In every worship service we make Christ the center or our worship. Yesterday churches around the world highlighted orphan care. I preached from Ephesians 1:3-6 in order to highlight our status as adopted children. By the glory of God's amazing grace, God chose us to be holy and predestined us to adoption as sons. As former orphans we celebrate God's great grace in our lives. When we read this passage our hearts immediately leap in praise because of what God has done for us. This text is about worship. We recognize that God designed and accomplished salvation in a perfect Trinitarian act, as the rest of the passage shows (1:3-14).
As God's children we tell God's story of adoption to ourselves every day. The Gospel reminds us what Christ has done on our behalf and whom we now are in Him. By teaching the Gospel to ourselves everyday we rest in God's faithfulness and love rather than our self-righteousness.
Our theology ties into orphan care because the church is most suited to care for the orphans. All because we know what it is to be an orphan, we gladly provide for the needs of orphans. Providing for the needs of orphans comes through adoption, foster care, assisting foster parents or families adopting, giving to those who are adopting, and most importantly praying.
We can pray for Eric and Amy Ostrander. Right now they are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo attempting to finalize their adoption of two boys. They meet with their social worker today to advocate for their son. They should have a decision sometime Tuesday. Church, pray for this adoption to be finalized and the Ostrander's bring home their two sons soon.
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