Sermon Archives (April  21, 2002):

You are the Sons of God

Good afternoon church.  Usually I give the message after the food has been served.  But many of you leave before that message is given.  Thus today, I have decided to speak to you as you are in line for food.  Hopefully after you are served you will not leave immediately, but continue to listen while you eat.  In this way, you will gain both Spiritual food and physical food at the same time.

Today’s message is the good news of Jesus Christ.   It is this, everyone who believes that Jesus is Son of God, and his personal savior will not only overcome death, but also have everlasting life as God’s Child.

Beloved let us bow our heads. Father, let every believer hear this message today and the world as well. Teach us Father by your word your principles the value in denying Satan’s world, in accepting your Son Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and in becoming your sons and daughters   And all God’s people said, “Amen.”

Our God is a just god. He rightly will destroy not only Satan, but also the sons and daughters of Satan who ally themselves as slaves to Satan’s world.    Those who choose this world and its ruler claim wisdom but are fools serving the creation when they should be serving the creator.   They are consumed with an unquenchable worldly lust, which breeds anger, evil, and hatred for others.   In judging others, they create for themselves death before God.  (Proverbs 23:12)  God “will render to each one according to his deeds.”

God does not play favorites for those who are not His.  Every government, even Satin’s, is subject to law, which God alone defines.  The wages of sin for the slaves of this world remains death.  Even those who claim knowledge of these laws transgress:  One may say, “thou shall not steel”, or “thou shall not bear false witness”, but whom among us can truly say that they have “loved thy neighbor as thy self”?   In contrast to the love of God, the giver and creator of our life, every man is a liar.  For it is written:

(Psalms 5:9) “For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their heart is destruction; their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue.”  (Psalms 10:7) “Their mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; their tongue produces trouble and evil.”  (Psalms 36:1) “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

God’s Law gives us the knowledge of sin.   By God’s Law we know that we have sinned, and fall short of a Godly standard.   The good news is that our faith in Christ redeems us as once Satins children, to now by adoption be the children of God.  

Abraham followed God.   Yet God pronounced him righteous.  Why?  Was it the quality of his steps? No! Abraham often stumbled.  Rather Abraham righteousness was that he (Romans 4:3) “believed God”, and in so doing became for us an example of faith as the (Genesis 17:4) “father of the many nations”.   As Abraham was found righteous in believing God, our belief that God raised His son Jesus from the dead is both a belief in God’s faithfulness to His own and a belief in His Son, creating for ourselves justification by the blood of God’s own Son for our own resurrection from the dead in this world and the next as well.  What father, even our Father in Heaven, will not forgive and redeem his own child having been adopted by God as He redeemed Christ from the death of the cross?

Are we to be persecuted?  Christ answers, (John 15:20)  “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.”   But persecution for God’s sons produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope.   Our hope is Christ that does not disappoint.  For while yet sinners and lost, God demonstrated his love for us by offering His only begotten son as a perfect sacrifice and atonement for our sin.  Second, God places within our temples His Holy Spirit to guide our souls, hearts, and minds.

What child does sin against his parent?   Yet, the parent in love forgives the child.   Does the child who loves the parent seek to sin.  No!   Rather we, who see the love of God by His own sacrifice for us, love the Father and seek the walk of his Son, not for fear of death, but in the liberty of love.   Despite our faults, we know that as God raised his Son from death, so too do we walk being born again in His Spirit, not only beyond the grave but in this mortal life as well.  (Hosea 13:14) "Death, where is your sting?  Hell, where is your victory?" 

For all by belief and declaration who are in Christ Jesus, the penalty of sin and death has no victory.   Seek Satan’s world and you die by your sins under God’s law.   Live for the world, and you die to Satan’s hell.   Live by the Holy Spirit, and you gain the things of the Spirit, and the Kingdom of God.   For as you are now the inward parts of Christ who is the head, how then could the Father kill his own Son or even part of Him that is you that He has already resurrected by the cross?  You are not slaves to the Law’s penalty, for how could the Law’s creator or His members that are you be destroyed by the Law that God created below His very feet?   Rather the Holy Spirit that raised Christ up from the dead raises you up now by this baptism of faith and Spirit for eternity in the newness of life.   For the Word’s promise is this:  (Romans 8:14-17)  “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. “

Beloved, will you bow your heads, close your eyes, and repeat after me, “Lord Jesus, blessed is the Word.  Blessed is the freedom of the Word.   We bind you Satan for you have no power here.   For today we acknowledge Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Forgive me my sins. Come into my life. I believe you are the Son of God, and that You died on the cross for me.  I repent of all the works of the Devil.  Cover me with your blood.  Create by God’s Holy Spirit a clean heart, and the strength to reject Satan’s world.   Heal me and renew my spirit so that I can hear Your voice, and be used by you as your child to bring many to salvation.   I accept you as my Savior!   Your are my Lord!  Amen!”

Beloved, I have four more offering to make today.  Once again let us close our eyes and bow our heads. If anyone today wishes to accept for the first time Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior raise your hands. Christians are praying. I see a hand raised. Thank you. You may put it down. If there is anyone who requires healing today, raise your hand. I see hands raised. Thank you. You may put them down. If there is anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior before, but is unsure as to the certainty of that prior acceptance, raise your hands. Lastly, if you have backslidden in that which you know is right, and are concerned as to your state should Christ return or call you home today, those who seek the renewing of their mind in Christ Jesus raise your hands. I see many more hands today. Thank you. You may put your hands down. Now open your eyes. Everyone who raised a hand for any one of these four offerings take one step towards me. Well that was just about everybody.