You have a Father in Heaven
You have a Father in Heaven
Text Matt. 6:5-15
(Intro) Today is Father’s Day. A Father plays a very important roll in the home. Too many children are raised without a Father in our Country today. Today we will honor Father’s by looking to the Perfect Father. We, because of the first Adam our sinful. No matter how good or bad a Father is, they are no where near the Heavenly Father. What I want for Christians to hear today is that “You have a Father in Heaven.” What I want non-Christians to hear is you too can have a reconciled relationship with the Heavenly Father, because of Jesus. (Every person has a relationship with God the Father. Ether it is one of Reconciliation, or enmity) You don’t want enmity with Him believe me…If you don’t know Him repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone.
(Historical) Matthew’s account of the Gospel of Jesus was probably written around 64-70 A.D. The Gospel According to Matthew was composed before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A. D. (Not a single Christian perished when the Roman government destroyed Jerusalem.) Matthew was a Jewish tax collector for the Roman government, which was a despised profession. The Lord Jesus did not pick the cream of the crop. Praise the Lord, this is good news for me and you.
Before we read the text today we will briefly look at Luke 11:1 to try to understand what was going on.
Luke 11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
(It was a fearful thing to watch the Lord pray. It says when He finished, no one dare touch Him when He was on His knees cry out to the Father who He had, had sweet divine fellowship with since before the foundations of the world.)
Application: How many people have asked you or me to teach them to pray.
(Pray and read Text Matt. 6:5-15)
I. Jesus lays the foundation before He models for them how to pray (Verses 5-6)
a. Prayerlessness is a sin, and must be repented of. As believers, we are expected to Pray. Jesus said when you pray, not if.
b. We will bring our sin into our Prayers. (Do not be like the hypocrites praying to be seen)
Example with Granny
c. No one should pray in Public who does not pray in private. (Verse 6)
(Our public life should just be a reflection of our private one) This is not always the case.
Question: How is your prayer life?
Believers have been giving such a wonderful blessing of praying to the Father. Why do we neglect such a great gift. Prayer is secret fellowship with God, although public prayer is certainly authorized in the Bible. However, nobody should pray in public who does not pray in private; for that would be hypocrisy.
Remember: Prayerlessness is a sin, but we are so bad that even when we pray we sin.
II. Your Father Knows what you need (Verses 7-8)
a. We are heard because of Christ not our many words. (Verse 7) Do not heap up empty phrases.
b. Your Father Knows what you need before you ask. (Verse 8)
Jesus tells the disciples in verses 19-24 not to store treasures on earth.
He also tells them not to be anxious Verses 25-34 (Read)
Question: But if God knows the things we need before we pray, what advantage is there in praying?
“The very design of prayer furnishes an easy answer. Believers do not pray, with the view of informing God about things unknown to him, or of exciting him to do his duty, or of urging him as though he were reluctant. On the contrary, they pray, in order that they may arouse themselves to seek him, that they may exercise their faith in meditating on his promises, that they may relieve themselves from their anxieties by pouring them into his bosom; in a word, that they may declare that from Him alone they hope and expect, both for themselves and for others, all good things. God himself, on the other hand, has purposed freely, and without being asked, to bestow blessings upon us; but he promises that he will grant them to our prayers. We must, therefore, maintain both of these truths, that He freely anticipates our wishes, and yet that we obtain by prayer what we ask.” (John Calvin)
We will deal with the fact latter that sometimes He delays in answering our prayers or does not grant our wishes.
Remember: Your Father Knows what you need, and He alone is good.
III. Jesus says pray like this (Verse 9-14)
a. This is a public prayer. Our Father, Give us, our daily bread, forgive us, lead us not into temptation, deliver us.
Question: When we pray the Lords prayer, are you consciously thinking about that you are praying for your brothers and sisters.
b. Father: God is a common Father to all mankind in creation. Malachi 2:10 “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?”
But to the saints He is in a special manner Father through adoption that is found in Christ Jesus
Ephesians 1:5 “He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”
Galatians 4:6 “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
- Jesus prays that the Father’s name would be hallowed.
(Do you pray that God’s name would be glorified in all the earth, Jesus did.)
Hallowed means- reverenced
In John Piper’s book Let the Nations be glad he states in the first line, “Mission is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. (Paul Washer question to missionaries)
Question: Are you consciously living and praying that the Lords name will be hallowed?
1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Live in such a way that His name will be great among all the nations. Live for his name not yours.
George Whitfield often said “Let the name of George Whitfield perish as long as Christ is exalted.”
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
2. Jesus Prayed for the Father’s kingdom and Will
We are invited to be apart in an eternal story. Our kingdom will pass away.
Jesus says in Matthew 6:19-24
You have a Father in Heaven. Trust Him, built His Kingdom. You are the happiest when you are with Him. Everything on this Earth will pass away, but not Him.
Jesus in the Garden (never the less your will be done.)
Application: When you pray and nothing happens, that is an answer. The Father knows best.
Matt. 6:11 Gives us this day our daily bread.
3. Jesus prayed for daily bread.
Question: What was this bread?
In John 4 Jesus tells the disciples that His food is to do the will of him who sent Him, and to accomplish His work.”
We also learn in John 6 that Jesus is the Bread of Life, we are to feast on Him and his word.
Question: What are you eating? Are you feasting upon the Word of God, and are you doing His Will?
I want encourage you to read through your Bible once a year.
Matthew 6:12 “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
& 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
4. Jesus was Sinless
Jesus did not have any sins that needed forgiving, he was sinless.
It is not that we are forgiving by forgiving others, thank the Lord. But that we forgive, as we remember how we have been forgiving. (The parable of the unforgiving servant)
5. Jesus prayed for deliverance from evil. (read Verse 13)
In praying this we are saying that we are conscious Of our own weakness, and desire to enjoy the protection of God, that we may remain unaffected by all the assaults of Satan.
You have a Father in Heaven that is able and will protect you. All of those who come to Jesus He will raise up on the last day. We will persevere to the end.
Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Beloved Saint on this day when we honor Fathers know this “You have a Father in Heaven, and He is perfect.”
Turn with me to Matt. 7:7-11
IV Because of Jesus ask.. seek. knock (Verse 7-8)
You have a Father so Ask… Seek….. Knock….
Beloved you have not because you ask not…
V. Because of Jesus the Father hears every prayer.
Question: If that is true why sometimes do I ask and nothing happens?
Or Why does He take so long to answer my Prayers…. Expound (Sickness, things People)
Garth Brooks song (Unanswered Prayers)
The answer is in these last verses (Verses 9-11)
Verse 11 How much more will the Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him.
Conclusion
As Christians we believe that God is the Father of all creation. But that He has a special relationship to Saints of God. That are those whom the Son have reconciled to the Father. If you are not a Christian I have good-news for you. Jesus died for sinners, you are a sinner. Turn from your selfish life, and trust in Jesus Christ alone for you r salvation. If you want to talk to anyone about this, you can talk to me or any one of the elders or deacons. In fact, there are many people here who would be happy to talk to you about this. If you are a Christian you have a Father in Heaven who gives good things to those who ask Him, because of Jesus Christ, Rejoice…