A Church that Adopts
Religion that is pure & undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27
Anybody want their religion to be considered pure and undefiled by God? Most of us would affirm that desire. Well, God (in His Word) tells what to do: care for the needs of orphans and widows. We do a pretty good job as a church in caring for our widows but how about the orphans in our community and around the world?
There are between 40-50 million orphans in the world that could best be cared for by adoption. Statistics tell us that if just 6% of born again Christians would adopt an orphan all the orphans would be adopted. 40% of Christians consider adoption yet less than 1% ever do adopt.
On Sunday, June 27th, I challenged Immanuel to prayerfully consider how we could care for orphans individually and as a church. There are many possibilities: foster care, supporting orphanages, ministering to single parent families, serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), adopting an orphan, supporting a family who desires to adopt, and many other ways.
I suggested that Christians should be at the forefront of adopting because adoption is a display of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How does adoption display the Gospel? Well, none of us was worthy of our spiritual adoption. But God, who is infinitely rich in mercy, comes to us (while we were yet sinners) and adopts us into His family, gives us a new identity, and promises us an eternal inheritance.
As we seek to be on mission with God, is there any greater mission than rescuing a helpless/needy child, loving that child, and point that child to Jesus? What if Immanuel was known as a church that cares for orphans and widows? Would that honor God? Yes (James 1:27)! So, let’s consider how we can be doers of the Word and not hearers only! Will you take July and prayerfully consider if God would have you pursue adoption? Will you consider if God would have you to support someone in our church with an adoption?
I pray that God will give us a vision of caring for orphans/fatherless. If we become a church that adopts, I think our church will be different. We will become closer as a church family, we will be more supportive of each other, and we will be on mission together! May we glorify God as we walk in obedience to His Word. Please prayerfully consider James 1:27. Blessings!!!
Bro. Harold
Dr. Harold Best’s Weekly Sermons- A Prayer that Could Change the ChurchColossians 1:9-14 preached on January 29, 2012. […]
- A Prayer that Could Change the Church
