Sabbath: Our Loving Heavenly Father
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 7:9-11, John 14:8-10, Luke 15:11-24, Matt. 6:25-34, Heb. 9:14.
Memory Text: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him (1 John 3:1, NKJV).
Jesus delighted to speak of God as the Father.
According to the Gospels, Jesus applied the name Father to God more than one hundred thirty times. On various occasions, He added adjectives: heavenly Father (Matt. 6:14, NKJV), living Father (John 6:57, NKJV), Holy Father (John 17:11, NKJV), and righteous Father (John 17:25, NKJV). The name describes the intimate bond that should unite us to our Lord.
Traditionally, a father means love, protection, security, sustenance, and identity for a family. A father gives a name to the family and keeps its members together. We can enjoy these and many other benefits when we accept God as our heavenly Father.
Though it is so essential for us to know the Father, our aim should not be just intellectual and theoretical knowledge. In the Bible, to know someone means to have a personal, intimate relationship with him or her. How much more so with our heavenly Father?
This week we will explore what Jesus taught about our Father and about His infinite love for us. We will look, too, at the close relationship of the Father with the Son and with the Holy Spirit.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 5.
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In response to Matthew 6:25-34, it is evident that Jesus is telling us that worrying robs us of true peace and happiness. The flowers never worry because they, as well as the sparrows, trust God to provide for them and that God values them all. It also is a very sad reality that a lot of people devalue themselves without even realizing it. Money has, to a great extent, been placed higher up on the value scale than human life itself. Replaceable things are regarded as if they are the very last of their kind, while irreplaceable things, such as the human soul, is treated like it can be replaced. True, more babies can be born but every individual is the only one of themselves: even identical twins are individually unique unto themselves each. People devalue themselves by going nuts over jewelry as if that rock adds to their worth as a person. People get to feeling so worthless due to bullying or some manner of abuse from growing up that they become "everybodys fool" in the vain hopes of being used to be "accepted". Yet our Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ, humbled Himself to the brutal abuse and death of dying on a cross for OUR sins. The perfect God and Redeemer of our souls , who Himself never sinned, took our sins upon Himself. He gave up His life to show us that He values our sinful lives more than His very own.
I like the sounds of the words our loving heavenly father. It makes my heart so happy because we might know and love Him but we still living in the world with full of sins, and I myself not perfect. It is nice to know that when I made a mistakes either big or small He is not there waiting for me so he can punish me but instead He calls me saying come here my child let me help you to make it right again and not once but over and over again. What a wonderful father he IS.
Jenelyn, I am in agreement with you. Many children have fathers who are alive but the relationship is distant because love is abscent. Knowing that my heavenly Father has unconditional love for me motivates me to develop a relationship with him; when I want advice on pressing issues I have the confidence that he will help me; If I mess up, he will not reject me; when I am broke he will give me money; when I am sick, he will take care of me. I feel so privileged because I have a special and unique - HEAVENLY FATHER .
Recently I had parents read a passage to a group of kids. I asked the kids to raise their hand when their parents were reading . Without fail all of them could identify the voice of their parents. Jesus says my sheep know my voice If God is truly our father we will know his voice even among many.
I think we should really teach our Islamic friends about our loving heavenly father and also preach to our fellow Christians about God. I also think this years topics will be very inspiring and will help us to no more about God
Jesus had a lot to say about the Father because the Jews generally had their understanding of God upside down and backward. To be really honest I am not too sure we are much better off. We often talk of the fate of the wicked and think of God punishing those who trouble us.
When such things come to mind metaphors such as the prodigal son helps a lot (Lk 15:11-24). The one who was supposed to be a faithful son demands his inheritance, completely wastes it on himself and doesn’t even think of his father or his family. He is totally unmindful of the fact that back home his father just wants him back in the family again. In fact, the father always thought of him as his faithful son rather than a rebel. It was the son who separated not the father.
We often say that we have to repent before we can be forgiven as though we have to beg God to forgive us because He is reluctant to do so. Do we not understand that repentance is a gift of God (Act 5:31) just like everything else we are given? We can no more repent without God than the leopard can change his own spots (Jer 13:23). Certainly, God is not against us – He is all for us (Rom 8:31-35). As the saying goes, “I have seen the enemy and the enemy is us.”
Our heavenly father knows our needs even when you don't voice it out, meanwhile He want to know if you really know Him, then He said ask. Are you in good relationship with Him?
God's power, love and care over us make Him more than a Father to us. On two occasions, He owned us. Created and Redeemed us, His care protection, provisions, and guidance are manifestation that He is our Father. 'All that we needed His hand had already provided'. What a Caring and. a Wonderful Father we have
He is our Father because he is our Creator and Reedemer. HE came down and not only taught us how to live, HE lived the life we should live, and died for us so we can gain eternal life.I cannot count how many times I have sinned, and hurt HIM, yet HIS love for me/us never changes. What an awesome Father HE is. I cannot think of any better Father.
What a wonderful Father !,wish all our earthly fathers were like HIM.....