First let me say, Happy Fathers Day
We will be looking at 2 Corinthians Ch1:3 The Father of mercies and the God of all consolation. He is the God of all affection, mercies and consolation. And we give him all the glory and worship.
Let us sing how wonderful God’s love is. No accompanying voices, so please sing loudly.
Scripture Reading 2 Corinthians Ch1:3
Blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Father of mercies and the God of all consolation who consoles us in all our affliction so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. Amen.
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As we journey into prayer let us direct our thoughts to our One true God .
Let us glorify His name.
Let us pray for father's at this time. Remembering families whose fathers has passed away. Remembering that not all families have had a loving, caring father. We bring them all to you, our Father God.
God our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things. Bless those fathers, who have taken upon themselves the responsibility of parenting. Bless those who have lost a spouse to death or divorce who are parenting their children alone. Strengthen them by your love that they may become the loving, caring persons they are meant to be. Come along side those who have only experience uncaring fathers. Be with those who are in pain, hurting and sorrowful on this Father’s Day. Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Remember to bring yourself and your family and friends before God in prayer. Then we shall share together in the Lord's Prayer
Let us share together in the Lords Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
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There are many times in life we may think that no one understands us. That no one cares. But there is someone who cares. His unconditional love is bestowed on us. Its Our Father God. The Brisbane Excelsior Band with Russel Grey Trumpet Solo will now play for us a wonderful arrangement, Someone Cares.
If you would like to follow the words, they are found in the Salvation Army Song book number 10. Enjoy
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I invite you to listen and meditate upon our next song, entitled: In His Time.
Come to our Father God. Place all that you are at his feet, because in his time he makes all things beautiful.
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Father God's Affection
We know that the majority of Mothers have a special affection for their children. But how often do you think of a father’s affection for his children? Not that often I’m guessing. And, how often do we think about Father God’s affection for His children?
One of the things that many men find a bit difficult to show is affection. Many grew up with fathers who didn’t show much affection and so, well, you know how it is, it’s what we learnt. We imagine somehow that being a man we are meant to be strong and part of that strength is not to show any affection. Men are not supposed to cry. Men are not supposed to do this or do that. Now, I do believe all that is changing, but you kind of know what I mean don’t you? Often, for a man it’s difficult to show affection, but children need affection as much as they need food to eat and air to breathe.
You see, showing affection is what tells children that they’re safe and that they’re secure and that they’re loved and that they’re valued and that they’re important. It’s when children are shown affection that they grow up with a healthy sense of self. kids need hugs. kids need words of encouragement. kids need to be told “Yes, you can do this. Yes, you are beautiful. Yes, you are good.” God gave kids parents for us to do just that and a huge part of this safe, loving, nurturing family environment that kids are supposed to grow up in, is affection. And when they don’t get it, and many don’t, the effects on their lives are devastating. So, here is the question, let me ask you this, if God is indeed a Father, as Jesus told us He is, does He show affection to his children? And if so, how does He show affection?
A man by the name of Barry Adams wrote a book called Father’s Love Letter. It is a brilliant book. It’s quite short, just about 120 pages. And what he does is he goes through Gods word and pulls out the wonderful, warm and intimate things that God says about us, you and me. How God feels about us, how He sees us, and he puts them together in this one book. In that book he takes us to Psalm 139 where God says:
“You may not know me but I know everything about you. I know when you sit down and when you rise up. I’m familiar with all your ways.” (how wonderful is that)
You see, God is our Father. He was the one that knitted us together in our mother’s womb. He was the one that decided the incredibly complex combination of genes and DNA to make us who we are. He’s the most amazing Father and His great and mighty Fathers heart beats for us. When we ache, He aches with us and when we laugh He laughs with us. And you see that right through His love letter to us, which is the Bible.
I just want to pick out a small handful of the things that He says to us in scripture, because my hunch is that there are a few of us today who need to know beyond any shadow of a doubt that Our Father God is in fact our dad, who wants to put His arms around us and lavish His affection upon us.
Do you know when I need God’s affection more than any other time? Its when I’ve been hurt by someone. When I’m low. When I’m struggling or tired or rejected. I mean think about it, when a child falls over and hurts themselves, the thing they need the most, right at that moment is for someone to throw their arms around them and whisper comforting words in their ears. When a young child runs in a race at school or they try their hardest in the art competition and they miss out on the prize and their lip quivers and the tears well up in their eyes, right at that moment they need a parent, they need someone, to step in and show them affection both in word and in deed. Affection at other times is really nice too. And we are all the same. It’s always lovely for us to receive compassion, support, encouragement, affection at any time, but it’s when we have been through some disappointment or we’re tired or dejected, it’s then, when the soothing balm of affection works its greatest healing in us.
Let’s look again at 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 3: its here we read about the affection God has for us in those times.
Blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Father of all mercies and the God of all consolation who consoles us in all our affliction so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.
Do you see that? God Himself pulls alongside us in our affliction. In those times when we need Him most he is with us. In those sad times we experience His love. We experience His presence. Scripture, is full of God's love for us. It is full to overflowing with Gods expressed desire to be there for us in our experience so that when we need His affection most we can have it.
Jesus, just before He was about to be crucified, says to His disciples, “ I’m going to send you another comforter. Another one just like me who’ll be with you forever.” It found in John chapter 14, in verse 15. And then He goes on to say:
I will not leave you orphaned for I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me but you will see me because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I’m in the Father and you in me and I in you.
Now, the point of Jesus saying all that is because His disciples are going to fear for their lives. They won’t physically have Jesus. They won’t see Him the way they had over the last three years. They have been with Him for quite a long time now. They have seen His miracles. They have heard His amazing wisdom. They have experienced His strength and in a little while He will be gone. And so, He says to them, “I will not leave you orphaned”. I will not leave you as little children without a parent to comfort you and guide you and teach you and keep you safe. I’m sending another comforter just like me, the Holy Spirit, to be with you through all your trials and tribulations.
The very presence of God will be with you. And because of this, you can know and experience the affection and the comfort and the intimacy of God Himself in your day-to-day life. In fact, this is so important for them to know, that a little later in John chapter 16, verse 7, Jesus actually says to them:
It is good that I’m going away, for if I didn’t go I wouldn’t be able to send to you this new comforter.
In other words, this new comforter, the Holy Spirit, is even better than having me physically with you. Let that sink in. God’s intimacy and affection through His presence in us as we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, is actually better than physically having Jesus here in the flesh. Why? Because the Spirit of God is with each believer every minute of every day. Every step. Every trial. Every little thing. Every loss and disappointment. The Spirit of God, the comforter, just like Jesus Himself is in us and with us. And when we know that, when we put our trust in this comforter, then we can and will experience the affection of Our Father God.
Just think of all the amazing provision that He’s made for us, His comforter, His Spirit dwelling in us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. My friends, when we put our trust in Jesus we can experience the very presence of God through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. We can experience His affection, His comfort, His arms around us, His words of assurance. That’s God! It’s who He is. God the comforter. God Our Father. The Father of all mercies. Amen.
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How Deep The Father's love Is
The Lord bless thee and keep thee
The Lord make His face to shine upon thee
And be gracious unto thee
The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee
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