Knowing God As A Father

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See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:33.959 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:36.759 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:39.240 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:40.399 blessing and share it with. 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:43.720 A friends, reappreciate you and pray for God's very best 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:58.520 in your life. Oh God, bless you always a joy 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:01.240 to come into your homes. We love you and we 0:02:01.320 --> 0:02:03.680 know God has great things in store for each one 0:02:03.720 --> 0:02:05.920 of you. And if you're ever in our area, I 0:02:05.960 --> 0:02:07.680 hope you'll stop by and be a part of one 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:10.320 of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:12.680 right at home. But thanks for tuning in today, and 0:02:12.800 --> 0:02:15.400 thanks again for coming out. I'd like to start with 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:18.120 something funny each week. And I heard about this mom. 0:02:18.560 --> 0:02:21.320 She had two small boys that were known for their 0:02:21.360 --> 0:02:25.800 mischievous behavior. Anytime trouble occurred, they were sure to be 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:28.320 a part of it. So she decided to take them 0:02:28.360 --> 0:02:31.360 one at a time to see her pastor. The pastor 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:34.880 said to the first boy, where is God? There was 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:37.960 no reply. He said it again, where is God? He 0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:41.400 sat there silently. The third time the pastor asked. The 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:44.240 boy bolted out the door, ran home and said to 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:47.240 his brother, God is missing, and they think we did it. 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:52.360 Hold your bible up, say it like you mean it. 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:55.880 This is my Bible. I am what it says. I am. 0:02:56.400 --> 0:02:58.880 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:01.600 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:05.560 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:03:05.639 --> 0:03:08.960 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:13.680 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:03:13.720 --> 0:03:17.200 to talk to you today about knowing God as a father. 0:03:18.200 --> 0:03:20.560 There are many different ways that we can know God. 0:03:21.200 --> 0:03:24.080 We can know him as a God that's far off, 0:03:24.639 --> 0:03:29.160 way out there, untouchable somewhere in the universe. We can 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:32.120 know God in a very formal way where we have 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:37.200 this deep respect and reverential fear. Some people see God 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:40.320 as a God that's out to get them. They think 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:43.400 he's got a baseball back looking down from heaven, waiting 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:46.440 for them to make a mistake. They know God as 0:03:46.480 --> 0:03:50.800 an enforcer, harsh and mean. There's a pressure that they 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:53.600 can never live up to. But that's the wrong image 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:57.080 of God. The best picture we could have of God 0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:01.520 is as of a loving father. A father is someone 0:04:01.560 --> 0:04:06.360 that's for you, someone that helps you overcome mistakes, someone 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:09.680 that cheers you on as you pursue your dreams, someone 0:04:09.760 --> 0:04:13.000 that believes the very best in you. And many people 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.520 know God as their savior. That's the most important way. 0:04:17.120 --> 0:04:19.960 But when you know God as a father, it takes 0:04:19.960 --> 0:04:23.279 on a whole new meaning. You realize he's not a 0:04:23.320 --> 0:04:26.520 God that's far off. He's not out to get you. 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:29.880 He's not just there to point out what you're doing wrong. 0:04:30.440 --> 0:04:34.640 He's there as a constant source of strength and encouragement. 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:38.520 He's there to lift you when you fall, to encourage 0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:41.000 you when you're down, to push you forward when you 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:44.400 feel like giving up. He's the friend that sticks closer 0:04:44.440 --> 0:04:48.560 than a brother. Most people get their image of God 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:52.480 from their earthly father. If you grew up without a father, 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:56.880 or maybe your father wasn't nice and kind and loving, 0:04:57.040 --> 0:04:59.520 he was harsh and mean and not there when you 0:04:59.600 --> 0:05:03.280 needed he, then you have to make sure you don't 0:05:03.320 --> 0:05:06.799 let that image taint the picture of who your heavenly 0:05:06.839 --> 0:05:10.360 father is. One time, Victoria and I got a new dog. 0:05:10.760 --> 0:05:13.120 Every time I tried to get close to him, the 0:05:13.200 --> 0:05:16.120 dog would run away like I was going to harm him. 0:05:16.400 --> 0:05:19.400 And it's funny. He wasn't afraid of women. He would 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:22.360 go right up to Victoria. He was only afraid of men. 0:05:22.880 --> 0:05:25.400 And if I did get him cornered, he would cower 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:27.920 down and look up to me like he was terrified. 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:31.960 Come to find out that dog had been mistreated by 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:36.240 a man, It had been hurt and abused. Now its 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:40.120 image of all men was harsh and unkind. He would 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:43.760 shrink back in fear. Took me several months of loving 0:05:43.839 --> 0:05:46.680 him and being kind for him to finally get over that. 0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:49.840 Then the same way if you were raised by a 0:05:49.920 --> 0:05:55.679 father that was harsh, judgmental, impossible to please, not caring. 0:05:56.160 --> 0:05:59.680 It's very easy to have the wrong image and think 0:05:59.720 --> 0:06:03.159 that God is harsh and God's going to berate you 0:06:03.240 --> 0:06:05.800 when you make a mistake, and God's going to condemn 0:06:05.880 --> 0:06:09.440 you when you do wrong, and you could never measure up. Now, 0:06:09.480 --> 0:06:13.240 you cannot let that image get mixed up with who 0:06:13.279 --> 0:06:16.960 your heavenly father really is. I was very blessed to 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:20.240 be raised by a great earthly father. I know. That's 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:23.920 one reason that I see God as being loving, kind 0:06:24.160 --> 0:06:29.440 forgiving good. It's because my father was incredibly loving and 0:06:29.560 --> 0:06:32.800 kind to us children. He thought we were the greatest 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:35.719 things in the world. He would do anything for us. 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:39.760 Remember one time in the fourth grade, I was in class. 0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:42.640 There was a knock on the door. This man came 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:45.359 and whispered to my teacher that I needed to go 0:06:45.400 --> 0:06:48.240 down to the principal's office. I thought, oh, man, wonder 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:51.120 what's wrong. I hope everything's okay. He said, Joe, your 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:53.760 dad's holding on the phone and he really needs to 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:56.640 talk to you. My heart started beating fast. I went 0:06:56.640 --> 0:06:59.279 in there and said, yes, Daddy, what is it? He said, 0:06:59.360 --> 0:07:02.159 Joel about to go to Red Lobster and pick up dinner. 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:05.160 Do you want French fries or tater talks with your meal? 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:09.360 I said, Daddy, you mean you called just to ask 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:12.320 me that. He said, yes, Joel, I want to make 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:16.040 sure you get exactly what you want. I thought to 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:18.280 myself later, Daddy, you need to get out more often. 0:07:20.160 --> 0:07:22.200 I went back to my class and my friends were saying, 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:24.280 what's wrong, what's going on? I said, oh, nothing, I 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:28.440 just had to order some tater tots. That's the way 0:07:28.520 --> 0:07:32.360 my father was. He wanted the best for his children. 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:36.280 When you know God as a father, you realize no 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:40.920 detail is too small. He's constantly watching after you, making 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:44.520 sure that you're well taken care of. Victoria and I 0:07:44.640 --> 0:07:46.760 get a lot of phone calls during the day here 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:50.400 at the ministry, and unfortunately we don't have time to 0:07:50.440 --> 0:07:53.720 take most of them. But there are two calls that 0:07:53.760 --> 0:07:57.480 we will always take without exception. I can be in 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:00.800 the middle of an important meeting, I have a thousand 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:03.640 things left to do on my schedule, but when these 0:08:03.720 --> 0:08:06.840 two people call, no matter what I'm doing or who 0:08:06.920 --> 0:08:09.840 I'm with, I'm going to step aside and take that call. 0:08:10.280 --> 0:08:14.600 That's our two children, Jonathan and Alexandra. They have twenty 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:19.400 four hour access. When they call, I'm going to respond. 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:23.480 That's the way it is. As God's children, you can 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:27.160 call on your heavenly Father whenever you need, and he 0:08:27.200 --> 0:08:30.240 will always be there to take your call. He won't 0:08:30.280 --> 0:08:33.480 put you on hold, you won't get a recording, it 0:08:33.520 --> 0:08:38.320 won't get transferred to a call center overseas. As God's child, 0:08:38.679 --> 0:08:42.000 you have a hotline, you have a direct access. He 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:45.240 will always stop what he's doing and be right there 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:49.000 to take your call to see what you need. I 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:52.040 have people say, well, Joel, since you're closer to God, 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:54.440 would you pray for me and talk to God about me? 0:08:54.600 --> 0:08:59.400 And I appreciate their respect, but the truth is you're 0:08:59.480 --> 0:09:02.400 just as much child of God is I am. You 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:05.200 don't have to go through a third party. Of course, 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:07.640 I'd love to pray for you, but you don't have 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:11.400 to come through me or your priest, or your bishop, 0:09:11.760 --> 0:09:14.640 or some other saint that's already in heaven. You can 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:18.840 go directly to God for yourself. You've got that hotline. 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:23.920 God will always take your call. When my children call 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:26.040 during the day and I see their name come up 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:29.920 on the caller, I d something on the inside comes alive. 0:09:30.400 --> 0:09:33.560 I smile before I even talk. They bring joy to 0:09:33.640 --> 0:09:37.360 my spirit. In the same way, when God sees your 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:41.000 name come across his phone, so to speak, you bring 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:44.320 a smile to his face. He says, Wow, that's my son, 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:46.960 that's my daughter. Wonder what they want to talk about. 0:09:47.720 --> 0:09:50.439 And some of you today you have this deep respect 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:54.160 and a reverential fear of God. And that's good. But 0:09:54.200 --> 0:09:58.880 you're in such awe that you don't realize this majestic God, 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:03.600 this King of king, this awesome creator, he's your heavenly father. 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:08.240 He longs to hear from you. That's why when Jesus 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:11.480 taught us how to pray in the Lord's Prayer, he 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:14.720 didn't say started off by saying King of Kings and 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:19.520 Lord of Lords or old, great, Holy, majestic creator of 0:10:19.559 --> 0:10:24.360 the universe. Now, Jesus said, when you pray, address God 0:10:24.520 --> 0:10:28.920 like this our father, which art in heaven. He wanted 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:33.679 us to see God not as this all powerful, untouchable, 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:37.560 awesome creator, which he is. But he wanted us to 0:10:37.600 --> 0:10:41.360 have an image of God as a loving father, as 0:10:41.400 --> 0:10:44.640 someone right there close to us, someone that would listen 0:10:44.720 --> 0:10:47.360 to what we have to say someone that guides us 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:50.560 through our life. A while back, I had an opportunity 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:53.920 to pray at a very important event. There were several 0:10:53.960 --> 0:10:57.319 other religious leaders there to pray, and one man prayed 0:10:57.720 --> 0:11:01.199 in the King James version of the Bible in Old English, 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:04.720 to THEE, O, Lord, our Maker, doth we bow down 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:09.200 before thee today? Very beautiful prayer. Another man prayed all 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:13.319 in Latin, quoted scripture in another language. First I thought 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:17.679 he was speaking in tongues. It was very formal, very reverential. 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:20.560 But I've learned you just got to be yourself. When 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:24.280 I stepped up to pray, I simply said, Heavenly Father, 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:29.240 we love you today. There's something about addressing God as 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:33.479 a father when you know, deep down, this great Creator, 0:11:33.960 --> 0:11:37.920 this King James God, this Latin God, the same God 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:42.360 that they're addressing, he's your father. When you see God 0:11:42.400 --> 0:11:45.520 as a father, it's easy to talk to him. It's 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:48.800 easy to expect good things. It's easy to accept his 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:52.960 forgiveness and his mercy. When you know God as a father, 0:11:53.480 --> 0:11:57.880 you'll be strong and confident. You know your father controls 0:11:57.920 --> 0:12:02.040 the universe. You know your father is concerned about every detail. 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:05.880 You know your father will always take your call. You know, 0:12:05.960 --> 0:12:09.960 your father is incredibly proud of you. I used to 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:13.240 travel with my dad, and everywhere we would go, he 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:16.840 would brag on me. He couldn't wait to find someone 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:19.440 new that he could introduce me to. He would say, 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:22.000 do you know my son Joel, He is the most 0:12:22.040 --> 0:12:26.880 fantastic television producer. He would go on and on telling 0:12:26.960 --> 0:12:30.360 them how smart and great and talented that he thought 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:33.320 I was so much so that it would embarrass me, 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:36.680 but he was so proud of me. He wanted to 0:12:36.679 --> 0:12:40.280 show me off. Now, as a father, I know exactly 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:44.160 how he feels. The other day, after service, we saw 0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:46.440 some friends that we haven't seen in a long time. 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:49.920 The first thought that came to my mind was, somebody 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:53.400 go find our children. They haven't seen our kids in 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:56.080 several years. And I didn't say it, but I thought, 0:12:56.320 --> 0:12:59.240 they've got to see how awesome our children are. They 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:02.479 got to see Alexander, she's gotten tall, she's a knockout. 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:05.640 They got to see our son Jonathan. He's almost as 0:13:05.720 --> 0:13:10.040 good looking as I am now. But my point is 0:13:10.360 --> 0:13:13.600 I could not wait to show them off. Let me 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:17.160 tell you that's how God feels about you. He loves 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:21.520 showing you off. He's incredibly proud of you. Now, don't 0:13:21.559 --> 0:13:25.320 you dare drag through life beaten down. Don't listen to 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:28.800 the negative things people are saying about you. Don't let 0:13:28.840 --> 0:13:32.480 your own thoughts, your own mistakes, convince you that you're 0:13:32.520 --> 0:13:36.720 all washed up. Listen, you have been fearfully and wonderfully 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:40.679 made your heavenly father, the one that breathed his life 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:44.320 into you, the one that gave you your gifts, your personality, 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:48.680 your smile. When he looks at you, he stands in amazement. 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:53.160 He calls you his masterpiece. I love what God said 0:13:53.160 --> 0:13:57.560 about Job. Have you seen my servant Job? There's none 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:01.440 like him in all the land. Noticed God was bragging 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:05.000 on one of his children. If God were standing here today, 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:07.679 he would say the same thing about each one of you. 0:14:08.400 --> 0:14:12.440 Have you seen my son William. He's amazing. There's nobody 0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:15.920 like him. Have you seen my daughter Judy? She is 0:14:16.000 --> 0:14:19.640 so beautiful. I'm incredibly proud of her. Have you seen 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:22.920 my son Ramon? When I think of him, my world 0:14:23.040 --> 0:14:27.040 lights up. See, many people have never seen God as 0:14:27.080 --> 0:14:30.560 being proud of them because they don't know God as 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:34.040 a father. They know him as a savior. They know 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:36.680 their sins are forgiven. They know him as the King 0:14:36.720 --> 0:14:39.760 of kings, sitting on the throne. Let's bow down in worship. 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:42.840 And that's good. But God is saying, I want you 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:45.240 to take it one step further and get to know 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:47.960 me as a father. I want you to know when 0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:50.720 I see you, you bring a smile to my face. 0:14:51.200 --> 0:14:53.200 I see each one of you as one of my 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:57.880 favorite children. Have you ever noticed how as parents we 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:01.960 all think our children are the smartest, the greatest, the fastest, 0:15:02.000 --> 0:15:05.640 the most talented, the most beautiful. I've had parents bring 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:09.600 up their newborn babies so proud, beaming with joy to 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:13.320 show them off. They said, Joel, look how beautiful she is. 0:15:13.480 --> 0:15:17.280 Look how cute he is. And I say this very respectfully, 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:19.880 But that baby can be as homely as can be, 0:15:20.400 --> 0:15:23.720 skin all dried up, head not proportioned it yet, drool 0:15:23.720 --> 0:15:26.560 coming out of his mouth doesn't matter. Those parents think 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:30.640 it's the most beautiful baby that's ever been born. Why 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:38.040 is that? Here's why parents see their own children differently 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:41.560 than other people do. Can I tell you your heavenly 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:45.320 father is crazy about you. He thinks you're amazing. He 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:50.200 loved showing you all. I remember when our son Jonathan 0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:53.760 was just a toddler, maybe two years old. We bought 0:15:53.840 --> 0:15:56.480 him this Batman book that he really loved, and we'd 0:15:56.480 --> 0:15:58.760 read it to him again and again all through the day. 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:01.280 About a week later, or I came home and he 0:16:01.400 --> 0:16:03.920 was sitting on the couch by himself with that book. 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:06.400 I was going to sit down and read it with him, 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:09.200 but he opened up the book, turned to the first page, 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.040 and he pointed to the words and he started reading 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:16.000 it word for word. My eyes got this big. He 0:16:16.040 --> 0:16:18.200 turned to the next page, pointed it and read it 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:21.360 word for word. I thought, my goodness. I knew he 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:25.000 was smart, but this kid is a total genius. I 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:28.000 called Victoria, I said, come in here. He's two years old. 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:31.040 He's already reading. He went to the next page, the next, 0:16:31.120 --> 0:16:33.720 the next, read it word for word. But at one 0:16:33.760 --> 0:16:36.120 point he looked up at us and he quoted it 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:39.040 exactly what was on the page. I suddenly realized he 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:43.840 wasn't reading, he had it all memorized. I was so disappointed. 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:49.120 I thought he was the smartest child in all the world. 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:54.240 That's the way your heavenly father feels about you. Hey, 0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:57.680 you said, y'all, No, God couldn't see me that way. 0:16:57.880 --> 0:17:02.560 I've made mistakes, I've lived, I've got some bad habits. Listen, 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:06.560 my children aren't perfect. They've made mistakes, but nothing they've 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:09.800 ever done for one moment, has changed the way I 0:17:09.840 --> 0:17:13.119 feel about them. I may not always be proud of 0:17:13.160 --> 0:17:17.000 their actions, but I am always proud of them. Now 0:17:17.000 --> 0:17:21.080 as a parent, I will naturally have more mercy on 0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:24.399 my own children. I'll take up for them. I won't 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:27.199 condemn them. I will forgive them and help them to 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:31.480 do better next time. Now, other people, when you make mistakes, 0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:35.440 they may beat you down. Friends and family members may 0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:38.159 judge you and try to make you feel guilty. A 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:41.000 coworker may be harsh on you because you've made some 0:17:41.119 --> 0:17:45.160 kind of mistake. But your heavenly father will always see 0:17:45.200 --> 0:17:50.320 you in a different life. He'll be more merciful, understanding, forgiving, loving, 0:17:50.520 --> 0:17:54.959 Why because you're his own child. I grew up watching 0:17:55.040 --> 0:17:58.399 doctor Charles Stanley on television. He's a great pastor, a 0:17:58.440 --> 0:18:02.320 great Bible teacher. I know his son, Andy. He pastors 0:18:02.400 --> 0:18:05.640 north Point Community Church in Atlanta, and he's a fantastic 0:18:05.720 --> 0:18:09.320 minister as well. Andy told how when he was growing 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:12.120 up in his teens, he would go to his father's 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:15.199 church on Sunday mornings, but when his dad got up 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:18.959 to minister, he and his friends would sneak out and 0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:22.159 go across the street to the donut shop. There was 0:18:22.200 --> 0:18:24.520 a television there and they would switch it on to 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:27.919 his dad's channel. The service of his dad's was carried 0:18:27.920 --> 0:18:31.000 live on television that way, when his father asked him 0:18:31.040 --> 0:18:33.400 what the sermon was about, he would know. He saw 0:18:33.440 --> 0:18:37.240 it in the donut shop. One day a staff member 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:40.960 saw him in there. He went to doctor Stanley huffing 0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:44.280 and puffing and told him how his son was skipping 0:18:44.440 --> 0:18:47.320 church and that was very wrong, and he needed to 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:49.920 set a better example, and on and on all these 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:53.680 ways how he needed to correct him. Doctor Stanley looked 0:18:53.720 --> 0:18:56.000 him in the eyes and said, do me a favor. 0:18:56.440 --> 0:19:00.280 You raise your son, and I'll raise my son. See 0:19:00.320 --> 0:19:04.040 fathers see their own children in a different light. That 0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:07.680 man wanted him to chew his son out, and wanted 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:10.760 him to read him the Riot Act. But doctor Stanley 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:14.760 was much more loving, much more understanding, much more forgiving, 0:19:15.160 --> 0:19:18.520 because it was his own son. It's the same way 0:19:18.560 --> 0:19:22.479 with our heavenly father when we make mistakes so often 0:19:22.720 --> 0:19:26.800 people judge us, put you down, tell you don't deserve 0:19:26.880 --> 0:19:30.640 anything good. You should have known better. Thank God, our 0:19:30.720 --> 0:19:34.639 heavenly Father, he doesn't see us in that same life. 0:19:34.800 --> 0:19:37.280 I'm not saying this is an excuse to live sloppy 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:41.600 and not have integrity and not be disciplined. But I 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:45.320 am saying that we're all going to make mistakes. We're 0:19:45.359 --> 0:19:50.440 all human. Many people are living guilty, condemned, beaten down 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:55.040 by life because they're constantly listening to the accusing voices 0:19:55.400 --> 0:19:58.960 reminding them of everything that they've done wrong. You've got 0:19:59.040 --> 0:20:03.080 to know you Heavenly Father does not judge like other 0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:07.440 people judge. He sees the wrong. But like doctor Stanley, 0:20:07.760 --> 0:20:10.160 he's not going to give you what you deserve. He's 0:20:10.200 --> 0:20:13.880 going to show you mercy because you're his child. When 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:17.120 we make mistakes. Three main things that we need to do. 0:20:17.600 --> 0:20:22.720 Number one, ask for forgiveness. Number two, receive God's mercy, 0:20:23.200 --> 0:20:27.280 and number three move forward with your life, let it 0:20:27.359 --> 0:20:31.080 go and press ahead. Some of you are still beating 0:20:31.080 --> 0:20:34.080 yourself down over something that you did five years ago. 0:20:34.920 --> 0:20:37.760 You've asked God to forgive you a thousand times, but 0:20:37.800 --> 0:20:41.960 you can't let it go. You're living depressed, defeated, feeling unworthy, 0:20:42.119 --> 0:20:44.359 trying to show God that you're sorry, trying to pay 0:20:44.400 --> 0:20:48.359 God back. Listen, the price has already been paid. The 0:20:48.480 --> 0:20:51.679 first time you ask God to forgive you, he forgave you. 0:20:52.200 --> 0:20:56.679 Now you've got to receive God's mercy and press ahead. Listen, 0:20:56.920 --> 0:21:01.159 that mistake did not change your name. My children have 0:21:01.320 --> 0:21:04.320 never once gotten up in the morning as an osteem 0:21:05.000 --> 0:21:07.639 and then done something wrong and gone to bed that 0:21:07.800 --> 0:21:11.160 night with a different last name. No matter what they did, 0:21:11.359 --> 0:21:15.160 they're still my children. You may have made mistakes, done 0:21:15.160 --> 0:21:17.919 something you're not proud of, you need to know you 0:21:17.960 --> 0:21:21.159 are still your father's child. You are still the apple 0:21:21.240 --> 0:21:24.400 of God's eye. You are still his most prized possession. 0:21:25.720 --> 0:21:28.560 And God may not be pleased with every action, but 0:21:28.640 --> 0:21:31.520 he's still pleased with you. He's still pleased that you're 0:21:31.560 --> 0:21:34.520 in the game. He's pleased that you're here today. You're watching. 0:21:35.160 --> 0:21:38.240 One of the greatest examples of God as a father 0:21:38.720 --> 0:21:41.199 can be seen in the parable Jesus told of the 0:21:41.240 --> 0:21:45.359 prodigal Son. The young man left home, wasted all of 0:21:45.400 --> 0:21:48.639 his money, living a wild life. He ended up living 0:21:48.720 --> 0:21:53.080 in the hog pen at his lowest moment, he thought, Man, 0:21:53.400 --> 0:21:56.440 even the servants at my father's house live better than 0:21:56.440 --> 0:21:59.960 I do, So I will arise and go to my father. 0:22:01.080 --> 0:22:04.280 When you make a mistake, the best decision you can 0:22:04.320 --> 0:22:07.480 follow it up with is to not run away from God. 0:22:07.920 --> 0:22:10.400 But do like this young man and say, I will 0:22:10.440 --> 0:22:14.440 arise and go to my father. When this father saw 0:22:14.480 --> 0:22:17.800 the son a long way off, he took off running 0:22:17.840 --> 0:22:20.240 down the road toward his son. He gave him a 0:22:20.280 --> 0:22:23.880 big hug, said to the staff, bring the best road, 0:22:24.320 --> 0:22:26.800 kill the fatted calf. We're going to have a party. 0:22:27.000 --> 0:22:30.800 My son has come back home. The only picture of 0:22:30.880 --> 0:22:34.200 God running in the Bible is where he's running as 0:22:34.240 --> 0:22:37.720 a father to one of his children in need. And 0:22:37.840 --> 0:22:41.879 sometimes when we make mistakes, religion will beat us down. 0:22:42.480 --> 0:22:45.600 You don't deserve anything good. You blew it, sit on 0:22:45.680 --> 0:22:48.760 the sidelines of life. Nothing good is in store for you. 0:22:49.680 --> 0:22:52.679 Please don't believe those lies. If you'll dare, do like 0:22:52.720 --> 0:22:56.480 this young man and take one step toward your heavenly father, 0:22:56.800 --> 0:23:00.000 he'll come running towards you with his arms held open 0:23:00.080 --> 0:23:03.400 and wide. He'll receive you back. He'll restore you, give 0:23:03.440 --> 0:23:06.359 you a new beginning. God can even make the rest 0:23:06.400 --> 0:23:09.520 of your life better than the first part. But a 0:23:09.520 --> 0:23:13.720 lot of times when we make mistakes like this young man, 0:23:13.800 --> 0:23:17.359 we bring trouble on ourselves. We think, oh, I can't 0:23:17.359 --> 0:23:20.159 ask God to help me. I'd be a hypocrite. I 0:23:20.240 --> 0:23:22.640 knew it was wrong, I knew I shouldn't do it, 0:23:22.760 --> 0:23:26.000 but I did it anyway. No way, God is going 0:23:26.040 --> 0:23:28.320 to help me out of this mess. Now, think of 0:23:28.359 --> 0:23:31.280 it like this. When our son Jonathan was about five 0:23:31.359 --> 0:23:33.760 years old, we had a big oak tree in the 0:23:33.800 --> 0:23:37.600 backyard that he loved to climb. This tree had some 0:23:37.680 --> 0:23:40.879 low branches, maybe six or eight feet off the ground. 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:44.040 But I told him, Jonathan, don't ever climb the tree 0:23:44.160 --> 0:23:46.600 without me being here, because you could fall off and 0:23:46.680 --> 0:23:50.200 really get hurt. Imagine one day I'm in my bedroom 0:23:50.600 --> 0:23:53.639 and I hear these screams coming from the backyard. I 0:23:53.760 --> 0:23:57.040 look out there, and sure enough, Jonathan is hanging from 0:23:57.080 --> 0:24:00.480 that tree, holding on for dear life, about to fall 0:24:00.560 --> 0:24:04.080 and get hurt. He's saying, Daddy, Daddy, please come and 0:24:04.160 --> 0:24:07.840 help me. What kind of father would I be if 0:24:07.880 --> 0:24:10.200 I said, hang on, Jonathan, let me check and see 0:24:10.200 --> 0:24:13.720 if you've done your chores. Victoria, has Jonathan cleaned his 0:24:13.840 --> 0:24:16.439 room lately, Daddy, please, I'm about to fall hert just 0:24:16.520 --> 0:24:20.119 a second. Has he been nice to his sister lately? No, 0:24:20.359 --> 0:24:22.240 you know as well as I do. We would run 0:24:22.280 --> 0:24:25.040 out there as fast as we could to help that 0:24:25.160 --> 0:24:27.919 child get down. It's the same way with God. You 0:24:28.000 --> 0:24:30.240 may have made the mess, you may have brought the 0:24:30.280 --> 0:24:33.840 trouble on yourself. The good news is your heavenly Father 0:24:34.040 --> 0:24:36.360 is not going to leave you out their hand if 0:24:36.400 --> 0:24:41.040 you will call to him, if you will call out 0:24:41.080 --> 0:24:44.720 to him knowing that he's not just your God, he's 0:24:44.800 --> 0:24:47.760 not just your creator. He's more than that. He's your 0:24:47.880 --> 0:24:51.880 father when you ask him. The scripture talks about how 0:24:51.920 --> 0:24:56.520 God will help you without finding fault. A lot of 0:24:56.520 --> 0:24:59.680 people they're living guilty, condemned. They go around they don't 0:24:59.680 --> 0:25:03.480 think they they deserve God's goodness. It's because they know 0:25:03.640 --> 0:25:06.840 God as God, but they don't know him as a father. 0:25:07.640 --> 0:25:10.560 If you'll start to see Him as a father, then 0:25:10.600 --> 0:25:13.520 when you make mistakes, you won't run away from God. 0:25:13.680 --> 0:25:17.600 You will run to God. Victoria has a fantastic father. 0:25:17.960 --> 0:25:20.720 He's one of the kindest, most generous people that I've 0:25:20.720 --> 0:25:24.760 ever known. When Victoria was a teenager, she asked if 0:25:24.760 --> 0:25:27.080 she could borrow the car and go to a friend's 0:25:27.160 --> 0:25:30.680 house in the neighborhood. He said, yes, you can, as 0:25:30.760 --> 0:25:35.480 long as you'll go directly there and come directly back home. Well, 0:25:35.560 --> 0:25:38.760 Victoria was not quite as holy as I was growing up. 0:25:40.600 --> 0:25:43.960 Of course I never did anything wrong. But Victoria did 0:25:44.000 --> 0:25:47.280 go directly to her friend's house. But when she got there, 0:25:47.640 --> 0:25:50.040 she thought, since we have the car, we might as 0:25:50.080 --> 0:25:52.280 well go out and drive on the freeway a little while. 0:25:53.040 --> 0:25:55.359 The Only problem is when she went to put the 0:25:55.400 --> 0:25:58.879 car in gear instead of putting it in drive, she 0:25:59.040 --> 0:26:03.240 accidentally put it in low one, which is basically first 0:26:03.359 --> 0:26:06.480 or second gear. It's for climbing steep grades. So she's 0:26:06.520 --> 0:26:09.200 out there on the freeway trying to go fifty miles 0:26:09.200 --> 0:26:12.800 an hour in first gear. The engine is screaming like 0:26:12.840 --> 0:26:15.840 a race car. She's wondering why it won't go any faster. 0:26:16.000 --> 0:26:19.119 It begins to smoke. About fifteen minutes later, the engine 0:26:19.119 --> 0:26:22.639 blows up. The car dies, the engine's ruined. She's sitting 0:26:22.680 --> 0:26:26.520 on the side of the freeway. Most people in that situation, 0:26:26.840 --> 0:26:29.320 the last thing they would do would go call their father. 0:26:29.960 --> 0:26:33.080 But not Victoria. She said, like the prodigal I would 0:26:33.119 --> 0:26:36.879 arise and go to my father. She said, Dad, I 0:26:36.960 --> 0:26:39.240 blew it. I'm sorry forgive me, but I went out 0:26:39.280 --> 0:26:41.399 on the freeway and something happened to the car and 0:26:41.440 --> 0:26:45.639 it won't run anymore now. If her father years before 0:26:45.720 --> 0:26:49.200 would have been mean and harsh and judgment, always beating 0:26:49.200 --> 0:26:52.280 her down, she would have run away from him instead 0:26:52.280 --> 0:26:55.920 of running to him. The reason people live guilty, they 0:26:55.920 --> 0:26:58.800 think God's mad at them, and they give up on life, 0:26:58.840 --> 0:27:01.439 give up on their dreams, is because they have the 0:27:01.440 --> 0:27:04.879 wrong image of God. It was easy for Victoria because 0:27:04.920 --> 0:27:08.600 her father is so loving and kind. Her father came 0:27:08.640 --> 0:27:11.000 and picked her up, had the car toad, and do 0:27:11.080 --> 0:27:14.040 you know he never said a word to her about 0:27:14.040 --> 0:27:18.399 that situation. That's the mercy of a father. Sometimes we 0:27:18.520 --> 0:27:21.520 learn our lesson without God ever having to say a word. 0:27:22.320 --> 0:27:25.720 And yes God can bring correction, Yes he can bring discipline. 0:27:26.000 --> 0:27:29.400 But God doesn't harp on us. God doesn't beray us, 0:27:29.680 --> 0:27:32.919 God doesn't nag on us. Those are the voices of 0:27:32.960 --> 0:27:37.040 the accuser, trying to keep us from moving forward. When 0:27:37.080 --> 0:27:40.600 you make mistakes, God stands before you with his arms 0:27:40.640 --> 0:27:43.800 held open wide. He says, come on back home. I've 0:27:43.840 --> 0:27:46.760 already forgiven you. You may have made the mess, but 0:27:46.760 --> 0:27:48.800 I'm gonna help you clean it up. Go get the 0:27:48.800 --> 0:27:51.480 best row, get a ring for their finger, get shoes 0:27:51.520 --> 0:27:53.919 for their feet. We're gonna have a party because my 0:27:54.040 --> 0:27:57.679 child has come back home. Many of us today we 0:27:57.800 --> 0:28:01.120 know God as a savior, know God as the king 0:28:01.160 --> 0:28:04.159 of kings, and that's great. But my prayer is that 0:28:04.240 --> 0:28:07.359 we'll begin to know God better as a father. If 0:28:07.400 --> 0:28:09.960 you didn't have a good father growing up, don't let 0:28:10.000 --> 0:28:12.840 that taint the image of who your heavenly father is. 0:28:13.040 --> 0:28:17.679 He's merciful, he's forgiving, he's loving, and he's incredibly proud 0:28:17.720 --> 0:28:20.679 of you. He loves showing you off. He thinks that 0:28:20.760 --> 0:28:24.560 you're amazing. Remember you don't have to go through anybody 0:28:24.560 --> 0:28:27.640 else to talk to God. You have a direct line. 0:28:27.760 --> 0:28:31.280 Your heavenly Father will always take your call. If you 0:28:31.320 --> 0:28:34.119 will begin to see God as a father, then you 0:28:34.160 --> 0:28:38.240 won't live life guilty, condemned, feeling like you don't measure up. No, 0:28:38.320 --> 0:28:42.160 you'll be strong, confident, secure, and I believe in declare 0:28:42.440 --> 0:28:44.959 you will become everything He's created you to be, and 0:28:45.120 --> 0:28:47.480 you will live that life of victory that he has 0:28:47.520 --> 0:28:51.480 in store. Amen, do you receive it today? But we 0:28:51.600 --> 0:28:54.200 never like to close our broadcast without giving you an 0:28:54.240 --> 0:28:57.440 opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would 0:28:57.440 --> 0:29:01.600 you pray with me? Just say Lord, j Jesus, I'll 0:29:01.600 --> 0:29:06.480 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:29:06.560 --> 0:29:10.040 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that 0:29:10.120 --> 0:29:12.960 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in 0:29:13.000 --> 0:29:16.240 a good Bible based church, Keep God first place. He's 0:29:16.280 --> 0:29:18.400 going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:18.640 --> 0:29:22.040 Thank you for listening to the Joel Oustine podcast. Help 0:29:22.120 --> 0:29:24.840 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:24.960 --> 0:29:28.840 all over the world. Visit joelostin dot com slash give 0:29:28.920 --> 0:29:30.600 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:31.880 --> 0:29:34.800 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:34.800 --> 0:29:38.200 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:38.280 --> 0:29:41.480 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:41.640 --> 0:29:44.080 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:44.160 --> 0:29:44.680 next time.