INTRO.- ILL.- A grade school teacher was asking students what their parents did for a living. "Tim, you be first," she said. "What does your mother do all day?"
Tim stood up and proudly said, "She’s a doctor." "That’s wonderful. How about you, Amie?"
Amie shyly stood up, scuffed her feet and said, "My father is a mailman." "Thank you, Amie," said the teacher. "What about your father, Billy?"
Billy proudly stood up and announced, "My daddy murders people, steals from them, and drinks."
The teacher was shocked and promptly changed the subject to geography. Later that day she went to Billy’s house and rang the bell. Billy’s father answered the door. The teacher explained what his son had said and asked if there might be some logical explanation.
Billy’s father said, "I’m actually an attorney. But how can I explain a thing like that to a seven-year-old?"
What did daddy your do? And how do explain what he did?
Since you have a father in heaven. Doesn’t this thought, this truth grab you? Shake you? Do something to you/for you? It should. He should.
I had an earthly father who wasn’t a bad man. He wasn’t perfect but he wasn’t bad or evil either. He didn’t beat mom or us kids. He provided for us and he loved us. He was better than most fathers as fathers go, but what a father in heaven we have!
ILL.- An atheist was spending a quiet day fishing when suddenly his boat was attacked by the Loch Ness monster. In one easy flip, the beast tossed him and his boat high into the air. Then it opened its mouth to swallow both.
As the man sailed head over heels, he cried out, "Oh, God! Help me!"
At once, the ferocious attack scene froze in place, and as the atheist hung in mid-air, a booming voice came down from the heavens, "I thought you didn’t believe in Me!"
"Come on God, give me a break!!" the man pleaded. "Two minutes ago I didn’t believe in the Loch Ness monster either!"
Brothers and sisters, not everyone has a loving, protective Father. Or not everyone recognizes God as a loving, protective Father! HOW BLESSED WE ARE!
PROP.- Our text speaks of the relationship that we have with our father in heaven. Since we have a father in heaven what are we to do?
1- Since you have a father in heaven - live
2- Since you have a father in heaven - live as strangers
3- Since you have a father in heaven - live in reverent fear
I. SINCE YOU HAVE A FATHER IN HEAVEN - LIVE
17Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
We have a father who judges impartially. How wonderful! He is impartial. He doesn’t consider me over thee or thee over me.
ILL.- On one trip to visit my mother in 2002 I got to the nursing home early in the morning. I thought I would surprise mother. She didn’t know I was coming that week to visit her.
I walked down the hallway that led to mom’s room and could see her walking down the hall with her walker. She looked up at my bearded face, which she had never seen before, and said, "Is that you, Steven?" I said, "Yes, it is." She replied, "I’d rather stroke a dog." I said, "You mean you don’t like my beard?" She said, "No, I don’t."
Aren’t you glad that God is impartial? He doesn’t care whether a man has a beard or is clean shaven. We have a father in heaven who is not partial toward male or female, rich or poor, fat or thin, homely or homeless. PRAISE HIM! Now that’s not all.
Since we have a father in heaven - live! We should really live! Having a father in heaven gives a person a reason for living life to the fullest. We can have the best life there is.
John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
Jesus reveals to us His father! He reveals the father’s will to us. And His will is for us to live life to the full.
ILL.- A boy is about to go on his first date, and is nervous about what to talk about. He asks his father for advice. The father replies: "My son, there are three subjects that always work. These are food, family, and philosophy."
The boy picks up his date and they go to a soda fountain. Ice cream sodas in front of them, they stare at each other for a long time, as the boy’s nervousness builds. He remembers his father’s advice, and chooses the first topic of food. He asks the girl: "Do you like spinach?" She says "No," and the silence returns.
After a few more uncomfortable minutes, the boy thinks of his father’s suggestion and turns to the second item on the list - family.
He asks, "Do you have a brother?" Again, the girl says "No" and there is silence once again. The boy then plays his last card - philosophy.
He thinks of his father’s advice and asks the girl the following question: "If you had a brother, would he like spinach?"
I’m not sure about that boy, are you? I’m not sure he got his father’s message correctly. NOR DO WE. Our father’s message sometimes goes right over our heads. Many times I’ve missed what He was trying to tell me. Did that ever happen to you?
And obviously, if we miss His message and fail to do His will, we will miss out on some good stuff in life.
ILL.- I remember when I was a teenager that my father and I often disagreed on some things. IMAGINE THAT?
As a teenager I got interested in the strange sport of Olympic weightlifting. We had weights at our high school so I started lifting them in gym class. I wasn’t very good at it at first but I sure liked it. Consequently, I decided to lift at home. But...I didn’t have any weights or any money to buy weights, so what did I do? I found an old set of iron wagon wheels in the garage behind the house and stuck a metal pipe through the middle where the axle would go and started lifting.
It was only one weight but I figured it was better than nothing.
One day I was outside lifting and my dad was watching me. I don’t remember exactly how he said it, but he inferred that I should be working at something instead of playing around with those homemade weights. ISN’T THAT JUST LIKE A FATHER? "You should work instead of playing!"
Actually, my father was right. I should have played less and worked more. Had I done that I would be ahead in life. I might have gotten ahead financially and in many other ways.
IT ALWAYS PAYS TO LISTEN TO YOUR FATHER! That is, of course, if your father is thinking about good and your good in life. And our heavenly is ALWAYS thinking about good and our good life. And if we will follow His Word, His instructions we will experience life to the fullest!
Since we have a father in heaven we can have a better life! We should have a better life!
II. SINCE YOU HAVE A FATHER IN HEAVEN - LIVE AS STRANGERS
17Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
Since you have a father in heaven - live as strangers.
ILL.- There was a Japanese man who went to America for sightseeing. On the last day, he hailed a cab and told the driver to drive to the airport. During the journey, a Honda drove past the taxi. Thereupon, the man leaned out of the window excitedly and yelled, "Honda, very fast! Made in Japan!"
After a while, a Toyota sped past the taxi. Again, the Japanese man leaned out of the window and yelled, "Toyota, very fast! Made in Japan!"
And then a Mitsubishi sped past the taxi. For the third time, the Japanese leaned out of the window and yelled, "Mitsubishi, very fast! Made in Japan!"
The driver was a little angry, but he kept quiet. And this went on for quite a number of cars. Finally, the taxi came to the airport. The fare was US $300.
The Japanese exclaimed, "Wah... so expensive!" The driver yelled back, "Meter, very fast! Made in Japan!"
Japanese people may be strangers to us here in the U.S. but their cars are very well known and driven. Have you noticed that America is no longer made up of Americans only? In 2002, 12 percent of the people in American were foreign born.
Whether you realize it or not, we’re all foreigners in America! How’s that? From a Biblical perspective or from God’s perspective we are foreigners! We may be Americans but in truth, we belong to another country, another world, another kingdom!
Phil. 3:18-20 "18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."
Do you see what Paul is saying? Most people live as enemies of the cross of Christ, but our citizenship or our home is in heaven! That makes us strangers to this world!
I Peter 2:11-12 "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."
We are strangers in this world that is filled with people who follow their sinful desires. We’re supposed to be different!
ILL.- I remember when I was a kid, hearing some high school friends saying, "Come on! Let’s go to Kansas and get some beer." And of course, the reason for getting some beer was to drink, get drunk or get high.
Now, obviously, if a young person is in Christ, if they are a committed Christian, then they shouldn’t follow that crowd to Kansas to get some beer! Why? Because we belong to God and Christ. We belong to a different world and kingdom. And we don’t run with the worldly crowd. We may be tempted to do that but if our faith means anything to us at all, we won’t run with them!
Titus 2:11-12 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."
Since you have a father in heaven - live as strangers. Our father is in heaven. Therefore, our home is in heaven. We are strangers on planet earth. We must live differently from others.
III. SINCE YOU HAVE A FATHER IN HEAVEN - LIVE IN REVERENT FEAR
17Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
ILL.- Martin had just received his brand new drivers license. The family troops out to the driveway, and climbs in the car, where he is going to take them for a ride for the first time. Dad immediately heads for the back seat, directly behind the new driver.
"I’ll bet you’re back there to get a change of scenery after all those months of sitting in the front passenger seat teaching me how to drive," says the beaming boy to his father.
"Nope," comes dad’s reply, "I’m gonna sit here and kick the back of your seat as you drive, just like you’ve been doing to me all these years."
Since you have a father in heaven live in reverent fear, because He just might start kicking the back of your seat. Only it won’t be your car seat. It could be the seat of your pants! WHAT A THOUGHT!
Seriously, because we have a father in heaven we need to live reverently before Him! How fearful should we be of our heavenly father?
ILL.- When I was in grade school (elementary school) I came home an hour late one time. I don’t recall exactly but I believe I was told to come straight home when school got out. My twin sister did and I didn’t. I went home with George Huffman, one of my buddies. An hour later he brought me home on his bike.
Dad was standing in the front yard, waiting for me. I don’t remember what Dad said but I could tell he wasn’t happy. How unhappy was he? He pulled off his belt and whipped me with it! I didn’t die from it but I sure felt it and I didn’t want it again. It did teach me that dad meant business and when he said to come straight home from school next time I’d better do it.
Heb. 12:5-6 "5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
Have you ever been whipped by your heavenly Father? I have and I knew it too. However, I’ve probably been whipped a few times that I didn’t realize it was Him doing it until later on.
We all need to live in reverent fear of our Heavenly Father. And it’s not that we fear Him sending us to Hell. Some may need to fear in this way, but if we’re in Christ we need to trust Him that He’ll save us and take home to heaven.
However, there are times when we get rowdy, unruly, etc. and don’t always do what He wants. And if we don’t want to be chastised rather sharply then we need to live in reverent fear!
I know that He chastens us or disciplines us because He loves us. I did my kids too, but personally, I’d rather not have to be disciplined.
Heb. 12:28-29 "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."
CONCLUSION--------------------------
There’s a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.
Brothers and sisters, do you get the idea? What a father we have! We have a heavenly Father who is faithful, rich in mercy, full of grace, patient, enduring, forgiving, loving!!! Not enough good can be said about Him.
Because of Him we must live vibrant, full lives. We must live differently from other people in this world. We must live in reverent respect of Him.
