Who is Your Father?

Intro:

Throughout history, some of the greatest stories told include what we have called PLOT TWIST!

A Plot Twist is when there is an unexpected development in the story line.

As I think through all of the great Plot Twist throughout the years....

I believe the most ICONIC one came in 1980 with THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

In 77, it was no shocker that Darth Vader had survived the attacks of the NEW HOPE....and his return was highly anticipated.

However, what would soon be revealed seem to shock the World....

Luke Skywalker had flown to Cloud City and found himself in a Dual with Darth Vader.

After losing his hand in the Light Saber fight.....he soon finds himself above a huge CHASM WITH NO WHERE TO GO!

And Darth Vader invites Luke to Join him and to SEE THE POWER OF THE DARK SIDE....They could rule the Galaxies together.....

And in this moment, Luke accuses Darth Vader of killing his father....

And Darth Vader says, “NO, I AM YOUR FATHER”

And the music to the Imperial March sounds....bu…bu…bu…buhbaba.....buhbaba

And the worlds shocked....

George Lucas who created Star Wars wanted it this way....

Most of the Cast didn’t know it until they watched the movie...

Mark Hamill (who played Luke Skywalker) didnt even know until just moments before the scene was recorded.

I tell you all of this today because....we see a story where Luke did not know who his father really was.....

Well today, we will see where Jesus is going to address a crowd where he reveals their father to them....and it is a shocker too!

He is going to address a group of Jews who say they are children of Abraham…and that their father is GOD....BUT JESUS HAS SOMETHING ELSE TO SAY!

John 8:37–47 NKJV

37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” 39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

I mean, TALKING ABOUT A PLOT TWIST.....

You say you’re descendants of ABRAHAM.....BUT YOU ARE NOT REAL DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM!

You say God is your FATHER.....NO, YOUR FATHER IS THE DEVIL, AND YOUR DESIRES ARE OF THE DEVIL!

And so there is a really important question for you today that I want you to be able to ANSWER....AND TO ANSWER WITH BLESSED ASSURANCE!

WHO IS YOUR FATHER!?

But what you might not understand.....there has been PLOT TWIST that you must be made aware of!

When sin came into the world....we all fell condemned and the identity of our Father was made known!

John elaborate more on this in his Letters....

1 John 3:8–10 NKJV

8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

As Sinners, fallen short of the Glory of God....our father is the Devil and our Desires are of the Devil......

However, the great twist....

Philippians 2:6–8 NKJV

6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

ALLOWING US TO HAVE A NEW FATHER!!!!

ONE WHO HAS ADOPTED US AND MADE US CO HEIRS WITH CHRIST!

Romans 8:15–17 NKJV

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

So, the question remains....WHO IS YOUR FATHER!?

Jesus tells those with him this day....that their father is the Devil....

However, he also shows us what it looks like for one to have GOD AS THEIR FATHER....

AND THAT WHAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY!

I. A Son of God is one who ABIDE’S in the Father’s House.

John 8:30–36 NKJV

30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Jesus says that those in SIN.....are a SLAVE TO SIN....

And a SLAVE DOES NOT ABIDE IN THE HOUSE FOREVER.....BUT A SON DOES ABIDE IN HIS HOUSE FOREVER!

What great hope A SON OF GOD HAS!!!!!

I think of Psalm 23:5–6 “You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.......Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

A Son gets to abide in the FATHERS HOUSE FOREVER!

He gets the INHERITANCE OF THE FATHER!

HE GET THE BLESSINGS OF THE FATHER!

But Jesus continues to share what this Abiding Looks like!

You Abide by LIVING in His Freedom.

Jesus says Abide in my WORD....

The Word Abide means:

To remain in.....persist in....wait on....dwell in....to continue and endure in!

We are to remain in His word

To Persist in what He is saying!

To wait on and dwell in every word He gives!

To continue and endure in the the words that quench the spiritual hunger and thrist!

To Abide in Jesus Word.....means to place your very life on the foundation of whatever Jesus Speaks!

And for those that have EARS.....THEY HEAR THESE WORDS AND KNOW TRUTH OF JESUS NEXT WORDS....

“AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE”

When we Abide in Christ and the House of the Lord....WE LIVE IN THIS FREEDOM!

The words of Christ....THE BIBLE....becomes freedom to our soul!

BUT some how, people use it to bring about more bondage.....More about what we can and cannot do...

But when you TRULY ABIDE IN HIS WORD....YOU WILL KNOW FREEDOM!

And freedom is not doing what we want....

Freedom is being able to do what God has called us to....

Freedom is being able to Love and Obey the one who created us and Loved us FIRST!

If you feel constricted by Jesus and your faith....then you have missed the true words of Jesus....

A son of God has been set FREE by the TRUTH!

You Abide by LOVING Jesus.

John 8:37–42 NKJV

37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” 39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.

Jesus says its one thing to say you are a Jew....one thing to say you're descendants of Abraham....and its one thing to even say that God is your Father....

HOWEVER....your lack of love for me proves otherwise!

John 8:42 “42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.”

So we learn something here.....A Son of God Abides in His Father’s House!

He Abides by LIVING IN HIS FREEDOM....

And he Abides by LOVING JESUS!

If you want to know who your true Father is....then look at WHAT you LOVE and WHOM you LOVE!!!!

Do you love the TRUTH or do you love WHAT MAKES YOU LOOK GOOD!

That’s where this whole your truth and my truth started....

You have your truth that exalts you and I have my truth that exalts me......church, THAT IS NO TRUTH AT ALL!!

DO YOU LOVE JESUS!?…TRULY!

When you sin against him....does it truly bother you....or are you more concerned about how it affects you?

When you talk with him....do you address Him as someone you love with all your heart!?

When you read His words, do you love it...

ARE YOU GROWING IN YOUR LOVE TOWARD HIM....

It should be a stagnant love....but one that grows!

We see one more way here that we abide in the Father’s House!

You Abide by LISTENING to His Word.

John 8:43–47 NKJV

43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

We all know there is a difference between hearing and listening!

I have really good hearing, but I can improve on my LISTENING!

I see a couple barriers to LISTENING TO JESUS WORDS here:

Our own Desires are a barrier...

When we want something, our goal is not listening....but rather to be the one speaking!

You know what I am talking about....

How many times when you are in a spat/argument....are you more thinking about what you are going to say rather than listening to what is being shared!

How many times do we do this with Jesus’s words.....

Rather than LISTENING TO WHAT HE HAS TO SAY....

We cant stop speaking our desires!

What about prayer....arnt we suppose to bring our desires to him.....

YES....but in a way where your desires have been transformed FROM LISTENING to JESUS!

I notice this with Jaclyn....

At first, I speak to get what I want…to win the argument...

But after truly listening....I speak what is truly needed....an apology....or desire to do different!

I think many of the times, we never truly ENGAGE THE POWER OF PRAYER.....because we HADNT LISTENED FIRST!

Another barrier to Listening to Jesus is LIES....

I cannot tell you how many times I have witnessed someone NOT LISTENING TO THE WORDS OF JESUS....because of LIES!

Lies as simple as....

The Bible was just wrote by self serving men...

We cant trust the Bible because people have taken different parts out just because the wanted to....

The church is all about who gives the most....

The church only has hypocrites in it....

Jesus was only about Love, so we cant really use the Old Testament today....

Things were different then, so the Bible isnt as applicable....

EACH ONE SIMPLY BEING A LIE that has put a barrier up for them to not Listen to His Word!

When you ABIDE in HIS WORD.....YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH.....and THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!

A Son Abides in the Father’s House.....

Through LIVING IN HIS FREEDOM

Through LOVING JESUS

And through LISTENING TO HIS WORDS!

II. A Son of God KNOWS who he ABIDES with.

John 8:48–59 NKJV

48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” 52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ 53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. 55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” 59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

We Abide with the GREAT I AM!

Jesus is telling them that HE KNOWS THE FATHER.....and even that ABRAHAM REJOICED TO SEE HIS DAY AND WAS GLAD IN IT!

The Jews loose it here....youre not even 50…and you say You have seen Abraham!???

And then comes those POWERFUL WORDS......BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM!!!!!

I want to make sure we understand what Jesus is saying!!!!

God revealed His name to Moses in the Burning Bush as YHWH....I AM WHO I AM!

And Jesus is SAYING HE IS THE I AM!!!!!

Before Abraham was, I AM

In principal, we should appreciate this statement…That HE IS WHO HE IS!

Before the Light was Spoken in existence.....JESUS IS!

Before the animals were formed....JESUS IS!

Before the Ark was built.....JESUS IS!

Before the Red Sea was split....JESUS IS!

Before the Walls of Jericho fell....JESUS IS!

Before Young David defeated Goliath....JESUS IS!

Before the three were thrown in the furnace.....JESUS IS!

Before the prophets predicted the Bethlehem birth.....JESUS IS!

And lets not stop there......

When Jesus gave his last breath on the cross.....JESUS IS!

When the tomb was rolled away....JESUS IS!

When the Spirit fell at Pentecost....JESUS IS!

When the Gospel spread to the Nations....JESUS IS!

When a church was formed right here in Blackfoot in 1860......JESUS IS!

When we gather and worship King Jesus.....JESUS IS!

When Christ will return....JESUS IS!

When we are given the New Heaven and New Earth.....JESUS IS!

AND so if JESUS REALLY IS!!!!

Then was does our situation have on Him.....

Before it ever came about....JESUS IS!

A Son of God ABIDES WITH THE GREAT I AM!

Invitation:

So My question remains today: WHO IS YOUR FATHER!?

Is it the Devil or the God of Heaven!

A Son of God Abides in His Fathers House....

He abides by LIVING IN HIS FREEDOM

Abides by LOVING JESUS

Abides by LISTENING TO HIS WORD!

A Son of God knows who HE ABIDES WITH…THE GREAT I AM!

But you remember the PLOT TWIST with Darth Vader and the young Jedi

Darth Vader revealed that he was Lukes Father....and promised the galaxies to him through the power of Darkness!

There is a time in our life when we recognize the in our SINS....WE ARE OF THE DEVIL....our DESIRES are of the DEVIL!

And the reality is that Satin lures us in with these promises too....

That you can have what you want....

That what you want is most important....

That what you are doing is really not even that bad....

And the choice has already been made....

We are sinners that have given into the lies....

HOWEVER, in the great SAGA OF THE JESUS STORY.....

God comes down and defeats Satin by dying the death we deserved.

And he defeats death and Satin by rising from the Grave!

And the best part....GOD THE FATHER.....ADOPTS US (WHO REPENT AND BELIEVE IN HIM) AS CHILDREN OF GOD!

We get a NEW FATHER!!!!!!

And John says there is evidence when this happens!

1 John 3:7–10 CSB

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. 9 Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because his seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister.

What is the evidence of your LIFE AND HEART....

Is it one of SIN or of RIGHTEOUSNESS?

This is how God’s Children and the Devil’s Children become Obvious!