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“Adoption by our Abba”, Father’s Day 2019

Introduction

• “Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behaviour from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love.” (Ephesians 5:1–2 MESSAGE)

• Can be challenging day
  • Lost your father
  • Difficult relationship with father
  • Inability to become a father
  • 35,000 children will enter the care system this year in the UK alone
  • We need fathers
• However, can celebrate the good in fathers and father-figures

• Questions: 
  • “Who were/are the important father figures in your life?”
  • “What did you learn from them?”

1. God our Heavenly Father Adopted Us

• “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. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” (Ephesians 1:3–6 NIV11)
• He chose us
• Felt so lost
• Remember that feeling?
• Have that feeling?

• What does this mean…….?

2. We have a real relationship with our Father

• “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”” (Romans 8:15 NIV11)

“Before you were conceived as a bundle of cells, you were conceived in his heart. Before you were born into an earthly family, you were adopted into His family. Before you were able to form a smile, he beamed over you with pleasure. He was your Father, first.”

Talk – pray. Let him talk to you – Bible. Only way to get to know him better.

3. We care about what & who our Father cares about

• “Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” (Psalm 68:4–6 NIV11)

What might your response be to the fatherless, widow, lonely, prisoners?

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: “An elephant’s swimming pool”, a devotional look at the Gospel of John

Video can be found here.

What is the usefulness and relevance of movement and posture in corporate worship? This is the Fifth in a series on this topic inspired by a chapter in “Participating in Worship” by Craig Douglas Erickson.

Today we look at the issue of kneeling. 

What is the value of collective kneeling in corporate worship? First of all let’s have a look at Scripture:

1. Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the temple (1 Kings 8:54)
2. Adoration and praise (Psalm 94:6).
3. Christ in Gethsemane (Luke 22:41).
4. Stephen’s prayer for his persecutors (Acts 7:60).
5. Peter praying for Tabitha (Acts 9:40).
6. Prayers of departure and blessing (Acts 20:36; 21:5).
7. Paul in prayer (Ephesians 3:14).

We tend to associate kneeling with an especially powerful awareness of our sinfulness before God. However, this is not particularly biblical. It’s something that came into the church consciousness later. This in many church traditions kneeling is reserved for penitential prayer or acts such as receiving communion. Does this mean that, in our tradition where this is not so common, we should not utilise kneeling in our corporate settings?

We can pray whilst standing, and pray whilst seated. But isn’t there something different about praying whilst kneeling?

What might it be like if we listened to Scripture read while we knelt on the ground? How might our experience change if we sang whilst kneeling? Click To Tweet

As close this episode by considering what Paul tells us about kneeling:

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11 NIV11)

There is no suggestion in the context that such kneeling is negative, but  an appropriate response to our wonderful saviour. If this will be the case on that day, perhaps we should get in training today.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: “An elephant’s swimming pool”, a devotional look at the Gospel of John

Please consider supporting my friend, Roger Packham and his friends who make up the band, “The Mighty Trumpet Company”.

Their new album is themed on the book of Joshua. The songs are tuneful, meaningful and performed with passion. 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”” (Joshua 1:9 NIV11)

To hear the album and follow their Spotify Artist:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5helYBZ78RmC9jnPU5DgIT?si=GFdtjVBoRT6dJHB4_nyl1A
Please follow them: become a listener!

For other social media:https://www.facebook.com/mightytrumpetcompany/    (Please follow: they need to get 1000 followers!)

https://www.instagram.com/mightytrumpetcompany/https://twitter.com/TrumpetMighty 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbU9QGNybluXNl7kVcHxkZA  …. please subscribe to their Youtube channel: More videos to be posted soon

Today we explore the issue of how God enables us. How does he enable us to be all we can be for him? In what ways can we cooperate with him to enable him to bring us to maximum Christlikeness? What is the place for prayer in this challenge?

We look at insights from Acts 14 and Acts 4. 

“So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.” (Acts 14:3 NIV11)

“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”     After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:29–31 NIV11)

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: “An elephant’s swimming pool”, a devotional look at the Gospel of John