Monday, February 8th, 2010
Thanks. I needed that.
On Saturday evening, we had dinner with old friends. We talked about God’s love and the difficulty sometimes of feeling the truth that we know in our heads.
Then on Sunday, we visited Sovereign Grace Fellowship in a southern suburb of Minneapolis. It’s one of our sister churches and a place we love to visit when we have a free Sunday.
Pastor Rick Gamache is in the midst of a series preaching through 1 Peter. But since this Sunday was communion, he felt led to take a detour and preach from Ephesians 1:4-5:
[H]e chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons, through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will . . .
Afterward, my husband said it was probably the best sermon he’s ever heard about God’s fatherhood and his adoption of us. For me, it was a direct message about God’s love when I heard Rick saying things like:
When we were adopted, God the judge put down his gavel. God the judge stood up and he stepped away from bench and he took off his judicial garb. He came to us and took us in his arms and he said to us, “my child, from now on call me Father, and he rejoiced over us with loud singing.”
The rest of the sermon was just as good.
Coincidence that Rick should change course and preach about God’s love? No way. God knew what I needed.
great entry. It is a good thing to be refreshed and overwhelmed by the Love of God. You have been given a gift. Sweet sweet gift!
Noel, thank you. God knew just what I needed today – to know and feel my Father’s love. It was a year today that my Dad died and to be reminded so sweetly of my real Father’s love has lifted my spirits. Our God is a great gift and I am thankful to Him for how He used you and Pastor Gamache to comfort me. There are no adequate words,but isn’t the Love of God amazing.
Noel,
I love the “just for me” moments in hearing the word of God preached. They seem to happen a lot. For a while, I started thinking God cared most about me =), but then I began hearing other folks having “just for me” moments all the time as well.
Which blows my mind–how God’s sovereignty over time and place intertwines with his sanctifying grace in the lives of untold thousands of His children.
Thanks for the reminder of how creative and good our God is. I look forward to hearing Pastor Rick’s message.
Great word picture! Thank you so much for sharing. The transition from God as judge to God as Father is a tough one to comprehend but Pastor Gamache’s analogy definitely helps make it clearer. Thanks also for including the link to the rest of the sermon. Blessings to you.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lori Bardsley, Noel Piper. Noel Piper said: Thanks. I needed that! http://ow.ly/15rdT [...]
[...] excerpt from Noel Piper’s website: “When we were adopted, God the judge put down his gavel. God the judge stood up and [...]
Coincidence that you would post this when my husband and I are reading “adopted for life” and praying about adoption and coincidence that the church we just visited is having a sunday school class on sonship? Or that I would happen upon your blog today? No, it’s God. He knew I needed this to hear this sermon to feel His love and to keep working on my heart about adoption. Thanks Noel! I enjoy your blog!
Kara
[...] this internet friend’s story caught my attention because it came so soon after my own God-incidence (no coincidences, you know), when all the pieces came together for me to be in the right place at [...]