FATHER'S DAY (6-21-2009)
First; Happy Father’s Day to all you Dad’s, I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to teach this morning. Anyone who knows me could probably tell you that OFTEN when I teach or even just have a conversation I talk in word pictures and today’s message is no exception. But I’m okay with that because in the gospels we see Jesus doing the same thing. He used illustrations from the lives & occupations of the people of his day, shepherds, fisherman, parenting and others to draw natural pictures of spiritual truths.
So to celebrate Father’s Day I’ve created a small photo album of a few real life word pictures I’ve been able to capture from father’s I have had the privilege to know. These snap shots have helped me to gain a greater understanding of the character of God and that has helped me to fall further in love with my heavenly Father. My desire is that it will help you gain a greater understanding of God’s love because, as the Holy Spirit shared with us through the messages Pastor Paris taught in February, we can’t love others if we ourselves are not convinced that we are loved.
The greater knowledge we have on how deeply we are loved by God, the more willing we will be to give that same love and grace to others.
So here’s the first picture.
• If You Want God, He Wants You Because He Loved You First
(1 John 4:10 & 19) This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…We love because he first loved us.
(James 4:8) Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Here’s the picture…
Story of Rob & William: I was doing daycare; when William would see his Dad coming, he would go to door, and without words make a motion with raised arms, grasping hand motions and a grunt he’d reach for his Dad with all that was within him and a heart that said, “More Dad, More Dad”
If this happened to you as a parent, you wouldn’t care if the child had snot from their nose to their navel, it wouldn’t matter what was in their diaper, what they smelt like, or as one parent said, it wouldn’t even matter what they had flushed down the toilet, if they want you, you want them.
At times we get the thinking the erroneous thinking that God won’t want us because we really messed up this time. I have done this same dumb thing one too many times; I really stink now. There is no way God is going to forgive me. I don’t deserve for him to want me, to help me. This could not be further from the truth.
(Hebrews 4:14-16) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
We are God’s kids, He loved us long before we loved him, he knows everything we have ever done or will every do and he still loves us. If we want Him, he wants us because He loved us first.
Isn’t that a beautiful picture? Okay, moving on to the next page in our album.
• There is strength in running home and home is closer than you think.
Story: When I was young and life was rough, I knew if I could just get home, if I could just get to my Dad, everything would be okay. Not that every circumstance was going to change but that some how if I could just get home I’d be okay.
(Romans 8) What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
(Psalm 139:7-12) Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Everywhere we go-God is. Everywhere we go-home is right there. God is never more than a whisper away. Does your life seem pretty dark and scary? Have you ever seen a child afraid of the dark until Dad walks in the room? Your heavenly “Dad” is right there. He will give you the courage and strength you need to walk through those dark places. Just run home.
Are you having a challenge in knowing or doing the right thing? God is right there, EVERYWHERE YOU GO. He is there to give you the courage to do right thing when it would be so much easier to do the wrong thing. Have you ever seen a child straighten up when Dad walks in the room? Just run home.
NOTE: Now for just a second, I want to have you take a closer look at something you may have missed that can be seen in each picture. Maybe you didn’t or don’t have the greatest relationship with your earthly Dad. Maybe you don’t have a relationship with him at all. Well the bible tells us that He will be a father to the fatherless. You want a Father than today run home. Take just a moment to acknowledge your need for him in your life. God is the perfect Father and he is just waiting for the opportunity to be that Dad you need. Just run home.
Let’s turn the album to the next page
• He is the glory & lifter of our head.
This actually is one of my favorite pictures
(Psalm 3:1-3) O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.”
Story: Beth was out with her friends; she was being picked on because of her righteous stand, so she called home and asked us to come get her. I picked her up, when we walked through the door Mike came over to her, wrapped his arms around her, held her tight, put his hand under her chin, lifted her head so his eyes could meet hers and said, “I love you, you know. I’m proud of you.” He spoke words of encouragement to her heart. The next day at church we sang the song “He is the glory and the lifter of my head”.
I got the picture, did you? Do you feel a little beat up, picked on, worthless? Then run home, let your heavenly Father wrap his arms around you, lift your head so he can look you in the eye and tell you what he has to say about you. Let him encourage you and tell you what he sees. He is the glory and lifter of your head.
Beautiful picture isn’t. This one I have to turn back to and look at often. I’d love to stay here but if we don’t move on we'll miss the view captured in our next shot.
• God’s Timing Is Perfect
Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven.
Story: Just before my 24th birthday, my sister asked me; “If you could have anything you wanted, what would it be?” My answer was easy. I am one of seven children, with a father that owned his own business and worked hard at it. This meant he had little extra time that could be spent on each of us individually. I responded, “I would love a day with Dad all to myself.” That never happened, it couldn’t. My Dad has since retired and about four years ago developed Alzheimer’s. For the past two years, once a month I go up to my parents home and spend the day with Dad so mom can have a day out with her friends. On one particular day early on in my visiting, mom hugged me and thanked me for coming. I told her I wasn’t doing this just for her, but for me too. I told her that Dad and I had a great day and I loved being with him. Then it happened. A still small voice from the inside of me said “Happy Birthday Jeanie”. At 24 I had wanted one day and here in my forties I was getting many.
God’s timing is perfect. He knew what I really needed. I didn’t need one day when I was 24. I needed a bunch of days in my forties. My timing would have given me one memory. God’s timing has given me abundantly above and beyond all I could ask or think. This is another of my very favorite pictures.
The last picture I want to share with you will demonstrate to you the lighter side of our Father’s heart.
• A Merry Heart Does Good Like A Medicine
(Proverbs 17:22) A cheerful heart is good medicine.
(Psalms 16) In the presence of God there is fullness of joy.
Story: Hannah in kindergarten. A boy in her classed tells her “your grandma wears army boots and your dad wears high heals. She came home distraught. No matter what I said, I couldn’t make her feel better. When her Dad came home he pulled her on his lap, listened to her story and responded “Hannah just go to school and tell him I have to wear high heals, they match my purse and if he picks on you again, I will come to school and choke him with my bra.” We all laughed hysterically and Hannah was greatly comforted. (I informed Mike that if she went to school and repeated that I was going to smack him.) But my point is this. No matter what anyone else said, Hannah was not comforted, but in the presence of her father, there was fullness of joy and a cheerful heart was just the medicine she needed.
It is the same with our relationship with our Heavenly Father, and in His presence there really is fullness of joy.
That was the final picture in my album. Don’t we have a good looking Dad?
As you’ve looked at this album did you see it? Did you see the vibrant colors of God’s love for you? The impressive hue of acceptance, the boldness of his forgiveness, gentle blues of his affection, the brightness of his joy? Impressive isn’t it.
No shades of grey, just a black and white picture of your Heavenly Father’s love for his kids.
And this was a very small album of pictures and a very quick look at them. But each of us has our own photo album that we can open and look at any time we want. You want to be reminded of how God loves you? Take a minute every day and look at a picture or two (in your bible). Need to be reminded of what life with God is like? Take a second and look at your album. Check out how good your Heavenly Father looks and you will see that even after all these years, he still looks the same. He looks in love with you.
Let’s close with prayer. This being Father’s day wouldn’t it be good to honor the Father of us all.
Heavenly Father, you are the greatest father there ever was or ever will be. We just want to take a second to tell you, “Happy Father’s Day Dad. We love you.” Amen.
Well, Happy Father’s day to the rest of you Dad’s as well. Go and have a great day.
Notes from Jeanie Schuler’s Father’s Day 2009 message; to get a free CD of the complete message, contact Christ’s Family Church @ 651.437.2340.Printer Friendly Format