WEBVTT 00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:12.400 Good morning, KCC, Lake Country, and anyone else around the world that's joining us. 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:14.240 This is Larry and Francine. 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:15.839 Say hi, Francine. 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:17.120 Hi, I'm Francine. 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:19.359 I'm Larry's wife. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:20.160 Uh-huh. 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.920 And um, and I'm sometimes being referred to as Mrs. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:27.199 and Label, but not here in Kenya. 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:31.600 So here in Kenya, let us let me give you a bit of a breakdown of what we do. 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:39.600 Um, primarily uh we rescue children and find good safe homes for them where we support them in the homes. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:41.679 Francine does. 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:55.920 I run a medical clinic free of charge, uh, some outreaches in North Parkata and Turkana, and then I also work in the women's prison as a trauma art worker. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:57.039 Therapist. 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:08.239 And uh I also repair uh boreholes in town and out in the more remote areas, and um we also have a number of church plants. 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:17.280 And so we just uh like to express our thanks to KCC and all our supporters around the world for helping us with our ministry here. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:28.799 It's been 10 years now that we've been uh living in Kenya and a little over 10 years, yeah, and almost 13 years that we've been um our focus has been Kenya. 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:38.319 Yeah, and so um KCC, uh, we've been doing a series on sonship, and I've been asked to share today. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:52.719 So I'm gonna let you share about uh sonship and uh the love of God in our lives and with the orphans, specifically with the orphans, because it's very much a topic right now. 00:01:52.959 --> 00:02:11.680 And uh just want to say God bless you guys, thank you so much for your support, for your constant love, and um always being there uh when we need you, and thank you and not forgiving about us being so far away, and as I said, very sportive. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:19.199 So, my hobby is going to share the word of God by the name of Jesus, amen. 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:25.680 Yeah, isn't she beautiful? 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:27.599 I love that girl. 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:30.639 So, where do I start? 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:32.879 Uh, how about the title of the message today? 00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:34.639 I've titled it Adoption. 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:35.599 You're welcome. 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:39.919 Adoption in the in the sonship. 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:40.960 Hallelujah. 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:48.080 So in my studies, um, because I had to study some of this, and so I'll be doing more teaching than preaching today. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:49.919 Uh, it's quite a deep subject. 00:02:50.159 --> 00:03:08.479 But what I found that it wasn't it's it's difficult, not in if not impossible, to uh separate adoption from the act of sonship, and so I'm gonna today try to increase your understanding of sonship both uh practically and spiritually. 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:09.199 Alright? 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:14.080 So let's open in prayer, Holy Spirit. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:27.360 I just uh give you thanks for what you've been teaching me, and I would just like to pass it on to you that you'd use me as your instrument to convey what it means to be a son of the Almighty. 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:32.560 And so, Lord, uh you are the uh spirit of truth and the spirit of adoption. 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:38.960 So, who better to convey what it means to be adopted and to experience the fullness of Christ? 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:41.759 I pray this in Jesus' name, amen. 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:51.439 Now, Barnes Research Group, they tell us that um there's double the chance if you're a Christian family that you will adopt. 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:55.199 And so, how many of you out there uh are adopted? 00:03:55.520 --> 00:03:59.759 And let me ask uh, how many of you out there have adopted? 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:10.159 Now, for those that have adopted, you know the difficult, uh long, and costly process of adoption. 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:19.439 And uh I'm talking to a friend of mine about adoption the other day, and she said something uh kind of humorous. 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:21.199 And let me read what she said to me. 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:32.879 She said uh there were times when the adoption process that they were so exhausting and painful and made me want to scream, but then so did childbirth. 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:39.360 Now, the truth is that God suffered for a long time. 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:45.040 He paid the price and paid the cost to enable us to be adopted into his family. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:52.399 Both Father God and Jesus they they paid the ultimate price, both emotionally, physically, and spiritually. 00:04:53.279 --> 00:05:02.560 And uh, as I was reading the word, I could see that it was Father God that started the adoption process a long, long time ago. 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:04.240 How long you ask? 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:05.120 Long time. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:05.839 Check this out. 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:10.560 The Bible says he started this process before he created the world. 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:11.439 Yes. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:25.120 So you turn to the book of Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 4, we read that he says, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:28.639 Now, to be without fault in his eyes. 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:37.279 So that's like when we come to prayer, we stand before our Father, he looks at us with just love. 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:47.120 He sees us, he sees his child as perfect, without flaw, ideal, the perfect child. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:58.319 And sometimes it's hard to wrap our head about that, but we need to realize that that's how much what he sees, he sees us, he sees us Jesus in us, and he sees us in Jesus. 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:06.480 If we go on to verse 5, it says, He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ. 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:09.920 This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:16.240 So God didn't adopt us while we were still sinners begrudgingly. 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:18.639 It wasn't a plan B. 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:22.079 He'd already planned it and it brought him great pleasure. 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:28.399 So we see that God started the process before the foundation of the world. 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:47.920 And then we see later, if we turn to Galatians 4, 4, 5, he says, when the time, the right time had come, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:50.879 Now we jump forward to the present. 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:54.959 Not to be silly, but let me ask you a question. 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:57.839 Why don't orphans play baseball? 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:01.120 Because they don't know where home is. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:04.000 And that's us, that's who we were. 00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:07.519 We were looking for a place to belong. 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:15.600 We were looking for acceptance, we were living in a life where self-for culturally made identities. 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:25.360 We were looking to belong, we're looking for a home, much like Abraham and his family long for a new country, a heavenly country. 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:37.920 But the truth is that ultimate satisfaction will never be realized in this life unless it's anchored in God and his promises of a new home for us. 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:49.120 Now there's not a lot spoken about adoption in the Old Testament, but there is a one particular psalm that seems to set a pattern for adoption. 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:59.680 So if you turn in the book of Psalms, 106 and verse 7, it says, Therefore God went and took a son from Egypt. 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:08.800 Now, what we refer to here is when God decided to rescue the Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt and lead them out through the Red Sea. 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:14.639 Therefore, God went and took a son from Egypt who was both enslaved and rebellious. 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:18.240 So we see they were slaves and they were rebellious. 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:20.240 They were rebellious to God. 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:29.439 And therefore the pattern set, we see that adoption doesn't come from these safe, clean, uh auspicious situations. 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:43.759 We often think that, oh, when God adopted me, he must have looked down and seen this cute little baby wrapped in soft, fuzzy blankets. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:45.679 He did not. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:09:00.399 Truth is, we were vile, sin-seeking, children of the devil, who did not please God and were worthy of his wrath. 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:02.399 Let me give you an illustration. 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:11.759 So this uh this young couple decide to adopt a child, and the process has gone through, and now they're in an adoption agency, waiting in the room to meet their son. 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:15.440 They're sitting on a bench, holding hands, giggling with anticipation. 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:27.679 And the adoption agent she walks in with a drug-addicted, 16-year-old, rebellious delinquent who's already developed a criminal mind. 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:32.320 He's got hate and big letters tattooed on his forehead. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:39.120 And when he blinks, he's got unspeakable four-letter words tattooed right on his eyelids. 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:44.799 Now, not many families want to rush into that adoption, but God did. 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:57.919 Now, um, I just want you to realize that we were not the ideal little cuddly baby when God adopted us. 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:13.679 We see in the Bible that God has the highest priority for orphans and widows, and uh it's it's throughout the New Testament, but particularly if we look in the book of James, uh James is explaining God's view of real religion. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:15.519 This is what it's supposed to look like. 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:24.639 It says, religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction. 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:29.759 Sounds nice, but it just sort of sounds like we're just gonna drop in. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:55.519 And so they've used uh an improper word there in that translation because visit us means to to pay a visit to a friend or a situation out of friendship or or need, but it's just a short period of time, so they don't use a very good word that translation there because in the Greek the word is ergon and it doesn't mean anything like the word visit. 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:02.639 Ergon actually means good works, and we find an example of that in Ephesians 2.10. 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:04.080 Let me read. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:17.279 For we are God's workmanship, created in Jesus Christ for good works, word ergon, created for ergon, good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:20.159 So again, we see beforehand. 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:25.279 So we see that even before the world was created, he already knew us. 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:27.360 Herede had plans for us. 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:38.879 The plans were to adopt us, but he also had plans for us to represent him, to be his hands and feet, to be his spokesperson, to be his um ambassador, if you may. 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:53.200 And so um I encourage you when you when you leave here today that you look for these opportunities and say, God, open my eyes to these good works that you've planned beforehand for that I can for I can participate in them. 00:11:53.440 --> 00:12:00.559 Because when we do respond to God's prompting to help somebody or a situation, it brings us brings us joy. 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:10.799 And it also brings happiness and joy to the person or the situation or whatever it is, but ultimately it'll always bring glory to God, and that's what it's all about. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:28.960 We see that a better rendition of this would be religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this, to constantly work alongside and for orphans and windows, windows, widows, in their affliction despite any cost. 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:33.919 See, God is the most active person when it comes to adoption. 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:38.879 In fact, if he had his way, we would all be adopted into his family. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:46.240 Now it's pretty hard to teach on sonship without touching down on the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:49.840 And I'm sure you've you've already heard some explanations of it. 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:51.279 You know the story. 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:53.840 One of the sons decides to heck with this. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:56.480 He says, Dad, give me my inheritance. 00:12:56.799 --> 00:13:10.879 He goes, parties hard, hits bottom, and while he's at the bottom, he comes to his senses and says, Oh, maybe I can go home and maybe, just maybe, my father can give me a job as a servant, at least elite. 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:18.960 He goes home, the father embraces him fully, but he doesn't embrace him as a servant, but rather as a son. 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:30.960 And so it it although the boy was willing to go home and be a servant, and that may seem like an act of humility, it really it wasn't. 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:35.679 It was an act of disgrace and disrespect and an insult to the father. 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:41.039 You see, the son, he was thinking like a servant and not a son. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:48.799 He was hoping to work his way back, and he was going to settle for a mere portion of his father's love and forgiveness. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:14:06.320 Even many of us as Christians, we tend to live and act like the prodigal son, believing that we need to work and earn God's forgiveness and his love. 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:11.919 We see in the story that even the older son did not understand sonship. 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:17.919 His view was hey, I stayed behind, I worked hard, I earned it. 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:26.159 He didn't realize that, actually, no, his inheritance was a gift from his father, the fruit of his father's hard work. 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:45.519 Scripture tells us of that father who represents in his story, our father above, that he embraced his son fully, totally, and unconditionally, and that all he wanted to do was lavish love on and over his son. 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:56.080 In the story, we also see Jesus underlying the fact that the reality of the love of God for us is sometimes the last thing that dawns on us. 00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:05.919 We tend to fix our eyes on ourselves, our past failures, our present guilt, and it seems impossible that the Father would forgive us. 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:14.320 And so, so many Christians we go through life with the um with the prodigal's suspicion, if I may. 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:20.159 We concentrate on our sin and failure, and all our thoughts are introspective. 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:41.440 And perhaps that's why in the Greek writing in 1 John chapter 3, 1, John's statement about the Father's love begins like this: Behold, behold, what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called children of God. 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:46.799 Now we don't use the word behold anymore, but we have an idea what it means. 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:52.080 But if you don't, it literally means, look, look at this. 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:57.919 This is a clearly observable, objectable, objective fact. 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:00.159 It's like, do not miss this. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:07.600 So it's like he's saying, don't miss the manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called children of God. 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:11.759 He's saying, that's a lot of love being poured out. 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:19.279 That it takes a lot of love for God to want us to be his children, and that we can have that title. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:26.559 But like the Prodigal, sometimes we lack the ability to believe that salvation is completely by grace. 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:32.320 And although we have the status of sons, we have the mindset of a servant. 00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:44.320 The Father's love is unconditional, and we need to come to grips with the fact that our past sins, our accidental sins, even our deliberate sins, have all been forgiven. 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:45.759 They're history. 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:51.679 God's ability has chosen to forget, hit the delete button. 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:54.559 No longer does he recall. 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:57.039 When we repent, it is gone. 00:16:57.279 --> 00:17:06.880 And yet, some of us, when we come to God, we're like, oh Papa, how can I ask again? 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:10.480 I mean, how many times lately have I asked you to forgive me for this sin? 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:16.000 And just yesterday you forgave me for this sin, and here I'm again. 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:18.319 Ah, just yesterday. 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:22.079 And God's answer, his reply is, I did. 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:27.519 You see, he's decided and chose to forget about it. 00:17:27.759 --> 00:17:28.319 Amen. 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:30.720 And so the psalmist assures us. 00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:35.279 I'm not sure which psalm it is, I know what it says, you'll have to look it up what it is. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:44.160 He says that the Father has decided to remove our sin so far from us, as far as the East is from the West. 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:46.160 Totally gone. 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:51.119 In Romans 5.8, it tells more about just how much God loved us. 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:58.160 It says, but God demonstrates his own love for us in this while we are still sinners, Christ died for us. 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:07.519 While we were still that delinquent, hating, disobedient, rebellious child, he died for us. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:10.720 We go back to the prodigal son for a second. 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:25.920 Now, as bad as it was that he took his inheritance and then squandered it, that's not uh the height of the um of his sin, if you may. 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:35.680 When he was asking his dad for his inheritance, in those days it was like saying, Dad, Dad, I wish you're dead. 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:39.279 And that's uh what the world wishes today. 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:43.599 Nietzsche and Time magazine, they both proclaimed God is dead. 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:50.640 And they do this in hopes to paving a way where they can follow their evil inclinations. 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:57.279 But we see that both fathers felt the pain of seeing children they created wishing them dead. 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:02.240 Nevertheless, both fathers have expressed unconditional love. 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:15.039 Now, as a father figure over here, two or three dozen children, I wish, sadly, I can't say that I work in unconditional love. 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:25.599 There's been times when we've had to draw a line in the sand, and we say, son or daughter, you've crossed this line. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:41.119 And your disobedience and your disregard and your continual behavior, um, you can no longer be under our covering. 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:52.079 Fortunately, that was when we had an orphanage, but now that we put our children into uh loving family homes, the situation has changed. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:53.440 We haven't had to do that. 00:19:53.680 --> 00:20:00.559 Because these children have gone now from being fostered to being adopted and received in the family. 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:07.279 In some cases, our older boys went into a young family and they happen to be the oldest child in the family. 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:14.480 And the fathers have said, son, I want you to know that you are now the firstborn. 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:24.240 So we see an orphan has gone from little or few rights to the position of sonship and firstborn. 00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:40.000 And like in the Bible here in Kenya, the title or the position of firstborn carries a lot of not only responsibility, but a lot of privileges and a lot of different rights. 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:41.200 Amen. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:48.160 So it's wonderful that our kids have gone from being orphans to adopted firstborns. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:58.319 And uh Scripture tells us that we too have been given all the advantages and privileges of being adopted. 00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:08.720 Now, uh in this gender correct culture, um, some people may have a problem with son, son, sonship, sonship, son. 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:20.400 Now, I don't have time, and this has been explained before, but if you're turning in your Bible to Ephesians 3, 28, it'll explain it fully there and it'll help you understand, and I encourage you to do that. 00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:23.920 Uh now let me tell you a little bit about my adoption. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:30.160 I I uh have some similar situation as Jesus. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:36.960 You see, I had a biological mom and her husband adopted me. 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:44.240 Because you see, when my mom was pregnant with me and raising a nine year old daughter, my dad left. 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:52.240 And later my mom married another man who had two children, and I was adopted when I was three years old. 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:59.759 Now, in my family sitting, I can remember my mom probably saying, I have four children, two of which are adopted. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.680 But I forget which two. 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:05.359 Now that nice as the sound wasn't very accurate. 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:09.839 In fact, she loved my sister and I more than adopted children. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:14.160 And my wonderful father, he was a great dad. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:19.599 He embraced and loved his kids more than me and my sister. 00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:27.839 Now, on the other hand, I know a couple over here, and I was asking my friend, I'm teaching on adoption, you've adopted a girl. 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:30.319 Tell me, do you do you love them the same? 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:34.000 And he's like, Yes. 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:35.440 Yes, I do. 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:36.960 Totally, no difference. 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:44.240 And in fact, if there's a there's the only difference is I feel like I'm more I need to apply more responsibility. 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:48.480 I'm I'm more responsible to Chloe, the girl that I adopted. 00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:57.119 And so I know that, of course, there's no singular technique how parents love their adopted children. 00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:00.960 And I know many parents that are able to love their children equally. 00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:06.240 Um I'm just telling you how adoption played out in my life. 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:08.079 And uh little follow-up. 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:10.720 I didn't get to meet my bio dad. 00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:13.920 He turned out to be a great guy when I was in my early 30s. 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:20.160 We spent time, we traveled, we built a good relationship, and then uh he took his life. 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:24.000 Um he didn't take his life because he met me. 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:26.720 Another day, another story. 00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:41.680 Okay, my point is that there are on one hand we have physical adoptions where where the parents try to model unconditional love, and on the other hand, we have spiritual adoption. 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:48.960 Our spiritual adoption begins at the beginning of our salvation when we accept Jesus Christ. 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:52.400 But sonship that comes later. 00:23:52.799 --> 00:24:05.119 Just as the uh the progress of salvation is consummated at the end times when we receive our resurrected bodies, it's an event in our salvation. 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:09.599 So a friend put it this way. 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:12.400 He said, This is this is the way I see adoption. 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:14.559 Our adoption is complete. 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:18.960 We're just waiting for our Father to come and pick us up for that we can be with him. 00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:27.119 Now we see that this sonship event, we can see it played out in the book of Galatians in chapter 3 and 4. 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:35.359 Paul says that Jesus came to make us sons, but the Holy Spirit was sent to make us feel like sons. 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:37.359 Galatians 4, 6. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:45.839 And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father. 00:24:46.640 --> 00:25:02.960 You see, this is we've been promised an experience, and um that you know that the Spirit's going to be sent into our hearts, and he sent to those that are already have the status of adoption, making this something additional. 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:05.440 Tim Keller puts it this way. 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:19.279 What Paul is talking about here in Galatians 4 6 is something more than the objective fact of our sonship, because you can be adopted and not experience your sonship, and you can be forgiven and completely accepted and not feel that way. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:21.759 Paul's talking about a feeling. 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:33.680 Now we must be aware not to put our feelings above God's word, but feelings have a vital place and uh in our lives, and this is what Paul's talking about here is a feeling. 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:37.839 He says it's a cry, it's a cry, Abba Father. 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:44.640 A cry is something that we experience, not something that we claim. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:26:06.799 I love to go into this the time that we are in our prayers from when we we say God, oh God, or Father, to we reach this point when the Holy Spirit has touches us, and we we we change that to Abba Father, which which really means dad. 00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:22.079 Now, when you find yourself in time of prayer, talking to Father God, and you're you're saying dad, that is the level where you know you've reached sonship and that intimate relationship and that closeness. 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:26.799 It's like dad, dad, dad, I need you, dad, thank you so much, etc. 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:27.599 Right? 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:31.119 The normal Christian life is like this. 00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:35.680 Most of the time we're living in the Christian life by claiming the objective truth of our sonship. 00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:44.960 We're saying, I'm not gonna do this, I'm not gonna live like this, I'm a son, I'm gonna believe that I'm fully accepted in the beloved, and that's what we do, and it's good. 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:46.319 We claim it. 00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:52.160 But when the Spirit is doing the work, we don't have to tell ourselves this. 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:54.400 You know it. 00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:58.799 It's it's intuitive, it's not something we claim. 00:26:59.359 --> 00:27:09.279 Um picture this you're at a ball game, top of the ninth, base is loaded, tied 4-4, and your team bats a home run. 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:15.359 It's like you're not gonna go, hey, see, we won that game. 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:19.440 No, it's gonna be an emotional response. 00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:33.519 It's gonna be shouting and jumping and joy, and and and you're gonna ex you're gonna express yourself emotionally, and that's what it's like when we cry out, Abba Father, Abba Father, I need you, Abba Father, I thank you. 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:34.640 God help me. 00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:36.799 I mean, that's the difference. 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:37.680 Amen. 00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:39.759 Alright. 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:47.759 So there is some comparison between physical adoption and our spiritual adoption. 00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:54.079 There's some parallels there, but really, really, there's little comparison. 00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:59.359 It's like comparing playing baseball on a scrub team and a major league. 00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:01.119 That's the difference. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:04.480 Now, riddle me this. 00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:11.200 Do you think that your father God loves Jesus more than you? 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:16.960 Do you think that Father God loves Jesus just at least a little bit more than you? 00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:24.319 We find the answer in the book of John, chapter 17, starting at verse 20. 00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:32.559 Now, this is Jesus praying for his disciples at the end of his ministry, and he's interceding for them. 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:51.680 He says, I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that you may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:59.680 The glory that you've given me, I've given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. 00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:11.920 I in them, and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you loved me. 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:15.440 That's amazing. 00:29:16.480 --> 00:29:21.519 God loves us equally to the love he has for his son. 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:23.279 Hear that? 00:29:23.440 --> 00:29:25.359 Or should I say, behold? 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:31.039 Father God loves you as much as he loves Jesus. 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:36.000 He loves you as deeply and as purely as he loves his unadopted son. 00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:40.640 Here we don't find Jesus exhorting the church. 00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:44.400 He's not preaching, he's not teaching, and he's not rallying up the troops. 00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:45.599 He's praying. 00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:52.799 In verse 21, Jesus says, As you, Father, are in me, and I am in you, may they also be in us. 00:29:53.119 --> 00:30:00.960 Jesus is praying for those who follow him and those that would be drawn into the life of the Holy Spirit. 00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:12.000 The Father sends the Son to humanity, precisely so that the Son may draw all humanity into relationship that exists between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:24.079 Now, if being drawn into the Trinity is a little too esoteric for you early Sunday morning, let me find another verse that that explains it well too. 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:33.599 Earlier in the chapter, Paul is explaining to us, to those who have received him and believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God. 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:50.799 Now, when the risen Jesus meets Mary Magdalene outside the tomb, he commissions her and he says, Go tell my brothers that I am going to ascend to the Father, my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. 00:30:52.480 --> 00:31:02.480 In the resurrection, the relationship that the Son had with the Father, which had already always been shared, is now being expanded and opened to us followers. 00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:14.079 The Gospel of John often uses the term the world to describe or name those who oppose Jesus. 00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:21.519 But yet in John 3.16, we see that it was for the love of the world that he sent his son Jesus. 00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:29.920 And in this prayer, at the close of his ministry, Jesus is interceding not only for his own, but for that world. 00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:36.319 In verse 21, Jesus asks for unity and love between those that have given him and the Father. 00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:41.200 So why does he want unity and love between us and him? 00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:45.440 So that the world may believe that you have sent me. 00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:53.359 Now, I always thought that was like, maybe I studied apologetics too much, but I always thought that was like, well, there you go, there's your evidence. 00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:54.960 Jesus is the Son of God. 00:31:55.119 --> 00:31:56.880 Put that in your pipe and smoke it. 00:31:57.200 --> 00:32:05.680 Whereas it's nothing less than Jesus' desire for the reconciliation of everything and everyone. 00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:22.160 The goal in his prayer is that even those, those who have been hostile to the gospel and to the coming of his son, aka the world, his prayer is that they may believe that the Father sent him. 00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:27.200 And such believing, we know, will bring life in his name. 00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:36.400 So sum this all up, I believe our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption. 00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:41.440 I believe if you want to understand someone's level of Christianity, ask them. 00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:46.880 How do you feel about being a son of God? 00:32:47.440 --> 00:32:54.720 And how do you feel about Father God being your father, Abba Father? 00:32:56.640 --> 00:32:57.680 So J.I. 00:32:57.839 --> 00:33:02.319 Packer in his book Knowing God, this is how he sort of sums this up. 00:33:03.200 --> 00:33:13.920 If this is not the thought that prompts and controls one's worship and prayers and the whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all. 00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:22.559 So we see that sonship should control all our view, our whole concept of what it means to be sons and daughters of God. 00:33:23.039 --> 00:33:26.640 And I would like to leave you with an exhortation of Paul's. 00:33:26.880 --> 00:33:35.920 And he says, Imitate God, therefore, as dearly beloved children, live a life of love. 00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:37.920 Let us pray. 00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:50.160 Father God, uh I thank you that even before I was born, you had plans and purpose for me, and that you saw me as being adopted into your family. 00:33:50.960 --> 00:34:02.079 I thank you, Jesus, for making that possible by uh by what you did on my behalf, taking my sins on your shoulders and being punished for my sins. 00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:23.119 And I thank that the Holy Spirit has been sent into my life to to assure me and to um promise me and let my spirit, not just my mind, but my spirit know that I am a child of God and that I have sonship within my grasp. 00:34:23.599 --> 00:34:37.920 So we thank you, Father, again for this uh for this word, and I just pray uh that um it touches people's hearts, and I come against the enemy that would uh like to snatch that word, and I cover that with the blood of Christ. 00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:41.039 Can I get an amen? 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:43.280 Thank you very much. 00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:45.119 Be sure to tune in next week. 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:46.320 God bless.