Adopted, Called and Found
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good Morning Church Family. I was remember a time back when I was just beginning my studies about God. I realize that can be broad, because there are many layers to learn about God (in terms of what He’s revealed to us through His word). Hearing some say, “they’re learning about God,” a person can begin to wonder — well what is being learned. Some of us are right there, learning about God. Others have advanced in their study about God. I can remember the first time I completed a reading of the whole Bible. The one word that came to mind was — WOW. Wow is another word that captures a lot and it did.
There were many emotions running at what seemed to go in ever direction when that last “amen” was read at the end of Revelation. It was great learning about God creation to the roller-coaster rides in Judges to the prophecy in Isaiah to the lineage of our Lord and Saviour in the first Chapter of Matthew to the discussion of our Lord’s second coming that we can find in many locations in Scripture.
There are many aspects of God that can be learned. While this is not exhaustive, God is both a just God and a loving God. The God we have come to know and love is a God who extends mercy and grace. Those two aspects can be found in the fabric of God’s Word.
Our passage this morning is coming to us from the book of Galatians. The title our passage this morning is titled Adopted, Called and Found. Much of what we’re going to be talking about this morning is built from the foundation of grace. I’d like to invite you to open your Bibles with me to 4th Chapter of Galatians. Let’s begin reading together in verse number 4.
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Pastoral Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
Background: As we get started this morning, you have to really love what God’s doing here. As we begin to open, verses 4 and 5 are considered as some of the most highly charged passages in God’s Word. These passage begins to lay underlayment for the doctrine of justification. But, first lets begin our tour starting in verse 4.
[Display Verse 4]
This is the part you’ve gotta love about God. Have you ever noticed that God does what He wants when He wants? God’s on His own time and His plan. We’re the one’s that are along for the ride. And, we see that happening here at the beginning of verse 4, where the Bible says “but in the fullness of time had come.” In the Greek, this can be translated as “the right time,” “the appropriate time,” or the “appointed time.” Another way to think about this is God has previously determined the exact time when He would send His Son. This time was the first century. What we cam be sure about is the birth of our Lord marks a transition from the old era to the dawn of the new. These opening words show us God has been working His purpose. It was only when the right time had come He sent His Son. The application for us today means grace!
Notice the elaboration Paul gives us here, he says, “born of woman, born under the law.” Our Lord is God incarnate. That means God in the flesh. This a HUGH point Paul’s making. Why is this important? What makes this significant? We’ll answer these questions in just a moment. First, I want you to think about your own testimony. I want you to think about that thing or things that Jesus reached into and pulled you from. Ok — now you’ve got that situation at the front of your thought. Now, I want you to think about a time God placed another person in your path that is struggling with that same thing or things Jesus pulled you from. When these two paths cross, there is a stronger connection you can make with that other person. You understand the feelings, the hurt, the denial, depending on what it might be, there could even be oppression. Overall you completely understand the struggle. Why is that? The reason could be, you understand and know the walk and path that other person is on, because you were once on that path. When God placed that person in your life, the bond is strengthened on many layers. When stories begin to be shared, you can sympathize because you have walked a mile in those shoes. That is what makes Jesus’ birth “born of woman, born under the law” so significant. Jesus knows what it’s like to walk a mile in our shoes. Being “born of woman,” Jesus walked this earth in the same earth suit we’re walking today. It’s the same flesh. This means Jesus knows what it feels like to face temptation. We learn about that when we was tempted three times in the wilderness.
During passion week, our Lord was welcomed, we could consider that as being welcomed with open arms, only to know by weeks end He would be on a cross. I could not imagine the feelings Jesus must have been feeling. We do learn in Luke Chapter 22 at one point Jesus’ “sweat because like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). This show us Jesus faced problems, and from the looks of it, problems to cause great stress. Being born under the law. This goes to show us He faced the same expectations everyone else did. But! Jesus did what we could not do. He was without Sin, and perfectly fulfilled God’s law. This is another aspect that make’s it so powerful when we come before the throne of God — we can pour out our hearts, because He understand and knows what it feels like. You don’t ever have to wonder — am what I’m trying to express simply going into the atmosphere, am I just sending out a greater percentage of carbon dioxide. No! He not only hears you, he understand you! This is wonderful to see such supernatural intervention for our benefit.
In the next verse, verse 5, Paul brings together two purpose statements.
5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
In the previous verse Paul brought to us the person of Jesus Christ. Now he bring the work of our Lord. The work is “to redeem those who were under the law,” and the reason “so that we might receive adoption as sons.” In Paul’s day, some thought redemption was only for the Jew, while adoption was reserved for the Gentiles. That’s simply not the case. Jew, Gentile, it didn’t matter. Both were equally under the bondage of the law. The law cannot provide salvation. The law can only point out the issue. It cannot solve the sin problem. That’s where Jesus Christ comes in. As Paul put in Romans 8:3, our Lord was send “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” this was so God could precisely condemn sin in the flesh. The sin we commit requires payment we cannot satisfy. Only Jesus Christ can do that. And because of our Lord’s sinlessness He was the sole and sufficient substitute for the sin debt we owe. Jesus took on himself not only the calling of man but also our responsibility! I’m not sure how you all feel when you see and read verse 5. This make me think of a 4-letter word that beings with the letter “L”. That word is LOVE! This shows the immensity, or put — the supersize, the vastness, whatever you want to call it — the HUGE volume of His love. His love and grace for us is SO BIG, there’s really no way words or my human tongue can full express. Here’s the best part, although it might be hard to express — He know’s how we feel!
Another interesting aspect to the second half of verse 5 (for you sports fans) is we have the ball brought to the tee ready to send off. What I mean by that is, the last half of verse 5 (so that we might receive adoption as sons) pours into verse 6, which is the kick-off to our goal of benefit.
[Display Verse 6]
Much of what can be seen in many areas of Scripture are aspects for our benefit. We have one right here verse 6. Another way to see it this is a message about heavens gift through Jesus. Notice what Paul says here, “and because you are sons.” This begins a proof statement, to prove that, to show that, or this shows that since believers are considered to be sons and daughters of the most High God. It begins to show us something about out relationship. As believers of the most High this shows us the reason God sent His spirit. We also see where His spirit was sent. God sent the Spirit into our hearts. This was significant for the Galatian believers. We won’t get into this today, but part of Paul’s writing was to deal with the flow of legalism. This helped the Galatian believers realize that having the Holy Spirit in their hearts was proof that they were sons of God without having to package circumcision or something similar.
Because of this (having “the spirit of his son”) this was a cause (as the Bible says) “crying Abba Father.” It’s been said the Aramaic word “Abba” can be translated as daddy in the English language. This might seem a bit like baby talk or even childish. But! We must go a bit deeper. It begins to extend and show us a message about family. Gosh that takes on a whole new feel, begin able to call on God the Father as “father, dad or daddy.” As believers, we’re part of a heavenly family. God has done the work of grace, through Jesus, that we can rejoice through adoption making us one family in Him. Believers, we are people save by the same blood headed to the same heaven with Him. These blessing are are staggering. As believers, we have an eternal Father, we have an eternal family, … we have an eternal home! For that reason as Paul says in verse 7:
[Display Verse 7]
“so you are no longer a slave, but as son.” Paul is detailing this to the Galatian believer that this person is no longer a slave to any law, religious legalism or even to satan. I’m NOT saying to turn Highway 64 in to a drag strip on the way home! You’ll get a speeding ticket for that, even though you could tell the officer — my Pastor said I’m not a slave to any law. You’ll still get the ticket. Here’s the thing: grace has been extended through Jesus Christ that we’re no longer a slaves to the bondage of sin.
Verse 7 is also a message about our future. As believers, we’re called to be “an heir through God.” I’ve heard it said begin “an heir through God,” sound wonderful, what could be some of the riches, perhaps cash. It can be east to think this way. What we have is far greater than any financial transaction that could every take place on this rock. Instead, Paul is helping to remind the Galatian believers that their status is not a direct result of anything they could do. Having a privileged status of being called “an heir” is a direct result of work of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is by God’s grace alone that we can have this status.
Application
Application
Knowing our status come directly through grace, this prompts the question of why. Why return to the childlike ways when grace flows? There is no reason to return to what Jesus pulled us from. We don’t have to return to the cell block of slavery.
Thinking about Jesus Christ all who he is and all he’s done for us, this gets me excited! Sometimes I just want to sing hallelujah! He has pulled some of us from some pretty sticky stuff. Perhaps today you need to come forward thanking Him for the wonderful gift of grace.
Perhaps today you’re seeking to be part of a forever family. Today can be that day. You can be adopted into the family of God. God will meet you right where you are. If you feel like the sin is your life to too deep, Jesus Christ is the only One who can lift that stain. Trust me He’s stronger than any form of OxiClean. Unlike OxiClean, when you lift the carpet and still see a remnant of the stain. With Jesus, the stain is lifted at every layer. God didn’t look at our lives and say, “I think I’ll do something about it when you deserve it.” NO! He sent is Son.
Jesus Christ died for our sin, he was buried and God raised Him from the dead. Jesus did something we could not do for ourselves. Are you read to believe on Jesus for your salvation? Today you can know what it means to be in the grip of grace.
Only you and the Lord knows where your heart is today. I want to encourage you, follow Him. Follow Him in how’s He’s trying to lead your heart.
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer