"Dads That make a Difference"
Central Zion Baptist Church - Fathers Day - June 16, 2013.
Genesis 6-8
Salutation – Welcome Guests
General comments…..
Salute the fathers - commend them for the work they do.
I want to personally congratulate and applaud the many hard-working men and fathers who are committed and involved in the life of their home and children.
Keep up the good work. While the women are doing a whole lot of things right, they just can’t do it alone and in fact, there is one thing she cannot do, that is, teach a boy how to be a man - only a man can do that. Similarly, I believe that a girl needs a man in her life to help her learn how to relate to another man and to model for her what a decent husband should be like – it takes a man to do it.
So fathers are important to the growth and development of the child and they help to bring balance and stability to the home –
Think about it in this way – when a father is missing from a family or just not involved in the life of the children, it leaves in the heart of that child with a void and an emptiness that no other man can fill, it can only be filled by the Holy Spirit himself.
Additionally, when a dad is missing, THE FUTURE WELLBEING OF THAT FAMILY is severely compromised. I say that because A FATHER IS MORE THAN A MALE PARENT:
GOD HAS MANDATED HIM TO BE THE PATRIARCH TO HIS FAMILY – The Priest - THE CHIEF PLANNER, A PROTECTOR; A PROVIDER; THE ONE WHO PULLs AND KEEPs HIS FAMILY TOGETHER – SO I APPLAUD AGAIN THE FATHERS OF OUR CHURCH – YES, WE MAY NOT HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER, BUT I BELIVE THAT WE ARE TRYING.
Say: So the task before me today is a simple one – I have come by to encourage and lift up the men in our church and those visiting who are striving to be the kind of fathers that God mandates.
Think of it this way, today, a large percentage of all children (right in this country) under the age of 18 will probably eat their dinner today - in a home where the father will not be sitting at the table with them, not because they are at work or away working, but because they are just absent.
But I have come to encourage and challenge our men to stay involved for when dads are involved, it makes a difference in the life of the children and the home.
Topic for today is - “Dads that Make a Difference”
If fathers are going to make a difference in the lives of their children, they must be involved.
So today, I want to use a familiar story for this sermon – I want to examine Noah and the experiences of him and his family to bring to life three or four principles that may help us as we seek to make a difference in the life of our children and our families.
Text: Genesis 6& 7 - 9
A dad that makes a difference is a dad who,
1. His Relationship with God is current and up-to date –
I mean it’s Consistent, strong, healthy and growing– v-8-9.
I am afraid, but many families in this nation are in problems because the fathers have allowed their relationship with God to become delinquent – so some it has lapse – 30 days in arrears – 90 days in arrears – 120 days in arrears – let’s check our spiritual statements to see how we are doing – are we current and up to date in our walk with God. v-9 (read). If in arrears – you need to begin looking at how you can bring that up to date before you get cut off.
Spiritually speaking – when a dad’s relationship with God is current, that man is not wishy, washy, (unstable) but is striving to cultivate a meaningful relationship with God.
He is a growing Christian who knows that he doesn’t have it all together and is still open to learning from others. He is not a spiritually Mr. know it all.
But more specifically, what do I mean when I say that a dad that makes a difference is a dad that has a strong and consistent relationship with God- up to date – not delinquent? I mean that he…
1. He distinguishes himself as a real man of God v-8.
He stands out, not like a sore thumb, but rather as one who is taking the lead in matters relating to the spiritual and moral wellbeing of his family. He is seeking to lead his family – lead and train his children in a way so that when they are old they would not depart from it.
In v-8 of our text, the Bible does not go into details other than to say, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord – the word grace here means divine favor – Meaning that God approved of what he was doing and acted accordingly towards him. The face of God was turned towards him – no good thing was God withholding from him – for the Bible says that, “No good thing….those that walk uprightly before him.
In order to understand the significance and implications of this statement, we have to read v5-7.
So I want to say to the fathers in here, is to don’t mind all that is going on around you, still try hard to distinguish yourself as a real man of God, a real leader in your home, in this church and in this community. When I say distinguished, I mean you still stand tall in the midst of a culture that has gone totally crazy.
Not only are we to Distinguish ourselves as real men of God – In order to make a difference as a father, we have to …
2. Distance ourselves from folks and things that are not godly
Cut ties with those things that are not of God. A father must be an example setter. He must do all that he can to make sure that he is sending the correct message to his children at all times.
Yes, like Noah, we to are living in a culture of serious moral decadence and decay – we are living in a culture where anything goes –
Keeping sweetheart (extra-marital relationship), engaging in prostitution, playing numbers, homosexuality practice, incest, just to name a few of the more overt immoral behaviors, these things are prevalent among us so if we are going to walk with God we have to give up walking with the culture – men, the culture is corrupt, but we can still set ourselves apart as godly men who would take the lead in making sure that our children have a good role model to follow – but we must muster up enough courage and intestinal fortitude (men setting –another word) to distance ourselves from folks and things that are not of God. I asked myself the question, “how could Noah have lived in a culture of such moral and spiritual decay, but yet maintained such a high standard of holiness, so much so that when the rubber met the road, God singled him out for greatness? How is it – well I believe it is because he distinguished himself as a man of God and by distancing himself from those folks and things that were not of God.
Ill. Look at this – v-5-7; 13 - Noah was not one of them – you don’t have to be one of them….
Yes like the rest of them, Noah lived among them so that tells me that he had the opportunity to play numbers just like them – but he chose not to.
Like the rest of them, Noah had the opportunity to keep sweetheart (extra-marital affair), but he chose not to.
Like the rest of them, Noah had the opportunity to steal and to cheat and to miss church on a regular basis, but he chose not to – the choices he made is what made the difference for him. Because of the good moral and spiritual choices he made, he was able to maintain a life of faithfulness even in the midst of a people who were unfaithful. He was a dad who made a difference.
A dad that makes a difference is a dad who
1. His Relationship with God is current and up-to date – I mean it’s Consistent, strong, healthy and growing.
Distinguishes himself as a real man of God – leader
Distances himself from folks and things that are not of God.
There is a second thing that I want to bring to your attention today.. A dad that makes a difference is one
2. Who Recognizes and Responds Positively to the Voice of God – v-13-14 – 22- 7:9
He recognizes the voice of God because he is plugged into God and his relationship is up to date - in-tack – his relationship is current. He is not in arrears –
I said this before and I need to say it again – how can one know the voice of God when they are so many other competing voices out there all at the same time? What is different with the voice of God.
God voice always seems to bring more clarity to a situation – always seem to create a contrast to what’s going on around us –
Always seem to result in less confusion from what we may be experiencing
Always clears the way for a good decision –
1. He is not easily Distracted by the many other voices in the marketplace – 6:9; 7:1.
A dad that is making a difference in the life of his family is one who is stable and focused. He is not so easily persuaded by the cultural winds of doctrine and wanting to fit in with the cultural norms. He remains committed to the task of parenting and stays active in the life of his children no matter how difficult it gets – he stays the course – he weathers the storm – he leads them in a way that benefits them and yet brings honor and glory to God.
Look at our text, Noah was an ordinary family man with three sons at this time, three daughter-in-laws, living in the same community as everyone else, having the same challenges as everyone else, but in spite of all of that the Bible said that God spoke to him.
God is always speaking – He is speaking right now – He spoke yesterday and the day before – men are we able to recognize His voice and respond accordingly?
When you and I are distracted, we can’t hear God.
So often we are so enmeshed in our own issues, God gets pushed to the side. I know when I am getting distracted, when I recognize it, I often withdraw from all and sundry and get alone with God so I can quickly get back on track. As a father and a pastor, I have to be able to hear God and respond to him appropriately – I have to be able to discern between the voice of God and the many other voices that I hear all day long – (me and seminary).
No longer can we survive as a nation where fathers are so busy and distracted that they don’t have time to hear from God any more. Stay focused.
A dad that makes a difference is one who …
2. He is Determined to do what God says – 6:22; 7:5.
I wonder what families in this nation would be like if we could find a few good men like Noah. A few men who not only listen to God but is prepared to do all that God has commanded us to do?
The fact that the Bible says that Noah did all that God said is a testament to his leadership as a husband and a father. He obviously was someone who had already commanded the love and respect of not only his blood relatives, but also those who had joined his family by way of marriage.
He must have had a good relationship with his daughter-in-laws. I say to fathers today, you leadership – your love – your example as a loving father must out of necessity extend to your sons and daughter-in-laws. You must love them the way you love your own children.
(My daughter-in-law).
If you are a son-in-law or a daughter-in-law and you have a godly mother or father and you fail to show them the same respect that you show your own parents – you are bringing curse and damnation unto yourself.
Noah family respected him because they saw a man who despite the negative trends of his day, they respected him because they saw him as one who was seeking to do what God says.
What have I said so far? - A dad that makes the difference is a dad who…..
His Relationship with God is current and up-to date – I mean it’s Consistent, strong, healthy and growing.
• Distinguishes himself as a real man of God – leader
• Distances himself from folks and things that are not of God.
Who Recognizes and Responds Positively to the Voice of God – v-13-14 – 22- 7:9.
• He is Determined to do what God says – 6:22; 7:5;
• He is not easily Distracted by the many other voices in the marketplace – 6:9; 7:
Lastly, a dad that makes a difference is one who
3. Takes full Responsibility for the future well-being of his children/family.
Responsibility is a word that seems to be missing from our vocabulary today. Men, get this word out, we have to take responsibility for some of the problems in our homes and by extension in this country.
We must begin to lead again if we are going to see positive change in this nation. No we can’t solve all of the country’s problems, we can begin to make small differences right in our homes.
Our number one priority as men is the safety, survival, stability and success of our family – we have to begin to think long term. In order for this to happen then the first thing we have to do is to..
A dad that will make a difference is someone who knows how to think long term. By so doing…..
1. He devises strategies to make sure his family survives and succeeds. He had their future in mind.
Look at Hebrew 11:7 – the Bible says that Noah having been warned by God built an ark to save his family. Noah as a father realized the enormous responsibility that was entrusted to him, obeyed God and make the necessary plans and did what he had to do to ensure that his family survived and went on to enjoy the blessings of the Lord.
In that single act of obedience to God, Noah made sure that his family had shelter (roof over their head).
Fathers that is our responsibility – we can’t run from it. And if you are not a live at home dad, you are still responsible to help with the expenses of room and board – providing a shelter for your child or children – it is called responsibility
Noah build an ark – that represented a shelter for his children. v-18.
- Look at v-21 - A dad knows that he is making a difference when he provides not just a shelter for the children, but he also provides sustenance – sustenance means food – provision – nourishment – both physical, spiritual and psychological.
So he is making a difference when he provides shelter – sustenance – but he also provides a Sense of belonging for them – v-18. They went in – he was leading his family – he stayed with them during this stormy period – he was present and involved.
Dads, when your little girl knows that she belongs to her father and is an integral part of the family, she does not have to seek out the approval of another man to know that she is special and belongs. A dad is mandated by God to make sure the children have shelter – have sustenance – and have a sense of belonging –
Finally – Finally – Finally –
A dad that makes a difference is a dad who…
2. Devotes himself to the Worship of God – 8:20 .
Worship is important to the family – I said it last week and I must say it again – God is the Central figure in the family – It is no accident that the first thing he did after realizing that God had been good to him was to worship God in an act of thanks giving – I believe this was a spill over from what was going on in the ark – worship was what this family did.
When a father is saved and involved in ministry, 92 % or 9 out of 10 times, the children will follow in their foot steps.
The Bible said that the man was walking with God and he was righteous – he stood out.
Some folks would tell me and you, well I don’t have to come to church to worship to be a Christian – I agree with you, but by golly, if you are a Christina you will go to church and worship.
When the Bible said that we ought not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together – he was not talking about some god-talk in your living room he was referring to corporate worship in a context with other believers – lets read the bible correctly so that we can rightly divide the word of truth.
The Bible says that Noah walked with God 6:9. meaning that he had a close and intimate relationship.
Saints of God,
A man who is Walking with God would out of necessity want to Worship God –
He would want to immerse himself in the Word of God
He would out of necessity positions himself to engage in the Work of God –
That’s the dad that is making a difference today.
And because of that, at the end of the day, the Bible tells us that God made a covenant of blessings with him – Read v-17-18. and chapter 9.
So men of God – remember that dads that make a difference are dads ----
1. His Relationship with God is current and up-to date – I mean it’s Consistent, strong, healthy and growing.
• Distinguishes himself as a real man of God – leader
• Distances himself from folks and things that are not of God.
2. Who Recognizes and Responds Positively to the Voice of God – v-13-14 – 22- 7:9.
• He is Determined to do what God says – 6:22; 7:5;
• He is not easily Distracted by the many other voices in the marketplace – 6:9; 7:
•
Lastly, a dad that makes a difference is one who
3. Takes Responsibility for the future well-being of his children/family.
He Devises strategies to make sure his family survives and succeeds.
Has Devotes himself to the worship of God – 8:20
Fathers we must take the lead in challenging our children into making a commitment to Jesus Christ.
Appeal – gospel.
