Everlasting Father Series

MAIN IDEA - The three things that last are 1. The Word of God, 2. The soul of man, and 3. The love of God.

INTRO / WELCOME

Good morning and Merry Christmas.

If you’re joining us for the first time this month, we are in the middle of a series called “the NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES” which is based upon the names given to Jesus by God in Isaiah 9:6.

This is what happened - God was so excited about the gift of Jesus that He was going to give humanity on Christmas day - That He began to tell people about it 700 years before it even happened.

This is what He says - “A son will be born, and His name will be” -

Mighty God

Wonderful counsellor

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace

So each week - as we make our way to Christmas day this year,

We are exploring these 4 important names that Jesus was given.

A couple weeks ago - I started with -

“Jesus, the Mighty God” - and explained that - God loves to create miracles from ordinary things.

Last week was “Jesus, the wonderful counsellor ” - That He came for the purpose of relationship with us.

And Today - we move onto the next description - “Jesus, the Everlasting Father”

(ME)

When I was a kid I remember being really disappointed one time - by a very specific thing.

I would have only been 6 or 7 and I had heard all about a piece of candy that lasted forever. So - I saved up all my pocket money & went to the candy shop and bought myself an everlasting gobstopper (IMAGE). I was so excited to get started on it and then have it with me, forever.

I realized after only a few hours that the candy was getting smaller and smaller until eventually it was all gone.

They lied to me.

Now - anytime I hear the word “Everlasting”. I get a little cynical.

And I don't think I’m alone in this -

Because there is really nothing on the planet that has the ability to last forever.

In fact -

I wondered if other people felt the same way - so I went in search for some other people that had been burned like me -- and believe it or not I found an open forum on the topic that addressed the question -

What lasts forever?

Among the top answers -

Lines at the DMV.

Sesame Street.

Glitter.

As “forever” as these things seem - They too have a shelf life.

(WE - PROBLEM)

Nothing here really seems to last forever.

Like 1 Corinthians 7 says - “this world in its present form is passing away”.

Even the biggest and most powerful things will come to an end.

Last week I told my daughter that - one day, the sun will disappear -

She looked at me - terrified.

I said it's OK - we have a few billion years - we've got some time….

That’s a mind boggling thought that one day - even our sun will die - (SUN IMAGE)

(fun facts about the sun)

The Sun is about the most powerful thing we know.

Just to give you an idea -

The sun would fit 1 million earths inside of it.

It can produce temperatures up to 2 million degrees F

It's power is unlike anything else in our entire solar system -

For example -

The most powerful bomb ever used on earth was a 50 mega ton nuclear bomb -

The sun produces the power of a 1 trillion megaton bomb - every second.

Which is said to be enough power to sustain earth's energy needs for almost 500,000 years - every second...

But one day, like everything else, it's will all fade away

Almost Everything that we know here, there is a beginning and an end.

So - it’s no wonder that the word “Everlasting” causes a skeptical response.

Eternity is a challenging concept to wrap our heads around.

I once saw a pastor try his best to show an example of what ‘everlasting’; looks like.

(Can I show it to you)?

Fancis Chan UNENDING ROPE analogy. (makes me wonder why we worry so much…)

It's helpful - thought-provoking example

But I don't think it makes everlasting suddenly a really easy concept to fully understand...

The problem with this analogy and any other - is that imagining something going on endlessly - even something as simple to imagine as a rope -

There’s something about ‘everlasting’ that still feels impossible to imagine as an adult.

Maybe as a kid (I believed wholeheartedly that a piece of candy lasted forever).

But now, as a mature adult - It seems like 'everlasting' is far more of a challenge to comprehend.