Reasons Why It’s Good
To Be a
9 You can go to the bathroom without a support
group.
8 If someone forgets to invite you to something he
can still be your friend.
7 You can drop by to see a friend without bringing
a little gift.
6 If another guy shows up at the same party in the
same outfit, you might become lifelong buddies.
5 You can do your nails with a pocketknife.
4 There is always a game on somewhere.
3 Your pals can be trusted never to trap you with,
"So…notice anything different?”
2 If something mechanical doesn’t work, you can
bash it with a hammer and throw it across the room.
1 One wallet, one pair of shoes, one color, all
seasons.
A FATHER'S
RESPONSIBILITY
Gen 18:17-19
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the
nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will
command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way
of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham
that which he hath spoken of him.
Have you ever noticed that on Mother's day we tell Mothers how great they are
and on Father's day we tell Father's what they need to do to be great
Fathers-it's almost as if a Mother "automatically" becomes great
while a Father must continually work at it!!
There are a number of "description" given of a Father. A
father is:
-a person who growls when he feels good and laughs very loud when he's scared.
-a person who gets very angry when the school grades aren't as good as he thinks
they should be.
-a person who hurries away from the breakfast table, off to the arena which is
sometimes called an office. There, with calloused, practiced hands he tackles
the dragon with three heads: weariness, work, and monotony.
-a person who gives his daughter to a man who isn't nearly good enough so he
can have grandchildren that are better than anyone else's
A Dad is a fellow who has replaced the currency in his wallet with snapshots of
his family.
Someone has said (and I believe it is true) that "A Boy loves his mother,
but he follows his father." That places a tremendous responsibility on
Fathers. Let's look at a few of them:
His Leadership-Leave his parents, Learn his children, lead his home. His Love
for his wife- As Christ loved the Church, As his own body
THE
PROVIDER- The Father is charged
with providing for the family. Paul says that if a man will not provide for his
own he has denied the faith and is worst than an Infidel. He told the
Thessalonians that if a man would not work neither should he eat. It is the
responsibility of the Father to provide food and shelter for his family.
The entrance of sin into life meant that man had to earn his
living by the sweat of his brow. This turned work into a JOB instead of a JOY.
But then God gave us a "Two edged sword" to allow us to turn our
labor into Joy again.
A) The Privilege of Providing for a Family- This meets some
deep inner need of man and makes him feel complete.
B) The New Birth- It is the presence of Christ in a man's
heart that changes work from wearisome into wonderful. Matt 11:28-30 Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
THE
PROTECTOR-
Families need an Authority Figure. The lack of such a Figure can be seen in
today's society: Suicide, drug abuse, alcoholism, and sexual promiscuity are
epidemic among teenagers. An estimated 20 teens attempt to end their lives
every 30 minutes. Approximately 685 teens become drug users ever 30 minutes.
Some 23 teenage girls have abortions every 30 minutes. More than 3 million
American teenagers have been treated for alcoholism since 1980. About 9,000
teenagers are killed each year while driving drunk.
A) Father's have to be worthy of and accept that
responsibility. A man inherits some respect but most of it has to be earned by
consistent living.
B) Wives are commanded by God to give this respect to the
husband- Eph 5:22, 33 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto
the Lord. the wife see that she reverence her husband.
THE
PUNISHER- Prov 13:24 He that
spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Never punish your child when YOU'RE angry- you're not punishing them to satisfy
your Pride but for their good . Compliment and criticize your child's
behavior--not the child. (EXAMPLE- A Minister's son had played hokey from
school for 3 days. When he was caught his father told him that he was going to
punish him equal to the crime so he banished him to the attic of the parsonage
for 3 days where all he had was a bed and 3 meals. After supper when the
minister tried to lay down all he could think of was his son all alone in the
attic so he climbed the stairs and found his son wide awake. They hugged and
then lay down together to spend the night. The next two nights were the same.
Just like God this father shared the punishment with the "sinner".
THE PATTERN- A man was crossing a
field to a tavern one day when he looked behind him and saw his son. "Look
dad", the boy exclaimed. "I'm following in your footsteps". The
dad immediately turned around and went back home. One congregation found that
where both parents are faithful to the Lord 93% of the kids remain faithful. If
one parent was faithful the figure dropped to 73%. When both parents were only
moderately faithful then only 53% of the young people remained faithful and
when both parents were only occasional attendee's the figure dropped to 6%.
These statistics speak a loud and clear message. Your children will follow you
leading.
THE PRIEST- DEU 6:4-9 Hear, O
Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with
all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these
words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt
teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou
sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest
down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine
hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write
them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Fathers, Your
responsibilities are awesome. You need help. The Heavenly Father wants to
enable you to be the Father you should be. Commit yourself to him today.
Deut 6:6-7
There were two
significant news reports last week- A fight broke out at a little league game-
between parents and coaches!!! The American Atheist Society had a champagne
dinner celebrating 25 years of "Prayerless Schools". Fathers have a
responsibility today that is awesome; and can only be handled if that father
has a personal continuing relationship with Christ.
1. I would
love the mother of my children more- Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also
loved the church, and gave himself for it; I would seek to be faithful in doing
little loving things for her--opening the car doors, placing her chair at the
table, giving her little gifts on special occasions, and writing her love
letters when I'm gone from home. I would take her hand as we stroll in the
park. I would praise her in the presence of my children. A child who knows his
parents love each other has a security and stability about life which is gained
no other way.
2. I would
listen more. Most fathers find it hard to listen. We are busy with the
burdens of work; at the end of the day we are tired. I would listen when my
child shares his little hurts and complaints, and what he is excited about. And
I would try to refrain from words of impatience at the interruption. Such times
can be the best times to show love and kindness.
One evening a small boy tried to show his father a scratch
on his finger. Finally, after repeated attempts to gain his father's attention,
the father stopped reading the newspaper and said impatiently, "Well, I
can't do anything about it, can I?" "Yes, Daddy," his small son
said, "You could have said, 'Oh'".
I would try to understand what my child says because I now
believe that the father who listens to his child when he is small, will find
that he will have a child who cares what his father says later in life.
In listening I would pay more careful attention to my
child's questions. It is estimated that the average child asks 500,000
questions by the age of 15. What a privilege for every parent-- unlimited
opportunities to share something about the meaning of life and about your own
dependence on God!
3. I would
seek more opportunities to give my child a feeling of belonging. PS 127:3 Children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit
of the womb is His reward. When a child feels he belongs in his family and is
of real worth there, it is not a big step to also feel accepted, loved, and of
worth to others and in God's sight. A child feels he belongs when he is
involved in the responsibility and work of the family. Celebration of
birthdays, when the person rather that the gifts is central, creates a sense of
belonging. That same sense is built into the chid when he hears prayers prayed
on his behalf. No part of child guidance is more important than assuring the
child by action and word that he is important and that he has a place in the
affections of the family.
4. I would
express words of appreciation and praise more. Many children seldom hear words of commendation and
encouragement when they do a job well or exhibit good behavior. Probably no
other thing encourages a child to love life, to seek accomplishment and to gain
confidence more than proper, sincere praise- not flattery, but honest
compliments when he does well. Correct the wrong; Commend the right.
5. I would
spend more time together. Eph 5:16 Make the most
of every opportunity, because the days are evil. A group of 300 seventh and
eighth grade boys kept accurate records of how much time their fathers actually
spent with them over a two-week period. Most saw their father only at the
dinner table. A number never saw their father for days at a time. The average
time a father and son were alone for an entire week was 7 1/2 minutes.
Authur Gordon tells an interesting experience from his
youth, "When I was around 13 and my brother was 10, Father promised to
take us to the circus. But at lunch there was a phone call; some urgent
business required his attention down town. My brother and I braced ourselves
for the disappointment. Then we heard him say, "No, I won't be down. It
will have to wait." When he came back to the table, Mother smiled,
"The circus keeps coming back, you know." "I know, said Father.
"But Childhood doesn't"
6. I would
laugh more- Proverbs 17:22 A
cheerful heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the
bones. Somehow we manage enough muscle to handle the big things of life but
forget that life is largely made up of little things. A father's faithfulness
in the small things determines the happiness of his children...and, not just
that, it strongly influences their spiritual direction.
7. The best
father is the one who knows God as his heavenly father. Only Jesus Christ can
provide that relationship. Place that childlike faith in Christ today.
Heb 11:7 By
faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear,
prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the
world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Being a Father
in these last days is a difficult task. A Father must be a Provider, a Partner,
a Priest, and a Pattern. In the case of Noah this meant:
A Consistent Effort. Worked and preached for 120 years.
A Combined Effort All Noah's family worked together.
A Committed Effort- Noah was the LAST MAN ON EARTH TO DO THE JOB
Noah could do
this because He:
I. HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD- Noah walked with God on a daily basis.
He did not simply know ABOUT God he knew God!
II. LISTENED TO THE WORD OF GOD-
God told Noah what was going to happen and what he should do to make
preparations and Noah followed God's instructions. What do you do in your life
that is caused by God's directions to you??
III. ACTED UPON WHAT GOD SAID-
Prepared an ark to the saving of his household.
A Long term Project.
A well planned Project.
A family involving Project (Many men today are so busy being successful until
they lose sight of the family they're to be successful for!).
IV. WAS WILLING TO FACE OPPOSITION TO
STAND FOR GOD. Condemned all who did not heed god's advice- Other children
were more popular but Noah's didn't drown!!
V. LOOKED BEYOND "NOW" TO THE
FUTURE. He had respect unto the recompense of Reward. Willing to build a
Boat now for a Mansion in the future.
Faith Involves:
Heart- Relationship = Faith to believe God, Fellowship to be warned by God
Head- Mind Set- moved with Fear (Reverential Respect for God's authority and
Judgment)
Hands- Actions- Built an ark that saved his household that condemned the world
Reward- Became heir of the righteousness which is by Faith
Noah was saved himself, His family was saved, and He allowed God's Plan to
continue. What more can God ask of anyone??
Heb 11:7-29
On this day
when we honor Mothers, I thought it would be good to give some Godly Examples
for Children to emulate. Mothers have a tough time today finding
"Heroes" for their children to follow; Dad is so busy working or
trying to be a "90's man" (afraid to be a leader for fear of being
chauvinist) until he doesn't have time to be the example children need so they
make heroes out of "Ninja Turtles" and half-clothed, drug crazed rock
stars.
Let me show you 3 genuine "HEROES" that you can model your life
after:
I. NOAH, THE
LABORER- Heb 11:7
A) Continued his Commission for 120 years of duty and
derision
B) Prepared an ark to the Saving of his household- His work
and his "religion" blended into the same thing. His Children knew
what he stood for and what he was trying to accomplish
II. ABRAHAM,
THE VISIONARY Heb 11: 8-13
A) Affected Where He Lived
B) Affected his family- had a child at 100 that was gift of
God
C) Affected History- 3 of the main religions in the world
today count Abraham an important part of their belief.
III. MOSES, THE
LEADER Heb 11:23-29 (Article in Today's Paper- Leaders are better at leading
than at doing. Of course, that's what makes them leaders!!) Everyone needs to
know his place in life.
A) His Mother secured his childhood- refused abortion and
society's answers, she committed her child to God
B) His Faith refused his flesh- Choosing rather to suffer
affliction than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
C) His dependence on God's word saved his life- put the
passover blood on the door.
God had an example for every type of Child- laborer,
visionary, leader. Let's share these with our Children regularly.