Embracing God: Our Everlasting Father and Emmanuel

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound truth of God as our everlasting Father, a concept that can be challenging for some due to their earthly experiences with fatherhood. Yet, we are reminded that God, unlike any earthly father, is perfect in His love and care for us. He is a Father who knows us intimately, who listens, guides, and disciplines us for our good. This Father is eternal, unchanging, and His presence is not limited by time or circumstance. He is with us in every moment of our lives, from the mundane to the monumental, offering His guidance and love.

We also delved into the theme of "beholding" as part of our Advent series. To behold is to truly see and understand the new things God is doing in our lives. This requires us to slow down and focus, which can be difficult in our fast-paced world where our attention spans are shorter than ever. Yet, God calls us to behold the new thing He is doing, as prophesied in Isaiah 43. This new thing is the coming of Jesus Christ, God with us, Emmanuel. This is a radical shift from the old ways of relating to God, where He was distant and only accessible through rituals and sacrifices. Now, through Jesus, God is with us in every aspect of our lives, offering a personal relationship that transforms us.

The message today is a call to embrace this new reality, to let go of the old ways of striving to reach God through our efforts, and instead, to accept the gift of His presence with us. This changes everything, as God is with us in our joys and sorrows, our successes and failures. We are invited to bring our burdens and sins to Him, knowing that He longs to hear us and to bring freedom and healing.

Key Takeaways:

1. God as Everlasting Father: God is a perfect Father who knows us intimately and desires to meet our needs. Unlike any earthly father, He is eternal and unchanging, offering guidance, love, and discipline for our good. This relationship is not hindered by our earthly experiences of fatherhood. [18:15]

2. The Challenge of Beholding: In a world with short attention spans, truly beholding God's work requires intentional slowing down and focusing. This Advent, we are called to behold the new thing God is doing, which is often difficult but deeply rewarding. [26:32]

3. The New Thing in Christ: Isaiah 43 speaks of a new way God is working through Jesus Christ. This new thing is the shift from old rituals to a personal relationship with God, who is now with us in every moment of our lives. [31:26]

4. Emmanuel, God With Us: The incarnation of Jesus as Emmanuel means God is present in all aspects of our lives. This profound truth changes everything, offering us comfort and strength in every situation. [35:13]

5. Living in God's Presence: Understanding that God is with us in every circumstance invites us to live differently. We are encouraged to bring our burdens to Him, knowing He is eager to hear us and bring freedom and healing. [37:38]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [06:49] - Names of Christ
- [16:48] - Everlasting Father
- [18:15] - God as a Perfect Father
- [19:20] - Vulnerability with God
- [21:03] - Forgiveness and Cleansing
- [26:32] - The Challenge of Beholding
- [31:26] - The New Thing in Christ
- [33:09] - God's New Way
- [34:14] - Emmanuel, God With Us
- [35:13] - The Significance of God With Us
- [36:23] - Practical Implications of Emmanuel
- [37:38] - Living in God's Presence
- [38:53] - The Unshakeable Presence of God
- [40:02] - Beholding God's Presence

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Isaiah 43:16-19
- Matthew 1:23

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Observation Questions:

1. In Isaiah 43:16-19, what does God promise to do, and how is this described as a "new thing"? How does this relate to the coming of Jesus? [31:26]

2. According to the sermon, how does the concept of God as an "Everlasting Father" differ from our earthly experiences of fatherhood? [18:15]

3. What challenges are mentioned in the sermon regarding our ability to "behold" the new things God is doing in our lives? [26:32]

4. How does the sermon describe the significance of Jesus being called "Emmanuel"? What does this mean for our daily lives? [35:13]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What might Isaiah 43:16-19 suggest about the nature of God's work in our lives today? How does this passage encourage us to perceive change and new beginnings?

2. How does the sermon explain the importance of understanding God as an "Everlasting Father"? In what ways does this understanding impact our relationship with God? [18:15]

3. The sermon highlights the difficulty of truly "beholding" in our fast-paced world. What are some practical ways individuals can slow down and focus on God's presence? [26:32]

4. How does the concept of "Emmanuel, God with us" challenge traditional views of God's presence and accessibility? What implications does this have for personal faith and community life? [35:13]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your personal experience with fatherhood or parental figures. How does this shape your understanding of God as an "Everlasting Father"? How can you reconcile any differences? [18:15]

2. In what areas of your life do you struggle to "behold" God's work? What steps can you take to intentionally slow down and focus on His presence this week? [26:32]

3. Consider the new things God might be doing in your life. How can you embrace these changes and let go of old ways of striving to reach God through your efforts? [31:26]

4. How does the reality of "Emmanuel, God with us" influence your daily interactions and decisions? Can you identify a specific situation where this truth can bring comfort or guidance? [35:13]

5. Think about a burden or sin you are carrying. How can you bring this to God, trusting in His desire to hear you and bring freedom and healing? [19:20]

6. Identify a moment in your daily routine where you can pause and acknowledge God's presence. How might this practice change your perspective or actions throughout the day? [37:38]

7. Reflect on a recent challenge or success in your life. How can the understanding that God is with you in every circumstance shape your response or attitude? [36:23]

Devotional

Day 1: God as Our Perfect Father
God is an everlasting Father who knows us intimately and desires to meet our needs. Unlike any earthly father, He is eternal and unchanging, offering guidance, love, and discipline for our good. This relationship is not hindered by our earthly experiences of fatherhood. God’s love is perfect, and He is always present, listening, guiding, and disciplining us for our benefit. His presence is not limited by time or circumstance, and He is with us in every moment of our lives, from the mundane to the monumental. This understanding of God as a perfect Father invites us to trust Him more deeply and to rely on His unchanging nature. [18:15]

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" (Romans 8:15, ESV)

Reflection: How does your understanding of God as a perfect Father challenge or comfort you today? What is one area of your life where you need to trust His guidance and love more fully?


Day 2: The Challenge of Beholding
In a world with short attention spans, truly beholding God's work requires intentional slowing down and focusing. This Advent, we are called to behold the new thing God is doing, which is often difficult but deeply rewarding. Beholding involves truly seeing and understanding the new things God is doing in our lives. It requires us to slow down and focus, which can be challenging in our fast-paced world. Yet, God calls us to behold the new thing He is doing, as prophesied in Isaiah 43. This act of beholding is a spiritual discipline that allows us to see God’s work more clearly and to participate in it more fully. [26:32]

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46:10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to slow down and behold the work God is doing in your life? How can you create space for this practice in your daily routine?


Day 3: The New Thing in Christ
Isaiah 43 speaks of a new way God is working through Jesus Christ. This new thing is the shift from old rituals to a personal relationship with God, who is now with us in every moment of our lives. The coming of Jesus Christ, God with us, Emmanuel, represents a radical shift from the old ways of relating to God, where He was distant and only accessible through rituals and sacrifices. Now, through Jesus, God is with us in every aspect of our lives, offering a personal relationship that transforms us. This new reality invites us to let go of the old ways of striving to reach God through our efforts and to accept the gift of His presence with us. [31:26]

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: What old ways of striving to reach God do you need to let go of today? How can you embrace the new reality of a personal relationship with Him through Christ?


Day 4: Emmanuel, God With Us
The incarnation of Jesus as Emmanuel means God is present in all aspects of our lives. This profound truth changes everything, offering us comfort and strength in every situation. God is with us in our joys and sorrows, our successes and failures. We are invited to bring our burdens and sins to Him, knowing that He longs to hear us and to bring freedom and healing. This understanding of God’s presence with us invites us to live differently, with the assurance that we are never alone. [35:13]

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV)

Reflection: How does the truth of God being with you in every situation change the way you approach your day? What burdens or sins do you need to bring to Him today, trusting in His desire to bring freedom and healing?


Day 5: Living in God's Presence
Understanding that God is with us in every circumstance invites us to live differently. We are encouraged to bring our burdens to Him, knowing He is eager to hear us and bring freedom and healing. This invitation to live in God’s presence means recognizing His unshakeable presence in our lives and allowing it to transform how we live. It means trusting that He is with us in every moment, offering comfort, strength, and guidance. By living in this awareness, we can experience the fullness of life that God desires for us. [37:38]

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8, ESV)

Reflection: What is one way you can intentionally live in the awareness of God’s presence today? How can this awareness transform your interactions and decisions throughout the day?

Quotes


And today, as we learn that he's an everlasting Father, that term can kind of be a hard term. Because some of us have had unbelievable earthly fathers. And that really helped us understand the Lord. The love and the greatness of our everlasting Father. But there's some that didn't have that great of fathers. [00:17:02] (23 seconds)


Bring your sin, your shortcomings, your failings. Bring it all before our Savior Jesus Christ, for He longs, longs to hear your voice. Longs to step into those situations and longs to bring freedom where there's bondage. And so would you do that with me this morning? [00:19:44] (19 seconds)


Behold, that is the series we've been going through this Advent. So far, Pastor Dave has told us to behold a Lord that fulfills His promises, and then invited us to come. Behold and adore. That was last week. You know, the idea of this series is really to find places in Scripture where it says, behold, and then to study, absorb those spots, apprehend them, comprehend them, and do exactly what they're telling us to do, to behold those things. [00:25:21] (37 seconds)


Because to truly behold something means to slow down, to take it all in, to dwell in it. And I don't mean to speak for you, but for me, I have a hard time slowing down sometimes. Sometimes. In the last two decades, the human attention span has went down from 12 seconds to 8.25 seconds. That's the statistic. [00:26:10] (22 seconds)


And then 18, And I want to pause with that real quickly because I want to state the importance that it is a great thing to look back on God's past faithfulness so we can have a present confidence that He is good and that He's going to show up for us. So when God says, Remember not the former things of old, you know, former things or consider the things of old. [00:32:24] (23 seconds)


God's not coming to save His people from a bondage of physical slavery any longer. God's come to save us all from the bondage of sin. God's going to start pursuing our hearts. And in fact, in a way, it's what He's always been after is your heart. But how He's going about it now changes. Behold, God is doing a new thing. [00:33:28] (22 seconds)


This is very easy for us to take for granted, but for the people at the time of Christ, this isn't just a new thing. This is crazy and it's new. This is truly something to behold. How could a holy God, a perfect God, come and live among his sinful people? I mean, isn't God only found in the holy of holies in the temple? [00:35:13] (30 seconds)


God's with us in prison, through addiction, on a first date, during an ugly cry, in the school drop-off line. God's with us while we're working the graveyard shift, or working the 12 steps, or at the office, or at the gym. God's with us in therapy, at the checkout line at the grocery store. [00:36:50] (18 seconds)


God's with us when they can't find a heartbeat, when the cancer's back, when the kids stop coming home, or when we face the pain of them rejecting what they once believed. God's with us when we're not sure we want to believe anymore, when we praise Him with songs, or when we can't bring ourselves to sing. [00:37:38] (27 seconds)


Where shall I go from your spirit? Where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you're there. If I make my bed in Sheol, you're there. You can't shake him. You can't shake him. You can try to stiff arm, you can give him a little shimmy, but he's Emmanuel. He's God with us. [00:39:01] (20 seconds)


And sometimes, Lord, we just think we're so broken and in shambles that a good God would never spend time with us. And we behold that you do. Lord, I don't know the hard situations. That people are walking within these rooms. But you do. And Lord, you enter into those things. Because you are a God that is with us. [00:40:17] (30 seconds)


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Transcript
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