The wonderful thing about a blessing is…you never know when you might be the recipient of one. For instance, I knew I wanted to write something appropriate for Father’s Day weekend, so Saturday I began sketching an idea in my mind. However, yesterday when Pam and I attended Grace Church St. Louis, I discovered that Pastor Ron Tucker had the same plan. As always, his message was outstanding, but even better…the church bulletin included references he used for his presentation. I am telling you this because my message today is going to be a combination of Ron’s hard work interspersed with my perspective. In other words, I see no reason not to pass up such a blessing and no need to reinvent a perfectly good wheel! Oh yes…and since the clock on my desk reads 11:56 pm, I can still legitimately wish all fathers a “Happy Father’s Day” as I get started.
If you have read many of my postings, you know that I have stated many times my belief that there are two fundamental principles undergirding everything written in the Bible. And those two principles are: (1.) God is love and (2.) God wants a relationship with us. Even if it is not stated that clearly and succinctly, those two principles are inter-woven in the scripture itself. I personally find that to be the very essence of God’s Word, yet the magnitude of those two statements is so far beyond our finite ability to comprehend, many times it just eludes us. I mean…GOD, who spoke the universe into existence; the creator of all things seen and not seen; the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent One loves and wants a relationship with ME? How could that be?
First of all, I know who I am and what I have done, and I know I’m not worthy of such opulence! It sounds good, “but”… So when you couple our sense of unworthiness with the Old Testament view of God (“The Lord your God is a devouring fire”, Deuteronomy 4:24) or a church theology that puts the emphasis on fire and brimstone rather than Grace, it is not hard to see why so many people find the simplicity of this message to be a fairy-tale. And we must never forget, this is also the time when Satan, the “accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10) makes his presence known. He never misses a chance to convince us we’re not worthy of God’s love and relationship!
Romans 5:6 tells us how God showed his unconditional, unending, unfailing love for us, and at the same time guaranteed our eternal relationship with Him: “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” There is so much power in that one verse: “utterly helpless” shows the lost, pathetic state of mankind; “just the right time” tells us that God stepped in to conquer the sin issue that led to man’s pathetic state of existence; and “sinners” tells us we were on the fast track to eternal damnation. Romans 6:23 reveals the sad state of man and God’s solution all in one verse: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
It is no wonder Jesus turned the world upside down when he delivered his first sermon. “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” “Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.” “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3-10) His teaching was so radical and contrary to that of the world and of the Jewish religion because, as the religious elite were about to learn, it was not about laws and sacrifices, but about man’s dependence on, and relationship with God. Not a distant, unapproachable God, but a God who longs to commune with us…just like he did with Adam and Eve in the Garden; a God who desires our humility and a contrite heart. Not only was Jesus going to reveal, through his teaching and the way he lived his life, a God he called “Father”, but in the prayer he taught his Disciples to pray, he indicated God was also “OUR Father, who art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9)
What? the Pharisees shouted. They proclaimed this to be blasphemy! Immediately Jesus was declared public enemy number 1 by the religious leaders, and it was only a short time after this that they began plotting how to get rid of him. Jerusalem was divided. Some were astounded by his confidence and authority; others thought he was crazy!
Jesus, of course, never altered his message. He only taught that God is love; full of mercy; and full of grace. Jesus emphasized the God who spoke through the prophet Jeremiah (29:11-14): “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord.” It was always about love and relationship. And Jesus NEVER wavered when speaking of who He was or why he came. He stated very clearly in John 14:5-6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
What we must never forget is that Jesus’ sacrifice was the ransom paid so ALL mankind can have the opportunity for eternal life. Was Jesus statement exclusive? No! The opportunity is there for anyone…everyone! But the statement of fact is…no one can come into the presence of God if they are stained with sin, so man’s only other choice is to try to enter the Kingdom of God through his own effort. But how did that work before Christ came? Remember…utterly helpless; just the right time; sinners!
God’s love, mercy, and grace are actually unfathomable through human effort. It is only through revelation that we grow in our understanding and relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Outside of that relationship, we can try to relate to God in human terms and many times that is how we relate or related to our human father. Therefore fathers, as leaders of your household, you have a responsibility of modeling to your children your “abba” Father just as Jesus modeled him to the world. Proverbs 24:3 tells us, “It takes wisdom to have a good family, and it takes understanding to make it strong.”
The understanding the author is talking about is not worldly teaching or human intellect, but the truth found in God’s word. That is our guidebook for living. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.” As fathers, our role is multifaceted. We have to be our family’s provider; their protector; and their hero. But the most important role we have is to be a Godly example in the way WE live our life.
One of my father’s favorite “sayings” I heard over and over as a child was: “Danny, there’s more to kids than just having them.” It was many years before I finally grasped the magnitude of that statement, but clearly it was a reference to love and relationship – and that takes time, commitment, patience and involvement. As Jesus said, “If you know me, you know my Father also.” (John 14:7) That is the example we are called to emulate with our children. And what we can never forget is…our children model what the see – or don’t see – in us.
May God bless your effort, and fathers…enjoy this day dedicated to you!
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