Lesson 9
THE FAMILY
Marriage and Family
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
In the beginning God established the marriage and gave Adam and Eve the ability to have children.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
A believer ought not to get married to an unbeliever. It is important to share the same faith in God to be able to enjoy a good marriage. The family is Gods idea, and He teaches us how to live right and enjoy life together.
The Plan of God for the Family
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
If there is love and respect in the marriage the whole family will thrive. The children need to learn to be obedient and respectful. The parents share in the task of raising and preparing the children for life. It is important for the parents to provide the best possible home, church, and education for their children. We can believe God for the salvation of all of our household.
a“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers,
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
The Church is for All the Family
Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
In church we learn about life. The kids according to their capacity, the youth according to their interests and situation and the adults in a manner directed to them. In a special occasion called blessing or dedication the parents present their babies to God and the congregation. The family then receives a word of instruction and prayer.Jos 24:15”And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Everyone in the family can serve and be involved in the work of the church. To be able to pass our faith over to our children it is important to be faithful to the church. The children learn from the example of the parents and their brothers.
It is a good idea to visit the family of the disciple and share the gospel with them. When a family gives themselves to the Lord there are many needs of ministry as water baptism, wedding or baby dedication in the church. The pastor can give family counseling if needed.
Summary
- Marriage and Family has been instituted of God.
- God wants to save all our family.
- The church is for all our family.
Goals for this lesson
The goals are written to the mentor, about the disciple.
- Visit or pray for the family of the disciple.
- Talk about the marital status of the disciple.
- Consider the possibility to disciple the family of the disciple.