Amen. If you would please, congregation, let's take our Bibles out at this time as we come to the exposition of God's Word. And we want to turn back in the book of Ephesians. Ephesians chapter six. Ephesians chapter six, and I'd like to read in your hearing the first four verses of this chapter. We're here, the Apostle Paul is addressing the second of the three different sets of relationships which speak of headship and submission. Ephesians chapter six, and we read beginning in verse one, children, obey your parents in the Lord. For this is right, honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth. And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Let's now join together before the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we bow before you as again we come before your Word. And Father, we acknowledge that your Word is the inerrant, infallible, and all-sufficient Word given to us by your Spirit. It is a Word that we can look to and know that we will never be led astray, we will never hear anything other than the absolute and complete truth that you have revealed. Father, we come today that we might place ourselves under that authority, that we might be taught, that we might be instructed, encouraged, comforted, and challenged, and even corrected. that we might inculcate the truth of your word and apply it in our daily walk. Lord, save us from the kind of religion that simply wants to fill heads with knowledge, apart from filling hearts with attitudes and actions that flow from that knowledge and that impact how we live on a daily basis. Help us that we would be not only hearers of your word, but that we would be doers of what it says. We pray, Father, that you would draw sinners to yourself, that you would add to your church, and that you would receive all honor, praise, and glory. And we pray all of this in Christ's holy name, amen. As we come today, we come here in chapter six, having considered, of course, in this section of Ephesians, these various relationships, practical teaching which Paul is giving in these various categories. We've already considered the institution of marriage, and we spent several weeks looking at marriage. We said that marriage is God's provision. God alone created it. God alone constitutes it. God alone defines what marriage is. between one man and one woman. We said that marriage has God's purpose. It is for the glory of God. It isn't man-centered, but it is God-centered. We said that it has God's plan, leaving, cleaving, and becoming one flesh. We then considered in the text here in Ephesians the God-ordained roles and responsibilities of the husband and the wife. What is the responsibility of wives? Well, they are to submit to their husbands. What is the responsibility of husbands? They are to love and lead their wives and their families. So now we come in chapter six to the second category moving from husbands and wives to considering children and parents. And specifically, as we see in our text, it's actually technically fathers and children, because the father is the head of the household. Now, as we look at this text in these days, we want to consider regarding children and parents several introductory statements. And so before we actually look at the text before us, I want to just reaffirm some basic introductory things that need to be reaffirmed in our day. The first is that we affirm, as God's people, based upon the revelation of God throughout Holy Scripture, the priority of childbearing and children. Now, we already have said something about this many months ago when we talked about the purpose of marriage, but it needs to be stated again. And we find this in Genesis 1, verse 28. And we read from that text many times where God gives that duty to Adam and Eve, what? Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. That was not uniquely just the duty of Adam and Eve, but that is the purpose and plan of God. for all couples, all marriages, all families. The very idea of marriage is normally that it would be fruitful, that there would be this multiplication and the filling of the earth. And again, we have said that the culture of Western civilization has sadly backed away from this as a burning absolute priority for individuals and for families. Indeed, there is in our day and there has been for a long time this kind of anti-family ideology. It's the feminist movement and it's all other kinds of pressures and priorities and thinking and ideologies that have forced the priority of being fruitful and multiplying to kind of a subsidiary type of pursuit. We affirm that the pursuit and priority of marriage is childbearing. And that is the will of God. We look at our culture today and we see millions murdered. Unborn babies murdered before they even are birthed by their mother. And it is a horrible tragedy. It is a national sin beyond our imagination. We think about the feminist movement, and we've talked about them already in previous studies. In the feminist teaching, many women and even men have the idea that babies are basically an inconvenience to one's career. They are an impediment to promiscuity. that babies are an obstacle to one's self-centered desires. And so what do you do? Well, if you conceive in your promiscuity, you simply need to eliminate the consequences of that sinful relationship because that baby is gonna weigh you down. It's gonna get in the way of your self-centered pursuits, which is all about yourself and all about what you desire for yourself. Congregation, I would suggest to us when we think about this, we live in a society that has moved away from that innate reality of love that ought to be found in the hearts of mothers, of husbands of family. And I want you to turn with me in your Bibles over in Romans chapter 1. I want to look at a couple of passages where we think about the idea of natural affection. I think this is one of those things that Satan and these various movements have sought to really suppress in the minds of people today. Now in Romans chapter 1 you recognize beginning in this passage you have in verses 18 through 31 this statement of God basically saying that all men are sinners and depraved Whether Jew or Gentile, all need the gospel. There is this universal depravity. And I want to just take up our reading in verse 28, where Paul says in verse 28, and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting. Congregation, when you think about the murdering of millions of babies, that's a debased mind, amen? There's something twisted that's going on in our culture today. Verse 29, being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit. Evil-mindedness, they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, bolsters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful. who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. Here we have a list of a sinful heart of depraved humanity, and it reads like a commentary on contemporary culture in America. And notice, if you will, looking back in verse 31, there's one word that I want us to dial in on this morning. For in verse 31, it says, undiscerning, untrustworthy, and then it's that third word, unloving, unloving. The King James renders this, and I think it does an excellent job, it renders this word as without natural affection. And that's a very good way to put this word. The word here has to do, it's the Greek word astorgos, and it is this lack of affection towards those connected to us by blood ties. It is this idea of having a hard-hearted spirit toward our kindred, toward our families, towards those who are most closely connected to us. This is to have no natural affection. This is found, again, if you'll look with me over in 2 Timothy. Turn with me to 2 Timothy chapter 3. And I wanna read just a few verses here. Paul uses the exact same word in this passage. In 2 Timothy 3, and he's talking about the last days, he says, verse one, but know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come. And here again, you have this list of sin and depravity. And again, it describes our current society. Verse number two. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal despisers of good, traitors, headlong, haughty lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power, and from such people turn away." Here you have this list that Paul gives and it sounds very similar to Romans chapter 1, doesn't it? Indeed, many of the same elements are found and so when you look at verse 3, the very first word in verse 3 is this same word that we're looking at, unloving. in the new King James. It's also rendered that in various other translations. But the King James renders it, I think, well by that phrase, without natural affection. Without natural affection. What exactly is it we're talking about natural affection? So I want to talk about this just a little bit as we think about this sin of not having natural affection. Well, one reference resource states this. It's just a standard definition. Natural affection refers to the innate love, care, and bonding that naturally exists between close family members, such as parents and children, without the need of a contract or an external agreement. Originating from the Greek word storge, it describes the instinctual familial bond that forms the basis of human relationships and is essential for a stable family unit. That's a very good working definition of the idea of having natural affection. It can be summarized with three different elements. Number one, natural affection is innate and it is instinctual. That is, having natural affection is a natural feeling. It isn't something that is learned or acquired over time through external factors. This is something that innately we have this natural affection for our family. Not only is it innate and instinctual, number two, it is familial. That is, it has to do with the family. It specifically refers to that unique love between family members, especially between parents and their offspring. Number three, it is foundational of family life. It is considered the emotional core of the family unit, fostering connection and care among members. Congregation, this is the kind of love that a mother has for her child. We all know this instinctively. A mother's love, commitment, devotion, her willingness to lay down her own life and suffer any kind of setback and any kind of suffering, she is willing to do. Why? Because she has this natural affection for her child. It is that bond that parents have with their children. And yes, to a degree, in like manner, children have with their parents and even siblings and close connected family members. This is natural. This is normal. This is what God has created in the hearts and constitutions of mothers as it relates to their children. And so when we think about this idea to not have natural affection, which is the word we looked at in those two passages, this describes a people who lack this fundamental love for their families and they appear to be heartless and calloused related to those connections. The breakdown of natural affection is a sign not only of a family going awry, but it is a sign of societal decay and It is literally knocking the legs out from under the very bedrock of a nurturing home and family. How is it that so many women can choose, even though they innately have been given this desire to be a mother and to have children, and that is standard equipment? How is it that they say, well, you can have a child if you want to, but I want to have a career. I want to get out there and be a CEO of a company. Well, it is because they are suppressing this natural affection. How is it that a woman can say, well, I have become pregnant, but that child is going to get in the way of me having a career or having a convenient lifestyle. It's going to be all kinds of problems. I just want to murder that baby because I want to get on with the desires and priorities of my life. It is this lack of natural affection. And this is what we are seeing in our culture today. It is a part of what we have already talked about the Ordo Amoris. How many of you remember when we talked about that? The Ordo Amoris, our ordered love. This idea of Ordo Amoris, and it's found in Augustine, it's found in many other teachers in church history. It's this idea of ordering and hierarchy in our love. One's love for one's own family and nation is more than the love you'll have from other family members or foreigners in a nation. Now that's just a part of the idea of the hierarchy of ordered love. And why is this so? Well, one of the reasons is there is this natural affection that we have and that is a part of what God has wired us to be. That we love our families. That we love our children. That children love their parents. And yet, congregation, sadly, we see this as being diminished and a lack of priority. Not everywhere. Certainly, we have many women who are godly, and we praise God for the godly women. And I'm not talking about women in our church. You obviously understand that. I'm talking about in society in general. There's this lack of following forth with that God-given natural affection that God has equipped mothers and fathers to have, the suppressing of that. Listen to what the writers in the women's movement say. I'll just give you a few quotes. One writer says this, quote, It should be illegal to be a stay-at-home mom. Well, that's a pretty interesting statement. That's a suppression of natural affection. It should be illegal to be a stay-at-home mom. That's rather bold. Another woman, Mrs. Firestone, said this, the heart of a woman's oppression is her childbearing and childbearing roles. Another feminist says this, Mary Jane Bain, in order to raise children with equality, whatever they mean by that, we must take them away from the families and communally raise them. That sounds like Hillary Clinton and it takes a village or something. Absolutely contrary to the biblical mandate. Listen to Betty Friedan. She says this, quote, homemaking women are prisoners in comfortable concentration camps. What an interesting way to think of that. Listen to what another feminist said, Sheila Cronin. She said, since marriage constitutes slavery for women, it is clear that the women's movement must concentrate on attacking this institution. Freedom for women cannot be won without the abolition of marriage. They're coming right at marriage. Marriage is slavery and so they want to attack the institution of marriage. How could any woman with these God-given natural instincts and God's call that they be mothers and bear children, how could they say kinds of things like this? Well, the only way they can say that in their depravity is that they are suppressing natural affection. They have turned from that which innately God has created them to be, and they have found, through the deceptiveness of the devil and the schemes of this satanic system, priorities that are contrary. Indeed, they are absolutely in competition. with what the Word of God has declared. Now, congregation, we recognize that there are many couples that are married, and in God's providence, God has not blessed them with conception. And they may long to have a child, and they may long with all of their hearts to have children, and yet God has not granted that, and we recognize that. Our callings are not all uniquely the same, but we as God's people affirm this priority. This is the norm. The other situation is the exception. So, number one, we affirm the priority of childbearing and children. Number two, We affirm that it is God himself who grants the gift of life by his sovereign foreordination. Let's just look at some passages in the Old Testament. Turn with me, please, in the book of Genesis, and we'll just look at a few examples. There are many places that we could look. For creation, we must be ever reminded, especially in this culture of death and murdering unborn babies, that it is God himself who is sovereign over the gift of life. And who are we to snuff out life that God has ordained? We read in Genesis chapter 4, verses 1 and 2, the story of Adam and Eve at the very beginning. It says, now, Adam, verse 1, knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain and said, I have acquired a man from the Lord. Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground." And so here we have this statement in verse 1, Adam and Eve, they had these two children, but notice the language in verse 1, this acknowledgement, they have acquired a man from the Lord. It is God who is sovereign over conception. Notice, if you will, still in this chapter, just look down at verse 25, and we read in verse 25, Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth. And then notice what is said, for God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed. Adam and Eve, they recognize that this is God's doing. God appointed another seed. Look with me, please, still in Genesis. Let's just turn over to chapter 21, and we pick up the story of Abraham and Sarah. And we read in Genesis 21, beginning in verse 1, and we know the story of Abraham and Sarah. We know their desire, the promise for a child, a part of that Abrahamic covenant. that was given to him by God. And we read in verse 1 of Genesis 21 these words. It says, and the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac." And of course, Isaac means laughter. Remember, it was Sarah herself who laughed in the tent. And then God fulfilled this promise. They named that child Laughter, which is a very interesting twist, as God indeed granted that conception as he had promised. Look with me over in Genesis chapter 25, and we read this reality in Genesis 25 as it relates to Isaac and Rebekah. Genesis 25, and picking up in verse 20, Genesis 25, verse 20, it says, Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah, his wife, the daughter of Bethuel, the Syrian of Pedamaram, the sister of Laban, the Syrian. Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord granted his And Rebekah his wife conceived, but the child struggled together within her, and she said If all is well, why am I like this? So she went to inquire of the Lord, and the Lord said to her, two nations are in your womb. Two people shall be separated from your body. One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger. And so here we have again this statement about God's sovereignty and His foreordination over life. We have Isaac here, 40 years old, verse 20, and he, verse 21, pleads with the Lord. He recognizes that life is in God's hands, and it is to God he must seek, and he must have God, the grantor of life, to intervene. And it says, verse 21, the Lord granted his plea and Rebekah, his wife, conceived." Now, congregation, we could go on through the list of this example. We could look at Jacob and Leah in chapter 29 of Genesis. We could look at Boaz and Ruth in Ruth chapter 4. We could look at Hannah in 1 Samuel, and we see over and over again And we affirm God is sovereign over conception. Amen? He is the giver of life, and it is by His sovereign foreordination. And therefore, we affirm that children are God's giving of that life consistent with that affection, desire, and that natural instinct that is bred and found in the very wiring of men and women in the home. Thirdly, I want us to affirm this morning as we think about parenting and children, not only the priority of childbearing children and the concept of natural affection, and not only the idea that indeed God is the giver of life, but more than that, we affirm that God is the one who actively creates and sovereignly forms within the womb itself. Many places we could turn, but turn with me please over in Job. Turn to Job chapter 31. And we'll just look at the two classic texts that probably every one of us, or a number of us, are already thinking about in this regard. It is God who actively creates and forms us in the womb. Not just granting conception, but He is actively forming us in the womb. Job 31, looking beginning in verse 13. We have these words. Job says, if I have despised the cause of my male or female servant when they complained against me, what then shall I do when God rises up, when he punishes? How shall I answer him? Here's Job, he's talking about he has treated his slaves fairly. He has treated them justly. And then notice verse 15, these words. Did not He, speaking of God, did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb? Creation, here we have this glorious statement about God's active role in the very creating and forming of that little baby in the womb. Some of us in our day may think in society in general that, well, you know what, conception is just a biological situation where, you know, there is the egg and there is the insemination and then there is a life. The congregation, we affirm that that life, that conception, is by God's sovereign foreordination. But it isn't some kind of a deist type of approach. Well, God, He allows the conception, but then He really is kind of stepping back as things take their course. No, this tells us that God is involved in the forming of that little baby, of the creating and the shaping and the maturing of that baby, even in the womb. Look with me, please, over in Psalm 139, another classic text, and we read this statement here, a statement by David, and in Psalm 139, verse 13, It says, for my inward parts you covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret. and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed, and in your book they are all written, the days fashioned for me when as yet there were none of them." Here again we see this idea of God's active role in forming that life in the womb, verse 13, you formed my inner parts. You made me, he is saying, and I am, verse 14, fearfully and wonderfully made. It is your work that has done it. God not only ordains conception, our very bodies are His formation. The unborn are unique and distinct human beings from creation. And God not only grants conception, He grants the whole process as He actively forms us in that secret place of a mother's womb. Number four, a fourth thing we want to affirm when we think about children and parents is not only there is this priority of childbearing and children, and that God grants conception and the formation of children, but we affirm that children are God's blessing on a home. They are the mark of God's blessing on a home. Turn with me, please, and we'll just look at a few passages in this regard. Turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 7, all the way back The Old Testament and the Pentateuch, God says this to His ancient people Israel. And here we of course find, and this is not the only place, where God will affirm both statements of cursing for disobedience, But then he will also give words of blessing for his people if they obey him and do what he has commanded. And so that's one of these kind of passages here in Deuteronomy 7. And I want to read just verses 12 and 13. Here we read verse 12, Deuteronomy 7 and verse 12. This idea when you obey God, you keep his commandments, then it shall come to pass because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which he swore to your fathers and he will love you. and bless you and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock in the land of which he swore to your fathers to give you. Here we have, and of course the list goes on of God's blessings for His people. But notice here, God says in this statement, verse 13, that He will bless you and that mark of blessing, verse 13, as He will multiply you. Multiply you. This has to do with offspring, with procreation. He will, verse 13, bless the fruit of your womb. It is a sad reality that people look at conception and they could ever even for even a millisecond think, well, this is an inconvenience. This is somehow an impediment or an obstacle. When God says that children, they're not some problem to have to dispose of, they are a blessing that God has given. Amen? They are a wonderful, incredible blessing that God has given. And it is an indictment on our society that anyone would think anything less than that of children. Look with me, please, turning over to the book of Psalms, and there are many places that we could turn. Look with me, first of all, in Psalm 113. Again, this idea that children are a profound blessing of God. The Bible is not silent on this. The Bible is repetitious on this subject. And we read in Psalm 113, verse 9, this statement. It says, he grants the barren woman a home like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord. Here we read about barrenness. There is this barren woman. To be a barren woman in that day because of this understanding of biblical priorities was a terrible tragedy and a sad reality that a mother, a wife, did not bear children. Indeed, in that society and in that culture, it was seen even as a stigma. Now, we would not say that because God is sovereign over conception. But to be without a child would be without significance in life. It would be to be without joy. I mean, what a contrast it is with our culture today. Our culture today says, in many quarters, to have the burden of a baby is to have your joy removed. But the biblical idea is that it is a great joy to have children. Spurgeon says in this verse 9 of Psalm 113, he says, quote, for God to grant a child was hailed as the choicest of favors, end of quote. You know, how do we judge someone having the blessing of God on their life? The smile of God on their life? What is the barometer? Well, do they have a house that has 500 square feet? That's the blessing of God. Is that what we would say? Well, a lot of people in our culture would say that. Do they have two Mercedes-Benz? Well, that's the blessing of God. Do they have a boat or a lake resort? This is how our world thinks. But according to the Bible, the choicest of blessings, the choicest of favor from Almighty God is to be blessed with children. To be blessed with the fruit of the womb. John MacArthur says on this verse, he says, quote, having children, it is, quote, an incomparable love gift from God. An incomparable love gift from God. Again, the blessing of bearing children and having that blessing of many. Look with me, please, still in Psalm, turn over to, well, just look at Psalm 115. Just a couple of verses over there. And look in Psalm 115 verse 14 and 15. It says, Psalm 115 verse 14, May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord who made heaven and earth. Here is this idea of increasing more and more you and your children. The idea of this blessing of children. Most of us perhaps immediately thought of Psalm 127. Turn with me please to Psalm 127. And we read in Psalm 127 these words, beginning in verse 3. And this really is the classic text speaking about how children are a blessing from God. Psalm 127, verse 3, Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate." We read there in verse 3, children, they are a heritage that comes from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward. And those who have their quiver full, verse 5, this is a mark of great blessing, God's favor upon that family. Yes, of course, we have said that it is not God's will for every couple to have children. Some would love to have children, and yet God has not, in His sovereign purposes, allowed them to conceive. We acknowledge that. And that does not necessarily mean that they're in sin, or they're wicked, or because they have somehow failed God. No, God's purposes are inscrutable, and they are beyond our understanding. But generally speaking, as a general principle, in a culture that says babies are a burden, and having children are a problem and an impediment, we need to be saying, oh no, that's not true at all. Amen? We need to be saying they're a wonderful blessing from God. They're a priority that we should all be seeking. And they are the mark of God's favor upon a family. Look with me, please. Well, you're at Psalm 127. Look at Psalm 128. Psalm 128, verse 1. He says, blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. So we're talking about those who are blessed. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. Notice in verse one, it starts out with the idea of who's blessed. And then at the end in verse four, there's this statement about who's blessed. And we see there in verse 3, and we actually read this verse a few weeks ago when we talked about the idea of the wife being a vine, which speaks of the need for protection. Vines are not strong. But now we want to see the idea of fruitfulness. Your wife shall be like a This is the mark of God's blessing. One final verse as we come to a conclusion. Turn with me over in Proverbs chapter 17. Proverbs chapter 17 is another one of these verses which speak about how it is that children are indeed a heritage and blessing from the Lord. Proverbs 17 and verse 6, the scripture says, children's children are the crown of old men and the glory of children is their father. Here we see this idea of the intergenerational blessing associated with that blessing of children. The idea there of children's children are the crown of old men. They're reckoned to be a great blessing to them. And then notice in the second part of this line, the glory of children is their father. That, of course, assumes the father is wise, godly, and good. And it is an honor to be descended from such a father as that. Those who are godly and who live with integrity and who seek to make God their priority. This, again, is this statement of blessing, of honor, the intergenerational blessing that is found as one generation gives way to the next and the next, which is the order and blessing of God that he has ordained. So, congregation, as we think about children and parents, before we even get into the text of Ephesians, I did want to reemphasize these things because these things need to be stated in our day. We should be proclaiming the priority of childbearing, motherhood, fatherhood, and homes that are fruitful before the Lord. Our society is pushing against this in every quarter, just about. Feminist culture teaches that the young, they don't want to be bothered with having babies. They cost a lot of money, they're hard to deal with, and they're a problem to your career. And then you've got to figure out how you're going to pay for college. Congregation, that is totally outside the bounds of biblical thinking. Our daughters and wives, our husbands and fathers need to realize that being fathers and being mothers, this is hardwired into your nature. This is not something that's optional. Well, if you choose to go that path and be burdened with a baby. No, this is a part of natural affection. that you desire to have a quiver full of children. We, as God's people, therefore must affirm with our stand and our living, and we must raise up our boys and girls with this kind of idea. raising boys, that you want to be a father. Because there's a lot of boys these days who say, I don't want to have anything to do with marriage, and I don't want to have anything to do with child-rearing. And we know in our society, the sad reality, many guys, they get married, have a couple of children, and then there's this no-fault divorce, and their life is completely ruined after that. They have, she gets everything and he gets the bill. And there are many, and I'm talking about the younger generation today. This is the reality that we are living in. That's why the replacement birth rate in America is way upside down. These forces that are ungodly and unbiblical. We need to be raising our little boys who become young men and who later become those who would seek out a spouse, that it is a great honor, it is a goal, objective, and calling that God would have you be a father and father many children in the home. We need to teach our daughters that no, you don't need to have your priority that you're going to be a diplomat with the United Nations or that you're going to be the CEO of some kind of a cracker company. No, you want to have as your priority that you want to be a mother and you want to have children because this is what God has called you to do. And it is your natural instinct to be a mother and to have children. We should be, secondly, not only proclaiming this priority of childbearing, we should be defending the sanctity of life related to the born and the unborn. Amen? Now this is something that the church, the evangelical church, has sought to rise up and make as an emphasis, and that is a good thing. It is for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ that we are to stand up and speak up and yes, get out and vote our conscience as it relates to the issue of abortion. And thanks be to God, Roe v. Wade has been overturned. Terrible, terrible decision of the Supreme Court. Even Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it was reasoned on horrible legal ideas and thinking. The idea of viability whenever a child can be aborted. But congregation, it is more than just overturning Roe versus Wade, amen? We need to be praying, we need to be speaking out, we need to be engaged in our communities and in our culture that we would seek to have abortion outlawed completely in this country. Why is that true? Because conception. is the sovereign act of Almighty God. And God not only grants that life, He is involved in the forming of that little child before that child is ever born. The Bible cannot be any more clear. Amen? Children are to be defended. Number three, we should be emphasizing the reality that children are indeed a great blessing of God. We are to celebrate the birth of a child. That's what we do in our church. Anytime someone has a baby, what do we do? We have a baby shower. We go all out and we have all kinds of snacks and foods and cakes and presents and bless the people who have been involved in that because it is a celebration. Amen? It is a wonderful thing. If we're not celebrating childbirth, what are we celebrating in our nation and families and churches? We need to celebrate, promote, encourage, and have the viewpoint that children are an incredible blessing that comes from the favor of Almighty God. And we are to be telling others that this is a pursuit that not only honors God, But it is the natural affection and instinct that your creator has embedded in your very constitution. We are to celebrate that gift of birth and physical life, but quite frankly, congregation, to do that and do it adequately, we must have the new birth and spiritual life in Jesus Christ. The reason why we live in this culture that is anti-family and anti-baby and hates children is because we do not know our Creator. And my friend, if you are apart from Jesus Christ, some of these things that we've talked about today may sound to you like we're talking in Chinese. But whenever you come to faith in Jesus Christ, recognizing that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior, then it'll be all different, like a paradigm shift. And you will see with new vision God's ways are indeed the right ways. And God's will is indeed our priorities for our life and pursuit. And you will have that assurance of salvation and daily walking in consecration as you walk in the ways of Christ. My friend, if you are not in Christ today, the call of the gospel for you is repent, believe, and trust in Jesus Christ. May many turn and trust in our Savior. Let's bow together in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, again, we thank you for your precious Word. Word we recognize is sovereign and errant. And Lord, it is a reminder to us in this wicked, wicked, depraved culture how far we have fallen from you and how we as your people are to be living differently, distinctly, with a worldview and with priorities that is like salt and light in a perverse and wicked generation. Pray, Father, that you would bless our homes. We thank you for the blessing of children. We thank you, O God, that you have been merciful and that you have shown us your favor And Father, may we live in light of that with a gratitude and thanksgiving so that we will live out or walk with you constantly remembering your kindness and the smile that you have given us, your people. Father, draw sinners to yourself that they might be saved and that they might have lives that are revolutionized. And may all of this be for your honor, for your praise, and for your glory, as we ask all of this carefully. In the name of your Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and for his sake we pray, amen. Let's all stand together now as we prepare to be dismissed 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.