Luke 12:29-32

THE MOST WONDERFUL FATHER OF THEM ALL

Intro: Well, here it is Father’s Day again.

 I am always amazed at how we treat Father’s Day.
 On Mother’s Day we hear about sermon exalting the role of the mother in the family.
 Mothers are encouraged, praised and lifted up as the most important person in the home.
o I remembered giving a message during Mother’s Day – taken from Proverbs 31, on How God
Describes Godly Women
o And we should thank the Lord for godly mothers.
 Then we have Father’s Day.
 Usually daddy or papa comes to church and hears a sermon about some biblical father and the perfect
life he lived, and what happens is dad leaves feeling like a failure because he thinks, he will never
measure up as a good father!
 Well fathers, I have two pieces of news for you today.
 FIRST, you are a special person too!
o You are just as important in the home AS THE MOTHERS and we thank the Lord for every one of
you.
o A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable
assets in our society.- Billy Graham
 SECOND, you do not have to listen to a sermon on this Father’s Day telling you how you could do a
better job as a father.- BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB!
 Today, I won’t be preaching about fathers, or pay tribute to our fathers.
 I want to preach about the One Jesus referred to as “MY FATHER” –(appeared fifty-three times in the
Gospels.)
 But, when Jesus talked about the Father, He did not just call Him “My Father.”
 He also called God “OUR FATHER” (appeared some twenty-one times in the Gospels.)
 Thus, Jesus clearly shows us that those who believe on Jesus share the same relationship with God in
Heaven that He Himself shares.
 I am interested in the matter of GOD BEING CALLED OUR FATHER.
 I want to preach on the subject: The Most Wonderful Father Of Them All.

I. v. 30, 32 A DISCUSSION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP

30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 32 Fear
not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

 Jesus calls God “YOUR FATHER.”

 Jesus used that designation for God twenty-one times in the Gospels.
 That title and the two verses where it is used in our text give us some precious insights into our
relationship to “our Father.”

*Now what kind of relationship do we have with God?

A. It Is A Personal Relationship – The title “your Father” speaks of a very personal relationship.
 When an unbeliever comes to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that person is “born again.”
 At that instant, that person is brought into a very personal relationship with God.
 In fact, the newly redeemed sinner is actually “adopted” into the family of God, Rom. 8:15.
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your
adoption to sonship.[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] Father.”
  The word “adoption” literally means “to place as a son.”
 That person instantly becomes a child of God in heaven, 1 John 3:1-2!
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason
the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not
yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is
 You see, in adoption - a son is brought into a family and is given the same rights as the legitimate child
who is born into that family.

I. v. 30, 32 A DISCUSSION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP

A. It Is A Personal Relationship

B. It Is A Profound (intense) Relationship – This is a remarkable thing when you stop to consider what a
person is before God saved them by His grace.
 According to the Bible, the lost sinner is God’s enemy, Rom. 8:7.
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
 He or she is also a slave to the world, the flesh and the devil, Eph. 2:1-3.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the
spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and
thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
 In fact, the lost sinner is doomed and condemned to an eternity in Hell Eph. 2:3.
 The sad fact is this: every person in the entire world who has not been saved Is In This Horrible,
Lost Condition, Gal. 3:22
But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who
believe.
 When you stop to consider the truth that a lost, hell-bound, hell-deserving sinner could even be
saved by the grace of God; it is a reflective and amazing thing!
 But, when you consider that same sinner also becomes a child of God, well, that is amazing beyond
words!
 You see, the Jews had no concept of God as a “Father.”
 They saw Him as Jehovah, the supreme God.
 They could never have thought of God in so intimate of terms.
 So, when Jesus arrived calling God “Father”, it was a totally new concept and it even angered many
of them.
 The Jews had dozens of names for God.
 What they needed at any given time usually dictated the name that they used to call on God.
 For instance:
1. If they had a need in their life, they would call on "Jehovah-jireh", Gen. 22:14, which means,
"The Lord will provide."
So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
2. If they were anxious, they would call on "Jehovah-shalom", Judges 6:24, which means
"The Lord our peace."
So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
3. If they were lonely, or afraid, they might call on "Jehovah-shammah", Eze. 48:35, which means
"The Lord is there."
“The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.[a] “And the name of the city from that time on will be:- the Lord is there.”
4. If they need leadership, they would call on "Jehovah-rohi", Psalm 23:1, which means
"The Lord our Shepherd."
5. If they were sick, they would call on "Jehovah-rapha", Exodus 15:26, which means
"The Lord our healer."
He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and
keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”
 There are literally dozens more, but you get the picture.
 When these people needed to get a hold of God, they referred to Him by these various names.
  However, for those who are in Jesus, there is a different name that we can use to speak to God.
 This name was revealed to the Disciples in Luke 11:1-4 in what is known as "The Lord's Prayer", but
is more correctly "The Disciple's Prayer."
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,[a] hallowed be your name,your kingdom come.[b] 3 Give us each day our daily bread.4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c] And lead us not into temptation.[d]’”
 Here, the disciples, who have witnessed the amazing prayer life of Jesus and who want the same
access to God , WANT TO KNOW HOW TO PRAY.
 Perhaps they were waiting to hear which name He would give them to use in their prayers.
 Imagine their surprise when Jesus spoke the word "Father."
 In this passage, the Aramaic word “abba” is used, which translates to the English word “father”.[1]

I. v. 30, 32 A DISCUSSION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP

A. It Is A Personal Relationship
B. It Is A Profound Relationship- (intense)

C. It is A Permanent Relationship – When God adopted us into His family, He did not do it for just a
while.
 He did it for all eternity!
 You see, adoption, as it was practiced in biblical times, could not be undone.
 A man had the right to disown his natural children; but an adopted child is a child for life.
 He or she could never be disowned by the father.
 This is the same guarantee that we have today, John 10:28;
8 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
 What God does when He saves a soul is a forever work!- (not hatag-bawi)

I. v. 30, 32 A DISCUSSION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP

A. It Is A Personal Relationship
B. It Is A Profound Relationship- (intense)
C. It is A Permanent Relations

II. v. 30-32 A DISCUSSION OF GOD’S RESPONSIBILITIES

30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

 Just as a human father has certain responsibilities to the children that are born to him; God has
taken on many responsibilities in relation to His children.
 These verses tell us about a FEW OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES:
A. v. 30 He Has The Responsibility Of Awareness –
 The Bible says that He “knoweth that ye have need of these things.”
 The verb “have need” is in a tense that means our needs are “many and they are constant.”
 We are a needy people!
 Even though we all have needs and we all have them all the time; God is well aware of every single
one of them!
 You see, the word “knoweth” means “to be aware of something.”
 The tense of this verb means that “He is always aware of everything that affects His children.”
 Sometimes we human parents just do not know what the needs of our children are.
 We may not always know, but our Heavenly Father always knows.
 This is a BLESSED TRUTH!
  Nothing happens in your life or mine that goes UNNOTICED BY OUR FATHER, verses 24, 26-28.
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by
worrying can add a single hour to your life ? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
[a]

27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God
clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!
 Nothing happens in your life or mine that is NOT PART OF HIS PLAN FOR US, Rom. 8:28.
 God is aware of everything that is going on, and that is going wrong, in our lives, Job 23:10
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
 Regardless of what the need is, He knows all about it.

II. v. 30-32 A DISCUSSION OF GOD’S RESPONSIBILITIES

A. v. 30 He Has The Responsibility Of Awareness

B. v. 31 He Has The Responsibility Of Ability –

 It isn’t enough for the Lord just to know about what His children need;
 He must possess the ABILITY TO MEET THOSE NEEDS, or His knowledge does us no good.
 But according to this passage, God does have the power to take care of us as well as to know about
us. Verse 32, for instance, tells us that it is “The Father’s good pleasure to give you the
kingdom.”
 The word “kingdom” refers to “all that pertains to His rule.”
 It speaks of “the power of the ruling One.” q
 Like a wealthy, benevolent king, God has the ability to meet every need that arises in the lives of
each of His children.
 Therefore, when He says “all these things shall be added unto you”, verse 31;
 He has the ability to back up that promise.
 Many people live in doubt of God’s great ability to care for His people; but I would like to remind
you that if God can SPEAK THIS UNIVERSE INTO EXISTENCE, He can take care of you.
 If He can keep Noah safe through that flood; feed Elijah with the ravens; put meal in the barrel, oil
in the cruse and life in the boy for the widow; keep the three Hebrew boys safe in the furnace;
secure Daniel in the lion’s den; feed Israel manna and quail in the wilderness for forty years; slay
Goliath for David; take care of those disciples in that storm; part the Red Sea for Moses; raise
Lazarus from the dead; walk on the water; feed the five thousand, and countless other things
 I think He is able to take care of you! He is able, Eph. 3:20;
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
 We human parents may not always be able to meet the needs of our children; but God will never fail.
 He is ETERNALLY ABLE to perfectly care for His children!

II. v. 30-32 A DISCUSSION OF GOD’S RESPONSIBILITIES

A. v. 30 He Has The Responsibility Of Awareness
B. v. 31 He Has The Responsibility Of Ability –

C. v. 32 He Has The Responsibility Of Availability –

 God’s awareness of our needs and His power to help us is a WONDERFUL TRUTH;
 but if He is a God Who is far removed from His children, then His power does us no
good! (Absentee)
 He MUST BE AVAILABLE. Praise God, He is! Notice verse 32.
 We are told that it is the “Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
 The words “good pleasure” means “to choose, to determine, to be ready, to be well pleased with
to do that which seems good.”
 God has determined to be ready to do that which is good for His children.
 This implies that He Has Made Himself Available to us.
 He is available to each of His children, Matt. 11:28
 o Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest
 He is as close to us as a simple prayer of faith!
 There are times when we human parents are not as available as we should be to our children.
 Sometimes we are busy.
 Sometimes we are estranged from them.
 Sometimes one problem or the other gets in the way.
 But, the same is NOT TRUE with God!
 He is always near and He is always available, DAY OR NIGHT!

(Ill. He perfectly executes all the His responsibilities all the time. Praise His Name!)

I. v. 30, 32 A DISCUSSION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP

A. It Is A Personal Relationship
B. It Is A Profound Relationship- (intense)
C. It is A Permanent Relations

II. v. 30-32 A DISCUSSION OF GOD’S RESPONSIBILITIES

A. v. 30 He Has The Responsibility Of Awareness
B. v. 31 He Has The Responsibility Of Ability
C. v. 32 He Has The Responsibility Of Availability

III. v. 29-32 A DISCUSSION OF OUR ROLE

(Ill. While we can count on God doing His part perfectly; there are times when we fall short on our end of
this thing. Well, we HAVE A ROLE TOO.)
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

A. v. 29, 32 We Must Have Faith – Notice what the Bible says in verse 29.
 We are commanded “neither be ye of doubtful mind.”
 This phrase means “to be agitated or harassed with cares.”
 It is a term that was used to describe a ship that was being tossed about upon a stormy sea.
 Here, it is used a metaphor for WORRY.
 Jesus is saying, “Child of God, do NOT ALLOW YOUR MIND to be tossed up and down by the waves of
Worry, Doubt And Fear.”
 In verses 32, we are told to “fear not.”
 That phrase means “to be seized with fear.”
 It could be read this way, “Do not allow yourself to be seized with fear.”

 Jesus is challenging us to learn to trust the Lord; regardless of what circumstances may look like.
 There are times when it may appear that there is no solution; never count God out!
 Learn to look away to Him and to trust in His power in every single circumstance, Mark 11:22-23
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou
cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
 Always remember that we serve a God Who is Sovereign.
 That is, He is in absolute control, even when things look impossible, they are not, if God is in
control of them!
 Trust in the Lord and He will never allow you to be put to shame, Rom. 10:11!
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

III. v. 29-32 A DISCUSSION OF OUR ROLE

 A. v. 29, 32 We Must Have Faith

B. v. 31 We Must Be Faithful – If we will experience the awesome power of God in our lives day by day;
we must learn to be faithful to the Lord.
 In other words, HE MUST COME FIRST!
 The word “seek” in verse 31 means “to crave something.”
 We are to crave, or desire the things of God ahead of all other things in our lives.
 When we put Him first; God will put us first!
 However, when our desires are misplaced; we miss out on the Lord’s best for our lives.
 When we pursue the spiritual, God will always see to the material!
 When He is first, you never have to worry about the rest..
 Let’s examine our life and our priorities today.
 We will miss out His best when we fail to put the Lord first in our lives.
 Remember, when you put Him first on your priority list, He will keep you at the very top of His.

I. v. 30, 32 A DISCUSSION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP

D. It Is A Personal Relationship
E. It Is A Profound Relationship- (intense)
F. It is A Permanent Relations

II. v. 30-32 A DISCUSSION OF GOD’S RESPONSIBILITIES

D. v. 30 He Has The Responsibility Of Awareness
E. v. 31 He Has The Responsibility Of Ability
F. v. 32 He Has The Responsibility Of Availability

III. v. 29-32 A DISCUSSION OF OUR ROLE

A. v. 29, 32 We Must Have Faith
B. v. 31 We Must Be Faithful

Conc: God truly is the most wonderful Father of all!

 The fact that He would love the unworthy, save them by His grace and adopt them into His family
proves this.
 He looks out for His children and takes care of them in spectacular fashion.
 I am glad that He is my Father today!
 How about you?
 Can you honestly say, “I am saved by the grace of God?
 I know that He is my Father and I am His child.”