Just Like My Father

INTRO. - ILL.- Today 100 years have elapsed since the first father’s Day was celebrated. Fathers of 1900 didn’t have it nearly as good as fathers of today; but they did have a few advantages:

In 1900, fathers prayed their children would learn English. Today, fathers pray their children will speak English.

In 1900, a father’s horsepower meant his horses. Today, it’s the size of his car, truck, etc.

In 1900, if a father put a roof over his family’s head, he was a success. Today, it takes a roof, deck, pool, and 4-car garage. And that’s just the vacation home.

In 1900, a father waited for the doctor to tell him when the baby arrived. Today, a father must wear a smock, know how to breathe, and make sure he has a video camera.

In 1900, fathers passed on clothing to their sons. Today, kids wouldn’t touch Dad’s clothes if they were sliding naked down an icicle.

In 1900, fathers could count on children to join the family business. Today, fathers pray their kids will soon come home from college long enough to teach them how to work the computer and set the VCR.

In 1900, fathers shook their children gently and whispered, "Wake up, it’s time for school." Today, kids shake their fathers violently at 6 a.m., shouting: "Wake up, it’s time for baseball practice or soccer, etc."

In 1900, a father came home from work to find his wife and children at the supper table. Today, a father comes home to a note: "Jimmy’s at baseball, Cindy’s at gymnastics, I’m at adult-Ed, Pizza in fridge."

In 1900, fathers and sons would have heart-to-heart conversations while fishing in a stream. Today, fathers pluck the headphones off their sons’ ears and shout, "WHEN YOU HAVE A MINUTE.."

Some is these are most certainly true! How very sad the way America has changed and most of it IS NOT for the better! It’s not for the betterment of the home and for the children!

Now a few father’s day quotes.

Peter De Vries: My father hated radio and he could not wait for television to be invented so that he could hate that too.

Robert Orben: Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards.

Mark Twain: When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.

Now today I want us to consider the thought, "Just like my father."

James Baldwin wrote: Children have never been good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.

It’s probably true that even if kids don’t listen to their fathers AND THEIR MOTHERS, they will still imitate them in certain ways.

Whom did you imitate? Which parent do you most resemble in attitude, character, work, etc.?

PROP.- There are two fathers we may want to be just like.

1- our earthly father

2- our heavenly father (but let me personalize this with "my" earthly father and "my" heavenly father)

I. MY EARTHLY FATHER

Eph. 6:1-3 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

I don’t know how well I honored my father when he was living. As I got older I certainly respected him and tried to honor him. And today I want to honor his memory.

I’ve spoke of my father before and mentioned some negative things in his life, which, of course, I don’t want to imitate.

My father’s name is Georgia Leo Shepherd. He went by Leo and signed his name, G. Leo. Dad was born on July 13, 1910 and passed away on Dec. 11, 1982 at the age of 72 years. He died just two days after my 38th birthday. And his death was a huge blow to me and it still affects me to this day.

Dad drank beer and sometimes hard liquor but I only saw him drunk one time when I was small. But dad was not a mean drunk. He was a happy drunk. Dad also smoked all his life, which I feel sad about, because I believe that it helped to kill him at the age of 72. As we know, smoking is hard on your health and especially, your heart. And dad died of a heart attack.

Dad also used bad language at times, which I don’t want to imitate. But dad had some good qualities, which I do need to imitate.

Dad was a harder worker. He drove a cattle truck out of the Joplin, MO, stockyards. And I loved being able to go with him on short trips. It was a big deal to a little boy to ride in that BIG International Harvester truck. At least, I thought so back then.