God's Family through the Atonement

We are continuing the series on the Atonement focused on the words of Jesus as he was on the cross. John D. Barry defines atonement, “The process by which two estranged parties are made at one with each other.

Pray.

Intro:

Moms and Grandmas might have soft hearts – but they certainly aren’t pushovers – as a story I read this week clearly shows! In November last year – 2019 – a man broke into the home of an 82 year old Willie Murphy, in Rochester, NY. Willie lived alone and the villain was bent on some easy pickings – but he had chosen the wrong house… for the octogenarian was a champion bodybuilder who set about her intruder with a kitchen table. When that broke, she continued beating him with its metal legs, and when he finally went down she jumped on him and squirted shampoo in his face. Willie – who can bench press 225 lbs – then took the broom to him! Finally, the law showed up – not so much to arrest the would-be thief as to rescue him! And instead of taking him to the police station in a cruiser, they sent him to the hospital in an ambulance!

I want to wish all of the Mothers in this place a very Happy Mothers Day. I was someone who was raised by my mother because my dad was not n the picture. So I have an appreciation and respect for mothers. Fathers are important but it is just not your day guys.

Today we are going to read about another mother. The mother of Jesus who is witnessing her son in his final moments. We will see here that Jesus is paying the price for the sins of the world but also bringing together a family under His name through the atonement.

Title: God’s Family through the atonement

Point #1: God’s heart is for family

“Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

First, we see here that Jesus even at his final moment He is doing what he said he would do which was to fulfill the law. He is making provision for His mother thus honoring His mother. Jesus is setting another example for us. Family is important to God. How we treat our parents is important to God.

We see that in the atonement that God is building a family. He is building a family unto His name. How do I know this? Look at verses 26 and 27. Jesus tells his mother her son is John. A man who is not related to Jesus. He tells John that Mary is his mother. We are seeing here a preview of how the church is to operate. In the household of God there are no orphans. In the household of God there are many sons and daughters who are to care for those who are older. In the household of God there isnt those who are Fatherless or motherless but many Fathers and mothers to care for the sons and daughters of God.

God has always been about family.

When we look in the book of Genesis, God creates the very first family. Adam and Eve. God gives them a command to be fruitful and multiply. Populate the earth with children not just any children but those created in the image of God thus filling the whole earth with God’s glory.

Adam and Eve were tempted in the Garden to disobey God and they did it resulted in their expulsion from the garden from that very moment there was a divide between God and man because of sin.

Skip over to Abraham where God promises that Abraham will have many descendants. He would have a big family in both the natural and the spiritual.

We know that through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob came the children of Israel. Listen to what God says to Abraham in Genesis 15. Here God is talking about a spiritual family.

• God told Abraham, “Look toward heaven and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” – Genesis 15:5-6

• Paul in Galatians 3:7-9 said,”Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed. So then those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham the man of faith.

The offspring is Christ

Those who are the offspring of Abraham were those of faith. The same faith that Abraham had which was counted to him as righteousness. It is interesting because they are children, part of God’s family not because of bloodline but because of faith.

All of mankind has fallen short of the glory of God because of sin. God would send his Son, Jesus Christ to not only pay the penalty for our sin but bring us back to God’s family. Everyone. All of mankind.

Skip over to when God uses Moses to deliver the people of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. God gives them the law the 10 commandments.

The first four laws is focused on our vertical relationship. The relationship between God and Man. Commandment 5-10 is focused on our horizontal relationship. The relationship and how we should treat one another.

The commandment that God precedes lying, stealing, coveting is how we treat our Father and Mother. Family is important to God. How we treat our family is important to God.

Thomas Constable said,

“All Israelites were to honor their parents, because parents are God's representatives to their children in God's administrative order of society. Thus the fifth commandment is as foundational to commandments six through ten, as the first commandment is to commandments two through four. The Israelites were to honor God because He had given them life, and they were to honor their parents because they were His instruments in giving them life.”

The book of Revelations depicts a picture of a multitude around the throne. A people purchased by the blood of Jesus from every tribe, nation and tongue. Look at what this multitude is doing.

Revelation 9:-10 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

All we crying out with one voice giving glory to Jesus. Why?

What was lost in Adam was regained in Christ, redemption making God’s creation’s plan. This is why we were created because God wants to share His love, His goodness, His Mercy, His Grace with many. Just as much as you and I need forgiveness of sins and the atoning work of Christ on the cross so did Mary.

Testimony:

I look back at my story and I am amazed because if it was not for God I could have been a statistic. Fatherless, drug addict, no high school education. God rescued me in 2006 and what I saw God doing was surrounding me with men and women in the faith who became spiritual mothers and fathers. This is not just my story but my wife can share with you of women who were spiritual mothers in her life. When God tells us that He will not leave us as orphans or abandon us. He really means it. He will be with us but He also surrounds us with family. Bryan and Michelle McCrea the married couple who we joined in coming to plant a church in Fargo are my spiritual Father and Mother. They have spoken to my life to be a godly husband and a godly parent. I know they saw things in me that I did not see they believed in me. I have had them correct me because they love me.

The cross atoned for our sins but also birthed God’s family.

Point #1 – Gods heart is for family

Point #2 - God’s Family has an identity

“Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Verse 27 says, “ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”

John Piper said, ‘the new relationship between Mary and John illustrates for us the provision made for us in the body of Christ.

And if Jesus purchased the church with his own blood and ordained that in it bereft mothers find sons and sons find mothers, then no one should be without a caring family today in the body of Christ.

This caring for one another is in our DNA it is the mark of a child of God.

We can see in God’s law how he made provision for the poor, the orphan, the widow and the foreigner. It does not change just go to the book of Acts when we see the church caring the widows and the poor.

My children look like me. Surprise. My wife and I work to speak truth to them, guide them, pray for them and point them to Jesus.

I have told my son that when he goes to Sunday school or when we leave him with babysitter that he is representing us. How you act can bring honor or shame to the Rivera name.

It is the same way as a Christian. When I say that we must love one another. It is a command. It also shows if we are His children.

– 1 John 2:28-29

· 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. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

Our Father is righteous and so are his children.

– 1 John 3:9-10

· No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's[a] seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

We do not practice sinning. Yes we will sin but just like Proverbs says, “ A righteous man falls seven times and gets back up seven times.” It does not define us.

– 1 John 3:15-18

· Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

We don’t hate. We put others’ interests over ours. We are others centered not self-centered. We lay down our lives for one another.

God cares how we live. Parents don’t you care how your kids live? Do you discipline your kids when they disobey? God loves you as his children as well. He disciplines his children because He loves you.

Does your house have rules that your children must obey? Why do you have rules? It is because you love your children. It is no different in God’s family.

Here is the thing. God empowers us to be able to obey. He does this with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be the children that God calls us to be. We have many stories of people strengthened by God.

Gladys Aylward

· Gladys Aylward was born on February 24, 1902, in a working class family. Her parents, Thomas John Aylward and Rosina Florence, lived in Edmonton, London, at the time of her birth.

· In 1920, at the age of 18, Gladys had her first spiritual experience while attending a meeting of evangelicals.

· Aylward was in her late 20s when she came across an article about how people in China hadn’t heard of gospel and this article completely turned her life around

· In 1930, she spent her savings to go to China.

· When Gladys arrived in China, she didn’t have any missionary training and faced a lot of hurdles in the beginning. However, she soon found success as an evangelical Christian missionary. She took Chinese citizenship in 1936, and was appointed a ‘foot inspector’ to enforce the new law against footbinding young girls and she achieved decent success. During the 1938 invasion by Japan, Gladys helped more than 100 orphans to safety in Sian.

Gladys Aylward was a Super Spiritual mom who had the heart of God. She cared for the physical need in the orphanage and even making sure each one was safe. She also met their spiritual needs as she led bible studies and prayed for the children under her care. She knew her identity and her role in the family of God.

Point #1 – God’s heart is for family

Point #2 – God’s family has an identity

Point #3 – God’s Family has a vacancy

We see throughout scripture this theme of family that is part of God’s redemptive story.

How can we be part of this family?

• “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - John 1:12

• “Truly truly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3

• But the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” – John 4:23

In the gospel of John we see the How question being answered. We see something very clear that it is something that is not your doing but it is something that only God can do.

He gives us right to become children of God. If we receive and believe.

We can only see the Kingdom of God unless we are born again.

What is your born again story? It says here that if you are not born again you will not see the kingdom of God. You will go to hell.

Let me break this question down even further. At what moment in your life did you realize your one depravity and it was evident that you are a sinner and needed help. Nothing on this earth was able to satisfy. You were empty. You were lost. You were looking for purpose. The moment when you cried out to the Lord to save you!

You were changed. Being born again you are a new creation. We are not looking to please ourselves but to please God. We hate sin ,we recognize sin, we are living a life of repentance towards our own sin.

If you are not born again that is your first application for today. Repent and turn to Jesus Christ.

We have this idea that we have to do things and get right before you come to God. God wants you to come as you are. Mess and all. He wants to meet you in your pain, in your addiction, in your darkness and walk with you out of it.

When we look at the cross that is exactly what God did. Jesus stepped down from His throne to be in our midst, in the midst of our mess, our trouble and brokenness. He did not look at your sin and was like this man or woman is too far gone. He willingly took upon the cross your sin and your rightful punishment for the sins you committed. He climbed that tree, hung on that tree so that you would be made free. We would be brought back into Gods family.

I have another amazing story of a godly woman that I hope it serves as an encouragement for all of us and specifically the mothers.

Susanna Wesley was the wife of a preacher. She had 17 children but only 10 survived. She cooked for her children, she homeschooled each and everyone of them. She made sure that each of them had time set aside with her. She led prayer meetings at her house as her deadbeat husband was away writing commentaries or spent the majority of his time in his study. Susanna Wesley was the mother of Charles and John Wesley the two men whom God used to spark a revival. The encouragement for all of the mothers is persevere, press on because your labor is never in vain. You might have yourself the next great evangelist, preacher or revivalist in your house.