(We were asked to share a message 5 minutes before it was time to speak. Praise the Lord for last minute inspiration. PC Haylee Butler.)
Last month I was waiting to teach English when the Lord did something new- he gave me a sermon. I’ve never considered preaching a strong suit, but sometimes the Lord likes to push us out of our comfort zones.
After writing up a storm, I became increasingly excited about what the Lord was speaking. I looked at the finished mess of a page, very professional on Spider-Man paper, and asked “what next?”
Trust me, I would have been okay with the Lord just speaking to me for the sake of my heart. Shockingly, an opportunity presented itself. At the end of the month we had a leadership development workshop which allowed members of our squad to speak about what the Lord had been teaching, and I was on the list.
I can’t remember exactly what I said, but here are the notes from my first sermon on the race. My prayer is it can speak to your heart like it spoke to mine.
Adoption and Authority in Christ
Luke 10:18-20
“He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Why do we have authority in Christ?
When I’ve heard people talk about wanting to adopt children it’s typically a desire to adopt infants and babies. This is a beautiful thing, there are a staggering number of babies in need of loving families. When people think of being adopted into God’s family I believe they also think about infant adoption.
I think about it a little differently. When Scripture talks about being adopted into the family of God it doesn’t mean God wants us like infants who are pure and easily conformed to natural family norms. God wants us like teenage boys who already have suffered trauma and come with baggage.
Last year I had the honor of working in a residential home with middle school boys in the foster care system. I love these young men with all of my heart, but I’d be lying if I said it was an easy year. God and I have many discussions about why he wanted me in that setting. Maybe it was just for this, for a greater depth of understanding for the love he has for his adopted children.
Story time
There was an instance during the summer when I had to physically restrain one of my boys to keep him safe. He was exhibiting unsafe behavior and ran away into the woods, which were full of brambles and fallen trees. He fought with me and we fell to the forest floor. By the end of the struggle my boy was brought safely to the house and my legs were dripping with blood. I now have quite a few scars left from the experience which I’ve resented up until this week.
Despite instances like this one, I would still to anything for this boy. I fought for him, advocated for him, and loved him as best I could until the day I left for the race. It astounds me to think about how much more the Father loves and fights for us, I can’t even imagine.
Romans 8:15-17
“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.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
When Paul talks about being adopted into God’s family he refers to Roman law. In Greek and Hebrew law, becoming an heir required waiting until the death of the father to receive an inheritance. In Roman law, children became heirs even while the father lived.
Roman law also required a very serious commitment through the process of adoption. A crowd of witnesses was required to keep the family accountable, and the child became a full heir. Who the child was before being adopted no longer mattered, they were considered biological children.
We are co-heirs with Christ and fully his children now.
Here’s the problem. We don’t operate from a place that believes this entirely.
What does authority in Christ look like?
Isaiah 14:16
“Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble…”
I love this verse. It’s talking about Satan. My interpretation is “da eff is this?? THIS is the guy we’ve been so terrified of??” Satan is literally so tiny it’s unbelievable we let him cause so much havoc.
When we tell ourselves Satan has things/situations in his power, that’s giving him authority he never had. We become trapped because we believe we are under his power.
In Matthew 4 we see Jesus at the end of fasting in the desert for 40 days and being tempted by Satan. They don’t talk much. Satan speaks, Jesus speaks truth, then sends him away. And he goes.
We don’t give Christ enough credit or authority in our lives. Remember, we are co-heirs with the Father. It’s so simple, but we’ve come to believe it’s complicated.
He took us in our mess to show us his love is not conditional.
Roman law. We are dead to who we were.
Yes. He chose you while you were using drugs. Yes. He chose you while you were watching porn. Yes. He chose you while you were judging others. Yes. He chose you while you were harming yourself. Yes. He chose you while you were black out drunk. And if you are doing any of those things right at this moment, he is still looking at you and choosing you.
Because you are adopted. Because he adores you.
He understands it’s not the things you do. He sees the deeper lies you believe and the heart issues that cause the behaviors as a result. In a similar way we can understand middle school boys who have experienced trauma exhibit certain behaviors as a result. It’s not the behavior we are worried about, it’s the trauma behind the behavior.
Zephaniah 3:17
“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
We can’t let God down, we were never holding him up.
He wants to wrestle with you in the woods through your behaviors to get to the heart issues. The awesome thing is he already chose the scars we gave him while wrestling through our issues with him.
Rest in that. Rest in his love and chosen scars and not the guilt and shame Satan uses to keep you from experiencing freedom. Don’t give him authority. He has none. You do.
God is good. Rest in him.
I love you, friends.
