Summer of Adoption - Pt 5 Adoption and the Image of God

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.

VISION

To see every follower of Jesus well equipped and deployed out on mission for Jesus.

MISSION

To engage people into becoming multiplying followers of Jesus.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Re:Engage Kick off - Tonight 6:00 pm we have spots for two additional couples.

2. Deep Dive 24th

3. Prayer Sunday - Aug 27th

4. Family Vision Sunday 27th

5. Church Clean-up Saturday Sept 9th

6. Baptism Class - Sunday 10th

7. - You are Women’s Conference Sep. 15-16

LETS GRAB OUR BIBLES IF YOU HAVE ONE AND

Open it to Romans Chapter 8  today as we will be looking at vs 14-30 this morning as we continue exposing Jesus says about our Adoption in our summer preaching series The Summer of Adoption.

TRUTH

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Deuteronomy 10:18–19 ESV

18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 14:1–2 ESV

1 “You are the sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. 2 For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Psalm 68:5 ESV

5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.

Romans 8:14–29 ESV

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 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. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

PRAY

PRAYER FOR THE MESSAGE

AS we walk through this series -

The Spirit Having revealed to us that Adoption is at the very center and purpose of the Gospel - and AS such

Adopted is the very definition of our identity in Christ -

Therefore our Adoption not only makes us heirs and co-heir with Christ with an earthly and eternal inheritance sealed until the day of promise, but that Adoption as a hearts desire is our supernatural inheritance as a trait that we inherit from our heavenly father.

The Spirit revealed to us in the word that our Adoption was achieved through the very battle field of Spiritual Warfare. and that as we adopt others for the sake of the Gospel our enemy will be against us at every level.

This morning My prayer is the The Holly Spirit will reveal to us, through the word that Adoption is in the Image of God -

Meaning; it is the way the Love of God is fleshed out. That The Sprit would reveal to us all, that we are not only made in the image of God but that in our being conformed into the image of His Son - Adoption is part of our being conformed into the image of Jesus.

ENGAGEMENT

Some times I dream, That he is me. You got to see thats how I dream to be.

i dream i move, I dream I groove Like Mike - if I could be like Mike.

If I could be like mike - like mike - like mike - If I could be like mike. I want to be like mike.

How many of us remember that little multi million jingle - Yea it was a Gatorade commercial that featured one of the greatest basketball players of all time - Michael Jordan.

Here is another ONE. This might be a little older.

My child arrived just the other day He came to the world in the usual way But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay He learned to walk while I was away And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew He'd say "I'm gonna be like you, dad" "You know I'm gonna be like you"

Something more modern that maybe will remind us.

He was a giant And I was just a kid I was always trying To do everything he did I can still remember every lesson he taught me Growing up learning how to be Like my old man

He was a lion We were our father's pride But I was defiant When he made me walk the line He knew how to lift me up And when to let me fall Looking back, he always had a plan My old man

Seemingly through out all of history that there always have been and always will be those heroes, those supper humans and those that seemingly rise above the clouds of normal life to achieve and to accomplish something great.

Whether it our dad or someone else.

What do we call them?

We call them Heroes?

Yet they may not saved anyone or anything. They just may have something we don't or never will.

and yet there is a difference - Between sports players and our Dads. And yet there are similarities - We may know our dads but many of us have never met nor will we meet people like Michael Jordan.

What do we call those Heroes?

What label do we put on those that seemingly are Super Human?

What name do we use to place those that seemly rise above the clouds of normal life in a category that might not be a class of one but it certainly doesn't take long to call the roll.

We call them - Icons? WE call them Heroes - We call them people we admire, people we want to emulate, copy or imitate - People we want to be like. WE call them IDOLS -

There was a show that came out not all that long ago that epitomized our obsession of those with the potential to rise above the normal life and gave them a platform to try and achieve that . American IDOL.

We look at the super human abilities of our dads - We look at the talents and abilities and the fame that comes with that, we look towards those who seemly ride above the average life by achieving and accomplishing something that we can only consider great or outstanding. and we call them Blessed.

and the reality is we all want to be blessed - and becasue our culture of this kind of achievement and dream making is always in front of us through media and social media -

We can so easily define the blest life - the abundant life by the Achievement or acquisition of something Super Human and over and above the normal life.

and As a result - our hearts desire is to be Like them - To have like them - To achieve like them - To be blessed like them.

TENSION

The problem that this creates when we take this into our relationship with God is that this thinking of what is blessed and what is to be desired is in direct conflict with God - His plan and His will for us and for all who follow Him.

You see God has created Mankind in HIS Image and not the image of Michael Jordan -

But our desires in our natural state are to be like mike.

God calls us to desire to be like Him.

Not just to be like him but to desire to be like Him.

One of the ways we are called to be like him is to Adopt -

Adopt others for the sake of the Gospel - Because God Adopted us.

becasue God is an Adopting God.

BACKGROUND

This morning as we read from the whole council of Scripture on the nature of God, the image of God - That Adoption is in the image of God as God is an Adopting God. What we also read and hear this morning is that God is a God that creates in His image and in His likeness.

and What we see God doing out of his adoptive heart is

“Executing Justice for the Fatherless and the widow and Loving the foreign traveler.”

The Foreign traveler - A Sojourner - A person who was not from the chosen people of God - But among the people of God being Loved by God.

We See God calling the people of Abraham, Issac and Jacob “the sons of the Lord your God”

How did they become Sons?

Adoption - I God have Chosen you to be a people of his treasured possession! and He chose you out of all the other people on the earth.

For it is IN GOD THE ORPHAN FINDS MERCY

and the Psalmist declares - that God is a Father to the Fatherless and a Protector of Widows.

So this is who God is -

Jesus is the radiance of His Glory and the exact imprint of his Nature

Jesus actually said “you know me you know the father - YOu see me you see the father -

The Father and I are one -

By the Scripture that we are made in the mage of God - As Adopted saints we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus.

and Paul in the book of Romans does a good job of walking that one out!

UNPACKING

LETS Unpack -

VERSE 14

Paul Begins this Part of Romans with our conditional identity - and it is all inclusive.

All who are led by the Spirit of God are SONS of God - Adopted Sons of God

VERSE 15

If we are led by the Spirit of God - Paul differentiates what Kid of Spirit the Spirit of God is and is not -

IT is not a Spirit of Slavery that we have recieved - That causes us to fall back into fear -

That is not the kind of Spirit of God that leads us and that is not the kind that the Spirit of God is.

Here is what we have recieved. - We have received the Spirit of Adoption -

Everyone way - I have recieved the Spirit of Adoption.

WE have recieved the Spirit of Adoption - As Sons of God; becasue we receive traits from our father. Just like we receive traits from our earthly father.

And so we receive the Spirit of Adoption.

and it is BY this spirit - The Spirit of Adoption -

One of the many new Testament names for the Holy Spirit.

This is the Spirit that places us in the relationship with God to be able and validated to cry out ABBA FATHER.

VERSE 16

This very same Spirit of Adoption does something - IT bears witness -

Witness meaning - It give Testimony -

Like a person who Gives Testimony in a court of Law - A person who is under oath - A person who cannot lie -

This is what it means when the text says “the Spirit bears witness” -

The Holy Spirit of God - The Spirit of Adoption that all the saints of God all the Children of God in Christ Jesus - All who have recieved Him who have been given the right to be called Children of God -

This Adoption Spirit testifies with our Spirit that we are Children of God -

it is very important to understand that The Spirit of God - The Holy Spirit - The Spirit of Adoption - Is God - And He dwells in us.

But he is not us and we are not Him - Our Spirit is different than the Spirit of God -

The Spirit of God dwells with in us but our spirit is us. This Adoption Spirit testifies with our spirit -

You see there are those who’s spirit testifies that they are children of God but the Spirit of Adoption does not dwell with in them.

For they have not recieved the Spirit of Adoption.

This is what Theologians throughout history have called false conversions.

People thinking they are in and they are not They have missed it -

VERSE 17

The Holy Spirit through Paul then takes us on a conditional ride of if - then

If we are Children - in other words - If we have recieved the Spirit of Adoption - The same spirit that testifies with our spirit that we are indeed children of God -

If that Spirit calls us Children - and therefore if indeed we are children -

THEN and ONLY Then are we Heirs and The text says Fellow Heirs - some of your versions say CO-Heirs - Fellow Heirs WITH CHRIST -

SO the question then is - WHAT is Christ Heir to?

The Bible in both the Old and the New testaments and Jesus being qualified as the only person in whom the God head rested and the only person ever physically fathered by God through the Holy Spirit.

Is indeed Heir and to be the recipient of every thing that belongs to God the Father -

So What belongs to God the Father? All things -

Everyone say All things -

So when the Holy Spirit of God - The Spirit of Adoption is in us and testifies with us that we are indeed children of God we then become Fellow Heir of all things just like jesus is heir of all thing -

Someone say ALL THINGS _

In the Back half of 17 the Holy Spirit of God then dictates to Paul a caveat to the promise of being an heir. Here that is -

Provided we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him.

Why did Jesus Suffer? To bring salvation into the world -

Why are we called to suffer? to Take salvation to all people.

Another sermon for another time.

he Holy Spirit then Has Paul place into perspective, eternal Perspective this caveat of Suffering with Christ. In Verse 18-25

VERSE 18

Paul places perspective - The Sufferings that I am Suffering with Jesus that I mentioned in vs 17 are NOTHING - thats what “not worth comparing means -

THEY are NOTHING compared to the Glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Loves ones - our suffering - in life in general, in the pursuit of following Jesus and in the strain of reaching others with Christ as fishers of men that Jesus said we would be - is NOTING compared to the Glory that we will see and experience.

VERSE 19

Paul then gives the why?

Everything waits -

VERSE 20 and 21

Because it is all under the curse - that is what subjected to futility means - it is fallen and under the curse of God becasue of God who cursed it.

It was cursed becasue Sin entered into the framework.

Now you might be asking your self. Why did God allow Sin?

Seems redundantly unwise to allow Sin.

Here is the way that we need to understand it - And what we need to understand all of what is fallen in this world -

God did not directly allow sin.

its not like God looked at sin and said “go ahead, wreck havoc”

But rather - God allowed the possibility of sin.

and becasue of that possibility and the possibility becoming a reality - The creation itself will be set free from the corruption which is the effect of Sin.

Sin Corrupts.

VERSE 22-23

All of creation and even the believers are groaning - All of creation Everything you see Groans like in childbirth -

Who has heard the sounds of Groaning Childbirth?

Yea now that is some groaning!

All of creation Groans together and we believers groan on the inside as we wait for our final adoption - New Bodies.

Who wants a New Bod?

VERSE 24

Since Everything is Groaning we wait - and we hope for our final completion of our ADOPTION.

VERSE 26

SO when we are suffering with Jesus, when we are groaning in the midst of our fallenness and in the mists of our hoping and waiting with patience.

the Spirit helps us -

What is the Holy Spirit called? The Helper - This Same Spirit of Adoption - This same Spirit that Indwells and testifies with our Spirit that we are indeed Children of God and Heirs WITH Christ

as we suffer with Him and we do that our of our groaning -

Reality is we are weak - and we need help -

SO the Helps Helps us Just like Jesus said He would and what does He do?

He intercedes for us - In our praying! With sounds that are to deep for words.

VERSE 27

This same Spirit of Adoption that Helps us. Searches our hearts - Knows what God has in mind - That what it means when it says “knows what the mind of the Spirit.

And here is how we know this -

The Spirit intercedes for us the saints according to the Will of God.

You see we are praying God do this and God do that

God heal this and God heal that

God provide this and God provide that

God save this person and God save that person.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with praying in complete and total anguish and passionate spirit for all of that to happen and with the deepest of perseverance

But know this - When we actually don't know how to align our prayers with the will of God - The Spirit knows how that needs to work.

VERSE 28

The Holy Spirit through Paul then gives us another IF then Proposition.

For those who love God -

how do we love God according to the word of Jesus himself -

With all of our heart souls mind and strength!

We do this by Keeping His commandments -

For those who love God -

ALL THINGS -

someone say All things

All things work out for Good -

Good - Now lets understand good -

In many ways we take the word Good and we place in into a moral judgement or framework.

Like “it is good morally or it is bad morally”

Or we place it into a pleasing framework - it smells good ro it smells bad - Something that we would say smells GOOD we would say is pleasing and that which we says smells bad is not pleasing.

However Good in this sense is not a moral or pleasing measurement.

And a lot of times with the influence of the prosperity gospel into our lives we can take this verse to mean that all things will work together for what I determine to be morally good or pleasing to me.

Church - Loved ones, Its not about us!

Its for us but its not about us.

When the Holy Spirit uses Good in this sense it means “it is expected to function or do what it is designed to do in a more than satisfactory way”

So here is the promise of God in this verse - All things -

Someone say all things -

All things work together exactly the way God has designed and purposed they will work in the life of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

This is what was said in the Creation story -

God was not calling his creative work Good in a moral sense of Good or evil and He was not calling it Good in a pleasing vs - a non pleasing way.

He was calling His creation Good in a design and purpose way - It was Good becasue it will do exactly what I designed it to do.

And this is what God is saying Here - All things will do what I have designed them to do according to my will and purposes.

So What is His purpose?

What does He call us to His purpose?

VERSE 29

For those he foreknew - un-packing that one completely is another teaching for another time -

Here is all I will say about anyone who is challenged with the Idea of Election and Predestination.

Who saved you? Did you save your self or did God save you?

God saved you!

Welcome to Election?

When did God decide to save you according to the Bible?

Before the beginning of time -

Welcome to Predestination

Those He foreknew - God predestined them to be Conformed to the Image of His Son

You see our Election - Our Salvation is not singularly so we can simply confess Jesus and escape the wrath of God in Hell -

May that NEVER BE loved ones -

Our Salvation is certainly so we can be saved from the wrath of God but also and included is God will and desire to conform us to the image of his son Jesus -

WHY - So that Paul and the Apostles might become the first born of Many Brothers -

Many people being saved -

How many?

Someone say Many -

STICKY POINT DJ AND PRAYER TEAM

I believe that Spirit of God would have us leave this morning with Two things that Stick with us.

1ST

thing is that God’s purpose for Saving us is to purposely and intentionally conform us to be more like Jesus -

That is His perfect and Sovereign will for our lives in this life and in the next.

And AS such God will use Everything in our life - all of the events and all of the circumstances to form us into His image.

The Word there “conform us” means to fashion us into His likeness - Just like God mads man in His likeness and His image when He created male and female -

God saved us from the Broken image we are born with to reform us to mold us into the Image of His Son.

SO what is the Image of His Son - Jesus is the exact copy of God’s nature and the radiance of His Glory.

The Image of Jesus is the exact image or copy of the nature of God - God intends in this life and the next to make us like His son Jesus - This is why when the Spirit of God regenerated you into new life, through faith in Jesus - You begin to change!

2ND

thing is - One of those Changes is that God is an Adopting God as we have already seen - Adoption is in the Image of God - When we are conformed to the image of His son Jesus we are conformed into Adoption by the Spirit of Adoption that we should and do receive that testifies that we are God children -

So Adopting others to point them to Jesus in Word and in Deed through prayer and with enduring suffering is the Adoptive Heart that God would have us experience.

When we do that - We will see God work miraculous works right in front of our eyes.

APPLICATION

All of us this morning need to acknowledge that God is conforming us to the Image of Jesus and allow the Spirit of Adoption, which is in the very image of God the Father - Have its way with us.

That we should leave this place with the intentional purpose and prayer on our lips and in our hearts; God show me the who in my life that you would have me adopt so that in word and in deed through prayer and much labor I might be used by you to point them to Jesus.

PRAYER TEAM!