. You must remember that, and the ultimate goal is, like it says in Ephesians 5 31, the two shall become one. That's the ultimate goal, that as we progress in marriage, we become more and more united like Christ. I want to say one more thing. You know, when a God calls a woman a helper, he's giving her the same title that he gave to the Holy Spirit, and that should increase the church. In chapter 14, Jesus said, verse 16, I will ask the Father, and he'll give you another helper. It's exactly the same word that Jesus spoke to the disciples, and he spoke to Adam. Way back in the beginning, God said to Adam, I'm going to make him a helper. So, this is the function. It's a tremendous ministry. Think of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Invisible, encouraging from behind, supporting, so that this man can go out and do God's work. That's the calling of a true woman of God. Now, I want to go to the second part of the second purpose of marriage. The first is fellowship, companionship, being together. The second is to build a godly home. That's why God gives us children. God gives us children so that the message of the gospel, this is the primary purpose, whether you believe it or not, so that the message of the gospel can go on to another generation. How is it that the message of the gospel has come down through so many centuries? Because in every generation, God's had witnesses who've carried forward the pure gospel, and we must have a burden that if God's given us the pure gospel, I must ensure that I do my part to make sure another generation grows up that has understood these truths, and that carries on that message to that generation. That is why God gives you children, and that's why it's important that you instruct your children. Teach them to honor you. Teach them to obey you when they are at home. That's the most important thing. Do you want it to go well with your children? The Bible says, teach them to honor father and mother, so that it can go well with them. Never take it lightly when your children disrespect you. It's very serious. It will not go well with them. If you're interested in going well with them, teach them to honor their father and mother, and to obey their parents. Let me show you an example from Genesis 18 verse 19. Genesis 18 and verse 19, we read about why God chose Abraham. Do you know why God chose Abraham? Let me show you in God's own words, so that we don't have to give our own ideas. Genesis 18 19, God says, I have chosen Abraham for this purpose. Now read carefully. It's completely different from what you think. I've chosen him so that he can command his children, to teach them to keep the way of the Lord. That's why he chose him. Why did he choose you as a father? For the same purpose, so that you command your children to keep the way of the Lord, by doing righteousness, so that if you do that, God can fulfill all his purposes for Abraham. Otherwise it won't be fulfilled. And Abraham did it. And the proof of it was one day when God told him, I want you to take your son, take him up to that mountain and kill him. Genesis 22. Abraham said, sure, Lord, I'll show you that I love you more than I love my son. But he didn't tell his son that. And he walks up that hill, 125 year old man stooped down with his strapping muscular 25 year old son, Isaac. And Isaac doesn't have a clue why they're going up to the top of the hill. And they go up to the top and Isaac has taken the wood and says, Dad, where's the lamb? He says, put the wood there. And Abraham says, you're the lamb. I'm going to sacrifice you to God. Lie down there so that I can kill you. And he lies down. Would your 25 year old do that if you told him to do it? He had such a respect for his father. Now I'm not talking about any father. If your son, if you, you've got to earn that respect. You can't just say, I'm your dad. You've got to listen to me. Abraham earned that respect by his godliness. And that's why Isaac respected him. He said, I can't understand what that's saying, but I know he's a man of God. He must be right. And he lay there. And as Abraham takes that knife, Isaac doesn't flinch. He had commanded his children to honor their parents. He was a man of God. And if you're fortunate enough to have a man of God as your father, boy, you're lucky. There are not many men around like that. But because Abraham did it, God said, there's no limit, Abraham, to how much I'm going to bless you now. And that's what happened. I want to give you the example of a mother now. That was a good father. Here's a good mother. In Hebrews chapter 11, we read of the mother of Moses, who acted in faith. And you know the story how when Pharaoh's daughter picked up the little baby Moses from the basket in the river Nile and gave the baby to, not knowing it was Moses' mother, to this woman to take care of him. So when he grows up, bring him to the palace. Moses' mother took a little baby home and realized, I probably got him only for seven years at home. Then I've got to send him to the palace. I better do everything I can in these next seven years. I don't know how long you're going to have your son or daughter at home, maybe 18 years now. But that's a very short time, I'll tell you that. And if you don't do all you can to bring up your child in the ways of the Lord, that boy or girl will go astray. She knew I have him for a very limited time. He's not going to learn anything when he goes out into the world. Well, children go out to school when they're seven years old, they learn all types of things. You got to have instructed certain things, put certain things into their mind before they get there. And that's what Moses' mother did. His father was a slave like all the other Israelites, working from early morning, six in the morning, late at night. He hardly ever saw his son. It was the mother who did the job, drilling into that little boy's head. You are not an Egyptian. You're part of this despised slave race, Israel. You're an Israelite, don't ever forget it. We are the followers of the true God, Jehovah. We have to follow Him. And don't live for this world. Be careful of the pleasures of sin in this world and riches of this world. They're all passing. Live for God. 30 years later, after spending 30 years in the most wicked palace on earth, with plenty of opportunity to sin and enjoy the pleasures of sin and money, look at the decisions he makes. Hebrews 11, verse 24 to 26. I want you to see three decisions he took. And remember, all those three decisions were the result of his mother's faithful instruction during those first seven years. Verse 24, Hebrews 11, 24. First of all, when he was grown up, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. You know, that was the greatest honor you could have on earth at that time. There was only one superpower in the world and Pharaoh was the king of that. And he refused it. He said, I don't want the honor of this world. I belong to God's people, to the despised people called Israelites. What a choice. He rejected the honor of the world and he chose to endure ill treatment, verse 25, with the people of God. And he goes on. The second thing he rejected, verse 25, the last part, was the passing pleasures of sin. His mother had taught him that, son, there's pleasure in sin, but remember it's passing. It's only temporary and afterwards it'll bring you tremendous pain and sorrow. So he rejected it. In a palace that was full of sin, he rejected it. And number three, verse 26, he felt the greatest riches was a reproach of the Messiah who was going to come and he rejected the treasures of Egypt. These are the three choices our young people are going to face in the world. The world's honor, popularity with one's peers and friends, the temptation of the very many pleasures of sin, sex, drugs, rock music, all types of things. And then the wealth of this world to pursue after money, to reject these things. It depends on how the mother brought up that child at home, particularly in the early years. That's a fantastic example. Timothy's mother is another example like that, who brought up her son in such a way that by the time he was 19 years old, Paul said, I want to be him to be on my team. I tell you, if the Apostle Paul selected your 19 year old to be on his team, you did a first class job as the parent of that child. These are examples in scripture given us for our instruction. The third purpose of marriage, the first is companionship and fellowship. The second is to build a home with godly children. And the third is sexual fulfillment. That's not number one, but it is number three. God has created sex. It was not the devil's idea. It was God who made Adam and Eve with a sexual desire, with a desire for each other, and who created those bodily functions and looked at it and said in Genesis 131, it is very good. That's written in scripture. He told them be fruitful. This is before sin came into the world. They were supposed to have the sexual relationship with each other and thus produce children. That was the only way to have children even before sin came into the world. And that was God ordained. And he said it was very good. So we know that sex in marriage is not only just tolerable, but very good. That's God's own word. Outside of marriage, it's evil, satanic, demonic, filthy. We need to see these contrasts. It's not just this is a little better than that. This is very good and that's very evil. Unless we get, understand the manufacturer's instructions about sex, we're going to get it wrong. It's very serious. In Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 4, it says, let marriage be held in honor among all. Hebrews 13, 4. And let the marriage bed be undefiled. The marriage bed is a sacred altar on which husband and wife must give themselves to God and to each other. Don't defile that altar with other women or men. It's a sacred altar for God. And if you defile it, fornicators, those who commit sex with, have sex with unmarried people and adulterers, those who have sex with married people, God will judge both of them. You know, we can hear so often that Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery. Yes, he did. But what did he tell her? Did he tell her, oh, that's okay. It's not serious. I'm here to forgive you. No, he said, I don't condemn you, but don't ever do it again. You know, he said that in John chapter 8, verse 11, that's the full gospel. Yes, you're forgiven, but don't do it again. There's a difference between a man who falls into adultery and an adulterer who does it again and again because he says, Jesus will forgive me. That's a deception. If you live according to the flesh, you will die. Here is speaking about adulterers, fornicators who take advantage of God's forgiveness. And you know the example of David in the Old Testament, how this great man of God, man after God's own heart fell. He didn't fall in the days when he was running away from King Saul. We don't usually face, we don't usually fall into temptation when we are under pressure and running for temptation from trial and testing in days of persecution. People didn't fall into adultery easily. Neither did David, but once he had become a king, he became a king at the age of 30. Now he was a king and he'd become so senior that he wouldn't go to battle along with all the others. Now we read in 2 Samuel chapter 11, when others went to battle, he stayed at home. If only he had gone to battle along with all the other brothers, he wouldn't have fallen. And then he gets up from bed lazily and falls into sin. He was 52 years old when he fell at a time when he was in full of honor, pleasure, a big man. That's the time when we are in danger, when God's blessed us and everything's going well and smoothly for us. That's the time you've got to be careful and your age doesn't matter. Mother Teresa once said, temptation is like fire. Even if you're a hundred years old, it can burn you. And let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Does God forgive us? He certainly does. But David is not our example. You know who's our example? Jesus Christ. I tell people, no Old Testament person must be your example. Don't go for comfort in your sin to the Old Testament. No, God has provided us a new covenant. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Moses is not the author and finisher of my faith. Neither is David. Neither is Elijah. None of them. It's Jesus. He's the one we got to look at. It's Paul who said, follow me as I follow Christ. We need to hear more of that. We need to hear more of the message of the new covenant that leads us to overcoming sin in our life, to victory over sin, so that we can build godly homes. Let me share this in closing, 1 Corinthians in chapter 7. In 1 Corinthians 7, it speaks about the relationship, the sexual relationship, a man and woman must have with each other. And it says here in verse 4, the wife does not have authority over our own body. I mean, all husbands recognize that, that once I get married, my wife's body is mine. But what they don't recognize is that their body is their wife's too. But they misunderstand it. What they say is, oh, I'm ready to give my body anytime. Just hang on. I'll tell you what it means. Do you know what it means when it says, 1 Corinthians 7, 4, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but his wife does? The latter part of that verse, it means that now your eyes belong to your wife. In plain simple terms, that's what it means. You can't look at something your wife does not want you to look at. Or someone, your hands belong to your wife. You're not supposed to touch other women with these hands, whom your wife would not want. Your tongue doesn't belong to you now. Your wife has authority over it. You can't yell and scream and shout at her and then say, give me your body. You want to have authority over your body and her body? No. Her body is yours. Her body is yours and your body is hers. This is the relationship. It's a partnership. So whenever you realize you need your wife's body, remember your body is hers too. Be faithful. I believe there's a great need in Christendom for a pure testimony in this area, because this is the area where the entire world around us today, like the days of Noah, are living in sin. May God help us to make the light shine. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, help us each one to live by the standards of the new covenant, to be overcomers, to proclaim to the world that Jesus can keep us from falling by our life and by our example. And bless every family here, Lord, that it'll be built unshakable on the rock. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you.