Rabbi Schneider - God, Our Father
Yeshua said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life". Have you ever thought about that? The words, Jesus said, the words, Yeshua said, that I speak to you are Spirit and life. A lot of times we think of spirit as something very, very mysterious, and certainly there is a mysterious element to understanding the spiritual world, but think about what this means when Yeshua said: The words that I speak to you are Spirit and life. When we think of this and we think about what is a word. A word beloved, is a verbal expression, listen to this, of a thought. So when Yeshua says: the words that I speak to you are Spirit and life; a word then is a verbal expression of a thought.
So what that means is the thought process beloved is spiritual, and the thoughts that we think beloved, are spiritual. Sometimes when we think beloved, of, of the devil for example; we think of you know, some kind of figure with horns, and, and some you know, demonic apparition, but I want you to understand beloved, that the enemy comes to us, listen now, in the realm of thought, because when Yeshua said: the words that I speak to you are Spirit and life, and knowing then that a word is a verbal expression of a thought, thereby deducing that a thought is spirit, we need to be very careful about our thoughts and about guarding our thoughts. That's why its so important beloved, to cease the Word of God and not let anything else in, because these words, these words that Yeshua said, are Spirit and life beloved, that control the thinking process, determines whether we're walking in the light or in the darkness.
So with all that said, I want you to be prepared beloved, to receive the Word of God today in Yeshua's name, and that Word that you're gonna receive today beloved, is gonna be Spirit and life. The Father said in the Hebrew Bible, to this one will I look, he that trembles, or honors, or has reverence, hallelujah for my Word. We're continuing then our study today in the Book of Ephesians. We're talking once again about Identity and Destiny. You can get this entire teaching beloved, by calling the 800 number at the end of the broadcast or through the website. This to me is one of the most special portions of Scripture in terms of my walk with God, because in this section of Scripture beloved, the Lord reveals to us what he's done for us and that he's done what he's done for us beloved, before the foundation of the world.
Ephesians 1 verse 3 says this: Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ of Yeshua HaMashiach, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah, in Christ, just as he chose us in him, in who? In Jesus, before the foundation of the world, listen now: and predestined us to adoption as sons through Yeshua to himself. We're taking that apart now, and in taking it apart, we're discovering two things. We're discovering, number one, who we are to the Father, and secondly what we're discovering is where we're going. It's so critical beloved, to understand who we are, it's so critical to understand our identities, and it's just as critical to understand where we're going, because as a man thinketh, so he is.
You see when you have a healthy understanding of who you are, its gonna affect the way you act, its gonna affect the way you treat people, it's gonna affect your relationships, it's gonna affect the way you serve, and when you have proper understanding of where you're going, and have a hope, because you know where your going and have a hope, because you know where you're going, and its to the, to the Lord and to heaven; you're gonna have joy in your life, and you're gonna have power and spiritual energy. That's why the Bible says the joy of the Lord is our strength. In this section of Scripture, the Lord reveals to us who we are and where we're going.
As a side note, to help illustrate this concept of knowing who we are is fundamental, I think about John chapter 13. And in John chapter 13, Yeshua was celebrating Passover with his disciples, cause it was actually the last meal that he celebrated with his disciples, cause it was after that last Passover meal beloved, that he was going to the cross, and isn't it fitting that the last meal that he had with his disciples was the Passover meal, because he is the fulfillment of Passover. The Scripture says there in John 13, these words: That Jesus, that Yeshua, knowing that listen now, he had come from God, knowing that the Father had given him all things, and knowing that he was going back to God; he then girded himself with a towel, and began to serve by washing the disciples' feet.
Listen to that again, John 13, the Scripture says: And Jesus, and Yeshua; knowing that he had come from God, knowing that the Father had given him all things, and knowing that he was going back to God. He knew who he was, he knew he had come from God, he knew how blessed he was. He knew the Father had given him all things, so he didn't need anything else, cause he knew he already possessed everything, and he also knew he, where he was going. He was going back to God, and the Scripture says: knowing that, listen now, he girded himself with a towel and began, hallelujah, to wash the disciples' feet. And beloved, when you and I are secure in who we are, when we know that we're already blessed, we're not gonna be so focused on trying to fulfill our own needs, because we're gonna know beloved, that those needs have already been met, and were already blessed, and its gonna free us beloved, to be greater servants for God on this earth, just as we see in the life of Jesus.
In the Book of Ephesians, we learn first of all that our God, listen now, has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. I'm gonna go now to the Book of Ephesians; I'm gonna begin to read there once again in the 3rd verse of chapter 1, hear the Word of God. It says: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Yeshua HaMashiach, the Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. The next verse: Just as he chose us, listen now, in him. In who? In Jesus, before the foundation of the world. Let's take this Scripture apart. This is gonna be a very precise doctrinal study that we're gonna be going through over the next several weeks, and beloved, I want you to hear this, I want you to hear this, I want to hear this, I want you to get this in you. Believe me; it will affect you and change you're life. I know so, because it has, mine.
First of all, let's consider this: blessed be the God and Father of Yeshua HaMashiach, that's the way it begins. It's interesting that when we go back to the beginning of Scripture, God is referred to for example, by Noah in the Book of Genesis, in the Book of Bereshit; we call it in Hebrew, which means beginnings. God is referred to in the Book of Beginnings, in Genesis, in Genesis 9 verse 6 beloved, listen to this now, as the Lord God. Actually it's 9, beloved it's 9:26 of Genesis; he's referred to as the Lord, get this now, God of Shem. So when the, when, when Noah speaks of God, he says God is the God of Shem; he's tracing back different figures that we see recorded in Scripture. Later we find in the Book of Exodus chapter 3 that the Lord reveals himself, again connecting his relationship to other biblical figures, and in Exodus chapter 3, the Lord reveals himself as, listen now: the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
So we see that as revelation unfolds, God is being addressed in different ways. As we come now to the Book of Ephesians, we don't see the Lord referred to as the God of Shem, as he was by Noah. We don't see him referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as he was by many of the biblical figures in the Hebrew Bible in the Old Testament. But now we see him beloved, being referred to, get this now: as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ of Yeshua HaMashiach. You see, to us, to you and I that have been adopted as sons by the Father through Yeshua; we don't preeminently address him anymore as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He still is the God and Father of, he still is beloved, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but we don't come to him through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We come to him Yedeed, beloved ones, through Yeshua.
You see the only reason you and I have access to the Lord is because we're in Yeshua. And so we no longer are addressing him predominately by some of the titles that he was addressed by in the Hebrew Scripture, because we've been brought into a new covenant. And the covenant that we're in beloved, is he covenant that Yeshua instituted that Jesus instituted with his own blood at Passover when he lifted up that cup of juice, that cup of wine and said something like Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam Burey Peri Hagofen: Blessed art thou O Lord our God, King of the universe who brings forth the fruit of the vine. Then he says to his disciples: this is my blood shed for you in the covenant, in the, in the new covenant for the forgiveness of your sins.
And so notice once again, blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ of Yeshua HaMashiach, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. God, beloved for the rest of eternity will be known to the church, preeminently as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ of Yeshua hallelujah, HaMashiach, the Messiah and the King of the Jews. Because it's only in Yeshua beloved, that you and I have access to God. It's only in Yeshua beloved, that we're sons of God. We've been adopted as sons in Yeshua; so he'll always be known to you and I as the God and Father of Yeshua HaMashiach. As we continue on beloved, I want you to consider with me that Yeshua, he owned God as his Father; blessed be the God, and listen to this, and Father of Yeshua HaMashiach.
Many believers today, when you hear them pray, they almost exclusively refer to the Lord as God or as Lord. And he is Lord, and he is God. But you know what beloved, if we find that our prayer life is almost exclusively addressing the Lord as God, or if in our prayer life, we're almost exclusively referring to God as Lord; then something beloved, is missing in the depth of our relationship with him. Because when you study the prayer life of Yeshua, and when you see the way Yeshua related to God, Yeshua referred to God, listen now, almost exclusively get this, as Father. And the Lord wants to move you and I beyond just knowing him as God. God wants to move you and I beyond just knowing him as Lord. The Lord beloved, wants you and I, listen to this now, to learn how to recognize and know him deeply, get this now, and intimately as, listen, our Father.
So for example, when you look at the words of Yeshua, we read these words in John chapter 5 verse number 17 and 19, Yeshua says: My Father is working until now and I myself am working. John 10:18, Yeshua says this: This commandment I received from my Father. John 13:1: Now before the Feast of Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come, and that he would depart out of the world, get this now, to the Father. Almost exclusively, Yeshua Jesus referred to God as Father. And you see, in order for God to be our Father beloved, he has to be Yeshua's Father, because remember, we are in him. Listen to what Ephesians 1 says in verse number 5: He predestined us to adoption as, listen to this, sons. Remember how does Yeshua refer to God? As Father, and now we, we read in Ephesians 1:5, he predestined us, you and I that know him, that are born again, bought by the blood of Messiah, he predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, through Yeshua HaMashiach to himself according to the kind intention of his will.
You see, if he's not Yeshua's Father, he's not our Father either, because we are, listen now, in him. We're chosen in him. Listen to what Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4 says: Just as he, listen get this now, just as, he's speaking of the Father, Paul's referring to the Father, listen what he says, Ephesians 1:4: Just as he chose us, get this now, in him. In who? In Jesus; just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. So you and I beloved, are chosen in Yeshua. And in order for God to be our Father, he must be Jesus' Father, because we're in Jesus, but hallelujah, the great news beloved, is that he is Yeshua's Father. And Yeshua refers to him almost exclusively as Father. And because he's Yeshua's Father beloved, he's our Father, and God today beloved, wants you and I, listen now, to own him as our Father, just like Jesus does.
And so we look at Jesus' words for example in the gospel of John chapter number 20 verse number 17. Hear what Jesus said in John 20 verse 17. In this section of Scripture, Yeshua, listen now, had not yet ascended to the Father, but he was getting ready to. He had risen from the dead beloved, and he, he was, he had risen from the grave, but he had not yet ascended to heaven. Listen what Jesus says in Acts 20:17, he said to his disciple, listen: I ascend, get this now, to my Father and to your Father, and to my God and to your God. Once again, we're talking about how you and I have been chosen in Yeshua and adopted as sons by the Father in him. In John 20:17, Yeshua says before he ascends to heaven to his disciples: I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.
Get the order of this: Yeshua says I ascend to my Father. Now why did he not say I ascend to our Father, cause he said I ascend to my Father and your Father; why did he not just say, I ascend to our Father? Because beloved listen now, he's Yeshua's Father first and it's only because we're in Yeshua that God becomes our Father. But because we are in Yeshua, he has become just as much, hallelujah, our Father as he is Jesus' Father. You see the gospel of John chapter 1 verse 14 tells us that Yeshua, listen to, listen now: Is the only begotten of the Father. In other words, Yeshua was in God with the beginning. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; that's Yeshua. He's the Word, the Word became flesh. Yeshua's the only begotten of the Father. He's been in the Father as Son from the beginning.
So Yeshua says I ascend to my God, my God first; he's Jesus' God and Father first. I ascend to my Father, Yeshua said, and your Father. He's become our Father beloved, only because we're in Jesus, but now that we're in Messiah, he's our Father and we need to own him as our Father just as we see Jesus owns him as Father. And the good news of this beloved is that when you stand in the mirror, when you recognize that you're in Jesus, and because you're in Jesus, hallelujah, God has become your Father. That's an awesome thing, hallelujah. And God doesn't see your sin beloved, because your sin beloved, has been paid for, hallelujah, by the blood of Jesus. That's why verse number 7 of Ephesians says this: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Isn't that awesome?
Beloved the forgiveness, hallelujah, of our sin and our trespasses in him; this is an awesome thing, the fatherhood, hallelujah, of God. Now I'm gonna begin once again, beginning with Ephesians 1, reading through several verses. Again, I'm gonna be redundant here, but I want you to understand that repetition, hallelujah, is the motor of learning. Hear the Word of God: Blessed be the God and Father of Yeshua HaMashiach, of the Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah. Now get this, think about this: Blessed be the God and Father of Yeshua HaMashiach, who, listen to this now, has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah, get this now, just as he chose us, get this now, in him, in Messiah before the foundation of the world.
Now what did I just read? Does it say blessed be the God and Father of Yeshua HaMashiach who will bless us? No. Does it say blessed be the God and Father who's going to bless us? No. Does it say blessed be the God and Father of Yeshua HaMashiach who might bless us? No. What it says beloved is: Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, of Yeshua HaMashiach, the Messiah, listen to this now, who get this, who has blessed us. He's already blessed us. Blessed be the God and Father of Yeshua HaMashiach who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, get this now, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. When did he bless us? He blessed us Yedeed, he blessed us Yedidim, beloved ones, get this: when he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. You were blessed beloved, when God choose you in his Son, Messiah Jesus, before you were born, before the foundation of the world.
Paul tells us in Timothy that this grace was granted to us not according to our works, but because of his eternal purpose, listen to this, from eternity for our lives. And so we have reason to have joy today. We're already blessed beloved, because we're chosen, hallelujah, in Yeshua HaMashiach, and we were chosen in him according to Paul's words, before the foundation of the world. And once again, who's the one that has chosen us and blessed us? God the Father. Blessed be the God and Father, 1:3 of Ephesians. Blessed be the God and Father of Yeshua HaMashiach, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, in the heavenly places in Messiah, just as he chose us. Who? The Father chose us in Messiah before the foundation of the world, and then he predestined us to adoption as sons.
So here's the one that has done all of this for us? Listen beloved, it's God the Father. You see, we find in the Hebraic tradition, in the Hebrew roots of Scripture, that it's always the father beloved, that is the imparter of blessing. And so for example, we see in the life of the patriarchs that Isaac beloved, and he blesses his children, and he calls his sons over and he says in Genesis chapter 27 verse number 4. He calls his son and he says to his son: come near to me, come before me that I might bless you. We see the same thing with Joseph's father, when Joseph's father heard of Joseph's sons; he said to Joseph, bring them here to me that I might bless them.
And so in Hebraic tradition, it's always the father that is the imparter of blessing, and so it's now different here in Scripture. Blessed be the God and Father of Yeshua HaMashiach, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah. You see, all of us have imperfect fathers, and some of us have had really terrible fathers. Some of you have had fathers that have abused you, and abandoned you, and have provided no leadership, and no direction in your life, but you know what beloved? Your earthly father isn't your real father. Your true Father beloved, is your heavenly Father and he's blessed you. That's why Yeshua said call no man on earth, father, because you have one Father, and that's your Father in heaven, and your Father in heaven beloved, has good things for you and he's blessed you with every spiritual blessing, hallelujah, in the heavenly places in Messiah.
So Father God, we bless you today, and we wanna tell you Father God, how thankful we are today for your love. Father, that you chose us in Messiah Yeshua, in your Son, Jesus, before the foundation of the world, and predestined us Father God, to adoption in him to be your sons. And Father, we wanna begin to own you as our Father, even as Yeshua owns you as his Father; Father in a deeper and more intimate way than ever before. So we pray that you'll give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation to understand the depths of these truths, to understand Father, the depth, and the width, and the breadth and the length of the love of God that predestined us in Jesus before the foundation of the world. Father, we love you today. Lord Jesus, we worship you today.