Brandesburton 4th January 1999
Sons of God
I have been wondering over the last couple of weeks: Does Christmas really have any Christian relevance to us today.
Or is it all about giving presents and enjoying the Christmas turkey?
And if it does have a Christian relevance, what is the significance to me today of Jesus’s birth two thousand years ago.
Is it just a nice little story? I don’t think so!
As Martin Dunning, in his Christmas day message, said (and I paraphrase)
Once we can believe that the Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe became a man and was born in a stable in Bethlehem, then the concept of the Resurrection is not so difficult to get our heads around.
I want to extend this further and say:
Isn’t it astounding that God - who came to earth as a little child at Bethlehem over 2000 years ago - and who died and rose again - can be bothered with me, sitting here at the end of the 20th Century.
Hasn’t he got better things to do with his time?
For me the key to Christmas is understanding that the purpose Jesus came to earth was to enable us to have a relationship with God.
In other words, to become His sons and daughters.
And this brings me to my text this morning, which is taken from Rom 8:15
..but you received the Spirit of Sonship. And by Him we cry "Abba, Father...
I would like to look at three points this morning:
1. How can we become sons of God (v.15)
2. What rights do we have a son (v.15-17)
3. What obligations do we have (v. 11-14)
1. How do we become sons of God.
I think the words of St. John 1:11 & 12 are critical - words indeed that were read all over the country in many of the Christmas carol services held.
He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, children not born by natural descent nor of human decision nor a husband’s will but born of God.
Very simply, we receive Christ, when we ask Him into our lives.
In other words, we become sons of God by asking Jesus to come into our lives and fill us with His Spirit. In exchange, we agree to follow God’s direction in our lives.
And Christ gives us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of eternal life.
2. Our rights as Sons of God
2.1 Eternal Life
As a son, we are heirs with Christ to eternal life.
In other words, if we have the Holy Spirit living in us we will spend eternity with God. We will live forever.
Jesus himself puts it so well in John 14:2-3
In my Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me - that you also may be where I am.
If you want to read what heaven will be like, just look at Rev. 21:1-4 and 22:1-5
2.2 Father-Son relationship
We also have the right to a very special relationship with God.
Let us look at Rom 8:15 again
..but you received the Spirit of Sonship. And by Him we cry "Abba, Father...
You may recall that when I last spoke here, we looked at a part of the Lord’s prayer - "Our Father".
The very words imply a special relationship that we can have with God.
Indeed, we should perhaps be saying: "Our Dad, who is in heaven" in the Lord’s prayer.
Donald Guthrie, a well know theologian in his book "New Testament Theology" talks about this special relationship as follows:
(The use of the term "Abba") by Jesus shows how completely his view of God is divorced from any formal approach. The "Abba" form conveys a sense of intimacy and familiarity which introduced an entirely new factor in man’s approach to God.
This relationship means that - like Jesus- we should want to do the will of God in our lives.
Put another way, God has a plan for each one of our lives - that is unique and different.
As the Apostle James so succinctly puts it: The Christian does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires but rather for the will of God. (Jas 4:2)
God will lead us in the best direction for us to go, if we will let Him.
Story: In the late 19th century, Blondin the famous tightrope walker had a wire placed over the Niagara Falls.
He then proceeded to walk over it with a wheelbarrow. When he stepped down on the other side, the crowd applauded him.
He went over to the crowd and asked them if they believed he could do it again:
"Yes" they all replied.
"Are you sure?" he asked
"Yes" they replied.
"Then get into my wheelbarrow and we’ll go back across" he said.
When we step out in faith following God’s plan for us, it feels like getting into Blondin’s wheelbarrow.
God wants us to trust Him to get us to the other side.
When I start worrying about things instead of trusting God, Maddy has a challenging expression: "Why pray when you can worry!"
3. What are our obligations as sons of God
Paul sums it up very well in Rom 8:12-13
Therefore brothers we have an obligation - but it is not to the sinful nature to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
God wants our attitudes to be different to those in the world. For example, in Matt 5: 3-10 we have the Beatitudes.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled
Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Sons of God
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
God wants the BEATITUDES to BE OUR ATTITUDES.
Story: Gordon Wilson’s daughter was killed in the IRA bombing in Enniskillen about 10 years ago. Yet when he was interviewed on television, he was able to say that he could forgive his daughter’s murderers.
It was his Christian faith that enabled him to do this.
Compare this to a letter in the latest Church Times (01.01.99) from Michelle Williamson, a young woman (whose parents were killed by an IRA bomb) to that IRA bomber
You are like a disease in my bones and the only cure is justice. To say that I hate you does not begin to describe how I feel about you. I intend to do all I can to keep you behind bars where you belong. So go ahead and have your drink - I hope you choke on it, for you are nothing but a murdering coward. I hope - no I know, you will rot in hell. Merry Christmas from Michelle Williamson.
Which approach is likely to promote the Kingdom of God - albeit I can really sympathise with what Michelle Williamson feels.
The responsibility of being a Christian means that we have to be prepared to allow the Holy Spirit to make us Christlike.
I would like to close by reading you an interesting poem that was written by one of our housegroup just last month.
I think it is a remarkable poem for it sums up so well our relationship with God and how this relationship reflects on the people around us.
"Seek ye first the Kingdom" -
The message is quite clear.
Yet where I searched, it always seemed
The Kingdom was not here.
Inside the church, I reasoned
Surely on hallowed ground
Within those ancient arching walls
The Kingdom could be found?
Or on some solitary walk
Or gazing out to sea
Or in the beauty of a flower
The grandeur of a tree?
God’s handiwork surrounds me
The earth, the sea, the sky
"Is this the kingdom, then?" I asked
I got no clear reply.
Then I recalled those darker days,
The times you shared my pain
And when you showed me how to see
The rainbow through the rain.
Yours were the arms that held me,
And it was then I knew
God’s kingdom is so very near,
In you and you and you.
The Kingdom-Light is in your eyes,
You touched me we prayed,
Your smile and every loving word
You bring me day by day.
In shadows and in sunshine
You have been my "Kingdom-friends"
And shared with me that "Kingdom- love"
We know will never end.
And now I pray that, by God’s grace
All of you might still yet see
A glimmer of His Kingdom-Light
Shining for you - in me.
That is the challenge today, to allow Christ to shine in me to you and to the community around us.
