The Importance Of A Husband’s Love

Temple Baptist Church - 10-30-2013

Colossians 3:19

 

Introduction:

A. Most failures in marriage are “two way streets.” It is normally a combination of things that ultimately bring a marriage down and two of them are listed in this passage on the home.

1. It is difficult for a man to love an un-submissive woman. When she is not what God wants her to be, then she is not what a man needs! Ladies, learn to “feel your husband’s muscles” once in a while. Make him what he needs to be. You were made for him and to help him. Do not make your husband desire to sleep on the roof or in the wilderness!

2. It is difficult for a woman to submit to an unloving husband. If he is a dictator in the home, harsh or cruel to his wife, arrogant, and uncaring, he will be a failure as the head of the home. Jesus Christ loved the church and gave himself for it!

B. Ok, husbands, it is our turn now! The ladies had a rough week last Wednesday but they stood up honorably under the word of God.

C. When speaking to the wife, the bible speaks of submission to authority but when speaking to the husband, it says nothing about ruling over the wife. It speaks of loving her!!! To many, the “ruling” aspect of the marriage becomes the most important one. I am glad that our heavenly Father “rules” over us in love and expects us to do the same with our families.

D. The reason for this is that the wife’s submission is based in her love for the Lord and her husband while the ruling of the husband must be based the same way, in his love for his wife. If the husband loves right, he will rule right; if the husband rules in love, it becomes an easy matter for the wife to submit to his headship.

E. Without love, it easy to become bitter toward them. Without love, men become bitter about having to share their lives, time, money, etc. with their wives. We live in days of prenuptial contracts, separate bank accounts, and separate ways. Why? Selfishness! Love is giving, not taking.

F. Men, loving your wives is not about having to give up your dreams; it is about sharing those dreams with the woman that you love! Your wife is a “good thing,” not an anchor around your neck. Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

G. What is love? Love is so much more than just a feeling that one has for another. One of my favorite verses on biblical love is found in Genesis 24:67:

“And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.” (Isaac did not know what she looked like as she was veiled; he did not know anything about her personality, her likes or dislikes as they had not talked; he determined to just love her! Love is more than a feeling; love is giving and sharing!)

H. What kind of love does the wife need?

1. It is a Limitless Love - Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

2. It is a Personal love - Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

3. It is a Private Love – it is a love not shared with others. Ecclesiastes 3:5b A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

4. It is a Providing Love - 1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

5. It is a Sharing Love - 1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

6. It is a Sacrificial Love - Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

7. It is a Satisfying Love - Proverbs 5:18-19 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. (19) Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

8. It is an Appreciative Love - Proverbs 31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Biblical Preservation

Temple Baptist Church - 10-27-2013

1 Peter 1:18-25

 

Introduction:

A. Is what we just read not clear concerning the bible:

1. Inerrancy and infallibility – “not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible”

2. Perfectly preserved – “liveth and abideth forever … But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

3. If inerrant, infallible, and perfectly preserved, then the inspiration is intact through the preservation.

4. This is where I stand!

B. A couple of weeks ago, I preached on the subject of biblical inspiration: God breathing into the word of God through holy men of old.

1. Inspiration: to infuse. Therefore, if God “infused” His inspired word into manuscript form, when did it cease to be inspired? Were the first copies inerrant and infallible; if yes, then were second copies inerrant and infallible; if so, then were the third copies inerrant and infallible; and this list could go on.

2. We either have the word of God or we only have a manmade book that contains the word of God at best or just part of the word of God at worst. If we have the word of God in the English, then just believe it! Our bible says it is inspired: just leave it alone and preach it!

3. The bible never causes doubt! It instills within the reader extreme confidence. Its pages are full of clarity concerning its purity and preservation! Men do not become liberals or doubters by reading the word of God. They become such by reading after or sitting under men who cast doubt upon what we have in our hands today. WHEN DID MEN QUIT BELIEVING THE WORD OF GOD? I still believe it!

4. I copied a doctrinal statement sent to me not long ago and will read it to you to show you what I mean concerning the confusion of our day concerning the scripture.

“We believe in the inerrant, infallible word of God but let me be transparent with you, I personally do not believe that a translation of the Bible is inspired and therefore it is (not the) inerrant, infallible and preserved Word of God. I believe God's word in its original language is inerrant and infallible, however not the translation itself. I am sorry I do not see (a) translation of the Bible as inspired from the scriptures.

Having said the above, I believe the KJV is the best English Translation and the most accurate … This is my honest and transparent answer. We are not liberal concerning the Bible - we stand firm on the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible, but I am not educated enough to make a claim that a translation of the Bible is inspired by God.”

a) Here is what he just said: that only the originals are inspired, inerrant, and infallible. No translation is inerrant, infallible, or inspired. The King James is simply the best translation from the best text.

b) Then he said that he is not liberal and stands “FIRM ON THE INERRANCY AND INFALLIBILITY OF THE BIBLE AS INSPIRED FROM THE SCRIPTURES!” BIBLE defined - the sacred scriptures of Christians comprising the Old Testament and the New Testament. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) He is about as confused as a termite in a Yo-Yo and did not get that way from reading the bible!

c) The originals were manuscripts and not in book form. What I am holding up to you this morning is a BIBLE. Do you see the utter confusion that scholasticism has caused.

d) Then he blames his confusion on a lack of education but I believe his problem is HIS EDUCATION. He has been taught by “educated” men not to believe the perfectly clear verses that we just read in 1 Peter this morning.

e) We often correctly say, “God says what He means and means what He says!”

C. We have an inspired bible! 2 Timothy 3:16 says so. One Greek scholar told me that the word “scripture” in this verse referred only to the originals. The word “scripture” is only used once in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the word “scripture” is used 31x and “scriptures” used 21x. In all but one of these instances, the Greek word for scripture or scriptures is the same as 2 Timothy 3:16. The usage that is different is found in 2 Timothy 3:15 but the word “holy” that precedes it equates it with the inspired scripture of the next verse. The inspiration that God gave in the originals is certainly intact through preservation. As far as I can discern, in every other instance, these words refer to the word of God that they were using at the time (copies, not the originals).

1. Many ask the question, “How do you know that God inspired the bible?” The answer is simple: by faith! Whatsoever is not of faith is sin and God gives every man the right to believe or not to believe. We believe in God by faith. How to we believe in God? Our faith comes through the preaching, teaching, reading, and studying of the bible.

2. It takes a foolish man to deny the perfection of this universe. It takes a foolish man to believe that this all came into being through randomness. It takes more faith to believe in evolution that it does creation.

3. It is just as foolish to deny the perfection and preservation of the King James Bible. Foolish men deny the bible today! Biblical inspiration in the originals without biblical preservation in future copies and translations would be a bigger “train wreck” than Obama Care!

4. Jack Moorman, who wrote the book “Missing in Modern Bibles,” said it this way: “We have a strange anomaly today; Christians claim to believe what the Bible says about its own inspiration but virtually ignore the equally direct statements concerning preservation. To say that you believe in the full inspiration of Scripture while at the same time accepting the textual theories inherent in the modern versions, is about as incongruous as taking Genesis one literally while holding to the theories of Darwin.”

D. This week, I want to take a biblical look at biblical preservation.

1. Over 100 years ago, Dean John William Burgon wrote: "If you and I believe that the original writings of the Scriptures were verbally inspired by God, then of necessity they must have been providentially preserved through the ages."

2. In Inspiration, God gave us His Faultless Word. In Preservation, God gave us His Faithful Word which remains the Faultless Word.

E. As with the previous message on Biblical Inspiration, I will not do an in depth study of Biblical Preservation but a several questions need to be answered in order to inspire confidence in our King James Bible.

1. We need a biblical explanation, not mine or yours, nor that of some Greek and Hebrew scholar. The word “preserve” in Psalms 12 means to guard, maintain, protect, obey, or a monument. “Preserve” is an absolute term, not a relative one!

2. The bible says all that needs to be said on the subject and people can either believe it or not. I am not here to convince the unbeliever nor am I here to defend what God said. As the bible declares its inspiration, it also declares its preservation. You cannot believe one and reject the other!

F. Though possibly well meaning, bible scholars who deny inspiration and divine preservation for today have done believers a great injustice. They open several “cans of worms” that cause God’s people to doubt the bible.

1. If our preserved bible is not inerrant, then it is errant! If it is errant, then how many errors are there in the King James Bible: one, one hundred, one thousand, 100 thousand? And, if there are errors in the King James Bible, where are they? John 3:16, John 14:1-6, Romans 10:9-13, Hebrews 9:22? If we do not have the originals nor have we seen them, then every verse in the bible becomes suspect and, therefore, possibly in error!

2. If our preserved bible is not infallible, then it is fallible! You cannot have it both ways. If it is fallible, then it can and will fail. The promises of the bible along with the prophecies of the bible may or may not come true. Will God truly meet our needs? Is our Lord really going to return? Is heaven a reality and salvation eternal? You may think this is foolish but, if this bible is fallible, then please tell me which parts I cannot trust.

3. We can either believe this bible or we can believe those who do not. I choose to believe God!

G. Now, three questions:

1. Is biblical preservation an act of God or man? Did God inspire His word in the originals and then trust sinful man to preserve it?

2. To what extent did God preserve His word? Is our King James Bible the perfect word of God or does it contain the word of God? Is it plenary and verbal or are just the concepts or basic message inspired?

3. Will biblical preservation ever cease to exist? If divine biblical preservation is not for today, then when did it cease to be?

H. I want to let the bible answer these questions:

1. Is biblical preservation an act of God or an act of man? Let the bible give us the answer.

a. Biblical inspiration - Exodus 24:12, 16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them … And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. (I believe that we can all agree that this is inspiration. God hewed out the tables and inscribed the words of God upon them.)

b. Biblical destruction - Exodus 32:19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. (We can also agree that tables, manuscripts, and bibles can become worn or destroyed, thus causing a continual need for refurbishing or copying. Nothing made by man lasts forever, especially if it is greatly used or abused.)

c. Biblical preservation - Exodus 34:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. (The first mention of biblical preservation, as far as I can discern, takes place in this verse. Now, Moses makes the tables and God’s word is placed upon them by God Himself. "God indicates in the first mention of a subject the truth with which that subject stands connected in the mind of God." I know that some will fault this particular principle of bible interpretation and only use it when it fits their theology but I found the principle to be consistent.)

Throughout the bible, we find that God progressively enlightens us upon any previously mentioned subject so let us look at another instance of bible preservation.

d. Biblical inspiration - Jeremiah 36:1-2 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, (2) Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. (The scroll was manmade while the words were inspired by God.)

e. Biblical destruction - Jeremiah 36:23 And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. (The king rejected God’s word and destroyed the scroll in the fire.)

f. Biblical preservation - Jeremiah 36:28, 32 Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. … Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words. (Once again, the scroll was manmade and the preservation was overseen by God but written by man! Call me a heretic if you wish but what I find here is preservation and inspiration of the preserved scroll going hand-in-hand under the care of a faithful God!)

g. Now let us look at Psalm 12. Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (7) Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. (The inspiration of God is evident in the wording: “pure words.” Now, what is it that the LORD is keeping and preserving in verse 7? “Pure words!” The preservation of the LORD keeps the inspiration of the “pure words” intact! Like or not, believe it or not, accept it or not, that is what the BIBLE says, not this preacher. I know, now you can go to the Hebrew and explain away what the BIBLE says, right? I believe that to do that, you will give a personal account to the author of the Bible because the scripture is wrong and you are right.)

2. To what extent did God preserve His word? Is our King James Bible the perfect word of God or does it contain the word of God? Is it verbal and plenary or are just the concepts or basic message inspired? The bible says that it is verbal and plenary: word by word and full or complete. Notice with me that the bible speaks of words, not thoughts or doctrines. We that are true Bible believers, stand for verbal inspiration of the word of God. This does nothing for us if that verbal inspiration and purity only apply to the original autographs which we do not have and have not seen. We need God’s exact word for today.

Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (7) Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

2 Kings 10:10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

Psalms 119:140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

3. Will biblical preservation ever cease to exist? The bible says that preservation is an act of God through man, not just man without God. Sinful man could not keep this precious book in the condition that we have it after thousands of years of copying and translation. Secondly, we have found, according to the bible that preservation has to do with words, not just thoughts or doctrines. Now, the final question as to this: if God preserved the orignians through man, how long did He preserve it in all of its perfection? Again, I must allow the bible to answer this question because.

Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (7) Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Psalms 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Psalms 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalms 119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

Psalms 119:152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.

Psalms 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Luke 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

1 Peter 1:23-25 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (25) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

The bible’s conclusion: God has preserved in the King James Version His original work of inspiration. The flower has not faded. The sword is as sharp as in the day it was first whetted. We can have no confidence in the originals that we do not have, therefore, we must have confidence in the bible that we hold in our hand and that bible is King James!

The Grace of Submission

Temple Baptist Church - 10-23-2013

 

Colossians 3:18

 

Introduction:

A. It is to be carefully observed that Paul, when dealing with the home, speaks to you ladies first! As goes the home, so goes the church and nation. As goes the woman of the home, so goes the home, the church, and the nation! I cannot over emphasize the importance of your role in the home.

B. Let me clarify some things before I get “hit with a tomato!”

1. The woman is not inferior to her husband. Most Valedictorians are girls.

2. The woman is not inferior spiritually. There are no second class children in God’s family! Parents love their daughters as much as they love their sons.

3. The woman is not inferior in the local church. If it were not for the ladies of our church, we would get little done!

C. God, in His infinite wisdom, made the woman for a specific purpose and equipped her for that special task. Everything in nature is ordered and the home and local church are not exempt.

1 Corinthians 11:8-9 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. (9) Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

D. God has much to say about the woman who is not what God intended for her to be.

Proverbs 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

Proverbs 27:15-16 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. (16) Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

Proverbs 21:9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

Proverbs 25:24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.

Proverbs 27:15-16 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. (16) Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

E. These verses go against the grain to the modern model of womanhood. Today’s girls are taught to be self-sufficient and independent when God intended them to be the exact opposite. Today’s women are brash, competitive, and unashamed. Not much makes today’s woman blush or drop her eyes. The woman of today is nothing like what God intended when He created Eve. What I will say now will possibly make someone angry, but it needs to be said.

1. She was not intended to be career orientated or in the work force. Today’s woman has established herself in the work force and the home is forever changed. Ask your daughter what she wants to be when she grows up!

2. She was not intended to be independent. Today’s woman is self-sufficient and can make it without the man.

3. She was not intended to be masculine in her deportment. Today’s woman is tough instead of soft, mannish instead of feminine.

4. She was not intended to be either brash or bold. Today’s woman will not drop her eyes and can be as crude as any man.

5. She was not intended to be in competition with the man. Today’s woman wants to excel in business and sports.

6. She was not intended to be a sex object for the lustful eyes of other men. Today’s woman dresses and carries herself in order to attract man’s eyes. She has little morality, restraint, or purity.

7. She was made for Adam! She was made to be his helpmeet; she was made to complete his life; she was made to fulfill his desires; she was made specifically to love him, bear and love her children, and to guide the home! Period! Nothing more and nothing less! When the woman is what God intended she is the greatest asset and blessing (outside of Christ) that the world will ever know.

F. What I am giving you ladies tonight is from God’s word. I am not a chauvinist and neither is God. God made you both special and specifically for a purpose. That purpose was to complete the man, not to compete with him!

1. Submission is a Grace: its foundation is found in your obedience to Christ.

2. Submission is a Gift: its motivation is found in your love for your mate.

G. Submission has to do with Order, not with Value. Submission means obedience. Remember the wedding vows? Obey! Why the command. Because you ladies are as strong willed as us men! Submission has to do with Grace. When speaking of God’s grace, I often say that grace means that we do not deserve it. Men, we do not deserve our good wives! That makes me thankful. I thank the Lord for my wife and a wife that is submissive. Not beat down and not looked down upon. I value my wife and try to put her upon a pedestal in our home.

1. Submission Is A Woman’s Duty – It takes a Lot of Love for God! Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Though submission through “duty” may not be the best scenario, it is still a command of God and should be obeyed. Ladies, calling your husband “lord” is the will of God in your life. Submission produces two things: Obedience to God’s Word and Trust in His Providence. Proverbs 3:5-6 become a reality in the life of the submissive woman as God protects her as she obeys His command.

2. Submission Should Be A Woman’s Desire – It takes a Lot of Grace! Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

It takes a lot of ‘grace” in order to have a proper home. Biblical grace is defines as “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life of the believer.” God gives grace where He guides and His grace is abundant and all sufficient. BUT, submission should be much more than just duty. Submission should be accompanied with desire. The Lord told Eve that her desire was to be toward her husband. Lady, if you have a good man who loves you, provides for you, protects you, and is faithful to you—you are indeed blessed and loving him should not be a chore. Our homes, unfortunately, have been “hollywoodized” instead of “biblicized!” The elder women are to teach the younger women to love their husbands (Titus 2:4). If you love your husband, then biblical obedience will not be a real problem. No, he is not perfect; no, he is not always right; but if you will leave those two faults up to God to work out, you will be a happy lady.

3. Submission Will Be Her Delight – It will bring a Lot of Glory! Proverbs 31:28-31 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. (29) Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. (30) Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. (31) Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Reaping In Adversity

Temple Baptist Church - 10-20-2013

 

2 Timothy 2:5-7

 

Introduction:

A. The question may be raised: “What do these next two verses have to do with the context?”

1. The context has not changed. Verse 5 begins with the word “And.” The apostle is exhorting a young pastor during trying times when trouble was seemingly on every hand. If you go back and see what Paul suffered for the cause of Christ, you will better understand the times in which these men lived.

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. (24) Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. (25) Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; (26) In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; (27) In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. (28) Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

2. God wastes no words. These verses are important in the light of Paul’s warning as quitting is not to be an option but it is always a possibility.

3. Verses 5-7 are the culmination of the context. Christianity has never been popular and God’s men have never been loved for preaching the word of God. Paul is speaking of the rewards so often come at the end of the trial instead of at the beginning of it.

Psalms 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

B. It is of great importance that the Holy Ghost gave the analogy of the husbandman when exhorting the soldier. To the farmer, labor always precedes harvest! So it often is in the life of the Christian: spiritual labor normally precedes spiritual harvest; spiritual suffering normally precedes victory!

1. The First Mention of the husbandman is found in Genesis 3:17-19: “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (18) Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; (19) In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Toil and sweat is the way of the husbandman but the harvest and satisfaction will follow. Thus it is with the soldier. Victory comes at a price and too often that price is the blood of the soldier.)

2. The Last Mention is found in James 5:7: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” (Patience in waiting is the life of the husbandman. Thus it is with the soldier. Victory is often long in coming. The battles hard and long; the enemy resilient and determined.)

2. The husbandman labors hard: tills the ground, plants the seed, waits with patience for the timely rain that is needed for growth, and then reaps the harvest.

C.  So it is with the soldier or “spiritual husbandman!”

1. We live in times when people want to reap the benefit without laboring for it. Just look at our nation: a people who want everything without doing anything to earn it: a “handout” people.

2. Spiritually, I believe that we have the same mentality. Our spiritual forefathers paid a dear price for bringing the Old Paths down to our day and we have had it made here in America. No persecution has touched our generation and we have been blessed.

3. But, I fear that we have become “at ease in Zion” and have no stomach for adversity. We, like the people of America, want the blessing without the blood, sweat, and tears of our forefathers.

D. Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Weariness comes with a long, hard fought battle. Fainting comes from a depletion of either strength, hope, or both. Due season is an unspecified time frame known only to God.)

1. Reaping Comes After Standing – vs. 1 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (8) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (There is a price to be paid for standing before there is a prize to be reaped. Prizes are for those who finish, not those who run!)

2. Reaping Comes After Commitment – vs. 2 2 Timothy 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (We reap workers and teachers only after we teach them and commit “that good thing” to them. Our young people and families MUST step up. I see an older generation dying off and there needs to be replacement.)

3. Reaping Comes After Enduring Hardness – vs. 3 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (The battle must be fought and the enemy must be subdued before the reaping of blessing comes. America has fought too many wars since WWII that have ended in either stalemate or partial victory. Our leadership has no heart to fight. I thank God for Israel who will stand and fight alone if necessary.)