Fathers Day Sermon
Who’s Your Daddy?
Rom 8:12-17
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation–but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co‑heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
According to one expert children go through 4 stages of dealing with their fathers. In stage one, they call you da-da. In stage 2 they grow and call you daddy. As they mature and reach stage 3 they call you dad. Finally in stage 4 they call you collect....
So the title of my sermon is who’s your daddy? Or “Who do you call your dad?” you could say. You have your earthly dad. Some to which you are proud to call them your dad. Some not. Some kids do not even know who their father is. Even their own moms are even not for sure.
Whether you have a good relationship or not with your earthly father is not the point today, because you can always have a great relationship with my Heavenly Father. And that is what I want to spend a little time this morning to look at Him and the example He sits for us earthly fathers as well.
God is our Heavenly Father. What an example He gives! When you think about fathers, maybe yours was not much of an example. But you have to remember that God is not like a father; He is the Father! If you want to know what a true father looks like, don’t look at your earthly father, or my earthly father, or anyone other earthly father, no matter how good or bad they might appear. So what are some of His characteristics that He left for us to follow?
1. Great Fathers love unconditionally.
No matter what you do, or no matter how many times that you do it. Nothing can take His love away from you. Whether you are here this morning and a child of God or if you are sinner bound for hell, He loves you and nothing can change that. Now like earthly fathers, we can lose fellowship with Him, but His love always remains. And that is the way we should be with our kids as well. They need to know that our love for them is unconditional.
2. Great Fathers put their children first.
To often in recent times, fathers get their priorities messed up. They want to be dads when it is convenient for them. They have their own hobbies and their own needs. But I always tell new parents, you no longer have a life. Your life now revolves around your child, and will do so for quite a while. That was the way that Jesus was. He was always putting the needs of others before His own.
3. Great Fathers look out for their children’s future.
We plan and save for their education. We try to lead and guide them in making the right decisions. And while we should be concerned with those things, we should be more concerned with their eternal future.
Our time here on this earth is short. We should make sure that we are sitting the right example in front of them. We should not just take them to church and expect the church to show them how to have a relationship with God, we should live that relationship in front of them. Jesus desire was for everyone to be able to call Him, Father. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
He is concerned about our future. His desire is for all to have a personal relationship with Him. Those are just a few of the examples that He gives us, now lets just look at a few things…When Jesus was teaching us to pray; He starts out with the words, “Our Father in heaven”. These are some of the most well known words in the bible. Most can quote at least the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer. And what a privilege to be able to address our mighty maker in this way. “Our Father”. Isaiah 63:16 You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.
What type of Father is He?
1. He is a willing Father.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[fn6] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. He willingly gave His only Son for us. Now I have two sons and I love you all but if someone said it is either the life of your so or the life of someone else. I would have to say goodbye. I could not do that. I can remember when my oldest son, Tre’, was diagnosed with spinal meningitis as a baby… God has a son too… God was will to let His only Son go through the pain and the torture and eventually die for you and I. Then can you imagine how hard it would be for God to hear His Son pray, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me”. I could not have stood it. I would have said for get them, come home to dad.
2. He is a wailing Father
Jesus desire is for ALL to have a relationship with Him. You read about His sadness over His rejection in Jerusalem. Matthew 23:27 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. It breaks His heart every time we sins. I wish that I could hear the pounding of the nails in His hands and feet as a reminder to me of my sins and your sins are what hung Him on the cross. He longs to be with you, to lead you and yet we are like Jerusalem and it breaks His heart.
3. He is a waiting Father
Jesus tells us of the parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15. A man had two sons and the younger of them says, give me my inheritance now. So the father did so and then the son went and blew it all living a sinful life. He ended up in the pig pin feeding the pigs and he thought about how good it was at dads. He decides that he would be better off going back home to be one of his dad’s servants then to starve to death there in the pig pin. So he gets up and heads home. Now it does not say this in the Bible, but I can imagine that father walking out in the fields in the direction that he last saw his son go; Daily looking, longing, hoping for his sons return. Then we pick up the story in verse 20-24
When the son returns, even when he is still far off, the father runs to him, embraces him, welcomes and restores him home. It reminds me of that song, “He ran to me”, speaking of Jesus running to us to restore our relationship with Him. If you will just take that one step toward God today; He will run to you with wide-open arms and welcome you into that relationship with Him. Like the prodigal son, it makes no difference of your past or what kind of mess that you have made in your life with your own pig pins. He takes you just as you are.