All in the Family (Part 2) | Godly Structure for Parents and Children
Understanding The Secrets To Having A Godly Family
James Greer
Feb 13, 2022 35m
Join us in today's sermon as Brother James breaks down for us the secrets of having a godly family. We must do all things as if we are doing them unto the Lord, including loving and raising our families in God's way. Video recorded at Pineville, Louisiana.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
James Greer: [00:00:02] Hey, that's based on a true story. Amen? I mean, men having to do things like that. Man, I am so excited. Man, God is rocking the house and new people are coming back to church and we're having the largest crowds we've ever had again. And Wednesday tonight, man, Wednesday night, you had to drive around to find a parking spot. So I mean, man, y'all keep on coming. Amen? Woo. And then, hey, invite somebody. Look at here. You got invite cars in here. Try to invite three or four people to bring them with you. And this is our second part of All in the Family. You know, All of the Family, it started with a show called All in the Family. Now, if you're younger, you don't remember it. But it was kind of a Larry show. It's got Archie Bunker and his wife, Edith. And then meathead. That was his son. They named him meathead. And he would make fun of his son. You made fun of his wife. He made fun of everybody. And he said some things, he would say some things kind of inappropriate. But the whole show was based on making fun of people. And you watch it and we all laughed together. But there's families that are like that.
James Greer: [00:01:15] And there's families that weren't like that. And then they get married. And one of them that grew up in a family that was ugly and sarcastic all the time, and they marry somebody and they weren't like that. And so they have problems. And see, if you came from a family that argued and fought all the time and then you get married and this family is not arguing and fighting all the time, it's not normal for you. It's kind of like the children of Israel when God delivered them and set them free, instead of enjoying the freedom, they wanted to go back into bondage because that was normal to them. So there's so many couples and so many people that you don't know what normal is. In fact, when you live a normal life, it's abnormal to you, and you'll often start a fight because that's normal. I see it all the time. But that's why we want you to learn what a regular family's really all about. But it's so important, it's so important that you learn this insight. When God's testing you, and He will test you. Amen? He'll test you in your family. He'll test you in your finance. He'll test you at work. He will test you. I used to say, now, this is really, really important. I used to simply say, God tests you to teach you to trust Him. And that's all I said. He tests you to trust Him, and if you do that, He pulls you through. But that's not the end of it. He tests you to trust Him and then teach us why we're going through it.
James Greer: [00:03:00] He tests you to trust us and then we should be teaching us and learning what we need to learn, why we're going through the test where we don't go through the same test. If Josh tells me this again, I'm going to send him home. Anyway. I'm sitting in there telling the staff this morning, I'm telling them how excited. And Josh looks at me and he said, you're a slow learner. A slow learner? I'm only 68. And if y'all could learn it, fixing to be 69. Who's counting? I'm the youngest 69 year old. I cannot believe I'm in this body. Sometimes I don't even look in the mirror because I can't believe it. See, I think I'm in my 30s. I'm the happiest, excited about 69-year-old person I've ever known. But what I'm telling you, you don't have to wait till then. You could learn it now because when you simply, listen, when God tests you and trusts and you trust Him but you don't go through the training and learning, you have to go back and take test again. And I was telling my wife this week, she said, man, I can't believe. That's so exciting. Why didn't you learn that 10 years ago? I don't know. Why didn't you learn it? She's not here. I'm so brave when she's not here. I'm so glad she doesn't have to drive me anymore. I'm driving myself. I drive her. Y'all don't tell her. I won't say that in the third service.
James Greer: [00:04:49] But I looked back recently and realized God's testing me to trust Him again. But there's some things I didn't learn that I should have. So I took the same test again. But so are you. Some of it's in your marriage. Some of it's in your family life. So in your family life, you got to understand there's at least two things you have to do. Number one, unless the Lord build a house, you labor in vain, the Psalmist said in 127:1. But of course, that verse, but I'll tell you what it means. First of all, you've got to be saved. If you're married, both of you need to be saved. And you don't need to be unevenly yoked. Now, if one of them is not saved, you can have a good marriage, but you can't have the marriage God wants for you. And not only do you need to be saved, you need to be spiritually growing. And you spiritually grow through the Scripture, through devotions, to reading the Bible, and coming to church. Amen. And then second, you need to know Matthew 6:33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He said, I'll add everything else to you. And then next verse, you don't have to worry. Now, when it says seek ye first the Kingdom of God, it means look to God to meet every source in your life. Everything else is just a conduit. So you've got to have those two things in your relationship. And if you're not married, you still have to have Matthew 6:33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.
James Greer: [00:06:22] That means look to God to meet every need in your life. All right. All right. All right. All in the Family, part 2. Remember, God has a plan for the family. And when you follow His structure and His plan, you get His results or you follow your plan and you get your results. It's kind of like this. You ready? It's Christ or chaos. Y'all ready? Y'all are going to say this. It's Christ or chaos, Christ or chaos. What are you living in? Don't say. Wouldn't you like to know God's plan for your family, your husband, your wife, your children and it work? I mean, if you really knew God's plan for work, you wouldn't have the chaos at work you do. You have to believe it's God's way or no way. I'm so, so amazed at so many people come to church and they say they believe God's Word. I would say everybody here in church, if I ask you, do you believe God's Word, you would say amen. Do you believe God's Word? Well, then apply it. I'm so excited to get my brace off my neck, I don't know what to do. And so what I want to say, if I teach you a lesson today and if it's God's Word and you say you believe God's Word, you apply God's Word, you get the blessing from God. Amen? So let's come to church because we believe God's Word, we're going to apply God's Word, and we want to live by God's Word. Okay? So then you go, then you no longer have to say, I'm trying. Then you can say I'm training. And then I'm being tested. I'm learning. See, just trying is not going to get you anywhere. You got to train. That's what you're at church for. Okay. You ready? Let's get started. Let's get started. Okay. Let me give you some simple, godly structure for parents, children, at work, etc. Okay? Number one. Okay? You ready? It's so simple. Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Okay? Now every parent in here would say amen. Amen? But would every child say that?
James Greer: [00:09:05] I don't know which child said that, but I love it. Out of the mouths of babes comes the wisdom. Honor. You ready? Honor your father and mother, which is the first what? Commandment. The first precept, the first direction for your life. When you see commandment here, it’s saying, hey, this is not Piccadilly. This is when you don't go through God's Word, you pick some and you let them go. It's a precept. It's a direction for your life. When He said, which is the first commandment, I've got a direction for your life. I've got a precept to follow that’ll bring blessings. I've got a commandment with a promise, and the promise is that it might go well with you and you might live a long life on Earth. Now, my goodness gracious, if you want to live a long life and want the good things to go well, you’d obey on your mother and father. Amen? But today, families probably don't teach that. Children don't even hear that. I was talking to our children's pastor, Steven, this morning. And I said, Steven, from now on, every time we baptize a child, tell them the first thing I want to teach them is children, obey your parents in the Lord, because that's what God tells you to do. And if you're going to believe God's Word, if you believe Him enough to get saved, I want you to believe Him enough to practice it. Amen?
James Greer: [00:10:39] So Jesus has a plan and a purpose, not to hurt you, but to bless you. Not to hurt you, but to help you. And it applies to the youth, it applies to the children. Obey your parents in the Lord. You know? And you know, when I say children, listen, if you live under your parents’ house and they're paying your bills, it’s you. Now some of you are 30, some of you are 40. But you know, if you don't want to be a child, quit acting like one. But as long as your parents are paying your bills, listen, maturity is not an age. It’s a responsibility. Okay? So that's what that means. So obey your parents, right? And then God was to bless you. Most of the time, too many times today, our youth and our children are believing the lie of the devil. So see, this same principle that applies to you, it applies to kids. And the devil says, hey, I want to steal, kill, and destroy. The devil is going to do the same thing to the family. The devil was thrown out of Heaven because of pride. He wanted to be worshiped instead of worshiping God. Man, does our worship team knock it out of the park today? Whoa. Do you notice that our worship team has different people leading worship? And man, you know what they want to do?
James Greer: [00:12:08] They want you to worship. They're not trying to get worship. They're leading you to worship. That's what a worship team is supposed to do. And our team is doing it. Give them a hand. Amen? But the devil, the devil who was an angel wanted to be worshiped instead of worshiping God, and they threw him out. And now the devil, see, the devil wants to, he thought he was smarter than God. He did. He didn't want to follow God's plan. And so therefore, he's tempting you and me to basically think we're smarter than God. We don't have to obey God's Word because we're smarter than God. And then instead of following Christ, we have chaos. Do you think we have chaos in the world today or what? But God doesn't want that in your family. But that's what we have. We have chaos because we're not following God's Word, and we think, basically what the world is saying and what individuals are saying and what families are saying is we're smarter than God. We know better than God. Adam and Eve, they had the whole garden of Eden. He said, don't eat from this tree. The devil said, oh, you surely won't die. What'll happen to you, you'll just become like God.
James Greer: [00:13:21] And so he tempt them, right? And this is what he said. In Genesis 3, he said, but of all the fruit of the tree, which in the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat of it. Neither shall you touch it lest you die. And the serpent said to the who? To the woman. Why does Adam let some other guy talk to her anyway? You know? But anyway. You shall not surely die. For God knows that in the day that you eat of it, your eyes shall be open and you should be as gods, knowing good and evil. See, he's trying to tell them, you don't have to believe what God's Word said. Don’t you think you're really smarter than God? Don't you think are you smarter than God. And when the woman saw that tree was good for food and that it was pleasant for the eye and the tree to be desired to make one wise. Wise as a serpent. She took the fruit. She ate. She gave it also to her wimpy husband. And he ate. Yeah, he ate. He did. Her husband did. But she gave it to him. And this was the beginning of the fall. Amen? But she knew God had told her not to eat from that fruit. But she said, I'm smarter than God. I don't have to obey God's Word. It's when you come to church and you think you're smarter than God and I preach the message and you don't apply it, you think you're smarter than God. Instead of saying amen, some of y’all said, oh me. So you have chaos instead of Christ. But God charged Adam with the sin. That's almost not fair. Women, y'all did it, and we got blamed. Same thing happened today. I don't know what's going on.
James Greer: [00:15:31] The woman did it, and the man got blamed. The woman was deceived, and the man knew what he was doing. Men, when you don’t try to protect your family and your wives when you know it's wrong, you're going to be charged. Okay. Let's talk about fathers for a minute. Fathers, do you think you're smarter than God? Say no. Men, do you think you're smarter than God? No. Well, that's good because it says in Ephesians 6:4, fathers, don't provoke your children to wrath. Well, if it says don't provoke your children wrath, what are you supposed to do? Not provoke your children to wrath. Amen? And I can really preach it now because my kids are gone. Whoa. I can preach it better now than when I had kids. But man, let me tell y’all I did. I kept our grandchild this weekend. Phew. It took me and Debbie all day Saturday. I didn't even get dressed until 11 o’clock. And then I kept telling Debbie Saturday, hey, baby, you know I have to preach, you know I have to preach Sunday. She said, what do you mean by that? Could you go in the other room and sleep tonight, just tonight? Because Saturday night, three o'clock in the morning, I had that pacifier on my finger holding it in her mouth. Now she is pretty though. But pretty don't sleep. Kayla, I hope you're not watching.
James Greer: [00:17:13] But you know, it's been a long time. But children, I mean, fathers, don't provoke your children into wrath. Man, when you've got a lot of kids, that's hard to do. Now some people are just calm, you know, and it's easy. But when you got a personality like mine, that's a hard commandment. Because I’m going to tell you, there's many times I screamed and hollered at my kids. But I was wrong. Let God be true and every man be a liar. I should have applied that verse. You don't do that. You bring them up in the training and the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. Amen? You do what God says, not what you feel. Why does it say fathers? Same reason He charged Adam. Fathers, you’re to be an important part of raising kids, Richie. You don't just get yourself dressed like I did. On a Sunday mornings, y’all, one time we had four kids in the house, and I’d get dressed and go to church. That's a true story. I really did do that. I know you're playing. But that's not right. Fathers, you ought not correct in anger. You're provoking your kids to wrath. Stop doing that. Amen? Free insight, parents, you need to do that where the child can learn it too. Amen. Anyway. The goal of correction and discipline, really, listen, is preserving the relationship with the child. Stop worrying about your reputation. There is a time I was preaching, and I'd worry about my reputation with my kids more than relationship, which I'm ashamed of. I'd be worried about what they would say when my kids acted a certain way. I pray I don't do that. I don't want our staff to do that. Our staff does a great job. Richie and Josh and Steven, you ought to see them. They're so good. They're great moms and dads, and they’re so much better than I am. I'm so proud. And I want them to be. And my wife often says, man, you're teaching them, and you want them to be so good. Why didn't you do that? I said, I want them to do better than I did. And she said, well, you weren't that bad of a dad. I said, I want them to do better. I really do with all my heart, and they know that. And they're doing better.
James Greer: [00:20:16] The gold of correction, mothers and dads, listen, is to continue to preserve a relationship. Don't worry about your reputation. Because James 1:20 says, the wrath of man and woman does not produce the righteousness of God. It doesn't accomplish God's purpose in their life. So stop it. Let's talk about mothers for a while. We talked about men. We talked about children. Let's talk about mothers. And all the mothers said amen. Amen. Okay. Mothers, don't think you're smarter than God. Amen? Women, let your husbands be involved in correcting and raising your children. If you don't be careful, be careful because they'll let you do it. Many women are raising their kids, they’re teaching them, they’re driving them, and correcting them. God did not create you in a way for you to do it all. Be careful that your husband, you allow your husband because you know your husband inherited from Adam. Your husband inherited Adam’s sin. Your husband’s just standing there and let his wife do everything. Yeah, go ahead, baby. Go ahead and take that apple. Go ahead and talk to Satan. Hey, dude, first of all, you shouldn't have let your wife be talking to somebody like him in the first place. Second of all, you shouldn't let her take the fruit. You knew better. She was deceived. So because of that, it says she took the fruit and ate, and she gave it to who? Her husband. And what did he do? Eat. He was just sitting there. Ladies, don't do all the raising of the kids, paying all the bills. He'll allow you to do that. He inherited that nature. You'll be all stressed out. You don't do all the responsibility. 1 Peter 3:7 says, husbands likewise, dwell within your wives with understanding, giving honor, uh-oh, honor to your wife. What are our kids supposed to do?
James Greer: [00:22:32] Honor what? Father and mother? Well, you think they might learn it from their fathers? Didn’t you like it better when we're talking about the kids and youth? Wasn’t it so good? Kids, honor your father. Youth, honor your father and mother. Now, uh-oh, dads, honor your wife as a what? Weaker vessel. That your heirs together with the grace of life. I'll tell you, you want God's grace in your life. That your prayers might not be hindered. Men, see, you're to dwell with your wife with understanding. Now let me tell you about understanding. You'll never understand your wife like as far as understanding. Like how do you feel? I don't know. Like where do you want to eat? I don't care. You want to go to Red Lobster? No. Hey, honey, it’s your night to pick. Where do you want to go? No, you just go ahead. You pick. You can't understand that. I mean, finally, just where do you want to go? You've got to pick 15 places. That'll be okay finally. I mean you can't understand that. Amen? That's not what it's talking about. It's talking about understanding, are you ready, men? It's talking about understanding that she's weaker than you are, and you're to honor her. Children are to honor their parents. Men, you’re to honor your wives. How do you honor? Honor that she's weaker, that there's times you need to step in to help with the kids, paying the bills, whatever it is that she's stressed out about. You're to honor her by helping her. Amen. You don't want to be a wimpy Adam.
James Greer: [00:24:30] I wish we could have a question and answer time. I'd say, all the women stand up and all the men stand up. No. Anyway. Let's talk about what it means to honor. Okay? I got to rock. I mean, since I got my brace off, I'm so daggum happy. I could preach for hours. I won't. I won't. I might. But I won’t. Do y’all know what honor means? Means to value. Value your mate, both of you should. Means to respect them. I do not think it's funny, whether it's a man or woman, when you talk ugly down to them, especially in public. I don't think it's funny when you disrespect your wife or your husband in public. You hold them in high esteem. They're precious. One of the words for honor is weighty. I don't think that's going to work, men. Don't say, hey, honey, you're weighty today. That might not work because she might not know what it is. Think I’d skipped that one. Means valuable. That's it. It means when you honor them, you try to build them up. You believe the best about them. I tell you, it's so great when you can believe the best. Because there's times that you're not going to know what's going on with them, and you got to believe the best. I wish I could tell you a few times when you really need, I'll give you one quick example. I got to go. I got a rush. I got to get. Debbie, one time went with some friends we knew here. And she went to China with them. When they got to China, the couple she was with got in a fight and split up. So they got her phone from China. They gave me the phone number. Every time you call that phone number, men answered phone. I got to believe the best. I'm going crazy. I keep calling. I said, what'd you do with her phone? I said, I got to believe the best. Got to believe the best. The girl she went with husband calls and says, hey, my wife is running around and going to parties.
James Greer: [00:26:58] I said, but my wife is supposed to be with her. And when I call, I get a man. And when I try to talk to him, he just talks like, I can't understand him. I said, get somebody to speak English, let me talk to my wife. And the phone was all messed up. No matter what you did, it would go to there. Finally, my wife called. Praise God. Amen? What if you didn't believe the best? And she said, I want to go home so bad. This isn't the China I thought it was when me and you went. She said, they got over here. They went crazy. She left him and she's out partying and they're leaving me here all by myself. I said, thank God, you called on this phone instead of the other phone. What if you didn't believe the best? See what would have happened? Okay. I don't have time to preach to the rest of that. So I got to go right down to the other. When you honor, okay, when you honor, honor those over you, under you, and next to you. How about that? Okay. I've got to get to this last part because I only have a few minutes. And the reason I have to touch on it is because it's an area that people don't understand. And it's where you work. We talked about kids, we talked about dads, we talked about moms, and now we have to talk about work for just a minute because so many people have so many problems at work. And you're so stressed out at work, you bring it home. But God has a plan for you at work that you don't understand. It says, servants, be obedient to them that are your master.
James Greer: [00:28:33] In other words, if you're working for somebody, here's what you do. You work according to fear and trembling, in singleness of heart as to what? So when you go to work, you're to work as to who? Okay. So quit doing that. Not as your boss, not as your company, but As Christ. Not as I service, not as men pleaser, but as a servant of who? Christ. Doing the will of God from your heart. In other words, you go to church, I mean, you go to work, you can do the will of God at work. Amen, Brother James. With the goodwill doing service as to the Lord. You're doing God's will at work, not to men. I guarantee 90% of the people don't know they can go to work and do the will of God, knowing whatever you do, the things any man doeth, the same will receive from the Lord, whether he be bond to free. In other words, if you learn what to go to work, you can do the will of God. And he said, man, you're doing it as [inaudible]. And ye masters, you do the same thing, forbearing threatening, knowing that the master is also in Heaven. It's not a respect of persons within
James Greer: [00:29:48] In other words, you better treat your people that work for you the same way or your master will treat you. Finally, my brother would be strong in the Lord and the power of might. I don't have time to go into it, but let me tell you real quick. When you're at work, if you learn that you're working for Christ and you're doing God's will, He'll take care of you. So quit worrying about what other people are saying. Quit talking about your boss. You honor your boss. You honor those over. Sometimes they're not worth honoring. You honor the position as you're doing it unto the Lord, and you won't have to worry about go home and say, hey, how was work? Man, I worked this through the Lord. Amen, Brother James. You quit worrying about it. And if you're the boss, you treat them with honor and respect, you don't have to worry about that. Man, we could change work. Because when you're going to work, you just change your whole attitude. I am so tired of people worried about going to work and what other people saying, what they're doing. You're not doing what God said to do. You're outside of God's will. Preach it, Brother James.
James Greer: [00:30:50] Y’all said that you believe God's Word. Amen? I said you're being tested in your trusting. Now, apply it. I want y’all to go to work Monday as unto Jesus Christ and do His will. And you honor your boss. Don't gossip with everybody else. And you're going to be lighting the world. Okay? Close it. I'm going to start closing. Anyway. Young people, children, if you're not obeying your parents as unto the Lord, you're out of God's will. Fathers, if you're provoking your children into wrath and you're screaming and hollering in anger, you're out of God's will. Moms, if you're trying to do everything and you're the weaker vessel and you're not allowing your husband to help you, you are the weaker vessel. God created you. I don't care what you see on TV with all the women beating up all the men. It’s not true. Some of them can, but not all of them. Not every time. Okay? Let your husband help. Husbands and wives, we need to be showing honor to each other. Guess what? That's where the kids are going to learn it. You honor, men, honor your wives. Women respect your husbands. That's where the kids learn it. On the job, on the job. You work as unto Christ. You understand the will of God is for you to go to work. Out of work, you work as unto the Lord and quit worrying about your boss, your company, quit worrying about the other employees. See, you're supposed to, you're the one that's there. The other one’s gossiping and complaining. They're ugly and you're not. That's the witness. You can get one of those cards, invite them to church Sunday. Don't join in with all of them. If they work for you, if they work for you, be a witness to them.
James Greer: [00:32:44] Honor them. Be strong in the Lord. He'll give you courage. He'll give you strength to do what you're supposed to be. Always remember God's not trying to hurt you. He's trying to help you. I think what I do is what I do, I would get right with God today. I wouldn't go home. I really wouldn't. I wouldn't go home if I was not saved. I wouldn't go home if I hadn't been growing together spiritually. I wouldn't go home today if I hadn't been obeying God. I would just say, hey, God, I've been coming to church, but I have to admit, just like I had to so many of those things myself, today I want to be strong unto the Lord, and I want to start obeying you where I can have your blessings. Would you stand? Oh God, you're an awesome God. I thank you for blessing our church. I thank you for so many people coming back to church. God, I just love it. God, your presents are here, your promises are here, and your people are here. When that happens, God, that's when you work in a great way. God, I pray that you’d touch hearts, change lives. For those that maybe aren't saved, today would be the day that they’re sure they are. Maybe those need to be baptized. We're going to have a wonderful baptism next service in the children's department live. Maybe today's the day you want to join the church. It'd be a wonderful day. Father, I just can't believe that your message didn't touch hearts between the kids and the moms and dads somewhere. It surely touched mine. And I pray that those hearts would be tender. I pray that they would not just close it out. I pray that they wouldn't just say they're trying, but they would train and then repent and then say, God, I want to do your will. But I know I've got to be strong. And Lord, but I need your help. And I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus. I thank you what you've done. I thank what you're going to do in the lives of those that are here. And I ask it a precious name of Jesus. Amen and amen.
Bruce Goulart: [00:35:01] Thank y’all so much for joining our online experience this morning. Y’all, what an amazing message that was from Pastor James. But again, I want to say thank y’all for joining us this morning. And just a message on taking action whenever you hear something, whenever you see something, or whenever you feel something from the Lord. You know, it doesn't just take just feeling it or just hearing it, but it also takes taking that action to make that next step. And so speaking of next steps, if you want to take your next step, I want you to text ‘MOVE’ to (318) 413-6422. That is (318) 413-6422. And if y’all text that number right now, you'll be able to get a link that will be able to help you go to your next step. But again, I just want to say thank you so much for joining our online experience.
Recorded in Pineville, Louisiana.
James Greer: [00:01:15] And there's families that weren't like that. And then they get married. And one of them that grew up in a family that was ugly and sarcastic all the time, and they marry somebody and they weren't like that. And so they have problems. And see, if you came from a family that argued and fought all the time and then you get married and this family is not arguing and fighting all the time, it's not normal for you. It's kind of like the children of Israel when God delivered them and set them free, instead of enjoying the freedom, they wanted to go back into bondage because that was normal to them. So there's so many couples and so many people that you don't know what normal is. In fact, when you live a normal life, it's abnormal to you, and you'll often start a fight because that's normal. I see it all the time. But that's why we want you to learn what a regular family's really all about. But it's so important, it's so important that you learn this insight. When God's testing you, and He will test you. Amen? He'll test you in your family. He'll test you in your finance. He'll test you at work. He will test you. I used to say, now, this is really, really important. I used to simply say, God tests you to teach you to trust Him. And that's all I said. He tests you to trust Him, and if you do that, He pulls you through. But that's not the end of it. He tests you to trust Him and then teach us why we're going through it.
James Greer: [00:03:00] He tests you to trust us and then we should be teaching us and learning what we need to learn, why we're going through the test where we don't go through the same test. If Josh tells me this again, I'm going to send him home. Anyway. I'm sitting in there telling the staff this morning, I'm telling them how excited. And Josh looks at me and he said, you're a slow learner. A slow learner? I'm only 68. And if y'all could learn it, fixing to be 69. Who's counting? I'm the youngest 69 year old. I cannot believe I'm in this body. Sometimes I don't even look in the mirror because I can't believe it. See, I think I'm in my 30s. I'm the happiest, excited about 69-year-old person I've ever known. But what I'm telling you, you don't have to wait till then. You could learn it now because when you simply, listen, when God tests you and trusts and you trust Him but you don't go through the training and learning, you have to go back and take test again. And I was telling my wife this week, she said, man, I can't believe. That's so exciting. Why didn't you learn that 10 years ago? I don't know. Why didn't you learn it? She's not here. I'm so brave when she's not here. I'm so glad she doesn't have to drive me anymore. I'm driving myself. I drive her. Y'all don't tell her. I won't say that in the third service.
James Greer: [00:04:49] But I looked back recently and realized God's testing me to trust Him again. But there's some things I didn't learn that I should have. So I took the same test again. But so are you. Some of it's in your marriage. Some of it's in your family life. So in your family life, you got to understand there's at least two things you have to do. Number one, unless the Lord build a house, you labor in vain, the Psalmist said in 127:1. But of course, that verse, but I'll tell you what it means. First of all, you've got to be saved. If you're married, both of you need to be saved. And you don't need to be unevenly yoked. Now, if one of them is not saved, you can have a good marriage, but you can't have the marriage God wants for you. And not only do you need to be saved, you need to be spiritually growing. And you spiritually grow through the Scripture, through devotions, to reading the Bible, and coming to church. Amen. And then second, you need to know Matthew 6:33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He said, I'll add everything else to you. And then next verse, you don't have to worry. Now, when it says seek ye first the Kingdom of God, it means look to God to meet every source in your life. Everything else is just a conduit. So you've got to have those two things in your relationship. And if you're not married, you still have to have Matthew 6:33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.
James Greer: [00:06:22] That means look to God to meet every need in your life. All right. All right. All right. All in the Family, part 2. Remember, God has a plan for the family. And when you follow His structure and His plan, you get His results or you follow your plan and you get your results. It's kind of like this. You ready? It's Christ or chaos. Y'all ready? Y'all are going to say this. It's Christ or chaos, Christ or chaos. What are you living in? Don't say. Wouldn't you like to know God's plan for your family, your husband, your wife, your children and it work? I mean, if you really knew God's plan for work, you wouldn't have the chaos at work you do. You have to believe it's God's way or no way. I'm so, so amazed at so many people come to church and they say they believe God's Word. I would say everybody here in church, if I ask you, do you believe God's Word, you would say amen. Do you believe God's Word? Well, then apply it. I'm so excited to get my brace off my neck, I don't know what to do. And so what I want to say, if I teach you a lesson today and if it's God's Word and you say you believe God's Word, you apply God's Word, you get the blessing from God. Amen? So let's come to church because we believe God's Word, we're going to apply God's Word, and we want to live by God's Word. Okay? So then you go, then you no longer have to say, I'm trying. Then you can say I'm training. And then I'm being tested. I'm learning. See, just trying is not going to get you anywhere. You got to train. That's what you're at church for. Okay. You ready? Let's get started. Let's get started. Okay. Let me give you some simple, godly structure for parents, children, at work, etc. Okay? Number one. Okay? You ready? It's so simple. Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Okay? Now every parent in here would say amen. Amen? But would every child say that?
James Greer: [00:09:05] I don't know which child said that, but I love it. Out of the mouths of babes comes the wisdom. Honor. You ready? Honor your father and mother, which is the first what? Commandment. The first precept, the first direction for your life. When you see commandment here, it’s saying, hey, this is not Piccadilly. This is when you don't go through God's Word, you pick some and you let them go. It's a precept. It's a direction for your life. When He said, which is the first commandment, I've got a direction for your life. I've got a precept to follow that’ll bring blessings. I've got a commandment with a promise, and the promise is that it might go well with you and you might live a long life on Earth. Now, my goodness gracious, if you want to live a long life and want the good things to go well, you’d obey on your mother and father. Amen? But today, families probably don't teach that. Children don't even hear that. I was talking to our children's pastor, Steven, this morning. And I said, Steven, from now on, every time we baptize a child, tell them the first thing I want to teach them is children, obey your parents in the Lord, because that's what God tells you to do. And if you're going to believe God's Word, if you believe Him enough to get saved, I want you to believe Him enough to practice it. Amen?
James Greer: [00:10:39] So Jesus has a plan and a purpose, not to hurt you, but to bless you. Not to hurt you, but to help you. And it applies to the youth, it applies to the children. Obey your parents in the Lord. You know? And you know, when I say children, listen, if you live under your parents’ house and they're paying your bills, it’s you. Now some of you are 30, some of you are 40. But you know, if you don't want to be a child, quit acting like one. But as long as your parents are paying your bills, listen, maturity is not an age. It’s a responsibility. Okay? So that's what that means. So obey your parents, right? And then God was to bless you. Most of the time, too many times today, our youth and our children are believing the lie of the devil. So see, this same principle that applies to you, it applies to kids. And the devil says, hey, I want to steal, kill, and destroy. The devil is going to do the same thing to the family. The devil was thrown out of Heaven because of pride. He wanted to be worshiped instead of worshiping God. Man, does our worship team knock it out of the park today? Whoa. Do you notice that our worship team has different people leading worship? And man, you know what they want to do?
James Greer: [00:12:08] They want you to worship. They're not trying to get worship. They're leading you to worship. That's what a worship team is supposed to do. And our team is doing it. Give them a hand. Amen? But the devil, the devil who was an angel wanted to be worshiped instead of worshiping God, and they threw him out. And now the devil, see, the devil wants to, he thought he was smarter than God. He did. He didn't want to follow God's plan. And so therefore, he's tempting you and me to basically think we're smarter than God. We don't have to obey God's Word because we're smarter than God. And then instead of following Christ, we have chaos. Do you think we have chaos in the world today or what? But God doesn't want that in your family. But that's what we have. We have chaos because we're not following God's Word, and we think, basically what the world is saying and what individuals are saying and what families are saying is we're smarter than God. We know better than God. Adam and Eve, they had the whole garden of Eden. He said, don't eat from this tree. The devil said, oh, you surely won't die. What'll happen to you, you'll just become like God.
James Greer: [00:13:21] And so he tempt them, right? And this is what he said. In Genesis 3, he said, but of all the fruit of the tree, which in the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat of it. Neither shall you touch it lest you die. And the serpent said to the who? To the woman. Why does Adam let some other guy talk to her anyway? You know? But anyway. You shall not surely die. For God knows that in the day that you eat of it, your eyes shall be open and you should be as gods, knowing good and evil. See, he's trying to tell them, you don't have to believe what God's Word said. Don’t you think you're really smarter than God? Don't you think are you smarter than God. And when the woman saw that tree was good for food and that it was pleasant for the eye and the tree to be desired to make one wise. Wise as a serpent. She took the fruit. She ate. She gave it also to her wimpy husband. And he ate. Yeah, he ate. He did. Her husband did. But she gave it to him. And this was the beginning of the fall. Amen? But she knew God had told her not to eat from that fruit. But she said, I'm smarter than God. I don't have to obey God's Word. It's when you come to church and you think you're smarter than God and I preach the message and you don't apply it, you think you're smarter than God. Instead of saying amen, some of y’all said, oh me. So you have chaos instead of Christ. But God charged Adam with the sin. That's almost not fair. Women, y'all did it, and we got blamed. Same thing happened today. I don't know what's going on.
James Greer: [00:15:31] The woman did it, and the man got blamed. The woman was deceived, and the man knew what he was doing. Men, when you don’t try to protect your family and your wives when you know it's wrong, you're going to be charged. Okay. Let's talk about fathers for a minute. Fathers, do you think you're smarter than God? Say no. Men, do you think you're smarter than God? No. Well, that's good because it says in Ephesians 6:4, fathers, don't provoke your children to wrath. Well, if it says don't provoke your children wrath, what are you supposed to do? Not provoke your children to wrath. Amen? And I can really preach it now because my kids are gone. Whoa. I can preach it better now than when I had kids. But man, let me tell y’all I did. I kept our grandchild this weekend. Phew. It took me and Debbie all day Saturday. I didn't even get dressed until 11 o’clock. And then I kept telling Debbie Saturday, hey, baby, you know I have to preach, you know I have to preach Sunday. She said, what do you mean by that? Could you go in the other room and sleep tonight, just tonight? Because Saturday night, three o'clock in the morning, I had that pacifier on my finger holding it in her mouth. Now she is pretty though. But pretty don't sleep. Kayla, I hope you're not watching.
James Greer: [00:17:13] But you know, it's been a long time. But children, I mean, fathers, don't provoke your children into wrath. Man, when you've got a lot of kids, that's hard to do. Now some people are just calm, you know, and it's easy. But when you got a personality like mine, that's a hard commandment. Because I’m going to tell you, there's many times I screamed and hollered at my kids. But I was wrong. Let God be true and every man be a liar. I should have applied that verse. You don't do that. You bring them up in the training and the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. Amen? You do what God says, not what you feel. Why does it say fathers? Same reason He charged Adam. Fathers, you’re to be an important part of raising kids, Richie. You don't just get yourself dressed like I did. On a Sunday mornings, y’all, one time we had four kids in the house, and I’d get dressed and go to church. That's a true story. I really did do that. I know you're playing. But that's not right. Fathers, you ought not correct in anger. You're provoking your kids to wrath. Stop doing that. Amen? Free insight, parents, you need to do that where the child can learn it too. Amen. Anyway. The goal of correction and discipline, really, listen, is preserving the relationship with the child. Stop worrying about your reputation. There is a time I was preaching, and I'd worry about my reputation with my kids more than relationship, which I'm ashamed of. I'd be worried about what they would say when my kids acted a certain way. I pray I don't do that. I don't want our staff to do that. Our staff does a great job. Richie and Josh and Steven, you ought to see them. They're so good. They're great moms and dads, and they’re so much better than I am. I'm so proud. And I want them to be. And my wife often says, man, you're teaching them, and you want them to be so good. Why didn't you do that? I said, I want them to do better than I did. And she said, well, you weren't that bad of a dad. I said, I want them to do better. I really do with all my heart, and they know that. And they're doing better.
James Greer: [00:20:16] The gold of correction, mothers and dads, listen, is to continue to preserve a relationship. Don't worry about your reputation. Because James 1:20 says, the wrath of man and woman does not produce the righteousness of God. It doesn't accomplish God's purpose in their life. So stop it. Let's talk about mothers for a while. We talked about men. We talked about children. Let's talk about mothers. And all the mothers said amen. Amen. Okay. Mothers, don't think you're smarter than God. Amen? Women, let your husbands be involved in correcting and raising your children. If you don't be careful, be careful because they'll let you do it. Many women are raising their kids, they’re teaching them, they’re driving them, and correcting them. God did not create you in a way for you to do it all. Be careful that your husband, you allow your husband because you know your husband inherited from Adam. Your husband inherited Adam’s sin. Your husband’s just standing there and let his wife do everything. Yeah, go ahead, baby. Go ahead and take that apple. Go ahead and talk to Satan. Hey, dude, first of all, you shouldn't have let your wife be talking to somebody like him in the first place. Second of all, you shouldn't let her take the fruit. You knew better. She was deceived. So because of that, it says she took the fruit and ate, and she gave it to who? Her husband. And what did he do? Eat. He was just sitting there. Ladies, don't do all the raising of the kids, paying all the bills. He'll allow you to do that. He inherited that nature. You'll be all stressed out. You don't do all the responsibility. 1 Peter 3:7 says, husbands likewise, dwell within your wives with understanding, giving honor, uh-oh, honor to your wife. What are our kids supposed to do?
James Greer: [00:22:32] Honor what? Father and mother? Well, you think they might learn it from their fathers? Didn’t you like it better when we're talking about the kids and youth? Wasn’t it so good? Kids, honor your father. Youth, honor your father and mother. Now, uh-oh, dads, honor your wife as a what? Weaker vessel. That your heirs together with the grace of life. I'll tell you, you want God's grace in your life. That your prayers might not be hindered. Men, see, you're to dwell with your wife with understanding. Now let me tell you about understanding. You'll never understand your wife like as far as understanding. Like how do you feel? I don't know. Like where do you want to eat? I don't care. You want to go to Red Lobster? No. Hey, honey, it’s your night to pick. Where do you want to go? No, you just go ahead. You pick. You can't understand that. I mean, finally, just where do you want to go? You've got to pick 15 places. That'll be okay finally. I mean you can't understand that. Amen? That's not what it's talking about. It's talking about understanding, are you ready, men? It's talking about understanding that she's weaker than you are, and you're to honor her. Children are to honor their parents. Men, you’re to honor your wives. How do you honor? Honor that she's weaker, that there's times you need to step in to help with the kids, paying the bills, whatever it is that she's stressed out about. You're to honor her by helping her. Amen. You don't want to be a wimpy Adam.
James Greer: [00:24:30] I wish we could have a question and answer time. I'd say, all the women stand up and all the men stand up. No. Anyway. Let's talk about what it means to honor. Okay? I got to rock. I mean, since I got my brace off, I'm so daggum happy. I could preach for hours. I won't. I won't. I might. But I won’t. Do y’all know what honor means? Means to value. Value your mate, both of you should. Means to respect them. I do not think it's funny, whether it's a man or woman, when you talk ugly down to them, especially in public. I don't think it's funny when you disrespect your wife or your husband in public. You hold them in high esteem. They're precious. One of the words for honor is weighty. I don't think that's going to work, men. Don't say, hey, honey, you're weighty today. That might not work because she might not know what it is. Think I’d skipped that one. Means valuable. That's it. It means when you honor them, you try to build them up. You believe the best about them. I tell you, it's so great when you can believe the best. Because there's times that you're not going to know what's going on with them, and you got to believe the best. I wish I could tell you a few times when you really need, I'll give you one quick example. I got to go. I got a rush. I got to get. Debbie, one time went with some friends we knew here. And she went to China with them. When they got to China, the couple she was with got in a fight and split up. So they got her phone from China. They gave me the phone number. Every time you call that phone number, men answered phone. I got to believe the best. I'm going crazy. I keep calling. I said, what'd you do with her phone? I said, I got to believe the best. Got to believe the best. The girl she went with husband calls and says, hey, my wife is running around and going to parties.
James Greer: [00:26:58] I said, but my wife is supposed to be with her. And when I call, I get a man. And when I try to talk to him, he just talks like, I can't understand him. I said, get somebody to speak English, let me talk to my wife. And the phone was all messed up. No matter what you did, it would go to there. Finally, my wife called. Praise God. Amen? What if you didn't believe the best? And she said, I want to go home so bad. This isn't the China I thought it was when me and you went. She said, they got over here. They went crazy. She left him and she's out partying and they're leaving me here all by myself. I said, thank God, you called on this phone instead of the other phone. What if you didn't believe the best? See what would have happened? Okay. I don't have time to preach to the rest of that. So I got to go right down to the other. When you honor, okay, when you honor, honor those over you, under you, and next to you. How about that? Okay. I've got to get to this last part because I only have a few minutes. And the reason I have to touch on it is because it's an area that people don't understand. And it's where you work. We talked about kids, we talked about dads, we talked about moms, and now we have to talk about work for just a minute because so many people have so many problems at work. And you're so stressed out at work, you bring it home. But God has a plan for you at work that you don't understand. It says, servants, be obedient to them that are your master.
James Greer: [00:28:33] In other words, if you're working for somebody, here's what you do. You work according to fear and trembling, in singleness of heart as to what? So when you go to work, you're to work as to who? Okay. So quit doing that. Not as your boss, not as your company, but As Christ. Not as I service, not as men pleaser, but as a servant of who? Christ. Doing the will of God from your heart. In other words, you go to church, I mean, you go to work, you can do the will of God at work. Amen, Brother James. With the goodwill doing service as to the Lord. You're doing God's will at work, not to men. I guarantee 90% of the people don't know they can go to work and do the will of God, knowing whatever you do, the things any man doeth, the same will receive from the Lord, whether he be bond to free. In other words, if you learn what to go to work, you can do the will of God. And he said, man, you're doing it as [inaudible]. And ye masters, you do the same thing, forbearing threatening, knowing that the master is also in Heaven. It's not a respect of persons within
James Greer: [00:29:48] In other words, you better treat your people that work for you the same way or your master will treat you. Finally, my brother would be strong in the Lord and the power of might. I don't have time to go into it, but let me tell you real quick. When you're at work, if you learn that you're working for Christ and you're doing God's will, He'll take care of you. So quit worrying about what other people are saying. Quit talking about your boss. You honor your boss. You honor those over. Sometimes they're not worth honoring. You honor the position as you're doing it unto the Lord, and you won't have to worry about go home and say, hey, how was work? Man, I worked this through the Lord. Amen, Brother James. You quit worrying about it. And if you're the boss, you treat them with honor and respect, you don't have to worry about that. Man, we could change work. Because when you're going to work, you just change your whole attitude. I am so tired of people worried about going to work and what other people saying, what they're doing. You're not doing what God said to do. You're outside of God's will. Preach it, Brother James.
James Greer: [00:30:50] Y’all said that you believe God's Word. Amen? I said you're being tested in your trusting. Now, apply it. I want y’all to go to work Monday as unto Jesus Christ and do His will. And you honor your boss. Don't gossip with everybody else. And you're going to be lighting the world. Okay? Close it. I'm going to start closing. Anyway. Young people, children, if you're not obeying your parents as unto the Lord, you're out of God's will. Fathers, if you're provoking your children into wrath and you're screaming and hollering in anger, you're out of God's will. Moms, if you're trying to do everything and you're the weaker vessel and you're not allowing your husband to help you, you are the weaker vessel. God created you. I don't care what you see on TV with all the women beating up all the men. It’s not true. Some of them can, but not all of them. Not every time. Okay? Let your husband help. Husbands and wives, we need to be showing honor to each other. Guess what? That's where the kids are going to learn it. You honor, men, honor your wives. Women respect your husbands. That's where the kids learn it. On the job, on the job. You work as unto Christ. You understand the will of God is for you to go to work. Out of work, you work as unto the Lord and quit worrying about your boss, your company, quit worrying about the other employees. See, you're supposed to, you're the one that's there. The other one’s gossiping and complaining. They're ugly and you're not. That's the witness. You can get one of those cards, invite them to church Sunday. Don't join in with all of them. If they work for you, if they work for you, be a witness to them.
James Greer: [00:32:44] Honor them. Be strong in the Lord. He'll give you courage. He'll give you strength to do what you're supposed to be. Always remember God's not trying to hurt you. He's trying to help you. I think what I do is what I do, I would get right with God today. I wouldn't go home. I really wouldn't. I wouldn't go home if I was not saved. I wouldn't go home if I hadn't been growing together spiritually. I wouldn't go home today if I hadn't been obeying God. I would just say, hey, God, I've been coming to church, but I have to admit, just like I had to so many of those things myself, today I want to be strong unto the Lord, and I want to start obeying you where I can have your blessings. Would you stand? Oh God, you're an awesome God. I thank you for blessing our church. I thank you for so many people coming back to church. God, I just love it. God, your presents are here, your promises are here, and your people are here. When that happens, God, that's when you work in a great way. God, I pray that you’d touch hearts, change lives. For those that maybe aren't saved, today would be the day that they’re sure they are. Maybe those need to be baptized. We're going to have a wonderful baptism next service in the children's department live. Maybe today's the day you want to join the church. It'd be a wonderful day. Father, I just can't believe that your message didn't touch hearts between the kids and the moms and dads somewhere. It surely touched mine. And I pray that those hearts would be tender. I pray that they would not just close it out. I pray that they wouldn't just say they're trying, but they would train and then repent and then say, God, I want to do your will. But I know I've got to be strong. And Lord, but I need your help. And I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus. I thank you what you've done. I thank what you're going to do in the lives of those that are here. And I ask it a precious name of Jesus. Amen and amen.
Bruce Goulart: [00:35:01] Thank y’all so much for joining our online experience this morning. Y’all, what an amazing message that was from Pastor James. But again, I want to say thank y’all for joining us this morning. And just a message on taking action whenever you hear something, whenever you see something, or whenever you feel something from the Lord. You know, it doesn't just take just feeling it or just hearing it, but it also takes taking that action to make that next step. And so speaking of next steps, if you want to take your next step, I want you to text ‘MOVE’ to (318) 413-6422. That is (318) 413-6422. And if y’all text that number right now, you'll be able to get a link that will be able to help you go to your next step. But again, I just want to say thank you so much for joining our online experience.
Recorded in Pineville, Louisiana.
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