Hearing The Father Cry
By Barry Adams
John 14:6-8
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” NIV
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” NIV
Nearly 25 years ago, I created a sermon illustration that I called 'Father's Love Letter'. This paraphrased compilation of 50 Bible passages were presented as a video in the form of a love letter way back in January 1999 after a message I shared on God's love.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that this simple message would end up going viral on the Internet and 25 years later... it is still going! But that is the journey my wife and I have been on and we have been privileged to hear from thousands of people about how this simple love letter impacted their hearts.
Since the Father's Love Letter is available in over 125 language translations and has been shared in many of the nations around the world, I am confident in saying that the message of God's Fatherheart for the world is relevant for every person on the planet.
And I would go as far as saying what Philip said to Jesus in John 14:8 actually articulates the cry of every human heart... Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. The NLT says it this way... “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
I am so thankful that Jesus responded to Philip's heart cry in verse 9-11...
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. NIV
For Jesus was the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and the exact representation of His being (Hebrews 1:3). Everything that Jesus did while He was on planet earth, was a mirror image of His Father. When we begin to understand this is why Jesus came, to bring a revelation of His Dad to the world, then we can better grasp the purpose of His death, burial and resurrection. It was so His Father, could be our Father (John 20:17).
Over the years, we have worked with many evangelists and evangelical organizations who have used the Father's Love Letter as an evangelistic tool to share the gospel. It has been even delivered door to door in every home in entire nations. It has been given out in prisons, strip clubs, and brothels, as well as churches, schools and playgrounds.
Over and over again, we have heard that the message of God's parental love found in the love letter, seems to be the quickest way to help people get in touch with their foundational need for love. For every person on this planet shares this most basic need in common. Whether we have known our biological parents or not, we have all had both a mom and a dad. And as a result, we all have the same longing to be loved, accepted and affirmed by them.
When we begin to realize that Jesus came to bring us home to His Father (John 14:6) and to love us just like His Father loved Him (John 15:9), it is clear to see what every person in the world needs whether they realize it or not, is this foundational need to be loved by God... as a Father.
Before Jack Winter prayed for me to receive a deeper revelation of the Father's love for me, he asked me a question. He said, 'Barry, tell me about your father'. This simple question immediately brought up painful memories in my heart that built a bridge to the little boy inside of me that still needed to be love. As I began to weep, feeling all of the pain of not being loved like I needed to be loved, the door of my heart was opened wide for the love of my Father to be poured in.
God promises to be a father to the fatherless and to put the lonely in families (Psalm 68:5). I believe this is the most foundational need of the human heart and when we help people reconnect with their own need to be loved by the Perfect Father, it opens up their ability to receive the good news of why Jesus came two thousand years ago... So that His Father could become our Father!
John 16:25-27
25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. NIV
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that this simple message would end up going viral on the Internet and 25 years later... it is still going! But that is the journey my wife and I have been on and we have been privileged to hear from thousands of people about how this simple love letter impacted their hearts.
Since the Father's Love Letter is available in over 125 language translations and has been shared in many of the nations around the world, I am confident in saying that the message of God's Fatherheart for the world is relevant for every person on the planet.
And I would go as far as saying what Philip said to Jesus in John 14:8 actually articulates the cry of every human heart... Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. The NLT says it this way... “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
I am so thankful that Jesus responded to Philip's heart cry in verse 9-11...
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. NIV
For Jesus was the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and the exact representation of His being (Hebrews 1:3). Everything that Jesus did while He was on planet earth, was a mirror image of His Father. When we begin to understand this is why Jesus came, to bring a revelation of His Dad to the world, then we can better grasp the purpose of His death, burial and resurrection. It was so His Father, could be our Father (John 20:17).
Over the years, we have worked with many evangelists and evangelical organizations who have used the Father's Love Letter as an evangelistic tool to share the gospel. It has been even delivered door to door in every home in entire nations. It has been given out in prisons, strip clubs, and brothels, as well as churches, schools and playgrounds.
Over and over again, we have heard that the message of God's parental love found in the love letter, seems to be the quickest way to help people get in touch with their foundational need for love. For every person on this planet shares this most basic need in common. Whether we have known our biological parents or not, we have all had both a mom and a dad. And as a result, we all have the same longing to be loved, accepted and affirmed by them.
When we begin to realize that Jesus came to bring us home to His Father (John 14:6) and to love us just like His Father loved Him (John 15:9), it is clear to see what every person in the world needs whether they realize it or not, is this foundational need to be loved by God... as a Father.
Before Jack Winter prayed for me to receive a deeper revelation of the Father's love for me, he asked me a question. He said, 'Barry, tell me about your father'. This simple question immediately brought up painful memories in my heart that built a bridge to the little boy inside of me that still needed to be love. As I began to weep, feeling all of the pain of not being loved like I needed to be loved, the door of my heart was opened wide for the love of my Father to be poured in.
God promises to be a father to the fatherless and to put the lonely in families (Psalm 68:5). I believe this is the most foundational need of the human heart and when we help people reconnect with their own need to be loved by the Perfect Father, it opens up their ability to receive the good news of why Jesus came two thousand years ago... So that His Father could become our Father!
John 16:25-27
25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. NIV