Enjoying God as Father - Often we can take it for granted that God is our Father, and few people stop to think what this name really means. Many have had cruel, abusive or absent fathers, so how can they relate to the God of the universes using the same name as someone who has hurt them? Learn how Jesus made the way for us to be friends again with the Father and why we can't just be servants or friends of God once we acknowledge He is Lord.
Trevor H Lund is the founder of Live LIGHT Academy at https://livelight.ca and the Chief Storyteller at https://revtrev.com Subscribe and set notifications on https://revtrev.com/tv for past videos and live casts and https://revtrev.com/radio to subscribe to his podcast wherever you listen.
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Enjoying God as Father
If you think you comprehend every thing about God, you’ve probably just stopped thinking too hard about Him on some point. Let’s take the concept of the Trinity.
God is one. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Yah, let’s just briefly unpack that a little today. Let’s see how the Bible says they interconnect.
God is One. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all All-Knowing (Omniscient)
Father:
Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. (1 John 3:20)
Son:
“Now we understand that you (Jesus) know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.” (John 16:30)
Holy Spirit:
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. (1 Corinthians 2:10)
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all All-Present (Omnipresent)
Father:
“But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27)
Son:
“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
Holy Spirit:
I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. (Psalm 139:7-10)
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all All-Loving (Omnibenevolent)
Father:
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Son:
For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her (Ephesians 5:25)
Holy Spirit:
Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:30)
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all called “God”
Father:
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. (Philippians 1:2)
Son:
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
Holy Spirit:
Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” (Acts 5:3-4)
On the one hand...
...it shouldn’t surprise us. God is one and God is a tripartate being, because He made is in His image He made us tripartate beings. He made us with Spirit, Soul and Body
Spirit - that is saved and we’re seated together in spiritual places ruling and reigning with Christ Ephesians 2:6
Soul - that is being saved and means in this life we are becoming more and more like Jesus 1 Corinthians 1:18
Body - that will one day be saved and it means we have eternal hope that one day we’ll see Him as He is 1 Thessalonians 4:16
On the other hand…
...if you don’t have questions about how your body, soul and spirit interelate and coexist, you’ve probably just stopped thinking too hard about that at some point.
Today I want to talk to you about the the first part of God’s nature and encourage you to enjoy God as Father.
The Problem
Often we can take it for granted that God is our Father, and few people stop to think what this name really means. Many have had cruel, abusive or absent fathers, so how can they relate to the God of the universes using the same name as someone who has hurt them?
Does this really matter?
If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.
J.I Packer
If we can’t see God as our our good Father our view of this world and our place in it gets stunted. Jesus wants us to have life and life to the full.
The Story
Throughout the Bible we find God portrayed as a Father. This portrayal, however, is surprisingly rare in the Old Testament.
God is specifically called the
Father of the nation of Israel 8 times see ( Deut 32:6 ; Isa 63:16 ; 64:8 ; Jeremiah 3:4 Jeremiah 3:19 ; 31:9 ; Mal 1:6 ; 2:10 )
Father of certain individuals 15 times see ( 2 Sam 7:14 ; 1 Chron 17:13 ; 22:10 ; 28:6 ; Psalm 68:5 ; 89:26 )
At least another 9 times the father imagery is present although the term "Father" is not used see [ Exod 4:22-23 ; Deut 1:31 ; 8:5 ; 14:1 ; Psalm 103:13 ; Jer 3:22 ; 31:20 ; Hosea 11:1-4 ; Mal 3:17 ]
It’s interesting, there are at least 10 times that Female images of God in Hebrew Scriptures
10 Times There are Female Images of God in Hebrew Scriptures
- Genesis 1:27 Women and Men created in God’s image
- Hosea 11:3-4 God described as a mother
- Hosea 13:8 God described as a mother bear and lioness
- Deuteronomy 32:11-12 God described as a mother eagle
- Deuteronomy 32:18 God who gives birth
- Isaiah 66:13 God as a comforting mother
- Isaiah 49:15 God compared to a nursing mother
- Isaiah 42:14 God as a woman in labor
- Psalm 131:2 God as a Mother
- Psalm 123:2-3 God compared to a woman
This shouldn’t surprise us. God create created us in His image. Male and female he created us.
But then came Jesus...
But it wasn’t until Jesus came up out of the water and the Spirit descend like a dove and voice from heaven said “This is my beloved son, in whom I well pleased.
Then we come to the sermon on the mount and listen to the language He uses.
Read Matthew 5:43 - 6:34
Mathew 5:43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 6:1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. 16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. 22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! 24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. 25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Father in the sermon on the mount
Your Father is in heaven
Your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you
Your Father knows what you need
Your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you
Your Father forgives you
Your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you
Your Father feeds...
Your Father knows that you need them.
Your Father is perfect
The problem with thinking of God as Father
I know many people have a hard time thinking about God in as“Father”...because of their experience with their earthly Father.
Often when people are abused or abandoned or offended they find it almost impossible to think of God in terms of Father.
But this is the term God defines Himself with…that’s the name Jesus emphasized.
We can’t let our experience define our theology. Our theology is defined by the word of God. Our experience will catch up if we allow it.
Have you ever wondered what the Father is really like?
Do you understand who God the Father is?
It’s too easy for us to look at our own fathers, or the greek god Zeus, or Santa Claus, and assign those attributes to our heavenly Father. But that view would be distorted.
Jesus says, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9 (NLT)
That’s because Jesus was the exact representation of the Father. (Hebrews 1:3)
He only did what He saw the Father do
For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. John 6:38 New Living Translation (NLT)
He only said what He heard the Father say
I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”
John 12:49-50 New Living Translation (NLT)
So let’s spend some time looking at Jesus so we can see the Father more clearly:
Jesus liked to party. Matthew 11:19 The Father rejoices over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
Jesus loved his friends. John 15:13-14 The Father calls you the apple of His eye. Psalm 17:7-8
Jesus didn’t come to condemn. John 3:17 The Father is abounding in love. Psalm 86:5
Jesus healed all who were oppressed by the devil. Acts 10:38 The Father forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. Psalm 103:2-3
Jesus had a passion for the house that consumed Him. John 2:17 The Father has a passion for His possession that is consuming. Zechariah 8:2
Your Father does good acts for you Psalm 103:4-6
Your Father has good thoughts for you Jeremiah 29:11
Your Father provides good protection for you Isaiah 43:1-3
It doesn’t matter what your experience has been with your earthly Father...
God wants you to experience what a real, a good, THE BEST Father can mean to you...
...will you let him?
What if you could trust God as your Good Father?
What if you knew - beyond intellectually - that he was working all things together for good.
What if you beleived - and felt that you believed he was providing everything you need?
What if you lived out the love He has for you?
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38
You might know this intellectually, but do you live it out in the day-to-day of your everyday?
Imagine
What life would be like if you lived it with a greater revelation of Father God? What would you do if you knew…really knew…REALLY KNEW… God was for you and not against you?
Solution
I’ve developed a tool based on what Jesus told us about Our Father in the sermon on the mount.
Am I Trusting God as Father Tool
ACTION
A - Accept God’s view of others
C - Capitalize on secrecy when giving
T - Trust God in private in prayer
I - Impersonate God when hurt or offended
O - Obey God when you fast
N - Neutralize worry in your life
Let’s unpack this...
A - Accept God’s view of others
Jesus said...
...Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:44
Do you?
Are you facing ridicule at work because you’re a Christian? Are you praying for the ones with the snide remarks? Trust your Daddy, he’ll take care of you.
Am I blessing those who curse me?
C - Capitalize on secrecy when giving
Jesus said...
...when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:4
Do you?
I think this is something everyone does really well here in this church. I haven’t heard anyone stand up to testify how much they’ve given to anyone. It’s great. Your trusting your Father. Keep it up.
Am I letting God repay me for what I give?
T - Trust God in private in prayer
Jesus said...
...when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:6
Do you?
What’s your prayer life like? Do you always pray and never give up? Do you pray for a while and then give up? Trust your father knows what you need and thank him for what you have and what’s to come.
Am I exchanging my problem for God’s peace in prayer?
I - Impersonate God when hurt or offended
Jesus said...
....if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14
Do you?
No? How’s that bitterness treating you? Yes? Awesome. You’re trusting your Father will make it right for you. You’re allowing room for Him to avenge. Keep trusting the Father.
Is there anyone I need to forgive?
O - Obey God when you fast
Jesus said...
...when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:18
Do you?
I think this is another thing people in this church do really well...either that or we don’t fast :) Keep fasting to align with the Father and His will, not to earn something from Him or others. Trust that you have His favor already.
Father God, do you want me to fast?
N - Neutralize worry in your life
Jesus said...
...do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Matthew 6:31
Do you worry about what you will eat, or what you will drink or what you will wear? How can you stop?
Am I worrying when I should be trusting?
If you want to know how to stop worrying, ask me. I have another tool for that.
Am I Trusting God as Father Tool
ACTION
A - Accept God’s view of others
C - Capitalize on secrecy when giving
T - Trust God in private in prayer
I - Impersonate God when hurt or offended
O - Obey God when you fast
N - Neutralize worry in your life
Am I trusting God as Father?
ACTION shows you that you are.
The God of peace will empower you to accomplish every good work prompted by faith. Don’t do this on your own strength.
God is your Father and God is good.
You can trust Him even if you can’t trust your earthly Father. He won’t abandon you. He won’t abuse you. He won’t demean you.
He’s God. He’s good. He’s your Father.
Challenge
Ask Holy Spirit to reveal two things:
1. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal if you need to trust God with your whole heart in something.
Respond with confession and repentance.
2. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal a greater revelation of the Father and His Goodness.
Can I pray for you?
Holy Spirit reveal....Pray for a greater revelation of God as our good Father.
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