Thank you for listening to this message from
Lifehouse Church. It's good to have you here
this morning. We do have something special this
morning. We have a baby dedication, and I am
privileged to do this many times over here at
LifeHouse. We've had children dedicated many,
many times from different families, and I love
this because this is something special. It's
important. It's not something we just do out
of ritual. It's not something we do. you know,
just for something to do in the church. This
matters. This matters. The parents are dedicating
their children. It's important. It's generational.
So this morning we have the privilege of dedicating
Abigail Joy Andrews. Come on. Yes. And we want
to get you introduced just a little bit to Abigail.
So just turn your attention to the screens. And
right after that, we'll have Abigail bring her
parents to the stage. Come on, would you give
Ms. Abigail a hand as they come? We're going
to ask them to make their way up here on the
stage because they want to see you and not me.
And this is incredible to do this every single
time. And thank you so much for making the commitment
to do this, to dedicate your child back to the
Lord. And we do know this, right? The children
are amazing. They are a gift from God. They truly
are. They're amazing to watch. They're amazing
to, you know, see. I always talk to parents here.
That first year is an amazing year, right? It's
a year of wonder of watching all the changes
that take place and all the stages and how quickly
they shift and go from just virtually unable
to do anything for themselves to literally walking
a lot of times the first year or shortly after.
And these baby moments are incredible. How a
baby maybe stretches and yawns, right, for the
first time. Or the first time that they laugh
out loud. The first time that they look up at
you with those trusting eyes to your parents.
Or maybe the first time they sit or stand. All
of it's incredible. And God has blessed both
Zach and Chrisanna with some of these amazing
moments and many, many more to come. for sure.
But today, Zach and Chrisanna are taking time
and acknowledging that Abby is a gift from God,
right? Abigail is a gift from God that's been
given to them. And they are making and taking
time to say, we want to dedicate Abigail back
to God. They're doing this as a public declaration
of dedicating Abigail back to God. And they're
doing it today because they know that Jesus gives
us children as a gift. It's true. Isaiah 44 says
this, Thus says the Lord who made you and formed
you from the womb, who will help you, fear not.
It is God who formed Abigail in the womb. It
really is. And it's God who helps us in understanding
that and knowing that. Move out a little bit
further. They want to see you out front here
a little bit. And we read several accounts of
this, honestly, in scripture about where God
knew us from the womb, that he knew us before
we were formed, before we were made. Jeremiah
1 .4 says, then the word of the Lord came to
me saying, before I formed you in the womb, I
knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified
you. I ordained you a prophet to the nation.
She's ready to go. All right. The creator knew
Jeremiah in the womb, and he knows each one of
us before we're formed. Before we come into the
womb. God knows us in the womb. He knew Abigail
before she was ever formed. Before she ever came
to be Abigail. He knew Abigail before she was
a twinkle in Zach and Chris and his eyes. All
right? Before they had the longing to have a
child. Before either of you had a thought of
all of this, he knew her. Before you had any
idea who Abigail would be, what she would become.
what God would do in her life, what she would
look like. He knew all these things. He spoke
of all these things, right? And the beautiful
part of this is that he picked you two to help
her discover who she's going to become in Jesus
Christ. It's true. Every day, it is your job
to point Abigail to Jesus. Every day, it's your
job to point her towards heaven and let her know
of the Father and the one who created her from
the beginning. Psalms 127 .3 says this, children
are a gift. from the Lord. They are a reward
from him. How many know children are a gift?
Amen. Now listen, you need to remember that when
Abigail's screaming at three in the morning.
All right. You need to tell yourself, mumble
to yourself. She's a gift, right? You need to
remember when she's a few years older and she
talks back to you for the first time. You need
to remember she's a gift, right? You remember
when she's a few older than that, a little bit
older than that, she's in junior high, and she
realizes that you don't know anything at all
as parents, all right? She's a gift. When she
gets into senior high school and she drags some
boy home that she should have left at the curb
where she found it, right? You need to remember
that she's a gift. You really do. And God said
this. He spoke it. And children are a gift. And
we need to say it out loud. We need to say it
every day. And even today, right, on May 18,
2025, as you dedicate her back to the Lord, that
she is a gift. And the beautiful thing with a
gift is a gift is to be received and a gift is
to be given. So you received Abigail, you're
giving her back to the Lord, and one day you'll
give Abigail to the world around her for God
to use her gifts that are within her. So today,
I want to share one last verse, Matthew 19, 14.
It says, but Jesus said, let the children come
to me and do not hinder them, for such belong
to the kingdom of heaven. Children are a gift
from God. They're special, and they are a little
slice of heaven here on earth. They really are,
as we get ready to dedicate. So Zach and Chrisanna,
go ahead, Zach. You got to do the dad thing.
Go ahead. All right. We'll wait on you, man.
He's good. And it is a gift indeed to be a parent,
to go through the struggle. He's wanting to be
a part today. All right. But Zach and Kristen,
I'm going to ask you to do this publicly. I want
you to, and you can answer by I will, but do
you declare today and do you speak today that
you will raise this daughter of yours to love
the Lord God with all her heart, mind, and soul?
Do you publicly declare that? All right, they
will. And church family and family that have
come along to share in this day, do you also
love and support this family? And will you back
up these parents as they raise their child in
the Lord? And if you will say, I will. All right,
I'm going to ask you if you'd stand up this morning.
As a church body, as a family. We're going to
take time and we're going to pray over Abigail.
And this is a prayer of dedication. So I'm going
to ask both parents to have a hand upon her.
And we're going to pray together. And Father,
we just come before you. In the matchless name
of Jesus Christ. And we thank you for this gift
that's been given to this family. God, I thank
you for Abigail. I thank you, Lord, for the joy
that she truly brings to this family. And Lord,
to those around her. And God, we pray that your
hand would be upon her. God, we dedicate her
back to you today. Lord, believe in that. Lord,
it is your hand that will cover. her future.
God, you know who she was in the womb. God, you
formed her. So Lord God, I pray that you would
be with her. God, that you would surround her,
that your favor would fall upon her. Before her,
Lord, let your favor go. And Lord, we thank you.
We give you praise. We give you glory. And I
thank you for this couple, God, who has dedicated
themselves and dedicated her back to you. And
we give you glory in Jesus' name. And everybody
said together, amen and amen. Thank you both.
for taking time to do this. This is special and
amazing. God bless you. Listen, give them a hand
as you're seated. Y 'all want a picture? If you
want a picture, snap a picture. But God bless
you. Listen, we got something that represents
this day that we do with every couple. And this
is important. And we give them three roses. To
commemorate the day. And the first one is the
white rose, which represents Jesus. And the love
of Jesus for Abigail and for both of you. The
red represents you two. It's the bloodline, right?
And it represents the love that you have for
your daughter. And the pink represents Abigail.
It is the mixture of the two that will be so
special. She loves the flowers. That's awesome.
She's smiling. So we want you to have that this
morning. We also want to give you a beginner's
Bible. The Word of God, which is a lamp unto
her path and a light to it, right? A light to
her path and a lamp for her feet. We want this
for you to take this and to pour the word of
God into her. And then a certificate to mark
the day that you dedicated Abigail. Amen. All
right. God bless you. Thanks. You got to carry
everything. All right. Give them a hand as they
go down, please. Come on. Some of you are nodding
your heads right now. Eric, Pastor Eric Stanton,
back in the booth back there. All right. If you
haven't guessed it yet, I'm starting a message
series on family this morning. Amen? I was looking
for a little theme. For all of you who know the
70s, come on, say amen. The rest of you are like,
where does that song come from? I've never heard
that before. Maybe at a ball game, right? But
I really, this morning, I wanted to start this
message series and begin a series to talk about
family. We are family. Now, if we would, I want
to start this message series off right. So I
want us just to bow and praise. All right, if
we pray this morning. Father, we come before
you, Lord, as we get ready to go into your word.
Guys, we begin to take the next few weeks and
discover what your word says about family, about
who we are in the family. God, I ask, Lord, that
you would guide us and direct us, that you would
speak into our hearts. God, every word that comes
forth and every truth that is brought to light
and comes into our ears, write it on the flesh
of our hearts. God, that we might know you. God,
that we might worship you and that we might give
you glory and step out what you're speaking to
us. And we give you praise in Jesus' name. And
everybody say it together. Amen, amen. Listen,
I think it was the right way to start the message
this morning. And one of the incredible benefits
of following Jesus as Lord and Savior is that
you have family. You've got spiritual family
right here in the house. You've got spiritual
family who's listening online. We've got spiritual
family who are outside the house, some down the
street. You've got siblings, literally spiritual
siblings across the globe. You've got brothers.
You've got sisters in every country on the planet.
And if you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, if
you share the same spiritual father, it doesn't
matter if you've never met someone. It doesn't
matter if you've never met me before. If you
know Jesus as Lord and as Savior, I am your long
-lost brother. All right? Hey, man, turn to somebody
right now. Say, what's up, sis? What's up, brother?
Come on. If you know Jesus as Lord and Savior,
the person sitting next to you, whether you know
them or not, whether you've never met them, if
Jesus is Savior of their lives, if you've never
laid eyes on them, you have no idea of their
name, right, where they're coming from or where
they're going, they're family. They're family.
We're connected by our Lord and Savior. We're
connected by the Father. We're connected together,
and we are family. It is one of the beautiful
attributes of the family of God, the kingdom
of God. And it is different from any other kingdom
that you will experience on the face of the planet,
past, present, or in the future. God's kingdom
is made up of 100 % population of family. Everybody's
connected. God's kingdom isn't just some organized
form of government made up of individuals who
will serve a role or position to move a kingdom
forward, right? The kingdom of God is not some
cold societal construct organized to keep us
distanced from the king and to simply bring wealth
and prosperity into the kingdom. That's not what
it is. God's kingdom, Jesus' kingdom, is filled
with family. And it is a big, big, big family.
Last week, First Lady Keisha Wellington was here.
She did an amazing job on Mother's Day. And she
talked about family. She brought the word of
God. She referenced several different things.
And she talked about legacy and leaving a legacy.
And she even talked about her home. Now, I think
I got the stats right. I didn't actually text
her. But I think somewhere along in her message,
she said she had 12 siblings. How many of you
know that's a big family? By any standard, right?
I have two siblings personally. I have two sisters.
And I understand something about birth order.
I understand something about structure inside
of a family. I understand something about bigger
families and smaller families. And how many know
birth order is a thing in families? It really
is. It's a deal. It is something. Being the oldest
or being the youngest or being somewhere in between,
it seems to come with certain roles and responsibilities
and expectations that are kind of unwritten.
If you're a firstborn in the house, firstborn
in your family, raise your hand right now. Firstborn,
whoo, we've got a lot of firstborns, all right?
Firstborn, how many know the firstborn is always
the policeman and the boss of the family? Right?
If you're an only child, you definitely are,
right? You're the first boss. The firstborn is
usually the policeman. They're usually the boss.
They lead the rest of the herd, right? And how
many know perfection must be achieved with this
child? It's mom and dad's first child. We must
be perfect. Everything must be perfect. When
the firstborn comes along and the binky hits
the floor, how many know you pick it up and you
boil it, right? All germs must be eradicated
with the firstborn. Every moment of their lives
is documented and redocumented. There are...
photo album after photo album of the firstborn.
There are shrines that are built on a wall, right,
of the firstborn. Pictures in every stage of
life. They are the boss. They are the policeman.
They are large and in charge, right? Even though
no one ever told them that. That's the firstborn.
We had three. Now there's the middle child. How
many middle children we got in here? Amen. Thank
you. I'm a middle child as well. All right. Listen,
the middle child has a completely different responsibility.
Their responsibility is to be the agitator of
the family. Okay? The middle child, and we take
this very seriously, by the way. Their role and
perspective is that I must create tension above
and below in the birth order. All right, this
is my job, to divide and conquer somewhere in
the birth order. I must stir up the ranks. I
must change things, right? And there are far
less pictures of the middle child because the
parents are too busy breaking up the fights that
they started. And the binky, they were sterilized
with the first one, and when it's dropped under
the floor with the second child, you just run
it under some water because how many know that
gets 50 % of the germs, right? And it builds
up their immune system anyway. This is the middle
child. How about the baby of the family? How
many babies of the family have you got? Yeah.
Come on, babies. They're like, oh yeah, that's
me. Right? How many of your parents are just
tired at this point when they have you? So the
baby can get away with anything and everything?
Right? Because mom and dad are just too tired
to take care of anything else, right? Anything
can happen. And the parents don't worry about
it too much because if anything does happen,
the firstborn's going to report it because they're
the policeman, right? The second one's going
to get in trouble because it's probably their
fault right off the bat. And the third one just
keeps going on, right? And the parents have no
idea. They've kind of given up on the idea of
total control and order in the family, right?
Listen, the goal is after three, anytime you
have three children or more, the goal is, first
of all, nobody's missing for more than a day,
and nobody's bleeding arterially for more than
a couple minutes, right? That's the goal. I've
experienced all this. I understand the intricate
workings of family this size, but I can't even
imagine having 11 siblings and figuring out the
birth order, what that look like, right? Had
to be pandemonium, had to be amazing. But no
matter what your idea of family consists of,
whether it's one, two, three, a dozen, it's minute
compared to the family of God and the family
that we're adopted into. If Jesus is your Lord
and Savior, your family is enormous. The family
support system stretches across the world, across
the globe, in every corner. I need you to think
about this. In every corner of the globe, you've
got family. You've got family in this world and
out of this world, literally, right? And the
crazy thing is, even though you've not met most
of your family, your spiritual family in the
kingdom, as soon as you bump into one of these
unknown family members, As soon as you realize
that they're connected and they have the same
Heavenly Father that you do, there is this instant
connection that takes place. It changes everything.
It all shifts in a moment in time. If you've
ever been on a mission trip and you've gone into
a foreign land where people don't speak your
language and you don't speak their language and
you bump into somebody and you find out they
have the same father that you do, that they're
serving the Lord God and you're serving the Lord
God, it's the funniest thing because you just
want to hug them. Sometimes it's really awkward
because how many know you can't communicate?
So you stand there like two mute people looking
at each other, and you're grinning from ear to
ear, right? You don't know whether to hug them,
shake their hand, you know, just put your arm
out. You don't know what to do. But there's this
strange connection that takes place. You know
that you're tied together. So one of the benefits
of being saved is that you have family big time.
You have family, and it's enormous. John 1 .10
says this. He was in the world. This is speaking
of Jesus. He was in the world and the world was
made through him and the world did not know him.
He came to his own and his own did not receive
him. Now, before I go into this next verse, you
got to understand what's being talked about here.
This is speaking about Jesus and the ones who
didn't receive him were the Jews. They were the
Jewish culture. Jesus was born a Jew, and Jesus
came and ministered to the Jews. He spoke to
the Jews. He healed the Jewish people, but they
didn't receive him. But look what the next verse
says. Verse 12 says this, but as many as received
him, Jesus, to them he gave the right to become
children of God, to those who believe in his
name. who were born not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but
of God. If we believe in the name of Jesus, if
we are born again, if we are blood -bought, spirit
-filled, set free from sin, right, on our way
to heaven because of the shed blood of Jesus,
a shunning hell, all of those things, if that's
true, I am a son or a daughter of God. I am kin.
to God. I'm kin to God. Say that. Mumble to yourself.
I'm kin to God. Come on, mumble. I'm giving you
a chance to mumble. I want to hear some mumbling,
right? I'm kin to God. I'm in the family. We're
in the family. I am literally a child of God.
I am a king's kid. Sometimes you got to say that.
I'm a king's kid. And this is not a metaphorical
sense of the word. This isn't where you stand
and say, well, this is really nice, right? This
isn't a sentiment thing where we say, oh, well,
yeah, I know. I'm like a child to the most high.
It's not, you know, sometimes we talk about other
people in relationships. Well, they're like a
child to me. It might be somebody that's a relative
or a friend or just a relative. No, this means
that you are a child of the king. This means
that you're a king kid. This means that you are
his. Verse 12 said, as many as receive. To them
he gave the right to become. Say the right. The
right to become children of God to those who
believe in his name. There is a spiritual legality
that takes place here by the sacrifice of Jesus
and by your faith in him. I have a right to sonship.
There's a legal adoption thing that takes place
in the spiritual realm. This means that in the
courts of heaven, Jesus paid the price on the
cross for me to come in and to receive him and
to become a son or a daughter. An adoption that
is finalized. I don't know if you've ever been
part of a finalized adoption, but I've had the
privilege of doing that twice. I've got invited
to go to the courtroom when somebody was adopting
a child, all the paperwork was done, all the
money was paid for that to take place. And you
sit in this courtroom, probably the only time
I actually want to really be in a courtroom,
right? But you sit in this courtroom and the
judge pronounces, he declares, and it's such
a... Cool celebration. Even in the judicial system,
somebody has now declared a son or a daughter
to a couple who has gone through the process
of adopting them. And I can't even describe it.
I teared up both times it's happened, right?
It is an amazing thing. It is not a sentiment
thing in the kingdom of God. This is a family
statute. Jesus paid an enormous price for our
adoption process. I don't know if you know it
or not, but a typical adoption in the United
States costs anywhere between $20 ,000 and $45
,000 to adopt a child. Tons of paperwork, lots
of legal hoops to jump through. But Jesus paid
far more. He paid with his life. He paid with
his blood. He paid to give us the right to become
sons and daughters of God. He did not just buy
you citizenship. Into the kingdom of heaven.
He didn't buy you just citizenship. He took it
to a whole other level. He took it to sonship.
And daughtership. You know it's one thing. To
be a citizen of a kingdom. It is another thing.
To be a son or a daughter of the king. In that
kingdom. I mean that's a very different place
to be in. Right? That's a very different place
to stand and to function in. You know, I can
assure you that President Trump's children carry
a few more rights and privileges than you and
I do, right? If you're a child of the king, there's
rights and privileges that come along with that.
There's places you can go that others can't go.
You get to do things that others don't get to
do. You get privilege in places that others don't
get privilege of. And when God, when Jesus paid
the price for our sin and our redemption, he
didn't just buy you citizenship into the kingdom
of God. He bought you sonship and daughtership,
right? But 1 John 3, 1 says this, behold, what
manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us,
that we should be called children of God. Therefore,
the world does not know us because it did not
know him. Beloved, now we are children of God,
and it has not yet been revealed what we shall
be. But we know that when he is revealed, we
shall be like him. You're not like somebody when
it's just citizenship, right? This is sonship.
This is daughtership. For we shall see him as
he is, and everyone who has this hope in him
purifies himself just as he is pure. Romans 8
.14 says this, For as many that are led by the
Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you
did not receive the spirit of bondage again to
fear, but received the spirit of adoption, by
whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself
bears witnesses that our spirit, that we are
children of God. If then children, then heirs.
Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. If
indeed we suffer with him, that we might also
be glorified together. We are king's kids. Say
it with me. We are king's kids. We're not just
citizens. We're king's kids. We're not, we don't
just have a residency in the kingdom of God.
The word of God here says above what we just
read that we'll be like him, right? That we'll
change and we'll be like him. Heirs and joint
heirs with Jesus Christ. Suffering with him that
we might be glorified with him. How many know
in family when one suffers, they all suffer?
And when one's glorified, we all glorify, we
all rejoice together. One of the benefits of
being saved is that you're in the family of God,
big time. You're adopted. You're a son. You're
a daughter. Are you seeing yourself this way?
Not just a citizen. You have the right to sonship
and daughtership. And I can tell you that family
is the most powerful group on the planet. It's
the most powerful conglomerate of people on the
planet. More than any other association or more
than any other group on the face of the planet.
More than any government, even the U .S. government.
More than groups like the NAACP or the ACLU or
the AARP. I keep getting letters from them. All
right? The American Academy of Family Physicians,
right? You can name them. The American Humane
Association, even the Christian Coalition of
America. The family is far more powerful. The
family affects far more. Family is a powerful
thing. It's the most powerful organization on
the face of the planet. It really is. And I got
family here today, and I've made this comment.
One or more of them on more than one occasion.
Family has the power, right? My physical family
has the power to raise me up or to trash me.
Do you know that? Your family has that power.
Family can make us or they can break us. Family
can raise you up or they can take you down. Family
has the power to help you soar mentally, emotionally,
physically, or they can shoot you right out of
the sky. They can cause you to crash and burn.
I've said some version of this all along the
way with family in some manner because it's true.
It's true. It's powerful. Listen, if somebody
out in the world says something about me, you
know, if they call me a name or they don't like
me for some reason, I can kind of live with that.
That's like, okay, I don't love it, but it's
okay. Right? And I'm probably not going to lose
a week's sleep or a month's sleep or probably
not even a night's sleep over somebody who doesn't
like me out there in the world or who doesn't
care for what I say or whatever accusation they
might come up with. I'm probably not going to
lose more than a day's sleep. But if my family,
if things aren't right with my family, if things
aren't right with my spouse, right, if they aren't
right with my children, if they're not right
with my grandchildren, how many know that messes
you up? You can be. You can lose sleep for a
month over dissension in the family, tension
in the family. Things aren't right. It can be
heartbreaking. It can weigh on you. It becomes
baggage, right? It gets difficult. I've talked
with those many, many times who talk about hurt
that took place way back when in their family,
20 years ago, 30 years ago. 40 years ago, abusive
words, whatever it was that brought the tension
between the two, abrasive words of some kind,
and they're still dealing with it. Decades later,
right? Family is powerful. We need to be careful
how we treat family. We need to be careful with
our physical family. We need to be careful with
our spiritual family, right? In the house, in
this house. We need to handle those gifts. In
our lives, because family is gifts, with care,
we need to be so careful with our spouses, with
our children, with our extended family, right?
We need to be so careful with my brothers and
sisters that are in the family of God. We do.
I got into a conversation with somebody, literally,
it happened just this week. It happened this
week. I got into a conversation, and this person
began to unfold what took place when they were
young. And this happened inside of a church.
And they were just small. And this person described
how affected they were by a spiritual leader
in that church who was hard on them, who came
down on them. And it was for the silliest of
things. This child was supposed to memorize something
and couldn't seem to handle memorizing it. And
this spiritual, supposedly spiritual leader in
this church just railed on them. And it happened
more than one time. And this person talked about,
and I'm talking about somebody who was middle
-aged, talked about how this stuck with them,
how they felt harm and hurt from all that. And
for years, they drifted away from God. But the
good news is that same person continued to tell
me about how they had made a mistake in their
young adulthood and sinned, and really there
were repercussions for all that, and they were...
Kind of devastated from all that. And they walked
back into a different church. And there was a
pastor there who came up. And this person said,
I'll never forget it. This pastor came up to
me and with the grace that I have never experienced
from someone else, welcomed me and began to share
with me. And knew everything that had taken place
in my life. And came with grace and began to
speak over me. And this individual said, this
is the first time I ever experienced the grace
of God. And it was coming out of that man, that
pastor. And they continued on to walk in the
faith and now is serving God with a whole heart.
And they talked about the healing that took place
in their lives as they begin to walk through.
Family can raise us up. and family can take us
down. Family is powerful. It has the power to
infuse gifts in our lives, or it has the power
to rob us of gifts. Family has the power to give
us a deep sense of identity and heritage and
really biblically healthy levels of self -esteem,
or can steamroll us and create deep confusion
and uncertainty. Family can be a built -in, ever
-present, positive support system. Or family
can tear away at the very fibers of who we are
and what strengthens us. Family done right can
provide protection and peace, right? But done
poorly will cause us to hide and recoil in some
kind of way. Family can help us soar in life,
or it can load us down with baggage that we carry
for decades. Family can provide a healthy supply
of love and a healthy supply of security, or
it can give us an unhealthy... hurt and shame
in our lives. We can feel valued, or we can feel
cheapened. We can feel raised up, or we can feel
struck down. We can feel embraced, or we can
feel abandoned. And I'll stand by here today
to tell you, I don't know what... your earthly
family left with you. I don't know the legacy.
You might be here, and it might be good, bad,
or something in between. You might have things
that are great. You might have had a great family
that helped you soar in life, or you might have
a family you're struggling, and you're trying
to figure out, how do I wade through the mess
that was way back there? And I've got good news
for you today, because the family that you came
out of, your physical family, does not determine
where your future lies. It does not give you...
the identity placed upon you or stamp you with
an identity that you can't walk out from under,
right? Where you were born, where you came from,
the background that you're from, the social economic,
whatever it is that came in from your past and
the physical family, I'm here to tell you that
Jesus is a family that you can walk into. And
if you came out of function or dysfunction, he
can shift all that and change who you are. Amen?
Family is powerful, especially when your father
is the father of all things, right? It's true.
Galatians 3 .26 says this, For you are all sons
of God through faith in Jesus Christ. For as
many of you as were baptized into Christ have
put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek.
There is neither slave nor free. There is neither
male nor female. For you all are one in Christ
Jesus. And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's
seed and heirs according to the promise. So many
times we miss these words. Heirs according to
the promise. Your background, your family name
does not disqualify me from living like a king's
kid. It really doesn't. My gender, social, economic
standing. Does not negate my right to live as
a child of God. Nothing in my past can hold power
over me in the finished work of Jesus Christ
and who I am and who God meant me to be. Some
of you need to hear this this morning. Some of
you need to hear this. This is Jesus' kingdom
family dynamics. And it overrides anything that
was back there. It overrides it. It changes you.
It can make you new. Some of you need to hear
what I'm speaking. Some of you, you're living
in the only tribe. that you're living in and
the identity that you're living in it it stems
from where you came from and who you came from
you keep hanging on to those earthly identities
right you keep living out of that dysfunction
that was part of who you were and how you were
brought up you keep believing that it makes you
who you are and what you will become and jesus
says if you believe in me If you're a king's
kid, you have to understand that I have given
you the right to be free of all of that. I've
given you the right. Everything that he provides
for you in the family overrides what was back
there. Romans 8 .28 says, and we know that all
things work for good for those who love God to
those who are called according to his purpose.
All things work for good. He didn't say it's
always going to feel good. He didn't even say
it was always going to be good. He said it will
work out for the good in Jesus. Amen? Worship
team, I'm going to ask if you'd come. I'm going
to show you one last portion of scripture that
shows us just how powerful it is to be in family.
Luke chapter 20, the Sadducees of Jesus' day,
it was a particular group or sect of people of
Jesus' day, were trying to trip Jesus up with
presenting him. with a made -up story, a hypothetical
story, to drive home a thought or an error that
was actually in their doctrine. And the Sadducees,
they didn't believe in the resurrection. They
didn't believe in the, of course, Jesus wasn't
resurrected yet to this point, but they did not
believe in the resurrection of the saints. They
did not believe that saints would be one day
resurrected. And they were trying to trip Jesus
up. And Jesus has this discussion, but you have
to hear what he speaks about at the end of this
discussion. Luke 20 and 27 says this, then some
of the Sadducees who deny that there is a resurrection
came to him and asked him saying, teacher, Moses
wrote to us that if a man's brother dies having
a wife and he dies without children, his brother
should take his wife and raise up offspring for
his brother. Now I need to explain, this was
a Jewish tradition back then. In the Jewish culture,
they wanted family lines to continue. So if you
were, you had brothers, one of you got married
and That particular brother died before he had
children to carry on the name. The brother could
take that person's wife to continue on the family
name. It was a common practice back then. So
they're using this to bring this scenario to
Jesus. And verse 29 says this. Now there were
seven brothers. This is the made -up story that
they come up with. And the first took a wife
and died without children. And the second took
her as wife, and he died childless. Then the
third took her, and in like manners, seven also.
And they left no children and died. Last of all,
the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection,
which they didn't even believe in, whose wife
does she become? They're trying to trip up Jesus.
For all seven had her as wife. This is the hypothetical
they sent to Jesus, right? They're speaking to
Jesus. And Jesus answered and said to them, the
sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.
Because we do that. In this life, we marry and
we're given in marriage. But those who are counted
worthy to attain that age, the next life, the
resurrection from the dead, neither marry or
are given in marriage. And once we get beyond
this passage, we start to see Jesus talking about
what it is to be a son or daughter of the Most
High. He says this, nor can they die anymore,
for they are equal to the angels and are sons
of God, being sons of the resurrection. Now,
that might not excite you, but I get pretty jazzed
up when I see that. Because one, he said there'll
be no more death. No more death. Nothing dies
in the next kingdom, in the next life, in the
kingdom of God. Everything you know right now,
right, moves from life to death. Everything in
the world around you moves from life to death.
In the kingdom of God, it's the opposite. Everything
moves from death to life, and it stays alive.
It continues in life. You should get excited
about that, right? And then it goes on, and God
says, as sons of God and as daughters of God,
you're going to be equal. with the angels. Now,
you might not get excited about that if your
perception of an angel is sitting on a cloud
and strumming a gold harp with little white wings.
How many guys are like, yeah, I want to do that,
right? But you know, you got to look into Scripture
and see what Scripture has to say about angels,
because angels were authorized messengers of
God. In the Bible, they are protectors and they
are guardians. Some of the angels are warriors.
Some of them are executors of God's will, worshipers
of God himself. And the next one is just way
too cool for school. Angels can move anywhere
they want in the universe at any given moment
with no restriction whatsoever. That's awesome,
right? They can be in one place one moment, and
they can will themselves into another place.
They've got no constraints of time, of friction,
of gravity. None of that has a hold on them.
The Word of God says that you're going to be
equal to the angels. I can't wait. I don't know
where I'm going to shoot to, but I'm going to
shoot to somewhere, right? I'm going to be here,
and I'm going to be over there at some other
point, right? This is what the Word of God says.
We are family. We are family. We are together.
Why am I preaching this? Why am I saying this
this morning? The devil does not want you to
know who you are in the kingdom. He wants it
hidden. from your eyes. He doesn't want you to
understand what it is to be a son or a daughter
of God. He does not want you to walk in your
authority. He does not want you to step into
your future. He does not want you to know what
your rights and privileges are in the kingdom
of God. As a matter of fact, if he can keep you
down, if he can keep you looking at what's around
you, if he can keep you looking at your past,
he will hold you down and he will keep you in
a little tight circle where he wants you. But
when you understand the family, When you understand
who our daddy is, do you understand when who
you are in the kingdom of God, you will humbly
and gratefully begin to walk in authority and
you will walk right out of your past. You will
walk right past what has been thrust on you.
You will stand in a new place. I'm going to ask
you to stand this morning. We are kin to the
king. If you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, if
you're listening online this morning, you know
Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are kin to the
king. You need to say this. I am kin to the king,
if you're saved. I am kin to the king. I read
John 1, 12 to you. It said, but as many as received
him, to them he gave the right to become children
of God, to those who believe in his name. If
you're in a house today and you don't know Him
as Lord, you don't know Him as Savior, you don't
know Him as your Heavenly Father, if you're listening
online to me this morning, the Word of God is
very simple. He said, as many as receive Him.
If you receive Him as Lord, if you receive Him
as Savior, if you believe on who He is, you can
come into the kingdom and you can get your adoption
papers. Hell will be a thing that's no longer
in your future, and heaven and the kingdom of
God will be in your future. It will be your future.
It'll be your now. If you're here this morning,
know that. All you have to do is believe and
pray. And if that's you, I want to talk to you
after this gathering. You want Jesus to be Lord
and Savior of your life? You want to be in the
kingdom? You want to be adopted? I want to talk
to you after the gathering. I'll talk to you.
One of the prayer team will talk to you. But
for the rest in the house, for those of us who
are already in the kingdom of God, do not let
the enemy place a foot on your neck and tell
you who you will be and what you're going to
do and how you're going to live and how you're
going to identify because Christ paid way too
big of a price for us to be free. Amen? That's
what I'm going to ask you to do this morning.
We're family. Family comes together. All right?
I'm going to ask you to step out. We're going
to close out. You're going to come up. We're
going to pray together. You're going to sing
one last song together as family. And we're going
to see some of you set free this morning. Just
make it up. As far as you can get up front, you've
got to make way for people to come in the back.
I'll back up. I won't spit on you. I promise.
If you can, if you're physically able, I want
you to move towards the front as close as you
can. This is so different in the kingdom of God
as compared to the world around you. The world
will tell you that your past has everything to
do with who you'll become. And in the kingdom
of God, it's just simply not true. We become
new creations. We become new creatures in Christ.
This family is the most powerful entity on the
face of the planet. Amen? It's true. Some of
you this morning, I felt deeply as I was preparing
for this message. Some of you this morning, you've
been living out of where you came out of. Most
of your life, if not all of your life, you've
been living out of what you came out of. You've
grabbed a hold of it. You've accepted it. You
think this is who you're supposed to be, what
you're supposed to be. And I'm here to tell you,
it's not. You are His. If you are saved and you
are redeemed, you are His. You have every right
to walk as a son or a daughter of the Most High.
He has a plan. He has a purpose. He knows what
he wants to work out in your life and how he
wants you to walk it out in your life. And it
doesn't matter if you're 10, if you're 20, if
you're 40, if you're 60 or 80 years old. You
can start today. And you can start to walk something
different. I've shared this many times. In the
past, fear had me. And by the way, that happened
in a church when I got back to the root of it.
Not anything evil. Just something that got thrust
on me, and I grabbed ahold of it, and I said,
this is who I am. And I lived locked up for 30
years like that. He wants you free. So I want
you to bow your heads. You know who you are.
The Holy Spirit's prompted. He's pulling on you
right now. It could be just one area or slice
of your life where the enemy's had you locked
up, and you've convinced yourself this is who
you are. This is how I function. This is what
I've always been. This is just me. No, it's not.
That is to say the blood of Christ does not have
the power over that area of your life. That is
not true. It has all power. So Father, we come
to you today. Lord, you know who's in the house.
God, you know, Lord, who God here is hearing
your word. And God, it is moving on their spirit.
It's moving on their soul. And Lord, they need
free this morning. And it might be one slice
of something that's had them bound for 10 years,
20 years, 30 years. God, somebody's told them,
this is who you're going to be. Maybe they just
told themselves, this is who I am because of
what I stepped out of. Lord, today, God, they
put it down. They laid at the feet of Jesus and
they say, Jesus, I will walk in what you say
I'm going to walk in. I will be who you say I
will be. I will put all this behind me. And Lord
God, I am going to step into the light and the
life of Jesus Christ. I am going to walk free.
I am going to walk whole. I am going to walk
in what has always been planned for me. And I'm
going to step one day from this life right into
the next and what God's got planned there. So
Lord, I come right now as a child. I am kin to
the king. I am a king's kid. And I am invoking
my right to be free today. In Jesus' name. In
Jesus' name I pray this. And amen and amen. Now
let me tell you what you're going to have to
start to do. Because the enemy is going to come
back. As soon as you walk out of here. The enemy
is going to come back with the same old thoughts
you used to have. Same voices are going to come
back in your head. You're this. You're that.
This is what you've always been. This is what
you did. Yada, yada, yada. It's going to keep
coming right back. You've got to begin to declare
what you know to be true. You've got to know.
I'm serious. You've got to declare it. You've
got to start speaking out. That is not who I
am. This is who God said I am. This is what I
stand on. You've got to. Man, some of you. Listen.
Some of you. You got to shake the devil up a
little bit once in a while, right? Speak the
word of God. Speak it out. Declare it. Make declarations.
Write them down. Post them on your wall. Paint
it on your wall. Whatever you got to do. But
you begin to declare what God said. And you begin
to declare it over your own life. Right? We overcome
by the blood of the lamb and the word of our
testimony. What you speak. That's the declaration.
It's the testimony. Amen? I don't know if this
is resonating with anybody. I hope it hit somebody
this morning. But hear me. We're going to talk
about family the next couple weeks. Amen? Amen.
Thank you for tuning in to this message from
Lifehouse Church. We pray that you were impacted
powerfully by this message. If you have been
personally affected by our ministry and you would
like to partner with us as we love God, love
people every day, visit our website at www .lifehousecog
.com.