The holy God is fathe\u00adred by the peo\u00adp\u00adle who make a coven\u00adant with him. A child of God lives in com\u00adple\u00adte secu\u00adri\u00adty, bene\u00adfits from the com\u00adpas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte wrath of God and is given an ulti\u00adma\u00adte home. The\u00adse expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces and gras\u00adping this truth in the depth of the heart chan\u00adges us for the rest of life.<\/p>\n
\tHow do you bring the two terms holy and father together? The holy God is Father to tho\u00adse who make a coven\u00adant with him. A child of God lives in com\u00adple\u00adte secu\u00adri\u00adty, bene\u00adfits from the com\u00adpas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte wrath of God and is given an ulti\u00adma\u00adte home. The\u00adse expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces and the rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon of this truth in the depths of the heart chan\u00adge us for the rest of our lives. In action films, actors become\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7531","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nIn action films, actors are often por\u00adtray\u00aded one-dimen\u00adsio\u00adnal\u00adly as heroes or vil\u00adlains like car\u00adtoon cha\u00adrac\u00adters. Sin\u00adce we can\u2019t rela\u00adte to them per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly, we don\u2019t mind if they are blown away. For many peo\u00adp\u00adle, the same thing hap\u00adpens with God, He remains one-dimen\u00adsio\u00adnal for them. For some, God is an ener\u00adgy, for others a bene\u00advo\u00adlent grand\u00adfa\u00adther, a stern judge, a loving fri\u00adend or a sove\u00adreign king. And so we have a car\u00adtoon God with whom we can\u00adnot estab\u00adlish a per\u00adso\u00adnal relationship.
\nThe Bible tea\u00adches us that God is com\u00adplex. He is father, fri\u00adend, judge, king. We will then grow as Chris\u00adti\u00adans when we hold tog\u00ade\u00adther, under\u00adstand and respond to the dif\u00adfe\u00adrent ways God loves us.
\nGod is Father
\nWe find some\u00adthing of this com\u00adple\u00adxi\u00adty in the Our Father pray\u00ader, whe\u00adre it says: \u00abOur Father in hea\u00adven, hal\u00adlo\u00adwed be your name\u00bb. The holi\u00adne\u00adss of God and his father\u00adhood are men\u00adtio\u00adned in the same sen\u00adtence. King David descri\u00adbes the\u00adse mutual\u00adly fer\u00adti\u00adli\u00adsing and asto\u00adnis\u00adhing types of being with their con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces in Psalm 103.
\nCom\u00adple\u00adte security
\n\u00abAs a father has ten\u00adder com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon on his child\u00adren, so the LORD<\/span> has com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon on all who fear him. For he knows that we are peri\u00ads\u00adha\u00adble; he remem\u00adbers that we are but dust\u00bb (Psalm 103:13, 14 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe Hebrew word trans\u00adla\u00adted here as pity is a deep\u00adly emo\u00adtio\u00adnal word. It means vis\u00adce\u00adral (med.: con\u00adcer\u00adning the intesti\u00adnes). Two pas\u00adsa\u00adges from the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment show that this kind of love is nor\u00admal\u00adly used for mothers. The Holy God makes a very bold com\u00adpa\u00adri\u00adson: \u00abCan a mother for\u00adget her infant? Does she not feel for the child she has given birth to? Even if she for\u00adgets, I will not for\u00adget you!\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 49:15 NLB<\/span>). God has an over\u00adwhel\u00admingly vis\u00adce\u00adral love, even stron\u00adger than the fee\u00adlings a mother feels for her child when she is breastfeeding.
\nIn ano\u00adther com\u00adpa\u00adri\u00adson, a mother smo\u00adthers her child at night. In her distress, she ste\u00adals the baby from ano\u00adther mother and claims that the child belongs to her. Judge Solo\u00admon is asked to resol\u00adve the con\u00adflict and makes a sug\u00adges\u00adti\u00adon: Divi\u00adde the child and give each mother half. \u00abThen the woman who\u00adse son was ali\u00adve said to the king \u2013 for her mother\u00adly heart was bur\u00adning with love for her son \u2013 and said, \u00abOh, my lord, give her the child ali\u00adve and do not kill it!\u00bb (1 Kings 3:26 LUT<\/span>). This woman com\u00admits a capi\u00adtal offence out of an incre\u00addi\u00adble, over\u00adwhel\u00adming, emo\u00adtio\u00adnal, vis\u00adce\u00adral mil\u00adque\u00adtoast love. She lies befo\u00adre the king and thus com\u00admits per\u00adju\u00adry. This mother is wil\u00adling to lay down her life for her child. The fat\u00adher\u00adly love of God is of this calibre.
\nAt first glan\u00adce, one might think that this deep\u00adly emo\u00adtio\u00adnal love of God in v.13 is jus\u00adti\u00adfied by the fact that peo\u00adp\u00adle fear Him. This is a misun\u00adderstan\u00adding, becau\u00adse the\u00adre is a Hebrew par\u00adal\u00adle\u00adlism here. The same con\u00adtent is repea\u00adted in dif\u00adfe\u00adrent words. Being a child of God and fea\u00adring Him are the same thing. No, God loves His child\u00adren becau\u00adse they are peri\u00ads\u00adha\u00adble and dust. Dust is a para\u00adble for fal\u00adling apart. The hea\u00adven\u00adly Father loves becau\u00adse someone is bro\u00adken, fla\u00adwed and weak. As a child of God, you can feel abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly secu\u00adre in this indis\u00adso\u00adlu\u00adb\u00adle emo\u00adtio\u00adnal bond.
\nCom\u00adpas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte anger
\n\u00abThe Lord is mer\u00adciful and gra\u00adcious, pati\u00adent and full of gre\u00adat favour. He will not reproach us fore\u00adver, nor be angry with us fore\u00adver. He does not punish us for our sins and does not tre\u00adat us as we deser\u00adve\u00bb (Psalm 103:8\u201310 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe\u00adre are two kinds of par\u00adents who des\u00adtroy children\u2019s lives: per\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adve par\u00adents and abu\u00adsi\u00adve par\u00adents. The per\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adve par\u00adents do not set stan\u00addards, are not con\u00adfron\u00adta\u00adtio\u00adnal and never get angry. In fact, we should be tal\u00adking about negle\u00adctful par\u00adents who are not com\u00admit\u00adted to their child\u00adren. Abu\u00adsi\u00adve par\u00adents often get angry and pay the child\u00adren back for their mis\u00adbe\u00adha\u00adviour. You humi\u00adlia\u00adte me, I humi\u00adlia\u00adte you. You hurt my fee\u00adlings, I hurt yours. Such par\u00adents make their child\u00adren cle\u00adar\u00adly feel their mis\u00adbe\u00adha\u00adviour. Last week, SRF<\/span> broad\u00adcast a docu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adry pro\u00adgram\u00adme about a Chris\u00adti\u00adan boar\u00adding school. Some for\u00admer pupils repor\u00adted that they were abu\u00adsed and that their mis\u00adbe\u00adha\u00adviour was punis\u00adhed with bea\u00adtings. With both types of par\u00adents, child\u00adren do not know who they are and whe\u00adther they are loved.
\nThe hea\u00adven\u00adly Father beco\u00admes angry, but it is not a retri\u00adbu\u00adti\u00adve anger of reven\u00adge, but an anger dri\u00adven by com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon. It is slow and always under con\u00adtrol. The com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon and mer\u00adcy of God are eter\u00adnal, whe\u00adre\u00adas anger is tem\u00adpo\u00adra\u00adry. Becau\u00adse vis\u00adce\u00adral com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon dri\u00adves anger, it is inten\u00adtio\u00adnal and pur\u00adpo\u00adseful. If God were not angry at how we des\u00adtroy our\u00adsel\u00adves, he would not be good and would not love us. Anger is not the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte of love, hate is. And the ulti\u00adma\u00adte form of hate is indif\u00adfe\u00adrence. God\u2019s anger is always com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly under con\u00adtrol becau\u00adse God is sel\u00adfless. Through His wrath He wants to lead us back to life. He is our Father, our wise gui\u00adde for our lives. In dark moments, we some\u00adti\u00admes won\u00adder if God is pay\u00ading us back for some\u00adthing we have done wrong. No, He never does that. But per\u00adhaps He wants to put us on the right path.
\nThe hea\u00adven\u00adly Father is only a bene\u00advo\u00adlent \u00abpimp\u00bb, no he is \u2013 as I said \u2013 the com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent one, the Holy One. We can also see here that his wrath is for us: \u00abOh, how could I give you up [\u2026]? My heart breaks at the very thought, and I feel the deepest pity for you. I do not want to give in to my fiery anger. I will not des\u00adtroy Isra\u00adel again, for I am God and not man. I am the Holy One who dwells in your midst, and I will not come down on you in anger\u00bb (Hosea 11:8\u20139 NLB<\/span>).
\nUlti\u00adma\u00adte home
\n\u00abMan \u2013 like grass are his days, like the flower of the field, so he blooms. For when the wind blows over it, it is no more, nor does it know its place. But the favour of the LORD<\/span> endu\u00adres fore\u00adver to tho\u00adse who fear him, his righ\u00adteous\u00adness to his children\u2019s child\u00adren, to tho\u00adse who keep his coven\u00adant, who remem\u00adber his pre\u00adcepts to do them\u00bb (Psalm 103:15\u201318 ELB<\/span>).
\nFor\u00adeign-born Ame\u00adri\u00adcans are expec\u00adted to spend $10 tril\u00adli\u00adon a year to go back to whe\u00adre they came from. It is also so important for adopted child\u00adren to find their par\u00adents. The\u00adre is hard\u00adly a worse night\u00adma\u00adre than the place of gro\u00adwing up no lon\u00adger remem\u00adbe\u00adring us. We lose our roots. Home is the place that suits us. So many peo\u00adp\u00adle in this day and age are cut off from their homes. \u00abFor if a wind pas\u00adses over it, it is no more, and its place knows it no more\u00bb (v.16) descri\u00adbes a night\u00adma\u00adre. We need a home, a place that knows us. The sub\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adte for no lon\u00adger remem\u00adbe\u00adring is: \u00abBut the favour of the LORD<\/span> endu\u00adres fore\u00adver and ever for tho\u00adse who fear him\u00bb. The love of the LORD<\/span> is the ulti\u00adma\u00adte home, the place whe\u00adre the fire never goes out. Jesus said, \u00abThe\u00adre are many dwel\u00adlings in my Father\u2019s house, and I am going ahead to prepa\u00adre a place for you\u00bb (John 14:2 NLB<\/span>). The ulti\u00adma\u00adte home that our heart longs for is in the Father\u2019s house.
\nOur respon\u00adse to this
\nIt is important to rea\u00adli\u00adse that we are not auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly God\u2019s child\u00adren. A coven\u00adant must be made (v.18). The\u00adre is an out\u00adside and an insi\u00adde of this coven\u00adant. Jesus hims\u00adelf tells us how we can enter into this rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God: \u00abBut to all who recei\u00adved him and belie\u00adved in his name, he gave the right to beco\u00adme child\u00adren of God\u00bb (John 1:12 NLB<\/span>).
\nJesus had no home in this world. \u00abFoxes have their dens and birds have their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down\u00bb (Matthew 8:20 NLB<\/span>). Jesus always addres\u00adsed God as Father, my Father or Abba, only once did he use a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent form of address. Han\u00adging on the cross dying, he cried out, \u00abMy God, my God, why have you for\u00adsa\u00adken me?\u00bb (Matthew 27:46 NLB<\/span>). What hap\u00adpen\u00aded? Jesus paid the debt for our sins, for our being out\u00adside the coven\u00adant. On the cross, He lost the Spi\u00adrit of His adop\u00adti\u00adon so that we could have Him. His place no lon\u00adger knew Him so that we could have a place. The door to His ulti\u00adma\u00adte home was clo\u00adsed so that the door might be open for us. Jesus suf\u00adfe\u00adr\u00aded out\u00adside the city gates of Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem (Hebrews 13:12) so that we can have a future in the hea\u00adven\u00adly Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem \u2013 a pic\u00adtu\u00adre of the ulti\u00adma\u00adte home in the Father\u2019s house.
\nDavid reve\u00adals to us the secret that chan\u00adges us for the rest of our lives: \u00abPrai\u00adse the LORD<\/span>, O my soul, and all that I am, his holy name. Prai\u00adse the LORD<\/span>, O my soul, and do not for\u00adget all the good things he does for you\u00bb (Psalm 103:1\u20132 NLB<\/span>). This is a self-call. We need to grasp the\u00adse truths. Mar\u00advel, think, prai\u00adse, medi\u00adta\u00adte and cele\u00adbra\u00adte the Father\u2019s love in your heart. All our pro\u00adblems come from the fact that our soul does not know that we are or can be a child of God.
\nWhen this truth has sunk deep into our hearts, we beco\u00adme free from see\u00adking appr\u00adoval, vali\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon and lack of self-worth. Like\u00adwi\u00adse, the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father frees you from bit\u00adter\u00adness towards your par\u00adents or too much depen\u00addence on them. Becau\u00adse Hea\u00adven\u00adly Father knows what we need and is the owner of all the wealth, He frees us from all money worries. We no lon\u00adger have to work like cra\u00adzy for our dream house.
\nAs a father, the holy God, King and Judge con\u00adnects vis\u00adce\u00adral\u00adly emo\u00adtio\u00adnal\u00adly with his child\u00adren. Does your soul know this truth?
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nBible text rea\u00adding: Psalm 103<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat is vis\u00adce\u00adral love? Do you line this up with your idea of God?
\n\tWhat is com\u00adpas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte anger? What might it feel like for us? What is it good for?
\n\tIn the Father\u2019s house you find an ulti\u00adma\u00adte home. How do you ima\u00adgi\u00adne this home pre\u00adpared by Jesus?
\n\tDo you think that gras\u00adping God\u2019s love for the Father will turn your life upsi\u00adde down? How can this hap\u00adpen even more deeply?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"