Date: June 16, 2024
Happy Father’s Day!
Father’s listen to these Words from Jesus Christ recorded at Luke 11:13: If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?
Fathers in Christ Jesus, (Mothers you can get in on this too.) have you ever asked God to give to you the precious gift of the Holy Ghost? I know you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, and in so doing, you have received God into your heart, and with that, God has given you His Holy Spirit. The Holy Bible declares that anyone who confesses that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God dwells in them, and they in God. (I John 4:15)
But, tell me, have you specifically asked God our Father for the gift of the Holy Ghost? If not, at this time I ask every born-again Christian in this Church Zoom Meeting, as well as anyone who may read this Sermon online, to ask God to “fill you with the precious gift of the Holy Ghost.”
In our foundational Scripture (Luke 11:13) Jesus Christ promised that every person who asks God for the Holy Ghost, shall receive Him. Jesus implies that the Holy Ghost is an exceedingly far greater “good gift” than any Dad can give to his son.
The Holy Ghost is the third person of the Godhead, and He is the greatest gift on earth that mankind can receive. God will never repent of giving the Holy Ghost to you either! Once you have received the Holy Ghost, He is yours forevermore. (Rom.11:29)
Time will not permit me, nor even is it possible, to quantify nor qualify all of the blessings born-again Christians are afforded in having God’s gift of the Holy Ghost. No man whom God has appointed and anointed to Fatherhood, and leader of the home, should live without the precious gift of the Holy Ghost.
There are just so many wonderful “gifts” inside of the gift of the Holy Ghost, including the Fruit of the Spirit and Gifts of the Spirit. (Gal. 5.22-23 & I Cor. 12:7-11& Rom.12:4-8) There are so many roles and responsibilities God has given the Holy Ghost to play in our lives. For example, the Holy Ghost is our Comforter, Teacher, Testifier of Christ, Guide, and Predictor and Revealer of Future Happenings to come. (John 14:26, 15:26, & 16:13-15) Furthermore, the Holy Ghost uses all of these spiritual giftings together, to transform us into powerful ministers of Christ, who are to shine as lights into the world so that God may be glorified.
Among the myriad of gifts within the Holy Ghost, the most powerful of all is the “Kingdom of God.” The Apostle Paul wrote at Romans 14:17:
For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Did you catch that Fathers? The Kingdom of God is in the Holy Ghost. The Kingdom of God is the “sovereign reign” and “sphere” of God’s dominion and authority, which spans over all things in the universe; including everything that is seen and unseen. The cosmos and all contained within them, were made by the Word of God. (Heb.11:3)
Understand Fathers that the Kingdom of God does not consist of human intellect and the vanity of man’s thoughts and wisdom, but consists of the Word of God’s power! (I Cor. 4:20) With the omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence of God in Christ Jesus, He presides over “All!” Psalm 103:19 says:
The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
Also, I Chronicles 29:11 states:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.
So, God’s Kingdom rules and reigns over everything that exist in the universe. Oh dear fathers, see how much our Heavenly Father loves and cherishes us. God has placed His Kingdom in our hearts and given to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. (II Peter 1:3) With emphasis, again I say to you, everything that pertains unto life and godliness is within the Kingdom of God, and all of it abides within our born-again hearts.
So Fathers let’s review what we have learned thus far. As born-again Christians, God our Heavenly Father, has given to us:
(1) The precious gift of the Holy Ghost,
(2) The Kingdom of God, (dominion and authority over all creation seen and unseen) which is in the Holy Ghost, and
(3) Everything that pertains unto life and godliness under the sovereign rule and governance of the Kingdom of God.
It makes perfect sense that God would be so exceedingly generous in giving to us all of these great spiritual gifts; which are infinitely greater in quantity and quality than any human gift-giving. God is Love, and God has freely given to us His only begotten Son Jesus. How shall God also not freely with Jesus, give to us all things? (I John 4: 8 & Rom. 8:32)
Every Father desires to give the very best gifts he can afford to his children, to see them happy and satisfied, and to see themselves reflected in the lives of their children. Praise God, our God is the same way! Scripture tells us, we are the offspring of God, “for in Him we live, move, and have our very being.” (Acts17:28) As God’s children, fathers should be a reflection of God and manifest the Kingdom’s provision, wisdom, and power before the eyes of their families and the world.
Now Fathers, please, do not marvel (wonder, be surprised) at our Heavenly Father’s generosity in establishing the Kingdom of God in your hearts! Just as by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, you have trusted God for your eternal salvation, God also wants you to have faith, and exercise “strong faith,” that by the grace of God, the Holy Ghost and the Kingdom of God abide in you in love.
The Holy Ghost desires even to give you utterance (through the speaking in other tongues) to bear “Witness” that God the Father is in you, and given to you as an inheritance the Kingdom of God. Paul wrote at Romans 8:16 the following:
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God;
Given all I have said Fathers, you are now well prepared to hear and act on what I hear God saying to Dad’s in Christ all over the world. God says:
*Stop caring and worrying about how you are going to make ends meet.
*Stop worrying about how you are going to pay the bills, mortgage, car note, day-care, college tuition, and health care bills.
*Stop worrying about your health and how long you will live, and how your family will make it without you.
*Stop stressing and working your fingers to bone with two and three jobs, working 7-days a week, thinking that your life depends on making money for you and the survival of your family.
*God knows you have need of a house, food, drink, clothes, and other necessities in life.
*God says, you have been walking in the flesh, trying in your own reasoning and strength to solve your problems; when you should be asking for “Me” to give to you the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then seeking the Kingdom of God and my way of doing things.
Listen to the teaching and wisdom of Jesus Christ concerning “worry” about the cares of this life; recorded at Matthew 6:24-34.
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Why should we worry and be consumed with the cares of this world when God has given to us the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Kingdom of God, and all things that pertain unto life and godliness? My God, why stress over getting your hands on money to meet your perceived needs?
Jesus tells us to “seek first” the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all things will be added unto us. (Matt. 6:33) We all have heard this Scripture many times and know it by heart. But can you say that you know how to seek the Kingdom of God?
Many people think of the Kingdom of God as being the same as the Kingdom of Heaven. As I said before the Kingdom of God is the authority and dominion of God over all things in creation, seen and unseen. (Hint: The Kingdom of God is ruled by the sovereignty of God’s Word. When we seek the Kingdom of God, we receive a Word from God that is “Truth” and contains the “Power” of God!) While the Kingdom of Heaven is God’s House; the place where God and Christ Jesus dwell with the holy angels and beings, as well as the Saints who have passed from death unto life. (John 14:1-3)
I love what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33. He said “seek ye first the Kingdom of God.” (God’s Dominion and Authority; the Sovereignty of God’s Word) If you notice, Jesus didn’t say we have to “find” the Kingdom of God before all things will be added unto you. No, He said, “seek” first the Kingdom of God and God’s Righteousness, and all things will be remunerated to you!
You see, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Heb.11:6) If you will humble your heart, and make the effort to seek first the Kingdom of God, God will start adding good things to your life! Of course though, when you earnestly seek the Kingdom of God, you will always find it. As Jesus promised that, if we seek, we shall find.” (Matt. 7:7-8)
As Fathers, and leaders of the home, it is imperative before doing anything, that daily we seek first the Kingdom of God for provision, direction, and protection in all manner of living. So that we might leave to our offspring in their generations a legacy of seeking first the Kingdom of God. (Prov.13:22)
Fathers, never doubt nor wonder whether we can see and enter into the Kingdom of God. I guarantee you if you are a born-again Christian, you can clearly see, comprehend, and follow the directions of the Kingdom of God. Look at what Jesus Christ told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who came to the Lord by night, asking Him how He performed great miracles. (See John 3:1-7)
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
After reading this Passage, as born-again fathers, we ought to be eager to learn how to seek the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and apply it to our lives. However, I doubt that many Dad’s know how to seek the Kingdom of God, even though it’s very simple to do.
Let’s take a few moments now to train in seeking and seeing the Kingdom of God. As stated before, the Kingdom of God abides in the Holy Ghost who lives within our born-again hearts. Jesus Christ told the Pharisees when they interrogated Him about when the Kingdom of God would come, recorded at Luke 17:20-21, as follows:
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
As a side note, one day the Kingdom God will be manifested on the earth, and Jesus Christ will rule over a physical Kingdom from David’s throne, with Jerusalem as His capital. (Is. 35:1& 9:7, and Zech. 8.3) But for the time being, Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, but a spiritual Kingdom. Jesus, in His earthly Ministry came preaching and teaching about the spiritual Kingdom of God that would dwell within those who love God.
In Luke 17:21, when Jesus said to the Pharisees “Behold” the Kingdom of God is within you, in the Greek language the word “behold” means, “make sure you see it!” Jesus was saying to the Pharisees, when they seek the Kingdom of God in their hearts, “make sure that they see it” because there will be no mistake or confusion. For the Kingdom is absolute “Truth.” When they would see the Kingdom of God, they would know with certainty that it was in them, and all around them.
In like manner, Jesus Christ is saying to every born-again father today, “Behold,” make sure that when you look in your heart, you see the Kingdom of God, for it is in you, and all around you! Fathers in Christ, we behold the Kingdom of God with our spiritual eyes of the heart, and not our natural eyes. See II Cor. 4:18 below.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Let me illustrate for you how to see the Kingdom God. In fact, you are going to see the Kingdom of God more clearly than you see natural things with your natural eyesight; even if you have 20/20 vision! Ok, here we go:
Right now, earnestly look into your born-again heart, and see if you can see yourself telling a “lie” to person. (Look Not in your head, but in your heart.) In your heart, can you see yourself telling a “lie” to any person under any circumstances? The answer is emphatically “NO!” In your heart there is no picture of yourself ever telling a lie!
The response “No” is from the Holy Ghost who communicates to you the Word of God from within the Kingdom of God. The word “No” is with the Dominion, Authority, and Power of God’s Word. Moreover, as you behold the Kingdom of God, you see yourself always telling the “truth,” which of course is of the Dominion, Authority, and Power of God’s Word. This is God’s Righteousness at work in you; God’s way of doing things.
When you seek the Kingdom of God and God’s Righteousness, the Holy Ghost always constrains you, from doing the wrong thing, and constrains you to go and do the right thing. Glory be to God! The Holy Ghost always makes it clear, compelling, and absolute to you what you should say and do.
The born-again Christian who will seek first the Kingdom of God in this manner, and choose to obey God, will always have the good things of God added abundantly to their lives. To live a life submitted to only seeking first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness guarantees a life of “Moral Excellence” and “Spiritual Maturity” that brings the born-again Christian into the fullness of the stature of Christ.
You see fathers, our born-gain hearts are ruled by the Kingdom of God, the dominion, authority, and power of God and His Word. We have the New Testament Covenant Promise from God that this is true, as recorded at Hebrews 10:12-16.
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;
From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
God our Father has established the Laws of the Kingdom of God in our hearts and expects us to always seek first the Kingdom of God in our daily living. To come and ask Daddy-God about what we need, what we should do; and not lean unto our own misguided understanding and way of doing things.
Moreover fathers, in seeking first the Kingdom of God, it is important that you take the Holy Bible with you to a quiet place. Let the Holy Ghost show you God’s wisdom and assignments from within the Kingdom of God concerning you, and your family for the day. (Jos.1:8)
There is no problem that you will ever face in life (job, career, health, business, relationships, etc.) that the Kingdom of God within you does not have the peaceful resolution, and victory at hand for you. Trust in God with all your heart, follow in complete obedience the leading of the Holy Ghost, and He will forever see to your good success in all things.
As I close, lastly fathers and to every born-again Christian, on this Father’s Day there are so many families that are broken and feuding with one another over all kinds of offences. Our families are more fractured today than ever before in modern times.
Such hatred, judgement, and condemnation exist in and among our families and Churches because we are failing to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.” If we all would seek first the Kingdom of God in our relationships and dealings with one another; the result would be forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration within our homes and Churches. The glory of God would flow freely through us, and everyone would be abounding in the blessings of God.
So I say to unto everyone who names Jesus Christ as Lord, to put down their “rock,” and make peace with one another. For the Kingdom of God has come nigh unto you, is in you, and all around you.
In our dealings with one another, we need to take our cue from the story of the woman caught in adultery, told at John 8:1-11. In this story, see the effects of the Kingdom of God all round the accusers of the woman, and the accused herself. Recall that the Jews wanted to stone the woman for her adulterous actions in accordance with the Law of Moses, and wanted to know what Jesus Christ thought about it.
Jesus interceded on her behalf and beseeched her accusers to cast the first stone if they had no sin. Upon examining themselves they all put down their stones and walked away. The Jews had searched their hearts and sensed the presence of the Kingdom of God had come nigh to them, and God’s way of doing things. They immediately left their accusations, judgements, and the woman alone with Jesus.
In like manner, in our relationships with all people, we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. If you have hatred, bitterness, animosity, revenge, or dislike toward any person; Jesus is calling you to seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness in regard to the person. As you earnestly seek the Kingdom of God, the Holy Ghost will tell you to “put down your rock,” and “stop the hatred.” Cease from taking matters into your own hands, and deal with all matters according to the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. Turn away from your wrath, and see, and make sure that you see, that God finds no fault in the accused person and none in you.
The Holy Ghost will say to you to “forgive and love the offender as Jesus loves you; and only extend kindness towards them.” (John 13:34) As the old adage says, “Love blooms where kindness is planted.” See within the Kingdom of God all of the good and kindly acts you are to do toward the other person, and then go forth quickly and obey to do them! (Rom.12:21)
This is the Dominion, Authority, and Power of God’s Word speaking to you. This is God’s Righteousness! God’s Word is to be obeyed and never ignored. The power of God is always released in our obedience to God’s Word, with the blessing of God following.
As you go forth and love your enemy, God will reward you with an abundant supply of “love” and “kindness” from others because you sowed the love of God and kindness into your offender. (Gal. 6:8-9) For it is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)
Finally Fathers, whatever the care is in life, seek first the Kingdom of God for God’s Way of handling it. The Holy Ghost will reveal to you how to respond, how to handle it, what to do, or not do. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will direct your path. (Prov.3:5-6) Cease from doing things your own way, and daily seek and wait on the Lord for the answers. Isaiah 40:31 says,
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Fathers, let’s make it your daily ambition to seek first the Kingdom of God. Throughout the day, seek the Kingdom of God for understanding, knowledge, and wisdom to do whatever confronts you and your family. The Holy Ghost has been tasked with revealing and bringing to past everything pertaining to life and godliness to you. Because we are the sons of God, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we are to enjoy this good gift from God, the Holy Ghost and the Kingdom of God with in Him. (Rom. 8:17)
Father’s behold (look and make sure you see) the Kingdom of God revealing to you the way in which you are teach, nurture, and admonish your family in the Word of God. See for yourself that you have been appointed and anointed by God to lead your family in path of Righteousness. To by example, be a servant-leader, who makes sure that His family, in their generations, receives Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and asks for God’s gift of the Holy Ghost so they may inherit the Kingdom of God. Glory be to God for today’s Message! Amen.
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