Sermon: Father’s Day
Bible Passage: Luke 15:11-32
I. Introduction
1. God self-discloses as: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
2. In this self-disclosure, God’s Fatherhood is revealed in relation to God the Son, Jesus
a. This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased (Matt 3:17)
b. This is my Son, whom I love (Mark 9:7)
c. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands (John 3:35)
d. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him (Matt 11:27)
e. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself (John 5:26)
f. God’s Fatherhood existed in eternity in relation to the Son
3. During His earthly ministry, the Son sought the Father constantly
a. Luke 5:16 After healing of the leper
b. Luke 6:12 Selection of disciples
c. Luke 9:29 Transfiguration
d. Luke 22:39-46 Gethsemane
e. Luke 23:34, 46 Cross
4. God the Father extended the Fatherhood to Israel
a. Exod 4:22 “Israel is my son, my firstborn”
b. Hos 1:10 “You are children of the living God!”
c. Isa 63:16 “For you are our father, you, O Lord, are our father; our Redeemer”
5. God the Father graciously offers the Fatherhood to us, the Christians
a. To all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children—children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God (John 1:12-13)
b. God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights. 4:6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls “Abba! Father!” So, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son, then you are also an heir through God (Gal 4:4-7)
c. Jesus has taught us to call God “Heavenly Father” (Matt 6:9)
6. Fatherhood originates from God the Father (define)
7. Jesus explains God’s Fatherhood through a parable in Luke 15:11-32
a. Father is compassionate toward the prodigal son despite all the negatives (15:20 “he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him”)
i. He broke the fifth commandment (Exod 20:12)
ii. The son disposed his father’s property while he was still alive—it was illegal (The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me Luke 15:12)
iii. He associated with a gentile and worked for him (Luke 15:15 So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs)
iv. He became unclean through his profession
v. He was totally depraved (Luke 15:16 He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything)
vi. Did not reject the son when he returned (15:19-20 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.” So he got up and went to his father)
vii. Demonstrates love publicly (15:22-24 he ran and hugged his son and kissed him.
b. Father is the initiator of restoration from estrangement
i. Ran (15:20)—father’s initiative
ii. Hugged (15:20 “he fell on his neck”
iii. Kissed (15:20 to show acceptance)
iv. Gives new robe, ring, shoes (15:22)
v. Fattened calf, eating, and celebration (15:24)
c. Father accepts a failed member of the family by not criticizing the person
i. Accepts the one who rejected him
ii. Gracious— a willingness to reach down with affection the one who did not deserve it (he does not hold grudges against others)
d. But he was firm with his elder son
i. Disapproves his legalistic behavior (Luke 15:32 It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found)
ii. Informs his elder son that relationship with the father is not based on merits but on love and freedom
iii. Invites his elder son to rejoice over the lost brother
II. Theology
1. God has granted to all believers the right to enjoy the Fatherhood of God
2. God has accepted believers as His children. So, they need to get rid of their orphan mindset
a. They are adopted with full rights
b. They are no more slaves
c. The Spirit of the Father dwells in them
3. God the Father accepts all repentant sinners, no matter how sinful and undeserving they may be (the best Father’s Day celebration is “to come back to God the Father with repentance”)
4. Just as the Father is accessible to the Son and the Son always longs to be with the Father, believers have freedom to relate with God the Father
5. Believers do not relate with God the Father with their “dos” and “don’ts”
6. God appears to have established the role of the father to serve in the family on behalf of Him—in other words, as human fathers are essentially “the under fathers”
7. Human fathers cannot measure up to the Heavenly Father, but He is their role-model (this should be the desire of every father)—looking vertical and doing horizontal
8. A father who does not have a proper understanding of the real Father may not be able to properly discharge his God-given responsibilities
9. When the Father accepts repentant sinners, He expects other believers accept and rejoice over their restoration
10. We are like the younger one (rebels) or like the elder one (misunderstands), and the Father is the restorer of both the younger and older
Takeaway:
Return to the Father with repentance and confession and let the Father throw Himself on you with compassion and restoration
1. Exercise your right to the Father through Jesus
2. Renounce spirit of slavery but enjoy the Spirit of adoption