We are children of God!! All three of our Scripture readings for us this day echo this phrase…….. We are children of God.
On that day of Pentecost so many centuries ago, those were the words echoed in the witnessing given by the disciples. Remember the words of the Holy Spirit, “And all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2:21 NJB).
Paul puts it more in the terms of faith in Romans 8 by saying these words;
All who are guided by the Spirit of God are sons of God; for what you received was not the spirit of slavery to bring you back into fear; you received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out, "Abba, Father!"
The Spirit himself joins with our spirit to bear witness that we are children of God. (Romans 8:14-16 NJB)
To put it another way, all those who let God lead their lives are His sons and daughters. We as gentiles are received through His adoptive love for us, justifying us to make him our Father as well.
When the disciples found themselves standing before all those people, they never dreamed that the message the Holy Spirit was speaking through them would be brought to so many people in the years to come.
For humanity on that day, God’s Word was again available for all the people of the world to hear. No longer would His Word be the privileged information to a small group of people. The curse of Babel was coming to an end. Everybody within ear shot heard the word of God!
For us today, we look at Pentecost as the day the Church truly began its ministry on Earth. So, it is a sort of birthday of sorts for all the denominations of the World. Today we recognize ourselves as children of God.
However, do others recognize us as children of the Most High? Do we send forth the message that we are adopted sons and daughters of God the father?
Last week I talked of stewardship as a total act of faith and that it was one of the outward acts of works of faith described in James. Jesus told us, and the disciples, in John 14:12:
In all truth I tell you, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12 NJB)
In other words as we believe in Christ Jesus as our Savior, and since He is the Son of God, we who have faith in God will perform works to emulate all that God has done for us. We do this because we love God so much and want others to be able to share in the love He has for us and we have for Him.
When we strive to live our lives in the manner set out by God in the Scriptures, this too allows others who do not yet realize they are His as well, to see the love that God has for us.
Now in the previous scriptures in Romans, Paul points out that we are born with faults. He calls them our natural inclinations. Today some theologians and others in the ministry attempt to make these “natural inclinations” out to be sacred. Choosing to ignore what was said in Romans 8:5-8
Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on the things human nature desires; those who live in the Spirit have their minds on spiritual things. And human nature has nothing to look forward to but death, while the Spirit looks forward to life and peace, because the outlook of disordered human nature is opposed to God, since it does not submit to God’s Law, and indeed it cannot, and those who live by their natural inclinations can never be pleasing to God.
In other words as children of God, we are to turn our thoughts from the things we desire as humans, to those that God desires for us to do. Instead of listening to our own fears and wants, we need to be listening for what God wants of us. Just as our parents wanted us or wants us to listen for the wisdom they have acquired over the years, we are to listen to our Father in Heaven who has all wisdom.
When I was younger following my father’s tragic death, I would have never considered my self a child of God. I was too angry at what had happened. I was too angry with God to listen to the plans He had for my life.
However now looking back on the choices I made in my life, I see way in which God offered many opportunities, only I was too stubborn to take them when offered. Even so, God still claimed me as His own and still loved me and worked to guide me.
He does the same for each and everyone one of us, every day of our lives. He speaks to us in many ways, while it may not always be like the rush of a strong wind. Often times it is more like a calm cool breeze. He speaks to us every day, through nature, through our friends, and love ones. Most assuredly through those who are called to pray for us.
Sometimes we are called to be that spoken word of God for the people around us. Sometimes God uses us as the instruments to bring His Good News to those who are hurting, to those might be considered less than, or on the low end of the totem pole.
This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, a weekend we set a side to remember those who have gone on before us. Many of whom have gone home to be with the Father.
Many of those we will remember were called up to give their service to their country. Like wise, we are also to remember those who have been called up to service of a higher order. Those who died while serving God. Countless missionaries, circuit riders, and evangelists have lost their lives bringing the Word of God to those on the outer boundaries of civilization.
Still others have lost their lives in more recent times serving Christ in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia, and India. In many of these places, fellow children of God were killed because of the message they brought to the people of those areas. All because the message of the Good News was not the message they wanted the local people to hear. You have heard me speak before about Luann’s friend in Mississippi who was a Southern Baptist missionary in Africa for many years. She lived in the bush amongst the tribes. She recalls many times that her life was in danger for telling others about Jesus Christ. She also had friends in missions who did give their lives for telling others about Jesus.
The message that God loves them and that they too can be reassured in the knowledge that He has taken away all their sins. More over they too can receive the blessing and grace of forgiveness and mercy found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And finally, that God invites all to Him who actively and whole heartily repent and turn away from the wrong doings in their lives. God loves us all, because He created us all. We are all special and unique to Him.
So my thought and challenge for you this Memorial Day is to take time and remember all of those who have not only given their lives for their country, more over those that have given their whole lives in support of their God and Lord. When we think about those who have given their lives in any form of service, let our hearts and minds always turn to our Savior, Jesus Christ, who freely gave His life so that we may have life everlasting. Amen.
