WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:14.120 The scripture readings today come from the book of Galatians chapter 3 and Romans chapter 00:00:14.120 --> 00:00:15.120 8. 00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:20.120 Please follow along as we read these passages printed in your bulletin. 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:26.320 By the law then, it was added because of transgressions, having been ordained for angels by the agency 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:31.320 of every mediator, until the seed would come to rule the promise that he knew. 00:00:31.320 --> 00:00:36.439 Now a mediator is not a long party only, whereas God is only one. 00:00:36.439 --> 00:00:39.920 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:40.920 May it never be. 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:46.359 For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would have 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:48.760 indeed been based on the law. 00:00:48.760 --> 00:00:53.840 But the scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:56.840 Christ might be given to those who believe. 00:00:56.840 --> 00:01:00.840 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:02.840 is later to be revealed. 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:08.840 Therefore, the law has become an attunitive to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:09.840 by faith. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:12.840 But now that faith has come, we are no longer unread to them. 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:19.840 For you are all sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:23.840 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:25.840 There is neither Jew nor Greek. 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:28.840 There is neither slave nor free man. 00:01:28.840 --> 00:01:31.840 There is neither male nor female. 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.840 For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 00:01:34.840 --> 00:01:39.840 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:40.840 the promise. 00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:43.840 And from the book of Romans we find this. 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:49.840 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he is not different at all from a slave, although 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:54.840 he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers who tell the date 00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:55.840 sent by his father. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:02:02.840 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental days of the 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:03.840 world. 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:08.840 But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under 00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:12.840 the law, so that he might redeem those who are under the law, that we might receive the 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:14.840 adoption of sons. 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:19.840 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:21.840 Abba, Father, be here. 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:29.840 Therefore, there is no one who is a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir from God. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:35.840 However, at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:37.840 are no gods. 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:42.840 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you 00:02:42.840 --> 00:02:49.840 turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:50.840 over the world. 00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:55.840 For you have not received a spirit of slavery needing to fear again, but you have received 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:59.840 a spirit of adoption as sons, by which we cry out, Abba, Father. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:06.840 The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and the children 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:12.840 of heirs also, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ. 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:17.840 If indeed we suffer with him, so that we may also be glorified with him. 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:18.840 This is the reading of God's word. 00:03:18.840 --> 00:03:19.840 This is the reading of God's word. 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:20.840 Thank you. 00:03:20.840 --> 00:03:21.840 Thank you. 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:23.840 Exactly. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:24.840 Oh. 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:25.840 OK. 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:37.840 So until next time, when I get up here, I say, how are you doing, I need to give a clarifying 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:46.259 Okay, someone told me next time I get up here and I say, how you doing? 00:03:47.300 --> 00:03:50.699 I need to give a clarifying theme to work afterwards. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:55.379 So on a scale of one to five, how you guys doing? 00:03:56.840 --> 00:03:57.439 You good? 00:03:58.219 --> 00:03:58.719 Four? 00:03:59.039 --> 00:03:59.300 Three? 00:04:00.219 --> 00:04:00.939 Yeah, that's pretty good. 00:04:01.080 --> 00:04:01.620 Four for you. 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:03.020 Three, I'll work on that. 00:04:03.020 --> 00:04:11.540 Hey, we are going to attempt something that I've been kind of praying about and thinking about for eight years now. 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:17.540 One of the things that is exciting to me about being a pastor is I get to be a part of everyone's journey. 00:04:18.620 --> 00:04:23.180 Whether you know or not, to me, one of the most exciting things for me is just to hear your stories 00:04:23.180 --> 00:04:29.920 and hear God step into your stories and see the struggles, even though I know that isn't a fun thing, 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:35.980 to see how God is faithful in the struggles and how he brings you through things in life. 00:04:36.100 --> 00:04:39.120 To me, that is amazing. 00:04:40.580 --> 00:04:45.340 And I realize even as I hear your stories and you share these things, 00:04:45.420 --> 00:04:47.800 I see where God's taking you on this journey of life, 00:04:48.200 --> 00:04:51.900 that you get to hear our stories as a family, as a Miller family. 00:04:51.899 --> 00:04:55.779 And one of our commitments, and many of you know, Christina or I, for any period of time, 00:04:55.859 --> 00:05:00.799 you know that one of our commitments is to be as real as possible in front of the congregation. 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:02.000 This is the community. 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:02.579 It's the family. 00:05:02.679 --> 00:05:04.120 So we say this is our family also. 00:05:04.979 --> 00:05:10.959 And in our family, we value realness and authenticity more than almost anything. 00:05:11.159 --> 00:05:14.979 And so I think that you probably maybe receive too much realness from us sometimes. 00:05:14.980 --> 00:05:20.600 But as I think about that, you know, our hope is that you see that we are on a journey also 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:25.400 and that we are broken and we desperately need Christ. 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:27.660 We desperately need the gospel. 00:05:27.860 --> 00:05:28.939 We desperately need grace. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:33.460 And so as we go on this journey as a family with you guys, as our family, 00:05:33.960 --> 00:05:36.300 we share parts of that journey with you. 00:05:36.300 --> 00:05:41.000 And an interesting part of that journey, I think one of the most exciting parts of that journey, 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:44.960 happened on May 5, 2003. 00:05:44.980 --> 00:05:46.520 in our life as a family. 00:05:47.080 --> 00:05:49.860 And so I'm going to, we're going to talk about that really briefly. 00:05:49.980 --> 00:05:51.220 So I'm going to get my date here. 00:05:51.220 --> 00:06:14.960 And so, Becca, can you introduce yourself to the one of the people that I'm going to do? 00:06:14.980 --> 00:06:15.540 What's your name? 00:06:15.540 --> 00:06:17.080 I'm in Montana. 00:06:17.080 --> 00:06:19.660 I'm in New 12 and I'm in 100. 00:06:19.980 --> 00:06:21.220 Born in Hong Kong. 00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:21.340 Montana. 00:06:21.340 --> 00:06:25.540 Montana is a very interesting name for a person born in Hong Kong. 00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:26.560 Right? 00:06:27.140 --> 00:06:28.840 Where did that Montana come from? 00:06:29.780 --> 00:06:30.819 Here's my name. 00:06:30.980 --> 00:06:31.480 Montana. 00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:32.700 She's the first person. 00:06:32.700 --> 00:06:33.480 You're a Christian. 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:33.980 Okay. 00:06:33.980 --> 00:06:40.700 So, Becca, as we talk about this adoption today, and people probably know that you're adopted 00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:43.099 because you look different than me, right? 00:06:43.159 --> 00:06:43.560 A little. 00:06:44.379 --> 00:06:46.439 You're much more nice than me than I am. 00:06:47.019 --> 00:06:53.459 Would you share with the church family, the church family, how you came to be a woman? 00:06:54.039 --> 00:06:55.519 My parents wanted to adopt me. 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:57.079 So they liked to call me Joe. 00:06:57.500 --> 00:06:59.480 I came to get me and I was in the house. 00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:05.240 We heard that in China, the most beautiful girls are in Hong Kong. 00:07:07.480 --> 00:07:08.640 That's the best thing to do. 00:07:09.640 --> 00:07:14.480 So, if you want to get a beautiful wife and go to Hong Kong, if you want to learn Mandarin 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:16.340 really well, you go to Hong Kong. 00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:18.060 There's a mixture of Beijing, Yon. 00:07:20.900 --> 00:07:22.520 We can't really get you there. 00:07:22.519 --> 00:07:28.359 Can you share, I mean, I don't want to put you on the spot, but what is your favorite 00:07:28.359 --> 00:07:30.879 thing about being a Miller besides your cool dad? 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:37.759 I don't know because there's so many things. 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:39.060 What would it be? 00:07:39.180 --> 00:07:42.099 What would you, what would be something that you enjoyed when you're proud of that? 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:43.859 I have a fun family. 00:07:44.379 --> 00:07:45.099 You have a fun family. 00:07:45.719 --> 00:07:46.519 That's a good one. 00:07:46.819 --> 00:07:47.120 Yeah. 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:50.319 How would you find? 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:54.819 I'm asking her many more questions than we talked about. 00:07:55.060 --> 00:07:57.000 She's going to beat me up later. 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:08.439 Do you know that your dad is crazy about you? 00:08:10.339 --> 00:08:11.399 How do you know that? 00:08:13.459 --> 00:08:14.180 He's a Nazi. 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:18.699 Okay, so one last question. 00:08:18.699 --> 00:08:26.439 If you could share anything about yourself to the one of our family, what would you like 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:26.839 to share? 00:08:27.719 --> 00:08:28.339 I'm awesome. 00:08:35.059 --> 00:08:37.480 We're going to do the pride talk. 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:41.779 So let me ask you a question after that. 00:08:41.920 --> 00:08:43.460 Are you more awesome than Kim? 00:08:46.980 --> 00:08:48.340 So we'll deal with that later. 00:08:48.580 --> 00:08:50.680 I love you so much. 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:52.600 Thanks for coming up to be here for this. 00:08:52.980 --> 00:08:53.960 And can I pray for you? 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:58.180 And I'm going to pray for Rebecca and pray for all the other kids in our church. 00:08:58.360 --> 00:08:59.340 And if you don't like Rebecca. 00:08:59.340 --> 00:09:02.280 Well, I thank you for this day. 00:09:02.360 --> 00:09:06.540 I thank you for Rebecca and how you brought her into our family and how she's in your life. 00:09:06.980 --> 00:09:09.639 And she just makes our family so much better. 00:09:10.580 --> 00:09:13.100 And every way that you give to her and give to her. 00:09:13.340 --> 00:09:14.399 And so I stand for her. 00:09:15.060 --> 00:09:17.460 I pray that she would always know love and acceptance. 00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:20.600 And she would do mighty things when she would do. 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:27.980 And I pray that all the other children out there in Hong Kong are not adopted yet. 00:09:27.980 --> 00:09:29.100 or are not adopted. 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:30.019 I pray what you do. 00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:31.500 Your spirit be upon them. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:34.860 Your word says that you have a special place in your heart. 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:37.720 For children, orphans, and readers. 00:09:38.100 --> 00:09:39.139 So we pray for the Lord. 00:09:39.620 --> 00:09:40.460 We pray as a church. 00:09:40.620 --> 00:09:42.940 And you continue to teach us what that means for us. 00:09:43.500 --> 00:09:45.440 As we love the kingdom of Jesus. 00:09:46.259 --> 00:09:49.259 Father, we come before you realizing as we just sang. 00:09:49.879 --> 00:09:51.259 That we actually all are adopted. 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:52.920 So we love you. 00:09:52.920 --> 00:09:54.639 And pray the saints for something to say. 00:09:55.340 --> 00:09:55.600 Amen. 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:56.159 Amen. 00:09:57.980 --> 00:09:58.200 Amen. 00:10:00.700 --> 00:10:01.180 Okay. 00:10:02.539 --> 00:10:06.139 So that is a, she's going to get her microphone off here really quickly. 00:10:06.580 --> 00:10:11.080 You know, as Becca is going, and the rest of my kids get to go and leave, 00:10:11.220 --> 00:10:13.259 because they have other things to do. 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:18.159 We could just ask, if she can get the microphone out of her hair. 00:10:19.779 --> 00:10:22.220 We would just ask, you know, it's interesting being a pastor. 00:10:22.379 --> 00:10:24.159 Your kids are always under the microscope, right? 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:27.500 So sometimes you grab them and say, you shouldn't do that because you're a pastor's kid. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:28.799 You should know better than having that things. 00:10:29.259 --> 00:10:34.259 And so we would just ask that you just treat our kids just like every other kid in the church. 00:10:34.699 --> 00:10:40.559 And treat them normal and don't have higher expectations for them than you have for your own kids. 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:41.779 Because they are sinful. 00:10:41.779 --> 00:10:44.459 And also, to be honest, it's interesting. 00:10:44.579 --> 00:10:45.220 We took Rebecca. 00:10:45.379 --> 00:10:49.139 When we first, God gave us Rebecca, we went back to America. 00:10:49.799 --> 00:10:52.480 And, you know, sometimes places in the South, they just don't. 00:10:52.860 --> 00:10:55.360 That's why we love Hong Kong, because they would see Rebecca and they'd go, 00:10:56.299 --> 00:10:58.500 well, bless your little heart, a little Asian girl. 00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:00.199 You said that? 00:11:00.379 --> 00:11:02.519 God gave, told me, yeah, a little Asian girl. 00:11:02.939 --> 00:11:03.659 Bless her, Mark. 00:11:03.720 --> 00:11:04.459 She's so cute. 00:11:04.539 --> 00:11:05.360 She's like a little girl. 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:08.080 She's probably from Jay Pan or something like that. 00:11:10.460 --> 00:11:12.500 No, she's not from Jay Pan. 00:11:13.560 --> 00:11:17.879 But I think that's one of the things we are excited, you know, living in Hong Kong, 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:21.480 because we're used to just many cultures and things like that. 00:11:21.700 --> 00:11:26.120 And so treat our kids normal and point them to Christ, please. 00:11:26.800 --> 00:11:27.120 Okay. 00:11:28.779 --> 00:11:32.960 To be really honest, this whole journey of adoption for me has been a long process. 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:36.280 I've struggled with it for a long time. 00:11:36.379 --> 00:11:37.120 I've thought about it. 00:11:37.180 --> 00:11:39.639 I've prayed about it for many years. 00:11:39.860 --> 00:11:40.759 I've read the Bible. 00:11:40.900 --> 00:11:41.740 I've searched the Bible. 00:11:41.940 --> 00:11:45.840 Some people would probably say I was ignorant about the idea, what it looked like. 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:50.320 And as I started reading the Bible, I realized that there was this common thread that runs 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:53.759 throughout all of Scripture with this idea of adoption. 00:11:54.700 --> 00:11:57.720 I mean, it's throughout the whole Bible. 00:11:57.720 --> 00:12:04.000 And you can't pick up a place in the Bible without reading about adoption. 00:12:05.180 --> 00:12:11.720 And I realized, even as I share today, that there are people in here who have very many, 00:12:11.820 --> 00:12:15.259 many different views on what adoption is, what it means. 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:17.779 Some of you are coming from a cultural standpoint. 00:12:17.960 --> 00:12:19.560 Some of you are coming from personal experience. 00:12:19.660 --> 00:12:21.340 Some of you are coming from struggles. 00:12:21.340 --> 00:12:27.240 And so I want to be sensitive to that as we pray about this and think about this. 00:12:27.500 --> 00:12:32.840 But the Bible just says that we are all on this journey. 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:39.340 And the Bible says that we're all orphans. 00:12:42.500 --> 00:12:44.720 That we're all lost. 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:50.879 And when you read the Bible, it's amazing how many people who are adopted stick up and pop them into the Bible. 00:12:51.620 --> 00:12:55.039 There's some amazing, powerful, and important people. 00:12:55.139 --> 00:12:55.480 Esther. 00:12:56.379 --> 00:13:00.080 She entered a beauty contest, and she ended up being the queen of Persia. 00:13:00.620 --> 00:13:05.059 And God used her to save her people, the people of God, from annihilation. 00:13:06.580 --> 00:13:07.019 Moses. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:13.019 Moses was taken from a river, and he saved God's people from bondage and slavery in Egypt. 00:13:14.620 --> 00:13:15.019 Jesus. 00:13:16.539 --> 00:13:16.940 Jesus. 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:19.600 All on the cross. 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:24.639 And we're told there in Scripture that God was so good. 00:13:27.700 --> 00:13:28.620 For us. 00:13:29.939 --> 00:13:36.960 And because of his orphanage, or being orphaned at that time, his death and separation brings us to God. 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:43.779 One day as I was studying and reading, I realized that I was adopted at the age of 10. 00:13:43.779 --> 00:13:50.480 And in the summer of 1973, I was adopted into a new family. 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:57.639 I continued to live with my biological family until I went off to college, but I was adopted. 00:13:57.639 --> 00:14:03.279 And the passage today in Galatians is a very interesting passage. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:05.259 And there's many of them on adoption. 00:14:06.019 --> 00:14:08.960 Paul wrote the book of Galatians around 48 AD. 00:14:09.179 --> 00:14:13.120 He wrote it to a group of people who were adopted. 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:20.740 But these people had other men come into their congregation and start telling them things like, 00:14:20.820 --> 00:14:22.539 You're really not adopted. 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:24.580 You're really not adopted yet. 00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:26.399 There are some things you still need to do. 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:28.480 There are some things you still need to experience. 00:14:28.620 --> 00:14:33.379 There are some things you still need to allow happen to you before you can truly be adopted. 00:14:33.379 --> 00:14:39.179 And when you read the scripture, you realize that from the very beginning to the very end, 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:44.120 that there are actually only two families in the Bible. 00:14:46.039 --> 00:14:48.799 When you read the scripture from the very beginning to the very end, 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:56.139 you realize that there are only two fathers, two types of sons in the world, two types of heritages. 00:14:56.519 --> 00:14:59.019 And these men came into the church in Galatians. 00:14:59.419 --> 00:15:00.360 They were called Judaizers. 00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:05.240 And they told the people of God who were adopted that you're not really adopted 00:15:05.240 --> 00:15:09.019 because there are certain things you need to do to finalize your adoption. 00:15:09.340 --> 00:15:10.680 You're kind of like half adopted. 00:15:11.899 --> 00:15:13.120 You're not fully adopted. 00:15:14.820 --> 00:15:16.919 And the people began to worry and struggle. 00:15:17.100 --> 00:15:17.940 And they didn't know what to do. 00:15:18.419 --> 00:15:20.379 They didn't know what to do. 00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:24.220 And they were starting to go back to their old family, their old life, 00:15:24.340 --> 00:15:26.080 the family that they were in before they were adopted. 00:15:26.420 --> 00:15:28.039 And Paul wrote some of the book of Galatians and he says, 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:28.340 No! 00:15:28.340 --> 00:15:28.420 No! 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:30.399 No! 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:35.740 And once you're adopted, you are adopted. 00:15:36.680 --> 00:15:39.000 There's no such thing as being half adopted. 00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:40.100 It's like being half pregnant. 00:15:40.460 --> 00:15:42.100 You're either pregnant or you're not pregnant. 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:44.220 You're either adopted or you're adopted. 00:15:44.940 --> 00:15:47.639 And so Paul writes this book of Galatians, which is a powerful book, 00:15:48.060 --> 00:15:53.480 in one of his earliest books to tell us what it means to truly be adopted. 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:56.080 And actually what Paul says in Galatians is, 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:57.060 You're adopted. 00:15:59.000 --> 00:16:00.279 Why aren't you acting like it? 00:16:03.100 --> 00:16:03.920 You're adopted. 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:04.779 You're in a new family. 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:07.500 How come you don't look like your dad? 00:16:07.500 --> 00:16:10.659 Because you should. 00:16:12.460 --> 00:16:13.899 I have a couple pictures here. 00:16:14.620 --> 00:16:15.860 This is the first picture. 00:16:16.019 --> 00:16:17.039 We can put up the slide. 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:18.039 This is Rebecca. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:23.659 This is Rebecca like five minutes before she came into our family. 00:16:23.659 --> 00:16:26.939 So this time Rebecca was in another family. 00:16:28.019 --> 00:16:34.159 And it was a long journey for us living in Nanjing and trying to adopt Rebecca in the middle of SARS. 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:38.219 It seemed like every obstacle got thrown in front of our way. 00:16:38.579 --> 00:16:40.399 And there was a time I almost just wanted to give up. 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:44.240 But there's something in me that drove me and says, 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:46.340 We need this kid. 00:16:46.860 --> 00:16:48.579 We need to bring them into our family. 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:50.720 We need to redeem them. 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:54.720 Later date, I'll share some of our journeys, Christina and I, 00:16:54.779 --> 00:16:58.679 as we came about this together at different stages of life. 00:16:58.759 --> 00:17:01.199 But we both got put upon our heart to adopt. 00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:03.620 The next picture is, just really quickly, 00:17:04.059 --> 00:17:04.879 This is the article. 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:07.000 This is one of the articles that we received, but we adopted her. 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:10.200 It was stamped, and also we got this article, and it said, 00:17:10.519 --> 00:17:13.420 This is the other documents that she's ours now. 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:18.579 That she's coming to our family, and she has a new identity, and a new person. 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:21.059 She has new parents. 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:27.480 The next picture is that moment after we adopted her. 00:17:29.140 --> 00:17:30.279 Now she's a Miller. 00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:34.119 And we were incredibly proud. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:36.019 Last night, we were watching home videos. 00:17:36.019 --> 00:17:37.839 So we got out the home videos last night. 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:39.839 Every kid watched their birth video. 00:17:40.220 --> 00:17:41.980 Every kid watched the adoption video. 00:17:42.339 --> 00:17:44.259 And we stayed up past their bedtime, 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:46.220 because the kids want to watch their birth video, 00:17:46.339 --> 00:17:47.480 or Rebecca's adoption video. 00:17:47.879 --> 00:17:50.519 And in the hotel, we're running around, waiting for her. 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:52.839 And when she comes in, all the kids are screaming. 00:17:53.059 --> 00:17:54.480 There's two of them, Kip and Rachel. 00:17:54.879 --> 00:17:55.559 And they're screaming. 00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:58.240 And we had just been waiting for her for so long. 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:02.759 We gave everything to get her. 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:08.740 The next picture is just a document that says that she's ours. 00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:11.420 It was a legal document. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:14.099 You and I are never going to see the original. 00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:15.759 The original one is sealed away. 00:18:16.660 --> 00:18:17.859 Some place saved, hopefully. 00:18:17.859 --> 00:18:21.539 That document says that she's ours now. 00:18:21.659 --> 00:18:22.699 She's officially ours. 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:27.559 The next picture is a picture of our name. 00:18:29.439 --> 00:18:34.839 You know, we cannot even imagine what it would like to be like without having Rebecca in our name. 00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:39.459 I mean, I can't even fathom what that would be like. 00:18:39.579 --> 00:18:41.639 Because she is just us. 00:18:43.259 --> 00:18:44.179 Who we are. 00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:46.879 And she's fully adopted. 00:18:48.039 --> 00:18:48.720 And she's a killer. 00:18:49.740 --> 00:18:51.819 I want to look at the passage today really quickly. 00:18:51.939 --> 00:18:53.639 And I want to look at four things in this passage. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:57.720 I think the passage in Galatians and Romans tells us four things about ourselves. 00:18:58.059 --> 00:18:59.720 It tells us our finalization. 00:19:01.199 --> 00:19:02.579 It tells us we have a father. 00:19:02.579 --> 00:19:04.899 It tells us we have a family. 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:07.139 It tells us we have a future. 00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:15.379 And the first thing that sticks in there is that Paul shares with us as adopted children that we are final. 00:19:15.799 --> 00:19:18.099 That there is no but you're half adopted. 00:19:18.379 --> 00:19:19.480 There's a finalization. 00:19:20.659 --> 00:19:28.980 If you look at verses 25 through 27, Paul shares in Galatians 3 and 4 that you are sons of God. 00:19:29.220 --> 00:19:30.519 You are the sons of God. 00:19:30.519 --> 00:19:32.319 You have clothed yourself with Christ. 00:19:32.579 --> 00:19:33.619 You are in the family. 00:19:33.619 --> 00:19:35.519 You used to be in the family of Adam. 00:19:35.779 --> 00:19:37.879 A family that was separated from God. 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:39.079 That walked in darkness. 00:19:39.220 --> 00:19:40.039 That was under the law. 00:19:40.119 --> 00:19:40.899 That was in bondage. 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:42.259 That didn't care about Christ. 00:19:42.460 --> 00:19:43.919 But now you are. 00:19:45.539 --> 00:19:46.619 You're with Christ. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:49.460 That there's nothing that can take you from God. 00:19:49.699 --> 00:19:50.279 It's finished. 00:19:50.539 --> 00:19:51.980 You have been adopted into God's family. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:56.839 Now the Roman culture was a very interesting culture because they held adoption very highly. 00:19:57.940 --> 00:20:00.539 And there were a lot of rules in the Roman culture about adoption. 00:20:00.819 --> 00:20:03.579 And it was a very intense legal process. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:06.019 But the rules were strict in Roman adoption. 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:09.339 And the rules said that once you adopted a child, it was final. 00:20:09.339 --> 00:20:10.899 You could not unadopt a child. 00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:16.980 And once you stood before the judge in a Roman court of law and you said, this is my child. 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:19.220 And you've made a defense of why this kid should be yours. 00:20:19.539 --> 00:20:20.799 That they are yours forever. 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:27.119 And Paul tries to use this imagery to the Galatians and to assure them and to affirm them. 00:20:27.379 --> 00:20:30.779 There's nothing they can do to lose their salvation. 00:20:32.500 --> 00:20:34.579 There's nothing they can do to be unadopted. 00:20:35.559 --> 00:20:36.319 Stop worrying. 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:41.460 Because the words that say are, all, have, they all tell us that we have a new identity. 00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:48.139 When Christina and I adopted Rebecca, I had a fear. 00:20:48.140 --> 00:20:53.060 And my fear was that I didn't do all the right things, all the right paperwork. 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:54.280 And there was a lot of paperwork. 00:20:55.140 --> 00:20:56.800 One country just wanted a lot of money. 00:20:56.900 --> 00:20:58.520 And one country just wanted a lot of paperwork. 00:20:58.759 --> 00:20:59.900 And there was a lot of paperwork. 00:21:01.300 --> 00:21:02.560 I won't say which is which. 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:07.380 But I just had this fear that I didn't turn in the right paper. 00:21:07.460 --> 00:21:08.460 I didn't get the right thing done. 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:09.280 We didn't get time. 00:21:09.380 --> 00:21:13.220 There's some times that everything got erased and we had to start all over because of these new rules that happened. 00:21:13.580 --> 00:21:15.640 And I slept in this panic. 00:21:15.640 --> 00:21:20.620 It's like after you graduated from college for three years and all of a sudden you wake up and you go, I missed my exam. 00:21:22.060 --> 00:21:22.980 Well, you've graduated. 00:21:24.340 --> 00:21:29.220 And I was just waiting and waiting and waiting for that final paper that said, she is ours. 00:21:30.620 --> 00:21:35.180 And there were times afterwards I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I forgot to do something. 00:21:36.560 --> 00:21:38.000 When did they come and take her away? 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:47.740 It's the scripture says and Paul says to the people of God that that will never, ever happen because you are in Christ. 00:21:47.880 --> 00:21:49.319 You have a new identity. 00:21:49.539 --> 00:21:50.420 You've been clothed. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:52.819 The crisis in everything. 00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:54.140 Okay. 00:21:57.640 --> 00:21:58.240 Finalization. 00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:03.420 Paul shows us in this passage that as adopted children we have a father. 00:22:04.940 --> 00:22:09.140 We've talked about fathers before and I know that it's a very difficult topic for some of us. 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:10.940 I've shared my journey with my dad. 00:22:11.480 --> 00:22:16.279 But he uses the words in here which are very powerful in verses 26 and 27. 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:20.440 Not only does he say all are, he says sons of God. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:23.220 And this sons of God has nothing to do with gender. 00:22:23.220 --> 00:22:28.480 Sometimes as pastors we read this and we think, well, I've got to add in there sons and daughters of God. 00:22:28.700 --> 00:22:29.440 And that's cool. 00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:31.079 But that's not what it means at all. 00:22:31.160 --> 00:22:32.620 What it means is a term of intimacy. 00:22:34.940 --> 00:22:37.640 It means that you have a personal relationship with God. 00:22:38.860 --> 00:22:42.259 Now this is very powerful because no one in the Old Testament would say this. 00:22:43.180 --> 00:22:46.120 And when Jesus came forward and he said, you are sons of God. 00:22:46.119 --> 00:22:51.059 I mean, no other religion would say this, that we have a personal relationship with God. 00:22:51.239 --> 00:22:53.959 That we have this potential to be intimate to him. 00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:59.259 And the men came into the church and they were saying to the people, hey, you're still under the law. 00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:02.739 And he can do this, this, this, and this. 00:23:04.179 --> 00:23:05.759 You guys aren't performing just right. 00:23:06.219 --> 00:23:09.419 You've done 340 of those laws, but you haven't done 346 of those laws. 00:23:09.719 --> 00:23:11.619 And you're not really adopted. 00:23:11.619 --> 00:23:18.619 But Paul says, no, you're sons of God. 00:23:19.959 --> 00:23:26.619 That word Abba is the first word that a baby earns in Arabic and Jewish culture. 00:23:27.659 --> 00:23:28.839 It's very, very intimate. 00:23:28.939 --> 00:23:29.959 It's only used three times. 00:23:30.059 --> 00:23:32.039 It's used in this passage and used in the Romans passage. 00:23:32.439 --> 00:23:34.259 And it's used when Jesus is praying to God. 00:23:34.259 --> 00:23:43.680 And it's this idea that God is there and he can hear and he understands and he will do everything for you. 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:48.879 It's just like if Rebecca was there and Rebecca were to ask me something. 00:23:50.460 --> 00:23:51.259 Can you do this for me? 00:23:51.640 --> 00:23:54.980 There's almost nothing that I would not do for her. 00:23:54.980 --> 00:24:07.839 And this Galatians passage tells us that God is a God who loves you, who is your new father, and he will do everything for you. 00:24:09.220 --> 00:24:14.120 In the Roman court, you would go up in front of it and the minute that you were adopted, four things happened. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:15.559 And one of those things I've already shared. 00:24:15.660 --> 00:24:19.039 But the second thing would happen is that your whole old mind was taken away. 00:24:20.660 --> 00:24:23.319 That everything about you in your past was taken away. 00:24:23.319 --> 00:24:30.639 That if you were adopted and you tried to go back to your old company or your old business or your old family, you would have no say there. 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:35.700 That all your debt was taken away. 00:24:37.259 --> 00:24:39.039 Some of you are thinking, I'm not myself. 00:24:39.319 --> 00:24:42.960 But everything was taken away. 00:24:43.220 --> 00:24:48.299 All your debt, all your penalties, all those things were taken away and you received a new father. 00:24:48.299 --> 00:24:57.180 Romans 8, 16 here says the spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. 00:24:57.299 --> 00:24:59.200 In 15, we cry out, Abba, Father. 00:24:59.579 --> 00:25:04.039 And it's this imagery again that God, when we came into his family, he gives us his spirit. 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:07.399 And the spirit continually inside of us tells us we are children of God. 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:14.420 In the Roman court, once he finished adoption, the dad signs off, seven men would stand up. 00:25:15.340 --> 00:25:22.240 And they would testify to everyone around that this new child is now in this new family. 00:25:23.560 --> 00:25:32.700 It's the same imagery that Paul uses here that when we come into the family, the Holy Spirit testifies to us. 00:25:32.700 --> 00:25:39.740 The Holy Spirit testifies to everyone that we're now in there. 00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:44.680 It's always there speaking to us. 00:25:44.740 --> 00:25:46.120 It's always there talking to us. 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:52.440 And you guys, you've got to understand this because in Jesus' world, who your dad was, was everything. 00:25:55.440 --> 00:26:00.940 I mean, who you were and what you did was determined by who your dad was. 00:26:02.700 --> 00:26:05.340 I mean, who your daddy is, is everything. 00:26:06.539 --> 00:26:09.220 You just read Matthew, so-and-so begot so-and-so, so-and-so. 00:26:09.460 --> 00:26:10.960 Genesis, so-and-so begot so-and-so. 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:15.779 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, the sons of Thunder. 00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:18.940 Joshua, the son of Nun. 00:26:19.420 --> 00:26:22.480 Jesus, the son of God. 00:26:24.980 --> 00:26:26.840 Think about that when you wake up tomorrow. 00:26:26.840 --> 00:26:28.299 You're in the baby of God. 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:29.140 You look in the mirror. 00:26:31.220 --> 00:26:32.340 You say, Chris. 00:26:32.700 --> 00:26:34.340 John, the son of Nun. 00:26:38.420 --> 00:26:40.840 John, the son of Nun. 00:26:42.860 --> 00:26:45.380 Susan, the son of Nun. 00:26:47.539 --> 00:26:48.740 What would that be, Jim? 00:26:51.080 --> 00:26:55.779 I mean, I read the newspapers today, and there's a lot of fighting over inheritance and who belongs to who. 00:26:55.779 --> 00:26:58.799 And we're always struggling over these things. 00:26:59.799 --> 00:27:04.200 We hear this passage tells us that we belong to God. 00:27:06.839 --> 00:27:07.639 He's our dad. 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:11.259 That means everything. 00:27:11.259 --> 00:27:17.539 I don't know if it's a Western thing, but when I grew up, we always got in fights in the playground. 00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:20.700 And we usually got in fights over who her daddy was. 00:27:20.700 --> 00:27:23.980 Now, you can say anything about a person's dad, but you can say something about their mama. 00:27:24.340 --> 00:27:24.920 They didn't fight. 00:27:25.620 --> 00:27:30.160 But usually, you know, little kids get together and say, well, my dad, my dad's a pilot. 00:27:31.600 --> 00:27:32.640 My dad's a soldier. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:34.819 My dad's a doctor. 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:37.200 My dad's a banker. 00:27:37.299 --> 00:27:38.140 No one ever say banker. 00:27:38.140 --> 00:27:38.259 My dad's a banker. 00:27:39.460 --> 00:27:40.460 It's a joke. 00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:43.259 But you and me have a fight over that. 00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:46.520 Because who your dad was meant everything. 00:27:50.220 --> 00:27:53.820 You can imagine standing in a playground and saying, my dad is a man. 00:27:59.259 --> 00:28:00.920 That kind of trumps everything, doesn't it? 00:28:02.580 --> 00:28:03.700 What do you say after that? 00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:07.160 You know that's true? 00:28:08.140 --> 00:28:13.940 As you're walking through life and things are getting hit, hit you, and hit you, and hit you, 00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:16.660 you think, I think that's not. 00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:22.759 As you're in work and you're being tempted to do unethical things, 00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:24.400 and things are a lot of pressure, 00:28:26.080 --> 00:28:27.440 I think that's not. 00:28:30.460 --> 00:28:34.540 As you feel troubled and tempted and hurt, 00:28:35.780 --> 00:28:36.900 that no one is on your side. 00:28:38.140 --> 00:28:41.060 I think that's not. 00:28:45.740 --> 00:28:48.840 In the Roman culture, who your daddy was, was everything. 00:28:50.200 --> 00:28:53.000 And Paul says, as God's children, you and I, 00:28:54.680 --> 00:28:55.400 we're daddy's mom. 00:28:55.400 --> 00:29:06.920 Paul goes on and he tells us that as adopted children of God, 00:29:07.300 --> 00:29:08.280 we have a new family. 00:29:09.040 --> 00:29:10.660 That we've been transferred from the old family, 00:29:10.980 --> 00:29:12.940 where we were called enemies and indifferent to God, 00:29:13.280 --> 00:29:14.259 and where we were slaves. 00:29:14.360 --> 00:29:18.100 Verse 7 and 8 and 9 tells us over and over again that we were slaves. 00:29:18.340 --> 00:29:20.240 We were slaves to elemental things. 00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:23.259 That the word in Hebrew actually means demons. 00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:31.099 But before we knew God, that we were enslaved to demonic forces. 00:29:34.059 --> 00:29:39.480 And things that were simple and tried to draw us away from the family that we're supposed to be into, 00:29:40.140 --> 00:29:41.099 into our old family. 00:29:41.099 --> 00:29:45.059 Paul says over and over again that you have a new family, 00:29:45.159 --> 00:29:45.939 you have a new community. 00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:48.519 The Bible says that to us over and over as adopted children. 00:29:48.879 --> 00:29:51.199 In the Roman culture, the dad goes before the judge. 00:29:51.500 --> 00:29:54.740 He makes this legal case to justify why he should have this kid. 00:29:55.079 --> 00:29:57.559 The judge hits his hammer and he says, 00:29:57.639 --> 00:29:58.139 vindication. 00:29:58.140 --> 00:30:01.500 That's where we get vindicated from. 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:06.020 It means from now on, this kid is vindicated. 00:30:06.600 --> 00:30:09.800 That all things about them, all the old things, all the terrible things, 00:30:09.900 --> 00:30:11.360 all the things they did, all the mistakes, 00:30:11.600 --> 00:30:13.240 all those things are vindicated, they're done with. 00:30:17.020 --> 00:30:18.160 When I look at them, 00:30:20.060 --> 00:30:20.500 they do. 00:30:24.460 --> 00:30:25.440 They have a new family. 00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:28.660 They don't have the old debts. 00:30:28.740 --> 00:30:29.759 They don't have the old obligations. 00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:32.240 They don't have the legal ramifications in their lives. 00:30:32.279 --> 00:30:33.620 They don't have things they had to do. 00:30:34.279 --> 00:30:36.400 The sin that so easily entangled them, 00:30:36.660 --> 00:30:38.299 they don't have to do that anymore 00:30:38.299 --> 00:30:39.740 because they're vindicated. 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:43.160 God gave them a new family. 00:30:45.160 --> 00:30:46.100 A new creation. 00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:50.759 It was amazing to see Rebecca when we brought her into our house. 00:30:51.140 --> 00:30:53.299 We brought her into our house and she just sat there. 00:30:55.440 --> 00:30:57.500 She didn't know what to do. 00:30:58.720 --> 00:31:02.100 She had been in a playpen for almost a year. 00:31:03.320 --> 00:31:04.380 She couldn't crawl. 00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:06.840 She could stand up and be held her. 00:31:07.840 --> 00:31:11.400 But she was so used to her old surroundings and who she was 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:14.400 that in the new house, she didn't know even how to act. 00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:17.840 And she just sat there sometimes. 00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:23.300 Paul is sharing to us, he's sharing to the Galatians 00:31:23.300 --> 00:31:25.460 that as we enter into this new family, 00:31:25.800 --> 00:31:28.900 we have a new relationship with all those around us 00:31:28.900 --> 00:31:30.720 and we don't have to wonder, 00:31:31.360 --> 00:31:32.340 well, how do I act? 00:31:32.380 --> 00:31:33.259 I used to act this way. 00:31:33.300 --> 00:31:34.220 What is it applied now? 00:31:34.600 --> 00:31:36.700 And the Spirit of God tells us that. 00:31:40.340 --> 00:31:41.700 That we have a new family 00:31:41.700 --> 00:31:43.680 that we don't have to worry anymore. 00:31:45.120 --> 00:31:49.920 It's interesting in this old Roman adoption process, 00:31:50.700 --> 00:31:54.480 the price to pay the dad paid was incredibly high. 00:31:56.620 --> 00:31:58.340 When the dad wanted to adopt the kid, 00:31:58.380 --> 00:32:00.200 he paid an amazingly high price. 00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:03.620 And everyone knew that. 00:32:03.619 --> 00:32:08.759 And that was transferred to that kid as their word. 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:13.599 When we look at these scriptures, 00:32:14.839 --> 00:32:16.679 you realize that as we were orphans, 00:32:18.259 --> 00:32:20.279 God indicates us. 00:32:21.939 --> 00:32:23.819 The price he paid to do that 00:32:23.819 --> 00:32:26.579 is amazingly high. 00:32:28.619 --> 00:32:29.659 It was his son. 00:32:33.619 --> 00:32:35.379 Paul shows us as adopted children 00:32:35.379 --> 00:32:37.679 that we have an amazing future in him. 00:32:39.479 --> 00:32:43.079 Verses 24, verses 7. 00:32:44.199 --> 00:32:45.379 It says that you're heirs. 00:32:46.579 --> 00:32:48.079 That you're Abraham's descendants 00:32:48.079 --> 00:32:50.519 that you admitted you to come into the family of Christ. 00:32:51.679 --> 00:32:54.099 That you're descendants of God. 00:32:54.539 --> 00:32:56.819 That you're heirs, you're co-heirs of Jesus Christ. 00:32:57.159 --> 00:32:58.059 Do you understand what that means? 00:32:58.059 --> 00:33:04.259 Do you understand what it means to be an heir of God? 00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:09.539 It means that everything that God has 00:33:09.539 --> 00:33:11.639 is yours. 00:33:15.559 --> 00:33:17.599 Do you understand what it means to be a co-heir 00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:19.220 of Jesus Christ? 00:33:19.220 --> 00:33:24.919 It means that Jesus is your brother. 00:33:24.920 --> 00:33:26.680 Do you understand what it means to be a co-heir 00:33:26.680 --> 00:33:27.279 of Jesus Christ? 00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:28.720 With everything your brother has. 00:33:32.100 --> 00:33:33.920 The Roman law was really strict. 00:33:34.680 --> 00:33:36.100 When you got adopted into that family, 00:33:36.440 --> 00:33:38.220 you were a child of that family. 00:33:38.420 --> 00:33:40.660 You had equal rights to all the inheritance. 00:33:42.100 --> 00:33:43.980 Sometimes you had more rights to the inheritance 00:33:43.980 --> 00:33:45.500 than the biological kids did. 00:33:46.600 --> 00:33:48.519 Because your father went so far out of the way 00:33:48.519 --> 00:33:49.840 to grab you and to get you 00:33:49.840 --> 00:33:50.880 and to bring you into the family 00:33:50.880 --> 00:33:53.360 that you were even treated as even more special. 00:33:53.359 --> 00:34:00.139 Paul tells the people here, 00:34:00.240 --> 00:34:01.779 you don't need to worry about your future 00:34:01.779 --> 00:34:03.799 because everything that God has, 00:34:04.159 --> 00:34:04.699 you have. 00:34:04.839 --> 00:34:06.619 Everything that he has is at your disposal. 00:34:07.099 --> 00:34:08.279 You're heirs of Abraham. 00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:09.719 You're descendants of his. 00:34:10.119 --> 00:34:12.039 Abraham was given the promise of everything. 00:34:12.460 --> 00:34:13.440 You're heirs of God. 00:34:13.699 --> 00:34:14.460 You have a future. 00:34:14.819 --> 00:34:15.900 You can cry out to God 00:34:15.900 --> 00:34:17.480 and you don't need to worry 00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:18.719 about your inheritance. 00:34:18.900 --> 00:34:19.699 In the Old Testament, 00:34:19.900 --> 00:34:20.759 inheritance is everything. 00:34:20.760 --> 00:34:25.040 That's why it's so difficult 00:34:25.040 --> 00:34:26.420 for Abraham to leave his family. 00:34:27.380 --> 00:34:28.220 To leave his future 00:34:28.220 --> 00:34:29.560 and his flock and everything, 00:34:29.700 --> 00:34:30.780 the land that was given to him. 00:34:31.060 --> 00:34:31.760 He left it all. 00:34:31.820 --> 00:34:33.160 That's why his faith is so amazing 00:34:33.160 --> 00:34:34.280 because in that culture, 00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:35.280 no one would ever do that. 00:34:35.340 --> 00:34:36.100 But he left it all 00:34:36.100 --> 00:34:37.240 to go to a new inheritance. 00:34:39.160 --> 00:34:40.120 And in this passage, 00:34:40.660 --> 00:34:42.320 Paul is telling the church of Galatians, 00:34:42.380 --> 00:34:43.060 he's telling us, 00:34:43.420 --> 00:34:45.000 hey, you have a new inheritance. 00:34:45.220 --> 00:34:45.780 You're adopted. 00:34:45.780 --> 00:34:47.540 And this inheritance is eternal. 00:34:50.120 --> 00:34:51.019 Have you ever thought about that? 00:34:56.900 --> 00:34:57.800 Take Rebecca. 00:34:59.100 --> 00:35:00.240 Take her out of the crib. 00:35:01.100 --> 00:35:01.980 We love her. 00:35:03.500 --> 00:35:04.300 And then one more day, 00:35:04.340 --> 00:35:04.860 she goes, 00:35:05.860 --> 00:35:06.960 I want to go back to the crib. 00:35:06.960 --> 00:35:11.320 I want to go back to the old church. 00:35:14.260 --> 00:35:15.159 What do you think? 00:35:19.079 --> 00:35:20.059 He is a man. 00:35:21.240 --> 00:35:22.220 It's pretty obvious. 00:35:22.300 --> 00:35:23.159 That kid doesn't understand 00:35:23.159 --> 00:35:24.260 just what's happening to him. 00:35:26.300 --> 00:35:26.980 The new family, 00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:27.619 they didn't get it. 00:35:27.720 --> 00:35:28.800 They didn't have the whole family. 00:35:31.860 --> 00:35:33.039 You know, the scripture says 00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:33.900 that same thing is true. 00:35:33.900 --> 00:35:39.400 We live life today on this earth. 00:35:40.780 --> 00:35:41.980 And this life on this earth 00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:42.599 is our crib. 00:35:44.059 --> 00:35:45.660 We try to add things in our crib 00:35:45.660 --> 00:35:46.480 and buy things 00:35:46.480 --> 00:35:47.180 and do things 00:35:47.180 --> 00:35:47.820 and get things 00:35:47.820 --> 00:35:48.960 and I'm just as guilty 00:35:48.960 --> 00:35:49.920 as you guys are, everybody. 00:35:52.200 --> 00:35:53.480 And God looks at us and goes, 00:35:53.660 --> 00:35:53.900 hmm, 00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:56.460 I'm about to give you heaven. 00:36:01.059 --> 00:36:02.420 I'm about to give you a galaxy. 00:36:03.900 --> 00:36:06.180 I'm about to give you planets. 00:36:08.980 --> 00:36:09.940 I'm about to give you things 00:36:09.940 --> 00:36:10.420 I've created 00:36:10.420 --> 00:36:11.639 you haven't even seen yet. 00:36:15.059 --> 00:36:15.780 We go, 00:36:17.460 --> 00:36:18.700 I'm going to go back to the crib. 00:36:20.760 --> 00:36:21.960 Because this place right here, 00:36:22.059 --> 00:36:22.639 this is my home. 00:36:22.639 --> 00:36:26.599 I'm about to give you a baby. 00:36:26.599 --> 00:36:27.739 I'm about to give you a baby. 00:36:32.859 --> 00:36:33.879 I'm about to give you a baby. 00:36:33.879 --> 00:36:35.179 I'm about to give you a baby. 00:36:37.659 --> 00:36:39.139 Because your inheritance is everything. 00:36:41.139 --> 00:36:42.500 But God is going to give you 00:36:42.500 --> 00:36:43.379 a baby. 00:36:43.379 --> 00:36:44.099 God can give you this world. 00:36:45.219 --> 00:36:46.619 Look at how this world 00:36:46.619 --> 00:36:47.420 pays 00:36:47.420 --> 00:36:49.219 for the person. 00:36:49.219 --> 00:36:54.059 Because you share 지금까지. 00:36:54.299 --> 00:36:55.039 You're mainly 00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:59.279 because 00:36:59.279 --> 00:36:59.819 your body is 00:36:59.819 --> 00:37:02.459 not so great. 00:37:02.679 --> 00:37:03.279 That's soft. 00:37:03.280 --> 00:37:21.980 I wonder why I spent so much effort buying and building and getting things in. 00:37:21.980 --> 00:37:24.760 This is why I have to make my life comfortable right now. 00:37:25.080 --> 00:37:32.480 And what Galatians tells us, what God tells us is that this inheritance that you're about to get fails. 00:37:33.280 --> 00:37:45.240 The new body that you're about to get, the one that's dying right now of cancer, it tails in comparison to what you're about to get. 00:37:47.240 --> 00:38:02.180 That 13-month bonus, the new house you're going to buy, the new car, new watch, whatever it is, that tails in comparison to the inheritance God's going to give. 00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:08.000 The car complained. 00:38:10.080 --> 00:38:11.280 Watch the galaxy. 00:38:14.440 --> 00:38:16.220 The people of Paul's day forgot that. 00:38:20.340 --> 00:38:23.060 And sometimes we as adopted people forget that also. 00:38:23.059 --> 00:38:26.099 Some final thoughts, and we're going to close here. 00:38:27.619 --> 00:38:30.579 One final thought is, as I've been thinking of, is that we don't adopt ourselves. 00:38:31.619 --> 00:38:33.619 We don't write out the terms for our adoption. 00:38:34.179 --> 00:38:40.159 Our adoption is through God's choice, through God's love, through God's mercy, through God's grace, through God's extreme sacrifice. 00:38:40.739 --> 00:38:42.599 Rebecca had no idea that we were adopting her. 00:38:43.639 --> 00:38:45.699 She probably still didn't even know it after the first year. 00:38:45.699 --> 00:38:49.319 Well, she understands it now, what it means to be in this new family. 00:38:49.679 --> 00:38:52.339 But the scripture says that God is behind the scenes. 00:38:52.439 --> 00:38:52.799 He's working. 00:38:52.919 --> 00:38:53.359 He's changing. 00:38:53.480 --> 00:38:53.839 He's doing. 00:38:54.179 --> 00:38:55.639 And he's working in your life right now. 00:38:55.719 --> 00:38:56.599 And you don't even realize it. 00:38:56.599 --> 00:39:02.059 Because his desire, his number one desire, is to adopt you and bring you into this family. 00:39:04.920 --> 00:39:06.319 Second thought is, we have a choice. 00:39:06.639 --> 00:39:09.400 As God's people, we always have this choice. 00:39:09.480 --> 00:39:13.000 Our choices, are we going to walk with our new adopted father? 00:39:13.119 --> 00:39:14.779 Or are we going to walk in our old life? 00:39:16.659 --> 00:39:18.619 It's what Paul was writing to the Galatians about. 00:39:18.759 --> 00:39:19.960 He's saying, hey, be careful. 00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:21.860 Make sure that you look like your dad. 00:39:21.860 --> 00:39:25.200 Make sure that you act like your dad. 00:39:25.260 --> 00:39:26.460 Make sure you talk like your dad. 00:39:26.519 --> 00:39:27.420 Because this is your heritage. 00:39:30.460 --> 00:39:33.700 I mean, even as I share this right now, I realize that there are some of us in here, probably, 00:39:34.519 --> 00:39:37.120 who accepted Christ a while back in our lives. 00:39:38.140 --> 00:39:40.640 But, you know, we never really actually would have meant to be adopted. 00:39:42.920 --> 00:39:45.740 We look and act just like our old family. 00:39:48.260 --> 00:39:50.440 We don't take on the characteristics of our new family. 00:39:50.820 --> 00:39:51.420 God's family. 00:39:52.840 --> 00:39:59.160 We depend on the elemental things to give us meaning and purpose and happiness and wealth and goodness. 00:40:01.420 --> 00:40:05.720 And Paul tells the church, he tells us that if we do that, we become slaves. 00:40:10.240 --> 00:40:15.900 And if we do that as God's children, if we go back to the playpen, we become slaves. 00:40:15.900 --> 00:40:20.619 And if we become slaves, we miss out on God's purpose and plan for our own. 00:40:24.500 --> 00:40:26.400 If we become slaves, it becomes tiring. 00:40:26.960 --> 00:40:29.260 Because we try so hard to live in both worlds. 00:40:29.260 --> 00:40:30.260 Too much energy. 00:40:30.260 --> 00:40:32.560 Too much energy. 00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:33.440 Too hard. 00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:34.440 We become slaves. 00:40:34.440 --> 00:40:43.019 And if we become slaves, we miss out everything that God has in store for us. 00:40:43.019 --> 00:40:52.139 And if you're one of those people today that have invited Christ into your life, that if someone would look at you and say, 00:40:52.139 --> 00:40:54.519 I can't tell what baby we're doing. 00:40:56.519 --> 00:40:57.559 Never let your dad. 00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:07.759 My prayer for you and for me is that we would understand for the first time just how much God gave for us. 00:41:07.760 --> 00:41:12.960 That we would understand what Christ did when he adopted us. 00:41:14.640 --> 00:41:22.200 That we would come before the Lord and we would just confess our sin and ask him to change us. 00:41:23.340 --> 00:41:25.260 That we'd get involved in a community group. 00:41:26.260 --> 00:41:27.340 That we'd start praying. 00:41:27.460 --> 00:41:28.660 That we'd start reading God's word. 00:41:28.740 --> 00:41:32.480 That we'd start acting and looking like children of God. 00:41:35.260 --> 00:41:37.540 And that we'd be careful of the elemental things. 00:41:38.640 --> 00:41:40.300 Now I'm not saying those things are bad. 00:41:41.780 --> 00:41:47.400 What I'm saying is if you put your hope in those things, then you become an idol that's going to leave your soul. 00:41:50.540 --> 00:41:54.700 If you're here and you haven't been adopted yet, you're still asking questions about what it means to be a Christian, 00:41:55.040 --> 00:41:56.960 my prayer for you is exactly the same thing. 00:41:56.960 --> 00:41:59.520 Is that you would ask your friends. 00:42:00.640 --> 00:42:02.560 You would come talk to me and the other staff. 00:42:03.620 --> 00:42:05.760 You would examine Jesus' claims. 00:42:05.760 --> 00:42:11.900 You would understand who he is and you would understand the great price and sacrifice he takes for you to your life and to the family. 00:42:12.800 --> 00:42:16.760 Then you would understand how much he wants to adopt you and bring you to his family. 00:42:18.360 --> 00:42:19.520 And you would do that to me. 00:42:21.240 --> 00:42:24.980 Will you put your faith and your trust in Christ and allow you to change and bring you to his family? 00:42:24.980 --> 00:42:25.920 Are you okay? 00:42:25.920 --> 00:42:35.460 I realize as I talk, I've been made fun of because sometimes I make up new words. 00:42:37.559 --> 00:42:41.099 I realize as I talk that I'm not very PC sometimes. 00:42:42.780 --> 00:42:45.599 I don't know all the politically correct terms about adoption. 00:42:47.260 --> 00:42:49.599 To be honest, they change very frequently. 00:42:49.860 --> 00:42:51.740 Sometimes you can say this, sometimes you can't say that. 00:42:52.119 --> 00:42:54.780 You get messed up sometimes. 00:42:54.780 --> 00:42:55.760 I don't know all those things. 00:42:55.760 --> 00:42:57.540 I'm sure that I offended somebody in here. 00:42:59.240 --> 00:43:00.940 If I did, I apologize. 00:43:03.360 --> 00:43:06.720 I want you to know how much I love her. 00:43:10.360 --> 00:43:13.760 What I did is bring her into our family. 00:43:15.880 --> 00:43:19.680 How I'm so happy that she came from me. 00:43:21.320 --> 00:43:24.100 I want you to know that what God did for you right now, 00:43:24.099 --> 00:43:29.199 that God's love, that God's pursuit of you fails, 00:43:30.759 --> 00:43:31.480 it's embarrassing. 00:43:31.699 --> 00:43:33.659 I want you to know that I love you. 00:43:33.659 --> 00:43:41.799 God, I love you so much. 00:43:43.500 --> 00:43:45.259 I want you to understand that you're in the family. 00:43:46.839 --> 00:43:48.179 I want you to walk like that. 00:43:48.179 --> 00:43:59.799 Christ, I want you to know that I love you. 00:43:59.799 --> 00:44:01.000 I want you to know that I love you. 00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:01.759 I want you to know that I love you. 00:44:01.760 --> 00:44:03.260 Christ, I want you to know that I love you. 00:44:03.260 --> 00:44:03.760 I love you. 00:44:03.760 --> 00:44:04.140 I love you. 00:44:04.140 --> 00:44:04.640 I love you. 00:44:04.640 --> 00:44:05.140 I love you. 00:44:05.140 --> 00:44:06.300 Christ, home on the cross, 00:44:07.560 --> 00:44:09.300 he was forsaken by God. 00:44:09.900 --> 00:44:10.920 He cried out, 00:44:11.020 --> 00:44:13.580 my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 00:44:13.579 --> 00:44:18.639 He was orphaned so that us as orphans 00:44:18.639 --> 00:44:20.619 could come into his family. 00:44:22.299 --> 00:44:23.360 That's how much God loses. 00:44:33.900 --> 00:44:35.360 Father, we just thank you for this day. 00:44:36.400 --> 00:44:38.579 We thank you for your mercy and your grace in our life. 00:44:38.579 --> 00:44:47.340 I pray for every one of us in here 00:44:47.340 --> 00:44:48.980 that we would just begin to understand 00:44:48.980 --> 00:44:51.460 a little more about adoption and what it means. 00:44:54.340 --> 00:44:56.219 Father, I pray that we would begin to understand 00:44:56.219 --> 00:44:58.920 just a little bit more about how crazy you are for us 00:44:58.920 --> 00:45:02.599 and how you waited eternity. 00:45:03.440 --> 00:45:05.259 We waited three years for Rebecca 00:45:05.259 --> 00:45:07.900 and you waited eternity past. 00:45:08.579 --> 00:45:09.259 For us. 00:45:11.019 --> 00:45:12.799 Father, help us to understand that. 00:45:14.059 --> 00:45:17.400 Help us to see your love and your sacrifice. 00:45:19.380 --> 00:45:20.819 Help us to see as your children 00:45:20.819 --> 00:45:22.219 that we are fully adopted. 00:45:22.420 --> 00:45:23.519 We're not partially adopted. 00:45:24.440 --> 00:45:25.940 That we have a finalization. 00:45:26.139 --> 00:45:27.480 We have a father who loves us. 00:45:27.539 --> 00:45:29.179 We have a family that cares for us. 00:45:29.619 --> 00:45:31.400 And we have a future inheritance 00:45:31.400 --> 00:45:32.940 which we can't even imagine right now. 00:45:34.440 --> 00:45:35.819 As we walk with you, Lord, 00:45:35.860 --> 00:45:37.219 the only thing I'm going to say and do 00:45:37.219 --> 00:45:38.059 is we pray you. 00:45:38.059 --> 00:45:41.519 We thank you that you didn't give up on us. 00:45:42.860 --> 00:45:45.719 That you pursued us and pursued us and pursued us. 00:45:46.579 --> 00:45:47.820 Even when we ran away. 00:45:49.159 --> 00:45:51.159 We might come into your families and be children. 00:45:52.619 --> 00:45:53.980 We call the sons of God. 00:45:53.980 --> 00:45:54.920 We thank you. 00:45:55.760 --> 00:45:57.099 Lord, we love you. 00:45:57.219 --> 00:45:57.800 We thank you for the research. 00:45:58.440 --> 00:45:58.599 Thank you. 00:45:58.599 --> 00:46:28.579 Thank you.