God Calls Men To Be Spiritual Leaders

God Calls Men to be Spiritual Leaders

Psalm 78:1-8

Thanks to Mother’s Day we have a special day we celebrate the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. The idea of honoring fathers began in Spokane, Washington when Sonora Smart Dodd heard a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909.

Sonora was raised by her father after her mother died and Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter a courageous, selfless and loving man.

Since her father was born in June, she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June 1910.

President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day in 1924.

God’s Word Calls Men to be Spiritual Leaders in the home. Psalm 78:3-4 “What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children. We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders he has done.”

The greatest legacy a father can pass on to his family is a spiritual legacy -- A legacy that honors Jesus as Lord and keeps the commandments of the Lord.

Psalm 78:5-6 “He (God) decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.”

In my own family on my mother’s side Biblical teaching has been passed to five generations, my great grandfather, my grandfather, my mother, myself and my children who are now passing on Biblical truth to their children the sixth generation to carry forth the teachings of God’s Word. On my Father’s side as far as I know I started a spiritual legacy for my family, my children and grandchildren.

You may have had the privilege of receiving a Biblical heritage passed on to you, or you may have the opportunity to start a Biblical heritage for your family. The sooner you start the better.

What spiritual legacy will you leave your family?

# You might leave the church today, drive to your home, pull into the driveway and notice activity in your neighbor’s yard. You see a giant earthmoving backhoe excavating enormous shovels full of dirt. You go over to your neighbor and ask, “What are you doing?” And he says, “Well, you know we really think we need to add on to our house.” So you ask, “What are you adding on?” He says, “I’m not really sure yet. We’re just going to kind of dig the hole and see what happens’’ You say, “Well what kind of plans do you have?”

“Well I didn’t really draw up any plans?” “Do you have a building permit?” “Well I didn’t know I had to get a permit.”

“You don’t have any idea what you’re building? Or what you are going to do?”

“Well, I thought I’d just come out here, dig this hole, and kind of wing it from there.”

What do you think of that kind of planning? I’m afraid that’s the way many people plan for their family. I’m just going to wing it and see how things come out. Like one couple with two small children who were not going to church. They told me that when their children were old enough to decide, they can attend church if they wanted to.

To leave a spiritual legacy and become a Spiritual leader in your family it must be intentional. Dads, take the lead. Be a spiritual pace setter. To all our single moms we encourage you to take the lead.

Spiritual leadership doesn’t happen without a commitment and a decision. Joshua said in his farewell address to Israel that whether the families in Israel followed the Lord or not, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

God instructed the children of Israel and every parent to pass on Biblical truth from one generation to another. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

God works in many ways to carry out His will and His way. My mother modeled for me the Christ-life life and I said yes to the Lord. At age 62 my mother passed away. That following year my dad came to faith in Christ and endeavored to live the rest of his life with simple Child-life faith. I had the privilege of baptizing my dad in 1981.