June 15, 2025 • 25 mins
What if everything you thought about God as Father has been shaped more by human pain than by who He really is?
This Father’s Day, let’s break free from the tired religious stereotype of God as a distant, strict judge. Instead, we’ll explore the heart of our Heavenly Father—the One who loves deeper and wider than we can imagine.
Maybe your view of God has been clouded by a harsh or absent earthly dad. Maybe you’ve heard that Jesus is kind and gentle, but God the Father is the stern disciplinarian waiting to catch you in failure. That divide keeps so many from experiencing the full, rich love God wants to pour out on us.
In this message, we’ll uncover five life-changing truths about our Father’s love. You’ll discover a God who loved you before you were born, before you ever believed, without demanding that you clean up your act. Unlike human love that sometimes runs out, His love never fades or quits. When He forgives, He wipes the slate clean, separating our sins “as far as the East is from the West.” More than just religion or rules, God wants friendship with you, a real connection, heart to heart. And best of all, He loves you more than your failures, seeing you through the perfect righteousness of Christ rather than your mistakes.
For fathers here on earth, these truths offer a powerful model: love first, don’t give up, forgive fully, express love openly, and value relationship above performance. When dads reflect God’s love this way, they help their children grow into a healthy understanding of both earthly and heavenly fatherhood.
Whether your experience with your earthly Father was beautiful or painful, this message will help heal your heart and reshape how you see the Father who made you on purpose, knows you inside and out, and loves you without condition.
You were never an accident. You were intentionally designed by a Father who loves you first, loves you forever, forgives completely, desires true friendship, and loves you more than your failures.
Join me as we explore these five powerful truths, which can change everything—from how you see God to how you live in His love.
Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube, Substack, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But I really want to focus on and happy Father's Day
to all you dads.
Pretty happy day in our lives,amen.
I certainly remember the daythat Chris was born.
He's a big old guy now when yousee him, but I still remember
that day he was born and how itchanged my life and made me
extremely happy.
(00:20):
So I was thrilled to be a dad.
But today I want to focus onour Father.
I want us to think about theGod of heaven who is our Father.
I think sometimes Mother's Daygets really special time and, by
(00:41):
the way, she probably ought toget more special time and, by
the way, she probably ought toget more special time.
She does more of the work, Ithink, than us guys do.
But when I was in Mexico and Iwas studying Spanish, I started.
I went to the bookstore and Ibought all the little children's
reader books so I could learnSpanish.
So I took my classes, I spenttime on the streets and when I
(01:02):
had free time, I read the littlebooks like you read when you
were time on the streets.
And when I had free time, Iread little books like you read
when you were in kindergarten orwhatever, and I read through
all of them and I was readingalong through one of the books
and I got to Mother's Day and ithad tons of things about
Mother's Day being a dad.
I was so excited, I couldn'twait to get to Father's Day and
see what they had to say aboutFather's Day.
(01:23):
They skipped it, tommy.
There was no Father's Day and Iwas like I don't like this
culture, I'm upset.
But then I thought, well,that's kind of like our culture
in America.
But I want you to think todayabout your Father in heaven.
I will give you five truths.
I think that ought to exciteyou and motivate you and make
you more in love with yourFather today than you've ever
(01:44):
been.
Often you have a negative viewof god, the father, because of
what religion has taught you,because maybe you had a bad
relationship with your dad,maybe your dad was demanding and
you never did measure up, orwhatever.
Mama was sweet and daddy wasrough.
Jesus is sweet and the Fatheris rough.
(02:06):
That's not the Bible picture ofour God at all.
So I want to invite you tothink with me and meditate with
me on God, our Father.
Father in heaven, I love you,we love you, this church loves
you.
I think that's obvious in theway they come and the way they
love each other and the way theystrive to worship you
(02:28):
faithfully all the time.
But, father, I want to thankyou on behalf of all of us for
being our Father, and I want tothank you because you love us
and you do so much in our livesand we are so grateful.
And, like earthly dads, weoften forget what you do.
(02:50):
We forget about our dads, weforget about their effort, we
forget about you and sometimeswe put a lot of negative
connotations on you.
We don't want to do that, andso today we're going to look at
you and think about you and Iask you to speak to our hearts
and to warm your children and tohelp them love you In Jesus'
name, amen.
(03:10):
The Bible says in 1 John 3 andverse 1, behold what manner of
love the Father hath bestowedupon us that we should be called
the sons of God.
Therefore, the world knows usnot because it knew him not.
So John said can you believe it?
God calls us his children.
(03:32):
God, the Father, calls us hischildren.
That's a shocking thing becauseif you're in Jewish culture and
you know the Old Testament,there's only a couple of
references in the Old Testamentabout God as Father.
He's God as a judge, he's Godas giving commandments, he's God
as Lord, he's God as Almighty,he's God as Creator.
(03:54):
But there's not this personal,sweet relationship.
But the Apostle John knowsthere is something special he's
our Father and he calls us Hissons First time.
I think that it's reallymentioned.
Jesus is praying and he'steaching the guys how to pray.
They're having a discussion.
(04:14):
The guy said would you teach ushow to pray?
He said all right, when youpray, you pray like this.
Our Father, which art in heaven, you have to understand.
Our father, which aren't inheaven, was totally foreign,
totally new to them.
What in the world?
He said father.
He said father.
He called God the father, notGod the creator.
(04:36):
He called him father.
He didn't and that's not Jesusdidn't just call him father.
He called him our father, ourfather.
Together he's our Father and hewas marveling that God would
let him be called, that we couldbe called the sons of God.
Five things I want you to thinkon with me today as you meditate
(04:57):
on Father's Day, and I willapply a lot of things to our
fathers, but watch this Numberone our father loved us first.
Our father loved us first.
Now, that's an important thingfor you to understand.
Somewhere along the way,religion makes it like you've
got to come beg the father tolove you.
You've got to come to God andsay God please, I know I have
(05:20):
messed up, god, I'm bad, but theBible says the Father loved us
first, for God so loved theworld that he gave his only
begotten Son, and whosoeverbelieves in him shall not perish
but have everlasting life.
The Father loved us first.
Now I think about it.
When Chris was in the womb and Iloved him, he didn't love me
(05:42):
yet, he didn't even know who Iwas.
I went to Betty and I said toher I said you know, honey, I
think we ought to have a baby.
And she said well, I don't know, it was just a little scary.
And I said I know it's scary,but we ought to have a baby.
And so we got talking about it,we agreed, and then she was
with child.
She had a little baby inside ofher and I named him William
(06:04):
Christopher, long before he wasever born.
And I was in love with that kid, because when I was a boy you
probably never watched this, butthere was a TV show called the
Rifleman.
How many of you have everwatched the Rifleman?
Oh, I like that Number one.
He had a rifle that could shoot9,000 times in about 10 seconds
(06:25):
.
You know, bop, bop, bop, bop,bop, bop.
They don't even make a gun likethat, but anyway, I love that
guy.
But you know what I likedmostly?
It wasn't the rifle, it was theson in him.
I loved how Lucas McCain andhis son Mark're so close and I
dreamed of that relationship.
Our Father loved us first.
That's beautiful.
You didn't have to clean up forGod to love you.
(06:47):
You didn't have to clean up forGod to love you.
You don't have to come beggingGod to love you.
God loves you.
He's the Father and the Fatherloves you.
In fact, as the verse says,behold what manner of love the
Father has bestowed upon us.
Can you believe?
God loves you that much.
The second thing I want to showyou at this point we'll go
(07:09):
through them in a minute.
But the second thing I want toshow you is God loves you
forever.
I need you to think on that onea minute.
God loves you forever.
I got tons of Bible verses toprove all this.
You see, sometimes earthlyfathers will love you when
you're a little baby.
Come on, you know.
Six, five, six, you're good.
Eight, nine, you're still fair.
(07:31):
12, 13, you start getting alittle questionable.
17, 18 is like, I think, markTwain said when they turn to a
teenager, stick them in awhiskey barrel, carve a hole in
it and then, when they turn 18,just go ahead and plug the hole
and let the kid die, you know?
In other words, so sometimes wedon't love forever, but the
father loves forever.
There's a verse I'll show you ina minute.
(07:52):
Do you know what he said?
He said can a mother forget ababy that's on her breast?
Can a mama forget a baby thatcame out of her womb?
He baby that's on her breast.
Can a mama forget a baby thatcame out of her womb?
He said maybe, but I'll neverforget you.
How about that?
He said a mama might forget,because he knew that everybody
(08:12):
in this room knows if anybody'sgoing to forget you, it won't be
your mama, be your daddy.
But he said no, I won't forget.
He loves forever.
What only does he love forever?
He forgives completely.
He forgives completely.
Do you understand what thatmeans?
There's nothing between you andthe Father that's not already
(08:33):
completely paid for by JesusChrist and you're justified.
The Father forgives completely.
I'll show you some verses aboutthat.
Then the Father wants afriendship.
Did you know that?
All the way from the verybeginning of the Bible, all the
way to the end of the Bible, youknow what God desires A
(08:54):
relationship with us.
What's really beautiful is whenJesus tells his servants, his
disciples, he said I don't cally'all servants, I call you my
friends.
Then he said not only did Icall you my friends, he said you
know why?
Because, friends, you tell yourfriend everything and I tell
you everything.
He wants a friendship,relationship with you.
(09:16):
And then last and we'll look atthe verses now but the last
thing is I want you to know this, this he loves you more than
your failures.
He loves you more than yourfailures.
You trusted Christ as yoursavior.
You believed in God.
Here's a bad thing about alittle boy brought up in the WMU
and the Royal Ambassadors andSunday School and Vacation Bible
(09:37):
School.
I got saved in 9-7.
I've done more sinning since Igot saved than I ever did before
I got saved.
How many of y'all like that?
I mean, just be honest.
I mean I'm not one of thoseguys.
You know, when I was a kid theyused to have these people come
and give a testimony.
They spent 40 years in sin.
They've been living for Jesusfor a year or two.
I spent six or seven yearsyears without being saved.
(09:57):
Then I got saved and I've doneeven more.
But you know, my fatherforgives me forever and he loves
me more than my failure.
I want to show you a couple ofother Bible verses, real quickly
.
In Romans, chapter 8 and verse14, listen to what the Bible
says about our father.
For as many as are led by theSpirit of God, they are the sons
of God.
The sons of God, let me, let me.
(10:19):
I skipped a verse I wanted toshow youatians 4 6.
In Galatians 4 6, he said thatthe spirit of his son cries in
our heart.
Abba, father, he put the HolySpirit in you to love your
father and say daddy, father,abba was like daddy, not father,
(10:40):
not stern, bossy, demanding,demanding, rule-giving,
work-giving father, but daddy,the guy whose lap you climb up
in, the guy whose neck you hug,the guy that you're in love with
, daddy.
And then he said in Romans 8,14 through 15, he said this 14
through 16.
(11:00):
Did you know he sent his spiritin to tell you about the
adoption as a son.
A lot of times people don'tunderstand what that means.
Can I just real quickly showyou what that means?
In the Bible days, the adoptionwasn't like being adopted we're
born into the family we're notadopted in.
We're born into the familywe're not adopted in.
(11:21):
We're born into the familywe're not adopted in, but we're
going to be adopted.
You know what the adoption is?
It's that public display whenyou say to the world this is my
son.
In the Roman culture this bookwas written to.
In the Roman culture, when aperson was adopted, it was a day
when he finally grew up.
And one day, in front ofeverybody, dad stood up and said
(11:44):
this is my son and I am wellpleased in him.
And he took off his ring and heput it on his son and said I
want everybody to know this ismy son and when he speaks he
speaks in my name.
He's adopted.
You know that's what the fatherdoes for us.
He is proud you are his son.
Now I want to show you realquickly how our father loved us.
(12:04):
First, I want you to take yourBible.
If you're looking in your Bible.
You can go to Psalm 139.
Look it up later if you want.
Now, when I was I don't know howold I was one day my daddy told
me son, you're an accident.
You're an accident.
We did not want you.
Oh, I appreciate that, dad.
I was old enough to understandthat I was born 10 months after
(12:27):
they got married.
He said it was an accident.
We really wanted to wait longer, but you're here.
Then he said this.
He said you're the ugliest babyI've ever seen.
Can I get an amen right there?
I hadn't improved a whole lot,but anyway.
And I said I really appreciatethat Dad.
He'd laugh.
(12:47):
He said I'm just telling youthe truth.
He said you turned out a lotbetter than what I thought you
was going to.
Amen for your dad.
Amen.
But I want you to know your dadloves you first.
Your dad loves you first.
Your dad loves you first.
Our dad, our father, made us.
Now we know.
(13:10):
I know you're saying well,everybody knows that.
Yeah, but when God made you, hemade you real special, like In
Psalm 139, and I won't take thetime to read through it all
because I could be here all daywith what I want to show you
today.
But in Psalm 139, the Bible sayssays you are fearfully and
wonderfully made.
You are not an accident.
(13:32):
Did you know that God made youmore than you ever?
Look at your son and say man,look at the baby we made.
God looks at you and says no,no, you are fearfully and
wonderfully made.
I'm your father.
You are fearfully made.
Did you know?
It says in the Bible that hemade every bone that's in your
body.
Did you know that in the Bibleit says he likes you because he
(13:55):
made you on purpose.
You are not an accident.
Did you know?
He made you according to a planPsalm 139, he made a plan.
Most of my life I've thought myhead is just a little too big
for my body, come on.
And I've thought my legs are alittle bit too short.
(14:15):
I got a long trunk and loopylegs.
Betty and I have the sameinseam.
That's ridiculous.
She's 5'7" and I'm 6'1".
What did the Lord do?
And the Lord said I made you onpurpose.
I just want you to know yourskin color is not an accident
and you're not less than or morethan anyone else, because God
made you on purpose.
He's your father and he createdyou just like you are.
(14:37):
You say well, the way my eyesare formed.
I was sitting at the table withone of my girlfriends 55 years
ago.
I was sitting at the table withone of my girlfriends 55 years
ago and we're just sitting thereyou know how you teenagers are.
And she looked at me.
She goes ooh, your eyes aren'tconnected.
They look like they're going tofall out of your head.
And I went to the home and Ilooked in the mirror.
I was like I don't think theylook that weird.
(14:59):
They look kind of normal to me.
I just want you to know you arefearfully and wonderfully made
and everything about you.
God made you on purpose.
Our father loves you.
First, the psalmist said Icannot believe this, how you
formed me.
In Jeremiah, chapter one, inverse five, he said I formed you
in the belly.
This is what I really like.
(15:20):
You know what he told JeremiahWhile you was in your mother's
womb, I knew you.
You hear that you are not anaccident.
Maybe your daddy looked at youone day and said you was an
accident, but you're not.
Our father made you on purposeand our father loves you.
(15:41):
First.
In 1 John it says we love himbecause he first loved us.
You know, he, he made thesacrificial offering to save us.
He loved us first.
But not only did he love usfirst, he loved us again.
You know, he loved us when hemade us.
And then we messed up.
We all messed up, we all wentour own way, we did our our own
(16:02):
thing, we went out into sin, wewent out into rebellion, we went
out into making our owndecisions about what we do.
And he said well, I don't wantyou to die, I don't want to lose
this For God.
So loved the world, he gave hisonly begotten son and he said
Jesus, adapt for us.
Our father loved us first.
Our father loved us again.
Our Father loved us again.
He loved us.
By the way, I need you tounderstand something you don't
(16:28):
have to get the Father to loveyou.
In Romans, chapter 5 and verse6, romans, chapter 5 and verse 6
, the Bible says when we wereyet without strength, yet
without strength, he died forthe ungodly.
He died for you when you wereweak.
He died for you when you wereungodly.
He died for you when you wereweak.
He died for you when you wereungodly.
He died for you when you had noway to get to him.
He died for you when there wasnothing good about you.
(16:49):
He loves you.
He loves you In Romans 5,.
He died while we were yetsinners.
So could I just talk to dadsjust for a real brief minute?
Jeff, you may be the one I maymet the most, but he might just
take this from our father learnthis Love, the love first, love
first, love after mess ups.
(17:12):
And how about this one?
Be expressive of that love.
Now, you know, when you see bigold Chris, now 50 year old,
chris, daddy, chris, I mean itdon't remind you nothing of that
little baby that came home withme from the hospital.
I went and picked up mom andbaby from home to the hospital
(17:34):
when he was first born man, Ikissed him on the mouth, I
kissed him on the forehead, Ikissed him on the belly, I
kissed him on the back.
I threw him up.
He puked on me.
He did other stuff on me.
We won't discuss.
That's what come on.
How many of you dads know aboutthat?
Say amen, I think you do.
I think you do.
But then you know, he startedgetting bigger and my dad never
(17:58):
said he loved me.
My daddy was not going to beexpressive.
My daddy wasn't going to beexpressive, not because he
didn't love me, but because hecame up in a time when men
didn't show emotion, when ifyou're tough, you don't cry and
you don't say stupid words likelove, and you can love God, but
you can't love your children.
You can love God and maybe youlove your wife, but anyway
(18:21):
that's who my dad was.
And so one day I noticed I quitkissing him and I quit hugging
him and I quit telling him Iloved him.
And I told Betty, I said I'mnot going to do that.
I'm going to be expressive onpurpose.
Our father is expressive of hislove to you on purpose.
And the second thing our fatherloves forever.
(18:42):
That's important.
That's important.
Our father doesn't disown hischildren.
Did you hear that?
Our Father doesn't throw youout of the house?
In Isaiah, chapter 49, verse 15,.
I already told you what theverse said.
I already told you what theverse said.
(19:03):
But then the verse a womanmight forget her baby, but God
will never forget his people.
In Psalm 103, 13,.
As the father pities, as thefather feels love, as the father
has compassion, as the fatheris tender, as the father talks
to his child, so the Lord doesall the same to us.
(19:25):
I want you to know that.
Listen to me, he feels everypain you have.
And when you're laying in bedat night with a little bit of
fear trembling through your bodybecause you don't know what's
going to happen, you can't payyour bills, your marriage is in
trouble, you're not living up towhat you want to be and you're
scared and you're worried, Iwant you to know the Father
(19:48):
pities you.
He feels for you.
He has compassion for you.
He takes your burdens on him.
That's who our Father is.
He will not quit loving you.
He will not quit loving youRomans 8, 31.
When my granddaddy lay dying,my cousin read this passage to
him over and over.
My granddaddy was well into his90s and he read this passage
(20:11):
Romans 8, 31.
What shall we say to thesethings?
If God before us, who can beagainst us?
In other words, if God isdetermined to stand with us and
tell us?
Tell me, if God's for us, whocan be against us?
I want you to know yourfather's for you.
I want you to know yourfather's for you.
He didn't hold back anything.
(20:32):
He did not spare his only son.
I want you to know that no onecan accuse you.
If the father himself loves youand loves you first and loves
you forever.
There is no one left that canaccuse you.
Because the judge is yourfather, because the lawyer is
Jesus, your brother.
(20:53):
You have something forever.
Nothing can separate us.
It is Jesus, your brother.
You have something forever.
Nothing can separate us.
It is Jesus himself praying forus.
Nothing can separate us fromthe sweet love of our father For
dads.
Real quickly, don't quit on yourkids.
They run away.
(21:13):
They do things they shouldn'tdo.
They get caught.
They embarrass you.
They embarrass you.
If you've been a dad, you'veprobably had a few embarrassing
moments.
Don't give up.
Don't walk away.
Always go find them, no matterwhere they are, no matter what
they do.
Go find them.
(21:35):
I know a guy whose daughter ranaway from home and she went a
long way from home and she waswalking down the street with her
boyfriend and she turned to himand said I'll promise you this,
my dad will be here soon.
He never.
You can't get away from him.
And then all of a sudden heshowed up behind her and said
hey, how you doing.
And took her back home.
(21:56):
Don't quit on your children.
Your father doesn't quit on youhow many of us have wandered
away?
How many of us have done whatwe shouldn't do?
How many of us know that if wewere the father, we'd have
abandoned us?
But our father doesn't abandonus.
Number three our Fatherforgives completely.
(22:19):
I don't know how I can expressthis to you, but I beg you to
take this to heart.
Did you know?
Now listen to me.
When God looks at you, hedoesn't see any of your sin.
Did you hear that?
You know that you remember thatadultery you committed?
(22:40):
He doesn't see it.
You remember that drunkennessor those drugs?
You remember that?
You remember that anger or thatpride?
He doesn't see that Father.
Our Father doesn't look at thatbecause he forgives completely.
In Luke, chapter 15, you havethe story of the prodigal son
and it's Jesus trying to helpyou see how the father is.
(23:00):
He wants you to understand thefather.
So he tells a story.
We call it parables.
He tells a story and he saidthe boy took all of it.
He was ugly to his dad and hetook his dad's money and he went
to a far country and he blew itall and he was doing wrong
stuff with the money.
And when he finally ran out andwhen there was nowhere to turn.
But go back to daddy.
He said I'll go home and hestarts writing out a whole
(23:24):
speech he'll give to his dad.
I'll tell him I did this andthis and this and I don't
deserve to be called your son.
I'll tell him if he could justlet me be a hired hand that
works every now and then when hehas a need.
That's what I'll tell my dad.
And all the way home, I canonly imagine he was dreading
facing his dad.
His dad any moment is going tocome out and say you cannot come
(23:45):
home.
If you do come home, here arethe rules.
That's what he thinks is goingto happen, because he has a bad
view of dad.
Like maybe you do view of dad,like maybe you do.
But as he gets close to home,jesus said, the father jumped up
, grabbed his robe, held it inhis hand and took off running,
the old man running towards thewayward boy and he hugged him
(24:09):
and he kissed him and the boystarts talking.
If you read the scripture it'sreally funny.
The boy starts talking and theBible says but scripture, it's
really funny.
The boy starts talking and theBible says but the father.
But the father said hey, myboy's come home, let's have a
party.
Get out the clothes, get outeverything, get at the foot,
let's have a party.
My boy's gone.
He never listened to the boy.
(24:29):
He had compassion on him and heran to him and he kissed him
and he dressed him.
He had compassion on him and heran to him and he kissed him
and he dressed him, because heforgives forever.
He forgives forever.
He made that clear.
He doesn't bring up our sins.
The Bible said in Isaiah 43, 25, he blots out and he doesn't
(24:51):
remember.
He erases and he doesn'tremember.
He pours ink on top of it.
It's a redacted statement, likethey would have it, but he
doesn't even do that.
He takes it, replaces it withJesus.
I think one of my favoritethings I think about as he
forgives us is he separates usfrom our sin as far as the east
is from the west.
That is so beautiful, becausewhen you look east, west is
(25:16):
behind you.
When you look west, east isbehind you.
In other words, when
But I really want to focus on and happy Father's Day
to all you dads.
Pretty happy day in our lives,amen.
I certainly remember the daythat Chris was born.
He's a big old guy now when yousee him, but I still remember
that day he was born and how itchanged my life and made me
extremely happy.
(00:20):
So I was thrilled to be a dad.
But today I want to focus onour Father.
I want us to think about theGod of heaven who is our Father.
I think sometimes Mother's Daygets really special time and, by
(00:41):
the way, she probably ought toget more special time and, by
the way, she probably ought toget more special time.
She does more of the work, Ithink, than us guys do.
But when I was in Mexico and Iwas studying Spanish, I started.
I went to the bookstore and Ibought all the little children's
reader books so I could learnSpanish.
So I took my classes, I spenttime on the streets and when I
(01:02):
had free time, I read the littlebooks like you read when you
were time on the streets.
And when I had free time, Iread little books like you read
when you were in kindergarten orwhatever, and I read through
all of them and I was readingalong through one of the books
and I got to Mother's Day and ithad tons of things about
Mother's Day being a dad.
I was so excited, I couldn'twait to get to Father's Day and
see what they had to say aboutFather's Day.
(01:23):
They skipped it, tommy.
There was no Father's Day and Iwas like I don't like this
culture, I'm upset.
But then I thought, well,that's kind of like our culture
in America.
But I want you to think todayabout your Father in heaven.
I will give you five truths.
I think that ought to exciteyou and motivate you and make
you more in love with yourFather today than you've ever
(01:44):
been.
Often you have a negative viewof god, the father, because of
what religion has taught you,because maybe you had a bad
relationship with your dad,maybe your dad was demanding and
you never did measure up, orwhatever.
Mama was sweet and daddy wasrough.
Jesus is sweet and the Fatheris rough.
(02:06):
That's not the Bible picture ofour God at all.
So I want to invite you tothink with me and meditate with
me on God, our Father.
Father in heaven, I love you,we love you, this church loves
you.
I think that's obvious in theway they come and the way they
love each other and the way theystrive to worship you
(02:28):
faithfully all the time.
But, father, I want to thankyou on behalf of all of us for
being our Father, and I want tothank you because you love us
and you do so much in our livesand we are so grateful.
And, like earthly dads, weoften forget what you do.
(02:50):
We forget about our dads, weforget about their effort, we
forget about you and sometimeswe put a lot of negative
connotations on you.
We don't want to do that, andso today we're going to look at
you and think about you and Iask you to speak to our hearts
and to warm your children and tohelp them love you In Jesus'
name, amen.
(03:10):
The Bible says in 1 John 3 andverse 1, behold what manner of
love the Father hath bestowedupon us that we should be called
the sons of God.
Therefore, the world knows usnot because it knew him not.
So John said can you believe it?
God calls us his children.
(03:32):
God, the Father, calls us hischildren.
That's a shocking thing becauseif you're in Jewish culture and
you know the Old Testament,there's only a couple of
references in the Old Testamentabout God as Father.
He's God as a judge, he's Godas giving commandments, he's God
as Lord, he's God as Almighty,he's God as Creator.
(03:54):
But there's not this personal,sweet relationship.
But the Apostle John knowsthere is something special he's
our Father and he calls us Hissons First time.
I think that it's reallymentioned.
Jesus is praying and he'steaching the guys how to pray.
They're having a discussion.
(04:14):
The guy said would you teach ushow to pray?
He said all right, when youpray, you pray like this.
Our Father, which art in heaven, you have to understand.
Our father, which aren't inheaven, was totally foreign,
totally new to them.
What in the world?
He said father.
He said father.
He called God the father, notGod the creator.
(04:36):
He called him father.
He didn't and that's not Jesusdidn't just call him father.
He called him our father, ourfather.
Together he's our Father and hewas marveling that God would
let him be called, that we couldbe called the sons of God.
Five things I want you to thinkon with me today as you meditate
(04:57):
on Father's Day, and I willapply a lot of things to our
fathers, but watch this Numberone our father loved us first.
Our father loved us first.
Now, that's an important thingfor you to understand.
Somewhere along the way,religion makes it like you've
got to come beg the father tolove you.
You've got to come to God andsay God please, I know I have
(05:20):
messed up, god, I'm bad, but theBible says the Father loved us
first, for God so loved theworld that he gave his only
begotten Son, and whosoeverbelieves in him shall not perish
but have everlasting life.
The Father loved us first.
Now I think about it.
When Chris was in the womb and Iloved him, he didn't love me
(05:42):
yet, he didn't even know who Iwas.
I went to Betty and I said toher I said you know, honey, I
think we ought to have a baby.
And she said well, I don't know, it was just a little scary.
And I said I know it's scary,but we ought to have a baby.
And so we got talking about it,we agreed, and then she was
with child.
She had a little baby inside ofher and I named him William
(06:04):
Christopher, long before he wasever born.
And I was in love with that kid, because when I was a boy you
probably never watched this, butthere was a TV show called the
Rifleman.
How many of you have everwatched the Rifleman?
Oh, I like that Number one.
He had a rifle that could shoot9,000 times in about 10 seconds
(06:25):
.
You know, bop, bop, bop, bop,bop, bop.
They don't even make a gun likethat, but anyway, I love that
guy.
But you know what I likedmostly?
It wasn't the rifle, it was theson in him.
I loved how Lucas McCain andhis son Mark're so close and I
dreamed of that relationship.
Our Father loved us first.
That's beautiful.
You didn't have to clean up forGod to love you.
(06:47):
You didn't have to clean up forGod to love you.
You don't have to come beggingGod to love you.
God loves you.
He's the Father and the Fatherloves you.
In fact, as the verse says,behold what manner of love the
Father has bestowed upon us.
Can you believe?
God loves you that much.
The second thing I want to showyou at this point we'll go
(07:09):
through them in a minute.
But the second thing I want toshow you is God loves you
forever.
I need you to think on that onea minute.
God loves you forever.
I got tons of Bible verses toprove all this.
You see, sometimes earthlyfathers will love you when
you're a little baby.
Come on, you know.
Six, five, six, you're good.
Eight, nine, you're still fair.
(07:31):
12, 13, you start getting alittle questionable.
17, 18 is like, I think, markTwain said when they turn to a
teenager, stick them in awhiskey barrel, carve a hole in
it and then, when they turn 18,just go ahead and plug the hole
and let the kid die, you know?
In other words, so sometimes wedon't love forever, but the
father loves forever.
There's a verse I'll show you ina minute.
(07:52):
Do you know what he said?
He said can a mother forget ababy that's on her breast?
Can a mama forget a baby thatcame out of her womb?
He baby that's on her breast.
Can a mama forget a baby thatcame out of her womb?
He said maybe, but I'll neverforget you.
How about that?
He said a mama might forget,because he knew that everybody
(08:12):
in this room knows if anybody'sgoing to forget you, it won't be
your mama, be your daddy.
But he said no, I won't forget.
He loves forever.
What only does he love forever?
He forgives completely.
He forgives completely.
Do you understand what thatmeans?
There's nothing between you andthe Father that's not already
(08:33):
completely paid for by JesusChrist and you're justified.
The Father forgives completely.
I'll show you some verses aboutthat.
Then the Father wants afriendship.
Did you know that?
All the way from the verybeginning of the Bible, all the
way to the end of the Bible, youknow what God desires A
(08:54):
relationship with us.
What's really beautiful is whenJesus tells his servants, his
disciples, he said I don't cally'all servants, I call you my
friends.
Then he said not only did Icall you my friends, he said you
know why?
Because, friends, you tell yourfriend everything and I tell
you everything.
He wants a friendship,relationship with you.
(09:16):
And then last and we'll look atthe verses now but the last
thing is I want you to know this, this he loves you more than
your failures.
He loves you more than yourfailures.
You trusted Christ as yoursavior.
You believed in God.
Here's a bad thing about alittle boy brought up in the WMU
and the Royal Ambassadors andSunday School and Vacation Bible
(09:37):
School.
I got saved in 9-7.
I've done more sinning since Igot saved than I ever did before
I got saved.
How many of y'all like that?
I mean, just be honest.
I mean I'm not one of thoseguys.
You know, when I was a kid theyused to have these people come
and give a testimony.
They spent 40 years in sin.
They've been living for Jesusfor a year or two.
I spent six or seven yearsyears without being saved.
(09:57):
Then I got saved and I've doneeven more.
But you know, my fatherforgives me forever and he loves
me more than my failure.
I want to show you a couple ofother Bible verses, real quickly
.
In Romans, chapter 8 and verse14, listen to what the Bible
says about our father.
For as many as are led by theSpirit of God, they are the sons
of God.
The sons of God, let me, let me.
(10:19):
I skipped a verse I wanted toshow youatians 4 6.
In Galatians 4 6, he said thatthe spirit of his son cries in
our heart.
Abba, father, he put the HolySpirit in you to love your
father and say daddy, father,abba was like daddy, not father,
(10:40):
not stern, bossy, demanding,demanding, rule-giving,
work-giving father, but daddy,the guy whose lap you climb up
in, the guy whose neck you hug,the guy that you're in love with
, daddy.
And then he said in Romans 8,14 through 15, he said this 14
through 16.
(11:00):
Did you know he sent his spiritin to tell you about the
adoption as a son.
A lot of times people don'tunderstand what that means.
Can I just real quickly showyou what that means?
In the Bible days, the adoptionwasn't like being adopted we're
born into the family we're notadopted in.
We're born into the familywe're not adopted in.
(11:21):
We're born into the familywe're not adopted in, but we're
going to be adopted.
You know what the adoption is?
It's that public display whenyou say to the world this is my
son.
In the Roman culture this bookwas written to.
In the Roman culture, when aperson was adopted, it was a day
when he finally grew up.
And one day, in front ofeverybody, dad stood up and said
(11:44):
this is my son and I am wellpleased in him.
And he took off his ring and heput it on his son and said I
want everybody to know this ismy son and when he speaks he
speaks in my name.
He's adopted.
You know that's what the fatherdoes for us.
He is proud you are his son.
Now I want to show you realquickly how our father loved us.
(12:04):
First, I want you to take yourBible.
If you're looking in your Bible.
You can go to Psalm 139.
Look it up later if you want.
Now, when I was I don't know howold I was one day my daddy told
me son, you're an accident.
You're an accident.
We did not want you.
Oh, I appreciate that, dad.
I was old enough to understandthat I was born 10 months after
(12:27):
they got married.
He said it was an accident.
We really wanted to wait longer, but you're here.
Then he said this.
He said you're the ugliest babyI've ever seen.
Can I get an amen right there?
I hadn't improved a whole lot,but anyway.
And I said I really appreciatethat Dad.
He'd laugh.
(12:47):
He said I'm just telling youthe truth.
He said you turned out a lotbetter than what I thought you
was going to.
Amen for your dad.
Amen.
But I want you to know your dadloves you first.
Your dad loves you first.
Your dad loves you first.
Our dad, our father, made us.
Now we know.
(13:10):
I know you're saying well,everybody knows that.
Yeah, but when God made you, hemade you real special, like In
Psalm 139, and I won't take thetime to read through it all
because I could be here all daywith what I want to show you
today.
But in Psalm 139, the Bible sayssays you are fearfully and
wonderfully made.
You are not an accident.
(13:32):
Did you know that God made youmore than you ever?
Look at your son and say man,look at the baby we made.
God looks at you and says no,no, you are fearfully and
wonderfully made.
I'm your father.
You are fearfully made.
Did you know?
It says in the Bible that hemade every bone that's in your
body.
Did you know that in the Bibleit says he likes you because he
(13:55):
made you on purpose.
You are not an accident.
Did you know?
He made you according to a planPsalm 139, he made a plan.
Most of my life I've thought myhead is just a little too big
for my body, come on.
And I've thought my legs are alittle bit too short.
(14:15):
I got a long trunk and loopylegs.
Betty and I have the sameinseam.
That's ridiculous.
She's 5'7" and I'm 6'1".
What did the Lord do?
And the Lord said I made you onpurpose.
I just want you to know yourskin color is not an accident
and you're not less than or morethan anyone else, because God
made you on purpose.
He's your father and he createdyou just like you are.
(14:37):
You say well, the way my eyesare formed.
I was sitting at the table withone of my girlfriends 55 years
ago.
I was sitting at the table withone of my girlfriends 55 years
ago and we're just sitting thereyou know how you teenagers are.
And she looked at me.
She goes ooh, your eyes aren'tconnected.
They look like they're going tofall out of your head.
And I went to the home and Ilooked in the mirror.
I was like I don't think theylook that weird.
(14:59):
They look kind of normal to me.
I just want you to know you arefearfully and wonderfully made
and everything about you.
God made you on purpose.
Our father loves you.
First, the psalmist said Icannot believe this, how you
formed me.
In Jeremiah, chapter one, inverse five, he said I formed you
in the belly.
This is what I really like.
(15:20):
You know what he told JeremiahWhile you was in your mother's
womb, I knew you.
You hear that you are not anaccident.
Maybe your daddy looked at youone day and said you was an
accident, but you're not.
Our father made you on purposeand our father loves you.
(15:41):
First.
In 1 John it says we love himbecause he first loved us.
You know, he, he made thesacrificial offering to save us.
He loved us first.
But not only did he love usfirst, he loved us again.
You know, he loved us when hemade us.
And then we messed up.
We all messed up, we all wentour own way, we did our our own
(16:02):
thing, we went out into sin, wewent out into rebellion, we went
out into making our owndecisions about what we do.
And he said well, I don't wantyou to die, I don't want to lose
this For God.
So loved the world, he gave hisonly begotten son and he said
Jesus, adapt for us.
Our father loved us first.
Our father loved us again.
Our Father loved us again.
He loved us.
By the way, I need you tounderstand something you don't
(16:28):
have to get the Father to loveyou.
In Romans, chapter 5 and verse6, romans, chapter 5 and verse 6
, the Bible says when we wereyet without strength, yet
without strength, he died forthe ungodly.
He died for you when you wereweak.
He died for you when you wereungodly.
He died for you when you wereweak.
He died for you when you wereungodly.
He died for you when you had noway to get to him.
He died for you when there wasnothing good about you.
(16:49):
He loves you.
He loves you In Romans 5,.
He died while we were yetsinners.
So could I just talk to dadsjust for a real brief minute?
Jeff, you may be the one I maymet the most, but he might just
take this from our father learnthis Love, the love first, love
first, love after mess ups.
(17:12):
And how about this one?
Be expressive of that love.
Now, you know, when you see bigold Chris, now 50 year old,
chris, daddy, chris, I mean itdon't remind you nothing of that
little baby that came home withme from the hospital.
I went and picked up mom andbaby from home to the hospital
(17:34):
when he was first born man, Ikissed him on the mouth, I
kissed him on the forehead, Ikissed him on the belly, I
kissed him on the back.
I threw him up.
He puked on me.
He did other stuff on me.
We won't discuss.
That's what come on.
How many of you dads know aboutthat?
Say amen, I think you do.
I think you do.
But then you know, he startedgetting bigger and my dad never
(17:58):
said he loved me.
My daddy was not going to beexpressive.
My daddy wasn't going to beexpressive, not because he
didn't love me, but because hecame up in a time when men
didn't show emotion, when ifyou're tough, you don't cry and
you don't say stupid words likelove, and you can love God, but
you can't love your children.
You can love God and maybe youlove your wife, but anyway
(18:21):
that's who my dad was.
And so one day I noticed I quitkissing him and I quit hugging
him and I quit telling him Iloved him.
And I told Betty, I said I'mnot going to do that.
I'm going to be expressive onpurpose.
Our father is expressive of hislove to you on purpose.
And the second thing our fatherloves forever.
(18:42):
That's important.
That's important.
Our father doesn't disown hischildren.
Did you hear that?
Our Father doesn't throw youout of the house?
In Isaiah, chapter 49, verse 15,.
I already told you what theverse said.
I already told you what theverse said.
(19:03):
But then the verse a womanmight forget her baby, but God
will never forget his people.
In Psalm 103, 13,.
As the father pities, as thefather feels love, as the father
has compassion, as the fatheris tender, as the father talks
to his child, so the Lord doesall the same to us.
(19:25):
I want you to know that.
Listen to me, he feels everypain you have.
And when you're laying in bedat night with a little bit of
fear trembling through your bodybecause you don't know what's
going to happen, you can't payyour bills, your marriage is in
trouble, you're not living up towhat you want to be and you're
scared and you're worried, Iwant you to know the Father
(19:48):
pities you.
He feels for you.
He has compassion for you.
He takes your burdens on him.
That's who our Father is.
He will not quit loving you.
He will not quit loving youRomans 8, 31.
When my granddaddy lay dying,my cousin read this passage to
him over and over.
My granddaddy was well into his90s and he read this passage
(20:11):
Romans 8, 31.
What shall we say to thesethings?
If God before us, who can beagainst us?
In other words, if God isdetermined to stand with us and
tell us?
Tell me, if God's for us, whocan be against us?
I want you to know yourfather's for you.
I want you to know yourfather's for you.
He didn't hold back anything.
(20:32):
He did not spare his only son.
I want you to know that no onecan accuse you.
If the father himself loves youand loves you first and loves
you forever.
There is no one left that canaccuse you.
Because the judge is yourfather, because the lawyer is
Jesus, your brother.
(20:53):
You have something forever.
Nothing can separate us.
It is Jesus, your brother.
You have something forever.
Nothing can separate us.
It is Jesus himself praying forus.
Nothing can separate us fromthe sweet love of our father For
dads.
Real quickly, don't quit on yourkids.
They run away.
(21:13):
They do things they shouldn'tdo.
They get caught.
They embarrass you.
They embarrass you.
If you've been a dad, you'veprobably had a few embarrassing
moments.
Don't give up.
Don't walk away.
Always go find them, no matterwhere they are, no matter what
they do.
Go find them.
(21:35):
I know a guy whose daughter ranaway from home and she went a
long way from home and she waswalking down the street with her
boyfriend and she turned to himand said I'll promise you this,
my dad will be here soon.
He never.
You can't get away from him.
And then all of a sudden heshowed up behind her and said
hey, how you doing.
And took her back home.
(21:56):
Don't quit on your children.
Your father doesn't quit on youhow many of us have wandered
away?
How many of us have done whatwe shouldn't do?
How many of us know that if wewere the father, we'd have
abandoned us?
But our father doesn't abandonus.
Number three our Fatherforgives completely.
(22:19):
I don't know how I can expressthis to you, but I beg you to
take this to heart.
Did you know?
Now listen to me.
When God looks at you, hedoesn't see any of your sin.
Did you hear that?
You know that you remember thatadultery you committed?
(22:40):
He doesn't see it.
You remember that drunkennessor those drugs?
You remember that?
You remember that anger or thatpride?
He doesn't see that Father.
Our Father doesn't look at thatbecause he forgives completely.
In Luke, chapter 15, you havethe story of the prodigal son
and it's Jesus trying to helpyou see how the father is.
(23:00):
He wants you to understand thefather.
So he tells a story.
We call it parables.
He tells a story and he saidthe boy took all of it.
He was ugly to his dad and hetook his dad's money and he went
to a far country and he blew itall and he was doing wrong
stuff with the money.
And when he finally ran out andwhen there was nowhere to turn.
But go back to daddy.
He said I'll go home and hestarts writing out a whole
(23:24):
speech he'll give to his dad.
I'll tell him I did this andthis and this and I don't
deserve to be called your son.
I'll tell him if he could justlet me be a hired hand that
works every now and then when hehas a need.
That's what I'll tell my dad.
And all the way home, I canonly imagine he was dreading
facing his dad.
His dad any moment is going tocome out and say you cannot come
(23:45):
home.
If you do come home, here arethe rules.
That's what he thinks is goingto happen, because he has a bad
view of dad.
Like maybe you do view of dad,like maybe you do.
But as he gets close to home,jesus said, the father jumped up
, grabbed his robe, held it inhis hand and took off running,
the old man running towards thewayward boy and he hugged him
(24:09):
and he kissed him and the boystarts talking.
If you read the scripture it'sreally funny.
The boy starts talking and theBible says but scripture, it's
really funny.
The boy starts talking and theBible says but the father.
But the father said hey, myboy's come home, let's have a
party.
Get out the clothes, get outeverything, get at the foot,
let's have a party.
My boy's gone.
He never listened to the boy.
(24:29):
He had compassion on him and heran to him and he kissed him
and he dressed him.
He had compassion on him and heran to him and he kissed him
and he dressed him, because heforgives forever.
He forgives forever.
He made that clear.
He doesn't bring up our sins.
The Bible said in Isaiah 43, 25, he blots out and he doesn't
(24:51):
remember.
He erases and he doesn'tremember.
He pours ink on top of it.
It's a redacted statement, likethey would have it, but he
doesn't even do that.
He takes it, replaces it withJesus.
I think one of my favoritethings I think about as he
forgives us is he separates usfrom our sin as far as the east
is from the west.
That is so beautiful, becausewhen you look east, west is
(25:16):
behind you.
When you look west, east isbehind you.
In other words, when
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