New Beginnings 9

Become a father

New beginning’s part 9

We are finishing a series on the book of Acts of the Apostle

During this series we are observing what happened right after Jesus Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. A new beginning for all who followed Jesus.

I believe our Heavenly father wants to impart a blessing to you today!

At the end of this message I would like to pray a blessing over you especially the fathers.

Let’s pray

Our Heavenly Father right from the beginning of creation designed us to be fathers and mothers.

As we learn about the apostle Paul we watched him go from a radical zealous Pharisee, persecutor of Christ, being saved on the road to Damascus to become the great apostle Paul a spiritual father who wrote half of the new testament, 13 or 14 books of the 27 in the new testament.

There are 3 men who Paul called sons, Timothy, Titus and Onesimus. We know that he was not the biological father of any of them

Timothy

Timothy was a teenager when he met Paul. His family lived in Lystra so he was a Galatian. His father was a Greek man; we know nothing of his faith.

But, Timothy’s mom and grandmother were faithful Jewish women who taught the Old Testament scriptures to this boy they loved so much (Acts 16:1; 2 Timothy 1:5).

Act 16:1 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.

Act 16:2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.

As the women heard Paul preach, they believed in Jesus, and so did Timothy.

Timothy helped Paul to establish churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea (Acts 16:1 – 17:14). When Paul left Berea to go to Athens he left Timothy and Silas behind, but later sent word for them to join him (Acts 17:13-15). Timothy was sent to Thessalonica to strengthen the faith of believers there (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2).

Timothy was a trustworthy friend who carried money collected by the Philippian church to care for Paul’s needs in Corinth.

During the 3 years Paul was in Ephesus teaching them about the amazing power of God, Timothy was there, too.

When Paul was imprisoned in Rome for two years, Timothy was right alongside him much of the time unselfishly taking care of Paul’s needs. By now, Timothy was a young man of about 30 who for at least 13 years had been learning how to teach about Jesus and serve God’s people well as he watched Paul do it. Paul thought of Timothy not only as a very faithful friend but also as his spiritual son.

Titus

During Paul’s first missionary journey, the young man Titus heard Paul preach about Jesus. Titus was Greek—he had not grown up worshiping the God of the Bible. As he listened to Paul, Titus’ heart responded to the message, and he believed in Jesus. Paul brought him to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-4) to show the apostles and other Jewish believers how a Greek non-Jew could love God just as much as they did.

Titus continued to travel with Paul on missionary journeys, helping in the work of sharing the gospel. During the 3 years Paul was in Ephesus teaching them about the power of God (third journey), Titus was there.

Then, Paul sent him to Corinth to alleviate tension there (2 Corinthians 7:6, 13-14) and to collect money for the poor (2 Corinthians 8:6, 16, 23). Paul thought of Titus not only as a very faithful friend but also as his spiritual son because he had led him to trust Christ.

After Paul was released from the Roman prison where he had been for two years, he and Titus traveled to the island of Crete.

Paul and Titus taught the people, called Cretans, about their need for God and the good news about Jesus (Titus 1:4-5). Soon there were enough believers to start churches in several towns.

Paul wanted to go visit the church in Corinth so he left Titus to continue teaching the new Christians and to appoint church leaders for each new church. Someone came to replace him in Crete so Titus met Paul in western Macedonia and continued his missionary work northward into what is now Albania (2 Timothy 4:10).

Paul wrote to Titus soon after writing 1st Timothy, probably while Paul was in Macedonia, on his way to Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). Paul hoped to join Titus again, but there is no way of knowing whether that meeting ever took place. Tradition has it that Titus later returned to Crete and there served out the rest of his life.

Onesimus

Paul writing to Philemon about Onesimus, a former slave, introduces him as his son. Onesimus became a Christian in prison with Paul.

I believe that God’s plan was not only for Paul, but it is for all of us, as we mature in Christ, we become father’s and mother’s.

God’s original designed was for our parents to bless us and to introduce us to our Loving Heavenly Father, that we may receive our blessings directly from him. Blessing God's favor and protection.

Not all of us had a good relationship with our biological fathers, growing up I had a very pour relationship with my dad, by the grace of God when he became 40 years old he gave his heart to the Lord and he became a different man, a very kind and loving dad,. God fully restored our relationship

Example

When I was around 17 years old I recommit my life to the Lord and one of the first things He began to work with me was on forgiveness.

I hated my dad, there were so many things I got hurt by him, and I tried to let it go but as soon as I would see him again, there was.

We need God’s help, forgiveness begins with Him.

Finally at the age of 23 I was listening to a message by Jack winter, and he said you can not forgive someone with one hand and in the other hand hold on to a list of expectations of how this person needs to change and what they should do. I never heard that before and how did he know I was doing just that?

As soon as I forgave and destroyed my list, my heart was free. Now I was free to pray for our reconciliation.

In the meantime, My Heavenly Father send 7 godly men who became like fathers to me, and my family, and I will always honor them, one is from our church, Don Tredway, Don and Dona have pour their love over us and continue to do so to our kids. If you are watching Happy Father’s Day!

Without a relationship with our Heavenly Father we struggle in areas of generosity, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Now is my opportunity to be a father to others, and they will become fathers.

Jesus, in Luke 15, shares a parable about a good father and his two sons.

Luk 15:11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons.

Luk 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood.

The son was very inconsiderate, to request his part while the father was alive, but father granted his desire.

Luk 15:13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

He left as soon as he could from the house, exposing his heart, away from the fathers rules and living a promiscuous life wasting his wealth.

Luk 15:14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

Luk 15:15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Luk 15:16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

Luk 15:17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Luk 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,

Luk 15:19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." '

Luk 15:20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

I like how Billy Graham use to tell the story, that the father would look every day down the road expecting his son to come back, and when day he finally saw him coming from a distance and he ran to him.

Luk 15:21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

Luk 15:22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

The Father had already forgiven him and he was ready to reconcile, he brought the son right back to his place of authority and honored him.

Luk 15:23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;

Luk 15:24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

Luk 15:25 "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Luk 15:26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

Luk 15:27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'

Luk 15:28 "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.

Luk 15:29 So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

Luk 15:30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'

One of the main reasons why prodigals don’t find their way back is because of older brothers stuck in shame demanding that bad people must be punished

Luk 15:31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.

This is the same way our Heavenly Father sees.

Luk 15:32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

Father’s are to bless their children and introduce them to our Heavenly Father.

Your Heavenly Father has call you to be a father, a spiritual father, the Holy Spirit will point them out to you, doesn’t need to be your biological children.

Be A father who is generous, forgiving, and ready to reconcile.

To start a new, we need to make Jesus the Lord of our lives

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Joh 3:16

To receive Jesus, we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, and ask Him to be your Lord and savior, not that you deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?

Heavenly Father I’m sinner,

I’m sorry for my sins,

I’m willing to turn away from my sins.

I receive Christ as my savior,

I confess him as Lord

from this moment on I want to follow and serve him,

in the fellowship of his church,

In Jesus name. Amen!

Blessing over Father’s

E mau aku ka loko maika’i o ka Haku, Iesu Kristo; me ke aloha a ke Akua, a me ka launa pu ‘ana mai o ka Uhane Hemolele ia ‘olua, a me makou apau. Amene.