Duplo: God the Father
Duplo: Growing with Basics • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro:
Intro:
Good morning!
Last week, we started the first part of our Lego series titled Duplo: Growing with Basics. This year we’re using Legos as a theme to help us GROW in Christ.
As you know, Duplos are the beginning stage of Legos. And for us, we t
As you know, Duplos are the beginning stage of Legos. Kids grow in their Lego skills by playing with these basic blocks. And for us, we too are starting with basics to grow. And since we believe Growth starts with God, the Duplo series will be focused on the Trinity. And so from now until Easter, we will take a look at each Person of the Trinity.
And when I say Trinity, I’m talking about the God of the Bible, who is 3 distinct Persons, but yet one God. That’s kind of difficult to understand. It requires faith. It requires God’s help to understand who He is.
Also, as we begin to study each Person of the Trinity, I want to be clear that the Trinity is not 3 separate but equal Gods. Nor is it one God, who has 3 modes or manifestation. Both of the things would be heresy. But both are also theories people have come up with because they tried fully explain something that is infinitely complex.
So, to keep from falling into the same trap as we study the Trinity, let’s consider two things:
Difficulties of Trinity. Not wanting for you to think that there are 3 equal gods, nor 1 god in three modes or manifestations. That’s heresy. But many fall into that trap because we get fixed on arriving at full comprehension based on our abilities. But that’s not the standard. God is the standard and He is higher than we are. And that being said, we need to consider two things:
We need to be humble. God is God. We are not. We don’t have the ability to fully understand God (or the Trinity) because He is infinite and we are finite. Let me share a quick video to help us visually think about this… [Show Bible Project Video]
God DOES want us to know Him. That’s why He revealed Himself to us in Scripture. And since that’s the place God chose to reveal Himself, it needs to be the source and standard of that revelation, not our own understanding.
With that said… if you have your Bible/app, open up to .
The first person of the Trinity is God the Father. And “father” is used intentionally because it rightfully describes who He is with language that we understand.
Vanessa, “They drive right up on you.” My mom visiting NY - They are always honking. That’s what Janelle and I experienced.
Sometimes we impose our beliefs onto something incorrectly. “Father.” Some of us had good Fathers, some bad. We all had imperfect Fathers. None that can fully compare to God. Anything good and biblical can be connected. Bad - cannot! God can only do good.
New England culture is different than California culture: Honking.
Eastern culture is different than Western culture: Don’t invade my personal space.
Heaven’s culture is different than Earth’s culture: The Father is different than our earthly fathers - no matter how good they are. Any bad cannot be applied to the Heavenly Father. Seek first the Kingdom… Your word is truth.
Exegesis:
Exegesis:
In , the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. So, Jesus gives them what is known as the Lord’s prayer:
And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
But then Jesus adds a parable and poem to the end of it. He does this is not so much to give them further instructions on how to pray, but so they could better understand who they were praying too… Their Heavenly Father.
At that’s who we are focusing this morning. The first person of the Trinity is God the Father. And “father” is used intentionally because it rightfully describes who He, and… it’s also a term we understand from our personal experience.
And in these next verses, Jesus teaches us important things about the Father...
And in these verse, we too can learn about the first person of Trinity: God the Father.
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
If you’re following along on the notes, point number one is...
1. God is a perfect Father (vv. 5-8).
1. God is a perfect Father (vv. 5-8).
In the parable we just read, how many could relate to the “sleeping neighbor”? When we read the neighbor crying out...
and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’?
You were like, “I totally get that! How rude to wake up a sleeping family at midnight! Especially with sleeping kids! Especially when it’s their own fault for not being prepared---- Not my friend, not my problem!” Most of us would reply the same way!
I remember one of the first trips Janelle and I took to Connecticut. We hadn’t moved here yet, but we’d fly out here to pray for Glastonbury. On one trip, we also visited my cousin who lived in Worcester at the time.
Upon picking her up, she said, “Watch the drivers here. They love to drive right up on you (close).” She from San Diego too. Maybe you’re thinking, “What’s wrong with that?” Maybe nothing up here, but that’s not how we drive in Southern California... unless we are super mad at the other driver.
Before moving to Connecticut, I remember my mom visiting my cousin in New York. During her time, she posted on Facebook, “Oh my gosh, everyone in New York always honks their horn!!!”
...Janelle and I noticed this happens in Connecticut a lot too. It’s weird to us!
Some of you are thinking, “What’s wrong with honking your horn?”
It’s weird to us because you don’t use your horn in California unless you’re ready to fight. So, when the little old lady on Glastonbury Blvd honks her horn at me because the light’s been green for 1.75 secs, I think she’s ready to get down. But she sees it as something else… she’s trying to let me know the light is green; just in case I didn’t notice!
The environment you grow up in (or culture) - even where you learned to drive - makes a big difference on how you interpret the world...
In Jesus’ story… there are super important cultural things going on. It makes a big difference on how we interpret what’s going on. Let’s read verses 7 & 8 again...
and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
Look at this word “impudence.” We can actually replace this word with “shamelessness” or “someone who doesn’t care if they act shamefully.” Furthermore, the context and language allows us to insert “sense of shamelessness.” Why does this matter?
Because back when Jesus said...
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’?
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves,
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
The answer in our Western culture might be, “All of us!” It might be common for us to answer that way! But Jesus isn’t telling this story in a Western culture. He’s telling it in a first-century Middle-Eastern culture.
And without spending too much time on it, I can tell you… No one would’ve responded that way to their neighbor! It would be shameful! Because of Middle-Eastern views on hospitality, to turn away a guest would bring shame... not only on the sleeper, but on the entire community!
So, when it says...
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
It’s actually saying, “Because the sleeper is an honorable person (who has a sense of shamelessness), he will do the right thing and help his neighbor out. More than that, he will not only give his friend 3 loaves of bread, but “whatever he needs.”
Bread was like the fork and spoons of this culture. It was not the meal. It was used to dip or scoop the food up. So, the neighbor is actually being very reasonable in his midnight request. He is asking for the bare minimum out of humility.
He likely needs much more than bread to give a proper meal to his late night visitor. And because the sleeper is an honorable friend, who values community hospitality, he will give his neighbor both the bread and anything else he needs!
What does this have to do with God the Father? Everything!
Remember, Jesus is telling this story because his disciples asked about prayer. And so, when Jesus says the friend will go above and beyond to meet his friends request, Jesus is actually teaching about the Father.
When we come to the Father for help, He will take care of us. Why? Because He is a perfect Father who cares and always does the right thing.
Now, though God’s word uses the term Father - which should be helpful for understanding the first Person of the Trinity - it doesn’t always work out that way...
In 2017, a survey showed that in the US, 1 out of 4 children live in a home without a father. Some call us the “fatherless generation.” Add to that fathers who are at home, but are not good fathers. And even in homes with loving fathers, no home has a perfect father. Add all that together and viewing “God as our Father” can be challenging because the picture of our “father” is not always good.
And what happens is our interaction with God the Father is broken because we base it on our experiences with earthly fathers.
For example, I grew up in a home without a father. I had to deal with things, or figure things out, about how to be a man, on my own. I had no one to call out to… And I’ve noticed that many times in my Christian walk, I’ve struggled to go to God as my Father, because my personal experience with my father was broken
...But God aint’ like that...
Just to interject… if any family members are listening. My dad is no longer like that. We have reconciled and he is a good dad now. And he is an unbelievable grandfather...
But in the same we that we can’t let our Western understanding interpret this Eastern parable, we can’t let our earthly understanding interpret our Heavenly Father. As we get to know the first Person of the Trinity, the word “father” is meant to be helpful in understanding Him. And, if it’s not, because of negative earthly experiences, just remember: God ain’t like that!
He cares.
God is perfect. He has no negative attributes. He is good. He is the Father you always wanted. He is the Father you always needed. He will never abandon you. He will never abuse you. He is a perfect Father. You can trust Him. You can run into His arms.
Point number 2...
2. God is a providing Father (vv. 9-10).
2. God is a providing Father (vv. 9-10).
Because He is a perfect Father, He is a providing Father.
We read it earlier… like the duty of a hospitable neighbor to provide for his friend, God also will provide what we need. That’s what Jesus is teaching His disciples about the God they’re praying to. When you ask, your Heavenly Father will provide. It’s what He does. It’s who He is. It is the obligation He has placed upon Himself as Father.
Therefore, He says...
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Because God is a providing Father, we can (and should) come to Him for everything. And maybe this sounds a little basic or redundant, but I think it’s important. I think it’s important to know that about God and I think it’s important to our spiritual growth process.
Because God is a providing Father, we can (and should) come to Him for everything. And maybe this sounds a little basic or redundant, but I think it’s important. I think it’s important to know about God and I think it’s important to our spiritual growth process.
Because something I believe all of us struggle with is worry. Somebody say “amen” if you deal with worry and anxiety. And worry is very closely connected to provision. I worry when I wonder...
Will I have enough money?
Will I have enough strength?
Will I have enough courage?
Will I have enough safety? And so forth...
And our natural response to worry is to :
Be paralyzed with fear.
Try to take matters into our own hands.
But that’s not the way God designed it. God wants us to depend on him like a child goes to a father. That’s why the Bible says...
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Or...
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
God is a providing Father. That’s how He wants to be known. That’s why Jesus said...
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Luke 12:
And goes on to says...
And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Luke 12:
Part of Growing in Christ involves knowing who God the Father is… and knowing that He is our provider. And that may not be easy at first. It may require faith.
You might have to step out and trust God. To give God the opportunity to show you how faithful s. To be willing to ...
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Luke 11:
God will show up. Paul was so confident of this that he told the Philippians...
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
And before we move on, can I just tell you how good my God is? He is not just a providing Father, He is an abundantly providing Father. Like the neighbor who will give 3 loaves of bread and… “whatever else he needs...” don’t be surprised when you find God providing over and above what you need. That’s just who He is...
Pauls says...
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
I think the spiritual principle found in this verse is applicable to God’s provision! God gives with the spirit of Christmas every day! Why?
That’s why we can give… God will take care o us.
Everyone can pray… why? Point number 3...
Well, Point number 3...
3. God is a loving Father (vv. 11-13).
3. God is a loving Father (vv. 11-13).
Because He is a perfect Father, He is a loving Father.
I love my family. I love my wife. I love my boys. As the father of the family, I believe it’s my God-given duty to provide for them. But, my love doesn’t just restrict my provision to needs… my love causes me to go over and above...
Jesus finishes us this section by saying...
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke
God is a good Father. Some of us understand this. We had good fathers. Maybe you’re a good Father. You can relate. If your child asks for bread, you wouldn’t give him a rock. If he asked for a fish, you wouldn’t give him a snake. Or if he asked for an egg, you wouldn’t give him a scorpion. That would be wrong. It would be evil. You’d be a bad and cruel father.
He gives the Holy Spirit.
The best gift you can get. You see, we are going to learn about the Holy Spirit (the 3rd person of the Trinity) more in a few weeks, but the Holy Spirit is the active agent at work here on Earth. He is the one applying God’s work and plans to the world. He is the power activating God’s people. And when God gives you the Holy Spirit, He is giving you perfection. Because the Holy Spirit is God. And God is perfect.
For example, some of us are praying for things in our life and hearing no answers. Seeing nothing change. And we’re getting frustrated because we need God to provide for us. But sometimes the perceived inactivity is God giving you His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is redirecting you. Or the Holy Spirit is growing you. Or the Holy Spirit is keeping harmful things in your life (things that you think are good but will actually destroy you).
In the book of numbers, there’s a story of a prophet named Balaam. Now, whether he was truly God’s prophet or not is a discussion for another day. But one time, he was riding his donkey and the angel of the Lord (who Balaam couldn’t see) was about to slice him with a sword! But the donkey could see him and was like, “I aint about to get fruit ninja’d”
So, the donkey keeps trying to move out of the way of the angel and Balaam is ticked because it’s not the way he wanted to go. So he begins to beat the donkey. And then God supernaturally opens the donkey’s mouth and the donkey says, “Why are you beating me? Haven’t I been a good donkey to you all my life?”
Then, God opens Balaam’s eyes to see the angel of the Lord and he see the donkey was actually protecting Him from death. Sometimes, we are like Balaam. We’re praying. Asking God for things. And the Holy Spirit is working in our lives for our good… for God’s best! And He’s keeping us away from things that’ll destroy us but we keep and scream because we lack understanding, or wont trust our Heavenly Father. But when we do, and surrender control, we get the Holy Spirit. We get perfection from our loving Father.
Maybe for some us that, that started with not really trusting our earthly father. Maybe He didn’t give us things that were good for us. Maybe our earthly father never showed us love. And so it’s hard to trust our Heavenly Father. Remember, God’s not like that. He is our perfect Father who loves us and will always give us the best.
And before we close, I want to make one more point. Look back at verse 10. As Jesus is teaching about prayer, He says...
For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Everyone. Everyone who asks. It’s very likely that when Jesus said this, there were Pharisees around. Religious people who liked to wrongfully exclude people from God. They made sinners feel like God didn’t love them. But Jesus clarifies… “Everyone can come to the Father.”
Now, I’m not saying that everyone gets into heaven. That everyone - no matter their beliefs - has a right relationship with the Father. What I am saying is the Heavenly Father loves everyone and will respond to those who cry out to Him. But he’s not answering prayers for the right lottery numbers. He’s answering prayers by giving His Holy Spirit - His best.
And if you are listening to this and don’t have a relationship with your Heavenly Father, let me assure you… you can call out to Him in prayer. He loves you. But He’s also going to give you what you need - what’s best for you, first - and that’s His Holy Spirit. And He’s most concerned about fixing the broken relationship between you and Him. Because answering other things when your eternal destiny hangs in the balance is like putting a bandaid on a papercut when you have serious internal bleeding.
And so the first thing He’s going to do is convict you of sin. That the life your living apart from Him is not right. That’s one of the Holy Spirit’s job. To tell us we need a Savior. That’s not God being mean. That’s God giving you what you need. And because God loved you, He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for your sin… to take care of the thing that broke the relationship. And if you will turn away from your sin and put your faith in Jesus, He will forgive you of your sin, give you new life, and His Holy Spirit.
Wherever you are, know that the Father loves you. He is a perfect Father who is ready to give you His best.
What does the Holy Spirit do for us?
Jump backwards. Creational father...He hears us - even the unbeliever. (context of the Pharisees). If you need God to hear you today, let me encourage you, even if you have never put your trust in God. Call out to Him. He will give you the Holy Spirit (talk about this later - but the Holy Spirit is how God applies His purposes to the world).
He convicts us of our sin. (He keeps us from danger)
He seals us and is the guarantee. (He keeps us with God)
He empowers us to live the life God planned for us. (He keeps us on mission)
God ain’t like that...
He cares about the things you care about… because He loves you. I’m not saying your desires trump His. He doesn’t conform to us like a parent who constantly gives into a spoiled child. But He does love you. Kade and basketball.
Response:
Response:
Because He is a perfect Father, He is a providing Father.
Begin to know God as your perfect Father.
Some of us had dads who didn’t provide for us. They didn’t take care of us. They didn’t provide a safe environment to run into their arms when we needed them.
Begin to trust God as your providing Father. Some of us need to begin trust God to provide for us. To take care of us. Maybe that’s hard because we didn’t have a earthly dad who did that. God’s not like that… He’s a perfect father.
God ain’t like that!
We read it earlier… like the duty of neighbor to provide for his friend, God takes serious His fatherly duty to provide for our needs. He WANTS us to come to Him with our requests...
That’s why Jesus says...
Trust God as your loving Father. Maybe this is hard because your dad didn’t love you. God will never betray you like He did. He loves you with perfect, pure love. He wants you to know what true fatherly love is like.
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Maybe thats finally surrendering to God...
I believe this is an important lesson for Growing in Christ. We must learn that our Heavenly Father is our Provider. We need to go to Him with our needs.
And maybe we don’t do that because we forget that God is our Provider.
Maybe we don’t do that because we didn’t know God is our Provider - this is all new to you.
Or, maybe we don’t do that because of the broken picture of a father in our mind - one who never provided for us - and it keeps us from going to our Heavenly Father for provision.
Or maybe we don’t do that because we have a broken picture of a father in our mind - one that never provided for us - and it keeps us from going to our Heavenly Father for provision.
Instead, we worry about it. And that results in two things:
Either we are paralyzed by the fear, worry, and anxiety.
We take things into our own hands… and eventually mess it up.
All because we don’t have the right understanding of our Heavenly Father...
Worship Leader Kathryn Scott rewrote an old hymn called, “What a Friend.” In it, she sings...
Oh what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry. Everything to God in prayer.
Many times, we experience unnecessary hardship in life because we do not go to our Heavenly Father. Instead, we try to handle it on our own. Maybe because an earthly father let us down...
But again… God ain’t like that!
God is a perfect Father. God is a PROVIDING Father. And He WANTS us to come to Him with our needs. He WANTS us to TRUST Him to provide for us. That’s why His word says...
Broken picture of a Father, or learning something new, or reminded of something old… what’s always present is worry. Stuck in worry, we can’t grow in Christ.
Because God is a providing Father, we can (and should) come to Him for everything. And maybe this sounds a little basic or redundant, but I think it’s important. I think it’s important to know that about God and I think it’s important
Because something I believe all of us struggle with is worry. Somebody say “amen” if you deal with worry and anxiety. And worry is very closely connected to provision. I worry when I wonder...
Will I have enough money?
Will I have enough strength?
Will I have enough courage?
Will I have enough safety? And so forth...
And our natural response to worry is to :
Be paralyzed with fear.
Try to take matters into our own hands.
But that’s not the way God designed it. God wants us to depend on him like a child goes to a father. That’s why the Bible says...
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Or...
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
God is a providing Father. This morning...
Maybe it’s time to let go of control.
Maybe it’s time to stop living in fear and worrying about what’s going to happen next.
Maybe it’s time to trust your Heavenly Father to provide for you.
The apostle Paul felt the same way. He told the Philippians...
Our God is faithful. If you give Him the chance, He will prove this to you. I’m confident about this! The apostle Paul was too. He told the Philippians...
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Our perfect Father is a perfect Provider. That’s who s!
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
And goes on to says...
And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Part of Growing in Christ involves knowing who God the Father is… and knowing that He is our provider. And that may not be easy at first. It may require faith.
You might have to step out and trust God. To give God the opportunity to show you how faithful He is. To be willing to ...
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
God will show up. Paul was so confident of this that he told the Philippians...
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Finally, point number 3...
And before we move on, can I just tell you how good my God is? He is not just a providing Father, He is an abundantly providing Father. Like the neighbor who will give 3 loaves of bread and… “whatever else he needs...” don’t be surprised when you find God providing over and above what you need. That’s just who He is...
Pauls says...
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
I think the spiritual principle found in this verse is applicable to God’s provision! God gives with the spirit of Christmas every day! Why?
That’s why we can give… God will take care o us.
Well, Point number 3...
3. God is a loving Father (vv. 11-13).
3. God is a loving Father (vv. 11-13).
Because He is a perfect Father, He is a loving Father.
Can I just say: God loves you. God really loves you.
Think about ...
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God loves you so much, that He willingly sacrificed His only Son on the cross, so that we could have forgiveness and eternal life. So we could spend forever with Him. Don’t just let that fly over you. That’s crazy love!
Because here’s the thing… it’s not like it was a fair trade. His Son Jesus is perfect. We are not. But God made the exchange anyways - He traded His Son’s perfect life for ours - because He really loves us.
And He cares about us. Like… He’s concerned about the things we’re concerned about...
Yesterday was the last basketball game of the GBA 4th grade season. Kade’s worked super hard this season. He deserved to play in this last celebration game and get his trophy. But he got really sick. And didn’t make it to the game. It was a real bummer!
And in the grand scheme of life, that seems so small. Like, what does that really matter with all the things going on in the world. But, as his dad, it really affected me. I cared deeply about it because I love my son and I know he cared about it.
I believe God loves us with the similar fatherly love and care. That’s why we read...
Jesus finishes us this section by saying...
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
When God hears our requests, He cares. He cares about our needs. And He WANTS to give us what we need. If it’s a fish, He’ll give a fish. An egg, then an egg.
But most of all, He’ll give us His Holy Spirit.
That might sound kinda weird, but it’s means that, because God LOVES us, He will give us THE BEST.
God is a good Father. Some of us understand this. We had good fathers. Maybe you’re a good Father. You can relate. If your child asks for bread, you wouldn’t give him a rock. If he asked for a fish, you wouldn’t give him a snake. Or if he asked for an egg, you wouldn’t give him a scorpion. That would be wrong. It would be evil. You’d be a bad and cruel father.
Think about what does the Holy Spirit do for us?
He convicts us of our sin. (He keeps us away from danger)
He seals us and is the guarantee. (He keeps us in God’s love)
He empowers us to live the life God planned for us. (He keeps us Growing in Christ)
Those are the things that REALLY matter! They are the BEST things!
God is a loving Father. Maybe that’s a concept for you to imagine. Maybe your dad didn’t love you. Maybe he didn’t care. Maybe he made you feel like you didn’t matter...
But again… God ain’t like that...
He DOES loves us. And He DOES cares. And He WANTS us to run into His arms whenever we need Him. The way a child is meant to run into their father’s loving arms!
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
God is a good Father - a perfect one. He loves and cares for you.
Response:
Response:
As we close, I’m going to call the worship team up and I’d like for us to really think about the three things we discussed about the first Person of the Trinity:
Begin to trust God as your providing Father. Some of us need to begin trust God to provide for us. To take care of us. Maybe that’s hard because we didn’t have a earthly dad who did that. God’s not like that… He’s a perfect father.
That God is our perfect Father.
Trust God as your loving Father. Maybe this is hard because your dad didn’t love you. God will never betray you like He did. He loves you with perfect, pure love. He wants you to know what true fatherly love is like.
That God is our providing Father.
Maybe thats finally surrendering to God...
That God is our loving Father.
Think about what that means to you. Do you struggle with any of those? Why? And does it keep you from the relationship God desires with you?
And maybe you don’t have a relationship with God the Father. If that’s true, I want you to share something we read earlier...
Jesus said “For everyone who asks receives...” (v. 10). Jesus wasn’t only talking to the disciples, but EVERYONE. He’s inviting anyone who is ready to fix their relationship with God, to call out to Him. Whether it’s your first time or five hundredth time.
God loves you. He sent His Son Jesus to die for your sin, because He wants to have a relationship with you. He wants to be your perfect Father.
But Father is a holy God, meaning He can’t be in the presence of sin. So, no matter the love, God the Father can’t contradict His own holiness. And so our sin creates a gap between us and God’s love… and our relationship is broke. But the Good News is Jesus became the bridge for that gap, taking care of sin and making a way back home to our Father.
If you’re ready, you can come home this morning. Call out to Him. Return to Your Heavenly Father. Tell Him your sorry. Tell Him you believe Jesus died for your sins. Knock, and the door will be opened unto you.
If you’d like to talk more about how to do that, or if you’d like prayer for anything, I’ll be in the back. I’d love to talk to you. But even if you don’t talk to me, talk to your Heavenly Father. He’s waiting with open arms of love.
Let’s pray.