Verse nine of Matthew chapter six, after this manner, therefore pray ye, our father, who art in heaven. And this speaks of the relationship that every believer has with the living God, our father, not merely Although merely is not the right word to use, but not only our creator, not only our benefactor, our father.

I want every child of God to know the joy and the security of having the God of glory as your heavenly father. Now in this Sermon on the Mount, 16 times the Lord says to his disciples, you're heavenly father. You're heavenly father. Now if Christ tells me that he's my heavenly father, He is my heavenly father, your heavenly father.

I love it when the Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene after the resurrection and she came to take him by the feet and he said, touch me not, but you go and tell my brethren. That's what he called the disciples. Brethren are people who have the same father. You go tell my brethren to go before me I go to my father and your father, my God and your God.

God is the father of the Lord Jesus Christ and he is the father of every believer. Our father who art in heaven. Now that speaks of two relationships. He's the father. of every believer. He's my Father. He's my Father. I can cry, Abba, Father. And all of Christ's brethren, we're brethren with the same Father He has. Isn't that a glorious thing? I go to my God and your God. I go to my Father and your Father. Now, question. Is God everybody's father? The answer is no. He's everybody's creator. Everybody is responsible, accountable to him.

Turn with me to Acts chapter 17 for a moment. Acts chapter 17. Verse 22, then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. Now that word superstitious is religious. You're too religious. That's your problem. You're too religious.

For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, to the unknown God. Now, I think this is interesting. The Athenians were trying to cover all the bases. If there's some God we've left out, we're gonna honor him. This is to the unknown God.

We don't know him, but just in case, here's a altar to him. whom therefore you ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you, God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he's Lord of heaven and earth. He dwells not in temples made with hands, neither is worship with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things. The life you have right now, God gave you. The breath you just took in, God gave you. Everything you have. God gave you. Are you aware of that?

Verse 26, and he is made of one blood, all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth and determine the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation. He has determined where you live, when you're going to die, what you're going to do. He's determined all those things with regard to every human being.

And here's what should happen out of that. That they should seek the Lord, if happily they might feel after him and find him, though he'd be not far from every one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being, as certain as also of your own poets have said. He deals with a great poet. For we are all his offspring. Not his children, but we're all his offspring.

For as much then as we are the offspring of God, that's every man, we ought not to think of the Godhead like a silver, gold, or silver, or stone, braven by man's art and device. In the times of this ignorance, God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by him, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he raised him from the dead. Everyone is accountable to this God and everybody ought to believe this God. He's the maker of all men, but he's not everybody's father. Turn with me in John 8. Verse 39, or verse 38.

I speak that which I've seen with my father, and you do that which you have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham's our father. Jesus saith unto them, if you are Abraham's children, you do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me. a man that has told you the truth, which I've heard of God. This did not Abraham. You do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, we're not born of fornication. We have one father, even God. Jesus said unto them, if God were your father, you'd love me. For I proceeded forth and came from God. Neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot hear my word, you are of your father, the devil. And the lusts of your father you'll do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there's no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. You're of your father, the devil.

Now those are strong words, aren't they? They're true words. In first John chapter three, we read of children of God and children of the devil. Now, like universal love, the universal fatherhood of God, making him father of everybody, makes his fatherhood meaningless.

If he can be your father and you wind up in hell, he's not much of a father. If you had the power to keep your children out of hell, would you do it? Of course you would. If he has the power to keep somebody out of hell and they're his child and he doesn't do it, he wouldn't be much of a father. But let me tell you this, there will be nobody in hell that is his child, that he is a father to. That is never going to happen.

Now, All we know of genuine fatherhood at its best. I mean, you think of what a good father is. One who provides, one who protects, one who sets an example, one who disciplines, one who develops character, on and on. One who encourages, one who's kind. You think of what a good father is. That pales in comparison to the heavenly father. our father, which art in heaven. Now, we've already seen that he's not everybody's father. That's a fact.

So how does one become his child? How can I be a child of God? Well, what did you do to become the child of your parents? Nothing. nothing. You didn't do anything to become a child. There's nothing we can do to become his child because of our sin. There's a boundary we cannot cross but there is a great multitude included in that personal possessive pronoun our who can say our father because they really are his children. child of the great heavenly Father.

In first John chapter 3 verse 1 we read, Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should become the son that we should be called the sons of God. The sons of God are those he has eternally loved. Now, how is someone a son? They're someone he has always loved. Jacob have I loved, God said. Herein is love, John said in 1 John 4. Herein is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and gave his son. That's how much he loved. He gave his son to be the propitiation for our sin. Jeremiah 31 three, behold, I have loved you. Now don't look at this as generic. If you're a believer, this is you. Behold, I've loved you with an everlasting love, a love that had no beginning. Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee.

God didn't send his son into the world to make a way for him to love, but because he did love. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him. should not perish but have everlasting life. The eternal love of God is the fountainhead of sonship. If I'm a son, if I'm a child, it's because he has eternally loved me.

Listen to these words from the Lord in his great high priestly prayer for his people. Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me. I want you to think about that. Are you someone who looks to Christ only? You have nothing else but Him? The Lord tells us with regard to the love of the Heavenly Father, thou hast loved them. Who are them? The people Christ prayed for. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which you have given me.

This is talking about the elect of God, this is talking about every believer, all who are given to him by the Father. Christ says, thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me. However God the Father loves his Son, that's how he loves me. Our Father, who art in heaven. Now to say salvation begins here is really not saying it right because this had no beginning. I have loved you with an everlasting love. This is no generic love. This is His saving, sovereign love.

Now, we are His children by eternal union with His Son. Now, how can I be a child? Well, Hebrews chapter 2 verse 11 says, "...both he that sanctifieth," That's the Lord Jesus Christ. and they who are sanctified of his children are all of one. Not closely joined together and touching, one. So that as he is, so are we in this world. Is he the son? I'm a son.

Is he beloved of his father? I'm beloved of his father. Is He altogether lovely to His Father? I'm altogether lovely to His Father. Is He perfectly righteous to His Father? I'm perfectly righteous to the Father. I have no sin. Does He have sin? No. Do I have sin? No. He is our Father because we're eternally one with His Son. And I love what it says next with regard to Hebrews chapter 2,

11. It says, for the which cause? He's not ashamed to call them brethren. He's not ashamed to point to me and say that's my brother. We have the same father.

We're his children by adoption. Election and predestination is his choice to adopt us. According as he had chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

We are his children because he said they're mine. I've adopted them. They belong to me. Those are my special children. I'm thankful for his adopting grace, aren't you? But not only are we his children because he maternally loved us, not only are we his children because of our union with Christ, not only are we his children because of his adopting grace, we're his children by birth. Now, if you have children, you have a relationship with those children you don't have with anybody else. These are your children. They're your children by birth. How special they are.

Now there is a difference between your children and everybody else's children. Now I realize in heaven it won't be that way. You won't love your children any more than anybody else. Everybody's the same. But right now there's a special relationship with the children you have birthed and brought into existence. You know them. You know them intimately. They're your children. Every believer is his child by birth, being born again. Turn to John chapter one. We're gonna end up here at the end of the message, but I wanna look at it for this point right now, verse 12.

But as many as received him, Now, if you received him, it's because he was given to you. Everybody he gives his son to, they receive him. If you don't receive him, he was never given. That is so important. I've heard people that try to make the act of reception, like, that's why I'm saved, because I received him. I received him, this person didn't.

Well, if you received him, it's because he's given to you. And if that other person doesn't receive him, he was never given to you. many as received Him, to them gave He power, the right, the privilege to become the sons of God. If you receive Him, you are His son. What happens when somebody receives Him? What's that mean?

You believe on His name. You believe it's his name that brings you into glory. You trust no other name but his. The person behind the name, you're relying on his name. Right now, while I'm talking to you, I've got one hope, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm relying on his name. You know what that means? That means I've received him. Now, look what's behind this.

12, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them which believe on his name, which were born, birthed, fathered by God. This is talking about the new birth. This is talking about being born again. Now, how were they born?

Not of blood. You weren't born because your mom and dad are Christians, not of the will of the flesh. You're not born because of an act of your free will any more than you were born because of your first birth. Not the will of the flesh, not the will of man.

You're not born again because a bunch of people got together and said, we're gonna pray for them until they're saved and we're not gonna give God any sleep until he does this. No, you're born of God. birthed by God. A life has been put in you that was not there before, a new heart, a new creation. You know, Peter said, being born not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abides forever. Isn't this glorious? You were born by the incorruptible seed of the word of God, God, the Holy Spirit, taking the word, begetting life in you, a life that was not there before. Turn with me to first John chapter three. Verse nine, whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. And this is so mysterious. I can't see it, but the new man, that which is born of God, does not commit sin. Let's take it as far as John takes it.

If somebody says, well, that means he doesn't habitually practice sin, You know, if somebody tries to make it say that, that's not what it's saying, and that person, so you don't habitually practice sin, I don't believe it for a second. You do habitually practice sin. If you've got an old man, you habitually practice sin. Your old man is evil.

It still is, never been better than that. But the new man does not commit sin. That's what the Bible says. He does not commit sin. Look what else he says. He says in verse nine, for his seed, the seed of God, remaineth in him. That divine seed being born of gift, again, not of corruptible seed, not of Adam's seed, but by the incorruptible seed, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. He cannot sin any more than God cannot sin. God cannot sin. That which He has birthed into the kingdom of His dear Son cannot sin. He's unable to sin because He's born of God. That's why.

How is it that I become a child of God? I'm birthed by God. I'm fathered by God. I'm a new man, a new creature in Christ Jesus. Now, how does one become a child? Well, because God's always loved you. Because you've united to Christ. You've been adopted by God and you've been birthed, you've been fathered by God. That's why you believe. That's why you love Jesus Christ. That's why you look only to him. That's why you see his beauty and his glory and his excellency, because you've been born of God.

Now, what are the privileges of sonship? Well, you have God as your father. What greater privileges can there be than that? You have the living God as your father. You can say as his child, our father. And as I said previously, best father to ever live, who loves, protects, provides for, sets an example for, corrects and disciplines and love, develops character through his wisdom, that pales. Take the best father to ever live and he cannot be compared with our heavenly father. As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

And I realize there are some who've never had the experience of a good father, but that's okay if you know the experience of the heavenly father. We have intimacy with our father. Children are always welcome. They're always at home. You know, if you come over to my house, knock. When Aubrey comes, she doesn't knock. She walks in. It's her home. And that is the way every child of God is with their heavenly father.

We always have access. Listen to this scripture from Ephesians chapter three, verse 12, in whom, in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have boldness. I can come into God's presence, the very holy God, with boldness because of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have boldness and access. I'm always welcome.

You know when you sin, maybe commit the same sin for the thousandth time, and you feel ashamed to come into God's presence, and you feel like you can't do it, and you feel, I gotta wait till I feel a little bit better. No, no. you always have access with confidence by the faith of Him. If you're coming in His faith, you have boldness, you have access into the very presence of God with confidence.

We cannot stop being His children. This is an immutable relationship of nearness, acceptance, intimacy. We can't stop being His children. and he can't stop being our father. Oh, the intimacy between the father and his children. We have the provision of the father. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. And I love to think about this. Everything he requires of me, he provides for me, everything. How comforting. How secure everything he requires of me he provides for me. Listen to the scripture from Romans chapter eight, verse 32.

He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? There's nothing that could prevent him from giving you everything because he's already given you everything in his son. He's already given you the greatest. What's gonna prevent Him from giving you anything else?

Freely. Oh, the provision of our Heavenly Father. All things spiritual. He's blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, provided us righteousness, redemption, acceptance in the beloved, and all things material, everything else, everything we may need.

I love it when the Lord says, your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have needed these things. He knows what you need. Do you think in any way that he's going to withhold what you need? No, he's the perfect Heavenly Father. We have the security and protection of our Heavenly Father.

I mentioned this recently, I think, maybe. Lynn and I were leaving downtown Lexington at a restaurant, and we were walking up Jefferson Avenue, There were a couple of pretty big guys coming toward us that Lynn was feeling funny about it. She said, maybe we ought to cross the street. And I said, Lynn, I'm here. And she said, well, you don't present a very imposing figure. And so we went ahead and crossed the street and got to the other side.

Well, if God be for you, who can be against you? We have the protection of our Heavenly Father. And oh, you know how protective you are of your children. That's the way He is of all of His children. No, that's not the way He is, infinitely more. The Lord's my shepherd, David said. I shall not want. Oh, the many reasons for eternal security, but one of them is because he's our Father. That's why I'm eternally secure. He is my Heavenly Father. We have the generosity of our Heavenly Father.

Turn with me to Psalm 103. We just sang that song, O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give him the glory. great things He hath done. Psalm 103. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that's within me. Bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. the benefits of our Heavenly Father, who forgiveth all thine iniquity, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.

He'll not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He's not dealt with us after our sins. nor reward us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

For he knows our frame, he remembers that we're dust. As for man, his days are as grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passes over and it's gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him and His righteousness unto children to such as keep His covenant and to those that remember His commandments to do them. We have the mercy and generosity of our Heavenly Father. He's so generous. You know, I read about George Mueller. He was a man, maybe many of you have heard of him. He had a lot of involvement with places to, orphanages.

And the Lord always provided for him. He never asked for money. And when he died, he didn't have anything. But one thing that he, that was known for, he always dressed fairly nicely, even though he didn't have any money. And somebody says, why do you, you know, why do you dress like that?

He said, I don't want anybody to think my heavenly father doesn't take care of me, because he does in every respect. And we have the, generosity of our Heavenly Father. We have the wisdom of our Heavenly Father. Oh how wise our Heavenly Father is in correcting us, in developing us, in causing us to grow in grace, in directing us. And we have the Father's inheritance, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Talking about privilege, everything Christ has come into Him, I have come into me. And what about the destiny of his children? What a destiny.

I'm going to see him as he is, and I'm going to be perfectly conformed to his image. I will not be a sinner. I will be just like him. I will be clothed in his righteousness. Heaven is a place of indescribable infinite bliss, joy, and happiness. And I know this much about heaven, He'll be there. That is heaven. To behold His glory, to see Him as He is.

You know, when we gaze upon Him in glory, I think it's only then when we'll have some understanding of He that has seen me has seen the Father. We'll know something of that. When I stand before thy throne dressed in beauty not my own, when I see thee as thy heart, love thee with unsinning heart, then Lord shall I fully know, not till then how much I owe.

And you know my identity, this is every believer, my identity is not a preacher, my identity is not even with my family. My identity is being in him. That's my only identity, in him. And I find such comfort there. I'm not looking for anything other than that. That is the identity of the believer, simply being in him. Now, is he my father? Well, if he is, I understand something of John chapter 14, six, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by me. Now, this is true in two senses.

Number one, when I come to the Father, I come pleading only Him. I'm not saying, Lord, save me or have mercy upon me or give me something because of anything in me. I come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. No other name in His righteousness and His merits.

We understand that. If I don't understand that, I'm not a child. That's something all the children have in common. They know they can only come in His name. But what it means more than anything else, I know that when He comes to the Father, I come to the Father because I am in Him. No man comes to the Father but by me. You don't come behind me, beside me, you come in me. So that when I come to the Father, you come too. And that doesn't mean we're gonna have to wait until heaven to find out if we're in Him. Go back to John 1, this is what we're gonna close with.

Verse 12, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe, that rely, that trust his name. Now his name is the person behind the name, that's his righteousness, his grace, his wisdom, his power. Every attribute of God, all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him, in his body. I am relying on his name to bring me into glory.

You know, the thief understood this. He said, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. If you take my name and present it to your father, if you just remember me, he's one of mine. That's all that has to be said. you'll be brought into glory. Our Father, what a blessed, blessed thing. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed, other, holy, sanctified is thy name. Let's pray.

Gabe Stoner was telling me he was in the airport during one of these snow storms recently, and everybody was stressed out. What are we going to do? They're maybe making different flights, and everybody's just stressed. He said, I was looking at all these people with these stressed faces, and I was looking at the kids.

They were dancing. They were singing. laughing, they were dancing around, they were proud of their luggage that they were carrying around. They didn't have a worry in the world. Why? Because they were with their Father. He'll take care of everything.

Now I hope that we can be just like them, trusting our Heavenly Father. Let's pray. Lord, we ask that you would give us the grace to come to you through the son, giving you the glory for the great things you have done. And Lord, deliver us from worrying and anxious care. Let us know that you're our heavenly father and there's nothing else that we need. You gave your son because of your eternal love and were made your true sons. Lord, give us the assurance through the gospel and the joy of that for Christ's sake, in his name we pray, amen.