Celebrating Father’s Day

Celebrating Father’s Day

(Preaching Outline)

1)      Today we celebrate Father’s Day, and will begin with a question, what is one of the primary differences between a husband and a Father?  It is really an obvious answer contained in the question itself, but the idea is really important. Here are some other questions with obvious answers that are also relevant:

a)       What does a father initially contribute to creating a child?

b)      What is a seed?

c)       With plants and even animals, their essence is truly material, but is being a father primarily material, or is it something much more?

d)      It seems the purpose of a Father is to reproduce authentic humans.

e)      Is a human who is governed by their appetites truly human?

f)        What is a home or a family and how are they important in reproducing authentic humans?

g)       What is the purpose of a human being?

h)      What is the true home that we are seeking?

i)        As we explore scriptures in celebration of Father’s Day, please keep some of those questions in your mind. 

2)      The apostolic greeting:

a)       2 Corinthians 1:2 (NKJV) — 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

b)      Romans 1:7 (NKJV) — 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

c)       Galatians 1:3–4 (NKJV) — 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

3)      God is our Father

a)       1 Corinthians 4:15 (NKJV) — 15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

b)      1 Peter 1:23 (NKJV) — 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

c)       John 1:12–13 (NKJV) — 12 But as many as received  Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

d)      2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) — 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

4)      Becoming sons of God

a)       1 John 3:2 (NKJV) — 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

b)      Seeing seems to be the key to becoming

c)       2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV) — 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

5)      Seeing the Father

a)       Matthew 5:44–45 (NKJV) — 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

b)      The parable of the landowner (Matt 20:1-16)

i)        1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

ii)       A 12 hour work day, people hired throughout the day up to the 11^th hour…told he would give them what is fair – at the end of the day he gave them all 1 denarius.

iii)     11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

c)       The parable of the father with two sons – one who was prodigal (Luke 15:11-32)

d)      A story Brad Young tells: “You will return to the LORD thy God . . . ,” Rabbi Samuel Pargrita [perhaps of Phrygia] said in the name of Rabbi Meir: The matter can be compared to the son of a king who took to evil ways. The king sent a tutor to him who appealed to him saying, “Repent, my son.” The son, however, sent him back to his father [with the message], “How can I have the effrontery to return? I am ashamed to come before you.” Thereupon his father sent back word, “My son, is a son ever ashamed to return to his father? And is it not to your father that you will be returning?” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, sent Jeremiah to Israel when they sinned, and said to him: “Go, say to My children, Return.”[1]

6)      Celebrating Father’s Day

a)       Every father should want to be like our heavenly father to our children, but practically we are becoming like our father as we see Him. We are becoming what we were originally created to be.

b)      The greatest blessing for our children is for them to know our Father in heaven and find grace and peace in Him.

c)       He is our true home, that makes our homes a good home for our children.

d)      In Him we have an eternal home.

e)      The church is a home where we hopefully get to see and experience our Father.

f)        As we raise up sons and daughters of our Father, we transform the world and make it habitable.

g)       The marriage of heaven and earth.

h)      The mustard seed and the leaven.

i)        Celebrating Father’s Day – the original and great commission.