Father's Day Service - My Father Cares

Tough act to follow. You never know what you're going to get with brother Aaron Bachmann. But um I do know this. If he ever calls you and says, "Hey, just want to let you know you've been on my heart. You're uh I'm praying for you. Look out." Because uh he is sensitive and follows the Holy Ghost. And so I ended up in the hospital a couple of days later, not because of that, but I so appreciate Brother Aaron and his spirit. That's all the laughs for today.

I am a dad of three wonderful children. And being a dad, um I've come to realize the full weight of responsibility with having children and they're they're not even teenagers yet. Uh so I'll be relying on some additional help from this church as they age. What I found out is that kids have needs. They need food. They need clothes. They need a home, a roof over their heads. Kids get owies. Where's Maverick? And they need a bambade from time to time. That's the Maverick translation. Kids need direction and guidance for their lives.

Likewise, we adults have needs. We have hurts from time to time and we need direction and guidance for our lives from our heavenly father. We're going to explore each of these three areas and see whether or not our heavenly father cares. There's a spoiler alert. He cares. I'm going to prove it to you through his word. When my dad was growing up, he did not have a dad around to help provide for the needs of the family. My grandmother, Rosetta, raised four children on her own.

They had very little money for food, clothes, or a roof over their heads. So, when dad was young, about four or five years old, they just moved into a home in Ellbury, Missouri. And my grandmother took all the money that she had and paid the down payment on this house that they were going to rent, leaving no money for food until about two weeks later when her paycheck would finally come. That's a bad spot to be in when you have four children and you don't have any money for food.

So, dad was exploring the neighborhood with his two older sisters, Sherry and Donna. They passed by a parked car and dad noticed a bill underneath this car. So, he grabbed it and ran back home to his mama. It was a $50 bill. I looked this up. So, this would have been around 1968 or 1969 when $50 was worth about $478 in today's money. plenty of money to provide for that little family for the coming weeks. God was watching over their family when they simply couldn't do it by themselves.

Let's look at Matthew 6:25-34. See what the Bible has to say about daily needs. Verse 25. Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the liies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothe the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, oh you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear?" Some of us did that this morning, didn't we?

For all these things after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. So those are Jesus words telling us not to worry about any of our basic needs. He knows what we have need of before we even ask it.

We should consider the Lord's wealth and how vast it is. Psalm 24:1, the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. That's everything. It belongs to him. Psalm 50:10, for every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I was going to pull some interesting facts together. I have them vaguely, but there are roughly 477 mountain peaks in the United States. I'm just trying to picture how big our God is, how vast his wealth is, and we just really can't picture it.

The earth is his foottool. Everything in the earth is his. You are valuable to the Lord, but you must know that his provisions are not limited to just food or clothing. This is a story about housing. About a decade ago, Michelle and I faced a tough situation. We had a rental and there were problems with the tenant. Um, and then we just we needed out of the home that we were in. So, I don't know if anybody else has ever been at their wits end with real estate and with that kind of a situation, but I felt overwhelmed.

I went outside on our back porch and simply asked the Lord for his help. My prayer sounded like, "God, I I don't see a way out of this, but I'm stressed out. I'm overwhelmed. I don't know how you're going to do it, but here's what I need done. I need this house sold. I need that house sold. I want out of it. Less headache, less stress." And then I said, "Amen." And that was it. It was a simple prayer like we do from time to time.

No tears or anything like that involved. The Lord heard me that day. Within six months, miraculously, we were out of both of those situations and we were into a new, more suitable home. Why do I say that? These are real life issues that each of us could face from time to time. Food, clothing, financial needs. Our God is not so big that he doesn't care about the little things in our lives. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us." God, help me to believe that scripture.

Help my faith today. You are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I can ask or think. Your heavenly father cares about your needs and he is able to reach every one of them. He also cares about your owies. Little Mav's radar is going off over there. Your hurts, your troubles, your sorrows. Hebrews 4:14-16. Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our profession or confession. Verse 15, for we have not in high priest which cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. Our heavenly father Jesus Christ is touched by our infirmities. That word infirmities refers to our human weaknesses, our sufferings, ailments, sorrows. Because Jesus lived as a human, he understands those things. Because he understands and was tested like us, we don't have to approach God in fear. We're told in verse 16 to go boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.

And that is just what blind Barameus did. We're going to look at Mark chapter 10 starting in verse 46. Now they came to Jericho. As he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, blind Barameus, the son of Tmus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me." Then many warned him to be quiet. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me." So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.

Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Hey, be of good cheer. Rise. He is calling you." And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "Raboni or my great one, that I may receive my sight." Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. There are a few things that I'd like to point out about this passage.

In verse 46, it doesn't specify what Barnameus was begging for. I know we've all probably encountered someone that uh might be down on their luck. Generally speaking, food, water, money, those are things that normal passers by can give. In verse 47, he hears that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. Keep in mind that he could not see Jesus. He had only heard that Jesus was near. He seizes the moment and begins to cry out for mercy. I count it as a benefit that Bararddmus could not see the faces of the crowd, the possible judgment, the pity, the surprise.

Oh no, he's at it again. He couldn't see any of that. All he could hear was that Jesus was close by. So he focused on the Lord. He could see that his miracle was just through the crowd. In verse 49, Jesus stood still. If you will cry out to Jesus for mercy, you need to know that you can stop him in his tracks and he will tend to you. The conversation could look like this. Jesus, I'm all out of strength. Son, daughter. 2 Corinthians 12:9. My grace is sufficient for you.

My strength is made perfect in weakness. Wow, that's wild. You need strength. Watch this. Jesus, I need peace of mind. My mind is worried. And Jesus says, son, daughter, watch this. Mark 4:39, peace be still. Just as Jesus spoke to the wind and the waves, he can speak peace into the storms of your life. Matthew 6:8, "Son, daughter, I know what you have need of before you ask, but why don't you have faith in me and ask anyway? Ask again." Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Barameus did not have an appointment. He only realized that Jesus was nearby and seized his opportunity. Last year, my youngest son suffered from a febral seizure. There was a lot of uncertainty when I got the call. I didn't know the details surrounding it. Um, but on the way there, I prayed and asked my heavenly father for help like most of us would do. Then I called my dad and he answered the phone with an upbeat voice and said, "I prayed about this and the Lord gave me peace.

Maverick is going to be okay." So I received it but I still had my doubts, my fears, my worries. So much uncertainty clouded my mind as in the same two week period my little nephew [name redacted] also suffered from a seizure. I could not see Jesus, but I knew that he was close by the whole time. On a Wednesday night, my little sister over there in the corner said, "Hey, I'm bringing [name redacted] down to the front. Do you want to come with me?" And I paused. I stood still.

It was a Wednesday night. I didn't have an invitation. Uh it wasn't altar call time. It was in the middle of worship. Nobody else was in the altar. Nobody else was crying out to mercy, crying out to the Lord for mercy. So reluctantly, I went and as I prayed, I imagined lifting little Maverick up before the feet of Jesus. So I just pictured a throne, a shiny throne, and Jesus was sitting on it, but all I could see was his feet. So I laid this baby at his feet and the Lord touched me in that night.

Even though I didn't have an appointment, I cried out and he touched me. The Lord can do the same for each and every person in this room here today. Weeks later, after more tests and prayers, both [name redacted] and Maverick received a good report. So why why do we have to go through these things this uh roller coaster of emotions? God is building our strength. He's building our faith, our trust in him. We need him, brother Aaron. Every single day, we need his help. Every hurt, every pain, every sickness, and every sorrow, your heavenly father cares.

I wonder if we could just take a moment and thank him that he cares about each one of us. He cares about our hurts and our struggles. Lord, we're so thankful to know that you care for us. That you walk beside us when we need you most. I pray that we know that you're in this place. I pray that we would have the opportunity to seize your mercy in the coming moments. Thank you, Lord. Lastly, our heavenly father cares where we are going. He isn't just concerned about our physical needs or our healing.

He is concerned about where we're going for eternity. This is shown to us in the two parables of Luke 15. While Jesus was teaching the Pharisees and scribes, Luke 15:4 reads, "What man of you having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it." And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost." I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance.

Jesus goes on to teach the parable of the lost son, the prodigal son. Starting in verse 11, a certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me." So he divided them his livelihood. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together journeyed to a far country and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. For when he had spent all there arose a severe famine in that land and he began to be in want.

And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country and sent him into his fields to feed swine. and he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. For when he came to himself, he said, "How many of my father's servants have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.

make me like one of your hired servants." And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to the father, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his servants, "Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet, and bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry.

For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found." And they began to be merry. Now the older son was in the field, and when he came and drew near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called to one of the servants to ask what these things meant. And he said to him, "Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf." But he was angry and wouldn't go in.

Therefore, his father came and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, "Lo, these many years I have been serving you. I have never transgressed your commandment at any time. And yet you never gave me a young goat that I would make Mary with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed a fatted calf for him. And he said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.

It is right that we should make Mary and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found." I believe that Jesus tells these parables so that we can liken them to one who is without salvation and another who maybe knows where he should be under the blessing, protection, provision of his father but simply packs up and runs away. Both types are deeply loved by our heavenly father. If that is you today, you should know that if you decide to come to this altar and repent, your heavenly father will welcome you with open arms, and all of heaven will rejoice when you take that step of obedience.

today. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Second Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise." That's referring to his second coming as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. John 3:16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 14 1-6.

Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house, there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also, and where I go, you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?

Jesus's response in verse six, Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father except through me. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, and so shall we always be with the Lord.

Therefore, comfort one another with these words. That's where we're going. The Lord has laid out this plan of salvation, which I'll cover in a moment. But we're going to go meet the Lord in the air. We're going to be caught up with other believers. How do we access when that trumpet blows? How do we get our feet off the ground? We follow the plan of salvation in Acts 2:38. Then Peter said unto them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus, for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." In closing, I'll wrap up by talking about that four to five year old that I mentioned at the beginning of this message.

When that boy Buddy Dong was 15 years old, he found himself crying out to his heavenly father in an altar. Jesus filled him with the Holy Ghost. Dad describes it. As he was being filled, the Lord played a camera role, a photo role in his mind's eye, showing him all the times he had provided for, protected, and ordered his steps, leading him to that moment. It was a moment where old things became new. Jesus Christ died for him. He died for me. He died for everybody under the sound of my voice.

Paid the price for our sins so that we could follow his great plan of salvation. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Hopefully now we can clearly see that our father cares where we are going. He cares about our future. When my dad was a little boy, God watched over him. When Michelle and I didn't know how to get out of a difficult situation, God watched over us.

When Maverick and [name redacted] needed healing, God watched over us. When there is a sheep that is lost, when there is a prodigal that is far from home, or we're just a saint trying to make it to heaven, Jesus, our heavenly father, is watching out for all of us. I'm going to invite you all to stand with me. Hopefully this point has been driven home today that my father cares. Our father cares. I know it's a little bit different for Father's Day, but I'm not just going to um invite the dads to come.

I would like to open these altars for anybody who needs a miracle today. If that's you, if you need a miracle, it could be a miracle of provision. It could be a miracle of healing. It could be a miracle of salvation. I'm going to invite you to begin to come. And as you do, just as blind Barameus did, we can cry out to the Lord for his mercy. We need his help. We need him each and every day. Wonder if you'd begin to come for those that are coming, you can come and pray with them.

If you have pain or sorrow, if you need peace in your life, your heavenly father wants to meet you here in this place. It's been evident since the beginning of this service. We could feel the Lord during the first song. We knew that he was here. We knew that he was close by. I feel his help now as we begin to cry out to him. We need you, Lord. We need your help today. Thank you, Lord. You're a friend that sticks closer than a brother. There is no need that is too big or too small for you, Jesus.

In your name, we cry out that you would have mercy. Oh God, you're a God of provision. You're a God of love. You're able to provide. You own the cattle on a thousand hills. How wonderful you are, Lord. Help me to see you. I don't want to worry about who's beside me, the reactions on the crowd. I don't care about any of that. I need you, Lord. I'm desperate for you. I cry out to you now, oh God. Oh Lord, I belong to you. The numbers you've known me, God, since I was created, I'm fearfully and wonderfully made.

Lord, you know what I have need of before I even ask. I'm going to ask again. I'm going to ask again and again and again. Oh Lord, you hear every petition. I pray, oh Father, that your will would be done. Oh, thank you for the Holy Ghost. Let it move today and minister for those needing salvation. The Lord paid the price of it all on Calvary. He laid down his life for you and for me. Lord, I repent today. I pray, oh God, that you would wash my heart clean.

Oh Lord, I'm not worthy to be called your son. If I could just be called your servant. The Lord says, "No, you are my son. You are my daughter. And I died for you because I love you. Because I care for you." That's it. Continue to cry out to the Lord right now. We love you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for your miracle working power. Do a work, oh God.