Our Perfect Father Series

OUR PERFECT FATHER

God Is the Answer to Your Deepest Needs - Part 1 of 7

Matthew 6:9

If somebody were to ask you "What do you need most these days?" I wonder what you'd say.

Some of you might say, I need more money, I need more time, I need…..

We're going to start a new series today called "God's Answer to Your Deepest Needs".

I'm hoping this series is going to answer two questions:

1) What are the needs in my life that God's promised to meet? and

2) How does He do it?

“Why would God even be interested in meeting my needs?” Obviously He doesn't need me. So why would God even be interested. Well because He is Our Father that’s who He is.

Jesus showed us that God is not some kind of impersonal force.

God is not some kind of angry tyrant waiting to deal you a bummer in life.

God is not some apathetic creator that really doesn't care about what's going on here.

In fact, Jesus defined God in two words. He said, "This is how you should pray, `Our Father...'"

In the Old Testament God is only called "Father" seven times.

In this chapter alone, Jesus calls Him Father over ten times; furthermore Jesus called God Father and told us to call God Father over seventy times in the Gospels. God wants you to know Him like a Father.

The point I want to make is simply this: God is a Person not a power. I like that because…

I can relate to a person.

I can get to know a person.

I can have a relationship with a person.

The problem is that for many people the word "father" brings up a negative image. It's a bad experience. It brings back childhood memories; sometimes it arouses regret, resentment, anger, fear, frustration, guilt. They don't have good memories of the term "father".

If God is like my father." No thanks, God! If that's the way God is, I'm not interested!

So Jesus qualified the term. Notice Jesus says, "Our Father, in heaven..."

He's not referring to a location because God is everywhere, He's talking about how Heaven is a place of perfection and God is a perfect Father in contrast to all of us who are human and very imperfect. God is a perfect Father.

The Bible says that God has four characteristics in his fatherliness toward us:

1. GOD IS A CARING FATHER

He wants you to know that you are loved and cared for. If you don't get anything else this morning, get this: You matter to God. God cares about you. He loves you. He's interested in you. Psalm 103:13 "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who honor Him..."

This is God's most outstanding characteristic. He's caring, loving, and compassionate.

One time the disciples were out in a boat on the Sea of Galilee and a storm came up. They started taking on water and started to sink. They were tossed back and forth. They asked the most important question, the ultimate question: "Lord, don't you care?" We're drowning!

Have you ever felt like that? I'm going under Lord! Don't you care? The answer is, “Yes. Yes, I care a lot.” You have a heavenly Father who cares.

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you!" Circle "He cares".

Does God care about your health? Yes.

Does He care about your house payment? Yes.

Does He care about your grades at school?

Does He care about how you get along in your family?

Does He care about whether you're a success or failure in life?

Does it even matter to Him? The answer is, “Yes.”

Psalm 35:37 "The Lord delights in the wellbeing of His servants."

Good News: "The Lord is pleased with the success of His servants." It's like, I love to see my kids succeed. Your heavenly Father cares about you.

2. GOD IS A CONSISTENT FATHER

He's reliable. He can be counted upon. He's dependable. He's worthy of trust.

James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from the Father who does not change like shifting shadows."

"Who does not change", Some people are unpredictable, but God is a consistent father. He's not moody. He never has a bad day. He never wakes up grouchy. He loves you just as much on your good days as He does on your bad days. It's not based on who you are, but who He is.

2 Timothy 2:13 "Even if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself."

That verse says even when I'm unfaithful and inconsistent, God can be counted on. He can't disown himself.

In a world where everything is changing.