God As Our Father

Introduction:

1. Today is Father’s Day, and we thank God for our fathers, and we especially thank Him for good ones.
2. A father’s value can hardly be overstated, as lives show it daily by dysfunctional habits and thinking.
3. An honest assessment of the social protests and violence today will show a lack of fathers in the home.
4. Even if your father has departed this life, you can thank Almighty God for the one He chose for you.
5. If your father is yet alive, then you can and should honor and thank him for all the good things he did.
6. If this man God chose to be your father taught you God’s truth and wisdom, you owe him much honor.
7. Fathers, are you the nail for your family tree like Eliakim or like Shebna, measured by spiritual value.
8. But we want to raise our consciousness of fathers to a higher level and praise God for being our Father.
9. He chose the relationship of Father to son as a way of describing and conveying His affection for us.
10. He also chose husband, master, and other relationships to convey benefits and duty, but today is Father.
11. His choice to adopt, and not merely justify and reconcile, is a fabulous facet of salvation (I Jn 3:1-3).
12. To consider the infinite LORD God Jehovah loving us as a perfect Father is hard to grasp and believe.
13. Enhance your consideration more by seeing your sonship close to Jesus’ sonship to God (Rom 8:17).
14. God is the Father of Jesus Christ, but we will use instead the verses for God as our Father (John 20:17).
15. Jesus must reveal the Father to us as part of the works of regeneration and revelation (Matt 11:25-27).
16. Without the Person and work of our Lord, we would not be sons; He is the Yea and Amen of sonship.
17. This is not an exhaustive study, but rather a short and simple sampling of concepts for praise and duty.
18. Our church’s 40^th anniversary came, and we know God our Father has greatly loved and favored us.
19. It is your privilege to imagine a perfect father and exalt the true God Jehovah above that as your Father.
20. It is your privilege to seek and learn the character and conduct God desires and be delightful children.

GOD TOWARD US

1. Adoptive Choice … electing grace by His own will caused the relationship (Eph 1:3-6).
2. Saving Purpose … conformed and glorified like His Son (Rom 8:28-33; Col 1:12-14).
3. Sacrificed Others … to show us His glorious, sovereign adoptive choice (Isaiah 43:1-7).
4. Superior Father … more faithful than natural or spiritual fathers (Isaiah 63:16; Ps 27:10).
5. Superior Helper … how He exceeds any earthly father’s loving response (Matt 7:9-11).
6. Merciful Pity … His kind, gentle choice to be an understanding Father (Ps 103:13-14).
7. Furious Revenge … by Him against any hurting His children (Ex 4:22-23; Rev 6:9-11).
8. Secret Observer … He knows and rewards your private worship (Matt 6:3-4,6,17-18).
9. Faithful Provider … considers you much better than the birds (Matthew 6:26; 10:29-31).
10. Certain Security … nothing can alter His purpose to save (Jn 10:28-30; Rom 8:38-39).
11. Responsive Love … love and obedience will get greater intimacy (Jn 14:21,23; Jas 4:8).
12. Loving Chastening … faithful punishment to profit (Heb 12:5-11; Pr 3:11-12; Deut 8:5).
13. Unchanging Giver … He has no variableness or even shadow of turning (James 1:17).
14. Many Mansions … where Jesus has gone to prepare us rooms in His house (Jn 14:1-3).
15. Constant Comfort … the Holy Ghost is God with us and in us (John 14:16,26; 15:26).
16. Divine Knowledge … knowing God the Father depends on Jesus (Matthew 11:25-27).
17. Divine Affection … loving God the Father requires the Spirit (Romans 8:15; Gal 4:6).
18. Regarding Care … of persons unable to protect themselves (Matt 18:10,14; Ps 68:4-5).
19. Honor Rewarded … the Father loves those who love His Son (John 16:26-28; Eph 6:24).
20. Personal Unity … Jesus prayed that the Father, He, and we would be one (Jn 17:20-24).

US TOWARD GOD

1. Fatherly Duties … serving God for His choice of us (Deut 32:5-6; Isaiah 1:2; Mal 1:6).
2. Fatherly Honor … we have only one Father religiously before God (Mat 23:9; Phil 4:20).
3. Dedicated Loyalty … for love of the world excludes love of the Father (I John 2:15-17).
4. Sojourning Fear … the Father of prayer is also the Judge without favorites (I Pet 1:17).
5. Divinely Merciful … His rule by example and for more mercy (Lu 6:36; Mic 6:8; 7:18).
6. Forgiveness Rule … He will forgive us as we forgive others (Matt 6:14-15; 18:34-35).
7. Loving Responses … even to enemies to be perfect sons of our Father (Matt 5:45,48).
8. Fruitful Glorifying … disciples that bear fruit glorify God by actions (Jn 15:8; Mat 5:16).
9. Dying Wisdom … to give your spirit into your Father’s hands (Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59).
10. Family Affection … involves how we treat divine siblings (Malachi 2:10; I John 5:1-2).
11. Confident Meeting … only way to meet God is holy by love (I Thes 3:11-13; I Pet 1:22).
12. Separation Honored … perfect holiness for promises (II Cor 6:14-18; 7:1; Deut 14:1-2).
13. Prayer Confidence … He already knows what we have need of as Father (Matt 6:8-9).
14. Family Character … is our compliance with our Father like Jesus had (Matt 12:49-50).
15. True Worship … God seeks is both spiritual and by the truth of His word (Jn 4:20-24).
16. Son Recognition … knowing Jesus is God’s Son to honor Him as Son (Jn 8:19,38-47).
17. Pure Religion … though simple in character is enough for God the Father (James 1:27).
18. Reverent Response … rejoice after chastening to do the Father’s will (Heb 12:9,12-13).
19. Family Name … sons and daughters of the LORD Jehovah (Ep 3:14-15; 4:4-6; Re 14:1).
20. Sonship Doctrine … marks the children truly in the Father and the Son (I John 2:20-26).

Sample of other texts not used above: Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 3:19; Matt 10:32-33; 13:43; Luke 12:32; John 6:44-46; 14:8; Ephesians 5:1,20; II Thessalonians 2:16-17; Rev 3:21.