Are we there yet? Part 3

Sing praises to God and to His name! Sing loud praises to Him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD—rejoice in His presence!

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But He makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning Southpointe!!

We are in this series Are we there yet? This morning we are going to be talking about a world-wide problem.

Parenting the foster kids.

God’s heart for the fatherless (which includes not just orphans but at-risk children) is a consistent theme throughout the entire Bible.

James said this:

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

It is not just a concern of God. It is a priority of God!

In the early church, God’s people became family to those who had no family.

I think of the Roman practice when a baby was born. The baby was set at the feet of the father. If he picked up the child, the boy or girl then he or she became part of the family.

Babies that were not picked up, perhaps because they looked weak, were outcast – often taken outside the city to designated places where they would die of exposure or from wild animals.

So the Christians reversed this horrible practice. They went out and brought the babies back, adopting them into their own families, and eventually putting pressure on the government to outlaw the practice.

Some early church theologians said this:

Hermas—circa A.D. 135-40—in his list of good deeds which ought to be done, after faith and the fear of the Lord— love, concord, words of righteousness, truth, patience—places "the helping widows, looking after orphans." — Shepherd, Comm. viii.

Lactantius—circa last years of fourth century — in his writings of the different kinds of benevolence and works of mercy which had especially been enjoined on Christians, twice dwells on this peculiar work, and then writes :

Lactantius—circa last years of fourth century — in his catalogue of the different kinds of benevolence and works of mercy which had especially been enjoined on Christians, twice dwells on this peculiar work, and then writes : " Nor is it less a great work of justice to protect and defend orphans and widows who are destitute and stand in need of assistance, and therefore that Divine Law prescribes this to all," etc. . . . And again : " For God, to whom everlasting mercy belongs, commands that widows and orphans should be defended and cherished, that no one through regard and pity for his loved ones should be prevented from suffering death (i.e. martyrdom) " . . . " but should meet it with promptitude and faith, since he knows that he leaves his beloved ones to the care of God, and that they will never want protection." This last telling argument repeated by Lactantius had been, no doubt, frequently taught in the days of stress and trial.

" Nor is it less a great work of justice to protect and defend orphans and widows who are destitute and stand in need of assistance, and therefore that Divine Law prescribes this to all," etc. . . .

And again : " For God, to whom everlasting mercy belongs, commands that widows and orphans should be defended and cherished.

Understand this: God knows the name and location of every child on the face of the earth. He wants all of them, every last one of them, to experience being loved by an earthly family and to know the love of their heavenly Father.

What is a orphan?

Orphan - someone or something who lacks support or care or supervision, deprived of parents by death or desertion.

What is a foster child?

Foster child— 1)a child looked after temporarily or brought up by people other than its natural or adoptive parents.

2) a child raised by someone who is not its natural or adoptive parent. a needy child, as one living in an impoverished country, supported or aided by contribution to a specific charity.

There are more than 400,000 U.S. children in foster care every day. Foster children and families are in every community and God has called the Church to them.

Every church can have an effective ministry to America's foster care community.

With approximately 100 million Christians and thousands of churches, it only takes a little compassion in action in each church to redeem fatherless and fragmented children.

In Arkansas alone, there are over 5,000 children in the foster care system due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. There are also over 6,500 churches in Arkansas.

In Sebastian county at any given week there up to 800 plus foster kids.

STATISTICS

• There are more than 400,000 U.S. children in foster care every day. Foster children and families are in every community and God has called the Church to them. Every church can have an effective ministry to America’s foster care community.

• Approximately 60% of sex trafficking victims were from foster care or group homes.

• PTSD was diagnosed in 60% of sexually abused children and in 42% of physically abused children.

• 90% of youth with five or more placements will enter the justice system.

• One research report estimates that 86% of the children in foster care had experienced sexual abuse.

In America we have a failing foster care system. American families are under tremendous pressures that increase the need fro more foster care arrangements.

The government structures designed to protect the children and to keep them safe are in complete disarray.

And we find that the reason for this deals with the attack on the family unit.

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

God created family and placed each of us in one. He designed the family as our first small group experience.

But the American Family is in trouble. The evidence is overwhelming.

More than 3,500 marriages in the U.S. end in divorce each day. We now have more marriages ending in divorce than by the death of a spouse in our culture.

One million children a year experience their parents’ divorce.

Children in single-parent homes have a 300 percent greater risk of a negative life outcome than children raised in homes where both parents are present.

The family has been redefined in today me-centered society and we try to offer faith-based answers to a fact-based culture. Instead of family being founded on the covenant union between one man and one woman for life.

We are now letting the emeny divided and conqueror.

And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

Instead of embracing the family, we are throw the baby and bath water out together.

Instead of:

And He said, 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.'

Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together."

But our culture today has redefined the family foundation to being unmarried couples, single parents, same-sex couples and separated once married but living apart, as the foundation of our family.

Due to the division, we have a children’s life being messed up!

More than 50 percent of the children in American’s public schools live in single-parent homes.

35% of the nation’s children live apart from their biological fathers.

50% of children who live away from their biological father never have stepped foot in a Christian worship service.

In the past 40 years pregnancies out of wedlock has increased 600%.

The number of all births to unmarried women in the U.S. now tops 40%.

Poverty has affects the children. In 2014, 21% of all American children: a total of 15.5 million kids lived in poverty.

That is one in every five children from coast to coast. 1.6 million of them experienced homelessness that year.

The centers for disease control and prevention estimates that in 2014: 10.2% of persons 12 years of age or older used illegal drugs.

Almost 50,000 people died of drug-induced causes and about 30,000 died from alcohol-induced reasons.

Our family are a mess! The enemy came to kill, steal and destroy and he did a good job.

Government program and private program are overwhelmed when the number of children that are being put in the system.

The system is broken and not operating right because when they turn 18 listen to this:

This is the outcome of many foster children:

More than one in five young people leaving foster care will become homeless after age 18.

Only half of young people leaving foster care will be employed by age 24.

One in four young people leaving foster care will have contact with the justice system with two years of exiting the child welfare system.

71% of women who have been in foster care become pregnant before age 21, 62% more than once compared to 33% of all 21 years old.

The problem is that we are not operating in the divine plan of God, from the family unit to the church family.

Yes, the family and culture has messed things up. But the church response to the mess ups has created a more deeper problem.

We have people in this church, a great number of people that are involved in foster care service or have foster children in their family.

I want you to listen to this:

Play Jeremiah’s video

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.

The theme of this psalm could be laid out like this: God is a mighty warrior and the King marching triumphantly through history to occupy His sanctuary on Zion in Jerusalem.

Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots, the Lord came from Mount Sinai into His sanctuary.

When You ascended to the heights, You led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against You. Now the LORD God will live among us there.

Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day He carries us in His arms.

Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign LORD rescues us from death.

As a warrior, God is a destroyer of his enemies but at the same time a Savior to His own people.

But He is the warrior, and He is the Savior, we see something drop about the greatest of God, we see the heart of God.

God serves as the father of orphans and protector of widows.

Here is this King of kings and Lord of lords who reveals to us His heart. Not only do we see Him serving them and protecting them, But I love this:

God places the lonely in families;

This is the God who is praiseworthy and in who His people can find shelter (or you might say a family, home)

God places, He is the foster care director, He places and the family is the family of God.

I want you to understand this morning, I am not saying everyone in this building should go and bring in a foster child, or I am not saying that everyone should go and adopted a child.

But I am saying that we are to doing the work of the ministry.

Every act of compassionate unto the Lord for one of these is not an end in itself. Each story grows. Some transcending from generation to generation.

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Everyone here can do something, It might be being a mentor, or it might be giving funds to help with their expenses.

If we have the heart of God we will do something.

(abby is coming to explain the need that she has at fostering change)

Thank you Abby,

we are to give you a list as you go out today, and we believe that you will be your part and Jeremiah will gladly talk to you about help in mentoring and other areas.

Let’s pray for the foster system, and all the kids involved in the foster system. Let’s also pray for all the men and women that are trying to make a different in these kid’s lives.

And let’s pray for the church to do it part!

It is not just a concern of God. It is a priority of God