Love in the Making

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Walk by Faith Ministries

Plenary

Dwayne Lemon

The Foundational Principle

We thank you so much for the privilege to come together as brothers and sisters in Christ, that we may press together in such a mighty way, that your spirit will speak to our hearts and that you would open our eyes and help us behold wondrous things out of your word.

I know every single 1 of us have come here with deep heart needs, needs that only you can truly satisfy.

And so I am praying that you would perform a miracle tonight and that you would take the spiritually dead and put within us your wonderful words of everlasting life.

I pray that you will help us to see that there is hope and there is victory, even in Jesus Christ.

And Lord, may we leave here at the end of this message different and courage, strengthened, and more built up than when we came in.

For this truly is our prayer that we do humbly ask in Jesus' name.

You know, 1 of the things that I enjoy studying, and I enjoy studying many things, but 1 of the things that I really enjoy studying is the subject of family.

My 3 favorite subjects of Bible study is prophecy, health, and the family.

And I believe we can hit all of those this weekend, because believe it or not, it's all intertwined, 1 with the other, believe it or not.

And so it is that when we study the word of God, God wants us to understand a very important principle.

And I want us to turn our Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes.

I've often shared this verse when I would begin certain messages and to me this verse never gets tired because the more that I see What's happening even in the landscape of Bible prophecy?

I can see that this verse of Scripture never ever gets tired It's found in the book of Ecclesiastes We're going to Ecclesiastes.

We're going to consider chapter 1 and I want you to watch what the Bible says as we look at Ecclesiastes chapter 1 and When you get there, just let me know by saying amen And I want you to consider what it says in verse 9.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 1 and verse 9, and it says, the thing that hath been, it is that which shall be.

And that which is done, is that which shall be done.

There's no new thing under the Sun the Bible lets us know that history has a tendency to repeat itself.

When you study the Bible it is a tremendous amount of sacred history that God wants us to understand that the stories that we read about are things that are going to in another manner take place in our very time.

The Apostle Paul put it another way in 1st Corinthians chapter 10.

In 1st Corinthians, 1 from the old, 1 from the new.

The Apostle Paul also says something that we would do well to consider.

The Bible says in the book of 1st Corinthians, we're now looking at what chapter?

Very good, we're going to chapter 10 and I want you to see what the Bible says in 1st Corinthians chapter 10.

Now as we prepare to look at this, I just want to give you a quick backdrop of the story.

The Apostle Paul noticed that there were many, many challenges in the Church of Corinth.

Almost every debased sin that your mind can imagine was taking place amongst the people of God in the Church of Corinth.

There were individuals who were practicing vile practices, self-abuse, individuals who were even sleeping with their own parents, individuals who were Fighting and fussing and threatening to go to civil powers to settle their differences and forgetting the power of prayer.

And communing 1 with another and trying to settle themselves amongst the family.

Lots and lots of issues in the Church of Corinth.

The Apostle Paul gets to a point that in 1st Corinthians 10 he begins to remind them of their history, their heritage, and as he walks them through their history and their heritage he starts talking about those incredible days when God did incredible things like parting the Red Sea.

And from verses 1 to 4, Paul starts talking about how God parted the Red Sea, brought the children of Israel through with a mighty hand, started to take them on their journey to Canaan land and gave them their beautiful water that they would drink from that rock, and that rock was none other than a representation of our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ.

But in the midst of God providing so much unto his people, verses 6 through 10 shows how the people were responding.

They would complain and they would murmur and they would get caught up in fornication and various sins.

They were literally showing God how unthankful they were for his mighty deliverance.

And as they're walking through and Paul is just rehearsing history, he's walking them through history.

Paul gets to that wonderful verse in verse 11 and when right there in verse 11 that's the 1 I want you to read with me in verse 11 the Apostle Paul says now all these things as he gone through the history he says now all these things happen unto them for what?

The word and samples in the Greek means types.

And every time you have a type, you have to have an anti-type.

Whenever you think of type, think of shadow and symbol.

Whenever you think of anti-type, think reality.

He says all of these things happen unto them for shadows, for symbols.

He says all these things happen unto them for types, he says, but they are written for our admonition, and then he qualifies the hour.

It's not just merely believers, but he says, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world shall come.

That's dealing with the believers of the last days.

So again, Paul says, when you look at history, there is a repetition, types.

There are things that happened in the past that we're gonna see manifested in a 2018, 19 and onward version.

But they're all built off of the same principles.

And this is why whenever you study the Bible you must understand that even when you're reading the Old Testament, even when you're reading the past, you're actually studying present truth.

You're studying truths from the Word of God that apply to you and to me in these very last moments of Earth's history I don't know if we're really paying attention to the landscape of what's going on in our world right now.

1 thing that God is reminding me through the consistent scenes of events that are taking place is that this world has a guaranteed death sentence.

This world cannot continue in the way that it exists right now.

And what makes it even worse is that the Bible actually shows that the things that are happening in this world are not just merely happenstances but they are things that are going to get worse and worse.

The Bible spells it out very powerfully in the book of 2nd Timothy.

I want you to go to 2nd Timothy chapter 3.

In 2nd Timothy the third chapter, Paul begins to tell us about last day events.

That's how he starts the chapter off actually.

But I want you to see what Paul says in verse 13 of 2nd Timothy chapter 3, just so we can understand that in the last days Paul made it very clear how things were gonna get because sometimes we see things that are happening in our world and we wonder what's next what's gonna happen next is it gonna get better well the Bible already answered that question it's interesting in the book of 2nd Timothy chapter 3 right there in verse 13 notice what the Bible says it says but what kind of men it says but evil men and seducers shall wax how worse and worse deceiving and being deceived The Bible is very clear that things are gonna get worse, no matter how much people try to prophesy peace and safety.

We are told that this world has a guaranteed death sentence.

And I thank God for it, because every time I see the realities of what's happening in our world, I am learning that my affections for this world are truly being detached.

I don't know if you realize it, but some of us still have too much affections for this world.

There are still places and things and all sorts of stuff that we want to do and accomplish and we forget that God has a whole existence waiting for us that is so beautiful, so powerful, so holy, sanctified, and actually, watch this word, pleasing.

That God says no matter how good you can imagine it, it's better than that.

And if only our minds could be broken from the things of this world.

You see, God did it for me, I'm gonna be honest with you, God did it for me.

I Have lost my passion and my affections for the things of this world in a very marked manner But I'm gonna tell you you know what it took for me It took my chest being split open It took an open-heart surgery experience I Lied to you not it's like 1 of the best things, it's strange what I'm about to say, but the best thing that's ever happened to me in recent times was open heart surgery.

It's almost like I would want to recommend it to you.

But I know many of you would say, nah, I think I'll pass on that.

Now, God wants to do an open heart surgery.

You see, the word heart in the Bible means mind, and God wants to open your mind.

God wants you to, he wants to show you wondrous things out of his word.

He wants to ignite our minds with so much heavenly bliss that we no longer sing it, but we actually believe it, that the things of this world will go strangely dim, and we will literally begin to long for heaven.

How many of you right now sit down and talk about what you're gonna do when you get to heaven?

I want you to think about that, praise God.

I remember when my family and I, when we were living in Georgia and we had our little country property, and I remember we were there.

And we had a Sabbath day where we were together worshiping the Lord.

And then we came back home, and we just enjoyed some time on our land.

And when we were on our land, I remember I told my children, I said, OK, I said, let's go into the world of imagination.

What are you going to do in the new heaven and the new earth?

And I remember how 1 by 1, my children would start talking about, oh, daddy, I'm going to ride an elephant.

My son Jared, who was in love with all these animals, these beasts of the field, Jared was like, I'm gonna ride a lion.

And then others were saying about, I can't wait to fly to other galaxies.

We spent at least an hour and we were all just sitting down and talking about what we're gonna do when we get over on the other side.

The Apostle Paul says, set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth.

For you are supposed to be dead, and our lives are supposed to be hid in Christ, in God.

And the reality is, is that as much as God's counsel is so clear, many of us are still planning a lot of things.

Many of us wake up, go throughout our day, and all we do is we work and we imagine for the temporal while we forget the eternal.

The Practical Key to Victory Over Sin

We thank you so much for the wonderful gift of life.

We thank you so much for the privilege of prayer.

And we come to you at this time seeking your amazing grace for the various needs of our own personal lives, and we're asking you, Father, to do a miracle.

Help us to see the power of the everlasting gospel in a family.

We pray, dear God, that you will forgive us of our sins, and that you'll grant us your Holy Spirit, who is the only effectual teacher of truth.

And at the end of it, may we climb just a little higher upon Jacob's ladder.

It's our prayer that we ask in Jesus' name.

You know, 1 of the great things that I am very thankful for is the privilege of knowing the true and living God.

Jeremiah, the incredible prophet of God, said, listen, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom.

Let not the mighty man glory in his might.

But he says, but listen, if anybody is going to boast, he said, let him glory in this, that he understands and that he knows God himself.

It is a privilege when you can begin to understand the voice of your heavenly Father, when you can know God is speaking.

And He's not just speaking to a world, as Brother Carducci made it very clear in Sabbath school, he's speaking to you.

I have the attention of the master and the creator of the universe.

This is what Adam and Eve had at the very beginning of time.

In fact, the Bible shows us something so beautiful, and I want you to see it in Genesis, the third chapter.

I want you to see the high privilege that Adam and Eve had in knowing God, their creator, the master of the universe.

The Bible says in the book of Genesis, the third chapter, and when you get there, let me know by saying Amen.

There is a point in this verse, in fact, if you look back at Genesis 2, go, you know, just right there, I'm sure you're still there, but just consider Genesis 2, right?

God created man in his image and in his likeness.

And the Bible says something that's very strange.

It's actually only mentioned once, if I'm correct, in the entire Bible.

In Genesis chapter 2, what does it say in verse 25?

It says in Genesis 2, 25, it says, and they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.

Do you know that, I don't know of any other inference in the Bible where it says that.

That we can be before God naked but not ashamed.

When you study the Bible carefully, nakedness and shame actually go together.

Last night we talked about Laodicea in Revelation 3.

They think they're all right when they're all wrong.

And it says that 1 of the symptoms of that disease was nakedness.

Wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

Now, what did God counsel them in verse 18?

He said, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire.

And then he said, and also white raiment, that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.

Nakedness and shame go together in scripture.

It was Isaiah that he was recounting the Chaldean armies that was coming through to take the Israelites captive.

But in the promise of the word of God that eventually they'll be brought out of that bondage in a mighty hand, God began to say in Isaiah 47, verses 1 to 3, God began to talk about how, go through the waters, you daughters of the Chaldeans.

It says, uncover thy locks, if you're talking about the King James.

The word locks is better termed veil in the Hebrew.

Then it says, make bare your legs and uncover your thigh.

God was telling these daughters of the Chaldeans, go through these waters.

The veil was something that was worn on the head, and what it would do is it would go from the head over the woman's hair, and then it would go right over her chest area.

So when God would say, uncover the veil, it was removing that so the nakedness of their breast area would be seen.

Then he would say, make bare your leg, uncover your thigh, go through the waters, And he says, your nakedness shall go before you, yea, your shame shall be seen.

Nakedness and shame go together in the Bible.

But Adam and Eve, as a result of being covered with the glory of God, they were able to be naked and not ashamed.

You see, all of us in this room, we're naked right now.

But the reason we're not ashamed is because we got something covering our nakedness and it's called clothing.

Under these clothing, we're all naked, would you agree?

But you're not ashamed about that because you have a covering.

Adam and Eve were naked but not ashamed because they had a covering.

God was covering them with the beautiful light, the glory of his garments of righteousness.

But by the time you get to Genesis 3, What does it say happened in verse 7?

The Bible says in the book of Genesis chapter 3, right there in verse 7, it says, and the eyes of them both were open, and now they know that they're naked.

Once they chose to sin, once they chose to join sides with the rebel leader, They lost their covering.

And then instead of repenting, they tried to cover up their nakedness with their own works.

They said, let's go ahead and let's make our own coverings.

A lot of people today, what was that covering called in scripture?

It was called an apron, isn't that right?

You know, a lot of us today are wearing Adam's apron.

And you can know if you're wearing Adam's apron very easily.

Anytime you're convicted of something that you're doing wrong against the will of God, if you got a conviction even for a hot second, that, I assure you, was not the devil.

The devil has no interest in pricking your heart and my heart to say, you know that this is sinful, you know that this is wrong.

The Bible doesn't leave us aloof to then, if it's not Satan, then who is it?

Right there in John 16, The Bible tells us who it is.

The Bible says in John 16, go there, you can go ahead and move from Genesis 3.

Well, in fact, keep your finger on Genesis 3, we're gonna peek back there in a second.

But right there in John, the 16th chapter, you don't have to wonder who it is.

It's not Satan that is convicting us of our sins.

The Bible tells us who it is in John the 16th chapter.

If you're there, let me know by saying amen.

The Bible says in John the 16th chapter right there in verse 8, talking about the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, It says in verse 8, and when he is come, he will do what?

He will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.

My brothers and sisters, there's no way that we can see our sins except it be by the Spirit of God making it known to us.

There's no way that we can see Christ, our righteousness, except it be by the spirit of God making it known to us.

There's no way that we can see Christ our righteousness except it be by the spirit of God making it known to us.

Panel Q&A Discussion

What are the duties of the house band as a priest of the home and the wife as his helpmate?

I'll probably let the lemons shake the first crack at it.

So when you study the book Adventist home, and it talks about being the priest.

1 beautiful text of scripture you can consider is Hebrews 5.

And the Bible says in the book of Hebrews 5 something about the priest.

And this is a very easy thing for us to understand when we think about the house band being a priest in the household.

In Hebrews 5, verse 1, the Bible says, For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

1 of the functions of the priest is that he would offer gifts and sacrifices that would bring about atonement.

In like manner, the husband is to function as a priest in his household.

He is the 1 that is to present the gift of God, which is the grace that has been given to us through Jesus Christ on behalf of his family.

He is to live that example, to give of himself for the helping and admonition and strengthening of both his bride as well as his children.

The Bible shows us a beautiful example of this in Job chapter 1, where Job, even when his children were still sleeping, Job would get up and he would pray for his family members, and he would pray that just in case they might have fallen into sin, that God would be merciful and have grace upon them.

And so when we think about being a priest, we think about an intercessor, someone who is mediating on behalf of another.

And that is what the husband should be as a priest of his household, as 1 who mediates on behalf of his family, praying to God, asking for God's grace, seeking God's grace, and being an extension of God's grace towards his family members, guiding them in spiritual things, showing them that these are the standards of God and his law, and these things are to be lived out in our home.

And so the house band being the priest creates the spiritual atmosphere for his home, and he is to demonstrate that love and power of the gospel to his family.

Yes, in light of what my husband said, to follow through with the things that is established in the home.

It's very important with the husband and wife that there is a united front.

Sometimes in homes, there's differences and the children see this and it just sets such a bad example to the children.

So it's important that, you know, when husband and wife, when Duane and I, when we establish what we want to follow in the Word at home, that as he sets the law that I, you know, make sure it's followed through.

It's not a situation where he creates it.

I'm in complete agreement because we're both serving the Lord.

So we make sure if he's not there, then I'm following through.

Or just making sure that everything is followed through according, and we're both in agreement.

So the children don't see or think, okay, they don't see division, correct.

And sometimes the child will go to 1 parent and not go to the other.

I mean, it's just sets, it opens the door for so many things.

And just to make an announcement again, we do have papers, so if you're not able to text, please raise your hand, we'll get a paper to you, and then you can submit your question that way.

Second question, how would you relate to a divorce due to domestic violence?

Going through all the counseling and church protocol and yet not getting the godly results, some divorces are due to keep the saintly and spirituality God intended 1 to have.

It wasn't addressed to 1 particular person, so anyone can answer.

How would you relate to divorce due to domestic violence?

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