Gen. 2:22-24 - And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

I. Three organizations created by God: family, government, church. (in that order.)

A. God created the family as the foundational part of society, as reflected by the family being created before government, Israel, or the church.

B. The family is being slowly and systematically destroyed today.

1. The U. S. census of the 1990’s confirms that every kind of household increased except the two parent family.

2. Use point number "A" above to understand that Satan is doing all he can do to destroy the family, therefore society will be totally destroyed, and there will be nothing at all for government, Israel, or God’s church to stand upon.

C. There are many cases of child abuse, domestic violence, teenage delinquency today – and all because the family is being destroyed.

D. What can we do?

1. Saved people must demonstrate God’s plan for marriage and family life. (Eat together)

2. Saved people must protect and encourage Bible based marriage and families.

E. II Thess 4:3,4 – "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;" God’s plan begins with premarital abstinence.

1. The world approves through movies, situation comedies, laughing at sin, fornication, and adultery.

2. Movie stars continually get in bed with one another before they are married, to see if they are "compatible." (what nonsense!)

3. Government schools preach wickedness is okay, some schools passing out condoms and letting children know where they can get an abortion.

4. People who are pure when they marry will have a more stable marriage, because trust remains.

5. According to one report, almost half of the unmarried couples that live together before marriage separate before the marriage date.

6. Of those couples that live together before marriage, 50% are more like to divorce than those that do not live together.

7. Men and women are healthier – there is no need to worry about STD’s, AIDS, or whatever.

8. See text: - God’s plan may seem old fashioned and too narrow, but it is this plan that holds all society together.

9. One researcher said: "We don’t fully understand how this protective mechanism works, but it is there. Marriage has some kind of profound effect on human beings, presumably because it reduces stress levels in some way and protects against illness."

10. Eph. 5:28 – The spouse that abuses his spouse doesn’t love them.

II. Gen. 2:18 - God saw it wasn't good for the man to be alone.

1. It is not that God saw this in the Garden of Eden.

a. It is not that Adam was alone before God said everything he had made was very good.

b. Adam was given a wife before the sixth day was over.

c. He saw it all along, for He knows all things.

d. Adam must see that everything God does is good, therefore, God let him be without a help meet for a while.

e. Adam will not only see that everything God does is good, he will also see that God will provide everything he needs or will ever need.

f. This fact makes the rebellion in Gen. 3 all the worse.

2. If God decided this, it must be very good!

3. I Tim. 5:14 - Paul declared it was good for young widows to marry, bear children, and guide the house for this was good for them and God.

4. If it is good for young widows to go on with their life, by marrying, after losing a husband to death, it is also good for young single women to marry.

B. We should love government, knowing they can do nothing to harm us, if God doesn't allow it.

1. The government has authority over us, therefore we should respect its leaders, even if we disagree with them.

2. The church has authority over us, therefore we should respect its leaders, even if we disagree with them.

C. We should love the church because this is where we publicly meet together to worship God and proclaim what He has done for us.

III. No qualifications for who the lost should marry.

A. The lost person should seek Christ, be saved, then seek to be married.

1. In the practical substance of everyday life, you can do it any way you want to, but you will be happy only if you do it God's way.

B. Saved should marry saved, and Baptist should marry Baptists.

1. Young men often desire who all the other guys desire.

2. Young women often desire who all the other girls desire.

3. They wind up marrying who everybody else likes, not who they themselves desire.

C. Many young people won't even consider someone their parents suggest, yet they fall for someone their own age suggests.

1. Be careful who you date, for you might lose your heart to them, and marry them.

2. Note Samson who fell in love with Delilah, Judges 16:4.

IV. Proverbs 18:22 - Whosoever findeth a wife findeth a good thing.

A. Proverbs 21:9 (also 24:24) - It is better to dwell in the corner of a housetop than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

B. God choose Adam's wife, and we should let God choose our wives for us. (This also goes for women letting God choose their husbands for them.)

1. God called both Abraham and Sarah out of idolatry.

2. Deut. 7:3,4 - Don't marry false religions for they will turn you away from serving God.

3. Joshua 23:12,13 - Joshua's last words - Don't marry other religions for they will turn you away from God.

4. Nehemiah 9:10-12 - Ezra is praying to God concerning verse 1 and 2. He says it's God's command (verse 10), not to marry non-Jews (verse 11,12).

5. Nehemiah 13:25 - Nehemiah pulling out their hair commanding them not to marry out of God's will.

C. Genesis 24 - Abraham sent his servant to his uncle's family to find a wife for Isaac.

1. Isaac apparently never dated anyone, or wanted anyone except who God would give him.

2. Verse 3 - Abraham commanding his servant not to take a Canaanite woman for Isaac's wife.

D. Genesis 28 - Isaac told Jacob to go to Laban to get a wife.

1. Verse 1 - Isaac commands Jacob to take a proper wife.

E. This ought to make it very clear that parents are not "out of line" when they try to find good mates for their children.

1. It is very difficult today for young people to find a mate.

2. God is able to provide.

3. Young people ought not reject those their parents suggest, even though that is the natural thing for them to do.

4. Be very careful who you date, because you just might lose your heart to them and marry them.

a. Don't ever date a person you wouldn't consider marrying.

b. This doesn't mean a date is consent to marriage!

V. The joys of family life.

A. Gen. 24:67 - The special love of husband and wife. (Isaac loved Rebekah.) (Abraham "sporting" with Sarah.)

B. Gen. 21:6 - The birth of children. (Sarah laughed when Isaac was born.)

C. Presence of children in the home.

1. Job 29:5 - Job remembering when his children were about him.

2. Ps. 127:4,5 - Happy with a quiver full of children.

VI. Things that hinder a good family relationship.

A. Gen. 4 - Different religions.

1. This creates jealously.

2. The children wind up being taught nothing, for both parents can't be pleased.

B. The availability of illicit sex.

1. Sex education hasn't helped, but hurt as schools show pornography to mixed classes. Movies, T. V. (soap operas, talk shows), books, talk.

2. Destroys the ability of the young person to make a right choice about who to marry.

3. Destroys the marriage because there will be a lack of trust.

C. The destruction of authority.

1. When a child reaches the age of 18, they are supposedly "free". Where did this idea come from?

2. The news media destroys presidents, or makes them: because of their prejudice.

3. Parents rush to the school principal because of their mistaken beliefs that their child can do no wrong.

4. Workers strike for higher wages, and less work.

5. Loafers are due their "entitlements" instead of able bodied people working.

D. The lure of an easier way.

1. Why must we listen to a preacher for 45 minutes preach about a lifetime of hard work to solve our problems. Most T. V. programs only take 30 minutes to 1 hour and T. V. commercials take only 30-45 seconds!

2. The availability of drugs. Tobacco, alcohol, stronger stuff.

3. Sports (ball playing, car racing, whatever, show the athletics drinking, using snuff, and stronger stuff.)

4. Music - rock and roll, and country. Lyrics teach illicit sex, drug use, suicide. Parents ought to listen to what their children are listening to and what they are listening to themselves.

E. Fornication.

1. This is the sexual act before marriage.

2. Many people believe this doesn't hurt anything, but it makes one wonder how faithful their spouse will be to them after they are married.

3. Movies show people in bed with each other, then they think of marriage. (This is how they "fall in love".)

4. Tell the story of the rose shown to the boys, and then they had their choice of choosing either a rose that hadn't been fondled by the other boys or a fresh one.

5. The exception to this rule is the person (male or female) that has been sexually abused. They have done nothing wrong, and shouldn't think they have. It doesn't hurt to tell them over and over they have done nothing wrong.

F. Adultery.

1. This destroys the sanctity of the trust two people have for each other.

2. Proverbs 6:32-35 - The man who commits adultery with a woman lacketh understanding. There is no hope for his situation.

G. Affairs - the taking of concubines.

H. Divorce.

1. There are circumstances where divorce must be. In abuse, or something like that, but the majority of divorce today is simply at the convenience of one partner or the other.

2. The country music song: I don't love you anymore.

3. Where in the Bible does it say that people should "love" each other before they marry?

a. What is love? (A human emotion - an attraction.)

b. They should have a great respect for reach other, and have similar goals in life.

c. Real love comes after the thrill is gone, the children born, work is over, hardships are endured.

4. Does divorce end the marriage?

a. It ends the relationship as far as husband/wife relationships are concerned.

b. It does not end the dealing with the results of the husband/wife relationship.

c. There are emotional scars that must be healed.

d. There are sometimes children to deal with.

VII. The proper marriage relationship is found in Eph. 5:22-33.

VIII. What is the solution?

A. It is not up to the government to find a solution.

1. Teenagers that have time to "cruise" ought to be taken care of by the parents.

2. They don't necessarily need a "community youth center", with trained supervisors.

3. That center should be in the home with mom and dad supervising.

B. A return to the Bible as a way of life.

1. Not just carrying a Bible around in your hand, but carrying the Bible around in your heart.