Pastor or Father? How Spiritual Inheritance Flows to Sons
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 24 min
Originally recorded as “Spiritual Fathers and Sons”
Sermon outline
When you receive your pastor in your heart as a spiritual father and not only as a shepherd, the grace and anointing on his life flow to you as an inheritance.
Main text
- Ephesians 6:1-3
- 1 Kings 19:19-21
- 1 Corinthians 4:15
Opening
He wishes the fathers a happy Father's Day and prays for fathers and families, declaring that families will not break up. After a couple's testimony of a prophetic word fulfilled, he says he had prepared to teach on the kingdom of God and the anointing, but because it is Father's Day he will 'just touch on' spiritual fathers and sons. He adds that his wife tells him not to say he won't be long, because then he usually is.
Honour your father and mother, natural and spiritual
Ephesians 6 quotes the commandment from Exodus 20:12, the first commandment with a promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long. In the Old Testament it referred to natural parents, but in the New Testament God amplifies spiritual truth above natural truth, first the natural and then the spiritual. So the verse also includes your spiritual parents.
“First the natural, then the spiritual.”
- Ephesians 6:1-3
- Exodus 20:12
- 1 Corinthians 15:46
From pastor to father
Pastor means shepherd (poimen), and calling your pastor 'pastor' is good, but you need to move to a higher understanding: receiving him as a father. An inheritance passes from a natural father to his children freely, without sweat, and in the same way spiritual DNA, anointing and power flow to those who receive a man of God as their father. It is not about the title but the heart; sonship is an attitude. Spiritual fathers must not be abusive or threatened by their sons, because sons should go further than their fathers.
Illustration: Joel Osteen has gone further than his father John, yet still quotes 'my father said' and 'daddy used to say'.
“Sonship is an attitude. Fatherhood is an attitude.”
Elijah and Elisha: recognise the divine connection
Elisha was ploughing his natural father's field when Elijah cast his mantle on him; he burned the plough and followed his spiritual father. At each town Elijah told him to stay, but Elisha refused to leave him, while the other prophets followed from far off and asked why he was wasting his time. When Elijah was taken up he cried 'my father, my father', the spirit of Elijah rested on him, and the waters parted, not because of the mantle but because of the attitude of his heart. Race, age and background do not matter, because God is a spirit; he says he received his own spiritual father without asking his age or race.
Illustration: People today ask 'Why are you going to that church?' just as the prophets questioned Elisha, or they object that the pastor is of a different race.
“They saw but they couldn't get.”
- 1 Kings 19:19-21
- 2 Kings 2:1-15
- John 4:24
- Hebrews 12:9
Ten thousand instructors, but not many fathers
Paul told the Corinthians they had countless instructors but not many fathers, and he called Timothy his true son in the faith even though he did not lead him to the Lord. The one who leads you to Christ is like a midwife; your spiritual father is the one who nurtures, teaches, prays for and instructs you. 'Call no man father' was spoken to the scribes and Pharisees about leaders who replaced the heavenly Father, not to the church.
Illustration: The doctor who delivers a baby is not called 'Dad'; at home the mother says, 'This is Dad.'
“The man that led you to Christ, is he your spiritual father? No. He's your midwife.”
- 1 Corinthians 4:15
- 1 Timothy 1:2
- Matthew 23:9
- 2 Corinthians 13:1
True sons stay connected
Many believers miss their inheritance because they bounce from pastor to pastor and church to church, insecure and disconnected. A son walks into his father's house without asking permission, and a spiritual son is fed through a spiritual umbilical cord, so that even on a day he forgets to pray he is covered. Submission to godly authority keeps the devil off you, because God hates rebellion; even his wife, he says, must receive him as her spiritual father for what is on his life to function on hers.
Illustration: When his own sons come home they just open the door and walk in; and when he faces big decisions and bills, he reminds himself in prayer that he is connected to someone and feels 'the power surge'.
“A son knowing his inheritance and his place, he just walks in.”
Complete submission equals complete power
The grace on a man works for you only if you receive him the right way; Paul told the believers who supported him that they were partakers of his grace. Jesus had power over storms, bread and death, yet He said He did only what He saw the Father do. That submission gave Him the confidence at Lazarus's tomb to say, 'I know that You always hear me.'
“Complete submission equals complete power.”
- Philippians 1:7
- Matthew 26:53
- John 5:19
- John 11:41-42
Putting it into practice
- Ask yourself whether you have received your pastor in your heart as a spiritual father.
- Stop moving from church to church; settle where God has connected you.
- Honour, serve and protect the vision of the man of God you are connected to.
- When you face a hard day, remember you are connected and covered.
- Submit to godly authority instead of resisting it.
Closing
He prophesies that they will grow like an oak tree, with wisdom, discernment and grace for church growth, and that confusion and strife will end. He calls it a 'heavy' message, like a big steak that will do them good, and leads them in declaring that they are settled and submitted, that they will not lack or die prematurely, and that they have found their place. The service ends with a surprise song item by the choir for him.
Declarations he led
- No more confusion, no more strife. I'm settling down. I know my father. I know my heavenly father. I know my spiritual father.
- Devil, I want you to know today I'm submitted to authority.
- In the name of Jesus, I refuse confusion. I refuse many voices. I'm functioning with purpose of mind. Clarity of mind. I'm rooted, built, standing sure in my faith.
- I'm just so blessed.
- I found my place.
In his words
- “Sonship is an attitude. Fatherhood is an attitude.”
- “If you stay as a member of a congregation, you will check out of this earth just being a member.”
- “When fathers speak, sons listen.”
- “Complete submission equals complete power.”
- “Was it just because of the power of the mantle? No, it was his heart.”
Every scripture in this message
- Isaiah 54:17
- Ephesians 6:1-3
- Exodus 20:12
- 1 Corinthians 15:46
- 1 Kings 19:19-21
- 2 Kings 2:1-15
- Ephesians 4:11
- Hebrews 6:2
- John 4:24
- Hebrews 12:9
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
- 1 Corinthians 4:15
- 1 Timothy 1:2
- Matthew 23:9
- 2 Corinthians 13:1
- 1 Samuel 15:23
- Philippians 1:7
- Matthew 26:53
- John 5:19
- John 11:41-42
- 1 Timothy 4:12
- 1 Samuel 22:2