Hi there, welcome to NECF. We're excited to share
today's message with you. Don't go anywhere,
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to enrich your faith. Here's today's sermon.
Genesis chapter 9, we will read. From verse 1,
we are continuing from where we stopped on Sunday
on the issues or issues around women's liberty.
And we're trying to see what Scott's original
intention to create the woman. We saw that God's
intention for creating a woman is not different
from his intention for creating the man. He intended
to create one kind of man, male and female. We
saw that he has a collective identity and he
wants to build a family. He wants to make them
his temple. He wants to make them his body. And
that's what we've been exploring. And we try
to also look at the issue of what image means.
I'm moving to understand why is Christ called
the image of God. We saw that that term is a
collective term and that Jesus is referred to
as the image of God because he became a man.
So the image of God is an identity of man. In
other words, it's a human identity. It's not
an identity of God. So to say that he's given
to man. An identity of man given to Christ. I
don't understand what I'm trying to say. Christ
became a man, so he is in the image of God. And
we saw the image means to represent God. And
I want to take the study in direction today that
will help us to expand that thought. Also, the
issue of... Christ becoming a man because he
took on flesh. John 1, 14 says, and the world
became flesh. The world among us. And I want
us to start with the text we tried to study some
time ago. We just touched it and I said we're
going to come back to it. Genesis chapter 9,
verse... One is a soul God blessed Noah and his
sons and said to them, be fruitful and multiply
and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the
dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth
and on every bird of the air. On all that move
on the earth and on them, and on all the fish
of the sea, they are given into your hands. Every
moving thing that lives shall be food for you.
I have given you all things, even as the grain
has. But you shall... Do not eat flesh with its
life, that is, its blood. Verse 5. Surely for
your life, Lord, I will demand a reckoning from
the hand of every beast. I will require it from
the hand of man. From the hand of every man's
brother, I will require the life of man. Verse
6. Whoever sheds... Man's blood by man, his blood
shall be shed. For in the image of God, he made
man. In the image of God, he made man. And we've
seen this thought already from here. Last time
we looked at, James also was making that same
thing. Looking about men created in the similitude
of God. Now look at verse 1 again. It says, So
God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them,
Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
Remember this is verse 28. Also Genesis chapter
1. So Adam and Eve filled the earth, multiplied
and blessed them. You remember? So and we noted
that even from Genesis that that's couldn't likely
be God asking them to just give birth. Because
we know that Adam couldn't do that. After all,
we noted that Genesis 1, 26 and 27 is talking
about mankind, humanity, not just Adam and Eve.
And so we saw that by the time you come to chapter
6, we saw how the devil... corrupted with so
wickedness as filled the earth, so to say. And
that was not God's intention. So it is counter
God's... Just look at chapter 6, verse 13. Chapter
6, verse 13 of Genesis. It said, And God said
to Noah, the earth The end of all flesh has come
before me, for the earth is filled with violence.
That wasn't God's intention. The earth is filled
with violence through them. And behold, I will
destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an
ark. And then so on and so forth. So you see,
Genesis 1. lead out God's intention to fill the
earth with righteousness. We saw by Genesis 6,
the earth is filled with violence. By the time
everything was taken, God had to use Noah and
then give him again that very intention he stated
from the beginning. So Genesis 9 stated, So God
blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, be
fruitful and multiply. We can call that like
the great commission. So this is just almost
a replica. If you look at it through down scriptures,
like a replica of Matthew 28, from verse 18,
19 and 20, we call generally the great commission,
meaning to go. and fill the earth. There's a
kind of species God wants on the earth, in the
sand, and to make disciples of all nations. So
that's the perspective that Scripture guides
us through. And I want us to also note that here,
very quickly, verse 3. Just look at verse 3 of
Genesis 9. shall be with food for you. I have
given you all things, even as the green herbs,
even as the green herbs. And compare it with
chapter 6. He said, for whoever sheds a man's
blood. Now, already by saying he has given them
all other things, already he is giving a distinction.
Between animals and other living things. And
man. Understand. And man. I want to know. Have
you ever killed an animal before? Or. Or you
don't kill. You only eat. Well. Whether you don't
kill but you eat. That means, are you a conspirator?
Because you don't kill, but you eat. I mean,
you can imagine those innocent chickens here.
I mean, they have suffered with some of us. For
example, we just grabbed them. They didn't do
anything. We just catch them, kill them, and
we eat. But that's the point. Because they don't
have the same value with man. You understand?
So, you can kill, eat, right? But if you look
at from verse 6, he talks about man. In the sign,
verse 6 says, Whoever sheds man's blood by man,
his blood shall be shed. For in the image of
God, he made man. In the image. So the reason
why you should not shed blood because the man
in the image of God. Of course, as we have noted,
this place is not talking about Christians alone.
Because we would have said, if it is Christian,
then that means we are free to kill anyone who
is not a Christian. There is no problem. No.
As we noted, that image is inclusive of all.
He talks about every man. So every human being
is in the image of God. It means that everyone
born in the world carries the same identity.
That's why as you walk around, once you see someone,
you must see that person with that value. that
that person has same value as I have. And once
you do that, you will always walk with compassion.
You will always see people correcting you. You
will not, even if when somebody is doing something
very terrible, you will see the person as God
desires or as God intended. You know, sometimes
you can be overtaken with emotion, you understand,
and that can, blind us by the attitude of people.
And then you begin to completely hate them by
what they do. Yes, people can be wicked. But
you must know the spirit which is at work in
the children of disobedience. So, and that will
help you to know. In fact, that will give you
more energy. I mean, steer you to go for evangelism
more. Because you want that person, understand,
not to go against what God desires for his life
or what God desires for her life. So here, man,
as the image of God, shows a very good distinction
between animals, as I said, and the physical
body. Because the blood here is not talking about...
Spiritual blood is physical blood. He said you
shed. So he's talking about the body here. Physical
body. Because that's where the blood is. So he
shows that the image is related to the physical
body as well. So image is not just only spirit.
But image also involves the physical body. Therefore,
the question is that, is the physical body of
man part of the image of God? Yes. Is the physical
body part of the image of God? Yes. This is another
piece of evidence again that shows us that the
image is not doing. It's being. Human being.
Understand? Because once you are born a human
being, you are born in the image. You don't need
to do anything to be in the image or to be as
the image. Remember we did that kind of discussion
on the issue of the word, whether it is in or
as. Understand? If you check, we have noted that
you can say by interpretation, but what we have
already done, say human beings are made. as the
image of God. As the image of God. So, what can
we conclude from this? We can see that here that
the image means to be embodied. Image means to
be embodied because this has to be doing physical.
It says, don't shed a man's blood because it
says, for in the image of God, He made man. Which
means that because among God's created things
and this body, this man's body is different.
The kind is different from that of the animals.
There is a value inherent in man's body. You
understand? So what I'm trying to say is that
to be in the image means to be embodied. Again,
that's why we said, Jesus is referred to as the
image of God because he became a man. He became
a man. So, it means that our bodies are a core
part of the image. This also means that our bodies
are not useless to God. Remember that time when
we had some discussion about understanding the
Bible? When I told us about some certain philosophical
ideas that crept into the early church? And we
still have it today. That seems to discard the
body. That seems to... In fact, Colossians told
us that touch not... Remember that? where people
feel as if the sin is in their body. So they
neglect the body. They feel that to live spiritually,
to live a pure life, is by destroying the body,
is by torturing the body. And the writer, Paul,
in Colossians, told us that that's not how to
restrain sin. That sin cannot be restrained by
torturing your body. By saying, touch not, taste
not, you understand? He said, this has a form
of a wisdom. It looks, it's as a way of, there's
a form of a wisdom in it. But it lacks the power
to restrain a mind from indulgence. And so, and
this is how we, I mean, We combine a lot of ideas
and that lead to show that the body is not useless.
It is very crucial, very important to God. Very
important. Very crucial. Look at 1 Corinthians
chapter 6. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Look
at 19, verse 19, that's Corinthians 6, 19. He
said, or do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit? Who is in you whom
you have from God and you are not your own? Did
you see how your body is so important? So our
body is not useless. He says it's the temple
of God. Paul says your body, you're speaking
to the church. He says it's the temple of the
Holy Spirit. Remember, Look at that word there.
He said, you are not your own. You are not your
own. Remember what we said about image. Image
is collective. Image is relational. Image is
not independent. You understand? Image is not
independent. We say image is belonging to another
one. It is family. It's kinship. Are we together?
You know, these days, you hear people say something
like, and that's actually a lot of the problem
we have today is because we have created a system
that makes us feel we have no reason. I mean,
we are independent in our decision. We take decisions
without considering anyone. I don't care. I don't
care. I don't have to live to promote anybody's
good. I look at my own good. That's all. Where
did you learn that? Oh, it is my body. It is
my body. I can do whatever I want to do. No,
it's not your body. It's not. It's not your body.
He said, you are not your own. And remember,
this is not just about that you are in Christ.
You understand? Remember you are made by God
in the image. Image is collective. You understand?
So it's not about whether you are in Christ or
not in Christ. You are not on your own. God has
never created man to be independent. It's anti
-God's creation. You understand? If dependence
is not weakness, we're not talking about... When
I say dependence, I'm not talking about idleness.
No, they are not the same. I'm not talking about
idleness. Idleness is a causing to laziness.
And it is not God's will. It's not in the agenda
of God. For a man to be idle, he that should
not walk should not eat. He should not eat at
all. So the point we are making here is that
God desires us to belong. That even in taking
decisions, your decisions must be common. Your
thoughts must be common. Your goals must be common.
It tempers with the plan of God. When a man makes
decisions just to prosper, he may lose. He does
not regard how he tramples and kills and destroys
and scatters others. That is not God's will.
It's a corruption. The idea of God is that we,
whatever thing we do, That we know that we belong.
You understand? We know we belong. Meaning, we
know we are united. We are connected. So, anything
that will make people say pricks, you understand?
Anything is anti -God's agenda. That's why when
the Pharisee came with the question, Can a man
divorce his wife for any other reason? Remember,
we said this is not, you are not, he's not talking
about Christians. Jesus didn't say, it depends.
No. Jesus didn't say, it depends. Whether you're
a believer or not believer. No, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no. He said, it was not so in the beginning.
In creation, God desire this connection. And
that is what image is about. It's a collective
identity. It's a collective identity. So we're
seeing here, he's talking about, listen, this,
as we said, image talks about being embodied.
It means to be embodied. And when you're talking
about to be embodied, you are talking about the
temple. Therefore, you can see the connection.
You understand? In other words, what we're saying
is that the image of God relates to the temple.
It's a temple language. You understand? The temple
of God. And because we belong to God, we also
belong to others. This is what God wants us to
understand. You cannot say, like some of these
discussions we used to say, My personal relationship
with God. We don't have that. There's nothing
like that. What do you mean by personal relationship
with God? You understand? Your relationship with
God, you understand, is or automatically makes
you relate with others. It's a family. You can't
relate with God and not relate with others. That
is... God's intention. That is God's desire.
Let me sound it again. Anything you do. That
makes you separate. In the sense. That anything
you are thinking. You are thinking individualistic.
You are always thinking. Me, me, me, me. Is anti
-God's agenda. So from today. As you are thinking.
as you are thinking to make progress, even in
your career, even in things that are not pertaining
to God, your thoughts must be, how will this
decision contribute to the development of my
people? How will it contribute to the development
of the church? How will it? Because God desires
us to be in Atlanta. So God values the body.
God values the body. The very reason why we have
the body is that it becomes the temple of God.
He said, don't you know that your body is a temple
of the Holy Spirit? He said, you are not your
own. You are not your own. You are God's. Look
at verse 20. He said, for you, we are bought
at a price. Bought there doesn't mean an exchange.
We have explained it. It means redeemed. It means
that you have been reclaimed. Because purchased,
in our modern time, we know purchased is to exchange
something. No. Redeemed or purchased in Bible
language is to claim back that which is your
own. That's what it means. It's to claim back
that which is your own. That's what it means.
So if, for example, your father has an inheritance
for you, then it's normal and you wanted to go
and do it. You're not going there to give something.
You're just going there to identify, to claim
back that which is your own. That means you are
a diminutive. So it is not your own. See, you
are bought with a price. It's not your own. Therefore,
you glorify God in your body. Are we together?
In your body. The other parts, those are additions.
It's not in the original. You and your spirits,
which are God's. There are other parts, obviously.
We have done that in the church about the issue
of majority tax and Nestle, Allen, and the rest.
All those manuscripts and the rest. So, but the
idea is talking about, of course, if you read
in the context, it's focusing about body, body,
body, not spirit. You understand? So, you understand
that Paul is focusing on the body, body, body.
That is the temple of God. So, the physical body,
Is the image of God. When. To show us. That how
this body is very important. Is not only in this
life. We will have body. Understand. We may have.
A changed body. But we will still have a body.
So body is important. Brother. Is in the image
of God. Body. Is the temple of God. Glory to
Jesus. Now look at what Jesus demonstrated and
that's exactly what happened to us. John chapter
20. Look at John 20 first. John 20, 27. John
20, 27. He said, then he said to Thomas, he said,
reach out, he said, reach your finger here and
look at my hand and reach your hand here and
put it into my sight. He said, do not be unbelieving,
but believe it. Do not be unbelieving. but believing.
When Jesus resurrected, he resurrected bodily.
You should reach out, reach out to see. Luke
24. Look at Luke 24 verse 36. Luke 24 verse 36.
And now as he said these things, Jesus himself
stood in the midst of them, this is after the
resurrection, and said to them, Peace to you.
But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed
they had seen his spirit. And he said to them,
Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise
in your heart? Behold my hands. my feet, that
it is my soul. Handle me and see. For a spirit
does not have what? Flesh. It means a spirit
does not have body and bones as you see I have.
So Jesus resurrected body. This shows to us that
the body is very important. The body is valuable
to God, just as our spirit. It is valuable. It
is valued by God. Where we studied last time,
we said that the resurrection of Jesus is called
the first fruit because that has happened to
him. It happens to us. It's the first fruit or
the firstborn. Firstborn prototokos or prototokos
in Greek. It means It is like the rest, that
is, he is a first, we will be like him. Meaning
he is a chief, we will be like the rest, like
his brethren. We read also in 1 Corinthians 15,
he told us that he is a first in that order.
In that order, 1 Corinthians 15, in that order,
verse 23, he said, but each one in his order
is a Christ the first fruit. Afterward, those
who are Christ at his coming. Those who are Christ
at his coming. Those who have Christ at his coming.
So I want you to note something. That this shows
to us how the body is important. The body is
man. I hope that in the nearest future, we will
have to study something very, very carefully.
about the body, the soul, and the spirit. Because
there is truth that has been eroded here. We
need to study that again. Because it will help
us to not to move. Romans chapter 8. Let's go
on this journey first. Romans chapter 8. Look
at verse 14. Look at verse 14. For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons
of God. Verse 15. For you did not receive the
Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received
the Spirit of adoption. I want you to know this
word, the Spirit of adoption. by whom we cry
out, Abba, Father. Spirit himself be our witness.
We are spirit. We are children of God. If children
then hear of God and join ears with Christ, even
did we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified
together. For I consider that the suffering of
this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
For the earnest expectation of all creation eagerly
awaits for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subject to futility, not
willingly, but because of him who subject it
in hope, because the creation itself also. will
be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groans and
labors with birth bans. Gather until now, verse
23, not only that, but we also who have the first
fruit of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan
within ourselves, eagerly, I wait for the adoption.
And he called that adoption the what? The redemption
of our body. The redemption of our body. Now
if you look at this, this text also shows us
how the body is very important. You understand?
That again, and I want us to notice very, very.
uh, carefully. If you see verse, as I said, verse
15, I said, note that word adoption. He said,
we have received the spirit of adoption. Understand?
The spirit of adoption. Usually, we stop here.
Verse 15. Understand? But by the time you go
to chapter 23, he said, also, again, adoption,
he said, the redemption of our body. Which means
that that word adoption, It means sonship. Because
if you see, it's a spirit of adoption. You understand?
The spirit of sonship. Because you are a son,
you receive that spirit. You understand? So,
because he calls this, you understand? And he
also calls the body adoption also. Which means,
what he's trying to say is that, that you are
just a son of God in your spirit. Just as you
are also a son in your physical body. That means
you are also a son of God in your physical body.
You are a son in your physical body. You are
a son in your physical body. What am I trying
to say is that the physical body is part of salvation.
What God says. is part of salvation. That shows
to us how the physical body is important. So
that's why you cannot just call the physical
body like one part of man that is not important.
You understand? The physical body is very crucial.
It's son also. It's man. You cannot say as if
it's one like a clue that will just be true.
No, no, no, no. The physical body is man also.
Yes, sir. You can't talk about your sonship without
talking about the physical body. I'm trying to
connect to you why you see that the image it
talks about that to be embodied means you are
in the image. Because the physical body is man.
You know, some people think that immediately
at the resurrection, you know, we will just become
spirits. Like we will not have body. No. Now,
look at verse 23 again. He said, eagerly waiting
for the adoption. waiting for the adoption of
the body, of our body. The word their redemption,
sorry, waiting for the adoption, yes, the redemption
of our body. That word redemption, which I've
already noted in the psalm, is the word apolitrosis.
Apolitrosis. A -P... O -N -Y -T -R -O -S -I -S.
Apolitrosis. In Greek. It means to be delivered.
To be set free. It means to be fully claimed.
To fully claim something. Just like I mentioned.
To claim something. That which of course. Is
your own. So it means. We are not fully saved
without our body. That's why I say you cannot
talk about sonship without talking about the
body. Listen. Your body is important. The Holy
Spirit in us is a proof that the physical body
is going to be forever. Of course, not at this
day. It will be changed. It will be quickened.
Are we together? It's a proof that this body
is going to be forever. We're not going to be
without body. And we'll be always with the body.
We'll be with the body. So the physical body
is as much as same as other part of man, as any
other part of man. That's why there's a claim
of it. This is the reason of our hope. That what
Christ saved or reclaimed, redeemed, are we together?
Through his blood, it's not just our spirit,
it's also our body. It's also our body. So your
redemption is not just your spirit, it's also
your body. If we look at 1 John 1, 1 John 1,
I want to read especially verse 3. In verse 3,
verse 2. He said that below, now, we are children
of God. And it has not yet been revealed what
we shall be. But we know that when He is revealed,
we shall do what? So we shall be like Him. He
is the firstborn. showing us what we shall be.
Remember, prototokos. What we shall be. We will
be changed into the likeness of His body, that
body that resurrected. For we shall see Him as
He is. Verse 3 says, and everyone who has this
hope, because it's what we are hoping for. He
said, hope in him purify himself. No, no, no,
no, no, no. Now, we have already thought that
purification is once and for all. It's not what
we do. It's not our job. We have been sanctified,
purified, justified. So it's not that those who
have hope in him will purify themselves. you
can adjust that, bring himself in the place of
purify and bring purify in the place of himself.
You will see that there is a better adjustment.
So I will read it this way. He said, and everyone
who has this hope in him, comma, himself purifies
just as he is pure. Oh, did you get the difference?
Meaning that, He is the one that purifies just
as he is pure. Did you get the point? Not that
you purify just as he is pure. No, you can't
do that, sir. No, no, no, no. That's not the
job of a human being. No human being can purify
himself just as he is pure. That is just as Christ
is pure. No, it's Christ that purifies. Are we
together? It's Christ that purifies just as he
is. Hallelujah. In fact, you see, when you read
Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 2, verse 11, says something
very important. We have done this study before,
but I just want to remind us again so that we
know. So that you know, give undue pleasure to
yourself, wanting to purify what has been purified.
Because you cannot purify what has been purified.
Glory to Jesus. You see that? He was told, he
said, for both, Hebrews 2, 11, for both he who
sanctifies and those who are being sanctified,
or those who are sanctified. Sanctified means
to be purified. Are we together? To be made a
saint. That is from the word saint. That is,
you are pure. He said, who is the one that sanctifies?
He said, he that sanctifies. Are we together?
It is Christ that sanctifies, not you. So when
you go back to this verse, John, he said, and
everyone who has this hope in him himself purified
just as he is pure. And when you see verse 2
talks about we will be like him, that's exactly
What Philippians 3 is talking about. What Philippians
is talking about. That he will change. Are we
together? He will change. Philippians 3 .20.
Let me read 20 and 21. It's in our citizenship.
It's in heaven from which we also eagerly wait
for the Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ. I don't
think it is somewhere else. You are currently
now in heaven. Are we together? He said we are
raised together. We team and seated together.
Are we together? In the heaven. That's where
you are. And that's where. So this scripture
is not different from what Romans 8, 11 talks
about that it is from within. Understand? He
said from within. He said the spirit that dwelleth
in you will quicken your mortal body, will give
life to your mortal body. Jesus is with us. He's
not coming from somewhere else. The issue of
resurrection of the body and the coming of Christ
is not him coming from somewhere. He is with
us. is disappearing. He said, who, verse 21,
who will transform our lowly bodies? Did you
hear that? That's exactly what Romans is saying.
The spirit that is in you will quicken. He said,
from heaven we await a savior. That's where you
are. It's the same where you are. That's where
we are expecting him to appear. He said he would
transform our lowly body that we might conform
to his glorious body according to the working
by which he is able even to subdue all things
to himself. So the physical body as I shall say,
the physical body is constantly. What that means
is that it's in the image of God. What that means
is that you are not your own. What that means
is that you are not your own. You belong to a
family. That's why if you understand that, you
cannot be depressed. You cannot say, I don't
have a sense of belonging. No. It's inherently
built in you to be part. You are. You belong.
You belong. Don't say, I don't belong. Of course,
you don't belong to evil. The plan of God is
that you belong to this family. He belonged to
his family. And Jesus came and be the firstborn
of this family and be the protocos. Are we together?
And model what we would be in our body. Just
as in him, so are we in this world. And then
we notice that we are predestined. We're talking
about predestination. We're talking about full
knowledge. We are to foreordain to be in the
image of God, to belong to a family. This is
male and female. This is male and female. Image
of God is a singular, inclusive, collective identity,
male and female, indicating equality and value
in essence, in significance. It points us to
how valuable we are to God. It points us also
to God's intention for mankind. So image points
us to value. we have all before God equal value,
equal essence, equal purpose. It also points
us to God's intention on the earth is that of
a building of a family, is that of a relation,
is that of a connection, not an isolation, not
an independence, male and female. Not only male.
So God's intention for the man is the same with
God's intention for the woman. So you cannot
come tomorrow and say, no, no, no, no, she cannot
do certain things. It's only men that should
do it. No, it's not that way in the agenda of
God. The agenda of God is that of cooperation.
Is that one that you come to achieve his purpose.
You are the image of God as a woman. The man
is also the image of God. You are the temple
of God as a woman. The man is equally the temple
of God. The same identity. No diminution. That
is God's desire. That is God's intention. That
is God's doing. That is God's doing. So I wanted
to just think about all that we have been saying.
In all the things we have talked about so far
now. You will see that you need women in the
south because they are part of God's agenda.
They are not to be relegated in the south. They
are not to be treated using culture. Recently
and often I have been very, very annoyed with
the way we do wedding in Africa. And it's part
of the problem and we got to stop it. And the
children have not been Doing well in teaching
well in this area. You understand? The woman
is portrayed as a commodity. You understand?
It is during our time of wedding that she will
be sold. In some cultures there are different
type of... What do you call it? Depending on
which school she has gone. Depending on what
level has she stopped. That's how her, what they
call, bride price. And you will see that upon
a daughter, precious, the image of God, and they
are negotiating upon her head. As if she's a
goat. No, we want to give this. No, we want to
give that. used to ask where all this while they
gave birth to her you didn't use culture to name
her they gave birth to her you understand you
didn't use culture to send her to school they
gave birth i mean she she continued all her life
you never use culture all of a sudden she came
to to be married then they say in our culture
where then the culture has become and the most
unfortunate thing is that this culture it has
It has transformed. It has metamorphosed. You
understand? It has moved. The culture, we saw
that, you see, they will put in culture, Henneking,
Gulda. In your village, in those that work there,
you see Gulda. So even in this, they will put
all kinds of things of modernization. They will
say culture. Where does the culture? You could
see the greed of people. No. For God has saved
my generation. No devil will do that. No devil.
Even if they sent him, he will not do that. You
see parents relinquishing their own authority.
A father will say, no, I'm not the one. Some
unscrupulous element will be taking decision
for your daughter at that time. Let me come and
see that devil. I mean, it's so annoying. It's
so annoying. You could see greed. You could see
lack of love. Trying to squeeze things. We need
to change. Our daughters have suffered so well.
We need to change those things. It's not the
issue of change. It has changed. You see? It
has changed. Nothing is wrong with the culture
and all those things. As long as, you understand,
we have a good culture in Africa. We are relational,
naturally. You understand? But we have imbibed
certain things that creep into us. You understand?
To the extent of this. So people will hear me
say, hey, is that African culture? You understand?
And then you move from Africa, you go to white
culture. That's the problem. You say, me, I don't
bother about anybody. I don't bother about anybody.
You now move, you and your wife, you go to court
and wait. Your parents didn't know. You are confused.
Something is wrong with your head. That means
you are thinking you are also independent. That's
another extreme. That's the Western culture now.
So don't run away from what we are talking about
culture. You think that we're a gay African culture.
You now go to another stupid culture. You understand
what I'm trying to say? No, that's not what we're
talking about. We're talking about a culture
that is shaped about love. That is unconditional.
You understand? That is considerate. In all its
actions. Whether during wedding or not during
wedding. You understand? We're talking about
a culture that treats each and everyone with
dignity. That we treat our sisters with dignity.
We treat also just the same way we treat our
brothers because they are equal before God with
value. They are both made in the image of God.
That's what God desires for his children. That
we shouldn't be wicked. We should let love, unconditional
love. that we're looking for to develop others,
that every decision we're taking, we're not thinking
to harm anyone. We're not thinking to take advantage
of another person. Whether the person is knowledgeable
or not, whether the person understands, we cannot
take advantage of another person. They ignore
us. Some of us leaders, God has given to us advantages.
Don't use such advantage. To cheat another person.
Don't take advantage of sisters. Don't take advantage
of. Also brothers. Just because they didn't know.
You just take advantage of it. Know. What God
is teaching us. In this season. He has made us.
As leaders. We are not different. From those.
Whom God have. Given us opportunity. To preside
over. We are not lords. We are leaders. We lead
by example. We lead by example. We lead by example.
And I'm talking to sisters as we lose. You understand?
Don't look down on yourself. I want you to see
yourself as God sees you. I want you to speak
as God sees you. Speak. In the image. He made
you. Tell yourself I have value. As we said.
You understand. The value. Marriage is good.
If you are doing it. Do it to the glory of God.
But that doesn't mean. It's not a must. You must
do it. You understand. But if you are not doing
it. Do it also for the glory of God. Those people
who refused to marry. They didn't. They didn't
refuse to marry. Because of selfishness. It's
not because they are angry with men. Or it's
not because they were angry with women. When
Paul refused to get married and Barnabas, you
understand? It's not because they were angry
with women. That the women did them shaky. They
say, we will not marry again. But that's not
what they said. But the reason why they did not
get married, we read it in 1 Corinthians 9. Even
in the book we are reading. It was consecration.
They waive that right for the sake of the gospel.
As I said, whether you get married or not get
married, you should do it for the sake of God's
kingdom. But don't get married because you want
to have honor. No, no, no. You are getting it
wrong. That means you have not understood that
you are in the image of God. Don't get married
because you want to be... Because they told you,
you know, women who are not married, they are
not... They are not, what do you call this? They
are not respected. No, not at all. So that is
the desire of God for us. And I pray that the
Lord will continue to help us. We'll continue
to explore in this. We just scratched some facts.
Of course, we are going to come. Because the
prayer taught us some time ago. You understand?
Quoting from Philippians. You understand? Paul
was talking about to repeat again and again to
you is safe to you. We are coming back to it
to dig deep on these thoughts and concepts in
the sense of the image of God and to see much
more how God desires us to live based according
to how he sees us. Hallelujah. Thank you for
listening to today's sermon. Your journey matters
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Till next time, be blessed.