Title: Father’s Day (FATHER – acrostic)
{Display a roll of duct tape.}
What are some other uses of duct tape that you can think of?
(Ask congregation!)
{WATCH: Duct Tape Video}
[ILLUS: Duct Tape is one of those invaluable items that is able to solve many of life’s little problems. We have seen some examples in the video we just watched. In recent years, Red Green has certainly increased the sales of duct tape. He used duct tape for many of the contraptions that he developed. Red Green was also known for his advice such as …
- If it ain’t broke, don’t lend it.
- If women don’t find you handsome, they can sure find you handy.
- Keep your stick on the ice
- Spare the duct tape, spoil the job.
There was another element of his show that he had made famous. It is known as the ‘Man’s Prayer’.
{I feel like I should get all the men to stand up and recite the Man’s Prayer together. What do you think?}
RED GREEN – MAN’S PRAYER
I’m a man…
But I can change…
If I have to…
I guess.
“But I can change if I have to”. As I keep thinking about this Father’s Day, my thoughts kept going back to the Man’s Prayer. I want to suggest some advice that each father ought to seriously consider. For some it may mean that there needs to be a change and for others it will serve as an affirmation of what you are already doing.
I decided to do it in the form of an acrostic for FATHER with biblical support.
F – FAITHFUL:
a. To God:
Deut. 6:5 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
- Scripture is very clear that the 1st priority of fathers should be evident in their faithfulness to God. Every aspect of your life should show that.
b. To wife:
Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church…”
- In marriage union, you are responsible to be faithful to your wife as Christ is to the church.
- She should be able to always count on you to be there.
- (Ex. Christ was willing to die for the church.)
A – ANCHOR:
1 Peter 5:10 “…God himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
- Anchor: “chain or heavy object that is thrown overboard to hold a ship in place”.
- I believe it ought to be the role of the father to be the anchor in the family. We should not be looking to our wives to fulfill this role.
- Families are under severe attack even bombarded from all angles. Look at the stats concerning: divorce, teenage pregnancy, suicide, drug addiction, peer pressures, etc.
- Sorry duct tape just won’t do for this one.
- Every family needs the father to be an anchor.
- Every family needs the father to step up to the plate.
- Every family needs the father to the glue to holds the family together.
- GO further: Every family needs the father to be the spiritual leader in the home. It’s time to give our wives a break!
The Bible encourages us to bring up our children according to God’s ways and purposes.
T – TRANSPARENT:
1 Timothy 2:14 “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity…”
- It is one thing to give our children instruction – it’s quite another to set for them an example. The example you set is the one seen at home because that’s where you are who you really are.
- A transparent family man allows his children to see him during the good and bad times. During the good and exciting times; the stressful and anxious moments. Because they will learn how to deal with those situations by watching you deal with them.
- Let your children see you make tough decisions as it will prove invaluable when they have to make tough choices.
So a real man, God’s man, is a transparent man.
H – HARD WORKING:
1Timothy 5:8, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, & especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith & is worse than an unbeliever.”
- Hard workers get noticed even by the God above.
[ILLUS: My memories of my father growing up was that of a hard-worker. He worked tirelessly to provide for the family. Like his family – their reputation went before their name. The Pinksens were known as people who were not afraid of work. My father exampled that for us from a very young age. In fact, I remember going in the logging camp with him on a number of occasions. There with my two own eyes, I seen for myself how hard he worked day-in and day-out.]
Hard worker means …
a. Providing for His family:
- Ensuring that there is food on the table and clothes on our backs.
- (ex. We never always had a lot but we were always provided for.)
b. Providing not only physical needs but mental, emotional and spiritual.
- There is a notion that the man’s responsibility is only to provide for the physical needs. That’s not true. Men are also responsible for care for their emotional needs by listening to your children and finding where they are. Men are also responsible for their spiritual needs. This is best accomplished by being a Christian example.
For fathers, being a hard worker should not be an option rather an obligation.
E – Elastic:
John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
- There are times when you as a father are going to be stretched.
- Some times it is going to hurt a little more than others.
[ILLUS: Like going to a chiropractor. You can get twisted into some interesting positions.]
[ILLUS: There was a guy who leaned slightly to the left. His friend suggested he go and see a chiropractor and have his legs checked. After years of refusing, he finally went to the chiropractor only discover that one leg was ¾" shorter than his right. A quick bit of adjusting later, he was cured, and both legs are exactly the same length now, and he no longer leans to the left.
His friend said, "You didn’t believe me when I told you my chiropractor could fix your leg."
He just looked at his friend and said, "I stand corrected."]
- In the world of parenting, there has to be some give and take – elasticity. Especially as rules & boundaries get pushed and broken.
- Parents including fathers need to be flexible in how we raise our children. I’m learning as we’re raising our 2nd teen that what worked for one does not necessarily work for the other.
Fathers, as difficult times come. They will. It’s inevitable. Take heart in the fact that Jesus is already the victor which means we are on the winning side. Jesus will help us be the best fathers we can be.
R – RESPECTED:
Romans 14:17-18 “For the Kingdom of God is … of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.”
- Our lives should be such that we are respected by God,
- Our lives should be such that we are respected by family,
- Our lives should be such that we are respected by community,
- That respect should be evident in…
i. Our conduct in our daily affairs (work and business),
ii. Our conduct inside the confines of our homes, and
iii. Our conduct when we believe no one else sees or hears (in privacy).
Our name should carry a quality of respect about it. Not that everyone will necessary love you but they have little choice than to respect you by the way that you conduct yourself.
Conclusion:
[ILLUS: {Show duct tape} Duct tape is probably one of the most well-rounded adhesive tapes on the market. It can literally old anything together. Red Green has proven that.
Do you know that if duct tape is left out in misty weather for a few hours, it loses all of its adhesive qualities? In other words that strong, multi-use tape becomes useless when exposed to the wrong elements.]
You know what I am going to say next don’t you. If we as fathers become exposed to negative, unhealthy, and unwholesome elements, we too will lose our intrinsic qualities as a father. Before you know it, we will not be the adhesive that holds our family together any longer. GOD FORBID THAT SHOULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE HERE THIS MORNING.
What I have shared this morning. I share…
- Man to man.
- Father to father.
- Not as one who has it all together and does everything perfectly (Just ask my family)
- Rather I speak to you this morning as one on this journey of fatherhood just like you.
- Also as one on this journey of faith just like you.
I don’t believe that we have inherited the families we have by accident rather by God’s design. I believe that we as fathers are to do everything in our power to be God’s representatives and positive role models and influences in the lives of our children. For some that is a little more difficult than others. I am fully aware of separation, divorce, custody issues and so on. Unfortunately it is a reality that we have to contend with in these days.
You know better than anyone your relationship with your children whether they live at home with you or not. What I am saying is this: With God’s help to the greatest extent possible, we need to be godly influences in the lives of our children.
Fathers, the fact is – we only get one opportunity to father our children. Let’s ask God for guidance to do it right the first time. The good news is: It’s never too late to start.
