Hi, this is chapter 2, the part that I'd like to focus on is beginning of verse number three, when the bible reads, "The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things. That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discrete, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Now, let me just point out to you a little bit later in the chapter, about the Lord Jesus Christ, in verse 14, the bible reads, "Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all inequity, and ..." So he didn't just come just to save us from our sins and to redeem from all inequity, but he said, "... And to purify onto himself a peculiar people, zealots of good works."
Now what does it mean to be a peculiar people? Well, if you go back to the Old Testament, we don't have to turn there for sake of time, but when God first said this, in the Old Testament, he said it about the nation of Israel. He said, "If you follow my word, if you keep my statutes," He said, "Then you will be a holy nation. You will be a chosen people." And he said, "You will be a peculiar treasure unto me." You will be different is what that means. You will be different is what that means. When he says, "You're a peculiar people." He's saying you're going to be different from all the other nations around you. That's what he said to them in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, we as Christians are called out to be a peculiar people unto the Lord.
My question today is, what is the difference today between the way a lot of Christians live their lives and the philosophies that they hold, and the way that the world lives, and the way that the world teaches. The difference ought to be an adherence to God's word amongst his people. That's what makes us peculiar.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: By the way, being pure is what makes us peculiar. He's here to purify unto himself, a peculiar people zealous of good works. Then he tells the young preacher, Titus, these things speak. He said, "Don't just live it. Speak it. Say it. Preach it." He said, "These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority." What does it mean to rebuke? It means to sternly tell someone 'you're wrong.' That's what it means to deliver a rebuke. Of course, the famous passage in first Timothy, chapter 4 says, "Preach the word, be instant, in season out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering doctrine." Well, what needs to be reproved? What needs to be rebuked? What is it that needs to be spoken by the pastor.
Well, it says right here in verse 15, these things speak. These things rebuke, with all authority. Meaning don't get up and say, "Hey, this is my opinion."
Congregation: Yeah, right.
Pastor: "Hey, here's how I think it is." No. He says, "Speak it with authority."
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: That's what they noticed about Jesus when he preached, he did not teach them as the scribes. The Bible says he taught them as one having authority. Let me tell you something, this is the authority.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: Whether you acknowledge it or not, the word of God is the final authority. What are the things that need to be spoken and need to be rebuked with all authority? Well, earlier in the chapter, he gave us what those things are. He gave it for different groups of people. He said, "Hey, here's some advice for the aged men. Here's some advice for the aged women. Here's some advice for the young women." And then he said, "Here's some advice for the young men." In verse 6, "Young men likewise, exhort to be sober minded in all things showing thyself a pattern of good works." Meaning, not just preach it, but set the example. "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity."
Now the part of the chapter that I want to focus on, as an obedient student of God's word, who is commanded to preach and exhort and teach these things with all authority, I want to focus on versus 3 through 5, where the Bible reads, "The aged women likewise that they be in behavior as becometh holiness. Not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things. That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discrete, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, and that the word of God be not blasphemed." Now notice that in these three versus that are directed toward the aged women and the young women, two out of three here have to do with the home life. They have to do with the marriage and they have to do with motherhood, if you look at those last two verses there. It says that the women should love their husbands, love their children, to be discrete, chaste, keepers at home. Now what does it mean to be a keeper at home? Well, we have the term housekeeping. What does it mean? To keep the house, to take care of things around the house. That's the job.
Now flip over to fist Timothy, chapter 5. Just a few pages to the left in your Bible. First Timothy, chapter number 5. First Timothy, chapter number 5, as we figure out how we're going to live our lives differently than what the world is telling us is the way to live our lives.
Let's look at first Timothy, chapter 5, verse 13. This talks about a bad example about women who are not doing right. It says in verse 13, "With all they learn to be idle, wondering about from house to house, and not only idle, but tattlers also and busy bodies, speaking things which they ought not." Verse 14. "I will, therefore, that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully, for some are already turned aside after Satan." It's amazing how people often believe that they're smarter than God. They look at stuff that God tells them to do, and they think to themselves, "Well, I don't need that advice. I'm actually okay on my own, just kind of living my life the way that I believe it should be lived. I'm never going to turn aside after Satan. I'm never going to go out and do wicked things or become a bad person." But what does the Bible say? He said, "I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, and guide the house." That's God's will. That's what the Bible teaches here. And he says, "Some are already turned aside after Satan." There are women who go into sin because of the fact that they do not heed this great advice in first Timothy, chapter number 5.
Now flip over, if you would, to Proverbs, chapter 15. Proverbs, chapter 15. Right in the middle of your Bible is the Book of Psalms, and then right after that is Proverbs. The main thing that I want to preach about this morning is the subject of women working outside the home, and the husband not providing and being the breadwinner of the home, but rather both husband and wife working. This has become the norm in our society today. It's not biblical. It's not God's will. It's not something that is the standard that the word of God says.
You say, "I can't ... I'm just going to turn this off right now." Well, go ahead and put your iPod in your ears then, or whatever. Feel free to get up and walk out and leave whenever you want, but as long as I'm the pastor here, the word of God will thunder forth from this pulpit, with all authority, and I don't care if it's in season or out of season, this is the truth of God's word today. This might offend people, my goal is never to offend everyone, I'm for peace, but when I speak, therefore war. I'm here to tell you that the word of God is just as true today as it was 2000 years ago when it was penned down. I believe this and stand for this, and I'm not going to water down the message because it offends someone. I don't want to offend anybody, but if it offends, well, if the shoe fits, then wear it.
Congregation: Right. Amen.
Pastor: Let me just say this, today, the norm in our society, amongst those who are not the peculiar people of God, is that both husband and wife will both work, they'll both have a career, they both earn, it's 50/50, and yada, yada, ya. That's what our world teaches. What the Bible teaches is that it's man's responsibility to provide for his him, and to provide for they of his own house, and that the woman's job is to be a keeper at home, to be good, to be obedient to her husband, and to raise the children and guide the house and keep the house. I'll submit to you that that is a full-time job.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: Keeping the house.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: Taking care of things in the family, and taking care of the children is a full-time job, and that is the job that God has ordained as his perfect will, his perfect plan, for women's lives.
Now, what is the motivation to have both parties work? Both the man and his wife to work. Well, there could be several motivations, but one motivation could possibly be that they want to have a higher standard of living than what they can afford on one income. They want to have things that one income will not afford. Maybe bigger fancier dwelling places, maybe vehicles and nice clothes and trips and all the different things that can be acquired with two incomes, in their mind, they want to do that. Let me tell you this, it's more important to have a good marriage than to have nice things.
I'll tell you this. I'd be much happier to be poor and have a good marriage, and have a loving relationship with my spouse, than to have all kinds of nice things and have strife and friction in the home. I'm going to explain that as we get further into the sermon, but look what the Bible says in Proverbs 15, verse 15. It says this, "All of the days of the afflicted are evil, but he that is of a merry heart, hath a continual feast." You know what the Bible's saying there is that if you have a good attitude about life, it doesn't matter whether you have a little or a lot, whether you're rich or poor, if you have a good attitude, you can enjoy life if you have a merry heart, it's a continual feast, even if you don't have the literal food laid out on the table.
He says in verse 16, "Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble there with. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred there with." What's he saying? You'd rather have a loving Christ pleasing relationship between the husband and wife and eat a vegetarian meal, if that's what it takes. I know this sounds radical, I'm not vegan by any stretch of the imagination. I plan on eating a few pounds of meat today. But I'm saying if I had the choice between sending my wife to work, ignoring God's advice, sending my wife to work, creating marriage problems that are associated with sending my wife to work, just so that I can have a bunch of beef in the freezer, it's not worth it.
Congregation: That's right.
Pastor: It's be better to have a dinner of herbs where there's love and where there's no trouble and strife and contention and fighting, and where we have the fear of the Lord, and where we're obeying God's plan, and pleasing him. We'd rather eat rice and beans and a vegetarian meal, than to have a stalled ox and hatred and trouble and strife and all the things that go what it.
Look at chapter 17 verse 1. The Bible reads, in Proverbs 17:1, "Better is a dry morsel and quietness there with, than a house full of sacrifices with strife." The sacrifices there is referring to meat. Animal, because they'd make animal sacrifices, they'd eat the meat, and that's what it's referring to. You don't have to turn there.
Turn to Mathew 6, if you would. You turn to Mathew 6, I'll read to you from Ecclesiastes 4:6, where the Bible reads, "Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit." The reason I'm showing you all these verses is just to let you know that you're priorities need to be about something other than money and material possessions. Now, you go ahead and make the decision whether or not you agree with my sermon this morning. I'm not going to get up here and tell you what to do. I don't have authority to dictate your personal life, and if you want to walk out of here and say, "You know what, Pastor Anderson's completely out to lunch on this. I think that it's better if both husband and wife work." Well, number one, you didn't get that from the Bible. And number two, go ahead and do that, and you're the one who's going to have to deal with strife, and you're the one who's going to have to deal with all the trouble and all the hatred and all the hassle that comes with that. I'm going to go home and be quiet and happy, and fear the Lord.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: It's up to you whether you take the wisdom that I'm laying down to you from the word of God, right now, or whether you go the way of the world. Is there any dispute that the world is going to teach you, "Hey, both have a career. Both work. 50/50. Everybody pulls their share." That's what the world is going to tell you, and look at the world, it's a failure.
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: God's people need to be a peculiar people, be different, called out from the world to follow his word and his mentality and the way of life that he lays out.
I'm trying to lay down, first of all, that money should not be the deciding factor, because it's better to be poor and to be observing God's word, and to have a loving, Godly relationship with your spouse, where there's peace. Look at Mathew 6:25.
The Bible said, "Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly father feedeth them. Are you not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature?"
"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass in the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven. Shall he not much more clothe you, oh ye of little faith. Therefore, take not thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink, or where withal shall we be clothed. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek, for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take, therefore, no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
What's God saying here? Look, it's not about, life's just not about just eating and drinking and nice clothes. No. It's about seeking first the kingdom of God, his righteousness, okay, what he considers righteous, not what the world considers right, what he considers right, and doing it that way, and then just trusting the Lord to provide your needs and to take it from there, and not to look way out in the future, "Oh, what about this? What about this? And what if this happens? And what if ..." No. Just today. Give us this day our daily bread. Just live your life and be happy and content with what God gives you, and not lusting after more wealth and gain and possessions.
Look at first Timothy, chapter 6. We'll find something very similar in first Timothy, chapter 6. Beginning in verse 6, I'll start reading while you're turning there. "But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." Look at verse 8 in first Timothy 6. "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."What are at two things that God guarantees us in this life as his children? He guarantees to provide us with food and clothing. Now, is he guaranteeing us a lavish dwelling place? In heaven, right? In my father's house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you. But on this earth, he guarantees food and raiment. He said, "That's enough." He's not guaranteeing a lavish dwelling. He's not guaranteeing any particular mode of transportation. He's not guaranteeing anything outside of food and clothing. He said, "You know what, that should be enough. If you get more than that, it's a blessing, enjoy it." That's what we should be content with.
He says, "Having food and raiment, let us be there with content, but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil. Which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith." Sounds like those people who turned aside after Satan, right? They've erred from the faith "... and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, o man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness."
We could do a whole sermon on just each of those words. Righteousness, doing what's right. Doing things the right way is what God's saying there. That's more important than how much money you have. Did you do it right? That's what matters to God. He said righteousness, Godliness, right? Following the laws and commandments of God. Living a life that pleasing to God. Faith. Trust in God. Isn't that what Mathew 6 was all about, when it said, "Hey, don't worry so much about where the money's going to come from, have faith in God." Trust in the Lord. He said Love. Isn't that what Proverbs talked about when it said, "Look, you'd rather have love in your house and a loving relationship with your spouse." You'd rather live in the corner of a housetop, than with a brawling woman, or with a contentious woman, in a large house. You'd rather live in the corner of the house top, you'd rather have a dinner of herbs, you'd rather live in an attic and eat vegetarian, than to have a big nice house and a bunch of beef, and a bunch of na na na. That's what the Bible says. I'm just ... It's what it says.
All right, now I'm going to get on the men for awhile, because you're like, "Oh man, he's getting on the women and really get ..." No. Let's get on the ... Oh, but there's a few more things on the list cause we love. How about patience. Do you know what patience is? Patience is when you get married, and you don't expect to just have all the nice things that your parents had when they're in their 40s, and you expect to have that when you're 20.
Congregation: Yeah.
Pastor: Patients said, "I can wait to achieve a higher standard of living." Let me tell you something, when your parents were in their 40s, they didn't start out, necessarily that way, when they were 18, 19, 20. But then kids today think that they just become an adult, get married, and then it's just boom, three car garage, the boat, the SUV. They'll do whatever it takes to get there, and it isn't right. They need to be content and have patience.
Meekness. What's meekness? Being humble. What is another reason why like to spend a lot of money? To make themselves on a higher level to their peers. Right? To look more successful unto man. Meekness says, "You know what, I'm okay being poor and living a humble life."
What about the men? Well, flip back to chapter 5, because this really hinges on the man, because if we're going to get up and talk about, "Hey, the woman needs to be a keeper at home, she need to guide the house, she needs to marry and bear children and guide the house." Well, who's going to make that possible? A man who goes to work and pays the bills and makes that possible. What does the Bible teach. First Timothy, chapter 5 verse 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." The Bible demands that men step up to the plate and provide for their fa-. You say, "Oh this sermon's anti women." No. This sermon is empowering women. This is a sermon that's positive women. Getting women in their proper role, being cared for, nurtured, loved, and cherished by their husband as the Bible teaches.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: That's what the Bible says. It's men today who have allowed the current situation in 2015, to even exist.
Congregation: Yeah.
Pastor: It's their slackness and laziness, and also their desire for material gain, instead of living a Godly righteous life. Now, the Bible says in Lamentations, 327, you don't have to turn there, but just in regard to starting out humble and maybe achieving a higher standard of living a little later in life, the Bible, says, "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth." What does that mean? It's good to work hard, to buckle down, and strife and struggle and bear the yoke in your youth. That's what the Bible says. Not only that, but all throughout the Old Testament, we have the concept of 6 days shalt thou labor. Not only that, but Jesus, when he talked about a work day, he often spoke of a 12 hour work day. You don't have to turn to these. If you want, you can flip over to Mathew 20. Why don't you go ahead and turn to Mathew 20.
Jesus said in John 9, verse 4, "I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work." In chapter 11, verse 9, he said, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him."
Now look down, if you would, at Mathew, chapter 20, verse 2. It says, "And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard." This is a man who is hiring workers to go out into the field and reap the harvest, and he sends them out into the vineyard. Now look at chapter 20, verse 6. It says, "And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?" And "They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first." So they work from morning until evening. They work for 12 hours in this particular parable.
If we study the Bible, what we see as being the norm, I'm not saying you have to do this. I'm not getting up here and commanding this from the Bible, no. But if you just look at what the Bible considers the norm, and what God refers to as a normal work week, it's 6 days, not 5. That's what God points to. Not only that, when you look at what God considers a normal work day, it's a 12 hour work day. This idea of just 40 hours being this ceiling of, "I can't work more than 40 hours or I'll die." That is not true, because honestly, the Bible actually indicates, if you say the Old Testament way of life, they're pretty much working a 72 hour work week, but they had one day off every week, totally off, the Sabbath. Right? But then not only that, they had feasts. They had a few weeks off in the year, three weeks of a whole week off. Vacation time, as it were. It's not that God is just saying, "Just work work work non-stop." No, you get a day off every week, three weeks off throughout the year, and that's it. Then also they had other periods, like in the Year of Jubilee, and the Sabbath year where they would take it easier and relax and so forth.
Life goes through cycles where you're working really hard, and then you have some times to take it easy and relax and refresh yourself. The Bible teaches that that's a good thing to do, take a week off, or take some time, and even take a year where you'd lighten things up a little bit. Great, but you know what, God doesn't just sit there and guarantee you that you're going to have all of your needs perfectly met just by going to the most minimal easiest job you can find that doesn't require you to push yourself and work hard, and go in there, punching in, and punching out, for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and doing the absolute minimum. And you're going, "Well, why can't I provide my needs?" No. Sometimes you got to work hard.
Congregation: Yeah. right.
Pastor: Sometimes you got to burn the midnight oil, and you got to put in the 72 hour work weeks, and sometimes even go beyond that. What I can't understand for the life of me is, if people can live on two incomes, then what if the husband would just work two jobs.
Congregation: Yeah. Right.
Pastor: You could have the identical standard of living. This idea that says, "Well, it just doesn't work. You just can't make it today." Look, we're living in the land of opportunity here. We're living in the United States of America.
Congregation: That's right.
Pastor: It's not like we're living in some depressed part of Mexico or somewhere in the developing world where it's just, you go to some factory and make a dollar a day of some crazy thing like that. No, we live in America, the opportunities are there, the jobs are there. I'm not saying you're going to drive a fancy vehicle. I'm not saying you're going to live in the lap of luxury, but you know what, it is possible today, listen to me, it's possible today for a man to go to work and pay for him and his wife to feed them, and to put a roof over their head.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: They might have to ride a bike somewhere, or they might have to walk somewhere. God forbid, it might actually add some years to your life, if you'd actually walk somewhere. Now look, I'm not saying it's [inaudible 00:25:55], I mean, having a car is great, if you've earned it. Once you get to that point. Once you work and earn those things, but those things aren't just your God given right. Look, I don't remember Jesus tossing the keys to Peter and saying, "Hey, go warm up the car Peter." I don't even remember Jesus getting on a horse, one time in his whole life do we see him climb aboard a beast, and he gets on top of that colt, the foal of an ass, that had never been ridden before. He gets on that and he rides in and they say, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
Where else do you see Jesus and his disciples (Bonanza theme). You don't see them riding around the wild west of Israel. No. Guess what they're doing? Walking.
Congregation: Yeah.
Pastor: Guess what they did, they walked and ran everywhere that they went, because that's what they had. They didn't even have two coats, sometimes, when they went out [inaudible 00:26:54], and out on these missionary trips to these villages. They just went with a staff in their hand, and they went with sandals on their feet, and that's what they did. Look, people in the Bible, most people in the Bible did not ride horses, if you read the Bible. See people walking and running from place to place.
This idea that just says, "Hey, I've got to have two vehicles." And people today demand two vehicles. I'll tell you what, it's a luxury if you have two vehicles. If you have two vehicles, you should be thankful for your husband for providing that, ladies, because that is a blessing, and that is something extra. It isn't just a [inaudible 00:27:36]. You should be thankful if you have one vehicle, that that's being provided, because back in the day, people had to go get groceries and carry them home in some kind of a wagon, or carry them, or somehow, they had to haul that stuff. It's just so much nicer to be able to just hop in the car, turn on the air conditioner, go get what you need, bring it home. It's a blessing.
What am I saying? I'm not saying to not use technology. I'm not saying not to live in a nice place. I'm not saying not to get a nice vehicle, but I'm say appreciate it when you get it, and don't just consider it, like, "This is my right." "This is what I got coming to me." No it isn't. You know what you've got coming to you, food and clothing.
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: I didn't even say name brand clothing. Just clothes, in general, is what the Bible tells you you've got coming to you.
Now go to First Kings, chapter 19. First Kings, chapter 19. Let me say this, sending your wife to work, it doesn't even always make financial sense anyway.
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: Because when you sit there and realize, "Okay, now we're going to need two vehicles. I go to work, she goes to work. Not only are we going to need two vehicles, she's going to need her whole work wardrobe." Then guess what, food's not being prepared at home, so what are we doing? Eating out. Very expensive. Or, readymade meals. Stuff that's not made from scratch. That's going to cost more money. Now you're going into this tax bracket, married filing jointly, two incomes. Then, you're having children, of course, you know, reproducing. Well, guess what, now the children are going into daycare, to be molested and who knows what, by who knows who.
Congregation: Yep.
Pastor: But you're putting your kids in daycare, well guess what, that costs money. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, "Is this even profitable?" Plus, there have been multiple studies shown that men who work and provide for their wife, actually earn more money, than men whose wife works. Part of the reason why is that if your wife works, sometimes it messes with your job, because it's like, "Oh, I've already used up all my sick days." I've worked with people like this, where they've had to take off to be with their sick kid because their wife had already used up the sick days, and then it was like, oh, now they have to stay home. It was affecting, they couldn't really give it a 100% at their job. It affects their earning potential, in that sense.
You have to ask yourself, is it even profitable, because here's the thing. If you have a stay at home wife, then she is able to go out and get the best deals on the groceries, and shop around, and as Proverbs 31 says, "Bring her food from afar." Go and find the deals and the discounts and what's on sale. She can go out and find the clothing that ... The suits that I wear are all used. I don't wear any new suits. These are all from the thrift store. My wife knows how to go to the thrift store without me, try on one of my suit coats, and she knows that if it fits her a certain way, like, "This is his size." Pretty cool, right? I hate buying clothes. She'll just go and check the suit and put it on, kind of feel it in her shoulders, and know, like, "Okay, I know how it's supposed to fit." And get it for ... She has time to do that.
You know what you do when you don't have time? When you're running around like a chicken with your head cut off because you're both working. You know what you end up doing? Is just, "Oh, I'll just buy whatever." You just buy what's easy.
Congregation: Yep.
Pastor: Just whatever's close. Just, "Oh, I'll just go to Whole Foods and just put whatever on the card." Yeah, that's pretty expensive.
Congregation: Yeah.
Pastor: Or Basha or wherever you go, but when you can just sit there and get the sales and you can hit up Trader Joe's and then you get the sale at Whole Foods and go over here to Sprouts, and whatever, and piece meal it and save some money, that's going to help the finances. A lot of companies, they'll hire somebody full time, called a purchasing agent. This person's full time job, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, is just to buy stuff. The reason they hire a purchasing agent is because they know that they can save a ton of money if they have somebody just buying stuff and getting the right deals, instead of just being in a hurry all the time and just buying whatever's the closest, because you're not even thinking about it because you don't have time, because you're so busy. And so on and so forth.
A lot of people will say this, they'll say, "Well, what if things don't work out? You know the wife, she needs that career to fall back on, in case things don't work out, if you know what I mean." This is a wicked concept, because the Bible teaches that marriage is supposed to be till death do us part.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: The Bible says that what God has joined together, let not man put asunder. A man shall cleave unto his wife and they too shall be one flesh. And the Bible teaches over and over again that marriage is for life, and that it is not something that just lasts a little while and then you just get divorced. They say, "Well, but you never know, you need that plan B." I say burn your bridges behind you. I say failure is not an option.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: Look what the Bible says in First Kings. I love this story in chapter 19, verse 15. "And the Lord said unto him," this is God speaking to Elijah, "Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, and Jehu the son of Nimshi, shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room." So he's saying he's going to be the new prophet instead of you. He's going to be the new preacher. "And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay, and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth, and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him."
So here's a man, Elisha, who is doing his work. He's out plowing with oxen, and as he's out plowing with the oxen, Elijah throws his mantel on him. The symbolic passing on of the mantel. That doesn't mean that he's taking over that day, but Elisha is going to start to follow Elijah, and he's going to be his protégé, and Elijah's going to be training him and mentoring him, and he's going to serve Elijah. And the Bible says that Elisha poured water on the hands of Elijah. Meaning that even when Elijah went to eat his food, and he need to wash his hands, Elisha would get the water and pour it for him so that he could wash his hands. [inaudible 00:34:30] turn on the facet, somebody had to pour it. He's a servant. He's ministering unto him.
It says in verse 20, this is what Elisha did when the mantel falls upon him. "And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my mother and my father, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again, for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him," watch what he does. "And took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him."
So what does he do? He's plowing with the oxen. Elijah anoints him profit in his room. He casts the mantel upon him, basically saying, "You know what, you're going to be the next Elijah." You're going to be the next guy. And when he does that, he says, "Okay, I just want to say good bye to my father and mother." "Okay." He goes back, and he takes all the tools of his trade, all the tools of his job, the instruments of the oxen, the tools, and he takes those and he burns them, and he uses those to make the fire. He takes all of his tools and instruments, and he lights them on fire, and he uses that fire to cook the meat of the oxen that he's plowing with. So here he has this oxen that he's plowing with. That's his job. It's his work vehicle, as it were. And he basically says, "Not going to need this stuff anymore." Burns all the tools, cooks all the meat, kills his animals, cooks it all up, gives it all unto his people as a good bye and something to leave them with, and he takes off and follows Elijah.
Now he can't really get two days in to his training with Elijah, and say, "You know, I changed my mind. I'm going home." I don't like the lifestyle that you're living. I don't want to live like this. This is too hard. This is too much work. This is not what it's cracked up ... You're not as cool of a guy, now that I'm pouring water on your hands, as you were when I was admiring you from afar. Elijah was a well known guy. Elijah was known unto all Isreal.
This is after Elijah's already faced off with the profits of Baal. Everybody knows who Elijah, he's the greatest preacher on earth at that time. When Elijah throws his mantel on you, you're going to follow him. It's sort of like when Jesus is saying to the disciples, "Follow me." And they're forsaking all and following him. When Elijah comes, says, "Follow me." You're going to follow him. But notice, he burned his bridges behind him. He didn't leave a way back, saying, "You know what, I'm going to try following Elijah and see how it goes. Now mom and dad, it's okay if I come back in a little bit, right? I'll still have ... you're not going to get somebody else to plow, right? Can you kind of hold onto my job for me? Just so that I have kind of a plan B?" No. There was no plan B. Burn everything, cook everything, eat everything, say good bye to everybody, and you're going to do God's will for your life. He's basically deciding to follow a man, Elijah. That's going to be his leader. That's the one that's going to teach him. Of course, Elijah does teach him, and he ends up becoming a great man of God, and doing twice as great of works as Elijah did. Twice as great. But first he was humble and followed.
Well, now let's think about the illustration here with women who are getting married. What are they basically signing on to do? To follow a man, because the Bible says the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, that they're to be subject under their husband. When you get married, you're choosing to follow that man as your Elijah, in a sense, spiritually speaking. You ought to burn your bridges behind you. Even more so than this story. This story is just about a guy who's learning how to be a preacher. Okay. Technically, if he would have turned back, he wouldn't be committing a big sin.
Obviously God wanted him to follow, and it wouldn't have been right for him to not follow God's will for his life, but look, at least he wouldn't be committing adultery. Hello, is anybody out there. At least he wouldn't be committing adultery. At least he wouldn't be breaking a vow to God, but when you get married and you say I'm going to follow you as my husband, you're going to be my leader, and you break that vow and go be with another man, you shall be called an adulteress, the Bible says in Romans, chapter 7, verse 3. "If, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress." That's what the Bible says. In Romans, is that a book that you like? Romans 7. Not to mention all the other places that teach the same thing. And breaking a vow before God, God calls you a fool, and he says he'll punish you when you break your vows.
This is an even lessor example, but we see a man who burns his bridges behind him. When we know that something is right, when we know that God wants us to do something, and we know what God feels, then we need to just burn our bridges and say, "You know what, I'm going to do what's right." Not, "Well, you need the plan B though, just in case it doesn't work out." Did Peter have a plan B when he stepped out and walked on the water with Jesus? Jesus said, "Step out by faith." He bad him to come out on the water, and when Peter stepped on the water, and walked on the water to Jesus, what was the plan B? Did he put on ... "Well, let me put on my life preserver." You know what, if he would have put on a life preserver, he wouldn't of walked on water.
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: I promise you, if you study that story, if he would have put on a life jacket, he would have put like a rubber ducky, a swim ring on and then stepped out of the boat, you know what he would have done? [inaudible 00:40:26], you know that's true. Even when he looked around and doubted and saw the waves, what happened? He sank. What's grabbing the life preserver? It's doubt. If Jesus is telling you to walk on the water, you can do it.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: You know what, we're not asking you to walk on water. We're asking you to be a wife, just follow your husband like the Bible teaches. Is that really so radical of an idea? Yes it is in 2015, because of our weird, twisted, perverse, society that we live in today in America. It's been corrupted by Hollywood and Madison Avenue and the media, into believing all this garbage, and it's not true. Burn the bridge behind you.
Now, go to Leviticus, chapter 22. Leviticus, chapter 22. Leviticus, chapter 22, because you say, "Well, okay Pastor Anderson, obviously a woman with a bunch of kids, you know, probably needs to stay home and watch the kids and take care of the house. That's a full time job." But a lot of people ask, "Well, what about before they have kids though?" What about wives before they have kids? Or what about even before they get married, when they're just single? What about that? Well, you know, let's see what the Bible says. The Bible talks about this in Leviticus 22:13, and it says, "But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat, but there shall be no stranger eat thereof." So, the Bible has this concept of women living at home with their parents and being supported by their parents. Even in this particular instance, we have a woman who goes out and gets married, and her husband dies before she has any kids or anything, or her husband divorces her, and it says where she returns back to her father's house and eats his meat.
The reason I bring that up is that I'm just telling you that my daughters ... and you go do whatever you want. You can choose to ignore everything that I'm saying. You can go home and read the Bible for yourself, and if you decide that the Bible teaches something different than what I'm teaching this morning, then by all means, follow the Bible. I'm not God. But let me tell you something, I've studied the scripture, and what I'm saying is biblical. If you search the scriptures, you'll see the same thing, that this modern way that we do things is not biblical, where we have both people going to work. By the way, it's even new to American culture. Even throughout American history, for hundreds of hundreds of years, men provided and the women stayed home. Even throughout human history, all over the world.
Where did I have you turn? Somebody help me out.
Congregation: Leviticus, 20:13.
Pastor: Still Leviticus, huh? Well go to Matthew 19. Somebody help me out. What was I starting to say? I was starting to say something. It was important.
Pastor: Oh yeah, yeah, the dau-, yeah, yeah. Says the guy with the daughter. He's like, "Daughters." Yeah. Let me just say this. Here's what I believe, and here's how I'm doing it in my house. My daughters are not going to get job while they live in my house, period. If you think that my 16 year old daughter ... and no, I don't have a 16 year old daughter, but when I do, if you think that when my daughter turns 16, she's going to be over at Taco Bell, or over at wherever, In and Out Burger, wherever, working, you're wrong. I will provide for my daughters as long as they live in my house.
You say why? Well, because I don't believe that this is God's plan for women to go out and get the college degree, and get the job, and get the career, and get out there and work. Why would I send my daughter to work, if she's not going to work as a kid out in the world, up until 16 she's not working out in the world, right? And then as soon as she gets married, she's not going to be working. She's going to be a homemaker and taking care of the home. Then why would I send her out to work for a few years? So that she can just make some little amount of money, just to help kick in a little. No, it's not worth it, to put my daughter out there to all these worldly influences.
Now you say, "What about your sons?" Look, my sons, as soon as they're old enough to work, they're going to be out there working and making money. Why? Because that's what they're going to be doing for the rest of their lives.
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: Say, "Well, but what's the dif-, you have a double standard?" Yes. "What do you mean you have a double standard?" "No, no, I don't have a double standard. I think men and women are exactly the same." That's what our world teaches today.
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: "Oh, what are you saying, there's a difference between men and women?" Yes. There's a huge difference.
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: It's a massive difference. From Genesis to Revelations, there's a huge difference. Don't give me this, "Oh, double standard." Yes, it's a double standard. I don't deal the same with my sons and my daughters. Why don't we have them all use the same bathroom too, while we're at it, out in public. Oh yeah, California's already doing that. Yeah, why don't they all dress the same? Why don't they all use the same bathroom? Why don't they wear their hair the same? Why don't they do all the same thing? Look, we have this weird unisex, perverted society. Sorry, I'm peculiar. I'm just peculiar like that. I actually believe that there's a difference between men and women. Imagine that.
Let me say this, there is a difference, and one of the big differences is that I'm going to expect my sons, as young men, to go out and fend for themselves out there, and stand up for what's right. I'm not going to expect my daughter to just be put in an environment with a whole bunch of men and a whole of wicked people that want to take advantage of them, and just kind of throw them to the wolves, as it were. No. It's my job to protect and to be that guardian. I'm going to walk her down the aisle someday, and pass her off to the next guardian, so that she goes from her father's house, to the husband. That's the passing off of the mantel that needs to take place when it comes to a daughter. That's what I believe.
Why does she need to work? You say, "Well, but what about before she has kids?" What about before she's married? I just don't believe in it. Look, again, there are people that are in different situations and there are people, there are women who work for whatever reason, and I'm not just attacking women who work or just getting on them or saying that you're not right with God and whatever, because there's some situations where you're not being provided for. I'm not faulting. I'm not saying, "Hey, it's your fault that you're not doing this." What am I saying? I'm preaching what's right. I'm preaching how things should be.
Look, there's a million ways to do it wrong. I'm not blaming you or blaming anybody. You figure out your own situation. I'm not here to condemn anybody's situation. I don't have people in mind right now of certain situations. I'm preaching the Bible. What does the Bible teach that we should do? It teaches that we as dads, and look, if anything I'm getting on the men. It teaches that we as dads, need to pay for our daughters. Now we might not be able to provide them with a pink convertible when they turn 16, but it's our job to provide for our daughters. Then it's the job of the husband to provide for the wife. What is so hard to understand about this?
You say, "Well, you know, the plan B is important." You know what the plan B leads to? Divorce.
Congregation: Yeah.
Pastor: Why? Well, because if you don't have a plan B, then you'd think less about divorce. You're stuck. "Oh, that's so terrible." Why'd you marry the guy if you don't want to be stuck with him? Maybe we should change the marriage vows. I want to be stuck with you for the rest of my life, so help me God, amen. That's the new vow. I don't care. We're going to have to change the vows, because people don't get it. People don't understand the vows. It's like, "I don't care what you do, I don't care what you say, I don't care how bad it gets, I am stuck with you for the rest of my life, and if I don't like it, it's my own fault. Amen, so help me God. I do." That's the new marriage ceremony. Maybe then people will get what we're saying when we say, "for better for worse. For rich or for poorer." It should be for poorest. What do we have to do to these vows before you understand what you're saying? "For richer, for poorer, for better, for worst, in sickness, and in health, in poverty as in wealth, and forsaking all others, keep me only unto you, so long as we both shall live." That's what you're saying when you get married.
This divorce thing, as far as being a no fault divorce law, where you just get divorced for no reason. Did you know that it only goes back in the United States to 1969? Did you know that? You know where it comes from before that? The Soviet Union. That's where it came from. Listen to this. In the modern world, in modern western culture, this no fault divorce law, where you just say, "Oh, we're just not compatible." Or, "I just don't know if I love her anymore. I don't know if I love him anymore. I just don't know. We got married too young." You know what this goes back to? The Bolshevik communist revolution in 1918, when the communist Bolsheviks took over in Russia, they instituted this. First time in the modern world, no fault, easy divorce. 1918. They're the only ones that had it.
Then, in 1968, they revised their no fault divorce law even more. The very next year, after the Soviet Union did it, the People's Republic of California did the same thing in 1969. Exactly one year after the Soviet Union, then California had the no fault divorce law, and then slowly other states have adopted it, through the years. Till now, pretty much everywhere in America, pretty much all the states, you can get an easy divorce, no questions asked, no fault.
It used to be if you wanted to divorce your spouse, you had to go to court. Did you know this? It was legally binding when you married someone. You had to go to court and prove, like, they committed adultery, or they did ... Here's the thing. I'm not even condoning that. I'm not even condoning divorcing your spouse for any reason, but I'm saying that even legally, in America, until 1969 ... Many of you were alive in 1969. Not that many, but some of you were alive in 1969. This is your lifetime, and that was one state, California. The easy divorce state, straight out of the Soviet Union.
Here's just a little hint. The same people ... Are you in Matthew 19? Here's a little hint, the same people that were behind the Bolshevik revolution in 1918, are the same people who ask Jesus, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for every cause?"
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: What does it mean to divorce your wife for every cause? No fault divorce law. Divorce your wife for any reason. That's the same people that were behind the Bolshevik revolution. I'll just leave that there for you to chew on.
Look at verse 3 of Matthew 19. "The Pharisees ..." Oh, there's your hint right there. "The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" I mean, isn't it lawful to just divorce your wife for any reason? That's what they're asking, for every cause. "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read ..." And that's usually the problem. You haven't read the Bible enough. "That he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain ..." Twain means two. "... shall be one flesh? Wherefore they're no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery. And whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."
"His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given." He said, "You know, I don't care whether you can handle that or not. I guess some people just can't handle this kind of preaching." Is what Jesus said. "Well, if that's the way it is, maybe we shouldn't get married." Well, if you can't handle this preaching, that's your problem. That's that new Steven Anderson version. That's basically what he's saying, when he says, "Well, all men cannot receive this saying." Some people can't handle it. They can't receive it.
Now look, the wife going to work gives her the plan B, and it makes her independent. Now, what does the word independent mean. Our church is an independent Baptist church, right? People ask, "What kind of Baptist church is it? Is it Southern Baptist? Is it North America ...?" No, no, no, we're independent Baptists. What does that mean? It means that we don't depend on an outside organization. See, if you're not independent, what does it mean? You're dependent. Now, if money from somewhere else were propping us up, then we're not really independent. Independent is when you control your own destiny. The only one that we depend on is Jesus.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: We're not dependent on a denomination or some kind of a fund or some kind of a outside money coming in. For example, we sent guys to start churches, if we were paying Brother [Romero's 00:54:33] way right now, or if we were paying Pastor [Berson's 00:54:37] way right now, could it really be said that they're independent Baptists, if we're paying their way? Now if we sent them a gift, that's fine, but if they're depending on us to pay their way on a weekly, monthly basis, they wouldn't really be independent would they? But what happens when you start paying somebody's way, well then they're dependent. In fact, I think I remember doing my taxes, and there were these things called dependents. One of them was my wife. She was a dependent. My children were dependents. I had nine dependents. People that are depending on me to pay the bill.
Now what if a woman got her tax return and just scratched that out and just write independent. "Well, you know, I'm going to claim myself. Claim myself on my taxes cause I'm independent." Look, paying your own way does make you independent, because you're no longer depending upon someone else. The question is, is it good for women to be independent, or should they be in dependence upon their husband for their needs? Is that what God has ordained?
Now, it's funny, as I was preparing this sermon, this illustration from history popped into my mind. For those of you who know a little bit about American history. When our country was founded, there was a major debate in the early days of our nation's founding. In fact, this took place in the year 1790. There was a debate about the assumption of debt. The states had racked up a bunch of debt during the revolutionary war, because war will do that to you, put you into debt. So the 13 colonies, the 13 states had racked up a bunch of debt. Alexander Hamilton, who was the arch banker guy, he wanted to give the federal government lots of power and wanted to let the bankers take over and everything. He had this idea and this financial plan where the federal government would assume responsibility for all of the states debts. That's why it's called assumption. They would basically say, "Hey, instead of the state being in debt, we're going to pick up the tab for you. We, as the federal government, will pay your bill for you Virginia." Well, Virginia was the only one who'd already paid off their debt. Bad example. Pennsylvanian, Massachusetts, Rhode I-, we will pay your debt for you. We will assume responsibility for your debt.
Those who were of more of a liberty mindset, those who wanted more of a states’ rights, and a more libertarian form of government with a smaller less powerful federal government, less taxation, they knew that when you let the federal government pay the bill, there's strings attached and you're giving up your power. The liberty faction, they fought against this thing of the federal government assuming the debt.
They worked out this great compromise of 1790, where they said, "Okay ..." James Madison and Alexander Hamilton worked it out where they said, "Okay, we'll let the federal government assume the debts of the states, but you guys have to put the capitol all the way down at the Potomac river." Where it is now Washington DC, "You have to put it down by the south." The place where they ran things before was like up in Philadelphia, more northern. So they said, "We'll feel more comfortable ..." because the states’ rights, liberty minded people were more of the southern states, so they said, "Put the capitol down on the Potomac river, where Washington DC is, down by Virginia, and we'll let you ..." it was like a backroom deal between Madison and Hamilton to do that.
That illitra- listen to this, this is from the encyclopedia. It says, "Politically, Hamilton sought to tie the creditors to the new central government by linking their financial fortunes to the success of his economic nationalism. This in turn would gradually cause decline in state authority, and a relative increase in federal influence." He knows that if the federal government's paying the bill, their authority's going to go up, and the authority of the states is going to go down. That's what happened, and today, the states have very little authority. The federal government, it has all the power in America today.
This sermon's not about politics. Doesn't really matter. What matters is that in your home, you're the federal government, sir. All right? And you're wife is these feisty states that have all this debt. This is pretty realistic, because a lot of women today, when they get married, are in debt. It's kind of realistic in a sense. That's the new dowry. It used to be when you married a girl, you had to pay a dowry to her father. Now when you marry a girl, you have to pay off the student loans. You have to pay off the car payment. You have to pay off all the credit cards. But anyway, okay, that's another sermon.
You're the federal government in this equation. Right? You want to come in and you want to assume the debt, okay, because that give you power in your home. The one who pays the bills is the one who makes the rules.
Congregation: Amen. There you go.
Pastor: If you allow your wife to be independent and make her own money, then you're not going to have the proper balance of power in your home. Say, "Well, why do you want to give men all the power?" Uh, because that's what the Bible teaches.
Congregation: Right. Amen.
Pastor: Next point. Done. Now look, let me just give you some advice, because I have people talk to me about this all the time, because they hear me preach about this, and I show them the scriptures, I show them Titus 2, where it says that the women should be keepers at home, obedient to their husbands. I show them First Timothy 5, marry, bear children, guide the house, and the husband's the head of the wife, and the husband provides, and the wives obey and submit and whatever. I show them all this, but I've had so many people, friends of mine, who said this. They said, "Well, Pastor Anderson." And you say, "Why are you talking about this Pastor Anderson?" Because I love you and I want you to hear the truth. I'm not talking to people who've already made mistakes. I'm talking to people that have not yet made mistakes and I want to help them. Okay?
I've had the same conversation over and over again, where people ask me, "Well, what do you think about the wife working until the first child comes? Just to help out financially in those early days. Why not just have her work until the first child comes?" I always tell them the same thing. Don't do it. Do not do it. It's not worth it. Here's what I say to them. I want you to listen very carefully. Listen to this, because this is the crux right here. If you need ... think about this. If you need two incomes to support two people, how are you going to support three people on one income?
Congregation: Yep.
Pastor: Somebody explain that to me. The math doesn't work. If you can't support two people on one income, how are you going to support three people on one income? You're like, "Oh, well she's just going to work until the baby's born." Then we're going to support three people on one income. I know right now we're supporting two people on two incomes, but then we're just going to go to three people on one. No. You need to start learning how to support two people on one income. Living within your means. Figuring out what you can afford. Two people on one income, then you add that third party, who's going to be a very expensive third party eventually, all right, and eat you out of house and home. This is just logic. This is just math. It just makes sense. But I've had so many people [inaudible 01:02:26] this conversation where I explain this to them and say, "Look, it doesn't work. It's a bad idea." "Oh, my wife's going to be bored." Well, you know what, she needs to start cooking three awesome meals a day, and then she won't be so bored, because it takes a long time to really cook quality food, and make three hot meals a day.
Or, there are other ways to use her time, places to volunteer, to serve the Lord, to go [inaudible 01:02:48], to read the Bible, to clean the house, to find a hobby, good night, do something. There's plenty of opportunities to do something other than putting on the hair net and the name tag and going under CCTV to go work for somebody.
I've had that conversation with just a multitude of guys, and this is what happened. They don't listen. They don't listen, and then here's what happens. The baby's born, and the wife's still working. Almost every time. How can they make that transition? It's just ... if you can't do two people on one income, how are you going to do three on one. It just doesn't make any sense.
Now you say, "Well why does the fact ..." But not only that, I say, you're starting your marriage off on the wrong foot. 50/50, independent. You need to start out by asserting your authority, by saying, "You know what baby, I'm paying the bills. I'm providing. I'm assuming the state debt here."
Think about this scripture, "Unto whom much is given, of him shall much be required." See, here's the thing, when you're paying for everything, it puts you in a position of authority. Now you can require obedience and you can require submission because you're paying the bills. Whereas, often times, when the wife is also working and paying her way and it's a 50/50, yada yada. That authority structure's just not going to be there. It's just something deep down. Even a Godly woman, I think even a Godly woman who loves the Lord can fall into this when she's out working and making money, and putting that paycheck, little bit of pride enters in. "I'm doing my part too you know. And blah blah blah."
Then, here's the thing, let's face it folks, if both people are going and working 40 hours a week, wouldn't they both have to split the housework, wouldn't you think?
Congregation: Yep.
Pastor: It would make sense, right? It wouldn't really make sense to say, "Well, I'm going to work 40 hours as a man, you're going to work 40 hours as a woman, and you're going to do all the housework." Does that sound like it's fair? I don't want to do half the housework. Who agrees? Any man here agree? I hate doing the housework. I'd rather go do almost any job. I'd rather do almost any job then to do my wife's job. Now I'm not saying it's bad for her. She's a woman, she was born to do it. She's designed to do it, but look, I would rather do almost anything. I hate taking over my wife's job. Sometimes, when I'll take over for my wife for whatever reason, it ... I love my kids. I love spending time with my kids, but I don't want to take over that job, at all, ever.
I don't want to cook half the meals. I can barely boil water. I don't want to clean the house. I don't want to do ... it's just, I don't like it. You know what I like. You know when I worked at Roundtable Pizza, I liked it. When I was a teenager. When I worked for an alarm company, I liked it. When I did electrical work, I liked it. I like being a pastor. I liked running a fire alarm business. There's a lot of things I like. Being a homemaker is not something that I like. Thank God I was created as a man. Here's the thing. I was created as a man mentally and physically, so it just goes against the grain.
Here's ... A lot of women will say this, "Well, I just don't want to live that lifestyle. I don't want to be a stay-at-home wife. I don't want to be a stay-at-home mom. I want to go out and achieve things and be my own successful career ..." Here's the thing about that though. Let's flip that over. Women today say, "Well, I just don't want to live that lifestyle. I just want to go out and live the career life." Okay, what if a man said the opposite? What if a man said to you, "I don't want to go to work. I just don't like that lifestyle. I don't want to have a job. I don't like the lifestyle of going and punching in and punching out and working. I just ... physical work is just isn't my thing. Nor computer work, nor mental work, nor management, it's just not my thing. I just don't want to work. I'm just a stay-at-home kind of guy." Now look, anybody would look at that guy and say, "Get your lazy butt to work. Are you insane? You lazy worthless ..."
Okay, so why is it men are told, "Go work." But why don't we tell women, "Stay home."
Congregation: Yeah. Amen.
Pastor: Clean the house, cook. "I don't like cooking." Learn to like it, because you know what, there's stuff that I've had ... Who's had to do stuff at work, as a man, that you didn't like?
Congregation: Yeah.
Pastor: Look around ladies. "Ew, we have to change poopie diapers." Well, you know what, I've cleaned toilets of strangers.
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: At least your changing a diaper on your own kid. When I worked in construction, sorry to be graphic folks, but I used the port-a-john every day, and it doesn't smell like roses in that port-a-john. Who's had to use a port-a-john at your job? Put up your hands men. God bless you, I see that hand, all over the building. Look, we've all had to use filthy port-a-johns, and they were filthy, and there were flies, and they stank, and they were unsanitary, not to mention all the racial stuff that was written on the port-a-potty, all the filthy stuff that was written on the port-a-potty, union versus non-union, white versus black, white versus Hispanic, homosexual, just perverted, just whatever that was sharpied on that port-a-potty, but we went and used it every day, and we hated it. But we did it to pay the bills.
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: And I'd rather change a diaper on my own son or my own daughter, than to go use a filthy port-a-john.
Congregation: Right. Amen.
Pastor: Look, everybody does things in life that you don't like. It's just, you do it because it's the right thing to do. As men, we go to work. As women, you cook and clean and take care of the kids. I like my job. I hope that my wife likes her job, but sometimes I don't like my job, and sometimes she doesn't like hers, but we get it done.
Congregation: Right. Amen.
Pastor: It's righteousness. That's what we're supposed to do. So this idea of just, "Well, you can be whatever you want, boys and girls, when you grow up, you could be an astronaut and a marine biologist or the president of the United States." No you can't. First of all you have to worship Satan to become the president of the United States, number one, but number two, I don't tell my sons, "You can be whatever you want. You want to be a fashion designer." No, you can't. You won't. I'm not going to list all the jobs that they can't be.
Anyway, and my daughters, you know what they're being taught to be? Wives and mothers. "Oh, you want them to be ignorant." No, college is what makes you stupid.
Congregation: Yeah.
Pastor: All God's people said.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: Amen. Yeah, this is what makes you smart.
Congregation: Yeah.
Pastor: God's word makes wise the simple. You know what else makes you smart? Reading books.
Congregation: Amen.
Pastor: Going to the library. Learning something. Not listening to some burned out, long-haired hippy tell you about the big bang in some university somewhere. That'll make you stupid.
Congregation: Right.
Pastor: Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Father, we thank you so much for your word, Lord, and I thank you that when I got married 15 years ago, Lord, I didn't have to just go into it wondering what to do and confused, Lord. I definitely had a lot less wisdom than I have now. I definitely was mistaken on a lot of things Lord, but thank you, at least, for giving me the word, to be a guide in those early days and to try to learn and grow over the years. And I thank you for the marriage that I have and the children that I have Lord. And Father, I just pray that people would take heed under this wisdom. I know that I'm not a perfect husband or perfect father or perfect pastor, but Lord, I also know that what the word says is true, that we need to be different and we need to follow your plan if we want to have a peaceful home, Lord. Help us not to buy into this feminism, Lord, that's like a cancer and a disease in our country and in our churches, and in our homes, Lord. In Jesus name, we pray, amen.
All right, let's sing a song. All right, we broke the record. How many do we have?
Female: 158.
Pastor: 158. Wow. Our old record was 144 people on a Sunday morning. Now we have 158, and that means we all get ice cream after the service. Stick around for ice cream.
