Summer of Adoption - We are Adopted in Love so we adopt. Pt 1 -Adoption is the Gospel

GREET EVERYONE-

If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.

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Open it to Genesis 17  today as we begin our our Summer teaching Series called - Summer of Adoption.

PRAY

TRUTH

Genesis 17:4–8 ESV

4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

ENGAGEMENT

As some of you know, Brandi and I are Foster parents.

Some three years ago now, just right before our government shut everything down becasue of what they considered a pandemic called COVID.

Brandi and I completed the licensing requirements and all of the other requirements to become Forster parents

and on a Friday Evening literally 5 days before the shutdown we recieved our first set of foster kids.

When kids arrive in your home its called a placement

Some, 5 months later we recieved our second placement, an additional set of bothers.

So after raising 6 kids between us we now were given the opportunity by God to foster parent for however long 4 boys.

Along this journey we we have been asked and we have certainly thought through the question “Why did we do this”

The general answer is we still had plenty of Love to give away to kids.

SO we entered the foster care environment because we knew that God had given us this love to share.

SO when it came time to get licensed the question was then licensing for Just Forster care - or license “foster to adopt”

We both were of the same heart beat - We wanted to foster and had no intention of Growing a family as we saw so many other couples who were younger than us do.

But we also knew that to be available to what ever God had for us in this journey we also needed to be open and available for adoption

Just in case God said to us “These are your forever kids and you are to be a forever family to them”

SO that is what happened - Andrew and Xavier became our forever kids and we became a forever family to them.

Here is the interesting thing -

In the foster care world there is a unique language that is used among the foster community. One of those terms is “Forever Family”

This Idea and This declaration have such an interesting history!

At the very beginning of God declaring a people for Himself - There is this story in the book of Genesis towards the end of that book. Where one of the 12 sons of Jacob - Joseph - through some interesting circumstances finds himself in Egypt, serving pharoah, in leadership and Joseph has two sons while He is there.

Here is the Problem - Joseph is not Egyptian - He is Hebrew - So His sons were not in the blood line of one of the 12 brothers.

Here is what that means - God’s covenant with Abraham was to Abraham and His direct offspring. and these two boys we not of that direct off spring -

But Here is what God does - God comes to Joseph and says - Your two boys that you had while in Egypt before I came to you and rescued you - These tow Ephraim and Manasseh - They are mine and they will have an inheritance Just like your other boys.

God says - They are full sons and they have an inheritance -

You see back then, If you adopted kids, they got all the rights and prevelidges of natural born kids and they got an inheritance and you could not undo that.

Bring that forward to today through Romans and eventually European law - Adoption can not be undone - You adopt you are a forever family.

And your adopted kids are just like your natural born kids in every way.

When we think about things like this I think many of us, as I know that I did, was that Adoption was really a strange thing.

I have even heard some people say - “well be happy with the kids you have, why adopt?”

I have even heard people ask things like. “that is such a good thing you guys have done”

You guys are such good people for doing this”

and I think for most people the Idea of adoption seems to come with this weight that most people just don't want to add to their life.

It like adoption is strange or left to the fringe -

There is all kids of weird things that people attache to the framework of adoption -

Things like - It special - You have to be unique” Is is a niche part of our society”

In general I think that we in many ways look up to and admire people who adopt. and I know that in very subtle ways and in unknowing and certainly very accidental ways - people kind of look either strangely or down on adopted children.

And it can go from “These kids are so lucky they are loved - to They are adopted but that is just not the same as natural born”

To somehow feeling sorry for them because of the life circumstance that brought them to the point o being adopted.

IT can all get a little weird because Adoption is just in many way to us not a natural thing -

and I think it is very easy for us to think those things and think that way because -most of us are not adopted - We have or had out natural parents no matter if that was good or not so good and it just seems out of the norm.

When it is out of the norm we sometimes just don't know how to interact with it.

Before I go ANY FURTHER in this message: Church Hear me - This series is not about the Adoption of Children - We will not be talking about you or anyone else adopting Children -

TENSION

Here is the Problem - When we take these thoughts and idea about adoption into our relationship with God - we become so far removed from the heart, character and nature of God that we actually miss the very central heartbeat of the Gospel.

When we do that What is created in us is a prideful “us” or “me” centered salvation and This causes us to think that our salvation is about us - Like we were worthy of saving - Like there was something in us that motivated God to save us.

Church hear me in this - When we miss the character and nature of God - And we miss the central heartbeat of the Gospel - it is a dangerous condition that is upon the souls of men - it is damming.

Here is the reality of God - Adoption is at the center of His Heart - God saved us in adoption by faith through grace from one motivating factor - From the very central character of His being - He saved us because of Who He is - He is Love.

and by demonstrating He IS LOVE - He brings glory to His name among the nations and among all people.

So God saves sinners, by adopting them to be His children - to say to the world and to them “this is who I am” “I am love and I have a great love for my creation - and Even for the parts of my creation that have and are actively rebelling against me -

You see - in reality most of us refuse to see our selves as ever needing to be adopted.

But we have been or we are.

We never see our selves as children in desperation - But we were or we are!

We never see ourselves as people alienated from God - But we were or are!

We never see ourselves as children needing a new life, needing a new inheritance, needing a new name and needing a new father.

But we Were or We are!

When we were in this state God saw us in this state - If we are in this State God sees us now in that State.

and out of the central nature of who He is -

He adopts people unto Himself.

Adoption, as the ultimate and eternal expression of God’s love is at the very center of the Gospel.

Every single one of us who has been saved by grace through faith, regenerated and indwelt by the holy Spirit, New creature in Christ, God’s workmanship created in Christ is an adopted child.

PRAYER FOR THIS SERIES

UNPACKING

Let’s look at the Scriptures -

In the 17th chapter of Genesis We hear God and a guy named Abram having a conversation .

NOW - Abram is a guys who is almost 100 years old. 99 in fact.

God comes to Him after he has obeyed God for the last 24 years -

24 years this guys who father was an Idol Maker -

A guy who come from a sinful heritage.

Obeys the voice of Yawhy and goes from place to place meeting different people and doing different things along the way -

Imperfectly following and obeying the voice of God -

Get to 99 years old and with no children

God comes to Him and Places Him and His off spring into the frame world of Adoption.

vs4

- Behold - “Behold means LOOK HERE”

vs 4 My covenant is with you and you shall be come something that you are not -

You will become a father of many nations -

You see - Regeneration of the holy Spirit - Means when God saved us we become Something that we are currently not -

Abram Followed and obeyed God for 24 years and in that God made him something that he was not

- He made him a father of many nations - A father of many people groups.

You see this is what happens in Adoption - You become something that you currently are not -

When a child is adopted they become your children they become your off spring -

They change from belonging from someone else to belonging to you.

They change from being Someone else child and the promises of that parent to become your Child and they receive new promises and new potential from you as their new parent.

and it is a covenant relationship - VS5

God then tells Abram -

No longer will your name be Abram -

Your Name will be Abraham -

Abraham “means Exalted Father and Father of A multitude”

Then God explains the Adoption name change -

You will be called “Exalted father of a multitude”

Because that is exactly what I have made you.

back half of vs 5 - for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations

Listen - At this moment in time - Abraham had 0 zilch none nadda children and He was 99 years old.

Everything around Abraham and every rational reasoned circumstance of Abraham said -

This cannot be true.

But the Scriptures tell us that Abraham Believed God - Abraham Trusted God and it was accredited to Him righteousness.

NOW Church listen - This does not mean that Abraham didn't have any “how” questions -

He did and He recieved answers - and in those answers Even though Abraham might not have thought “that makes sense” Abraham Believed God. Abraham Trusted God -

Some of us here this morning are hearing the voice of God - Calling us you to new relationship and to new identity and in your mind you think “that doesn't make sense” and what God is calling you to do is “Trust Him”

VS 6

God then gives Abraham a vision of the work of God in and through His life.

I will make you Exceedingly fruitful -

Some of us this morning need to accept the “exceedingly fruitful” call of our own adoption as Jesus said “bear fruit 30-60-100 times”

God promises in the Adoption of Abram -

New heritage - New Promises - New Name and New Vision.

I will make you fruitful - I will make you into nations - kings will come from you.

Here is the deal -

God said God will do it.

and when you read the rest of the story “ Abraham still had to do his part - He still had to have children at 99 years old -

He still had to act on the promise and vision of God.

You see some of us this morning - We don’t realize the fullness of our adoption and we hear that God can and God will but we sit and we wait and God is saying - Move and Do what I have commanded you to do so I can bring into your life the manifestation of my promise and so in and trough your life I can get all the glory that I want to bring in and through your life.

You see if Abraham listed to God say “i will make you a father of a multitude and then did nothing but sat a waited on God”

That is exactly what would have happened “nothing”

Abraham believed God - Abraham Trusted God and as a result Abraham acted on that trust.

You see a lot of times we think that “steps of faith” are blind, unstable, irrational steps tat we take in darkness -

and sometimes they can feel like that -

But that Steps of faith are in reality are us stepping where God tells us to becasue we Trust what He has promised us.

VS7

God then continues with the adoption covenant and declares that the covenant is an everlasting covenant -

To you and to your off-spring and GOd says “trhough out their generations.

You see when there is an adoption - There is a generational change -

Generations of off spring after the adopted person is changed -

When we adopted our sons - their last name became my last name and that will be into the generations to come. Every family tree that any and all of the offspring of my adopted sons will have will have the last name Richerson attached to it.

And so it is with the adopted children of GOD - Generations are changed - Everlasting generations are changed because of the adoptive nature of the Gospel.

We become God's children and all of our offspring are effected and changed by our being saved.

VS8

and right here in the last of vs 8 God declares the spirit of adoption in this covenant that is an everlasting covenant that is manifested in Christ Jesus -

“I will be there GOD”

You see when I Adopted Andrew and Xavier - I declared that I will be their father -

Birth Certificates changed and everything.

I became their father and in our adoption as Son and Daughters by His grwace through the Faith that He gives and the Regeneration of his Spirit -

Our Birthright is Changed and we are God’s people and He is our God.

This narrative continues all the way through the Old Testament as God declared over His people His adoption of them.

Exodus 6:6–7 ESV

6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

In Exodus chapter 6 as God is delivering His people form the yolk of Slavery from the oppressive demonic Pharoah - God says to Moses

“ I am YHWY -

I will deliver you -

I will Redeem you -

I will take you as my people and I will be your God

This is great news of Exceeding joy to them as they have been under the yolk of slavery and that is all they know.

I will deliver you -

I will redeem you.

I will take you.

Some of us this morning need deliverance - Some of us need redemption

Some of us are hearing the call of God to be his people and for Him to be our God =

The Call of God to turn from yourself and the God of our own choosing and making and turn to Him.

ISAIAH

A thousand years later - After the Exodus from slavery - The people find them selves as orphans

— Turned to their own Gods and in captivity and the Prophet Isaiah giving words from YWHY himself -

Where YHWY gives a clear declaration of the Ultimate act of adoption through Jesus - In ISAIAH 62:1-5 says in

Isaiah 62:1–5 (ESV)

1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,

and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,

until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,

and her salvation as a burning torch.

2 The nations shall see your righteousness,

and all the kings your glory,

and you shall be called by a new name

that the mouth of the Lord will give.

3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,

and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,

and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,

but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,

and your land Married;

for the Lord delights in you,

and your land shall be married.

5 For as a young man marries a young woman,

so shall your sons marry you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you.

VS 2

The Nations will see your righteousness -

YHWY will give you a New Name

VS 4

You will have a new future - not forsaken

and a new existence - not desolate

but now a “delight”

and now a “bride” “married”

With God “rejoicing over her!

You see God’s adoptive Spirit continues to manifest itself even to a rebellions people like Israel in the midst of their captivity.

ROMANS

God reveals to us the centrality of Adoption in the Gospel when He speaks to us through the Apostle Paul in the Letter to the Assembly of the called-out ones in Rome.

in Romans Chapter 8 Here is what the Holy Spirit Reveals to us.

Right after unavailing for us the totality of our freedom from Sin and from the flesh in the first part of Chapter 8

God then says “we are debtors” We OWE - but here is what is different -

We don't owe the flesh - We have been set free from that debt - Set free from the debt of the law and death -

Then God Speaks directly to Adoption - We did not, in our salvation - Receive a spirit of SLAVERY

Now it is important to understand the Spirit f Slavery -

Slaves are compelled to serve their masters becasue of the fear of what the masters will do.

God did not give us a spirit of fear -

No fear of man

No fear of the enemy

The Holy Spirit is not and does not give us a fearful disposition - a slaves disposition

We have been adopted -

We have the Spirit of Adoption in us -

Look in your Bibles - “Spirit of Adoption is Capitol S

Another word for the Holy Spirit is “Spirit of Adoption”

and being recipients of the Holy Spirit of God that is the Holy Spirit of the one and only Adopting God - we recieved this as SON’s

so much so that we can call our heavenly father ABBA

VS16

The Holy Spirit himself validates - bears witness that as followers of Jesus - Saved by God’s Grace through faith - Repentant and turning to him because of the regeneration of the Holy Spirit in us

We are indeed now Children of GOD - Adopted Children of God

Romans 8:23 ESV

23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

GALATIANS

In the letter to the churches in the Galatian area of central Asia - when the Holy Spirit spoke to Paul to remind these jesus followers of who they were - He wrote -

Galatians 4:4–7 ESV

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.

God -

The One and Only God -

The God of Abraham and Issac and Jacob

The God who was in the Flesh dwelling among us as Jesus.

Reconciling the world to Himself -

The only God there is -

He is the Adopting God - The Only God Adopts.

STICKY POINT DJ AND PRAYER TEAM

APPLICATION OR IMAGINE

I believe that God would have this message from Him come to an end by speaking to two sets of people.

1st - Those who have not come to trust Jesus by surrendering life over to Him -

God is calling you and has revealed His desire to adopt you. See your alienation from Him - See your need for adoption -

Surrender to Him who loves you and gave himself for you so that you might become the righteousness of God.

2 - Those who are adopted already - I want you to imagine what you life would be like if you realized every day that you were once an orphan - and now you are adopted -

I wonder what would change about the way we lived if every day we began our days with “thank you father for adopting me”

There are many days when one of my sons asks me “dad why did you adopt us?”

My reply is simple - becasue I love you and want to be your father”

What if Every day we just turned to our heavenly father and said “thank you for Adopting me” help me walk in the Spirit of Adoption this day all day - as today is all you have given me” and let me be the Adopted Son and Heir of your kingdom you have made me simply becasue you loved me.

I wonder what that simple prayer would change -

Lets pray -

PRAYER TEAM!