The Impact of the Family

This year’s Gospel Meeting is “family focused.” The subjects on which Sam Willcut will preach are designed to strengthen our families. The family was instituted by God on the sixth day of creation, the very same day that humanity was created (Gen. 2:18-25). Whether we realize it or not, the family has a great impact on both society and the church. First, consider society. From the Garden of Eden we see the tragic impact that a family can have on society—“by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12 cf. Gen. 3:6). Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, humanity continues to suffer (cf. Gen. 3:22-24). However, from Genesis we can also see the positive impact on society that a family can have. Consider God’s assessment of Abraham: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment” (Gen. 18:19). Would we rather have a family with the kind of impact the first family had or would we rather have a family based upon the principles of God’s assessment of Abraham? The answer is obvious! Let’s attend every lesson!

Second, consider the impact the family has on the church. When the individual families making up the local church are strong, then the whole church will be strong. When wives submit to their own husbands, “as unto the Lord” (Eph. 5:22); when husbands love their “wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Eph. 5:25); when children obey their parents as the Lord requires (Eph. 6:1); and when parents rear their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4), the church will be very strong. Children learn such things as love, respect for authority, and how to get along with others by what they observe in their home. If parents are not modeling proper submission, love, obedience, and/or “nurture and admonition of the Lord,” how will children grow up knowing these things, which are essential to having a faithful congregation? Let’s be present to hear each lesson!

Strengthening our families is valuable in and of itself, but when we add to that the result of strengthening the church, the importance of this Gospel Meeting becomes all the more obvious! Let us attend every session!