Paternity Testing Series

Joke about children:

You spend the first two years of your children’s life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.

Grandchildren are God’s reward for not killing your own children.

Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.

Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said.

The main purpose of holding children’s parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.

We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in.

Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home one day.

I sometimes think that one of the reasons God lets us have children is so that we can see what we put Him through as His children.

Transition and Review

For the next few weeks we are going to be looking at what it means to be the Family of God.

Last week, we heard about the baggage that we all carry from being children of the flesh, children of the devil and children of this world.

Our own earthly fathers, some good and some not so good, haven’t really done a great job to demonstrate our heavenly Father’s love and character to us.

I think that Jesus was aware of this, and in spite of it, urged us to call God our “Father.”

This might be because we are to come to God with the attitude of “little children.”

It also might be because throughout our journey as Christians, we will discover just how incredible God, our Father’s love is compared to our earthly fathers.

Last week we came to grips with our identity.

We dealt with the lie that many of us believe that you are what you do and learned the truth that what we do comes from who we are.

We came to realize that God has given each person who has trusted in Him a brand new identity…that is, His child.

Discovering what it means to be the Family of God first requires us to discover what it means to be a “child of God.”

Obviously, in God’s family, God is the head, the Father…but who are we? We are His children.

How did we get to be His children?

We learned it was through trusting our lives to Jesus Christ.

We learned that we were “slaves” before we became children of God…we were undeserving of the title “children of God.” And yet, God chose to love us and give us value.

We also learned that as children of God we no longer have to feel or act like slaves. I

n fact, part of this sermon series will be geared to helping you and I see the wonderful privileges that come with being God’s children.

Ro 8:14-17 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 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!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him”.

I want you to notice what this passage does not say:

"As many as go to church, these are the sons of God."

"As many as read their Bibles, these are the sons of God."

"As many as take communion, these are the sons of God."

According to this text, the test for son-ship not what a person does, but is whether or not a person is led by the Spirit of God.

The paternity test for being a child of God is evidenced in the Spirit of God within us.

To be led by the Spirit you must first possess the Spirit of God.

Or better said, He must possess (own) you.

In other words, to become a child of God and to have the indwelling Spirit of God, you must surrender the control of your life by trusting it to Jesus Christ.

The title to your life must have Jesus Christ as the owner.

Just as a car or home has a title of ownership, the ownership of your life must have changed.

When that occurs, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our inner being and testifies that belong to Him!

So how are we led by the Holy Spirit?

We are led by the Spirit of God, like a student is led by his teacher or like a traveler on a journey is led by a guide.

We get direction, guidance, leadership, advice, comfort from the Spirit of God.