The Marriage and Family Heavenward Believers

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬

This sermon “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬”, delivered by 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 (𝐃𝐫) 𝐖.𝐅 𝐊𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐲𝐢, explores 𝐛𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦, 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐜, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐤𝐚𝐡. The message emphasises that while some practices of the past may have been permissible due to the lack of written scripture, today’s 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬. In addition, the message emphasises 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐤𝐚𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐜 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧. The message also outlines qualities for 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝’𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐜’𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐤𝐚𝐡’𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. Ultimately, the sermon connects these 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭. It concludes with a call to salvation and spiritual growth, offering guidance for both believers and unbelievers.

The sermon is structured into three main parts

1. 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲

𝐀𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦’𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡
Abraham’s faith was the foundation of his family, as seen in his trust in God for both Isaac’s birth and his marriage. His faith was “unwavering” and grew with age.

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡
Abraham’s servant prayed for divine guidance in finding a wife for Isaac. His prayer was answered because he remained in the “right way”.

𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐤𝐚𝐡’𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡
Rebekah’s readiness to follow an unknown servant to a new land to marry a man she had never met was an act of faith, showing that faith acts even when the future is uncertain.

𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐜’𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡
Isaac also demonstrated faith by trusting that God’s choice would be good and fulfilling, embracing her immediately without hesitation.

2. 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲

This section details the qualities of a fruitful family, using the letters of
I.S.A.A.C. and R.E.B.E.K.A.H.

For the husband (ISAAC)
The message stresses
𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 for providing for one’s family, noting that faith is not an excuse for laziness. It calls for
𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 and perseverance despite opposition. It also emphasises the need for an
𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, with open communication between husband and wife. The husband should be
𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 and maintaining 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 with both his spouse and with God.

For the wife (REBEKAH)
The message highlights 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐲, as Rebekah showed Isaac when she first saw him. She was
𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐲𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. She was a
𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬. The message also stresses the need for
𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧. Finally, she should be
𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲, bringing joy to the family which acts as medicine to the soul.

3. 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲
This section discusses the spiritual family of God. Believers are born into this family by spiritual birth, not natural birth.

The message mentions three types of baptism: water baptism, baptism into Christ (which destroys the body of sin), and baptism in the Holy Ghost (which provides power to live and witness).

The sermon concludes by affirming the promise that the redeemed will live with the Lord forever in an eternal family free from tears, sorrow, disease, and evil.