(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

okay we're in second Timothy chapter number two this evening look down at your Bibles in verse number one it says thou therefore my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ and the title my sermon this evening is quitting is not an option quitting is not an option I want you to focus there on the verse number three where it says thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ go to verse eight if you would have second Timothy I preached on this a couple times before regarding second Timothy and the theme that we see in the book of second Timothy and a lot of it has to do with the Apostle Paul encouraging Timothy to make sure that he perseveres and endures the afflictions and the hardships of the Christian life and more specifically of course we know that the afflictions that he's referring to is persecution he's suffering a lot of persecution of course he's associated with the Apostle Paul who's been arrested he has a reputation so to speak of preaching God's Word so obviously anybody who's associated with them will get a little bit of that fallout persecution and Timothy's one of them this is why the Apostle Paul is encouraging him he's admonishing them hey make sure because you're a good soldier that you endure you gotta make sure you persevere you gotta make sure you don't quit in other words he's telling them quitting is not an option okay look at verse eight it says remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer even unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory so he's saying you know I'm suffering persecution for the name of Christ I'm suffering persecution because of the gospel I'm suffering trouble people think that I'm an evildoer and I'm even being arrested when it says even unto bonds it's basically saying that he's being arrested for his faith and then of course he has this incredible outlook on life and he says but the Word of God God is not bound you know even though he's physically bound he's being arrested he's being thrown into prison into jail or what have you he understands that that does not hinder the Word of God from going out because God will accomplish that which he wants to do with his word if it's being publicized if it's being preached he understands that it's still gonna be successful but then he says in verse 10 that he endures all things for the elect's sake now what does that mean there well the elect is referring to believers okay you know we can we can show you up in down throughout the New Testament specifically that the elect is always referring to believers there are those that would say that the elect is referring to Jews but we know that that's not true based upon just one scripture alone Romans chapter 11 you know talking about Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded making a pretty clear distinction that there is there's a difference between Israel and the elect the elect is obviously referring to save people those who are chosen referring to the fact that those who are chosen are people who have believed on Jesus Christ okay so he says here that he's enduring all these hardships all these difficulties for believers sake why that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Jesus Christ Jesus with eternal glory now if there are already the elect why is he enduring it so that they can be saved well this isn't referring to salvation what we think of in general the justification of the soul but rather the deliverance of the body okay and what he's specifically saying here the principle that he's teaching is that when he endures hardships and difficulties and afflictions you know other believers who are not necessarily as mature as he is will look at his example and will be inspired also to suffer trouble persecutions and afflictions because they believe that God's gonna deliver them as well okay a synonym for salvation would be deliverance you understand so he's saying you know one of the reasons why I want to stay in the Christian life and endure all things and endure afflictions and not quit is because there's people who are watching me okay there's obviously people that I'm influencing you know there's people that are looking to my example you know of whether they should quit or not and you know what the same goes for us today whether you are a parent or you're single you know we all have a sphere of influence somehow you understand someone's always watching us now it could be ten people it could be one person it could be five people doesn't matter but there is an individual that you are influencing for the Lord and if when if and when you go through an affliction you throw on the towel you're basically communicating to that person hey quitting is an option but the truth is when you look at the Word of God from cover to cover you see that God wants us to endure those things okay he wants us to endure afflictions he wants us to just hold on and not throw in the towel and not quit and so Christians need to have this attitude that quitting is just never an option never an option what's an option well an option can be crying just go cry somewhere here's an option go eat you know amen you see you know an option could be you know go exercise an option could be go read a book an option could be just take a break an option could be you know what I just need to get my mind off of things but one thing that I'm not gonna do is quit the Christian life I'm not gonna get out of church I'm not gonna quit on soul winning I'm not gonna quit on God I'm not gonna quit on the Bible because quitting is never an option give yourself other options in the Christian life what to do when you're discouraged when you're being afflicted because the reality is this is that discouragement will always be present in our lives that's never designed you know we don't live in this world where just everything goes perfectly in our Christian life there's no trouble there's no stress there's no you know depression there's no discouragement these things are very much a real thing in our lives you know from time to time from season to season we just have to determine beforehand that one of the options that we select is not quitting can't be quitting okay now go with me through it to Hebrew chapter number 10 Hebrew chapter number 10 now look let me just say this is that the Bible says the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow to it okay God obviously you know blesses us tremendously when you're a Christian and you're serving God it's it's awesome okay whether you're single whether you're married no matter what state you're in if you're serving God you are blessed of the Lord okay God's hand is on you you know you're serving him but you know the blessing doesn't come without its troubles and thank God for the troubles because if we're just constantly being blessed of God and there's no afflictions then you're not gonna be grateful for the blessing if you're constantly having good things happen to you and everything is going hunky-dory in your Christian life and there's nothing bad that happens to you then you're not gonna be able to appreciate those blessings if you don't have bad things happen to you you know bad things are necessary in order to really accentuate the beauty of God's blessing okay so we have to understand that you know there are times in our Christian life that you know it's easy to serve God it's easy to love our wives as Christ loved the church it's easy to love your husband it's easy to raise your children it's easy to win souls it's easy to come to church it's easy to just live a Christian life but sometimes it's not easy right sometimes it gets a little hard sometimes it gets a little difficult sometimes you don't want to come to church sometimes you don't want to read your Bible sometimes you don't want to pray sometimes you don't want to reverence your husband sometimes you don't want to love your wife as Christ loved the church that's the reality folks but the truth is quitting is still never an option look at Hebrews 10 let's look at a couple more verses here Hebrews 10 we're gonna go to chapter 11 and then chapter 12 Hebrews 10 verse 32 says but call to remembrance the former days in which after you were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions partly whilst he were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilst he became companions of them that were so used go to chapter number 11 if you would chapter number 11 he says in chapter 10 of verse 32 they endured a great fight of afflictions what does it mean to endure it means you just hold on it means you're just barely holding on you're just not you're not gonna press the button to quit you're not gonna throw in the towel you're just kind of holding on until things get a little better until you catch your second wind until you can endure just a little more until you make it to tomorrow and then when tomorrow comes and it's still hard well you just gotta wait till the following day and then when the following days are hard okay we just gotta wait till next week and then when that week is terrible okay we'll just wait till next month and then the months go by and it's still hard all right just wait till next year you're like where's this going yeah what I'm saying is this is their trials usually they do end there's always an ebb and flow to trials and difficulties in the Christian life nothing lasts forever you know you're not gonna be in that hole of depression forever you're not gonna be in that hole of discouragement forever there's an ebb and flow I'm just telling you tonight that when you're in that particular time that particular season in your life not to be tempted to throw in the towel make sure you don't do that make sure you don't quit look at Hebrews 11 actually go to chapter 12 we're gonna skip Hebrews chapter 11 for now go to chapter 12 look at verse 1 wherefore seeing we are also compassed about what so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us the cloud of witnesses that he's referring to are the witnesses that chapter 11 is talking about okay and you know people have have interpreted this as like you know there's like a Colosseum in heaven or something you know and all you know Moses and Elijah and Enoch they're all like looking down on us you know like like we're some sort of like like it's a you know like we're a sport or something like that that's not what this is referring to okay the only one who can really look at the panoramic view of life is God himself right what this is saying is that all of these saints in Hebrew chapter 11 were witnesses of God and these witnesses of God endured a great fight of affliction so he's saying because we have this great cloud of witnesses we also should follow that same example and run with patience the race that is set before us so just as these cloud of witnesses ran with patience their own race 2,000 years ago 3,000 years ago 4,000 years ago we should follow that example to run that our race with patience as well and it's always good to look at someone else's example and see how they endured okay and and that encourages us to keep going forward for God look what it says in verse number two looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith so he says you know as you're running make sure you're keeping the end in mind and the end for us is Jesus Christ right he's the beginning he's the end he's the Alpha and the Omega and in fact when you think about it you know we're closer to the second coming of Christ and Moses was now they were also looking to the second coming they're looking to the first coming actually first but they also prophesied of a second coming but we're actually closer to them than that look it says looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross now I'm not gonna go into all the details of everything that Jesus Christ suffered on the cross but we obviously know that he suffered a great deal of affliction when he was being crucified and the Bible says why did he do it for the joy that was set before him despising the shame and has set down at the right hand of God right hand of the throne of God now we hear this preached all the time we hear this verse read all the time but folks don't allow it to lose its impact because it's still true today he says look when you're going through a hard time look into Jesus who for the joy that was set before him endure the cross see that he was willing to persevere he was willing to endure he had patience because of the joy that was set before him look what it says in verse 3 for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds so you think you have it tough well think about Jesus Christ who's God in the flesh who's the most innocent person born on this planet right born of a virgin and he suffered such contradictions of sinners against himself you know at least some of the contradictions that people bring to us some of the criticisms that people bring to us some of its valid someone criticizes me there's some truth to that to that criticism amen when someone criticizes you they could be lying you know let's say 90% of the time but you know what 10% of that's probably true right 100% of the contradictions that they brought to Jesus Christ was all false but yet he endured those contradictions and the Bible says that we need to take that into consideration because we don't want to be weary and faint in our minds okay he says in verse 4 you have not yet resisted into blood striving against sin I mean we really don't have it that bad we're not being crucified physically I know we're killed all the day long and we were counted as sheep for the slaughter but you know we haven't received a physical persecution to the to the extent that we're bleeding and we're being beaten and scourged I mean we received some pretty bad persecution the last year but nothing in comparison to what Jesus Christ went through we've not resisted unto blood right he says and yet forgotten the exhortation which speaketh to you as into children my son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when there are rebuked of him that's pretty interesting because he transitions from the persecution that we receive from other people as being something that we have to endure but you know what else we have to endure when God spanks us because guess what let me just let you in on a little secret some of the things that you go through some of the trials that you go through are not because you're just living a godly life sometimes it's because God is chasing you he's spanking you he's scourging you okay why because of your disobedience and you have to endure that he says in verse 6 for whom the Lord loveth he chasin it that's a good indication that God loves you man like what if I'm being chasing at least I know God loves me and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth look what it says in verse 7 if ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sons now obviously when we were born again we are already the sons of God right but as many as receive them today and give you power to become the sons of God even unto them that believe on his name but when we are chasing of the Lord it confirms the fact that we're saved but also we get the blessing of God as the sons of God because we're being chasing of the Lord okay he says he endured chastening God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chasteneth nah there are things in the Christian life that simply have to be endured folks okay can't just throw in the towel and call it quits that's not an option let me give you a couple things here and I'm gonna spend a little bit of time on one particular point here but I'm gonna go through some of these briefly number one you know when it comes to saving the loss quitting is not an option right quitting is not an option sometimes you grow weary grow tired sometimes you get a little lazy but at the end of the day quitting is never an option when it comes to preaching the gospel to every creature as a church quitting is never an option for us to be out there you know evangelizing the lost and soul-winning and preaching the gospel and doing missions trips or doing trips to areas such as San Diego cities are far away why because that's our responsibility and you know what sometimes in the Christian life the honeymoon you know sometimes it's over with okay you know you come to this church you're like man first works it's the best church in the world and then three months in yeah first words six months in twelve months in two years in now you're just like it's time to look for a new church or something like that because the newness always wears off and look if you leave here and you go somewhere else you'll have that honeymoon feeling again for like another 12 months because no church is perfect you have to endure this church sometimes you have to endure the preaching sometimes like oh man the priest is so excited little pastor he's so great and then after a while just like you know he kind of preaches about the same things and you know he uses the same illustrations and the same voice fluctuations just kind of he has the same mannerisms yeah every pastor does right surprise sucka gotcha the honeymoon stage is always over and you know what sometimes the honeymoon stage can be over for soul-winning too but the Bible still tells us in the Great Commission Matthew 28 go ye therefore teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Ghost that's for all those oneness Pentecostals out there teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you lo I'm with you always listen to this even until the end of the world amen so why do you say even until the end of the world because he expects us to preach the gospel to the very end what does that mean there's no such thing quitting is not an option there's no such thing as throwing in the towel quitting is not an option when preaching the gospel okay now this is why it's important that you pace yourself when it comes to serving the Lord okay you don't want to burn yourself out and you know just go go gunhole 100% you have it in fourth gear the whole time and then you burn out I prefer someone who just kind of runs the race with patience and just kind of jogs in the Christian life rather than sprints they sprint they're like soul-winning five days out of the week six days out of the week seven days out of the week and then they burn out or they burn out those that are influencing understand it's better to just pace yourself and take it one week at a time and just run it with patience and and not have it in fourth gear maybe you can do a month that you're in fourth gear but the next month you're in second gear the next month you're in first gear sometimes you might even put it on neutral you know but you don't put the car in park and get out and turn off the keys and walk away right we gotta keep going we got to keep preaching the gospel that is our responsibility as a church the Bible tells us in Matthew 24 verse 14 that this gospel the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations then shall the end come let me just say this is that I want to be a part of that prophecy because he's saying there it shall be preached in other words God's saying it's gonna happen well I want to make sure that I'm doing my part to fulfill that prophecy because it's gonna be fulfilled one way or another I just want to be a part of it I want our church to be a part of it second Timothy four five says but watch down on all things endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist make foolproof of thy ministry when it comes to saving souls quitting is never an option not only that when it comes to prayer quitting is never an option you know we're to pray without ceasing the Bible says that men ought always to pray not to fame and I think even this is actually the Christian discipline that often goes out the door goes out the window faster than any other discipline is praying sometimes people quit praying before they quit soul before they quit reading the Bible before they quit everything else they actually quit calling calling on the Lord asking God to show himself strong on their behalf they quit that but you know what that's not an option for us we need prayer in our lives we need to make sure we're keeping short accounts with the Lord we need to make sure that we have a strong relationship with God in prayer and then we're casting our care upon him knowing that he cares for us prayer is essential and quitting is never an option going to church you know quitting is never an option hey let me just say this you know as a pastor the job is never done and quitting is never option okay you say who are you talking to I'm talking myself I know and I'm talking to every other pastor out there because statistically pastors quit like on the seventh year started in the church believe it or not you know seventh year they say that you know people get the seven-year itch after seven years of being in a church is like I think it's time to move on time it's time to go to a different church well you know pastors are the same way after a while I was just like oh man I think it's just time to I think God's calling me somewhere else you know what I personally believe in what the Bible teaches that we need to be planted in a place for a long period of time how do you gain a reputation how do you gain credibility how do you see the fruits of your labor by being in one place for a very long time you understand a lot of times people don't see the fruit of their labors and their children and church members in a church in general because they don't stay long enough to see the fruits they don't stay long enough to see the byproduct of being faithful in one place for a long period of time you understand you know I I commend those who were there on the first day that we started and if you weren't there on the first day don't feel bad my wife wasn't there on the first day you know I think she was pregnant or something she wasn't feeling good or whatever but she can't say she was here on the first day so don't feel bad even the pastor's wife okay calling out my wife here but you know I commend those who were there on the first day because you know it was kind of primitive in those days it wasn't necessarily pastor we had a long beard and it's like when we moved into the building it was like no lights everything was black and then we had boxes for for for a pulpit you know it was just kind of real primitive you know but thank God some people endured amen but you know it still takes endurance even thereafter even if you come to the church thereafter it still takes endurance you know raising your children getting married raising your children serving God and you say man what does the future hold well why don't you stick around to find out why don't you stick around to find out okay but as a pastor the job is never done and you know it's important that pastors out there you know stick it out no matter what happens and this is where the rubber meets the road sometimes because sometimes pastors quit because they feel like they're not seeing enough fruit or they feel like their church is not growing but we got to be in this for the right reasons you understand got to be in it for the right reason and the right reason is to serve God no matter what happens you know if this this church dwindles down to five people or just my family and a couple people that like me in here you know then so be it you know if I'm doing what I believe is right according to the Word of God I just need to stick it out and you you guys out there who are who are preparing to be pastors or would like to be a pastor one day need to take that into account you need to you need to recognize that if you start a church it might not blow up like our church here oh wait man that's not the right wording to use there sorry too soon it might not yeah it might not grow like our church here but if it doesn't endure stick it out you know keep going forward my job as a pastor has never done and you know my intent my desire is to be here for the long haul I want to grow old and wrinkly and and hopefully I'm preaching one day and I'm just like faggots and I just have a heart attack I just die right there that would be great it's just like the most epic sermon ever preached going to church quitting is never an option as a pastor quitting is never an option hey mothers homeschooling quitting is never an option homeschooling can be hard difficult to teach children how to read and have schedules and then you got little ones and it's just like driving it's just driving you crazy but let me just say this it's just not an option to quit though that's right well maybe I should just put them into a Christian school or something or maybe I should just put them in a public school or some maybe that'll help no that's called quitting it's called quitting and I know you if you put Christian over that school a day it might be more justifiable to you or whatever but a Christian school is basically a really nice public school and sometimes even worse actually okay I don't care what Jack Treiber's wife said on that post the truth of the matter is is that God wants us to homeschool he wants us to teach our children he wants us to not only teach him the Word of God but teach him academics and in math and English and be the main influencer in our children's life and you know what yes it is hard but you know what anything that's worth doing is hard just don't throw in the towel look for help look for assistance look for advice look for counsel but don't look for a way out okay now turn with me if you would to go to first Corinthians chapter 7 if you would first Corinthians chapter number 7 quitting is never an option let me just say this obviously you know all these specific points that I gave we could probably give way more you know it's probably a lot more expensive list that we can we can give tonight but you know what in particular that I want to talk about tonight is marriage okay in marriage quitting is never an option right and let me just you know tonight I just want to reiterate our position as a church my position as a pastor what I believe the Bible says about marriage and I want to let you know that you know it's never an option to quit and you know what marriage gets hard it gets very hard it's not a bed of roses all the time it could get difficult it can become strenuous there's a lot of afflictions I mean there's a lot of problems that come in marriage along with a lot of blessings but sometimes you know certain problems seem more than the blessing but quitting is never an option in marriage okay and you young people those of you who are not married or those of you who just got married you better listen up now no dazing off or falling asleep you better pay attention good in this sermon because this is important okay quitting is never an option in marriage you stick it out to the very end now look at verse number one of chapter I'm gonna go through chapter 7 here and of course we're gonna go to Romans chapter 7 this is a good way for you to remember where the good passages the really great passages or expansive passages on marriage and divorce are found is Romans 7 and first Corinthians 7 it's a good way to remember them because they're both seven okay I'm looking for a summer one here it says now concerning the things where have you wrote unto me it is good for a man not to touch a woman let me just spend some time there first okay let me just chase a little rabbit here now what does this mean touch a woman does it say kiss a woman just says touch a woman right any kind of physical touching I mean that's basically what it says there and it's referring to single people it's good for a man not to touch a woman okay and let me just give you some fatherly pastoral advice for young people it's still good for a man not to touch a woman and you're like but I want to touch her then marry her first oh but it's not as fun or something you know if now we're married now I'm allowed to yeah yep that's the way it works now I know in the day and age in which we live you know a lot of people turn a blind eye to stuff like that they turn a blind eye to a little kiss on the cheek to turn a blind eye to a little caressing they turn a blind eye to a little hug a little hand-holding but folks let me just say this from a pastoral you know this is family time tonight okay it's not the wisest thing to do and when you when you allow yourself to just kind of go up against the line a little bit you're not crossing it because you're not committing fornication or anything like that but when you go up to the line close enough folks you're putting yourself in a position where you potentially might commit a sin and you say well not me well take heed lest ye fall take heed lest ye fall and I know this isn't popular with the young people today because the young people they're so godly they're not committing fornication they're so wicked but you know how about you memorize first Corinthians 7 verse 1 how about that why don't you come and explain to me what the Greek says in that one then and I know that's not popular I know young people don't like it when I say things like that and even some other people who maybe have been guilty of this in the past but I'm not preaching against married people who have done that in the past I'm preaching this to help our young people avoid this okay and I'm not here to be the popular Baptist pastor either okay I'm not here to kind of tickle your ears and say well it's okay you guys are holding hands and you guys are gonna get married eventually or something like that no you know I still believe the Bible and if that's what it says then that's what it says and that's what you should obey okay it's not the wisest thing to do and let me just say this is that you know obviously it and look I'm not the Baptist police either like really this is are you are you on them I'm on them you know it's just like are they holding hands they're doing it you know what you do outside of these doors I don't care let me just say this for the appropriateness of our church respect this law here though respect this verse here right be appropriate at church and I'm not saying people have been inappropriate but this is preventative amen a little pill for you to swallow here tonight preventative that while you're at church you know in a public setting it's great that maybe you're getting to know someone but let's be appropriate and not be caressing and hugging and kissing or you know I'm not saying that's taking place but I'm just throwing that out there okay be appropriate at church and it's best to just wait till you're married anyways and then you can just let loose and be as wild as you want okay and then I don't you know this doesn't apply to you right all right let's move on now that I offended half the church here hey look it says nevertheless to avoid fornication so what does that tell us touching a woman eventually leads to fornication if you're not married there's a reason it says nevertheless he's saying it's good for men not to touch a woman nevertheless to avoid fornication because that's what's gonna happen if you make it a habit of touching let every man have his own wife let every woman have her own husband let the husband render unto the wife do benevolence and likewise also the wife unto the husband now this is outside of the scope of the sermon but we're in the chapter so why not talk about it this is obviously in context referring to the physical relationship in marriage okay he's saying there you know before you're married don't touch no touching no kissing no necking and petting according to the Bible but once you're married God's like I command you to do those things you better render unto your wife do benevolence and that's a that's an interesting word that he says there he calls it benevolence he's like this is a kind thing for you to do for your husband and this is a kind thing for you to do for your wife he says render into what does that mean you owe your husband you owe your wife you know oh man this will freak out all kinds of feminists out there my body my choice you keep your body you know you keep your body and your ideologies and no man and the right man would want to marry such a ugly beast as these these purple haired you know feminists out there make a clip out of that look what it says in verse 4 the wife hath not power of her own body so no it's not your body your choice according to the Bible if you're married your body actually belongs to your husband but the husband and likewise also the husband hath not power over his own body but the wife according to the Bible your bodies belong one to another okay and so he's saying there make sure that you render to each other that physical relationship that is sanctioned of the Lord this is appropriate in the Lord's eyes the bed is undefiled you know and and it's and it's right to do in God's eyes according to the Bible he says there in verse number five the fraud ye not one another except to be with a consent for a time then I mean that you may give yourselves to fasting in prayer and come together again the Satan tempt you not for your incontinence II he goes look the only time this is appropriate to just abstain from each other is because you got to do something really spiritual like fasting in prayer but then he said but even then make sure it's only for a time okay don't let it be too long because then Satan can seek to intervene and tempt your husband and tempt your wife and then you you can have potential adultery verse 6 says but I speak this by permission and not of commandment for I would that all men were even as I myself now that's a verse that people just only like to focus on especially this miktau little effeminate you know I want to say faggot II but I know some of them were not you know faggots but they you kind of acting like it you know what these people were they're just like I don't want to I'm not gonna marry anybody and all women are sluts and I just want to win as many souls the crisis but that's how the Apostle Paul did it or really the one he just give a bunch of advice to married people thou fool and he says I speak this by permission and not of commandment now I'm gonna look at verse 7 says for I would that all men were even as I myself now why is he saying that well look at verse 35 if you would verse 35 he says in verse 35 and this I speak for your own profit not that I may cast a snare upon you but for that which is comely and that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction so obviously if you're a single person you know if you're not married you can kind of dedicate yourself to just serving the Lord and and being available and being a blessing and by the way not just soul winning because you know these guys who want to priest this this this doctrine they think oh yeah so I could just keep so any no it's actually being a blessing like all around like being the greatest servant in the church because you have all this time that's what he's mentioning there okay now let me say this is that when just because you're married doesn't mean you are not available to do those things and in fact when you're married your influence actually expands even more right whose children are those oh it's my daughter I'm just kidding I know it's my I would never call out like a random job like I knew it was my daughter I embarrass her that's why she stay quiet now so when you're married now you have children now you can raise them to be soul winners you could be an example to others okay and so he's saying there that they abide even as himself because he Paul the impossible is able to put himself in a lot of crazy situations you know I can't necessarily you know be shipwrecked in the ocean for three days and three nights cuz I got a wife and children to come home to that I have a responsibility for I can't really do those things because you know my wife needs me at home and the Bible says that if I don't provide for my family then I'm worse than an infidel so in order to not conflict with other commandments of the Lord you know I can't be out there getting beat up you know getting stripes and getting stoned and all these things you know cuz I have another responsibility I can't just I can't just beat a tent maker out there living in my car just serving the Lord as is like that you know I have a family to tend to you and you know the Apostle Paul couldn't do those things because he was single Peter didn't do those things though John did it why cuz they're pastors obviously they had families okay that's what he's saying there go back to verse 8 he says I say therefore to the unmarried and widows it is good for them if they abide even as I but if they cannot contain let them marry for just better to marry than to burn in other words it's better to marry and and satiate that natural desire that God has given to you if you can't contain yourself it's better to do it the right way get married and do that rather than just burn and then you're struggling okay verse 10 says and unto the married I command yet not I but the Lord so now he's like this is not my advice this is the command of the Lord okay let not the wife depart from her husband now this could be you know described as divorce it could be described as just departing in general okay and he's saying you know under no circumstance is it right and obviously within the confines of you know just if there is conflict in the marriage there's arguments you know there's there's you know even adultery in some cases obviously you know the wife should never depart from her husband and vice-versa obviously right it says there let not the wife depart from her husband now what he's stating here is what the rest of the Word of God says right don't divorce don't separate they twain shall be one flesh they shall remain together forever this is until death do his part I mean this is pretty much all across the board what the Bible teaches okay but let me make myself very clear and this is something that people get confused on in the Bible God will often give a command right he'll say do this or don't do this but then sometimes you'll say but if you do this this is what you need to do now let me ask you a question does that mean that he is advocating for breaking his law or breaking his commandments no but in his foreknowledge in his foreknowledge of mankind's behavior he understands that there are some people who will keep that commandment till death do them part but he also understands that there's other people that will not keep that commandment for example polygamy always wrong okay but then there's rules what to do if you're involved in polygamy in the Bible now people want to point to that and say see God's cool polygamy it's stupid it's such a stupid argument he's given you what to do in case you've already done it doesn't mean he's sanctioning it doesn't mean he approves of it doesn't mean he advocates for it he just given you a sub point in case you do commit that sin because some people place themselves in a situation prior to being saved or even when they're saved when they do stupid stuff like that and you know what God is gracious enough to continue to instruct you even thereafter on what to do does that make sense I want to make myself very clear so he's saying let not the wife depart from her husband that is a command don't divorce don't separate that's what he's saying right never right now do we live in a world where that's never happened do we you know are there churches where that's just never happened I doubt it unfortunately right so what does God do he explains what to do if you do and the reason I'm making such a big deal about that is because verse 11 says but and if she depart so don't take that as a as a as you know an access free pass or somebody's like oh okay cool I can do it no it says but and if she depart look what it says let her remain unmarried now what I find interesting sometimes couples you know they separate and they're like God's call me to divorce or something you know I and I need a divorce I need to get away from this person but really what they want is to get married again that's really what they want they want another wife they want another husband that's what they want whereas the Bible says okay if you depart all right but remain unmarried because if you choose to date or get married according to the Bible screw what the world says according to the Bible you're committing adultery I don't care what's happening with Johnny Depp and his weird lady or whatever you know by the way that should teach you that it's not all fun and games to be rich and famous that guy's going through hell okay and let me say this if you ever become rich and famous which none of you will but if you ever become rich and famous you will never find a godly spouse you're never gonna find just a good spouse I mean Johnny Depp mr. parts of the Caribbean himself I mean he has a pretty he has a pretty bad hand on him right now but that's what you get for being rich and famous I'd rather just be unknown poor with the dinner of herbs and love they're with right so the Bible says now you know yeah he has a stalled ox I'm sure he can eat steak every night if you wanted to and you know all these glitz and glamour but then his wife is like defecating on his bed trying to get back at him and stuff crazy stuff folks so think about that the next time you fight with your husband or your wife just they just think you know what she yelled at me but she's not I got a good hey the next time next time you know your husband you know says something mean to you just go to the bedroom and pull the sheets and be like I got it good cuz folks there's people out there who are dealing with that I'm just saying look at verse 11 button if she depart let her remain unmarried or what's the other option or be reconciled to her husband and let not the husband put away his wife what is the same quitting is not an option amen so let me say this you know and the reason I want to preach this is because as the years go by we're gonna have people get married in our church that they're gonna quit on each other okay people in our church they want to quit on each other understand and don't think well this is first works Baptist Church you preach on this so much and you know won't people know people are people folks and sometimes that happens you know where a couple gets married and you look like you think everything is fine and dandy and they're no longer with each other sometimes that happens and I'm not advocating for that so I want to make myself very clear from the pulpit that couples that get married in our church if they ever separate it's not because I approved of it it's not because I'm advocating for any type of separation or any type of divorce I'm 100% against it I will always be against it every single couple could get divorced in our church they will never convince me to do otherwise because I believe this since people my the church I used to come to before my father-in-law taught me this principle I see it in God's Word I will always believe it so it's never gonna change but that's not to say people in our church are not gonna do that and let me just say this if you are entertaining getting divorced I will preach on it I will preach on it you say why do we gotta make it so awkward well because of the fact that I don't want our children and the young couples or you know the single people in our church to think oh wait maybe the pastor is okay with it because everyone knows folks as soon as I give the green light on a specific thing it's gonna spread right hey if I got up here and I said you know taking steroids is okay let's just be real honest here if I if I got up and said look folks I just want to say what my stance is on steroids I've switched on my opinion on that you know if you try and deadlift like 900 pounds just go for it you know I mean I think it's fine you know let's just be honest some people will not fall for it but other people were like well pastor said they'd be like say no more because off everything rises and falls on leadership now let me just make myself very clear I'm not advocating for steroids okay I'm natty fatty but natty and so when things like this happen you know for example of a couple separates in our church it's not because I've advocated for or approved of it or said that it was it was a good thing it's not a good thing but it's gonna happen sometimes okay people you know people that I know will separate sometimes and you know going through conflict or whatever it is and and that's the decision that they made but it's not because we as a church approve of it okay now let me say this is that when that happens in our church we need to make sure obviously if they're trying to kind of just move on and they're kind of struggling but they're coming to our church we still need to treat them with love kindness and respect and we need to be kind to them and not be awkward around them and you know not ask them all kinds of random questions either just kind of mind your own business it's probably all you need to know is that they've separated and that's it now my desire for couples who potentially might do that in the future is that they would simply just reconcile that would be the goal that's right right my heart's desire that they would reconcile and obviously you know to some people be like well that's easier said than done and I agree with you that's easier said than done sometimes it could be a long difficult road ahead absolutely but it doesn't mean it's impossible because God said that that's what he wants understand and so the need to be treated with respect and compassion and long-suffering however however let me also say if the people who are separated begin to talk amongst other church members that what they did is justifiable at that point the the light switch goes on for me and I have to be mean pastor again then the long-suffering turns off you know it's just like no more because at that point you're violating scripture you're you're promoting something that the Bible doesn't promote you're going against what we're saying here in the pulpit and I have no problem going to the pulpit and rebuking that whatsoever but I don't think that's gonna happen okay what I'm saying is this is that in general our church this is what we believe and you couples out there if you're going through a difficult time don't throw in the towel if you need to go to mom's house for a little bit if you need to go to dad's house for a little bit if you need to go to your parents for a little bit and and take a breather do what you got to do but don't quit don't quit you made a covenant before God now let me let me also say obviously all bets are off if one of the people one of the spouses is a reprobate right because at that point that's a person who's very dangerous extremely dangerous right now let me also say this and obviously that that's that's a case that happens very far few and in between okay but let me also this let me also say this if a woman ever comes to me and is separating from her husband because she feels she's in danger you know I still stand by what the Bible says but I'm not gonna I'm I'm not gonna go against her intuition to separate because she feels like she's in danger because at that point that's at her discretion if a person feels like they're in danger physically or something like that you know I can't I'm not gonna go against her her intuition that person's intuition or their family's intuition because that's on them you understand people I'm not dealing with children here you guys are all adults okay so I treat you like adults I'm not a pastor who's just gonna you give me veto power and and I choose for you and you make sure that you check with me on every single thing that you do I got a wife and kids to deal with in my own life and I got like lifting and stuff that I gotta think about too okay you know I got other ways to handle here you know I'm not gonna I'm not trying to police anybody and you tell me I'm gonna be your spiritual father and you gotta check everything through me and I'll give you the approval that's not what a pastor is supposed to be there for and I'm not trying to burn out as a pastor either I'll be a father unto you so to speak where I'll give you some fatherly advice but I'll never say you better do this you know what I'll tell you is this is what the Bible says this is what I recommend that you do but you're a grown person you need to make that decision okay and so let's read on here so the the option that God gives is hey if you separate okay that's not for that but he says but remain unmarried and the moment that someone gets married or they start dating they're thrown out they're thrown out of the church let me make myself very clear about that because that's adultery according to the Bible right if you're in our church and you're separated from your spouse and you begin to date you begin to you know be with another person that's called adultery and that's grounds for excommunication from the church I make no apologies about that okay but the best thing it says or to be reconciled to her husband and let not the husband put away his wife now one way that you can just avoid this all-around is just be a good leader in your home because like I said this morning everything rises and falls on leadership right in a marriage obviously you know my wife has to you know hold her end of the deal and make sure she's a good wife and make sure she's walking with God and she's doing all this but at the end of the day if my marriage falls apart and my wife no longer respects me and my wife does all these things that are unbiblical I got only one person to blame folks and that's me and we got to stop having this attitude that everything is over everyone else's fault we need to take personal responsibility for our actions folks if my wife cusses me out and is mean to me and decides to leave me and go back to her mom and her brothers or whatever you know that's my fault if she doesn't want to be around me that's my fault now this would she has some stuff that she needs to work on yeah but that does not negate the fact that I'm still responsible for failing as a husband we're having we're having family time tonight okay and I'm having a heart-to-heart conversation with you because I want you to make sure that first of all what our stance is but I want you to take your decision to make a covenant before God and marriage seriously too this is not some flippin decision that you have to make that's why I don't recommend people to get married right off the bat oh let's just get married two months into it three months into it I don't recommend that I don't recommend it at all now have there been people who've gotten married that way and they live happily ever after absolutely absolutely I know some of them and you know what they're the exception to the rule it's better to wait it's better to get to know the person it's better to go to channels of authority it's better to just do it the right way and not just rush into something because then you have to deal with a whole lot of heartache afterwards and here's a good idea before you get married and I'm counseling you listen to my counsel that's another good idea you know I know I'm only 36 and I've only been married for a couple of years or whatever and I only got a couple kids but you know what I'm gleaning wisdom from men who've been married for 30 40 plus years so I'm gleaning their wisdom and I'm leeching off of what they what they know and what they believe in their experiences and their experiences are still true so when I advise you don't take it oh he's just like a young pastor he doesn't really know what he's talking about okay then do your own thing and see how that works out for you well you're only there to teach God's Word and stuff like that well you know apparently marriage is also part of God's figure and I'm not saying you have to just oh you know think that I'm just the best counselor or whatever but if you come to me for counsel you're asking for advice don't take it as some zirconia type of a counselor just like I guess what am I gonna do with this or whatever you better take it as I'm telling you I'm giving you wisdom and give heat to that or else and let me just say this like if you don't then I'm not gonna want to counsel you anymore I'm not gonna waste my breath you understand and so and look parents be involved in the process of your children dating all the way up until marriage be heavily involved and let me also say this people in the church you don't need to be cupid and and play a matchmaker in our church either leave that up to the parents I'm being serious here you can encourage the young men in our church you can encourage the young ladies in our church but let's not try to be matchmaker and play love connection some of you are way too young to even know what I'm talking about there to play love connection and try to see who's best with who and then you're kind of getting involved and and all the young dating all this hey save all that let the parents be involved in that and if the parents come to ask you for advice you give advice but give yourself a boundary that you will not cross you understand a boundary of counsel that you will not cross what is that boundary when you start commanding this is what you're gonna do this is what you should do this is what say this is my recommendation but mom it's up to you dad that's up to you this is your son this is your daughter you're the one who makes it the decision for that and I understand that there's young people in our church who may not have parents in our church and they need Godly counsel they have myself they have other people in our church but those of us who have parents here you need to take advantage of the fact that you have your parents here and parents you need to capitalize on that and understand that your word is law your word and the direction you want for your children is law you don't have to you know subjugate yourself to someone else's counsel in our church or have someone else in our church peer pressure you and to having them date someone or whatever it may be I know it's getting uncomfortable here but we have to do this every couple months okay does anybody gonna invite me out to eat after this that was a nervous laugh your word is law dad your word is law I respect your word I respect your decision and I would choose your decision above anybody else's in our church including my own that's why if someone decides to say well they're gonna get married I won't even butt in I'm not gonna say well hey I don't think it's a good idea or yeah this is a great idea unless you just come to me and ask me because it's none of my business I'm not your daddy I'm not your mama I'm not your daddy I'm your pastor and I'm here to provide counsel and godly wisdom and to intervene if you ask me to but parents you need to take you know responsibility okay and you say well I don't know what to do pray for God's wisdom read the Bible ask me ask other people have succeeded in this area and here's the thing don't rush into anything okay and mom and dad if you feel like well this is not a good relationship okay run with it run with it I know that's not popular too yeah but everyone else though everyone else wants them today well who gives a crap what everyone else wants who gives a flying flip what everyone else wants for your son or your daughter because your son and your daughter have to deal with the consequences of the marriage thereafter and you're responsible to make sure they go to that altar and you've done all that you can to get them they're ready to go so screw the peer pressure and look let me just say this is that if someone in here is peer-pressuring your your kids to get married come talk to me I need a sermon I'm always looking for new sermons okay and I'm not any look obviously we know that people in our church have the best intentions and they love the people in our church and they want what's best for them I'm just laying this down to help everyone to know what the responsibilities are okay and we have to have uncomfortable conversations like this to kind of remind us to get our hole out of the ground and start thinking correctly look at verse 15 I need to hurry up here all right says in verse 15 but if the unbelieving depart let him depart a brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases but God hath called us to peace so people have misinterpreted to say you know if someone divorces you or you're not in a bondage you can go and get married but that's not what it says it doesn't say that they're bound it says that they're in bondage and bondage is referring to that due benevolence that you owe your spouse so in other words let me explain what this is referring to if you're married and your spouse departs from you oh excuse me when you're married you owe your spouse your body according to the Bible you understand that you owe them due benevolence it says due benevolence like you owe them you're indebted to them for that okay well in the Bible that's often referring to like being in bondage like when you owe someone you're like in bondage to them okay it's something that you owe right well if the unbelieving or any person even if they're not believing in that relationship departs you're not under bondage to render due benevolence to your spouse okay now that's important to mention too because there's marriages out there not here there's marriages out there that will try to take advantage of this to say well you don't believe in divorce but I'm gonna leave you and I'm just gonna come back and and and enjoy the physical part of the relationship whenever I want that's not right either because if the husband is not rendering due benevolence to their wife they're not holding up their end of the bargain according to the Bible you're not in the bondage to do the same to them that's what the Word of God says they have to fulfill their responsibility as a husband as a wife for you to fulfill your responsibility as well okay make sense everyone look at verse 27 I'm hitting that the pertinent scriptures here I know we're going a little long but I need to finish this up look at verse 27 thank you art thou bound unto a wife seek not to be loose so he's saying look are you married okay don't try to get a divorce he says art thou loose from a wife seek not a wife what does he mean what is he saying remain unmarried now more specifically when it says bound he's actually referring to being bound as in or excuse me when you're loose from a wife he's referring to one of the spouses dying because the only time you're actually able to marry someone else is when your spouse dies according to Romans chapter number 7 so if your spouse dies the Bible says you are now loose but he says there seek not a wife now why would the Apostle Paul say if your spouse dies you shouldn't remarry don't seek a wife the same reason he was saying it earlier in the chapter because now you can serve the Lord without distraction right but then look what he says in verse number 28 but and if thou marry thou hast not sinned why is he saying that because you're already loose from the law of your husband your spouse has died you're loose from that law you've not sinned he's just recommending that you stay single because now you can serve the Lord without distraction but if you marry you're not sinning because you're not committing adultery because your spouse has died and you're loose from that law does that make sense to everyone look at verse 39 the wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth but if her husband be dead she is at liberty to be married to whom she will only in the Lord the Bible says okay and obviously that's referring to the the death of one of the spouses okay and so I'm gonna stop right there but let me just make some closing statements just I want to speak from the heart I've been speaking from the heart this whole time but just let me speak more from the heart okay quitting is never an option folks and you need to remember that phrase okay and and those of you who are married you know you might be going through a tough time now and you're going through a difficult time never entertain the d-word okay and I'm not saying damn either I'm about divorce which is a far more worse cuss word okay don't entertain divorce no matter how hard it gets no matter how obstinate your your husband is how obstinate your wife gets you know how rocky your marriage is never allow it to be an option if you love the Bible if you love the Lord if you love the principles found in God's Word don't do it okay because at that point you're saying well the Bible because you know in other churches it's so funny you know pastors will preach against divorce or preach against divorce but once their favorite members start getting divorced is like oh now they start switching on their stance well maybe it is permissible it's never permissible I don't care if Ulysses quitting is never an option you know now getting fired is now I'm just kidding you know Ulysses I've been friends with Ulysses for a long time I mean I've known Ulysses for a long how many how many years eight years but who's counting right you know eight years I think I've known brother Marcus for example maybe over ten years or something like that I'm very close to them like I would consider them my spiritual sons in the faith because I've mentored them for many years but let me say this if this guy ever divorces I'm not a respecter of any people I'm not gonna be like well maybe he's right about that maybe I can twist some scriptures here to kind of fit that narrative wrong doesn't matter who does it it's still wrong my friends and to you young people and I'm pointing to young people out here okay you young people in the back you better take marriage serious this is not a game and I know people hear about stories in the new IFP of people who just met and just love at first sight and then you just get married that's not your story though simple as that let me say this the people who have done that even the pastors who have done that they will tell you themselves that's not the right way to do it so stop using that as an example oh man the new IFP we just like as soon as we see each other's like man we get married you do so any me too UK GV me too you hate facts me too let's get married and it's just like people think that's how it is like nowadays this is like oh for me to find the right spouse it is like post trip you personally okay cool replacement theology do you you hate Jews like me okay cool what do you think about Hitler we could talk about that afterwards you know it's just like all these things but they neglect the most important things those things are not important when it comes to marriage I mean folks my wife wasn't even post-trip when we got married oh yeah my wife was in post-trip she wasn't replacement theology she didn't believe in the reprobate doctrine she was a preacher and you know I started teaching her and I made her cry she could tell you cuz I was like you know like cuz pastor Anderson was like very taboo you know to me where we used to go and but it wasn't taboo in my house so in my house I just bumped pastor Anderson just like the sub over you know I just play him and then you know what is she gonna say my house you know and so she you know she was listening to two and then she I think we're on our way somewhere and then she started talking to me I was like so this is what you believe I'm like teaches and you know hey we're gonna die it's like you know the tribulation Christians are gonna die and all these things and this is what the Bible says and literally she's just started crying because my wife's so sensitive you know and she's I'm like why are you crying and she's like and you know obviously after a while then she's because my wife reads the Word of God she studies the Word of God as well she started seeing it and she believes it and and same thing with all the other doctrines but look folks that wasn't my checklist for her though like hey if you're trying to get with this guy right here you got to make sure you have all these in line okay not for me you say what was your desire to marry someone who loves the Lord who loves the Bible who loves her biblical role as a woman what was that who loves her biblical role as a woman who wants to have a family she wants to be in submission to her husband that's what I look for all those other stuff can come later I can teach you that other stuff later no problem with that stuff so stop making that your checklist okay because here's the thing if you have that checklist and they pan out they check all those things you're like yeah but then you get married and then all you all these marriage problems start coming to the surface all the other doctrines are not even gonna matter to you anymore it's not like well you know she doesn't respect me but hey she hates the Jews though praise the Lord you know nope that's not what you're gonna be thinking about like oh you know she's not in submission to me she doesn't respect me but hey I mean at least you know she knows that Jesus coming after the tribulation though that's great I promise you you're not gonna be thinking about that at all okay and so I'm not saying those doctrines are not important obviously they're important in their context in their appropriate place well in the context of marriage that's not important because if you're a good husband you can just teach her those things and help her to understand and then you know you can convert them thereafter okay and look what I did is like you know none of my family knew that I was held this position and then like on the the night before we got married I took all my brother-in-laws and I think Albert was I don't remember if you're there we went to go eat pizza and at that point I was like yeah I believe that the rapture is after the tribulation you know I just let loose on them and they're just like cuz I'm thinking myself too late too late the wedding's tomorrow can't do anything quitting is not an option guys okay and so obviously I'm trying to like bring some levity to this sermon because obviously it's a serious sermon okay but I don't want you to take it lightly though what I'm saying okay and and and here's the thing after service you know the reason I'm saying this is so you don't go around service after service you know kind of you know gossiping or trying to you know scuttlebutt or whatever it is just take the information that I just gave you and act upon what I just told you okay and understand this is the nature of the beast and as the years go by it's gonna happen Lord willing very minimally because we preach on it and this is what we stand for but it's gonna happen sometimes you understand and so don't quit let's pray father we thank you so much for your word we're so thankful for the principles thereof Lord help us God because marriage is hard sometimes and you know that to be true you instituted the marriage Lord and sometimes it is hard it's difficult because of sometimes there's health issues involved or wrong attitudes or just hormones are sometimes off or sometimes we're going through a hard season as men schedules change there's a lot of a lot of factors that play into it and I pray that you'd help us to take it all in stride help us to continue to read the Bible and and to bring levity or to bring buoyancy to our thought life and and level us out as men level us out as women Lord and that we would fulfill our roles and and just stick it out to the very end and seek to improve I've been married for a couple years and I have not yet arrived I can still be a better husband and so I'm looking to do that as the years go by and I'm sure I'm positive that's the same attitude that my wife has and Lord I pray that the couples in our church would view it as such that we have not arrived we need to just improve as spouses and build upon these convictions that we already hold to now and Lord help us Lord to not quit when it going gets tough to not quit when when we're going through a tough time and we just feel like we've reached the end of the line here it's never over it's never over and I pray that you just help us Lord to do so to endure and we obviously understand that a lot of the Christian life doesn't have to be endured there's a lot of happy moments in the Christian life there's a lot of joyous moments in the Christian life but help us to navigate through the difficult times to get to that joyous time as well and Jesus then we pray