Sermon Central
-
Unsung Heroes: Godly Fathers
Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 5, 2021 (message contributor)
Text: Genesis 18:17-19, KJV: 17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 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.
Thoughts: From Adam’s day to our day, there have been godly fathers and ungodly ones. The tragedy seems to be that there are so few of the one and so many of the other!
Abraham was not perfect, certainly, but he was one of the truly godly fathers in the Bible. No, he is not an unsung hero, not by any means, but the words of the LORD Himself to Abraham could be an encouragement and a reward for those men who truly seek to be godly men. Here’s a closer look as to why:
First, Abraham had no children at this time, except Ishmael, born about 12 years before. And even though Ishmael was a physical child of Abraham, he wasn’t the promised heir of Abraham. Even so, Abraham seems to have treated Ishmael fairly—there is no record of any mistreatment up to this point.
Second, Abraham had heard an incredible promise from the Three Visitors mentioned earlier in the chapter. He was 99 years old (Genesis 17:1) and Sarah was 89 (17:17, she would be 90 when the child was born). To say the least, this was impossible; even Sarah herself knew it couldn’t happen due to her advanced age (see her comments in 18:11-15). But God made a promise and when God makes a promise, He keeps it! A year later, Isaac was born, just as God had promised!
Finally, God had already known Abraham’s character. He said of Abraham, “I know him”, that Abraham would make sure his children kept “the way of the LORD”. Only a few men have ever had that said of them and Abraham was the first.
Although the comments for this illustration seem to be focused on Abraham, the same things could be said of any godly father. Throughout Scripture, countless unknown men raised their children for God. There were kings who feared God but their sons didn’t; the reverse is also true. This extends to ordinary people as well, those like the parents of Elijah, Elisha, and the other true prophets. It also extends to the ones never named but kept the knowledge of God alive in their children—witness the list of men born after the Captivity in the lines of Jesus alone.
As we approach Father’s Day, may each one of us focus on living for God and raising our children the way our Lord wants us to. Fathering isn’t easy—it never has been—but when a child decides to live for God, I can’t think of a greater reward.
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
A Speaker In Colorado Was About To Address A ...
Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jan 3, 2005
A speaker in Colorado was about to address a gathering of businessmen and women. Sitting a the head table, he turned to the real estate salesman on his left and said, "So, how are things going for you?" "Terrible," he answered. "Haven¡¯t you heard about the strikes? 80% of the people in this ...read more
-
Sin Separates. Sin Divides. Sin Brings Death To ... PRO
Contributed by Clark Tanner on Sep 23, 2004
Sin separates. Sin divides. Sin brings death to relationships and destroys fellowship. God unites. God brings oneness and unity. On the day of Pentecost, God reversed the Babel process, and with one language from heaven, He demonstrated that all in Him will be sharers of one divine ...read more
-
Giving In Theory PRO
Contributed by Susan Blader on Jan 21, 2007
Giving in Theory The story is told of the missionary who asked a new convert, “Pablo, if you had a hundred sheep, would you give fifty of them to the Lord’s work?” “You know I would gladly give them,” he replied. “Pablo, if you had fifty cows, would you give twenty-five to the Lord’s ...read more
-
Giving In Theory PRO
Contributed by Susan Blader on Jan 21, 2007
Giving in Theory The story is told of the missionary who asked a new convert, “Pablo, if you had a hundred sheep, would you give fifty of them to the Lord’s work?” “You know I would gladly give them,” he replied. “Pablo, if you had fifty cows, would you give twenty-five to the Lord’s ...read more
-
Stephen Olford Tells Of A Baptist Minister During ...
Contributed by Jeremy Houck on Mar 5, 2005
Stephen Olford tells of a Baptist Minister during the American Revolution named Peter Miller, who lived in Pennsylvania and was friends with George Washington. But Miller had a bitter enemy named Michael Whitman, who did all that he could to frustrate and humiliate the good reverend. One day Mr. ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Adam Where Are You?
Contributed by Curtis Mathis on Feb 7, 2015
This sermon was used for our Men's Breakfast, as a challenge to them.
-
Of All The Options For A Sign, Why Did God Choose Circumcision?
Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 23, 2013
God could have had Abraham put a tattoo on his arm or any one of a thousand other signs, but instead He chose the sign of circumcision? Why in the world? And, beyond that, what relevance does that have for Christians today?
-
Legacy
Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Jun 16, 2013
The greatest thing we can leave our offspring is a godly legacy. This sermon speaks of 3 things necessary to leave godly legacy and features a powerful personal testimony by a young man impacted by the legacy of his godly grandfather.
-
Where Is The Lamb? Series
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Feb 5, 2017
When John the Baptist declared that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he was answering a question from Genesis: "Where is the Lamb?" Do you know the importance of that question, and of the idea that Jesus was the Lamb of God?
-
