Scripture Reading:
Genesis 17:4. "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
Father of Multitude of Nations
Have you ever been out on I15 on the way to Las Vegas at night? If you take one of those exits such as Zzyzx, turn right and go about 1 mile into no where. It is much like the road in the movie Cars.
Then you get out of the car and look up. The sky is amazing. It is filled with millions of little lights.
It is much like the night about 4000 years ago when a 80 year old man walks out of his tent and looks up to the sky. There is Orion, and the Big Dipper, and there is the Little Dipper. All of a sudden he heard a voice.
“Abram” -- He looks around but finds no one.
“Abram” – He realizes that it is a voice from above.
“What is it Lord? Your servant awaits your command.”
“I will bless you Abram. See all the stars in the sky, your descendants will be as numerous as that. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.”
Abram immediate bows low and worships the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Abraham, the father of a multitude of nations. Have you ever thought of what it takes to become the father of multitude of nations? That led me start doing some research about what it take to become a great father. I found Seven Characteristics of a Great Father.
For those of you that are not yet fathers, pay attention. And for those that are already fathers, please don’t think that I’m trying to lecture to you. This sermon is for my benefit as much as it is for you.
Due to the interest of time, I will not go into detail on each point or we will be here until sun down.
1. Protector & Warrior
Abraham recovering Lot *** Story *** Gen 14.
Four kings from the North wend to battle against the 5 kings of the Siddim valley. When the Siddim valley kings lost, Sodom and Gomorrah was ransacked. Taking all the inhabitants and valuables with them.
Abram’s 318 men, along with his two allies kings, immediately went on the pursuit. They caught up to the vast army about evening.
Abram divided his forces into three groups and waited until near dawn, when the air was cool and the sentries were falling asleep.
At Abram’s signal, all three groups rushed into the enemy’s camp. The captives were tied to stakes and the soilders were all laying drunk.
Before the enemy knew what was happening, the fight was over.
If you want to know the details, go read Genesis 14 this afternoon.
Abram was a protector and a warrior. He felt the responsibility and obligation to protect his family from all harm. But Abram not only protected his family with his own strength, he relied on God’s guidance.
Fathers, you need to protect your families, but today our biggest enemy is not the kings of the north. It is the principalities unseen.
Eph 6: 12-13. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Protector but strength is from God.
Protect and defend your family firstly on your knees. Spiritual warfare against The Enemy starts on your knees.
2. Leader, Priest – spiritual leader of the family
Abraham setup an altar every he went **** story ****
I would like you to turn your Bibles to Genesis 12:7-8
Please keep your Bibles handy because we are going to go to it all through this service.
Gen 12:7. Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8. Thence he removed to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Abraham was not only a priest of his family, he was also the leader as well. But being a leader has additional responsibilities beyond being the priest.
Family hierarchy
1 Corinthians 11:3. But there is one matter I want to remind you about: that a wife is responsible to her husband, her husband is responsible to Christ, and Christ is responsible to God.
Eph. 5:23. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
You are the leader of your family as Christ is the head of the church. I don’t have time to go into that but it is a very important job and I would invite you to find out what it means.
Keeping of the family heritage
Prov. 22:28. Remove not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.
Deut 4:9. "Only take heed, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children…
It is your responsibility to keep the family heritage going. It is important for our children to know our family name and be proud of it. It is our job to instill that heritage in our children’s lives.
3. Husband
Being a Great Father means being a great husband.
Love your wife
Colossians 3:19 - And you husbands must be loving and kind to your wives and not bitter against them, nor harsh.
Eph 5:28. That is how husbands should treat their wives, loving them as parts of themselves. For since a man and his wife are now one, a man is really doing himself a favor and loving himself when he loves his wife!
The first requirement of being a great husband is to love your wife. But Peter when further than Paul, when it comes to his advice to the husband.
Tend to and provide for your wife’s needs
1 Pet 3:7. You husbands must be careful of your wives, being thoughtful of their needs and honoring them as the weaker sex. Remember that you and your wife are partners in receiving God's blessings, and if you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not get ready answers.
4. Gentleman
Abraham accepting the three guests **** Story ****
Gen 18: 1-5. AND THE Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, 3. and said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5. while I fetch a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on--since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said."
Prov. 15:4. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Gentlemen/Elder’s charge
1 Tim 3:2-4. Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, 3. no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. 4. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way;
5. Coach and Cheerleader
Lot follows Abraham’s example and welcomes the two angels into his house. **** story ****
Commission to Teach
Deut. 6: 4. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; 5. and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; 7. and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
-- Father’s duty to instruct --
Prov. 1:8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching;
Prov. 4:1 HEAR, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight;
**** Story about child giving their school presidential speech. ****
Coaching may get a bit frustrating
Colossians 3:21 - Fathers, don't scold your children so much that they become discouraged and quit trying. (be an encouraging coach)
6. Balance between Career and Family
Proverbs 16:1-3,9; THE PLANS of the mind belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. 3. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. 9. A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
1 Timothy 6:6–11 There is great gain in godliness with contentment; 7. for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; 8. but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs. 11. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
7. Disciplinarian
Hebrews 12:8. If God doesn't punish you when you need it, as other fathers punish their sons, then it means that you aren't really God's son at all--that you don't really belong in his family.
Prov. 28:7. He who keeps the law is a wise son, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.
Prov. 13:24. He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
Eph 6:4 And now a word to you parents. Don't keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice. (be a disciplinarian)
Discipline goes beyond just punishment. It really involves:
i. Setting expectations
ii. Teaching and modeling
iii. Directing and channeling
Church Family
-- Helping the fatherless --
Job 5: 15. But he saves the fatherless from their mouth, the needy from the hand of the mighty.
Job 29: 11-13. When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved; 12. because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless who had none to help him. 13. The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
-- God is the Father of the fatherless --
Psalms 68:5. Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
We as a church should be a little glimpse of heaven.
Leaders of this church also have a duty and responsibility to assist in the raising of our children.
At this time, I would like all the pathfinders or previous pathfinders that are still single to come up and line up here.
*** Salute the fathers ***
-- Be a Father before it is too late. --
Ruth Hancock’s father was never home. She used to joke to her sister when dad would come home that there is a stranger coming through the door. Her father worked a lot and was seldom home. When he was home he had a hard time relating to little girls. Her older sister spent a lot more time with him than she. And when she became of age to play sports, Ruth’s father had divorced her mother and gone away.
His father then remarried which increased the resentment Ruth harbored against her father. Although her step mother tried very hard to bring them together they still seem like strangers, even when they were together.
Then one day she got a call that her father had contracted cancer and that she and her sister should come. When they walked into the living room, they saw an old frail man. The once strong Scandinavian was only a shell of himself. After about half-an-hour of talking, he became very tired. Ruth’s sister and her step mother held his hand as he slowly walked back to his room. Ruth followed.
She wanted to have some private time with him. She wanted to connect with him but the whole weekend flew by without an opportunity.
Then the last night they were their, their father walked out to meet them. Strong and purposeful was his steps. His voice did not quiver and his words had meaning. He proceeded to apologize for not being the father that he should of. He asked him to forgive him for not tending to their needs as they were growing up.
Then in an instance, the purposeful man turned back to the weak, sick, dying father.
Ruth walked him back to the room and for some reason, both her sister and step mother stayed back. Maybe they felt she needed the time of reconciliation, maybe they just wanted to give her a chance to walk her father one last time.
That night, her father went to sleep in her arms. That night, healing was completed.
Fathers, do not wait like this man waited. This is our time. I want to commission your to be the greatest father.
