Transcript

Better · Enjoying the Journey

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In our busy world, family time is frequently
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neglected. It is vital that we give attention to our families
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while we can, and it is especially important to
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give attention to what God says in his word about our homes.
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For the next few moments, let's join Scott Pauley as we open the
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scriptures and and find God's message for your family.
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Would you like a better family, a better marriage, a better
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home life? The book of Hebrews is the book
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of better things. I wish you'd take the time to study it. It is so
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rich. Jesus Christ, of course, is the one who's
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better. Better than what? Yes, all the above. Better than everything,
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better than anyone. And Hebrews moves
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from this deep doctrinal truth about who Christ
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is to the most practical areas of life and the
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way that impacts us. He is a better priest.
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We have a better country, a better hope, better promises, a better resurrection,
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better sacrifices, better substance, better testament, better things.
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And yes, a better marriage, a better home.
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You see, Jesus Christ makes everything better. And before
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we read our text today, may I just say, a better home is not getting
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a better spouse. It's not getting better children.
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It's not getting a better house or a better job. No,
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no, it is discovering what you have in Jesus Christ.
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Remember I said it moves from the doctrinal to the practical? Well, I bring you
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to the last chapter of the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 13 begins
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this way: Let brotherly love continue.
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Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some
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have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that
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are in bonds as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves
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also in the body. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed
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undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
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Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with
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such things as you have, For he has said, I will never leave thee
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nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, The Lord
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is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
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Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word
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of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation,
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Jesus Christ, the same yesterday
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and today and forever.
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What a passage! It's all about Jesus, and yet it connects
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to all of our life. How do you have a better home? Well, number one,
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learn to love first and most at home.
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Verse number one begins this way: let brotherly love continue.
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Now we know the brotherly love, of course, connects to the family of God and
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loving one another, but where do you think that's supposed to start? At home.
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It's sad, isn't it, that so many people show more love and kindness
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to outsiders than those they're closest to? Friend,
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if you only love at church but you don't love at home, then you know
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nothing about the love of God, because God's love first and foremost
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is always family love. So begin by learning
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to love. And then in verse 2 and 3, make your marriage
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and your home life a ministry. It says, remember those in bonds as
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bound with them. Remember those that suffer adversity as being yourself
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also in the body. It's powerful, isn't it?
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In other words, take, take the opportunity to help
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the hurting. In verse 2, don't forget to entertain strangers.
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Thereby some have entertained angels unaware. Show hospitality.
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View your home and your family as a means by
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which you can minister to other people. That keeps you from getting in
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a rut. That keeps life an adventure. It keeps your eyes off yourself and
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on those around you. You want a better home? Make your home
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life a ministry. And then in verse 4, marriage is honorable
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in all, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
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I would say this, view your home as holy ground.
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He's specifically referring here to the marital intimacy that
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God gives. It's God's gift. It's one of God's wedding gifts,
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if I might say it that way. View it that way, as God's gift to
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you, not to be misused or abused.
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Not to be soiled with your own lust, not to
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be brought down to some base way of thinking.
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No, keep it as holy ground. Guard your heart,
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guard your eyes, your mind, your home, your relationship.
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You want a better home? View it as holy ground.
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And then in verse 5 and 6, overcome covetousness with
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contentment. In fact, you might want to mark in your Bible the
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word covetousness. He says, let your conversation or your way of life be without covetousness
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And then circle this word, content. Everybody's going to live one of two
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ways. You're either going to be covetous or you're going to be content.
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The only cure for covetousness is contentment. Do you
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know what covetousness is? Somebody said yes, it's, it's wanting something
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somebody else has. Let me give you a different definition. Covetousness is anytime
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I want something that God doesn't want for me. It's wanting
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something more than God's will. So at its heart,
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it's discontentment. It is Adam and Eve saying that everything God
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had given them in the garden was not enough. They needed one more piece of
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fruit. May I ask you today, is Jesus enough?
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Is the Lord enough for you? Have you learned the beautiful joy of
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contentment? Paul wrote a great deal about contentment in his letters.
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I hope you'll read them because contentment is one of the great secrets
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to a joy-filled life and to a joyful home.
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You want a better home? Well, love at home. Make your marriage a
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ministry. View your family and home life as holy ground. Overcome covetousness
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with contentment. And then one more, learn from
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those who have found the better way. He says
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in verse 7, remember those that have the rule over you. Follow their faith.
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In other words, listen to the words and watch the example of people who
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have discovered this life of contentment and joy and
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blessing in Christ Jesus. For years I missed this. I, I disconnected
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verse 7 from verse 8. Verse 7 says we're
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to follow their faith considering the end of their conversation. I thought that meant their
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end like the way they died. That's not what it means. Look at the next
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verse. Here's the end of their conversation: Jesus Christ,
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the same yesterday, today, and forever.
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In other words, when you follow someone and their life leads
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you to Christ, when their life points you to know Jesus better, to experience more
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of what Christ has for you, oh, then that someone you
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should follow very carefully and very closely. Could I challenge
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every young married couple? Find an older man and woman who have
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the kind of marriage and love that you admire and want to emulate,
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and say to them, I want to learn something from you.
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Watch their example. Learn from— there's no perfect marriage. Every marriage
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has its struggle. Find parents who've raised their children,
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who've done a great job raising their kids
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and say to them, teach me some things so I can apply that
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in my own context. You see, I believe God gives us other
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people in the family of God to help us in our family, and I believe
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the Lord has made a way so every one of us can draw nearer to
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Jesus Christ and guide and guard our homes in
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a better way. You know, we're living in a world
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that constantly offers the bigger and better, bigger and better. Trying to outdo
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themselves. Friend, there's only one better one, and there's only one better
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way, and that is Jesus Christ, who is— listen to verse 8 again— the
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same yesterday and today and
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forever. The hymn writer said, all may change, but Jesus never.
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Glory to his name. So I know what generation we're living in. I know
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what the world's like right now, but I want you to know what your marriage
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needs, what your children and grandchildren need, is Jesus. They need God's
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way, which is always the best way. They need the Bible pattern. And I'm
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convinced and convicted that if we will simply take God's admonitions and follow
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and obey what he says, that it will bring all of us to
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a better home life, to a better marriage, to raising
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better children. And I don't know about you— I'm testifying, not teaching now— that's
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what I want. I want to be a better husband. I want to be a
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better father. I really do. Would you pray for me? And I'm praying for each
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of you. I'm praying that God, by his Holy Spirit, will use the word to
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help every one of us become everything he saved us to
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be and leave that for the generation to
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follow. I like the way Hebrews 13 ends: Grace be with you all.
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Amen. Isn't that what we need today? I'm praying that for you, dear listener.
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May the grace of God be yours today. May the Lord help you to live
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his better way. For more resources
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for your marriage and family, visit us at etj.bible
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and click on the Take the Next Step link,
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where you'll find many Bible resources that will strengthen
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your marriage and equip you to raise your children in
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the ways of the Lord. We highly recommend Scott's book,
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New Testament Marriage. In it, you'll discover timeless biblical
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principles from the husband and wife team Aquila and Priscilla, and these
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principles are very applicable to your marriage today.
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From all of us at Enjoying the Journey, thanks for listening today,
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and until next time, we pray that you will enjoy the journey.