Mm. Love is a deep and powerful emotion. that can send the spirit soaring. But human love pales in comparison to the enduring, unconditional love of God. Today, on Turning Point, Dr.
David Jeremiah takes a closer look at that love, which accepts believers as sons and daughters adopted into God's family. From Prayer the Great Adventure, here's David to conclude his message, the relationship of prayer. My friends, it's no accident that this model prayer that Jesus is teaching to us begins with. My Father, our Father who art in heaven, He's our Father. and we are his children.
And uh the more we understand about that, the more faithfully we will serve Him, because we will comprehend His great love for us. The Father who loved us so much that He gave up His own Son that we might become a part of His forever family. The relationship of prayer is Matthew 6, verse 9. We'll be there in just a moment for part two of this important message. But right now, I want to tell you about the fact that Turning Point is providing some wonderful material on prayer.
If you're interested, you can get it by going to davidjeremiah.org. There you will find not only a study guide for the book Prayer of the Great Adventure, but you can also get the book Prayer of the Great Adventure. There's also a CD package that captures all of the audio teaching that we do on the radio, plus a bunch more. And this material is available, and I'd like to suggest that maybe it would be a good thing for you to take on as a Bible study in your small group. You can get the study guides from Turning Point.
You can get the big book, you can get the C D's for yourself as the facilitator, and you're ready to go have a good discussion about this important subject. Think about it. Once again, all of this is from DavidJeremiah.org. Here is part two of the relationship of prayer. What a tremendous difference there is when you cross over the threshold into the New Testament.
While I understand the eschatological implications of the Gospels, You cannot get past. Matthew. Before you are introduced to a whole new understanding of the fatherhood of God. For instance, in the sixth chapter of Matthew, where the Lord's Prayer is recorded. In chapter 6, verse 1, we read that there is to be no reward of our Father if our alms are done for the wrong reasons.
In verse 4, we are told that the Father who seeth in secret Rewards openly. In verse 6, we are told that we are to pray to the Father who is in secret, and the Father who is in secret will reward us openly. In verse 8, we are told that the Father knoweth what things we have need of. In verse 9, we are told to pray, Our Father, which art in heaven. And in verse 15, we are told that the Father will not forgive us if we do not forgive those who have sinned against us.
Over and over again, in that section of Scripture, right across the threshold in the New Testament, we see a whole new approach to the Fatherhood of God. It is no longer national, it is now individual and personal. In fact, the word father occurs some 17 times in the Sermon on the Mount alone. If you widen the context, Of the Sermon on the Mount to the four Gospels, you will discover that Jesus Christ Himself referred to the Father more than 70 times.
Now what made the difference? Why is it different now than it was then? Why do we have? not a national relationship with Father God, but a personal relationship. I'm glad you asked.
Because I was going to answer it whether you asked or not. And I want you to take your Bibles, if you will, and I want to show you a wonderful scripture that will help us understand that truth. Galatians chapter 4 is the text. And I love this passage of scripture because it glorifies the relationship that God has provided for those who love Him. Galatians chapter 4.
And I want you to notice in this passage of Scripture What took place that put us into this new relationship? Have you got your Bibles open? All right. Notice Verse 4, and follow along as I read. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born unto the law.
To redeem those who were under the law that we might receive.
Now, watch this. The adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out. Abba Father. Therefore, you are no longer a slave.
But a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Jesus Christ. Do you get the picture? Until God sent forth his Son born of a woman in the fullness of time. Our relationship was different. It wasn't like it is now.
When that veil was torn, when Christ died on the cross, a whole new way of approach to God was opened up to us. And whereas before we are classified as slaves or servants, God has now changed that whole status and He's made us sons and He's put His Holy Spirit within our hearts so that now you and I can call God Father in the most endearing term in all of the Word of God. We are Sons of the Father. In the Old Testament, We were servants. In the New Testament, we are sons.
In 1 John 3:1, behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. That we should be called. The sons of God. When I think about looking up into the face of a loving Heavenly Father who cares for me and cares for me more than the most intense love I know as a human, I can say with John, what manner of love is that? What an incredible thing that is.
The fatherhood of God and our relationship to Him has a bearing on a number of doctrines in the Word of God. For instance, the incarnation in Galatians 4, that whole relationship took a change when God sent forth his son born of a woman. But then he mentions the Holy Spirit. Not only is the incarnation involved, but the day of Pentecost is involved as well. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit changed everything.
When the church was born, the Holy Spirit came to live within us, and because of that, we are now able to call God our Father. He is our Father. And Jesus Christ always referring to God as my Father. shows us the way of the relationship between a son and his father. Our father.
who art in heaven.
Now, the father part of that phrase is all about intimacy. That's the person. But the place that is mentioned here kind of puts a different twist to it and brings to the passage the tension we always find in the scripture. Have you noticed that? That God by His Holy Spirit has built tension into the Word of God.
In a magnificent way, so that we never go off in one direction too far, but the truth is held together in a kind of insoluble relationship so that we are held at the right place. For instance, If I am only taught that God is my Father, then I have a tendency to move over into that realm of flippancy, that kind of extra familiarity, the slanguage that is often developed up around religion and personal relationship with the Father, such as the big Dodger in the sky. Or the man upstairs or whatever. I don't like those terms because I don't think they reflect the true majesty and greatness of who God is. But when we get over here on this side, my Father, we get into the intimate part of our relationship, we might have a tendency to do that.
if it were not coupled together with the rest of this truth. Our Father Who are in heaven? He's in heaven. And that reminds us. That the earth is his footstool.
And that he is a God of majesty and might. who is worthy. of our praise and of our worship. He is the glorious king. He is surrounded by the angelic host.
In whatever way you wish to imagine it, he sits on the throne of majesty and at his right hand is his son, Jesus Christ. He is ministered to by all the creatures of glory. Think of all the reality that you know in this world, the domain of the kingdom of this world, and multiply it by 100 times 100, and you haven't touched anything of the glory and majesty of the Father who is in heaven. He's in heaven. I don't know about you, but that strips my gears.
How do you do that? I mean, you just get on telling me he's your father, and now you tell me he's up in heaven? One time you say I think he's approachable, the next time I wonder how I'm going to get through. How many of you remember? Years ago, when John F.
Kennedy was the president. And Life magazine published a whole series of photos of his children. Do you remember those pictures of John and Caroline? Playing with their toys on the floor of the Oval Office. Do you remember that?
Those captured the hearts of the American people like nothing ever. that has come out of a president's family before or after. Why? Because I think in some ways it bridged the gap between these two thoughts. Here was the President of the United States with two little kids playing with toys on the floor of the Oval Office.
Now, I don't think your kids would have been allowed to do that. Nor mine. But his kids were. Why? He was her father.
He was a president of the United States. He was their father. He's in heaven. He's my father. That's the way it is with the Father in heaven, isn't it?
When you became a son, when you were adopted into the family of God as the Son of God. He opened up for you through His Son's death on the cross. A way of fellowship and relationship that makes it possible for you. to bypass going to the temple with an animal sacrifice. and talking to God through a priest.
You can go right into the presence of God Almighty and He will hear you. Though I don't understand how He does it, if it all happens on Wednesday, He will hear you. He will hear you. Because you're his son, you're his daughter. And he's your father.
There is a verse of scripture. That puts that all together, and I'd ask you to look it up, but I don't want to lose you.
So you let me read it to you, all right? I want you to hear this. Isaiah 57 and verse 15. Listen to this verse. For thus saith the high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity.
whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place. and with him also that is of a contrite and a humble spirit. Wow. Do you get that?
He says, Thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity. Whose name is holy. Who dwells in the high and holy place? Oh, and by the way. also with those who are of a humble.
and contrite spirit. With you and me. Incredible. He is our Father. Who is in heaven?
and your relationship. to him. should be built. like that. I should just pause for a moment to say that there is enough in this little phrase to destroy atheism.
For it says, Our Father who art. And in that phrase alone, atheism is finished. I can't imagine an atheist ever praying the Lord's Prayer. You know, one of the sad things about being an atheist is: who do you think when something goes good? I mean, what do you do?
This prayer does away with atheism and it brings into a relationship God's children. Did you know that one of the names that is used for this prayer, I think it's a Latin word, it's the word paternoster. P-A-T-E-R-N-O-S-T-E-R, Potter Noster. You know what that is? That is the first two words of the prayer, Our Father.
It's almost as if the name of the prayer has been taken. in that little word to describe our relationship with God. Let me ask you a question, class. Do you relate to God like that? Are you in fellowship with him?
You know, my fathering has changed a lot. How many of you know that just when you figure out what it's supposed to be like, they're all gone? I finally figured out fathering and now my kids are all gone. And I learned a lot about being a father, and my fathering has moved into a whole new realm. I'm fathering long distance.
Now if I'm like that as a Earthly Father with limited resources. How do you feel? About the Father in heaven who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, he'll pay for it all. And he's waiting for you. to walk into his presence in prayer.
Our Father. who are in heaven. If it is true that he is our Father, And we are his sons. Then there are four things that I want you to remember. because of that.
If He is our Father, And we are his sons and daughters. Then number one, we have a new relationship, don't we? It's a whole new thing that happens when we're saved. The Holy Spirit comes to live within us, and we are born into the family of God. And Romans 8:39 says that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
We are His eternally. We belong to him. We are born into his family and you can't be unborn. He is ours. Nothing can separate us.
Go and read Romans 8. Look at the whole list that is presented there of the things that might potentially separate you from the love of God. Nothing can separate you. You have a relationship that is eternal with God the Father. I have said to my children, each of them individually and probably all of them together, on more than one occasion: our love for you is unconditional.
No matter what you do, We will love you. You cannot do anything to destroy our love. It is unconditional. And that is human love, but God's love goes beyond that. It's a whole new relationship.
Number two. It says in Galatians chapter 4, that we are Heirs Romans 8 says, We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Listen to me, friends. God put me in His will. He wrote me in his will.
He put me in as an inheritor, and when Jesus Christ died, the will was executed. I'm just waiting for my inheritance. And he'll never write me out. One of these days, because I'm his son, I am going to inherit everything that is mine by virtue of the fact that I belong in the family. I've got a whole new reward to look forward to.
Because I'm a son. And he's my father. And then Galatians 4 also. brings this truth that I have a new resource. Because the Holy Spirit now lives in my heart.
He lives within me. I don't understand this completely, but review with me for a moment the progression of truth as you remember it. Christ came into the world, He died, He was buried, He was resurrected, and a few days later, He ascended. And before He ascended, He said, Before I ascend, I want you to know that I'm going to send another comforter. Who is not only going to be with you, He's going to be in you.
And He sent the Holy Spirit to come to live within us. By virtue of my sonship, I have a resource now. I have the Holy Spirit living within me. You know what He does? He helps me to be what a son should be.
He helps me to walk and live and talk like a son of God. I couldn't do that if the Holy Spirit weren't within me because the criteria is far beyond anything I could ever, ever produce. But oh, one day when Christ came to live within my heart, He put His blessed Holy Spirit in here. And now I've got this power to live in a way that's beyond anything.
So that when people see me, if I'm living in the power of the Holy Spirit, they say, He must be one of his sons. She must be one of his daughters. Do you see it? When the Holy Spirit came to live within you, when you accepted Christ into your heart, you got the blessed Holy Spirit to come and give you the inward strength and power to live in light of who you really are as a Son of God every single day. I've got this resource because He's my Father.
That's power. And then there's one last thing, and I hope you'll hear me on this because this is so important. I got a new relationship. And I got a new reward. and I got a new resource.
But I also have a new responsibility, don't I? Our Father. I'm not in this thing alone, and nor are you. I've got some brothers and sisters. And Most of you are my brothers and sisters.
And because now I'm in the family. and you're in the family. And we're all in the family together. We can't have any sibling rivalry here. We've got to be in the family together.
I've heard all the stories about how brothers and sisters fight, and I partly believe it. And I believe it true. In the church as well. But if it is true, it's because we don't understand who we are. Listen, we're going to spend eternity together, we're going to live in God's house forever and ever, according to Psalm 23.
And we're going to be there with our brothers and sisters who have the same heritage we have. We're sons and daughters of God Almighty. And when we pray, Our Father, if we're having squabbles with each other, it mitigates against the reality and the efficacy of our prayer. And it's almost like a check when we ever come to this prayer, or we pattern our prayers this way. As soon as we say the word hour.
We have to back away. And see if everything's all right. I mentioned to you this before, but I don't want you to forget this because it is quite important. that there's only one thing That our Lord repeated after the prayer for emphasis. And do you remember what it was?
In the prayer, He said, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And then in verse fifteen, He takes another shot at that truth and he says: if we don't do that, In some way, we get into the relationship we have with our Father and we mess it all up. Did you get that? For if we don't take care of relationships, with each other, it ends up messing up the relationship we have with the Father. Do you understand that, fathers?
How many of you have grown children? Do you have grown children? I want to ask you this, and I'm thankful I don't have this problem, but I've talked to lots of people who have grown children. who they can't even go to a family reunion. Because there is a messed up relationship between two of their children.
And they don't know how to celebrate Christmas, and they don't know how to celebrate Thanksgiving, and they can't put any family things together because. The relationships between the children are so messed up, it's hard to get the family together without there being all kinds of stress. And you all know stories like that, don't you? Translate that into the spiritual. God the Father.
of us all who are believers. wants our fellowship to be right.
So because I'm a son, I've got a new responsibility. to walk. with my brothers and my sisters. in the power of that Holy Spirit that He has put within me. I want to tell you a story as we finish.
about a hymn that we never sang, but it's a blessed story. When Charles Wesley found Christ on Whit Sunday in seventeen thirty eight. His experience overflowed into some marvelous verses. The Wesleys Conversion Hymn. Methodist Hymn Book, page 361.
in which the transition from slavery to sonship is the main theme. It's a little stilted in language, but listen to the words. Where shall my wandering soul begin? How shall I all to heaven aspire? A slave redeemed from death and sin, A brand plucked from eternal fire.
How shall I equal triumph's raise, or sing my great deliverer's praise? How shall I the goodness tell, Father, which Thou to me hast showed, That I, a child of wrath and hell, I shall be called a child of God. Should know, should feel, my sins forgiven. Blessed with this. this antipast of heaven.
Three days later. Charles tells us in his diary that his brother John burst in with a troop of our friends. to announce that he too was now a believer. And we sang that hymn, he said, with great joy. Had you been there, Could you have joined in?
Can you join in with the excitement that we feel in our hearts today when we reflect upon the fact that God is our Father? Don't let anyone... Deceive you with the idea of the universal fatherhood of God. I remind you again: there are two families in this world. The Lord Jesus on one occasion said to someone, You are of your father, the devil.
And the only way you get into God's family so that He becomes your father, you have to go through the adoption process. You've got to be born again through the new birth, through trusting Jesus Christ, who is God's only begotten Son. He gives you the privilege to be called the Son of God, and you are born into His family. Then, for the first time in your life, you can lift your voice to heaven and say, Our Father, my Father. Who art in heaven?
But he is not your father. Until you have accepted His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Savior. And I want to ask you to carefully reflect upon that. and to do it now. We always want to make sure that you understand.
That the Bible is clear about the family of God. You only get into this family by putting your trust in Jesus Christ. And God is not your father. if you are not his son or daughter, You become a son or daughter of the Father by putting your trust in Christ. And you can put your trust in Christ any time.
any place. And I hope you do that if you haven't done so already. We are so thankful to have you with us for this series because we all need prayer and we need to learn how to pray better. I think we would all say that. And that's why we're excited that you've joined us for this teaching and we're making other resources available throughout the month to help you grow in your ability to talk to God.
We thank you for making it possible for us to do that by tuning in every day. Hey, I'm David Jeremiah. My privilege to be your teacher, and I'll see you next time right here on this good station. The message you've just heard came to you from Shadow Mountain Community Church and senior pastor Dr. David Jeremiah.
Has the Lord been moving in your life through this ministry? Tell us how at Turning Point, P.O. Box 3838, San Diego, California, 92163. Visit our website at davidjeremiah.org/slash radio or call 800-947-1993. Ask for your copy of David's new book for strengthening your prayer life.
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Visit TurningPointPlus.org for details. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us tomorrow as we continue the series Prayer the Great Adventure on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah.
