Father Heart Week 10: Spiritual Fathers

First half of the class 7-8:30

Greeting

Prayer

Testimonies:

Day to Day ministry, listening to God, bearing fruit.

New Year's eve testimony!

And the next year!

Reference the Tithe blessing!

Ned, Mark and Adam.

Update of

Review the last few weeks

The four loves: Has anyone got mired in stage 3?

Community: Can anyone demonstrate an example of a time that

Approval

Crucifying our inner Pharisee

Inheritance

Holy Spirit Sneak attack

Sign up sheet for visiting Greensboro the last week of January, Sunday the 27th

Second Half of the class

Spiritual fathers

1 Corinthians 1 NASB95

Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 4:15 NASB95

For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

1 Corinthians 4:10–17 NASB95

We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

Spiritual Fathering is not about Identity, it is about discipline and maturity.

New Year's eve testimony!

And the next year!

Reference the Tithe blessing!

Ned, Mark and Adam.

A Season of Growth

​New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 326 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Chapter 4 Sonship in Christ 1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the belemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

Galatians 3:27–4:7 NASB95

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

We learn how to enter this inheritance by having Spiritual Fathers who are both an example and a guide. We get to watch another and imitate them, and we have enough intimacy and vulnerability that they can speak into our lives and encourage us to make adjustments. Then we grow.

Paul was clear, JESUS is the one who informs our identity, and the Holy Spirit is the evidence of our Sonship.

​New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 326 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Chapter 4 Sonship in Christ 1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the belemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

By faith in Jesus we have become sons of God.

It's specifically NOT a gender role, but a position in God's household.

Son of God supplants all other defining features of our being.

This is immediately true the moment we turn our hearts to Jesus and believe.

But we don't enter into the fullness of that instantly. We start out like heirs who are not yet of age.

We need caregivers and overseers who can guide us and help us use our resources in a responsible way.

If we allow ourselves to remain immature, we don't step into our inheritance.

So we want to grow.

God does not look for perfection, just direction. We won't do everything right, but are we HEADING in the right direction? Are we growing more free, more loving, more like Jesus?

If not, what is God inviting us to change? What is holding us back in our growth where we need to receive more freedom?

And where are we being fruitful that could use more attention? How do we produce the fruit of our Sonship, which actually becomes part of our own inheritance?

Jesus said we abide in Him. Amazingly, that is the answer to BOTH sides of this discussion. We need the Holy Spirit to fill us, and transform us, and grow us up in Love.

All the resources of Heaven are available to the Sons of Heaven. And actually the Holy Spirit Himself, the Spirit of God IS the resource of Heaven. God Himself, Immanuel, God with us.

Let's give Him room to fill us tonight. If you need God to direct some change, to untangle some things that are tripping you up, come to the front and submit your mess to God. If you need to be filled with Him in all the GOOD areas that are being fruitful, God wants to touch you in those areas as well.And if you just want to come and adore the Son, and be filled again with the Spirit of the Son, come get some.