I Am A Child Of God - Part 1

Today on the Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. As Christians we often say and find ourselves as believers, believe and not against that of a believer. I believe in Jesus Christ and that has a certain clarity to that's a lot different than understanding that Jesus says and he says there's only one way to become a child of God to be born again for joining us today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is again he shows us how God's word meets our some time ago available wonderful book title is Christ steam is written by Don Metz and the introduction he wrote these words.

Who am I what is my personal identity. How can I develop a more positive self-image. Why don't I feel good about myself. I am sure that all of you have heard these questions before. If you haven't somehow you you been out of step with the thinking of this generation.

People today are claiming that they are trying to find themselves in need to discover who they are. We are living in an age characterized by increased self-awareness and the expansion of the human consciousness. Our generation is facing an identity crisis.

Later he goes on and says should I not asked the question, who am I what is my personal identity. What is my self-worth.

Can you condemn me if I should concentrate on trying to find myself.

He said it is not surprising that we are living in an age of self-indulgence, having been stripped of his previous identity.

Modern man discovers that all he has left is to try to focus on himself. The reason I read that is that's been my experience as a pastor with with so many of you there are so many Christians that are unhappy, they have the self-doubt they are playing what modern psychology because they have low self-esteem, but if you think about a Christian trying to find themselves is an oxymoron. Doesn't make any sense at all. I conclude that either we are completely ignorant of what the Bible says about us is our true identity or we simply ignore what the Bible says we forget what the Bible says someone start a series this morning focused on the true identity I title the series. I am who you say I am, would you open your Bibles to John chapter 3 John chapter 3 in this order sets the stage for the first thing that I want to say is a famous passage begins by saying now there was a man of the Pharisees is named Nicodemus and he was a rule four of the Jews. So we are introduced to a man named Nicodemus.

He's a Pharisee, but is not just any Pharisee.

There were many of them. He's a Pharisee who is a member of the Sanhedrin. In other words, he's one of the Pharisees who rules the nation Israel but is not just a Pharisee who is a member of the Sanhedrin we find out a little later by the words of Jesus. He is considered the teacher of the Sanhedrin when I was a theological issue that came up. He was the guy everyone went to because of his understanding of the Scriptures and he comes to Jesus at night. In verse two it says this man came to Jesus by night and he said to him, red bone Ira Rabbi. He said we know that you have come from God as a teacher for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with them now.

It's kind of interesting that this verse. It almost has a political aspect to it schmoozing.

He's trying to say mean things about Jesus. He wants to tell Jesus what we know there's something great about you. Your wonderful man. That's kind of interesting because he says it and I'm sure what he's thinking is that Jesus would say what Nicodemus I've heard about you to your Pharisee, tremendous Pharisee, your you're in the Sanhedrin one of the great teachers. Your great man to get any of Jesus never Jesus ignores what he says completely and Jesus says this truly, truly, that means that's a lot of emphasis truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God is not a nowhere first words truly, truly, I want to tell you this. If you are not born again you won't see the kingdom of God now got Austin Nicodemus is like weight I'm in a Pharisee.

Everybody knows I'm in the Sanhedrin.

Come on, Jesus had no permission.

Born again you won't even see the kingdom. Now it's interesting that word born again the word again is the word and no thing and it means again, and it can also mean from above and probably means both of them here born again and from above.

He said if you're not born again you can see the kingdom of God.

Know what I want to describe here is this one of the things that God says about you and about me is that once you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. You become a child of God. That's extremely important thing, understand, and I hope that beaded home today that you come sway with some understanding as Christians. What we often say, and defined ourselves as believers or I'm a believer. Okay, I'm not against that.

You know I'm a believer. I believe in Jesus Christ and that has a certain clarity to it, but that's a lot different than understanding. I'm a child of God. That's what Jesus says any scissors only one way to become a child of God yet to be born again.

The only way you can become a child of God there is no other way.

If you're not a child of God will never see the kingdom of God will never go to heaven.

Jesus said that's abundantly clear. You have to be born again. What's interesting about that. Nicodemus said to him because he was offended by the words, how can a man be born when he is old, he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born County now he knows Jesus knows that's not a legitimate question that's Nicodemus using sarcasm to strike back, what old man gets back in his mother's woman had. She has another baby. That's how this works.

That's what you're saying Jesus doesn't flinch. It always is, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. There's a lot of disagreement about what's water me I Somerset auditing needs water baptism that I don't think so at all what Jesus is saying is this, I believe when he talks about water is talking about physical birth and then we talking about. The spirit is done about spiritual birth and measure born physically and then your born again spiritually will never see the kingdom of God.

That's what Jesus is saying no matter what Nicodemus wanted to do with that.

And it's interesting that he says that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

And that's what emphasizes what I just said Jesus is you have to be born this way of the spirit of God. Now whenever you're born physically.

I think most of you know this. It takes two parents right you have to have a mother and father and then your born. It takes two parents whenever you're born spiritually you're born because of to also. Here Jesus says it's the spirit of God. The causes you to be born again. Listen to what Peter writes in first Peter chapter 1 in verse 23 he says this for you have been born again same phrase you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is the living and enduring word of God. So, who were my parents spirit of God and the word of God in a sense of being born again. What is the word of God. The gospel is what we call the gospel. Somebody told you or you read the gospel. That's the word of God, the Spirit of God, then convicted you see of your distance from God and your need for the gospel, the good news of Christ. And when you put your faith with the spirit of God and the word of God you were born again into the family of God. He says that's the way this works. It's interesting that this is kind of all of God.

Look back to chapter 1 of John for just a moment in verse 11 talking about Jesus. John writes this, he said he came to his own and those who were his own did not receive him as the Jews, but as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become what the children of God, even to those who believe in his name.

That's how you become a child of God and then it says, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God is he wants the whole problem with religion. I learned I know how to do this by my own will earn this decision can earning. No one can earn it. It's not you you're born of the Spirit and of the word of God, all you can do is receive it, and that's what John says in John one, there's something else here that I find really fascinating Nicodemus. In verse nine says, how can these things be. No one ever taught me this when you're talking about Jesus answered and said are you the teacher of Israel and you understand these things the teacher by way shows you how religion can blind you. Here's Nicodemus, Pharisee Sanhedrin, the teacher, he doesn't even know what Jesus talking about because he has a religious orientation. He said I can't believe you can understand this, Jesus says, then truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know. He said it and testify to what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.

If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe when I tell you heavenly things.

He said no one is ascended into heaven, but he who descended from heaven as the Son of Man, and then Jesus says start saving.

In verse 14. It's intriguing ladies you understand this amend not so much. If you been a child under certain circumstances, you been told this up having a baby is nothing right if there's nothing it is sit down baby comes out sailing the babies are born and what pain lot of pain. If you are a mother that was in labor for 24 hours or something she's told you that Bob you through your whole life by labor 24 hours for you. You know I mean, that's kind of the way it works but your born in pain in your born again. Exactly the same notice what's the next verse says in John and Moses lifted up the serpent as Moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up uses the analogy that when they were bitten by snakes, and they were dying that if they look on the image that Moses put up the serpent that they could live and he was pointing to the cross of Jesus Christ. We were born again because of his pain, not ours, but his. It cost them in the garden of Gethsemane to agonize where he was sweating droplets of blood because of the scream out on the cross, Eloi Eli Lamas, the box than he, God, my God, why have you forsaken me. He bore sin and we can be born again.

On the basis of his pain. He goes on then and he says this, verse 15 so whoever believes in him will have eternal life couldn't be any simpler than that. And these on somebody's work dinner Jesus speaking you believe in him you have eternal life. It's amazing to me that you would have been religious Christendom people say not on on our lives I get eternal life.

Yet the blonde organization do what we tell you there's a lot of things you have to do and then maybe you can get it. Maybe you can.

Jesus doesn't speak lies they do, but he doesn't. That's what he said you believe it matters what else he said very famous verse for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life can be too much clearer than what was God's motive why why did God want us to become children of God because he loves us. By the way, that's what you hope for earthly parents. We live in a day and age where children are conceived without love, but you want your parents to be in love and the product of the love is the child.

And here we are product of the love of God. He said that's the way this works. We are so loved by God, while you and I are children of God, because we have been born again into God's family.

This is that simple and I want you to begin to think of yourself that way. Instead, a Keith forget only think of yourself. I'm a believer in Jesus Christ.

I want to understand your child of God.

We get a lot of significance from being children of certain people right. I mean, you could meet somebody and you. I forgot to tell you that guy is a Rockefeller is a Kennedy. He is a Gates. What's that mean that no his family that he comes from the you know the family that you come from those men are nothing your child of God.

That's an enormous effect on you. It should fill us with joy. Go with me now to Romans chapter 8 Romans chapter 8. It's amazing what happens here the apostle Paul was trying to tell us what we have in Christ, and he just under verse 14 he said for all who are being led by the spirit of God, these are the sons of God. This is the children of God. Anyone led by the spirit of God. The children of God, he said, for you have not received the spirit of slavery leading to fear the first thing he tells us of your child of God, you are free from the slavery of sin free. That's a very important thing he talks about that in Romans five he says, look, sin does not. I don't have to be a slave to my sin anymore. I can be free of that. That's a very important thing for the Christian life understand them free of that before Christ. I could doing about it. He says you're free from the slavery leading to fear. He said when you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba, father, we are adopted children of God.

He adopts us. It's interesting word adopted into God's family. If the giver notice something about being adopted in an earthly family.

Whenever your adopted into an earthly family there to be wonderful parents right but you don't have their nature, you don't have the genetics you don't have their DNA. You don't even adopted you see into the family. We don't share with our with our adopted parents but when you are adopted into God's family. God sets up residency in you he gives you his Holy Spirit nieces and I will share this my child and only adopted but now you show the most important element you have with your heavenly father. Notice he said when you get a idea what that means. He said as sons by which we cry out, Abba, father and all biting you purchased before it's an Aramaic word. It's not Greek thing else there is great, but there's not great it's it's Aramaic and in Aramaic. It means Papa daddy we cry out Papa daddy now. I'm sure when a Jewish Christian her dad in Rome. The problem was fainted.

The Jews would never presume something like that.

They never spoke the word of Yahweh you don't speak that word and if you wrote the word is a scribe going to clean yourself a sitters before you wrote the word, and after you wrote the word every time he wrote the word you never talk about God that we because he's big because you understand your child of God, and you cry, daddy. The intimacy of the relationship because your child of God you can walk with him. You can talk to him through your prayer. The writer of Hebrews says you can come boldly boldly into the holy of holies and ask God to give you mercy and grace. Remember, the high priest only when in once a year. He said yeah I know no one is not my child, you're my child, you come right in your call up on my lap and you call me Papa daddy. That's what it means to us to be a child of God. It's amazing how this works out, he says, knowing what I do that, he said, but I'll feed you a feed you, so you grow spiritually of feed you the word of God, word of God in the Scripture byways called milk if your newborn babe in Christ is called meat you seek is called milk. It's called meat it's called bread. It's called honey full course meal exhibits the word I'm going to give it to you to help you grow so you become more conformed to the image of my son. Wow, that's just amazing is not done. He then says in verse 16 the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God is the spirit of God within you testify that you never woke just wake up in the day and say you know I'm a child of God.

That's who I am, not just a believer in God I'm a child of God. Notice the next verse, and if children errors also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Wow your child of God. In Philippians chapter 4 it says this my God will supply all that you need according to his riches in Christ Jesus. That's for now gotchas look at my channel give you everything you need succeed now in life you be able to cope with being a sinner living in a fallen world. I give it all to but even better than that.

He said you want to give you eventually everything everything that I create is yours. See what this Jesus Christ inherit everything he inherits everything and yours child and you inherit everything. I'm amazed how we get all wound up about our inheritance on the earthly plane, and by the way, we no matter what you inherits only temporary because you're not taken with you. You know that somebody else gets to grabbing him was real excited about that. How could you not be exciting that in the end you inherit everything, everything at the wrist he said is yours.

Your joint heir with Jesus Christ is an amazing thing when you think about it he said look how come you're not more joyful. I don't understand is that I just don't get it.

You. You have freedom from slight sin. You're no longer slaves to sin. He said your joint heirs with Christ you been adopted as sons.

He said these are all tremendously wonderful things for you. There's more.

It's hard for us sometimes of all the good things God gives you said her son doesn't want to give you as much children each other your family now and that we were also brought children of God in many give you all these are part of that no such thing as a Christian is known pastoral giver on the radio ministry of fellowship in the if you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you just listen to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio program at Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible.

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