LFM – 6 Nov 2016
Power & Authority comes with Responsibility & Accountability
- Lazarus & Rich man => Luke 18 => Good stewardship
- Eve’s transgression known as Adam’s sin,
- In Government – President takes responsibility
Hope we have started blessing our spouses & children => Utilizing power of the tongue 4 good
- Cultivating a culture for blessings for ourselves and families
- Jews are relatively more successful possibly because of this.
- Let’s not be perishing / suffering in our families / lives for lack of knowledge => Hosea 4:6
- Ujuaji – Thinking we know/can do better than the author of marriage => no wonder we struggle — manufacturer knows best!
- => God will bless those who listen & obey His Word — If we have issues, are we doing so??
- => Like driving a marriage in reverse and insisting / ignoring manufacturer instructions.
- Promised land of a happy family => All provision provided => Being fruitful and multiplying (Gen: 1) in our health, finances, relationships, spiritual life => Law of Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.
Guide to Family relationships was seen in Ephesians 5 & 6
- Marriage is basically about: A man showing Godly Love, A woman showing Godly Respect / submission
- => God commands it so because a man can easily submit, a woman can easily love – not opp
- Love & Respect is the basic blueprint on how to maintain ones marriage.
- => If you don’t, someone else may -> Show your wife love, show your husband respect.
- –>Love – a young rich lady marries a tout.
- –>Respect – a professor marries a waiter, maid
- => Ugeuzi ya serikali ya nyumba.
God honours the words of those who represent Him – In family => The Father / Husband
- Ephesians 5:23 => Husbands head of wives as Christ is head of the Church
- => Blessings for a family start with the Father & Honoured by God
- => Genesis 27 -> Isaac to give the 1st born blessings & Rebekah the wife had to scheme to have the blessing given to Jacob instead of Esau. Jacob received the blessing despite the deception
- => God honours the word of those He gives Power & Authority to represent Him
- Romans 13:1-2 (NKJV) – Submitting to Authority
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
God rewards those who listen & obey His Word
- Ephesians 6:1-3 (AMP)
- Children, obey your parents in the Lord [that is, accept their guidance and discipline as His representatives], for this is right [for obedience teaches wisdom and self-discipline]. 2 Honor [esteem, value as precious] your father and your mother [and be respectful to them]—this is the first commandment with a promise— 3 so that it may be well with you, and that you may have a long life on the earth.
BUT God will also honour the cries / prayers of those He has commanded to be under authority.
- Court of Appeal for misuse:1 Peter 3:7 => Authority’s prayers hindered or ineffective
- Psalm 68:5(AMP) => A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
- Misuse of God given Power & Authority reflects badly on the giver => God who is Love
- ==>Corruption in government reflects badly on the president
- Those mistreated by authority figures (wife, child, worker, citizens) – will have a rebellious attitude towards any authority & ultimately towards God – Kumharibia Mungu sifa
- ==> Independence struggles in countries, Union strikes (Bado mapambano)
- => Neglected / abused young girls -> tendency toward prostitution, drinking, smoking
- => Neglected / abused young boys -> tendency towards gangs, crime – pain on society. Woman of God who used to pray for them – The Mugiki phenomemon…A culture that encouraged single motherhood gave rise to a violent criminal youth gang
- => Drugs & alcohol abuse is usually an attempt to mask the pain of being hurt by trusted figure
- => Story: – Friend taking time to minister to prostitutes.
- – Another of girl taken to live with aunty
- Ephesians 6:4 (AMP)
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Seriousness => God does not take kindly to anyone who misrepresents Him or His Word
- Matthew 18:6-7&10 (AMP)
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 “Woe (judgment is coming) to the world because of stumbling blocks and temptations to sin! It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person on whose account or through whom the stumbling block comes!
10 “See that you do not despise or think less of one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven [are in the presence of and] continually look upon the face of My Father who is in heaven.
- Story: Matatu misogynist culture — We forget the girl/women that are abused are our: a wives, mothers, daughters, sisters…
God makes us interdependent so that we work together in Love & Harmony => UNITY
- Man given birth to by a woman, Man relying on the woman for children,
- 1 Peter 3:7 => Husbands prayer ineffective if he does not show wife honour and respect as a fellow heir in Christ
- The prayers of our wives and children will make God happy – His representative in the family is doing well => reward & blessings due to the prayer of a happy wife or child
- => Like workers of a company praising their boss to their superiors
As head of homes (incl Single mothers), we are representatives of Christ. If we make the family happy, God is also happy – He listens not only to the cries but also the praises we receive from those He has placed under our authority — our spouses and children
- God wants unity and blesses it in the family. Any disunity may prevent our blessings.
- Parents supposed to be bringing up successful adults not successful children
- 4 successful marriages:
- =>Teach our daughters early to show respect 4 men, starting with the father & brothers
- => Teach our sons early to show love 4 women, starting with their mothers & sisters.
- => Practical Example starts in the home, with us => Living testimonies by our actions
If we find ourselves under Godly Authority (Work, Family, Government, Church) that is misusing its God given power & authority, let us take comfort in the Word as the True promise of God.
- Rebellion to Godly authority is rebellion to God. Always give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18) everything is working for good for those who love God & are called to His purposes (Romans 8:28)
- 1 Peter 2:20-21 (NKJV)
- 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,[f] leaving us[g] an example, that you should follow His steps:
- John 14: 15-16 &18 (AMP)
15 “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [c]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever—
18 “I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, bereaved, and helpless]; I will come [back] to you.
THE LIVING WORD 4 LIFE 