A Great Dad

There once was a young mother who woke up one night and went into the nursery and found her husband looking down at their newborn baby who has asleep

• The Mother could tell that he was captivated by the scene as he stood there looking at their baby sleep.

• She was so touched that finally she tiptoed up behind him and put her arm around him and asked what are you thinking about?

• He said, I just can’t understand / how they can make a crib like this for only $89.95

Fathers are interesting creatures.

There has ALWAYS been a great need for Dads.

• We may think they’re weird because of what they wear

• Or their lack of emotions. / don’t show their feelings like Moms do

But Dad’s play an important role in our families

• So with this being said

• And today being Father’s Day

• I thought it would be the perfect oportunity to see what the Bible tells us about what makes a great dad?

1). First we see that A great dad loves his children.

Ps 103:13 The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

The word compassion means to love deeply & to cherish.

• Dads are to cherish and nurture their children.

• This isn’t just the job of Mom’s

• Even thou society thinks so

• Dads are supposed to love their kids too.

But, one of the problems that we have in the world today is that

• Men don’t understand this

• There are too many absent dads / Deadbeat dads /

• Far too many dads that aren’t living up to this example

2). A great dad is fair to his children.

Eph 6:4 And now a word to you fathers. Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them.

The NIV says don’t exasperate your children.

• Don’t wear them out / Don’t nag them / Don’t make them hostile |Treat them fairly

• This doesn’t mean that we don’t discipline them.

• It means that We don’t punish them unfairly punish.

We have to be reasonable.

• Because we all know that sooner or later our kids are going to do things that they’re not supposed to

• We can expect this from them

3). A great dad takes the time to train and instruct his children.

Let’s look at the rest of the Ephesians 6:4 / at the 2nd half

Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.

What kind of instruction?/ Is Paul Talking About

• He’s talking about Moral instruction / Spiritual instruction.

• A better way to say this is to teach them the truth.

• Teach them the difference between Right and wrong.

• Good and evil. Heaven and hell. Morality & Immorality.

And our Children’s response to this should be

• That as long as they live in their parent’s house

• I am going to obey you.”

• Now they may not always like it, They may not agree with it.

• But since they want to please God / Obey God

• They demonstrate this by obeying, you.”

As we look at these three responsibilities

• We see why it is so important that Dads be the kind of dads they were meant to be?

• We have a generation of children who don’t know the difference between right and wrong

• And the reason is Because they didn’t have any fatherly influence in their lives

They didn’t have Father’s who loved them / Treated them fairly / Taught them right from wrong.

• We have way to many young people who have a distorted view about God

• Because their relationship with their earthly father are so messed up.

• And now It’s hard for them to understand how God can be Loving /

• / Patient / Merciful.

• Because they haven’t been displayed by their Earthly Fathers

Transition: One of the greatest characteristics about God

• Is that He is a Father / Me / You / All of Us

• The truth is that each one of us here today has 2 Fathers.

• We have Our earthly father and / Our Heavenly Father.

• So going with the fact that today is Father’s day

• Here are some truths about God being our Father.

1st of all He will always be around.

Isa 9:6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

God Our Heavenly Father isn’t going anywhere

• He will always be there / He’ll never walk out on us / He’ll never die.