Galatians 4.1. “Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all. But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.” The thought of being in the household of God, being a part of the family, a grand privilege, we can hardly take it in at times. These days God has called us together as His sons and daughters, not all of His family are here, but a good number have come. You are children, you are not a servant, servants in the house are needed but children are in the house because they are loved. We are not children because of some need that God has. No, the love of God has brought us here and this is a security and a comfort for us. Our place in the family does not depend on us filling some need, or being useful.
God called us because of the love in His heart. Parents do not love their children because they are useful, it is not their ability, their capabilities, they love them because they see their need, a baby so helpless, so needy and it touches their hearts and they do for them gladly all that they can do. It’s His kindness and mercy towards us, not our capabilities, our talents, it is our need of Him, He knows that and it touches His heart and we are accepted as His children. God does not call us together to give us a new list of rules to follow, that is man’s way, any new problem comes up they just make a new law. Where the Spirit is lacking men revert to rules, it is not God’s purpose to gather us like that, but to show His love to us. We are children and we are here because our Father wants to put within our hearts more of His love, the love for God kindled to burn better. We are gathered in the presence of God’s love so that this love can affect us and burn brighter than ever before. We are also called together to be exposed to God’s spirit so that in our hearts there would be a truer, deeper dwelling of God’s spirit. The same love of God kindled in our hearts and know more of the spirit of God.
There are things about a family that apply to God’s family, a feeling of understanding, a closeness that is hard to explain, a desire to help, to protect one another and if this was not so it would be a grief to the parents. Among His children in the family of God there is a desire to see this same feeling, understanding and being understood, a feeling of care and concern and if it is not their God is grieved. He wants to kindle this in our hearts these days. There are also likenesses in the members of a family, but there are differences too. Not all members are alike in every way. With you folks I don’t feel that I am thousands of miles away from my home country because I see the same family likeness. The world does not understand this but it is so real to us, we are alike in a lot of ways but there are some differences. You that are parents have children and know that they are not all alike but they are all your children, every child different, no matter how many there are no two the same.
There are differences among friends, differences among God’s servants, not every worker made in the same mould. Some find it easy to be in a crowd, find it easy to speak and some have a quieter nature and like to get alone. Some are capable in one area and not in another but all are called and used by God. The members are all different. I had a brother who was always the life of the party, he would enjoy a crowd and all knew he was there, I would sit in a corner and watch. People would say to our parents, Jim is so different to his brother, is he yours? We need to be aware that we are all different and this will help us to accept our brothers and sisters for what they are, to appreciate them, to know how to accept and to encourage them. Every servant of God is different but the same love has been born in their hearts for God’s children, for God’s kingdom and they all desire to be a help, to be used. This same love is in His children; they love this kingdom and love those who are in the way. In some ways we are all different but we all belong to one Father, all children in one household, that’s the way it is. We are grateful for each one God has called together for a few days so He can speak to us, to expose us to the warmth of His love and to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
These are just a few days and we want to make the best use of the time; of the opportunity we have these days. In a family the members are not together so much, in my own family, I have a brother, we grew up together. He is one year older but after he finished school our paths have gone in different directions and we have spent very little time together since but the closeness, the warmth is always there. There are others that we spend more time with for we have a job, go to school and then we have a little time with the family in the evening perhaps. Then twice a week we meet with the family of God, so our time spent together is not so great, but there is something there, closeness, a warmth, a feeling of being one in the family. We do not feel this kinship with many that we are spending more time with at work and school etc. So, these are special moments, precious times that bring a lot of comfort to us, for there we understand and are understood. How did all this come about, that we are found inside the family of God for we did not force our way in, did not buy our way in, not here through any accomplishment or qualification.
There was a time when we were strangers from the family of God, we all started that way and God found us and brought us in to the family by adoption. A niece was adopted into the family a number of years ago and I was not in the part where the adoption took place, but later they told me what took place. They had some feelings about this adoption but one thing they told me; they had this baby girl for a year. They received the baby when a few days old but they could not adopt this baby for one year; they had to wait a year before the adoption could be finalised. During this time, they learned to love, to treasure, to care as they waited for one year. Then they had to go to the City, to the Court where the real parents could go and if they wanted to claim the child, they would have to give her up. So, the date was set and they went into the Courtroom, there were several parents there and they waited till other cases were being tried. While they were waiting, they looked around trying to see if anyone resembled the child, could this be one of the parents. They noticed one man and he could be the father so they were anxious until their case was heard lest one of the parents would claim their baby. The Judge then asked, “Is there anyone here to contest this adoption”? They all sat quietly, they watched this one man, he was shuffling his feet, they waited and waited and then the Judge brought down the hammer and said, “This adoption is final”. They left the Court right away and never looked back, they went to the home of their Elder and told the news, our adoption is finalised. What about our adoption, are we getting it finalised, we are included amongst God’s people but wonder if there is anything contesting our adoption? Perhaps unwillingness, selfish desires, pride, self-will, all could be contesting our adoption. These days together, it would be good to get it settled, that our adoption would be finalised, that we are in this forever. In it all the way, in it for life, we belong to God and to no one else and this is something good for us to think about these days.
In the country where we labour there are many little girls given away to be adopted and a man and wife came and we met them in the City where they were preparing to adopt this baby girl. To me it was a touching sight, they were waiting in the lobby of the hotel and the people from the orphanage came with 6 little girls, they were in rags, hair shaggy, dirty and unkempt. The parents that were adopting them took their baby and went into their room and a little while later they came out, now the baby was dressed in a new dress, hair cleaned, clean, what a change. This is the same for us being accepted into the family of God, it is no different for us, our dress, our food, our language, our whole future was changed now living closer and called to be a child of God, set apart in His family. This couple we met there, they had heard about this little girl for a long time, more than a year getting all in order. They had photos of her, they had studied that photo, she was already in their hearts, a love had been kindled, and they wanted her. They spent a lot of time, overcame a lot of obstacles, things seemed impossible, they had to pay a large price, they had to travel a long distance to come where she was. They came and found her and took her to become theirs, took her to their own land. This is what our Lord has done for us, he left heaven where he was and where we could not go, we could not find him but he came to us, he found us. We could not pay the price so he paid the price; he bought us as his own so we could be members of this family.
This poor orphan girl in the hotel lobby, she was so scared, so lost, she could not do anything, the only thing she could do is submit which she did and was taken into the family. Several months later she is a happy, loving laughing little girl, so wonderful and all she had to do was to submit and when we submit, we find a depth of love, a joy that we do not understand. Just submit, yield to him, give him control, and give back to him our love and thankfulness for return to all that he did. He came to this dark, sinful world to bind us with cords of love, paid our redemption when there was nothing we could do, no way to repay, our part is just to submit, to be willing, to return our love and thankfulness, that’s all he asks. This family of God, we don’t know how many who are not in this tent, that is not important for God knows, it is not numbers that matters. There are no 10-storey office blocks to find the records, for it is recorded in heaven where it belongs. Being one in the family we have many experiences in common, many things we can understand for we have the same father, we have similar experiences, we have had the same training. It is different in a household, the training is not the same, there is a behaviour that is proper, we learn to be proper children. You folks have been trained to what is proper in your homes; my training was not the same. We do not use the fork the way you use it but that is not important, but this matter of being trained to be proper sons and daughters.
In our home one day I brought a boy home from school, and sometimes he would use language that was not allowed in our home so I began to feel ashamed that I had brought him in, he did not behave. This is vital; we like to learn well to be a proper child in the household of God. To be obedient, to behave as an honour to him, we are the children of our father and when we are obedient our father will recognise us, this marks us as his children. Doing things together, to be together it means so much, to be with our father, with those dear to us, those who encourage us, for we bear the name of our father, this is a serious trust, a solemn trust, we bear His name. Jesus spoke of those who hear and do, they will have 100 fathers and mothers, those that leave their homes will have 100-fold, brothers and sisters and we have proved it’ s true. We go out and there are those who are fathers and mothers to us, those who are brothers and sisters to us.
My old mother came to see us and she wanted to get to know all the staff, she said they are all my children, now she wants to know where they are, what are they doing. I noticed the last time she came to see us the rest of the staff were calling her mum so we see the reality of these things, it is real and true and beautiful to see. Respect, children have respect for their parents, respect for one another for all have feelings and desires, good when there could be mutual respect. We all have feelings, God has feelings, we don’t want to forget that, we could think that we are the only ones who have feelings, but everyone has feelings. Good to learn to have a healthy respect for each one, a respect for the struggle of one another. There is a standard in the household, uprightness, cleanliness, purity, these are very important to God. There are certain things that need to be done and our hands have to be clean, our feet have to be clean.
Before I went into the work we were building roads and we would come home all dusty and dirty and mum would say don’t come in. There was Dad my two brothers and I and Mum would meet us at the door with a broom and we would all be swept off. Then we would use water and wash put on clean clothes and then go inside and there were good things to eat. We did not mind being swept off and the Lord wants to do this for us, that the attitude of the world would be swept off, to get our hands clean, put on the robe of righteousness for the Lord has so much to share with us. First there is the standard and then we appreciate God in his kindness who called us to be his children to have a part in this family and we want to be a child that God can take pleasure in.
Truth Archive 