This sermon, titled “The Priesthood: Past and Present,” delves into the role and responsibilities of the priesthood as outlined in Malachi 2:1-9 and contrasts it with the New Testament understanding of priesthood. It begins by highlighting the failures of the Old Testament priests, who were admonished for their failure to honor God properly, leading to curses upon them and their descendants. The sermon underscores the importance of priestly integrity and the impact of their failures on the people. It then transitions to discuss the exemplary role of the priesthood under the covenant with Levi, emphasizing that priests were to be models of truth and righteousness.
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Malachi 2:1 “And now, O priests, this commandment is for you.
Malachi 2:2 If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory
to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse
your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart.
Malachi 2:3 “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants and spread refuse on your faces,
The refuse of your solemn feasts; and one will take you away with it.
Malachi 2:4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that
My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 2:5 “My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, and I gave them to
him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me and was reverent before My name.
Malachi 2:6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips.
He walked with Me in peace and equity, and turned many away from iniquity.
Malachi 2:7 “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek
the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 2:8 But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble
at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 2:9 “Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base before all
the people, because you have not kept My ways but have shown partiality in the law.”
We need to know that Christianity’s a covenant.
Whenever we have the Lord’s Supper we are celebrating our covenant with the Lord.
Malachi 2:1 “And now, O priests, this commandment is for you.
I. CLOSED EARS AND HARD HEARTS.
Malachi 2:2 If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory
to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, …
Oftentimes, the resistance to the truth is not that we don’t understand it, but it’s
that we don’t like what’s being said.
Malachi 2:2 If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart,”
II. CURSED CHILDREN AND MANURE MAKEOVERS.
Malachi 2:2 “…I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings, Yes, I have
cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart.
Malachi 2:3 “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants and spread refuse on your faces,
The refuse of your solemn feasts; and one will take you away with it.
Malachi 2:3 “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants …”
Malachi 2:3 (MSG) Yes, and the curse will extend to your children…
Matthew 15:14 “… if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
Some of us have lived under the elustion that we’re an individual and that the decisions
we make don’t affect anyone else.
Malachi 2:3 Behold, I will … spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your
solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.
Malachi 2:3 (NLT) I will … splatter your faces with the manure from your festival
sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile.
Nahum 3:6: “I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.”
Malachi 2:3 … And one will take you away with it.
III. GOOD JOB, GOOD EXAMPLE.
Malachi 2:4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that
My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 2:5 “My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, and I gave them to
him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me and was reverent before My name.
Malachi 2:6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips.
He walked with Me in peace and equity, and turned many away from iniquity.
Malachi 2:7 “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek
the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
IV. BAD JOB, BAD EXAMPLE.
Malachi 2:8 But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble
at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 2:9 “Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base before all
the people, because you have not kept My ways but have shown partiality in the law.”
We can have partiality for different doctrines.
Proverbs 29:25 (VOICE) If you fear other people, you are walking into a dangerous
trap; but if you trust in the Eternal, you will be safe.
Galatians 1:10 (ESV) For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am
I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of
Christ.
You can’t make everyone happy. You’re not pizza.
Isaiah 8:13 (TLB) Don’t fear anything except the Lord of the armies of heaven! If you
fear him, you need fear nothing else.
V. THE NEW COVENANT AND THE NEW PRIESTHOOD.
1 Peter 2:5 (ESV) You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual
house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Revelation 1:6 (ESV) And made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him
be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
As priests we are to become intercessors.
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks be made for all men,
This sermon, titled “Flesh Failures, Sloppy Seconds, and Weary Worship,” focuses on the rebuke God delivers through the prophet Malachi concerning the failures of His people in honoring Him. In Malachi 1:6-14, God critiques the priests, sacrificial system, and worship practices of the Israelites, pointing out their lack of reverence and the degradation of their offerings. The sermon examines how the priests failed to honor God appropriately, offering defiled sacrifices and showing contempt for the sacred duties of their ministry. It highlights the broader implications of these failures on the temple and worship, stressing that a true relationship with God involves sincere, wholehearted devotion rather than mere ritual. The message challenges believers to reflect on their own worship practices and commitment to God, urging them to offer their best and engage in worship with genuine reverence and enthusiasm.
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Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord
of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have
we despised Your name?’
Malachi 1:7 “You offer defiled food on My altar. But say, ‘In what way have we
defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’
Malachi 1:8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you
offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be
pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 1:9 “But now entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While
this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?” Says the Lord
of hosts.
Malachi 1:10 “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that
you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” Says the
Lord of hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name
shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to
My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 1:12 “But you profane it, In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled;
And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’
Malachi 1:13 You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the
Lord of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring
an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the Lord.
Malachi 1:14 “But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male, And takes
a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished– For I am a great King,” Says
the Lord of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations.
Adrian Rogers once said, “Wicked rulers are God’s reward for wicked people.”
(Quote)
“What if we prayed, ‘Lord you know my future. If you see that I’m going to do
something to hurt my family or destroy my ministry, would you, by your grace,
take me to an early grave.”
I. THE PRIESTS WERE FAILING.
Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord
of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have
we despised Your name?’
People who don’t honor God are simply people who don’t take God seriously.
Malachi 1:6 (VOICE) From your self-centered oblivion you ask, “How have we despised
Your name?”
II. THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM WAS FAILING.
Malachi 1:7 “You offer defiled food on My altar. But say, ‘In what way have we
defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’
Malachi 1:8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you
offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? …
Malachi 1:12 “But you profane it, In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled;
And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’
Malachi 1:8 “… Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would
he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.
2 Corinthians 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or
of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
Acts 20:35 (AMP) “… Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said,
‘It is more blessed [and brings greater joy] to give than to receive.’'”
The giving is not to get a blessing.
The giving is the blessing.
The blessing is not in the getting, the blessing is in the giving.
III. THE MINISTRY WAS FAILING.
Malachi 1:9 “But now entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While
this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?” Says the Lord
of hosts.
Malachi 1:9 (NLT) “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring
that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord
of Heaven’s Armies.
Malachi 1:9 (GNT) Now, you priests, try asking God to be good to us. He will not
answer your prayer, and it will be your fault.
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you….
IV. THE TEMPLE WAS FAILING.
Malachi 1:10 “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that
you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” Says the
Lord of hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
If God’s people don’t take God’s glory seriously, then no one will.
10,000 churches in America have disappeared in a five-year period.
50% of new church starts never make it to a second year
V. WORSHIP WAS FAILING.
Malachi 1:13 You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the
Lord of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring
an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the Lord.
Malachi 1:14 “But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male, And takes
a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished– For I am a great King,” Says
the Lord of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations.
We will become weary if our heart is not in it.
Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart fail ….
1 Timothy 3:14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
1 Timothy 3:15 But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to
conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar
and ground of the truth.
The sermon titled “Holy Hatred and Divine Decisions” delves into Malachi’s message on divine justice and sovereignty. It explores the concept of holy hatred through God’s love for Jacob and hatred for Esau, examining the role of divine hatred in addressing sin and wickedness. The sermon also addresses the theme of divine choice, emphasizing that God’s election and mercy are based on His will and purpose rather than human merit, drawing on passages from Romans and other scriptures to highlight the nature of God’s sovereign decisions and their ultimate goal of glorifying Him
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Malachi 1:1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have
You loved us?” Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. Yet Jacob I have
loved;
Malachi 1:3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage
For the jackals of the wilderness.”
Malachi 1:4 Even though Edom has said, “We have been impoverished, But we
will return and build the desolate places,” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They
may build, but I will throw down; They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness,
And the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever.
Malachi 1:5 Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, ‘The Lord is magnified
beyond the border of Israel.’
Q #1: How Have You Loved Us?
Q #2. How Have We Shown Contempt For Your Name?
Q #3. Why (Do You Not Accept Our Worship)?
Q #4. How Have We Wearied You?
Q #5. How Are We to Return?
Q #6. How Have We Robbed You?
Q #7. What Have We Said Against You?
I. HOLY HATRED: WE MUST LET GOD HATE BECAUSE HE DOES HATE.
Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have
You loved us?” Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. Yet Jacob I have
loved;
Malachi 1:3 But Esau I have hated, …
Is God a hater?
Is all hatred evil?
Is “hate” always negative?
Is hate ever the answer?
Is there ever a positive side to hate?
Is there good hatred and bad hatred?
Is it ever alright to hate?
Is hate ever the answer?
Is it all about hating the right things?
Are there some things we should hate?
Where does hate come from?
Ecclesiastes 3:8 A time to love, And a time to hate;
Psalm 5:5 “. . . You hate all workers of iniquity”
Psalm 5:6 “… The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
Psalm 7:11 “… God is angry with the wicked every day.
Psalm 119:163 I hate and abhor lying,
Proverbs 6:16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
Proverbs 6:17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
Proverbs 6:18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
Proverbs 6:19 A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among
brethren.
Proverbs 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord
among brethren.
Leviticus 20:23 “… For they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them.
Malachi 2:16 “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce …”
God hates what many people love — Sin!!!
Malachi 1:3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage
For the jackals of the wilderness.”
Malachi 1:4 Even though Edom has said, “We have been impoverished, But we
will return and build the desolate places,” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They
may build, but I will throw down; They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness,
And the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever.
If God be for us who can be against us, but if God be against us who can be for us.
II. DIVINE DECISIONS: WE MUST LET GOD CHOOSE BECAUSE HE DOES CHOOSE.
Romans 9:11 (For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil,
that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him
who calls),
Romans 9:12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”
Romans 9:13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God?
Certainly not!
Romans 9:15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have
mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
Romans 1:16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God
who shows mercy.
If God chose you because of what you did, then who gets the glory?
You do.
But the purpose of God is to glorify Himself.
John 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes
to Me I will by no means cast out.
John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;
John 15:19 “… I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Ephesians 1:5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the good pleasure of His will,
1 Peter 1:2 “… elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
Matthew 15:24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel.”
Acts 15:14 (NLT) Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to
take from them a people for himself.
Why doesn’t the Father get to pick who goes to His house?
Romans 3:11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God
Edgar Bernhard poem
If you go to heaven, You will likely view
Many folks whose presence there,Will be a shock to you.
But just keep very quiet; Don’t even stare.
Doutbless there’ll be many folks, Surprised to see you there.
Since God knows everything, and He knew that when He created people they
wouldn’t choose Him, then why did He go ahead and create them?
John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe
is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.
1 Corinthians 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed.
O Lord, come!
We’re saved by God, we’re saved from God, we’re saved to God, we’re saved for God.
Jonah 2:9 “… Salvation is of the Lord.”
Join us as we dive deep into the book of Malachi, exploring the profound questions posed to God and His revealing responses. Discover how these ancient dialogues are still relevant today, reminding us of God’s unwavering love and our relationship with Him.
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Malachi 1:1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have
You loved us?’
Malachi 1:2 “… You say, ‘In what way have You loved us?
Malachi 1:6 “… Where is My honor? Where is My reverence? You say, “In what way
have we despised Your name?’
‘Malachi 1:7 “… In what way have we defiled You?
Malachi 1:13 “…Should I accept this from your hand?
Malachi 2:17 You have wearied the Lord with your words;Yet you say, “In what way
have we wearied Him?”
Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? But you say, “In what way have we robbed You?
Malachi 3:13 “… What have we spoken against You?’
This is not what God has said, this is what God is still saying.
I. GOD’S LOVE BURDENED.
Malachi 1:1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send My messenger, …
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Mark 2:3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.
Mark 2:4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered
the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on
which the paralytic was lying.
Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins
are forgiven you.”
Didn’t someone believe for you before you believed?
Didn’t someone pray for us before we knew to pray for ourselves?
Every person’s salvation begins with the burden, interest and influence of another.
II. GOD’S LOVE ANNOUNCED.
Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.”
Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor?
Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one Father?
III. GOD’S LOVE DOUBTED.
Malachi 1:2 “… Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’
Catergory #1. We Must Take The Good With The Bad.
Job 2:10 (NLT) Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never
anything bad?”
Catergory #2. Right Place, Right Time, Wrong Place, Wrong Time.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned and saw under the sun that–
The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and chance happen to them all.
Catergory #3. Be Ready: It Could Happen To You.
Luke 13:4 (NLT) And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in
Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
Luke 13:5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
Catergory #4. Don’t Worry, It’s None Of Your Business.
John 21:18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you
liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go.
But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and
take you where you don’t want to go.”
John 21:19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify
God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
John 21:20 Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—
the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will
betray you?”
John 21:21 Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”
John 21:22 Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to
you? As for you, follow me.
Catergory #5. God Is Not Obligated To Explain Himself To Us.
Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter…”
Isaiah 45:15 ” Truly you are a God who hides Himself.”
Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,”
says the Lord.
Isaiah 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher
than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Romans 11:33 “… How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Psalm 139:2 “… You know my thoughts even when I’m far away
Psalm 139:3 “… You know everything I do.”
Psalm 139:4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save
He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
This sermon explores fatherhood from a biblical perspective, emphasizing that fatherhood is a divine calling and an integral part of God’s kingdom work. The sermon is supported by a variety of biblical references and personal reflection questions to help the congregation examine their relationships with their fathers and understand the role of fathers in God’s plan.
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John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, to those who believe in His name:
John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children
of God,
2 Corinthians 6:18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”
Matthew 6:9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven,
Dad daddy, dada, pa, papa, pop, poppa, poppy old man, old boy, old guy
origin, ancestor, parent, predecessor, patriarch, progenitor, forebearer, procreator
Begetter, sire, source
So, how would you describe your father?
* Was he soft and gentle or harsh and demanding?
* Was he there for you when you needed him, or was he always on the go and
away from the home a lot of the time?
* Was he affectionate and demonstrative, or did he keep his distance?
* Was he emotionally transparent and easy to read, or was he Stoic and reserved,
keeping his feelings to himself?
* Was he an outdoorsman or a homebody?
* Did he read to you when you were little and play with you as you were growing up?
* Did he teach you to do things? What sort of practical skills did you learn from
your father?
* Was he a good listener? Could you share your thoughts and feelings with him
without getting a lecture in return?
* Was he a man of faith? Did he share his faith with you and help you to experience
the peace of God’s presence and the power of God’s love?
* Was he authoritative or easy going?
* Was he quick to discipline you and keep you in line, or did he give you freedom
to explore and make your own discoveries … your own decisions … and your own
mistakes?
* If you’re a son, was your father someone you wanted to be like when you grew up?
If you’re a daughter, was your father the type of man you hoped to marry some day?
* What did you love most about your father?
If you had the chance, what words of gratitude and affirmation would you most like
to share with him today if you could?
I. THE FATHER’S LOVE IS A LOVE THAT IS A FAMILY LOVE.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:15 ” … You received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,
Abba, Father.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children
of God,
Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
Lyrics “Abba Father” by Michael Card
Abba Father
Since that word became Your covenant name
Abba Father I cry out to You
Knowing You will hear my plea
For You’ve adopted me
II. THE FATHER’S LOVE IS A LOVE THAT IS BEYOND MEASURE.
1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love ..
Ephesians 3:17 (TLB) May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous
love;
Ephesians 3:18 and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children
should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is;
Ephesians 3:19 and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great
that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last
you will be filled up with God himself.
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
Romans 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Stuart Townsend’s song “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us.”
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
Romans 1:7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, …”
James 1:16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
Pew reports that only 11 percent of American children lived apart from their
dads in 1960 which equates to 1 in every 10 children
Now an estimated 24.7 million children (33%) live absent of their biological father.
So one in every three American children are now growing up in a home without
their biological father.
39 % of students, first through 12th grade, are fatherless.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau:
Only 68% of children will spend their entire childhood with an intact family.
That equates to 1 in every 3 children in the United States not having access
to their father.
III. THE FATHER’S LOVE IS A LOVE THAT IS UNCONDITIONAL.
1 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT) Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful
or proud
1 Corinthians 13:5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and
it keeps no record of being wronged.
1 Corinthians 13:6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth
wins out.
1 Corinthians 13:7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and
endures through every circumstance.
IV. THE FATHER’S LOVE IS A LOVE THAT PAYS ATTENTION.
Psalm 139:1 (NLT) Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything
about me.
Psalm 139:2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts
even when I’m far away.
Psalm 139:3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know
everything I do.
Psalm 139:4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
Fathers lead, feed, and intercede
1) Leadership- establishing and leading by example a household;
2) Feeding – providing for his family
3) Interceding – praying, protecting and upholding that which he established.
Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate
you.
Luke 6:28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
Matthew 5:6 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the
death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us.”
2 Corinthians 6:18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”
