Best of Marriages

I'm glad to see that all the essential people are here this morning. Uh we have not shut down our church even though the government seems to shut down. And we're glad to have you here. Um we've been doing a series on uh marriages made in heaven but lived on earth. And I told you the other week that before anniversary Sunday that I was going to do a couple review and we'd be done. But since then I've come up with a couple more messages in the series. So I'm going to give you a couple more. And uh this one's going to be this one is titled building a be building blocks of marriage. Building blocks of marriage.

And you can see I've got the Legos up here and I've got the Jenga. And uh we're going to do that Jenga's illustration a little bit. I want I'm going ask Jason right now to come up and take one of the Jenga blocks out and put it up on the top. You all know how to play the game. You have to find that loose one to get out of there and and without knocking the whole thing down. You're not supposed to touch two of them. Jason. All right. And uh let's see. Brother Brownfield, you come up here. Good to have brother Bfield back and his wife for former members and visiting. So you you get one out there too and see if you can keep it from falling down and uh I'll talk about this a little bit later on.

There we go. Good. And I'll get a couple more of you a little bit. But I want to talk about the building box in Psalms chapter 127 and verses 1-5. It says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman walketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows. For so he giveth his beloved sleep. Low children of heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hands of a mighty man, so are the children of youth. Happy is the man that has quiver full of them.

They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies of the gate. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. And and we need to understand that we cannot build our marriages. We cannot build our families. We cannot build our house without the Lord Jesus Christ. And and that starts with just the the building blocks of marriage. And in Isaiah 28:es 9 and 10, it says, "Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little."

If you've got children, you know what these are right here. Uh the the building blocks that you give your kids and they build up little towers and and uh just one on top of the other and building them up. And that's exactly uh what God is saying here that the way we build our marriage is just one precept at a time. And as we've gone through the series, I tried to give you different things that can help you in building your marriage. And by the way, these same principles apply in other relationships. These same principles apply in the church relationship. And and so if you're not married, it can still apply to you as well.

But building line upon line and precept upon precept. And that starts with the ABCs of salvation. And the ABCs of salvation is this. You got to make sure that you're saved that you have Jesus Christ. And it starts with a all have sinned. In Romans 3:23, it says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23 it says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." And and so we need to start start with the the basic of salvation is understand that I am a sinner. And because of my sin, I don't deserve to go to heaven. I deserve to go to hell.

We think, well, God's a loving God. He's going to let me into heaven. But you know what? If we go into heaven with one sin, we're going to ruin heaven like we've ruined this earth. And and God just cannot allow us to heaven with our sin. And and so how do we get rid of our sins? Let her be as believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. John 3:16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. In Romans chap Ephesians chapter 2:es 8 and 9, it says, "For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves.

It's the gift of God, not of not of works let's say a man should boast." And we need to understand that I cannot work my way into heaven. It's not by my good works. It's not by my religion. It's not by my rituals. It's not by my own righteousness. But it's in a relationship with Jesus Christ, believing in him as my personal savior. And then letter C is to call on the Lord. In Romans chapter 10 verses 9 and 10, it says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God has raised from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

In Romans 10:13, it says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." And you need to call upon Jesus Christ. If you're here and you're married, you called on one another. There was a day, a time, and a place where you said, "I do." And you accepted one another in marriage. And the same thing is true of salvation. There needs to be a time and a place where you say, "I do to Jesus Christ and accept his love for you and accept him into your heart and your life." And then letter D is to do it now. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse number two, "Behold, now is the expected time.

Be behold, now is the day of salvation." And if you're not saved, you need to do it today. You need to trust Jesus Christ today. You need to call upon him today. Uh you need that foundation in all of your relationships is the foundation of a relationship with Jesus Christ. And then letter E is eternal life is eternal. In 1 John chapter 5 and 12 and 13, the Bible says, "He that hath the son hath life. He that hath not the son of God hath not life." These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. Some people sometimes people struggle with well I I trusted Jesus but you know I was I sinned again and I lost my salvation.

You know the Bible says for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth him that to them should give he gives eternal life. When you get saved, you have eternal life. You have it from the moment you got saved until the day till eternity. Uh the day you die, the only thing that changes is not whether you have eternal life or not. It's where you're going to have your eternal life. Right now, I have eternal life here on this earth. But when I die, that eternal life is going to be in heaven. But still going to be eternal life. And eternal life is eternal when you trust Jesus Christ.

But the Bible says you can know. It doesn't say you can think or you can hope, but it says you can know for sure if you died that you're going to heaven. And I hope that you know that today. That's the foundation of of your relationship is to make sure you have that relationship with Jesus Christ and through with God through Jesus Christ as your savior. But you also need to build other foundations in your relationship as well. In Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 20 it says are built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. Now the apostles and prophets the foundation that they gave to us is first of all the foundation of the gospel.

Go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 if you would please. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and look at verses uh 1 Corinthians 3 9-11. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verses 9- 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and beginning with verse number nine. It says, "For we are labors together with God. Ye are God's husbandry. Ye are God's building according to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master builder. I have laid the foundation and another buildeth there on. But let let every man take heed how he buildth there upon. For the foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." You see the apostles, they gave us the foundation of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.

And they also gave us the foundation of the word of God. And and the word of God is our foundation our lives. Look at Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. See, you need to establish the foundations if you're going to build. Alex, would you stand up, please? All right. I want you to recite your ABC's for me. Go ahead. B. Louder. Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z. Oh, give him a hand. That's pretty good. That's pretty good for a Marine. I I'm really impressed. That's good for a Marine, especially. You can sit down, Alex. We're not impressed, are we? I I mean, now my little granddaughter, when she came this last summer, she was just turning 5 years old.

Uh we I I spent the whole summer working with her ABCs, and boy, she could do it. I'd give her a big hand. We get all excited about that, but not at Alex's point in life. Uh that's a foundation that was even established a long time ago. And and a lot of you as Christians, the challenge is you're saved, but you need to go back and get those basics. And and you need to get the basics of the Christian life and that foundation. In Hebrews chapter 6 and:es 1-3, it says, "Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let's not let's go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and the faith towards God or the doctrine of baptisms or laying on of hands or resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

This we will do, but if God permit," he's saying, "Listen, it's time for you to get beyond the ABCs." There's some of you in this room, all you really know is John 3:16. You don't really know anything else about your Bible. you don't know whether haven't memorized either Bible verses, you haven't read much more of the Bible, you you need to get beyond the basics and lay the foundation and and we'll be having a class come up next Sunday. We're going to start do our start point class for those who are new in the church for about 3 weeks. And then after that, I'm going to be teaching a foundations class for maybe some of you newly saved or never got the foundations because you need to establish those foundations.

Look at Hebrews chapter 5 and look at verses 11-4. of whom we've been have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing you're a dull of hearing. For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles, the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. For everyone that uses milk is on skillful in the word of righteousness, for he is obeyed. But you strong meat belong to them that are full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised discern both good and evil. See, if you want to grow in your relationship with God, if you want to grow in your relationship as a couple, if you want to grow in other relationships, you've got to make sure you got those foundational principles already established in your life.

You got to you got to build the foundation so you can build bigger after that. Also, if your marriage and your other relationships, you need the foundation of the church. in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse1 15. But if I tar long that thou may know how thou oughtest behaved thyself in the house of God which is the pillar uh the church of the living God the pillar in the ground of truth. God wants you to establish yourself in a local church. And that's just foundational. If you want a strong marriage, get into a good strong Bible preaching church and and get active involved as a couple because that's what helps you build your marriage as well.

and and and the foundations of the marriage in Matthew chapter 19:es 4-6. And he answered said unto them, "Have you not read 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 the twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore there they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God joined together, let no man put us under." You see, folks, we need to understand that God is the one that established marriage. And and if we want to build the right kind of marriage, we've got to build it on the foundation of God in our marriage.

And and if God is not a a critical and pivotal part of your marriage, you're not going to be able to build anything for the Lord. And so we need to establish the foundations if we're going to build a better relationship. Now in Ephesians chapter 4 and:e 16 the Bible says for whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying self in love. So you know the Bible says that that God wants us to be fitly joined together and and that's not only in the church relationship but he joined us together in the marriage relationship as well.

Now, that phrase fitly joined together, it it comes from a root word, which is the word Lego, and that's why I've got all these Legos out in front of us. Now, now I I looked it up and they did not come up with the name Lego from the Greek word. It's actually a Dutch word which means have fun or something like that. Uh but uh it was interesting that that fitly joined together is a Greek word for Lego. And and this is how our marriages need to be. This how our relationships need to be. So the question is, what are you building in your life? The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there's no vision, the people perish, but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

Now, how many of you have Legos at your house right now? Raise your hand. All right, a lot of you do. And if you're like me, maybe you got a big bucket of them like this that my grandkids had. And you know what? When you got a big bucket of Legos like that, it's hard to figure out what to build. Now, you can go down there for a lot of money and buy a Lego kit, you know, and you can you can buy a kit to build a Star Wars thing or you can buy a kit that will build just about anything. And and and and when you have that kit, you okay, this is what I'm building. But when my grandson was here this summer and he said, "Papa, let's build something with Legos."

I'd sit down and say, "Okay, what are we going to build?" You know, and it's hard when you don't have a vision, when you don't have a plan. And each of us needs to have a plan. Each of us needs to have a vision for how we're going to build our relationship. Our relationship with God, our relationship with our spouse, with others around us. You got to have a vision for what God wants to do in your relationship. So have a plan. Go over to Luke chapter 14. Luke chapter 14 and look at verses 28 through 30. Luke chapter 14 and beginning with verse number 28. Luke 14 verse number 28 the Bible says for which of you intending to build a tower sit it not down first and count the cost whether you have

sufficient to finish it less happily after he hath laid the foundation is not able to finish it all that behold it began to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish look at verse 33 so likewise whatsoever be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple you know we got this big box of Legos and people will come over and they'll start building something and but it never gets finished. It gets put back in the box for the next person, the next person. And that's the way a lot of us deal with our marriage. You know, people don't get married to get divorced, but almost 50% of marriages, over 50% of unsaved marriages end in divorce.

Why? Because they didn't count the cost. And and you've got to have a plan. What is our plan for building our marriage? Because if you don't have a plan, it is going to fail. It's not going to turn out. You've got to have a vision. You've got to have a plan. And then remember we read just mumble ago 1 Corinthians 3:10. It says according to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation another build it thereupon. But let every man take heed [snorts] how he build it thereupon. And so what we need to understand is that as we build whatever our marriage is as we build our marriage we need to find a wise master builder.

Now, of course, God is the one that that does works in our lives. But Paul said, "I as the master builder, the the contractor came in to help you in building your relationship." And and and if you're a married couple, you ought to have some people in your life that are masterbuilders that are that are coming in to help you to build a better relationship, to have an older couple, to have people in your lives that are going to come alongside of you and help you to build the right kind of relationship in the Lord. So find godly mentors to help you build the right kind of marriage, to help you build the right kind of family.

It's amazing what you can build with Legos. I looked up on Google some things and here's some examples. So, let's put them up on the screen. Number one here, uh, look at look at some of these things. These are all built with Legos. Go to number two. Keep just work your way through there, fellas, if you would, and you can see the things that they built with Legos. It's amazing what you can do with Legos. Amazing the things you can build. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and:es 9 and 10, "But as is written," eyeath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered in the heart of man the things which God had prepared for them that love him.

But God has revealed him unto us by his spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yay, the deep things of God. Folks, God wants to build something amazing in your marriage. He wants to build something amazing in your family and your relationship with others. And and and you need to get a vision for what God can do. And and you need to get a plan and say, "God, help me to help us to have a plan of where we're going to be a year from now and five years from now and 10 years from now. What are we building?" Because a lot of us, it's just like we grab random blocks and take them and say, "Well, I'll try adding this one and I'll try adding that one."

In the end, what do we have? Nobody knows because we don't have a plan. We don't have a vision and we don't have the the people there to guide us and help us in that process. And and if you want to build the right kind of relationship, you need to build it together fitly joined together. And the same thing is true in the church as well. See, you need to build your marriage. Number eight up here, if you can put the other one up there, the marriage one if you could fell there. But Ephesians chapter 5 and verse number 31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife and they too shall be one flesh.

The word join there it it literally can mean glued to be glued together. You you see the thing is that these Legos they can come apart pretty easily. They can just pull right apart. Now they're they're more interlock than these things are but they can still come apart. And what we need to do is we need to glue our relationships. We need to build stronger relationships together. And and and and when we glue the relationship, don't break the bond. In Matthew chapter 19 5 and 6, it says, "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh."

That that idea of cleave, again, the same word be glued together. Now, if you've ever worked with wood and if you glue two things together, after you've glued them together and they dried and they bonded, if you try to pull them apart, what happens? It rips a little bit of both of them off. You see, God wants us to be glued bonded together and and not to break that bond. He wants us to stay together and and and to build something together in our lives. To do that, we've got to submit ourselves. In Ephesians 5:es 21-22, it says, "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord."

Now, let me ask you a question. If I were to take [snorts] different pieces of this Lego stuff in here and ask you, is this piece more important than say this piece right here? What would you say? Not really. They're just different pieces. And the wife is not more important to the husband. The husband's not more important than the wife. They're different pieces for different purposes to come together. A and we need to realize that God has called us to submit to one another because when I take one piece and lock it in with the other piece, that's what gives us strength. That's what builds those things for the Lord.

Look at Ephesians chapter 4 if you would. Ephesians chapter 4 and look at verse number seven. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse number seven. Ephesians chapter 4:7. But unto every one of you is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Look at verse number 13 through 16. Till we all come in the beauty of the faith and the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftness whereby they lie and wait deceived but speaking the truth in love may grow up unto him in all things which is due which is the head of even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supply according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto itself in love.

You see, as we as we put this together, as we assemble our marriage, and what I hope what I what I'm praying for, what I'm hoping is that you will take what you've learned over these last months in these series on marriage and and and you'll take and put them together and assemble them because no one thing is going to fix everything. It it's it's joining them together, assembling them together and and that's what what helps us to build the better relationship. taking this and taking that and putting them together to make that better relationship. Now the husband's job is to lead in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 22 through 24 says wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands unto the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church and and the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ so let wives be to their own husbands in everything. The the husband is to lead and and he's lead by his example. It is not leadership in saying you do what I tell you to do. It's leadership in saying follow me as I follow Christ. It it's leadership as a husband loves his wife. Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it." And when a husband is loving his wife the way God has called him to, she's going to want to follow him.

It's not that she has to, she's going to want to. Now, wives are also to love their husbands, but it's different. God commands husbands to love their wives. But to the wives, he said this in Titus 2:4, that they may teach the young woman to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children. Ladies, God said, you need to learn how to love your husband. Because we're very complicated creatures. We, you know, ladies just can't figure us out. and and it's going to take a lifetime to study your husband and find out how to love him the way that God wants you to as well. But fellas, listen, don't think about it.

Just love her. And he said, here's all you need to know. Love her like Christ loved the church. Sacrificial servantgiving love. If you're doing that, you're going to do the right thing. And ladies, learn how to respond back in love towards your husband. See, the husband, he needs to nurture his wife. You remember back one of the first messages we talked about Adam and Eve with their job was to tend the garden. And and you know, I'm I'm trying to grow things at my house, but I've got a bunch of plants that aren't doing very well. And uh and part of it is not the plant. It's not the plant's fault.

It's my fault. I've not watered them like I should. I've not uh taken care of them the way I should. And I've let them go. and and and and my job as the farmer, as the what the Bible in the King James version calls the husbandman, my job is to nurture those plants. I can't get mad at the plant when it doesn't produce fruit if I'm not taking care of it. And the husband's job is to nurture his wife. Ephesians 5 and verse number 33, it says, "Nevertheless, would every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself and the wife see this, you reverence your husband." And and up in verse number 26, it says that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the word water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but it should be he should be holy and without blemish.

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. And that's our job. That's our calling to love our wives and to nurture and and to and to build her up to so that we can enjoy the fruit of that relationship. And the wife's job is to respect her husband. Again, verse 33, that she the wife see that she reverence her husband. And ladies, I I I'm going to emphasize this to you again. What your husband is, he needs your respect. We as men, we almost need your respect more than we need your love. See, God commands husbands to love their wives because women need to be loved.

God commands wives to respect their husbands. He never commands you to love your husband, but he does he tells you learn how to do it. But he does command you to [clears throat] respect your husband. And you say, "Well, my husband doesn't deserve respect." And that's true. Many times in my life, I have not deserved my wife's respect. I've deserved the exact opposite. But God, you know, like in the military, you don't respect an officer because he's a good person. You respect him because of his position. Now, hopefully, he's a good person as well. There's many officers that I had in the military that I respected their position and I respected them as a person.

But even when I didn't respect them as a person, I still had to show respect in their position. And that's so important for you wives to understand that your husband and what he's going to do, what's going to happen many times is he's going to want to live up to that respect. But if you disrespect him, he's going to live down to it. And so learn to respect your husband. And we just need to be careful. Let me be careful. I I'm going to try a little experiment here. And I need another volunteer. Uh let me look around here and see who I can get to volunteer for me in that way. Uh let's see. I'll I I'll pick out uh uh Brother Ron, would you volunteer for me now, Ron?

It's been a long time since you've had little kids, right? Do you remember those days when you had little kids? Excuse me. Oops. You had little kids and they left all the Legos on on the floor and night time. Do you remember getting up late at night and having to walk through that minefield? Remember what that was like? I I want you to demonstrate that right now for folks. No, I'm not going to make you do that. Go ahead and do that. But uh you know you know talk about how many of you ever stepped on a Lego at night. Come on. You all know what I'm talking about, right? That that minefield you go out there on and you got to be careful.

Uh you got to watch your step. Look at Ephesians chapter 4 and look at verse number 29. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse number 29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourished and cherished the even of the Lord the church. And you know, we need to I'm sorry, I read chapter 5. Let's go over to chapter 4 in verse number 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, that which is good, the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Here's the thing, folks. In our marriages, we got to watch that minefield of corrupt communication. Because some of us, we walk through the marriage, it's like we have to tip throw through there, always waiting for that next snide remark, that next cutting remark, the next hurtful thing that the person's going to say.

And it's like some people in their marriage, they're walking a minefield every day. if I do this or I don't do this right, if I say this or I don't say that, then my husband or my wife's going to get upset and then they're going to and it just, you know what I'm talking about. And it's like walking through Legos at night. You can't even see him. And if that's the way your marriage is, that's not good. Your husband's always waiting for that next cut and that next thing you're gonna you're not gonna be happy with this and you're not going to be happy with that and if I don't do this exactly right, I'm going to hear about it.

Or you wives, the same thing. hear that you get that from your husbands and that's not the way the marriage is supposed to be. It's interesting the word the word here means to say or to speak. As we communicate, as we so talk these things through, we got to be careful the words that we use and how we cut each other. And then look at Ephesians chapter 2. Not that we want to build the church, we also want to build our build marriage, we also want to build the church. In Ephesians chapter 2 and:es 21 and 22 it says in whom all the building fitly framed together growth in the holy temple in the Lord and who al you also are build together for inhabitation of God through the spirit.

See all these principles apply in marriage but all these principles also apply in the church relationship is to build that relationship together. You see it's building the connections. Go over to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Look at verse 23-2. Let's hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. For he's faithful that promise. And let's consider one another provoke unto love and good works, not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another in so much the more as you see the day approaching. If you want to build God to build your life in the church, then you need to make connections as well.

You see, if if I stack these blocks up again, because they're just stacked together, they're easily knocked down. And that's the way some of your church you you show up Sunday morning and you go home. You never talk to anybody. You don't make connections with anybody. You don't build relationships with anybody. That's not what God wants the church to be. He wants us to interlock together. Look what it says in verse 23. Let us hold fast to profession our faith without wavering for his faithful promise. How do I hold fast to that profession? By not forsaking the assembly. By getting together and provoking one another in love and to good works.

Having people that that are going to connect in my life. Help me build a better marriage. Help me build better relationship with God. Help me to be a better person. And you've got to build the connections. And if all you do is show up and go home and show up and go home, you're just like these little blocks like here and and some little brother, sister, something's going to come along and knock them down and I'm done with church now because you haven't built the relationships. We need to be compacted together. The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4 verses 3 and 16. We won't turn it over there for time sake, but the idea of being compact together is to force or to drive together.

See, for some of you, it's hard to build relationships. You're now you're more of an introvert or whatever. And and what you've got to do is you got to force yourself. Folks, I am not an extrovert by nature. I am the last guy that's the extrovert. But you know, every Sunday when I come here, I force myself. I say, I want to go talk to people. And I'm so glad I do. But if by nature, that is not natural. That is not what I would do. I would just like to come and just sit down and be, you know, go to church and go home. But that's not what God wants. He wants us to compact together. He wants us to build relationships and and to drive that together.

Now, the one thing I have up here is the Jenga set, which I knocked down, but uh uh don't be a square peg in a round hole. Look at First Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2 and look at verses 4-10 Bible says to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ wherefore also it is contained in the scripture behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone elect precious And he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

That's talking about Jesus. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone is stumbling, a rock of fence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, where unto also they were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, but now the people of God, which are not have not attained mercy, but now obtain mercy.

God has taken a such a diverse group of people and brought us together to make us his people. And God wants us to to fit into that relationship. And don't be that square peg and a round hole. Be conformed to the image of Christ. In Romans 8 28 and 29, it says, "We know that all things were together for them that are called according to them that love God to them are called according to his purpose. For whom he did for no, he also did predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be a firstborn among many brethren." See, the reason you're here today, the reason God saved you is that you can become more and more like Christ to fit in that place that he's got for you.

Each of us are stoned. It's been shaped by God to fit in a certain place to serve him. And God wants to work you to fit you where he wants you. In Philippians 2:13, for it's God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. And God wants to fit you into your marriage, wants to fit you into relationships, wants to fit you in the church. He wants you to be like Christ. And God places you where you are for a purpose. Want you go to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. And we'll end there. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verses 12-4. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and beginning with verse number 12.

For as a body is one hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit are are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whe bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. And and each of us is is part of the body of Christ. And it's kind of like the the Jenga tower and it's kind of all messed up right now. But you know, you go up there and you have to pop out one of them and put it up on top and you have to pop out another one and put it up on top.

But here's the thing that happens in our marriages and it happens in our churches as well is that you know you get to that one that causes everything to fall apart, right? You can keep taking out take out one, two, three, four, five, six, but sooner or later you're going to take out that one that's the wrong one. And that happens in marriages. And some of you in your marriage, it's like you're waiting for the tower to fall. It just you things are going okay, but every time you do something or say something, it's like you're putting that little thing out there hoping that it won't fall apart. And that's not way God wants us to be.

And in the church, we need to understand that when we are not in our place, then the tower can fall apart. Sometimes we have the attitude, well, if I'm not in church, nobody will miss me. But what if everybody had the attitude? Or if I miss choir, it doesn't matter. Or if I can't be at nursery or at my class, that's okay. Or if I don't fix it, somebody else will do it. If I don't give this month, God will provide. If I don't bring food to the fellowship, other people will bring it. If I don't invite people, if I don't pass out track, somebody else will do it. See, what happens is we become that missing piece and you get enough missing pieces, the tower falls.

And that's why it's so important to realize that you have an important place. Now, in your marriage, don't play Jenga. Don't be every day waiting for that tower. Oh, I'm going to say the wrong thing today. I'm going to do the wrong thing today and everything's going to fall apart. We're going to have a big fight and argument. That's not the way to live. The way to live is not that you're having to dance around all the little Legos on the floor and if I say this wrong, if I do that wrong, you know, I got to be I got to play the dance every day. That's not the way to have a relationship. But we need to be in our place. Men, you need to show up in your marriage. Ladies, you need to show up in your marriage. And we need to show up in the church as well. And so God wants you to build a better marriage. And so think about that this week. Let's bow in prayer.