Pt. 4 Terminating The Termites Series

Rebuilding Broken Families Pt. 4 February 24, 2013

Terminating the Termites

A In Odin, they were tearing down an old, majestic house I rode by hundreds of times while I was growing up.

1 I knew one of the guys tearing it down & I struck up a conversation. Why?

a Termites. The outside looked sound, solid in order.

aa The foundation, the frame had been rotted away.

bb The house could collapse at any moment... You’d never know it by looking at it.

b Driving away I thought, “How many homes are like that old house?” (The outer veneer looks solid/responsible, & inside it’s rotten with problems.)

aa The modern home has “termites” that eat away at the foundations of the family.

bb They look solid, happy, stable, but the inside is full of turmoil & hostility.

2 Satan has unleashed the power & resources of hell on the family & he knows that disruptions of the home yields three devastating results.

a The Word of God is blasphemed.

5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:5 (KJV)

5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Titus 2:5 (NASB)

aa Blaspheme / dishonor means to speak lightly or profanely.

bb The bible is not taken seriously.

b The Prayers are Hindered.

7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7 (NASB)

aa If a husband in Christ isn’t fulfilling his responsibilities towards his wife, God may not answer his prayers.

bb There is an interruption of all the promises of prayers heard & answered.

13 "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.14 "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:13-14 (NASB)

c The next generation is robbed of a good & long life.

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.2 Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise),3 So that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. Eph 6:1-3 (NASB)

aa The founder of Google & Facebook have est. an organization that will award monies to scientists, researchers, engineers who make advances in curing intractable diseases & extending human life. “Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences”

bb Long life is extended by following His Word, obeying your parents.

3 I believe Satan laughs & mocks those trying to live the Christian life with things not right in their homes.

B A recent secular study showed the three major “causes” of divorce: incompatibility of temperament, mental cruelty & alienation of affection: Baptize them!

1 Incompatibility of temperament. (Drunkard)

a An alcoholic is a selfish person who has made the bottle God instead of God being God.

aa Self gratification becomes God.

bb The problem with alcoholism is basically a problem of selfishness: Nobody has it bad as them - self pity.

b 34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. John 8:34 (NASB)

We call Alcoholism a disease, Jesus calls it an addiction / sin.

2 Mental Cruelty (Many meanings, but it can mean one of the parties is stingy) Finances after we baptize it.

a At the heart is self gratification! Couples in their greed for more wind up in debt / constantly arguing over money.

b The desire to please self is the enemy of the home.

3 Alienation of affection (Sexual Problems) Selfishness

a When lovemaking is just for self gratification, no tenderness / no effort to please your wife / husband, it’s simply a selfish desire.

b Some marriage partners will use sex as a weapon.

aa “I’ll go sleep on the couch,” until I get my way.

bb To withhold physical love for use sex as a “pay off” for getting your way is a prostitution of marriage.

cc Secret: This is selfishness & is the cause of much of the adultery today.

c (IL.) If the wife makes her husbands favorite meal, spreads it on the table, good plates.

aa He comes home from work, “You don’t treat me right, you’ve hurt my feelings.” She lists all his failures.

bb He sees that food but he can’t have any - How many meals do you think he will miss before he goes out to a restaurant? (Of course this example is ridiculous. No one would think of withholding food from a hungry person.)