September 3, 2018
Read about the father in Luke 15:11-20.
Discuss:
Is it important to make allowances for modern fathers who face the competing demands of work expectations outside the home & role expectations in the home?
The role of a father is a cornerstone & indeed foundational part of the Biblical revelation of God. Among the many portrayals of God in the Bible, God is spoken of & revealed as a father. How is this instructive for our understanding about God?
Read John 8:39 – 47. In the light of this passage, discuss: God is the Creator of all people (see Acts 17:28). But true fatherhood in Scripture is far more than the simple production of offspring. Divine fatherhood results in us sharing certain aspects of God’s character and will, and in loving what He loves. Note, in John 8:39-47, Jesus corrects His opponents for claiming God as theirFather. The opposition to Christ’s work proved that they were at odds with what God loves. Their father was the Devil, not the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unless God sovereignly intervenes to adopt us in Christ, the Devil is our father. Discuss
1 Corinthians 8:6, says, “there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, & we for Him”… However,
God is further still the “Father” of the redeemed. See John 1:12-13. In what ways does God’sfatherhood of the redeemed differ from His fatherhood over those He has created?
See Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:4 – 7; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Matthew 6:9; Colossians 3:17.
The role of God the Son to reveal God the Father is evident in that Jesus mentions God as a Father over 190 times in the 4 Gospels. One of the passages were Jesus refers to God as the father with particular intensity is in John 14, in response to Philip’s question, v8, “Lord, show us the Father & it is sufficient for us”. See Jesus’ response John 14:9-11. Discuss
One of the ways that God’s Fatherhood expresses His relationship with His people is through prayer. Discuss how this is evident in Jesus’ response in Luke 11: 2 -4 (also in Matthew 6).
What is significant about John 12:49 to our understanding of what Jesus says about prayer? What is significant about this in the light of what Jesus said in Matt 7:11?
Read John 17:1 – 5, 11, 20 – 26. What do we see of the Father-Son relationship in these verses?What understanding about God the Father can we gain from Jesus’ words?