We come now to the exposition of God's holy word and congregation. Let me ask you please to take your Bibles out at this time and please turn with me back to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5 as we continue in our exposition of the word of God. Here in this section, the Apostle Paul is dealing with very practical matters related to the home, marriage, and family. And we want to take up our reading in chapter 5 with verse 25. Here as he speaks a word as it relates to the duties of husbands in the family. Ephesians 5 and verse 25, the scripture says, Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish, So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Let's now join together before the Lord in prayer. Our gracious heavenly Father, we come before you again as we open up your holy word. And Father, as we come to your word today, we come as a people with a spirit of teachableness and humbleness and eagerness, that we might receive your word, which is the inerrant and fallible word of the Lord, that we might receive it and we might believe it. And Father, by your grace, that we might be led to obey what it says. Help us, Lord, to realize that these practical duties, they are not merely that we would have more information, but that our lives would have transformation, that we would be more in our daily existence conforming ourselves to your word and to your will. We pray, Father, that you would draw sinners to yourself, those who do not know Christ, May you be pleased, O God, to draw them to our Savior, that they might have Christ and find in Him the Savior who truly can deliver them from their sin. Father, we thank you for that salvation in Him, and we pray all of this in His holy and precious name. And for His sake we pray, amen. As we continue in our exposition, we of course are looking at this section where the Apostle Paul speaks of the various patterns and plans for a godly marriage. He says that God has ordained certain roles and certain responsibilities. They are timeless and they do not change concerning the time, the climate, or the circumstances in which we find ourselves. They are enduring principles for a godly marriage. We are presently looking at the responsibilities that are focused upon the husband. We are following the traditional, historic, reformed treatment of this subject. And we have said that basically, when we speak of the responsibility of husbands, it is broken down into two categories. And they, of course, are interrelated. It's not one without the other. That husbands are to love their wives and they are to lead their wives. It is a loving leading of their wives, of their families, of the home. And so we have been looking at the subject of love as we see here in our text that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. Last time we talked about the fivefold ground of a husband's love. That is, what is the reasons, the basis by which God commands husbands to love their wives? Well, number one, we are to love our wives because God commands it. In congregation, if God commands something, that settles it. Amen? It doesn't really matter what our opinion is. If God commands it, that settles it for us. Secondly, husbands, your marital vows demanded. You made promises to God in holy matrimony, and that demands you keep those promises. Thirdly, we said a wife's nearness to you requires it, and your comfort and happiness require it, and all of your other duties that flow out of love require that you love your wife. Then we looked at various fruits that flow from that. And we said that there are various practical things that flow from the fact that we love our wives. And we looked at a list of about seven, and those were just representative. There are many others that we could have added to the list. Today, we want to continue in our discussion of the duty of husbands, and we want to take up the issue of the husband's duty to lead in the home and in marriage. The husband is the head of the wife, and he is the head of the family. If you look back with me in our text, just a few verses from where we just read, you see this very clearly stated. In verse 22, it says, Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is head of the wife. as also Christ is head of the church and he is the savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. The husband is the head of the wife. Now, this is certainly true. He does not acquire this. The text assumes this to be true. It is not something that is an issue of permission, where he is given permission to be the head of his house. No, it is his position, as God has ordained it to be so. It isn't well whether you agree with this or not. No, you are, husbands, the head of your houses. The issue is, How faithful are you in that capacity? That really is the issue. You are the head of your wife, of your family, in the home. This originates with God himself. In fact, Joel Beakey And I quote from him regularly because there is so much that he has written on this subject that is beneficial. He says that the husband in the home is, and I quote, God's vice regent. Now God is to rule. But the husband is God's vice-regent. It is a stewardship. It is a responsibility. It is with real authority that he rules. The husband's headship is patterned after Christ's headship. This is what we just got through reading in verse 23, that this is our pattern. As Christ is head of the church, So husbands are the head in the home. I want us to turn in our confession of faith and read from it. So if you'll please take out your hymnal and turn please at the back of your hymnal. Now, not the Psalter, but the hymnal. And look back with me please at page 674. 674. We have in the back of our hymnal a copy of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. And I want to read from chapter eight, which is Christ as the Mediator. And what I want us to note here, and remember, we're talking about the husband is the head of the home, like Christ is the head of the church, okay? So that's what needs to be in the back of your thinking. So we read here in paragraph 1 on page 674 of chapter 8. Notice what these words say. It says, quote, it pleased God in His eternal purpose to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, according to the covenant made between them both, and of course that's talking about the covenant of redemption, to be the mediator between God and man, the prophet, priest, and king, head and savior of the church, the heir of all things, and judge of the world, unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his seed. and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified. Now, obviously there are aspects to Christ's headship over the church of which there is no analogous reality with the husband in the home. And yet, There are three aspects of Christ's headship which we want to consider as it relates to the husband's responsibility. And they're found there right in the middle of paragraph one. The idea of Christ being prophet, priest, and king, head and savior of the church. Prophet, priest, and king. This threefold office of the Lord Jesus Christ, of prophet, priest, and king, is the traditional way of historic and reformed Christianity has described the husband's role in leading in the home. He is to mirror Christ's headship. How is he to mirror Christ's headship? Because we know he's to do this because that's what Paul says in Ephesians 5. Well, he is to do it by being in the home a prophet, a priest, and a king. Listen to what William Gurnall said. How many of you are familiar with that name? William Gurnall, he wrote the classic way back in the days when the Puritans lived, entitled The Christian Incomplete Armor, and I would highly recommend you get a copy of that and study that. He says this, and I quote, every father hath the care of souls upon him. He, speaking of the father, is prophet, king, and priest in his house, and from these will appear his duty," end of quote. So there, William, he says this very clearly, these three offices. Now the order he shares is not exactly like our confession, but he says these are the three offices that are to be followed in this idea of leading in the home. Listen to the words of Dr. Joel Beeky. He recently released a book entitled How to Lead Your Family. And some of us are familiar with this. It just came out a couple of months ago. And let me just say right here, I highly recommend this little book. And in this book, which I am going to rest on very heavily in our expositions, he says this about that leading role of the husband in the home. He says, quote, the church and the world desperately need Christ-like men who lead their homes for God's glory. Such Christ-like men reflect Christ's threefold office as prophets, priests, and kings. This office bearing has huge implications for how we lead our families. As God's ordained representatives to our wives and children, we should serve them as prophets, priests, and kings. So here we have what could be described as the preeminent reformed preacher of our generation declaring to us what the Puritans affirmed repeatedly, that as we as husbands in the home fulfill this responsibility of being heads in our homes, We are to be doing it as Christ is head over his church, by those three offices, prophet, priest, and king. So let's talk today about leading your home as prophet. And as we think about Christ's office as prophet, we need to talk about that a little bit, and then we'll get into how we apply that for husbands. Listening to the words of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, question number 24, it asks the question, how does Christ execute the office of a prophet? Answer, Christ executeth the office of a prophet in revealing to us by his word and spirit the will of God for our salvation. So basically that office of prophet is revealing the will of God, revealing the Word of God, the ways of Almighty God. Whenever we think about Jesus Christ, we often think of Jesus as being our Savior. And He is our Savior, amen? He is the Savior of the world. But when we think about Christ in that work and in His office, He is as head over the church, prophet, priest, and king. He is, as we talk today, He is prophet unto His church. Turn with me in your Bibles back to the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. And I want you to look with me, please. We're going to look at just a few passages which speaks of Christ's work and office as prophet. And a good place to start is in Deuteronomy chapter 18. Deuteronomy chapter 18, and I want to read beginning in verse 15. Here we have, of course, the word of the Lord spoken. Moses here says, The Lord your God, verse 15 of Deuteronomy 18, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly saying, let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God nor let me see this great fire anymore lest I die. Verse 17. And the Lord said to me, What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear my words which he speaks in my name, I will require it of him. Here we have in the days of Moses. Now, when we think about Moses, we think of Moses as being this great leader for God's people, and he was. And we think about Moses as being this great deliverer as he led the people out of the Exodus. But do you realize, congregation, when we think about Moses, we should think of him as the great prophet of Israel. Indeed, whenever you think about the office of prophet, often the idea is that he was the great prophet of the Old Testament. And Jesus is the great prophet of the New Testament. Although other prophets, of course, followed after Moses in that office of prophet. And what do we see here in verse 15? It is this promise that God gives that he will raise up another prophet. And He will be a greater prophet. He will be the final prophet. And this prophet is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He will speak the words of God. And God will require that from the people that they hear and heed what He says. Now, turning with me, continuing in this thread of Christ as our prophet, look with me please in John chapter 3. Of course, we read in John 1 the fact that he came, the word came into this world, he became flesh. And notice the words of John the Baptist testifying to Christ as this great prophet, speaking the words of God. John 3, and look with me please, beginning in verse 31. He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. John 3, 32. And what he has seen and heard, that he testifies, and no one receives his testimony. He who has received his testimony has certified that God is true. For he whom God has sent, notice the words, speaks the words of God. For God does not give the Spirit by measure. Here John the Baptist is talking about the one who came from above, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ came and what did he do? Verse 34, He who was sent by God speaks the words of God. Now hold that thought and turn with me please over to Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 3. And in Acts chapter 3, and I want to take up our reading in verse 19, this is one of those accounts in the book of Acts where Peter is speaking. It is at Solomon's portico and he gives this clear call to repent for the Jews. Acts chapter 3 and taking up beginning in verse 19, reading down through verse 23. Peter says, "'Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshment may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. And then notice verse 22 and 23. For Moses truly said to the fathers, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him You shall hear in all things whatever he says to you, verse 23, and it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. What is Peter doing here? He is quoting from Deuteronomy chapter 18, which we just read from a moment ago. And he is connecting that word that was given way back in Deuteronomy 18. And he is saying, Jesus Christ is that prophet. And those who will not listen to that prophet, they will be judged. They will be destroyed. Look with me again in the book of Acts. Just turn over to chapter 7. And you already know the context here, chapter 7. This is the record of Stephen before the Sanhedrin, before he was martyred by the Jews. And of course, he gives this long sermon before the Sanhedrin, and he's fleshing out the history of Israel. And basically what he is doing is he is calling them to repent and receive their Messiah, Jesus Christ. But what I want to read is just one verse, and that is Acts 7 and verse 37. Stephen says, this is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear. And again, if you have a reference Bible, you will note there that again, this is coming right from Deuteronomy 18. It's talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Congregation, these verses and many others that we could add, these verses speak of the Lord Jesus as prophet. He is the savior of the church. He is the mediator of the new covenant. But in terms of his offices, we would say he is prophet for the church. Amen? He reveals the will of God. He declares the Word of God. It is through Christ that we know the ways of God. He came into this world in the incarnation and He was the very manifestation. Remember the question, show us the Father. And Jesus said, have I been with you so long? He was revealing the very nature, will, word of Almighty God. So, the question we ask ourselves, we say, yes, well, of course, Jesus was prophet, we all agree with that, but pastor, what does that have to do with the husband in the home? Where's the connection being made here? Well, as our reformed and historic Christian tradition would tell us, Christ's office of prophet has much to tell fathers as it relates to them being heads in their homes. Because husbands are heads in their homes just like Christ is head over the church. And so therefore, husbands and fathers are called to that same task in the home of being a prophet in their home. Again, quoting from William Gurnall, he says this, speaking of the father and husbands, he says, quote, he is a prophet to teach and to instruct his family, end of quote. So this is very basic understanding from the Reformed and Puritan tradition. Now let me hasten to say this does not mean, men, that you have been called officially to the office of prophet like in biblical times. So don't quit your day job just because I said you're a prophet. No, you are a prophet in the sense of leading in your home. It's not your vocation. You are to realize that you have this duty before God, and it is a prophetic duty. You're not giving new revelation, but you are communicating and you are teaching and instructing that word that has already been revealed, the word of Almighty God. Again, quoting from Dr. Joel Beakey, he says this, and I quote, God calls husbands and fathers to be loving leaders in the home. The first way that men can show godly leadership in the home is by being prophets. As a prophet to your family, you confess your own faith and speak forth the counsel of God given in the Bible. You do not add to the Bible. Your task is to make its truths known to your wife and children. This is your prophetic task as husband and father." End of quote. So that's how this connects to the duty of husbands in the home. They have this responsibility of being a prophet. Now, you say, what is the mandate for this? Where does the Bible say that husbands are to be teaching their wives and teaching their children? Well, let's just see that this is a biblical idea. Turn with me in your Bibles, please, over to 1 Corinthians chapter 14, and we'll deal with that responsibility as it relates to the wife, and then we'll deal with that teaching responsibility of the husband as it relates to the children. First of all, The Bible clearly reveals that husbands are to be teaching their wives. 1 Corinthians 14 verses 34 and 35. Now we've read these verses before, but we did it in a different context. But these words are relevant to us today as well. Paul writes 1 Corinthians 14 and verse 34, Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for women to speak in church. Here we see in verse 35 that there is certainly this role of the husband to teach their wives. He says in verse 35, if they want to learn something, they are to be taught. How do you learn? You are taught. Who teaches you? Your husband at home. It is shameful for a woman to speak in the church. Again, Dr. Joel Beakey says, quote, Paul assumes that godly husbands teach their wives in private. This is your responsibility. You have a great responsibility to teach your wives. This is clearly what Paul is affirming. But what about the rest of the family? What about the children? Does this apply to the children as well? Well, yes it does. Turn with me, please, in your Bibles over again to Ephesians. And we're going to jump ahead. And we're not there yet, but notice in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 4. Ephesians 6 and verse 4. Paul says, and you fathers do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Notice he does not say parents, he says fathers. Because it is the Father's responsibility. This idea, and again we'll deal with this in much more detail later, of bringing up the children in the training and admonition of the Lord that is clearly a prophetic or teaching, instructing role. Yes, mothers are to teach as well. And we thank God for our godly mothers who come alongside their husbands and teach the children. But make no mistake, the mothers who teach the children are doing that under the authority of their husbands. Amen? And they are doing it under His authority, headship, and directions for that teaching ministry. They are to be bringing up their children in the training and the admonition of the Lord. And this is given to the fathers. This is given to the husbands as their responsibility. So yes, absolutely. You say, well, I don't feel like I'm called to teach. I don't feel like I'm called to instruct anybody. I just, you know, I'm a learner too, but I don't really feel like I can be a very good teacher in the home. Well, my dear friend, it doesn't matter what you feel like. This is what God has called you to be. He has called you to be a teacher and to assume this role that is prophetic in your home. And yes, with your wife, even if you don't have children. You are to be teaching her and teaching your children. Well, what is the manner of this teaching that is to take place? What kind of style, what way are you to do this? Well, let me just say three things on this regard. And many things could be said. Number one, you are to teach in the home authoritatively. You are to teach authoritatively. We're not going to read the verses because we just read them, and the verses are the ones we just got through reading. 1 Corinthians 14, 34, Ephesians 6 and verse 4. And what I am saying here, and what Joel Beakey says in that book that I recommended, is that husbands and fathers are to know that God has appointed them to this role as a prophet in the home. This is not something you're just coming up with, or you feel inclined to do because, well, you just really are eager about Bible study. No. It is because you are the husband. It is because you are the father. that you've been called, and it is a role that you assume because God has ordained it to be so. Our children and our wives must understand that God commands us to teach them. We are to teach our children and we are to say to them, God has given me this responsibility. I am to teach you in the ways of God. I would not be obeying God if I did not do this. I would be derelict in my duties. I would not be the kind of father that pleases God if I failed to teach you. to correct you, to admonish you, and nourish you in the Word of God. They need to understand, our wives and our children, that this is not something that we just feel inclined to do because, well, that's our personality. No, this is our position as heads in our homes. So we are to teach authoritatively. This does not mean obviously that the churches and Christian schools in our lives don't have any responsibility. Obviously, the church has a massive responsibility to be teaching. But just because you get teaching when you come to church, Doesn't mean that is the end of instruction until next Sunday. Amen? There's to be teaching throughout the week. Secondly, not only are husbands and fathers to teach authoritatively, they are to teach confidently. Turn with me, please, in your Bibles back to Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4. I want to read verse 12. Hebrews 4 and verse 12. Again, these are familiar words to us. We could probably quote these. It is this beautiful statement concerning the awesome power of the Word of God. Hebrews 4 and verse 12, for the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Congregation, the Word of God is powerful. Amen. Husbands, fathers, do you believe that? As you assume the role as a prophet in your home, do you believe the Word of God is in actuality sharper than a two-edged sword? Powerful and able to produce and promote the godliness that God has called that you be in charge of enforcing and encouraging in your home. Rest confidently in the power of the Word of God. You say, well, I haven't studied the Bible very much, or I'm still learning myself, or a lot of people are better teachers than me. But my friend, you have the Word of God. And the Word of God is powerful. And so you are equipped to teach in your home. Teach the Word of God authoritatively. You've been called to this task. Teach it confidently because it is the word that is powerful. And then number three, teach the word passionately, passionately. Turn back with me in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 20. And here we'll actually have an example from one of God's prophets, the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 20, I want to read verses seven through nine. Jeremiah chapter 20 verses 7 through 9. We know the story of Jeremiah. We know that he was ministering in difficult times. People did not want to hear the word of God. It's very much like today in many ways. People just don't want to hear it. And yet Jeremiah was called to proclaim the word of God regardless of whether it was popular or not, realizing that people would hate him for it. And yet it was a great weight upon him on a personal level. And listen to what he says to the Lord. Jeremiah 20 and verse 7. Oh Lord, you induced me and I was persuaded. You are stronger than I and have prevailed. I am in derision daily. Everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out, I shouted violence and plunder, because the word of God was made to be a reproach and a derision daily. Then, verse 9, I said, I will not make mention to him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. I was weary of holding it back, and I could not." Jeremiah says, man, this call to be a prophet and to preach the word, it's not a very pleasant thing. People hate me. I am in derision. People are opposing me. They're threatening my very life. But he says, even if I said I'm not gonna speak about God anymore, I'm just gonna shut my mouth, he said, verse nine, part B, his word was in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. Prophets were full of zeal. They were full of passion with earnestness. They took that task of the Word of God to the people. Fathers, your children should see that same kind of intensity, that same kind of zeal and passion in your life as you bring to bear the Word of God in your home. Your wife should see that you love the Word of God and that you want to teach the Word of God in your home. Your children, quite frankly, your children know what you're most passionate about. Let's make no mistake about it. Your children know what is really captured your great earnestness and zeal in life. Is it your career? Is it your hobbies? Is it your sports ball team? Is that the thing that gets you worked up the most? Or is it the work? of Almighty God. Is the Word of God in your bones, burning, and you have a zeal and earnestness to share it and declare it? Well, if not, The question, of course, is why not? Why is that not true? Because it is the Word of God. And husbands, you have been called to this task of teaching in the home. You're to teach it authoritatively because God has called you to this task. You're to teach it confidently knowing that the Word of God, it is sharper than a two-edged sword. and you are to teach it with a zeal and earnestness. As your family watches and sees, what really are you passionate about in your life? Thirdly, as we think about this office, When we think about the office of in the home being like a prophet, not only the mandate and the manner of this teaching, but let me conclude, number three, with the method of your teaching. The method of your teaching. Well, if you are to fulfill this duty of being a prophet in the home, well then obviously, pastor, how do you do that? How is it that this is implemented in your home? Well, let me just share with you some very practical principles that you can take and you can follow. And again, I recommend that book by Dr. Beeke because he gives the same kind of recommendations and fills them out with good detail. Number one, husbands and fathers, you can be a prophet in your home by teaching your family through family devotions. This is what the Puritans used to call family worship. We today often call it family devotions. Under the duties of membership, our church constitution presses this as an important part of family life. And let me just read to you from our church constitution. It says, each family unit of this church is encouraged to conduct worship in the home. Family worship has been characteristic of God's people down through the ages. And then it lists various examples. Abraham, Joshua, David, Timothy, and the scripture references of those examples. It continues, the lack of family worship makes the home subject to the wrath of God. But the observance of such worship ensures his blessings, such as the prevention of much sin in the home, and the special presence of Jesus Christ with the family while they worship." And the reference there is Matthew 18, where two or three are gathered, there I am in the midst. You see, this idea of family worship or family devotion, this is rooted in our church constitution. And the husband, the father, he is to be functioning as a prophet, leading in those family devotions. Husbands, are you leading your family in family devotions? Are you leading your family in family worship? regularly, daily, as your practice, this is what you've been called to do. This is what you are required to do before God. In that time of family devotions, now, it's not all going to look the same in every home. How that happens is not a cookie-cutter approach. But things that you should be doing, number one, you should be reading the Bible in your home to your family. Fathers, have your children ever heard you read the Bible to them? I hope everyone here can say, absolutely, pastor. They've heard me read it many times. If that's not the case, what's going on in your home? Not only are you to read the Bible, but you are to be teaching the Bible. You can be doing this in many different ways. Simply taking an approach of reading through books of the Bible and just take out a chapter, and you can read that chapter and then discuss it as a family. And you can draw out application. If you are not familiar with the Reformation Heritage Study Bible, I would highly recommend that. Some of our folks have that Bible. At the end of every chapter, There are little devotional and applicational questions and statements in the text itself, that is, in the bottom part where the notes are, so that you can read a chapter and then you can read those discussion things. It's an excellent way to conduct family worship. Maybe it's going through a gospel and reading a chapter or doing it topically. There's various ways that you can do this. You can do this by reviewing and reinforcing the Sunday sermon that was preached. You need to be here on the Lord's Day. You need to be listening intently on the Lord's Day, taking notes to the message on the Lord's Day, and then that can become what you discuss as you seek to further fill out and apply that word that has been brought by shepherds in the church. You can do this through going through the catechism. Some of us are very familiar with this, others of us maybe not so acquainted. But the Catechism is basically a book on the doctrines of the Bible. That's what the Catechism is. Some people get hung up on the word Catechism and they say, oh, that sounds Catholic. Well, no, we're not going to allow the Catholics to be the only ones who catechize. Amen? The idea of catechizing is simply a structure of Bible teaching which is in the form of a question and an answer. A question is stated and an answer is given and then scriptural proves. This is another excellent way that you can be teaching in your home. You can be going through the Confession of Faith, the 1689, another doctrinal statement. Each paragraph has scripture references that go alongside that. And you can use that as you teach in the home. Again, how that looks in your home is not all going to be the same. It could be in the mornings with breakfast. It could be in the evenings toward the end of the day. It could be in many different ways. But husbands, fathers, you are to have the role of a prophet teaching, leading in your home. Secondly, not only are you to teach through family devotions and worship, but you are to teach by being a good example in your home. Turn with me, please, in your Bibles back to 2 Timothy chapter three. 2 Timothy chapter three. And notice, please, verses 10 and 11. This is what the apostle Paul says, and we'll use this statement here as this example. 2 Timothy 3 and verse 10, but you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, those are the words I want us to highlight, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured and out of them all, the Lord delivered me. Here Paul says that they had carefully followed not only his doctrine, that's that formal teaching, but also his manner of life. Husbands, fathers, your life is a book that your family's reading. Your life is a testimony to your wife and children. And when they read of that, what are they reading? What are they seeing? What manner of life is being presented to them? Because that will reveal both you and whose you are. So you need to teach through family devotions. You need to teach by being a good example. Number three, you need to teach by applying the Bible to daily living and all the issues of life. Turn back with me and this will be the last verse we look at today. Turn back to Deuteronomy chapter six. Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses 4 through 9. Again, these are very familiar words. Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 4. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Here we see this word that was given to fathers, to the heads of households. These words which I command you, verse 6, They shall be in your heart. Now, husbands, fathers, that's where it must start. Amen? It must be in your heart or it will not be taught in your home. And whenever it is in your heart, then you will desire. to share it in your home. And here we see that this teaching, it involves far more than just scheduled events of formal instruction. It involves all kinds of situations and life circumstances. in every situation, and even in the most common of things, whether you're in the grocery store, driving down the road, or with other people, these are all occasions for instruction. These are all occasions where you, as the head of your house, can be instructing your wife and instructing your children. applying those situations to what the Word of God says, both by way of negative example and by way of positive reinforcement. Things that are contrary to God's Word, you can have a teaching lesson on what God says about this matter. things that are what God would desire. You can praise this and say, this is what God's Word says we are to be doing. You see, there are many ways that you can teach even beyond the bounds of a scheduled time every day in the home. Husbands, fathers, God has placed you as the head of your household. Amen? This is what the Word of God says. This is not something that you acquire. This is not something you get permission to have. This is what God has given you before God. If you're having to get permission for it, then you need to really step up and have some dealings in your home because you have been given this responsibility. The question is not, do you have this role? The question is, how faithfully and lovingly are you leading in this capacity? That's the question. Are you failing in this? Are you avoiding issues? Because, well, I know that'll just end up being a fight. Or are you actually leading? A loving father will not say, well, I just want to avoid problems and I don't want to stir things up. No, you will, with true love, seek what is best for the soul of your wife and of your children. And you will teach and instruct because you're not simply seeking to have some sort of a truce in your home. You're seeking to have truth prevail in your home. And that is done when you are a prophet in your home. You are to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. You have a mandate before God. You are to take it up knowing this is your authority given to you. And don't allow anyone to try to take away that authority from you. You are to teach the Word of God confidently, knowing that it is a powerful Word. You are to teach it passionately, because it is in your bones and burning, and you have a zeal for the truth. And you are to teach in every way that you, by God's providence, give you to teach. In the home formally, informally, and by the way that you live. Fathers, how are you doing? in this responsibility? Are you being a prophet in your home? Are you stepping up to the plate, as it were? Or are you just saying, well, we get teaching at church, and then I get home, and we rush home to get the ball game on? What is your responsibility? It is to be a prophet. What is your practice? It is a calling before God, and you will answer for how well you have taught your wife and your children in the home. Before you can teach, you first of all must be taught, taught by the Spirit, taught by that wonderful Spirit who transforms us. Those who have been transformed by the power of God They have the Word of God burning in their hearts. And so, my friend, if you do not have this passion, this yearning, this desire to be what God has called you to be, then perhaps first you need to come to Christ and have salvation from the Lord Jesus. Because when you come to the Lord Jesus, our prophet, priest, and king, you are transformed. into one who longs and loves that God's Word prevail in all areas of your life. Congregation, let's now bow together before the Lord. Our gracious Heavenly Father, we bow before you today as we consider this duty of husbands they are to love. And this love is not some sort of sentimentality, but it is a love that fleshes itself out in doing the loving things of owning and fulfilling the responsibilities that have been given to us as husbands and fathers. Father, we pray that we would have in this place a great uprising of men who are committed to leading their homes, committed to doing what is right, realizing that this is not something that they somehow can earn, but they've been appointed to this place. And the question is, how well are they doing it? Help us, O God, and forgive us for the many ways that we fail. and we do not live and lead and love as we should, cleanse us of our sin, help us that we would be ever more diligent as we seek to be faithful prophets in our homes. Father, raise up those in this coming generation to faith in Christ, where those very characteristics are duplicated by your grace and for your glory. Father, we pray all of this in Christ's holy name. Amen. Let's all stand together now as we prepare for our benediction. Again, with the words of Holy Scripture, the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. And all of God's people said, amen, amen.