Sunday
Sermon
GOD
IS APPLYING TO BE YOUR FATHER
Date: June 15, 2008
Speaker: Pastor Gerry Gregoire
Scriptural Reference:
Mark 7:10
Listen
to Audio Sermon
10For Moses said, Honor (revere with tenderness
of feeling and deference) your father and your
mother, and, He who curses or reviles or speaks
evil of or abuses or treats improperly his father
or mother, let him surely die.(A)
WE
CAN SEE BY THE OPENING SCRIPTURE THAT GOD PLACES
A HIGH PRIORITY ON BOTH FATHER AND MOTHER. IF YOU
DID NOT HONOR THEM IN THE PROPER WAY, IT WOULD
MEAN DEATH.
GOD ESTEEMS FATHERHOOD SO GREATLY THAT HE CALLS
HIMSELF THE EVERLASTING FATHER IN ISA 9:6.
6 For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder,
and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince
of Peace.(A)
GOD USES THIS WORD (FATHER) AS A PROMISE OF HOW
HE WANTS TO TREAT ISRAEL. WHEN HE SAYS A FATHER
THAT IS EVERLASTING, WHAT WAS HE SAYING?
EVERLASTING MEANS:
1) perpetuity, for ever, continuing future
a) ancient (of past time)
b) for ever (of future time)
1) of continuous existence
c) for ever (of God's existence)
AND FATHER MEANS I.E. VERB TO MAKE ONESELF THE
FOUNDER, PRODUCER OR AUTHOR OF; TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY
FOR; TO CARE OR LOOK AFTER SOMEONE AS A FATHER
MIGHT. NOUN: A MAN WHO HAS BEGOTTEN A CHILD. CAPITALIZED
,THE FIRST PERSON OF THE TRINITY.. TO WHOM ONE
LOOKS FOR GUIDANCE AND PROTECTION. A GOOD ACRONYM
WOULD BE:
F - FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD.
A - ALWAYS WITH US.
T - TENDER CAREGIVER
H - HEART SO PURE.
E - EVERLASTING LOVE.
R - REST IN HIM.
FOR ALL THE HURTING ETERNAL REST
OTHER PERSPECTIVES ON HOW GOD FEELS ABOUT FATHERS,
HE REFERS TO HIMSELF AS RAISING UP SONS I ISA 1:2
Isaiah 1:2 (Amplified Bible)
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the
Lord has spoken: I have nourished and brought up
sons and have made them great and exalted, but
they have rebelled against Me and broken away from
Me.
Isaiah 64:8 (Amplified Bible)
8 Yet, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay,
and You our Potter, and we all are the work of
Your hand.
CAN YOU SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT A FATHER IS
SUPPOSE TO BE IN GOD? S SIGHT? THE WORD IS USED
ABOUT 1,722 TIMES IN THE BIBLE.
SO, HOW DOES THE WORLD SEE FATHERHOOD ? LISTEN
TO WHAT I GOT FROM THE INTERNET:
Unjustly or not, I think that sometimes dads feel
cheated when it comes to Father's Day. It seems
to play second fiddle to Mother's Day. Here's some
interesting information I found (www.menstuff.org)
comparing the two days:
1. "Mother's
Day is about heartstrings. Father's Day is about
hardware and last-minute shopping.
Father's Day is less revered: not planned as far
ahead, less time is spent together as a family
and gifts are chintzier. Mother's Day -150 million
cards sold. Father's Day, a Hallmark afterthought,
sees less than 95 million. While Mother's Day racks
150 million phone calls, Father's Day has 140 million
but holds the title for most calls placed collect.
Mother's Day ranks as the number one holiday for
wired flowers with 23 percent of all holiday floral
sales. Father's Day gets beat out by such bloom-crazy
events as Thanksgiving. Statistically, men are
more likely to get flowers at their funeral than
for Father's Day. Mother's Day is the biggest brunch
day of the year and a bigger dining out day than
Valentine's Day with 38 percent of adults eating
out. Father's Day sees 23 percent of adults eating
out. It is a bigger day on the golf links which
tend to attract a mix of all-male foursomes, couples
and dads with kids. Top gift for mom - clothing.
Top gift for dad - one of 8 million neckties sold
for the occasion. Happy Father's Dad, anyway, dad!"
HOW DID GOD APPLY FOR THE JOB OF BEING YOUR FATHER?
IF YOU ARE LIKE MOST PEOPLE, YOU PROBABLY WERE
IN SOME TYPE OF MESS WHEN GOD TOOK OVER AS DAD.
IT MIGHT HAVE GONE SOMEWHAT LIKE THIS, “GOD,
I AM IN A MESS PLEASE COME AND SAVE ME AND I PROMISE
I WILL SERVE YOU FOREVER.”
I THINK IF
GOD WERE TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION TO BECOME
SOMEONE’S FATHER, HIS APPLICATION
WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS:
APPLICATION FOR FATHERHOOD
NAME: GOD
RESIDENCE: HEAVEN ( BUT CAN COME ON THE SCENE
WHENEVER NEEDED) WHEN YOU CHOOSE ME, I WILL COME
AND LIVE IN YOUR HEART.
REFERENCES: JESUS, THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THE MULTITUDE
OF NAMES OF THOSE WHO HAVE CHOSEN ME IN THE PAST
TO BE THEIR FATHER
QUALIFICATIONS:
1. I HAVE UNDYING LOVE. JOHN 3:16 16 For God so
greatly loved and dearly prized the world that
He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son,
so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings
to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction,
be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
2. I CAN GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WILL NEED IN
LIFE. PSALM 24:1 1 THE EARTH is the Lord's, and
the fullness of it, the world and they who dwell
in it.
3. YOUR ENEMIES WILL NOT BE VICTORIOUS OVER YOU.
LUKE 10:19 Behold! I have given you authority and
power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and
[physical and mental strength and ability] over
all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing
shall in any way harm you.
4. I WILL TEACH YOU TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL THINGS.
PHIL 4:13 13 I have strength for all things in
Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything
and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner
strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's
sufficiency].
5. I WILL NOT BE AN ABSENTEE FATHER. HEB 13:5
5 Let your character or moral disposition be free
from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust,
and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied
with your present [circumstances and with what
you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will
not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave
you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not,
[I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor
forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)!
[Assuredly not!]
6. I WILL SHOW YOU GOODNESS, MERCY AND UNFAILING
LOVE FOREVER. PSALM 23:6 6 Surely or only goodness,
mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the
days of my life, and through the length of my days
the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall
be my dwelling place.
7. I CAN GIVE YOU PEACE AND YOU NEVER HAVE TO
BE AFRAID AGAIN. JOHN 14:27 27 Peace I leave with
you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to
you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do
not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them
be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated
and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to
be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
IF YOU HAVE
ALLOWED GOD TO BECOME YOUR FATHER, YOU SHOULD
BE EXPERIENCING THESE QUALIFICATIONS
OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE EVEN AS WE SPEAK. IF YOU HAVEN’T
EXPERIENCED THEM YET, IT’S TIME TO REALLY
GET TO KNOW YOUR REAL DAD. HE IS MORE THAN WILLING
TO TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING YOUR MENTOR.
ONLY A FEW QUALIFICATIONS WERE STATED BUT GOD
IS ABLE TO DO ALL THINGS THAT MAY BE NECESSARY
FOR YOUR LIFE.
GOD USES THE WORD FATHER TO EXPRESS WHAT HE WANTED
TO BE TO ISRAEL AND TO HIS CHILDREN AND THE FOLLOWERS
OF CHRIST. THAT IS WHAT HE WANTS TO BE TO YOU.
IF WE LOOK
AT GOD’S WORD WE CAN LEARN HOW
TO BE GOOD FATHERS TO OUR CHILDREN. AND HERE IS
WHAT HIS WORD SHOWS US IN PART:
1. WE SEE THAT BEING A FATHER IS A FULL TIME JOB.
HEBREWS 13:5 TOLD US THAT HE WOULD NEVER LEAVE
US AND THAT IS HOW WE NEED TO FEEL ABOUT OUR EARTHLY
CHILDREN. AS LONG AS WE LIVE WE HAVE TO CONTINUE
TO LOOK AFTER OUR KIDS.
2. BE A ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR CHILDREN. THE FRUIT
OF THE SPIRIT IS REALLY DEFINING THE CHARACTER
OF THE FATHER. THAT IS HOW WE ARE TO BE TO OUR
KIDS. THOSE FRUIT ARE WHAT THEY NEED TO SEE., GALATIANS
5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the
work which His presence within accomplishes] is
love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even
temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence),
faithfulness,23 Gentleness (meekness, humility),
self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against
such things there is no law [[a]that can bring
a charge].
3. DISCIPLINE YOUR CHILDREN WITH A GENTLE SPIRIT.
JOB 36:9-10 9 Then He shows to them [the true character
of] their deeds and their transgressions, that
they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and
self-sufficiency].
10 He also opens their ears to instruction and discipline, and commands that
they return iniquity.
4. PRAY AND WORSHIP TOGETHER. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL. YOU
CANNOT TEACH WORSHIP AND PRAYER UNLESS YOU ARE A WORSHIPER AND PERSON OF PRAYER.
JESUS WAS ALL THESE TO HIS DISCIPLES.
SO HERE WE
ARE TODAY CELEBRATING ANOTHER FATHER’S
DAY. WE WANT TO THANK GOD FOR ALLOWING US TO BECOME
FATHERS. WE MUST REMEMBER EVERYDAY TO CHECK IN
WITH THE PERFECT FATHER TO FIND OUT HOW WE ARE
DOING AND WHERE WE NEED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
WE COMMEND YOU FOR BEING FAITHFUL TO YOUR CALL,
IT NOT EASY BEING A GOOD DAD. NOBODY IS PERFECT
EXCEPT GOD, SO WE HAVE TO WORK AT IT EVERYDAY
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