Parkland First Baptist Church
December 12, 2021

      • Ezekiel 24–27ESV

      • Ezekiel 28–31ESV

      • Ezekiel 32–34ESV

      • Ezekiel 35–37ESV

      • Ezekiel 38–39ESV

  • Everlasting Father

    This is the third week we’ve looking at the four titles that Isaiah gave to Jesus prophetically.
    Wonderful Counselor
    Mighty God
    Today Everlasting Father
    Next week is Prince of Peace.
    Let’s read Isaiah 9:6
    Isaiah 9:6 CSB
    6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
    Notice the word “will be named”, I like the translation “shall be called”
    It’s important to know that called is special here.
    We cannot fully appreciate all those four titles until we call upon Him first.
    Until we say yes to Jesus, we’ll never know the hope that comes from a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and next week Prince of Peace.
    For today before really get into things, I need to address what some may see as an elephant in the room.
    How is Jesus a Father?
    Some who don’t hold to the doctrine of the trinity use this verse to prove that Jesus acts as Father.
    This is called modalism a heresy long proven wrong.
    Modalism says that God is one, but fleshes himself out in different ways like Father some of the time, then Son some of the time, and other times the Spirit.
    That is wrong, the Bible clearly teaches that God is one, yet 3 persons: Father, Son, and Spirit.
    What is happening with Jesus being Father is that He is taking on the characteristics of the Father.
    This is hope because we can have a relationship with the Heavenly Father.
    Jesus is all we need in a Father.
    All of us as fathers have failed at some point, or most of the time.
    But Jesus is all the father we need.
    Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” “The Father and I are one.”
    Luke 12:29–32 CSB
    29 Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. 30 For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. 32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.

    Infinite Intimacy, Forever Father, Complete Relationship

    Sometimes we as parents miss the mark of being all that we need to be for our kids.
    Can’t be there all the time,
    We get tired and short with our kids.
    We get angry at times.
    Yet, we do our best to love our kids in a forgiving sacrificial way.
    Since sin came into the world, we all long to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father.
    We were created to walk and talk with Him in the garden of Eden.
    Just like Adam and Eve.
    But sin, interrupted that close relationship and put a gap between us and God.
    The only way to overcome that is through Jesus.
    I can never be what God wants me to be, but in Christ I can.
    Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father, but through me.”
    So what is an Everlasting, Forever Father

    Forever Father Is Aware

    Look back up at verse 28.
    If God takes the time to grow grass,
    Grow the wildflowers
    Protects and provides for the birds
    He knows their needs.
    How much more is God when it comes to you.
    He is keenly aware of you.
    What going on in your life and what you need.
    We’ve talked about how God’s Deity and Humanity come together for us.
    He comes to us as a Wonderful Counselor, He knows us deeply.
    Mighty the Humanity God the deity, if He can watch you He is aware of your needs.
    These two come together as a Forever Father to care for you.
    He knows who you are, what you need, and where you are.
    As a Father, he comes to our aid to protect, provide and comfort.
    Yet, we’re like, “God the grass is getting a brown over here in my life. I sure could use you about now.”
    We act as if God doesn’t care about us by not thinking of Him until we need something.
    Yet, God is constantly aware of your needs.
    He also is

    Forever Father is Able

    Ephesians 3:20 CSB
    20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—
    Our Father is aware of our needs, he’s also able to answer them.
    You see the word able, then far more, but last we see beyond, or better far more abundantly.
    It’s funny how our definition of abundant is different from God’s
    For instance, we are never satisfied with what we have.
    I got Raetta a small boat one year for Christmas.
    It was good until I turned it over and then it was time to get a bigger one
    We got a bigger one and it was good, then began to have problems
    Then I found a nice Aluminum newer boat, perfect for us.
    That would be abundant for us.
    God’s idea of abundant is different.
    We need to be aware of who God is and when we do let Him define abundant for our lives.
    We know what would be abundant for us, but God’s so much more in store for us.
    We pray Lord move in my life and handle this issue - bills, car problems, leaky roof, what ever and we ask for that.
    But God is able or He can do, but He wants to do so much more for us.
    Key to receiving abundance is the power that works in us.
    That’s the Holy Spirit.
    When He comes into our lives at the moment we say yes to Jesus, he changes us.
    He changes our priorities to God’s priorities of His Kingdom.
    We go from focusing only on me and my kingdom to focusing on God and His Kingdom.
    Why should we ask God is because it’s part of our relationship with Him.
    As I talk to Him, read His word, walk according to His ways
    The more I realize who He is and how He is able to do more abundantly.

    Forever Father Is Willing

    John 3:16 CSB
    16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
    Most of us know this verse by heart.
    We’ve memorized it long ago.
    But do you ever really look at what it says?
    He gave His Son
    Did you know that phrase doesn’t apply to any other god out there.
    They tell you what you need to do in order to know that little g god, but they never gave it to you.
    Also the phrase not perish or die
    The moment you became a Christian life became eternal.
    We often think that believing in Christ is good so when I die, I’ll go to heaven.
    But at that moment we go from living in the world kingdom to the Kingdom of God.
    We will live when we die, but in the meantime we are live while we are living.
    Our Father gives us that life and gives it us more abundantly as John 10:10 says.
    We have a Father that is Aware, Able, and Willing to be found
    All we have to do is look for Him
    Go to Him

    The Forever Father Provides: Sonship

    Romans 8:15 CSB
    15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”
    When we call upon Christ at that moment not only do we get life, but become a son or daughter of our Forever Father.
    We become citizens of the Kingdom of God.
    We no longer are driven by fear.
    Fear of our career, bills, rent or mortgage, or what’s coming next.
    We are trapped by fear and we will do everything we can to keep our kingdom fresh and safe.
    Drugs, alcohol, bigger toys or whatever.
    But we have been given the Spirit of adoption.
    You’re in a family
    God saw that we were not going in a good direction, but now in Christ we are His family, going in His direction.
    That good place that we all long for.
    People are looking for that something that’s bigger than us.
    Hard to grasp, but you know it.
    We see the world try to fill by the temptations we face, the struggles we endure, and the dissatisfaction we have with the world.
    We call our Abba Father? Daddy are you there?
    The only thing that ends that search if knowing our Father.

    The Forever Father Provides: Fellowship

    Galatians 4:6 CSB
    6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”
    Now in this passage there is a different aspect of Abba, Father.
    Now we are longing to live for God.
    Abba Father, Daddy I love being with you.
    We pursue Him everyday, we want to be with Him, doing the things He does.
    Before, I was longing for something bigger than me, but now I long for the Father.
    Did you know that as Christians we have to a choice everyday.
    Will I choose to live for me and my kingdom or God and His kingdom.
    Luke 9:23 gives us the correct choice, “Take up your cross daily and follow me.”
    Jesus says, “live for me or for you, your choice.”
    He wants to live for Him when we are work, school, shopping or wherever we go.
    There is no division between sacred and secular.
    We need to transfer our life style from me to Him.
    God thinks for more about you than you do about Him.
    He waits for you to come and spend time with Him.
    He’s not now your saved, good, do whatever you want.
    No, He wants to be us - have fellowship with us.
    All the time, whatever we are doing, do it Him in mind.
    We have a Forever Father that is aware, able, and willing to meet us as He gives us Sonship and Fellowship, but what about us?

    A Child Of God Must Have Faith

    Back to Luke 12:32, what do we as Christians need to do for our Forever Father?
    Verse 32 says Fear Not, or do not be afraid.
    We must not live in fear.
    Fear dominates our lives when we worry about our bills, relatives, kids driving, etc.
    It locks us down in captivity.
    Knowing our Forever Father says to us “Fear not”
    When fear is rising in my life it’s usually because I am living for myself rather than for Him.
    When we begin to understand Isaiah’s four titles and how that affects us, we begin to think more of His kingdom and that takes away our fear.
    Thinking of my kingdom brings fears.
    We know He’s in control of His kingdom and mine since He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father.
    For us to move from fear it takes faith.
    We may know a lot of Bible, theology, doctrine, church programs, but sooner or later you have to take a step of Faith.
    To say, I may not fully understand, but I’m going to trust You.
    What must He do to prove to you who He is?
    When you call on Abba Father you can know Abba Father.
    All the what ifs, hows, whys, whens - fear not Be faithful.

    A Child of God Must Seek

    Look at verse 31.
    God wants to be found. He’s not playing Hide and Seek.
    Everyday we must seek God.
    Doing so we receive God’s blessing on My kingdom.
    The more we focus on His kingdom and building it He builds my kingdom.
    When we focus on our lives and we are about it will to failure.
    But if we seek His kingdom first, He gives everything else we need in our kingdom.
    It’s all about how we approach it.
    When I see where my kingdom need to be, then Father I’ll trust you and your kingdom.
    God tells us our kingdom will not get there, until we seek His kingdom.
    How?
    We must exercise faith
    Be faithful to seek Him
    When we go after Him and His kingdom it increases.
    Then we will Him blessing our kingdom.
    God’s definition of abundant is radically different than ours.
    God is aware, able and willing to meet our needs if we take the step of faith and seek Him.

    OK?

    The Jews had dozens of names for God.
    Whatever they needed a given time usually dictated what they called on God. For instance:

    If they had a need in their life, they would call Jehovah Jireh which means The Lord Will Provide Gen. 22:14

    If they were anxious they would call on Jehovah-Shalom The Lord Our Peace Judges 6:24

    If they were lonely or afraid, they would call on Jehovah-Shammah The Lord Is There Ezekiel 48:35

    If they needed guidance, they would call on Jehovah-Rohi The Lord Is Our Shepherd Psalm 23:1

    If they were sick, they would call on Jehovah-Rapha The Lord Our Healer Exodus 15:26

    You see the Jews didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
    In the OT they would compartmentalize the Spiritual life.
    So whenever they had a need they would call on that part of God to meet that need only.
    Many of us do that today.
    We may say God this part of my life is good, but over here this little part needs you.
    We pray and live like that, only when we need something do we pray to that part of God to take care of it.
    It’s okay to go to God like Jehovah Jireh, or Jehovah Rapha, what ever
    When Jesus came he turned all of that upside down.
    You never saw the disciples ask, Lord teach us to walk on water, heal the blind, multiply food, but they asked teach us to pray.
    So in response Jesus said pray like this

    Our Father

    Just Our Father, not individual titles, just Father.
    You see our Father is in control of our whole life, not one part of it.
    So send up Flare Prayers when you need to: need healing, need a job, need help with a relationship.
    Some call on Him only when need something, but He wants us to call on Him for every aspect of our life.
    250 names for Jesus and Isaiah sums it up in 4.
    What is your relationship with Him today?
    Is it as a Father.
    Or do you call on Him only when you need Him.
    Remember without God your are nothing, but with God you are everything.
    Pray

      • Isaiah 9:6CSB

      • Luke 12:29–32CSB

      • Ephesians 3:20CSB

      • John 3:16CSB

      • Romans 8:15CSB

      • Galatians 4:6CSB

Parkland First Baptist Church
office@parklandfirst.com
253-531-0121
http://www.parklandfirst.com
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