Father’s House
Scripture:
Psalm 27:1-6 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell .3Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. 4One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. 5For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. 6And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”
Introduction:
Research shows that children living without their biological fathers are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to be unhappy, more likely to skip school, more likely to drop out of school at 16, more likely to have trouble getting along with other people, more likely to be abused, more likely to run away from home, more likely to become teenage parents, more likely to go to prison, more likely to smoke, more likely to drink heavily, more likely to take drugs, more likely to be unemployed, more likely to have low incomes, more likely to experience homelessness, more likely to suffer from long term emotional and psychological problems, more likely to get divorced and more likely to have children while unmarried. Experiments in Living: The Fatherless Family, Rebecca O'Neill
AS children of God, we are no longer fatherless. We have a heavenly, eternal Father who loves us and has made it possible, through the death of Jesus Christ, for us to live happy, joyful, productive lives. We are now in the family of God and have the right to dwell in the house of the Lord.
The word for family in Hebrew means, “Father’s house,” and reflects the father’s place as the head of the household.

I. One thing I desire. (Now that I know Him to be my light and my salvation.)
A. To dwell in the house of the Lord. (not just visit occasionally)
B. To behold His beauty.
1. Get a glimpse of the glory and majesty of God.
Psalm 84:10-11 “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
2. To see the life of God overpowering death and all its aspects and attributes.
C. To inquire in His temple.
1. Because I’m a child of God, I have a right to come boldly before the throne of grace. (Hebrews 4:16)
2. In the temple, I hear the voice of God and His Rhema Word to me sustains me, gives me strength and direction. (See Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4)

II. What it means to dwell in the Father’s house.
A. The joy and love of Father is mine to experience.
1. See the Father’s heart in the story of the prodigal son.
2. The Father’s love is so great that He will not force us to stay home, but allows us to go our own way, make our own choice, and do our own thing.
3. However, when we return, before our repentance, we are in Father’s embrace.
B. All that the Father has is mine.
Luke 15:31-32 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
1. We are always with Father.
2. A party for the prodigal doesn’t diminish the supply of the house or change my status or relationship with Father.
3. Father wants the elder brother involved in the party because He wants him to have the same joy and make the same merriment that He is having.
C. We have Father’s example and guidance to lead us in every adventure of life. (becoming who we really are in God)
John 5:19-20 “Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

III. In my Father’s house.
A. Great preparation is going on.
 John 14:1-6 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2In My Father’s house are many £mansions; if it were not so, £I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”  6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
B. No expense or extravagance is too great for Father’s children.
Revelation 21:10-23 “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the £holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the £names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine £in it, for the £glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”
C. All because of Father’s love.
John 3:16

The Love of God
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
Refrain
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.
When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Refrain
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.