YOUR Heavenly Father (Ephesians 1:1-13)
Gary McManus, 06/21/2015Part of the New Life series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Father’s Day
Ephesians 1:1-13 (p.1156 / p.1173)
On line resources:
http://www.christianfathers.com/
http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow
.com/7-tips-for-the-christian-father/
Fathers. . .adoptive fathers
Adoption facts. . .
Adoption is mentioned five times in the New Testament.
(Romans 8:15, Romans 8:23, Romans 9:4,
Galatians 4:5, Ephesians 1:5)
This is always true about adoption:
--you have to want to have children
--and you have to want THAT particular child
God . . .adopting. . . you.
These five verses in the New Testament
are about God adopting YOU.
We have to have Jesus Christ in you
in order to be adopted.(Romans 8:10)
[The Apostle says that if we don’t have Christ,
then we can’t be adopted. (Romans 8:9, 14)]
Paul knows that we all think of family
as being decided by biology.
But we are not children of God according
to the flesh. God birthed us by the Holy Spirit
through Jesus Christ.
No ONE is born a child of God
The Apostle John would say that we are no
t born children of God UNTIL we are born AGAIN.
(John 3:3-8)
Author Chip Ingram writes, “God loves you personally.
God loves YOU specifically and God loves you individually.”
God made our adoption happen
“according to the good pleasure of HIS will.”
(Ephesians 1:11)
“I’ve never heard of an unplanned adoption.”
--Max Lucado
God wanted to be a Dad.
God wanted to have children and
God wanted you as His child.
YOU will be an inheritor of God’s kingdom.
(Matthew 25:34, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Colossians 1:12, James 2:5)
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! - 1 John 3:1
God’s love is NOT generic. . .
God is not adopting animals or pets
(his creation). God is adopting YOU.
God is making heirs of His kingdom.
No where in all of God’s Word is there ANY
mention of being UN-adopted!
. . .a blessed and happy Father’s Day. Amen
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