The Issues about Women's Liberty pt 18

Hi there, welcome to NECF. We're excited to share

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to enrich your faith. Here's today's sermon.

Genesis chapter 9, we will read. From verse 1,

Genesis 9 · chapter mention

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,

Genesis 9 · chapter mention

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

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

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

1 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Look

1 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

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

John 20 · chapter mention

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.

Luke 24:36 Luke 24:36

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

Romans 8 · chapter mention

on this journey first. Romans chapter 8. Look

Romans 8 · chapter mention

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

Hebrews 2:11

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.