The Birth of God’s Family
MCC Baby Day – Promise, Possibility, and Potential
Every Child is a promise, a possibility, and a potential… There are no exceptions. None
Every child of man and every child of God is made with a promise, a possibility and a potential while not always realized is always, always present.
This is why some who are born in poverty and hopeless conditions somehow escape the situation and become great men or women.
This is why we look at each baby born with a measure of awe and hope. There are really no limits to what they might become, where they might go, and what they might accomplish – except for the critical realities of life itself…
They all learn grow and develop with an infinite range of achievable results
For those who already have children past this age, this is hilarious. For those who have children nearing this age, this is a warning. For those who have not yet had children, this is birth control.
The following came from an anonymous mother in Austin, TX (poor woman). Things she learned from her children (Honest and No Kidding):
A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2,000 sq. ft house 4 inches deep.
If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 lb boy wearing
Batman underwear & a superman cape. It is strong enough, however, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 foot room.
You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using the ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
The glass in windows (even double pane) doesn’t stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
A six-year-old can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year-old man says they can only do it in the movies. A magnifying glass can start a fire even on an overcast day.
Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.
The fire department in Austin has a 5 minute response time.
No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can’t walk on water.
Pool filters do not like Jell-O.
VCR’s do not eject PB&J sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.
The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earth worms dizzy. It will however make cats dizzy and cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
The fulfillment of that promise, possibility, and potential happens within the context of three facts which are clearly seen in Acts 1:7-11
Acts 1:7-11
7 Jesus said to them, “The Father is the only One who has the authority to decide dates and times. These things are not for you to know. 8 But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”
9 After he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 As he was going, they were looking into the sky. Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes stood beside them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go.”
We do not have control. I want to be in control. Many of us are control freaks…
How many battles over the TV remote take place every night in American homes?
How many couples struggle with who is in charge of their finances?
How many parents pressure their kids to get the top grades; play football, basketball, or soccer; become a cheerleader regardless of their abilities and desires?
How many marriages crumple because one person makes demands on the other?
Control issues create lots of problems in life... Sometimes we want to force things to happen. It is a real temptation to push our selves – and our kids way too hard.
God is in control of dates and times – not me & not you
I’m not in control of my children and you aren’t either
This is true of every family including the family of God
Not of the family of God. Not of your own family. This is a hard saying…
In the movie Kpax the wife of the psychiatrist was talking to the man from Kpax about families. She said, "Do you know about families… you worry! They don’t tell you that. When you have children, you worry."
That is so true. When Donna and I started our family it seemed so simple and easy. But you worry a lot. They don’t tell you that. My oldest daughter is 29 (I think?) and you still worry. But we aren’t in control.
Turn to someone and say, "I’m not in control." Now, turn to that same person and say, "You aren’t in control either!"
Some things are not for us to know. You just have work to do… and that is enough. Some things are not for us to know. You think control issues are tough… we don’t even know when, how, or if it is too happen…
Some things are for us to simply trust God. You see the real issue in control is trust.
We may not have control but we do have a lot of power. More than you think. We have God’s power.
1) Through the message of the cross
It comes from God and is by his spirit. Wisdom comes from God. The wisdom of the world is foolishness. The foolishness of God is the cross and it is the source of freedom and power. Real life comes from the cross of Jesus.
2) Through the message of His word
I have a psychiatrist friend who was in a class where I was going over some of the teaching in the book of Romans… He said, that most of the wisdom he had learned was written in this book. He is right you know.
Study and know God’s word and you learn how to become a complete man or woman of God. Word of God. Integrity. Honesty. It all comes from his word.
1 Tim 3:16-17
Teaching = Imparts the knowledge a person needs to be what God desires
Rebuking = Confronts the misuse of knowledge by gently but clearly and firmly pointing out the error
Correcting = Adjusts the behavior to be in line with the original teaching
Training = Practices the desired behavior until it becomes natural and is inculcated into every day life
3) Through the message of our life
It doesn’t come all at once it is a matter of learning to Not all at once! As we have need, As we have ability, And as we have responsibility.
That is real POWER
There is an issue of responsibility
(We have only one that really counts)
We have God’s work. We are to be witnesses.
To be a witnesses to our children is the first and most important.
To be witnesses to our community is a close second and
most important to them.
We have been brought into a family business. It is not for us to control it. It is for us to use the power we have been given to do the work with our own biological children and with God’s own spiritual children.
