Knowing the Father - Father's Day 2025

All right, if you have your Bibles, turn over to 1st John

John 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2. I'm excited today because who I

am today, probably there's an individual in my life that

probably did more in my life than they know this side of

heaven. Now they are in heaven and they

may know today. But you know, I'm appreciative

of the ministers that God has placed in my life that still

invest in my life. But Pastor David EMI.

He was amazing to me. I'm not the only one in the room

that he was my pastor. Randy and Melanie, they were

Word of life fellowship for how many years before he moved here?

23 years, 23 years they were there.

That's where I met their family. Joshua was in their son.

Joshua was in the youth ministry when I became the youth pastor.

I only youth pastored at that church for three years.

And I remember the day that Pastor David interviewed me, I

think it was in November when they flew me up maybe.

And I came and my wife and I met with the board and the staff and

he had some conversations with me and different things.

And I remember he asked me the question in the office.

He said, do you believe your pastor one day?

And I said, yes, Sir, I do. Now, honestly, I tried to do the

pastoring first. My wife and I had just graduated

from Raymond 2000, and I was personally tired of moving my

family around so much. I'm like, let let's go do what

we know we're supposed to do. We're going to go past.

We're going to start a church. However, the timing is not

there. Just because you know something

don't mean you should do something.

And I knew from God I would pastor a church.

I would start one and I wanted to do that.

So I came back to Florida, was going to plant a church in

Gainesville and started to develop a little bit of a team

that was going to go and actually had a job in

Gainesville. I was looking for property.

I actually looked at a theater that was no longer a theater to

go into it and rent it. Ironically speaking, here we

are. I was just off a few years and

in the wrong city, but when I was there, the Lord spoke to me

and he says you're not ready, you need to go get on staff.

And so there was another location that I do believe that

the Lord had an assignment for me.

However, some people needed to move in order for that to take

place. They did not move.

So God move me. I know this is true because when

I came back to Pastor Anchor Faith Church here, I ran into

the individuals that needed to move out of the position so I

could be in that position. And when I went back to that

particular church, they said, ah, we are leaving going to

start a work in a particular country and we should have done

it three years ago. If we had, you probably would

have been in this position that we're in today.

You understand God won't make people move.

And so we had an assignment where I didn't have to leave the

state before we came here. Unfortunately, because they

didn't, God upgraded. I call it an upgrade and I'm

convinced of that today. He upgraded me.

And so we ended up going back to Oklahoma where this pastor by

the name of David E my hired me. Now I'm going to be honest with

you. I was different as a gift for

Word of Life. Word of Life Pastor David is a

phenomenal teacher, man. He could teach the word line

upon line, precept upon precept. And I'll be honest with you,

most teaching gift pastors love the teaching gift and that's

typically who fills their pulpits.

I, on the other hand, was a preacher.

Totally different style. Nothing the church was used to

at all. But you know, I was ignorant of

that fact. And he had not heard me preach

really. So I think we were all surprised

at the end of the day. But we were the right gift.

He knew and I knew it. But I'll never forget.

He asked me. He said, do you believe you,

pastor? I said, yes Sir, I do.

He said, well then I'll train you to be a pastor.

Wow. And man, he opened the door for

me in a lot of areas. The advantage that I had right

out the gate is the youth ministry wasn't even in the

church. It wasn't even in the building.

It was a mile and a half away. And so, you know, we could treat

it like it was his own church to a degree, although you never

knew that because I always said the depot was the ministry of

Word, life, fellowship. And so we always kept bridging

the gap. But he went on to be with the

Lord. I can't remember what year now.

Do you remember 2011? Really.

Wow, 2011. And the church that he planned

in Sand Springs, OK, is totally different today.

But I ran across a minister who's in Tulsa still.

His name is James Johnson and James Johnson was given the

rights to his material, his books, and I said James, if

you'll allow me, I'll get his books and print.

The world needs to still hear his voice.

I think he did 4 books and today I have his first book.

Knowing the father, I really encourage you to get a copy of

this. So we obviously have it on sale

today for 10 bucks. Could I have given it away?

Yes. But the reality is you should

invest in your life. I will give 2 away to some

fathers because I have two books up here.

And so I'm going to give those away.

So if I can get Nick to help me out here and Brian, if you'll

help me out here, I put the burden on you.

You decide what man gets that all right and give those away.

So I'm going to be. Speaking in line with this,

because Pastor David was a man who grew in his relationship

with his father. He was a drug addict.

I'll never forget Pastor David told me one time, he said, now,

Pastor, when I was in the Army, I did some drugs, really bad

drugs. He said, I remember one time

because it's during the 70s. He said, I think it was over in

Germany at the time. And he said, you know, our

hallways were brown and orange. That was the colors back then

and he said the doors were orange and he said I was

tripping on some LSD coming in and he said the doors turned

into tongues. He said I had a friend of mine

that was in the service that went on a trip and he never came

back. So he lived a rough life, grew

up in West Tulsa, and God radically delivered him, changed

his life. He was a stocky man, probably

511, I would say, you know, barrel chest is real stocky, had

a full beard. If you get the book, you'll see

his face in the back. But he grew through the years

and I think there was a lot that God had to knock off him.

He was a tough guy and he had to knock some things off, you know,

and as a pastor, you know, when you first start, you know,

there's things that God. That's why we always say I'll be

a better pastor in five years, you know, because you're

growing. I'm not saying that the man was

in sin. I'm just saying that the man had

to grow in his relationship with God and how he dealt with

people. The problem was is that he,

which isn't, which is, you know, not always common, but he had

staff that had been with him a while, which means they saw the

growth process. And so when I came in at his

20th year, I was hired at his 20th year, the staff had things

to tell me about their pastor. I learned some lessons pretty

quick. And they would tell me about how

he would respond in certain. Things.

You know, and almost. Warning me to a degree.

But you know, I was young, 2830, I was 30 when I took the

position. And I just decided I'll apply

this part of love. Love believes the best.

Because at the end of the day, I'm going to take my own

relationship with him for it. Not just your word.

Not just your word. OK.

And so I had AI just hung out with him.

Pastor asked me to go work out with him one time.

I said sure, I love to work out. He liked to work out.

Nobody else on staff worked out. Nobody.

You know, me developing and walking with him this way put me

a little bit at. Odds with the staff.

I was known as the Golden Boy. Now that wasn't a compliment,

but that's OK. At the end of the day, I just

wanted to know the man for himself.

I realized pretty quick that Pastor David didn't care to

confront. That was his least enjoyable

part of pastoring, and when he realized I didn't seem to have a

problem with it, he enlisted me. I think Randy used to do it

first. And then I showed up and I took

the title and so he would have me confront.

Now, it's easy to confront when you're not the person, when

you're not the final say I mean. Pastor told me to have a

conversation, you know. Well, here we are.

Let's go. You know, let's talk, let's talk

about your life and let's do it in line with the word.

And, you know, so obviously you're there to try to get them

to a whole another place because again, when someone's correcting

you or you're being confronted, it's because they're trying to

get the best out of you, you know, And so Pastor would use me

along those lines. Not only do you allow me to do

youth ministry, but he allowed me to go into young adults.

I ended up going into prisons. I went into the three prison

systems. I mean, man, we were doing so

much. He let me do men's ministry with

him. I had a ball with Pastor David

EMI. He was.

He was never the guy I was told he was.

I was never the guy. He was never that guy.

And I concluded if he had been, he's grown.

And the problem, that's the lesson I learned by being on

staff was don't hold a person in a position they were at some

point in their lives because they can grow and be different

if you will allow them. And you know what's crazy, I

learned that on staff is that it's amazing how the Saints want

the pastors to grow to for the past to accept them and their.

Growth process. But the Saints won't reciprocate

that for the pastors. We need to fix that.

And so I realized that the person they told me he was was

never the person. And if again, if he had been,

he's grown past this and I never experienced that man.

Now, did he correct me? Yes.

I remember the time he had to confront me about something and

you know, he wasn't real comfortable about it, but I gave

him great comfort. I said Pastor, I have 1000 ideas

for the vision of. We're life fellowship if you

don't like. It just say it.

We'll throw it out and I'll bring another one.

It doesn't bother me. You have the final say.

I'm good boy. He fell back in his seat.

He was so excited, you know, because at the end of the day,

you're the pastor. I am here to run in this vision

with you. And if the idea doesn't stick,

don't do it. Now let me tell you.

About the idea that I had, the idea that I had is that we ran

to services, his wife did the worship and I suggested someone

else do worship for the early service.

She sang the contemporary songs. They just came out Grand Ole

Opry. It was just a style.

Now, was it effective? Yes.

The church grew. It was effective.

And it's in Oklahoma, people. OK.

I mean, it's Cowboys and all that kind of stuff, right?

So it was effective. However, I knew there was a

group that it needed a different sound.

And if we're talking about how to grow, it's an idea.

Well. They that idea got shot down,

but after I left, I think it was maybe a year or two, the person

I suggested to do worship in the first service they did.

So sometimes the God idea is not for when you're there.

Anyway. And I was never offended by

that. Why?

Because I'm just here to help. Pastor David was amazing man to

me and I cannot recommend his materials more.

I remember when I went to Paul, Albania for the first time.

And I went to. Pastor fought mirrors church we

going to preach. Just hold on a second.

I'm gigging me back stories. I went to Pastor Fought Mirrors

Church and I remember walking in and all of a sudden here are

Pastor David's books in Albania. And I was like, how do you know

this guy? And he's like, oh, he came over

often. And then I remember when I was

on staff, Albania had just opened up not too long and he

was going over and he was training the first generation

pastors. This is why I support Pastor

Fatmir today is because Pastor David is no longer with us.

He's no longer supporting, nor is the church.

And so I said I'll continue what he started.

Now there's a pastor in Africa right now that pastor used to do

some things with, and I'm praying about whether I should

continue the course. Now why would I do that 'cause I

honor my father in the faith, who did more for me to develop

me as a pastor than anyone else still to this day.

He did more for me in those three years, even by not

instructing, just giving me the latitude to hear God.

It's amazing what He did in my life, and I'm very thankful and

grateful for him. And His voice is necessary.

And so I'm going to reproduce all of his books, and we're

going to sell them here, and I'm going to take them wherever I go

because his voice is necessary. So I encourage you to pick up

his book, Knowing the Father. First.

1 John 2:15–17

John chapter 2, verse 15 to 17 says this.

Do not love the world nor the things of this world.

In this world. If anyone loves the world, the

love of the Father is not in Him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust

of the eyes, the boastful pride of life is not from the Father,

but it is from the world. The world is passing away and

also its lust, but the one who does the will of God.

Lives How long? Smith Wigglesworth said this, I

cannot understand, he said. I cannot understand God by

impressions. I cannot understand God by

feelings I cannot get to know Him by.

Sentiments. If I am going to know God, I'm

going to have to know Him from His Word, for He is everything

the Word says He is, and He will do everything the Word says He

will do. In order for you to know your

Heavenly Father, you cannot look at the world.

It's impossible to find Him in the world.

He's not here, He's not in the world, he's not of the world.

And you cannot. And as great as even today

natural men can be to do the best they can to model our

Heavenly Father, they still fail in comparison to to how the word

describes. Him.

It is only through the Word that you can find and know the

character and heart of your Heavenly Father and many again,

if I had Pastor Mike come up today, he would be an

encyclopedia of information concerning the attack on manhood

and the role of the Father. The minute the enemy can come

into a society and downgrade the need for a father, if he can

destroy the father in the whole, then he has the greatest chance

of destroying the whole family. In fact, the church puts a lot

of investment in children. Yet if a child is born again,

what is it? It's still like, you know, small

percentage. I mean it's less than 50.

I think it's like in the 20% range that the family would be

changed if the wife and it could even be single digits.

If the wife is born again, it is still small percentage that it

will change the household. But if the father is born again,

the percentage is like in the 80.

Percentile that the whole family will become born again.

That is amazing, the influence of a father in the home, yet our

heavenly Father has never blown it, never made a mistake, never.

He's amazing, and in order for you to know him, you're going to

have to go to the Bible. Pastor David EMI said it this

way. To recognize God's will for Adam

is to recognize God's will for believers.

Today. He highlighted that if you want

to see or get to know your Father, the first thing you're

going to need to do is go back to the Book of Beginnings.

Oh, it's very good, because when we go back to the Book of

Beginnings, when God is dealing from a Father perspective with

humanity, we get the clearest picture of who He is.

Let's look at this together, man.

We've been in this verses so many times, but let's read them

again and again. They're not here by reputation.

Please do not get bored with them.

There is revelation in these verses still to this day in

Genesis 126 to 31. We're going to go to the end of

the book. It says that thing God said,

then God said now God has said a lot up to this point.

God has created the heavens and the earth.

God has created water, land, He has created vegetation, He has

created animals. I mean God has done a lot with

his voice, created stars, all kinds of things.

Then God said, let us make man in our image according to our

likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the

birds of the sky, over the cattle, over all the earth, and

over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

God created man in his own image, in the image of God, He

created him. What?

Male and female, He created them.

Verse 28 God bless. Them.

And God said to them, what Be fruitful, multiply, fill the

earth, subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, over the

birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the

earth. Then God said, Behold, I have

given you, I have what I have what I have given you, every

plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth,

and every tree which has fruit yielding seed, it shall be food

for you. Verse 30 And man, this is

powerful stuff. Now.

Verse 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of

the sky, and to everything that moves on the earth which has

life, I have given every green plant for food.

And it was. So here it is.

Verse 31 And God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was.

Now this is the first time He uses the word very in front of

good. Up to this point he said it was

good, it was good, it was good. But after this he said it is.

Why is it very good? Because the one whom He had

ordained to govern and rule this earth has now come into the

earth, and He has assigned him with the responsibility to rule

and to rule with Him. Are you hearing me?

God saw that all that He had made, and behold, it was very.

And there was evening, and there was morning the 6th day.

So in the very beginning we see that God makes man and woman,

and they are in the garden. And it is very good, which means

the Father only has good things for you.

The Father had nothing in it that was bad to teach you

something. He didn't use bad things to

teach you. He didn't try to manipulate you

to teach you. He created a perfect world, no

sin, and gave you the ability to rule.

In essence, you're already Co laboring with your Father

because now you function like him in the earth as He.

Functions in heaven. Hallelujah.

This is your destiny. This is what our Father wants to

do with his children. He wants you to rule like he

does. Amen.

Isn't that amazing? He wants you to rule like he

does. And he provided everything.

Everything. What in the world did Adam and

Eve lack? Not a thing.

This shows the nature of our God, how much He cared for them.

He provided everything for them. They did not have a want at all.

And what He provided for Adam in Genesis 1 and 2 is the same

thing He's providing for his children today.

Hallelujah. His way of parenting has not

changed. I'm going to say that again.

His way of parenting has not changed.

Amen. So don't wait till you get to

heaven for this stuff to occur. Are you hearing me?

So then we go on. And and David, Pastor David said

it this way. He said he created a family

after his own likeness to enjoy a kingly way of life, to have

dominion over all the earth and to be in fellowship with him.

What a powerful dad, what amazing dad that is, what a

awesome heavenly Father we have is that when he thought of us

humans created in his image, he wanted us to function in a

kingly way on the earth and be in full fellowship with him.

And everything around us is good.

Not just good, but very good. Amen.

Isn't that awesome that your heavenly Father, this was his

idea for us. Genesis 2 seven through 9 y'all

wait today. I know that our youth isn't here

to get you stirred up, but you know y'all need to stay stirred

nonetheless. All right?

Genesis 27 to 9 says this. Then the Lord God form man out

of the dust of the ground, and he breathed into his nostrils

the breath of life, and man became a living being.

Then the Lord God planted a garden toward the east in Eden,

and there was a play there. He placed the man whom he had

formed out of the ground. The Lord God calls to grow every

tree that is pleasing to the site and good for food, and what

for food, good for food, and the tree of life also in the midst

of the guard and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And if we continue to read the next few verses, we begin to see

that there is a river that runs through that breaks into four

rivers, OK, And there's different lands that are

associated based upon these rivers.

Gold is in abundance, there's other precious mineral and all

of this is for man. Again, what do we know about the

Scripture that God owns a owns all the silver and gold.

So silver and gold is not bad. It was ours.

It was for us to enjoy anyway, right, Because the whole earth

says the Lord's and then he's given it demand to manage rule,

to have dominion over. I mean, so you see the nature of

our Father that he was so well thought out, thought out of what

He wanted to provide for his children.

This is amazing. This is amazing stuff that our

Father did for us. Then if we jump down to verse

15, it says, then the Lord God took man and put him into the

Garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it.

And the Lord God commanded man, saying, from any tree of the

garden you may eat freely, but of the tree of the knowledge of

good and evil, you shall not eat.

From the day that you eat from it, you will surely die.

So he puts him in the garden and he has everything he can eat

what freely? There's one tree he cannot eat.

And the reason that tree is there is so that man can prove

to the Lord he loves him by keeping his word.

I mean every other tree he can eat, which tells me there is

more that you can do with God then you.

And there's nothing wrong in the context of the tree of the

knowledge of good and evil other than God says don't eat it.

That's it. So let's look at what we can

learn from the 1st 2 verses, our first two chapters of Genesis

concerning our Heavenly Father. The first thing that we learn is

that He provides. Are you hearing me?

He provides. Now what you have to do is you

have to take off the lens of what you're in today.

You cannot. Well, I don't have.

This is what your father wants to do.

This is original intent. I'll get to the fall here in a

minute. But original intent has not

changed. I mean, even a believer right

now that is barely getting along, thinking, you know what,

man, I just man, I, I don't want nothing.

I can't have nothing. You know, life's so tough.

It's so hard to come by stuff, that's the thing.

But I can't wait to get to heaven.

They believe that when they get to heaven, everything's going to

be taken care of. But you don't actually have to

wait. I said you don't have to wait

because the nature of our Father is in play today.

So you understand provision or prosperity is not sin.

Covetousness is sin, greed is sin.

But what's not sin is prosperity and provision.

Because God created a planet that He gave to His Son, right?

Well, I gave my son inheritance, OK, but my Heavenly Father gave

me a planet. I mean, who's given a planet in

their will? Well, I leave my I leave

Jupiter. Nobody owns Jupiter but God,

right? So that's pretty big, Father,

that he leaves you a planet. Well, I'm not going to leave you

a family business, you know, just the business.

I'm not going to leave you. Stop.

I'm leaving you the planet. And everything in it.

That's pretty good. He provides what's it say in

Philippians 419 it says this and my God will supply all your

needs according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

God's a provider. In the first two chapters He has

provided the whole planet for man.

It's very good. There's no sin in it.

There's no Thor's, no thistles, no issues.

I mean, in fact, it is implied that all Adam had to do prior to

sin was speak to the land and it would have produced.

He didn't have to labor with sweat that came with the fall.

All he had to do was speak to it.

God created an environment that His Son could rule with his

words 'cause God rules with his words.

Wow, can we rule with our words today?

You bet we can. Why 'cause my God shall supply

how many? Oh, my knees.

I don't have to get two or three jobs to make ends meet.

I just need a word from the king, 'cause he's going to be my

supplier. I mean, my dad's already showed

me from the beginning that, son, I'll take care of you.

I made a planet for you. Amen.

He is a provider. Get it out of your head that he

is withholding. He doesn't want you to have down

here. That is not our God.

He doesn't want you to be had by the things you have, but he has

no problem with you having the second verse 'cause I'm going to

give you 2 and let everything be confirmed with two or three

witnesses and for the sake of time you only get 2.

You can study some more for yourself, but to prove that our

father is a provider, he is not a dad.

Dead beat dad. I mean, with some people today,

you would think I got born again, but he doesn't take care

of me when he says I won't leave you as an orphan.

I'm not going to let somebody else care for you when you get

in my house. I'm going to take care of you.

And he doesn't just take care of you a little bit.

He's an exceeding abundant beyond what you can ask or think

kind of Father Hallelujah. You need to see yourself that

way with your heavenly Father. Luke chapter 12 verse 29 to 32.

Luke 12:29–32

And he says, do not seek what you will eat or what you will

drink, and do not keep worrying for all these things the nations

of the world eagerly seek. But you're who?

But you're who? But your Father knows that you

need these things, but seek his Kingdom.

And these things will be subtracted, divided, no, added

to you. Do not be afraid, little flock,

for your come on. You're what?

Your Father. You're who your Father has

chosen. Gladly not.

Your Father is withholding his Kingdom until you come to

heaven. Just be glad you're saved.

That's not our Father. Our Father has chosen gladly.

To what? What's he want to do?

What's he want to do? What's he want to do?

You have not because you, your dad, provides for.

There's not a thing in your life that God will not provide when

you are walking according to His plan and purpose.

There's nothing that your Father will not provide for you.

He is a God. He is a father of provision.

So do not be afraid, little fly, for your Father's chosen gladly

to give you his Kingdom. So our father, according to the

first two chapters we see very clearly is he's a provider.

He's not someone who gives birth to kids and leaves them.

He's not this Father who's in heaven.

We're on earth and we're fending for ourselves until maybe one

day we see him. He's not an estranged father.

That's so far up that you can't and away from you that you can't

contact him, talk to him or he bring provision for you and he

sure ain't trying to pay you off.

This comes with his nature. He provides.

I said he provides. Come on, he provides.

And let me say this, if you got, if you have put yourself in a

position that you're in a need, you know He forgives and still

will provide for you because he's just that good.

He gladly gives you the Kingdom. The second thing we learned the

first two chapters is that our Father wants us to live and not

die. He wants us to have life eternal

with Him. That was his purpose.

He said, Adam, you can eat from any tree of the garden, but of

the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not

eat. For the day you eat you will.

And we've said this multiple times.

Let's say it again. If Adam had never eaten the

fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and Evil,

where would he be today? He'd be here because he wouldn't

have died. He would be here.

Now, I'm not saying that God didn't know that he was going to

eat it, but when God says, and he's saying, and God always does

his word, the minute he said to Adam, you can eat from any tree,

but this tree you don't, you do not eat you.

When you do, you die or you're separated from me.

So the power is not in God's hands now.

The power is in the hands of Adam.

It's in his choice. And if Adam had every day

chosen, my dad always provides for me.

And he said do not eat this one tree, nobody's going to tell me

to eat it. I will always obey my daddy

because I love him. And we could go shake his hand

today. In fact, the whole world would

look different if he had not. If he had not.

So what does that tell us? God never wanted his children to

experience death. No.

Which tells me God is not taking people from the planet.

Well, the Lord just wanted to take them.

No, no, not at all. Not at all.

He wants us to live and not die. Look what it says in Psalms 100

and 1817. I shall not die, but live and

declare the works of the Lord. Because when you're alive unto

God, then you'll declare His works.

When you're separated from God, then you're separated from His

nature, character, blessings, all kinds of things, and you

can't declare anything. But He wants us to live so you

can declare the works of the Lord.

Look at Acts 1728, says this. Acts 1728.

It says, For in Him we live and move and exist.

One translates into have our being, even as some of your own

prophets have said, we for we are also His children.

Aren't you glad you're a child of God?

Aren't you glad you're a child of God?

I mean, you're not a servant of God, although you serve him.

You're not a slave of God, although you should make

yourself a slave unto righteousness.

Meaning I'm going to obey whatever God says.

I will make put myself in a position that I will yield to

that. But you are a child of the Most

High. You have access to your Heavenly

Father. Isn't that amazing?

So in him we live and as long as you're with him, it is life and

life more abundantly, and God wants us to live that way.

Now good news is that ultimately one day we'll all put on

immortality in that amazing because God always wanted the

those humans are man that he created to live with him

forever. And for us who choose, that's

exactly what we will do Amen. Our Father doesn't want to be

separated from us. He doesn't want to be apart from

us. He doesn't even take time out

from us. Well, you know, I need to take

some time. You know, you just go on over

there. Your daddy needs some me, Tom.

You know our father doesn't need me, Tom.

Hallelujah. He loves us.

You know, the third thing we can learn from this is he.

Our Father wanted us to reign with him.

That is powerful. Look at this right here in

Romans 517. For if by the transgression of

the one death reign through the one much more those who receive

the abundance of grace and the gift of righteous will, what

reign in life through the one Jesus Christ and you can reign

with him. Now we're not talking about

during the millennial reign. We're not talking about in the

new heaven and new earth reigning.

We're talking about reigning with him today.

Amen. I said Amen because we are his

children. I don't know about you, but I'm

really excited about being his child.

Now. I had a natural father.

I love my natural father and I have no problems telling you

that my natural father was not the best father.

Not that he was horrible as other fathers, but he did not

live according to the standard of the word.

He did not do that. He later in his life, in fact

the last 18 months of his life, gave his life to the Lord and

honestly he was in rebellion to God because he was blaming God

for the divorce of his parents. But with that being said, you

know, when it push comes to shove and your life is staring

you in the face and you know you're going to go on, He knew

enough about God and my mom, you know, raised us in church and

was born again. And there was enough of an

example that he realized I need to be right with him.

And he was. And there was a pastor by the

name of Albert Rollins Rawlinson.

Who was very instrumental in leading my father to the Lord.

I'll never forget the Sunday he did.

My dad actually painted the church.

I could take you to that church today in Gainesville.

And he painted that church, you know, helped out for free.

And I'll never forget we were in service and the door opened

during service and my dad came down in the middle of service

and went to the altar and. Pastor Rollins stopped

preaching. And LED my dad to the Lord.

It was awesome. Now my dad never had the

fullness of that experience because he was later diagnosed

pretty quick, you know, with some tumors and some challenges.

But you know, that was self-inflicted in in the way he

lived his life. And but he's he's with the

father today and I'll see him again.

But man, my heavenly Father has taught me a lot on how to be a

father that my natural father did not.

And I, you know, I'm not mad at him for that.

I'm not mad at my natural father.

For that, I'm not mad because at the end of the day, he made that

choice and his choices do not have to be my choices.

Period. They do not have to be my

choices. In fact, because of my mom, you

know, I really have no excuse because of her righteousness of

them for God. I could have, you know, been

more successful quicker if I had just studied and done some

things on my own. Anyway, we are to reign with him

and we can reign with him now, Isn't that amazing?

Revelations 510 says this. For he, for you have been made

to be a Kingdom and priest to our God, and they will reign

upon the earth. They'll reign where on the

earth, and that's not when we come back with the Lord during

the millennial reign. We can reign now.

God from heaven wants us to reign with him today.

So these are three things real quick that we can see in the

book of Beginnings that when the Father created his children,

provision and lavish provision, no lack provision.

And when I'm talking, I'm just talking about natural provision,

you understand, Adam and Eve were not sick, so they were

healthy. This was the environment where

they were healthy. There was no sin, nothing bad,

evil or wrong. All provision was there.

He gave them the environment to have life and never experienced

death once. When death was experienced, it

was Adam's choice, not our fathers.

Our father just wants life for us.

Are you hearing me? And then he gave us the ability

to rule and reign with him. He didn't say, now I'm the

father. I'm going to do everything.

What he was doing is like, I'm the father.

I'm going to lead and guide you. And I'm going to entrust you

because I'm going to give you the example of what it looks

like to rule and reign in your environment.

Are you hearing me? And we will rule and reign in

life. All right, Pastor David said

this. He said, I believe there was a

time when Adam lived and walked in the glory of God and reigned

as a king in life on the earth. How many believe Adam did that?

How many believe you can do that now because he's the king of who

are those kings we are? So there may be protests for no

kings. Come on, come.

On But the reality is I'm looking at a bunch of them.

Amen. Hallelujah.

I'm looking at a bunch of kings right now.

Now, what's dangerous about that is not about policy.

If there's an underlining message that can get into the

psyche of people and they can reject Jesus King because Jesus

is king, because Jesus does not come back as a suffering

servant, He comes back as a reigning king.

And as the church, we must be wiser than this because this is

how the enemy causes the world to reject the kingship of Jesus.

This is how this works. And we have to be wiser than

that. Are you hearing me?

And we are to walk as kings in the earth because you understand

when you understand King Jesus and then you're not intimidated.

That's right. Because Jesus nor our Father was

ever a tyrannical ruler, which means you are not to be 1

either. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen.

But unfortunately man sinned. And did it change our heavenly

Father? Genesis chapter 3 verse 8

Genesis 3:8–12

through 12 it says they heard the sound.

Of the Lord walking in the garden in the cool of the day,

and the man and his wife hid them, hid themselves from the

presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Then the Lord God called to the man and said to him, where are

you? You know, he's still asking that

question today, he said I, the man Adam, he said I heard the

sound of you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked,

so I hid myself. And he, that's our heavenly

Father, said, Who told you you were naked?

Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to

eat? And the man, that's Adam said.

The woman you gave to me to be with me, she gave me from the

tree. And I ate.

We jump down to verse 15, the father dealing with a serpent.

He said, I will put enmity between you and the woman and

between your seed and her seed. And he will bruise you on the

head and you will bruise him on the heel.

Who is this seed that will come from a woman?

What's his name? Come on, what's his name?

What's his name? I went to breakfast with Rolando

last week, maybe 2 weeks ago maybe.

I don't know. I mean, it goes fast.

So it's pretty close. It's within two weeks.

OK, So when I say soon, I mean it this time, not like a year

ago, but we were discussing Genesis 3 and he had Rolando

says, you know, there's something that I'm seeing here

in three. Tell me if I'm right and I

listen, I said. Yeah, you're right.

That's exactly right. And so we're going to talk about

it today because it reveals our Father.

Now here's our Father in Genesis 1 and 2.

He's all provision. No sickness, no disease, no

poverty, no lack. You are all taken care of and

because of that you, you'll live forever.

This is what his desire and you will reign with him forever.

That is the desire of our Father, who would not want to be

his child. That's what I'm asking.

Who does not want to be his child?

You know, my dad provides everything for me.

I never get sick, you know, I never have a lack and I can just

live forever and I reign with him.

I actually have purpose and destiny and he wants me to

participate. Who does not want that as a

father, right? However, man blows it and turn

go back to the Genesis, the first one there Genesis 8.

Let's do a look at this progression together.

It says that when the the Father comes in the cool of the day to

meet with man and his wife, Adam and Eve, they're hiding

themselves and look what happens.

The Lord God called to man and said to him, where are you?

That is the voice of repentance, the desire for repentance.

Now do we know that God knows what happened?

So let me take it from how a lot of times people, even in the

church view our Father, it would have been more like this boy,

where are you? I know you blew it.

You better get over here and and take your weapon right now.

That wasn't how he responded. He first came in with where are

you, which is a question that gives way for repentance.

So here we are in the garden. The first sin the the the

transgression that is going to cause the whole world to change

and uranize life change. Yet God is offering a pathway

of. Repentance right now.

The first response our Heavenly Father has with us if we ever

make a mistake. And unfortunately, unlike Adam,

we were well versed in disobedience.

And even when we become born again, without the renewal of

the mind, we will maintain levels of disobedience because

we're well versed. In being selfish.

Your heart can be right with God, meaning your spirit can be

born again and the Holy Ghost can live in you, but your mind

can still do what it wants to do, still do what it wants to

do. Yet God's first position was not

to lash out at the wrong, but to give an occasion for repentance.

The man says to him, We heard you in the garden, we were

afraid and we were naked. So he's telling his

circumstance. So then he says, who told you

you were naked? Next question, who told you you

were naked? Did you eat from the tree of the

knowledge of evil that I told you not to?

What are we at? I mean, how many of you, as

parents says, did you are you're looking for us?

For them to what? Be honest, take responsibility,

admit they disobeyed? That's all you're looking for.

Did you not? Because you're like did did you?

Please tell me you did so I can lower the boom on you.

I'm going to take your phone. I'm going to ground you.

I'm going to beat you so bad right now that you're going to

wish that you never made this much.

I mean, that is not our posture. And it sure is not the Heavenly

Father's posture. His posture was where are you?

Something meant right? You know what?

I know it. OK, so who told you you were

naked? And now he starts to let on.

Could you understand as a parent, some of our children

were really good at letting you know only what they thought you

knew. Come on, y'all know what I'm

talking about? They're like no.

And then you ask, OK. Yeah.

What did you do this too? Yes.

Why don't you just tell me at all?

That's it. Well.

What about this? Oh yeah, that too.

Right. So the Lord kind of cuts through

the chase and says, who told you were naked?

Did you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?

Because that's where we're at. And and Adam has an opportunity.

But what does Adam say? Well, it's that woman you gave

me no responsibility, no ownership, no repentance.

And this was powerful. When Roland and I was talking,

he said, notice that God quit talking to his son after that

because if there's no repentance, then there's the

full of the consequence. So here we already see in the

first two chapters the nature of our Father.

But even when failure came, of which He knew before the

foundation of the world, because the Lamb was slain before the

foundation of the world, He's already offering a pathway to

restoration. Our Heavenly Father, His first

action is a pathway to restoration.

And if they and if, if, if a pathway of restoration is not

there, then we're not modeling the Father wrong is can be

wrong. But is there pathway to

restoration? Because did did God make the

pathway? Yes, Genesis 315.

He says, listen, I'm going to come as a man so that I can keep

my word true that I'm making man in my image according to my

likeness and he have dominion. And the only way that's going to

happen now is I'm going to have to pay the price for the sin

that man's going to do. I'll take it because I want to

have that original relationship with my children that they'll

have all provision, not no care in the world that they'll live

forever and that will rule and reign together.

And is that not what's going to happen in the new heaven and new

earth? Is that not what's going to

happen? Because repentance in the

context of repenting from sin or disobedient will not even be in

play in the new heaven, new earth, but in this time, what's

our heart of our Father? I, I want you to repent.

What's it say in Matthew 417 from that time Jesus began to

preach and say repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Second Peter 39 it says the Lord is slow, is not slow about his

promises as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not

wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to what you

understand that our heavenly Father with those outside of his

family. He wants them to repent.

He does not desire for them to die.

We know the Father's hardest for you to live with him forever.

Now if you choose it, He is just and He'll give humanity what

they want, and if they want eternity without Him, He will

give them what they want. He will honor His word

concerning a pathway of disobedience.

However, His position is they just wants them to repent.

So even when a lost person is in all of their sin, God is always

in His mind wanting this, Hey, if you could just repent.

He's not going saying, oh, man, yeah, you keep doing that.

You just keep doing that. Yeah, big boy, go ahead and keep

doing that because your day's coming.

Your day's coming, man. I can't wait.

Your day is coming. This is what I love you.

Just thank you. That's not his position.

The Father's heart is. You don't have to do this, don't

have to be like this. I've already provided your way

of escape. I have already paid the price.

This is not where I want you, man.

Please do not put me in the position to have to act on what

you're sewing for. Please come on, change this

thing. And that's why he sings people

by your path. This is why he sends people to

talk to you about the word on how you can repentance, why he

sends people. Because he wants you to have

relationship. Now, if you resist, it's going

to happen. In fact, Romans tells us that

he'll even give them over to their pray mind.

You know, today I've done everything I can to get them to

repent. They don't want to repent, don't

want nothing do with me. And I'll give them what they

want. And then there's no more

conversation. But it's not that he's walking

around thinking, ringing his hands.

And I can't wait to show them that's not it.

Because it's grieves him that he's having to deal with

humanity in that way, especially since he's already paid the

price with his blood. Y'all doing all right?

Amen. And so Pastor David said this as

you walk in obedience to His Word, God will bless you.

He will perform a father's duties in your life.

He will perform a Father's duties in your life.

God cannot bless sin or doubt and unbelief, so we must remove

these things from our life. This is why He wants us to

repent. Change your thinking.

Come on back home. Get out of your sin.

Let me make you a new creature in Christ.

Let me bring you back over into the family.

Change the way you process and think.

Obey me at my Word, and let me start giving you.

What I originally wanted you to have the whole time full

provision, nothing but life. And you and I are going to reign

together. My Mama.

What a great father, I said. What a great father.

You know what else he is in this distance?

He's full of mercy and compassion.

Ephesians 2, four to six, says this.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with

which he loved us even when we were dead, in our transgression,

made us alive together with Christ.

By grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated

us with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah. I mean, Christ's death, burial

and resurrection and Him pouring His blood on the mercy seat in

heaven has already entitled you to His throne.

Wow, how amazing our Father is. His Father's like son, go pay

the price so they can take their seat back in the Kingdom.

Man, how awesome is that? And he did this because he's

full of mercy. Does God have a wrath side?

Yes. Will God judge the dead?

Yes. But all the while, He wants you

to come into His Kingdom, have life, repent.

And he does it because he's extremely merciful.

And why is he merciful? Because he paid the price for

all your wrongdoing. There's really no reason for you

to do. People who go to the lake of

fire, which is the second death and it exists, are there because

of their sin, but this is what gets them there.

It's really because they never make Jesus Lord.

The sin is really a dealt with issue because of the blood, but

because the blood is not on their account.

So it's actually. The rejection of Jesus as Lord

supreme and authority that was throws them into the lake of

fire because the sin really is not an issue if you accepted him

as Lord. It's already paid for.

James 511 says this. We count those blessed who

endure. You have heard of the endurance

of Job and have seen. The outcome of the Lord's

dealing for the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

Aren't you glad our Father is full of compassion and is

merciful? The last thing I want to cover

today is this concerning our heavenly Father.

You want to know your God, You want to know your Father.

You have to go to the Word. And we've already seen that He

provides. We've already seen that He wants

you to live and not die. We've already seen that He wants

you to reign with Him. And I'm going to come.

That's His. Intent.

And but because we've blown it, his first look towards us is

not, I want to punish you. His first look is I want you to

repent. His next is I'm full of mercy

and compassion. So quit telling me about what

you did. Talk to me.

Let let me tell you what I've done, you know, and if we

wouldn't go to the Lord and talk to him about all we've done, all

we've done and just listen to what he's done, then we could

get into this relationship a little bit quicker.

Now, Lord, you know what I did? He's like, yeah, but what I've

done is I've already paid for it.

You don't have to remember that anymore.

And it's not according to, it's not on your account when you're

in the under the blood. Amen.

The last thing that we see here about our father is he wants us.

To be rewarded, rewarded, rewarded again, although we will

be judged for our deeds. That's true.

But yet that's in a good sense. But there is a judgment to those

who disobeyed, there is a punishment to those who

disobeyed, and there is a wrath, although wrath can come on God's

covenant people, but that's because of disobedience.

That can happen. OK, But His primary is for you

to be rewarded. He wants you to not be.

He does not want your reward stolen or taken away.

Look at this in Hebrews Chapter 11, verse 6.

Hebrews 11:6

It says, and without faith, it's impossible to please Him.

For he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He

is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

He is a what? He's a rewarder.

You understand? If you're truly seeking the Lord

with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your

strength, you will be rewarded, not taken from, not without, not

lacking, not, you know, disregarded like you know, I

come after you. Don't do nothing for me, Lord.

Then you're not coming after him because God is not a man that he

shall lie. If you are truly seeking him and

you're following him, He is a rewarder to those who seek Him.

And man, I could testify my God has really rewarded me.

My Father has rewarded me, and he is not a respecter of his

children. Revelations 2212.

Oh my goodness, we're at the end of the book.

We started in Genesis 1. Let's end in Revelation 22.

Hallelujah, man. How many churches you get to go

to? We get to go through the whole

Bible. Revelation 2212.

It says, behold, Jesus said, behold, I am coming quickly.

My, my reward is with me to render to every man according to

what he has done. Aren't you excited?

He wants to reward us, the Father saying Jesus, go give the

reward to those who have been faithful and obeyed and followed

and and went after me. Pastor David concluded it this

way. He said it is God's will that

you walk in his blessing and prosperity, but you must walk in

obedience so that he can bless and prosper you.

Hallelujah. Why would I not be obedient to

such a good good father? And good doesn't even can't even

comprehend the magnitude of our Heavenly Father.

How gracious, merciful, kind, loving, forgiving, Oh my

goodness, he's amazing. Because all the while he just

wants to get you reset where you've completely provided for.

You don't like anything. All you do is live and you reign

with him. He's the best father ever,

Hallelujah. And he's willing for me to

accept the price of his son. Let's pray.