HoHum:
Fred Craddock, while lecturing at Yale University told of going back one summer to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to take a short vacation with his wife. One night they found a quiet little restaurant where they looked forward to a private meal - just the two of them. While they were waiting for their meal they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting guests. Craddock whispered to his wife, "I hope he doesn’t come over here." He didn’t want the man to intrude on their privacy. But the man did come by his table. "Where you folks from?" he asked. "Oklahoma." "Splendid state, I hear, although I’ve never been there. What do you do for a living?” "I teach preaching at the graduate seminary of Phillips University." "Oh, so you teach preachers, do you. Well, I’ve got a story I want to tell you." And with that he pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with Craddock and his wife. Dr. Craddock said he groaned inwardly: Oh no, here comes another preacher story. It seems everyone has one. The man stuck out his hand. “I’m Ben Hooper. I was born not far from here across the mountains. My mother wasn’t married when I was born so I had a hard time. When I started to school my classmates had a name for me, and it wasn’t a very nice name. I used to go off by myself at recess and during lunchtime because the taunts of my playmates cut so deeply. "What was worse was going downtown on Saturday afternoon and feeling every eye burning a hole through you. They were all wondering just who my real father was. "When I was about 12 years old a new preacher came to our church. I would always go in late and slip out early. But one day the preacher said the benediction so fast I got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. I could feel every eye in church on me. Just about the time I got to the door I felt a big hand on my shoulder. I looked up and the preacher was looking right at me. "Who are you, son? Whose boy are you?’ I felt the old weight come on me. It was like a big black cloud. Even the preacher was putting me down. But as he looked down at me, studying my face, he began to smile a big smile of recognition. "Wait a minute," he said, "I know who you are. I see the family resemblance. You are a son of God." With that he slapped me across the rump and said, "Boy you’ve got a great inheritance. Go and claim it." The old man looked across the table at Fred Craddock and said, "That was the most important single sentence ever said to me." With that he smiled, shook the hands of Craddock and his wife, and moved on to another table to greet old friends. Suddenly, Fred Craddock remembered. On two occasions the people of Tennessee had elected an illegitimate son to be their governor. One of them was Ben Hooper...a man with a great inheritance.
WBTU:
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”” Romans 8:15, NIV. We not only call him “Father” but even “Abba” which many say has the intimate meaning of “Daddy.”
Thesis: To persevere during trying times we need to remember our childhood (sonship) in Christ
For instances:
I. The Father’s Love Lavished On Us
Along with Revelation, John also encouraged Christians in 3 letters in the NT. In these letters, John exhorted Christians to persist in faith, despite the forces that battled against them. In the midst of many encouragements, John reminded his readers of their relationship with God the Father. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1, NIV. When we remember our childhood, our sonship, this provides additional empowerment to persevere. In the midst of struggle, temptation, even persecution, we can trust our sovereign King and we can rest in our Father’s embrace.
J.I. Packer says this, “If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.”
The Unlimited Capacity of a Father’s Love
God loves each of us individually, as a father loves each of his children. Additionally, God serves as the Father of His entire family. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18, NIV. The Father’s love for each Christian does not minimize His love for others; in fact, it enhances it.
Had a preacher friend of mine, Carl Etchinson, who had several children. These children grew up and then began having children so Carl had many grandchildren. One of his sons was having another baby. The baby was born late at night and Carl’s son did not call Carl. They forgot the next morning to call Carl. Finally, in the afternoon Carl found out about the baby through a church member who called on the phone and congratulated him on the birth of another grandchild. Carl called his son and was upset. The son said, “Well, dad, we apologize for not calling but you already have so many grandchildren. We thought another grandchild would not mean that much to you.” Carl said, “Yes, I have many grandchildren, but this child is also my grandchild and I want to love that grandchild. Even though I have many, that does not mean that I love this one less.”
Sometimes we have the idea that God has so many children that surely he is not that concerned with me. A hymn says this, “Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry! While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.” Might think this at times, but that is not how God is. He will not pass us by as Christians. He loves us and is concerned about us. Even though he has many children, this does not mean that this lessens his love, it enhances it.
See this sometimes when church begins to grow. More people are becoming Christians and the ones who have been around for a while are concerned that they will no longer get any attention so they are not excited about the new people. We see something similar when an only child has a new baby brother or sister in the house. Not getting attention so cause trouble. Parents try to reassure the child that they love him because the child thinks that the parents will love her less because of the new baby. Think about the Duggers-19 children and counting. This is what Michelle Dugger said: “We would love more! I know that my mommy years are probably numbered, and I don't know how many more children God will see fit to give me. ... [I]t is something we've been praying about because we do love children. Each child really is a gift and that doesn't mean just our children. We asked the Lord to give us a love of children the way He loves children. That is something that we've prayed about, and we'll just see what the Lord has in store for our family in the future.” See all of these children does not lessen their love, it enhances it.
Come on now, we only have so much time and energy to go around and someone will get slighted. This is true from a human perspective, but I’m saying all of this to get us to realize that God does not have that problem. God has an unlimited amount of Himself to go around so more children only enhance His love. With each addition to His family, His love only expands- He loves every one of His children boundlessly. He loves His church- each individual part, and the body as a whole- fully.
God’s church needs this reminder. Our Father loves us. Regardless what we face, regardless how much our culture attempts to seduce us, our Father’s love continues pouring out.
When the Fatherhood Image is Difficult
Jesus encourages us to think of God as our Father. “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” Matthew 6:9. “Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17, NIV.
Because of unhealthy relationships with their earthly fathers, some Christians have found difficulty finding joy and assurance in the image of God as Father. The thought of calling God, Father, triggers bad memories of mistrust, confusion, neglect, alienation, and can even lead to despair. How can this be overcome when our idea of father is so messed up?
1. Francis Chan said that a big part of his overcoming a bad relationship with his father was when he had a daughter. He writes, “For the first time I got a taste of what I believe God feels toward us... My own love and desire for my kids’ love is so strong that it opened my eyes to how much God desires and loves us. My daughter’s expression of love for me and her desire to be with me is the most amazing thing. Nothing compares to being truly, exuberantly wanted by your children. Through this experience, I came to understand that my desire for my children is only a fain echo of God’s great love for me and for every person He made.
2. Need to transition from comparing to contrasting- from comparing God to earthly fathers to contrasting them. As abusive, critical, or unhealthy as earthly father can be; the heavenly Father is tender, loving, and edifying. Some might say, “Just as bad as my father was, my heavenly Father is just the opposite. He is good and He’s infinitely greater.”
So what?
Some say that because we are God’s creation, God is our Father and all mankind are his sons and daughters. In one sense this is true but not in the NT sense. There are many things that I “create” that are not my children. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12, 13, NIV. Plan of salvation
