Good morning, and welcome. We are glad that you are here, because today is a special day: a day to honor fathers, celebrate men, and recognize the incredible responsibility of fatherhood.

However, I recognize that for many, Father’s Day evokes mixed emotions. For some, it is a day of joy and gratitude, while for others it can bring pain, loneliness, or regret. The truth is that not every man has felt truly known or respected, not every father has been fully present, and many of us have spent far too long hiding.

This morning, we are continuing our “You Are Known” series, and I want to speak directly to that hidden place inside each of us—the part that is afraid to be seen, the part that hides behind fig leaves of pride, idolatry, busyness, and even anger. So today, we will explore what it means to come out of hiding and step into the freedom that Christ offers.

Coming out of hiding, being transparent, vulnerable, and displaying weakness is hard, especially for men, because we’ve been taught to be strong and lead with confidence. However, real strength is not pretending to be perfect or having all the answers. Jesus teaches that true strength is being willing to be seen for who we really are in humility, flawed, broken, scared, and yet deeply loved.

Meanwhile, our spiritual enemy whispers to us, “If anyone sees the real you, they will reject you. If you let your guard down, they will take advantage of you, recognizing that you are weak, unworthy, and unloved.” Therefore, many of us hide behind work, anger, silence, position, or status, afraid to reveal our deepest wounds.

To understand how we find ourselves in this state of hiding from God, others, and even ourselves, we must go back to the very beginning. The first time we find man hiding appears in Scripture right after Adam and Eve sinned. It is a powerful moment that shows the cost of fear and shame.

Grab your Bibles and turn to Genesis chapter 3. Today, we're diving right into the heart of the story, a divine game of hide and seek in the Garden. Are you ready to come out of hiding? I want to focus on the passage God has laid on my heart for you this morning, beginning in verse 8,

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8).

“But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9).

“He answered, 'I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid” (Genesis 3:10).

The title of today’s message is simple but powerful: “Come Out Of Hiding.”

For many of us, especially those who grew up before computerized gadgets and touchscreens, hide and seek was more than a game; it was a way to pass the time. When the house was too hot and Mom sent us outside, we had to make the most of what we had. And so, we hid behind trees, bushes, cars, and basement stairwells, anywhere to disappear from view.

This morning, we discovered what seems to be God playing hide and seek with Adam. When God walked in the garden in the cool of the day and Adam heard him calling, “Where are you?” it struck terror in Adam and made him hide. In other words, both Adam and Eve were now aware of their nakedness, and they hid themselves.

Adam heard God coming near, but instead of coming forward to meet him, he hid. He had fallen and was afraid, ashamed, and disconnected from the God who made him. That is the human condition we still struggle with today, just as Adam did; many of us are hiding, masked, guarded, and afraid to be truly known. But here’s the good news: God’s voice is still calling us, inviting us to come out of hiding, and to come into his healing presence.

Just as he called to Adam, God is calling you today. You are known, he sees you, and he is not shocked by your failures or discouraged by your brokenness. He is ready to meet you right where you are and lead you into a season of healing and wholeness.

If you’ve been afraid, feeling unappreciated, isolated, and hiding in seclusion, I want you to understand that God knows you and loves you deeply. Today, He is calling to you, “Come out, come out, from wherever you are.” Leave behind your fears and pretenses, drop the fig leaves and enter His presence where you will find acceptance, love, and grace.

On this Father’s Day, I want you to remember and celebrate that leadership begins at home. That means standing firm in the midst of chaos, guiding your family, your church, and your community with strength balanced by compassion and discipline mixed with grace. God designed fathers and men to lead, not with control or domination, but by protecting, providing, and setting an example of servant leadership; creating a secure place where your wife, children, and any others you lead can grow and flourish.

However, leadership without boundaries leads to confusion and instability, as boundaries provide structure, safety, and clarity. In the beginning, God gave Adam one clear boundary:

“You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17).

This boundary was intended to guide Adam in a loving, caring, and protecting way, not restricting him without reason. For the Lord said to him,

“When you eat of it you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

But Adam’s failure to respect God’s boundary brought sin and brokenness. When Adam stepped outside of God’s will, stepping over the boundary, he plunged humanity into shame and hiding. The Bible reminds us in Romans chapter five of the consequences of overstepping God’s boundaries:

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there, but God calls us back to responsible leadership and healthy boundaries.

You see, when you embrace God’s leadership and live within his boundaries, you unlock his blessings, the promises, and everlasting peace. You become a man who protects, nurtures, and provides, not only materially, but emotionally and spiritually. However, it takes courage to lead well, to say no to what destroys, and yes to what builds up. It takes courage to be the man God created you to be, especially when the world tries to pull you away.

Fathers, I encourage you to come out of hiding today and respond to this challenge: step up to the leadership God calls you to. Establish boundaries that honor God and fortify your home, leading with love, discipline, and humility. The world is in desperate need of men who will stand firm, who won’t run and hide, who know their identity in Christ, and are prepared to walk boldly in that calling.

As we consider Adam's story recorded in Genesis, as the body of Christ, we must understand that the tree in the garden was not just a test; it was God’s way of introducing discipline, boundaries, and giving them an opportunity for spiritual growth. That tree represented God’s loving guidance, a divine boundary set to protect Adam and help him become all that God intended for him to be.

The discipline of God is often misunderstood, the commands of God seen as restrictions, but the Bible tells us that it is so much more.

“God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11).

In other words, God’s discipline is an act of love designed to shape us, prune us, and prepare us for what God has called us to. The tree was placed in the garden to teach Adam important lessons about obedience, self-control, and faith. The Bible tells us that:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).

In other words, discipline and boundaries begin with reverence for God, recognizing His authority, and trusting His wisdom. When we respect God’s boundaries, we initiate a process of spiritual maturity that fosters growth in wisdom and character.

That one tree in the garden was a boundary, a way for Adam to learn that freedom in God’s kingdom always comes with great responsibility. You see, the world has misled you; true freedom is not doing whatever we want, but rather choosing what is right within the limits God has prescribed.

The fear of the Lord teaches us self-control, enabling us to delay gratification and resist things that would harm us. It trains us to be patient and remain faithful even when the right choice is difficult or unpopular. Without these life lessons, we remain immature and vulnerable to making choices that lead us away from God’s best for us.

The tragic part of the story is that Adam failed to respect this boundary. When he ate from the tree, it was a rejection of God’s authority and a refusal to trust His plan; that one act of disobedience brought sin and brokenness into the world. The Bible reminds us:

“Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people” (Romans 5:12).

And so, discipline is not a punishment to fear but a training to embrace. It is the pruning necessary for us to bear good fruit. And as followers of Christ, we must recognize that boundaries and discipline are part of God's design to shape us into the image of Christ and prepare us to fulfill the purposes God has for our lives.

Today, let’s embrace God’s boundaries and his discipline as his loving hand guiding us. The Bible says it this way,

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

In other words, God is calling us to embrace leadership and discipline, to walk in wisdom, and to lead with strength and grace.

And yet, like Adam in the garden, many of us still hide, not necessarily physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Hiding is a way to protect ourselves from having our fears, shame, or pain exposed. It’s a way to protect ourselves from being seen as weak or unworthy.

However, the sad truth is that hiding only makes things worse, as it separates us from God, from others, and even from ourselves. Some even hide by withdrawing, physically or emotionally, from those who need them most. And so, hiding is like being trapped in a prison of loneliness and confusion and it keeps us disconnected from the abundant life God desires for us.

The good news is that God’s voice continues to call out to us. Jesus said,

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

Even in your hiding, like Adam, he calls you to step into the light, to come out of the shadows. You are known by God, he knows your heart, and he knows that people love darkness instead of light. Today, he is calling you to face your fears and shame with honesty, trusting that God sees you fully and loves you completely even in your weaknesses.

When we respond to God’s call and stop hiding, the healing begins. We reconnect with God, with others, and with our true selves, created to be like God in righteousness and holiness. Our confidence increases, courage grows, and we learn to live authentically in the light and lead with integrity.

This is the path from fear to freedom, from isolation to intimacy, from shame to grace. This is the invitation of God, to be the man, woman, or child that God created you to be, not hiding behind fig leaves, but strong yet vulnerable, broken yet whole. God is calling you out of hiding so that you can walk boldly in the fullness of his presence, purpose, and power.

Our text in Genesis, the story of Adam in the Garden, shows us that God is a searching God. As the psalmist said,

“The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God” (Psalms 14:2).

And so, even when Adam hid, God came looking. His question, “Where are you?” wasn’t a demand for an explanation, but a loving invitation. In other words, God wasn’t angry about Adam’s failure; he was looking for the restoration of their relationship, the fellowship, and the intimacy they knew before.

That same God is still searching for you today. You are known by God; he knows where you are, even in your hiding places. He knows your fears, your wounds, and your struggles. His heart is full of grace, ready to bring healing and new life when you respond to his invitation. Therefore, the Bible says,

“If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When you respond to God’s call and come out of hiding, you become a new creation; the shame, guilt, and brokenness that kept you in hiding no longer controls you because God makes all things new.

But coming out of hiding requires a level of vulnerability. It means being honest with God about your weaknesses, failures, and fears. It means letting him see the real you, not the façade you show the world, but your true heart.

God’s invitation is not just to honesty, but to healing; he promises, “I will restore you to health and heal your wounds.” He said to the prophet Joel,

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25).

This is a powerful promise that God can take your lost years, broken dreams, and pain and replace them with hope, joy, and a sense of purpose.

Imagine the freedom that comes when you allow God to heal those hidden places, the wounds that made you hide, the fears that held you back. This is what it means to come out of hiding. Stepping into the light of God’s love, embracing his healing touch, and walking in the newness of life he offers.

In other words, vulnerability is not weakness; it is the doorway to healing and true strength. When you stop hiding and step into God’s presence, you open yourself to transformation, and you will begin to experience the fullness of God’s grace and power.

I want to encourage each one of you to hear God’s voice calling you out of hiding today. He knows you, he sees you, he loves you, and he wants to give you a new life. Will you answer the call and come out of hiding, allowing him to heal you, restore you, and use you for his glory?

Come out of hiding and step into the freedom that God offers, because you are not meant to walk this journey alone. God designed us for relationship, fellowship, and community. The Bible says,

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1).

In other words, you were created to be in a community with brothers and sisters, standing together, encouraging one another, and supporting each other.

As we come together in unity, standing side by side and lifting each other up, the blessing of God flows freely. The Bible says,

“It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (Psalm 133:2-3).

God’s anointing covers us, his blessing renews, and he has a plan to bless you, to use you, and to build you into the person he created you to be. And so, despite your flaws, struggles, and scars, he sees your worth.

Today, we celebrate your worth, not because you are perfect, but because you are God’s workmanship. And as a community of faith, we commit to standing with you; we are your place of safety, encouragement, and strength. You don’t have to walk this path alone, because we are your brothers and sisters, your family, and your support.

As we close this message today, I invite you to take a step of faith. If God is calling you out of loneliness, fear, shame, addiction, or pain. Come out of hiding and step into the fullness of God’s purpose for your life. Respond to the voice of God calling, your Father is walking through the garden again, he is still asking, “Where are you?” Will you answer him today?

Graphics, notes, and commentary from LifeChurch, Ministry Pass, PC Study Bible, Preaching Library, and Sermon Central. Scripture from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.