Growing in the Father

the next two or three weeks growing in the father good to go away growing in the

father guys if you turn to Galatians 4 4 to 7 hey Prashanth can you sit here so

that in case mr. Sidhu needs any questions he can ask you yeah

so Galatians 4 verses 4 to 7 let's just turn to that Galatians 4 4 to 7 and

Galatians 4:4–7

here's what it says it says and because you are sons because you are sons God

has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying out above father

therefore you're no longer a slave but a son and if a son then an heir of God

through Christ go over it again and because you are sons guys just imagine

that here's why the father sent his spirit into you this is why God the

father sent the spirit of his son Jesus Christ into you why he actually knows

now that you are sons and if you are sons then he must send the spirit of his

son into you

how do you become his son it says Hebrews 2 Hebrews 2

Hebrews 2 it says in Hebrews 2 verse 14

Hebrews 2:14

since the children have flesh and blood he too shared their humanity so that by

his death he might destroy him who holds the power of the death that is the devil

and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death for

surely it's not angels he helps but Abraham's descendants for this reason he

had to be made like his brothers in every way in order that he might become

a merciful and faithful high priest and service to God alone that he might make

atonement for the sins of the people because he himself suffered when he was

tempted he's able to help those who are being tempted so one of the ways we

become son is by the son taking part in our flesh now go to Colossians 2

Colossians 2 in Colossians it says that Colossians 1 13 I think Colossians 1

13 it says for he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us

into the kingdom of the son he loves in whom we have redemption the forgiveness

of sins and there's another scripture I don't remember where the thing is where

it says that the son of God sent his son so that we may it's in Romans 8 good

Romans 8 Romans chapter 8 and it says here

Romans 8 · chapter mention

it talks about being co-heirs yeah now and it's the same scripture that we saw

in Galatians 4 it says here verse 15 for you Romans 8 15 for you did not receive

a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear but you receive the spirit of

sonship and by him we cry about father the spirit himself testifies with our

spirit that we are God's children now if we are children then we are as as of God

and co-heirs with Christ if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we

may also share in his glory so here's the odd thing guys if you want to become

sons you have to have the spirit but the spirit is sent because God thinks you

are his son if you want to become sons you cannot become sons unless you

receive unless you receive Christ you cannot yeah and so here's the thing if

I need to become a son I cannot become a son without the Holy Spirit because

unless you be born again you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven so there's

no question of me becoming a son without the Holy Spirit because it very clearly

says if you're not led by the spirit you're not a son of God if you're led

by the spirit you are a child of God so without the spirit I can't become a

son but understand why the why God sends his spirit to you he sends his

spirit to you because he knows that sonship is impossible without the Holy

Spirit sonship is impossible without the Holy Spirit sonship is impossible

without the Holy Spirit so therefore guys every morning yearn for yearn by

opening your lives up to the Holy Spirit hey start the day because he's the one

who brings in this sense of sonship we don't do these things actively get up

every morning and begin a call out saying father my sonship comes only

because you have given me the spirit of your son so here I am once again not to

receive your Holy Spirit but to completely yield myself to your spirit

because my sonship comes through your spirit and nothing else every day begin

the day like that guys these are not basics these are primary things in

Christianity we're not doing one-on-one Christianity we're not talking about

basics we are talking about the primary things of Christianity if you don't get

this we get nothing this is not ABCD of Christianity this is what Christianity

revolves around now I am in a position to walk in sonship and we're only going to

talk about growing in the father for the next three weeks and so that is when I

can do what is said here and because you're a son Jacob God your father has

sent forth the spirit of his son into your heart Jacob so that when you wake

up in the morning when you're walking through the day you will cry out Abba

father and Jacob this will keep you from being a servant it'll keep you from

being a slave or thinking like a servant or a slave looking for things to do for

God you will begin to behave like a son and if you're a son know that you are an

heir of God through Christ you know you should see dawn in Derek's house don't

things that behaves as if everything in Derek's house belongs to him he actually

thinks Derek's wallet belongs to him he does and watching it it's entertaining

amusing and yet it also shows that here are two brothers who do quite well with

each other where don actually thinks everything that is Derek's belongs to me

when before dawn came Derek had a bed now he doesn't before dawn came Derek had

a wallet that was full now he doesn't and dawn has absolutely no problems in

exploiting Derek and Derek has absolutely no problems being exploited

this is how it is man that is what is meant by co-airs where everything that

is someone's is yours guys it is a secret to rest at the end of the day if

we get what we're going to teach over the next three weeks right you will learn

what it is to walk in contentment and rest that's why I'm calling it growing

in the father growing in the father the message puts it this way doesn't the

privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a

slave but a child doesn't the privilege of intimate conversation with God make

it plain that you are not a slave but a child so the question is do we have

intimate conversations with God may I suggest to you that our prayer language

will reflect our relationship with God if I hear you pray I will know where you

are at with the father I was at Diana's dad's funeral some years ago and Diana

had asked me to come and pray and I went up and prayed and when we gathered down

in the fellowship hall of that church Mabel many all I did was pray I didn't

do anything else just prayed and that's it when I finished praying and when I

was down in the fellowship all and we were having refreshments you know the

number of people who came up and said to me how do you pray like that because we

don't relate to the father I'm talking about individuals I'm not different

people from different churches they're kind so there's not a I'm not talking

about which church I'm just talking about people coming up and saying how

do you pray like that because I don't know how to pray like that to the father

your intimacy is a reflection your intimacy in prayer will show where you

are at with the father I'm just reading scripture from the

message man doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it

plain that you're not a slave but you're a child and if you're a child you're

also an heir and I love the next line with complete access to the inheritance

with complete access to the inheritance with complete access to the inheritance

growing in the father which brings me to another question what is I inheritance

guys what is our inheritance

keep going you're on the right track thank God you didn't say other stuff

wouldn't expect you to what is our inheritance guys may I suggest that

another way of wording what you said is our inheritance is the father if you

have the father you have everything man Psalm 16 verse 5 talks about it David in

Psalms 16:5

the Old Testament says God is my portion if the father is my inheritance then

then what don't I have do you understand by growing in the father then it's so

essential to accessing everything that God wants for my life you know what will

happen when we begin to live like that is we will be set free to experience our

heritage we will be set free to experience our heritage instead of being

people who keep going after God to have their needs met God will stop being

Jehovah Jireh Jehovah Rapha Jehovah Rohi Jehovah the protector Jehovah the

provider Jehovah the provision God will stop being all that when he is father

because in the father everything is it is it is oddly an immature form of

Christianity that partitions God into different aspects and says okay I

want to run after Jehovah Rapha I was great those are all his characteristics

he gave himself those names to portray who he was but the one thing he

essentially is is the father and if you have the father you have an inheritance

and you don't have to then go running after needs to be met because you have

your inheritance and in that inheritance you have everything the father becomes

your inheritance that is your primary inheritance the father is your

inheritance the Bible actually says it go to Psalm 16 verse 5 Psalm 16 verse 5

Psalms 16:5 Psalms 16:5

and it says it it says Lord you have assigned me my portion and cup you have

made my lot secure the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places

surely I have a delightful inheritance and some other scriptures the way he

puts it is the father is my portion do you have the message version of it

Psalm 16 verse 5 Psalm 16 verse 5 do you have it five

Psalms 16:5 Psalms 16:5

first and only and now I'm your choice you set me up with the house and yard

and then you made me your heir the wise counsel God gives when I'm awake is

confirmed by my sleeping heart go back go back to the choice thing again just

worth five yeah yeah keep going my choice is you God first and only and now I find

that I'm your choice you set me up with the house and yard and then you made me

read that again

awesome God is my inheritance and my portion guys what is the my inheritance

first the father my portion in him I have everything you know I want to be

set free to experience my rightful heritage I want to be set free to

experience my rightful heritage because if I can get to understand the father I

will be at rest I will be completely at rest my life will be at rest I'll be

contained and contented there will be no need to think of worry of bother about

anything else because Jesus said it very plainly in Matthew 6 long ago when he

said your father knows before you even ask our problem is we can't we haven't

arrived there yet so we struggle I want to arrive there I'm running out of time

want to arrive there surely I want to live this out for a few years they want

to arrive there two minutes before I die and so we're gonna look at the father in

three different ways guys we're gonna see ourselves in three three areas one

today we only dealing with this the far I am the this is the first part this is

this is step one and this is where we are at right now or maybe we've got a

step to to the father's child that's what we are examining today next week

we'll go over something that we did two years ago which we visit every now and

then but I think we need to do a whole new revision of it which is the father's

heart this is where we start every child starts here every person who should

start here the father's child I am my father's child I am a much-loved child

I am greatly loved by the father he is a good good father I am a much-loved

child that's where we start and at least the church is beginning to discover that

with the songs and with the grace message which may be perverted but which

establishes this then we go to something called the father's heart

because once you grow out of childhood you now have to understand your father's

heart so that you understand it when things are not going well so that you

understand it when he is disciplined so that you understand it when you haven't

had breakfast so that you understand it when he isn't putting bandage on your

owie so that you understand it when he isn't giving you the pocket allowance

that you think you deserve that is when we have to understand the father's heart

and we'll talk about that next week and the week after and perhaps it may take

a couple of weeks is to understand what it is to be the father's son there's a

difference between child and son unto us a child is what born but unto us a son

is given there's a difference a child was born but it was a son who was given

and so we have to learn these three and if we learn these three if God the

father's I am God the father's child I and I want to understand God the father's

heart and then I want to be God the father's son Jesus Christ was God the

father's son and we haven't even scratched the surface on that one when

you connect this to what we've been talking about regarding the Holy Spirit

you'll find yourself in a place that is brilliant is my mic still on or is it

dead still on great this is what we'll touch on today I just wanted to

introduce the others and this is just a reiteration what we've learned already

the father's child is to have the eyes and heart of a trusting child the eyes

and the heart of a trusting child both are important a I need to have the eyes

of a trusting child and the heart of the trusting child the eyes always

locate the heart is what trusts the eye looks the heart believes the eye looks

for the heart believes I mean you see that in little kids first thing when

they are in trouble is they start looking and once they look they don't

move away from the place of trouble they can stand there and trust till the

parent comes in one big swoop picks them up and moves them strangely a child can

be surrounded by things and he only has to look once he finds he stays because

now he trusts and then the parent comes and delivers the child out of the

trouble Psalm 23 is basically this David being like a child the Lord is my

shepherd I have everything I need why how can he even say that if God was in

this portion he leads me besides still waters he he restores my soul he lets

me lie down in green pastures what's next he leads me besides still

waters he refreshes my soul keep going he guides me along the right paths for

his namesake even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death huh

how do you do that man I will fear no evil this is not some great statement of

faith this is the eyes and heart of a trusting child for he is with me his rod

and his staff they comfort me he prepares a table for me in the presence

of my enemies he anoints my head with oil my cup overflows surely goodness and

mercy shall follow me all the days of my life this is the cry of a child whose

heart is steadfast in his father and he was not from the new covenant it's just

nuts man

Psalm 26 3 from the message puts it this way I never lose sight of your love I

keep in step with you never missing a beat reliant on your faithfulness I

never lose sight of your love when do we panic guys when does life go wrong when

you lose sight of his love

what is the definition of a dull child a dull child is a child who has lost

sight of the father's love that's when you go down that is why as we grow older

this part becomes very important because circumstances change and one must go

from childhood to sonship it's a process of maturity and that is why this is so

important it's not it is vital to going from here to here eyes in the heart of a

trusting child so I never lose sight of your love but keep in step with you

never missing a beat reliant on your faithfulness even faith then becomes

easy because faith works by love and a much loved child exerts faith without

effort faith works by love as in I cannot show faith with ease a much loved

child exert faith without effort put an orphan and a child in a situation and

see who strives more and who strives less the one that is loved strives less

why because the one that is loved knows what comes with that love one that does

not recognize love knows that you have to now exert a lot of faith to get there

once you know the goodness of the father again we come back to this once you know

this faith is easy without knowing this faith is really exertion it still works

but it's not easy I don't have to exert faith to know that the barbecue will

work at the church barbecue I don't have to exert faith to make sure that the

sausages will be cooked I don't have to exert faith to make sure that coffee

will be ready these things I take for granted because I've come to know the

characteristics of this church and I have to worry about it once you know

then it's easy guys three things that are very important for someone who wants

to be the father's child and I mean it continues throughout but here are three

things that you need to make this step one it's Psalm 25 verse 9 if you want to

Psalms 25:9

grow in the father as a child Psalm 25 verse 9 says the father will it says God

Psalms 25:9

teaches the humble his ways and shows them what is right God teaches the

his ways and shows them what is right the one of the requirements for growing

in the growing as a father's child is humility and this kids have plenty of at

least they start off that way humility some 25 verse 9 the father teaches the

humble his ways I was so fascinated when I first saw this was that father so

you're saying that if I am I approach you with a humble heart you will teach me

your ways and show me what is right duh of course I will come that way then

humble yourself man and what is humbling mean humbling means refusing to be

stubborn refusing to be self-run that's what humbling means that's what humbling

starts guys humbling yourself before God is nothing else but that it's not

fasting that humbles you you can be someone who fasts four days a week but

is super stubborn and self-run as in you're an authority unto yourself and

you run your life then let me say the opposite of Psalm 25 verse 9 God will

Psalms 25:9

not show you his ways and will not tell you what is right and you will stumble

around in a dark room and yet go to heaven

where else does it say that in the New Testament the Holy Spirit who leads us

this is what it says in James it says God resists those who are proud but

gives grace to those that are humble resist is to take a warrior like stance

opposing somebody so you will still go to heaven but on earth you will walk it

out stumbling like a man in a dark room second thing child likeness child

likeness child likeness if you want to grow as the father's child child likeness

Matthew 11 25 really cool words Matthew 11 25 Jesus is praying and at one point

Jesus says sorry I keep calling Jesus the son sometimes I need to call him

Jesus though as we don't know who we are talking about Jesus the only God on

the face of the earth there is no other Jesus Christ son of the living God so

Jesus child likeness a child likeness Matthew 11 25 to do it is good to have

you here much pain in back okay before you go can we pray for your back

it's at 330 330 only today can we quickly pray for your back that the back

becomes okay so church can we pray for his back you can't sit no but my

jelly breaker they found okay Jesus Sidhu's back is paining Jesus Jesus

could you please heal Sidhu's back could you heal Jesus Sidhu's back so he

doesn't have pain in Jesus Christ's name amen thank you Sidhu yeah yeah you're

welcome anytime yeah just walk him out and just say hi thanks

Matthew 11 25 really cool words Jesus is praying to the father and here's what

he says he says father you are so pleased to reveal things to little

children guys there's no question of navigating life here on earth without

the father revealing things and he said I only reveal things to ones who are

little children or childlike you've hidden this from the wise and the

complicated and the theologians and they nothing wrong with theologians I

met theologians who are like little children I'm just saying the theologians

who are not there are a few of them eh yeah everybody has to be childlike you

can be whatever you want to be the Pope has to be childlike and if he's not

there's no revelation for him and he has to believe in Jesus Christ only so

child likeness Matthew 11 25 and if he believes in Jesus Christ that's fine

coming back to what I was talking about I forget sometimes that this message is

sometimes heard by others and not just this church because you guys know me

others don't yeah so guys the father is pleased to reveal things to children you

want things revealed child likeness is a must is a must what is child likeness

the eyes and the heart of a trusting child the eyes in the heart of a

trusting friend if you don't know what child likeness is go spend a weekend

with Mark and Rhonda they need babysitters anyways you will see child

likeness occasionally other times it will be difficult

go ahead

yeah yeah common sense also chamber says that common sense was given to the

supernatural man it was not given to the spiritual man supernatural sense was

given to the spiritual man so when you're living here on earth you

supernatural sense unless you want to live like the natural man in which case

stick with common sense but if you stick with common sense don't expect anything

from God to actually happen in your life because God is super logical but he

almost always does things that are no longer within the realm of common sense

so if you want to live a natural life here on earth and go to heaven use

common sense if you want to live a supernatural life here on earth and then

go to heaven use supernatural sense very simple this church really believes in

supernatural sense if we did anything using common sense we wouldn't be here

we would have been at Pilgrim four years ago

third one obedience obedience sometimes we think child likeness and knowing the

father as a child has nothing to do with obedience Jesus put it this way hey just

as I have kept my father's commandments and abiding his love why don't you keep

my father's commandments and abide in his love John 15 19 John 15 19 John 15

Just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love so why don't you keep

my father commands Jacob and abide in his love remain in his love we talk about

being a much-loved child, it is impossible to be a much-loved child

just believing that the father is good. This is where the song

is limited. He's a good good father, yes he is.

And I'm a much-loved child,

that's who I am, this is true. But if you want to continue to walk as a much-loved child,

you have to go take it to the next level which is

I will learn how to remain in his love by walking in obedience.

Otherwise you'll find that the father thinks you're a much-loved child but you don't feel it anymore

unless you sing it.

Jason, it's a little bit surprising about Matthew 11.25 because it says things are hidden from the wise and the true.

God is wise and true, we're supposed to be like him.

Yeah, and yet he says God's foolishness,

Yeah, man's wisdom is God's, like God's foolishness is greater than man's wisdom.

And so it's a whole different way of thinking and wising.

Yeah, go ahead.

John 15.19, maybe it's 15.9.

John 15.9, 10.

John 15.10.

If you read it from the message, it says remain in my love

by obeying my father's commands just as I remain in his love

and so on.

Guys, be at home in my father's love, that's what the message says.

So be at home in my father's love.

So the point being, guys, you can be a much-loved child

only if you now realize that I'm a much-loved child, he's a good father,

and now I will continue walking in much-loved childness by obeying him.

Without obedience, it doesn't work, okay?

It doesn't work.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Any questions?

I'm almost done.

We'll do the rest next week.

These are the three.

Next week, we will go back and revise the things that we talked about

the father's add-on.

We'll add some more to it.

But this part we should have gotten by now.

Got the father.

I am the father's child.

I don't think I have...

There's a morning in my life now for the last little while

where I don't start the day like this.

The first thing I do when I get up is I go to the bathroom

and I'm like, I'm going to go to the bathroom.

I'm like, I'm going to go to the bathroom.

I'm like, I'm going to go to the bathroom.

I'm like, I'm going to go to the bathroom.

And I get up, it's, hey, father,

I got to get only one thing right today.

I'm a much-loved child.

And to recognize that I'm a much-loved child,

I need to recognize you as father.

If I can get that right, everything else falls into place.

It gives me the guts to go on trips like this

because I'm a much-loved child.

And if I am walking in humility, which I try to,

and then boast about it,

he will teach me his ways and show me what is right.

Isn't that brilliant?

Psalm 25, verse 9.

Psalms 25:9

To one who is humble, God will teach his ways

and show what is right.

Ah, he now begins to lead you during the day.

Second thing, childlikeness.

Father, you will reveal things to those that are childlike,

not to the wise and the prudent.

The wise and the prudent are the common sense people.

Now he begins to reveal himself and reveal the truth.

Isn't that brilliant?

And the third thing is obedience.

Now that you say it, I really want to remain in your love

and walk in your favor.

How do you do that?

By continuing to now walk in obedience.

Guys, we've got to do this, eh?

We've got to do this.

Do you want me in the picture or not in the picture?

Yes.

Okay, I get it.

So that's what, start with this, guys.

This you should have already begun practicing.

And guys, if you practice, it's very hard to escape

the Father's love, eh?

Very hard not to have.

Remember what I read earlier.

Remember what I read earlier.

Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation

with God make it plain that you're not a slave but a child?

Whether you like it or not, whether you receive it or not,

whether you believe it or not.

Listen to this.

If you have received Christ, you are a son.

And therefore, God has sent his Holy Spirit into you.

You may not feel it, but you can feel it.

But it doesn't change the fact.

Can you feel blood running through your temples right now?

May I suggest to you that if it wasn't,

you'd be brain dead by now.

I look forward to this.

But I really look forward to this.

And so, we'll leave it at that.

And so, we'll leave it at that.

And go now and practice these three things.

So by next week, you're surely doing this every day.

If you ain't doing this, you'll only get notes on the other two.

Because if we don't do the first, we don't get to the second.

We don't get to the third.

And I just want to let you know that we have two more guys

who've decided to leave Vernon and join us.

So, Alison and Alice.

Eric doesn't know about it.