Let's talk about good family relationships.
What are some of the strongest memories you have of your father
from your youth ?
What was your image of him ? How close were you to him?
How would you describe the father you would like to have had (maybe,
did have) ?
[Loving, Available, Wise, Helpful, Forgiving, Fun, Protective, good
Listener, Strong]
Let's see what we can learn from the relationship that Jesus had with his Father in heaven.
Mark 14: 32-36
Note 'Abba, Father'. In Matt. 26: 39 version, only 'My Father' is
used.
What does 'Abba' mean ?
[It's an informal Aramaic word, best translated as an intimate 'Daddy'
or 'Pops']
Jesus spoke in Aramaic but both Mark's and Matthew's gospels were
written in Greek.
Why do you think Mark used both words, 'Abba' and 'Father' ?
[To stress both his close affection and his respect for his Father]
What else does this passage tell us about the relationship Jesus
had with his Father ?
[He was close, trusting, obedient, humble, reliant]
Do you think he saw God in the same way we described our 'ideal
father' ?
What image do you have of God, our Father in heaven ?
How close is this to the image you had as a youngster of your earthly
father ?
Do you have the same feelings toward God of closeness, affection,
respect, reliance, trust and obedience that Jesus had toward his
Father ? Why ? Why not ?
How can we develop this close relationship with God ? Let's look
at
Romans 8: 13-17
Paul is saying that we can become part of God's own family but only
if we do certain things. What must we do for a start ?
[Put the sins of the world behind us]
When do we receive the 'Spirit of God' that helps us to put sin
and fear behind us ?
[Acts 2: 38 says we receive the 'Gift of the Holy Spirit' when we
are baptised]
How does our baptism change the way we can approach God ?
[We can approach him in prayer as a young child, without fear and
with confidence, with familiarity, calling him 'Daddy', knowing
that we are part of his family]
How can we then expect God to respond to our prayers ? Let's look
at
Matthew 7: 7-11
This is what God gives to his children when they ask him.
And, just like our parents, what does God expect us as his children
to do in return ?
[Be humble, respect him, trust him, listen and obey him, try to
please him always]
How consistent were we in maintaining these attitudes toward our
own parents as we grew up ?
As God's children, will we be able to learn this consistency in
our attitudes toward God on our own ?
So where can we get the help we need ?
[From reading the Bible, from studying with someone who knows God's
Word better than ourselves, from group discussions like this one,
from sharing with othres who have experienced spiritual growth opportunities
and challenges similar to our own]