Jesus - The Man Who Is Equal With God!

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). Introduction of Father’s Day.

(2). Context: Healing of the lame man (vs 1-15)

(3). Six Claims of Jesus:

#1: "I am equal with God" (vs 19-20)

#2: "I am the giver of life" (vs 21 & 26)

#3: "I am the final judge" (vs 22-23)

#4: "I determine man's destiny" (vs 24)

#5: "I will raise the dead" (vs 25-29)

#6: "I am always doing the will of God" (vs 30)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• American comedian Bill Cosby in his book, ‘Fatherhood’ writes:

• Now that my father is a grandfather, he just can’t wait to give money to my kids.

• But when I was his kid and I asked him for fifty cents,

• He would tell me the story of his life.

• How he got up at 5 A.M. when he was seven years old;

• And walked twenty-three miles to milk ninety cows.

• And the farmer for whom he worked had no bucket,

• So he had to squirt the milk into his little hand;

• And then walk eight miles to the nearest can.

• All for 5 cents a month.

• The result was that I never got my 50 cents!

• But now he tells my children every time he comes into the house:

• “Well, let’s see how much money old Granddad has got for his wonderful kids.”

• And the minute they take money out of his hands;

• I call them over to me and I snatch it away from them.

• Because that is MY money!

(1). Introduction: What is a father?

• The simple answer is threefold:

• A male person whose sperm unites with an egg, resulting in the conception of a child.

• A man who adopts a child.

• A man who raises a child.

• Well that is short and to the point;

• But surely being a father is much more!

Ill:

• Actor/comedian, Ricky Gervais has played a number of characters on TV and in films;

• One of his latest characters is called ‘Derek’.

• Derek is a kind hearted, middle aged man with learning difficulties.

• Derek is the star of a happy and yet sad fly on the wall look at his life.

• Derek lives and works working in a care home trying to make sense of the world.

• In the final episode the father who abandoned him as a baby;

• Turns up at the care home;

• He is full of guilt and hoping his son Derek will receive him.

• At first Derek can’t cope with the shock of seeing his Dad;

• And does not know how to handle the rollercoaster of emotions that he is feeling.

• So Derek shuns his dad and rejects him.

• In the final scene of the series, we see Derek getting out of a car,

• He runs up to his father on the street and embraces him.

• When they get back to the care home;

• Derek proudly introduces his father to the residents;

• He then turns to the fly on the wall camera and says ‘I got a Dad!’

• Quote: Someone once said

• ‘It takes a few seconds to father a child but a life time to be a Father’.

Fatherhood is worth celebrating.

• It’s part of God’s strategy together with a mother in creating an environment of:

• Love, acceptance, belief and security, that a child can live, develop and grow in.

• Many today would say that the role of the father is not really necessary:

• But research shows over and over again that when a father is present;

• And bringing a positive influence in a child’s life;

• There is an increase in self-esteem, greater discipline;

• And respect and preparation for the real world.

• (See footnote at end of the sermon: Top 20 reasons why Dads are important.

(2). Jesus & the Father!

• One of the many unique things concerning Jesus is this:

• In heaven he had no mother, on earth he had no father!

• Think about it:

• In heaven he had no mother – Jesus is part of the Godhead (Father, Son & Holy Spirit);

• He is eternal, uncreated, timeless – God the Son!

• On earth he had no father;

• The Christmas story makes it very clear that Joseph was a step-father to Jesus;

• Not the biological man who provided sperm to inseminate Mary’s egg.

• It was the Holy Spirit who not by a sexual act;

• But in a miraculously way caused the virgin Mary to conceive;

• And bear a son…and not just any son!

Ill:

• A father of a small boy was on active service in Afghanistan.