Into the Family

Abundant Life Sermon Series

So, as it turns out, I did not go to Texas this weekend. As most of you know, they had a really rough week - that includes my family.

Texas has not had a winter storm like that for 120 years. It was huge. Their power grid couldn’t handle it, so there were constant rolling blackouts, power going off and coming back on throughout the week. Pipes froze, lots of people had no running water (true for many still). People were going to Home Depot to buy lumber to burn as firewood. Folks were doing what they could to manage. Rough week for a lot of people.

So we had a ton of family texts flying back and forth throughout week - how’s everyone doing? Who’s got power? Comparing temperatures in various houses. Who has running water?

It was one of those times you realize value of family - families - when they’re doing it well - bring life. Give each other support, commiserate with when things are tough, share laughter over all funny little stuff that happens. Celebrate the victories! Families bring life.

And that’s absolutely true in Kingdom of God, being part of God’s family.

As part of our series on Abundant Life, this morning I want to begin a three-week look at how our sense of identity as followers of Jesus opens us up to knowing abundant life in Jesus Christ. We’re going to use framework of Baptism - that we baptized, immersed, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

We’re going to start with what it means to be baptized in the name of the Father - this idea that we are now in family of God. Do this in three ways.

First, to be baptized in name of Father means simply that we’re in! We now belong to family of God. God is our Father.

Second, every family has things they share together - that’s true in family of God. We’ll talk about that.

Third, every family has work they do together - there’s work in family of God.

To be baptized in name of Father means that when it comes to family of God - we’re in, we share, our work.

Prayer / Scripture - Romans 8:14-17

You’re in the Family

In Matthew 3, we find story of Jesus going down to Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist. John immerses in him in water (he dunks him), and as Jesus comes up out of the water, Holy Spirit in form of dove descends upon him and voice of Father is heard proclaiming, “This is my Son, whom I love, With him I am well pleased.”

Father is proudly claiming Jesus as his own. That’s my boy! My Son. I love him. He brings joy to my heart.

What makes in even more wonderful is that Jesus hasn’t even done anything yet, his public ministry hasn’t started. And yet the Father is declaring - he’s in, he’s in the family.

Baptism is way we symbolize that we, too, have been immersed in this same relationship. What Father says about Jesus, he now says about you and I. That’s my girl! I love her. She’s such a delight to me!

We’ve talked a lot about fact that becoming like Jesus begins with changing our minds, way we think - we want to adopt narratives of Jesus. Those same stories that defined who he was - we want to those stories to be ours.

It’s always been a bit confusing to me that Paul writes here in Romans about the Holy Spirit testifying to our spirit that we are God’s children. Why is that? Why does Spirit make a point to declaring that truth to us…You are the Son of Father. You are his precious daughter?

I think it’s because we resist it. We resist that love. That unconditional embrace.

I think Spirit wants to make sure we hear and receive it. That this becomes our narrative.

Paul describes our coming into family of God as an adoption, our becoming the son, or the daughter, of the Father.

It’s interesting, because a common difficulty for children who are adopted is that they never quite feel like they belong. That they’re really part of family. But they are!

Adoption is beautiful thing. The Jews actually didn’t have this concept of adoption. But the Romans did. Paul is writing to church in Rome, they would have been familiar with this imagery.

Romans took idea of adoption seriously - it was encoded into law. If Roman father had no son - or even if he did - he might look to his slave, his servant, and chose to adopt him (actually didn’t have to be child, it could happen at any age).

This would have been huge for that child. It would have transformed their world, moving from being a slave to a son. According to Roman law, that’s exactly what they would have become, a son to that Father - with all rights and privileges of any biological child.

Slave who was adopted as son would automatically become a citizen of Roman empire. Which was huge, because Romans citizens could not be slaves, they couldn’t be crucified, they had rights that non-citizen didn’t have - in book of Acts we see Paul calling on those rights after he’s innocently flogged - magistrate gets worried because he punished a Roman citizen without cause.

And, of course, a slave adopted as son would become an heir. Right to any and all inheritance from the Father, just like any of the biological children. No difference.

The whole story of their lives would have been absolutely transformed! Challenge, of course, would be for them to trust that was true. This is who I now am - a child of Father. I belong to this household.

This is, of course, what we need to do. Let the Spirit keep affirming it to us…you’re in. You’re with your Abba Father. You belong here. He wants you here. Because he wants you.

Think about assumptions you just naturally make when it comes to your family…you’re going to celebrate birthdays (Facebook reminders). Of course you’re going to be together over the holidays. When I’m visiting family, I don’t have to ask if I can get something to drink…just go get it - and they would think it was strange if I did.

It’s that whole sense of I’m a part of this. I belong. I’m in. The Father has claimed me as his own.

So, that’s first thing, what it means to be baptized in the name of Father. You’re in.

Second thing is - you share. Paul writes, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Children inherit what the parents have. That’s part of family arrangement. But there’s a caveat in this passage: If, if we share in his sufferings - sufferings of Jesus - then we’ll share in his glory. So, what’s that all about, sharing in sufferings of Jesus?

Every family has its rules, either spoken or unspoken. Way of life.

What kind of language is acceptable around the house. Views on money - how it should be spent, saved. Boundaries - what stays in family, what can you talk about outside family. Value of work. Education.

True in family of God. Being child to Father means to live as Father intends. We see this throughout Scripture.

At one point, Jesus is in a house, teaching - his family shows up, his mom and brothers have made the trip from Nazareth to Capernaum and they want to talk to Jesus. Someone tells Jesus that. Jesus, however, does not get up and go talk to them. Instead, he says - “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Points to his disciples. “Here are my mother and my brothers.” (I’m guessing Mary was not too happy to hear that). Here’s clincher, Jesus says, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Being child of Father always involves doing will of Father. Faith in Jesus is a lived faith. Our trust in Jesus is demonstrated by our willingness to follow him, to hear what he says and put it into practice.

What does that have to do with suffering? Everything. Because path to obedience always involves suffering. It did for Jesus:

Hebrews 5:8, Son though he was, he (Jesus) learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Obedience always costs us. Because we want to do things our way. We want our will to be done. We rebel.

It cost Jesus - when he was in Garden of Gethsemane, he was in anguish. He was sweating blood! Everything in him said, “I don’t want to do this.”

Do you think our willing submission to Father is going to come easier?

We have so many attachments, so many things our hearts have grabbed on to, so many false ways we’re clinging to…dreams, desires…obedience does not come easy.

Following Jesus is an ongoing process of surrendering ourselves to Father. It is to offer ourselves, as Paul writes in Romans 12, as “living sacrifices”. To be a living sacrifice is to willingly lay yourself down on altar. My life is yours.

That’s what it means to share in sufferings of Jesus. To offer ourselves absolutely to Jesus, whatever the cost.

But that’s all just part of the process. It’s not suffering for sake of suffering. We share in sufferings of Jesus in order that we may share in his glory. As those who’ve been faithful, full of faith, we share in inheritance with Jesus from Father.

When someone in your family accomplishes something good, as a family, you share in that glory. Graduation…anniversary…birth of a child…a new job…a promotion…winning big game

Post pictures on Facebook. Send out texts to friends and extended family.

And we do it even without accomplishments - that’s what birthdays are all about! You were born! You! You’re here, with us. That’s glory enough!

By way, don’t you think that’s true of God? That he delights in you - certainly when we do good things…but even when we don’t? Just you, in and of yourself.

Here’s fun little secret about Kingdom of God - we get to share in glory of Jesus.

When we see God’s healing work in life of someone we know - maybe in our own. We share in that!

When someone discovers love of God, and it transforms their whole sense of who they are.

When a broken relationship is restored, there’s been deep wounds, grudges…but now, grace! Forgiveness offered and received.

That’s glory of Jesus! That’s his work in world! And we get to delight in it as we see it happening.

We know it’s just going to come more and more - if you want to be on “the right side of history”, get on Jesus’ side. Because story of history is this…Jesus wins out. Story of history is good overcoming evil (that’s what cross and resurrection of Jesus are all about - and why we’re to love others in this way, returning good for evil - because all of history is headed in that direction - the love of Jesus, his good, overcoming evil.)

One day, Jesus will be glorified over all…Philippians 2:9-11, therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

We’ll share in that glory…I’m with him. We’re co-heirs, he and I.

Being Baptized in name of the Father - we’re in, we belong. We share - both in sufferings (that whole process of learning to be like Jesus) so we can share in glory. Finally, work of family.

Work of family of God is very straightforward - grow family. Bring others in. God wants one big, joyful family made up of people of every tribe and race and color - everyone!

We were loved into family of God so that we can love others into family of God.

Jeff Vanderstelt says, what God does in us, God then does through us.

What did God do in us? Ephesians 1:5, In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.

God’s love for us was so great, he wanted us so much to be with him, part of his family. So, from very beginning he made plans for us to adopted, brought in as sons and daughters through Jesus.

Now God wants us to love others into family as well - by loving them as family.

Movie - Instant Family, wonderful movie about the joys and difficulties of being foster parents. This couple has taken in three children, all siblings.

Lizzie is oldest of three kids, a teenager, and she’s always taken care of younger two. Lizzie has been trying to work it out so they can go back and live with her mom, who has history of drub abuse.

Everything seems like it’s set for the kids to go back to their mom, and at last minute, mom fails to show up, she’s back using again.

Lizzie runs away in tears, her foster parents run after her. Find her, trying to persuade her to return home.

Go away, you’re not my parents. You’re right, we’re not. But you know what we are? We’re here. And we love you.

You don’t even know me. We know you…we know (list off several things unique to Lizzie). We know there’s so much we don’t know. But if you’re afraid that we can’t handle the bad stuff or the scary stuff, we can.

Father: Yeah, bring it, whatever you got, we want it because we love you.

So good! Exactly what our Father says to us…bring it, whatever you got, I want it because I love you.

Such a great image of loving someone into the family, loving them as family before they are family.

That’s what God does with us. And that’s how we’re to love others - as family before they are family. How do you love your family?

Let me finish with this - in his book Saturate (being saturated with Jesus), Jeff Vanderstelt shares story of their experience with their neighbor, Nikki.

They had moved in next door to Nikki, who was notorious in neighborhood as being terrible neighbor. Yard was mess, bushes overgrown, lawn full of weeds, deck was rotting, two broken down-cars sitting in yard house was falling apart and she was rude - to everyone.

Jeff and his wife, Jayne, tried to show her kindness and love, but she was not having it. And after one too many times of Nikki using her van nudge her trash cans into the Vanderstelt’s parking space, Jayne was done with her - no more. I wash my hands of that woman! She was not first who’d tried to show kindness to Nikki and been rebuffed.

Shortly after Jayne’s declaration, Nikki showed up at their door - in tears. Her van had broken down and needed to be towed to repair shop. It was first genuine conversation they’d ever had with Nikki, and it lasted three hours. As they learned more about her story - her terrible first marriage, and her wonderful second marriage - that ended tragically because of cancer. That’s when Nikki began to close herself off - from others, from relationships, from love.

Vanderstelt’s sensed God saying, “Love Nikki like she is part of the family.” They asked question, “If Nikki were our mother, sister, daughter, how would we love her?” How patient would they be with her? How would they help her? Express love to her?

So they did. It was not easy. She resisted the efforts. She continued to be rude. It was costly - they suffered in their obedience. They did not give up on her.

Gradually, as she would let them, they helped fix things around house and yard. They visited her in the hospital. They invited her to family gatherings - birthdays, holidays.

Until day came when they got to share in the glory. Nikki announced that she had surrendered her life to Jesus. And Nikki began to change. She began to trust. She began to show kindness and love. Nikki became a true part of the family - a mom to many in their church community, a grandmother to their kids. She had been baptized in name of the Father.

This is what it means to be baptized in name of Father.

You’re in, you’re part of family of God.

You share, in sufferings of Jesus (learning obedience) in order to share in his glory.

And work, that glorious work of family - loving others into family of God by loving them as if they are part of the family.