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We have looked at some important relationships at home. Relationship between the husband and a wife, between the parent and the child. And so, today we end off with honouring your parents. I noticed we have more kids today, more children in our midst. And you have brought your kids for a very opportune time, such as this.

A story is told of three young men who were waiting outside the delivery ward for their wives to deliver their child or their children. After a while, a nurse came out of the delivery room and spoke to the first gentleman and said, “Sir, congratulations! Your wife has just delivered and she has delivered a pair of twins. The man was excited and he said, “It's so amazing! It just happens that I'm working at the twin towers in KL.”

After a few more minutes, the nurse came out again and said to the second man, “Sir, congratulations! Your wife has delivered a set of triplets.” And the young man says, “This is so amazing, I happen to work for 3M.” Upon hearing that, the third man fainted. So the nurse roused him up and asked, “Sir, what's wrong?” He says, “Nothing wrong! I work for 7-Up.”

Having children is not easy. It's not easy to parent them, and that's what we looked at. But today, we're going to say, “Children, it's very important for you to honour your parents.” The basis of what we are talking about, is taken from Exodus, chapter 20. We have read that just not in our Scripture reading and I want you to realize that this is an important command in the Bible.

Why do we say that? Because Exodus 20 gives us the 10 commandments. And this is commandment number five. This is not just some teaching, tucked away in some corner of the Bible. This is major! This is important! This is enshrined in what we know as the 10 Commandments.

So this is not a difficult commandment to understand. But maybe, it's not easy for us to obey all times. But we are going to take a very simple look at this commandment. Maybe we dive a little bit deeper and I pray that as a church we would not just know the facts or the theology behind this verse. But that we were practically lived it out.

So, let's look at this verse in a very simple way. What is it mean to “Honour your father and your mother?” [Exodus 20:12] Kids, children, you're here today, maybe you are a grown up child. you're 30, 40 years old, your parents are still around. What does God mean when He says, “Honour your father and your mother?”

Well, the word, ‘honour’ is quite easy to understand. We, today would say, it means to respect; to esteem; to regard as important and valuable. The Hebrew word, because Exodus was written in the Hebrew language, the Hebrew word is the word, ‘kavad’, which really means to be heavy.

What does it mean to be heavy? Well, you see some precious stone as very valuable when it is very heavy. Gold is very precious when it is very heavy. Its worth its weight in gold. So heavy means, not that your parents are overweight. Heavy means you regard them as very valuable; very important; you esteem them greater or more important than even yourself. And this is something we understand as important, at least in our Asian culture.

I'm a Chinese, so I can only tell you about some Chinese word. And it is the word, ‘孝’ [xiào]. Sounds funny when you read it out like that, ‘xiao’. But for those who do not know Chinese and you've heard this word, ‘xiao, xiao, xiao’ a lot of times. It does not refer to crazy. It refers to filial piety. And the word, ‘xiao’ in Chinese is really a composite of two words, ‘老’ [lǎo] , ‘子’ [‘zǐ]. ‘Lao’ means someone elderly, referring to your parents. ‘Zi’ refers to your kids, to children. So ‘xiao’ is when the lao is above the zi.

Who comes first? Who is to be honoured? Who is to be esteemed? Whose preferences are to be set on a higher agenda and priority? Your parents! So when you combine the two together, you've the word, ‘xiao’. That's what filial piety means.

So, the Bible does tell us to honour our father and our mother [Exodus 20:12]. It does tell us that we are to prefer them, we are to esteem them. We are to set them above ourselves. But how do you do that? I mean in practical terms, how do you actually live in such a way that they know and you know and everybody knows that they are preferred over yourself? How do you serve your parents in a way that they will appreciate?

A story is told again of a lady. She is getting on in age, elderly lady and she's about to celebrate her birthday. So, her three sons decided to buy or to get some birthday presents for her. The first son, bought a big house for her. The second son bought a nice Mercedes-Benz with a chauffeur for her. The third son knew that she loved the Bible and so he got a parrot that has been trained by 12 church elders to know how to recite Bible verses where she says, “Matthew 4:13.”

So on the birthday itself, they gathered and they asked, “Mom, mom, do you like the present I gave you?” And so she said to the first son, “Son, you give me a big house, but it's way too big for me and now I've to clean the house every day, I don't really like it.” She said to the second son, “Well, I don't get out very often, so the car is quite useless and by the way, your chauffer is really irritating.” And then, to the third son she said, “Son, you're the one who knows me the best. The chicken was delicious.”

Now, when you want to honour your parents, you got to honour them in the way they appreciate, the way they want. You don't just do what you want. So, what are the things your parents want in such a way that you can understand, so that you can do them to honour them? What do your parents want?

Parents, what do you want? I want my child to … ? Hah, parents, you do not know what you want your child to do? Most important thing, Matthias, Shawn, what do you think daddy and mummy want? Oh yah, very good! Thank you. So, Matthias tells us the answer : you honour your parents by obeying your parents. Very clear! “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord”. [Colossians 3:20]

So, to obey your parents, means you obey them right away. You obey them without questions. You obey them in everything. You obey them when they tell you to bathe. You obey them when they tell you to eat. You obey them when they tell you to stop watching the TV. You obey them when they tell you to do your homework. That's what it means to honour your parents. You obey your parents.

Parents, amen? Amen. Kids, amen? You see, you don't hear much. Alright, so children, you're to obey your parents in everything. In everything? In everything? That's what the Bible says. Now of course, if your parents lead you to sin, you don't obey that. But apart from that, you obey your parents in everything. The use of your cell phone, when you go out, when you come home. What school you go to, when you should date. You obey your parents in everything.

Now it's important for you to understand that this obedience is not just to be on the outside. But it must be coupled with the right attitude on the inside. Because they can be children today who say, “Huh, I don't want.” But you still do what you do. You know, I mean you can see obey externally but your heart is, you're mumbling under your breadth, you're cursing your parents. You are and you roll your eyes at your parents. So, your attitude is bad.

Now, that's not what God wants because when you look at Ephesians 6:1-2, to obey your parents is coupled with honouring your parents. I think it helps me understand that I'm not just to obey on the outside with my actions, but I need to be careful about my attitude toward my parents too. So we are to obey our parents and honour them on the inside, even as we do what we may not want to do ourselves, but we are told to do by our parents.

A story is told of George Bush. You know George Bush? There are two George Bush, we are familiar with, right? One is the father, one is the son. Both happened to be Presidents. What a family, right! So, a story is told of the younger George Bush with his wife, Laura.

They went to visit Senior George Bush and his wife Barbara. So when the younger George Bush got to their home, he sat on the sofa and plonked his feet up on the coffee table. His mom, Barbara saw that and says, “Put down your feet.” And he ‘kwai, kwai’ [obedient in Hokkien dialect], put down his feet.

His father, George Bush Senior then says, “Goodness, Barbara! He's the President of the United States of America.” But he still put down his feet and Laura subsequently puts, “Even Presidents have to listen to their mums.” And that is true! It doesn't matter who you are. You are to honour your parents. You're to obey your parents.

Not only do Presidents have to obey their parents, even the Son of God has to obey his parents. Luke 2:51 “And Jesus, He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them”. Even the Son of God lived in full conformity to the fifth commandment.

So parents, we are to honour our parents with our obedience. What else should you do, to honour your parents?” There's an interesting passage in Exodus 21:15. It says, “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death”.

Now, this is of course, very clear. You don't strike your father and your mother. But two verses later, it says, “Also whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death”. [Exodus 21:17] From that, I see, that it is important that we honour our parents by not cursing our parents, but instead, speaking well of our parents. You honour your father and mother by speaking well of your father and your mother.

Tim Challis, he wrote, “We need to speak well of our parents. We need to speak well of them when they are alive and speak well of them after they have died, to speak well of them to our siblings, to our spouses, to our children. We need to speak well of them to our churches and communities, modelling a counter cultural kind of honour and respect that has long since gone missing in too many contexts. Christians, speak well of your parents and refuse to speak evil of them.”

Think of the way you speak to your parents and speak. Think of the way you speak of your parents. What do you say about your parents to your children? What do you say about your parents to your siblings? What do you say about your parents with your friends? Well, the Christian ethos is that we honour our parents in the way we represent them, in the way we speak of them.

Now, I've been reminded in this church, that when I touch this topic, I should be speaking not just honouring your parents, but honouring your father-in-law and mother-in-law. Honouring your in-laws. By the way, should you honour your in-laws? Very simple principle. If you're married to your husband or to your wife, you are now one. And that means his or her parents are also your parents, so I think it is very clear. Honour your father and mother, speak well of your mother-in-law. Why you all laugh? Must speak well of your mother-in-law. Speak well of your father-in-law. Speak well of your parents.

Now, what else can you do to honour your parents? Excellent! Thank you so much. You provide for them. Now, during the times of Jesus, the religious leaders were hypocritical. They seem to teach people to honour God and to obey His Word. But actually, they don't! They lead them to the opposite end.

So, there was this teaching that they have so corrupted, you can read that in Matthew chapter 15:5-6, which says, “But you say if anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God, he need not honour his father””.

So, the Jews in those days have this teaching, this understanding that they can dedicate their possessions and their wealth to God. So when they die, all these things are to be given to the temple, are to be given to the worship of God. But what people do is that they dedicate their wealth and possessions to God in such a way that they will say to their parents, “I'm sorry dad, mom. I know you, you need my support. I know I'm to support you but I can't because I first given my wealth to God.” And thereby excusing themselves from the necessary care of their parents.

And Jesus pointed that out. And Jesus marked their hypocrisy. The Bible is actually very clear in 1st Timothy, chapter 5:18. “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever”. You honour your parents by obeying them. You honour your parents by speaking well of them. And you honour your parents by providing for them; supporting them. And may I say, not just physical, financial needs, I think it involves all kinds of needs, even emotional needs.

It was Kent Hughes, a pastor preacher, who said, “It is a Christian obligation for hands-on loving care. Nurses may be employed, but there must be more - the care cannot be done by proxy, emotional neglect and abandonment is not an option for such conduct is worse than an unbeliever”. So, he extends that provision to be more than physical and financial to even emotional needs.

Let me ask you, did Jesus provide for his family? He died, right? He went to the cross, right? He suffered a cruel death. Then how did, did He provide for his family? How? Excellent! John 19:27, “Then He said to His disciple, (that is John), behold your mother. And from that day or from that hour, the disciple took her to his own home”. These are the last sayings of Jesus Christ, but He made sure that his mother is cared for. He honoured the fifth commandment.

Now, I think it was this week or last week. I can't remember exactly but my wife sent an article to our group chat, family group chat. I, I had a quick read and it was a commentary from Channel News Asia. It's an article there that says, “The role reversal between parent and child, as ageing takes a toll on families.”

The author is saying, “From personal experience, that taking care of his own parents can be a huge toll.” He wrote about how he invited his father and mother to stay with him and his family and that caused a huge strain in his relationship, especially with his wife.

In fact, he says, “His marriage was on the rocks because of his parents coming in.” And he reflected and he realized that many couples today are not quite prepared for this role reversal between parent and child. Because when we were growing up, we were helpless and our parents took care of us, but when our parents age, they become helpless and now we have to take care of them.

And it's difficult, especially when your parents are sick physically or they may be mentally affected. They may have dementia and Alzheimer's. And it's very hard to take care of their parents. And so young couples, or mature couples find themselves sandwiched, having to take care of their young children and then taking care of their elderly parents. And it is not easy! But it takes a mindset shift.

It takes a preparation of our hearts to realize this is important, not just in society but important to God and to the Christian. It means that you have to think about how you care for your parents. How you need to meet with them regularly. How you need to bring them for medical appointments. How you need to provide for them emotionally as well. And this is not easy!

And therefore, I understand that some years ago, two decades ago in 1994, our government had to present a new bill to the parliament. It's called the ‘Maintenance of Parents Bill’. I, I'm not a politician or anything but I just want to let you know this is a problem in society today.

So it was tabled then. It was accepted then. And this maintenance of parents act provides for Singapore residents aged 60 years old and above, who are unable to subsist on their own, to claim maintenance from the children who are capable of supporting him but are not doing so.

So, a law has to be passed to ensure that elderly people in our country are not abandoned. Now, you didn't really need these laws in the past. It's quite natural! But we live in a day and age where these values are now being eroded. In fact, this law was re-looked again in 2010 and there were some comments by politicians as to why more bite has to be added to this law.

And our current president, who is Mdm Halimah Yacob, was MP then, she chimed in and said, “These values are being eroded because of the pressures of work. It is also because the nature of the relationships has changed in a very modern society.” She adds, “While we cannot legislate filial piety completely, adult children have to understand, they too have a responsibility towards their elderly parents.”

Our Foreign Minister now, who was Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Mr. Vivian Balakrishnan, he also said, “We cannot legislate love but we know that a small minority will need help and we will ensure that help is available.”

So, the government today has to impose such laws because there are some who will not. But then again for a Christian, we don't honour our parents, obey our parents, support our parents because the government tells us to do so. We do it because it is God's will for us to do so. It is an eternal law. It is a timeless law. It is a law that God has given to us years ago in Mount Sinai – “Honour your father and your mother”. [Exodus 20:12]

So, what do you do? Someone said to me, “Help the people understand, by saying, SOP.” Speak well. Obey. Provide. Easy! This is your SOP for honouring your parents. Speak well. Obey. Provide.

Now, let me ask you, why? Why should you honour your parents? Why should God put this commandment for all humanity? Why? When I was growing up, my teachers told me the reason why. They gave me a story, maybe a story you would have heard before.

A story told of a couple who was living with their father. The father is now getting on in age and he is clumsy when he eats his food. He spills the food all over the place. He drools, he is very unsightly. And so, the daughter-in-law saw the father like this and was upset. And banished him to a corner of the house with a small rickety table made of wood and said, “You eat there. You don't eat with us.”

And then after a while, this couple saw their own son out in the field getting some pieces of wood and seemingly trying to fix them together. And they asked him, “What are you doing, son?” And he said, “I'm making a little table, so that when you're old, I will also send you there to eat.”

That story stuck with me. How many of you have heard that story? Okay, that's, that's the reason that my teachers gave to me. If you mistreat or ill-treat your parents, your children will learn from you and do that to you. And so, don't dishonour or don't disrespect your parents. Now, that stuck with me.

But what if you're someone who has no kids and not married or you do not want to have kids. Is there still a reason for you to honour your parents? There are some people who say, “I honour my parents because my parents are fantastic parents. They've been so kind to me. They have provided for me.” But what if some of you here say, “My parents are terrible! I have been abandoned since I was young. They never took care of me.” So, does that mean that you as a child need not obey your parents?

So we find these reasons, I am not saying they are bad reasons, I'm just saying that maybe we need some universal reasons. So that, even if you had bad parents or even if you do not have children, you understand. It is really important to honour your parents. So what's the reason? What's the reason to honour your parents?

Let me tell you a very simple reason, alright! The simple reason given in the Bible is – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” [Ephesians 6:1-2] That’s it! Why? Because this is the right thing to do. Why do I honour my parents? Because God tells me this is the right thing to do.

Now, we live in such a day and age where people believe there is no absolute right or wrong. It's up to you! Whatever works! Whatever is nice! Whatever fits you! So we, we call this moral relativism. Moral values are relative. But no, according to the Bible, there are absolutes. Who determines the absolutes? Who determines the absolutes? God determines the absolutes.

So, He tells us, “Honour your parents.” Why? Because this is right. This is God's will. This is how God has set it out to be. No negotiations even if you do not have children, even if your parents are not the best parents, you are to obey them; honour them. Because this is right! You do that for the Lord's sake.

The Bible tells us of stories Deuteronomy 21:18-21, tells us, “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and though they discipline him will not listen to them…” What should you do? If that happens here in Singapore what do you think the parents should do? They tear their hair out, they pray, they lament, they share their woes and sorrows.

But in the days of Israel, in the days of Moses, this is what they will have to do, “… Then his father and his mother shall take hold of this son and bring him out to the elders of the city, at the gate of the place where he lives and they shall say to the elders of his city, this son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard then all the men of the city shall …” What? “… Stone him to death with stones, so you shall purge the evil from our midst and all Israel shall hear and fear”. God takes this seriously. It is evil for you to rebel against your parents.

Proverbs 23:22 tells us, “Listen to your father who gave you life and do not despise your mother when she is old”. “The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures”.[Proverbs 30:17]

“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord”.[Colossians 3:20] Why do I obey my parents? Because it is right. Because this is what God wants. Because this pleases the Lord.

Last week, in prayer meeting, Sunday morning, one of our brethren, as we are praying for families, as we go through this home fix series, commented that today, children are not like the children of time past. He uses this Hokkien phrase, “Children today – Bo Tua Bo Suay”. What is Bo Tua Bo Suay? In other words, they do not know what is big and do not know what is small. Bo Tua Bo Suay. They do not understand who they should respect and honour. They don't know. They don't have this concept of honouring their parents.

He also commented that today, parents are not quite faithful; willing; ready to discipline their children, to teach them the importance of obedience and respect. And he says, “Even as you observe us in our Sunday, school children's ministry. He realizes that when there are people who need to discipline, the little children for being disruptive and so on, the parents get upset.” And so, we live in a day and age where more and more children, do not understand the importance, the right thing to do, which is to obey and honour their parents.

This is what the Bible tells us, “In the last days there will come times of difficulty for people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to parents.” [2 Timothy 3:1-2]. This is the sign of the times! I think we must put in our best effort to teach our kids the importance of honouring their parents because it is God's will.

But I will say also that it is, you don't need to be a genius, you don't need to be a brilliant guy to figure out that this would just get worse and worse and worse as the years go by. Because the Bible tells us, it will be so.

I read about something from the United States and it says, “In our public schools today the teachers are afraid of the principals, the principals are afraid of the superintendents, the superintendents are afraid of the board members, the board members are afraid of the parents and the parents are afraid of the children and the children are afraid of nobody”.

And that is true not just in the United States, I think it is true in the sense here. If a child, just shoots a complain to the parents, the parents write an email to the teachers, the teachers get it from the principal. They are scared and terrified and the children become kings.

In fact, many years ago in decades ago, King Edward VIII, he visited the United States and this is what he remarked, “The thing that impresses me most about America is the way parents obey their children”. Now, that is sad! I tell you why this is sad!? We, we find that funny. We find it actually quite cute. But actually, it's very sad because we fail to see the wisdom of God in giving us this wonderful eternal principle, this command.

Look at the 10 commandments!
You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make unto yourself any graven image.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.
Honour your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness.
You shall not covet.

10 commandments! And right in the middle of the 10 Commandments is – “Honour your father and your mother”. And I think there is some strategic reason, why it is there in this location.

The first four are Godward, we are to honour God. We are not to have any other gods. We shall not take His name in vain. We are to take the Sabbath to remember Him. It's Godward. Then we have this parental direction in the 10 Commandments. And then, you have commandments that we relate to your neighbours.

In other words, I see like in many authors, they will see, the ability to honour your parents is fundamental to having right relationships with God and with men.

So Tim Keller, he said, “It's respect for parents that is the basis for every other kind of respect and every other kind of authority”. If you cannot even honour the father or mother you see with your eyes, how can you honour God who you can't see. And if you cannot understand, honour and respect and obedience at home, you will not honour, respect, obey when you go out into society.

So, this is of great importance for your children to learn and for you to implement. It's important to teach your children to obey. It was Martin Luther who said, “Out of the authority of parents, all other authority is derived and developed”. And if you go back even further. It was Augustine who says, “If anyone fails to honour his parents, is there anyone he will spare”.

So, why are they spoiled brats in society today? Why are there spoiled brats in school; in the office; in the Army? Is it because the Army officers are bad? The teachers are bad? The employees are bad? Er, the employers are bad?

I think the problem is more fundamental than that. It's because at home they have not understood nor obey the fifth commandment. To me, what is really important is, for my kids to know God, to fear God. To know His love and to love Him. And so it's important that your kids understand obedience at home.

Someone more recent said, I don't even want to try to pronounce his name but he said, “ The primary importance of obedience is not for parents to receive their children's obedience, but for parents to help children to learn, to exercise obedience ultimately in their relationship with God”. [Dr. Andreas Kosetenberger]

Shawn, Matthias, now Matthias turn your head. Daddy tells you to obey your parents, not just so that our lives become easier. Of course, it really helps if you obey, but more importantly, I want you to learn to transfer that obedience to God. And that's what it's all about.

Parents, you have a great role and stewardship with your children! That they, they learn to obey God one day. So, the Bible says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right”. [Ephesians 6:1-2] Honour your father and mother. And let me say what aunty Linda said. She reminded us that this verse doesn't just end here. This verse goes on to say, “This is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” [Ephesians 6:1-4]

Paul is simply referring to Deuteronomy chapter 5:16, with the same words. In other words, he's saying, “There's benefit! There is blessing!” Obeying God's commandment is not just that it is important to God but you got to understand God's commandment are designed for your benefit. It's for your good that you may live long.

Now, I don't think this is a rock solid kind of guarantee that if I honour my parents, I will live long. It's not a rock solid guarantee that if I honour my parents, I can eat all the ‘char kway teow’ I want, clog up my arteries and I still will live long. No! This is also not to say, “Everyone who die young has dishonoured his parents.” But this is a general principle that if you honour your parents, you're likely to be protected from many self-harmful ways. And you will avoid many sorrows in life. And that is what it means to live long.

I want to say that, “God's Word is for your good. God's commandments are not grievous. They are not burdensome, they are a delight, to the soul, to the heart, who has understood why God has given them to us.”

The Singapore government needs to pass a bill in the Parliament. But the child of God today doesn't need to look at the bill to honour his parents. He wants to do it because it is right. Because this helps me in my life. This is good for me.

So I pray today, that as Gospeliters, as followers of Jesus Christ, your faith will be lived out, first at home. And may you today, what do you have to do? The three things you have to SOP. Speak well of your parents. Obey your parents. Provide for your parents. Think of ways you can do that better. Think of ways you can honour God by honouring your parents better.

Let's bow for a word of prayer together. I hope this simple look at this fifth commandment is something that you will deeply reflect upon in this time. It's very easy to maybe regurgitate the principles. But it does take grace, God's grace, God's enablement for us to do this well. That we will guard our attitudes; our hearts and our speech when we talk about our parents. That as young children today especially, we will obey our parents in everything.

That maybe today, you are grown up and your parents are elderly, you will not say, “My money is my money. My time is my time.” But that you would say, “Lord, help me to honour my parents because this is right, and because this is good.”

Whatever you need to repent of, whatever you may want to commit to God today, would you bring it to him in this time of prayer. For some of us, for many of us, I suppose, as we think about our own lives, we realize we have broken this commandment many times. We have been critical of our parents in an unkind manner. We have disobeyed them and we have neglected them.

The purpose of the 10 Commandments, one of which is to show us just how sinful we are. It's to just show us how even though we have thought we are quite good people, we really are not that good people.

So maybe today, as you hear the teaching of God's Word, you're struck with a realization that you have sinned before God. I'm glad you're humbled enough to admit that. And then let me tell you that the law condemns us. The law kills us in that sense. The law is meant to force us into a corner. But let me tell you the Good News of the Bible. That even though we are sinners, God gave His Son, Jesus Christ.

You see, the law can never save us. But Jesus saves. Jesus lived that perfect life you see, He honoured all the commandments, including commandment number five perfectly. So that, He would die on the cross, pay for your sins and give you His righteousness.

Today, the 10 Commandments force us to despair of self so that we may find our hope, our salvation in Jesus. My dear friends, today, will you come to Jesus Christ? Because Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He brings you back to God.

So Father, thank You this morning, we can reflect upon Your Word. I pray that as Christians, we will honour you by honouring our parents. Give us grace to speak well, to obey and to provide for our parents that you may be glorified through our obedience to Your Word. We pray then that as we do so, the Gospel will be lived out and seen in Your Church.

We want to thank You as well for bringing friends, guests, who may be here for the first time, many of whom may not know Jesus. O God, may they not just hear the commandments today that really condemns us but may they see Jesus. May they realize that Your son came to die and to pay for our sins. May You grant to our friends here, repentance and faith that they may be truly saved. So, bless each one here. And Lord, bless our homes, we give our homes to You. We pray all this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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