"Heirs According To The Promise"

(Galatians 3:23-29)

INTRODUCTION:

As the lights in the movie theater dimmed, a young man loaded down with popcorn, cokes and candy paced up and down the aisle, scanning the darkened rows. It was obvious he was looking for the person or persons with whom he had come. After three or four unsuccessful trips he finally stopped and asked loudly, "Does anybody here recognize me?" (1)

We all want to belong don't we? We all want be known by others and to know that someone out there knows who we are and cares about us. We have a need to belong, to be in community together. That's the way God created us. That's why we join clubs, fraternities, sororities, civic organizations, sports teams, PTA, and even Churches. We have a need to be in community with others just like us or close to being like us. That's part of how we are wired.

I. BELONGING:

A. Belonging is important. It's the way God created us. We are meant to be in community with one another. God created Adam and Eve together so they wouldn't be alone; so they would have support, nurture and care. Even Jesus needed that support. The first thing he did when he began his ministry was to gather a small circle of friends. A group who would eventually become the leaders of the beginning of the Church. Yes, he needed to train them but Jesus also needed their support and their friendship. He even sought their council from time to time. At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked them who the crowds said he was. At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed by Judas with a kiss, he told them all. "I no longer call you servants, . . . now I call you friends." (John 15:15)

The disciples needed that assurance and that sense of belonging, too. In telling them that he is going away, he reassures them that they will not be alone. Earlier on the same night Jesus says, "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you." (John 14:18)

B. Belonging is important because it gives us a sense of self-worth and strengthens our self-image.

I know many of you have talked about the various Chicken Soup for the Soul books. In A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul, you may remember a story titled simply: "Chuck" by Petey Parker.

Ms. Parker tells of grocery shopping, something she hates to do, and getting in "the wrong line." It was taking forever and everyone was muttering and complaining. Then she discovered the reason for the delay. Chuck, the sacker. Chuck talked to each and every item as he gently put in the sack. "Oh, Mr. Cake Mix, you are going to become a Christmas dessert for someone special. Hello, Mr. Cereal, you are going to make the boys and girls grow up nice and healthy," and other things like that. After all the items were sacked he would look at the customer and say, "I know your family loves you because you take such good care of them." Ms. Parker says she shut up and waited her turn.

Chuck helped her take her sacks to the car and she tipped him $2. He looked at the two dollar bills; he looked at her. Then his face lit up, and he jumped in the air and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Look at me, look at me! Someone thinks I'm worth two whole dollars." And he danced his way back to the store.

The next time she went to the store, one of the employees who had witnessed the events of that day said, "Thank you for giving Chuck a tip. We know he has value, but it is far more important for Chuck to know he has value." (2)

Both Chuck and Ms. Parker learned a valuable lesson about self worth that day. It's important that we know we have value. It's important that we know we belong.

II. WE ARE HEIRS:

A. This passage from Paul's letter to the Galatians shows us the value we have in God's eyes. Through our faith in Christ, we not only have value, but we are made heirs with Christ. "Heirs according to the promise." I love that phrase. "Heirs according to the promise." Those are such powerful words; words of belonging and acceptance. Words of value.

Through our faith in Christ, we are made heirs with Christ. Heirs, not second class citizens. Heirs, not the ugly, unwanted stepchildren who begrudgingly have to be cared and provided for. Heirs, not orphans who are either left to fend for themselves or are thrown the scraps and leftovers. But heirs, joint heirs with Christ.

B. A United Methodist Minister in Vermont tells how the Sunday School Superintendent of his Church was registering the children in Sunday School and she asked two brothers their ages and birthday. The bolder of the two boys said, "We're both seven. My birthday is April 8, 1976, and my brother's is April 20, 1976."

The Superintendent was a little confused and said, "But that's impossible!"

The quiet brother answered, "No, it's not, one of us is adopted."

Before she was even aware that she had asked, the words were out, "Which one?"

The boys looked at each other and smiled. Then the bolder one said, "We asked Dad that awhile ago, but he just said he loved us, and he couldn't remember any more which one was adopted." (3)

Through our faith in Christ we are made heirs with Christ. That means that we have equal access to God. We are seen as equal heirs with Christ. There is no longer any distinction between us and Christ. We are brothers and sisters with Christ Jesus. God just loves us and can't remember anymore which ones of us are adopted.

That's what faith in Christ does for us. We can hold our head high because we belong. We belong to God's family. We know our value, we know our worth. Not by worldly standards but by God's standards.

III. THE PROMISE:

A. We are created in God's image, and through our faith in Christ we are made heirs of God's Kingdom, heirs according to the promise. And what is that promise? Well, it's actually more than one. It is all the promises of the Bible. We are heirs of all the promises God made with God's people. Promises like:

"I will take you as my people, and I will be your God." (Exo.6:7)

"I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Josh 1:5)

"And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Mat 28:20)

"I will not leave you orphaned." (John 14:18)

"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you." (Mat 7:7)

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Mat 11:28)

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life." (John 3:36)

B. There are hundreds of other promises as well. Promises that we can and should claim; promises that are ours because we are heirs with Christ and they are part of our inheritance.

We are reminded of these promises through the power of God's Holy Spirit. Like a parent holding and rocking their baby, whispering all of the dreams and possibilities for that baby's future; the Holy Spirit whispers God's love song of faith in our ear. Like a parent encouraging their child through some time of crisis or cheering them on in some time of joy; the Holy Spirit speaks those words of encouragement to us.

Sometimes we listen and grow in the faith. Sometimes we ignore them or get distracted by the glitter of the world. But always God continues to tell us we are heirs with Christ. Heirs according to the promise. We may fail but God never does.

CONCLUSION:

There may be times when we forget the promises or fail to listen to the promptings of God's Holy Spirit. There may be times in our life when we get lost in the darkness of the world and cry out like the man in the theater: "Does anybody here recognize me?"

Just remember this: You have value. You are of infinite worth to God who created you in God's own image. And if that's not enough then remember this. God sent Jesus just for you. And through your faith in Christ, you are an "heir according to the promise." A joint heir of the promises of God with Christ. And that's the Good News. What better news could there be.

This is the Word of the Lord for this day.

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1. Autoillustrator, Preaching-Vol. 2, #2

2. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty, Melody McCarty, The 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Deerfield Beach: Health Commnications, Inc., 1997) pp. 241-242

3. Steve Burt, United Methodist Church, White River Junction, Vermont in Parables, Etc. (Platteville, Colorado: Saratoga Press), March 1984