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Romans 8:1-18

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Stephen Caswell © 2001

Parental Care

 

Jack Moore wrote a story about two teenagers.

One teenager was talking to another, I'm really worried.

Dad slaves away at his job so I'll never want for anything, so I can go to college.

And Mom spends every day washing and ironing and cleaning up after me.

She takes care of me when I'm sick.

The other kid says, /So what are you worried about?/

The first teenager says, *I'm afraid they might try to escape.*

But seriously, family life should be enjoyable.

Introduction

 

Last Sunday we answered the question, /how can you get to heaven?

/We saw how Jesus said that we must be born again of the Holy Spirit.

Only the new birth enables us to enter God's family.

From personal experience both as a child and a father I know that birth is only the beginning.

The process of life requires babies to grow into children and children into adults.

Each family shares many joys and responsibilities together.

Families share food and finances, fun and fellowship.

Parents give clothes, shelter, love and instruction to their children.

This morning we will look at various aspects of life in God's family.

1.

Family Food

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The Family Meal Table

 

Mealtime is an important part of family life.

Regular meals are necessary to maintain good health.

Our bodies burn up energy very quickly and this needs to be replaced with good food.

But meals are important for other reasons too.

For one, eating good food is enjoyable.

The benefits of talking together with our children at meal times is something that shouldn't be underestimated either.

Therefore family meal times are necessary for us to maintain good physical and social health.

/If this is true of physical of life how much more is it true of spiritual life?

/Jesus said,/ Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

/* In fact, God's Word is described as bread, meat, milk and honey.*

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/a.

Milk/

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*1 Peter 2:2* /as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby./

Babies start with a diet of milk.

That's what they need to get them growing.

Mothers milk is full of antibodies to help children fight off diseases.

Milk is easier to digest which is perfect for babies since they don't have any teeth.

In the same way, new Christians need to feed on the milk of the Word.

They should desire it like a hungry baby.

You always know they're hungry because they cry.

Baby Christians start by learning the simple doctrines of the faith.

They need to learn about prayer, the Holy Spirit, the Church, baptism and communion.

They need to learn about maintaining fellowship with God.

These things are basic to the Christian life.

This is the milk of the Word.

Like all babies it's important for babes in Christ to start with milk.

Milk and exercise enables new Christians to grow up, but without it they will die.

As infants grow they need to add solids to their diet as well.

/b.

Meat/

/ /

Food and exercise produce growth.

That's the way God has ordained life to develop.

Jonathan started on milk and in fact still drinks milk.

But at about four or five months we started him on solid foods as well.

At first we gave him only small amounts of these but slowly increased the amounts.

For a small boy he eats a lot of tucker.

Now he has teeth he even eats fish, chicken and meat./

But, how tragic is it to see a baby that doesn't develop normally?/

This happens when something is wrong genetically or through parental neglect.

Some babies don't start solids for years.

Even though babies are very cute God's intention is for them to develop into mature adults.

Solid food is essential for this to happen.

It develops our muscles.

God wants baby Christians to growth into mature adults.

*1 Corinthians 3:1-2* *& Hebrews 5:12-14 *speak of the dangers of immaturity*:*/ And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;/ /For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil./

Paul and the writer to the Hebrews challenges immature believers about their failure to grow.

They weren't applying God's Word in their lives.

They still hadn't moved on from a milk diet to meat.

The meat of the Word is the deeper things of the Word.

Last year at the midweek prayer meeting we studied the book of Hebrews.

Some of the ladies here are studying this book now.

We had a wonderful time looking at this book for many months.

Books like Hebrews, Romans and Revelation require much thought to take in.

They are full of meat and need to be thoroughly chewed over to digest.

Paul exhorts immature believers to grow up in the faith.

He tells them to feed on the deeper things of God's Word and mature in their faith.

/ /

Application

 

/Do you desire God's Word like a new born baby desires milk?

Do you feed on it daily?

Are you varying your menu?

Are you feeding on all of God's Word?

Are you exercising it in your life?

Are you also feeding on the meat of the Word too?

Are you sinking your teeth into those deeper passages of Scripture?

Or are you a spiritual babe still drinking milk only?/

 

2.

Family Fortune

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Family Provision

 

Every family has to live within a budget.

Even though most of us aren't born into wealthy families our parents provide for our needs.

They provide for our education, food and clothes.

Sometimes we even get a bit of pocket money on top of all this.

Our parents also teach us along the way.

They offer counsel to help us make the right choices.

One day we will inherit our parents home and belongings.