Well, take your Bible now, turn to Genesis chapter two. We are continuing our series, and I like what Brother Joe said. Groundhog Day, you saw a shadow, that's six more years of Bible series, amen. Well, I like to get on a good subject, and I don't get in a hurry, by the way, and I don't think you should. I don't think you should get in a hurry when you're studying the Bible. And there's so much there that if you get in a hurry, you're gonna miss something. And my dad taught me that many years ago when I was just a boy. And he asked me to start teaching the adult Sunday school class when I was just 13 years old. And I said, dad, I don't have anything to say. But he said, but the Bible has so much to say, son. And if you will ask the Holy Spirit to help you, then he'll help you to have something to say, and I have found through the years, I've got more than I've got time to say from the Bible. It's limitless, and I've really enjoyed studying through the book of Genesis. If you'll get a hold of the book of Genesis, it'll help you with the rest of the Bible. It's the very foundation. And we've looked now so far, we've looked at the maker, we're looking at in his likeness is this series and that's our very purpose for our existence is to be like him. He wanted a likeness. He wanted a likeness, God wanted a likeness, and that likeness is sitting right here in this room this morning. And though sin came, man fell from the likeness, God never gave up on the likeness that he so desired. He's never given up on you. Maybe you have given up on yourself at times, but God has not. and He has made everything possible for you to be in His likeness and we're promised, it's a promise of God. First John chapter three, verse one, behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear we shall be Like him, that's right, amen. Well, let's get it going, because I've got a lot to say this morning, and 15 minutes, is that all I've got now? All right, we'll just preach till we're finished with this part, all right? We've looked so far at the maker. We noticed that in the first 34 verses of the Bible, God tells us that he is God, that he is our maker. He tells us the first 34 verses 35 times. Now, why does he have to repeat himself? Because you and I, we're dense. Man is so dense and he does not know God, but God wants us to know him and so he tells us again and again and again in every verse, I am God, I am your maker and I've made everything for your existence. He's the maker, we looked at that. Then we looked at God, he's not only God the maker, he is Lord God, our master. And since he's our maker and he owns us, he has the right to help us and to tell us what to do. We're very dependent, we'll get lost without him. We'll lose our way and man has lost his way because he, he took, and we notice in chapter two and verse number four, from that point onward, he's not just called God, he's called Lord God. Every instance, he's Lord God from that point following until we get to chapter three and verse one. In chapter three and verse one, we find there that now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field, which the Lord God had made And he said unto the woman, yea, hath God said, what did he leave out? He left Lord out. Now, what is the temptation that he gave to Eve? Same temptation that he gives to everyone. You can be your own Lord. You can do what you want to do. You don't have to listen to the word of God and obey the word of God. You can be your own Lord God. and Eve fell to that temptation, and Adam partook of that which was forbidden, and he lost the likeness of God. Now, we've looked at the maker, the master, we considered the man, and last week we looked at the Lord God formed man, The Lord God planted a garden for man. And I love that scene in my mind as I can see it. You see, before he made the garden, he made Adam. So where was Adam? In the meantime, I can see it, he's just in the bosom of God. Like a little baby, this is a beautiful picture to me. Like a little child that's in mama's arms and mama's cooking and mama's baking and she's making something and that child's smelling it and watching it and he can't wait. to get in on, be part of that. And here's Adam, God's carrying him around and he's making the garden of Eden and Adam's watching all these trees come up out of the ground and the flowers and the vegetation and all the flowers and God is saying now, Yeah, this is good, and that's good, and you can take of all of that, and Adam, he just can't wait. And finally, it says, and the Lord God not only formed man, the Lord God planted a garden for man, but then the Lord God got, He took man. How did Adam get from where he was into the place that he needed to be? He has to be dependent upon God. You'll never get anywhere you need to be without God taking you there. We are helpless without Him. And it says that the Lord God took the man. Now he had formed and made him outside somewhere. The garden didn't even exist when God made man. Then God made the garden and then God took him. And the phraseology there, that is, it literally means to carry as a father carries a child. And it's humbling, yes, to be dependent upon God in such a manner, but it's wonderful, let me tell you, when you just depended upon the Lord to take you and be involved in your life, it's a wonderful experience. It's restful experience, it's what we preached on the other night. Come unto me, all you that labor and heavy laden, I'll give you rest. You can labor all you want to but not have rest until you find it in Jesus Christ. And so the Lord God took the man, he put him there. It wasn't an agency, wasn't a denomination. It wasn't mama, it wasn't daddy, it was the Lord God took him there. And then it says the Lord God put the man, that literally means to deposit, to stay. And wherever God puts you, if it's in your marriage, if it's in a place to serve him, in the will of God, don't let the devil run you out. And then we saw how the Lord God commanded the man. Chapter two, verse 16 and 17, God gave him some instructions. There are some things you just make the choice to do. If you wanna eat an apple today of the apple tree, you can have an apple. If you don't want an apple, you can eat an orange. If you don't want either one, you can eat a banana. Today, man has so many free choices. We're not limited. Oh, the devil makes us think that we're in such bondage. No, the liberty for the child of God is wonderful. God says of all the trees you may freely eat, just have a good time. Enjoy all those wonderful choices. But there are some things not only you freely have the choice to do, but there are some things you must do. Now, all these trees, you've got to be kept. You gotta dress it, here's some work you gotta do, here's some responsibilities. And so is life. There are some things you can freely choose to do, some things you must do, no choice in the matter, you gotta do that. Then there's some things you're not to do. Now of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou mayest not eat thereof. For the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. So don't do that, all right? There's some things not to do. Now, we looked at that. Now today, this morning, Let's consider the Lord God remaking, remaking the man. Now did God mess up when he made Adam? No, he didn't mess up. And ladies, you ought to really enjoy today's lesson because you are the remaking of Adam. For God took that which he had already made of Adam He took bone and flesh and with that refined material, He made all of you beautiful ladies that are in this service, all of you females, that was God's plan, but He brought, now it's a purpose we see, and God's indicating and He gives us that indication. It's an object lesson of how He did this. He took that rib from Adam, the bone and flesh, and he made the woman there still, it's one flesh, indicating that that is what God wants in a marriage. And men, the Bible says that you find a wife, you found a good thing. And often on Valentine's Day, sometimes I write my own Valentine's cards to my dear wife and I've written, I tell you when I found you, I found a good thing. And that's Bible on that. But you know what happened, men, when God gave you a wife, God remade you. You're not the same. You're not the same man. And God is remaking you, and it's a wonderful thing that God is doing. And let's consider this. Now, I want us to look and consider now concerning the home, the family. Psalm 127 verse one says, except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh, 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. And I know many homes, many families, that's a better description of than one of rest and peace and joy. He says, there are so many that are rising up early, sitting up late, eating the bread of sorrows, but not for those who are allowing the Lord to build their home. He giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. I want us to consider the Lord making, building our homes. Now, again, You know, I remember back in the 90s, we built a house, a big home, and that's a big story. And sometimes I've heard it said that if a marriage can endure and last, building a house, you've got a good marriage. If you can get through that process, and that is sometimes a stressful process. My wife and I, we enjoyed that, although it was difficult. We lived in a trailer for a little while, then we lived in the church. We slept in my study, and the kids, they had a blast. They thought living in the church was a blast, you know. I mean, they slept in the nursery and just had the big run of the whole place. till we got our house built. I built my house, by the way, out of scrap material. I had a man in my church who was a demolition man. He tore down this huge apartment complex. I pulled all the nails out of the boards and got all the framing and many of the windows and things from my house out of that. big apartment complex and built a big old house, 5,000 square feet. I mean, that was a project and a half, but I had the material. I said, let's do it. We did it. Took us a while, but we made it through. During that same time, there were people building houses. Now, I hired a man to frame my house. He really didn't know what he was doing. I had to finish my house myself because I couldn't get another carpenter to come in behind and finish that. They didn't wanna put their name on a debacle, you know. I had to rebuild my steps, reframe them all and lay them out. By the way, I was a layout man in steel construction, so I had a little experience of that, but I had to redo all of my steps. I had to put the soffit under on a three-story side of the house, didn't have ladders to do that. Now, the Lord gave me the idea right in the middle of the night, I couldn't, how in the world, because the roofers, he ran off and left me, didn't finish putting the soffits. Three stories on the backside, the soffits gotta go under there before they can put the roof on. I mean, the shingles, all of that. Lord gave me, told me how to do that two o'clock in the morning. I did it by myself, built that frame, pulled that frame right up, mounted the frame on three story, hanging one leg off the side of that. It's a big story, but God helped me get that done. But you know what? There were a lot in the 90s. There were a lot of like school teachers started building houses. They didn't really know what they were doing. And it was in the news. People put out all this money to get their house, only for their house not to be fit to move into. They didn't know what they were doing. There are a lot of people trying to build a home and it's a complicated thing without the master builder. Who is the master builder? The Lord God. Now, I want you to consider the maker, who he is. He is Lord God, as it says in verse 18, the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him and help me for him. Who is he? He is the Lord God. Now we think sometimes, oh, my home. Oh, it's an impossibility. But Jeremiah said this, ah, Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. Oh, if we could get hold of that, even your home that may be in chaos, that may be in a mess, God can do it. Now, God means the supreme God, the supreme deity, It is he Who is I mean it is who he is he is the supreme God and he is Lord which means the self-existent eternal one he was he is and he always will be Lord He exercises his lordship, his authority over the creation. And God said, it's not good for man to be alone. Now notice not only who he is, but what he will do. He said, I will make. Now, not only is God able, but God is willing to make your home. I don't know if any of you men and ladies, men and women here have figured this out, you husbands and wives. Husbands, have you figured out, and wives, have you figured out you can't make your spouse do anything or be anything? But notice, God says, I will make. And that's exactly what the way a home ought to be. Now God wants to make, now not only is God able, but God is willing to make your mate. Notice what God desires in making the mate for you. God said, I will make him and help meet for him. Now, when we think of God taking something from man, he's not making less of Adam, he is making more of Adam. Notice God desires for this relationship of this marriage and this mate to be comparable. to be comparable of the same flesh and bone. There are so many things we have our interest in and become sometimes can be a problem. Now Adam had all the animals of the whole world. There's no doubt in my mind. There's no doubt in my mind that Adam, he liked all of the animals. He had a great relationship with all the animals. And it was wonderful. No doubt, I believe Adam, he enjoyed spending time with all of his animals and giving attention to all of his animals. But I'm going to tell you, I think Adam almost forgot all of them when God gave him a wife. You may have pets, I like pets. I was asked yesterday, do we have a dog? I met some of my neighbors and one of the neighbors said, I'm the dog keeper of the neighborhood. If you need to go somewhere, I'll keep your dog for you. Well, I thought that was wonderful. I said, no, all we have is grand dogs when our kids come to visit us. And that's wonderful, I like them. In fact, I'll tell you, my grand dogs and pets, I believe they like me better than they do my grandkids. I think they do, I make it a point. But you know, I'm gonna tell you something, they don't suffice. As wonderful as they are, and I love them, I take care of them. My kids, when they were little and we had all of that, I wound up having to feed them all, do the feeding and taking care of them more than the kids did, but I liked all of that, but nothing could be compared to my wife. Hey, now listen, there's no pet that can suffice for the relationship that God wants and intends for your mate. You can't be married to your pet. They may be special and wonderful, but God wants more for you. He wants there to be a comparable relationship. I know that little dog can yip back at you and you can tell exactly what that little dog's saying, but not really. You can't have a wonderful conversation of the deep feelings of your heart Adam had a wonderful job. I mean, he enjoyed everything. I mean, all he was taking care of the garden. He had a dream job. But I'm gonna tell you, some men are married to their job. Some women are married to their career. It cannot suffice for what God intended in a marriage and in a home. God says, I will make the marriage must be comparable, but it also must be compatible. God desires compatibility in the mates. When Adam looked at Eve, he basically said, wow, I say it this way. He said, whoa, man. She was compatible. You are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. And it's very important for marriage to be compatible. Paul said it this way. 2 Corinthians 6, 14, be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness? God gave to Adam one that would be compatible to him, would be the one who could complete exactly the needs that he had in his life. Compatibility. Now, it's very difficult for a union to take place when there is a disunion to begin with. No compatibility for one of those mates to be saved and one to be lost, you're beginning with contention to begin with. The Bible says, what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness? God desires compatibility. And by the way, mom and dad, you need to teach that to your children. It's necessary. Compatibility. And then notice too, God desires continuation. Continuation of the one flesh. Now what do you mean by that, all right? I believe Adam is saying to her when he makes his wedding vows, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of the man. Wherever Eve was, wherever she was, so was Adam. Wherever Adam was, so was Eve. And so it should be, and we should never lose sight when God has given you that mate and that one, you are now one. And if you're out in the workplace and it may be that you may be spending more time with the opposite sex than you are with your spouse, but you need to understand They, you should be that wife wherever I am my wife. And that's what the ring signifies that she is, I am as part of me and I am part of her. And I am to never forget that. Wherever she goes, I go. Wherever I go, she goes with me. We have the same heart. And that's the way it should be a continuation. You represent one flesh. Then notice, let's notice this creation of man and wife. And I guess I'll have to close. I didn't get a third of the message I wanted to preach to you today. But I want you to notice how God did this. Now, why did God make the man? Why did God make man before he made the woman? You know why? He didn't need the woman telling him how to do it. Now the next question is, why did God put Adam to sleep? To make the woman the answer, God didn't need Adam telling him how to make her either. And you and I, we would do well to get it in our minds, I cannot make my wife. In fact, I can't make my children. A lot of parents are trying to make and mold their children to please themselves. Listen, if you and I will just allow God to be the maker of our home, He'll make everyone exactly right. You know, I am so pleased with the wife that God has given me. I could not have done that great of a job as God did for me. I mean, God knew exactly what I needed and he put us together and this coming August, we'll be celebrating 50 years, 50 wonderful years. But you know, God, we must allow God, God made the man. Now, in thinking about your mate, first of all, you gotta be willing to allow God to make you. first to be what your mate needs. You must yield to the hand of God to form you, to make you. You see, God made Adam. He fashioned him like unto himself. And then when he took that bone and flesh, he fashioned Eve and made her before that he ever presented them together, you see. I must allow God to make me to be. And if I will allow God to make me pleasing to himself, then I'll have no trouble pleasing my wife. I got to please God because listen, God loves my wife more than I do. And he wants me to be a good husband for her because God loves her. And the same is true for myself. God loves me more than my wife loves me. And you know, if she'll just allow God to make her to be in her life to be pleasing to the Lord, I have no problem with my wife. In fact, it's just wonderful. It is absolutely wonderful. Allow God to make you to be what he wants you to be. And then your spouse to be what God wants them to be. Now let's consider the making, And I'll probably just need to close it right here. My time's already gone. It seemed like we had a lot going on this morning. Don't miss next Sunday, all right? We'll pick it up right here. I love the word of God, there's so much in there. It's wonderful what God did. And this beautiful picture of marriage, and I want us to see it. The beautiful picture of marriage next week and the wedding, we see a wedding that takes place, the wedding vows. that are given and then the principles of what God intended for a marriage to be. And this is a marriage that will last. Now, let me just close with this. If you're not married, If you're not married, best thing you could do is really seek the Lord's will in getting a wife. Let the Lord make a wife for you, the mate for you. If you're a teenager, if you're a widow or a widower, why don't you say, Lord, would you make me a mate? Look to God for that. Don't use the world's methods. There's been a lot of trouble in that. I remember giving my dad marriage counsel. After my mom had died, I thought my dad, he just couldn't take it. He had such a wonderful, 54 years of wonderful marriage. He loved my mom so, but he missed her so much. And dad, for about the first six months, he just about drove us all crazy. He looked up all his pastor friends that had died. He looked up all the widows and he even looked up some old girlfriends. I mean, he just was everywhere. All the meetings we would go, he would get him a girlfriend that I'd take him and he was just, and he would, He had a couple he wanted them to marry and they lived in other states and I said, now listen, Dad, they got grandkids too. Especially that grandma, I said, you're over 70 and you marry somebody over 70, you're both used to having your own way, doing what you wanna do. And it might be hard to change that. And I said, and they may not want to leave their grandkids to go to Kentucky. Oh, they'll have to do what I tell them to, and I said, and they may not want to, Dad. I can't believe I've given my dad the talk. He gave me the talk when I was a teenager, now I'm giving my dad a talk. And I told my dad, I said, Dad, it might be better to want something you can't have than to have something you don't want. Consider the Lord, whatever your state is, Paul said if you don't have a wife, he says, then it might be good not to remarry. But he says there's no harm in it. If you remarry, he said just seek the Lord's will about the matter. Let the Lord make that person especially for you and commit that to the Lord. Now the Lord's gotta be in the middle of it all. He's gotta be in the middle of our life. Are you what God wants you to be? That's where it's gotta start. You can't, and by the way, I've done this for over 40 years now. I've done marriage counseling. And oftentimes, I believe that the pastor's just wanting to, they're just wanting a good referee. Now I've learned some things. I won't do some things I've done in the past ever again. One is I'm not gonna referee a fight between a man and his wife. I'm not gonna ever referee a fight again because you get caught right in the middle. One night I refereed all night long. I left at five o'clock in the morning. I said, y'all just fight it out. I'm out of here. I'm not gonna do that again, but you know, it's really got to start with my own heart. It's gotta be with you. Are you right with God? Are you what you ought to be? Don't expect God to fix your wife or fix your husband if you're not right with God. And if there's a strain on the relationship, God has to have one member of that relationship to work with to reach the other. And that's the way God will do that. But are you right with God? Is your home what it ought to be? God can help it to be, but you gotta enlist the Lord's help. Let's bow our heads. Heavenly Father, we need your help. We're at a total loss. The most complicated, complicated part of all of creation is mankind. We're complicated and we cannot fix things that go wrong, but you can, you can help us. And so Lord, I pray you'd help the homes and families and help us just to trust you. and to be what you want us to be. And Lord, if someone is here without Jesus and needs to get that settled today, help them to come, let somebody take the word of God and help them from God's word to know personally Jesus Christ and what he did for them on the cross of Calvary to pay for their sins and get that settled today. And Lord, for every family that's struggling today, there may be some lonely people here today. They've lost their mate and they're uncertain as to what to do. Then Lord, help them to cast all their care upon you and just wait, wait, wait on the Lord and help them and encourage them, we pray in Jesus' blessed name, amen.