Children of God: Prepared and Ready - 1 John 2:28-3:3

This is something the Newton Family is constantly striving for.

The more our kids are excited are about the destination the faster they get prepared. (Snowing outside)

The abiding christian anticipates with confidence the appearing of Christ without shamed.

Those born of God bear an identity as well as a responsibility.

As a Child of God, you are Deeply Loved

The abiding christian anticipates with confidence the appearing of Christ without shamed. (2:28)

The anticipation we feel and the confidence we have in his appearing comes as a result of our abiding in Him. How do we eliminate any feelings of shame? We cleans ourselves of sin by God’s gracious forgiving and abide in our God. We want to live in excited anticipation at the coming of the Lord. Therefore, we reject temptation and choose to live in an abiding relationship with God. An abiding relationship is one that is consistent. It is one that is growing in our knowledge and relationship with God. It is a relationship of seeking God through His revealed Word and engages in active obedience to it. It means loving God above all other relationships. It means loving God more then self, others, stuff, experiences or control. It means seeking the things of God and his kingdom, not the things of this world.

As we look, with anticipation, for the coming of our Lord, we know that while we are still here we are called to live our lives in righteousness.

As those born of God we realize that with this new identity we have a responsibility

Those born of God bear an identity as well as a responsibility.

The example of Spider man: “With great power come great responsibility”

Just as Spider man had to understand that with great power comes great responsibility, so we Christians need to understand that with our new spiritual birth comes great responsibility. The evidence to ourselves and the world around us that we know God the Father and Son is our righteous living.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16 that the light we shine will be evidence to the world around us and will impact those that see us.

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

The light that we shine is the reality of “the glorious Gospel of Christ” living in us. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

We are called to live righteously. To live in the reality of “the glorious Gospel of Christ”, is to let the good news of our new birth shine through us as we reflect the glory of our Father to a world that desperately need truth. This happens as we abide in our God. It is in this abiding that we will bear the fruits of righteousness.

Have confidence that it is God that is working in that is might be realized in you life. Phil 2:12-13 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

As a Child of God, you are Deeply Loved

Today we want to build on this these principle.

The Father’s Love is unknown to the world, but realized in His children.

The world does not know source of spiritual life, therefore it cannot understand the life we have in the Father.

Because we are Children of God, we have...

A way of living and thinking the world is not going to understand.

A foundation of absolute truth/morality in a society of relativism.

We may be to be seen, however unfairly, as intolerant, (though our tolerance grows), we are going to seen as out of touch with society, with P.C. We will be seen as old fashion or even hateful towards those we disagree with.

The way we see life and thus behave in this world is foreign to others. (Worldview Tree)

This is because the foundation of our thinking and our behavior is our belief in God. Our of that grows our Philosophy of life and the issues of life.

Morality, Ethics, Biology, Physiology, Freedom or the like.

Living in a world where we are not understood, even ridiculed or ostracized for our beliefs and behaviors can be a source of temptations. The feeling of not belonging can be a difficult one. Not being understood or appreciated for our values and standards of living can make one tempted to loose heart even be tempted to abandons one’s faith. At the very least a Christian might try to have one foot in the world while not completely letting go of their beliefs in God. The temptation increases when one takes their eyes off the love the Father has for his Children and sees only the pleasures of the world. Again, this is why we need to preach the gospel to ourselves daily. This is why it is so important to abide in Christ. This has to be more than an intellectual pursuit or a check mark at the end of the day.

Last time we were together we looked at the Love the fathers has for us.

God’s unconditional love for us, whereby Jesus laid down his life for us, even when we were sinners.

In doing so He brought us from death to life, raised and seated with Christ

He has secured our salvation

and as His children he continues to demonstrate His love for us through His work of sanctification in our lives.

Those it is hard at time, in this world, with all it pressures and challenges, to keep our focus on the Fathers love for us; we must not only do this but also remember the world does not know the Father, thus they are without hope.

Though the world around us can be a temptation, it is a world that has no hope outside of its current existence. In other words, it has no hope beyond the here and now.

The World does not understand the Father. They do not understand the tremendous love that God demonstrated to the world in creation and in the plan of redemption. They rejected the son, even crucified Him, but Philippians 2:9 tells us the Father exalted Him.

One day, God’s children will one day be with the Father. 1 John 3:2 tells us that when we are in his presence we will be like him.

Read 1 John 3:2

The Father’s love is realized in our being like Him.

I want my children to succeeded not only in the areas I and Jessica have succeeded, I want them to surpass us in all ways. I want better for them then what I am. I want them to be healthier, happy, more content, more successful in their vocation, better parents, better educated, and most importantly more devoted to God. I want them to succeed.

I am hopeless limited in what I can do to make this happen.

I am a finite sinner in need of help raising a finite sinner in need of help.

However, if I, a father with limited abilities want this success for my children, how much more does God want the best for his children.

The Father’s love realized in us becomes our hope and motivation.

Our hope is that we will be more than what we are. This is a hope that I cannot offer to my daughters. Though I want them to succeed I cannot make that happen.

Our hope (certainty) is that we will not forever be in this hopeless state. There is something far better that awaits us.

Our response to the outpouring of the Father’s love, by which he has provided us with this hope, is to seek to live like our Father in all purity.

This certainly is impossible task to do on our our strength. But as a good father would, He provides his children with all the grace and enabling needed.

Testimony Transition - Jessica and I have sought to live lives in light of the Father’s love for us with all purity. We have sought to understand the will of God for our lives, and live in light of the hope he has given us. Though we have struggled at times in our faith, we know God is still working in and through us to accomplish His perfect plan.

Our prayer is that God would continue to reveal His will to us. Whether that be with our family, jobs, or ministry.

In fact, this has been an ongoing prayer of ours.

Over the last few months, and more so, over the last few days, we believe God has been revealing His plan to us.

A little while back, my home church, the one I grew up in, contacted me about the possibility of coming on staff as a full-time associate pastor with the potential of one day taking on the senior pastor role...

Not looking for but asked to consider

Prayed about it

Met with the pulpit committee (x2)

Met with the church

This past Sunday they voted (100%) (90+ people voted)

Humble and overwhelmed

Two condition for acceptance

We can finish out the school year at TKCS

The blessing of Washington Baptist Church

We love WBC

Love for us, our children

Training we all have received