Intro:We’vebeentalkingthrough thenamesofJesusthatIsaiahprophesiedinIsaiah9:6.We’vegottenalotofChristmascardswiththisscriptureonthem.Andthismorningwecometotheonethatofthefouristhemostchallenging

Augustine:God’sWordislikeariver,broadanddeep.Itissimpleenoughforachildtosplashin,anditisdeepenoughforanelephanttoswimin.

Sothismorning,Iadmitwe’regoingtospendsometimeinthedeependofthepool,butIpromiseI’mnotgoingtoletanyonedrownthere.I’llbringusbacktotheshallowendbeforewedryoff!

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EternalFather,oreverlastingFatherisprobably themosttheologicallychallengingandemotionallychargedofthefournames.Theologically,itraisestwochallenges:

IsJesuseternal?

AretheFatherandtheSonthesame?

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IfyouhelpedwithVacationBibleSchoolthispastyear,youmayrememberthisverseasourthemeverse.

Hebrews1:10affirmsthistoo,whenitsays,(speakingabouttheSon):“You,Lord,laidthefoundationoftheearthinthebeginning,andtheheavensaretheworkofyourhands;

So,yes,the Soniseternal.AndthisishugeforustoemphasizeatChristmastime,especiallyaswearetalkingwithpeoplefromdifferentfaiths,orwithnofaith.TheJehovah’sWitnesses,forexample,teachthatJesuswascreatedbyGod,butisnotequalwithGodhimself.OthersthinkthatJesusdidn’tcomeintobeinguntilChristmastime,becausehewassimplyahumanbeing.Andthatleadsustothesecondpartofthisnamethatisreallyconfusing.Isaiahreferstothecomingchildthatwillbebornasthe“everlastingFATHER.”SodoesthismeanthatTheFatherandtheSonarethesame?Well,yes… andno.

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Tohelpusgetourheadsaroundthis,Ineedtoteachyousomechurchhistory.Someofyoumightbereallyintothis,forothersitmaybekindofaboringsidetrip,buthanginthere,becauseit’sonlygoingtolastforacoupleofminutes.

Backintheday,about300yearsafterthecrucifixion,thereweretwodudesnamesArius[transition]andAthanasius[transition]

AriusbelievedthatJesuswascreatedbyGod,andthereforewasn’tGodHimself.SoheemphasizedthatJesus’teachingswerewhatwasmostimportant,andthatbyfollowingHisexample,wecouldbeacceptedandapprovedbyGodjustlikeJesuswas.

ButAthanasiuscamealongandrefutedArius.HesaidthatGodtheFatherandGodtheSonwereofthesamesubstance andnature ,andthatJesushadexistedwithGodinthebeginning.

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Hepointedtopassageslike

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Colossians1:!5.Andyousay,wellisn’titrighttherethatJesusisthefirstborn?Yes,butPaulisn’tusingthephraseinthebiologicalsense,butinthelegalsense,thatJesusisheirtoallthingsthatbelongtotheFather.

AthanasiusalsolookedatJohn10:30,whereJesussaid,“IandtheFatherareone.”

Philippians2:6:HavethisattitudeinyourselfwhichwasalsoinChristJesus,who,beinginverynatureGod didnotregardequalitywithGodsomethingtobegrasped.

Hebrews1:3saysthattheSonis“3HeistheradianceofthegloryofGodand theexactimprintofhisnature,andheupholdstheuniversebythewordofhispower. ”

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Hebrews1:3saysthattheSonis“3HeistheradianceofthegloryofGodand theexactimprintofhisnature,andheupholdstheuniversebythewordofhispower. ”

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So in325AD,EmperorConstantineconvenedahugecouncilofallthebishopsinhisempire,andtheymetinthecityofNicea.

Itlookslikeyoucouldn’tgetinwithoutahalo.

AndthepurposeoftheCouncilwastoclarifywhatChristiansbelievedaboutthedivinityofJesus.AndtheyputitintowhatwenowknowastheNiceneCreed:

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NiceneCreed,July4,325

So,begottenmeans“oneandonly,not“born.”consubstantialis“ofthesamestuff.”

Andthisissoimportant,becauseifJesusisn’tdivine,ifHeisn’tGod,thenHecan’tsave,becauseonlyGodcansave.

SotheFatherandtheSonarealikeinsubstanceandnature,buttheyarealsodifferent…

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Theyaredifferent infunctionandroles.TurntoJohn14:10-17.Idon’thaveituponthescreen,butlistentohowJesusteachesHisdisciplesaboutthedifferencebetweenFather,Son,andHolySpirit…

10Doyounotbelievethat IamintheFatherandtheFatherisinme?ThewordsthatIsaytoyou Idonotspeakonmyownauthority,buttheFatherwhodwellsinmedoeshisworks. 11Believemethat IamintheFatherandtheFatherisinme,orelse believeonaccountoftheworksthemselves.

12 “Truly,truly,Isaytoyou, whoeverbelievesinmewillalsodotheworksthatIdo;andgreaterworksthanthesewillhedo,becauseI amgoingtotheFather.13Whateveryouaskinmyname,thisIwilldo,that theFathermaybeglorifiedintheSon. 14 Ifyouaskme[a] anythinginmyname,Iwilldoit.

15 “Ifyouloveme,youwill keepmycommandments. 16AndIwillasktheFather,andhewillgiveyouanother Helper,[b] tobewithyouforever, 17 even theSpiritoftruth, whomtheworldcannotreceive,becauseitneitherseeshimnorknowshim.Youknowhim,forhedwellswithyouand willbe[c] inyou.

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The Athanasian Creed

SotheFatherisGod;theSonisGod;andtheHolyGhostisGod.AndyettheyarenotthreeGods;butoneGod.SolikewisetheFatherisLord;theSonLord;andtheHolyGhostLord.AndyetnotthreeLords;butoneLord.ForlikeaswearecompelledbytheChristianverity;toacknowledgeeveryPersonbyhimselftobeGodandLord;Soareweforbiddenbythecatholicreligion;tosay,TherearethreeGods,orthreeLords.TheFatherismadeofnone;neithercreated,norbegotten.TheSonisoftheFatheralone;notmade,norcreated;butbegotten.TheHolyGhostisoftheFatherandoftheSon;neithermade,norcreated,norbegotten;butproceeding.SothereisoneFather,notthreeFathers;oneSon,notthreeSons;oneHolyGhost,notthreeHolyGhosts.AndinthisTrinitynoneisbefore,orafteranother;noneisgreater,orlessthananother.ButthewholethreePersonsarecoeternal,andcoequal.Sothatinallthings,asaforesaid;theUnityinTrinity,andtheTrinityinUnity,istobeworshipped.Hethereforethatwillbesaved,lethimthusthinkoftheTrinity.

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Isaiah ishighlightingthenatureandcharacteroftheMessiahwhenhecallshimtheeverlastingFather.

AndbecauseHeisoneinnatureandessencewithGodtheFather,hecanmakeGod’sFatherlycharacterknowntous.YourememberwhatHesaidtoPhillipinJohn14:9-10?Philipsaid“ShowustheFather.”AndJesussaid“WhoeverhasseenmehasseentheFather.”

Today,wetalkaboutGodasFatherallthetime,andwereallydon’tthinktwiceaboutit.ButIwanttoshowyousomething:

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JesusreferredtoGodasFatherover165times– 100timesjustintheGospelofJohn.HenotonlycalledhimFather,buthetoldustocallhimfatheraswell.Whenthedisciplesaskedhimtoteachthemhowtopray,whatdidhesay?Ourfather.

Acts:13X.Paul’sletters:40X.30timesinHebrewsthroughRevelation.

Soifyou’redoingthemath,youstarttorealizethatonly15XdoestheOTeverrefertoGodasFather.Andonlytwice– Isaiah63:16and64:8,isGodaddressedbyahumanbeingasFather.

Whatchanged?Jesuschanged.

Butthefactis,mostpeoplewhohaveaproblemthinkingabouttheGodastheEternalFatheraren’tthinkingaboutthetheologicalchallenges.IfyouaskpeopledownatWalMartaboutthis,mostofthemaren’tgoingtotalkabouttheArian

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heresyortheAthanasian Creed.ThechallengemostpeoplehavetothinkingofJesusasEternalFatherareemotional.Andhere’swhy:

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This reallyshowsupatChristmas.Formanyofyou,Christmasisasweettime,becauseyouhaveagreatrelationshipwithyourearthlyfather.Oryou’vegotagreatrelationshipwiththefatherofyourchildren.You’restilltogether,he’sstillathome,yourparentsarestilltogether,whatever.AndsoyouhavenoproblemthinkingofJesusas“EverlastingFather,”becauseFatherisagoodthing.

Forsomeofyou,Christmasisbittersweetbecauseyourearthlyfatherisnolongerliving.Butyouhavesuchgreatmemoriesofhim,soagain,youdon’thaveanyemotionalbaggageassociatedwithfather.

Butformanyofyou,Fatherisn’tsweetorevenbittersweet.It’sjustbitter.AndyouhearthewordfatherappliedtoGodandyouthink,no.Ihadoneofthose.Heletmedown.AndifthebestChristianitycandoistalkaboutaheavenlyfather… thanksbutnothanks.Sofirstlet’stalkaboutwhatkindofFatherGodisn’t.

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AbsenteeDad:EverclearFatherofmineTellmewherehaveyoubeenIjustclosedmyeyesAndtheworlddisappearedFatherofmineLeadsingerArtAlexakis

TellmehowdoyousleepWiththechildrenyouabandonedAndthewifeIsawyoubeatIwillneverbesafeIwillneverbesaneIwillalwaysbeweirdinsideIwillalwaysbelameNowIamagrownmanWithachildofmyownAndIswearI'mnotgoingtoletherknowAllthepainIhaveknownThenhewalkedawayDaddygavemeaname

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ApatheticDad:PhysicallyPresentbutemotionallydisengagedHarryChapin,MychildarrivedjusttheotherdayHecametotheworldintheusualwayButtherewereplanestocatch,andbillstopayHelearnedtowalkwhileIwasawayAndhewastalking'foreIknewit,andashegrewHe'dsay,I'mgonna belikeyou,dadYouknowI'mgonna belikeyou

MysonturnedtenjusttheotherdayHesaid,thanksfortheball,dad,comeonlet'splayCanyouteachmetothrow,Isaid,nottodayIgotalottodo,hesaid,that'sokayAndhewalkedaway,buthissmileneverdimmedSaid,I'mgonna belikehim,yeahYouknowI'mgonna belikehim

AchieverDad:Getshisidentity throughyou(PaulandNicole,WhenIwasLittle)

AbusiveDad

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AdoptiveFatherWhoChoosesandRescues

4But whenthefullnessoftimehadcome,GodsentforthhisSon, born ofwoman,born underthelaw, 5 toredeemthosewhowereunderthelaw,sothatwemightreceive adoptionassons. 6Andbecauseyouaresons,Godhassent theSpiritofhisSonintoourhearts,crying,“Abba!Father!”Galatians4:4-6

15 For youdidnotreceive thespiritofslaverytofallbackintofear,butyouhavereceivedtheSpiritof adoptionassons,bywhomwecry, “Abba!Father!”

Romans8:15

DrewStory

AbbaFatherWhoisIntimateandEternalHebrews13:5EnglishStandardVersion(ESV)5Keepyourlife freefromloveofmoney,and becontentwithwhatyouhave,forhehassaid, “Iwillneverleaveyounorforsakeyou.”

Greeksentencestructurehasnoproblemstackingupnegativesfor

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emphasis.IntheGreekthisliterallyreads“nevernotneverforsakeyou.”

TheEverlastingFatheriseverlastinglypresent.JesuswascalledImmanuel,whichmeansGodwithus.

Conclusion:WhoamIdrawing?

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