Calvary Baptist Church
July 18th Sunday Morning Service
Jesus is Your Brother
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  • ALL THE EARTH WILL SING YOUR PRAISES
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  • BETTER IS ONE DAY
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  • Hear The Call Of The Kingdom
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  • God Places You

    She was little fragile needy utterly dependent. At the airport that morning a dear sweet lady handed her to us. She looked up bright but unknowing little grasp of the cataclysmic drama of love of this amazing moment. I looked down eyes filled with tears hands trembling I as held her close. There could not have been more love in my heart she was ours we were hers family forever she didn’t earn her way in she couldn’t dis-earn her way out. Our love would be far from perfect but she was Adopted our home, her home our lives, her life our name, her name what was done in that moment would not be undone. So much beauty packed in one moment.
    God holds me close his hand untrembling I look up, often unknowing the height the depth the breadth of his perfect Fatherly love. Adopted family forever so much beauty in one sacrificial life that made it possible. I did not earn my way in I cannot dis-earn my way out I am now known by his name. What was decided before time began would never be undone. I am his and he is mine. Grace makes the King of kings my Father and his Savior Son my brother forever.
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    Heading Home

    If we are honest with ourselves, we understand that we have been looking for home. Just as this little girl may not have known at some point in her life that she was not part of a family, God knew ahead of time that there would be a family to gather her in and call her their own.
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    Ephesians 1:5 NASB95
    He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
    Why is it important to recognize that we were in need of being adopted?
    In our sinful state, we are separated from the Holy Father above. Only the love and kindness and grace of God brings us into the Holy Family of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
    One issue throughout history are the Christians who believe two different methods of adoption into God’s family.
    The differences lie between how people come to be placed into God’s family and what to do with that knowledge afterwards.
    Hamilton mentions that God is neither cold nor calculated in His approach to bringing people into the family but it is out of His love that people are drawn to make a choice. His loving character also does not allow people to be prideful in the fact that they know God and His love.
    Hamilton, Ian. 2017. Ephesians. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books. Accessed July 16, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.
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    Ephesians 1:11 NASB95
    also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
    The term for adoption (υἱοθεσία) is common in Greek and Roman law, but it never occurs in the LXX. Furthermore, there are no laws or teaching in the OT governing the practice of adoption. Consequently, the readers would necessarily think of the legal practice of adoption as practiced under the prevailing Roman societal structure. Under Roman law, an adopted child acquired all of the legal rights of a natural-born child and was released from the control of his natural father. The child also received the adopting parent’s family name and a share in the status of the new family.
    19 Zondervan. Ephesians, edited by Clinton E. Arnold, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2010. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=5397738. Created from liberty on 2021-07-16 20:39:22.
    Ephesians 1:12 NASB95
    to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
    Arnold Psalm 74:2 mentions that God has known from before time began that there are those who would need redemption and purchase back. Throughout the Old Testament there are many mentions of the reclamation of the people from another.
    Zondervan. 2010. Ephesians. Grand Rapids: HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Accessed July 16, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.
    Ephesians 1:13 NASB95
    In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
    Ephesians 1:14 NASB95
    who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
    As a brother of Christ we have the capability to possess the future blessings now. We do not have to sit idly by in our homes, in our churches, in our cities while we await the return of our king.
    Ephesians 1:15 NASB95
    For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,
    Ephesians 1:16 NASB95
    do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;
    Ephesians 1:17 NASB95
    that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.
    Paul’s ending prayer is that the understanding of the faith in Jesus Christ makes them more than just believers in God. It makes them part of the Holy Family of believers who are capable of partaking of the spirit of wisdom and revelation who reveals who God is and what He has done throughout time past and future.

    Placed as a Son or Daughter

    Paul knew that the people in Ephesus would understand the legal nature of adoption. The inheritance that an adopted person received was a great blessing upon that person.
    For the family that took someone in, their name, reputation, lives, and everything they possessed became part of that person.
    Where someone had no hope before, life changed drastically for one who was placed in the loving care of a family gracious and kind.
    However, we are not to be idle members of the family.

    Purposed Placement

    Paul’s exclamation is that the newly admitted family members are God’s own inheritance.
    Think of this. An inheritance is only received upon the death of an individual. Upon the death of Christ and then the ascension of Christ, the inheritance is the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is the gift for the people who believe.
    God’s gift in return is that because of the death of Christ, the people are then gathered into the family of believers in the body of Christ.
    Paul is explaining how through inheritance God is a receiver of a gift as well. This is why Paul explains that the Holy Spirit is sealing those who believe for the future possession.
    What was prophesied before is realized partly now but will be witnessed in full in the future.

    Don’t be a Little Runaway

    When you have accepted that you have been placed into a new family, you may be tempted to turn back to your old family.
    If you accept Jesus as your brother, then God is your Heavenly Father.
    Jesus says,
    John 8:42 NASB95
    Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.
    He continues to remind those that they were once enslaved to their sin and their sinful father, the devil John 8:44
    Paul alludes to this when he proclaims also that we should not return to slavery but accept our new Heavenly Father.
    Romans 8:15 NASB95
    For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
    There are difficult times in our lives where we return to the things we knew before belonging to the family of God.
    In a new family, there are new things to learn, new ways to speak, new ways to act to understand how to work alongside our new brother, Jesus.

    Look Up to Our Older Brother

    We, the church must recognize that Jesus paved the way for us and set a great example as what we should be able to do. He also gave us part of our inheritance ahead of time to ensure we would not fret in despair while He was away.
    With the guiding Holy Spirit ever present in our lives, we should yield ourselves to understanding what the promises of God are.

    Apex of Salvation

    Adoption has been called the apex, or omega point, of God’s blessings to us in Christ. In our union with Adam, our first head, we fell into sin and became “children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3). In union with Christ, our second and ultimate Head, we are brought into the consummate heights of sonship to God. Jesus is the eternal Son of God in our flesh. Because of God’s predestined purpose “by Jesus Christ,” we have received adoption as sons (v. 5). Jesus has “brothered” us in His gospel. -Hamilton-
    Hamilton, Ian. Ephesians, Reformation Heritage Books, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=5842228. Created from liberty on 2021-07-16 21:12:48.

    Assurance of Arrival

    Our brother, Jesus, headed home a long time ago to prepare the place for us (John 14:3). He also promised that the Holy Spirit would be there for us during that time. Paul’s words here are an assurance for the believers that we are sealed in Christ.
    God’s promises do not fail. Search the Bible for them and see how they are fulfilled.

      • Ephesians 1:5NASB95

      • Ephesians 1:11NASB95

      • Ephesians 1:12NASB95

      • Ephesians 1:13NASB95

      • Ephesians 1:14NASB95

      • Ephesians 1:15NASB95

      • Ephesians 1:16NASB95

      • Ephesians 1:17NASB95

      • John 8.42NASB95

      • Romans 8.15NASB95

  • Hold Us Together
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  • There Is None Like You- Year of Grace
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  • WE FALL DOWN
Calvary Baptist Church
cbc.monaca.pastor@gmail.com
(724) 544-1492
http://www.calvarymonaca.com/
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