The sermon,“𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘” was delivered by 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 (𝐃𝐫) 𝐖.𝐅 𝐊𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐲𝐢 during this just concluded Global Family and Marriage Conference. The sermon focuses on the 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲, 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲. It stresses that 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬.
The message advocates for 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡. It highlights 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞, 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. The sermon contrasts Jethro, a good but human counsellor, with 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐲𝐦 𝐉.𝐄.𝐓.𝐇.𝐑.𝐎. (𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐥, 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡, 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫, 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫). Ultimately, the message calls for personal commitment to Christ as the ultimate counsellor and the key to both spiritual and familial well-being.
The sermon is structured into three main points
1. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬’ 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲
𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
The foundation of reconciliation is that God hates “putting away” (divorce) and separation. God’s plan is for one man and one woman to become one flesh.
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧
Reconciliation requires transformational forgiveness and reunion in faithfulness. Differences between spouses from different backgrounds should be forgiven, and individuals should learn to live with what they cannot change in their spouse.
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩
Fellowship in the family must be transparent and reciprocal, without falsehood. Spouses should have open communication about their lives, and parents should spend time with their children.
2. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬’ 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡
𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭
It is not enough for sons to return; they must also be in the faith. This requires the “circumcision of the heart” that is not made by hands. People can’t save themselves, but they can repent, and when they do, God will save them.
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭
The restoration to the faith should be fruitful. The Lord circumcises the heart to love God with all one’s heart and soul so that they may live.
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥
The sons of Moses were fully integrated into the tribe of Levi after their return and training. Similarly, believers today are “circumcised in the hearts by Christ” and are counted among the children of God. Their names must be written in the Book of Life to avoid being cast into the lake of fire.
3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
When children who have gone astray come back home, they must be made “malleable and transformable” so they can be retrained and reshaped to be useful citizens of God’s kingdom.
𝐔𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡
When Moses’s wife returned, she was criticised for her Midianitish appearance, but Moses did not fight back. The message teaches that when people reproach you, you should not fight for yourself but continue doing God’s work, and God will defend you.
𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
Everyone must be refined on their way to heaven. The Lord sits as a “refiner and purifier of silver” and allows things in life to “mould and melt us” so that we can be purified and serve in righteousness.
