There once was a young mother who woke up one night and went into the nursery and found her husband looking down at their newborn baby who has asleep
• The Mother could tell that he was captivated by the scene as he stood there looking at their baby sleep.
• She was so touched that finally she tiptoed up behind him and put her arm around him and asked what are you thinking about?
• He said, I just can’t understand / how they can make a crib like this for only $89.95
Fathers are interesting creatures.
There has ALWAYS been a great need for Dads.
• We may think they’re weird because of what they wear
• Or their lack of emotions. / don’t show their feelings like Moms do
But Dad’s play an important role in our families
• So with this being said
• And today being Father’s Day
• I thought it would be the perfect oportunity to see what the Bible tells us about what makes a great dad?
1). First we see that A great dad loves his children.
Ps 103:13 The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
The word compassion means to love deeply & to cherish.
• Dads are to cherish and nurture their children.
• This isn’t just the job of Mom’s
• Even thou society thinks so
• Dads are supposed to love their kids too.
But, one of the problems that we have in the world today is that
• Men don’t understand this
• There are too many absent dads / Deadbeat dads /
• Far too many dads that aren’t living up to this example
2). A great dad is fair to his children.
Eph 6:4 And now a word to you fathers. Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them.
The NIV says don’t exasperate your children.
• Don’t wear them out / Don’t nag them / Don’t make them hostile |Treat them fairly
• This doesn’t mean that we don’t discipline them.
• It means that We don’t punish them unfairly punish.
We have to be reasonable.
• Because we all know that sooner or later our kids are going to do things that they’re not supposed to
• We can expect this from them
3). A great dad takes the time to train and instruct his children.
Let’s look at the rest of the Ephesians 6:4 / at the 2nd half
Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.
What kind of instruction?/ Is Paul Talking About
• He’s talking about Moral instruction / Spiritual instruction.
• A better way to say this is to teach them the truth.
• Teach them the difference between Right and wrong.
• Good and evil. Heaven and hell. Morality & Immorality.
And our Children’s response to this should be
• That as long as they live in their parent’s house
• I am going to obey you.”
• Now they may not always like it, They may not agree with it.
• But since they want to please God / Obey God
• They demonstrate this by obeying, you.”
As we look at these three responsibilities
• We see why it is so important that Dads be the kind of dads they were meant to be?
• We have a generation of children who don’t know the difference between right and wrong
• And the reason is Because they didn’t have any fatherly influence in their lives
They didn’t have Father’s who loved them / Treated them fairly / Taught them right from wrong.
• We have way to many young people who have a distorted view about God
• Because their relationship with their earthly father are so messed up.
• And now It’s hard for them to understand how God can be Loving /
• / Patient / Merciful.
• Because they haven’t been displayed by their Earthly Fathers
Transition: One of the greatest characteristics about God
• Is that He is a Father / Me / You / All of Us
• The truth is that each one of us here today has 2 Fathers.
• We have Our earthly father and / Our Heavenly Father.
• So going with the fact that today is Father’s day
• Here are some truths about God being our Father.
1st of all He will always be around.
Isa 9:6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
God Our Heavenly Father isn’t going anywhere
• He will always be there / He’ll never walk out on us / He’ll never die.
• He is now and always will be our constant source of hope
• And when we are alone we can trust in Him.
B). He is a Father to the fatherless and defender of widows, This is God
• We’re told this in Psalm 68:5
The words Fatherless & orphan are used 10 times in the Bible.
• The word Widow is used 11 times in the Bible.
• And Almost every time these words are being used
• They are being used to describe God either looking out for them
• Or he is giving instruction not to mistreat them.
God has a special place in his heart for children that live a fatherless home.
• There are Single moms who may not be widows but their husbands aren’t around.
• And these Moms need to understand that they have a Great heavenly father
• Who’s in their corner / Who’s on their side
And as a church we need to remember this.
• Because a lot of times Single Moms and Fatherless homes
• Are looked down upon. In our society
• And As a church we need to embrace God’s love and concern in this area.
C). He loves you and I just as much as He loves His Son Jesus.
Jn 17:22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are—
Jn 17:23 I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.
And The very next word that Jesus speaks after saying this is “Father.”
• Jesus uses the word Father six times in this chapter.
• That’s how much God loves every single one of us
• He loves us as much as He loves his Son.
• Even when he disciplines us.
D). And Finally with all this being said it’s up to us to decide whether we want Him to be our Father
• God has every right to have ownership in our lives. Because He created us.
But He won’t do this--- He will never force His way to be our Father.
• He will never take us to court / Make us recognize Him as our Father
• Because It’s up to us to choose whether or not we will allow him to be our father.
Jn 8:42 Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me.
Just because our parents believed in God doesn’t make us a believer of God.
• The religious people in this chapter thought that just because they had the right Ancestors they were accepted.
• And Jesus changed this.
• He said if God were your Father you would love me.
To know Jesus is to know God the Father.
So What does all of this mean to us?
• Today as we celebrate this Father’s day
• First we see that Dad’s are crucial in the life of our children.
• Second we learn that the ultimate example of fatherhood
• Is found in our Heavenly Father.
If we really want to know how to be a father—
• We need to model our Heavenly Father.
• And finally even if our father is not around
• We see that we are never alone
Ps 27:10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.
So With this being said
May this Father’s Day be celebrated with a whole new perspective
