Apostolic Ministry: Family Considerations, Fathers & Sons Series

Compiled by: Herman Abrahams (Pastor), Cornerstone Faith Ministries, P.O. Box 740, Westridge 7802, Rep. of South Africa.

E-Mail: Mentorship2003@yahoo.co.uk

Note to the reader:

If you have been blessed with this sermon compilation, I would be honoured to receive an e-mail from you merely telling me where in the world you are based- I do not need any other information. This is merely so that I can have the pleasure of giving thanks to Almighty God that all over the globe, the ministry which he has entrusted to me, is blessing the body of Christ and helping to extend the Kingdom of God. Thank you.

Herman Abrahams, Cape Town, South Africa.

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APOSTOLIC MINISTRY: FAMILY CONSIDERATIONS, FATHERS & SONS

Objective: To share some scriptural insights with regard to the apostolic ministry. Two main areas are covered:

1. Making adequate provision for any family members who are left at home when we are travelling both nationally and internationally.

2. To provide insight into the area of Fathers and Sons in the ministry.

TRAVELLING FOR THE GOSPEL?

PROVIDE FOR YOUR FAMILY BEFORE YOU TRAVEL !!

It is a matter of great concern that men of God often travel away from their homes on missionary or apostolic trips both within their own countries and overseas, spending large sums of money on travel costs, whilst leaving their wives and children at home without food to eat and other basic necessities of life.

Men of God in both the developed and undeveloped world are often guilty of this. Through our ministry organisation here in Cape Town we often have preachers from other countries visiting our local churches. Time and again we have become aware of men who have left their homes without making adequate provision for the well-being of their families. The Bible views a man’s responsibility towards his wife and children in a very serious light:

1) ’HE MUST MANAGE HIS OWN FAMILY WELL’(1 Timothy 3:1-5)

1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. …… 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)

vs. 4,5 Don’t go to the nations and leave your family without food and other basic necessities.

2) HE MUST PROVIDE FOR HIS FAMILY (1 Timothy 5:8)

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

If you don’t provide for your family, you have “denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever”.

3) HE MUST PROVIDE HIS FAMILY WITH THEIR BASIC NEEDS (Exodus 21:10)

If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. 11 If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.

It is the husband’s responsibility in the Lord to provide the family with their basic needs.

4) LOVE YOUR WIVES AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH (Ephesians 5: 25)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Am I giving myself up/sacrificing my life for my wife if I havent provided for her?

5) LOVE YOUR WIVES AS YOUR OWN BODY (Ephesians 5: 28-29)

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church.

Love yourself by taking care of your wife!

TOWARDS A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF SPIRITUAL FATHERS & SONS

Note: The terms ‘fathers’ and ‘sons’ are in most cases used as generic terms to include both male and female.

A. A FATHER HAS COMPASSION AND LOVE FOR HIS CHILDREN

I believe that when there is a correct understanding of spiritual fathers and sons in our churches and where men and women walk in obedience to Father God in this area of their lives, we will have less fights amongst leaders, less church splits and greater harmony in the body of Christ.

A true father is compassionate towards his son and loves him.

1) HAVE COMPASSION (Luke 15:20)

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

A true father remains compassionate towards his children even if at times they let him down.

2) BE TEMPERATE (1 Timothy 3:2-3)

2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.