Summer of Adoption - Pt 6 Adoption is a Step of Faith!

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.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Family Vision Today

2. Church Clean-up Saturday Sept 9th

3. Baptism Class and Prayer Sunday - Sunday 10th

4, Small Groups Kick off the Week of September 11th

Thursday nights - Check the Stonewater App and Website for details.

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

LETS GRAB OUR BIBLES IF YOU HAVE ONE AND

Open it to Matthew Chapter 1  today as we continue exposing what Jesus says about Adoption and how we walk our adoption out as we come to a conclusion of our summer series called Summer of Adoption.

TRUTH

Psalm 72:12–14 ESV

12 For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. 13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. 14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.

Matthew 1:18–21 ESV

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:24–25 ESV

24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Matthew 2:13–17 ESV

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

PRAYER

DESIRE FOR THE MESSAGE

As the Holy Spirit of God has revealed to us that we are Adopted - It is part of our Identity in Christ. We are Adopted is the very effect of what it is to be saved by grace through faith. Adoption is at the very center and purpose of the Gospel -

Adoption makes us heirs and co-heir with Christ with an earthly and eternal inheritance sealed until the day of promise and we have a supernatural inheritance as a trait that we inherit from our heavenly father.

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 because Adoption is in the image of God.

My prayer for this mornings message is that the Holy Spirit will reveal to us that Adoption is a leap of faith!

ENGAGEMENT

When I say the word Efficient. What does that mean to you?

I was not actually sure what the word efficient meant so I actually had to look that up?

Here is what the oxford language dictionary online says it means.

a. achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.

b. working in a well-organized and competent way

c. preventing the wasteful use of a particular resource

performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort; having and using requisite knowledge, skill, and industry; competent; capable: a reliable, efficient assistant. satisfactory and economical to use.

Maximum Productivity and output of production with the least amount of used up resources?

And what has happened in our economy that has been fueled by the high accessibility to credit is we have turned into a hyper efficient junkies.

And I don’t mean we are efficient at being junkies, What I am saying is that we are junkies for efficiency -

We can very quickly look at a time - effort - result situation and make a judgement as to how efficient the situation is or is not and if not what we do is attempt to influence the efficiency problem to make it more efficient.

And if for some reason we cannot influence the efficiency of any situation in front of us either directly or indirectly we are so very quick to label that situation as a waist of time - or a waist of effort - or a waist of money.

This is most certainly a principle that we have all operated in and operate in to tis very day and moment.

Most of us if not all of us are discipled in the principles of efficiency and there is a church term that we also use in this area and that is Stewardship.

Taking care of the resources that God has provided and many many many of us have equated that to being efficient.

Loved ones I do not want you to miss understand me in any form or fashions. I am not advocating waste.

We should not waste the resources that God has given to us. And at the same time we must also operate in faith that they are his resources and he can do with them what he wants.

TENSION

Here is the problem - becasue we are inundated with the selling and marketing of good and services to make all of our lives more efficient.

Don’t believe me?

The Phone you have now in your pocket has made you and my communication both through voice - Written word via text message and through email the most efficient communication methods in all of human history.

We now have the ability to communicate with ANYONE literally ANYONE around the globe in a matter of seconds and in come cases we don't even have to pick up the phone or press a button - All we have to do is say “hey Seri”

All of us have been effected by this hyper design of our consumer goods that deliver efficiency.

The Marketing that tells us that we are missing something and our lives are less without them. and the wide open availability of credit that says “you can have it all now just sign here”

Loved ones - i want you to hear me. I believe that this has discipled us into a mind set that is contrary to the Gospel.

Here is what I mean - The Gospel, the Good News,

That God, who through Christ reconciled those who have been saved to Himself,

Giving us all a ministry of reconciliation - to reveal the mystery of God that was hidden from long ago - Namely that God in Christ is reconciling the world to Himself and not counting their trespasses against them for all who repent and trust in the finished work of Jesus as the only means of salvation from the wrath of God!

That Gospel - Which is the Power of God unto Salvation first for the Jewish person and then for the Gentile or non-Jewish person.

That Gospel is not efficient - Because this Gospel - This good news is calling dead men to life.

So what happens to us when we take this Philosophy of Efficiency that we have been discipled

into, according to human tradition and the Elementary principles of this world, into our relationship with God, is we give up on ambassadorship that God has called us to and has commanded of our lives.

Because we share the Gospel a few times and people don't respond -

Because we live out the Gospel in front of our families and they don't respond -

Because we try to reach our neighbors or our culture and they don't respond

and we can so easily be discouraged.

and so we pass the responsibility to the professionals and to the well trained and we slowly but surely begin to sit and watch and miss out on the Glory and the Power of God of Him changing ourselves and others in the work of salvation.

and we move on to other things in this life that can give us more satisfaction and slowly but surely our prayers become smaller, our passion for God weakens, our trust in God our FAITH fades and we end up in a relationship with God that is something so small that we might not even have a hint at what the power of God can really do.

and Loved ones I am including myself in this as well. All of us need Gospel renewal and Gospel Transformation every moment of every day!

UNPACKING

What I want to do this morning is look at the Story of Jesus’ Adoptive earthly Father Joseph.

Joseph is a man who really fades into the background of the Autobiographies of Jesus life and work in our bibles called Mathew, Mark Luke and John.

In fact the last time we really hear anything about Joseph is when Joseph and Mary loose track of Jesus for a couple of Days when Jesus is 12 years old and they find him teaching in the Synagogue.

Joseph doesn't get very much coverage in these narratives at all.

He only is talked about in Matthews autobiography and Luke’s autobiography of Jesus.

So lets look at Joseph -

VERSE 18-19

The Cultural setting of this relationship was a culture that places a very high we might say and extremely high value on sexual purity.

That Sexual activity was reserved for the marriage bed of a man and a woman.

and if not, there their were really two consequences of that one mild - That person has disqualified him or her self for marriage. all the way to being stoned to death in the public square.

Because if a someone was not committed to another and had casual sex. That is called fornication - Forbidden in both the old and the New Testaments - And if they were in a committed relationship that was intended to culminated in marriage. That was called Adultery - and again labeled sin by both sides of the bible.

So Just imagine that Conversation -

Joseph - this first centruy man who may have been 19 or 20 years Old -

Who has been declared a man and building his own carpentry business living independently and a self made man for the last 7 or 8 years.

A man who is working to accumulate what is needed and in preparation for having and sustaining and providing for a family.

Dating and courting under the strict supervision of Mary’s parents, family and the Jewish community. This 12-15 year old Girl.

Now I wonder how that conversation went?

Ah Joseph, we need to talk. Yea, um I'm pregnant!

The reality is that Matthew wasn't in the Room when that Conversation went Down and what happened is He probably asked Mary as he was hanging out with Jesus “how did all that happen”

But you and I can hear that may have gone down

Joseph Probably said “How in that name of whoever did that happen? Who have you been with? what is his name, was it Benjamin, Was it that guy David that I see you talking to over in the fish market?

Who was it?

May says” it was not one I promise - I am still a virgin, i haven been with a man, i am still saving my self for you! - It was the Holy Spirit of God - The Baby inside of me is directly from God!

Now How many of us in that situation would have believed Mary?

Yea, probably none of us.

Neither did Joseph - He was one of those guys that did not want any sort of public attention - Some of us resemble that remark - Called introvert -

This was Joseph - A quiet Carpenter and wanting a quiet resolution to what he now probably considers a disaster of a relationship that He has fond himself in with this lying, cheating Girl or at the minimum crazy girl that he has been preparing for over the last 7-8 years.

Imagine the disappointment in His heart

So he resolves to “Divorce her quietly” Which really means “break up with her and end the relationship entirely”

This will not be one of those friend zone conversations. This will be one of those “i never want to see you again” conversations.

VERSE 20

says “As he considered these things” and I am sure that there was a torn feelings -

How am I going to have this conversation? Do I really want to do this? I love her maybe I should forgive her and marry here anyway? What will my friends and family say?

All of those considerations had to be going through His head as he was filled with fear, anxiety, disappointment, anger, sadness, a sense of betrayal, feeling like he was a fool and had been played all of that.

In the midst of all of that - an Angel shows up in a dream - Not while He was awake mind you but in His sleep!

and what this angel does is validate Mary’s story.

Not only does this angel Validate and Verify Mary’s Story - But then the angel says something that had to have been the most outlandish thing that a first century Jewish carpenter had ever heard.

This son will be called Jesus and He this Jesus baby will Save His people. Who’s people? Jesus People from their SINS.

This baby that is the fetus stage of development has a people and he will save those very same people from their SINS?

Then something amazing happens -

VERSE 24

Joseph wakes up and the text says “He does what the Angle of God commanded - The Messenger of God had commanded Joseph to put down all human reasoning and evaluation and all rational and proper responses both emotionally and practically - Put all of that down and Go in exactly the opposite direction.

This is where Joseph had a choice -

To do or Not to Do? That was the delema!

Marry Mary and Adopt the Child of this unplanned pregnancy as His own

Or divorce Mary and reject the child all at the same time.

You see what Joseph was faced with was a question of Faith - A question of Trust.

Joseph was a the point of making a choice and asking himself -

Do I trust my self, my own understanding, my own logic, my own rational, My own reasoning over this situation as this is the craziest story I have ever heard and my own emotions and my cultural principles becasue I never in my wildest dream would have though would happen to me?

Or Do I Trust God - Trust is Faith. Trust can only be made real with action. Faith/Trust without works is Dead!

You see what we must UN ashamedly look at is this is the most inefficient way to save the world. Attempting to bring the savior of the world, into the world via a 13 years old girl and a 20 year old man, both of whom were pretty close to the bottom of the social and economic ladder.

So Joseph Choose to trust God and Joseph prove his trust out, his faith out by obedience to God.

VERSE 25

and He married Mary -”He took his wife” and Joseph did not consummate their marriage until after Jesus was born.

CHAPTER 2 VERSE 13

So from the time they were married and Jesus was born - Some really smart guys came to visit Jesus from the east and the King over the Jewish people a guy named Harrods was freaked out to say the least about these smart guys coming to visit a child that was born king.

Harrods suddenly realized he was playing game of thrones for real and it freaked him out and what he did is he order the killing of all the children under the age of two years old.

VERSE 13

These smart guys leave and an angel of God - Goes to Joseph again and Says Get out of town becasue the current king is searching for you child to Kill Him.

VERSE 16

At the Very same time Herod issues the decree to kill all the male kids under two years old.

OVERARCHING INTERNAL BATTLE OF JOSEPH

So here is Joseph once again in a crossroads -

He had to be thinking to himself -

What in the world - can this get an more challenging -

My wife gets pregnant by some very unconvential means and God asks me to walk in faith - in complete and total trust.

NOW Death is upon me and my child and if I stood in the way certainly me and my wife.

The Question Had to cross Josephs mind -”Maybe I will just leave” Abandon them both and let the chips fall”

Joseph had to be scared - He had to be worrisome - He had to be anxious - It would be very normal to be that way -

He and his family had a death sentence against them.

And so Joseph had another choice to make -

Trust God in what He said and Obey Him becasue He knows what is best -

Or trust my own rational and reasoning.

VERSE 14

What Joseph does is walk i faith - Walk in Trust of God - Walk in obedience!

Because what Joseph had ultimately decided to do when He decided to Marry Mary and Adopt Jesus was provide for them, Protect them, Pray for them, Guide them, Teach them, Model the good for them, and advocate for them.

CONCLUSION

What Joseph does, this little known figure in the Autobiographies of Jesus, what He does is He walks in faith - He walks out Trust in God - He emulates the Adoption Character of God the Father towards Jesus and he proves out his faith - proves out his trust in God by living counter to the culture and showing everyone that Adoption is a step of faith - Adoption is a step in Trust.

STICKY POINT DJ AND PRAYER TEAM

Loves ones - all of us need to walk in the Adoptive character of God for the sake of His kingdom.

and AS we do that we must put down and put away the principles of efficiency -

The Principles of Efficiency are not Gods principles. They are ours!

If you think about it - Sending Jesus some 4500 to 6000 years after Adam and eve allowed sin to enter the world would not be considered efficient in our cultural measurement of Efficient -

Using a 13 year old girl and a 20 year old Carpenter from Roman occupied Jerusalem who are at the bottom of the socio economical scale might not meet the scale of efficient in our culture today.

Calling rebellious and sinful people who are dead and calling them to Life - a new and purposeful life meaningful and eternal life - to use them to be the plan a to take the gospel to the world - Might not make the chart of efficient.

But you see Gods ways are not our ways

His thought are not our thoughts -

AS far as the heavens are away from the earth at the ways and thoughts of God -

He has a will and HE has a way and His will and His way leads to life - Life Abundant - a Life that is full and A life that has meaning purpose and value - A life that is eternal.

So when we step into the Adoptive Nature of God- Being sent into this world by Jesus to do what Jesus did when he was sent - To proclaim the Gospel in word and in deed

We must erase efficient - We must not be held captive by the philosophy and empty deceit that our pouring out our lives to the eternal benefit of others who do not respond for maybe years is in efficient and a waist of time.

We must never be held captive buy the efficient measurement of human tradition, according to the elementary principles of this world, and not held captive by Christ in our pursuit of the life of being an ambassador of Christ and seeing the salvation of others.

I am so thankful that God put people in my life that didn't give up and think that I was a waste of time.

America is Hard soil.

It is hard soils becasue our culture has been discipled into self everything - Self Sufficiency - Self Preservation - Self identification - Self determination - Self Actualization and Self personification.

This is counter to the Gospel and a culture of Antichrist. The Call of Christ is to die to self and find life in God - to live to God, to live for God, to live in God and to live to the Glory of God.

This is where life is - This is where adoption takes us and our adoption of them for the sake of the gospel will take others.

This is why we must look at the adoption of others for the sake of the Kingdom as the God THE only principle by which we go about making disciples.

Never never never thinking that our time is being wasted becasue they are hard soil.

It requires trust that God wants to - God can and God will.

It requires prayer - and not the “god please save them” kind of praying -

But the kind of praying that is based on the horrible reality of Hell - Praying with the reality of the horrors of hell will and should bring an unbelievable and uncontrollable anguish to our hearts.

Pleading with God - steadfast pleading with God - Pleas Please Please God save them - Send me - Send Someone - with the Gospel in Power God - Please God send me or someone with the Gospel in the Power of your Spirit and pleas pleas pleas god Regenerate them to new life - Make them alive in Christ - being them to new life and make them a new creature - Defeat all of the demons and indoctrination that are opposed to Christ in their life and in mine - in the name of Jesus.

Pray like that when they reject you for the 100th time

Pray like that with your small group in your home and the out reach ideas seem inefficient and not working.

Pray like that when you are treated unfairly and just down right abused for pronouncing the Gospel in the public square.

I have adopted a few in my life for the advancement of the Gospel -

Some were children - Some are children and some are adults -

And I am so very thankful for each and every one of them - Homeless - Wealthy - blue collar white collar - Gay and straight - healthy and sickly - addicted and sober -

One of the people whom the adoptive spirit of God worked in me was a guy that showed up at my door step after being on a three week long party.

He showed up at about 10 am and before lunch He was staying in my home for as long as was needed.

I labored with Him until Christ was formed. I prayed with Him and for him and we opened scripture together.

And As we were laboring - God softened the soil where the seeds were planted - The Spirit watered the seed and gave new life and my new friend surrendered to Christ -

He left a few days later to find a new job and begin to build a new life - and he did not return.

His sin had consequences. and in the suffering of those consequences His faith grew as He held onto Jesus and we talked and he wrote and he led guys in jail to christ - and he prayed with guys in jail and He would line them up and call at 8 pm and ask if I would pray with all of them.

And what a glorious time of prayer it was.

Today he is finishing his consequences and we talk and we write and he tells me of the men he is discipling and reaching and adopting for the Gospel and it encourages my soul becasue I know that this kind of labor brings joy to the lord and it is the joy of the Lord that bring us strength.

I am looking forward to the day soon that He and I and all of you will be serving Jesus together as we all adopt others for the sake of the Gospel and their eternal souls!

Adopt some people loved ones for the sake of the kingdom and the advance of the gospel - becasue God has adopted you and given you the Spirit of Adoption by which you can now cry Abba Father.

PRAYER TEAM!