Father’s Day 09

6 September 09

 

  1. Introduction:

·   Today we celebrate Fathers and Dads

·   There are people here today with many different experiences of “Father”

·   Fathers of new born – 1st child – a season of change and joy

·   Fathers of more than one child – a season of pressure and new priorities

·   Fathers of teens – a season of involvement, challenge and direction

·   Fathers who are step fathers – enlarged heart to embrace someone else’s child/ren

·   Grand fathers – a season of investing in the next generation

·   There are many different emotional associations when we hear the word “Father”

·   A Father that passed away – memories fresh or fading

·   Father abandoned – Questions! Why?

·   Positive feelings – love, connected, warmth, kind

·   Negative feelings – pain, grief, disappointment, disconnected

·   There are no perfect fathers – men are doing what they are able to do

 

  1. Jesus came to Make God known as “Father”

a)     John 14:7-9  -  ‘he who has seen me has seen the Father’

·   Jesus came to reveal God – personal, Father

·   Jesus came to restore relationship to god as “Abba” – Daddy in heaven

·   Family/Fatherhood comes from who God is and what he is like

·   Ephesians 3:15  -  ‘I’ll bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named’

 

b)     Movie; Blood Diamonds- Sierra Leone, 1990’s

·         About a father called Solomon Vandy – he had dreams of the day he’s young son would become a doctor and influence the community

·         His plans for his family was disrupted by rebel soldiers

·         The rebel soldiers captured his son – they brainwashed him with drugs and change his identity to make him evil, he forgets who he is

·         The sons new name was ‘See no more’

·         The father pursues his son to find and restore him

·         The key scene:  when the father meets his son

i)        Identity: You are Dia Vandy of the proud Mende Tribe, you are not a bad boy

ii)       Affirm: I am your father who loves you, you will come home with me and be my son again

·         Profound Truth of the heart of God as a Father to restore us to relationship

·         Luke 19:10  -  ‘The Son of man has come to seek and save that which was lost’

 

  1. Jesus Life Reveals what Fatherhood is like:

i)  ‘Spiritual’    -  John 3:6

                              -  Capacity to generate eternal spirit beings with a destiny to either go

   to heaven or to hell

-    Capacity to develop spiritual values and hunger

-    Without spiritual formation people become shallow

 

ii)   ‘Presence’           - John 16:32

-    With you, there for you, believe in you

-    Available emotionally

-    Psalm 23 – God is with me

-    Without personal presence people feel ‘abandoned’

 

iii)  ‘Identity’               -  Luke 3:22

-    Words that express value, affirm relationship, affirm who I am – a son, a child of God who brings honor to the Father

-    Without words identity is found in performance, things = an emptiness

 

iv) ‘Guidance’          -  John 17:4    work

-    John 17:8    words, wisdom and perspective about life

-    Direction and formation of character, values, attitudes to people and life

-    Without guidance people become ‘lost’, no dreams, no ambitions and no clarity

 

v) ‘Mercy and’         - Luke 15:20

     Loving Kindness   - Expressions of love, acceptance, forgiveness, reconciliation,

                                      affectionate and restoration

-    Without mercy people become bitter

 

·         “I am your Father who loves you; you will come home with me and be my son again!”