Introduction:
· John 15:14-15 “no longer do I call you servants … I have called you friends”
· Jesus raised the status, identity of his disciples to a new level
· Servant = 1401 = doulos = slave, one who gives himself wholly to the will of another
· God desires to raise s from slaves to sons – to be part of a royal family – Kings
· God’s plan is for a family of Kings 1 Peter 2:9 with Jesus the King of Kings
Israel was called from Slavery to Sonship:
· Exodus 4:22 “Israel is my Son, even my First born … let my Son go that he may serve me…”
· Israel was in bondage in Egypt – in slavery to taskmasters
· The taskmasters made their lives bitter with hard bondage Ex 1:11-14
· Israel were slaves, victims – hurt, rejected and abused
· Victim = person who is abused, hurt, oppressed by another ad is unable to resist
· Victim thinking = the person refuses to take personal responsibility for their life and blames others for what is happening in their world
= A way of thinking and interpreting life comes from unresolved offences, pain, and heart beliefs
· Underneath victim thinking is an ‘orphan spirit’ i.e. a person is abused in life and has no one to love, affirm, value, comfort, nurture, protect or discipline
· An ‘orphan spirit’ cannot be cast out – it consists of ungodly beliefs/bitterroots
It is developed over a lifetime – it becomes part of the way a person thinks.
It must be displaced, out to death by experiencing the Father’s Love and revelation of the Spirit of Sonship
3. Jesus’ Promise to His Disciples:
· John 14;16-18
“I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you”
· Jesus was about to die on the Cross – redeem humanity from slave to son
· “Another” = one exactly like the one you have had
· He promised He would not leave them orphans
· Orphan = 3737 = orphanos = to be fatherless, without a father to comfort, love and direct
· Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit
· Romans 8:14-17 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit we are the children of God”
· We did not receive the spirit of bondage = 1397 = slavery, lacking, freedom of spirit
· Adoption = 5206 = to pace into full rights and privileges of Sonship
· Holy Spirit = Imparts the DNA of God, Reveals who we are, Dwells joined to us, Reveals God’s father love
4. Elder Brother Mentality:
· Luke 15:25-32 “The older son was in the field – serving”
· The elder brother was serving his father working in the fields
· He had no revelation of the fathers heart or love for him
· He had a slave or victim mentality – an orphan spirit
a) His behavior revealed his mentality – when he heard the news of his brothers arrival and the fathers celebration
Ø He closed up his spirit – ‘angry’
Ø He isolated and withdraw from the relationship – ‘would not go in’
Ø He struggled with feelings of rejection, anger and heaviness
b) His words revealed his slave mentality
Ø Justified himself - ‘I have served … never transgressed’
Ø Blames - ‘This son of yours … wasted your inheritance’
Ø Waits passively, hoping - ‘I served these many years’
Ø Resentment/bitterness - ‘You never gave me…’
Ø Judgmental, faultfinding - ‘This son of yours’
Ø Refused personal responsibility for own dreams and desires - ‘Make merry with my friends’
· He failed to understand grace, and the unconditional love of the Father
· His attitude was that what was wrong in his life was because of someone else – he felt lonely, isolated, unloved and bitter
c) How Victims Speak:
· Luke 6:45
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”
· Listen to yourself speak: do you speak like a King or a Slave?
‘It’s not fair’ ‘No one listens to me’ ‘Nobody cares’
‘It’s not my fault’ ‘Nothing I do is good enough’ ‘I can’t’
‘My life sucks’ ‘I don’t have enough time’
‘I shouldn’t have done that’
d) The Father’s Response:
· Luke 15:31
“Son, All I have is Yours”
· “Son” = 5043 = teknon = a child, one born to the father with rights and privileges but is still a child
· God wants us to experience His Love and Fatherhood and to receive all He has that is available to us