The Father is a sermon preached by Ryan Rogers for the Palmer SDA Church service on May 23, 2020. It is the fourth sermon in the Fundamentals sermon series. This series is a study of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs held by the SDA Church. We are seeking go deeper with God by reviewing the fundamental truths He has revealed in Scripture. This study will be divided into four series of seven sermons over the next four years.
Our identity is both individual (you’re tall, studious, American) and relational (you’re a boss, neighbor, wife, nephew). God is identified in these ways also. Individually He is identified as holy, powerful, and eternal(and much more). Relationally He is identified as our Father! He is not required to be associated with us. He would be justified in remaining entirely separate from humanity. But part of His identity is how He relates to us. And it is not a generic relationship He has with us, He is our Father. He is not our heavenly uncle or grandma or cousin. He is our heavenly Father. The father-child relationship is arguably the most significant we experience. Our fathers do a lot to shape who we are. The significance of this relationship is seen in our sensitive associations with the word “father”. For some it brings up images of betrayal, abuse, or loss. For others there is joy and security associated with their father. We each have our own experience. Our varied experiences confirm that the father-child relationship is the source of great comfort and reassurance and also of great pain and insecurity. Being our Father is part of who God is!
Fundamental Belief #3:The Father
God the eternal Father is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation. He is just and holy, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. The qualities and powers exhibited in the Son and the Holy Spirit are also those of the Father. (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 4:35; Ps. 110:1, 4; John 3:16; 14:9; 1 Cor. 15:28; 1 Tim. 1:17; 1 John 4:8; Rev. 4:11.)
Let’s explore the idea of God as our Father from the description we get in 1 John 3:1-3.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.
1. ATTRIBUTES OF THE FATHER
In considering the attributes of the Father we do not suggest that the Father’s nature is different than the Son or Spirit. It is not that one is characterized by kindness and the other is rude. The character of God is consistent throughout the trinity. Though these attributes are not unique to the Father they are certainty true of Him.
The text identifies the Father as being loving and generous.
The Father loves. We sometimes portray a wrong idea that Jesus is the cuddly side of God and the Father is cold and stern. Jesus told us that “the Father Himself” loves us (John 16:26-27). Think of the father in the story of the prodigal son. This is a picture of the fatherly love that God has for His Children.
The Father gives. His love leads Him to give (John 3:16; 35). Every good gifts comes from him (James 1:17). And He does not give resentfully, it is His pleasure to give (Luke 12:32; Matthew 7:11).
A quick survey of the attributes of the Fathers in scripture reminds us that He is compassionate (Psalm103:13), faithful to discipline (Proverbs 3:11-12), He is over all, through all, and in all (Ephesians 4:6). Jesus tells us that the Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48), He sees what is done in secret (Matthew 6:6), He forgives (Matthew 6:14), He provides (Matthew 6:26), He knows (Matthew 6:32), He is always working (John 5:17) and His house has lots of rooms for His children (John 14:2)!
2. CHILDREN OF THE FATHER
When a wife says to her husband, “you’re going to be a father”, she is not announcing a change in the man. She is announcing that there is a baby inside of her. You can’t be a father without a child. The man might boast that he made the child but the child is what made him a father. When God calls himself “father” He is acknowledging His children. Though we are totally dependent on Him, and not the other way around, His identity as father depends on having children. In the very identity of God He has reserved a place of belonging for His children.
It is not just an elite group that enjoys this privilege but anyone who will come to the Father through faith in the Son (Ephesians 3:14-15; Galatians 3: 26-28; John 1:12; 14:6)
What makes Him our Father?
Is it just a metaphor or an illustration? Or is He really our Father and are we really His children?
We are the children of our earthly fathers by procreation but we are children of the heavenly Father through creation, covenant and adoption.
God is our Father because He created us!
Deuteronomy 32:6 Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?
Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?
God is our Father because of His covenant with us! (2 Samuel 7:14; Isaiah 63:16; Jeremiah 3:19)
Genesis 17:4-5 Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
God is our Father because He has adopted us! (Ephesians 1:5; Galatians 4:5-7; John 1:12)
Romans 8:14-17 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
3. RESEMBLANCE TO THE FATHER
Children resemble their parents. In 1 John 3 we read that God’s children “shall be like Him” (v.2) and will be pure as He is pure (v.3). The next section of scripture (vv. 4-10) can be a bit troubling. It tells us that God’s children shouldn’t go on sinning. These hard-hitting verse might produce some guilt and make us question if we really are God’s children. Though we should accept the conviction that God gives there is also another way to see this. As God’s children we have the promise that we will grow to resemble Him. Verse 9 says that God’s seed abides in us. Just as the DNA of the father is in his child God has given us new birth to be transformed into His image.
Ephesians 5:1 calls us to be imitators of God. That sounds like a difficult task. Then it adds, “as dearly loved children.” It is because we are His children that we can imitate Him. If we weren’t His children we would have no hope of living like Him but as His children we can spend time with Him and learn to imitate Him.
I stand the same way as my dad. I put my hands in my pockets just like my dad. When we are both a part of the same conversation we often say the same words at the same time. I don’t try to imitate him. But as his child I have spent so much time with him that it is natural for me to imitate him.
We don’t earn the right to be His child by imitating Him. We have the privilege of growing to resemble our Father because He has made us His children. Being God’s child comes first and resembling Him follows.