This morning has been such a blessing as I've experienced God's presence through our songs, prayers, communion, and testimonies. What a wonderful thing it is that we can come together and celebrate our Lord.
Today we're celebrating Father's Day, and as we've remembered our fathers, we know that none of them are perfect. When I look around, I see all kinds of fathers - some good-natured and kind, others more difficult. Some are deeply involved in their children's lives, others more absent. Some are godly examples that inspire others, while others serve as examples of what not to become.
Despite these differences and imperfections, there is a great blessing in fatherhood. As Pastor Sam shared from Psalm 103, "as a father has compassion and pities his children, so the Lord has compassion upon us." God frequently compares His relationship with His people to that of a father with his children.
Understanding God as Father - Not Just a New Testament Concept
I used to think that Jesus was the first to introduce God as Father, but I realized this wasn't entirely new. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray "Our Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:9), the people didn't try to stone Him. They only became angry when He claimed a personal relationship, saying "My Father and I are one."
The Jews were comfortable with people having a corporate relationship with God as Father, but not with anyone claiming God as their personal Father. That's the revolutionary change Jesus brought - not just knowing God as Father in general, but having a personal, intimate relationship with Him.
The Old Testament shows us that God's fatherhood wasn't completely new. In Deuteronomy 32:6, Moses asks: "Is God not your father who has bought you? Has he not made you and established you?" In Isaiah 63:16: "You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer." And Isaiah 64:8: "You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter."
Even in the Old Testament, God wanted a relationship as Father with His children. But people never dared to call Him Father directly. That's the difference Jesus brought - teaching us to pray through relationship, not ritual.
Our Heavenly Father Fills Every Gap
When we think about earthly fathers, sometimes we focus on their imperfections - they don't understand us, they're not perfect. Sometimes we look at other people's fathers and think they're so much better. But I want to tell you: don't covet your neighbor's father any more than you would covet anything else that belongs to them.
Forgive your father if he's not perfect. But here's what's crucial: God wants you to have a relationship with Him as your loving Father, and His love fills every gap you have in your life.
Through Jesus Christ, that connection has been created between you and the Father. We are no longer orphans or slaves - we are His children. As Jesus said, if earthly fathers give good gifts to their children, how much more will our Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to His children?
The Holy Spirit Confirms We Are God's Children
The Spirit of God testifies to our spirits that we are God's children. Galatians 4:6-7 tells us: "Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son."
Notice how all three persons of the Trinity are present here - God the Father sent the Holy Spirit of His Son. God has sent the Spirit of Jesus Christ into our hearts, and the Spirit cries "Abba, Father!"
Romans 8:15-16 explains this further: "You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
We used to live under a spirit of bondage that brought fear, but now we have the Spirit of adoption. When your spirit communes with His Spirit, His Spirit constantly tells you that you are a child of God.
A Personal Testament - Father of the Fatherless
I want to share something personal. When I was three, my father moved to another country. We joined him when I was four, but he got cancer and died when I was six. I have very few memories of him.
I remember sitting in the hospital not understanding what was happening. At the funeral, I heard people ask, "Who is this boy?" They didn't even know I was his son. Growing up without a father at home affected us deeply - financially and emotionally.
But I can testify that in every emptiness in my life, knowing the Lord has filled that void. Psalm 68:5 declares: "A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows is God in His holy habitation."
God is a Father even to the fatherless. In my brokenness, I cried out to Him, and in His graciousness, He touched me and drew me to Himself. Because He is the Father of the fatherless, I was able to reach out to a friend and begin my journey with the Lord.
The Eternal Truth
No matter what kind of earthly father you had - whether absent, imperfect, harsh, or loving - you have a Heavenly Father who is perfect in every way. He has adopted you into His family through Jesus Christ. His Spirit lives within you, constantly reminding you that you belong to Him.
You are not an orphan. You are not a slave. You are a beloved child of the Most High God. This is the relationship He has established with you through Jesus Christ, and it's a relationship that will never end.
Hallelujah! He is always our Father.