The Power of the Father Heart

Intro:

First, to all of you fathers here today; happy Father’s Day! I trust you know what an honor and privilege it is to be a father, to have a son or daughter-or both or several- or adopted who will share you genes and who would carry on your legacy.

It’s a tremendous gift and worth it, and awesome responsibility. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that, beyond all the things men seek to accomplish in life, being a good father is, by far, the greatest opportunity… And the greatest challenge.

Spending time with my family made me think. You know, everyone has a dad. And while many of us have had a great dad, not everyone has had a great dad. And yet, even though not everyone has had a great dad everyone does have a “Perfect” dad. By that, of course, I mean a perfect Heavenly Father.

Our heavenly father shows me to be the best dad that I can be, and really, shows all of us how to be the best person, parent, spouse, son, daughter, and friend that we can be.

Luke 15 LEB

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to hear him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!” So he told them this parable, saying, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the grassland and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he returns to his home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. Or what woman who has ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma that I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” And he said, “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that is coming to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. And after not many days, the younger son gathered everything and went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth by living wastefully. And after he had spent everything, there was a severe famine throughout that country, and he began to be in need. And he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to tend pigs. And he was longing to fill his stomach with the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have an abundance ⌊of food⌋, and I am dying here from hunger! I will set out and go to my father and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and ⌊in your sight⌋! I am no longer worthy to be called your son! Make me like one of your hired workers.’ And he set out and came to his own father. But while he was still a long way away, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran ⌊and embraced him⌋ and kissed him. And his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and ⌊in your sight⌋! I am no longer worthy to be called your son!’ But his father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! And bring the fattened calf—kill it and let us eat and celebrate, because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the slaves and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has gotten him back healthy.’ But he became angry and did not want to go in. So his father came out and began to implore him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Behold, so many years I have served you, and have never disobeyed your command! And you never gave me a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! But when this son of yours returned—who has consumed your assets with prostitutes—you killed the fattened calf for him!’ But he said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and ⌊everything I have belongs to you⌋. But it was necessary to celebrate and to rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead, and is alive, and was lost, and is found!’ ”

Luke 15 Contains what the Bible calls the Parable of the lost son, or what we often refer to as the prodigal son. Yet I agree with many scholars who feel this parable should really be called the Parable of the fathers heart, because it speaks about the heart of father which is the heart of our Heavenly Father.

This is one of the most touching and moving scriptures in all of the Bible to me. Notice how the scripture shows us 3 traits of the Father’s heart as told by his Son Jesus