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Text: II Corinthians 6:16-18
Proposition: How is God our Father?
Introduction
Today is Father’s Day. We honor our father’s on this day. Today we want to look at our Father in Heaven. He is a great father that everyone can have. Sometimes fathers don’t take the responsibilities of a father and sometimes they die, but God is the Father of every one and he is a good father to everyone. Psalms 68:5
I. He wants a relationship with us
II. He disciplines us
III. He provides for us
I. He wants a relationship with us (How do we know he wants a relationship with us?)
A. A young man asked me, “Why did God make us if he knew all the trouble and violence that there would be in this life?” I asked him, “Why did you have children if you knew all the trouble and violence there would be in this life?” He said, “Because I wanted someone to love me and to enjoy being with me.” I said, “I think you answered your own question very well.” God made us because He wanted a relationship with us, just as a father wants a relationship with his children.
B. When Adam and Eve were in the garden God came and walked with them in the cool of the day. When they sinned Adam and Eve hid from God. Sin had brought a separation in their relationship. God still loved them, but atonement now had to be made for sin. God knew that He would have to send His Son Jesus Christ to atone for their sin and our sin.
C. He loved us before we loved Him.
1. I John 4:19
2. A Father loves His children before they love Him. A few days before Keenan was born my brother had an accident on an ATV. He had broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a lacerated liver. He almost died and was in ICU for several days. He was in Lincoln and I was in Denver. Keenan was due any day and I wanted to go to be with my brother, but I also wanted to be with my wife. Keenan was born Sunday morning and Alissa was fine. I was trying to decide what to do. I wanted to be with my wife and my new son. I talked to one of the nurses. She said, “Your wife and your son are doing fine. Your son will not miss you or even care that you are gone. Your brother needs you and you should go be with him.” I left Sunday night.
3. A father loves his children before they love him. Keenan didn’t care about me. All he cared about was nursing, having clean diapers, and sleeping, but I loved him and care for him.
4. A father knows that he will have years of training and providing for his children. He considers this a good investment even though he is guaranteed no return on his investment and he will spend thousands of dollars on his children and years of time.
5. As a child grows and the relationship between the father and child grows. The child begins to love the father.
6. As we grow as a child of God our love for God grows and our relationship gets better every day.
II. He disciplines us (Why does he discipline us?)
A. He loves us
1. Hebrews 12:5-11
2. God disciplines those he loves.
3. God disciplined Ariel (Jerusalem)
4. Isaiah 29:1-8
5. Judah was full of idolatry. Isaiah prophesied during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Uzziah and Jotham were good kings, but the people continued to act corruptly, II Chronicles 27:2 and II Kings 15:35. Ahaz was an evil king and he provoked the Lord to anger. Hezekiah was an excellent king. He brought great reform, but the people still needed to be disciplined, God delayed his wrath on Jerusalem because of Hezekiah, II Chronicles 32:25.
a. Assyria’s invasion of Judah was to bring Jerusalem to repentance. They were brought low.
b. Isaiah 29:1-4 and Isaiah 37:3
c. They had no one to turn to as allies. They needed to rely on God. They had the prophecy of Isaiah to rely on. Isaiah had told them they would not be destroyed, but they did not understand the message, Isaiah 29:11-14.
6. He brings us low
a. Isaiah 29:4
b. Ariel was as low as she could be without being destroyed.
7. When we are in sin God brings us low. People lose jobs, families, money, and their health because of sin. David lost his child by Bathsheba because of his sin. His son Amnon and Absolom died for their own sin, but God had told David the sword shall not depart from your house because you have despised Me and taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife
8. Isaiah 28-33 are a prophecy of Assyria coming to invade Israel, Judah, and Egypt. Israel is conquered and taken captive. The Assyrians moved some of the Israelites out of Israel and they moved foreigners into Israel. The Northern tribes never recover. They no longer have a king and they cease to be a people. They were not successful in conquering Egypt.
9. Assyria continued conquering and took the fortified cities of Judah. Then they advanced to Jerusalem. Rabshekah, an officer of the king of Assyria, spoke to the people of Judah. II Kings 18:19-37. Hezekiah prayed to God and God answered his prayer God sent his angel and struck the Assyrian army and 185,000 of them were dead. God had delivered Judah. Isaiah 28-33 are a prophecy of this distress and discipline upon Judah and at the end God’s deliverance of Judah. There are some clues that tell us what this prophecy is about, Isaiah 29:5-8, 185,000 of the Assyrians and the nations joined with them were dead in one night. The rest of the army returned to Assyria. They were dreaming about conquering Jerusalem, but their dream was not satisfied. Isaiah 30:31-33, the Lord went to battle against Assyria. They were going to need a big deep pit to put all the dead bodies in. The valley of Topheth was an ideal place for this. It is also called the valley of Hinnom or Gehenna. In this valley idolatrous Jews worshipped Moloch. They sacrificed their children to him in this valley. Hezekiah hated idolatry. Topheth would be a good place for the dead bodies of 185,000 of God’s enemies. It is not recorded in the accounts of II Kings, II Chronicles or Isaiah what happened to the bodies of the 185,000, but you can’t leave that many bodies laying around in close proximity to the city. The prophecy says that Topheth was prepared for the purpose of burning the Assyrian Army. There was going to be a great funeral pyre (a big fire on which to burn a dead body
B. For our benefit
1. God disciplines us for our benefit.
2. A few weeks ago Seth ran out into the street. He didn’t know I was watching. I told him not to go into the street and gave him a spanking. He doesn’t think that spanking was for his benefit, but I don’t want to see him dead in the street because a car hit him.
3. God disciplines us for our benefit.
4. We may not think discipline is for our benefit. It hurts and is painful, but it brings about the peaceful fruits of righteousness.
5. Those that didn’t see and hear now they see and hear
a. Isaiah 29:18
b. Isaiah 29:9-12, The people didn’t understand the vision about Ariel.
c. II Kings 18:13-17, Hezekiah even tried to keep Sennacherib away by paying him. If he had understood the prophecy he would not paid Sennacherib.
d. After they had been disciplined and God had delivered them from the Assyrians they did understand.
e. James 1:1-5, trials give us wisdom.
f. Proverbs 1:7, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Discipline gives us fear of the Lord.
6. Those who were in error will know the truth and those who criticized will accept instruction.
a. Isaiah 29:24
b. I Timothy 1:13-15, After Paul was blinded on the road to Damascus he was ready to accept instruction and know the truth. When God disciplines us we either repent like Paul and the people of Judah or we are broken beyond remedy like Sennacharib.
c. Proverbs 29:1
d. Isaiah 29:20 and 21
e. Isaiah 37:38, Sennacherib didn’t learn anything from his affliction. He went on worshipping idols.
III. He provides for us (How does God provide for us?)
A. He gives us food to eat.
1. I Kings 17:1-6, Israel had turned away from the Lord. They thought the God Baal gave them rain. Elijah, the prophet of God, wanted them to understand that God was the one who sent the rain. Elijah hid because King Ahab wanted to kill him for causing the rain to stop.
2. God doesn’t promise us that we will eat T-bone steak, but He will provide food for us. Ravens aren’t my favorite bird. Mark can you find a picture of a raven? They eat roadkill many times, but they are the most intelligent bird alive. They are geniuses at finding food. In Yellowstone National Park they figured out how to open compartments on snowmobiles and take the people’s lunches while their snowmobiles were unattended.
3. I Timothy 5:8, a good father provides for his children.
4. Matthew 6:25-33, we have to work, but God will provide what we need.
B. He provides for us spiritually.
1. A father is supposed to teach his children. Give them spiritual food.
2. Ephesians 6:4
3. Our Father in heaven sent the bread of life from heaven
4. Jesus fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. The next day the people wanted some more free food. If you advertise free food you will have lots of people come. Jesus didn’t give them any more free food for their bodies, but He gave them some free food for their souls.
5. John 6:23-35
6. Many didn’t want the bread of life. Many left him after this sermon.
7. Our Father sent Jesus to provide for us the bread of life.
8. John 6:48-63, Jesus words are our spiritual bread.
9. Deuteronomy 8:3
10. Man doesn’t live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
11. God has given us His word to eat.
12. Mark 16:15-16, these are Jesus words. Believed and be baptized. The Jews Jesus spoke to in John 6 didn’t believe He was sent from God as the bread of life. They rejected him. Many of Jesus disciples left Him after this sermon. Many people today are disciples of Jesus, but then they reject him. They don’t want to be baptized.
13. If I want to be provided for spiritually I must believe and be baptized. And I must remember the sacrifice He made every Sunday by eating the unleavened bread and drinking the fruit of the vine how He has provided for me spiritually.
Conclusion
We have a great Father who wants a relationship with us. We are His children. He loves us and wants communication with us. He wants to speak to us through his word and He wants to hear our prayers.
He disciplines us because he loves us. He wants us to understand and have the peaceful fruits of righteousness.
He provides for us. He provides our food for us. He provides spiritually for us. He has given us food that will let us live forever. | 
