Marriage Altar – Genesis 2: 15 – 17, 3:1-7

Family Altar – Deut 6: 1-9

 

1.   Marriage Altar – Genesis 2: 15 – 17 , 3:1-7

In creation God created man first. He then put man in the Garden of Eden and gave him dominion, work to do which included naming of the creation.

Then God instructed man on how to live in the garden what to eat and what not to eat.

After which God saw the loneliness of man and created for him a SUITABLE mate.

NOTE: God after presenting the woman to Adam he did not repeat any of the instructions. WHY?

That was mans job; to teach and instruct the woman in the way of the Lord.

BUT man failed to do his duty, worse still he stood silent as the devil distorted the truth and led the woman to sin.

Let’s apply that to the present day families as we look at the roles of men and women. We also need to ask ourselves if this is happening today, are we repeating the scene at the Garden of Eden as Husbands and wives?

Is there a place for Bible study and prayer as a couple in our marriages to day?

The roles of the man

1. visionary and leader (priest)

• Visionary leadership is based on a balanced expression of the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical dimensions. It requires core values, clear vision, empowering relationships, and innovative action.  When one or more of these dimensions are missing, leadership cannot manifest a vision.

2. teacher and cultivator

• Passing on of known knowledge. Look after like a plant ( water, weed, mulch, etc)

3. provider and protector

• To make available. To make ready ahead of time; prepare.
• to cover or shield from exposure, injury, damage, or destruction

The roles of the woman (THE HELPER)

1. Reflector

• Think of a mirror

2. Life giver

• 9 months, create an atmosphere where life flourishes in and out of the womb

3. Enhancer

• Magnify (magnifying glass, microscope)

NOTE: As we speak about the family Altar in terms of the ideal situation of husband and wife, I am also very aware that that isn’t so in the fallen world we live in. We have single fathers and mothers and we also have widows and widowers.

In these situations many a time single parent is most of the time if not always overwhelmed, but that doesn’t absolve them from this responsibility to have a family Altar.

They need to seek the help of the church, relatives, society, older couple, elders and pastors to substitute for the missing ingredient. (Father figure or mother figure)

2.   Family Altar – Deuteronomy 6: 1-9 

HOW? WHAT?

Vs 4 – The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Trinity. There is only ONE GOD

• Do you believe in the Lordship of Christ? Do you understand what it means for Christ to be Lord?
• What about the Holy trinity,,,what are your thoughts on this tenet of our faith?

Vs 5 – this ONE GOD is to be loved with ALL your heart with ALL your soul and with ALL your strength

• What portion of your heart, soul and strength belong to God?
• Literally speaking,,,,what is His position in your life

Vs 6 – these commandments are to be upon your heart

• Where are the commandments of God,,in the Bible or in your heart

Vs 7 – Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

• What teachings are you conducting in your home?
• Rather who is teaching in your home, TV, FM stations, internet, Peers, learning institutions?
• Do you ever talk about the Lord’s commandments in your home?

Vs 8 – Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

• Then was more related to jewish dressing but is a reality today,,,,,,what symbols adon your body? You childrens body? And even your home?
• What is the meaning of these symbols?

Vs 9 – Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

• Symbols in your home?
• Dusty new bible or torn read Bible?

CONCLUSION

As I wind up,,,, 

1 Samuel 15

 We all know the story,,,the Amalekites opposed bitterly and fiercely the Israelites when they were wandering in the desert and were seeking to pass through their country.

The Lord made a vow to utterly destroy them when He established the Israelites.

He chose the first King of Israel to accomplish that task through him.

Well Saul had other plans,,,,,,,,,he chose to keep the spoils and worse still spare Agag the Amalekite king…

God did not mince His words when He addressed Saul through Samuel the prophet

1 Samuel 15:22-23

²² And Samuel said,

I feel that is a sound warning to us today as parents,,,,the Lord has given as a responsibility to bring up the gifts of children He has given us in the fear of the Lord….

Well many if not most of the times we have our own opinion about how things ought or should be done way away from what the Lord has commanded….

We choose the easier way the way of sacrifice,,,,

We spend all our time in church

In the choir

In the elders board

In women’s meetings

In missions and outreach

We work hard at work and leave late to get a promotion, or a bigger harvest

Then we buy our children the latest toys, TV’s, radios, clothes, bigger houses, take them tp private schools,,,,,,

All these we do at the expense of spending time with our children instructing them in the way of the Lord,,,,

We assume that if we work hard for the Lord he will somehow overlook our neglect in bringing up the children in the ways of the Lord,,,

Then when all hell breaks loose,,,,

Your daughter gets pregnant

Your son is into drugs and bad company etc

 

The man blames the woman and then the woman blames the devil,,,,and we are back in Genesis where we started,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

Lets pause for thought and think about it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

Its not that we are busy sinning NO! we are not we are doing good things if anything we are busy doing things that will extend further the kingdom of God,,,,,,,,,,,

BUT its time we chose to do the following

Allow the Grace of God to abide with the Church and His work and focus on bringing up Godly families!

 In conclusion I want to tell you a story of a missionary I once read about and his story changed my life.

In college we had a course in culture that required us to read a set book entitled PEACE CHILD. The story therein is very moving and I do not want to bore you with the details.

The missionary and his wife were sent by the Lord to a remote tribe cut off from civilization to share the good news. They arrived there and were faced with very many challenges,,,, to start with the language was a barrier and not to mention the cultural differences, that included wearing of clothes and shoes and also living in houses.

By the grace of God the missionary and his wife persisted and the Lord was able to help them penetrate that tribe with the good news. The way they did this is by using the cultural practices of this tribe to teach them the truth about the Word of God.

After the great victory and progressed development of this tribe the missionary said a statement that has propelled my passion to minister to children the youth and also the unreached.

He said, “Thank God for allowing us to reach to the SAWI tribe first. They were a people hidden away from civilization and any form of development. They were a people deep in cultural practices that were not good. But because You enabled us to reach to them with the Good news their lives have been transformed their culture has been redefined. Now they have become opened up to the world, to development BUT because we reached them FIRST with the Gospel of Christ any other influence that comes to them is measured against that Gospel. What fits is taken in what doesn’t is thrown away.

Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters,,,,,today the Lord has brought our way the gift of children.

They have not been this way before. They have all along been enclosed hidden from external influences,,but it will not be for long,,,,

So let us make use of the little time we have to plant the eternal seeds of Gods word, to instruct them in the way of truth, THEN when they will be exposed to those ooooooooooooooohhhh so many negative forces out there,,,,the stardand will already have been set,,,,they will weigh ALL other influences by the TRUTH!

NB: By the grace of God this sermon was delivered in Kikuyu language at PEFA Ngecha church on 23rd May 2010.