Lord Jesus and Heavenly Father, thank you oh so much for the many, many blessings you've already poured upon us throughout this service. And now another opportunity to get back in your word and help us now as we do that. We pray in Jesus precious holy name, amen. Happy Father's Day. It's awesome that we live in a country that has set aside a special day to commemorate and to honor our fathers. As it is instructed us in Exodus chapter 20 verse 12, honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Promises given to those that truly honor their fathers and mothers as we do on this day and should do every day. And in Ephesians, We see some instructions here given to the church at Ephesus by Paul in Ephesians chapter 6 where it reads, children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Obeying your parents in the Lord. He's speaking of as obedient Christians and having Christian parents, because that would be in the Lord. And he shows us right there that that is right. It is the will of the Lord that we obey our parents. It reads, honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, as we read in Exodus, that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth. And then it gets into some instructions for the fathers. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Qualifying that first part there. Christian home, a Christian father. And doing it in the right way that you don't push the children away, that you bring them in, draw them in, not provoke them to wrath. but bringing them in as family members, Christian family members, not just the physical family setting, but a spiritual family setting as well. And in Colossians 3, instructions here given by Paul to the church at Colossae, where it reads in Colossians 3, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Now the qualifier there, if you be risen with Christ, that means you are born again, you are a Christian. That's who he's speaking to here, the Christians and teaching about Christian behavior. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. This dead, he's talking about, is separated from the flesh and the fleshly desires. It reads, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. That's the death, that's the separation. Mortify, kill off all those things, don't let them be alive in your life. for which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience." If you get into those ungodly things, then the wrath is going to come upon you. "...in the which ye also walked some time when ye lived in them," Reminding us where we came from, but stay out of that. "...but now ye also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth, Let's look at a couple of these here. That anger that can flare up so quickly and strike out, many times it's to those that are the closest to you, that that anger is spewed out upon children or spouses, and in that wrath, just that evil potential that we all have within us that we're supposed to keep under wraps, get rid of, malice, Which means with malicious intent, with intent to harm. And blasphemy, of course, going against the Lord. And filthy communication out of your mouth. Keep your mouth and your words and your vocabulary clean. In verse 9, Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds. and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bound or free, but Christ is all and in all." That's in all believers. So he's telling us what not to do there. If we're going to be an honorable father, a father that can be honored, then we need to behave properly. And that's what he's teaching here. And then in verse 12, put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, vows of mercies and kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. When we live the right kind of life in front of our children, then they can honor us like they are instructed to do. He said, above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness. Now this charity means concern for someone, a sincere concern for someone else's well-being, not just handing out gifts. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts. That peace that passeth all understanding is available to us when we are obedient, when we are submissive to Him and His will. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful. That's a big part of it there, being thankful for what you have. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. And in further instructions, going more specific, reads, wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. All those instructions there are given to us to have a good, God-glorifying family of believers that can come together and abide by what the Lord teaches us and actually be able to honor our earthly fathers and mothers. So it's very important that we do that. And beyond that, Beyond that home setting of our earthly family and our earthly Father that we honor, we as Christians must all honor the Heavenly Father. That is the Father that is most important to honor, is our Heavenly Father. As he gives us the model prayer over in Matthew chapter 6, Picking it up in verse 9, Matthew chapter 6 verse 9 reads, After this manner therefore pray ye, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. To acknowledge the holiness of the Heavenly Father. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. That verse 13 there is very important because you can look at this, deliver us from evil. When we read earlier about that malice and that anger and that wrath is the evil that is within ourselves, the evil potential that we have as human beings, the tug of war that Paul teaches us about. We're praying to the Lord to deliver us from that, to suppress all of that, to get rid of that, to kill that off so that doesn't rise up and hurt our families. Because there can be so much damage done in a Christian home by the wrong attitude of a father and can cause such rebellion. We've seen so many examples of that. Too many examples of pastors, kids, winding up being the most rambunctious ones in the congregation because they feel like they need to rebel because they've been provoked to that wrath. So it's very important that setting has to be just right, to always be loving, always be caring, always to guide and to protect. to suppress the evil potential that is within all of us, to strike out, to say hurtful things, to criticize, condemn, and complain when it comes to our family. All right, now go over to Romans in chapter 8, and we see here the acknowledgement of the relationship that we have available with the Heavenly Father, that He can be so close and so personal relationship that we can call Him Abba Father, which means like Daddy or Papa, that personal term of endearment. In Romans chapter 8 and verse 14, Speaking of those that are born again, that are filled with the Holy Ghost, and being led by the Holy Ghost, not being led by flesh, but being led by the Spirit, and that Spirit being the Holy Ghost. And Romans chapter 8 verse 14 reads, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. This means the family of God, sons and daughters of God. If you are dwelt with the Holy Ghost, you're part of the family. You've been adopted. It reads, for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. He has adopted us into his family. And we have that opportunity that has never been available until the finished work of Jesus Christ. since what Adam and Eve had done. Adam and Eve messed up, they lost that, that relationship was gone. Never that close personal relationship ever available all through that time until the finished work of Jesus Christ and allowing us to be indwelt with the Holy Ghost and having this spirit that is within us that gives us that authority and opportunity and privilege and blessing to say, Abba, Father. Verse 16, the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. When we are indwelt with the Holy Ghost, He has that kind of relationship available for us to be tied in directly to the Heavenly Father, and He is that witness that we are tied in. Verse 17, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together. Now that heir of Jesus Christ being part of the family, be looking forward to all that he has available and allowing us to have that as well, all the blessings of the future. And then along with that, of course, there's gonna be some resistance of the devil. And that's why he's speaking over there of some of that suffering that we're gonna go through. Because we're part of the family, the devil's gonna come up against us. He's gonna try to make us fill up with that malice and wrath and spew that out upon our loved ones. We gotta resist that. We gotta fight against that. We gotta yield to the spirit. Let him come forward. But if we do suffer, as he says, that we may be also glorified together. In verse 18, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Even though we might suffer a little bit being Christians in this world because of the devil and all of his followers that are on the increase. The persecutions of the Christians are on an increase around the world. And we know that we have blessings ahead of us as a result. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." We're looking forward to that glorified body. We're looking forward to that relationship with the Lord. We're looking forward to that new heaven and that new earth and all the wondrous and glorious things that He has promised us in His Word as Christians, as joint heirs with Jesus Christ. If we'll turn over to 2 Corinthians, see some further teaching along this. how we are the family of God. And we can honor the Heavenly Father today and every day in 2 Corinthians 6, picking it up in verse 14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? In what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Acknowledging the kind of relationship that we are supposed to have, a total dedication to the Lord, and living a good God-glorifying life and associating with good God-glorifying individuals, linking up with them, whether it be in marriage, as you used many times with that, whether it be in business or in whatever kind of association it is, make sure you align yourself with good God-glorifying people, not become part of ungodly bunch. Whether it be in your activities, whether it be in your business, whether it be in your personal life, And verse 17, wherefore come out from among them, those ungodly ones out there, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. Receiving us into that family, adopting us into the family. And then verse 18, and will be a father unto you. Now this is the heavenly father telling us. And ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." The sons and daughters of God. The sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father. The one that we can call Abba Father. And to honor Him is such a pleasure and such a blessing when we do that. Because He turns around and blesses us even that much more. In Galatians chapter four, some more teaching here about our relationship. As we are children, we have to grow and mature. And the Lord teaches us as we accept his teaching, he puts more teaching on us. As we accept the wisdom and the understanding and apply it properly, he multiplies that that much more. And we understand that he allows us to be a servant. He allows us to serve him and work for him and so forth. He doesn't force us to because we're family members, but he allows us to. And then in Galatians chapter 4, now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so, we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, which we have now received when we trust in Jesus Christ. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father, that we read about earlier. That personal term of endearment is available to us that we read about in Romans chapter 8. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. As he said earlier, joint heir with Jesus Christ. Being a joint heir is so awesome because we can look forward to the things that Jesus Christ is looking forward to. And we can acknowledge that we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ in such a way that he's even gonna allow us to be like him in whatever form he is in. Because as he tells us over in a small epistle of John in 1 John 3, These are very profound words because we might imagine what we are going to be like, what kind of body we're going to have. We're told in the word in Corinthians and so forth about how we're going to have an incorruptible body and an immortal body. But what is it really going to be like? You can imagine the most wonderful body you could possibly have, and it's not even going to come close, because as it says here, Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. So in whatever form He chooses to be, the one who spoke everything into existence, whatever form He chooses to have and be, He's going to allow us to be just like that. There's no way we could ever earn that. That is totally by grace. And verse three, and every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure. How do we purify ourselves? By trusting in Jesus Christ and accepting the dwelling spirit of the Holy Ghost. Then the Holy Ghost does the work that purifies us. And when we yield to him, when we listen to him, when we obey him, then we can receive all the blessings that come along with it. Now, there are some that wind up not growing. They stay children. And in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 11, it reads, when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. We all need to put away childish things and receive the blessings that come along with that adoption and live a good, God-glorifying life. and know that we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ and we need to honor the Heavenly Father. We need to honor our earthly fathers because the Heavenly Father has told us to do so. But utmost and most important is to honor our Heavenly Father. to be able to say Daddy and Papa to our Heavenly Father. Abba, if you want to speak in the verse that actually says that in the Word of God, use that term if you want that. But in our English it would be Daddy or Papa, personal term of endearment. when you're talking to the Heavenly Father, and to honor Him each and every day. Not just a specific day that is pointed out to honor our Father, but every day. As well as our Heavenly Father, we should honor our earthly fathers. And to know when we are a joint heir with Jesus Christ we have so much to look forward to. Because we know the next major prophetic event to occur is the rapture. We get raptured up to be with the Lord, we go through the judgment seat of Christ and He determines where He is going to put us, what assignment He is going to give us for the thousand years of the millennial kingdom. We come down with Him, we rule and reign with Him for a thousand years. in whatever form he wants us to be at that time so we can interact with the people. At the end of the millennial period, He's going to have the final judgment, and then we'll all be judged again for what we achieved during the millennial period, during the Great White Throne Judgment. All those that have not yet received a judgment, including those that are gonna receive another judgment for what we've achieved. And then take all that and roll that over into the eternal state. So much ahead of us. And then we'll be like Jesus Christ, exactly like He wants to be for eternity. And we'll be looking forward to Revelation chapter 21. Verses 1-7, such a beautiful section here, knowing what we have to look forward to. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea. What's he talking about? Because this earth and everything in the physical world right now is going to be destroyed, gone. But there's going to be a brand new one. How big is it going to be? As big as it needs to be. It might be a thousand times bigger than Jupiter. We don't know. It reads, and I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. New Jerusalem coming down, lighting upon the new earth, a 1,500 mile square cube of a city set up as a place of worship with 12 gates where we can go in and out and worship the Heavenly Father and come out and go into the world and enjoy the many blessings that you'll have on this big beautiful brand new earth and interact with all the wondrous creatures in their perfection. Verse 3, And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Isn't that going to be awesome to have the Heavenly Father right there with us on the new earth? And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, no more separation, never again, separated from our body or separated from the Heavenly Father. Neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write. For these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Sons and daughters, sons and daughters of the Lord, joint heirs with Jesus Christ, looking forward to oh so much beyond what we could possibly imagine. The peace that will come upon us, the peace that passes all understanding, a glorified body, a body that will never decay, wither, rot away, no corruption ever to enter again. and a big beautiful brand new earth with all creation brand new because he said he makes all things new and being able to interact with all those animals, wondrous beautiful animals. and be at peace. That is so much more than we could ever earn. We could live a thousand lifetimes over and over and not earn that. It is truly by grace. It is truly because he has loved us. It is truly because he loved us so much and he loved us so much that he made the opportunity available for salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ. And as it says in John chapter three, verse 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe within Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." That's how much He loves all of us. He even loved the ungodly so that they could come to Him. Make that decision to accept that love or reject that love so accept that love Become a Christian become a joint heir with Jesus Christ and be looking forward to all the many blessings that come along with that and to truly honor our Heavenly Father every single day and as we honor this day our earthly fathers as you said in Exodus chapter 20 verse 12 honor thy father and thy mother That thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Do what the Lord wants us to do, and do it every single day, and bring honor to Him by living that God-glorifying life. Let us pray. Lord Jesus and Heavenly Father, we truly thank You for the blessings You pour upon us, the many, many things You give us by grace, and the opportunity and blessing to be able to address You as our personal term of endearment, Abba, Father. We truly, truly thank you for that and help all of us as we go out here to truly honor you in everything that we say, everything that we do, every thought that we have, every step that we take, that we be on the right pathway to bring you all the honor and glory. As we pray in Jesus' precious holy name, amen.