"CHILDREN OF ADAM & ABRAHAM - CHILDREN OF GOD!"

The following was an overly ambitious attempt to pack too much into a single sermon. Even with cutting it short during the delivery, the result was a 25-mitnute presentation. It is presented here for blog readers to review the material at their leisure. Scripture references were taken from the New International Version; the reader may use any Bible version of choice for personal study.

4^th Sunday After Pentecost

16 June 2024

 

“CHILDREN OF ADAM & ABRAHAM –

CHILDREN OF GOD!”

St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church – Johnstown, PA

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

Heavenly Father, thank You that in Your grace You designed Your perfect plan of salvation, that all who are born of Adam into the original creation that was cursed, may be born again into Your new creation where death is defeated and fellowship with You is restored for all who believe in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank You for being willing to send Your dearly beloved Son to be the sacrifice for our sin and that Jesus was willing to die on our account. Praise Your holy name that death is swallowed up in victory and we are restored into fellowship with You.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

[Now] may the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Amen.

The first of several Scriptures for our attention this morning are those verses of Genesis, chapter 3, which were not included in last week’s First Reading. Hear now Genesis 3, beginning at verse 1.

[Genesis 3:1-7; 14-24 NIV]

Adam and Eve’s sons followed them into sin. We turn to Genesis 4.

[Genesis 4:2-10 NIV]

The promise that God would provide an atonement for sin was first made in the Garden of Eden and later to Abraham who was put to the test.  We hear Genesis 22, starting at verse 1.

[Genesis 22:1-14 NIV]

While God’s people waited for a second Adam, He established ritual sacrifices to symbolize the one who would come to fulfill the atoning sacrifice once and for all.  Leviticus 16…

[Leviticus 16:6-19 NIV]

“In the Shattered Bliss of Eden” vv. 1-3

God provided the ram for Abraham’s sacrifice in place of his son, Isaac.  Now, God would provide His Son as the sacrificial Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.  We hear John the Baptizer’s declaration from the Gospel according to St. John.

[John 1:29-36 NIV]

John writes in the Book of Revelation how tens of thousands of angels surround the Lamb who was slain and sing His praises.  This should be familiar to us – “This is the Feast of Victory for Our God”!

[Revelation 5:6-13 Select Verses NIV]

Just as sin entered the world through the original Adam and all men sinned, so also through the obedience of one man – the new Adam – many will be made righteous.  Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 5.

[Romans 5:12-21 NIV]

The forgiveness won for us by Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection is offered to us freely by grace and received by faith in His Holy Supper.  We turn to the Gospel of Matthew…

 [Matthew 26:26-29 NIV]

John continues to reveal the worship of the Lamb as a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language – those who have come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb – surround the throne day and night.

[Revelation 7:9-17 NIV]

By grace through faith, we are made new through our Baptism into Christ.  Only God has the ability to take away our sin, cleanse and us and work new life from the inside out through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Paul describes this process in Galatians, chapter 3.

[Galatians 3:26-29 NIV]

“In the Shattered Bliss of Eden” vv. 4-6

Paul says that those baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  He used this metaphor, like when we put on new clothes, to describe how it can change how we feel and present ourselves.

Putting on Christ transforms us from the inside out.  It means we are clothed in His righteousness, love, and grace.  Jesus covers our old self with all its flaws and failures.  Living with this identity can change everything.

When we remember that we are children of God, we start to see ourselves and others differently. We understand our worth and the worth of those around us.  This identity can give us confidence and peace, as we know that we belong to God and that nothing can separate us from His love.  It starts with reminding yourself of this truth every morning.  You can begin your day thanking God for making you His child.

When challenges come, remember that you are not alone, God is with you, guiding you as your loving Father.  In Christ, we have a new identity, a new family and a new way of life.  Embrace it fully, and let it transform you.  You are a beloved child of God, clothed in Christ.

May this truth shape our hearts and actions today and throughout our lives.  Amen!

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"In the Shattered Bliss of Eden" [Hymn Text © 2002 Stephen P. Starke / Published in Lutheran Service Book by Concordia Publishing House (CPH), 2006]