A Fathers Choice
Joshua 24: 14,15
Intro: The father of five children had won a toy at a raffle. He called his kids together to ask which of them should have the present. "Who is the most obedient?" he asked. "Who never talks back to mother? Who does everything she says?" Five small voices answered in unison. "Okay, dad, you get the toy."
. A little boy was asked to explain what Fathers day was and he said that it is just like mother’s day except you don’t spend as much money.
.We don’t see men with new clothes and corsages and everybody gathering together to celebrate Fathers day.
. We don’t see the church full on father’s day like we do on mother’s day.
. It’s not because fathers aren’t as important as mothers, it’s just that we are different isn’t it guys.
. You see Fathers play a different role in the family than mothers do.
. Fathers are supposed to be the leaders, the head of the family. The king of the household if you will.
. Back when my children were growing up we had a democracy in our household. There was no King. We all had a vote. Pam had one vote, Dj had one vote, Andrew had one vote and I being the dad had 4 votes. Now that’s my kind of democracy.
. The sad reality is that many, many men have abdicated the throne in their home.
. They have either given it to their wives or they have ran away and the mother must accept the role out of sheer necessity.
. Folks that’s not how God intended for the family unit to operate.
.God’s intent was for the Father to be an integral part of the family unit. Without the father, the unit breaks down.
. I don’t want to bore you with a lot of statistics this morning but I want to share some with you to help us understand the crisis that this world is in.
. 90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
. 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes.
. 71% of pregnant teenagers lack a father.
. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.
. 85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes.
. 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.
. 75% of adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes.
. 70% of juveniles in state operated institutions have no father.
. 85% of youths in prisons grew up in a fatherless home.
. Fatherless boys and girls are: twice as likely to drop out of high school; twice as likely to end up in jail; four times more likely to need help for emotional or behavioral problems.
. Are you starting to understand the importance of fathers in the family?
. Dad, you are an integral part of the family. It is hard to survive without you.
. That’s how important you are.
. We hear about wars in foreign countries and wars on drugs and political wars.
. Folks the war is for the very survival of the family unit.
. What is at stake is our children and their future.
. Dad you are the glue that God says is to hold the family together.
. All throughout scripture we see commands about the family and they always start out with Father.
. Dads, we must consciously make the decision to follow God’s instruction when it comes to our family.
. Our scripture this morning tells us about a man who made a decision that his family would follow God’s instructions.
. Joshua took over as the leader of the Jewish nation after Moses had died and had led the people into the Promised Land.
. They had had their ups and downs in following God but at this time they were in a good place in their relationship with God.
. Joshua was getting on in years and he made one last address to the people and how they were to serve God and raise their families.
. He knew that the new land had some alluring aspects and he was telling them that they must decide how they and their household would live.
. Will you live serving the Lord or will you let the world influence how you live and raise your family.
. Our scripture is Joshua 24: 14-15
14“So fear the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone.
15But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”
. Joshua tells them that they must choose who they will serve. How they will live their lives and raise their families.
. He says that he chooses to raise his family in the service of the Lord.
. He chooses to raise his family by God’s standards.
. He says: “But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
. The first thing we must do dads is choose to raise our family the way God has intended.
. That’s where it begins and ends.
. Dad You must choose to do this.
. As Joshua says, choose this day who you and your family will serve.
. When you do this, then you can look to God for instructions on being a good father
.
. God says that in order to be a good father, you must first be a good husband.
. Look at Ephesians 5:25-28 with me.
. 25For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her
26to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.
27He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
28In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies.
. We are godly fathers by being godly husbands.
. You have heard me say this before but it bears repeating.
. Men, your children watch how you treat their mother.
. They learn how to love by watching how you love.
. If they see you show disrespect for your wife … your son will carry that into his marriage.
. If you verbally or mentally or physically abuse your wife … your daughter will expect that in her marriage.
. If you treat their mother like she isn’t worth very much … you are degrading the home, the family, and marriage … which they will carry into their future homes, families & marriages.
BUT …
.If they visibly see you show love and respect to their mother … your son will learn how to be a good husband and father himself.
. If you honor your wife … your daughter will never be satisfied with a man who dishonors her.
. If you cherish their mother as a valuable part of not only your life, but their life … they will carry that model with them for the rest of their lives.
. Fathers, place your children’s mother on a pedestal and love her as Christ loves the church.
. He gave his life for the church.
. That’s one way for you and your family to serve the lord.
. Love and honor your children’s mother.
. In order for you and your family to serve the Lord, you must teach your children.
. You must teach them about God.
. Clay talked a little about this in his sermon last week.
. Look at Deuteronomy 6: 4-9
. 4“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.
5And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength
.6And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.
7Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
8Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.
9Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
. We talked to the moms about this last month on mother’s day.
. It is your responsibility dad to teach your children about God.
.Repeat them over and over again to your children.
. Talk about God when you are at home, when you are on the road, when you go to bed and when you wake up.
. Bind them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads.
. The Jewish people would wrap their forearms and wrists representing the Torah which was the law that God had given Moses.
. They would wear a small box attached to a cord that would wrap around their head and inside of it they would have a small piece of material with a part of the law written on it.
. They took this literally.
. What God means is that you carry your faith with you at all times.
. Faith is not something we bring to church with us on Sunday and then put in a closet until next Sunday.
. Your faith is who you are and your children learn about God through how you teach them.
. As many of you know Pam is back in school working on a higher degree so she can keep me in the manner I have become accustomed.
. We were talking Wednesday on the way home from church and she said that many people in her class blame the fact that we have taken God out of the schools as the cause of so many children growing up not knowing about God.
. Folks, it’s not the schools responsibility to teach your children about God.
. It’s yours. It’s your responsibility Dad.
. God didn’t say make sure your children go to public school so they can learn about God.
. He said for you to teach them about God.
. We serve the Lord men when we teach our children about God with our words.
. Not only do we teach them with words, we teach them with actions.
. How many of you have heard the old saying, do as I say not as I do?
. Sadly that’s how many dads teach their children.
. Dads we are to be role models for our children.
. Dad, your children are watching.
. Play imitation video produced by The Veracity Project.
. Our children see what we do. What is important to you will become important to them.
. Is it important for you to be in God’s house for worship and instruction or is something else more important.
. Is it important to study God’s w2ord and let your children see that.
. Is it more important to make a ball game or a fishing trip or a hunting trip or a myriad of other things that pull at us as dads?
. I have been there. I raised two boys and wish I could go back and do some things differently.
. Like many, I sometimes had my priorities out of whack.
. Being a dad is hard and I understand that.
. It is the most important thing that you do.
. Nothing else in your life matters more than the relationship you have with your family and nothing is more important than how you lead your family.
. Fathers, choose this day to lead your family in serving and knowing the Lord.
Invitation
*** To my Christian brothers and sisters, thank you for taking the time to read this sermon. I ask that you take another second and score this for me. I am always open to feedback so that I can continue to grow in the proclamation of God’s word.
May God bless you as you continue to strive to walk worthy of His calling.
Sources: The Holy Bible, NLT
Illustrations from sermon central
Statistics from: http://thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com/statistics/
