A Lord’s Day from a long ways away

This morning Tyler and I preached at 2 of the 5 churches planted by Pastor Didier. I recognized many of the faces from this "Church 1" when I was there in 2018, and also saw new faces and many new babies and little ones that are so cute. Here is the congregation waving to you and saying "bonjour" and "jambo" in Swahili. I told them I came to minister but they really ministered to me by their beautiful singing that brought tears to my eyes.

The voices and volume of a relatively small number and place was overwhelming and to see such joy from such suffering people was incredibly good to my soul. The first song they sang was in French but I recognized the tune, "Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up..." It is so humbling to be with these brothers and sisters who are so humble and thankful and prayerful, and I'm humbled and convicted of my lack of prayer and thankfulness in comparison.

I have much to learn from Didier and how he relates to the Lord and His people, and his example in his family and community and team. For those who have prayed, thank you and prayers were answered as Didier said it was a very good word to encourage God's people. Then we spent much of the afternoon and evening in fellowship with fellow pastors and others training for ministry and talked more about the plans for the week-long conference.  

Here is how I introduced the message:

This morning we will look at John 14 at some truths that changed my life.

It was this month 14 years ago that I was first visiting DRC (Sept 2011).

I was helping my friends to adopt when I met a very special boy.

We chose to adopt him and name him Matteus, which mean “gift of God.”

His middle name is Samuel like the boy dedicated to the Lord in the Bible.

We had a young son who had died so when I had a chance to adopt, I cried.

When Matteus was brought to the orphanage, and I left him for the first time, he was crying and I was told he later asked ‘where’s Papa Phil?’ I remember writing that I think I cried harder, but this time it was tears of joy.

In Swahili, interpreters explained to the 19-month-old that this man holding him would be his new father and that he had to leave but would come back.

I’m not sure how much he understood, but he knew a moto car was coming to pick him up and he loved being in a moto car. 

What could you say at a time like that, walking away from the orphanage and seeing a crying sad face that doesn't want to be left again? The only thing I could think of to say was the words of our text, Jn 14:18:

         I will not leave you as orphans…I will come to you. Yet a little while …

Didier helped me tell him I will come to you in Swahili, ‘meta kuya ten.’ It would be a little while before he would see me, but I did come to him again

-       I learned a little bit more “kuya, una penda kulala, kuyamba, apana kurea.” One day he called me “papa wangu”

-       Now our son in America is learning to drive a motocar, he loves it

-       More importantly he’s talking about baptism to follow Jesus as Lord

-       He was adopted into our family but more important is God adopting us into His family.

-       A loving human father is good but our heavenly Father is far better

I'm giving this illustration on a human level to help understand spiritually what Jesus is about to do in this context as He goes to die so we will not be orphans but redeemed adopted sons (Ephesians 1:4-7, Romans 8, Galatians 4:4-7).

This is why Jesus came and what He’s doing in John 14. READ v. 18-23

This truth has changed our home, it’s changed my life, and it can yours, too.

Jesus promises they would see Him again, and He also promises a new life in that verse.

In v. 20 the father and son are in union that can never be broken.

There is an intimacy in v. 21 in the wonderful love of the Father. v. 23 is a promise that the Father will make a new home with the Son with believers

For me, I already had an American son when I adopted a Congolese son.

God already had His Son Jesus but He chose to adopt and treat us as sons.

The same love for His natural Son He shows on His children He brings.

In this context the disciples learned Jesus was leaving so they were sad.

When I was leaving Matteus the first time, he was also very sad.

A little while later, just weeks later, I came with my wife, his new mom, to bring our new son to his new brother and new sisters and new family and new church family and new country and new citizenship in his new life and a new identity, new language, in a new home and whole new world.

Like v. 23 we came to him and made our home with him. Physically and visibly earthly adoption pictures spiritually a far greater reality and family, adoption into God’s family:

1.     God’s adoption

2.     God’s affection

3.     Our application

Cliff notes on the rest: I then talked about how in the upper room Jesus said He would call them His friends instead of slaves (chapter 15), which is amazing - putting all believers on par with Abraham who had that rare title "friend of God." But the Lord goes farther in not treating as orphans - He calls His followers brothers (20:17). He died to redeem and adopt them and relate to them as brothers at the very moment they weren't acting like brothers, He's not ashamed to call them brothers despite their shameful sin. And grace upon grace, if we are sons we are heirs with Christ, sharing His inheritance (Galatians 4, Romans 8). So I urged God's people to live like a child of the King who is our brother. And in Congo they say "Alleluia, amen"