Bible Text: Gala\u00adti\u00adans 4:6+7 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | The Bible repea\u00adted\u00adly pres\u00adents God as a father with many good qua\u00adli\u00adties. We want to be chal\u00adlen\u00adged by the\u00adse to also live a good father\u00adhood in our fami\u00adlies. In spi\u00adte of all our efforts, we miss out on some things and do not even live up to our own expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons. This lea\u00adves its mark on the child\u00adren. But God as Father takes care of us and gives healing.<\/p>\n
A con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon orga\u00adnis\u00aded a faith cour\u00adse on \u00abBreathing into God\u2019s Pre\u00adsence\u00bb. One cour\u00adse par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpant lis\u00adten\u00aded pati\u00adent\u00adly to ever\u00ady\u00adthing, but remain\u00aded extre\u00adme\u00adly reser\u00adved. Only on the last evening did it burst out of him: What if this Father in hea\u00adven is like my own father? Just as mer\u00adci\u00adless? Just as puni\u00adti\u00adve? Just as deman\u00adding? Of cour\u00adse, exact\u00adly the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte was taught in the cour\u00adse. The incre\u00addi\u00adbly gene\u00adrous, mer\u00adciful fat\u00adher\u00adly love of God is a core com\u00adpo\u00adnent of our mes\u00adsa\u00adge. But our own real expe\u00adri\u00adence of the Father is deep\u00adly roo\u00adted in us. Con\u00adscious\u00adly or uncon\u00adscious\u00adly, we almost ine\u00advi\u00adta\u00adb\u00adly trans\u00adfer it to God. So many peo\u00adp\u00adle report that in their churches and com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adties they are given an image of God that is not heal\u00ading and libe\u00adra\u00adting, but rather oppres\u00adsi\u00adve and frightening. \tA lawful, harsh and deman\u00adding father leads to the idea that God is angry, imper\u00adso\u00adnal and demanding. \tTell each other about expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces you had with your father! Bible Text: Gala\u00adti\u00adans 4:6+7 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | The Bible repea\u00adted\u00adly pres\u00adents God as a father with many good qua\u00adli\u00adties. We want to be chal\u00adlen\u00adged by the\u00adse to also live a good father\u00adhood in our fami\u00adlies. In spi\u00adte of all our efforts, we miss out on some things and do not even live up to our own expectations.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[53],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-willkommen-daheim","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-2228","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nThe Hea\u00adven\u00adly Father
\nThe Bible repea\u00adted\u00adly por\u00adtrays God as Father. When asked how we should pray, Jesus repli\u00aded: \u00abWhen you pray, say, \u00abFather\u00bb \u00bb. (Luke 11:2). Why did he say \u00abour Father\u00bb? Jesus could also have said: \u00abOur Saviour\u00bb, or \u00abOur Holy Spi\u00adrit\u00bb \u2013 but he beg\u00adins with \u00abOur Father\u00bb. In gene\u00adral, \u00abFather\u00bb is God\u2019s pre\u00adfer\u00adred term for Hims\u00adelf in the Bible. The Bible uses the word Father in con\u00adnec\u00adtion with God as Father about 351 times.
\nPeo\u00adp\u00adle who put their trust in Jesus Christ recei\u00adve the Holy Spi\u00adrit as a gift. Among other things, the Holy Spi\u00adrit brings about the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing: \u00abBecau\u00adse you are his sons and daugh\u00adters, God has sent the Spi\u00adrit of his Son into your hearts, the Spi\u00adrit who prays in us and calls out \u00abAbba, Father\u00bb \u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 4:6 NG\u00dc<\/span>). Abba, Father. This is the fami\u00adli\u00adar fami\u00adli\u00adar address to a father like Dad\u00addy or Vati. Just like our phy\u00adsi\u00adcal father, we may address God, the Almigh\u00adty and Omniscient.
\nA few cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristics of this good father will now be shown:
\nGod as Father draws to Hims\u00adelf wit\u00adhout appro\u00adpria\u00adting. What kind of father are we tal\u00adking about in rela\u00adti\u00adon to God? One of the most impres\u00adsi\u00adve examp\u00adles show\u00ading the heart of God the Father is the para\u00adble of the father with the two sons (Luke 15:12\u201324). The sto\u00adry is about a father who had a rebel\u00adlious son on the one hand and a proud, jea\u00adlous son on the other. Both sons rejec\u00adted the father. The first one made it clear to him: \u00abGive me my inhe\u00adri\u00adtance\u00bb \u2013 which means some\u00adthing like: \u00abI wish you were dead\u00bb. The second son made it clear to him, \u00abI don\u2019t like what you are doing. You are unfair!\u00bb The father tried to win the hearts of both sons, but left them full free\u00addom to refu\u00adse the invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon as well. Never did he with\u00addraw in offence or other\u00adwi\u00adse put pres\u00adsu\u00adre on his sons. Jesus decla\u00adres: \u00abNo one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him to me\u00bb (John 6:44). God draws to Hims\u00adelf as Father, wit\u00adhout appropriating.
\nGod as Father rai\u00adses his child\u00adren in love wit\u00adhout being unpre\u00addic\u00adta\u00adble. \u00abWhen you have to endu\u00adre hard\u00adship, reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse in it the rebu\u00adke of God; remem\u00adber that God tre\u00adats you as his child\u00adren. Who would ever have heard of a son who was never punis\u00adhed?\u00bb (Hebrews 12:7). Rai\u00adsing child\u00adren is one of the most dif\u00adfi\u00adcult tasks. I would much rather remo\u00adve all obs\u00adta\u00adcles from their path so that they have to expe\u00adri\u00adence as litt\u00adle frus\u00adtra\u00adti\u00adon as pos\u00adsi\u00adble. A few weeks ago, our daugh\u00adter caught her first fine for spee\u00adding. She has to work more than two hours to earn Fr. 40. For us it is much less. I would glad\u00adly pay her the fine to save her the frus\u00adtra\u00adti\u00adon. But it would be foo\u00adlish. The hea\u00adven\u00adly Father makes us endu\u00adre hard\u00adship so that we may matu\u00adre. He never does this out of base moti\u00adves, but always out of love. It is said of him: \u00abEvery good gift and every per\u00adfect gift is from abo\u00adve, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom is no chan\u00adge nor alter\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon of light and dark\u00adness\u00bb (James 1:17 Lut). No chan\u00adge of light and dark\u00adness, abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly relia\u00adble. Unpre\u00addic\u00adta\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty would deep\u00adly hurt the soul of the children.
\nGod as Father is gene\u00adrous and mer\u00adciful wit\u00adhout spoi\u00adling His child\u00adren. God is the owner of all sil\u00adver and gold (Hag\u00adgai 2:8). He owns the who\u00adle world. In the con\u00adti\u00adnua\u00adtion that we may call \u00abAbba, Father\u00bb it says: \u00abBy this it is evi\u00addent that you are no lon\u00adger a slave, but a son. But if you are a son, you are also an heir; God hims\u00adelf has appoin\u00adted you\u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 4:7 NG\u00dc<\/span>). In God\u2019s gene\u00adro\u00adsi\u00adty, He makes His child\u00adren heirs of His incon\u00adceiva\u00adble riches! His mer\u00adcy is also gre\u00adat: \u00abAs a father shows mer\u00adcy on his child\u00adren, so the Lord shows mer\u00adcy on all who fear him\u00bb (Psalm 103:13). The fact that he edu\u00adca\u00adtes us speaks against spoi\u00adling us.
\nGod as Father is strong wit\u00adhout eff\u00ademi\u00adna\u00adting his child\u00adren. \u00abAnd he will say to me, \u00abYou are my Father, my God, my saving Rock.\u00bb \u00bb (Psalm 89:27). Child\u00adren of God bene\u00adfit enorm\u00adously from His strength. At any time we can stand on the rock. The\u00adre we are streng\u00adthe\u00adned and set free in our per\u00adso\u00adnal responsibility.
\nGod as Father initia\u00adtes and calls into being wit\u00adhout abusing. Even befo\u00adre the foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon of the world, he cal\u00adled us. He also speaks to us today. At the same time, he always lea\u00adves us the free\u00addom to go our own way.
\nEarth\u00adly fathers
\nA fort\u00adnight ago, Swiss tele\u00advi\u00adsi\u00adon show\u00aded a docu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adry pro\u00adgram\u00adme on the sub\u00adject of \u00abaddic\u00adtion\u00bb. An addic\u00adted man in a mise\u00adra\u00adble sta\u00adte told how he had lost the per\u00adson he loved most, his father, when he was ele\u00adven years old. This had been the crux of his life. The bio\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal father has a very big influence on our lives.
\nGod the Father is the gre\u00adat exam\u00adp\u00adle of father\u00adhood. I will pick out a few points:
\nDra\u00adwing to God: Many fathers lea\u00adve the reli\u00adgious edu\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon of their child\u00adren to the mother. This is most unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte. A stu\u00addy shows that if in a fami\u00adly the mother comes to faith, the\u00adre is a 17% chan\u00adce that the hus\u00adband and child\u00adren will fol\u00adlow her. If, on the other hand, the father comes to faith, the\u00adre is a more than 70% chan\u00adce that the rest of the fami\u00adly will fol\u00adlow suit. The influence of the father on faith in a fami\u00adly is very gre\u00adat. Joshua said on behalf of his fami\u00adly: \u00abI and my fami\u00adly will ser\u00adve the Lord\u00bb (Joshua 24:15b). Is a father allo\u00adwed to deci\u00adde for his who\u00adle fami\u00adly? At least he should face the respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty and go ahead.
\nRai\u00adsing in love: It is so important that fathers speak into the lives of their child\u00adren. Some\u00adti\u00admes we talk about what it means to be sub\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adve to one ano\u00adther, or the wife to the hus\u00adband (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 5:21f). The Greek word is not so hier\u00adar\u00adchi\u00adcal. The Greek word is not meant hier\u00adar\u00adchi\u00adcal\u00adly, but pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly means to be a part of the fami\u00adly sys\u00adtem. The input of fathers is urgen\u00adtly nee\u00added. Fathers should par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adte in the lives of their child\u00adren. Stu\u00addies show that this impro\u00adves children\u2019s school per\u00adfor\u00admance, health, men\u00adtal deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment, their pro\u00ads\u00adpects for an eco\u00adno\u00admic\u00adal\u00adly sta\u00adble home, their later love life and much more. Mopeds have the cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristic that they have to be con\u00adstant\u00adly repai\u00adred and main\u00adtai\u00adned. Jokin\u00adgly, I some\u00adti\u00admes say that mopeds were pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly inven\u00adted so that fathers would do some\u00adthing with their sons. Reed Mark\u00adham aptly says: \u00abBeing a father is like shaving. No mat\u00adter how clo\u00adse you shave today, you have to do it again tomorrow.\u00bb
\nInitia\u00adte and bring into being: We know today that the gen\u00adder iden\u00adti\u00adty of a child comes from the man: he pro\u00advi\u00addes the decisi\u00adve chro\u00admo\u00adso\u00adme. The con\u00adfir\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon and for\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of our iden\u00adti\u00adty and sexua\u00adli\u00adty \u2013 for both men and women \u2013 hap\u00adpens pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly through the father. This does not mean that the mother plays no role in this pro\u00adcess \u2013 of cour\u00adse she does. But the dra\u00adwing of a child\u2019s iden\u00adti\u00adty into the affir\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of mas\u00adcu\u00adli\u00adni\u00adty or femin\u00adin\u00adi\u00adty hap\u00adpens through the man. That is how God has set it up. You do that by spea\u00adking into your children\u2019s lives and by emo\u00adtio\u00adnal\u00adly con\u00adnec\u00adting with your child\u00adren, buil\u00adding a rela\u00adti\u00adonship, get\u00adting to know and under\u00adstand their world. That\u2019s how cha\u00adrac\u00adter and iden\u00adti\u00adty is built. So, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, if someone lacks a sen\u00adse of per\u00adso\u00adna\u00adli\u00adty and iden\u00adti\u00adty, it usual\u00adly has to do with the ear\u00adly for\u00adma\u00adti\u00adve years and the emo\u00adtio\u00adnal or phy\u00adsi\u00adcal absence of the father.
\nFather Wounds
\nFather wounds pre\u00advent you from ente\u00adring into a loving, trus\u00adting rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God. They give you a fal\u00adse idea of the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father in various ways. Here are some prac\u00adti\u00adcal examples:<\/p>\n
\n\tA per\u00adfec\u00adtion\u00adist father with high demands, litt\u00adle prai\u00adse and encou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adment leads to the idea that God is never satis\u00adfied, always dis\u00adap\u00adpoin\u00adted and angry with me.
\n\tA father who shows litt\u00adle or no visi\u00adble affec\u00adtion leads to a noti\u00adon that God is distant and impersonal.
\n\tA father who is cri\u00adti\u00adcal and ver\u00adbal\u00adly abu\u00adsi\u00adve leads to a noti\u00adon that God tole\u00adra\u00adtes peo\u00adp\u00adle but does not real\u00adly love them.
\n\tA father who is too pam\u00adpe\u00adring and never says no leads to a noti\u00adon that God exists for my needs and must con\u00adform to my desires.
\n\tA father who has favou\u00adri\u00adte child\u00adren leads to an idea that God only loves good peo\u00adp\u00adle and has favou\u00adri\u00adte child\u00adren, that his love is conditional.
\n\tA father who has repea\u00adted\u00adly bro\u00adken his pro\u00admi\u00adses or fai\u00adled to fol\u00adlow through with war\u00adning con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces leads to an idea that God is unre\u00adlia\u00adble and unfaithful.
\n\tA father who is a work\u00adaho\u00adlic and focu\u00adses his ener\u00adgy and pas\u00adsi\u00adon out\u00adside the home leads to a noti\u00adon that God is indif\u00adfe\u00adrent and it is dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to get His attention.
\n\tA father who abu\u00adses and domi\u00adna\u00adtes leads to an idea that God rules through fear, demands abso\u00adlu\u00adte obe\u00addience and is not trustworthy.
\n\tA father who is moo\u00addy and tem\u00adpe\u00adra\u00admen\u00adtal leads to an idea that God is unpre\u00addic\u00adta\u00adble, loves me at times, and then sud\u00adden\u00adly is angry again.
\n\tA father who is sin\u00adful, immo\u00adral and undi\u00adsci\u00adpli\u00adned leads to an idea that God does not mean what he says, that he is a weakling who is not to be taken serious\u00adly and feared.
\n\tA father who is hypo\u00adcri\u00adti\u00adcal by being ano\u00adther at home than in public leads to an idea that God is not powerful, that faith is at most good for social things and has not\u00adhing to do with dai\u00adly life.<\/p>\n
\nYes, fathers are some\u00adti\u00admes dif\u00adfi\u00adcult, which the child\u00adren also noti\u00adce. That\u2019s why Mark Twa\u00adin said: \u00abWhen I was four\u00adteen, my father was so igno\u00adrant. I could hard\u00adly stand the old man near me. But at twen\u00adty-one, I was ama\u00adzed at how much he had lear\u00adned in seven years.\u00bb
\nWe also need heal\u00ading for the wounds inflic\u00adted by the fathers. As with the mother wounds, the key is a gro\u00adwing and inti\u00adma\u00adte rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God the Father. \u00abIf even father and mother for\u00adsa\u00adke me, yet the Lord will recei\u00adve me\u00bb (Psalm 27:10). I am con\u00advin\u00adced that what we need much more in our con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adti\u00adons is space for a genui\u00adne heart-to-heart encoun\u00adter with this all-sur\u00adpas\u00adsing love of the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father. Then the Holy Spi\u00adrit will reve\u00adal our wounds to us and we may reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse them, for\u00adgi\u00adve the Father, loo\u00adsen ties, expe\u00adri\u00adence for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness and recei\u00adve God\u2019s blessing.
\n
\nThe tur\u00adned hearts of fathers to their child\u00adren has pro\u00adphe\u00adtic dimen\u00adsi\u00adon. \u00abBut befo\u00adre the gre\u00adat and ter\u00adri\u00adble day of the Lord comes, I am sen\u00adding you Eli\u00adjah the pro\u00adphet. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their child\u00adren and the hearts of the child\u00adren to their fathers, so that at my coming I will not have to des\u00adtroy the land\u00bb (Malachi 3:23f). The heart rela\u00adti\u00adonship bet\u00adween father and child has a pre\u00adser\u00adving and heal\u00ading influence on the who\u00adle land.
\n
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Gala\u00adti\u00adans 4:6\u20137<\/p>\n
\n\tWhich of the cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristics of the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father appeals to you most? On which point do you have doubts as to whe\u00adther he is real\u00adly like that?
\n\tTo the fathers: Which of the abo\u00adve respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties for the child\u00adren do you want to pay spe\u00adcial atten\u00adti\u00adon to in the near future? Whe\u00adre do you need support?
\n\tWhich of your own father expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces do you (per\u00adhaps uncon\u00adscious\u00adly) trans\u00adfer to God as Father? What father wounds might you have that need healing?
\n\tWhe\u00adre should you, as a father or mother (see last Sun\u00adday), ask for for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness from your child\u00adren for what they have missed or fai\u00adled to do?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"