The title of this Father's Day message was taken from a song by The Winstons. In it they sing about a wonderful father, saying, "Color him father, color him love".
How many of us can remember ourselves as toddlers trying to walk around in our father's adult shoes? We are also encouraged to walk in our heavenly Father's shoes!
Jesus continually taught of God as His Father, and as our Father. Speaking about the titles of honor used towards and among the religious elite, Jesus said that we should call no man our father in the earth, but only one is our Father: the One in heaven (Mt. 23:9).
In teaching His disciples how to pray, Jesus taught that our prayers begin and hinge upon our understanding of, and relationship with, God as our Father:
"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed (holy) be thy name..." Mt. 6:9
However, the powerful truth of God as our Father is not limited to the New Testament, but is very much part of our Jewish faith, which we have been discussing these past weeks. The prophet Isaiah wrote in prayer:
"Look down from heaven, and behold the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me? are they restrained? Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting....But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we are the work of thine hand." Isa. 63:15-16, 64:8
Although Israel took knowledge of their forefathers, Abraham and Israel (Jacob), Isaiah wrote in prayer that the greater Father was God, Himself. This acknowledgment of the Fatherhood of God, puts us into His hands in the same manner as common clay, that when taken into the hands of the gifted potter, then becomes a vessel of value and purpose.
David wrote of his understanding of God as his Father, which he declared before all of the congregation:
"...Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all." 1 Chron. 29:10-11
We can see that in several ways above, what we know from Jesus' teaching as "The Lord's Prayer", was revealed also to David, beginning with the understanding of God as Father.
The prophet Malachi brought the Word of the LORD in correction to the priesthood that ministered in injustice and partiality:
"Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?" Mal. 2:10
The truth of God as our Father should unite all men with one another. Are we walking in this truth today? Or are we more divided than ever? In all these things, we can say, "color Him Father", as our theme song exhorts. The Winstons also say of the father in the song, "...color him love", because of all the good things that the father did for his child. We can say this even more so about our heavenly Father.
One of our most familiar scriptures tells us that God as a Father, gave His only begotten Son because He loved the world. He so loved the world (Jn. 3:16-18). The gift of His Son to us in love also brought us the gift from the Father of everlasting life for those who would receive His precious Son. Though the world deserved condemnation for their unbelief, the Father made it clear that He was giving a gift of saving love instead. Can there be a greater gift than everlasting life that delivers us from the darkness of death forever? This gift doesn't flow from a religious deity, but it flows from a Father Who loves. In the same manner, the Church is not to condemn, but to point others to our Father Who loves, to show this truth like the vessel molded by the Potter becomes the work of the Potter's hand.
Jesus said the works that He did were done in His Father's name. His miraculous works could not be separated from His Father, who sent Him. Jesus also described those who received Him as sheep who hear their Shepherd's voice and follow Him (see video here). He revealed that the One who put those sheep into His hand was His Father:
"...neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. I and my father are one." Jn. 10:24-30
The religious people who challenged Jesus to reveal Himself as Messiah sought to stone Him, accusing Him of blasphemy. They claimed that Jesus made Himself to be God by His statement above. Jesus brought them to the scripture that proclaimed "ye are gods" (Ps. 82:6). Those scriptures proclaimed that we are all children of the Most High only as we "walk in His great shoes", according to His word, in His likeness, in the stature of His Son. We only accomplish this as we walk one with Him as our Father, as Jesus walked. This oneness with Himself and our Father was also the prayer of Jesus for His disciples (Jn. 17:20-23). It is also the witness to the world of our Father's love for us (v. 23).
Not accepting the gift of love from our heavenly Father of His only begotten Son, not believing the name and the works of the Son, also means rejecting the Father Who sent Him (Jn. 8:31-47). He sent His son to set us free indeed from the slavery of sin, and the penalty of death that accompanies it.
We often see today, as in Jesus' time, that many prefer to bless what God has cursed: sin and death, and curse what He has blessed: everlasting life found in the name of His Son.
This Father's Day, if you will hear His voice, then "color Him Father, color Him love".
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To watch/hear Dr. Stevenson's complete message:
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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
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