Children of God… | Sunday, March 13, 2022

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God of creation, there at the start, at the beginning of time, with no point of reference, spoke to the dark and fleshed out the wonder of life. As You speak, a hundred billion galaxies are born. In the vapor of Your breath, the planets form. If the stars are made to worship, so will I.

I can see your heart in everything you make. If creation sings your praises, for once, you have spoken. All nature and science follow the sound of your voice. As you speak, a hundred billion creatures catch a break.

I can see your heart in everything you say. Every painted sky is a canvas of your grace.

Years ago, I was listening to one of my favorite authors, a guy named Malcolm Gladwell. He was talking on a podcast, but for the life of me, I don't remember which podcast it was, so I can't quote him directly from the recording. In the episode, Gladwell was discussing an experience he had while he was at a coffee shop in Los Angeles around the time that the recording of this podcast happened. Gladwell mentioned that he likes to write his books in coffee shops. While he was sitting in a coffee shop, I'm pretty sure he said it was in Pasadena.

He said that he overheard a couple of girls talking at a table near him. He mentioned that this coffee shop was near a well-known seminary in that area, so I'm pretty sure it was probably Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. What caught his attention about the conversation was that the two young women were discussing relationships. One of them was sharing about a budding relationship that she was excited about and the potential of that relationship leading to marriage.

What stood out to Gladwell was not just the conversation itself, but the fact that the girl who was talking about this relationship said to her friend that she was really not sure about what the Lord wanted her to do in this situation. She expressed that she needed to pray about it to find out if this was the Lord's will and if she should move forward with this relationship.

Malcolm Gladwell has a background with faith and Christianity, along with a connection to the church. I don't know exactly what his connection is, but it seems that he probably grew up with some ties to Christianity and the church. He understands the idea of there being a God that you pray to and seek for His will and direction. Therefore, he wasn't entirely shocked by the concept that there are people who are seeking God for His will.

However, it did stand out to him as unique that these two girls, who clearly come from a Christian background and probably attended the seminary there at Fuller during that period, were saying, "Here’s this situation in my life—the potential of a relationship moving towards marriage—and I need to find out if this is God's will, if this is what God wants me to do."

According to Malcolm Gladwell, this mindset is increasingly rare in 21st-century Western culture. We live in a culture that values extreme independence, personal autonomy, and self-direction. We have sayings like "You need to do you" or "You need to be true to yourself." We tell people that they need to follow their heart. We often hear phrases like "I've got to be me" or "I need to chart out my own path," similar to Elsa in the hit movie Frozen.

From years ago, I remember when my kids were quite a bit smaller and "Frozen" came out. My two daughters used to love to sing the song from "Frozen," the first one where Elsa is singing "Let It Go." In that song, Elsa sings these lines that stuck out to me. I still remember my kids were really small; my girls were in the back seat of my car while I was driving them to school, and they were singing along to that song. I had never really listened to the words before, but this is the line that resonated with me: "It's time to see what I can do to test the limits and break through. No right, no wrong, no rules for me. I'm free."

That encapsulates a cultural mindset, a worldview or philosophy that dominates in Western culture here in the early 21st century. With that kind of mindset, the idea of submitting your will and your decisions, the path that you are going to take, and your desires to another is seen as the height of foolishness. This is how we live in Western culture in the 21st century. This is the philosophy that we impart to our kids: that you have to be the one who chooses everything for yourself.

As I was thinking this week about that line from "Frozen," I also started to think about another Disney movie that came out recently, or within the last several years: Disney's animated feature "Moana." The hit song from "Moana" is called "How Far I'll Go." In that song, Moana, the main character, struggles with doing what she knows she ought to do as a member of the tribe she belongs to. She is on an island in the South Seas, and she is the daughter of the chief of this tribe. In the movie, she wrestles at the beginning with what she should do. She knows that she ought to do the right thing according to the tribe and her position as the chief's daughter.

The daughter of the chief is wrestling with breaking free, much like Elsa in the song from "Frozen." In her song, she expresses, "I can lead with pride, I can make us strong," referring to her role within her tribe as the oldest daughter of the chief. She continues, "I'll be satisfied if I play along, if I go along with the way things are supposed to be, if I do the things I'm supposed to do."

However, she then reveals, "But the voice inside sings a different song." This internal monologue reflects Moana's desire to embark on her own adventure, following a bright light on the horizon to chart her own course. There is a line she talks about in the song, a line she feels compelled to cross. She wonders, "Will I cross that line?" Ultimately, Moana does cross the line, and in the story, this act allows her to do what is right for herself and for her tribe, fixing everything in the process. This narrative aligns with the mindset prevalent in our culture: you do you.

You must be true to yourself and follow your heart, not letting anyone hold you back. Whether you are Elsa, Moana, or a child in elementary school looking forward to the future, the prevailing belief is that you cannot let anyone hinder your path.

Malcolm Gladwell was struck by the uniqueness of a different mindset. Many in America in 2022 would likely shudder at the thought of saying, "I need to ask God for what He wants me to do. I need to seek God's will," especially if it leads to something they do not want to do. In our culture, that mindset is often viewed as inauthentic. Using the lingo of our day, if you were to submit your will to God and perhaps He tells you, "No, that's not what I want you to do," you would not be considered your authentic self. Instead, the emphasis is on pressing on, doing your own thing, following your truth, and being your authentic self.

The mindset of those two girls that Malcolm Gladwell overheard reflects this cultural narrative.

In a coffee shop probably near Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, one person expressed their interest in a relationship, saying, "I really want to know what the Lord wants me to do. I have to pray about it." This is the right mindset for a child of God. It is counter-cultural to 21st-century Western culture, but it is the right mindset for a child of God.

This brings up the concept of being a child of God. What does it mean to be a child of God? Am I a child of God? This is certainly what the children of Israel were in the book of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy chapter 14, beginning at verse 1, we read these words: "You are the children of the Lord your God." If you are someone who underlines things in your Bible, you might want to underline those words.

"You are the children of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead." Notice this; this is really key: "You are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth."

This is an interesting passage of Scripture because, in Deuteronomy chapter 14, verses 1 and 2, this is the first and only time that the words "children of the Lord" or "children of God" are used in the Old Testament. The idea of being a child of God is seen quite a bit in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament, this is the first and only time we come across these words.

The people to whom Moses was speaking in this passage are often called the children of Israel, but now Moses says, "You are the children of the Lord your God." You are His children, a separate and holy people whom He has chosen out of the world to be a special treasure. When you think about that, those are powerful and beautiful words. You are a separate or holy people that God has chosen to be a special treasure for Himself. You are God's children.

These powerful, beautiful words apply to you as well if you are a Christian today. The Apostle Peter says this in 1 Peter chapter 2.

Verse 9 states, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; who had not obtained mercy, but now you have obtained mercy."

Moving from there to the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 1, echoing the same sentiment that you are a chosen people of God. He says in Ephesians 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him, in Jesus, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved."

These are truly beautiful words from the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul, found in the New Testament, from First Peter and Ephesians chapter one. They teach us such an important and simple truth: I am a chosen child of God.

Now, there are a number of important things to say about this idea that I am a chosen child of God. The first thing we should address is the question: Aren't all people the children of God? I have had conversations with people before, and perhaps you have as well. When discussing being a child of God, some may say that every single person is a child of God. So, are all people the children of God?

The answer to that question, according to the Scriptures, is no. All people are the creation of God, but not all people are the children of God. The children of Israel were a people, those in the Old Testament, Old Covenant. The children of Israel were selected out of all the people on the face of the earth. We see that in Deuteronomy chapter 14, verses 1 and 2. They were chosen to be a special treasure for God, a holy people, selected for a special and specific task that God was calling them to, which we will discuss further as we go through the book of Deuteronomy. They were God's holy people.

Covenanted in a relationship with Him, you and I, if we are Christians, are chosen in Christ Jesus. So that's the first thing we need to address: Aren't all people the children of God? No, only those who have been selected by God to be His people.

The second thing we should consider from this idea of being the children of God, and that I am a chosen child of God, is answering the question: How do we become the children of God? How did the children of Israel, thousands of years ago, become God's chosen people and His own children? How do I today become a child of God?

The children of Israel became the children of the Lord by birth into the family of Abraham. What made Abraham so special? Why did he get to be the one through whom God would select these people? They were a chosen people, the children of Abraham, because Abraham became a chosen child of God by faith. As he put his trust in God, he became a child of God by faith.

In very much the same way, you and I today can become, or do become, or have become the children of God by the new birth through faith in Jesus Christ. Here, I want to introduce a new concept that is important to discuss for just a moment: the idea of the new birth. This concept comes from Jesus's conversation with a very religious Jewish man named Nicodemus in the Gospel of John, chapter 3.

In that exchange, Jesus explained that connection to God and to God's kingdom, being a child of God, comes by being born again. Jesus said this to Nicodemus in John 3:3: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

When Nicodemus was asked about how this new birth comes about, his mind was blown. He responded, "How can these things be? How is a man going to be born a second time? Does he enter a second time into his mother's womb?" He couldn't grasp it. There is this exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus in John chapter 3, which you can read later.

Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus how the new birth comes about. He teaches him that this new birth is the result of faith; or, I would rather use the word trust. It's not just mentally acknowledging a truth. Some people think that's what faith is, but faith involves trust or entrusting yourself to someone.

As Jesus and Nicodemus are having this conversation about how the new birth is brought about, Jesus says these words, the most famous words in all the Bible, the most translated words in the Bible: John chapter 3, verse 16. We read, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Jesus taught Nicodemus in that passage in John chapter 3 that the connection to God and His kingdom, becoming a child of God and one who will inherit everlasting life, comes through trusting in God. The new birth comes about by trusting in God. The Apostle Paul, in the New Testament, expresses a very similar idea. He says that this new birth and connection to God as His children comes about by faith. In Galatians chapter 3, verse 26, Paul states, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus."

This idea is seen throughout the Scriptures in the New Testament: we become the children of God by trusting in Him and believing in Him. In fact, in the opening statement of the Gospel of John, in John chapter 1, we read these important words: "As many as received Jesus"—that's the Him in this passage—"to them He gave the right to become the 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."

Just a moment ago, I made the point that I am a chosen child of God. How can I know that I am a chosen child of God? I know that I am God's child because I have trusted in Christ. That's what the Scriptures make very clear as I read through those passages: John chapter 1, verses 12 and 13; John chapter 3, verses 3 and 16; Galatians chapter 3, verse 26. As I take what the Scriptures say, I know that I am God's child because I have trusted in Christ Jesus.

Now, before I go any further, I just want to say to whoever might be watching this right now: if you don't know that you are a child of God, you can know with certainty that you have become God's child.

All the benefits and blessings that are associated with being His child are significant. You can know that you are a child of God, not just through wishful thinking, but with certainty by trusting in Christ Jesus. It is not about trusting in yourself, your good works, or your religiousness to establish a relationship with God. You can know for certain that you have that connection to God, that you are His child and He is your Father, by trusting in what Jesus did on your behalf. He bore your sin on the cross.

As we read in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." If you've never done that, I want to encourage you, wherever you are watching this—whether on your phone, on a TV, or during a Sunday morning service—you can know that you are God's child if you trust in Jesus Christ. Entrust yourself to Him, call out to Him in prayer, and say, "Lord, I believe in You, and I trust myself to You."

If you have trusted Christ today and received Him into your life, then you are a child of God. You have been chosen by Him to be His people. As the Scriptures say, you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, God's own holy nation, His own special people.

This leads us to another important question to consider as we think about the concept of being children of God. What does it mean that I am a child of God? What does it look like to be a people unto the Lord, His own people, those whom He has chosen to be a special treasure above all the people on the face of the earth?

These are big questions, and perhaps you've never thought about them before. What does it really mean to be a child of God? There are many aspects to this, but I want to highlight a few key points. First, it means that I have a new relationship with God. When I become a child of God, it implies that God is my Father.

Since He is my Father, what does that mean for me? I get that the idea of "father" can have all kinds of connotations; it's like a quagmire of issues. In the modern lingo of our day, it can trigger people when we say that God is Father. However, that is how God reveals Himself in the Scriptures. I am His child because I've trusted in Jesus Christ, and I have become an adopted child into the family of God. He is my Father.

What does that mean? Judging by what the Scriptures say—not our misconceptions of what a father is, based on the bad examples we've had in our culture—what does the Bible say about this relationship we can have with God? Since God is my Father, I can trust that He will take care of me. I can trust that He will provide for me. I can trust that He will protect me.

I am grateful that I grew up with a great example of a father. For me, the idea of a father is not a big deal. Even with the great example of a father that I have—one who provided for my family and took care of me, my brothers, and my sister as we were growing up—that great example, as good as it is, pales in comparison to the Father revealed to us in the Scriptures. He far surpasses that.

Since I am a child of God, and God is my Father, that means I can trust that He will take care of me, provide for me, and protect me. In fact, Jesus, in His message in the Sermon on the Mount, says, "Your Father in heaven knows the things that you have need of, and He will take care of those things." Therefore, we don't have to worry about those things.

The first thing this tells me when I think about God being my Father is that I have a new relationship with Him. He is my Father, and He will take care of me, protect me, and provide for me. The second thing I understand in realizing that I am a child of God and He is my Father is that I have special access to God as Father. In Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul writes that through Jesus, we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Because I have this relationship—I am God's child, and He is my Father—I have access to Him.

My kids don’t have to ask my secretary for some of my time. They don’t have to come into the office and ask one of the other pastors or ask Pastor Mark if they can come into my office.

In the office, they can come in at any time boldly. That is the kind of access I have to God because I am His child, and He is my Father. In fact, in the New Testament book of Hebrews, we are told that we can boldly come before the throne of grace so that we might obtain mercy and grace in our time of need.

In ancient times, you would not have had access to a king; there was no possible way you could enter the throne room and survive unless you were invited. But as a child of God, I can go boldly before the throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace in my time of need.

The first thing we discover when we realize that I am a child of God is that I have a new relationship with God as Father. This means I can trust Him to take care of me, to provide for me, and to protect me. The second thing it grants me is access.

The third important aspect to consider is that having this new status means not only that I relate to God in a new way, but it also means that I relate to this world differently. In the passage we are examining today in Deuteronomy chapter 14, we find two clear ways we are to live differently in the world as the children of God.

The passage opens in Deuteronomy chapter 14, stating, "You are the children of the Lord," speaking to Israel. Because you have this relationship with God, because you relate to Him as Father, and because you have access to Him, this will change your standing in the world. You are a child of God; you are part of the family of God. As one who belongs to the family of God, this changes the way you interact in the world.

In this passage, we have two clear ways that we, as the children of God—both the children of God in ancient times, the children of Israel, and the children of God now under the new covenant in Jesus—are to live differently in the world. The first way has to do with what you do to your body or what you do with your body. The second way concerns what we put into our body.

When you become a child of God and God is your Father, it changes the way you live in this world: what you do to your body or with your body, and what you put into your body.

We're going to look at what you do to your body. Look at Deuteronomy chapter 14, verses 1 and 2. We read it just a moment ago: "You are the children of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead, for you are a holy people to the Lord, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth."

Listen, if Malcolm Gladwell, one of my favorite authors, finds it striking and unique that a child of God would seek God's guidance on the decision of who to marry or when to get married, imagine what those who have no connection to Christianity must think. Those who are just your friends at work, school, or in your neighborhood, who have never gone to church and don't have any connection to Christians, must find it strange to discover that people live according to principles like those found in this passage.

What is the principle that we find in this passage? It could be simply stated like this: as a child of God, I am no longer the Lord or master of my body. Can you imagine anything more countercultural or controversial in the United States of America in 2022? Not just in the United States, but in very progressive, atheistic, or at least agnostic California in 2022. Can you think of anything more countercultural than saying, "I'm a child of God, and because I'm a child of God, I no longer am the Lord or the master of my own body"?

I am no longer the governor of my own body. It may be, and actually, it probably is, completely controversial and countercultural in 2022 to have this kind of mindset. But it is what this passage teaches, and it is not only in the Old Testament. I mean, this is Deuteronomy; this is the Old Testament.

The idea and concept that I am not the governor, lord, or master of this body of my life became clear to me after I became a Christian and a child of God. God is my Father, and this truth is taught not only in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament.

If you look at the book of First Corinthians, you will find that the Apostle Paul, the writer of First Corinthians, is addressing a church in a culture that was not all that dissimilar to Californian culture in the 2020s. In this passage, the Apostle Paul writes in First Corinthians chapter six, beginning at verse fifteen: "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot, a prostitute, is one body with her? For the two, he says, shall become one flesh. But he who is joined to the Lord, as a child of God, is one spirit with Him. Therefore, flee sexual immorality."

In verse eighteen, Paul continues, "Every sin that a man does is outside the body." This means that what you do with your body or to your body is significant. However, "he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body." In verse nineteen, he asks, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? And you are not your own." Circle those words: "You are not your own."

For you were bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's possession. This is a challenging principle that we find in Deuteronomy chapter fourteen in the Old Testament and First Corinthians chapter six in the New Testament. I am not my own; this body is now the possession of God. As a child of God, God is my Father, and I am no longer the lord, master, or governor of this body.

If you have been around the Bible for a while, you may realize or even see, if you look at this passage in Deuteronomy chapter fourteen, verses one and two, that it points you to another Old Testament passage. It correlates to a passage in the law, in the Torah, in the book of Leviticus, where we read these words.

Chapter 19, verse 28 of Leviticus states, "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am the Lord." What on earth is being said here in this passage? God says, "I am your Lord. I am the master of you." Because you are a child of God, you are His chosen people, His own special treasure. Because He possesses you, you are His. He tells you what you can and cannot do with your body, and He is telling you that you shall not make cuttings in your flesh.

We have a problem with cuttings in our day, and nor shall you tattoo any marks on you. So, Leviticus chapter 19, verse 28, and Deuteronomy chapter 14, verse 2 are the passages from which people will make declarations against tattoos. Maybe you have heard a Christian say before that Christians should not get tattoos. We do have to ask the question: Is the Bible here teaching that we should not get tattoos? If it is, we may have a significant problem in our culture.

I don't have any tattoos, but not because of this passage; I have just never been interested in them. However, I know a lot of people, especially my age and younger, who have a lot of tattoos. Body art is a really big thing. In fact, I was getting off the freeway just the other day, driving to teach somewhere, and I saw a big bus called the "Tattoo Bus." Instead of just having a tattoo parlor, we now have tattoos on wheels that go wherever and will tattoo you in the bus.

Sometimes you'll hear Christians say, "The Bible says in Leviticus 19:28 and Deuteronomy 14:1-2 that you are not to make any marks on your skin." So, is the Bible teaching that thou shalt not get tattoos? As we continue through this passage, I think we will see that it isn't the letter of the law that we need to focus on here; it is the underlying spirit or principle of the law that we really need to think about.

As a child of God, I am no longer the Lord and master of my body. It's not just about tattoos or marking my body or cutting my body. One of the keys to interpreting these words in Leviticus and Deuteronomy correctly is to read the words there in Deuteronomy 19:28.

Verses 1 and 2 of Leviticus 19:28 address the words for the dead. There was some sort of ritualistic idolatry involved in the practice of tattooing and marking the body that Moses is speaking against. All that to say, I do not believe that this is necessarily talking against the modern practice of tattooing.

Now, there are people who disagree on that. There have been Christians who have written about this before. I am simply stating my opinion based on my study of this passage, both recently and in the past. I don't think that Leviticus 19:28 and Deuteronomy 14:1-2 are necessarily saying, "Thou shalt not tattoo," because there was some sort of ritual or idolatrous practice involved in tattooing oneself for the dead. There was something unusual going on here.

The question arises: Is it possible? Am I allowed to get a tattoo? Is it prohibited for Christians? I don't think that you can make a dogmatic statement for or against tattoos from this passage. However, I do believe that this passage teaches that I am not the master and lord of what I do to or with my body.

What that means is I need to bring issues like tattoos, or any other decisions regarding my body, to the Lord. I need to bring them to Him in prayer, subjecting my decisions, my desires, and my will to the Lord to receive His direction and input. This is exactly what Malcolm Gladwell was talking about that was so unique to him on that day he was sitting in a coffee shop in Pasadena. There were two young ladies discussing a relationship, and I need to ask God, "Do you want me to get married? Do you want me to marry this person? Is this the right time for me to get married?"

This is so counter-cultural to our way of thinking in 2022 in the United States of America, especially in Southern California. However, this is what the Scriptures, both Old Testament and New Testament, teach. If I am a child of God, then that means I need to go to God and ask, "Is this something You are okay with me doing?" I need to pray about it. I need to look to the Scriptures, to the Word of God, and see if there is any principle in the Word of God that this would be going against.

I need to bring my decisions, my desires, my will, and my path to the Lord. I need to give it to Him, trusting that He is my Father, and that He is going to protect me, provide for me, and direct my steps.

The Scriptures say in Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6: "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." If you are a child of God—and that's an important caveat—you should go to God and bring your desires, your decisions, and your will to Him in prayer, asking Him to give you direction through His Word and through other brothers and sisters within the body of Christ whom you trust, who walk with wisdom and follow after the Lord. You need to bring those things to the Lord for His input.

Why? Because, as stated in 1 Corinthians, chapter 6, my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I am not my own; the Scriptures say I have been bought with a price, with the precious blood of Jesus Christ—not with silver and gold or things that may corrupt and fall apart, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I have been bought with a price, and therefore I should seek to glorify God in my body, which belongs to Him. This is not my own; I have been bought with a price.

The first principle in this passage is that God gets a say in what I do to or with my body. The second principle that we see in Deuteronomy, chapter 14, is that God gets a say in what I put into my body.

Now, before I read this, remember that we are looking not at the letter of the law, not the particulars of everything that Moses says in Deuteronomy, chapter 14, verses 3 through 21, which we are going to read in just a moment. I want you to be looking for the principle or the spirit of what is being said here, not the specific letter, but the spirit or the principle of what it is that God is saying.

When Moses says these words in Deuteronomy, chapter 14, verse 3: "You shall not eat any detestable thing." These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the mountain goat, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. You may eat every animal with cloven hooves, having a hoof split in two parts, and that chews the cud among the animals.

Nevertheless, verse 7 states that of those that chew the cud or have cloven hooves, you shall not eat such as these: the camel, the hare, and the rock hyrax, for they chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves.

They are unclean for you. Also, the swine is unclean for you because it has cloven hooves yet does not chew the cud. You shall not eat their flesh nor touch their dead carcasses.

These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you may eat all that have fins and scales, and whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you. All clean birds you may eat, but these you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, the red kite, the falcon, and the kite after their kinds; even the raven after its kind, the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the seagull, the hawk after their kinds, the little owl, the screech owl, the white owl, the jackdaw, the carry-on vulture, the fisher owl, the stork, the heron after its kind, and all the hoopoe and the bat. Also, every creeping thing that flies is unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.

You may eat all clean birds. You shall not eat anything that dies of itself. You may give it to the alien who is within your gates that he may eat of it, or you may sell it to the foreigner, for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

What on earth is this all about? Again, I said before I read that long passage of Scripture: don't look at the particulars. Don't look at all the specific animals that you can or can't eat. Instead, we want to look for the specific principle in this passage. What is the principle? What is the spirit of this passage?

I believe it is this: as a child of God, I am no longer the Lord or master of what I put into my body. I said in point number three, similar point: as a child of God, I am no longer the Lord or master of what I do with my body. But as a child of God, I am also no longer the Lord or master of what I put into my body.

Now, obviously, this passage deals with the dietary laws of Judaism. When you hear of someone who is eating kosher, they are following the dietary restrictions of Leviticus. So, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus—the books of the Bible that start the Bible—are the basis for these dietary restrictions, which include what we just read in this passage.

So, does this passage mean that I, as a child of God in Christ, under the new covenant as a Christian, should keep kosher? Well, you certainly can. I mean, if you desire to eat kosher, you can certainly do that if you choose.

Following kosher laws and restrictions is not the focus of this passage. I don't believe that's the way we should apply this passage to ourselves under the new covenant. In the New Testament, we find that the dietary laws of Judaism are not extended to non-Jewish Christians under the new covenant. Therefore, you don't have to follow the kosher laws or the dietary laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy if you're a Christian, but you certainly could if you want.

The larger principle here is that when I became a child of God by faith, the status of my life changes in the way that I live in this world. I am no longer the master of what I do with my body, what I do to my body, or even what I put into my body. At the very least, as a child of God, God gets a say in what I do with my body, to my body, and what I put into my body.

This is exactly what stood out to Malcolm Gladwell on that day when he was listening to two girls talk in a coffee shop. They were subjecting their decisions and their lives to the Lord, saying, "I need to pray about that. I need to find out if God is okay with this, if He wants me to do this." So, at the very least, as a child of God, God gets to say in what I do with my body, to my body, or what I put into my body. This means God may reveal in and through His Word that there are certain things I shouldn't ingest.

This is the point at which you begin to ask very practical questions. Is it okay for a child of God to smoke tobacco? You need to ask your Father that question. Some people have strong statements about that, and I think it is a valid thing, as a child of God, to go before the Lord and say, "Is this something that is allowable?"

Is it okay for a child of God to consume alcohol? You need to ask your Father and consult the Scriptures. What do the Scriptures say about that?

This is kind of a weird one that is starting to come up more, and I think it's going to become even more pronounced in the short term. Is it okay for a child of God to partake of shrooms? These are natural; that's what I've been told. They naturally grow, and if they naturally grow, God wants you to use whatever is natural. You can take the herb of the field and consume the shrooms. So, is it okay for a child of God to partake of shrooms?

As a child of God, if you are considering partaking in shrooms again, I would say you need to ask your Father what the Scriptures teach about these kinds of things. Is it okay? I've had this question many times: Is it okay for a child of God to ingest or smoke marijuana products? Again, you need to ask your Father and find out what the Scriptures say.

I have some strong opinions about every single one of these topics. If you come and talk with me or send me an email, I would be glad to answer some of those questions. However, I think it is very important that we, as children of God, have such a relationship with God that we can boldly go to His throne of grace and ask Him, "God, what do You want me to do in this situation?" You need to ask your Father.

It's not just about what you put into your body; it's also about what you do with your body or to your body. Is it okay for a child of God to get tattoos? You need to ask your Father.

To an outsider, like Malcolm Gladwell sitting in a coffee shop overhearing this conversation, or even to someone who has never gone to church, these questions may seem absolutely absurd. You need to be your authentic self, as our culture tells us. No one gets to tell you what to do or what not to do. You are the one who captains your ship; you are the one who has to decide for yourself what your truth is. There is no right, no wrong, no rules—just freedom. This is the mindset of our culture.

Not only is this the mindset of our culture, but it is also the philosophy being taught through pop culture. Whether it's "Moana" or "Frozen," it's not just adults who are influenced; our kids are being taught these ideas as well. I was somewhat taken aback when I heard my daughters singing the song, "No right, no wrong, no rules for me, I'm free." At that moment, when my four-year-old was singing that song, I thought to myself, "Maybe that's not the philosophy I want my kids to be learning."

This realization sparked a conversation with them about how that is actually not the way we live. Why? Because I am a child of God. I have been bought with a price, and there are indeed rules for me. There are guidelines that my Father has put in place for my good. We saw this in Deuteronomy chapter 12 a few weeks ago: these things were written for our good, and there is a line.

That line is for God's children, and we must realize that there are some people who just aren't God's children. Notice in this passage of Scripture, as we've been going through Deuteronomy chapter 14, there are two grounding statements that support the idea that God is the one who gets a say in what I do with my body or what I put into my body.

In Deuteronomy chapter 14, verse 2, and verse 21, we read, "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God." This is the grounding statement for God being the one who governs what I do to my body or with my body, or what I put into my body, because I am a holy person unto the Lord. These commandments in this passage were for God's people; they were for those who were His children.

Take note in verse 7, which discusses what is unclean or clean for the children of Israel to eat. It states, "They are unclean for you." This is not a rule or restriction for every single person in the world because not every single person is a child of God. But for you, if you're a child of God, this is unclean for you. In verse 8, it says, "Swine is unclean for you."

I think that the specific dietary restrictions were for those living under the old covenant system of Judaism. In Christ, there are different rules that we follow. So, can you eat bacon? That's a good question. I think you can, so that bacon burger is probably okay. However, as a child of God, there are certain things that are unclean for you.

In verse 10, it states, "You shall not eat of it." Whatever it was referring to, it is unclean for you. In verse 19, it reiterates, "It is unclean for you." Four times, we have this emphasis in this passage that these restrictions were for the children of Israel. These weren't for everybody; this isn't a rule for every single person. It is a rule for you, for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. In fact, this passage explicitly states that this is not a requirement for those outside of this covenant.

Among you who are not the children of God, look at Deuteronomy chapter 14, verse 21. You shall not eat anything that dies of itself, but you may give it to the alien who is within your gates. This isn't talking about aliens, little green men; this is talking about foreigners in your midst, those who are not the children of God. They can eat things that are restricted for you. They can do things that are restricted to you. So, you may give it to the alien who is within your gates that he may eat of it, or you may sell it to the foreigner. These things were okay for people who were not the children of God.

As a child of God, I have a new and different status with this world, which means that I relate differently to this world. Does that mean that as a child of God I am less free? It seems like the foreigner and the alien within the gate can kind of do what they want. Does that mean that I'm less free? Did I have more liberty before I became a child of God? Well, in one sense, yes, but also the answer is no.

Before you were a Christian, you were free in regard to righteousness, but before you became a child of God by faith, you were actually a slave of sin. What does that mean? Let me read to you from Paul's words, the Apostle Paul, in the New Testament book of Romans. Romans chapter 6, verse 20 says, "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of God, servants of God. You have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Before you were a child of God, you could put anything you wanted into your body. You could do with your body whatever you wanted, but at that point in time, you were a slave to sin, living in bondage under sin, leading to death. The result of those things that you are now ashamed of leads to bondage and death. But now, you have been set free from sin, and you have fruit in your life to holiness, leading to everlasting life.

So, we read in this passage, Deuteronomy chapter 14, verses 1 and 2: "You are the children of the Lord your God." Verse 2 continues, "You are a holy people."

Lord, your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. You were bought with a price, the Scriptures say. Therefore, because God purchased you out of bondage to sin, to make you His child, honor and glorify God with your body and with your spirit, because this is God's. He made you His child, and this is what it looks like to be a child of God.

Now, I realize that there is a lot that we have unpacked in this passage of Scripture, but there's one final thing that I think is really important to bear in mind. As a child of God by faith, one of the pitfalls in taking heed to these principles is that we can begin to distance ourselves from other people who do not take heed to these principles, both inside and outside of the church.

What do I mean? Churches have been divided by people who say things like, "You are not really faithful to God if you engage in that thing, or if you watch that kind of entertainment, or if you drink those kinds of beverages. You're only holy if you do these things, and if you don't do those things, then we need to cut you off and excommunicate you."

First, we need to recognize that each of us individually stands before our Father on some of these disputed issues. We should be those who seek the Lord's direction in what we put into our bodies and what we do with our bodies. However, we should not judge others by the standards that we have set for ourselves.

I kind of mentioned this passage last week in Romans chapter 14, but let me read the whole section. Romans 14:1 says, "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things." For one believes that he may eat all things; one person says, "I can eat bacon," while another person says, "No." But he who is weak eats only vegetables.

See right there for the vegetarians among us—just joking, don't get upset at me and email me over that one. But let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has received him. Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master, he stands or falls. Indeed, he shall be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

It is not our place to be the arbiter or the judge when it comes to personal convictions. If one person thinks that tattoos are okay and another thinks that they are not, we should not divide a church over these differences. Similarly, if one person believes that you have to keep kosher and another says you do not really have to do that, we should not create divisions based on these issues. To his own master, he stands or falls.

There are, however, certain things that are very clear, such as adultery being a sin and sexual immorality being a sin. We can say that a person cannot continue to be a part of the body of Christ if they are going to persist in those behaviors. There is spiritual or church discipline that we see in the Scriptures regarding these matters.

Many churches have divided over issues that are not explicitly stated in the Scriptures, such as what day of the week to worship, the mode of baptism, the way in which to partake of communion, or whether it is acceptable to listen to secular music or watch sports on TV. People divide over these things that they ought not to divide over. If God has given you a conviction, you need to walk in that conviction, but you ought not to judge other people based on it.

For instance, if God has made it clear to you that alcohol is off-limits, then it is off-limits for you. The Scriptures clearly state, "Do not be drunk with wine." If a person is getting drunk, they have gone beyond the limit of what the Scriptures say. For some people in the church, God has given them a limit that prohibits alcohol, and for them, it would be sin. However, they ought not to judge someone else over this.

We should not divide among those who are in the church or distance ourselves from those in the church because they do not follow the same standards or principles that we do. Instead, we should pray for them if we feel that God needs to reveal something to them. God may indeed reveal it to them, but we also need to be careful not to distance ourselves from those whom God desires to reach—those who are not yet Christians and are outside the church—because of our standards and principles.

In the New Testament, in the book of Acts, specifically Acts chapter 10, God desires to reach Gentile people, non-Jewish people, with the gospel. However, Jews looked down upon Gentiles because they considered them unclean, largely due to their dietary practices. Jews would view Gentiles as unclean because they ate foods that were deemed unclean according to the dietary restrictions of the law. I do not have time to go into that passage in Acts chapter 10, but it is a significant example of how we should approach these issues.

This message has gone longer than I planned, but one of the early Christian leaders, the Apostle Peter, received a vision from God. It's in the New Testament book of Acts, specifically Acts chapter 10. He received a vision from the Lord concerning unclean foods. God gave this vision to Peter so that he and other early Christians, all of whom at that point in time were Jews, would recognize that they were not to distance themselves from those whom God was desiring to reach.

This gives us a very simple principle to wrap up with today: as a child of God, I should not distance myself from those whom God desires to make His children. Yes, we are to be in this world and not of it because I am a child of God, and my body has been purchased by the Lord through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. As a child of God, I have a new relationship with God, which means I have a new way of relating to this world. This means that God has a say in what I do with my body and what I put into my body.

Even though that is true, and even though I am holy unto the Lord, and you are holy unto the Lord if you're a Christian today, that doesn't mean we should separate ourselves and distance ourselves from the very people that God desires to make His children. The same Peter who received that vision in Acts chapter 10 would later write these words, which I shared with you earlier in 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own special people."

So, what is the reason that He has chosen you? It is that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. You who once were not a people are now the people of God. You who had not obtained mercy have now obtained mercy. God chose you to be His own special, separate people, to be priests who carry the good news to those who have not yet received the grace of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, do not distance yourself from those whom God is desiring to make His children through your witness. Proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. God wants to reach other people through your life with His mercy and grace.

So, Father God, I pray as we close today that You would work in us, that we would come out and be separate from the things of this world that are not honoring and glorifying to You. Lord, if there are certain things in our lives that we need to cut out or cut off, give us the strength by Your Spirit to do so, that we would walk in a manner worthy of our calling.

Lord, help us to be a light to other people, not to separate ourselves and distance ourselves from the people that You want to reach. God, use Your people this week to shine as a light to those who are in darkness, bringing Your grace, Your mercy, and Your good news. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

If the stars were made to worship, so will I. If the mountains bow in reverence, so will I. If the wind goes where You send it, if the rocks cry out in silence, so will I.

You chased down my heart through all of my failure and pride. On the hill You created, the light of the world was abandoned in darkness to die. And as You speak...

A hundred billion failures disappear where You lost Your life so I could find it here. I can see Your heart in everything. So every precious life would get a hundred billion times. But what measure could amount to Your desire? You're the one who never leaves the one behind.

Thank you for joining us for our broadcast today. That was an excellent message, and I pray that it really impacted you. We heard from the Holy Spirit. Again, if you'd like to find out more about Cross Connection Church, please visit our website at lifeinconnection.com.

We would like to invite you to our in-person services at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. here in Escondido, California. If you're around, you can make it to one of those services. We would love for you to be here live in person at 8:30 and 10:30. God bless you guys, and have a great week.

Good morning, Cross Connection Church! It's Pastor Garrett here. I'm so glad that...

You could join us for church this morning. If you're new or visiting, you are especially welcome on behalf of our pastoral staff team here at Cross Connection Church. We are all about living life in connection with God, one another, and the world through Jesus Christ.

A couple of announcements I want to point you to are on our events page on the website, lifeinconnection.com. Check that out for a couple of different things. If you're looking to plug in and serve here at Cross Connection Church, we have some opportunities in the children's ministry. We need teachers and even helpers for teachers. The helpers can be any age, while the teachers must be 18 or older, and we will have to run background checks. If you're interested in serving in our kids' ministry, we have openings in pretty much all the age brackets, and we would love to have you sign up and get trained here at Cross Connection Church to serve the next generation of Jesus followers.

The other announcement I have for you, also on the events page, is regarding junior high and high school ministry. Our summer camp is live on the website, and you can sign up today. Parents, please sign your kids up. The sooner you get them signed up, even if you just put the initial deposit down, the better. This way, I can request more spots from Catalina Island and get an even bigger group going this year. Have them invite their friends; we would love to get a huge group out to Catalina Island this summer for our youth camp.

For everyone else, please keep praying for our youth ministry and the upcoming summer camp. I am really looking forward to seeing how God is going to move and meet all the kids there at Catalina Island.