Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: What is one quality/characteristic of your father that you admire?

What is one quality/characteristic of your father that you wish he didn’t have?

Our view of God as Father is dictated by two factors: our knowledge of theology & our experience with our own fathers.

Our experience forms the larger % of our view of God than our theology.

We need to move from experience to theology.

We tend to think of God as our Father like we think of a coach on an athletic team, or a teacher in a class; as long as we perform admirably we experience all the joys of fatherhood.

But when we don’t…we don’t.

Your experience of the good (if any) in your earthly father is only a taste of the that good in your heavenly father.

Your experience of the bad (if any) in your earthly father is non-existent in your heavenly father.

A picture of Paul’s idea of God as Father: Eph.

3:14-19 NIV

You must have this view of God the Father in mind as you read our text for today.

“being led” present active indicative pointing to the continuous growth (sanctification) of the believer.

Adoption - Gal. 4:4-7

Slavery leading to fear - the aorist pointing to something that has happened at some point in the past.

The force is that it isn’t currently happening nor is it going to happen, but it has already happened.

Our status as God’s children is a done deal.

“again” points to going back to a “earn it” existence.

Abba Father - Aramaic expression of endearment meaning “dad or daddy” In the Greek text the phrase is presented this way “ἀββα ὁ πατήρ” with the definite article meaning “ Dad!

The Father!”

Part of the Holy Spirit’s job is to bring testimony to the fact that we are God’s children.

The fact that Paul uses the word pneuma (πνεῦμα) here as the only time in chapter three that it does not refer to the Holy Spirit heightens the point that the H.S.’s witness to our being children of God is with our inner most being...out spirit.

“and if children” = 1st class condition

The subsequent result of being children of God is not just relationship with God, but sharing in the inheritance of Christ, our brother.

What is it we are heirs to exactly?

God Himself

Heaven

Completed Salvation

Immortal existence - John 10:28-29

Pain and need free existence - Rev. 21:4

But any inheritance can be tainted or taken away...1 Peter 1:4

“if indeed we suffer with Him” = a conjunction (εἴπερ) meaning “if in fact or since”

These phrase confirms the truth that to be a follower of Christ is to suffer.

Col. 1:24

Conclusion:

The Christian’s life may indeed in clued suffering, but it isn’t suffering apart from a loving and deovted father’s care and watchful eye.

When Jesus was in the garden before his crucifixion, he relyed on his relationship with his father.

Mark 14:35-36

That same relationship is ours today.