"Peter, Feed My Sheep” (6 Of 21)

The man said, "Young lady, may I please talk with your Mother?" The young girl said, "She is not here, she is in the insane asylum.” The man said, "I am sorry to hear that, would you let me talk to your daddy?" She said, "He isn't here either, he is in jail.” He said "Young lady I am really sorry to hear that, perhaps I can talk to your sister?" The young girl said, "She isn't here either, she is in reform school." The man said, "Young lady I feel so bad about the members of your family. Perhaps you have a brother I can talk to?" She said, "He is not here either, he is at Harvard University." The man said, "Well, I am glad to hear that your brother is at Harvard University, do you know what he is studying?" She said, "He is not studying anything, they are studying him."

This passage deals with marriage.

(1) It speaks to those who are presently married

(2) It speaks to those who will one day be married

In some way this passage of Scripture applies to your life. Let us take a close look and see how it affects you.

I. THE WOMAN

It is amazing that one of the most important things in our life is marriage. What is more astounding, since this is one of the most important things in our life that we have to deal with, is that none of the schools, colleges or universities that I am aware of have a course on how to be a good husband, or a good wife.

But there is good news. God’s Word has a great deal to say about it. God is the one who instituted marriage, and God knows what it is going to take to make marriage function.

In this day when so many marriages are in trouble, people all around the world should be seeking Him for advice on how to have a successful marriage.

Instead, they are seeking the advice of people who do not have the slightest idea about how to have a successful marriage.

Illus: People would not dare seek financial advice from someone who has filed for bankruptcy, and whose credit cards are “maxed-out”. But so often they will turn to someone who has had multiple failed marriages, and ask them what should they do about the problems in their marriage.

One of the reasons today’s marriages are failing is because people today are going to the wrong places for instruction in marriage, when they should be going to the Word of God.

The devil knows how important it is, that people turn to the Word of God for instruction in marriage. That is why, when the Bible preacher preaches the Word of God, the devil tries to brand it as archaic and no longer having a place in this modern society in which we live.

For example, the modern day “Equal Rights” people claim their way exalts womanhood, and that God’s Word degrades womanhood.

We have had several decades of this unscriptural philosophy pushed on us, but I want to ask you this question, "Are women more exalted today than they were when Bible truths were practiced in the past?" Bible-believing Christians, and even most unbelievers, do not think so!

If equal rights meant equal pay for equal work and experience, any fair and sensible person would be for it. But this ERA crowd has more on their minds than equal pay for equal work.

According to those who back the ERA, such as the National Organization of Women, (the “NOW” gang), every woman who wants to fulfill her role in life as a wife and mother is degrading herself.

Let me give you a few reasons why Bible-believing Christians are against this unscriptural view of womanhood.

A. Bible-believing Christians are against the ERA that allows women to fight on the battlefields where they could be wounded and/or killed in combat.

Illus: We saw a good example of this during the Persian Gulf war when mothers were forced to leave their homes. Children and husbands stood in the airports of this nation and watched their mothers and wives go off to war. The men stood in the airports waving good bye to their wives as they left to fight for our freedom. Something is wrong with that picture. Equal rights laws now demand that they be fighting alongside the men who are there.

B. Bible-believing Christians are against the ERA that allows women and men to share military sleeping quarters.

Illus: The Wisconsin State Journal, August 13, 1978, gave us a preview of what women can expect if the ERA promoters continue to have their way. The report was of six female soldiers who were forced to live in a tent with male soldiers for a week! The women and their husbands objected, but to no avail.