November 9, 2008
Sermon #557
Healing the Father’s Wounds
Sermon Notes for Chris Elliott – November 9, 2008
I. Introduction:
A. Ephesians 6:1-4 - “CHILDREN, OBEY your parents in the Lord [as His representatives], for this is just and right.
2Honor (esteem and value as precious) your father and your mother--this is the first commandment with a promise-
3That all may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.
4Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord.”
B. Malachi 4:6 - “And he shall turn and reconcile the hearts of the [estranged] fathers to the [ungodly] children, and the hearts of the [rebellious] children to [the piety of] their fathers [a reconciliation produced by repentance of the ungodly], lest I come and smite the land with a curse and a ban of utter destruction.”
C. Analogy using skit of Chris’ first driving experience
D. Example of Billy and Franklin Graham
E. Heavenly Father: He brought Malachi 4:6 to pass
II. America in the absence of fathers – Since 1960
III. Repentance of the fathers
IV. Dealing with the wounds
A. Forgiveness
B. Live trying to please a dad
C. Rebellion
D. Affects Kingdom of God
E. Chris’ wound example
V. Exposing the father wounds
A. Male mentors
B. Patterns of Reaction
VI. Looking for counterfeits to fill the wound vs. The Real Thing
A. Examples of counterfeits
B. Ephesians 3:14-15 – “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,”
C. Psalm 127:4 – “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.”
D. Point the Way, not be the way
VII. Forgive parents
A. Example of Chris’ brother pleasing the father
B. Matthew 3:17 – “And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight!”
C. God delighted before Jesus began His ministry
1. Not performance based
D. Some praise everyday
E. Take pressure off and the performance goes up
1. Performance-based anxiety
F. Respect becomes fear not trust otherwise
VIII. Hate for own father – hate for your own manhood
A. Gender identity confusion
B. Tolerate instead of speaking truth in love
IX. Need transformation of the heart: Born of the Spirit
A. John 3:5-6 - 5“Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.
6What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
B. Romans 12:2 – “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
C. Get real with God and others
X. No excuse for not allowing God to work in your life
Honoring our parents
1. Not cursing them/ speak words of life over them
2. Forgive – See them the way God sees them
XI. Conclusion
Altar call for salvation and altar open for forgiving fathers
