Sermon Tone Analysis

! Son’s of God

!! Introduction:

ADOPTION the giving to any one the name and place and privileges of a son who is not a son by birth.

/(a) /Thus Pharaoh’s daughter adopted Moses (Exodus 2:5-10 cf.

Acts 7:17-21 cf.

Heb.11:24)

/(b) /Mordecai Esther (Esther 2:7).

!! What is a Christian?

The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer is that a Christian is one who has God as Father.

1.

The idea that all are children of God is not found in the Bible anywhere.

/a)         /OT.

Show’s God as the Father, not of all, but of His own people, the seed of Abraham (Ex.4:22-23).

/b)        /The New Testament shows God as the Father, not of all but of those who:

 

(1)        Knowing themselves to be sinners, put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their divine sin bearer and Master, and so become Abraham’s spiritual seed (Gal.3:26-29).

2.

The gift of sonship to God becomes ours not thought being born, but through /being born again./

/a)         /John 1:12 cf.

3:3

/b)        /It is a gift of grace

 

In Roman law, it was a recognized practice for an adult who wanted an heir , and someone to carry on the family name, to adopt a male as his son.

The apostles proclaim that God has loved those whom He redeemed on the cross that He has adopted them all as His heirs, to see and share the glory into which his only begotten Son has already come.

(1)        Gal.4:4-5

(2)        Eph.1:3-5

(3)        1Jn.3:1-2

3.

The OT. stressed God’s holiness.

/a)         /Isaiah 6:3

/b)        /His /greatness /(“the /Majesty/ in heaven” – Heb.1:3; 8:1) & His /purity/ (“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong” – Hab.1:13).

/c)         /OT.

stressed that we must keep our place, and our distance, in the presence of a holy God.

 

!

A New Relationship

!! New Testament Believers Deal with God as Their Father.

1.

Believes approach God with confidence & boldness from the knowledge of Christ’s saving work.

/a)         /Eph.2:18,

3:12; Jn.14:6; Rom.5:1-2

/b)        /Heb.4:14-16;

10:19-22

/c)         /We may approach God without fear, always being sure of His Fatherly concern and care.

2.

God intends the lives of believers to be a reflection & reproduction of Jesus’ own fellowship with God.

The /Gospel of John /& /John’s First Epistle/

/a)         /The first blessing is /adoption/ (John 1:12)

/b)        /Jesus’ resurrection statement (John 20:17)

/c)         /Sonship as the /supreme /gift of God’s love (1Jn.3:1)

/d)        /Of our love to the Father (1Jn.2:15;

5:1-3)

/e)         /Of our loving the brethren (1Jn.2:9-11;

3:10-17; 4:7, 21)

/f)          /Righteousness & avoidance of sin is the evidence of sonship (1Jn.2:29;

3:9-10; 5:18)

/g)        /Seeing Jesus & being like Him, as the hope of sonship (1Jn.3:3)

!! God’s Fatherly Relationship to Jesus implied Four things.

1.

Fatherhood implied /authority/

 

/a)         /Obedience to the Fathers will (John 6:38; 17:4; 5:19; 4:34)

/b)        /As Jesus obeyed God so must His children (1Jn.5:1,

3)

 

2.

Fatherhood implied /affection/

 

/a)         /God loves His Son (John 5:20; 15:9-10)

/b)        /As God loved His only begotten Son, so He also loves His adopted son’s (Jn.16:27)

 

3.

Fatherhood implied /fellowship/

 

/a)         /God has not left Him alone (John 16:32; 8:29)

/b)        /As God had fellowship with Jesus, so He does with us (1Jn.1:3)

4.

Fatherhood implied /honor/

 

/a)         /God will’s to exalt His Son (John 17:1; 5:22-23)

/b)        /As God exalted Jesus so he exalts Jesus’ followers, as brothers in the one family (Jn.12:26;

17:24)

 

/The Westminister Confession/

All those that are justified, God voushsafeth, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption: by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God; have His name put on them, receive the Spirit of adoption; have access to the throne of grace with boldness; are enabled to cry, Abba Father; are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by Him, as by a father; yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption, and inherit the promises, as heirs of everlasting salvation.

! Adoption

!! The Highest Privilege.

1.

Justification is:

 

/a)         / A /forensic/ idea

/b)        /Conceived in terms of /law/

/c)         /Viewing God as /judge/

 

The free gift of acquittal and peace, won for us at the cost of Calvary, is wonderful enough—but justification does not of itself imply any intimate or deep relationship with God the judge.

2.

Adoption is:

 

/a)         /A /family /idea

/b)        /Conceived in terms of /love/

/c)         /Viewing God as /father/

 

To be right with God as judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is a greater (John 15:15).

3.      From condemnation to acceptance, out of bondage to the family of God (Galatians 4:1-7)

 

/a)         /From legalism & superstition (vv.3, 5, 8)

/b)        /With their present knowledge of their Creator as their Father (v.6) and their pledge benefactor (v.7)

/c)         /Paul says this is where you faith in Christ has brought you (v.5 /adoption/) &(v.7 /heir/).

!!

The Basis for Our Life

 

1.

The entire Christian life has to be understood in terms of it.

/Jesus always thought of Himself as Son of God in a unique sense, so He always thought of His followers as children of His heavenly Father, members of the same divine family.

/

 

/a)         /Mark 3:35

/b)        /Matthew 28:9-10 /disciples, brothers /

/c)         /John 20:17-18

/d)        /Hebrews 2:12-13

 

As our Maker is our Father, so our Savior is our brother, when we come into the family of God

 

/Since the knowledge of Christ unique Sonship controlled His living, so should the knowledge of our adoptive sonship control ours lives too./

!

The Sermon on the Mount

!! Christian Conduct

 

1.

Imitating the Father

 

/a)         /Matt.5;44-45,

48

/b)        /Eph.5:1

(1)        Eph.4:32;

Le.11:45

cf.

1Pet.1:15,

16

(2)        Lu.6:35,36;

1Jn.

4:11

 

2.

Glorifying the Father

 

/a)         /Matt.5:16

/b)        /Matt.6:9

– we must seek to behave in public in a way that brings praise to our Father in heaven

 

3.

Pleasing the Father

 

/a)         /Matt.6:1-18