Rebuilding The Foundations – Part 1 of 2

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. The psalmist cried out, If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The family is under attack by the devil and his political cohorts, all determined to destroy marriage, your kids, and the moral values taught in the Scriptures.

Stay with us. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, today you'll be introducing a series on fighting for your family. Why is this topic so important?

Dave, to some extent you've already answered that question. The family is indeed under attack. As a matter of fact, there are organizations today that actually work against the family and they do so deliberately. For example, there are those who oppose family supremacy. What they want to say is that a child growing up with a father and a mother is optional.

It is not preferable. The very foundation of our civilization, of the continuation of the Christian faith through the family, the authority of parents over their children, all that and more is under attack. But there's another reason why I preach this series, and that is you find that there's a tremendous amount of conflict between husband and wife, between mother and father.

How do we resolve those kinds of issues? These are the kinds of topics that we take up in this series, fighting for your family. I want to say to everyone who is listening, hope that you're able to get on the phone, invite your friends to listen, encourage others at work to listen in your church, because this series of messages is critical at a very critical hour. I believe it will be a resource that will be of tremendous help and blessing to all who listen. Fighting for your family. Could there be any topic that is more relevant, more directed at human need than this?

I don't think so. We have no idea today what a family is. Is it simply a collection of people living under the same roof, kind of caring for each other? Traditionally, it used to be a mother and father and children, but that traditional family seldom exists.

Oh, it still exists, but it isn't the norm. A member of the pastoral staff here said that he and his wife and several children were walking through Lincoln Park, which is just north of us, and there were two women who were sitting on a bench and one nudged the other and said, look, a family. That's how unique a family is today. What am I expecting as a result of this series? Huge miracles. As a result of this series, I want husbands and wives to be reconciled, not merely mentally and physically, but spiritually, even to the level of their souls so that they become partners in the marriage relationship. I'm hoping that husbands are going to start praying with their wives. In fact, later on in the series, there's going to be an entire message entitled The Power of Praying Parents, but I mean before that, maybe even at week one, husbands will begin to pray with their wives. Why can't we trust God to bring prodigals home as a result of prayer? Why can't we trust God to take singles and to help them to understand how that, as singles, they can authentically live as sons and daughters for a holy God and bless God and make a wonderful contribution to the body of Christ so that they are content as singles?

Why can't we trust God like that? Now, if this is going to happen, I want you to have two prayer requests, and this is going to take prayer. Long ago, I learned that it isn't my messages that change people. It's the Spirit of God working through the Word of God. And that's why every message is going to also have an assignment. If you don't do the assignments and if you don't pray, nothing will happen.

It'll be the same old, same old. Because even as the serpent destroyed Adam and Eve in the garden, in the very same way, the serpent, the devil, continues huge, massive attacks against the family. And so if we're not prayerful and seek the Lord, I hate to tell you, but listening to truth will not change you. The first thing that I want you to do is to ask God for a miracle in your own heart. What has to be changed in your heart? Some of you maybe have come to this and there's bitterness in your life, there's anger, there's resentment.

Some of you have shut down emotionally because of all of the pain. Can we expect God and believe God to bring some healing so that you can love again, so that you can continue to live in a meaningful way despite the past? Can we trust God for that? So the first miracle is one that I want you to have within your own heart. The second miracle is for someone else. Maybe it is your spouse, maybe it is a child, maybe it's a relationship. You say, well, can't we have more than that?

And obviously you can have a number of people for whom you are praying, but at least two, one for yourself, one for somebody else. And I hope that when this series is over, we all testify that good marriages have become better and bad marriages have at least become good or at least on the way. But it will take faith, prayer, and fasting. The title of this first message is Rebuilding the Foundations. You know, if a building is crooked at the foundation, then it's crooked. You say, well, Pastor Luther, my family looks like the Tower of Pisa.

In other words, somehow on the foundation, everything got wrong. And we'll see where the foundation really got off track, but we'll also see how God rebuilds. These messages are going to be laced with plenty of grace because the intention is not to beat anyone down, but to show need and then show God's amazing undeserved mercy in the lives of families. And that's where we're going. And thank you for the journey.

Well, we're going to plunge right in because we've got ground to cover today. And by the way, each message will have an assignment. And normally I put the assignment at the end of the message. But as I look at this message today, it doesn't really fit there. So I'll give it to you upfront. Take your pen and write down 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the great love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. Don't look now. Don't find it on your iPhone.

It'll be there after the service. And what I want you to do is to pray it as a prayer every single day for seven days. And if you're married at least once with your spouse, pray it together.

Don't have an argument. Just simply say, this is what love looks like. And you read it, and you read it, and you meditate on it. Don't read those 13 verses fast. Think about their meaning.

That's your assignment. Well, so much for intro. I am excited about getting into the Word of God. Anybody here excited in getting into the Word of God today? I sure hope you brought your Bible. And if you didn't, could I tell you that in the pews, there is a Bible. And you can very easily find Genesis chapter 1.

That should not be a difficulty at all. And the first thing that we're going to see in this passage, number one, upfront is simply this, that both men and women are created in the image of God. Both men and women are created in the image of God.

Notice it says in Genesis chapter 1, I'm actually right in the middle of verse 26, or I begin with verse 26. Then God said, let us make man in our image and after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the heavens, over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image.

In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. In my Bible, whenever I underline something, it's always with a red pencil, actually.

Not an ink pencil, but just a regular red pencil. I have all of the plural pronouns underlined. And God said, let us, that is a plural for God, a hint already in the Old Testament of the Trinity, make man in our image. After our likeness, you'll notice it says, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea. Male and female, he created them. Verse 28, God blessed them. God said to them, plural, both man and woman, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

Yes, most assuredly, personality to be sure. It involves that, but it's much more than that. It is really representative leadership, representative rule over the earth. You know, in ancient times, if there was a king that was ruling or a Pharaoh or a Caesar, his image would be in various parts of his empire where he personally couldn't be.

And the fact that his image was there was proof that he also rules this territory, though not physically present. Now, God of course is everywhere, but God was saying, Adam and Eve, I want you to rule the world for me and I want you to have dominion. You'll notice it says, let them, plural, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the earth, over the livestock, over all the earth, rule it for me. That indicates also stewardship, accountability for how Adam and Eve are going to rule. But the first thing that we have to understand is that women and men are equal in value, equal in value, equally created in God's image, very important to what God intends to do. Well, I'm sure that all of you are saying amen to that, but now I'm going to get into a land of mine and I'm going to just look at the Bible and we're going to see, if you give me enough time and listen to the end, I think you're going to say, this really makes sense. God's word does make sense. And so be patient. And every once in a while I might have to hear from you that you're still with me because we're going in territory that is so countercultural that when this is over, somebody is going to suggest that I'd be put into a museum somewhere. But this is God's word. Listen carefully.

Set aside your stereotype because we're headed on a trip. Thanks for coming along. Secondly, it's very clear in the Bible that though they are of equal value and are to rule together, it's also very clear that they have different roles. Adam's role is one of responsibility for his wife and for everyone else within his family. Now, this is found in chapter two. You must understand that Genesis one gives us the summary, you know, God created Adam and Eve and he created them, et cetera, et cetera. And Genesis two now gives the sequence of how it happened.

And notice that here in the text, it's very clear. First of all, Adam is created first. Chapter two, verse seven. Then the Lord God formed the man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Man became a living creature.

It's been humorously said that sometimes women expect far too much of men considering their origin here. But it says the Lord God formed the man. He didn't create the woman back here. No, Adam is created first. Adam is given the command in verse 15. The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it, to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, you may surely eat of the tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for the day that you eat thereof you shall die. God didn't tell Eve that. Now obviously Adam told Eve that as we find in the next chapter, but God says this is to you, Adam, because you have ultimate responsibility for your life all the way through this passage. Then God creates the animals and what does God do? He brings to Adam the birds of the heaven and animals of the field and whatever the man called them, this is verse 19, last part of the verse, whatever the man called them, that was its name. That indicates his authority. The Old Testament, you see, the ability to name something or someone shows your authority. So Adam here has authority over all the beasts.

He calls them and names them. Then of course, as you know, the rest of the story, Adam falls asleep. God chooses to create femininity out of masculinity. God takes a rib and he creates the woman. And you'll notice that he looks to the man now and says, what are you going to call her?

You also have authority here. And it is Adam who says, this is this last is the verse 23 is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of the man. So God says, okay, that's what you call her. That's what she will be. Adam has ultimate responsibility. Men and women equal in value. The woman's role is going to be incredibly important. She is going to be a suitable help meet for him, but in the order of authority, she is to work with him and he has ultimate responsibility for her before God. Now I can imagine somebody says, oh wow, how are you preaching this? Well, first of all, it's in God's word.

Thank you very much. But also, why is it that there is such a massive attack against this in our culture? Massive attack. Well, one of the reasons is because people confuse ability with roles. You see, people are saying, well, you mean women are inferior? You know, why can't there be women elders?

I know some women who know the Bible better and they're better Bible teachers than elders. And we say, yeah, we're not arguing with that. We're not arguing about a woman's intelligence, her abilities. Let me speak to you very plainly. I think I have so far and it's even going to get plainer as we go along. I think that Margaret Thatcher is probably the greatest prime minister that Britain ever had since the days of Winston Churchill.

Now you can disagree with me politically and then later on, forgive me for your views, but apparently there are some people there who agree with me. Look at that iron lady, the way she ruled Britain. And anyone question her leadership ability? But when she gets home, she has a responsibility to compliment her husband in terms of what she is doing to encourage her husband. She has to be a help meet for him in the home because someday when they stand before God, she will be accountable, but her husband is going to be the one who is going to be accountable for the way in which he led his wife spiritually and the way in which he brought up his children. The responsibility will be on his head and not hers. Responsibility for her, yes, we'll see this in the text, but not ultimate responsibility like her husband is going to have.

So that even in a relationship like that, she is to compliment her husband to support him emotionally, spiritually, physically, in whichever way she can within the structure of the home and the bringing up of the children. And then the Bible makes it very clear the same kind of principle applies also to the church. So obviously women have abilities.

And may I say this, that in the early church, women oftentimes took a role that is even greater than some of our evangelical churches. But always the Bible says that even when it comes to teaching, she should not usurp the authority of the man. There's nothing wrong with being in subjection. After all, Margaret Thatcher herself was in subjection to the Constitution of Great Britain.

We are in subjection to the laws of our country and the laws of our land. We are all subject in some manner to one another. And this is the teaching of the Bible. The ultimate responsibility is to man.

And she is to be a suitable helpmeet for him. Let me give you another reason why there's so much confusion and resistance. And that is because of the misunderstanding of the meaning of the word submit. You say, and that's taught in the New Testament, you say submit.

I can imagine some woman saying, oh, so you want me to be his doormat so that he can wipe his feet on me and I'm supposed to submit. So let me speak to your heart first of all and tell you, no, that's not at all the teaching of the Bible. You see the very reason that when God created the woman, he took her out of the side of the man and not out of his feet was so that people would understand she's not to be under his feet to trample her.

She is created out of his side so that she can walk with him through life and in walking with him through life as his partner, walking together. The imagery is not not that of a servant and a master. And the Bible is so beautifully nuanced at this point, even though it uses the word submit. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that a man can demand submission from his wife. You're a Christian woman.

You have to submit to me. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that. But it does have some very clear instructions to men.

Full time job actually. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church. Dwell with them according to knowledge.

Honor your wives that your prayers be not hindered. That's the responsibility of the man. Normally, unless a woman has been deeply hurt by men and therefore has a lot of unresolved anger, most of the time in that kind of a situation, she will submit. But as time goes on, I have to help you to understand this, that when I talk about submission, it's not master-slave. In fact, the Bible talks about men also submitting to their wives. It is a mutual kind of submission.

It is the kind of submission where they are one together. I'll tell you, I don't use the word fool often, but I am today. You know, I'm in a good mood.

You notice that today? I'm on a roll. I'm just going to keep going and then pick up the pieces later. Husband, you are a fool if you do not communicate with your wife about important decisions that need to be made. I'll tell you something.

God, yeah, you can even clap if you want here. God often has led me through the wisdom of Rebecca. While I have ultimate responsibility for her and the kids before God, she is a wise woman.

And furthermore, furthermore, not only is she a wise woman, whom God has often used to give us guidance, but the Bible talks about a kind of submission, about meeting people's needs. I have to say this about Rebecca, that in the years that we have been married, she has spent a lot more time and energy meeting my needs than I have meeting hers. And I say that to my shame, but you know, there are couples today where they're not meeting each other's needs.

They're not caring. I, you know, I've met husbands or wives and my husband doesn't care. We live under the same roof, but we're not together in anything. And by the way, the division of responsibility in the Bible between husbands and wives, fathers and mothers is not entirely clear.

And that's for a purpose because every family is different. Well, my friend, I certainly encourage you to invite your friends to listen to this series of messages fighting for your family. But I'm holding in my hands a letter from someone who connected with us who says, I have terminal aggressive colon cancer and will die within a year. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior 20 years ago. I know where I'm going when I die, but your teaching is exactly what I've needed to solidify my faith.

Thank you so much. I read this because I want you to understand that you who are listening right now, you are a part of this ministry. And when we read a testimony, it is really a testimony of your faithfulness. If you've invested in this ministry through your prayers and your gifts, would you consider becoming an endurance partner? That's someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts, and endurance partners enable us to project ahead as to how this ministry can continue to expand. Here's what you do for info. Go to RTWOffer.com.

That's RTWOffer.com, or pick up the phone and call 1-888-218-9337. I like to think of endurance partners as those who have joined the Running to Win family. You're investing, and we use all that we have, all the resources that God has entrusted to us to get the gospel of Jesus Christ to millions of people just like this man who is dying of colon cancer.

He represents others in great need who need to be refreshed, who need to understand the scriptures and the good news of the gospel. So once again, consider becoming an endurance partner. Go to RTWOffer.com, click on the endurance partner button, or call us at 1-888-218-9337.

Thanks in advance for helping us. You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60614. Running to Win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Making marriage work lies at the bedrock of the family, and this requires a knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of husband and wife. Next time, more of rebuilding the foundations and what these roles are as we fight for our families. For Dr. Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.