Communauté et discipulat

What's the Big Deal? (Ephesians 1:4-6 )

2011.02.27Rev. Jim-Bob Park

Because God chose us in Christ and adopted us as his children, we are not orphans. We are called to live secure in his love and to reflect that love in our families and in caring for children who have no home.

God chose us in love to be his adopted children (vv. 4-6)

Paul writes that God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world and predestined us for adoption as his children. Adoption often carries a stigma, and many people feel ashamed of being adopted. But the speaker points out that God's choice is an act of love, not a matter of chance. Just as he and his wife chose their fifth child, Rachel, and call her special, God chose us, and his choice makes us truly his own.

Stop living like orphans and believe that you are loved

The speaker describes Rachel, who arrived at twenty-one months old carrying the habits of an orphanage. She had stopped crying, and she hid her needs because she feared getting in trouble. For three years, her parents told her, 'We love you, this is your home,' and she slowly became a child again. The speaker says that many of us, like Rachel, still live as orphans in God's presence, doubting whether he really loves us, while God keeps saying, 'I love you.'

The husband and wife relationship is the foundation of the home

The speaker argues that the family is the foundation of the church and that restoring families is essential for revival. He says the most important human relationship is between husband and wife, who make their vows before God. Children find security and identity when they see their parents happy, and no amount of material provision or education can make up for an unhappy home. For this reason, the speaker and his wife work on their marriage through regular date nights, which their children encourage.

Children belong to God, and we are only stewards

The speaker warns that children are not our possessions but God's, and parents are only managers entrusted to raise them. Many Korean parents find it hard to let go, and that is why they grieve most at weddings. God's design is for a man and woman to leave their parents and be united, so parents must release their children when the time comes. The speaker also rejects two common fears about adoption: that an adopted child comes from a bad seed, and that parents cannot love an adopted child as they love their own.

Each child has a gift to use for God's glory

The speaker shows that God gives each child different gifts, such as studying, music, writing, or leadership, and that parents should help their children use these gifts for God's glory. He also teaches that the best gift to a child is the support of a family, which is why he urges Christians to open their homes and hearts to fostering and adoption. He says that even if people cannot have children, they can witness to Christ, adopt, or help others adopt, because this reflects the heart of God, who adopted us.

Apply to Life

  • Let us remember that God chose us in love and that we are his children, not orphans.
  • Let us stop living in fear and doubt and trust that God keeps saying, 'I love you.'
  • Let us invest in our marriages and make our homes places where children find security and joy.
  • Let us recognize that our children belong to God and hold them with open hands as stewards.
  • Let us open our homes and hearts to orphans through fostering, adoption, or support for adoption.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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