Use The Whole Package (Part 3): Adopted

Pastor Rocklyn Clarke - Sunday August 2, 2009

© 2009 Life Church Ministries, Inc.

http://www.LifeChurchMinistries.org/

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Notes
V Introduction
* Bible Reading 7/26 - 8/1: 2 Chronicles 17 - 31; Romans 9:22 - 15:22; Psalm 20:1 - 25:15; Prov 20:2-15
> Review
V New Material
> Preparation
V Use The Whole Package (Part 3): Adopted
> Preparation - Ephesians 1:4b-10
* Discover the Exegetical Idea
God has predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ. This was an expression of his love that he enjoyed and wanted to do, and he did it through the grace that he gave us freely in Jesus.
V Formulate the Homiletical Idea
* The Great Adoption
V Determine the Purpose of the Sermon
V I want believers who hear this message to:
* Understand that in Jesus we've been given the whole package.
* Believe that God has adopted them as his sons.
* Act like sons.
V Standing Issues
V From a word Bishop gave me:
* Make sure people do something with God's message.
* Make it plain: Use accessible language and modern parables.
* Keep it simple.
* Use illustrations of truth out of my own experience.
* Impart faith to obey the Word and receive God's promises.
V Introduction
* God gave you the whole package in his Son Jesus Christ. Give it up for God, and use the package!
V We had a party for God this morning! Were you there?
* “Neighbor - did God enjoy your contribution to our congregational worship today?”
* There is no substitute for your individual experience with God - it's important!
* There is no substitute for your corporate experience with God - it's important too!
* Would you turn down an invitation to a party for your parents?
* We shouldn't miss God's party - the congregational worship experience if we understand that God is our father.
V Read the Passage
In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
* Exegetical Idea
God has predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ. This was an expression of his love that he enjoyed and wanted to do, and he did it through the grace that he gave us freely in Jesus.
V Explain It: What does this mean?
V Predestined - (proori÷zw Gk. - proorizo) -
* pro (fore) horizo (limit, appoint)
V Adopted as sons
* Sons of God - Romans 8:19-25
V You are all sons of God through Jesus Christ - Gal 3:23-29
* God has male and female sons.
* Sonship in the Kingdom is not gender-based.
* Women in God's Kingdom are female sons of God.
* Men in God's Kingdom are part of Christ's bride.
* God is treating you as sons - Hebrews 12:1-8
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
* Illustration: My transition from student employee to IS staff.
* Through Jesus Christ
V According to
V God's pleasure
* Matthew 3:17
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
* Matthew 17:5
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
V God's will
* Jesus' will - Matthew 8:1-3
When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
* Mat 26:36-39
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
V God's Grace
* Glorious (chabod Heb.) - weighty
* Freely given to us in Jesus - caritow Gk. - charitoo
V Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?
* Predestined - Romans 8:26-30
* You are all sons of God through Jesus Christ - Gal 4:1-7
V Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?
V Sons inherit property - daughter’s don’t
V Exception: Zelophehad’s daughters
* Daughters inherit in the absence of sons - Num 27:1-11
* Inheriting daughters must marry within clan - Num 36:1-12
* Fulfillment - Joshua 17:3-4
V Sons take responsibility for the family business
* Be sons of your heavenly Father - Mat 5:43-48
* Love the Father by loving his children. - 1John 4:19-53
* The staff at the hospital where my mother is being treated pay attention when I speak up about her treatment because I'm her son.
V Other examples
* "The Godfather" - Michael Corleone
* "Star Wars" - Luke
* "The Lion King" - Simba
V Sons turn spiritual blessings into material change on earth.
* Through prayer and faith (including confession).
* "Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven"
V Devotional time is a morning reboot (computers, bootstrap loader, etc.)
* Ephesians 1:4b-6 is excellent reboot material.
V Devotion - our devotional time is important to God.
* What do you get for the man who has everything?
* Sons should spend time with their fathers.
* Cat’s In The Cradle
V Faith for transformation (Life Church is called to transform á la Vision)
* Faith that Ephesians 1:4b-6 (predestined to be adopted as sons) is true about me.
* Call those things that are not as though they were.
* Speak God's words after him like a baby imitating its parents.
V Say what God says about you.
* Reprint Life Church Confession Of Faith
* Develop new confession based on Ephesians 1:3-10
V Conclusion
* God has adopted you as sons - act like it!
* Look yourself in the mirror and start saying to yourself what God's Word says about you.
V Altar Call / Welcome Cards / Communion
* Welcome Cards - refer to script
* Benediction - Numbers 6:24-26
“‘“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’
* Men's Prayer
V Discussion Questions / Topics (based on the indicated scriptures)
V Ephesians 1:3-6
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
V Discussion Questions / Topics:
* What have you learned about being one of God's adopted sons? What would you like to learn?
* Is there anything that keeps you from seeing yourself as God's son?
V Romans 8:19-25
The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
V Discussion Questions / Topics:
* What do you see in the world around you that is subject to frustration and waiting to be liberated?
* How could you be used to liberate those frustrated parts of the world around you?
V Galatians 3:23 - 4:7
Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
V Discussion Questions / Topics:
* As one of his sons, are you handling God's business? Discuss.
* "Abba" means "daddy". Do you experience God as "daddy"? Discuss.
V Witnessing Activities
* What do you find helpful when it comes to evangelism?
* What makes evangelism more difficult for you? How can we help?
* Pray for each other in accordance with Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23.
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