In this sermon, the pastor discusses the importance of love and compatibility in a marriage. He emphasizes the need for both partners to be born again and to deeply love each other. The pastor also highlights the significance of being interested in the same things, particularly the things of the Spirit of God. He references the story of Balaam and how God used his wickedness to serve His purposes. The pastor concludes by marveling at God's ability to use even the wickedness of man to bring about redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Amen, choir, praise the Lord. This morning I would like to speak to you, if I could, a little further. I was going to, you know, we're discussing three men from the book of Jude, which we've been speaking in reference to the second coming of Christ, prophetic things, as I spoke about Balaam last week. We saw how God took a wicked prophet and put the words in his mouth so that he spoke even of the prophecy of Jesus' coming. Amazing, amazing how God can do these things. It says, He taketh the wickedness of man and makes it serve him. Magic, magic. In Acts it says, Ye by wicked hands have slain the Prince of Peace, whom, notice, God hath raised up and made him Saviour. You see? Great, you see? Isn't it amazing how God works? Takes the wickedness act of mankind, in slaying his precious Son, and from the counsels of eternity past, looking down at all mankind, seeing that death upon the cross, it's the means of man's redemption. The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. Gracious grace of God, man so small and so finite with our little minds, living 60, 70 years in eternity, and trying to tell everybody about eternity. How foolish man is, and how wondrous God is. He maketh the wickedness of man to serve him. In other words, God is sovereign, and no matter what you do, you cannot change the inviolable will of God. Impossible, impossible. What he hath said, it says he hath said, and his yea is yea, and his nay is nay. In the portion we read last week about Balaam, Balaam said, he hath said, Bless, how can I curse? He was going to curse the children of Israel. Here he was with the Israelites, he was going to curse them. And it says, God hath said, and God is not a man that he can lie. Not a man that he can lie. There is no variableness with God, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes. Now, I thought that I would go on to Korah, but I'm not going to go on to Korah, who's the third man in the group. There was Cain, he was the first one. In Jude, it says, they have gone the way of Cain, or they have gone the way of Balaam, talking about these different people, and then that to them has been reserved darkness forever and ever. And these were those who walked with the church, remember. As I said, remember, Cain believed in God. You know, I read many books, and I hardly ever see anyone ever say, Cain believed in God. They try to make Cain wicked. Cain believed in God. Cain brought an offering to the same God as Abel. Not one bit of difference, except God says, I have no regard for the offering of Abel, though it is the fruits of the ground, because his offering shows that he knows nothing about sin. And all I have asked is that the firstlings of the flock be brought to me, brought to me. Cain, Abel has done this. Cain has failed to do it. Cain has brought of the fruit of his hands and the produce of his hands, as though this is a beautiful thing to me. But Abel has said by his offering that he knew for sin someone should die. And his father Adam and his mother Eve spoke to him, and he knew the way, and he came the way. And then he looks at Cain, and he says in Genesis, Cain, if you do as Abel do, I'll forgive you too. Gave him a second chance. And what does Cain do? Turns around, kills his brother. He objected to the way. He came. But God determines. In Balaam's case, I spoke about that last week. I wanted just, if I might wrap it up together in some thoughts on Balaam, and especially, you remember last week as we concluded, I said something about you might find it in Numbers 34 or Deuteronomy 34. Well, I was off a few chapters, forgive me. It happened to be Numbers 31. And I don't know where I got the 34, you know, but in the fervor of the message, I thought it was 34, although I had it in the margin of my Bible in Numbers 31. But I want to speak first from 25, because here's a very important thing. Balaam worked so hard to curse Israel. And God had brought blessing, so that finally, Balak, the king of Moab, says, listen, don't bless, don't curse, don't do anything, I'm better off. Forget the whole thing. So that Balaam still wants the rewards of evil. Balak's promised him high position. Balak's promised him money. And Balaam still is covetous. You know, that dollar sign is such a big thing, isn't it? I wonder sometimes if Christians were, you know, offered a million dollars if they give up their faith. You know, it's 6 percent, maybe 7 percent now, I don't know. I sometimes wonder how many who really, you know, claim faith in Christ would say, you keep your million and all the gold and all the earth. I love Christ. And if you want to slay me, I'll still love him. I cannot do anything against him. But Balaam, he loved the rewards, it says, of unrighteousness. He wanted the money. He wanted the position. He wanted the fame. He wanted the prestige. And I have to say, men, it's a tragedy, but I see businessmen, you know, who've gained great prestige, as I said when I went to that telephone retirement dinner there just two weeks ago or so. And I dread saying it, but the man who said to me, when I pinpointed him, the executive, a vice president, and when I told him I was pastor of a Baptist church, and he came back to me, and he said, I'm a Baptist. And I looked at him, I said, what church did you go to? He said, Pastor Drew's Church in New Jersey. I said, you're a saved man if you listen to that man's message. He said, yes, I'm saved. But I found out after he's never said a word to a soul, because when he was going up the line, oh, when he was younger, he was a fervent witness for the Lord Jesus. But as he went up the line of organization, his position became more important to him than his relationship to God, which was eternal. And oh, this happens so often. That's why I so, when I read the words of the scripture, you know, where it says, riches are a snare, and those that have attained them have pierced themselves through with so many sorrows. And the average, and I'm not saying all, because I have to look at Nelson Blount, who's with the Lord now. I have to look at men like Letourneau and say, there are the exceptions, you see. But I have to say that by and large, in the great majority of cases, you show me the Christian who has attained to riches, and I will show you a Christian who is not what he was at one time. There are many reasons for this. The reason ordinarily is a very plain one. Riches demand attention. That's why they're such a snare. I can tell you that the man who has a million dollars in investments has a full-time job. I know a man who has it, and I want to tell you, he spends night and day over the stock markets and the bonds, so much so that his bedroom is lined with the reports. And when he comes home at night, he goes to the bedroom and looks over all the reports and spends his late hours figuring what he's going to do with his money. How is he going to keep it? What should he do now? How shall I move? Is there going to be a recession? And he frankly told me that he can't sleep good, because all night long figures are going through his head. It must be terrible. I'm not afflicted so. God delivered me from such afflictions to have figures in my head all night long. I can't imagine anything more terrible than to have just figures dancing in your head, you know, and dollar signs, you know, all over the place. It must be, you know, it's so precious, isn't it, to lay your head on your pillar and to love the Lord, isn't it? I think it's so wonderful when you can just put your head on your pillar and love the Lord. Well, Balaam, he loved the fruits of unrighteousness. That's what he said. He wanted the reward, and even God, when he spoke to Balaam, you know, when the Lord spoke to Balaam and Balak spoke to Balaam, Balak said, I want to tell you something, your God has kept you from a high position. Imagine, your God's kept you from a high position, and he's kept you from the reward. I want you to see, just for a few minutes before we go to the Lord's table, in the 25th chapter of Numbers, if you turn to that 25, this is after he's tried to curse them, after he's tried to do everything, he still is not satisfied. He's got to do something. If only he could get this reward. Now, what could he do? He can't curse them. He says, when I would curse, God bless us, what am I going to do? He says, if you gave me all the gold there is in the world, I can't do anything about it. Of course, he says, all God says to me is, I regard not sin in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel, because they belong to me. You can't do anything. They're my people. So, he has to think, now, what could I do? What would be the best thing? Well, I'll tell you what he does. Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. Balak's king of Moab. Now, just before we finish reading that, would you turn over to 31 with me for just a minute, so you understand who caused this. I want you to understand perfectly what happened. I want you to read with me the 7th. I'll read it to you, to the 9th verses, and then I'm going down further. They warred. Now, this is the Israelites. They warred against the Midianites as the Lord commanded Moses, and they slew all the males. And they slew the kings of Midian, besides the rest of them that were slain, namely, Evi, Rechem, Zur, and Ur, and Reba, five kings of Midian, Balaam. Notice that. Also, the son of Beor, they slew with a sword. And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captive, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all the cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. Now, the 14th verse. Moses was upset with them because they did this. Notice what he says. Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, and with the captains over the thousands, and the captains over the hundreds which came from the battle. And Moses said to them, Have you saved the women alive again? Behold, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Beor. And there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Ah, he couldn't do it the one way, so he picks the easiest way to get at men, get them attracted by the women. So, what does Balaam do? Notice what it says. And the people began to commit boredom with the people. This is 25th chapter now. I'm sorry, I didn't say I was going back. Called the people under the sacrifices of their gods. Notice, these women did. You know, let me stop there a second. I have to say this. Women, you have a tremendous control over men. Fellas, be careful who you marry. I'm saying to both, don't marry a non-Christian, but I'm saying to fellas, be careful. If you marry a non-Christian, notice what happened here. The women that they committed boredom with, that's what God calls it. They joined with them and they had children. God calls it boredom. They called it marriage. They had children, women and children. God says when you join yourself to an unbeliever, it's spiritual adultery also. Be careful, fellas, who you join yourself to, because in this day we're living in especially, there was a day sometimes where men were the heads, spiritually the houses. But I have to say that the woman so often today has control over where the children shall worship and go to the Lord. Girls, I say the same for you. Be careful who you marry. Be careful that you marry a Christian. Born again. Our problem today is that there's a thinking of marriage as an end in itself. For the satisfactions of physical, biological urges, you'd think marriage was only meant for one thing. If you read all the books in the stands and all the books in the bookstores and everything else, you think marriage is sex and nothing else. I want to assure you, if you get married for that reason, you're going to be the saddest individual in all the world. Marriage was meant for one purpose only, and that was exactly as God determined it would. And in Ephesians 5, he makes it very clear when he says, I speak of Christ and his church when I speak of marriage, because the joining together of a man and woman is a spiritual thing. They'll be one flesh, but unless they're one spirit in Christ, the union can never be that beautiful thing God intended it to be. It will be flesh, and God says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. Impossible. And so there cannot be a joining together of the believer and the unbeliever. What fellowship has light with darkness? Now, some of you may say, but past again, I did this. I've done it. Well, let me say this. Peter then makes it clear to you that if you've done it, he says, shall you leave an unbelieving wife or an unbelieving husband because they do not believe? No, of course not. He says, live the kind of a life that's radiant before God. Live it in purity and love and tenderness. Don't be laying down the law and say, mate, don't do this, don't do this, don't do this. But let them. So you can express the love of Jesus with all your heart. Sometimes the saved mate begins to set down the legal thing. Don't do this. Don't do that. You shouldn't do this. You shouldn't do that. You'll get cancer if you do this, and you'll get cancer if you do that. Setting down the laws and the rules to the unsaved mate. Let me tell you, God never said that. God says in Peter that you're to love your unsaved mate. He says, for how can you know whether he or she will be saved or not? You do not know. So therefore, he says, live a radiant life of God before them. Here they are, a separated nation. What does Balaam have to say in part of his prophecies? He said, God hath said to me that Israel shall not be judged amongst the nations, for they are to be separate among all the nations of the earth, and separate from the Gentiles. He said, they'll not be judged with the nations. They'll not intermingle with the Gentiles. They'll not marry the Gentiles. And let me say this, the Jewish people today, if they're Orthodox, they draw the marriage of their sons or daughters to a Gentile. The Orthodox Jew still has a funeral service in his house when his daughter or son marries a Gentile. They're dead. They have a funeral service in the home. Don't ever speak to us again. You're dead. Because we're a nation of God, chosen, earthly people. We're separated from the Gentiles. We can't join ourselves to them. And what does Peter say in his great epistle about the Christians? He says, you are a chosen generation. Notice this, a holy nation. God, you mean Israel was an earthly people, and you told them not to marry outside the covenant of Israel, didn't you? Yes, I did. And you said they would never be amongst the nations of the earth. They'd be individual and alone. Yes, I did. And now you say to us as a church, you're a royal priesthood, you're a chosen generation, you're a holy nation born of the Spirit of God? Yes. Then how could I ever marry outside this glorious nation and people and priesthood of God? Do you know I who am indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God, my body the temple of the Holy Ghost, join myself to that which is pure flesh, destined for the grave and death? Shall we join together? What fellowship, Corinthians says, has light with darkness? Be not joined together, he says, unequally with unbelievers. You cannot. He says, Israel was my earthly nation. I wouldn't allow them to marry Gentiles. Now tell me something, he says, do you have so little spiritual understanding? I've given you the Holy Spirit. I never gave it to Israel. I gave you myself. And now you're going to say to me, Israel could not join themselves to Gentiles, but we can. They're an earthly holy nation. You are my heavenly holy nation. I've seated you together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Marriage becomes a matter of getting married for marriage is sick only. I'd rather die lonely and single than married and miserable. Marriage is no end in itself. Marriage is a tragedy without Jesus, for it does not give you the spiritual union you have no picture of the church. He says, marriage pictures Christ in his relationship to his church. Oh to God that my young people will see this. God never changes. Let me read 1 Peter 2, 9 to 11 to you so you see it. Notice what Balaam did. He got them to marry into an unsaved nation. He died for it by the sword. And then when they went to war with the Midianites, they went and they brought all the women back. And Moses said, you're going to do the same thing again? Haven't you seen the judgment of God? 24,000 men died because God wouldn't allow it the first time. That's what happened in the 25th chapter numbers. 24,000 men died because they went in with Midianite women. 2 Peter or 1 Peter 2. Notice what God says about us now. He are a chosen generation. You know, this really, to talk about marriage without looking at this scripture wouldn't mean anything. You have to understand yourself. Are you born again? That's all I have to ask a person. If you're born again, you understand what I'm talking about. If you're not born again, you're lost and it doesn't make a bit of difference to marry anybody in the world. Can I say that? It breaks my heart, but I have to say it. It doesn't make a bit of a difference in the world. But if you're saved, rather die lonely with Christ than married to the world and miserable. You're a holy generation. You're a royal priesthood. Imagine a royal priesthood. You're a holy nation. It says of Israel, they're my nation, but they're earthly. I wouldn't allow them to marry the Gentiles. I judge them because they did. 24,000 men died. Now you're a holy nation. You're a heavenly people. Do you think I have less for you? I have a higher calling for you. Don't marry anybody who's not born again unless the Holy Spirit dwells in your breast and their breast. You'll not be joyous, or you may be a little bit happy. Your husband may attain to great world fame and have money, and you'll have everything you need. But I want to tell you, God is saying, on your bed at night, when you get there, and when you're alone, and when your husband sees you not, and then he's in the bed beside you, the thoughts will come in your heart, I have disobeyed the Savior who redeemed my soul. No, it is a holy nation of peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of Him who's called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, but now we're the people of God which had not obtained mercy. Now we've obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims in this world, abstain from all fleshly lusts which would war against your soul and destroy you. Oh, beloved, be careful that marriage isn't born of sex, please. You know, when people come to my study, I'm a little rough sometimes, maybe, with those getting married. I say, number one, are you born again? Well, if one is not born again, that's it. Oh, I'll deal with that soul on the new birth, you see. But I'll not merge together darkness and light. Impossible. Number two, if you're born again, you might think I'd stop there. Great, I'll marry you. No, I don't. Number two, how much in love are you? Well, how much? Are you really in love with each other? You've been born again? Do you really love each other deeply? Well, you could tell right away. I love him so much. Yes, I love her with all my heart, pastor. I have that in my study. It's blessed. Number three, tell me, do you like each other? Well, don't they take in love? No. You can love a person and not like them too much. And number four, are you really compatible? Are you interested in the same things? Are you? Are they the things of the Spirit of God? Do you have an interest? You see, all these things are so blessed. You know, I can't answer. I have to stop. But it's so tremendous. So tremendous. Balaam, all he had to do was to get the Israelite, these religious people, God's people. He has to, he can't curse them. He can't do anything. So what does he do? He works on the morals. Oh boy, get a hold of the men. Look at those women. You see? And that was it. Boom. Oh, beloved, listen to me. I hope your mothers and fathers are very clear on marriage. Young folks, I hope so. Don't ever come to me with an unsaved person to get married. I had a mother come to me, oh, many years ago and say to me, pastor, the Holy Spirit has spoken to me and told me that my daughter should marry an unbeliever. I said, I want to say this most clearly. Neither the Holy Spirit nor the word of God can deny themselves. And they never spoke to you. If the Holy Spirit spoke to you, he would say, what fellowship has light with darkness? Let us pray. Now, Father, bless this word to our hearts. As we come to thy table, Lord, bless us. May we learn lessons, practical lessons from thy word. And oh, Father, just touch my young people. Lord, if there's anything I want to do, it's to have the joy of marrying them. But oh, how I pray for their marriages, that they will be in the Holy Spirit of God. With all of those qualities of which I spoke, Christians, number one, deeply in love, number two. Number three, liking that person with all their hearts and then perfect compatibility. God give it to our young people, especially in these last days. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen. All right, let us join in singing together hymn number 99, Break Thou the Bread of Life, as we come to the Lord's table at this time. 99. Let us rise as we sing. I do not welcome you to the table on the basis of being a Baptist. May I make that clear? I welcome you to the table on the basis of your personal faith in Christ as your Savior. Come and partake with us. Let us rise as we sing. Now, just before I read the scriptures this morning, it's a real joy to present these Bibles and welcome into the fellowship these who are coming this morning. If those will rise who are coming into fellowship, all those who are coming into fellowship. And first, I'll just call out the names, Vicki, Lee, Noel, and Mother Janet is coming into fellowship with us this morning. We praise the Lord for that. And Nanette Goddard, Nan, Chris Goddard, and David Knudson. Where's David? David. And Janice Carlson. Janice. Lord bless you. And Ruthlyn Jan. There's your mother's Bible there. I know she couldn't be with you this morning. Roy Cavano. Roy. Lord bless you. These follow the Lord in baptism, with the exception of Mrs. Noel, Janet. And Dennis Jensen. And also, Barbara Barnett and Douglas Wacconi. Doug, here he is. We welcome you all to the fellowship of Franklin Abner Baptist and are thrilled that you are joining with us as we worship our wonderful Savior. We pray God will use you in every way with all the gifts he's given you. No matter if they're small, large, use them for him. God doesn't ask your gifts to be large. He merely asks that you take the gifts you have and use them for him. Let us pray. Father, we thank thee for this privilege of welcoming these into the fellowship of this church, which thou hast blessed so much. We pray that their lives will really shine for Jesus Christ, that as thou didst call Israel out to be a separated people, a nation that would not be judged amongst the Gentiles, thou hast called us out. Thou hast told us even in thy word that we shall not be judged with the world. So, Father, we pray that they'll live separated lives unto Christ. Lord, may they use their gifts for Jesus. We pray in his blessed name. Amen. Now I'll read to you the portion on the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, beginning at the 23rd verse. This is the portion to do with the observance of the Lord's Supper. For I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he break it and said, Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. And after the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show or remember the Lord's death till he comes. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, self-examination, notice that, and drink of that cup. It doesn't have to do with the sectarian name. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment, the word is in the Greek, to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause, many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. Now notice, when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wonderful portion of God's word. I'm going to call on our brother Harry Karl and ask him to thank the Lord for the bread at this time. For as often as you do eat this bread, ye do remember the Lord's death until he comes again. Beloved, remember the words of our Savior. I came into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through me might be saved. In the words of Peter, he bare our sins in his own body on the tree. Eat ye all of it and be ye thankful. Likewise, after supper he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, This is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of your sins. Do this as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me. I'm going to call on our brother Steve Rowland and ask him to thank the Lord for the cup at this time. Thanking you for your dear son. As you do drink this cup, ye do remember the Lord's death until he comes. Beloved, remember the words of John, The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses us from all sin. And the words of Peter, Ye were not redeemed by corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot and without blemish. Drink ye all of it and be ye thankful. Father, for we can call thee Father. We would not be here at this table unless we could call thee Father. For thou hast said to as many as received him, Thou didst give power to be the sons of God. Paul tells us we now call him Abba, Father, by the Holy Spirit. And so we come to thee simply as children, to our Heavenly Father, and we thank thee for this blessed and wonderful fellowship we have around this table of love and remembrance left to us. We thank thee for our Savior, for his death on the cross, for the resurrection that put the seal upon his death, and for his coming again. Father, we would remember that when you called us to be separate, a holy nation, a chosen generation, a peculiar people, it wasn't that we were any better than anybody else. No, God deliver us from flaunting self-righteousness, but it was because you called us into the adoption of sons, and we now have a Father to honor and to love, who has separated us to himself. God, help us to honor thy family. Thy family name, help us to bring honor to it. And as we leave this place today, we pray that we will walk as that people whom thou hast said, I have separated thee unto myself, for you are not your own. You have been bought with a price, with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Now, as we wait for Jesus, keep us faithful to thee in Christ's name. Amen. It says, after they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Let us sing one verse of hymn number 62. Remember tonight's service at 7 p.m. 62. Let us rise as we sing one verse together. As we leave this holy place, this sanctuary, which is the center of thy presence as we speak together and as the Holy Spirit enters this place through thy people, we pray that the blessings of Christ might be the portion of each one. Lord, let no one leave here without Christ in their heart as their Savior. We pray that as we wait for Jesus, day by day, we will be seeking to serve him in every way. May the mercy, the grace, and the peace of God be upon every heart and soul until Christ comes in Jesus' name. Amen.