We Need Spiritual Fathers and Mothers

Pastor Keith Hassell

I.       Have you ever felt like a spiritual orphan? (No father or mother)

A.      Naturally people can feel like orphans because they never knew their fathers or were abandoned, neglected, or abused by their fathers

B.      Spiritually people can feel like orphans because they never had those who they could call their spiritual parents---a spiritual father or spiritual mother---to help them grow up

C.      “Too often today a Christian is encouraged to participate in church services, Bible studies, para-church organizations or evangelistic ministry in order to bolster his faith and “grow strong in the Lord.”  The theory is that the more teaching from God’s Word and interaction with believers, the more spiritually mature he will become.  As important as these involvements may be, such a faulty supposition leads to inhaling message after message, book after book, tape after tape, seminar after seminar in order to fill a void for real relationship.  A believer becomes fat spiritually and fails to interpret what he is learning so he can pass it on to others.  He does not know how to meaningfully and sacrificially impart his life to others because he has never been properly fathered.  Without a role model, he remains a spiritual infant, needing to be spoon fed by his pastor or other Christian worker.” (Larry Kreider, The Cry for Spiritual Fathers and Mothers)

D.      1 Corinthians 4:15  “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”

E.      Sons and daughters are “house builders.”  The Hebrew word for “son” and “daughter” means “builder of the house.”  We long to be connected to a spiritual “house” that we are a part of building.

II.      Growing up in an orphanage

          A.      Institutional (organizational church)    

B.      Impersonal (lost in the crowd)

          C.      Teachers (no personal mentor)

          D.      Maintenance (no impartation of destiny)

          E.      Employee mindset (hireling vs. relationship)

F.      Transitional (No relational stability:  people always coming and going)

III.    We need “anchoring”

A.      Ephesians 4:11-16  God has given spiritual leadership so that we would no longer children

B.      There is a trend happening in America.  People are scared---school yard violence, technological advances leading to a lack of privacy, pornography at the click of a computer mouse, senseless crime, terrorism, drugs, divorce, abuse, etc.

C.      People are looking for direction and spiritual answers.

D.      People are looking for real relationships where they can feel connected and safe.

E.      We need to return to “family” and “covenant”

F.      Proverbs 18:24   “A man who has friends must himself be friendly,

                   But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

IV.     We need spiritual fathers and mothers

A.      Covenant relationship (loving commitment)

B.      Mentoring (imparting a person’s life into another)

C.      Destiny (purpose and vision)

D.      Encouragement (water and till the seed of destiny in our lives)

E.      Provision (supply for life and maturity)

F.      Training (for work and service)

G.      Protection (setting boundaries, watching, fighting off adversaries)  Our children don’t need us to be their best friend.  They need us to be their parent.

H.      Accountability (Making us responsible for our actions)

I.       Correction (to address error and character flaws)

J.       Discipline (implement consequences for our training)

K.      Blessing (spiritual empowerment)

L.      Inheritance (Heir in the Father’s house)

V.      Getting plugged into the family

          A.      Get anchored in a local church

          B.      Embrace the purpose and vision of the house

C.      Submit your heart to be mentored by legitimate fathers and mothers in the house

D.      Embrace with joy the boundaries, correction and discipline within the house

          E.      Become a son or daughter in the house by serving in the house

F.      Rejoice in the  blessing and inheritance of your heavenly Father