Every year at the Super Bowl advertisers pay millions of dollars to advertise their product for a few short minutes. And they have a contest after the Super Bowl which company the viewers like the best.
Some of these ads are fascinating.
Did you know some of these ads are so good that years have gone by and we still remember them. Such as:
• Burger King “Have it your way”.
• Wendy’s “Where’s the beef”
• Federal Express vowed to deliver "Absolutely, Positively Overnight."
• How many of us can ever forget this campaign that ran for two decades. “Plop plop, fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is,” (Alka Seltzer)
• American Express from 1987-1996. Their slogan “Membership has its privileges”
• Or this older jingle,
“Pepsi - Cola hits the spot.
12 full ounces, that's a lot!
Twice as much for a nickel, too.
Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you!
These commercials have lodge themselves into our memory banks, I guess many of us will remember them until the day we die.
But there are things in the scriptures we need to have lodge into our memory banks as well and remember them until the day we die.
Such as…
I. OUR ADOPTION
Look at Ephesians 1:5, we read, Having predestinated us unto the ADOPTION of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
There are thousands of boys and girls that are waiting and hoping to be adopted by some family that would love them and care for them.
Illus: Author Keith Miller tells of an outgoing 40-year-old woman who was part of a sharing group he led. Here is her story:
"When I was a tiny little girl, my parents died and I was put in an orphanage. I was not pretty at all and no one seemed to want me. But I longed to be adopted and loved by a family as far back as I can remember. I thought about it day and night, but everything I did seemed to go wrong. I must have tried too hard to please the people who came to look me over and what I did was to drive them away.
"But then one day the head of the orphanage told me that a family was coming to take me home with them. I was so excited that I jumped up and down and cried like a little baby.
The matron reminded me that I was on trial and this might not be a permanent arrangement, but I just knew that somehow it would work out.
"So I went with this family and started to school. I was the happiest little girl you can imagine, and life began to open up for me just a little. But then one day a few months later, I skipped home from school and ran into the front door of the big old house we lived in. No one was at home, but in the middle of the front hall was my battered suitcase with my little coat thrown across it. As I stood there it suddenly dawned on me what it meant---I didn’t belong there anymore."
This happened to me seven times before I was 13 years old. But wait, don’t feel too badly. It was experiences like these that ultimately brought me to God---and there I found what I had always longed for---a place, a sense of belonging, a forever family."(Source: From a sermon by Bruce Howell, "The Essence!" 2/21/2009)
Physically you might be the ugliest person in the world and still God loves you
What a joy for us Christians that we have been adopted by God the Father. AND OUR ADOPTION IS PERMANENT.
And now we have God the Creator as our HEAVENLY FATHER!!!
Illus: When pastor James Kennedy’s daughter Jennifer was about five years of age she picked up the habit of calling her parents ‘Anne’ and ‘Jim’. She heard all their friends come into the house and address them like that, and so she did the same.
After a few weeks of this Jim sat her on his knee and he said to her, “Jennifer, do you know that there are thousands of people in the world who can call me Jim, but there is no other person in the whole world who can call me ‘Daddy’ except you, and to you, alone, my dear Jennifer, my name is . . . Daddy!”
So it is with us Christians: while being chosen by him is a wonderful blessing, even more wonderful is that he has predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ.
We can look into this God’s wonderful smiling face and we can cry “Abba, Father.”
When the Lord Jesus taught his own disciples to pray he said that they were to say, “Our Father which art in heaven . . .” So adoption is not the same blessing as election.
Here is the good news, as Christians we are the ADOPTED sons and daughters of almighty God.
Illus: The song A Child of the King express it best.
My Father is rich in houses and lands
He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are full, He has riches untold.
My Father’s own Son, the Saviour of men,
Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them;
But now He is reigning forever on high,
And will give me a home in heaven by and by.
I once was an outcast, stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice, and an alien by birth;
But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,
An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.
I’m a child of the King, a child of the King;
With Jesus my Saviour, I’m a child of the King.
This adoption is made possible by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
This adoption does not have anything to do on the merits of the believer, but solely on the
Now I could go to the concordance and give you many scriptures that deals with our glorious adoption
But Ephesians 1:7 says it all we read In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
It is because of the PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST that we can call him FATHER.
Let me show you several things about OUR ADOPTION…
A. THE CHOICE OF THE FATHER
In Romans 8:15-17 we read this: “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
In this passage Paul SPEAKS OF THE CHRISTIAN BEING ADOPTED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD.
An adoption is a very special relationship.
Illus: That is suppose a family has six children and one of them is adopted. When it comes to five of them the parents had no choice, at birth they were stuck with those children whether it be good or bad. But when it comes to adoption the parents had to choose to having them.
Many today exist because they were an accident. Now parents do not tell their children the only reason they are here is because they were an accident. But the adopted child of God is no accident. WE THE ADOPTED CHILDREN OF GOD ARE CHOSEN BY GOD THE FATHER.
The scriptures make it clear that we are the adopted children of God by choice. We are the sons and daughters of God the Father.
Illus: Children playing at school began to tease an adopted child. “You don’t have any real parents,” one boy stated. Another chimed in,
• “You don’t know who your parents are.”
• The adopted child simply stated, “Your parents are stuck with you, but my parents chose me.”
John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you”
THE CHOICE OF THE FATHER made this ADOPTION to exist.
But under the Roman law we see something else that takes place in ADOPTION…now let us look at…
B. THE PLACEMENT TO THE FATHER
There are four things for us to consider in this ADOPTION at this point.
(1)The adopted person lost all rights to his old family, and gained all the rights of a fully legitimate son in his new family.
(2) He became heir to his new father’s estate. Even if other sons were afterwards born, who were real blood relations.
(3) In law, the old life of the adopted person was completely wiped out.
For instance, legally all debts were cancelled; they were wiped out as though they had never been. The adopted person was regarded as a new person entering into a new life with which the past had nothing to do with his new life.
(4) In the eyes of the law the adopted person was literally and absolutely the son of the new father.
The old life has no more right over us. That which Christ inherited, and inherits, we also inherit.
• If Christ had to suffer we also inherit that suffering.
• But if Christ was raised to life and glory we also inherit that life and glory.
It was Paul’s picture that when a person became a Christian they entered into the Family of God.
• He did nothing to earn it.
• He did nothing to deserve it.
God, the Great Father, in His amazing love and mercy, has chosen us to be a part of his family.
WHAT WAS THE PRICE FOR OUR ADOPTION?
The price of adoption? The blood of Christ!
Illus: The appropriate attitude is revealed in an Ann Landers Column. “Dear Ann Landers: It happened again today. My two sons and I were in a shopping mall, and a total stranger felt the need to comment on the fact that my boys didn’t look anything alike. Apparently, my 6 year old decided it was time he explained the difference. "I’m adopted," he said. "That’s when you have the same family but not the same face."
We have looked at OUR ADOPTION now let us consider…
II. OUR ACCEPTANCE
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger attended the adoption program of his grandson.
• The Judge addressed the parents is it their intention to adopt this young man.
• Then the Judge addressed the young man and asked him did he wish to be adopted into this family.
Now if the young man stated to the judge he did not wish to be adopted by this family this would have stopped the adoption.
Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
God has accepted us and now we have to accept Him.
What lengths will men go to for acceptance?
There is in all of us a basis fundamental desire to belong.
Illus: This is the appeal of clubs and team sports and unfortunately gangs.
The initiation rites to so many groups involve extreme behaviors.
Recently I watched a video of a motorcycle gang member speak, with his face covered of what was required to be a full-fledged member of this particular group. Turns out the initiation was to kill a rival club member at the command of the club to prove your loyalty and I suspect, as leverage to make sure that
you would not reveal the clubs activities. Part of the initiation of a female club member was just as grotesque, as they must never turn down a club members request for sexual favors. One thing that is consistent with what
I am talking about is that YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING OR GIVE SOMETHING TO BELONG.
Here Paul declares that believers are “accepted” in the beloved.
III. THE ASSURANCE OF THE SPIRIT
Ephesians 1:13-14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
In verses 13-14 Paul uses still another picture of Roman adoption. He says that Gods Spirit
witnesses with our spirit that we really are children of God.
The adoption ceremony was carried out in the presence of seven witnesses.
Illus: Now, supposing the adopting father died and then suppose there was some dispute about the right of the adopted son to inherit, one or more of the original seven witnesses stepped forward and swore that the adoption was genuine and true. Thus the right of the adopted person was guaranteed and he entered into his inheritance.
So, Paul is saying, it is the Holy Spirit Himself who is the witness to our adoption into the family of God.
A. THE SPIRIT AFFIRMS US
Romans 8:16 The Spirit (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Listen to this translation of this passage:
You don’t hear much preaching about this “inner witness” today but God’s Spirit affirms that we are His children and gives us the confidence that He is our Father.
B. THE SPIRIT AUTHENTICATES US
What does the word “sealed” refer to Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Illus: The ancient seal was a stamp or engraving set in stone, metal or some hard substance like crystal. It was usually a symbol or a figure that was used to make an impression on clay or wax, or some other soft substance. It was usually attached to an object like a possession or a document, in order to give it authenticity, ownership or authority. It was used often in the ancient world, especially in Egypt, Babylonia and Assyria and surrounding nations including Israel. Bible-history.com
The significance of the act of sealing is dependent on the importance of the one doing the sealing. A seal of the Roman government was used to seal the tomb of Christ; a seal that was broken by the power of God when the stone was rolled away.
The seal authenticates the ownership or authority of what is being sealed. The Spirit is the “seal” that we belong to God.
C. THE SPIRIT ASSURES US
The Spirit of God is our “…earnest…” or as we find it defined in the dictionary, “the down payment or the token of something to come.”
Illus: If you have ever purchased a house or a car and had to put down some “earnest money” then you already understand this concept.
When we put down this money we are promising that there will be more to come!
This is what the Spirit does for us. God says that “I am giving you My Spirit as a “down payment” on what is to come.”
Conclusion:
I read about a small boy who was consistently late coming home from school. His parents warned him one day that he must be home on time that afternoon, but nevertheless he arrived later than ever. His mother met him at the door and said nothing.
At dinner that night, the boy looked at his plate. There was a slice of bread and a glass of water. He looked at his father’s full plate and then at his father, but his father remained silent. The boy was crushed.
The father waited for the full impact to sink in, then quietly took the boy’s plate and placed it in front of himself. He took his own plate of meat and potatoes, put it in front of the boy, and smiled at his son. When that boy grew to be a man, he said, “All my life I’ve known what God is like by what my father did that night.” (J. Allan Peterson)
Finally: So what do believers have in terms of “spiritual blessings” in Christ?
• We have the Adoption by the Sovereign v. 5;
• We have the Acceptance in the Savior v. 6;
• We have the Assurance of the Spirit v. 13-14.
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Illus: There was once a couple who had wanted children for many years, but had been unable to have a child of their own. They began trying to adopt a child and after years of waiting, a baby boy who needed a family became available for adoption. The couple stood before the judge and listened as the judge said to them, "From this day on, this is your son. There may be times when he will dissapoint you. There may be times when his behavior may break your heart, but he is your child. He will have your name and one day, everything you own will be his because he is your son."
