Father’s Day 2011

4 September 2011

1. Introduction

• Today we celebrate Fathers it is an opportunity to honour Fathers.
• Eph.6:2 “Honour your father and mother” which is the first commandment with a promise.
• Fathers’ Day is a day when there are many mixed emotions in the Church Family.

- celebration and expressions of honour and love for some with great

memories of father.

- pain, turmoil for some as they remember painful experiences related to

father.

• Fatherhood comes from God (Eph.3:14-15) – Fathers are called to represent Him.  Unresolved experiences and pain related to fathers can affect how we see God.

2. Jesus Represented God as a Father

• Jesus came to reveal God as a loving, gracious, generous father (Jn 14:9).
• What you believe determines how you experience God.
• Lk.15:1-2 Conflict arose after the way Jesus related to people.

Story of the Prodigal Son” – which is really about the Father and how we relate to Him.

(a) The Younger Son

• V.18-19 Sinned … no longer worthy to be called your son, make me like one of the hired servants.

• Notice the beliefs of the son

(i) Father is not loving and generous – holds my failures against me.

(ii) I am not good enough – sinned failed.

(iii) I have to earn approval, favour by serving like a slave.

• Son was tormented because of what he believed, how he saw father and himself.
• Tormented by failure, sin, abuse, betrayal, shame.

• Truth about Father

(i) God is loving in spite of our failures – already forgiven, accepted.

(ii) I am loved and valuable to Father.

(iii) I can enjoy Father’s grace and generosity without shame, guilt, or being driven.

• The son believed the Father’s perspective and entered the party – Believe = Trust.

(b) The Older Brother

• V.28 Angry, would not go into the party and celebrate.

• Notice the beliefs of the Older Brother

(i) Father is not loving, He is mean and demanding and does not approve of me.  He is not fair!

(ii) I am not good enough – don’t even get a “goat”.

(iii) I have to earn approval by serving like a slave – no joy.

• Son was tormented, angry, resentment, judgement, blame and injustice.
• Tormented by Father being unfair – younger son didn’t deserve a party.
• Fair = conforms to rules, showing no more favour to one than the other.  Treating all people the same so they get what they deserve.

• Truth about the Father

(i) God is loving, generous, gracious.

(ii) I am loved and valuable to God – everything is available to me.

(iii) God already approves – don’t need to earn His approval – generous.

• The Father’s world seems unfair because He is generous, gracious and He gives what we don’t deserve.  Father never sets out to be fair.
• Grace and generosity are not fair.
• Older Brother tormented by what he believed – at the party but did not enter in.

3. What Story will you believe about God?

• Loving, generous, accepting, forgiving?
• Hard, demanding, mean?
• To believe God’s version of your story you must trust Him.

Receive = enter and enjoy abundance, joy, party now.

Reject = cannot enter, experience sorrow and pain.

• The way you view God determines how you will experience Him.
• Your view may be distorted:

(i) By experiences with natural father.

(ii) By experience with authorities, leaders, spiritual father.

(iii) By religious concepts rooted in legalism; judgements.

• To experience God you need to repent (change your view), believe truth.
• What do you need to let go of?
• What is God saying to you today? How will you respond?