FATHER'S DAY (2024)
FATHER’S DAY
Our Father in Heaven
Sunday, June 16, 2024, the Year of Our Lord
I love preaching on Father’s Day. Of course, I actually love preaching on any day. However, Father’s Day re-stirs the memories of love, respect, provision, peace, and comfort of my childhood. As an adult, I realize my parents would have been struggling with the challenges of the severity of eking out their livelihood from farming. Yet, the important matters of life like love, security, shelter, food, heat, clothing, and the priority of an education were always there.
As is our custom, on Father’s Day, we honor our earthly fathers, as well as the father of our children. All the men of this church are due my respect and honor and I pray I have shown you that respect. Thank you for your faithfulness, your financial support, your prayers, your good-speaking and your good-will.
And to all the ministers who have faithfully stood with this church over the past 25-years. No man or woman stands alone. We exist by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and “every joint supplies.”
Also, it continues to be our custom to honor a father-of-the-year. This year, I would like to give that honor to James Allen Farley. His faithfulness and generosity to his wife and son, his faithful support and attendance to this church and personally, he has had my back so many times.
As I sought the Lord for the message today, it seems to align with Rev. Kayode’s challenge in the upcoming conference for us to preach on the “God of life.”
Because I had a good father, it was easy for me to come into relationship with our Father in Heaven.
The Greek word for Father is pater (Strong’s G3962).
The first definition is that he is a male ancestor. That is an important point in a gender confused generation. "The nearest ancestor, father of the corporeal nature, a natural father
The originator and transmitter of anything; the author of a family, or society of persons animated by the same spirit as himself. One who has infused his own spirit into others. One who stands in a father’s place and looks after another in a paternal way.
God the Father is Father of the stars, and the heavenly luminaries, because He is their creator, upholder, ruler. He is Father of all rational and intelligent beings, whether angels or men; because he is their creator; preserver, guardian and protector. He is Father of spiritual beings and of all men, of Christians, as those who through Christ have been exalted to a specially close and intimate relationship with God, and who no longer dread him as a stern judge of sinners, but revere him and their reconciled and loving Father.
The Father of Jesus Christ, as one whom God has united to himself in the closest bond of love and intimacy, made acquainted with his purposes, appointed to explain and carry out among men the plan of salvation, and made to share also in his own divine nature." (Strong's)
The Spirit of the Father, the grace of His life was imparted to us when we were born again into the Kingdom of God. Therefore, God is our Father, because we have been born into not just His kingdom, but His Spirit is within us. That imparts to us all the blessings, privileges, and inheritance of His Kingdom.
Matthew 7:7-11: Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son asks for bread; will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
This reveals the heart of God who is Good and who loves us and who shows that love by giving only that which is good to us. He delights to bless us.
Then there is Father God’s wisdom. He always knows what is best for us. He is working all things after the counsel of His own will.
Our relationship of trust is so honoring toward God that we know that all things work together for good to them that love God; to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Ro. 8:28).
In whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will. (Eph. 1:11).
My Father always knows what we need.
Matthew 6: 31-34: Do not worry, saying; “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” Or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
The Father always knows when we need it.
Luke 12:32: Do not fear little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
The Father always gives the right answer and is the only one who knows the right answer.
Hebrews 5: 6-11: For whom the LORD loves, He chastens; and scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, or which all have become partakers; then you are illegitimate and not sons. We have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? … that we may be partakers of His holiness.
My Father God allows circumstances in my life to bring me to maturity in Him. (Ro. 8: 28-29).
My Father protects me from myself. Now that Jesus is LORD, Satan has no dominion over us.
Col. 1:13: He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of His love; in whom we have redemption through His blood; the forgiveness of sin. He is the image of the invisible God; the firstborn over all creation.
Father God is so great that we have no one with whom to compare Him. He is the “Fairest of ten thousand” and the “Lily of the Valley,” “the Bright and Morning Star,” “the King of kings”, “the Lord of Lords”. As beautiful as these words are none of them expresses the greatness of our Father in heaven.
The name of God, “Jehovah-Jireh” (“the Lord will see and provide”) has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Phil. 4:19) and all things are upheld by Him. (Col. 1:17). The psalmist declared, “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation. Like a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those that fear him.” (Ps. 68:5; 103:13)
Jesus and the Father are one Jn. 17:22: And the glory which you gave me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. We whether male or female have freely been given by grace the Father’s heart, wisdom, and Spirit. Jesus said, “He that has seen me has seen the Father Jn. 14:9b. Isaiah prophesied that one of Messiah’s designations would be, “The everlasting Father” (Isa. 9:6).
In Proverbs 4, we hear the words of Solomon as he honors his father, David. He gives fourteen commandments and blessings of obeying the words of a Godly Father. Hear you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you a good doctrine, forsake not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let your heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding; forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve you, love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her. She shall give to your head an ornament of grace and a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.
This is a promise of the Lord. One of the functions of the prophetic ministry is to declare the Father’s blessing to the children and to teach the children to honor their Fathers. Father’s day is not just a day of the world system. Honoring your Father will give your head an ornament of grace and a crown of glory. Honor your Father and Mother is a commandment to obey and with it comes a long and good life.
When we are commanded to honor our father and mother, it does not say the good fathers and mothers, it says, “honor your father and mother.” This is one of the scriptures which releases automatic blessing to you and to your family.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from N.K.J.V.