SOMETHING HAPPENS WHEN A FATHER SHOWS UP

Matthew 3:13-17 (KJV) 13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS I HAVE HAD TIME TO REFLECT ON…

HOW GOOD GOD HAS BEEN TO ME.

…THE OLD SAINTS USE TO SAY…

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

AND NAME THEM ONE BY ONE

AND IT WILL SURPRISE YOU

WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE.

AS I GROW OLD THE LIST OF WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR CHANGES…

WHEN I WAS YOUNG-THINGS, (HOME, JOB, FOOD)

WHEN I WAS OLDER-HIS WORKS (DOORS HE HAS OPENED, FAVOR HE HAS GIVEN ME)

WHEN I AM MIDDLE AGE-THE PEOPLE HE HAS PUT IN MY LIFE.

PEOPLE THAT HAVE HELPED ME BE A BETTER CHRISTIAN.

…THANK GOD FOR FAITHFUL FRIENDS THAT I HAVE IN MY LIFE.

DAD USE TO SAY IF YOU HAVE 2 TRUE FRIENDS IN LIFE YOU ARE BLESSED.

…AND I HAVE TRULY BEEN BLESSED WITH RELATIONSHIPS IN LIFE…

PARENTS

FRIENDS

CONGREGATION OF A GOOD CHURCH

BUT OF ALL THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT GOD HAS BLESSED ME WITH.

THERE IS NONE GREATER THAN BEING A FATHER.

…OF ALL THE NAMES I AM CALLED

MIKE

PASTOR

BROTHER

THERE IS A NAME THAT ONLY 4 PEOPLE CALL ME AND THAT IS DAD.

NOTHING IS GREATER THAN TO HEAR MY KIDS CALL ME DAD.

BEING IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 12 DAYS IT WAS A GREAT BLESSING TO ANSWER A PHONE OR TEXT WHEN IT STARTED HEY DAD..

BEING A DAD WILL TEACH YOU MANY THINGS

TO PRAY-GOD WATCH OVER MY CHILDREN

TO SACRIFICE-NO LONGER WORK FOR YOU BUT THEM

TO FORGIVE-THEY WILL BREAK YOUR HEART

TO BE LONGSUFFERING…OR PATIENT

BEING A DAD IS HARD…

FATHERING A CHILD IS EASY BUT TO BE A FATHER TO THAT CHILD IS ANOTHER STORY.

THE REASON BEING A DAD IS HARD IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO FORMULA…NO MANUEL.

AND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU MAY NOT WORK FOR ME. BECAUSE EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT.

THERE IS NO FORMUAL FOR RAISING A CHILD…

…BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID THERE ARE SOME MAIN INGREDIENTS NECESSARY TO BE A SUCCESSFUL FATHER…

ILL. ASK 4 PEOPLE WHAT THEIR RECEIPT FOR MAC AND CHEESE IS AND YOU WILL GET 5 ANSWERS…

SIS SHARON DISHMAN MADE MAC AND CHEESE LIKE I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT MADE…

THOUGH THERE ARE DIFFERENT RECEIPTS THERE ARE SOME MAIN INGREDIENTS THEY ALL HAD.

MACARONI, CHESSE, BUTTER

AND SO IN OUR TEXT AND THE BAPTISM OF JESUS … GOD GIVES US SOME MAIN INGREDIENTS TO BE A GODLY DAD.

THE ACCOUNT IS RECORDED IN MATT. 3, MARK 1, AND LUKE 3.

…AND WE MAY NOT KNOW EVERYBODY THAT WAS AT HIS BAPTISM WE DO KNOW ONE THAT SHOWED UP AND THAT WAS HIS FATHER.

SO WITH THAT WE HAVE SOME MAIN INGREDIENTS SHOWN BY GOD HIMSELF.

HIS PRESENCE-SHOW UP

IF IT INVOLVES YOUR CHILD…YOUR SON, YOUR DAUGHTER THEN TO BE A GODLY FATHER MEANS YOU ALWAYS SHOW UP.

…GOD SHOWS UP AND HAS SOMETHING TO SAY

FOR 400 YEARS GOD HAS BEEN SILENT.

THE LAST DECLARATION OF GOD CAME THROUGH THE PROPHET MALACHI.

400 YEARS BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

NOTHING TO SAY-TO ISRAEL.

EVEN WHEN HE WANTED TO ANNOUNCE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, HE USED AN ANGEL.

FOR 400 YEARS HE HAS BEEN SILENT AND NOW SHOWS UP AT THE JORDAN RIVER AND SAYS I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.

GOD IS SHOWING US …THAT IF HE SHOWS UP ANYWHERE.

HAS ANYTHING TO SAY

MAKES HIS PRESENCE KNOWN

ITS GOING TO BE WHEN IT CONCERNS HIS SON.

BECAUSE REAL FATHERS SHOW UP.

…HE DIDN’T SEND GABERIEL

…HE DIDN’T USE JOSPEH

…NOR DID HE LET MARY

BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT IF ITS OUR CHILD…NOBODY ELSE OUGHT TO DO IT EXCEPT DAD.

IF YOU READ THIS ACCOUNT THERE IS NO PRAYER RECORDED BEFORE THE BAPTISM.

NO INVITATION

NOBODY ASKED GOD TO SHOW UP

A REAL FATHER DOESN’T NEED TO BE INVITED WHEN IT CONCERNS HIS CHILDREN.

THE MINISTRY OF PRESENCE

THANK GOD FOR MOMS BUT SOMETHING HAPPENS WHEN DAD SHOWS UP.

ILL. A YOUNG MAN TESTIFIED THAT THERE WERE MANY SINS HE COULDN’T ENJOY BECAUSE HIS DAD KEEP SHOWING UP. HE TOLD OF SENIOR NIGHT WHEN THE SENIORS TOOK OVER THE SCHOOL AND STAYED THERE ALL NIGHT WITH NO SUPERVISION. THERE WERE GOING TO BE BEVERAGES THERE HE HAD NEVER PARTAKEN IN. HE HAD HIS RED CUP AND WAS WAITING WHEN SOMEONE ASKED IS THAT YOUR DAD ACROSS THE STREET. AS HE LOOKED HIS DAD WAS WAVING AT HIM FROM BEHIND A TREE AND HE JUST DROPPED HIS RED CUP. AND TO THIS DAY HE HAS NEVER TASTED THAT BEVERAGE JUST BECAUSE HIS DAD SHOWED UP.

THE MAIN INGREDIENT IS SHOW UP…

POTENTIAL/POSSIBILITY

THAT’S MY SON…

WHEN THE ANGEL TELLS MARY SHE IS WITH CHILD…

HE ALSO TOLD HER HE SHALL BE CALLED THE SON OF GOD.

PEOPLE WILL SEE HE IS JUST NOT ANYBODY.

JOHN 1:49 NATHANAEL SAID THOU ART THE SON OF GOD

IN MATT 16 PETER SAID THOU ART THE CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD

WHEN JESUS IS DYING ON THE CROSS THE ROMAN CENTERIOUN SAID TRULY THIS IS THE SON OF GOD.

BUT BEFORE NATHANAEL

BEFORE PETER

BEFOR THE ROMAN GUARD

GOD SHOWS UP AND WAS THE FIRST ONE TO CALL JESUS HIS SON.

TO BE A GODLY DAD WE NEED TO NOT JUST SHOW OUR PRESENCE BUT ALSO NEED TO SEE OUR CHILDS POTENTIAL.

PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY DID

BUT DAD WILL ALWAYS TELL THEM WHO THEY ARE

IF ANYONE BELIEVES IN YOUR SON

IF ANYONE BELIEVES IN YOUR DAUGHTER

IT OUGHT TO BE DAD.

I REFUSE AS A DAD TO LET PEOPLE TELL MY KIDS WHO THEY ARE…ALL THEY CAN SAY IS WHAT THEY HAVE DONE,

THEY CALLED JESUS A DEVIL

HE ASKED PETER WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I AM…BUT GOD REFUSED TO LET PEOPLE IDENTIFY JESUS.

HE SAID THIS IS MY BELOVED SON…

IN CHAPTER 3 GOD SAID YOU ARE MY SON.

IN CHAPTER 4 THE DEVIL SAID IF THOU BE THE SON.

CHAPTER 3 HE IS BAPTISED

CHAPTER 4 HE IS TEMPTED

AFTER THE JORDAN COMES THE WILDERNESS.

AFTER BEING IN THE FATHER’S PRESENCE

HE CAME TO A PLACE HE HAD TO STAND ALONE.

… BY TALKING TO OUR KIDS ABOUT WHO THEY ARE OR WHAT POTENTIAL THEY HAVE IT PREPARES THEM FOR THE WILDERNESS WHEN THEY STAND ALONE.

BEFORE THE DEVIL CHALLENGES THEM ON WHO THEY ARE WE OUGHT TO TELL THEM WHO THEY ARE TO GIVE THEM POWER TO STAND AND OVERCOME.

THE DEVIL TESTED THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHO JESUS WAS.

ILL. THE LION KING…SIMBA SON OF MUSTAFA FLED WHEN SCAR HAD MUSTAFA MURDERED. HE FINDS TAMON AND PUMBA AND THEY SING CUMA MATADA…LIFE IS EASY.

HE RAN FROM HIS DESTINY UNTIL HE RAN INTO RAFIKIE THE MONKEY WITCHDOCTOR. SIMBA TELLS RAFIKIE HE MISSES HIS DAD.

YOUR DAD IS NOT DEAD RAFIKIE SAID. SIMBA SAID SHOW ME MY DAD.

HE TAKES HIM TO A POOL OF WATER AND SHOWS HIM HIS REFLECTION. AND HIS REFLECTION TRANSFORMS INTO MUSTAFA. AND MUSTAFA TELLS HIS SON YOU ARE MORE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE BECOME.

AND WHEN SIMBA HEARS HIS FATHER TELL HIM WHO HE IS, HE RUNS BACK TO FIGHT HIS BATTLES.

WHEN YOUR DAD TELLS YOU WHO YOU ARE IT GIVES YOU STRENGTH TO FIGHT YOUR BATTLES

WHEN DAD SPEAKS POSSIBILITY

WHEN DAD SPEAKS POTENTIAL

IT EMPOWERS OUR CHILDREN TO STAND AGAINST THEIR ENEMY.

SO THERE IS PRESENCE, POTENTIAL/POSSIBILITY

PLEASURE-PRIDE

THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.

IN MATT IT SAYS THIS IS-PUBLIC DECLARATION

IN LUKE IT SAYS THOU ART-PRIVATE CONVERSATION

AND GOD SAYS I AM WELL PLEASED.

BUT JESUS HAD NOT DONE ONE MIRACLE YET.

NO HEALINGS

NO FEEDING 5,000

NO RAISING THE DEAD

NO ANYTHING

…AND YET THE FATHER SAYS I AM WELL PLEASED.

BECAUSE THE PLEASURE WAS NOT ATTACHED TO WHAT HE DID.

THE PLEASURE WAS ATTACHED TO WHO HE WAS.

EVERY CHILD NEED TO KNOW THAT THEIR DAD IS PROUD OF THEM

NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY DO

BUT BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE.

THIS IS MY BELOVED SON…I LOVE HIM

DON’T BE AFRAID TO SAY I LOVE YOU.

JUST AS HIS PLEASURE IS NOT CONNECTED TO WHAT JESUS DOES.

HIS LOVE IS NOT BASED ON WHAT THEY DO.

I HAVE 4 KIDS THAT HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN PERFECT…BUT I WANT THEM TO KNOW DAD LOVES THEM FOR WHO THEY ARE.

AND DON’T LET PEOPLE DEFINE WHO YOU ARE…YOUR ARE A CHILD OF GOD.

SO WHEN WE SHOW OUR PRESENCE

WHEN WE SEE THEIR POTENTIAL

WHEN WE SHARE OUR PRIDE AND LOVE.

WE ARE FATHERING OUR CHILDREN LIKE GOD FATHERED HIS OWN SON.