A Father's Love Series

A Father’s Love

A. Do not dishonor your Father

B. We should love like God Our Father through all things

DBF, Father’s Day Celebration, 6/16/02

I praise God for Godly Father’s and Mother’s. Today we want to celebrate Godly Fathers.

I’ve told you that I did not grow up in a Christian home or environment. I did grow up in a religious home. I could say my prayers by the age of 2 and I did go to required studies—but my heart was far from the Jesus Christ that I know and love today.

I could say that my Father taught me several things. In Louisiana, as in Bristol Bay common sense is something that people are blessed with. Those without it are scorned. If you aren’t born knowing how to run a boat—obviously you have no common sense because the most common of people we knew could do that simple thing.

Backing up a boat at the landing was something I could do with ease before I ever learned how to drive a car forward—it was called common sense.

Of course my mom who hated it would have called it senseless because she was really scared of that whole action.

I came to be a man in a world vastly separated from the love that I now know to be of God.

I remember my father never really telling me he loved me are even hugging me after about the age of 5—I was expected to be a man. I can tell you that this man didn’t like it and resented that along with many other things until I truly found what love really was.

In taking a course at Trinity recently on the Parables, we studied the Parable of the Prodigal Sons and I thought how apt a portion of scripture for Father’s day. I pray that the Father’s here today will be honored and that we might learn how we might be better Father’s and Mother’s and sons and daughters on a continuing basis.

A. Do not dishonor your Father

Luke 15:11-20 (KJV)

And he said, A certain man had two sons: [12] And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. [13] And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. [14] And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. [15] And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. [16] And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. [17] And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! [18] I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, [19] And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. [20] And he arose, and came to his father.

I am reminded of an illustration I used a few years ago about a father and his young son.

The father was cutting the grass and his young son came and wanted to help. The father allowed him to help but as can be expected the son caused the mower to sway back and forth and the neat edge that had so expertly been maintained became a series of swaying lines with many patches of grass left un-mowed.

Hoping the child would grow tired the father continued on for a little while. When the child’s energy continued he was about to tell him how much easier it would be for daddy to do the work alone when the thought hit him.

This is exactly how things are between God and I in doing His work.

Sometimes I really want to join in and be with God and get to the work. I often time seem to not really know what the work He lays before me is like or how it is supposed to be accomplished or look when He is done.

You see, I imagine God being their doing the mowing, tilling and harvesting of His garden, and child though I am—He allows me to partake of His presence—knowing that I will not pot the soil properly, I will not fertilize the produce that he has put me around, and occasionally I will grow tired of growing and harvesting.

Yet, God gently guides me and allows me to walk with Him in the great and awesome task of His glorious kingdom. A place I cannot and do not deserve but for His awesome love and His giving of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh, what a Father that allows me to work in HIS vineyard.