John 20:17: The Blessings of the Father

Scripture Reading

Psalm 103:11–14 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

Intro

What does it mean to have God as our Heavenly Father?

In John 20:17 Jesus said to [Mary Magdalene], “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

Through the Death and Resurrection of Christ you and I adopted by God the Father.

We are redeemed from being Children of Wrath and sons of the Devil to Adopted as beloved sons and daughters of God (Ephesians 2:3, John 8:44).

In Christ, Jesus even said The Father Himself loves you (John 16:27).

And yet many Christians don’t even know the blessings and privileges that come with that great love…

Of being adopted and given that Great Family Name.

Sons of God!… beloved in the only beloved Son.

1 John 3: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1).

And that’s just what I hope to do this morning…

See the love the Father has given to us.

What blessings, benefits, and promises come with being adopted as a child of God.

What grace and privileges do you have… here and now… right here today!… in having as God your own Heavenly Father?

Understanding the Fatherhood of God and all the blessings and privileges that come in that relationship is fundamental to Christianity…

Its fundamental for your joy and your Christian life!

Theologian J. I. Packer even says: 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 (Packer, Knowing God, 201).

Many of us struggle with having hard thoughts about God the Father.

That He’s always withholding… disappointed and far off… that He’s always upset keeping us at arm’s length.

But that’s not the kind of Father our Heavenly Father is.

He is our Good and Gracious Father who is always near to those who call on Him.

Abba

Look at Romans 8:14–17…

Romans 8:14-17 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

This is an important point.

There are no have and have nots in the Kingdom of God… there are not servants and sons.

All who are led by the Spirit are sons of God.

Everyone who has been born again has been born again as a beloved son or daughter of God (John 3:3-8).

God loves you!

You are not on the outside looking in.

In love God predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4-5).

Your adoption is an act of God’s eternal, free gift love for you… and I say free gift because God’s love for you is not some star chart based on your performance where He ranks His favorite kids.

God’s love for you is in Christ!

Verse 15…

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Abba! Father!

The only other person to use phrase in referring to God is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:36).

In His greatest hour of need Jesus cried out in the distress of His soul to Abba! Father!

Its a term of intimacy… trust… and affection.

Its the word that a Jewish boy or girl would use to run up and hug their dad.

Its a term of a familiarity… not cold distance.

Its Dad!… and like a child runs to their Father, I can go to him for anything and anytime I need.

I can count on Him to always be there.

That’s the relationship Jesus had with God the Father.

And now, by His grace… by His death and resurrection we are invited to come to God in the same way.

My Father and Your Father.

You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Its Dad!

In Christ there is this new and transformed relationship.

God loves us as a father loves his children.

When you think of a good dad what comes to mind?

Protection.

Comfort.

Safety.

Trust.

Faithfulness…

Dependability…

Love… Kindness… Joy!

God’s not cold, far off, or aloof…

A Good Dad is always there!

No matter what it is… Dad can fix it.

And in Christ you’re invited into this close intimate relationship.

One of trust… love… safety and affection.

Beloved in the only beloved Son of God. (John 17:23).

Abba! Father!… Abba! Dad!

That’s relationship that J.I. Packer was saying should radically transform all of our worship… all of our prayer… and our entire outlook on life.

In Christ, God is our Father… our Abba! Father!… and because of that we can look at all the promises and blessings of that relationship and say…

These are true for me!

These are mine today…

I might doubt… I might struggle to believe…

But God has said.

Even when it doesn’t look like it… even when it doesn’t feel like it… God is my Abba! Father!… That’s the Truth!

And that relationship… that truth… changes everything about my life.

My hope for this sermon is to help you get you through the hard times.

To help you when you feel beat down… hopeless… and lost.

And to carry you along with the the truth that God is your Heavenly Father… your loving Father and Abba! Dad! who loves and cares for you.

Can you see how this truth… if you really took it to heart… could radically change your life and give you hope for tomorrow?

To face no matter what comes because Dad’s got you?

We are going to have three points today looking at the blessings and privileges we have…

And hear me… that every Christian has… that you have… in having God as our Heavenly Father… Abba! Dad!

Three blessings that no matter what you might face… how hopeless you might feel… how impossible that hill might be to climb… Dad loves you and Dad’s got you.

Number 1 we are going to look at… The Blessing of the Father’s Love and Providential Care.

Number 2… The Blessing of the Father’s Ear in Prayer.

And Number 3… The Blessing of the Father’s Discipline

Let’s start with point number 1 and the first blessing we have with God as our Heavenly Father…

I. The Blessing of the Father’s Love and Providential Care

To have God as your Heavenly Father first and foremost that God’s steadfast love and His kindness is set on you.

That God is for you and on your side… every step… every day… every breath of your life.

When we’re suffering… when we feel like we are being pressed down and crushed… what’s always the question?

God… where are you?

What are you doing?

God help me! Please don’t leave me or abandon me! (Psalm 37:28; 94:14).

Well with God as your Heavenly Father He has said I will never leave you or forsake you! (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8,

I will be with you (Joshua 1:5, Isaiah 43:2, Isaiah 43:5).

No matter what comes your way God is always there.

Isaiah 43:1–3 Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

With God as your heavenly Father, He will never leave or abandon you.

He has set His steadfast love on you.

This is that idea that All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness (Psalm 25:10).

That I will not turn away from doing them good (Jeremiah 32:38-40).

And that Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me (Psalm 23:4).

When Joshua was going into the Promise Land…

Moses had died…

They had spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness…

And those giants and great nations in the land hadn’t gotten any smaller (Numbers 13:33).

God came to Joshua and said…

Joshua 1:5–7, 9 Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous… Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Now none of us are Joshua leading armies into the Promise Land… but the promise is still true for us.

I am with you wherever you go!

I will not leave you or forsake you!

You are not alone!

Can you see how when life get’s hard or start’s to feel overwhelming… this truth can bolster you?

Hold you up?… Keep you going?

You lose a job?

Get sick…

Have some sin that’s just eating you up…

When life doesn’t make sense and you’re asking, “God, where are you? What are you doing?”

You’re never alone.

You’re whole life is in your Heavenly Father’s Hands and He has promised to never leave you or forsake you.

Abba! Dad!… you can trust Him.

Do Not Worry

Look at what Jesus said in that famous passage on worry from Matthew 6.

Matthew 6:25-26 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Worry is one of those things we all struggle with when we feel like life is out of control.

Worry we rely on ourselves and try to solve our own problems.

Worry is a functional savior that we look to to save us from our anxiety… its idolatry.

But look at Christ’s answer for worry.

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Christ’s answer is… your Heavenly Father.

That God loves you and Cares for you.

Verse 27…

Matthew 6:27–30 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Worry and anxiety is a faith issue because it says, “God you are not good… you are not trustworthy… you are not in control of my whole life…”

I can’t rely on you… I can’t depend on you…

I need to save myself.

Do you see how this worry is idolatry?

And Jesus’ point here is God’s goodness.

The grass of the field is nothing… its here today and gone tomorrow.

And yet God clothes the grass of the field with more glory than Solomon… a man who had everything.

If God is that gracious… that generous… that good with the grass of the field… will He not much more clothe you?

So God is our Heavenly Father that loves us and He is also our Heavenly Father that is good and gracious towards us.

He cares for all our life with every need.

That’s why…

Matthew 6:31–33 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

For the Gentiles seek after these things… that is unbelievers.

Worry and anxiety… fear… God where are you?!… is more characteristic of unbelievers than believers.

Why?

Because unbelievers don’t have God as their Heavenly Father.

Again… look at the connection Jesus makes to the answer for worry and living a fearful life…

Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

I will never leave you or forsake you.

Christians don’t have to be anxious because we know God loves us.

God cares for us.

That God is with us because He showed us the greatest act of love of all time: sending His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32).

Again… Jesus’ answer for worry and a fearful life is your Heavenly Father…

The Grace of Adoption.

And then the last verse of this passage…

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

In other words… you can’t control what you can’t control.

You are not God… You are not sovereign over you’re own life.

But your Heavenly Father is.

He is sovereign over everything.

And in His infinite and perfect wisdom… and don’t just brush over that…

Perfect… meaning the absolute best and could not be better.

God never sits in heaven and says I wish I would have done that!…

No!… In infinite and perfect wisdom God has ordained all things… every single detail of your life… and brings all things to pass.

Ephesians 1 says that God works all things according to the counsel of His will… (Ephesians 1:11).

And Matthew 10:29–30 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from… who?… your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered… every detail of your life.

Christ’s answer for worry and anxiety… to keep from living a fearful life… is Your heavenly Father.

And with the Birds of the Air… that your Heavenly Father Loves and Cares for you.

With the Grass of the Field… that your Heavenly Father is Good and Gracious to you.

And with do not be anxious about tomorrow… that your Heavenly Father is Absolutely Sovereign and Absolutely in Control over every detail of your life and not even a hair of your head will perish outside of God’s sovereign will for you life (Luke 21:18).

The answer for anxiety is faith.

Believing what God’s Word says more than our own heads and hearts.

Faith that God is our Heavenly Father that loves us… that He’s good to us… and that He’s in control.

That’s how you conquer anxiety and put anxiety to death in your life.

Not by worrying and looking to yourself… but by believing the promises of God.

Summary

With God as our Heavenly Father we have the promise of God’s Love and Providential Care.

No matter what you face in your life no matter how daunting or overwhelming…

I will always be with you.

God… your Heavenly Father… has set His steadfast love on you down to the smallest most insignificant detail of your life.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God… your heavenly Father… is with you wherever you go.

Number 2… not only do we have the blessing of the Father’s love and providential care…

But in adoption we have…

II. The Blessing of the Father’s Ear in Prayer

When the Disciples asked Jesus, Lord, Teach us to pray, Jesus taught them to pray to their Heavenly Father.

Luke 11:1–2 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name.”

Father is the Christian name for God.

And the reason why prayer works is because in Christ we pray to God not as some far off deity but our heavenly Father.

Abba! Dad! who’s always there to listen to us… always there to help us.

Sometimes it can feel like our prayers don’t reach higher than the ceiling but God hears our prayers because God’s children have their heavenly Father’s ear.

Now here’s the comfort in that… whatever you come to in life… or whatever comes to you… you can always go to your Heavenly Father.

In every moment with every need… God will hear you.

We saw earlier that your Father knows what you need before you even ask Him (Matthew 6:8).

Well look at Matthew 7:7-11…

Matthew 7:7–11 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son [so that adoption language] asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

How much more… that is the faith we should come with to our Heavenly Father.

God’s there and we can always turn to Him.

Prayer says, God we are not sufficient… all our sufficiency comes from you.

My whole life comes from you!

God I am wholly in need of your grace… Help me!

I have no where else to go.

This is why Peter says cast all your anxieties on Him… because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

In adoption you have the Heavenly Father’s ear and prayer (Ephesians 2:18).

And prayer is how we show our need and dependence on God… our faith in Him… our trust in Him as our Heavenly Father.

We should be in the habit of constantly shooting up prayers to heaven.

That’s what it means to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Not that you’re constantly head bowed, eyes closed.

But that we live in this state of prayer… that prayer comes as naturally as breathing.

God help me here.

God give me patience.

God… Thank you… thank you for your kindness and blessing.

Weak Prayers

And don’t ever be afraid of weak prayers.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said God I don’t even know what to say.

I’m so empty… I’m so lost… I’m so blind and confused.

God knows what you need… Dad knows what you need… just talk to Him.

Too often we turn prayer into a secret code that we have to crack before God will listen to us.

We have to say just the right words, just the right way, with just the right emotion and spiritual holiness…

Listen you laugh but we’ve all felt that way.

We have to pray just the right way.

But where does that leave you when you have no words to give?

When there’s just weeping and groaning in your soul?

When there’s just so much fear you feel pressed down?

Again look at what Jesus says…

Matthew 6:7–8 And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Unbelievers heap up empty words.

They come to God thinking they need the perfect prayer.

Believers come to their Heavenly Father and we don’t have any need to break the code.

He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

The Prayers God hears are prayers to the Father.

Sometimes you’re going to have weak prayers… Prayers that don’t say much more than…

God help me.

God save my marriage.

God Please!

And God forgive me…

But because of the good news of adoption… your Heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask and how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

By the grace of Christ in adoption we have the blessing of the Father’s Love and Providential Care

The blessing of the Father’s Ear in prayer.

And finally, Number 3…

III. The Blessing of the Father’s Discipline

Hebrews 12:3–11 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

To give you some context the Hebrews are a persecuted Church.

The are suffering and struggling… being tempted to go back to the Old Covenant system to just make it all go away and walk away from Jesus.

So this “discipline” is in the context of suffering and hardship.

The suffering and hardship itself is the discipline.

The other way you can translate the word is training not just retributive justice as in discipline for something you did wrong.

Verse 4.

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

He’s talking about Jesus… looking to His example… consider Him.

Jesus stayed faithful no matter the pressure.

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

So this is to us.

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

Verse 7…

It is for discipline that you have to endure.

There’s that word… discipline or training.

God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?

NEW SLIDE

For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Now you might be thinking how is it at all possible that discipline is a blessing.

It says it right there… for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant.

The answer is because God is our Heavenly Father who disciplines us perfectly… perfectly!… and by His sovereign wisdom and power… work all things for good.

So in terms of Adoption discipline… which remember is in the context of suffering and hardship in the book of Hebrews… pressure and pain… that discipline is never wasted.

That suffering is not pointless.

Because God is your Heavenly Father He ordains and works all that pain… all that hardship… all that suffering for your good.

The blessing of Adoption is that God redeems pain and suffering in your life.

God uses that suffering to grow us and conform us to the image of Christ.

He uses it to yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

To wean us of our love for sin and the world and to grow our faith and dependence on Him.

To… in that suffering… show us more of His love… glory… goodness… kindness…. faithfulness to lead us to a more joyful love and worship of Him seeing how even in the midst of that pain…

In the midst of that valley of the shadow of death… He’s always with us… and He’s always good.

This was a lesson I wish I had learned so much earlier in my life.

Don’t waste your suffering.

Because none of its wasted. God is using it for His glory and your good (Romans 8:28).

Perfect Discipline

Go back to verse 7 because I want to show you the great comfort this verse gives in the midst of our suffering…

When life hurts these are the truths we need to remember.

God is treating you as sons.

Suffering and pain is not the sign of God’s absence in your life.

What son is there whom his father does not discipline?

As it is with us Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

So just because there is suffering and pain in your life does not mean God has abandoned you.

But look what it says.

We had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them… and they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them.

We earthly Father’s discipline our sons, but we discipline imperfectly… as it seems best to us.

We try to do our best but sometimes we are too hard… to soft.

We discipline in the wrong way for the wrong things.

Every dad in here has felt that need for wisdom.

But He disciplines us for our good.

God disciplines us perfectly and in perfect wisdom.

What that means is that not a single ounce of your suffering will be wasted.

And not one bit of it is unnecessary.

God is our Heavenly Father who loves us and any pain or hardship that comes into our life first passes through His loving and wise hands.

And because God disciplines us in perfect wisdom… for our good… out of His great love for us as our Heavenly Father…

That means whatever pain and suffering comes into your life will never hurt one bit more or one bit less than what is absolutely necessary.

And that it will not last one second longer or second shorter than what is required to accomplish all of God’s good purposes.

And there’s a comfort in that.

It is what it is… and its in His sovereign hands.

It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.

It doesn’t mean you don’t want to go through it.

It doesn’t mean you absolutely love it and would love to go through it again.

It means you can trust Him…

And rest in His love and goodness.

Your life is not chaos… Its not pain…

Dad’s got you!

This is where the last two points really come into play.

All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness.

And no matter how bad things get you always have the Father’s ear in prayer.

I will never leave you or forsake you.

Your Heavenly Father is not bending heaven and earth to crush you.

Lord knows it can feel like it sometimes.

I’ve felt it.

But His providence… even when its bitter… is working all things together for your good and to show you “My grace is sufficient for you… my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

None of its wasted… none of its unnecessary.

All of it… every ounce and second of pain is perfectly calibrated to perfectly accomplish all of God’s purposes.

And we can trust that because we have the promise of the blessing of the Father’s Discipline.

Conclusion

In Christ we are adopted as beloved sons and daughters.

My Father and your Father… My God and your God.

That’s the Big Idea.

And in that relationship we receive all the blessings of God the Father.

His providential love and care.

The Father’s Ear and prayer.

And the grace and promise of the Father’s discipline working all suffering and hardship for good in our life.

My hope is that this sermon can give you a greater confidence and faith in the Lord for your everyday life.

We don’t need to worry.

We don’t need to fear.

We don’t need to figure it out all by ourselves.

We can live with a total faith… total confidence… total dependence on Him… on our Heavenly Father who loves us.

Help My Unbelief

And listen… I know it can be hard to believe.

Its easy to say in here… at church when everything’s good.

But its a lot harder to say when life shows up and punches you in the face.

I know it first hand what it can feel like to question God whether or not God is with you or God is for you.

Whether or not His hand of steadfast love really is on you and over your life.

And if that’s you… if you have that kind of weak faith… that faith that makes it hard to believe that God truly loves you and loves you like a Father… like Abba! Dad!

You can pray one of my favorite prayers in the whole Bible.

I believe help my unbelief (Mark 9:24).

God prove me wrong.

God show me your goodness… show me your kindness.

God show me that you are with me and that you go before me… and that you will never leave or abandon me.

And then walk by faith… take God at His Word

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

Everything your eyes can see might say God’s abandoned you… God’s forgotten you… you’re all alone.

You’re such a screw up… you’ll never be good enough.

How could God ever love you?

But Faith says for the Father Himself loves you and you have loved them even as you loved me (John 16:27, 17:23).

Beloved and adopted in the only beloved Son of God.

Let’s Pray