The Power of Your Adoption

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, and for her protection. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all of these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but as a beloved child of those parents. It will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. God wants us to know that family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

Sermon Prep & Delivery

4.23.19

[Heavenly Father,

[Opening Prayer]

[Heavenly Father,

[Opening Prayer]

[Heavenly Father,

[Opening Prayer]

[Heavenly Father,

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, for her protection, etc. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she screws up—and she will screw up—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents, it will be the loving discipline of a caring father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can live confidently abiding in and reflecting Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can live confidently abiding in and reflecting Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

Thank you so much for condescending to us and blessing us with your Son, your Word, and your Spirit; that we might, first of all, have any type relationship with you at all—let alone be given the right to be called your children in Christ. We pray that your Spirit would be with us now as we open your Word to learn more of what you have accomplished in redemption and how you call us to respond. Guide our ears, minds, and affections we ask now in Christ’s name. Amen.]

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, for her protection, etc. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents, it will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, for her protection, etc. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she screws up—and she will screw up—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents, it will be the loving discipline of a caring father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this in . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can live confidently abiding in and reflecting Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can live confidently abiding in and reflecting Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

Thank you so much for condescending to us and blessing us with your Son, your Word, and your Spirit; that we might, first of all, have any type relationship with you at all—let alone be given the right to be called your children in Christ. We pray that your Spirit would be with us now as we open your Word to learn more of what you have accomplished in redemption and how you call us to respond. Guide our ears, minds, and affections we ask now in Christ’s name. Amen.]

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, for her protection, etc. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she screws up—and she will screw up—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents, it will be the loving discipline of a caring father that awaits her not the sentence of a cold and upright judge. Family membership has its privileges and this morning we will be looking at this in . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can live confidently abiding in and reflecting Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can live confidently abiding in and reflecting Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, the appearances of the Son and our adoption, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, the appearances of the Son and our adoption, and the process of our sanctification.

Thank you so much for condescending to us and blessing us with your Son, your Word, and your Spirit; that we might, first of all, have any type relationship with you at all—let alone be given the right to be called your children in Christ. We pray that your Spirit would be with us now as we open your Word to learn more of what you have accomplished in redemption and how you call us to respond. Guide our ears, minds, and affections we ask now in Christ’s name. Amen.]

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, for her protection, etc. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she screws up—and she will screw up—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents, it will be the loving discipline of a caring father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can live confidently abiding in and reflecting Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can live confidently abiding in and reflecting Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

Thank you so much for condescending to us and blessing us with your Son, your Word, and your Spirit; that we might, first of all, have any type relationship with you at all—let alone be given the right to be called your children in Christ. We pray that your Spirit would be with us now as we open your Word to learn more of what you have accomplished in redemption and how you call us to respond. Guide our ears, minds, and affections we ask now in Christ’s name. Amen.]

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, for her protection. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all of these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents. It will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, and for her protection. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all of these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents. It will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, and for her protection. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all of these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but as a beloved child of those parents. It will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, and for her protection. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all of these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents. It will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, for her protection. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all of these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents. It will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, for her protection, etc. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents, it will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John writes this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage ()—and whether or not they needed to actually love others ().[1] John is answering some of these criticisms in this passage.

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, and for her protection. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all of these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but, as a beloved child of those parents. It will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, and for her protection. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all of these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but as a beloved child of those parents. It will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. Family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John writes this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage ()—and whether or not they needed to actually love others ().[1] John is answering some of these criticisms in this passage.

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John writes this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether or not they needed to actually love others (), and whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage (also ).[1] John is answering some of these criticisms in this passage.

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, and for her protection. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all of these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but as a beloved child of those parents. It will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. God wants us to know that family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John writes this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage ()—and whether or not they needed to actually love others ().[1] John is answering some of these criticisms in this passage.

What choice does the infant have in her adoption? She’s brought into this world kicking and screaming… and totally dependent. She has to rely on others for her sustenance, for her cleanliness, for her warmth, and for her protection. If she is left alone for too long, she will die. But when this sweet child is adopted, all of these things are provided for her. She is loved and nurtured and made a part of the family. As she grows, she will be taught what it is to be a member of that family; what duties, behaviors, and dispositions are expected of her as a part of this family—and she will be expected to adhere to them. When she fails—and she will fail—she will be disciplined, but as a beloved child of those parents. It will be the loving discipline of a caring mother or father that awaits her not the sentence of some cold judge. God wants us to know that family membership has its privileges and responsibilities and this morning we will be looking at this from the vantage point of . Our theme for today’s message is: Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. Because we are the adopted children of God in Christ, we can confidently abide in and reflect Christ as we find rest in the face of the world. We’re going to be looking at the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification. Again, that’s the problem of sin, our adoption through the appearances of the Son, and the process of our sanctification.

The problem of sin. ()

Even though the child from our illustration is adopted into her new family, her obligation to obedience is not diminished. So first we’re going to take a look at…

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John is writing this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether or not they needed to actually love others (), and whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage (also ).[1] These new Christians had to know how to answer these criticisms in light of who they now were in Jesus—that is, who they were in the family of God.

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John is writing this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether or not they needed to actually love others (), and whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage (also ).[1] These new Christians had to know how to answer these criticisms in light of who they are in Jesus—that is, who they are in the family of God.

The problem of sin. ()

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John is writing this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether or not they needed to actually love others (), and whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage (also ).[1] These new Christians had to know how to answer these criticisms in light of who they are in Jesus—that is, who they are in the family of God.

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John writes this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether or not they needed to actually love others (), and whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage (also ).[1] John is answering some of these criticisms in this passage.

The problem of sin. ()

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John is writing this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether or not they needed to actually love others (), and whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage (also ).[1] These new Christians had to know how to answer these criticisms in light of who they are in Jesus—that is, who they are in the family of God.

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John is writing this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether or not they needed to actually love others (), and whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage (also ).[1] These new Christians had to know how to answer these criticisms in light of who they now were in Jesus—that is, who they were in the family of God.

Upon reading this passage, we have to keep in mind that John is writing this epistle to a specific group of believers at a particular time who were hearing false teachings concerning the Gospel. They were being questioned about whether Jesus was the Son of God (; , , ), whether He came in the flesh (), whether or not they needed to actually love others (), and whether they had to truly obey God’s commandments—as in today’s passage (also ).[1] These new Christians had to know how to answer these criticisms in light of who they are in Jesus—that is, who they are in the family of God.

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.[2]

Even though we are adopted into her our new family, our obligation to obedience is not diminished. So first we’re going to take a look at…

Even though we are adopted into our new family, our obligation to obedience is not diminished. So first we’re going to take a look at…