Introduction
I. The Little Boy and the circus (Illustration)
A little boy who lived far out in the country in the late 1800s had reached the age of twelve and had never in all his life seen a circus. You can imagine his excitement, when one day a poster went up at school announcing that on the next Saturday a traveling circus was coming to the nearby town.
He ran home with the glad news and the question, "Daddy, can I go?" Although the family was poor, the father sensed how important this was to the lad. "If you do your Saturday chores ahead of time," he said, "I’ll see to it that you have the money to go."’
Come Saturday morning, the chores were done and the little boy stood by the breakfast table, dressed in his Sunday best. His father reached down into the pocket of his overalls and pulled out a dollar bill-the most money the little boy had possessed at one time in all his life. The father cautioned him to be careful and then sent him on his way to town.
The boy was so excited, his feet hardly seemed to touch the ground all the way. As he neared the outskirts of the village, he noticed people lining the streets, and he worked his way through the crowd until he could see what was happening. Lo and behold, it was the approaching spectacle of a circus parade! The parade was the grandest thing this lad had ever seen. Caged animals snarled as they passed, bands beat their rhythms and sounded shining horns, midgets performed acrobatics while flags and ribbons swirled overhead.
Finally, after everything had passed where he was standing, the traditional circus clown, with floppy shoes, baggy pants, and a brightly painted face, brought up the rear.
As the clown passed by, the little boy reached into his pocket and took out that precious dollar bill. Handing the money to the clown, the boy turned around and went home. What had happened? The boy thought he had seen the circus when he had only seen the parade!
Are you experiencing all that God has for you? The Christian life is a marvelous adventure, an exciting journey. Many people-including Christians-seem to be content to float in a sea of mediocrity, settling for second best. Do you want the abundant life that Jesus promised?
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A. Are you experiencing all that God has for you?
1. Are you just reaping what you think might be the church.
2. Are you just getting friendship?
3. Are you just getting fellowship?
4. Is that all the church offers.
B. Paul wants his readers to get to the best part of the church, up to this point they have been confused on how to get in the church
1. They have been confused who can get in the church
2. Logically, they must misunderstand the church itself.
3. He begins in an interesting spot.
II. We are no longer under the supervision of the law (23-25)
A. No longer are we prisoners
1. Everyone has been locked up by the precepts of the law.
2. The intricacy of the rules and regulations were overwhelming
a. What kind of offering should I give in this circumstance?
b. What rules for the offering?
c. What kind of animal is fitting?
d. When should I?
e. All of these intricate details God gave an answer
3. It was because of these details that the Jews were imprisoned by the very rules the law had given.
4. At some point you were ready to give up the fight, but..
B. There was a hope built into the fulfillment of the law
1. The prophecy of the Messiah
a. Genesis 22:18 "and through your (Abraham’s) offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
b. Isaiah 9:6 "For to us (Judah) a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
c. Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
2. Someday the Messiah was to come and deliver Israel
a. He has come. He was here 2000 years ago.
3. We all know that because he has come he brought down the dividing wall of hostility.
a. No longer is there a division between Jew and Gentile, but we are brought together through the blood of Jesus Christ
b. Jesus Christ has bought your entrance into the family of God.
c. We are all a family of God.
Body: (We Are A Family)
I. We are sons of God. (v.26-27)
A. A year and half ago, I was at home visiting my family for the last time before moving here in Laurel, DE
1. We had not been home much in the past 4 years, but we were closer that we are now.
2. My entire family understood that we probably would not be back very often due to the extreme distances.
3. Well one afternoon, I was with my dad visiting others and him.
a. My grandmother, Opal, had come over to visit and she had trouble how I could so freely move to Delaware.
b. Her question for me was, "Don’t you want to be close to your family?"
4. Well I am close to my family. My eternal family.
B. Christ connects us to the family of God.
1. He connects us to each other through mutual bonds of spirituality.
2. We are brought to this point by baptism.
a. Baptism connects us to Jesus suffering
b. Baptism connects us to Jesus death
c. Baptism connects us to Jesus burial
d. Baptism connects us to Jesus resurrection
3. Notice the distinct words used to describe this baptism
a. Paul says we are baptized into Christ
b. We enter the family of God through Jesus Christ and we enter Christ by baptism
c. Baptism is the turning point of life.
4. It is here that we are clothed with Christ
a. Remember the parable of the wedding banquet
b. "Changing clothes" would have an additional meaning to the Roman child
1.) When the Roman child came of age, he took off the childhood garment and put on the toga of the adult citizen.
2.) The believer in Christ is not just a "child of God" he is also "a son of God"
3.) Childhood was found in the law, but adulthood is found in Jesus.
5. It is through baptism that one is saved and finds entrance into the body of Christ – The Lord’s family
C. Just think about it we are no longer foreigners in the sight of God, but we are adopted sons and daughters bought by the blood of Jesus Christ.
II. We are one in Christ. (28)
A. There is no longer a dividing wall
1. In religion, No longer Jew and Gentile
a. Jesus Christ when he died on the cross brought those who were far away and those who were near together.
b. Now there is only the sinner
2. In society, No longer slave and free; woman and man
a. No longer is there a division
b. All are brought in to be a part of the family
B. Don’t you see no matter what our problem is; no matter what our background is; God will accept you into the family.
1. I recently got a new cell phone.
2. It’s a great piece of technology, and like most tech stuff, one you get it you don’t understand how you lived without it.
3. As nice as my phone is, it was useless when I first picked it up off the rack.
4. It had to first be activated.
5. The same is true with entering the family of God.
6. Baptism is the tool used by God to activate our spiritual eternity in his family.
C. When you talk about entrance into the Lord’s family there is no such thing as race, color, sex and generation.
1. We are all the second generation of God’s family
2. Adopted by his will and are free choice to be clothed in Christ.
III. We are Abraham’s seed. (29)
A. Paul points out that we are Abraham’s seed to bring our minds to the final goal of eternity.
1. Being a part of God’s family means that we are Abraham’s offspring.
2. And Abraham is waiting to collect us all together to enter a place of rest and joy.
3. No tears in heaven, no sorrow in that land.
B. If you are a Christian, that day when you pass from the earth and enter heaven, oh what a day it will be.
1. As you are walking toward the Pearly gates, you look next to your side and there is a brother you have never met.
2. You get to the gate and are asked a couple of questions
3. To what family do you belong? – God’s
4. Are you a descendant of the chosen people – Yes, I am Abraham’s descendent.
5. Enter and make for sure you see Jesus; he has a room prepared for you.
6. I believe we will be having a feast tonight, because another brother has come home.
C. We are Abraham’s seed the brothers of Christ and the adopted sons of God
1. Do you want encouragement?
2. There is no better place to find it then to know that you are part of a family that brought together by the blood of Christ.
Conclusion:
I. Aren’t you tired of playing church, and looking in from the outside
A. No longer are you naïve like the young boy with the circus.
1. You know very well what the church consists of and how to gain entrance
2. The question is do you want to continue to pretend or do you want to live it.
B. Through Baptism you will find:
1. A fahter who will adopt you
2. Loving and caring brothers and sisters who are united by faith in Jesus
3. You will be reserved a place in heaven.
II. True joy and acceptance is found in the family of God.
A. The vital link is Jesus Christ and the obedience of the gospel.
B. Do you want to be a part of the family?
1. Come be baptized into Christ, be clothed with Christ so that you are one in Christ
2. Come join the family today.
