Gtcotr/ss062120
When
God could have introduced Himself as anything or anyone, God chose to introduce Himself to us as a Father.
Attacks on fathers, father images, the primary roles of a father and the God
ordained family structure of life are attacks of the devil on God. When
something is said that is intended to slander, belittle, or marginalize fathers
in general, or our father specifically, it is wrong.
Fathers
are meant to be one our most honored gifts from God. Fathers are intended to
fulfill the roles of prophet, priest, and king in God’s family design. The
devil attacks them at an alarming rate and sad to say, television and higher
education has followed suit.
When
we talk about fathers today, we will be including biological fathers,
grandfathers, adoptive fathers, foster fathers, spiritual fathers, and
historical fathers images from the Bible and from the pages of history.
The
only thing God ever wanted was to be a Father and, The
one thing God wants from you today is to let Him be the Father you need right
now. This will not happen without some personal effort on your part.
The
most important Father in the room today is God.
We
cannot judge God by the earthly fathers we know.
Fatherhood
equals responsibility for others. Perhaps the most like God a man can be is to
be the father of a child and also be a father to the child.
Seeing
that our world is in turmoil and godly fathers are in such shortage, let’s
begin our message.
2 Chronicles 15
1 ¶ Now the Spirit of God
came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
·
Azariah
= Jehovah has helped; supported
·
Oded
= Restorer (Iddo)
2 And he went out to meet Asa
…
·
Asa
was the King of Judah - from the lineage of King David
o David – Reigned 40
years
o Solomon – Reigned 40
years
o Rehoboam – Reigned 17
years
o Abijah – 3 years (14
wives; 22 sons; & 16 daughters)
o Asa – 41 years – about
910 to 870 BC – Asa = Physician
So,
read this with me: This prophet who was had his spiritual roots in restoration
and was supported by Jehovah, goes out to meet this King who was called to be
the physician/healer of Judah and said to him:
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him:
“Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is
with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but
if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”
Listen
to me Fathers, Priests and Kings, look for Jehovah and you will find
Him. He will be with you as long as you are with Him.
Remember
last Sunday we discussed: “God is not thinking like you
are thinking unless you are thinking like He is thinking.”
The
LORD is with you while you are with him … no guarantees otherwise … well … if
you walk away from Him, you will be out there on your own.
Look
at verse 5 … why did King Asa need to be reminded about this?
5 “And in those times there
was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great
turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands.”
6 “So nation was destroyed by
nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity.”
Years
of idolatrous leadership in the nation by the Fathers, Priests and Kings
of Judah led the people into great turmoil. It did not matter if you stayed
inside or went outside, there was no peace. People were confused and depressed,
stressed out and worried, angry, and tearing stuff up.
People
were destroying the fabric of society nation by nation, city by city. Why?
Because they had walked away from God and were without godly leadership. They
were worshipping everything but Jehovah. So, God vexed and confused them and
their efforts to live life without Him. How did it get that way? There are
three reasons why God removes His blessings from nations and allows them to go
without Shalom and live in chaos.
3 “For a long time Israel has
been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law;
·
Without the true God
o
Idols are plentiful in our nation
o
The only God we will serve is one who agrees
with our opinion, champions our cause, or destroys our enemies
o
People worship politics, power, and the praises
of men
o
God is not divided – why are so many so
confused?
·
Without a teaching priest
o
There should be no uncertain sound from our
pulpits or in our homes
o
We have ordained commentators to be our
priests and we believe and repeat their report
o
We silence and kill the prophets God sends us
along with anyone who does not agree with our idol’s agenda
·
Without law – ( The Torah = The first 5 Books of the
Bible)
o
As a nation and as a generation, we are there
too!
o
Google has become our go-to authority, instead
the Bible
o
We rehearse statistics instead of scriptures
o
We share the bad news more than we share the Good
News
o
We have abandoned the godly guidelines and
embraced personal truth
o
We cannot expect God to stay in our homes or
be in our houses of worship if we refuse to let Him be God in our city streets.
It
is a fact: Just like Judah in 900BC, our nation is in turmoil, and for the same
reasons … But!!!!! God never leaves us without remedy!!! But!!!
4 But when in their trouble
they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.”
That
has always been, always will be, and is right now the unchangeable, undeniable,
reliable, eternal truth for today! When we turn (return) to the Jehovah Elohim of
Israel, and seek Him, we will find Him!!!
Why
was the prophet sent to Asa? Because he was the King, he was the one ordained
by God to a position of leadership. I see the very same ordained leadership
mantle on the fathers of our families. Fathers, today I implore you as though God did beseech you …
·
Seek the true and living God
·
Become a teaching priest
·
Establish the law (Joshua 24:15 As for me
and my house …)
7 “But you, be strong and do
not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
God
bless our fathers … they are our greatest hope in Christ. Let’s pray …
Additional
Scriptures:
2
Chronicles 14:11 And Asa cried out to
the LORD his God, and said, “LORD, it is nothing for You to help,
whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for
we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are
our God; do not let man prevail against You!”
2
Chronicles 12
12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign,
Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease
he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.
13 So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in
the forty-first year of his reign.
Jeremiah
17:5 ¶ Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is
the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs
from the LORD.”
1
Kings 15:14 But the high places were not
removed. Nevertheless Asa’s heart was loyal to the LORD all his days.
