• Paul wants the Corinthian church to emulate his life and example because he is their father and founder (v.16). This was the reason (v.17) why he sent Timothy (his son) to them.  The problem with church is that they don’t know how to imitate/follow the example of God-given fathers. Sons are there to show the rest how to imitate the father. This is possible when sons have first settled it in their hearts/convinced that we are the legitimate graces of God over their lives.
• Sons don’t teach the member to emulate them; they make known (remind) the father’s example to the people. This is a high demand. Which of our sons can we trust to go to a certain place and teach people how to imitate me? Therefore, because this is the essence of sonship, sonship is hard.
• In order to imitate us or teach it, sons need good perception. They have to know how we live, how we have died to the things of this world, how we have served, obeyed the Lord, our fruit, passion, devotion, doctrine. When people see my spiritual sons, they must be able to see exclusive information about me.

2. Sons help to remind the people about the father’s ways

• The church may have had numerous exposures to the apostolic grace/spiritual father. However sons are there to remind the church about the ways (code of conduct, thoughts, feelings, decisions, and habits) of the father. This is a high level of engagement and implies that the sons are well acquainted with the preferences (even the little details) of the father. In so doing they represent the father precisely even in his absence and thus become his successors eg. Timothy began to step into the grace of Paul and became and apostle too (1 Thes.1:1 cf 2:6)
• How many of you know my ‘ways’?
• In the book of Haggai, apostolic and prophetic authority is absent, so the Word of the Lord is “Consider your ways!”

3. Sons are like-minded to the father

• Phil. 2:19-20 – verse 20 “likeminded” is Greek “isopsuchos” means to have to same mind or spirit, equal in soul. Basically it means that sons have identical mind-sets with the father. The father’s preferences are theirs too.
• This is the deficiency with the teachings on Sonship. Not everybody can live up to this standard
• The burden in this season is sons – not souls. Apostolic grace is the grace of reproduction, multiplication of grace and succession i.e. reproducing men/women of stature. Only sons are going to redeem creation!

4. Sons care about the body/ the church

• Verse 20 – “who will sincerely care for your state”. “State” = “peri” = one’s locality, circuit, surrounding. Sons have a sincere care and love for the body; they will not defile or exploit the body. They don’t attack, fight with, quarrel with or complain about the body. They don’t hate everyone who has weaknesses in the body. They are always consumed with unfolding the father’s intentions to the body.
• The body is not only our local church; it is bigger. It pertains even to the church in the city.

5. Sons must have proven character

• Phil 2:22 “proven character” – “dokime” – test, try, prove, approved
• Sons don’t exploit the father. They don’t look for their own benefit from the father. They are not opportunistic and selfishly ambitious.

6. Sons serve with the father

• 23 “with” means that where the father is, the son will be (time, place, call, destiny, revelation). They keep up with the pace. They make the sacrifice and go the extra mile.

Conclusion:

2 Tim.3:10

Sons must know everything about the father. (Here a list is given in order of priority)

I cannot have sons who don’t know what I believe (“doctrine”) or anything about my “manner of life”

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Slaves in the house:

Slaves cannot be given authority/dominion

Slaves stay in the house because of bondage/ captivity

• Sons abide in the house for ever

1. A slave’s loyalty is motivated by carnal obligations
2. Slaves are not dependable and reliable.
3. Salves cannot be trusted with the house/ things of the house
4. Slaves lack intimacy with the set man of the house
5. Slaves obey merely with “eye service, as men pleasers” but not “from the heart” (Eph.6:5)
6. Slaves will not stay in      the house forever.

Why the Hearts of Sons Must Turn to Their Fathers

 Introduction

Mal. 4:6 – The last verse of the OT projects the next prophetic season. It gives us the foretaste of the forthcoming kairos in God. It provides the operational principle on which the season of the church. The coming apostolic age would hinge on the principle of fathers and sons.

Luke 15

1. The younger son comes to the father; the older son comes to the house ((v.18 cf v.25)
2. The older son’s heart was not synchronised with the father’s.

• Therefore he response to the younger brother’s return contradicts the father’s. He refuses to partake in his father’s joy. This brings into unnecessary conflicts with the father. It may have even caused him to despise the father.

3. He kept an account of all his works of service (v.29)

• There’s no sense of ownership.

4. He had the mentality of a slave (v.29)

• He wanted to be rewarded/ compensated for his works and service
• He says that he was a “slave” for so many years (v.29)
• He forgot that all that remains was his (He gets a double-portion too)

5. He had a self-righteous spirit

• 29“I never transgressed your commandment at any time”

6. He has a problem with how the father is running things.

• He feels the father is wrong; and that he can do better

Conclusion: 

His perception of the situation was vastly different from the father because his heart was not turned to the father’s. When sons turn their hearts to their fathers, they will assess things the same way the father does.