2 Keys to Fatherhood
Holly Springs 6/20/21
Today is Father’s Day, the day we celebrate our earthly father. And of course, that means I need to share a few father jokes with you right? Like this. What did the daddy bu?alo say to its son before it left for school? “Bison.” Or how about the time a father and son were at the zoo. And as they were looking at the tigers, his dad began telling the son how ferocious they were. His son asked but dad if they got out and ate you up, his dad stopped him and said yes, I know that would be bad, but I would do all I could to protect you. His son said no dad what I wanted to know is which bus would I need to take to get home?
If we were to add it all up, we would probably find that we take about the same amount of time to celebrate our earthly father as we do our heavenly father.
Now that may sound strange to you, but how many of you actually came here today to celebrate God? If we are to be honest with one another, most of came because we always come, it’s what we do on Sunday morning. We may have come with the thought to come and learn something, maybe to hear a word or two that will inspire us, or to sing some songs. But how many came to celebrate?
Every day the Lord gives us is a day to celebrate, a day to be thankful for the work that God, our Heavenly Father has given us. So, as we celebrate our earthly fathers, let’s make it a point to celebrate our Heavenly Father today, tomorrow, and forever.
This morning I want us to look at two pieces of scripture for our scripture text. First turn to Ephesians 5:25. Again that is Ephesians 5:25. Once you have that stick your finger there and turn to Colossians 3:18-21.
Once again that is Colossians3:18-21. Once you get there as you are able please stand for the reading of God’s Holy Word. Again, we will start with Colossians 3:18-21, then we will flip back to Ephesians 5:25.
Here is what it says in Colossians: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Now flip back to Ephesians 5:25 and read with me, it says: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Now you might be wondering why I had you look at Colossians, where it spoke to mothers, fathers, and children. Well I am going to tell you why.
I know that you would agree with me that we are living in some different and disturbing times, and that is true for those of us that are a little older. But you see in this day and time, now listen to me you young folk, to you it’s not different and disturbing and that is because to you everything that is being taught and talked about will be called the new normal.
Things like being binary, that means you are neither man now woman. And all I have to say about that is, REALLY? What are you talking about?
For the last year and a half during this time of pandemic we have been told to trust the science. That a mask works, that the vaccine is perfectly safe, that social distancing will help. Time and time again we have heard those words, trust the science.
Okay so let’s take that seriously for a minute. When it comes to the reproduction of man and all other animals it takes a man and a woman, not a binary person. You see God made us different for a reason, it was so we could reproduce and in order to do so it takes a man and a woman. That’s why I included the part about wives, fathers, and children. I don’t care what the world says, God and the science both say it takes a man and a woman.
Let’s pivot away from Colossians for a moment and consider what we read in Ephesians. What do you think it means when Paul says Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
I would imagine that most of think that verse talks about Jesus Christ gave all he had for the Church that He gave his life on the cross for her. Now that is true, but He actually gave her everything He had why he walked on earth with man.
Let’s consider two ways that Jesus can be an example to us as fathers and to all of us as believers.
The first thing I want you to consider is that Jesus gave Himself wholly to the Church. Now remember when I say the Church, I am not just talking about the Church that began following his crucifixion, but I am speaking to the Church today, the Church here at Holly Springs and anywhere else in the world.
In 1st Corinthians 15: 1-8. Paul gives us the Gospel and shows us how Jesus did this. It says: Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Why do I bring this up, because there could be no Gospel without this? The Gospel is not a message about Christ as a world teacher, or Christ as a great example; but the Gospel has to do with the Christ who died.
You see we as Christians would have no example of what it means to love our wives, discipline our children, to treat others with love and respect without the gospel, without Jesus giving himself wholly for the you and I, for the Church.
So, dads how are you giving yourself wholly to your family. Far too many dad’s today thinks this means that I have to work like a dog to give my kid everything he or she wants. Listen brothers that is not what it means or is saying.
It means give them your time. It means give them your love. Tell them that you love them, show them you love them, not by buying stuff, but by wrapping your arms around them and holding them. It’s by engaging them in meaningful conversation. It’s time you really talked to your children and find out how they feel about things. Talk to them about what the world says and what the Word says, because the world is taking them somewhere, they don’t need to be.
And what about your wife? Are you giving her your all? Or perhaps have you begun to take her for granted. It’s easy to do, we get so caught up in providing for the material things we think we need and want, that we forget to take care of the spiritual needs of the woman we love. Christ gave himself wholly to the Church and that is how we need to be with our wives, she deserves nothing less.
The second way that Jesus gave himself to the Church is willingly.
I know that many of you have volunteered to do something for a group or someone else. Perhaps you young people willingly gave yourself to help Mom with the housecleaning, or you willingly mowed the grass, or picked up your rooms. There is a big difference between volunteering yourself to do something, where you willingly give of yourself, then being told you had to do something. Well guess what? Jesus willingly gave himself up on the cross for you and for me.
Five times in John 10:11-18 we are told about Jesus willingly giving Himself up for the salvation of sinners. Listen to what it says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
Literally the word “gives” there could also be translated “lays down” and in fact, in vs. 15, 17, and twice in vs. 18. Jesus says He lays down His life.
Why does Jesus repeatedly mention that He lays down His life for the sheep? It is because Jesus as Shepherd and Savior willingly gives Himself up for His sheep, whatever it takes for their salvation and safety. By sheep, Jesus means His people. And who are His people? It’s us.
Now listen I am not standing here this morning telling you dads that you have to physically give your life for your family. But what I am saying is are you willingly giving them yourself?
Are you only giving them part of yourself because you have to? Do you sometimes secretly wish that it was all about you, that you could do what you want when you want?
Guess what you can. But it includes God, your family, and your Church. When we live like Christ we want to be with our family, we want to give them our best, because that is what our Heavenly Father did when He gave us Jesus.
Pray as led.
