Discover Fatherhood: Becoming God's Man

(adapted from a message by Rick Warren)

SPECIAL DAY: FATHER’S DAY

TEXT: PHILIPPIANS 2:19-30

TITLE: “DISCOVER FATHERHOOD: BECOMING GOD’S MAN”

OPEN: A. Top Ten Things You’ll Never hear Dad Say:

10. Well, how about that? I’m lost! Looks like we’ll have to stop and ask for directions!

9. You know, Pumpkin, now that you’re fourteen, you’ll be ready for unchaperoned car dates.

Won’t that be fun?

8. I noticed that all of your friends have a certain hostile attitude. I like that.

7. Here’s a credit card and the key to my new car. GO CRAZY!

6. What do you mean you wanna play football? Figure skating’s not good enough for you, son?

5. Your mother and I are going away for the weekend. You might want to consider throwing a

party.

4. Well, I don’t know what’s wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies –

ya know – like that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay

whatever he asks.

3. No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring. Now quit your belly-aching

and let’s go to the mall!

2. Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.

1. What do I want for Father’s Day? Aah, don’t worry about that. It’s no big deal.

--Okay they might say it, but they don’t mean it.

B. A good father has a significant impact on his family and community

--Professor David Popenoe in his book Life Without Father said, “Depriving children of fathers has

become the most prevalent form of child mal-treatment in America today.”

C. Why are fathers so important?

1. Fathers serve as the protectors of the family

--Anyone trying to harm a family member should have to answer to the father of that family

2. Fathers serve to protect their neighborhoods from intrusion and disorder

3. Fathers serve as providers for their families

--In our world today, sometimes the mom makes more money than the dad. But dad’s should still

provide for their families as best they can – no matter who is the primary bread winner.

4. Father’s serve as the primary model to teach responsibility, achievement, suitable assertiveness,

and independence.

--A father’s authority and discipline in rearing sons, particularly teenage sons, is difficult for a

mother to achieve.

5. When a daughter has a healthy relationship with her father, she experiences a healthier

femininity, she feels worthy of love, and she is able to trust.

--Daughters who are able to trust men normally, grow and marry trustworthy men.

6. Fathers provide stimulating and exciting “rough and tumble” play, but within limits.

a. Children learn that biting and kicking and other forms of physical violence are not acceptable.

--They learn when enough is enough.

b. A study among Texas prisoners showed that 90% of inmates did not play as children or played

abnormally.

--The majority of prisoners also have little to no relationship with their fathers.

7. Fathers stress the survivor skills of competition, challenge, initiative, risk-taking, and

independence.

--In contrast, mothers emphasize social integration, relationships, and personal well-being.

8. Fathers focus on their children’s long term development, while mothers focus on their immediate

situation.

9. Fathers stress justice, fairness, and duty (based on rules).

--Mothers stress sympathy, care, and helping (based on relationships).

10. Children learn the healthy use of power from father and love from mother.

11. Researchers Westley and Epstein said that only this kind of parenting “produces predominantly

emotionally healthy children.”

D. If good fathers are necessary for the proper development of children and society, where do we find

the best model for fatherhood?

--In the Bible, of course!

1. Ezek. 22:30 – God says “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand

before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it …”

--I believe God is still looking for men like that

a. Men who will be builders

--builders of our families, builders of our communities, builders of our nation, builders of our

churches

b. Men who will stand in the gap

--Where there’s a need, it gets met. When there’s a project to be done, it gets done. When

there is a gap it gets filled.

2. In our passage this morning, Philippians 219-30, we see examples of the kind of man designed us

to be and expects to be

a. Timothy and Epaphroditus are great examples of God’s model for manhood

b. Men, let’s see what lessons we can learn from them and put into practice

c. For our married women, I invite you to discover what behavior patterns should be rewarded

and encouraged in your men

d. For younger men, I invite you to discover what kind of role models you should follow