The Father’s Day Message (6/16/19)

Today is also father’s day, so something about the fatherhood. Right now, our struggle with our children is the screen time. Too much time in front of ipad and computers. It’s almost a daily struggle with us. The rule is that they can spend 1 hour on the electronic device on weekdays and 2 hours on weekends. But it’s really hard to monitor this and when I tell them to get off because they’ve been on it for more than an hour, they don’t like it one bit. They give me the stink eye! Now, if I can get into their heads, maybe it goes something like, “daddy’s so unfair. I don’t understand why he’s taking away what I like. If I had it my way, I will be happier!”

But why do I limit their time? Ultimately, because I want them to be happy. And I know that spending so much time on electronic device will give them temporary happiness but will not lead to more permanent happiness. Studies have shown that excessive screen time leads to physical, emotional, and social problems. I don’t want them to suffer from all those problems and miss out on being happy. So, for their more permanent happiness, I will take away their temporary happiness. What is that called? Love! Love is desiring your loved ones’ true and lasting happiness.

I think all of us understand this. If we ever tried to go on a diet, what are we doing? We refrain from the cheesecake – temporary happiness – so that we can be thinner and healthier – a more lasting happiness.

Let’s turn this around. Why would God our Father sometimes withhold what is obviously good for us or even bring hard times on us that we don’t like? Why does God make us unhappy at times? Why doesn’t He give us what we need? One of the most frequent questions I get asked: If God loves me, then why doesn’t He….? You fill in the blank. If God loves me, why doesn’t he give me a husband? Why doesn’t He take away my addiction? Why doesn’t He heal my body? Why doesn’t He change my children to be obedient to me? Why doesn’t He change my wife? Etc.

The Bible’s answer is: it is BECAUSE God loves you, He’s allowing you to suffer for a bit.

Hebrews 12:7-11

7It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Sometimes, God will take away what is earthly from us – such as our business, money, or even health, so that we will look toward heavenly things.

At other times, God will allow us to face failures despite our best efforts, so that we may learn to rely on HIm.

Still other times, God will devastate us and strip us bare because He wants to get rid of that sin in us that will eventually kill us if left untreated.

But one thing we cannot question is this: His love for us. What is the proof? He did not spare His son! Romans 8:32, “ He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

The strongest argument in the Bible for God’s love for us. Not that He let you find a job. Not that He restored your health. Not that He gave you a beautiful family. Not that He gave you more than you could imagine – which is in my case. But that He did not spare His Son for you!

John Piper preached one of the most memorable sermons on this. He posed the question: What is the greatest hindrance or obstacle for our salvation? In other words, what is the greatest problem that God had to overcome to save us? Our sins? No. Our unworthiness? No. It’s God’s love for Jesus that is the greatest problem for God to save us. How so? Because He had to sacrifice His Son to save us. He loved His Son. But the only way we would be saved is if He Son was not spared. God sacrificed Jesus who was most precious to Him in order to save us.

I believe God allows us to experience fatherhood or motherhood just so that we can understand this one verse….

APP: We make a mockery out of God’s love when we question God’s love because we got fired, got hurt, got broken up from a significant relationship, or didn’t get what we want.

Romans 8:32, “ He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”