FATHER’S DAY 2022
BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH
INTRODUCTION: AS WE GET STARTED THIS MORNING, I HAVE TWO SMALL REMINDERS FOR OUR DADS WHO ARE HERE WITH US THIS MORNING. ONE IS A PEN WITH THE INSCRIPTION, “GODLY FATHERS ARE A BLESSING TO THEIR CHILDREN”. THE OTHER ITEM IS A COMPASS KEYCHAIN WITH THE INSCRIPTION, “GOD WILL BE MY GUIDE.” OH, AND LINDA BRONKEMA HAS BAKED SOME CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES FOR YOU AS WELL. AFTER ALL, WHAT SELF-RESPECTING FATHER DOES NOT LIKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!
NORMALLY, WHEN FATHER’S DAY COME AROUND MESSAGES FOCUS ON THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD FATHER, OR A LIST OF WHAT THINGS A GODLY FATHER SHOULD BE DOING. AS TEMPTED AS I AM TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION THIS MORNING, I WOULD RATHER TAKE THE TIME THIS MORNING TO LOOK AT A FUNDAMENTAL ROOT ISSUE THAT FATHERS, AS WELL AS ALL PEOPLE REALLY DEAL WITH IN THEIR LIVES.
BUT SINCE TODAY IS FATHER’S DAY, WE WILL TALK ABOUT THESE THIS ISSUE AS IT RELATES TO FATHERS. OF COURSE, FEEL FREE AFTER TODAY TO INSERT WHOMEVER YOU LIKE IN THE PLACE OF FATHERS. BOTH THE NEED AND THE MESSAGE ARE THE SAME!
PROVERBS 23:7 (KJV) FOR AS HE THINKETH IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE: EAT AND DRINK, SAITH HE TO THEE; BUT HIS HEART IS NOT WITH THEE.
? THE GOAL OF EVERY FATHER
o THE GOAL OF EVERY FATHER, ESPECIALLY THOSE DADS WHO KNOW THE LORD AS THEIR SAVIOR IS TO MODEL FATHERHOOD AFTER GOD THE FATHER
o THIS MODEL DOES NOT HAVE ANY DEFECTS
? GOD IS PERFECT IN HIS NATURE
? GOD IS THEREFORE PERFECT AS A FATHER
o THE BIBLE GIVES US A KEY TO THE
? THREE TIMES IN THE SCRIPTURE WE SEE GOD ADDRESSED OR REFERENCED TO AS “ABBA, FATHER”
? IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK, JESUS REFERS TO GOD AS “ABBA FATHER” AS HE IS PRAYING FOR THE CUP HE HAS TO DRINK TO BE REMOVED
• THIS IS THE TERM JESUS USES.
• IT IS A TERM OF INTIMACY
• IT IS ALSO USED IN THE CONTEXT OF “FEAR” THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD THE SON AND GOD THE FATHER WOULD CHANGE BECAUSE OF THE CUP
? THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IS IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS WHERE THE APOSTLE PAUL TELLS US THE WE CAN CALL GOD “ABBA FATHER” BECAUSE OF OUR SONSHIP WITH HIM
• PAUL HERE IS STRESSING THE ASSURANCE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD SINCE THROUGH CHRIST WE HAVE BEEN ADOPTED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD.
• SO INTIMATE IS THAT ADOPTION THAT WE CAN REFER TO GOD IN THE MOST SPECIAL OF TERMS.
? THE THIRD PASSAGE IS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF GALATIANS WHERE, ONCE AGAIN THE APOSTLE PAUL TEACHES US TO CALL GOD, “ABBA FATHER.”
• WHAT IS DIFFERENT HERE IS SUBTLE BUT SIGNIFICANT
• INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON OUR ASSURANCE PAUL IS SAYING TO THE GALATIANS THAT SINCE YOU ARE CHILDREN OF GOD THAT YOU START ACTING LIKE IT.
o THE KEY TO THIS PHRASE IS THAT IT LOOKS AT THE ENTIRE AREA OF BEING A FATHER
? THE RELATIONAL – “ABBA”
? THE POSITIONAL – “FATHER
SO, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU IS WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE KEY TO BEING A TWO-SIDED “DAD. A DAD OF POSITION AND A DAD OF RELATIONSHIP,
AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO OUR HEART. JUST LIKE SOLOMON SAID, WHAT WE THINK IN OUR HEATS IS WHAT WE ARE.
JESUS, BY THE WAY WOULD SAY IT AS WELL WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE ISSUE OF WHAT COMES OUT OF OUR HERTS
LUKE 6:45 (KJV)
45 A GOOD MAN OUT OF THE GOOD TREASURE OF HIS HEART BRINGETH FORTH THAT WHICH IS GOOD; AND AN EVIL MAN OUT OF THE EVIL TREASURE OF HIS HEART BRINGETH FORTH THAT WHICH IS EVIL: FOR OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKETH.
? WHAT WE TELL OURSELVES ABOUT OTHERS AFFECT HOW WE INTERACT WITH THEM
“THE MOST POWERFUL WORDS IN THE UNIVERSE ARE THE WORDS YOU SAY TO YOURSELF. – MARIE FORLEO
“IT IS NOT THINGS THAT UPSET US, IT IS OUR JUDGMENT ABOUT THINGS. -- EPICTETUS
? THOUGHTS DETERMINE ACTIONS
o LET ME GIVE YOU A STORY. LET’S SAY YOU HAVE FOLKS IN YOUR HOUSE THAT ARE “ORGANIZATIONALLY CHALLENGED” – NOT A HARD SELL HERE, AS MANY OF US ARE, ME INCLUDED
o NOW LET US SAY THAT YOU SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME CLEANING AND ORGANIZING A ROOM OR CABINET, ETC.
o THE FOLLOWING DAY, YOU FIND THE SOMEONE HAS “MESSED” UP YOUR RECENT CLEANING AND ORGANIZING.
o MAYBE THE LEFT STUFF OUT, DIDN’T CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES. YOU GET THE PICTURE
? WE LOOK AT THIS MESS AND WE CONCLUDE
o THEY HAVE DISREGARDED MY WORK
o THEY ARE DETERMINED TO LIVE IN SQUALOR FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES
o WE WILL NEVER DIG OURSELVES OUT OF THIS MESS
o WE FEEL IRRITATED AND BOTHERED. RIGHTLY SO?
IT IS NOT THE SIGHT OF WHAT WE SEE THAT HAS THE POWER OR INFLUENCE TO IRRITATE US. IT IS THE MEANING WE ATTACHED TO WHAT WE SEE THAT DOES.
THE MEANING WE ATTACHED IS THE STORY, WE TELL OURSELVES ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE JUST SEEN
? THE APOSTLE PAUL TELLS US IN ROMANS THAT WE LIVE WITH TWO INFLUENCES AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST
o THE INFLUENCE OF OUR OLD NATURE THAT HANGS AROUND EVEN THOUGH WE ARE DEAD TO IT
o OUR NEW NATURE – THE ONE THE PAUL WANTS US TO EMBRACE BY LIVING LIKE GOD’S CHILDREN
o EACH AND EVERY SITUATION WE FACE WILL BRING A RESPONSE FROM ONE OF THESE NATURES
? WE LISTEN TO OUR OLD NATER THAT SCREAMS TO ACT LIKE WE WERE BEFORE JESUS
? WE LISTEN TO OUR NEW NATURE THAT SEEKS FOR US TO LIVE GRACIOUSLY, LOVINGLY AND LIKE JESUS
? LET’S CALL THE FIRST ONE OUR “PRIMAL” STATE
o JUST LIKE WE WERE WHEN WE WERE RUNNING AROUND WITHOUT JESUS
o IT IS REACTIVE
o IT ACCUSES OTHERS
o IT GETS ANGRY
o IT IS CONTROLLED BY FEAR AND REJECTION
? LET’S CALL THE OTHER ONE OUR “POWERFUL” STATE
o AFTER ALL:
? WE ARE A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST
? WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SPIRIT OF POWER
o BECAUSE WE ARE NEW CREATURES, WE POSSES NEW QUALITIES IF WE WANT TO USE THEM
? WE CAN BE GENEROUS
? WE CAN BE LOVING
? WE CAN BE FORGIVING
? WE CAN BE CALM
? WHAT WE TELL OURSELVES ABOUT WHAT WE SEE OUR KIDS DOING WILL AFFECT HOW WE FATHER OUR KIDS
o WHEN WE CHOOSE TO ACT LIKE OUR OLD SELVES TOO MUCH, WE WILL PROBABLY GET COMPLIANCE, GRUDGINGLY, BUT WE WILL GET IT
? WE ONLY SEE WHAT WE HAVE DONE AND HOW IT HAS BEEN DISREGARDED
o WHEN WE CHOOSE TO ACT LIKE THE NEW SELVES WE ARE, WE WILL TAKE THE TIME TO SEE IF SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT HAD TO TAKE A PRIORITY OVER WHAT WE FIRST SAW AS DISREGARD AND NOT CARING ABOUT WHAT WE DID.
o SOMETIMES IT WILL JUST BE KIDS BEING KIDS. AND BY THE WAY, IF YOU HAVE BOYS, THEIR MINDS DO NOT FULLY MATURE UNTIL THEY ARE ABOUT 25!
o SEE, WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED WITH OUR NEW SELVES, WE CAN APPROACH THE SITUATION WITH THE LOVE AND GRACE IT DESERVES.
? IN THE END WE WILL ALSO GET COMPLIANCE, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CHILDREN.
? WE DON NOT LOSE THE “DADNESS” WHILE STILL BEING THE FATHER
AND IF I CAN GIVE YOU ONE FINAL THOUGHT HERE, REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION, YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG AS A DAD WHEN YOU -- ALWAYS LOOK FOR BEST IN THE SITUATION INSTEAD OF ASSUMING THE WORST 1 CORINTHIANS 13:7 (NIV) 7 IT ALWAYS PROTECTS, ALWAYS TRUSTS, ALWAYS HOPES, ALWAYS PERSEVERES.
DOING THESE SIMPLY THINGS ARE THE CATALYSTS FOR AN ENVIRONMENT OF TRUST AND CLOSENESS IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP AS A DAD.
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