A Faithful Father

Sunday Morning, June 16, 2002 Bel Aire Baptist Church

Father¡¦s Day 2002

SLIDE 1

A FAITHFUL FATHER

1 Samuel 2:12-25

Introduction:

1. Over 200 years ago, when the United States Marine Corps was being formed, much time was given to adopting an appropriate motto. A Latin phrase was finally selected, Semper fidelis. Since that time, this simple motto has been ingrained into the mind of every U.S. marine. It means ¡§always faithful.¡¨

That motto is not only appropriate for marines, but also for all godly men. Our Lord, our wives, our kids, and our friends all expect and need us to always be faithful. We must be faithful regardless of circumstances, convenience or personal happiness. It¡¦s not easy to be a good marine. It¡¦s far less easy to be a godly man.

2. Why is being a godly man so difficult? It¡¦s because we have an adversary, a powerful enemy who is out to keep us from being faithful. He wants to destroy our families and us. Let me share with you men four strategies of deceit Satan has set up against you and your family.

SLIDE 2

„« He wants to divide your family SPIRITUALLY. Guys, he will distract you from praying with your wives and children, from reading Scripture, from discussing spiritual needs, from being active in church. He wants to take away God-given influence as the spiritual leader of your home. HOW ARE YOU DOING?

„« He wants to divide your family EMOTIONALLY. He wants to make you emotionally numb to your family. He wants you to come home, turn on the tube and give out. He wants you to ignore your family. He wants you to forget to kiss your wife and hug your kids. He wants them to think of you as distant and unapproachable.

„« He wants to divide your family SEXUALLY. He wants to fill your mind with images of ¡§Bay watch babes¡¨ and soft-core porn. ¡§I¡¦m just a guy,¡¨ you say. ¡§This is normal.¡¨ It may be ¡§normal¡¨ but its not godly and its not healthy. The next step is harder porn. Next, it¡¦s looking at women as sexual objects. Before long, when the opportunity presents itself you are caught in the trap of adultery.

„« He wants to divide your family PHYSICALLY. Satan has won his greatest victory when he causes you to move out. He wants your kids to be raised without your presence and influence.

3. The tragedy is, most people don¡¦t even recognize these strategies of the enemy. Faithful men understand them and develop counter-strategies to defeat him.

4. Men, I¡¦m preaching to you today. I want you picture in your mind a family picture album. As you open the book, you see pictures of you and your wife before she was your wife. You were so young and thin; she was so beautiful in your eyes. As you turn the pages, you see your wedding pictures¡Kyou were so nervous you almost threw up! Adjusting your bifocals, you see a picture of that first little house. Turn the page again; she was so big when she was pregnant. Oh, your firstborn. You¡¦ll never forget holding your first child in your arms that first time. Baby pictures, 1st birthday, 1ststeps, 1st grade¡K There you all are at Christmas, man those were fun times. Look at her, she was 16 then, so young, beautiful and full of like. There you are hugging your boy. He looks so handsome in his cap and gown. You¡¦re so proud that he finally graduated from college. Here¡¦s the pictures of the cruise you and the wife took fro your 25th anniversary. Remember those starry nights? Remember those romantic nights, you felt like newlyweds again. Turn the page¡K your first grandchild, a boy! Turn a few pages¡Kthere¡¦s a few more grandchildren. More Christmases, bigger Christmas¡K There¡¦s little jenny being baptized. She¡¦s 8, your youngest grandchild. All of them are saved, baptized and growing up right. You close the album praising God that somehow by His grace, even though you made many mistakes, in the end you didn¡¦t fail your family.

5. Men, your family is depending on you, on your faithfulness, on your standing against the schemes of the evil one. Let¡¦s learn four strategies for being godly men.

SLIDE 3

Be Faithful with your Energy and Abilities

SLIDE 4

Most men give themselves totally to their work

1. When men meet each other, the first question that is asked is, ¡§What is your name?¡¨ The second question is, what do you do?¡¨ As men, we identify ourselves not by who we are but by what we do. When someone as me question 2, I say, ¡§I¡¦m pastor of Bel Aire Baptist Church.¡¨

2. Think with me guys¡K we spend at least 40 hours per week at work, some of us a lot more that that. When we are not at work we are often preparing for work, thinking about work or having a stress-induced nervous breakdown because of our work!