"The Father's Assurance"
Pastor Albert Almore
“At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River and wanted John to baptize him. But John tried to stop him, saying, “Why do you come to me to be baptized? I need to be baptized by you!””
Matthew 3:13-14
“Jesus answered, “Let it be this way for now. We should do all things that are God’s will.” So John agreed to baptize Jesus.”
Matthew 3:15
“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”
Matthew 3:16
“And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.””
Matthew 3:17
I want to speak to you this morning from this subject…
THE FATHERS ASSURANCE
"Saturday mornings, I’ve learned, are a great opportunity for kids to sneak into your bed, fall back asleep, and kick you in the face." ― Dan Pearce,
“Anyone who tells you fatherhood is the greatest thing that can happen to you, they are understanding it.”
— Mike Myers
“When my son looks up at me and breaks into his wonderful toothless smile, my eyes fill up and I know that having him is the best thing I will ever do.” –Dan Greenberg
“Dads are most ordinary men turned into heroes, adventurers, storytellers and singers of song.” — Pam Browns
There’s nothing like a mother’s love, but there’s nothing like a father’s assurance.
We see The Father’s assurance here in Matthew 3:17 where it reads,
“And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.””
Matthew 3:17
Before Jesus the Son could say, "LOOK FATHER LOOK", God the Father spoke.
Before Jesus the Son could say, "LOOK FATHER LOOK", God the Father spoke.
This moment was significant as it reassures us, that our Heavenly Father is always looking.
📝 Jesus didn’t have to go look for the Father’s assurance—IT WAS ALREADY THERE.
📝 You don’t have to beg for your Heavenly Father’s attention—YOU ALREADY HAVE IT.
Al Roker said it like this,
"One of the greatest lessons I learned from my dad was to make sure your children know that you love them." ― Al Roker
So that’s how chapter 3 ends. It ends with Jesus hearing from His Father, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The very next chapter and it’s opening verse reads in Matthew 4:1,
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
Matthew 4:1
Chapter 3 ends with, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Chapter 4 begins with Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. This is significant because…
📝 Jesus went into His GREATEST BATTLES with The Father’s Assurance.
so should we.
📝 The Father’s Assurance didn’t change the SITUATION but it changed His PERSPECTIVE. Jesus knew HE WASN’T ALONE.
📝 Jesus went into His greatest battles, knowing that He was COVERED, SEEN, LOVED, CELEBRATED, and EQUIPPED for the task at hand.
No signs done yet. No wonders done yet. No miracles done yet. Yet still, God covered Him. Yet still, God saw Him. Yet still, God loved Him. Yet still, God celebrated Him. Yet still, God the Father said,
This IS My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Emphasis on the word, "IS.”
The word IS insinuates, that this pronouncement is an ongoing pronouncement. The word ISinsinuates, that this moment of blessing, is an ongoing blessing. This is on going relationship. Come what may, THIS IS MY SON.
Time, eternity, accomplishments, or NO ACCOMPLISHMENTS, will never stop you from being My Son.
He was my SON, before He was your SAVIOR.
This IS My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. This wouldn’t be the last time that Jesus would hear these words. Matthew 17:1 reads,
“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.”
Matthew 17:1-2
“And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.””
Matthew 17:3-4
“While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!””
Matthew 17:5
This moment wasn’t about Peter. This moment wasn’t about Moses, and Elijah. THIS MOMENT WAS ABOUT JESUS. Moses represents the law. Elijah represents the prophecy. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment. The moment that all eternity had been waiting for was about to be FULFILLED.
Son before you step into this moment of pain, this moment of uncertainty, and into eternal victory; Before you do, I want you to
go into this moment knowing that you’re COVERED, SEEN, LOVED, CELEBRATED, and EQUIPPED for the task at hand.
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud OVERSHADOWED THEM; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud…
Matthew 17:5
The same thing that Jesus needed to know, you need to know as well. You need to know, come what may YOU’RE COVERED! Psalm 91:4 says it like this…
“HE SHALL COVER THEE with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”
Psalm 91:4
Covered by His grace. Covered by His mercy. Covered by his love. Covered by his forgiveness. Covered by his compassion. Ezekiel 16:4-5, a word to Jerusalem, describes our spiritual condition without our Heavenly Father, it reads,
“On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.”
Ezekiel 16:4-5
““ ‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!” I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.”
Ezekiel 16:6-7
““ ‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and COVERED your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and YOU BECAME MINE.”
Ezekiel 16:8
When Father God OVERSHADOWED THEM and said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Essentially He was saying, He’s mine!!!
Matthew 3:17, This is my beloved Son, in whom I’m well pleased. Matthew 17:5, This is my beloved Son, in whom I’m well pleased. Assurance came twice to Jesus Himself. How much more do we need it? How much more do our children need it?
"When my father didn’t have my hand, he had my back.” ― Linda Poindexter
Jesus knew that He was covered. Jesus knew His Father had His back. Jesus says in John 16:32,
“Listen to me; a time is coming when you will be scattered, each to your own home. That time is now here. You will leave me alone, but I AM NEVER REALLY ALONE, because THE FATHER IS WITH ME.”
John 16:32
Peter reflected on all that took place on the mountain of transfiguration and wrote in 2 Peter 1:17-18,
“For he received honor and glory from GOD THE FATHER when THAT VOICE was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard THIS VOICE come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.”
2 Peter 1:17-18
For he received honor and glory from GOD THE FATHER when THAT VOICE …. We ourselves heard THIS VOICE…..
Your voice matters. What you say matters.
📝 Imperfect words are better than ABSENT WORDS.
Peter said, for he received honor and glory from GOD THE FATHER when THAT VOICE WAS CONVEYED TO HIM..
What are we conveying to our children?
“Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice.”
— Charles Kettering
“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they’re always watching you.”
—Robert Fulghum
“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.”
— Clarence Budington Kelland
Convey, Honor, Glory, celebratory moments, affirm them. If you don’t, someone else will.
📝 Don’t allow not having a father in the home to ENABLE you to repeat the cycle. Allow it to EMPOWER you to break it!
I hear you AB. I want what you’re talking about, but I just don’t how. I don’t know how to be something I haven’t seen….
📝 Start with THE FATHER.
📝 Reciprocate HIS LOVE.
📝 Follow His IMAGE and His LIKENESS.
It’s there. We know it’s there because Genesis 1:26 says,
“Then God said, “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE, ACCORDING TO OUR LIKENESS…
Genesis 1:26
God would never abandon you.
God would never abandon His creation.
God would never abandon Himself.
In these matters, follow His image. In these matters, follow His likeness.
I love Father God, because Father God never abandons His Word.
His Word tells us in Jeremiah 32:38,
They will be my people, and I will be their God.
Jeremiah 32:38
His Word tells us in Deuteronomy 31:6,
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.””
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.”
Deuteronomy 31:7
“And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU; do not fear nor be dismayed.””
Deuteronomy 31:8
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.”
Joshua 1:5
📝 Even if my father and mother abandon me, THE LORD WILL HOLD ME CLOSE. Psalm 27:10
When it comes to His Word, remember this.
““God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
Numbers 23:19
With God, a PROMISE is a PROMISE.
Here’s the promise to us all of us this Father’s Day.
You are COVERED. You are SEEN. You are LOVED. You are CELEBRATED. You are EQUIPPED for the task at hand.
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.”
— Jim Valvano
📝 Your birth is evidence that YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER BELIEVES IN YOU.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER?
Do you believe that you’re COVERED? Do you believe that you’re SEEN? Do you believe that you’re LOVED? Do you believe that you’re CELEBRATED? Do you believe that you’re EQUIPPED for the task at hand?
DO YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER?
Whatever season you may find yourself in, RUN TO THE FATHER.
A season of, celebration—RUN TO THE FATHER.
A season of, wilderness, dry times—RUN TO THE FATHER. A season of, uncertainty —RUN TO THE FATHER.
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