GOD GIVE US MEN
JEREMIAH 5:1-6
The question has been asked more than once, "What is a father?" Ham Mobley helps us out with the answer in an informative and entertaining way.
"Between the joy of bridegroom and the pride of grandfather, we find a bewildered human being called a father. . . . Fathers come in varying degrees of education, influence, temperament and wealth, but all fathers have the same hope or dread--to make life easier in every way for their offspring and to sacrifice with diligence (a virtue acquired after the first baby) until the job is done.
"Fathers are busy doing most everything -- piloting planes, making music, presiding as president, pushing pencils, building buildings, selling suits and digging ditches. Wives try to remake them, daughters have a way with them, mothers still try to baby them, fathers think they are a chip off the old block, and sons worship them. A father is a Babe Ruth without hitting a homerun, a Solomon withoug going to school, a Rockefeller without the next house payment, and a Rock Hudson (even without hair).
"When daughters have dates, a father is an unnecessary, thoughtless, interrupting fixture about the house. When his wife want him to repair something he has a thousand other things to do first, or else he must buy an $80 set of tools to do the $.25 job....
"Fathers must like (or pretend to like) hot dogs, peanuts, banana splits, library teas, overnight hikes, birthday parties, all day swimming, getting up early on Saturdzay, going to the zoo, popular music, and spinach. He must dislike (or pretend to dislike) second helpings of dessert, sleeping late on Saturday. . . fast driving. . .
"Nobody else carries in his head such knowledge as: how flies walk on the ceiling, Mickey Mantle’s batting average in 1955, the oldest nursery rhyme, the latest hit tune. . . why the fish aren’t biting, and how to have one car at two places at the same time. . . .
"You might as well admit it; he is your Prince Charming, your coach, your banker, your adviser, and your pal; an unyielding, non-understanding, old-fashioned fuddy duddy who still sticks out his chest when he overhears you say, ’That’s my Dad.’"
Sounds like quite a job, doesn’t it? And it is quite a job. I would be tempted to say that it is a job that is growing increasingly difficult in today’s world. And many of you would agree with me.
But I suppose, it has never been easy to be a father. There have always been times where the burden of being dad was heavy. Still, we seem to be having a shortage of men who will be what it takes to be true fathers, not just biological ones.
Today, we can echo the message given by God to Jeremiah--we need men! True, honest, godly men. And the hopes of our society, the very existence of our society hinges on this. God told the prophet to search out one man who lived a godly life and judgment would be delayed.
Today, will we find such a man as God desires? I wonder.
I. God wants men of conviction.
A. God wants men committed to the truth.
B. Jeremiah’s generation was one that felt they could say one thing and do another.
C. What kind of example are we leaving our children in terms of the truth, in terms of standing up for what we believe?
II. God wants men of action.
A. God desires men who treat each other with dignity and fairness.
B. Jeremiah was challenged to find a single man who acted in righteousness.
C. As our children watch, will they see fathers who complain about this world but never do anything about injustice, unrighteousness?
III. God wants men of compassion.
A. God wants men who will care.
B. The problem in Jeremiah’s day was that people had grown callous to the hurting around them.
C. Have we bought into the macho idea that a man isn’t supposed to "feel" to such a degree that people are perishing and we don’t care?
Folks, it doesn’t take a lot of figuring out that we can see the kind of man God wants is one like Jesus Christ. Now, don’t misunderstand me--I’m not saying we’ll be messiahs--but I am saying Jesus is our greatest example of what we are meant to be. Look at him and you will see a man of conviction, a man of action, and a man of compassion. If we were, to quote Charles Shelton’s wonderful book, to walk In His Steps, we would be setting an important example in front of those who call us father, or for that matter, mother.
It is an incredible responsibility to be a parent. But understand, as believers we carry another responsibility--to show the world our reason to live, Jesus Christ. Let us take up the challenge to be the men God desires. Let us be men of conviction, action, and compassion. And let us point all that we come into contact with to the greatest Father of all, the Lord God Almighty!
