All right, if you wish to follow
along, turn to Galatians chapter four. Galatians chapter four,
I want to read for my text this morning just three verses. Galatians
chapter four, verses three, I'm sorry, four verses, three, four,
five, and six. Where Paul, of course, is continuing
and he says in Galatians 4.3, even so we, When we were children,
we're in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman,
made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons. And here's my main verse
for my text this morning. And because ye are sons, God
has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying,
Abba, Father. We all, and I am sure of this,
because having some understanding, some understanding of our fallen
human nature, we all have in the past, no doubt, repeated
something that we heard from a very respected preacher of
the gospel. We thought the phrase was good
and we repeated it and we may still in the present do that.
And even after this message that I'm going to preach this morning,
we will probably because of our flesh and our faultiness, our
weakness, our inability, we will probably do the same thing again.
The greater problem, though, in such a thing of repeating
something that someone else has said, and it's not so, now I'm
going to make this, try to make it clear, and it's not so, it's
not simply the fact, I'm not saying it's right to do that,
it's not simply the fact that we do it. Here's the real problem,
it's then when we find ourself rebuked for it, we become so
hurt and upset that we become angry with the truth of God. Therein is where the real sin
lies, okay? Now all God's children, I'm saying
all God's children, his beloved, his elect, will have God the
Spirit sent forth into their hearts. They shall cry, by the
Spirit of God. They don't just cry this because
of the Spirit of God. And because ye are sons, God
has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying. He's crying this. You see that? He's crying this, but because
he is in us, he is doing this, causing us to cry, Abba, Father. That's the first thing I want
to point out. that all the elect will have God the Spirit sent
forth into their hearts. They shall cry, by God the Spirit,
Abba, Father. This is the adoption. This is
the adoption. In its initial, I don't want
to say phase or even facet, but in its initial impartation by
God, this is the adoption. It is the placing as a son. Three things first. Christ for
Christ. Let me get that right. Christ,
possessive. Christ for ordained, redemptive
cross work is the foundation of the adoption. Let us never
forget that. God does not do something to
us that then causes us to experience the adoption. Jesus Christ did
something for us almost 2,000 years ago. That's the foundation
of the adoption. It's not the foundations, not
what he does to us. It's what he did for us. And you clearly see that in verses
three, four, and the first part of verse five. Secondly, Christ's
work That is specifically his cross work, but all of it is
included. But I point that out because
Christ could have come and kept the law and lived a perfectly
righteous, moral, holy life. And Jack, if it had just went
back to glory, we'd have still all died and went to hell. Because
he had to die for our sins. The cross work is the crux of
it all. It's what gave it all worth and
value for sinners. If we'd have been righteous people
and just having a few faults, just a righteous life may help
out, but before a holy God, even one fault will damn us forever. So we needed the crosswork. So
again, Christ's work, specifically his crosswork, secured our receiving
of the adoption. Verse five. Thirdly, we receive
the adoption because it was given to us at God's appointed time. That's the whole reason Paul
gave the illustration of this wealthy man with this child,
okay? And remember, take any illustration
of Scripture only as far as Scripture takes it. And the point Paul
made was, now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child,
that's a small one, differeth nothing from a servant, that's
a servant of his father, though he be Lord of all, but is under
tutors and governors, and then here it is, this was the practice,
until the time appointed of the father. The foundation of this
then is what? The crosswork of Jesus Christ.
The experiencing of that is what? When God sends forth his spirit
into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So those are the three
things I wanted to point out. Thus, thus we receive because
it was appointed and wrought for us by Jesus Christ himself. I am saying that every, let me
put it in just the vernacular of the layman, everyone for whom
Christ died will receive the adoption. That's what this says. It's not out there offered to
anyone. It was provided for, the foundation
of it was secured in the cross work of Jesus Christ and God
in his appointed time. That was appointed time as well.
In the fullness of the time, God sent forth his son. Okay? But there's also that appointed
time when God sends forth his spirit into us. We cry, Abba,
Father. Now, several, many months ago,
I was preaching through Romans. And I preached, as time went
on, and I got to Romans chapter eight, which was a, we might
say a sister passage to this passage we'll have there this
morning. And then months later, months later, I received a text
from an individual. It may have been an email, but
one or the other. We didn't talk over the phone. It was a text
or email from an individual who I told, I don't know you. I don't
remember your name. If we've met or if we've talked
before, please forgive me. And I received a pretty scathing
rebuke. And I must admit that at first
I was upset. But then as I began to look at
what the man had actually written me and said, I had to stand rebuked. Rebuked. I hope to make this,
I'm connected now with what I told you when we first began. I have said something that's
contrary to what I'm going to say this morning, but what I'm
going to say this morning is according to the word of God,
not based upon something I've heard from somebody else and
just repeated it because I heard it from somebody else. But I
don't blame the other person. I don't blame the person from
whom I first heard it, if that was even the person I first heard
it from. You know where the fault lies?
Right in here. because I am fallen flesh just
like you are. And I can make mistakes even
while standing behind this podium just like you would if you were
up here. And as I had to tell, as a side
note, one individual one time when he began kind of mouth off
a little bit, if you feel like you can do any better, come on
up here. Come up here about two or three months and we'll all
zero in on your words. This is not an easy thing to
do. Remember, Christ's foreordained
redemptive cross works the foundation. Christ's work secured our receiving
of the adoption. We receive the adoption because
it's given to us at God's appointed time. Therefore, we receive it
because it was appointed and wrought for us by Jesus Christ. So then let's note four facets
or four things about this cry, Abba, Father, four things. Number one, it applies to all
gospel-called believers without respect to human station in this
life. Chapter three, but after that
faith has come, we're no longer under a schoolmaster. That correlates
to chapter four, verses one, two, and three, okay? After that
faith has come, we're no longer under a schoolmaster for you're
all, ye are all, You're all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus, for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ
have put on Christ, and that is a solid statement. Those who
have truly submitted to Christ will submit to his command to
be baptized. And until you submit to that,
you're not truly submitted to Christ. It's just a fact. That's just the way it is. Forget
all that stuff back yonder, Well, it's me, that's you, it's everything.
Forget all that stuff back yonder. When God Almighty arrests you,
he arrests you. And you submit to Jesus Christ.
Look, there is neither Jew nor Greek. Do you see it? There is
neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female,
for you're all one. in Christ Jesus. So again, it
applies to all gospel called believers without respect to
human station. Thus the cry is said to be Abba. That was the common language
used by the Jews in that day for, and the meaning is father. Nothing more, nothing less. Father. It doesn't matter if
a young child can express this, they're still saying, Father. Even if you hear a young Jewish
child say, Abba, Abba, it is not the same thing as Dada. We do not refer to our God as
Dada. We don't give our God slang names. This is not a slang, it is the
Aramaic for father. It's actually not a translation,
it's a transliteration by the KJV. Abba, that's the Aramaic
or the Jewish language of that day. Then the other is father,
that's the Greek word used for father. Both mean father. We don't pick out pet names for
God. Some of my grandkids call me
Poppy. That's their word for Papa, okay? Grandfather, okay? But we don't call God Dada or
Papi or Papa. Christ said, after this manner,
ought ye to pray. Our Father, which is in heaven,
holy be thy name. Now we will see what the book
of God says about this. not me trying to take illustrations
and tell you what then it could mean. Don't you want to know
what God means when he says, the spirit is in you crying,
Abba Father? I do, I do. So again, it applies
to all gospel called believers. Number two, all of both stations,
Jew or Gentile, okay? Now in Christ, we're one, yes,
but outside of Christ, we are very different people. I know
this world today is trying to make, say there ain't even real,
they're trying to actually get us to believe that there's really
no difference between male and female. You could choose to be
whichever one you want. That is blasphemy. That is blasphemy. All of both stations, Jew or
Gentile, bond or free, rich or poor. I could say in this day
it was, Far more, it would be far more an offensive statement
to say black or white, right? Doesn't matter, doesn't matter.
We're all one in Christ, but all of both stations cry, not
one or the other. They don't cry Abba if they're
Jewish or father, and I wish I could pronounce the Greek,
but it doesn't matter. Father is an English translation
of the Greek word for father. It's not that the Jews cry, Abba,
and the Gentiles cry, Father. We all cry, by the Spirit of
God, what? Abba, Father. Why? Because we're all one people.
And we don't, there's not a Jewish church and a Gentile church.
Have you ever heard that before? You hear it today. There's a
white church and a black church. Not if it's the church of God,
it's not. Not if it's the church of, now there may be black churches
and white churches, but they're not the churches of God. If they're
the church of God, then it doesn't matter what the color of the
pigment of their skin is, they're all one in Christ Jesus, and
they all, black or white, cry, Abba, Father. Father, Father,
okay? While the distinction is removed
concerning us, it ain't removed concerning God. Do you understand what I'm saying?
We don't see him as father before we're saved, but now he's my
dada after he saves me. No, he's still our father which
art in heaven. Hallowed, hallowed be thy name. We are to have no slang words
for God. We are to have no terms of endearment,
but those names by which God refers to himself for us to call
him. Somebody says, this sounds like
you're pretty serious about this. I am. Once you realize you're
rebuked about something, you are saying we're wrong, you want
to try to at least get it as right as you can, Paul, the second
time around. All of both stations, or all
stations, let me put it that way, but we are given male or
female, rich or poor, right, bond or free. So all of all stations,
both cry, Abba, Father, as one people. It's not a Jewish-centered
nor a Gentile-centered cry. It's a Christ-centered cry. Verse 26, for you're all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Do you see that? Number three, it is mainly an
ongoing God wrought heart cry. Now do you hear what I'm saying? It is mainly, I'm not saying
it's never to be done outwardly, because we will see it was done
outwardly even by the Lord himself. Okay? This phrase, Abba, Father,
was cried out by the Lord himself. And at a very specific time.
The only time we actually hear it used in use. It's only mentioned
three times in the scripture. Twice, it's simply referred to
the fact that it is a fact. Only once is it ever referred
to in actual use. Our Lord used the term. So again,
it's mainly an ongoing, I'm not saying you not to say it outwardly,
but it's not mainly God. And because you are sons, God
has sent forth the spirit of his son into your what? Hearts. If it's, in other words, Jack,
if it ain't down in here, saying it out here means nothing. At
worst, it may add to our condemnation. If it's not down in here first,
okay? So it's mainly an ongoing God-wrought
heart cry. If you look up the word cry,
it'll say the croak of a raven, or something, a croak. Now you
have crows, caw, caw. Now the raven, I can't make the,
it has this guttural, The raven makes this different sound. Crows
and ravens both make all kinds of sounds, but a raven makes
one distinct from a crow. It's that guttural croaking cry
that it makes. That's the way it's expressed.
It's a scream or a cry to cry out loud. Isn't that what it
says? And because your son's God has
sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying,
crying. But remember, it's mainly in
here. It's in here, and I'm not saying
it's wrong to say it out here, but it's mainly, if it don't
start in here, if it ain't flowing from in here, it means nothing. It may be blasphemous to use
it any other way. So you see, this is a whole lot
more da-da, ain't it? Or poppy, huh? Huh? Or my daddy. God ain't our daddy. He's our God. He's our God. And even the holy angels, that's
never seen like we seen, they covered their faces, their mouth
and their eyes. One set of their wings, Mac,
they covered their faces when they're before the holy throne
of God almighty. And I think I'm supposed to approach
him as even a save center and call him daddy. Now you can see
how this rebuke hit me to start with. I would just, I felt about
even that tall, don't get it. But after festering for two or
three hours, I decided, whoa, I better look at the book. And then I responded back to
the guy, well, thank you for the rebuke. I stand rebuked.
It's inward crime. Number four, got to move along.
It is mentioned only three times in the scripture as Abba Father. I'm sure there are other instances
in the scripture that you see this cry, Abba Father, but it
may not be outwardly voiced and recorded as such because it's
inside. Paul mentions the cry Abba Father
twice. The fact of it, in relation to
our redemption out from under the law is what Paul gives in
chapter four, five, and six. The experience of it is by being
led by the Spirit of God, and that's in Romans 8, verses 10
through 15. That's just the experience of it, but it doesn't really
give us a use of it. The only other mention of it
was its actual use, now turn to Mark, I'm sorry, chapter 14. Now what's amazing, is all, Matthew,
Mark, and Luke, all three mention the experience of Christ in the
Garden of Gethsemane, but only Mark is the only one that mentions
where he cried this phrase, Abba, Father, okay? The other mention,
again, is its actual use. The rule, what some have called
the rule of first mention. Anytime you ever hear something
first mentioned in the scripture, it sets a precedent. It doesn't
mean there's not more to it that could be added by God later or
whatever. One, it must all come from this book. But wherever
something is first mentioned, it sets a precedent. The truth
of it, Paul, in other words, never will veer from the truth
established in that first mention, that first precedent. Christ
prayed it in the garden in great travail. Turn to Mark 14, verse
32, I've got to move along. And they came to a place which
was named Gethsemane. And he says to his disciples,
sit ye here while I pray. Now, one of the writers, or maybe
two, maybe Matthew and Luke say he went about a stone's cast,
not a toss. So what did he do? Here's the
11, now Judas is gone. Judas the dumb went out. Here's
the 11 with him, and he said, you sit here, okay, while I pray. And he take with him Peter, James,
and John, and so he removed three of them from that group and took
them a little further, but then it says, the other writer's right,
as I said, a stone's cast. And he saith unto them, and began
to be sore amazed and to be very heavy. This ain't just, well,
I just didn't have money to pay a bill this week. This is serious
business here. The Lord is beginning this actual
engagement of our corruption and our sin. He's always been
our substitute, always been our surety, always been our representative,
but here he is actually entering into it fully. Okay, look. Look, and he saith unto them,
my soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death. Do you see that? Unto death. tarry ye here and
watch. And he went forward a little
and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the
hour might pass from him. Now there's a lot I could say
about this, but I don't have time for that this morning. And
he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee. Take
away this cup from me. Nevertheless, not what I will,
but what thou wilt. And he sees a part of this Abba
Father. Look, and he cometh and findeth them sleeping and saith
unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? Couldst not thou watch one hour?
Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly
is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away and prayed
and spake the same words. And when he returned. So where's
he doing this? He's not even doing it in their
presence. They did not realize all that
he was really going through. They were just, huh? They just, yeah. They didn't
know what in the world he was, they didn't get it. He was so
far, not far away that they couldn't maybe see him. They had no idea
what he was going through. He's crying out here, Abba, Father,
now I've got to move. Christ prayed it in the garden
in great, serious travail. Right after this, what happens?
Here comes Judas and this band of people. Yeah. Think about it. This is not for
public show or recognition, even amongst believers. Our Lord didn't cry this out
with the disciples. He went away from them. This
was between him and his father. And he cried, Abba, Father. He cried out for the Jews and
the Gentiles, both. He was representing even right
there, Jew and Gentile, both. Rich and poor, both. Male and female, both. Black and white, both. Do you see it? Do you see it? Mm, it is our cry when we experience
our utter need and our sorrow and our weaknesses. It's not
just something I get up here and say, all right, let's pray
to our Abba Father. That's nothing but religious
show. You see it? Do you see it? He left all the
other, the 11 behind, fell on his face in the dust. One place
it says his sweat was as it were what? Great drops of blood. It
is cried in truth only in utter reverence and submission and
dependence upon our Heavenly Father. It's more about attitude
and not verbal orthodoxy. It's out of a need, an absolute
need to hear it. And even Christ said, not my
will, but thy will be done. Do you see it? This is serious
business. This ain't dada, is it? He wasn't crying out to his dada.
He's crying out to him whom Peter said he submitted himself. He submitted himself even to
the death of the cross. Consider, Christ prayed it as
our representative, our head, our substitute, Jew or Gentile. He was acting for us, Jack, right
even then. My brothers and sisters, it's
all about what he did when he suffered for our sins. All of
it, even when he was still not just in the garden. Now, next
time you feel that cry inside, it's okay to cry inside, Abba,
Father. But remember, they're both saying
he is Abba, he is Father, Father. He don't just deserve our respect.
He deserves our worship. Our worship. Heavenly Father,
these things are so far beyond us in ourself. Even as regenerate
men and women, Lord, we know it takes your spirit to bring
us to that place. But God, we thank you for it.
Though we cannot in any way really relate to what our Lord went
through in that garden and not on that tree, but Lord, we thank
you for it. In Christ's name, amen.