THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL FATHERS: 1 Corinthians

DOCTRINE: We have a real need for spiritual fathers in Christ. Spiritual fathers who will admonish us, love us, set an example for us, raise us up and send us out, and who will teach us.

I. YOU NEED SPIRITUAL FATHERS WHO WILL ADMONISH YOU AS BELOVED CHILDREN (1 Corinthians 4:14)

II. YOU NEED SPIRITUAL FATHERS WHO ARE MORE THAN INSTRUCTORS; YOU NEED FATHERLY LOVE AND CARE (1 Corinthians 4:15)

III. YOU NEED SPIRITUAL FATHERS WHO WILL SET AN EXAMPLE FOR YOU (1 Corinthians 4:16)

IV. YOU NEED SPIRITUAL FATHERS WHO WILL RAISE YOU UP AND SEND YOU OUT (1 Corinthians 4:17a)

V. YOU NEED SPIRITUAL FATHERS TO TEACH YOU DOCTRINE AND DEVOTION (1 Corinthians 4:17b)

APPLICATION

I) Spiritual fathers do more than instruct your minds or train your hands with the Law; Spiritual fathers feed your soul with the gospel.

Spiritual fathers want you to know of, (I) Christ’s sin-free life in perfect obedience to God the Father, by which He counts you righteous by faith; (II) Christ’s sin-paying death on the cross, by which all of your sins can be forgiven; (III) Christ’s death-defeating resurrection, by which He guarantees your resurrection; (IV) Christ’s ever-living intercession for you at God’s right hand, by which you are forever righteous, forever forgiven, and forever welcome to the throne in prayer; (V) Christ’s soon-coming reward and judgement, by which He will utterly save those who eagerly wait for Him and eternally damn those who remain in their sins.

II) Spiritual fathers want you to not only know about Christ; Spiritual fathers want you to know Christ Himself (Philippians 3:8; Matthew 13:44-46).

(I) We want you not only to know of his nailed-scared hands, we want to hold them. (II) We want you not only to believe that His side was pierced, we want to walk next to it as you obey Him. (III) We want you not only to glory in the lips that uttered “my God my God why have you forsaken me?” we want those lips to kiss your head. (IV) We want you not only to walk where his feet walked, we want you to kiss His feet in repentance and faith every day. (V) We not only want you to go to Heaven and then The New Earth, we want you to go there to be with The King, and we with you.

Oh the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord! We know Him but dimly now through the Bible and the help of the Spirit, but one day we will know Him face to face.

CONCLUSION

Now, 1 Corinthians 4:14-17 is specifically dealing with Paul as a spiritual father as pastor and apostle. But it is not only spiritual fathers that we need; we also need spiritual mothers, in Christ (1 Timothy 5:1-2; Titus 2:3-5).

Therefore, when we consider the whole of Scripture, this passage applies to all of us. YOUNGER MEN: You need spiritual fathers. YOUNGER WOMEN: You need spiritual mothers. OLDER WOMEN: You need to be spiritual mothers to younger women. OLDER MEN: You need to be spiritual fathers to younger men. ALL OF YOU: You need spiritual fathers in the immediate sense that Paul is speaking of, as pastors.