Psalm 78:1-8
Introduction
If you have ever built a house, you know that having a good foundation is critical. Without a solid foundation, you run the risk of having issues that become costly. Like the foundation of a house, God made family the foundation for society and civilization’s well-being. When that foundation is eroded by governmental decisions and refusal to protect the family as God intended, the very fabric of society begins to unravel at a swift, breakneck pace.
The role of family was made clear in the Creation narrative in Genesis 1:26-28. There, we see the first family formed and purposed to reflect and mirror God; to multiply His image throughout the world and to exercise God’s rule and dominion here on the earth. As the family creator, God established a specific way in which He saw fit for a family to be formed and to function. Marriage between a man and a woman was the first building block in the Lord’s construction of a family. The government’s mission should be to protect the image of God found in the family unit while protecting families’ sovereignty to uniquely fulfill their created purpose. When a government attempts to derail the structure and purpose that God set forth, the results are disastrous for all involved. Poverty, abuse, and confusion set in. Chaos and confusion are sure to follow when governments redefine instead of support and protect the family. In a time where paganism led the people in their institutions, the prophet Isaiah warned Israel by telling them God’s definition of family was being replaced. Isaiah 3:12b states, “Those who guide you lead you astray and confuse the direction of your paths.”
As Kingdom Voters, one of the important issues we must prioritize is protecting and promoting family as God intended. We must call the government to account for how they fail to build families. Kingdom men need to rise up like Joshua and declare, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15b). The battle we are facing today is one of kingdoms in conflict – an earthly kingdom versus a heavenly one. After seeing the effects of this battle played out through the generations, we must take a stand and choose to help our culture and government understand what family was initially created and intended for. And only then will we see the foundation of our culture strengthened like never before.
Getting Started
- Have you ever experienced foundation issues in a house? What are some of the results of a faulty foundation?
- Name one TV family you have watched that reflects at least one of the purposes and functions of family as God intended it.
Let’s Get Personal
- What has been your experience when it comes to family? Have you experienced God’s reflection and image in your family of origin? Why or why not?
- What would you say are the most devastating effects in our culture now due to the attack on families as God intended them to be?
- Pastor Evans discusses the importance of being complete in Christ, whether you are single or married. So often, people believe marriage will complete them or fill in any emotional holes they feel. Why is this a dangerous mindset? How can this produce problems in the life of a believer?
- No matter what your marital status is, how do you pray for your family? If you are single and desire to be married, what are some of the ways you pray for your future family? If you are married, how do you intentionally pray for your family?
Take the Next Step
- What are some ways you can personally protect the image of God in your family? How can you encourage others to do the same?
- How can you hold civil government into account when it comes to the structure and function of family? What are some practical steps you could take to do so?
- If you’ve faced the painful effects of a broken family, either in your family of origin or the family you’ve created as an adult, how can others pray for you right now? How can you pray for those who are enduring the effects of brokenness in their family right now?
- Want to dig deeper? Take a look at these passages: Isaiah 3:12, , Genesis 6:1-7, Genesis 6: 17-18, Genesis 1:26-28, Malachi 2:14-16, Matthew 19:3-12, Malachi 4:4-6, Genesis 3:1-13, Genesis 6:13, Mark 6:14-29, Nehemiah 4:14, Isaiah 3:25, Exodus 34:23-24, Genesis 18:19, and Joshua 24:15.
Renew Your Mind
“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'”
Genesis 1:27-28
