Sermon for 6/17/2007 Father’s Day
Isaiah 38:19
King Hezekiah and his son Manasseh
Ho Hum:
My grandfather taught me to fish.
My father-in-law’s father taught him to build houses.
Today I love to fish and my father-in-law builds houses for a living.
May we pass on these things but most importantly the faith in Jesus Christ.
WBTU:
A. Our verse this morning was written by King Hezekiah. Read 2 Ki 18:1-3, 5
B. Two miraculous things happened while Hezekiah was king:
1. The Assyrians invaded the land and took over all the cities of Judah except Jerusalem. Hezekiah and all the people in Jerusalem where surrounded like birds in a cage. Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem sought the Lord and the Lord promised that he would deliver them. Hezekiah and his people did not surrender nor did they seek help from any other nations. Read Isa 37:36-37
2. Read Isa 38:1-5, 7-8
C. Read Isa 38:9
D. Now in verse 19, this is a general statement that the fathers can now tell their children about the Lord’s faithfulness, the Lord’s miracles.
E. Some commentators say that Hezekiah would have been better off to have died instead of living another 15 years. Why would they say that? In those fifteen years left of life, Hezekiah had a child born to him called Manasseh.
F. Read 2 Ki 20:21- 21:1, 2, and 9
G. During the reign of King Josiah, Manasseh’s grandson, even though Josiah tried to do right and lead a revival back to the Lord, it says: Read 2 Ki 23:26
H. When the Babylonians came and destroyed Jerusalem, it says: Read 2 Ki 24:3-4
I. On the surface it appears that Hezekiah failed to tell his child Manasseh about the Lord’s faithfulness. IN all fairness, we have to say that everyone has free will. In all fairness, Hezekiah’s father Ahaz was not a shining example of how to teach a child. May we not have the experience of Hezekiah and his son Manasseh.
Thesis: How can we effectively share God’s faithfulness with our children?
For instances:
1. Pray for them.
B. John Trent says that he sets his watch every day and when it goes off he spends a few minutes praying for his children.
C. Also, ask your children, “What can I pray for?”
D. In all my prayer lists (people or institutions) I have my children on them. When I am not using my prayer lists I usually mention them in my prayers by name.
2. Be faithful, be a good role model
A. (1 Cor 11:1 NIV) Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
B. (Prov 20:7 NIV) The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.
C. When dad spends time with the Lord, the fruits of the Spirit will come out. (Gal 5:22 NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (Gal 5:23 NIV) gentleness and self-control.
D. When our children are young, if they see us acting in a way that doesn’t reflect what we or the church taught them, they conclude this is normal and they mimic our behavior. Older children when they notice this harbor resentment or even lash out, knowing that hypocrisy lurks in their home.
E. Erwin Lutzer tells this story: A young preacher began a ministry on Saturday mornings to the inmates of the local county jail. Each week he’d go into the jail cells and conduct Bible studies and prayer sessions among the inmates- most of them young men between the ages of 19 and 24. When the young preacher asked the warden why so many young men with great promise could end up in such a place, the warden sighed and said, “This place is filled with boys who got tired of waiting for their dads to keep their promises- promises to provide, promises to show up and spend time with them, promises to come home at night- they finally got so angry with the injustice of it, they went out and did stupid things.”
3. Get involved with your children.
A. A little boy was asked what his father did by an older man. The boy answered, “He watches.” “You mean he is a night watchman?” “Oh, no,” the little boy exclaimed, “He just watches.” “Well, what does he watch?” “I don’t know if I can tell you everything, but I can name a few things.” “Well, tell me,” the curious man replied. “He watches TV, he watches Mom do the housework, he watches the weather, he watches the computer, and I think he watches girls, too,” he said with a grin on his face. “He watches the stock market, football games. He watches Mom spank us, and he watches us do our homework. He watches us leave to go to church and PTA and shopping. He watches Mom write letters and me play with my dog. He watches Mom pay the bills. But mainly, he just watches.”
B. One on one is so important with children, “How are you doing?” “What was the high moment/ low moment of your day?” What are their hopes dreams, ambitions?
C. Here is a common problem. Someone cancels an appointment with me giving little or no reason. I don’t raise a fuss. Crystal calls and says that Zach and Zane, my two sons, are sick and she needs help and can I take them to the doctor? I raise a fuss. What’s wrong? Many times we go out of our way for almost strangers but not for our family.
4. Discipline them.
A. (Prov 29:15 NIV) The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
B. (Prov 3:11-12) My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
C. When we subject our children to discipline we reflect spiritual truths. We demonstrate that there is a penalty for sin. From this training ground, they will see their own sin and their need for salvation. From this they will better understand the Supreme Judge and his requirements.
E. Researchers Westley and Epstein discovered that children from father-dominant families fared better than children from mother-dominant families. Children with dominant fathers can experience three kinds of problems. On the other hand, children with dominant mothers can face eleven possible problems. Nature set the father up to be the tough guy. Something within children expects fathers to be more powerful and mothers to be more loving. Dr. Roger Webb, from the University of Arkansas said, “The best fathers are those who are loving, but a little scary.”
F. The word discipline literally means instruction given to a disciple. We often talk about being disciples of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission. If we want to share, tell God’s faithfulness to our children our homes and lives must be places of discipline.
G. Drive in our day for small groups. I think it is great! However, I already have a small group. It is my home, my children. From that small group I need to be making disciples for Jesus Christ. That cannot happen unless there is discipline.
F. One day they will leave our homes. Are they leaving as disciples of Jesus Christ?
5. Share our weaknesses.
A. This may have been a problem with King Hezekiah and his son Manasseh. 2 Chronicles 32:25-26. Pride.
B. "My child asked me about this and what I did that when I was younger. I did drugs when I was younger. I had premarital sex when I was younger. What should I do?" Tell them about it. How it affected you? How the Lord helped you?
C. (Eph 6:4 NIV) Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
D. Easiest way to frustrate children is to try to look perfect. Share struggles that we have today and yesterday with our children. Don’t be fake, be real!
6. Emphasize their strengths.
A. (Prov 22:6 NIV) Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
B. Father who worked in construction took his son on a short term mission’s trip. They were digging to make a foundation for a church building. The son turned to the father and said “I don’t want this kind of job when I grow up.” It was hard for the father to accept but he agreed and told his son about his strengths! Many fathers want their children to grow up to be just like them. It might not turn out that way. What if God made them different from us? They are created in the image of God not in our images.
C. I want my children to love basketball, fishing and Bible Bowl but it might not happen that way. My wife loves music but they might not grow up to love music.
C. God made them a certain way, need to steer them toward how God made them.
7. Love them.
A. Summarizes everything.
B. Look at 1 Corinthians 13 and see where we are lacking.
C. Tell our children, I love you but. Just tell them that you love them and appreciate them. Don’t always use this as a lead in to tell them about your frustrations with them or their wrongdoings.
D. Father need to show comfort.
E. (John 11:35 NIV) Jesus wept. My father, when I was older and my parents were going through a divorce, came to me on a few occasions just weeping over things that he had done wrong. We talked about these things and he shared things with me that are invaluable. Instead of lessening my respect for him, my respect for him grew by leaps and bounds.
Conclusion:
A. Maybe your father failed you! What kind of secrets do grown men keep? #1 Men inwardly yearn for their father’s love and approval. The same is true of women.
B. God’s faithfulness- How comforting to know that our heavenly Father provides for us, and He never lets us down!
