Sermon by Pastor Robert Earl Houston, Sr., Assistant Pastor
Westwood Baptist Church, University Center
Nashville, Tennessee - www.westwoodbcuc.org
www.roberthouston.org
Sunday, June 16, 2002 (Father’s Day)
11:00 a.m. Morning Worship
Text: John 14:9
Subject: “Have You Seen My Daddy?”
One of the greatest mysteries of the ages is found in one personality – God. We know much about Him, but then again we know very little of Him. We have a general conceptualization that He exists. After all, only God could call together chaos and make something out of nothing without the permission of the nebulous. Only God could hold light and darkness in his hand as conjoined twins and then separate them as He gives them assignments of titles – day and night.
However, to many people He is a Mystery. They can’t see Him, so they are unable to characterize Him. To people of lighter hue, He is portrayed as having blonde hair and blue eyes. To people of darker hue, He is portrayed as having soft, curly hair and brown eyes. To people of Asian background, He is described as having features similar to theirs in the eyes. He has been described as long, tall, short, husky, great, thin, and so high that you can’t go over Him, so low that you can’t go under Him, so wide that you can’t go around Him – He remains a Mystery.
He has presented Himself to humankind only in quick flashes and shadowy imagery. He presents Himself as a theophany – a pre-appearance if you will, in various forms.
In the Garden of Eden, He is a voice in the Midst of the Garden.
In the Heart of Abram, He is a Director of Transportation.
In the Mind of Joseph, He is a Dream Narrator.
In the Eyes of Israel, He is a cloud by day and a fiery pillar by night.
In the Eyes of Baal’s Worshippers, He is a faucet of fire raining from the sky.
In the Spirit of Joseph, He is an Angel dispatcher to repair a home before it’s broken.
We are commanded in the Scriptures to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. Yet, if we be honest, there are parts of us that desire a touch, a feel, just to have some kind of tangible evidence of personal beliefs. The Bible says that “this generation seeks a sign.” We would love to be like Isaiah and view for ourselves the edges of His regal robe by simply looking up in the sanctuary. We would love to feast on leftovers of manna and quail prepared by the directions of God.
Our dilemma is similar to that of Phillip and Jesus’ other disciples. No other place in the holy writ is there the tension is like the 13th and 14th chapters of the Gospel of John. It is in these few verses alone that the tightrope of tension is displayed.
The Lord Jesus has already acknowledged that destiny is at work. The betrayer whom is manifested as Judas has been exposed at the table during the celebration of the Passover. Judas has left the table with unbeforeseen immediacy. The Apostle Peter, who’s destiny is being shaped as he will eventually serve as the Senior Pastor of the Early Church, has begun an impromptu question and answer period surrounding the events of the Lord’s eventual demise and His promise of resurrection. Philip, one who does not have very much dialogue assigned to him the scriptures in the past has decided that since hearing that the Lord is about to leave and return to His throne in glory, since Jesus has spoken of mansions that are being built for us and locations to be received at, he has heard even Thomas join the chorus of caution and ask how can we know the way?
Philip cannot contain himself. Since everyone else is asking questions of Jesus, this is the perfect venue and opportunity to chime in with a probative question. However, even the sound of the question sounds odd.
Peter speaks of forthcoming destiny.
Judas is spoken of in forthcoming betrayal.
Thomas speaks of forthcoming direction.
But Philip speaks of his own personal need for reassurance. He dares to open his mouth and ask a question not for the public’s sake, but for his own personal need for information. Someone here should be in touch with that emotion: its okay for the crowd to shout, but it means nothing if you’re not moved from within. Its okay for the Lord to be seen as a healer but it means nothing if you don’t know for yourself that He is a healer.
Philip’s words cut to the chase of the matter. Let me paraphrase it – “Jesus, I’ve been sitting here listening to you talk for the past few years. And tonight you talk about going away someplace and preparing a place for us and that if you didn’t mean it, you would have never said so. I’ve never interrupted your trains of thought. I’ve never tried to take over your conversation. But help me out here. You talk about your Father so much. We believe that He has houses and lands, fine clothes, surrounded by jewelry and rubies and diamonds. If you want me to feel you on this thing, Show us the Father. If you can just do that, it will be sufficient for me and the other fellahs.”
Jesus could have answered him back with indignation and hostility. The Lord could have caused him to lie down and die with sudden immediacy. There are 167 questions in the book of John and Jesus answers with questions 125, 126 and 127.
FIRST, YOU’VE HAD ITIMACY WITH ME FOR THREE YEARS
Jesus says you have been around me for three years. You have been up close and personal witnesses of me. I called some of you from the fields, some I called from fish boats, and some I called from professional positions. But I called you. And you have spent three years with me. But for Philip, that’s not good enough – that’s not sufficient. He wanted a special revelation of the Father, but didn’t realize that Jesus Christ IS a special revelation from the Father. Everything Jesus did is a revelation of the Father. Everything Jesus said is a revelation of the Father.
Oh my brothers and my sisters – you talk about an awesome revelation Can you imagine what it must have been like, spending three years with Jesus? Philip was one of the first Disciples Jesus even called – called a day after Andrew and Peter. Philip had been a disciple of John the Baptist and after following Jesus, he brought Nathaniel or Bartholomew in. John 1 says that Jesus simply called him and said “follow me.” Since that day he joined this band of Disciples had begun the process of following and specifically watching Jesus:
Watching Jesus turn water into wine.
Watching Jesus halt a funeral procession.
Watching Jesus feed over 5,000.
Watching Jesus walk on water.
Watching Jesus heal the sick.
Watching Jesus raise the dead.
Watching Jesus open the ears of the deaf.
Watching Jesus casting out demons.
Watching Jesus make ways out of no ways.
Watching Jesus heal a woman of an issue of blood.
I don’t know about you, but whenever you spend some time with Jesus, the days get sweeter than the day before. I’ve been with the Lord for over 26 years now – and I’m glad that I have been with him. I’m glad that I have not only seen him work on other people and other situations, but He has been working in my life.
I’ve seen the Lord take care of me when I couldn’t take care of myself.
I’ve seen the Lord heal me when I’ve been sick.
I’ve seen the Lord walk me through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
I’ve seen the Lord help me when my bills were high and my money low.
During this time, the Disciples understood that in order to really know Jesus, you’re going to have to spend some time with Him.
SECONDLY, YOU’VE SEEN MY DADDY THROUGH ME FOR THREE YEARS
You have seen glory that only the Father could provide. Remember his baptism? The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost show up – the Father by Voice, the Holy Ghost by Theophany and the Son by flesh.
You have seen miracles that only the Father could provide. Have you noticed that Jesus’ miracles that He performed were always Father-powered? He is the Word that became Flesh!
You have seen growth in you that only the Father could provide. If you need evidence of the Father – you can see how the Father used the Son to promote growth in the Disciples. Remember how bad Peter was – but how good he became? Remember how James and John became key players?
The problem is that following Jesus still requires that you see the Father in Him. If all you see Jesus for is a meal, you missed it. If all you see Jesus for is a heart fixer, you missed it. If all you see Jesus for is something to do on Sundays, you missed it. If all you see Jesus for is to get a new boyfriend, you missed it. If all you see Jesus for is to find a new job, you missed it. Philip made an A in seeing and following Jesus, but he flunked in seeing God in Christ.
Jesus says, If you want to know what my daddy is like that’s easy. If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. Because I am His only begotten son, I possess some things that a normal father and son relationship don’t have.
I knew my Daddy before I was born. We talked before I learned how to talk. I knew my Daddy’s will for me before I started my occupation. We discussed my destiny before I took on human flesh. I knew my Daddy’s power extends beyond the grave. Your father can only go so far. He can hold your hand at death. He can pray for you at death. But my father’s power transcends the grave and He’s able to raise the dead.
Because of this, if you have seen me – it’s like looking at my daddy. He then says if you have seen me (harao). It goes beyond the eyesight. It means to “take hold,” “perceive,” “behold” and it has a definition of learn by experience. Blepo and Skopeo. Blepo is to discern. Skopeo is to take heed, observe, contemplate.
It’s not enough just to look at Jesus or glance at Jesus. Too many people are glancing at him but not getting deep with him. A glance is okay if you don’t want to go to heaven, but if you want to go to Heaven, you need to take a good look at Him. He told Thomas after the resurrection, which had doubts and reservations, if you don’t believe I am who I am, take a good look at my hands – you’ll see hands that were pierced for you. Take a good look at my side – I was wounded for your transgressions, bruised for your iniquities.
THIRDLY, YOU OUGHT TO HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY NOW
After all this time you shouldn’t have to even think of a question like this. After you’ve walked with Jesus, felt the Holy Spirit, and seen signs and wonders. It is no question that God is…..
After all this time you should have seen my Daddy’s qualities in more than just me. You’ll see:
The hand of God in every mercy.
The voice of God in every decision.
The heart of God in every compassionate act.
The eyes of God in every place.
The mind of God in my growth.
The breath of God in the wind.
The intellect of God when the son rises and sets.
The power of God in every one who comes to Christ.
The arms of God in every act of protection.
Knowing Jesus for yourself – being intimate with Him, will cause you to know the Father and the Holy Ghost. He is the crowning manifestation of God. In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
After all this time you should have a lot to praise Him for
For all the victories that you have experienced.
For all the years of growth that you have experienced.
For all the pain that he brought you through.
For all of the miracles that you have had.
For allowing His Son to die on a Cross, buried and raise Him with all power in His hand.
(Close)
