Father: Guiding Force Of The Family

Father: Guiding Force Of The Family

Text: Gen.18: 19

Intro: It is rather tragic that the position of fatherhood has been much diminished in our present-day culture. Listening to some of the liberal psychologists, one would think that fathers are not really that important to the family unit. And if you’ve caught some of Rosie O’Donnell’s recent comments, you might get the idea that “two mommies” can raise children just as well as a normal family. Forgive me for using the term “normal family.” But I happen to believe that “two mommies” are not just as good as a father and a mother, like God intended children to have.

Granted, just because children have a father doesn’t guarantee they’ll turn out to be star citizens. But let me give you a few facts about our society with reference to the absence of a father.

Children in single-parent families are five times more likely to be poor, and half the single mothers in the United States live below the poverty line.

Children of divorce suffer intense grief, which often lasts for many years. Even as young adults, they are nearly twice as likely to require psychological help.

Children from disrupted families have more academic and behavioral problems at school and are nearly twice as likely to drop out of high school.

Girls in single-parent homes are at a much greater risk for precocious sexuality and are two and a half times more likely to have a child out of wedlock.

Crime and substance abuse are strongly linked to fatherless households. Statistics show that 60 percent of rapists grew up in fatherless homes, as did 72 percent of adolescent murderers, and 70 percent of all long-term prison inmates. In fact, most of the social pathologies disrupting American life today can be traced to fatherlessness.

Charles Colson, How Now Shall We Live, published by Tyndale Publishing House, 1999.

I believe the foregoing facts show that fathers are vitally important to the cohesiveness of the family unit. A father is to be the guiding force of the family. He is to give the family godly direction. That’s what we want to talk about today.

Theme: Fathers give guidance to their families by:

I. FATHERLY COMMANDS

Prov.6: 20 “My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:”

A. Command Your Children Concerning Church.

Heb.10: 25a “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Ps.122: 1 “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

NOTE: [1] Dad, all of your teaching concerning church will accomplish little if you don’t follow it up with action.

The story is told of a man who was making his way across a snow-covered field to a bar. As he neared the bar, he happened to look back and notice that his little boy had followed him across the field by placing his little feet in his dad’s footprints. The little boy looked up and said rather innocently, “See Daddy. I’m following in your footsteps.” With that the man picked up his son and went home to his family.

Source Unknown.

[2] Notice the following statistics:

It has been determined that when both parents are faithful to the Lord and active in the church, 93% of the time their children will remain faithful. When only one parent is faithful and active, 74% of the time the children will remain faithful. When both parents are reasonably faithful, but inactive, 53% of the time the children will be faithful. When both parents attend only occasionally, only 6% of the time will the children remain faithful.

Steve Shepherd, Father’s Day 2001, a sermon found on SermonCentral.com.

B. Command Your Children Concerning The Wrong Crowd.

Prov.1: 10 “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

…………………………………………………………..

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:”

Prov.28: 17b “…he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.”

I Cor.15: 33 “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”

NOTE: [1] The word “communications” in I Cor.15: 33 actually makes reference to “‘evil companies,’ i.e., associations” (W.E. Vine, M.A., An Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words, Vol. I, published by Fleming H. Revell Company, Old Tappan, New Jersey; pg. 214).

[2] Dad, one of your responsibilities is to teach your kids some things about life. Teach them things that will benefit them and prepare them for life. Be careful what you teach. Unwittingly, some dads teach the wrong things:

What My Dad Taught Me

--My dad taught me about religion- “You better pray that stain will come out of the carpet!”

--My dad taught me about behavior modification- “Stop acting like your mother!”