I. Magee Adoption Story:
A. Some of you will remember my wife Angel’s talk as we gave our Forward in Faith testimony in November, 2001. We knew that pursuing an adoption would be very costly financially and part of our sacrifice was to give up that pursuit in order to increase our contribution to our Forward in Faith campaign. Angel and I landed our FnF commitment around 23% of our income. It is now 2 ½ years later and I tell you, “God has done immeasurably more than I could ever have imagined.” Not only has He allowed us to fulfill our FnF commitment, He has also allowed for the finalized adoption of not one child but three more children. As of last Tuesday, April 13th, 2004, Talyor Joy, Stephen “Cross”, and David Mark were adopted into my family and now wear my last name of Magee. With my son Micah, I now have four precious children. I’d like to share a bit of our story.
B. During the 2002 Hillsboro Family Camp, David Faust, President of the Cincinnati Bible College, preached a sermon that included the story of the adoption of his daughter that served as the main illustration. That sermon stirred my wife Angel’s heart in a way that she felt led to pursue the same.
C. My first response wasn’t very supportive. I thought, I’m totally content with 1 son. I’m too busy with the Kingdom. Then, after further probing (nagging) from Angel I finally said, “Look, I will be 100% supportive, however, I cannot take the lead in this endeavor. I’m too busy. I feel the responsibility of a growing church. I’ll have to follow your lead and be 100% supportive.
D. Being clueless about where to start the process, we pooled a list of adoption agencies in our area and chose Bethany Christian Services to be the agency where we’d begin. We interviewed and began the pile of paper work.
E. During Thanksgiving Break of 2002, we told some of our extended family members about our pursuit of an adoption– really for the purpose of their reaction. Everyone seemed to be supportive.
F. About a week before Christmas break that same year, my sister Meri from Jacksonville, Florida, called and asked me, “Mark, are you and Angel still considering an adoption?” I affirmed that was our desire and then she asked the question I will never forget. She asked, “Would you consider adopting more than one?” To which I promptly replied, “How many more than one?” After a bit of laughter, she said, “How about Three!” I said, “No way Meri! I can’t believe you would do this to me!” And then I said, “But, I won’t decided this one. When Angel gets home I’ll talk to her about it. If her first response is positive, we’ll check it out. If it is negative, you won’t hear from me on this one.”
G. Angel returned home about 10:00 p.m. from her teaching job. Got ready for bed and then I sprung it on her. I said, “Honey, there’s an adoption possibility that I’d like to share with you. Would you consider adopting three children?” Her immediate response was with an ear to ear smile as she said, “Let’s go get them!”
H. The next morning, I reneged on my not taking the lead, I called the foster mother and we began a journey that would occupy the next year and a half.
I. On January 25, 2003, Angel and I officially got involved with a lawyer and a Florida Based Adoption agency. We visited the children on three different occasions and knew God was leading all the way. In fact, we were convinced that if these children came our way, it was only because God made it happen. From January to October 2003, we endured a series of nerve racking court dates that finally concluded a two year Foster situation and legally terminated the rights of the birth parents. On October 25, 2003, exactly nine months from our official involvement, we were able to tell the children that we were not only their Prayer Partners from Delaware, but we would actually be their new Dad and Mom because we were going to adopt them into our family. And I’ll never forget how Micah stood and said, “Taylor, Stephen and Mark, I want to be your brother!”
J. I was a bit nervous about their reaction, but the news was received with a squeal from T.J., a smile from David Mark and a big, “Daddy!” from Stephen. It was a great moment. After a few days together, we loaded a U-haul and traveled north. We brought them into our home and loved them as our own as we waited for a finalization date.
K. Finally, last Tuesday, April 13, 2004, after several postponements, we went before a Judge in Duval County Florida and after an intense time of prayer and wondering about the paper work, we finalized the adoption of T. J., Stephen Cross and David Mark. They are now Magees.
II. God’s Adoption Story:
A. Now, I tell you my story because I think God wants to use it to illustrate our story as a church.
B. When God wanted to describe how He wants to relate to us, He used the illustration of “Adoption”.
C. Listen to Ephesians 1:3-8....
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. --Ephesians 1:3-8
D. In light of our adoption of TJ, “Cross” and David Mark, allow me to share some great principles concerning our spiritual adoption into the Family of God....
1. Adoption is the Result of.....
A. Adoption is the result of a Father’s Love! Adoption is a special demonstration of love. Verse 5 says– “In love God predestined us to be adopted as his sons.” Remember, love has nothing to do with feelings, but has everything to do with a choice to do what is best for the other person. Adoption is the result of love.
B. Adoption is the result of a Father’s Choice! God chose us! Verse 4– “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the World...” I have on occasion said to my “Florida Kids”– “I never want you to forget that out of all the available kids in the world, ‘I chose you!” God chose us and what is really great is that our text says that this adoption was “in accordance with God’s pleasure and will”. He not only provided what we desperately needed as a response to love. He wanted to do it! It was his desire!
*. Personally, at first, I didn’t necessarily want to go through with this adoption! I mean, can you imagine a new 6, 7 and 8 year old in your family? Can you imagine doubling the size of your family over night? But I continued pursuing, not necessarily because of my “want”, but we were committed to following God’s lead. Angel and I both knew this was a matter of obeying God’s desire rather than a matter of our personal desire. But it still boiled down to my choice! Adoption is the result of a Father’s choice.
C. Adoption is the result of a Father’s Sacrifice! In order for our adoption to take place, God had to sacrifice His Son! Again, this wasn’t something he had to do, it was His choice to provide what we needed. John 3:16– “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
*. In all honesty, my adopted children are pretty clueless about the reality of it all. All they know is that they have a new family. They feel the presence of parents. They’ve tasted the beginnings of a new life– but they understand very little. They are totally ignorant of all the court battles that took place in the past year to make “adoption” a reality. They really understand nothing about the sacrifice the Moseley family (foster family) gave them in order to prepare them for their adoption. They know very little about what Angel, Micah and I had to endure, struggle with and sacrifice to adopt them into our family. They have no idea about the literal thousands who were praying for “Victory” on their behalf. And I know at this point in life they don’t have the maturity or the ability to fathom the reality of the situation.
*. And too often, I don’t think we understand or even try to understand the sacrifice made to adopt us. But as we mature in the faith, our knowledge and appreciation of that sacrifice should be on the increase.
Adoption is the result of a Father’s Love, a Father’s Choice and a Father’s Sacrifice, but I would also like to remind you that “Adoption” should result in.....
2. Adoption should result in.....
A. A Sign of Salvation– Verse 8–“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” The day you are adopted into the Family of God is the wonderful day of your salvation, redemption and forgiveness. I want my adopted children to know the past is gone. Every thing is new– new dad, new mom, new family, new home, new name, new life– literally, they have been saved!
B. A Sense of Belonging– “Adopted as His sons...” My adopted kids came to us with zero security and zero self esteem. The neglect in their past completely robbed them. And in my family, I want to restore their security, their self esteem and their sense of belonging. And isn’t that what the world and sin do to us? However, when we find salvation in Jesus Christ, God adopts us into his family and gives us value and security and Hope for eternity.
C. A Spirit of Praise and Thanksgiving– I love how Paul begins these chapter.... “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Our adoption into the Family of God should result in a change of attitude. Paul tells us in Galatians that we were given a spirit of sonship! We are no longer slaves, but sons and that should change out attitude to Praise and Thanksgiving.
So What?
1. Consider your own adoption.... Are you a member of God’s family? Is your relationship with the God the Father official? Have you finalized? I believe the Scriptures tell us that finalization of our spiritual adoption happens in Christian Baptism. The Apostle Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin.” The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3:26-27– “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Christian baptism is the official ceremony where our spiritual adoption is finalized by the judge.
*. One thing I learned in this process of adoption..... Finalization is a must! Sure there is a lot of paperwork that has to be done before hand. In fact, all the commitments have to be made before the ceremony– but this adoption wasn’t official until it was finalized by the Judge.
Last Tuesday, April 13, 2004 was necessary for our family. It had to happen for everything to be official. Now, I will not deny that my relationship with the kids before April 13th was real, love was present, our intimacy was on the increase, but something was missing. The legality of it all was incomplete. In fact, I felt very restrained with my affection, with my discipline and my intimacy. They were not yet mine.
And you know what I learned? The adoption ceremony was necessary for me as a Father! It was the necessary and legal timing that made it real. For all the kids knew, they were already adopted. They thought they were already saved! But technically they weren’t-- they weren’t legally mine until it was legal.
Now, I don’t want to reduce Christian baptism into any form of legalism, however, the Bible does suggest that our Baptism into Christ is the ceremony that makes our spiritual adoption legal. Oh, before baptism we can worship God, love God and even grow in our relationship with Him, but until we are baptized into Christ, it isn’t finalized.
When we first brought the kids from Florida to Delaware– the trip was full of anxieties. He had responsibility of three children that aren’t really ours. Even the State of Delaware refused to accept them as citizens. But after finalization, our return trip home from Florida was very relaxed, peaceful and full of assurance. We were officially family. We did all we were required to do. We succeeded with all the paper work. It is legal and final. I know that they are mine.
*. This morning, you may have great faith, you may have made many great commitments to the Lord, you may walk with Him everyday, but if you have never “finalized”, I want to encourage you to make it right. I think that is why Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:21– “and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also– not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
2. Consider what the Father wants.... If you have already been adopted, I would like to encourage you consider what your adoptive father wants from you...... I made a list of what I desire from my new children and I’m convinced they apply to our relationship with God.
1. The response of a grateful heart. We’ve been saved from neglect. We’ve been given new life. We have a relationship with a great Father. We have promise of inheritance. Let’s be grateful!
2. Love of my firstborn child. I believe this adoption has been the hardest on Micah– my firstborn. And my greatest desire is for my new children to love Him for what he sacrifice. Well, in regard to our spiritual adoption, it was hardest on God’s firstborn– Jesus who had to sacrifice his life to make it happen and God’s greatest desire is that we love his Son.
3. The adoption of my values (righteousness). I want my children to adopt my way of life. I want them to choose my faith, my priorities, my values.
4. Testimony of their story. I can’t wait to hear my children tell their story. When I hear them tell it with appreciation, I’ll know they understand what they were given. And one of God’s greatest desires of us is to tell our story. For when he hears us tell it– He’ll know we understand it and appreciate it.
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he
*. Judge Gooding: “This is the most important court decision that could ever be made!” “We must make things are right and in order!”
*. Interesting point, with the Magee adoption, TJ, Stephen and David Mark really never had a choice in the matter. It was all mine and Angel’s choice to adopt them. Spiritually speaking however, God chose the plan of adoption for us, but He has left it up to us whether or not we want to be adopted.
*. Another thing I thought was interesting is the fact that throughout the adoption ceremony, the children were never addressed. This adoption was wholly based upon my promise as a Father to adopt them as my own.
