The Gospel of our Adoption - Gal 4:5-7
Posted by Amber Bruce | 
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This week, special guest speaker Jason Johnson, of All In Orphan Care, preaches from Gal 4:5-7 on the way our adoption in Christ motivates us to minister to orphans in many ways.
- Share a difficult situation in which you or someone else could not have made it without the help of another. In what way was the help significant?
This is a sharing question to set the tone for discussion and get us thinking about the ways we have been helped to motivate us to help others.
- Read Deut 10:17-18; Psalm 68:5-6; Matt 25:35-40 and discuss the following:
a. How does God describe Himself? With whom does He identify?
God is described in these passages as: God of gods, Lord of lords, great, mighty, awesome, impartial, just to the widow and orphan, loving and generous to the immigrant, Father of the fatherless, protector of widows. Jesus identifies Himself so closely with the needy and vulnerable that He says that whatever we do to them, we do for Him.
b. Why do you think God’s heart is turned toward the vulnerable and disadvantaged?
Throughout the Bible, we see God consistently taking the side of the weak, the vulnerable, the humble, the needy, the oppressed. This overflows from His character of justice, righteousness, compassion, and grace.
c. Summarize your big idea from these passages.
This is open enough for whatever truth or application each person sees most strongly in these passages. My big idea from these passages is that God takes the side of the vulnerable and disadvantaged, demonstrating that defending and protecting them is part of true justice.
- Read Psalm 82:3; Prov 14:31; Isaiah 1:17 and discuss the following:
a. What does God expect of us?
These passages tell us how to act toward the vulnerable and disadvantaged: provide justice, protect their rights, be generous, correct oppression.
b. How does our response put God’s heart on display to the world (negatively or positively)?
As God’s image-bearers, God’s children and Jesus’ disciples, we represent God to the world. Our actions show a watching world either that God truly cares for the vulnerable – or He doesn’t.
- Read Galatians 4:5-7, where Jason Johnson referred to the “multi-generational effects of the Gospel.” Review what this passage tells us about our past, present, and future.
The gospel is so effective that there is no part of who we are that has gone unchanged: past, present or future. This passage paints the beautiful picture of the gospel: God saw our desperation and condemnation under the law, and inserted Himself into our distress to rescue and adopt us out of it. Because of that, our past has been redeemed: We are no longer defiled by it but can celebrate the work of Jesus through it. Our present is secure: We no longer have to fear but can come to God as our Daddy. And our future is guaranteed: in the end, Jesus wins and we receive all the benefits of His reign.
- Read 1 John 3:1. What was God’s motivation to redeem and adopt us? How were we vulnerable and disadvantaged without Christ (Eph 2:1-3; Rom 5:6)?
God adopted us out of His love for us. He saw our desperate need without Him and came into our distress to rescue us out of it and adopt us. Without Christ, we were weak, in darkness, under God’s wrath. We might not have seen ourselves as vulnerable or disadvantaged, but that is what we truly were. Jason said, “Orphan care doesn’t begin with the orphan out there who needs a family, but the orphan in here [our hearts] that has been given one.”
- Discuss the following about orphan care:
a. Describe the various aspects of orphan care.
When you think of orphan care, you may think of adoption and foster care, but there are many roles to play. We are not all called to bring an orphan into our home, but we are all commanded to care for the fatherless. We are each part of the body of Christ, and as such we contribute to this work in various ways. Prayer, financial support, emotional support, service to a foster/adoptive family and counseling are just a few of the many creative ways that we can each participate in this important work.
b. How does orphan care reflect the character of God?
Recall the discussion of questions 2 and 5, when we looked at how God describes Himself and how He acted toward us when we were in the same plight as orphans. Motivated by the love God has shown to us, we can live that love out: see their plight and interject ourselves into their lives to rescue and adopt them. This illustrates the gospel in a tangible way, retelling the story as we live it out before others. This reflects the character of God as the defender of the vulnerable, the God of justice, righteousness, compassion, and grace.
c. What effects can orphan care have on the past, present and future of a child?
Just as the gospel transforms our entire lives, orphan care can do the same for a child. It redeems their past, as they look back and see what they have been rescued from. It secures their present as they stand within the safety of a loving family. It changes the trajectory of their life so that future hope is possible. And if the child embraces the gospel, it can guarantee the future.
- This Sunday we highlighted the Vulnerable and Disadvantaged group of The 13.
a. Review the various groups represented within the Vulnerable and Disadvantaged.
The Vulnerable and Disadvantaged has facetiously been called “The 13 within The 13” because it is actually a combination of several areas of ministry:
- Orphan Care
- Assistance Ministry
- Homeless Ministry
- FREED (anti-human trafficking)
- Addictions Ministry
- Veterans Ministry
b. What does seeking justice for the vulnerable and disadvantaged look like for you? Your family?
c. Is there something preventing you from getting involved? What questions, fears or concerns do you have?