The sermon “𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘,” was delivered by 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 (𝐃𝐫) 𝐖.𝐅 𝐊𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐲𝐢 during this just concluded Global Family and Marriage Conference.
The message outlines the 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭-𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬. It emphasises the 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐮𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲. It addresses both married and unmarried individuals, emphasising that marriage is honourable when the “𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝”.
The sermon defines matrimonial unfaithfulness broadly, to include not just adultery but also cruelty, violence, deception, hatred, neglect, and wickedness. Furthermore, the message discusses the 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. Finally, it presents Christ’s love as the perfect example for family fellowship, focusing on sacrificial, supreme, and sufficient love.
1. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
For a family to have a strong foundation, individuals must have specific experiences in the Lord before marriage. These experiences include
𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
A believer should not be “unequally yoked together with unbelievers”. Personal salvation in Christ is the number one requirement for a marriage union.
𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Sanctification is necessary to love as Christ loved the church. This experience enables individuals to give their best to their spouse and make them glorious.
𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Marriage partners should be sought through prayer, handing the choice over to God. A good and prudent spouse is a favour from the Lord.
𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐈𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐬
When praying for a spouse, one must clear all idols and old companions from the heart, as they can be stumbling blocks.
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬
It’s essential to have a means of income before getting married. A person who doesn’t provide for their family has “denied the faith and is worse than an infidel”.
𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲
The foundation of a marriage should be charity (love), as described in 1 Corinthians 13. This love is the “pivot that keeps everyone together” when outward beauty and initial charm fade.
𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭
Those who are led by the Spirit of God will have the confidence to depend on Him for any issues that arise in their marriage.
2. 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭-𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲
Love in a family must be practical, not just theoretical.
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞
Husbands are to love their wives as they love their own bodies, nourishing and cherishing them. Marriage requires a level of maturity where partners are unbreakably joined and united, separate from their parents.
𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞
Marriage is meant to be permanent, with husband and wife living together in love until death. They should be so united that they think alike and relate as one.
𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Love in the family should lead to edification, with each partner contributing to the “increase of the body”.
3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩
Christ’s love provides the perfect example for family fellowship.
𝐒𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞
Family members should manifest sacrificial love by focusing on what they can give to the fellowship, rather than what they can get from it.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞
The love between family members should be even higher than the standard Christ set for the church, which is to “love one another, as I have loved you”. This includes forgiveness, as Christ forgave Peter.
𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞
As believers receive grace from Christ, they must share the same with others, creating an experience of “heaven on earth” in their families.
