Above All Names Week 4 Everlasting Father

Above All Names – Week 4 – Everlasting Father

Series Big Idea: The one whose Name is above all names wants to be our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Message Big Idea: As Everlasting Father, Jesus invites us to live with an eternal purpose.

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:11, 1 John 1:1-4, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, John 6:68

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Intro: Things that don’t last

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I know, I know! Christmas was so last week, but hear me out: doesn’t it sometimes feel like the moment we get the tree up it’s time to take it down? That’s probably why some of us leave the thing up until February, right? Now, if you’re like me - you know you have a problem when it comes time to dust the Christmas tree…

But it’s not just the tree, though. You and Clark Griswold have to also get back up on the roof and take down those 10,000 Christmas lights. Oh, joy to the world! And on top of that, a lot of us have made grotesquely massive investments at Toys”R”Us to warm the hearts of our children with Christmas cheer... only to hear a week later, “Moooooom, I’m booorrred.”

Seriously?

You’ve had your Power Rangers Ninja Steel Lion Fire Fortress Action Figure for five days and you’re already bored?! And the icing on the cake? How many of these things break before it even makes it to the next Christmas? Anyone know what I’m talking about? I can see it in your eyes - Christmas felt like it was practically over the moment it started. But I see some of you are still rocking your Christmas sweaters this morning and I hear it in your hearts! “Don’t let the fire die! Keep Christmas going! Just a little longer!”

There are so many things that simply don’t seem to last long enough, right?

Phone batteries, naps, football season, pizza, deodorant protection, gum flavor - none of them seem to last long enough, do they?

[Pause]

The reality is, nothing seems to last.

However, this morning I want to show you something, namely someone, who does.

Series Recap

More than 700 years before Jesus was born, a prophet named Isaiah wrote a list of names describing him. Let’s read this aloud together. 1

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” - Isaiah 9:6

As opposed to every miserable strand of tangled lights, or even the most glorious nap - Jesus is forever. In fact, Isaiah calls him Everlasting Father.

But how could Jesus be called “Father?” After all, isn’t the Father...you know...the Father? I thought Jesus was the Son. Well, here’s the thing: in Old Testament language the meaning of “father” wasn’t limited to just biology or paternity. While “Everlasting Father” might make the coolest Father’s Day trucker hat of all time, the meaning here is a whole lot deeper.

Someone hearing or reading Isaiah back in his day would have taken father to mean “the originator or author of.” So, as Everlasting Father, Isaiah is saying that Jesus is the originator of that which is everlasting - the author of the eternal. Simply put, Jesus is forever because he invented forever.

Longing for Eternity

And here’s the incredible thing - Jesus doesn’t desire to keep “forever” to himself. His desire is to share eternity with all of us. The author of Ecclesiastes puts it this way:

“He has planted eternity in the human heart.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11

I love that. Eternity isn’t merely spoken to us, taught to us, or presented to us - it’s planted in us.

Forever is such a deeply divine idea, and if it wasn’t for God planting it in us - eternity wouldn’t even be on our radar. He’s planted and designed in each of us a longing for something that lasts, a longing for the eternal.

Personally, I find it difficult to even wrap my head around this idea of forever because I live in a world governed by the tic-toc of every second. Think about it:

My stove has a clock. My microwave has a clock. My car has a clock. My phone has a clock. And, just for fashion - my wrist even has a clock.

Everywhere I turn I’m reminded how limited time really is. There seem to be countless moments that never last as long as I wish they would. Can anyone relate? But here is Jesus, the Everlasting Father, the author of the eternal, planting eternity deep within each of our hearts.

Ok, wait a minute - let’s pump the breaks for a second.

Some of us are sitting here right now thinking, “I’m actually quite familiar with how forever feels… I’ve been to the DMV. In fact, I’ve also sat through a sermon or two…” But seriously, doesn’t eternity seem like such an elusive idea?. After all, we’re all living in the moment, this moment, in the here and now. Eternity is often feels like something we can deal with later, right? I mean, waaaaay later...like when we die. 2

And even then, a lot of us have some pretty crazy ideas about what eternity actually looks like after we die, don’t we? It’s okay - you can admit it, this is a safe space...

Personally, I know plenty of people who are totally convinced that in eternity - we’re just going to be singing in white bathrobes - forever. Now, I don’t know about you, but there’s good chance I’d be bored after the 5 million songs! Besides, harp music really isn’t my scene and don’t even get me started on the whole white robes thing. They don’t do a thing for my figure! There’s no way I’d waste this heavenly body on a robe!

But seriously, this whole conversation about eternity got me thinking: what kinds of things do I really want to last forever? Then it hit me!

(Music medley; 5-10 seconds per song)

Song: “Always Be My Baby” - Mariah Carey “Boy don’t you know you can’t escape me, ooo darlin’ cause you’ll alway be my baby…” TP - Mariah...you had me at “do do do.”

Song: “Keep On Loving You” – REO Speedwagon “I’m gonna keep on lovin’ you. Cause it’s the only thing I wanna do.” TP - Pure poetry REO Speedwagon. If I’m only going to do one thing forever, it’s lovin’

Song: “I Will Always Love You” – Whitney Houston Music - AND IIIIIEEEEIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOOOUUUUU TP - No doubt Whitney. No doubt [fake tear]

Isn’t that crazy? There have been a myriad songs throughout the years written about this idea of “forever” and our deepest longings as a people - and so often the themes, the crux remains the same. Personally, I’m with Whitney - when it comes to forever, at the end of the day, what I want love.

[Build momentum here]

If he’s Everlasting Father, I don’t just want love, I want everlasting love. I don’t just want joy, I want everlasting joy. I don’t just want purpose, I want everlasting purpose.

I don’t know about you, but I'm tired of expiration dates. I’ve had my fill of the temporary and disposable. I’m done with momentary and expendable.

What about you?

In my own life and I imagine yours as well, there are so many moments I wish I could just pause and savor what I’m experiencing - to make it last.

I’ve felt it in creation.

3 Watching the sunset on the beach with my wife, asking: “Can’t we linger just a little longer? Can’t we take in the blue and orange and pink just a bit more? Can’t we make this last a little longer?” Those moments seem to always pass too quickly.

I’ve felt it with my children. It often feels like they were just born. It’s been a blur. I know that, before I know it - I’m going to be hearing graduation songs and worse yet...wedding bells - I just know it. I often look at my kids and ask, “ Won’t you sit on my lap a little longer? Won’t you be young a little longer?” But they’re in a hurry to grow up, aren’t they? Oh, how I wish they could stay little a little longer!

I’ve felt it with myself. I’m getting older and can feel the pressure of time spent. Have I accomplished enough? Have I made enough of an impact? As the years pass quickly, I find myself often asking, “Is any of it really going to last?”

Can you feel it? It’s like sand through our fingers. No matter how tightly we hold on, it slips away. Despite these struggles, though; we long for the everlasting, don’t we? It tugs at all of us - regardless of who you are or where you come from. Eternity, this longing for something beyond ourselves, is planted in all of us. And here’s the important truth: Jesus, the Everlasting Father, is the only one who can satisfy those deep longings.

Word: 1 John 1:1-2

Now, it’s possible that no one understood this better than the Apostle John. He writes this of Jesus:

“We want to tell you about the One who was from the beginning. We have seen Him with our own eyes, heard Him with our own ears, and touched Him with our own hands. This One is the manifestation of the life-giving Voice, and He showed us real life, eternal life. We have seen it all, and we can’t keep what we witnessed quiet—we have to share it with you. We are inviting you to experience eternal life through the One who was with the Father and came down to us.” – 1 John 1:1-2 (The Voice)

Wow. How beautiful is that?

John is telling us that Jesus is the giver of real, eternal life and has been in the business of doing so since the very beginning. Not just that, though – he says that we, you and I, are a part of it! The one who spoke the universe into existence invites us to be a part of his incredible eternity - right here and now!

And did you notice what he said in verse 1? (Highlight: “We have seen Him with our own eyes, heard Him with our own ears, and touched Him with our own hands.”) He says;

They’ve seen it. They’ve heard it. They touched it with their own hands.

Now, I’ll be honest.

4 When it comes to God’s eternity, don’t we often talk about it as something ethereal, way out there somewhere? I don’t know about you, but when I think of eternity, I usually am thinking of something that I’ll only experience down the road after I die. But here, John stands firmly against that way of thinking.

He brings Jesus decisively near and present. He says,

Oh, we saw him. We heard his voice. We even touched him.

In other words, eternal life isn’t something that’s merely the by-product of some intellectual enlightenment or even just an intangible, mystical reality. Jesus, the Author of Eternity in the flesh, came to give us a deeper, broader, more beautiful vision of the eternal in the here and now. In fact, he came not only to reveal this eternity, but share it with all of humanity. Jesus invites all of us, each and every day, to fully participate in the eternal, so why then, would we settle for anything less?

In Jesus, we see that he came to give us:

Eternal Joy The type of sustaining joy that isn’t rooted merely in circumstances or emotion. It doesn’t sway back and forth based on emotion or the circumstances of the moment. It’s a joy that find its source in someone greater than ourselves. Could anyone here use some of that kind of joy?

He also offers:

(Add) Eternal Love The type of persevering love that has no brim or bottom, no conditions or limits. In a world of love and affection that comes with all sorts of qualifications and small print - Jesus offers a “no-strings-attached” type of love that relentlessly pursues us and accepts us, regardless of our past or present.

And he came to give us:

(Add) Eternal Purpose The type of steadfast purpose that recognizes that each of us has been created in the image and likeness of an eternal God who equips us to change the world and help people find their way back to this God who loves them with a love deeper than we could ever fully grasp. Jesus invites us to live beyond our day-today, to give our lives serving a bigger purpose - the greatest purpose in the world.

Jesus himself came to both reveal and share the eternal with us. When Jesus was born in that manger, time and eternity met in a person. He lived like no other person has ever lived and continues to show us what the eternal really is. (On screen: John 6:68). In fact, eventually Jesus’ closest friends acknowledged that his very words carried the weight and gravity of eternity. Their eyes were opened to the reality that Jesus, God himself, was calling them to the thing that had been planted deep in their hearts before they even knew it.

When Jesus calls us to the eternal, he is calling us to the fullest form of ourselves.

Jesus looked at everything through eternal eyes and never allowed himself to be shackled by circumstances or opinions of the time. What this means is that when we’re inclined to settle for cheap 5 substitutes or instant gratification, Jesus gives eternal purpose and power to our everyday lives. Instead of wasting or even merely spending our lives, Jesus invites each of us to live a life of investing - investing in eternal things!

I think Dallas Willard put it best when he said:

“The point of the gospel is getting into heaven before you die.”

That’s what Jesus is talking about in the Lord’s Prayer when he talks about God’s Kingdom coming, on Earth as it is in Heaven. He’s talking about us, his children, ushering in a kingdom of eternal joy, love, and purpose right into the here and now. When we understand that, all of life becomes a sacred expresion of the eternal - every interaction, every board meeting, every meal and conversation. Each moment we’re alive is an moment God is inviting us to see and share the eternal.

The stuff we wish would last forever, joy, love, purpose - is exactly the stuff Jesus promises us for eternity. That’s the “eternity in our hearts” that Ecclesiastes is talking about. Only, we don’t have to wait until we die to experience it. Jesus came to usher in the eternal right now and invites us to do the same!

Challenge: Set Your Eyes on Eternal Things

So, as we enter into this new year together – we want to stop living for the temporal, the things that won’t last, and start living for the eternal. We want to walk into the realities this Everlasting Father invites each of us to see and live out.

The Apostle Paul, writing to a community that often found itself caught up in temporal, fleeting things, wrote this:

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:18

He’s saying, “Don’t merely glimpse at the eternal. Don’t just glance at it – fix your eyes on it!” He’s inviting this early community of Christ-followers, as well as each of us, to not be distracted or tripped up by focused on the things that don’t actually have eternal, kingdom impact. He’s calling us to a higher call, a higher purpose.

So, here’s what we want to do today.

When you came in this morning, you were handed a blank keychain. Take that out right now. Looking at what it means to live with eternal purposes in this next year, we’re inviting everyone to pick a “Word of the Year.” This word is the thing, the eternal thing that you want to see and show more of this next year. This word could be anything that you feel God is nudging you toward in 2018.

Maybe your word is – “margin” and your prayer is that God would help you to create more space in your life for the relationships that matter most.

Maybe your word is – “courage” and your prayer is that God would give you boldness to move and act, to love others in the ways that he’s calling you to.

6 Maybe your word is – “trust” and your prayer is that God would enable you to truly know and be known by those closest to you.

Trust your intuition, pick a word, and then write it on this keychain. Start thinking about how you can apply this word to your whole life this next year and then share your word with your family and community and ask them about their word as well. Pray with and for each other – that God would help us all fix our eyes, not on fleeting, fading things we so often get distracted by, but the eternal things God has called us to.

Conclusion

In Matthew’s gospel - when Jesus came to Earth as a fragile, human baby – he was named “Immanuel – God with us.” And at the end of this gospel, this same Immanuel says to his disciples before leaving: “I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.” Jesus, this Everlasting Father, is the God of the eternal and the one who calls us out of the rat-race, treadmill reality of the temporal and into the deep, abiding truth of the eternal. Lets together commit to no longer live for the things that won’t last and fix our eyes on the greater mission and purpose of living fully for the God who loves us with a greater love than we could ever understand or deserve.

Let’s pray.

Communion Idea

Something that always astounds me about Jesus is his propensity to include us in stuff that seems like it should only be possible for him. It’s like Peter walking on the water with him, but it’s even bigger than that. Every week we gather to celebrate what Jesus did for us on the cross by taking a piece of bread to remember his body broken and the cup to remember the blood he shed. But according to Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, Jesus doesn’t call us to simply remember him. Paul tells us that the bread and cup are a partnership in Jesus body and blood. Jesus, the Everlasting Father, invites us to join him in the greatest thing that has ever been done in all of human history.

If we’re seeking everlasting purpose, it’s found here in his sacrifice. Let’s join him, not just remembering, but partnering with him. To love how he loves. To sacrifice how he sacrifices. To live the way he lives. Eternally.