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  I WAS PREDESTINED TO ADOPTION
  by Tim Conway
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Summary: This sermon delves into the profound concept of adoption as
sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ, emphasizing the immense
privilege and glory of being chosen and predestined for adoption. The
speaker challenges the audience to fully grasp and be energized by the
truth of their adoption, highlighting the surpassing love and grace of
God in making us His children. The sermon underscores the need for
believers to respond with praise, worship, and a deep appreciation for
the immeasurable riches of God's kindness and love in adopting them into
His family.

Topics: "Adoption in Christ", "The Love of God"
Scripture References: Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:15, 1 John 3:1, Jeremiah 3:19, Luke 12:32, Luke 14:26

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon delves into the profound concept of adoption as sons and
daughters of God through Jesus Christ, emphasizing the immense privilege
and glory of being chosen and predestined for adoption. The speaker
challenges the audience to fully grasp and be energized by the truth of
their adoption, highlighting the surpassing love and grace of God in
making us His children. The sermon underscores the need for believers to
respond with praise, worship, and a deep appreciation for the
immeasurable riches of God's kindness and love in adopting them into His
family.

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CONTENT
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Ephesians chapter 1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of
God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus,
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed
us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Now
if you've ever read this before, I just want to point something out that
once Paul announces these spiritual blessings, every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places, he then means to articulate what those
blessings, at least some of them, some of the greatest of them, he
begins to articulate what those blessings are and he continues this.

Really the first three chapters is heavily that reality and then after
that he dives into the practical implication of the reality of all of
these spiritual blessings. Verse 4, even as he chose us in him before
the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before
him. Now somebody along the way in dividing up the scriptures into
verses and chapters, originally they left in love in verse 4 and in in
the Greek it's difficult to know exactly where it should be because
there isn't punctuation and capitalization and so that we should be holy
and blameless before him in love or you can put a period after him as
the ESV does and include this with verse 5. In love he predestined us
for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of
his will to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed
us in the beloved.

Now I have an agenda this afternoon, it's three o'clock and it's already
getting dark, you know that doesn't strike many of you probably as a
strange thing but it does me still even after being in here two winters
already. My agenda this afternoon is this, I don't think we are gripped
by and energized by the truth of our adoption as we ought to be.
Probably in my estimation, probably, if I'm just looking at myself in
the mirror and I'm evaluating where I'm at with regards to this, I
suspect that the reality is that this truth of our adoption has not
produced the kind of praise and worship that it obviously produced in
Paul.

That's what verse 6 is, to the praise of his glorious grace. Actually
glorious in the original is not an adjective, it is a noun, it is the
glory of his grace. There is a glory in adoption that is bringing forth
praise from the lips of the apostle Paul, at least from the end of his
pen, and I just wonder does it produce that kind of praise? I mean you
have to think about this, when he's talking about these spiritual
blessings, he throws this real close to the beginning.

Now listen to this, just listen, I'm not asking you to agree or disagree
and this is a man's opinion or at least a man's observation. Listen to
this, J.I. Packer says, it's a strange fact that the truth of adoption
has been little regarded in Christian history. Apart from two 19th
century books, now scarcely known, one's called the Fatherhood of God,
the other the Reformed Doctrine of Adoption, Packer says aside from
those two that are virtually unknown, he says there's no evangelical
writing on this subject, nor has there been any time since the
Reformation, any more than there was before the Reformation.

Luther's grasp of adoption was as strong and clear as his grasp of
justification, but his disciples held to the former and made nothing of
the latter. The Puritan teaching on the Christian life, so strong in
other ways, was notably deficient here. Question, does the doctrine of
adoption really matter? Maybe Christians haven't given it very much
attention, precisely for the fact because it's not very important.

But you know what, if we start thinking that, that's not the prevalent
thinking. Now listen to this, I gathered these together and I think this
is amazing. John Murray, here's a quote from John Murray, you all know
him? When we visited Scotland we were taken to his grave.

Our brother Jeff Thomas sat under him when he was in seminary. Listen to
Murray, the apex, get that word, apex of redemptive grace and privilege.
That's what he says about adoption.

Here we have the ultimate source and the highest privilege brought
together. That's John Murray. How about this, J.I. Packer again.

Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of
adoption. It is the highest privilege that the gospel offers. Higher
even than the gift of justification.

Adoption is the crowning blessing of all the gifts of grace. Adoption is
the highest, the climax of the Bible. The Puritan Thomas Watson says,
extol and magnify God's mercy who has adopted you into his family.

Adoption is greater mercy than Adam had in paradise. You say, wow, the
Puritan John Owen said of adoption, it's our fountain privilege. Don't
you love that? Robert Raymond, my favorite author of a systematic
theology, this is what he says, can Christians enjoy any blessedness or
privilege higher than that access to God the Father through his Son and
Spirit, which as members of his household they enjoy? What blessedness
can possibly supersede the blessedness of simply being a child of the
Holy God? There is none.

Not justification, not sanctification, however great those privileges
are. Martin Lloyd-Jones, the final and ultimate end of redemption.
That's what he says adoption is, the ultimate or the final and ultimate
end of redemption.

There is nothing, nothing, nada, higher than this. Our adoption is the
highest expression even of God's love and I speak carefully and with
reverence when I assert that. What's he asserting? That the statements
in Scripture concerning adoption are the highest expression of the love
of Almighty God.

There is nothing higher than this. Now, brothers and sisters, if these
guys are right, I'm afraid we're wrong. Most of us.

Maybe you're an exception and I just don't know, but I have a feeling
that I have to admit I do not carry around with myself such a grasp of
the glory, the glory of God's grace expressed in adoption that got Paul
singing and praising. I don't think I do. But see, the question is these
are just men.

Are they correct? That's really the question. They're only men. They
could be wrong, but are they wrong? That's the question of the hour.

And you know what it comes back to is this, does God's Word give us
reason to say what they're saying? Does it affirm that? Is adoption the
highest blessing? Is it the crowning blessing? Is it the apex? Is it
that which is not to be superseded by any of the other blessings of God?
Is it the highest expression of the love of Almighty God? And now let me
ask you this, does your mind go anywhere in the New Testament where you
would probably go first if you were looking for a text that had to do
maybe with one of the strongest assertions about God making us sons?
Where? Romans 8 is a good place to go. 1st John 3 is a tremendous place
to go. Let's go to 1st John 3. Sorry Sonny.

No, but it is a fantastic place to go. But just the reason I choose 1st
John over Romans 8 is simply because of the way John expresses himself.
Because 1st John 3, you'll see it for yourself.

Now I'm reading from the English Standard Version. See what kind of love
the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God.
Many of you are more familiar with behold what manner of love the Father
has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

The New American Standard says, see how great a love the Father has
bestowed upon us. And you see the reason that I wanted to go here is for
this reason. Romans 8 does not stress this like it's stressed here.

Behold what manner. You know that word? Manner. ESV says kind.

It's the class. It's the category. See what kind, what class of love
this is.

See. He's saying feel this. You need to get it.

Understand it. Fix your gaze here. Now here's the thing.

John isn't telling us to fix our gaze on adoption. He's not telling us
to fix our gaze on the fact that we're children. You see what he's
saying.

He wants us to behold the sort of love that would do such a thing.
That's where he wants us taken up. What does it take for God to make
somebody like us into his child? See how great that is.

That's like the New American Standard. It's see what a great love.
Behold that.

How great, how wonderful, how glorious. What kind of love, what class of
love, what category of love would ever do this? Now look, there are, I
think, as much as my mind moving back and forth through Scripture, I can
only think of two expressions in all of our Bible that like talk about
God's love in doing something as though it's like way out of here. It's
in a class all by itself.

One is when he gave his son for sinners. God so loved. That little word
S-O is massive there.

What John is saying is that this there's a there's a category of love
here that even surprises the writer. And then you'll remember this
Romans 8. He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all.
How will he not also with him graciously give us all things? You see
that that's an expression there even though that verse doesn't
specifically call out his love but what it's saying is this.

Look that that obviously is the greatest expression of his love because
if he'll do that then he'll do every other thing. So comparatively give
his son versus giving you everything. Well obviously it makes giving of
the son the greatest thing.

He's so loved. So the second expression is that which we just saw in
John. Behold what manner of love the Father is bestowed upon us.

In both instances we are confronted by that which the author is taken up
with. He's so loved. Behold what manner.

It's so great. It's so special. Behold what kind of love would do this.

That's the idea. The only way and you know what the only way in both
places that the author the inspired author would even try to tell you
how great the love is it's just simply by telling you what he did. In
both of them.

What did he do? Well God gave his son for the sinner. That's the first
thing and then he makes that sinner a son. That's the second thing and
you know what we're so used to it brethren.

It's pathetic. It's pathetic how used to this we are. So that doesn't
even strike us with the kind of I can you see what he did to Paul? The
guy comes unglued.

We don't come unglued. And if you're British you're twice as likely not
to come unglued. That's the reality.

Look what the author is saying here is there's a category of brethren
you understand this. There is a category of love that will give an apple
to their child and there's a category there's a kind there's a class of
love that moves up from that. Where I would give an apple to a stranger
and then there's a kind of love that moves up from that where I might
give an apple to an enemy.

You see there's a kind of love that moves up in the value of the gift.
Somebody might give a car. Somebody might actually let you move into
their house and live with them.

You see we recognize that there are different levels. There are
different strata. There are different classes of love.

That's that's the idea. But what class of love is it that would
sacrifice your own son for somebody who doesn't deserve it? Only to make
the person that doesn't deserve it your child. I mean that's the kind of
thing that we have and I would just say this what kind of love what
class would you put love into that God would have that he would actually
set his love on me even in the same way that he sets his love on Christ.

And listen in Jesus high priestly prayer Jesus prays that the world may
know that you he's speaking to his father loved them his disciples even
as you loved me. And you know if you begin to search even as it is a
word of comparison it's a word that has to do with to the same degree to
the same extent in proportion to just as brothers and sisters you might
want to meditate on that reality like for the rest of eternity. God
intends his relationship with you if you're a Christian he intends his
relationship with believers to be a very reflection a very reproduction
of Jesus own fellowship with his father.

I mean do you recognize what God has done? God has swept us right into
Trinitarian love saving you have to recognize this to the praise of the
glory of his grace. What you have is Almighty God who is wanting to come
along and show you a glory of the grace of his love towards sinners. And
what God has done is he says I'm not going to do anything halfway here I
am going to express such love that is absolutely going to stagger the
universe and all of creation and all of the angels and everything that
God ever creates are going to be totally staggered by how God would do
this and who we would do it to what the cost of it would be that's the
kind of love that he's putting on display here.

That's exactly it. Now yes look there are realities about Jesus Sonship
that can never be true of me but there a verse like John 17 23 that the
world may know that you love them even as you love me a verse like that
seems to suggest that in the same way God throws his whole being into
doing good to the Son of God Christ himself so he throws his whole self
into doing good to the adopted ones. Listen do you remember we can
cruise across this Jesus said this remember when he was there with Mary
in the garden after he rose and he said go tell my brothers and that's
interesting he doesn't say disciples he doesn't say my followers my
servants even my friends he says go to my brothers and say to them I am
ascending to my father and your father my God your God you see how he
puts it and on such an equal plane do you recognize this think with me
Romans 8 if we are children of God then we are what heirs and fellow
heirs co-heirs with who what does that mean that means that whatever he
gets we get I mean do you know what it says just a little ways later in
Ephesians it says in the coming ages that God is going to show the
immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus see
we're in we're one with him and what God is going to do our heavenly
father is he do you recognize what that he's even saying he plans to
constantly show us in ways that only he knows I mean because what do you
do with words immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness I mean what
do you even do with that what are the specifics there well it doesn't
say but I'll tell you what you don't want to miss out on that in ways
that only he knows more and more and more he is going to express his
love upon those that he's redeemed which is only you know what that's
going to do it's only going to increase our love back to him all through
eternity the future prospect of all of us who call God our father is
what it's this it's an eternity of love I mean you know what Packer says
he says this is like a fairy tale he says in real life Kings don't adopt
sons and daughters of a felon a king might adopt a niece or a nephew
some extended relative of the family but we aren't royalty we're sons of
the traitor no one in real life adopts the likes of us no one in real
life adopts a 25 year old mass murder you know I'm not a mass murderer
you know what scripture says we are we're God murders we would have
cried out crucify him just as well as the rest left in our natural state
we're worse I mean you know what nobody that wants a dog goes to the
Middle East and goes to a junkyard and finds the most foaming at the
mouth rabid mongrel to take home as a lapdog that doesn't happen in real
life the Ephesians 1 5 says hold it this this is no fairy tale there
actually is a king in real life that takes the wretched thing and says I
want you to be my son I'm gonna make you a prince and you know what we
need we just need the day of his power like we talked about from Psalm
110 that's what we need we need an outpouring some fresh revelation to
our souls of this reality the beauty the glory of this doctrine the
preciousness of what it means to be adopted in the household of God in
love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ pre-
test did you get that he predestined us for adoption yes that concept is
actually in the Bible folks predestination God's choice of certain
individuals to adoption in our estimation it may seem absolutely
arbitrary but you know what it's not now God doesn't tell us the reason
why he chooses one sinner over another to make into a son or a daughter
doesn't tell us that but don't conclude that he's without his reasons
you don't want to come to that conclusion why because it says it's
according to the purpose or the good pleasure of his will you see that
ESV says purpose King James says good pleasure but the fact is God does
it because it's his will to do it it's his pleasure to do it it's his
purpose to do it don't conclude he's without his reasons he doesn't tell
us why but he has his reasons he has a will behind all this it's
according to the purpose of his will that's Paul's way of saying look
God's under no obligation to explain himself to us why he chooses one
over another but let's all remember something in this though God doesn't
make known to you and me the reason why one is chosen when others passed
over we do know this he offers he offers sonship and adoption freely as
a gift to all and on terms actually that in one sense couldn't be easier
it's presented as a free gift come to Christ trust him and you'll
receive the adoption as a free gift of grace isn't that what scripture
says listen to it you know this to all who did receive him Christ who
believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God you
ever read that you receive Christ but you got to take him in his
entirety you got to take him with all of his commands all of his
authority all of his lordship not just the pardon of sin you have to
take him as a full package if you'll receive him then you see and you
know what if people won't accept God's pardon and God's free offer of
sonship but rather they prefer their sins rather they prefer to stay in
the way of being a son of the devil if they prefer that if nothing can
convince them to come and surrender lay down their weapons to this
Christ and receive him and be saved and become a son why should they
complain about predestination nobody should complain if the doors of the
banquet are thrown open and everybody's invited if you're too busy with
getting married and having oxen and just having bought new land I mean
while others are willing and they go in why in the world do you have a
problem with God's predetermined adoption it's there to be had I love
this verse I thought I'd just read it right here Jeremiah 319 I said
this is God speaking how I would set you among my sons and daughters I'm
adding that and give you a pleasant land a heritage most beautiful of
all nations and I thought you would call me my father and would not turn
from following me I just find an appeal in that verse God would have you
to be his child now look the comes the concept of adoption let's just
talk about that for a second it's not found in the Old Testament it's
very interesting you know so much of the New Testament is built on the
foundation of the Old Testament but you know one of the things we don't
find in the old you know under the Mosaic law you don't really find any
provision for adoption adoption is not a Mosaic concept you know what it
is it's a Roman concept it's basically the term adoption has to do with
in stating as a son and Paul you know this concept is only found in the
New Testament it's only found in Paul's writings Paul's the only one
that specifically mentions adoption yes some of the other letters talk
about being children of God or God being our father but the only place
you're gonna find the term adoption used is Pauline and so under Roman
law basically basically what they did was they made provision for an
adult this typically happened among rich people you know you get
somebody rich and he has a lot of wealth where's the wealth gonna go
when he dies he doesn't well obviously if he's got his own children
that's where it's gonna go but this is this was a provision for rich
Romans who for whatever reason they lost their children or they couldn't
have children or whatever never got married or who knows what the
situation was but basically Roman law made provision for an adult they
who didn't have any children who wanted an heir somebody to carry on the
family name somebody that he could adopt as a son and some young man was
typically selected who had shown himself somehow fit to carry on the
family name in a worthy way and you recognize this about adoption
adoption is always the prerogative of the father right nobody comes
nobody under Roman law would come along who was the child and demand by
law that some parent had to adopt them adoption is always the choice of
the father or the mother but father usually the choice in adoption
always rests with the one doing the adopting not the one being adopted
if you become a parent by way of adoption you made the choice you're the
one who made that call no one's legally bound to adopt somebody as their
child there's no duty at all it's Roman law made provision for this
nobody was demanded to do this not no obligation and you know what the
fact is if God had left us in our sins to perish what could we say what
are you gonna say to him you owe me adoption well you can't say that I
have a right to be a son no you have no right it's the prerogative of
the father and the concept of adoption is a legal term why do I bring
that up because the fact is it's got to do with legally I have the right
of becoming someone's son the emphasis on adoption is not the nature of
the child it's the legal standing of the child you need to get that when
we speak of the child being adopted we're at once implying that the
child does not at all possess any sort of blood relationship to the
parents adoption does not form a blood relationship there's no way an
adopted child is ever gonna get the 23 chromosomes from the mom and 23
chromosomes from the dad it's not gonna happen the same blood doesn't
flow through their veins they may get adopted and imitate their adopted
parents but the bloodline there's no blood connection it's only a legal
one that's all it is that the fact is that in Christianity we actually
do get the nature of our father but that's got nothing to do with
adoption what does that have to do with regeneration right so let me
talk Packer and Raymond both believe adoption is the highest privilege
of the gospel offers higher even than justification so let's talk about
that just for a second let's compare justification and adoption both are
legal declarations right adoption legally declares that I'm somebody's
son justification legally declares that my sin is pardoned declares me
just so we think about this both adoption and justification are based on
faith are they not were justified by faith to as many as received him
and believed on his name that's what scripture teaches in Christ Jesus
you are all sons of God through faith that's what scripture teaches us
so both becoming a son of God and becoming justified in the courtroom of
God they're both by faith but justification has to do with our
relationship with God as a lawgiver and a judge right it's a courtroom
term it has to do with what that the believer is not liable to the
penalty deserved for the sins we've committed we don't get death when we
deserve death that's what justification has to do with because as our
substitute and sacrifice he tasted death on our behalf he stood in our
place he took our punishment upon himself my debt has been paid Jesus
paid it all that's the idea and so I'm pardoned in God's courtroom and
justification declares that I am legally acquitted I'm a free man but
but you know what justification never guarantees me any intimacy with
the judge afterwards right I mean I can walk away but the judge may have
nothing to do with me the judge may hate me he may have acquitted me on
legal terms but he may not like me he may not want anything to do with
me certainly there's nothing in justification that requires him to bring
me into his family you see how adoptions better now adoption presupposes
justification because it presupposes that whatever whatever barriers
there were have been removed but the fact is yes it presupposes pardon
yes but adoption lifts us higher where does it take us I mean folks to
be right with God as a judge yeah that's great be taken into God's
family to be cared for by him as a father that's greater that's greater
because there's infamy it's it's like God has not only broken down all
the barriers now God brings me right to where I'm his child he's my
father one deals with a ruler and his subjects but the other one has to
do with a father and his children folks we have to feel the privilege of
adoption I'm gonna make one more effort here to try to get us to feel
that suppose I committed a fault against you by accident so let me see
your laptop and I dropped it I'm just being clumsy and I dropped it I'd
be thankful if you forgave me what if I took your laptop and I thought I
don't like him smashed it but later on I felt well that was stupid and I
feel sorry and you forgave me yeah I'd be happy but what if I committed
crimes not against you but suppose I committed them against a king and I
did things so bad that I actually deserve to be burned at the stake I
deserve to be burned in a fire that's never quenched let me tell you
something if God came if I committed crimes that deserve that
unquenchable flames forever and God came along and said I've got some
good news for you I'm going to annihilate you that would be good news if
it doesn't strike you as good news all you have to do is think about the
kind of good news that would be to everybody in hell right now who are
faced with the prospect that this suffering is forever and if you could
basically make it so that they was like they sleep forever like before
they were born they would take it in a second to just make the pain stop
that'd be a tremendous mercy tremendous but what if he forgives my
defiance against him he pardons me and then he sends me home I jump for
joy I mean I deserve that and any he's pardoned he sends what if I'm
forgiven and he tells me he's gonna shower me with untold wealth I mean
I would hardly know how to answer but if that King says despite all the
wickedness you've done against me I pardon you I love you I give my only
begotten son for you I'm gonna bring you home to my house to the royal
family as my child I'm gonna be a father to you you'll you're gonna sit
on my throne you're gonna wear a crown what if God said that to you he
said look I want you to know that in all my omniscience omnipotence I am
Almighty God as much as I have been able to stretch my mind and my
thinking I am going to make you an object of the greatest expression of
grace that I can conceive of now I'm not gonna say I know what God can
conceive of the very fact that we're being we're even being put in the
category of love where he's loving us as he loves Christ we're I mean if
God said there's no higher place my love can exalt you it's like if
we've just been good our whole lives you know if we've been faithful
servants in the end all we've done has been faithful we don't deserve
anything but after the things that we've done and what we deserve God
says I'm not just making you a free man I'm not just making you a friend
you're to be my son you see what John see behold you gotta get this the
category of love that the Father has given to us that we should be
called the children of God and so we are so we are that's the climax
that's the apex that's the crowning blessing of all the blessing that
can't be superseded the ultimate end of redemption nothing higher among
the expressions of God's love the highest privilege of the gospel the
apostle doesn't want us just to sit there emotionless and read it look
at this he predestined us for adoption his sons through Jesus Christ
according to the purpose of his will to the praise of the glory of his
grace you know what God wants he wants worship if all I do is recognize
my sonship and I stop short there that's not what God you know what God
wants you to do he wants you to shout and why would you not want to
shout he wants you to get excited he wants you to jump up and down he
wants you to praise him for all the magnificent glory in this the glory
he wants you to get excited yes even if you live in Great Britain he
wants you to get excited what is his love that swallowed me up to the
praise of his glorious grace there's glory in this adoption declares to
us something about God something about his grace his glory has to do you
know the glory of God is what makes God God and God means to put himself
on display he doesn't do things by halves this is no trifle folks that
we've been brought into the family God wants us to gaze on this doctrine
of adoption he wants us to behold the glory in it and he wants us to
fall down with praise and so I just say this you know what when Jesus
comes along and he says unless you forsake all that you have you can't
be my disciples you know what you know what Jesus shows he shows us that
in in a parable where the guys walking along and he finds a treasure and
he says wow this treasure and you know what he doesn't sulk all the way
to going to sell all that he has so that he can buy that land and get
that treasure you know what he says he says wow that treasure is that I
can't believe it and all I have to do is it's go get rid of all my stuff
so that I can buy that land and then I get that treasure of course this
is a good deal he's not sulking he's not moaning he's not bemoaning the
fact you know what he tells us to sell our possessions and give to the
poor he does Luke 12 you better read that he wants you to throw a feast
he doesn't want you to invite friends and family that he does Luke 14
you better read it again he wants us to he wants us to do he wants us to
give up our comforts and make sacrifice of our time and our money and
our life he doesn't want us to be choked by the cares and the riches and
the pleasures of life but to follow him to imitate him and you know what
he does want us to give thought to people that are needy in the world he
wants us to give thought to that he wants us to take time up to take the
gospel to go to the nations including the prison right up the street or
wherever we end up going he does want us to do that he definitely is
calling us and you know what if we walk around sulking like we're some
great losers because what because you're being adopted into the family
of God and you get the treasure of all treasures and immeasurable riches
of his grace and kindness forever and love poured on you like he pours
on Christ and you get to be fellow heirs with him and what are you gonna
do walk around sulking like well you know this this Christian thing man
so much is demanded look at the guy who found that treasure burying in
the field did was he grumbling all the way and none of that what a
sacrifice look how much I have to give up now the guy was coming out of
his shoes really all I have to do I mean all you're wanting of me is to
turn my back on the things that I can't keep anyway that are only
fleeting pleasures of that are gonna be gone in a moment I'm gonna die
I'm gonna be out of this what seriously you're just asking me to do that
I mean all you have to do is look at a guy like Zacchaeus and he's up in
the tree and here's Jesus and he realized I got it all even though he
had all these riches and everything this is this is Levi sitting in his
tax day follow me seriously you want me I can't leave all those coins
behind Zacchaeus says I'd give it all away what are you kidding me are
you gonna are you gonna get all bent out of shape because Jesus comes
along it says unless you forsake all that you have what what it's don't
don't act like oh you know we're such great givers and we're at all
don't you realize you're the one that's getting he's he's he's basically
saying look you're stewards I've given all this to you anyways I'm the
one to tell you what to do with it and you come follow me and you're
gonna get so you're gonna get an eternal weight of glory you're gonna
get such riches out of this whole this is this is a treasure listen this
adoption thing is no trifle folks this is the greatest riches this is
the apex this isn't just the apex of Scripture this is the apex of life
this is the apex of what is worth living for this is this is it what I
mean you know people well it's a Christian life is so hard and hard it's
momentary light affliction and after that what are you gonna do you need
to start comparing once once in a while we need to wake up and realize
seriously we've been adopted into the family of God he's made us sons
there is an inheritance at the end of this there is a treasure in heaven
money bags he calls it really all of this airs inheritance riches glory
the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness I'm gonna be in his
family he's bringing me into his house he's bringing me behind his
throne he's giving me a crown on my head I'm gonna rule I'm gonna reign
with Christ I'm gonna be a bride of Christ I mean what what are we gonna
look around say what did I what do you have this what's the treasure the
treasures of the God of this universe and his son I've got them I'm
gonna see him face to face he calls it paradise what are you gonna do
complain because it gets a little difficult here when there's paradise
set before us don't you realize who you are don't you I mean if once the
glory of adoption grabs hold of you then you don't walk around sulky and
miserable and long-faced but you realize we are the privileged ones no
one else in this world is as privileged as we are and all we have to do
is walk through this shadow land for a few more rolling suns at most and
then we're gonna be landed right there on Canaan's coast in paradise
we're gonna behold him paradise forever I mean you get to see him
brethren you know what he says extend yourself for the hungry and those
in prison don't be passive don't lay down this is our day to run and
we're running towards the finish line and what's beyond that there's a
prize there folks adoption like you're gonna have a father greet you on
the other side who loves you with a love that is in a category that's
just out in this world father please help us may this be a day of your
power just to shed abroad into our minds and hearts the reality of the
love of God that has been extended to us thank you I mean we don't even
know I thank you it's just father help us help us to grasp more help our
praise to resound at the reality of this help us to not forget not let
go not not become so enamored by the distractions of this life that we
forget who we are help us Lord help us in the joy and glory of the grace
that's bestowed by our predestinated to be adopted into this very family
and to be sons in Christ Jesus may may this resonate may this move us
may this excite us I pray in Christ's name amen

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/c8LGhFLCRMc.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/tim-conway/i-was-predestined-to-adoption/
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