1. REMEMBER the contrast in this wonderful GOSPEL OF GRACE is between the LAW & FAITH.
• How do I relate to God? By faith or fear?
RULES, REGULATIONS… RELIGION & RITUALS.
• Don’t touch this. Don’t wear that. Don’t, Can’t, Shouldn’t!
• It’s the spirit of bondage again to fear.
• Think about religion for a moment and its lists of do’s & don’ts
• Following a system like that gives a person just one care…
• A person becomes only interested in the LIST, the RULES.
• In your mind, the LIST-GIVER, or the RULE-MAKER is cruel, and distant, and mean… especially when you make a mistake!
• THE LAW: brings with it bondage, fear, & condemnation!
But notice again v15, we didn’t receive the spirit of bondage but rather the spirit of adoption, the gospel of grace!
• Our relationship is with the Father, not the RULE GIVER!
• We live by FAITH, not motivated by FEAR!
• Grace brings freedom, confidence, and forgiveness!
NOTE: GOD reveals Himself to us through many different pictures throughout the Bible.
AS A MOTHER EAGLE STIRRING THE NEST
Deuteronomy 32:11-12 (NKJV) 11 As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, 12 So the Lord alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him.
AS A MOTHER HEN WANTING TO DRAW HER CHICKS
Psalm 36:7-8 (NKJV) 7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
JESUS WOULD SAY: Matthew 23:37 (NKJV) 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
AS A SHEPHERD WITH HIS SHEEP.
Ezekiel 34:11-12 (NKJV) 11 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.
JESUS WOULD SAY: John 10:11 (NKJV) 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
AS A HUSBAND TO HIS WIFE.
Isaiah 54:5 (NKJV) 5 For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.
AS A BRIDEGROOM TO HIS BRIDE
Isaiah 61:10 (NKJV) 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
• AND AS CHRISTIANS, we are called the bride of Christ.
Paul GIVES US ONE MORE HERE… God is our father, our ABBA.
• An Aramaic word that translates for us DADDY or PAPA.
• Jesus prayed Abba, Father in Mark 14:36
NOW I know this can be one of the most difficult pictures of God for some of you because in your life,
• Your dad wasn’t there. Or was harsh & hurtful. Wasn’t reliable or helpful and just a plain bad example.
• Memories are stirred up that you just don’t want to recall.
• This picture can make you more distant than close.
• I understand and I’ve prayed that your heart would be open to the most wonderful, beautiful picture of our Graceful God in all of the Bible… our DADDY, our PAPA, our ABBA Father…
I’m a dad myself… living apart from Jesus, I became one at age 18.
• I was ill-equipped and not ready. Drunk. Distant. Devastating.
• Mistake after mistake I made. I was horrible.
• My poor son endured the stupidity of a man who wasn’t one.
• YET God’s grace prevailed and covered our home in patience.
• AND GOD broke through! I became a dad to that boy.
• What joyful love we experience now. Our next 2 children were born to parents who loved Jesus and were open to learn.
V16 - YOU CAN RELATE TO YOUR GOD AS DADDY because His Spirit bears witness with our spirit… we love Him!
• It’s not by human example, but by heavenly revelation!
• Flip over to Galatians 4:1-7
• Closeness, intimacy.
• There is that deep desire in our hearts for intimacy that is only satisfied fully in our spiritual father’s arms.
APP: THIS Relationship is not one of fear.
• We’re not under some taskmaster who is cracking the whip all the time & just waiting for you to fail… so he can condemn you!
• The spirit cries out, yells out. ABBA FATHER!
NOTE: We have this intimacy in us not knowing how to express it at times, especially some of you men.
• I don’t do that ED. I’m not EMOTIONAL. Well not really, I AM MAD AT you right now for suggesting I get emotional!
Our Father in heaven wants us express our emotions toward Him.
• He wants us to know without any doubts that we are His children, and He loves us supremely
Believing that we’re God’s children under His love…
• THAT’S A CONSTANT STRUGGLE FOR SOME OF YOU.
• It’s a CONSTANT SPIRITUAL ATTACK FOR ALL OF US.
• Am I still a Christian? Does God still love me because of what I did or didn’t do?
• But you’ve been adopted into God’s precious family.
• All rights & privileges belonging to His family are yours by faith!
REMEMBER, at one time we were under the authority of the flesh and law (8:5).
• But when the Spirit of Christ came to dwell in you, you are no longer a debtor to the flesh but to the Spirit!
• Adopted into the family of God… AMAZING!
• You know it was so binding that a parent could disown a child of birth but not one of adoption! It is 100% irrevocable!
NOTE: I can tell you from a personal perspective, my parents are precious and wonderful and 100% my parents.
• Now I’m sure as I was growing up they would shake their heads at me and wonder… who’s kid is this?!
• But they never voiced it. Never turned their back on me.
• And all this, after they ADOPTED me into their family.
• They CHOSE me, TOOK me, CARED for me, RAISED me, LOVED me as their own child
• Indeed I AM their son! It’s wonderful!
KING SAUL was a tyrant of a king. He had so much potential but failed to live in communion with His God.
• So God raised up a new king, David. (As God always does.)
• Saul hunted David like a wild animal, to no avail.
• Saul dies and David takes the throne!
• Saul’s family does what every family would do when their control is over… they run away, flee, and hide!
2 Samuel 4:4 (NKJV) 4 Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
• As they take off, Saul’s little grandson suffered a permanent injury that would be with him all his life.
BY THE TIME we get to 2 Samuel 9, years have passed.
• Mephibosheth is now an adult, living out his days with a severe handicap that has never healed.
• David, in the prime of his reign begins to think… GRACE has captured his heart and now he wants to extend it! (v2-4)
CIRCLE THAT WORD ‘KINDNESS’
• Jot down next to it, ‘mercy, lovingkindness, grace’.
• I love it. He doesn’t ask, is there anyone who is deserving? Is there anyone who is qualified? Is there anyone worthy?
• Look at (v5-8). Can you imagine how he felt? Oh wow! Me?
• And David says, what our Father says… DO NOT FEAR!
NOTICE v8… I’m just a dead dog… I don’t deserve this. (v9-13)
• 4 times we are told that Mephibosheth would eat at the king’s table, in v7, 10, 11, & 13.
• David honors the son of his friend Jonathan by having him dine with him regularly, live in the palace… forever.
• No strings attached. Just the pure gracious love of adoption!
NOTE: What do you and I have to offer the Creator of the universe?
• Anything I have, He gave me to begin with!
• WOW… if you struggle and wrestle with seeing God as your dear, precious, and faithful heavenly father… take these and put them to memory.
Psalm 27:10-11 (NKJV) 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me. 11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Psalm 68:5-6 (NKJV) 5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
1 John 3:1-3 (NLT) See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don’t know God, so they don’t understand that we are his children. Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure.
Let’s head out with seeing a few different examples of how good, and gracious, and wonderful our heavenly Father… ABBA is:
#1 – He is GRACIOUS. (Even when we are selfish.)
Exodus 33:19 (NKJV) 19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
#2 – He is GENTLE. (Even when we’re harsh.)
Hosea 11:4 (NKJV) 4 I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.
#3 – He GIVES GOOD GIFTS.
James 1:17 (NKJV) 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
#4 – He is COMPASSIONATE
Psalm 103.14-15 (NLT) The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he understands how weak we are; he knows we are only dust.
#5 – He is PROTECTS HIS KIDS.
Psalm 61:1-4 (NKJV) Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
#6 – He gives us DIRECTION (Which includes discipline.)
Hebrews 12:5-6 (NKJV) 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
God today wants you to be sure of him.
